INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

Harrison Ford, Shia LeBeouf, Cate Blanchette, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone

Cinema 4, Shang Cineplex

Indy's back! It was just like old times when the rugged professor went off on his adventures.

So naturally you don't really expect much from the film except to be entertained for a couple of hours. The professor or should I say Harrison Ford was still very much in his elements. Making snide remarks, cracking jokes and being his true sarcastic self. Of course add a few wrinkles here and there and some pounds here there and everywhere but the same formula still weaved its magic on us, the audience. The same hapless audience who grew up watching Indiana Jones movies. Movies which were known for their fast paced action scenes with tinges of historical facts and archaeological diggings. Throw in some caricature villains and baddies, some romantic angle and you were sure to be treated for some good old popcorn variety entertainment!

Having said that in this day and age when movies like Lara Croft and National Treasure try to cash in on the same formula of 'archaeological' films, this installment of the Indiana Jones franchise was a bit weak plot wise. Thriving on an ancient myth of some far fetched scientific mambo jumbo didn't quite sit well with me. But then again that's just me since I'm not into those sci-fi related plots. I was also disappointed with Cate Blanchette's very caricature like villain complete with faux German accent and strange hairdo. It seemed like an over acted performance from one of the finest actresses we have in the industry today. Such a pity, really. As for Shia LeBeouf's character, he was simply added in the story so that the Indiana Jones legacy will continue to draw in the younger crowd. As well as the need to have a sequel in the works.

Well I conclude by saying that Indiana Jones still had its own punch and could still pull in some adrenaline laden shots so it was entertaining enough to watch. But hopefully the sequel will have a better story line!

RESERVATION ROAD

Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Connelly

"To find the truth, you have to find who's hiding it"

Well I certainly have no reservations that this film was well acted with 3 powerful performances from its main cast - Joaquin Phoenix, Jennifer Connelly and Mark Ruffalo.

An interesting character study of three different people's method of dealing with grief, guilt and the great unknown. Ethan, a father coming to grips with the slow justice system's ability to find the hit and run driver who killed his young son. A role portrayed by the profound Joaquin Phoenix. It suits his brooding demeanor. The agony visible on his face, the anguish turning into an obsession. A masterful performance.

Grace, the mother of the child. We bear witness to her way of dealing with her lost. At first she shuts out the world until she realizes it is important for her to be strong. To keep up a positive disposition for the sake of her other child. Jennifer Connelly's role was short but still significant in the grand scheme of this film. She gave a solid performance beside Joaquin Phoenix's equally subtle portrayal. They had good chemistry together.

The most interesting character for me was that of Mark Ruffalo as Dwight. The guilt stricken perpetrator of the crime. He is torn and totally dejected with his action. Yet at the same time he is overwhelmed with deep apprehension for his future. Dwight, himself is a father separated from his wife. The unfortunate incident occurs at a vital point in his life. The phase where he's trying to establish a deeper relationship with his own son.

The slow plot is predictable enough. Yet the film is filled with enough poignant moments to keep the audience tuned to the fate of the three characters.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer

Lest you think I've sold out and turned this blog into whatever you call it when you write articles with monetary value, I've not.

This is still a blog where I write my opinion on the films I watched. These days with everything going on like planning a fast approaching wedding and getting my new apartment ready, I don't have time to watch films as much as I want to. I've watched a few movies but can't really sit down to gather my thoughts and form an opinion about them. Thus the phrase 'to be continued' is quite common!

But I hope you (the few readers if any at all) still drop by my blog to read my movie reviews. =)

Bingo Suite

BINGO time!

I remember as a child one of my favorite games to play with my family was BINGO. We had this little board game complete with a little ball where all the numbers were gathered. My father would reach in then shout out the 'winning' numbers. It was fun but I haven't played in ages.

I recently discovered this website where you can play Bingo online. How cool is that? You can play right within the comforts of your home or your office, just make sure you don't get caught by your boss.

BingoSuite.com features several bingo games. You can play free bingo or play bingo for prizes. They also offer jackpot tournaments every week. Their target audience are women who age ranges from 35 to 54. They have gala bingo rooms which offer the best Internet bingo games, 24 hours a day. Fascinating games like E Z win, 90 ball bingo and 75 ball bingo, Keno, video poker and many more. Since BINGO is a social game they have chat rooms where players can interact with each other while they play bingo online.

Their colorful website likewise provide links to other Internet bingo sites which offer free online bingo like "Our House is Your House" where you can also play for cash prizes.

If you are a first time bingo player, you can get avail of helpful tips from an
Internet bingo blog They have several interesting reports on the world of bingo, both land-based bingo halls and Internet bingo. While over at BingoLingo, they publish everything you ever wanted to know about Internet BINGO.

Ok, game! Let's play BINGO.

BlogTV

BlogTV

No matter where you are located on this planet, I'm sure you always have an opinion regarding the several issues affecting the world, today.

Here's your chance to say whatever you want to say by posting them online. BlogTv.com is the perfect venue for you. An online portal where you can watch live TV. A comprehensive Internet TV where you can build a fan base by reaching out to a larger audience. They also feature a live chat so you can interact with other users. Or you can post an interesting live video of your inputs. All you need is a web cam and an Internet connection, BlogTV takes care of the rest. So put on your (thinking or otherwise) cap and simply talk away, the whole world wide web is eager to see and hear your views.

HORTON HEARS A WHO!

"One Elephant. One World. One Story."

This light animation feature is what I needed to take my mind off my hectic, last minute wedding preps! It has a good plot, endearing characters voiced by comedians like Jim Carrey, Steve Carell and Carol Burnett. Plus it had a never say die attitude thriving throughout the animation.

A cheerful elephant named Horton hears a distant voice emanating from a speck of dust which has settled itself on a flower. No one believes him but he persists and goes out of his way to ensure that the people living in that speck, a city called Whoville are protected from extinction. The film follows Horton lil adventures through the jungle as well as the people in Whoville led by their eccentric major. Either way both Horton and the Mayor of Whoville must convince the people around them of the existence of each other. A difficult task given the cynicism prevailing in both worlds. The film had its funny dialogue and enough cute antics courtesy of the lovable Horton to generate some chuckles. It had its villains who provided the conflict to the main lead (Horton & the Mayor of Whoville) like the mother kangaroo bent on destroying the speck as well as the vulture, Vlad who was deemed the enforcer of the destruction.

Lastly, I liked the main theme of the animation which is "After all, a person is a person, no matter how small." I couldn't agree more!

Celebrity Connection

Celebconn

Celebrity Connection is the premier company to contact if you want to book celebrities for your events. They have been in the business for almost 20 years. They are based in L.A. and have an extensive list of celebrities in their database. They thrive on providing the right coordination between celebrities and their clients. Most of their clientele are PR firms, government companies, non profit organizations, TV networks, charities, theaters and ad agencies.

Their services include event planning, celebrity bookings, celebrity endorsements among others. Celebrity Connection's creative team are on hand to help you find the suitable celebrity based on your needs.They are committed to finding the right celebrities that match your goals and your budget. They are the most efficient resource to acquire good qualified talents.

So whether you plan on launching a new product, are looking for a spokesperson to spread publicity, want to raise funds for charity or simply get your message across for greater awareness of a worthy cause, the presence of a celebrity to grace the event will surely help boost the event. Simply visit their website for all your queries.