here are more movies i've seen recently:

WAR OF THE WORLDS: while the CG is nothing short of stunning (it makes independence day look like fairy tale), i find the storyline and character development subpar. spielberg never really took the time to get the characters introduced to the audience, and goes straight to business (which, as we all know, is the extermination of humans). perhaps it really is how the story went in the book (never got to read it so i can't really comment), so, ermm, i don't know.

who the aliens were, why they attacked, and how their ships somehow ended up underground weren't really properly documented. it was only speculated by the characters that the ships were probably buried deep underground long before men walked the earth, waiting for time to be ripe to attack. the narrator did say, though, that the invaders envied the human race (or so i heard), which explains why the need for human annihilation.

however, what really stands out are not the gigantic alien ships on three legs (who turn everything in its path into ashes, must i add) but the miniscule (compared to the alien invaders at least) freakshow wunderkind otherwise known as dakota fanning. images of her, eyes wide in terror and all, just creeps the hell the out of me. add to that a good dosage of her blood-curdling screams and it's sure to keep you terrified long after you'e exited the cinemas. she sure knows how to act, i tell you. can anyone say i am sam?

FANTASTIC FOUR: this movie on the other hand is anything but fantastic. yes, the effects are great, but a movie is naught if it has  nothing to boast of but effects alone.

ever since the blockbuster known as spiderman hit the theaters, hollywood has been greatly enamoured with comic book heroes but has continually failed to duplicate the success, and has, more often than not, created flops and big-time busts with their subsequent films. has anyone forgotten the hulk?

they even went mainstream by going with some big-name stars like ben afleck and jeniffer garner in daredevil. ugh, we all know how that went. and how about the punisher? ha! need i say more?

fantastic four also falls in the same category. although it looked very promising in the trailers (and don't they all?) i know it will never be good enough because from her on, spiderman will always be the measuring stick. the one to set the bar.

i felt the story delved too much in trying to explain how the heroes gained their powers, just as they did in spiderman (but then again, fantastic four is no spiderman!). i'm not really familiar with the story of fantastic four, but geez, cosmic radation from space gave them their special powers? looks like the writer lacks creativity, big time.

yes, lacks creativity. how else can something from space turn someone into a walking gravel? or someone who can stretch any part of his own body to his own liking? or someone who can render herself invisible? or someone who can wield fire, be wrapped in flames and be impervious to ridiculously high temperature? wow, someone send me to space then, please.

but as always, i find something positive from a lousy film. and this time, it's chris evans, who played human torch. the guy is funny as hell. think ryan reynolds in blade trinity.

lastly, i want to add king kong to the list of movies the i want to see (refer to june 25 post). i've seen the trailer and looks like the real deal. and why wouldn't it be? it's directed by none other than peter jackson. don't say you don't know him...

listening to: dream theater - pull me under