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Making the World a Brighter Place

I think it's a known human fact that what looks good on someone else doesnt mean it will also look good on you. Take this movie for instance. Why would someone put 3D effects on an already 3-Dimensional object, if you please? Its hard enough to concentrate on a stationary object, now why would you strain your eyeballs tryin' to follow the same object jumpin' floppin' around haplessly? Well, I can rant all I want but the better audience gets the best of me so I decided to watch the regular 2-D show. I would've gritted my teeth in desperation if I was seeing the deliberate use of the wonders of 3D during the bubble-popping scene, ice-shavings c/o Slurpee in the exhaust pipe and dust-clap if I might call it that. It didnt (NEVER!) look natural so squeezing in these visual images is just desperate. It follows almost the exact same formula of the first 2 parts of the franchise. Two people meets unexpectedly, falls deeply in love with each other (Bleah!), conflict arises to separate the two and either one of them saving the day by dancing in the face-off. Blah. Blah. Blah. Oh and yeah, there's some sick dance moves in there, too. If there's anything praise-worthy on the idea that you have to sit through the whole movie, its the dance routines. I know this is what we came to watch so why bother with the meaningful storyline? I guess society dictates that if something is good, we do it until we're fed up and literally puking with just a whiff of a sweaty dance step. It's our fault. Throw your stones somewhere else! They couldnt have picked a better name for the battling team for this (hopefully!) final installment of the Step Up saga. Pirates or Samurai, none of them made sense in any form of the word. Boooooo! The movie was just in time though for the craze that's sweeping the entire movie industry... Step Up 3 in 3D! Step Up 3 is perfect for precisely what it's trying to accomplish. This is a dance movie, first and foremost, and a movie with a "story" least and last. The dancing, the level of innovation, and the enthusiasm exhibited make this an impossible film to hate, regardless of the lack of coherence. You'll laugh at the silly parts, smile at the dancing, and find yourself pleasantly diverted for 101 minutes. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to challenge someone to a DANCE BATTLE! I may lose, but I'll go down dance-fighting.

The long wait is over for all Twi-hard fans of the third installment of the Twilight Saga. Since the first one was released two years back, Vampire stories have been all the rage now. Fueled by the impression that Vampires have a vulnerability in them and they can fall deep if not excruciatingly cheesy to a mortal (Please!). Buffy: The Vampire Slayer was a classic and soon after the first Twilight book was written, a renewed hysteria over what is already a worldwide phenomenon became more evident with the release of "True Blood" and "The Vampire Diaries". Okay, I forget that this is a review of a movie but I just can't help but to compare the subtle similarities to these shows on the tube. Watched it on THX @ Alabang Town Center at the very last screening on a Friday night. Theatre is packed with a few celebrities in the bunch and tons of tweens and tweeps on the side. Here're my notes: Eclipse is not entirely dumb, maybe bordering the dreadful, but its still dumb. With all the flashback from the characters past, you cant help but wonder how easy was it for them to lure tweens and curious older twips to spend on something which could've just been discussed over a cup of coffee and not during the time when a more interesting story is appropriate. Interestingly, movie was intense in parts where the Cullens prepares for the battle that is their greatest so far, chasing the story's villainess, Victoria and the unlikely alliance between the pack and the coven versus the newborns. The movie was entertaining and funny at some point, however, I was disappointed that the Volturis didn't get as much exposure as I expected them to. I just hope that Breaking Dawn will make us appreciate the diverse characters in the Twilight Saga. For the reason that I base it entirely on the battle scenes which could be the best from the ones that have shown so far, Im pretty much satisfied with what they have done with Eclipse. Now if only I could have a choice of not seeing the blatant exposure of Jacob's torso for at least one good 30 minutes, I'll be fine.

Things don't usually go well for movie adaptations for most of the popular games.(*hint* Final Fantasy. Super Mario *hint*). More often than not, they dont live up to our expectations from what their inspirations are to us. Say, the intentions were noble but that movie just bombed. I grew up playin' the desktop game in the comfort of my own space where I remember rushin' back home after school just to get the chance to get ahead of my brothers. Although it was not as good as the games are today, back then, the fluid movements of the "Prince" could spell speechless in my face. Of course I get upset each time the character falls on the pit of shards, lose a chunk of life if I jump on a ledge too high but that was part of the fun. Okay I got a bit carried away with that nostalgia. Goin back... Prince of Persia is light years ahead of its predecessors in terms of clarity and coherence. It stayed true to how the game uses strategy to move up a level or advance to the next round. Resident Evil would be shamed to pieces if it were to show on the same time as this movie did.The graphics was bordering the acceptable, but what stands out is how effective Jake Gyllenhaal as the Prince. Like how a friend describes it, you would never get a hint of his previous roles into this character. One thing that disappoints though is that there was no chemistry between Dastan and Tamina. You can't help but take their scenes separately as opposed to being immersed in what should be their story together. The stiff character and lack of emotion from the face of Gemma Arterton as Princess Tamina would just give you a constant feeling of déjà vu. The plot triggers some other movie we watched since we started going to movie theatres. Just for the sake of gettin' my weekend worth, I'd say this is visually entertaining and fun to watch. Don't get too excited though... one of Indiana Jones' franchise or the Lord of the Rings trilogy might pop up somewhere during the course and you'll forget you were watching something else.

27-29 March 2010 Fort Ilocandia Resort Laoag City, Ilocos Norte PHILIPPINES

14 March 2010

27 February 2010 Concepcion Subdivision, Marikina City Pines' post-bday and Kim's pre-bday celebration.

27 February 2010 Music Match Family KTV Unit 208 Ortigas Home Depot Complex, Julia Vargas Ave., Pasig City Quarterly FISH Activity

20 February 2010 Singson Hall, Ateneo de Manila Grade School

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooot!

There's a profound sense of familiarity with the characters in this 2010 movie adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks' 1998 Bestseller. I must admit I'm a sucker for stories such as this although the movie reminds me so much of "The Notebook". The storyline is almost identical as the former with reference on keeping a journal and reminding us how powerful a written letter is in getting things on a personal level. In this day and age, writing letters are a thing of the past, but nothing could be as ROMANTIC as a hand-written note saying the exact same words. Meeting Savannah through a random act of gallantry, John reminded viewers of how big things can start at a simple gesture. One can't help but see themselves in the characters portrayed by Tatum and Seyfried, from empty gazes and the all-so-familiar conflicts, I was in a way, drawn to actually enjoying the movie Im watching. Being in a relationship where I had to leave to work in another country, hearing John utter the same words I said before I left, I cant help but be reminded of a past. I wouldve stayed if only she said I should but she made me think we had to make sacrifices so I left. I came back thinking I love her more than before but it was only me. *sigh* It wasn't entirely bad what Savannah did, she had her reasons and I couldnt blame John for feeling betrayed. It was a good idea at that time, I would say...if only I had known better. It has been a while since I saw a movie like "Dear John" and I must say I enjoyed pretty much how it portrayed different kinds of love. Somehow I can associate myself with John's love for Savannah and his Dad and a rekindled love of Numismatics, Savannah and her unselfish love for John, Tim and his autistic son. A friend once told me that loving someone means seeing her happy although its not with you. If its meant for you, waiting is all you have to do. "Well, I guess, I'll see you then..."

Although not exactly designed to appeal to religious folks - for one thing, the villain is no less than God - the film has enough entertaining action and sly humor to please its target audience. The last time the Supreme being got seriously pissed off at us, he sent the great flood. Now, apparently finding it easier to start anew, he sent angels to do the dirty work. Attempting to thwart godly plans, a rogue angel, Michael decided to prove that there's still hope in mankind. An unlikely place houses what the Angels called the Messiah, an unborn child of a pregnant and clearly not virginal waitress at a remote roadside diner appropriately named Paradise Falls. After a visit of an initially sweet old lady who quickly transforms into a throat-chomping, spider-walking monster, periodic attacks followed through by hordes of similarly possessed figures, including an ice cream-truck driver with elongated limbs and a little boy in dire need of an exorcist. Eventually, it leads to a showdown between Michael and the angel Gabriel, the latter wielding an impressive air of wings that serve equally well as bullet deflectors and lethal daggers. Didnt know angel wings are supposed to be metallic...and razor sharp, too! If they had shown this during the Holiday season, I wouldve enjoyed it better because it talks about a setting quite familiar to us. Charlie as the unsuspecting Mother of a baby to save humanity who is accepted by Jeep even if the child is not his. All this happened in a manger called Paradise Falls. Modern-day Nativity,,,KEWL! Legion is not a good movie but its not so bad either. If you look at things literally, you'd be lost in translation. Try to dig deeper into the subject, maybe you'd see there's more to it than what's obvious.

Recipes Greenbelt 3 16 January 2010

10 January 2010 Julie's Ihaw-Ihaw MOA Seaside, San Miguel by the Bay Pasay City

Tyra Banks and The CW have unveiled the 14 aspiring young stunners who will compete for the title of the Fashion World’s Next Big Thing on the Cycle 14 of America’s Next Top Model, kicking off March 10. We’ve snagged a first look at the harem of stiletto-wearing hotties who will be pushed to the limit in a series of interesting challenges this season.

28 December 2009 Sitio Abel, Miarayon Talakag, Bukidnon Prior to the fiesta, the townspeople gather in a cockpit after a well-deserved rest from farming. Its my first-time EVER to watch this Bloody-Sport. Oh and lots of Rooster BLOOD I saw, ugh! I chose to watch thinking its a harmless fight between 2 Roosters, I didnt know they actually have REAL blades attached on the game cocks. Single-edge blade and Double-Edged blades, Ive seen it all.

26-30 December 2009 Sitio Abel, Miarayon Talakag, Bukidnon