Mac Attack!


My latest toy.

Last night, my new iMac arrived. I guess it's finally safe to say I'm officially a Mac Addict, although the way that I am body-and-soul still held by my iPhone was probably a sign of my allegiance to the Apple. It's actually pretty surprising, since I've been a staunch PC user pretty much for all my working life. But in the past four or five years I've been working with Mac Powerbook laptops and Macbook Pros so much, I've been steadily converted. All the apps I once thought were exclusive to the PC have revealed improved equivalents on the Mac, so it was really just a matter of time- the fact that Macs are just so damn sexier and more beautiful than any PC (pretty much the same way as the iPhone is so much sleeker and lovelier than any other cellphone) was the icing on the cake.

So when I got the chance, I went for it. I got a mid-range model iMac, with 2 GB Ram, 2.66 Ghz Dual Core Intel processors with 320 GB of Hard Drive space and a lovely 20-inch screen. I have to say, it was pretty awesome to just come home and see the big box greet me in my room... it was even more awesome to just pop out the thing from the package (it's basically just the monitor and keyboard), insert the power cord, attach the mouse and keyboard, plug in the ethernet and I was off. MAN that was damn easy. Sadly, Apple's been saying this for years, but I only now really appreciate it. Freakin' fantastic.

I'm still keeping my old PC in The Sanctum though as my Internet Server and for storage, but even so, an era has been passed, I think. The guard has been changed. I'm gonna live and work from now on with a bit more style, a lot more fun and whole lot more power. Man, technology rocks.

Avatar: The Last Episodes


Animated Awesomeness.

It's been three years. Three long years, yet the road of the Avatar has finally indeed ended when it was supposed to end... in easily one of the most amazing, intense and jaw-droppingly action-packed animated features I've ever had the pleasure to watch. The 4-episode ending to Avatar: The Last Airbender, collectively called Sozin's Comet (consisting of episodes 3.18 to 3.21) reveals to us the climax of three seasons of superb cartoon craftmanship. As his fated battle with Fire Lord Ozai approaches, Aang must come to a decision whether or not he can truly take a life- an action that is against every fiber of his being. But even the slightest hesitation will cost him his life against the most powerful firebender on earth.

Meanwhile, his friends and allies face battles on their own as a multi-pronged battle to take back the Earth Kingdom from the forces of the Fire Nation explode. On the night when Sozin's Comet finally arrives, the true powers and mastery of bending are revealed and the destiny of the world is finally decided.

MAN. OH MAN.

I have truly never seen an animated finale like Avatar's Swan Song. Though the first half of the 'movie' starts out leisurely (with a beach party, no less!), it's a steady build to the non-stop action of the final third of the climax. Once the action starts, it's a roller-coaster ride from there, with reunions aplenty, revelations and some of the finest and intense animated action you'll ever see from a US-made kid's show.

The execution of the climactic battles- the retaking of Ba Sing Se; Sokka, Toph and Suki's airship battle; Zuko and Katara's confrontation with a progressively imbalanced Azula, and Aang's own destined duel with Ozai are surely some of the best animated action scenes I've ever seen, be it in anime or otherwise. In fact, Aang vs Ozai is a battle that would make Saiyans stand up and take notice. Perhaps the best thing I can say about Aang vs Ozai is... for a battle that has been hyped and built up for 60 episodes- it doesn't just live up to expectations, it blows them all away.

Amazingly, all the action comes with no graphic violence, no blood (it IS still a kids' show ultimately) just PURE ACTION AWESOMENESS. And despite the A-team level of firepower and body count, it ALL WORKS. All the characters you've come to love (and hate) it all comes to a head in this one in one amazing action sequence after another, and I came away totally satisfied.

At the end of it, there is a bit of a convenient Deus Ex Machina and happy endings are delivered, though it is totally deserved. Not all issues are finished or ended totally (in fact, there are some new plots opened!), but after all is said and done we come to blissful contentedness a bright future ahead. Surely, this can't be an end to this incredible world given to us by Avatar's creators, artists, writers and vocal performers. I can't wait for more. New stories will probably follow, with new characters... but the Saga of the Boy in the Iceberg is one show I will cherish for the rest of my animation-loving otaku life.

For Avatar Aang and his new family, his new world and people... may you all live Awesomely Happy Ever After. Man, that was a freaking great ride. Is this series out on Blu-ray already or WHAT??!

And So It Ends


Avatar Ends.

Today, the finale to Avatar: The Last Airbender aired. The conclusion to the story of Avatar Aang was a 'movie' consisting of four back-to-back-to-back-to-back episodes.

I haven't watched the finale yet, though I have seen the previous two episodes- 3.16 The Southern Raiders (kinda underwhelming) and 3.17 The Ember Island Players (pretty funny and cool). There was a bit of a lull before the finale, so I'll be going into the climax with a clear head.

Man, this series has been awesome throughout... I can't believe it's over. I do hope that the creators still decide to revisit the amazing, deep and beautiful world they have made, and somehow give us more of the beloved characters we have seen. Anyway, there's also still the live-action movies from M. Night Shyamalan someday, so what the heck. Review of the finale to follow soon.

The Dark Knight



I watched the latest Batman film, The Dark Knight, on the night it opened here in Manila. What can I say? The sequel to Batman Begins has been hyped astronomically in the months building up to its arrival... and man... it actually lives up to the hype. More detective story and thriller than capes and fisticuffs, this latest Batman adaptation to film kicks all the versions that came before in the nuts.

The cast is in that zone of familiarity and comfort in their roles- Christian Bale manages to have a little more humor in his role as Gotham's resident billionaire and vigilante, with his loyal Alfred (Michael Caine) at this side. Acting chameleon Gary Oldman vanishes once more into soon-to-be-Commissioner Jim Gordon. Finally, Morgan Freeman is back in a more noble role after his stint in Wanted. Taking over the role of Rachel Dawes from Katie Holmes is Maggie Gyllenhaal... certainly she doesn't have the star power or recognition of Mrs. Tom Cruise, but she does what she can with the role, which is pivotal to the film. Also new to the franchise is Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent, Gotham's new D.A. and 'white knight', a man so good and true that you know there's something cooking on the other side of the coin. I was even pleasantly surprised to see Scarecrow back, albeit briefly- and he was unmasked so you know it's still Cillian Murphy and not just some substitute.

But of course, we all know who's the real focus of The Dark Knight's beating black heart.

Heath Ledger's Joker is, easily, the most disturbing, formidable, scary and fascinating villain yet seen in a superhero film. You just can't take your eyes off this guy for a second, for all the right reasons. Among them, that quaking feeling of dread that he's about to do something really horrifying yet fascinating. In the deadly game of chess that he plays in Gotham, he always seems one step ahead. Can the Batman really stop this maniac? You're not really sure he can. And that's where the film succeeds- keeping you in that state of fear and tension for most of the 2 1/2 hours it runs. Ledger invested a lot in this role, and it may easily become his legacy for years to come.

That said, it's not the easiest film to follow- the action is reminiscent of the first film in the franchise; fight scenes are dizzying to watch, but stunts with vehicles and explosions are top notch. Lots of fireworks, lots of firepower and things go boom. People, good people and bad, die. It's far darker and more disturbing than any previous Batman, and so much braver. It takes that gutsy step to call forth imagery and fear of terrorism, much more so realistically that it ever was in the first film. This is indeed the Batman from the comics, The Dark Knight indeed.

However, when things seem darkest, the relief is just that more satisfying. As much and as hard evil may beat down the human spirit, somehow the good in people ultimately wins through. A jaded viewer may say, that's not entirely realistic. But damn it, this is a superhero flick still, after all.

This is the year of the Comic Book Movie, and this is the crown jewel. Watch this in theaters, and get ready to be blown away.

Waiting for Knightfall

This week, one of the most awaited superhero flicks is set to arrive in our local theaters. I freaking missed The Incredible Hulk, I'll be freaking damned if I miss The Dark Knight. Yeah, though I can't watch Batman Begins in full ever again after realizing it was actually a pretty boring, overlong biopic/origin story with an Sith-like Qui-Gon Jinn in the place of what should have been Ra's Al Ghul, the sequel looks thoroughly amazing.

I won't hide that much of my anticipation stems from what appears to be a truly bad-ass interpretation of The Joker by the late Heath Ledger. The few reviews I've read online have been glowing in their praise of the actor's final performance, a masterpiece of psychotic villainy. Perhaps this is the Joker we've all been waiting to see- the madman from A KIlling Joke finally given cinematic life, far from the initial mark made by Jack Nicholson in the original Batman flick.

Darker, disturbing and powerful. That's what the film has been described as. I freaking can't wait. Later this week, or over the weekend. I'm gonna have me one Hell of a Knight.

Wanted: Dead or Alive?

I finally got to watch Wanted last night. The last movie I watched was Kung Fu Panda, and I'm kinda pissed that I missed The Incredible Hulk and Prince Caspian in theaters (as penalty, I'll be sure to buy the Blu-Ray versions). Anyway, my movie drought ended finally, but did I regret it or not?

Wanted is based on the comic book by Mark Millar about super villains. Whereas the original source material was all about amoral assholes with an ending that basically says 'EFF YOU' to any reader sappy enough to care about the characters, the movie takes a softer approach by making hero Wesley Gibson just a repressed wimp instead of a egocentric selfish bastard. On the less good side though, it also downgrades the story from being about supervillains with super powers to just a bunch of professional killers, some of which can do some neat tricks with bullets.

Starting off life as a nobody in a go-nowhere job, His girlfriend is cheating on him with his best friend, he's broke and constantly plagued by anxiety attacks. But one day his dreary life changes forever when Fox (Angelina Jolie), a professional assassin and member of the mysterious Fraternity finds him and tells him about his father, whom Wesley had thought up and left him and his mother when he was a week old. Apparently, his father died just the other day, and the man who killed him- another assassin named Cross (Thomas Kretschmann) was now after Wesley. After a harrowing car chase complete with Car-Fu similar to that in Speed Racer, Wesley finds himself among the Fraternity's odd bunch of killers/textile workers (apparently the Fraternity started off thousands of years ago as weavers). Their leader, Sloan (Morgan Freeman) tells him that he's one of them, an assassin of unequalled skill and power. And he's the only one who can kill Cross. But is there really a caged lion inside this mouse of an accountant?

Wanted is uneven for me- it's certainly got lots of flashy, eyebrow-raising CG action sequences (usually involving cars), but I found the ability to 'bend' or 'curve' bullets kinda hokey, and didn't really make me too impressed with the Fraternity, or it's nondescript members who never really get to play up their roles aside from searing-hot Angelina herself (who is, for some reason, the only female member). The story's interesting anyway, and the action was unusual so in the end director Timur Bekmambetov's style from the Daywatch and Nightwatch movies pays off.

James McAvoy plays a pretty convincing dope in Wesley (say, maybe he'd make a great new Peter Parker) and his performance is funny when it needs to be. Morgan Freeman has a nice twist in what seems to be his usual noble role, while Angelina Jolie seems to have put in her contract that she has to look gorgeous and impressive in every freakin' frame of film she appears in. She's pretty smoldering in this film... including one pretty impressive bit of nudity (I wonder if it was actually her though)...

Wanted sadly dispenses with the superhero trimmings of the overrated original and substitutes in fancy CG gunplay as well as a more palatable hero and ending. If you didn't read the comic, you'll find this a stylish and fun, mature action romp.

Malicious (Translation: Wrong Footwear)

About a month ago, I found myself stricken with impaired mobility. My back hurt, no doubt due to sitting in a chair all day at The Salt Mines, but a new pain had developed with my legs. To be exact, the joints that linked my legs to my torso. Moving my legs was excruciatingly painful, and it made things as simple as getting up from bed hard as hell. Walking was punctuated with pain in every step (although minor), and I found myself limping most of the time. It reached a point where I was taking painkiller medicine on a daily basis. What was going on?

After weeks of this crap, I finally found the cause. Frickin' SHOES. I found that the shoes I had taken to wearing a lot- a pair of moccasins, had very slick soles that apparently made walking in them difficult due to the fact that I was slipping every which way on anything even slightly polished. And so, in places like malls or buildings where floor tiles are regularly smoothened, it was like I was walking on slick ice everytime. Apparently this improper way of walking all developed into that long-term pain in my leg joints.

Well, a couple of weeks ago I bought a new pair of sneakers, and have been wearing them since. After a while, the pain eased and left, and hasn't been back since... and not a single pill. So I guess that was it. You really can't take things for granted, and it's so easy to ignore something that's underneath your feet. I'll just have to take these things in to account more. Man, I was pill-popping like a rock star or football champion... minus the big bucks. Glad to finally be getting back to working order.

Now, I wonder what's causing that third arm to sprout from my knee..?

Birthday Blast


War and white hairs go well together.

As I kinda mentioned earlier, I'll be spending the lion's share of my birthday break and weekend with Solid Snake, AKA Old Snake. The game, the latest and apparently GREATEST yet for the Sony Playstation 3, is titled Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. It is, quite frankly, one of the reasons I got the console for. The latest of this much-beloved franchise (which is the pillar of the 'Stealth-Action' genre of games) is also the last chapter of the adventures of ol' Snake, due to various reasons including the fact that he seems to be suffering from a case of Werner's Syndrome, afflicting him with rapid aging. But if Snake's gonna go down, he's not going away quietly with an I.V. plugged into his arm in a hospital bed. Nah, he's strapping on the latest in stealth technology suits and hi-tech boom-sticks and James Bond-tech and heading into the most chaos-ridden war zones all over the world... all in the purpose of hunting down and eliminating the one bad guy out to destroy the world.

To say that MGS4 is a beautiful game would be an understatement- the game's in-game graphics look as good as CG cinematics, and the detail, intricacy and design of pretty much everything you see, hear and experience is a cinematic experience. The gameplay is smoother, more playable and accessible than ever, melding both the traditional stealthy sneaking with balls-out shooting action depending on the player's desire. And as for the story... well, it all ends here, and everything you've been wondering about in Metal Gear- like how the hell is Liquid Snake still alive in a severed hand, who the heck are The Patriots or why is MGS2 hero Raiden now sporting a new cyborg body will be explained, in-game or in the multitude of amazing cutscenes.

Easily one of the most anticipated games ever (it's been in development for YEARS), it's finally here, and it's fitting I guess that I received it at this time.

What a damn freakin' cool birthday gift!

So I guess I'll end it here for now. For a more detailed review of this opus of a game, check out my game blog at The Lone Gamer. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go stealthily save the world... with a bad back, at that!

The Luckiest Day of My Life

While others may shirk, I don't see today as being in any way unlucky. In fact, it's perhaps the most important day of my life- the beginning, actually. Yep, I turn one year older today and damn... I'm getting old. It doesn't help that one of my favorite gaming heroes- whose game I am currently enjoying over the birthday weekend- also has some age-related issues, and a chronic bad back. Still, things are pretty good for me, all things considered, and I really can't complain (though the frackin' bad back is murder sometimes).

Thanks, everyone, who chimed in to greet an Old MADman. Much appreciated! What can I wish for aside from I hope there are lots more Fridays or Saturdays or whatever-the-13ths to come. I still plan on doing more comics, playing more games and having more fun with friends yet.

Man, it's good to BE! Later! WOOHOO!!!

Simply Flabulous!


Prepare for Awesomeness, Indeed!

Last night, I was able to finally catch a movie before my upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4 weekend, and luckily I picked the Dreamworks' Animation film Kung-Fu Panda (over Prince Caspian, which I wanna watch too anyway). I can honestly say, that was the most fun I've had in a movie theater in recent months.

Dreamworks' animation features have always been- shall we say- a bit hit and miss. But this latest offering simply hits every punch, kick and ribbing with the skill of a master. As much a whimsical, fantastically-animated and realized look at an anthropomorphic animal-populated ancient China as it is a heartwarming story of a hero discovering his true worth, it's also one BAD-ASS kung fu flick. I have to say, If I wasn't laughing, I was gawking at some of the amazing martial arts action- I haven't had this much fun in a martial arts movie since Kung Fu Hustle.

Aside from the awesome animation and fight choreography, props go to Jack Black (in the titular role of Po the Panda) and Dustin Hoffman (as Master Shifu) for bringing in wonderful vocal performances (easily Black at his funniest), with able support from Randall Duk Kim as Master Oogway (probably the coolest, wisest and most powerful turtle you'll ever see in animation), Angelina Jolie as the formidable Tigress, the ever-reliable James Hong as Po's loveable, noodle-obsessed father, and Ian McShane as the intense, powerful villain, Tai Lung. Yeah, I have to mention Jackie Chan is in there as well, and his presence, while kinda minor, goes a bit of a way in making this flick that much more kung-fantastic.

Gorgeously animated, hilarious throughout, heartwarmingly emotional when it needs to be and jaw-droppingly amazing during the high-kicking, high-flying fight sequences, Kung Fu Panda is a 10-hit combo of Fighting FUN! Watch it in your nearest theater NOW!

Home Sweet Home

I'm back in The Sanctum. And I couldn't be happier.

Traveling to international locales and spending time in first-class accommodations in posh hotels is awesome, but it's just... not totally right. I mean, my hotel room was luxury itself- big screen TV was awesome, but man, there's really NOTHING to watch save for CNN or National Geographic, or HBO- anything else, you have to pay for. Food was great- I ordered room service several times- but it's damn expensive. The king-sized bed with the man-sized pillows looked incredible, but the proof is in the sleeping... I just couldn't get as much rest as I wanted to. It was fun to seal yourself in under the snug, warm (but HEAVY) sheets and insulate yourself from the cool AC though.

The thing is, hotels are beautiful, luxurious and impressive and all... but it's all stuff that's paid for and manufactured. All of the pleasure, all of the smiles, all of the ingratiating service is from money. No money, all of that goes away revealing the machinery underneath like some freaky cyborg or killer Terminator.

Not that I'll be any less excited to go on another overseas work trip and enjoy another hotel stay (but not anytime soon, PLEASE). I just want to say that the saying really is true.

There's no freakin' place like home.

Where in the World is Marco Dimaano?


This week, it's Taiwan!

Yeah, I seem to be a bit of a jet-setter these days, as the folks at The Salt Mines would say. It was only a few weeks ago that I found myself suddenly flying off to Bangkok, Thailand... and now I'm in Taipei, Taiwan! Again, it's just for work and for quite a bit shorter than my previous jaunt. I'll be back under Manila's skies by the weekend. Still, it's cool to just zip off and find myself in an altogether new environment, albeit still a bit familiar since we're all still in Asia. As I arrived at the Taiwan airport, my mind raced about all the Hong Kong action films shot here. The place is clean and proper and lovely, although there seems to be much less of a tourist vibe. Still, I enjoyed the long drive to the hotel, with mountains and hillsides teeming with foliage and trees on either side, the occasional odd temple or oriental structure breaking up the green carpet of leaves.

My room, turns out, is awesome... and comes with a BIG-ASS flatscreen TV that makes me wish I brought my PS3, to hell with the effort. It's so darned wasted on the drab hotel TV fare... I wanna see hi-res games on this thing... something like Metal Gear Solid 4 (out in a week) or Soulcalibur IV (out next month). Oh well, I guess CNN will have to do.

Today was a bit of a breather, but tomorrow will see me manning a TV shoot again as the imported Filipino dialogue consultant. It'll be a full day of work, I think, then it'll be a zip back to home. Thank goodness for the long weekend. That's that for now. Room service is at the door. Later!

Mingling at the M3Con


Ninja Girl KO!

Last Saturday, I went off the SM Mall of Asia's SMX Convention Center to attend the Mangaholix Manga, Anime and Cosplay Convention or M3Con 2008. It was my first Con with the Mangaholix/Groundbreakers crew, so I was pretty excited and pumped.


The Ninja Girl KO Team- Writer (Me), Cosplayer (Jac) and Artist (Kriss).

Going in, I knew that Mangaholix Presents Issue #5 would be launched, with my very own Ninja Girl KO! starring on the cover (thanks to the incomparable Kriss Sison for the consistently awesome visuals). Also, it seems that our girl Michiko Yamashita is proving to be a big favorite among readers, receiving the most fan art (and also later in the day, revealed to be the most-requested character when it came to sketches at the Mangaholix booth... GO, Michiko!). Aside from that, it was a great opportunity to watch the wonders of the local cosplaying crowd, with all the flashy costumes and otaku geek pleasures that come with that. Toy stores, manga and hobby shops were also out in force, so there was everything for a manga/otaku/anime fan to spend their cash on.


Energetic Jac, Mangaholix's cool MichiKosplayer.


Strike a pose!

Of course, I had the pleasure of meeting the Mangaholix crew (so many talented artists and comic creators), and in particular finally meeting my own heroine, Michiko, in the flesh! Yep, I finally got to meet Jac, the cool girl who cosplays Michiko Yamashita AKA Ninja Girl KO (I call her my Michikosplayer). What can I say? She definitely has the ninja girl scowl and poses down pat- plus, from the way she was zipping here and there all day, accommodating requests for photos and helping the Mangaholix crew keep things going... she surely has Ninja Girl-like endurance and stamina. Thank you, Jac! You're Awesome.

In the middle of the day, Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo went up onstage to talk about their comic, Trese. Although Budj was kinda apprehensive that the crowd wasn't into their kind of comics, there was a good reaction and several Trese fans threw some nice questions to the pair.


The Trese team (Kajo Baldisimo and Budjette Tan) on stage.

A big part of the M3Con was Cosplay, and there were TONS of cosplayers around. In fact, almost two hundred contestants in wigs, capes, schoolgirl uniforms, spandex and ruffles were on hand to show off their costumes. It was fun just walking around and suddenly recognizing a game or anime character, and snapping a pic. Later in the day, I manned the Cosplay Judges' Booth with Mangaholix's Comipa and Cosplay Princess Alodia Gosiengfiao, getting myself a royal view of the competitors. All I can say is, the local cosplay community is alive and well, and should be giving other countries' a run for the cosplay crown soon.


MADman with Tekken's Lili Rochefort, care of Alodia Gosiengfiao.

At the end of the day, I was tired but incredibly happy. Ninja Girl KO is proving to be mega-popular among Mangaholix readers, I got to meet the fans (along with the inevitable requests/questions about Angel Ace and even someone asking about a Ninja Girl KO/K.I.A. crossover!), man the Con along with the Mangaholix Crew (Thanks, Ian, Emman, Comipa, Xavier, Orgen and all the rest!), grab some nice Ninja Girl KO! merchandise and hot copies of Issue 5. The only wrinkle was that Kriss and me had a bit of a bitch of a time going home thanks to some traffic caused by a just-concluded fireworks display, but otherwise, it was all awesome.


Michiko vs Lili. Now THAT is a dream match...

Till the next M3Con, guys! Hope you all had fun!

Check out my other M3Con pics here and here.

M3Con



This Saturday May 31, 2008 is the M3Con or Mangaholix Manga Mania Convention 2008! At the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia all sorts of great otaku stuff will be happening- manga and local comics, toys and hobby stuff, cosplay and more cosplay! Aside from the Mangaholix crew of artists, creators and local manga-kas, we'll have guests like Budjette Tan and Ka-Jo Baldisimo of Trese to, well, I dunno... to be dragged up on stage to talk about their comic and characters. Heheh. Of course, me and Kriss Sison will be around to answer all your Ninja Girl KO! questions as well!

So come and join the fun! Buy manga or anime stuff! Buy local comics (particularly ALL 5 Issues of Mangaholix Presents!!!)! Buy some indie manga! Watch some cosplayers! Listen to some guys chatter about making comics! Oh, and buy some cool Mangaholix merchandise! There's gonna be so much to do!


Ever wanted to rest your head on Michiko's soft chest? NOW YOU CAN!!! WAAHAHA!!

It should be awesome. So, see you all there, okay? SATURDAY! Mall of Asia! COME! COME!

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull


Indiana Jones returns for one more adventure.

It's been a long time since the last time we saw Dr. Henry Jones, Jr. in fighting form, but Indy's back. Like John Rambo and John McClaine, Jonesy has come out of retirement for one more shot at glory. I have to say, the Indiana Jones series is, for me, THE number one title when it comes to pulp-action adventure with a historic/mythical schtick. Nothing else comes close- Tomb Raider, National Treasure... NO ONE can touch Dr. Jones. Even though I have to say that since the perfect and sublime Raiders of the Lost Ark, the quality has gone down by notches in every sequel after, an Indy film is head and shoulders, whiplashed-to-the-chandelier-higher than any other adventure movie delving into ancient secrets or mythical treasures.

That said, we all didn't think another Indy would be possible- when Indy, Henry Sr., Salah and Marcus Brody rode off into the sunset after Last Crusade, we all thought that was it. But apparently since then things happened and we do have another entry into the series, thus forever quashing the name Indiana Jones Trilogy and making it the Indiana Jones Foursome of movies.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Man, what a cumbersome title) takes a turn to the sci-fi, referring to the Roswell Incident with flying saucers and little gray men from outer space. It's soon revealed that a small army of Russian cold warriors, led by the supposedly psychic agent Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett doing her best Natasha impression) is after remains of aliens- crystal skulls- in the hopes of unlocking some mysterious powers to rule the world. Of course, the one man who can stop them is the one man they bring in to help them unlock the secrets of the skull- Indiana Jones himself.

Indiana (Harrison Ford) has seen better years- he's a lot older, a lot puffier and grizzled, and with old friend Marcus Brody and father Henry Sr. having passed away some time before, he's not in the highest spirits. But thank god- it's still Indy as we know him. Harrison Ford still has it for the most part, and he can still swing a punch, deliver a line, crack that whip and swash that buck like no other hero.

Unfortunately, even with nostalgia and the pleasure of seeing Indy again, the mere fact remains that Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is, without a doubt, the least of the series.

It's not because the heroes are old, though I have to admit I was jarred a bit to realize how old Harrison Ford and Karen Allen are now... Harrison is Indy, Karen is Marion Ravenwood- it would have not been the same without them. The biggest problems I believe with Kingdom are the below par story, script, direction and pacing. That may be harshy, but really, I believe that given the pedigree of the series, this entry is just not done as well as with the previous installments. It certainly hurts that it isn't as intense as before (everything is so strangely bloodless), just as the demand to be more ratings-friendly hurt Die Hard 4.0. But for the most part, the movie just isn't tight, with scenes messily transitioning into one another with as much grace as Mutt Williams' (Shia LaBeouf) simply punching a random guard which inexplicably lets the heroes all escape an enemy camp into the jungle.

It's a problem that the actual quest for the Skull and its secrets is also not as clever, well-presented or clear as in previous movies. There's not as much sense of wonder or awe that permeated the quests of previous films- experiences like finding the Hell of Holes and discovering the resting place of the ark in Raiders, or even just finding the big 'X' marks the spot in Last Crusade- perhaps it's in the imagery and music as well as the script. Here things just seem to happen on autopilot, with the settings and ruins looking strangely generic, with odd live guardians (who are never really given explanation or any depth aside from being just obstacles to take out). The actual Crystal Skull, once found, is actually... strangely cheap-looking and under-whelming... and much too convenient as a device to just keep the quest going and going and going.

The pacing problems persist to the end- again, it's hard not to refer to previous films- as while all of the previous movies were thrill-a-minute rides, Crystal Skull has gaps between the big set-piece action scenes, things that just pop in and pop out as if they were there just to add a bit more spice to the scene (like the aforementioned live guardians of the ruins Indy and company head into). The finale/endgame and resolution sadly feels anti-climactic (coming right after the best action in the movie), predictable and unspectacular, and actually mirrors the same ending of X-Files the movie- just a spectacle for the characters to stand back and watch, rather than be a part of.

The new characters are hit-and-miss; Mutt Williams kinda starts off with a bum leg since we ALL know just WHO HE REALLY IS even before stepping into the theater, thanks to all the hype and news on the internet. He's not THAT bad, but I really feel they tried a bit too hard to make him 'cool' or likeable as a way perhaps of passing the fedora to him, maybe. Not yet ready, I say. Not quite there yet.

Then there's Mac (Ray Winstone), Indy's old friend who turns out to be a double-triple-quadruple dealing agent. He's never a real threat, doesn't really impact on the story much and just feels like extraneous, unnecessary baggage and dodgy comic relief.

As villains go, Irina Spalko is, at least, a physical adversary instead of just being a behind-the-fodder mastermind like Belloq or Donovan... but she still falls behind them in villainy, and Mola Ram of Temple of Doom still rules for me as the best Indy baddie. The sad thing about Spalco though is that she's woefully underused where she could have been really cool. Like Mola Ram's Heart-plucking trick, more should have been made of her psychic powers, instead of her fencing ability and physical prowess. No, I wouldn't have liked her to have become the Indy equivalent of Professor X, but at least make her deserve that offbeat uniform, poses and hairdo by making her more formidable. Also, the Russian soldiers are sadly nowhere near as nasty or fun to take on as the Nazis or Thugees. They seem brain-dead a lot of the time, and are strangely presented more sympathetically or more human than the cartoon baddies of previous films, which takes away a bit from the fun in dispatching them.

What makes me feel bad most about Kingdom is how many missed opportunities there are, I think, that could have made the overall experience so much better. It would have been more intense to give a bit of danger to Marion or Mutt near the end, or at any point of the movie, to give Indy that much more incentive to fight given it's HIS FAMILY at stake. However, we never really feel they're in any danger at any point, certainly not like how Henry Sr. is shot and taken to death's door at the climax of Last Crusade. We never really learn much about the Skull, what it's real powers were or what the point was to the whole thing after all was said and done.

Sigh.

Even with all that, I have to still say- it's an Indy film, and it's impossible for me to hate this film, flaws and flaws and all. There's still cool action about, memorable scenes (Indy and the Mushroom cloud is pretty amazing) and a nice, well-deserved ending for one of cinema's greatest action heroes. This just makes me want to bring out the old movies and watch them again... which certainly can't be a bad thing.

It's Indiana Jones, people. I'll take this Indy over No Indy anytime. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is now showing in theaters all over the Metro.

Back from Bangkok


Scarfing down some Thai Chow.

I'm back! Certainly I enjoyed my Bangkok experience, even though it was mainly for work and I spent the lion's share of my time sitting in a set or shooting location (albeit a couple of the shoots were on really nice, interesting places). I unfortunately didn't get to go to the scenic, cultural spots of Thailand, but I think I was able to see the city in a nice way, walking the streets among the Thais and tourist crowds, eating stuff from street food to proper Thai cuisine and seeing the place both during rain and shine, both figuratively and literally.


Apparently Han Solo is still a carbonite prisoner, displayed in a Bangkok production house.


Japanese bookstore in Thailand...

Some of my more random, interesting bits in Bangkok include...

... walking the streets in the rain with just my raincoat, eating chicken crisps on the sidewalk and ogling some guy's spiffy media player as he watched some video on the street (more on this later)...

... Eating in a Mexican Restaurant (nice, chunky soup and tasty tacos)and realizing that half the staff are Filipino...

... Stalking a little baby elephant down a sidewalk...

... Walking the techno-paradise known as Panthrip Plaza (four floors of gadgets!!!) and seeing Buddhist Monks shopping for PC parts and talking on cellphones...

... Staring at millions of dollars' worth of jewelry and gems in a Bangkok government-run workshop/tourist display...

... Getting my abdomen crushed by the frickin' barrier at the BTS entrance...


... Finding a taste for Rose Apples...

... Experiencing Credit Card Crappiness as my BPI Mastercard proved USELESS and unusable in Bangkok and being left out with my arse hanging in the wind as their 89-100 service line was unreachable. This pretty much forced me to use up most of my cash to buy the Personal Media Player/Digital Recorder I had discovered. WHAT. THE. HELL. I am SOOOO going to complain about this on Monday.

All in all, I enjoyed myself immensely. The Hotel was awesomely classy and luxurious, the Thais are a lovely, friendly people (albeit I eventually found that Taxi Drivers can be irritating even here, and some are still not immune to the ol' "I don't have change" trick). Perhaps someday, on my own time, I'll come back to Bangkok to experience the culture and see the sights. Maybe. We'll see. For now, I have my memories, a new DVR player and other little doo-dads to enjoy my time living the Thai Life.

Hanging in Bangkok

Here I am, chilling (literally... the AC's pretty strong) in my hotel room in Bangkok. I'm staying in a pretty good hotel... in fact, probably one of the best in the place, and that alone is worth the trip. A week in luxurious executive class comfort? Thank you very much. Anyway, as much as I'd want to just vegetate in the room and surf on the complementary high-speed internet, I just had to go out. There were souvenirs to buy, things to see.

Day One had me going out and riding Bangkok's BTS, their equivalent to Manila's MRT. It works similarly, save here you buy tickets from vending machines with coins- the booths with tellers provide change for bills. The trains are well-maintained, cool and spacious... albeit smaller than the Edsa MRT. They're also apparently totally covered with advertising stickers, which makes sightseeing from the train impossible, weirdly enough.

A couple of stations' trip away from the hotel was Siam Square, Bangkok's central mall district, and it's BIG. I walked around for an hour or two, looking at the gorgeous setting, salivating at big-screen TVs and perusing some bookstores (including one that sold all Japanese/oriental books, manga and catalogs). Outside the big malls are countless flea markets, garment stores and shops revolving around the central malls. In a word- dizzying. It didn't help though that it was drizzling so I was walking around in my raincoat, stoically determined to experience the Bangkok night of a street pedestrian, even if it was through the rain. I ate some street food, went into a 7-11, walked through sidewalks and sidestreets and generally had an interesting watch of an altogether new but strangely familiar place.

Day Two had half of the day alloted for work, attending a meeting. Afterwards, I was free to go and I was determined to finish my souvenir-shopping to get it out of the way at least. I got a taxi which was driven by a young Thai driver named Tom, who thankfully had very good english. While I originally wanted to go to Wat Po and look at some temples, I eventually gave up since the traffic was pretty bad and the place was located on the other side of the city. I instead went off to a government-run facility (the name escapes me) where they produced Thailand's famous jewelry (along with other Thai souvenirs). Of course, I didn't exactly have countless dollars to spend on jade, rubies and sapphires, so I just slid over to the cultural goods shop and picked up some stuff for the folks back home.

Afterwards, Tom drove me over to MBK, a large market area where bargains could be had. I spent the next couple of hours walking around, wandering and buying a couple of gifts. On the sidewalk, I passed by video stalls and resisted the temptation to grab a couple of discs. Man, they have a LOT of malls here, albeit some are a lot less posh than others. The price though definitely goes down along with the ambience. Despite all that, I felt safe walking around among the Thai people... there was a nice air to everything, and it was nice to just be just another face in a place where Europeans, Americans, Indians and other Asians walked along as well in a pleasant, eclectic mix. I found myself admiring Bangkok for lots of stuff- the air was definitely cleaner (and not as much, if not at all of the stink you'd find in corners and alleys of Manila...) and sidewalks made for walking. Taxis as well seemed easier to get and plentiful, though I heard and read that even here there are unscrupulous cabbies. I haven't met one yet though.

Had dinner at a nice resto which served good Thai food... I was determined to do this since my first night's dinner was eaten at McDonald's. Don't scoff- I just wanted to see any differences from McDo at home. Not many, though incredibly enough they have a DOUBLE BIG MAC. Four freakin' patties. My. God.

After dinner, I walked back home and found myself inhaling a smell that reminded me of armpits times ten. I realized that walking ahead of me was a little elephant. A real, live pachyderm, on the street, walking along with it's owners/herders (who were vendors of some kind). I followed, just wanting to stare at the thing all the way. That moment I really regretted I left my camera in the hotel room. Well, at least the smell won't ever be forgotten.

And so, my second day in Bangkok passed. I finished my souvenir shopping and here I am. with the week still young. There's work to be done from here on in, but I think I'll still have chances to have more fun here in Bangkok. We'll see.

Fast and Not-Too-Furious

On a side note, I spent my pre-departure night with El and Jonas watching the Wachowski-directed Speed Racer movie. I wasn't that hot for this anime-to-film translation (not really a race fan) but kinda knew what I was getting myself into from a couple of reviews, but what the heck. The movie looked like it would be a blast to watch, at least visually. And what do you know... it was.

On the bright (or psychedelic, to be exact) side, Speed Racer is indeed eye candy overload. Pretty much every frame is exploding with bright bubblegum colors as the movie depicts the world as a futuristic, sunshine-bright pinball-machine in which full-contact acrobatic car racing is the biggest craze. It's amazing though it's easy to get lost in the twisting, faster-than-you-can-comprehend races (being seated in the very front row didn't help either). Since the movie is like, 80 percent all-CG and filmed in blue screen, it's kinda like Sky Captain except instead of all sepia it's like someone spilled a gumball machine's worth of colors on everything.

That all said, the movie's kinda long, it's very cheezy and a bit too family-friendly (no deaths like in the anime, save for one supposed death of a major character), but even through the family/friend bonding and long tirades and constant flashbacks and stream-of-mind cutaways for many characters, there's an earnest theme to the movie about being true to yourself, about love of family and how ability and talent and drive rising above the system despite all odds. Yeah, it sounds shmoozy but it actually works.

High points? Man, Christina Ricci is UBER-hot in this film (despite the movie being family fare) and every time she's onscreen you can't take your eyes off her. John Goodman and Susan Sarandon were also great as Speed's parents, and the little kid and the monkey were constant crack-ups.

Goofy and silly at times, often thrilling with lots of action on and off the racetrack but having a bit of an anticlimactic climax, Speed Racer was nevertheless surprisingly enjoyable and worth seeing. The movie's playing now in theaters all over the Metro so check it out.

Another aside- perhaps the coolest thing in the night was the surprise showing of a trailer for the new CG Star Wars: Clone Wars movie! Clearly based on Genndy Tartarovsky's CW cartoons, this new reveal of the battles fought between Star Wars Episode Two and Three looks like it's gonna kick as much arse as the CW series did. Definitely want to watch out for that. Heh.

Out the Door

Nope, I'm still in Manila.

Got up at the crack of dawn this morning. Fortunately, I was able to get some sleep despite my usual pre-departure insomnia. A chartered cab took me to the airport, and here I am. It was kinda unnerving to go through the various checkpoints and stages- divesting yourself of metal objects and depositing them on trays or conveyor belts about twice, going through security and having documents checked and fees paid. After it was all said and done, I had only enough pesos left to buy myself breakfast- lukewarm sausage roll and Coke from Delifrance... which were grossly expensive but tasted like nectar and ambrosia to my rumbling stomach. No more money though, aside from the dollars that I'd be using for the trip, and my credit card. Hopefully I won't use up either. I'm not much of a shopper anyway, save for things that I really love. But I doubt I'll be finding a copy of Tekken 6, Soulcalibur IV or Metal Gear Solid 4 anywhere in Bangkok. Or anywhere else for that matter, yet.

Anyway, I've got a small list of requests to track down in my free time. A duster or two for Mom. A bag for the boss. Souvenirs and sweets for The Salt Mines folk. And... a tube of Thai toothpaste. Shouldn't be a problem.

Less than an hour left to boarding. It's almost time.

The Night Before

This always happens before I go on a long trip... I usually can't sleep, and it's because I'm excited or anxious or just had too much soda to drink. This time, it's a particularly long trip. I'll be off to Bangkok for about a week, attending a shoot for a TV commercial as a Filipino language consultant. Conceivably most of my time will be spent stationed at the shoot itself, but perhaps I'll be able to slip in some personal touring, sight-seeing and shopping as well.

But of course, I'm also a bit antsy because it IS my first time traveling alone in a foreign land. It's like that Sting song. I wonder how the people will be? How will it be different or alike from home?

From all indications, I'll have internet in my lodgings, so I'll most probably continue to update the blog (one way to keep my sanity and ease homesickness, I guess, if that creeps in) and surf. Gladly, the web knows no miles or borders... just bandwidth. Anyway, have PSP, will travel. Before noon, I fly off. The next post I put up, will be from Bangkok.