Moving along.
Things have been going well during these past weeks even though I've been quite busy. I've been working, getting paid and met new people both IRL and online. I had a really in-depth and thought-provoking discussion with one of the people at work, and we got along well. It'd been a while since I'd had such a discussion, so it was nice. ^^
A few days later sis came to visit us, and we had a good time. Time went by rather quickly, and dad, mom and I took sis back to her apartment in Helsinki and decided to stay there for a while. We went to bars, hunted for music in various music shops (I managed to find a couple of CDs that I'd been looking for ^^) and watched movies. Eventually dad, mom and I headed back home while sis and her boyfriend went to a rock festival.
A few people contacted me in Facebook, some of them even being old class mates. It's amazing how you can find various people in there, and it seems as if more and more people are joining. It definitely beats MySpace, that's for sure. =P
EoFF got some upgrades, and some of these features are quite nifty. I've already met some "new" people through them, so it's good. I also had some funny voice chats with various EoFFers, and at one point we even had this huge MSN chat that was crazy. It's nice to get to know some of the new EoFFers, and I hope they've enjoyed the conversations we've had as well.
Niklas came to visit me a couple of days ago, and we watched Spider-Man 3. It was nice to spot out things I'd missed during the previous times when I'd watched the film. We also talked about various kinds of things and ate pancakes and ice cream among other things. It's always nice to meet friends, because nowadays many of them are quite busy, so one can barely meet them online if even then at all.
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman is a film that harks back to the "glory days" of ye olde Batman: The Animated Series. The story deals with Batman who fights against arms dealers (some of whom happen to be Bane, The Penquin and Rupert Thorne) while also having to deal with a new vigilante known as the Batwoman who stands in both Batman and the arms dealers' way. Needless to say, the plot has quite a bit of intrigue as our favourite detective tries to solve the identity of the Batwoman, and the conclusion is certainly a nice twist (although I figured it out rather quickly thanks to certain hints they throw at you). The voice actors do a good enough job, the animation is somewhat shoddy but okay, and the music is kind of lame although it does occasionally resort to some powerful mayhem with Shirley Walker's Batman theme mixed in. All in all it's a decent Batman film but nowhere near as great as Mask of the Phantasm. I'll give it 2½ stars out of 5.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the return of the good old adventurer, and this time the emphasis is on "old", because in it Indy has aged considerably. He has to deal with the Soviets now and to deal with "new" people he faces along the way as well as old allies who have secrets to reveal, all the while searching for the legendary crystal skull. The plot itself offers quite a few twists and turns and works out quite well as a loving homage to the B movies of the 1950s. That nuclear explosion joke in particular is priceless (you'll understand what I'm talking about once you see the film). The epic endings might be too "far out" for some, but I thought they were suitable for this particular franchise and make sense.
Harrison Ford still acts as the lovable rascal, but he does show his age and jokes about it quite a bit in a very cheesy and yet enjoyable way. Blanchett as the villain works quite well in being effective and giving some hilarious puns at times (particularly during that thrilling sword fight). Shia himself isn't quite as convincing as one of the new heroes, but he's adequate enough and gets some development too, and it's nice to see people like Karen Allen and Ray Winstone among others embracing their roles.
Cinematography works quite well, and the camera moves are occasionally quite thrilling in their execution. Visual effects are used a lot, but they blend it quite well most of the time and offer some great vistas. John Williams's score doesn't quite reach his trademark style, but it's quite interesting, complex and it works well in the context of the film, juggling old themes and new themes (Irina Spalko's theme in particular is a highlight of the new themes in its sophisticated sinister mood). The newest Indy is an alright film and good enough entertainment for fans and those curious enough to go see it. As long as you don't expect anything epic as in Raiders, you'll most likely end up liking it. I'll give it 4- stars out of 5.
Nomad: The Warrior is a Kazakh epic about the legendary history of Kazakhstan. Although the story deals with a great historical struggle between the separate Kazakh tribes and the invading Jungars, it also deals with a touching story between two men who grew up as close as brothers. The two storylines intertwine as we find out that one of these two is destined to become the hero of the Kazakhs who will unite the tribes. There are many other subplots going on too such as triangle drama, some neat villain plotting and the story concerning the teacher Oraz.
The actors do quite a good job in their roles and don't seem that forced most of the time. Cinematography is stunning and intense at times with the vast landscape and battle shots, but it can get a bit too hectic and cut at times too. Carlo Siliotto's score really steals the show, though, with its grand orchestral and choral power with a good dose of ethnicity mixed in. There are many themes which complement the film and really help to tell the story. Nomad is a refreshing epic in its sincerity and grand scale, so I'll give it 4- stars out of 5.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is the follow-up to the first Narnia film. As the Pevensie children get back to Narnia, they notice that a lot of things have changed: a race known as Telmarines have taken over, and Narnia has become a more brutal and savage place to live in. Add to this the power struggle among the Telmarines and the heroes as well as the appearance of the rightful heir to the Telmarine throne, Prince Caspian, and you get a big epic with quite a bit political intrigue. The battles are brutal (maybe even too brutal for a kids' film?) and epic in scope, often reminding me of Kingdom of Heaven and LotR Trilogy. CGI is used a lot, and for the most part it works quite well both for battles as well as for visual effects and for some of the characters.
The actors are fine, and I particularly liked Sergio Castellito as Miraz, and he really made that role his own kind of like Tilda Swinton did for the White Witch. And speaking of such, there's a very epic cameo in the film that is not to be missed. Some of the story points felt kind of forced, though, and Peter and Susan became quite annoying at times, being "holier than thou" types and not getting enough development. Maybe it was the script's fault or then the actors' fault, but it was very jarring and annoying. Thankfully Caspian was modest enough and likable in the story.
Cinematography looks quite cool and really pumps up the epic scope of the film, although sometimes it feels that the story focuses more on battles than, you know, the story itself. Harry Gregson-Williams's score is an improvement over the previous Narnia score by being more epic and more consistent, but it does sound a lot like his Kingdom of Heaven score for better or for worse: it's an alright listen but nothing spectacular. All in all this new Narnia film is about as good as the previous Narnia film, but it could've been better. I'll nevertheless give it 4- stars out of 5.
The Promise is a fantasy film set in ancient China. It concerns four people, all of whom get entangled around a promise. The princess, the slave, the general and the duke each have a part to play, and the three men all seek the princess but because of different reasons. The film offers many battles, some political intrigue and wonderful morals as we learn that some things aren't meant to be and that sometimes it's better to forget the past and look to the future. The plot works quite well and makes all of the characters interesting; one of my favourites was the duke who turned out to be quite a complex and charming villain. The cast does a good job and is quite believable even if they seem to overact at times.
Cinematography is absolutely stunning with wonderful camera moves, eloquent battles and a decent use of CGI. The colour palette is breathtaking in its vivacity, and this film is definitely eye candy as far as that is concerned. Klaus Badelt's lush score is gorgeous and works very well in the bittersweet atmosphere of the film, and it gives the listener multiple themes and motifs to ponder of. I keep wondering why Badelt hasn't reached this kind of awesome sound and thematic development earlier or later on (The Time Machine might be an exception, but still). In any case I'd say that this score is Badelt's best work so far; it's truly beautiful. All in all the film itself is quite good and emotional, and it's definitely worth a watch for anyone enjoying eastern fairytale epics. I'll give it 4- stars out of 5.
It's kind of scary how quickly all of these things have happened. It's odd to think how Midsummer's way past and that it won't be long before it's August. But such is life, I guess. xD
Yours,
Mikko
A few days later sis came to visit us, and we had a good time. Time went by rather quickly, and dad, mom and I took sis back to her apartment in Helsinki and decided to stay there for a while. We went to bars, hunted for music in various music shops (I managed to find a couple of CDs that I'd been looking for ^^) and watched movies. Eventually dad, mom and I headed back home while sis and her boyfriend went to a rock festival.
A few people contacted me in Facebook, some of them even being old class mates. It's amazing how you can find various people in there, and it seems as if more and more people are joining. It definitely beats MySpace, that's for sure. =P
EoFF got some upgrades, and some of these features are quite nifty. I've already met some "new" people through them, so it's good. I also had some funny voice chats with various EoFFers, and at one point we even had this huge MSN chat that was crazy. It's nice to get to know some of the new EoFFers, and I hope they've enjoyed the conversations we've had as well.
Niklas came to visit me a couple of days ago, and we watched Spider-Man 3. It was nice to spot out things I'd missed during the previous times when I'd watched the film. We also talked about various kinds of things and ate pancakes and ice cream among other things. It's always nice to meet friends, because nowadays many of them are quite busy, so one can barely meet them online if even then at all.
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman is a film that harks back to the "glory days" of ye olde Batman: The Animated Series. The story deals with Batman who fights against arms dealers (some of whom happen to be Bane, The Penquin and Rupert Thorne) while also having to deal with a new vigilante known as the Batwoman who stands in both Batman and the arms dealers' way. Needless to say, the plot has quite a bit of intrigue as our favourite detective tries to solve the identity of the Batwoman, and the conclusion is certainly a nice twist (although I figured it out rather quickly thanks to certain hints they throw at you). The voice actors do a good enough job, the animation is somewhat shoddy but okay, and the music is kind of lame although it does occasionally resort to some powerful mayhem with Shirley Walker's Batman theme mixed in. All in all it's a decent Batman film but nowhere near as great as Mask of the Phantasm. I'll give it 2½ stars out of 5.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the return of the good old adventurer, and this time the emphasis is on "old", because in it Indy has aged considerably. He has to deal with the Soviets now and to deal with "new" people he faces along the way as well as old allies who have secrets to reveal, all the while searching for the legendary crystal skull. The plot itself offers quite a few twists and turns and works out quite well as a loving homage to the B movies of the 1950s. That nuclear explosion joke in particular is priceless (you'll understand what I'm talking about once you see the film). The epic endings might be too "far out" for some, but I thought they were suitable for this particular franchise and make sense.
Harrison Ford still acts as the lovable rascal, but he does show his age and jokes about it quite a bit in a very cheesy and yet enjoyable way. Blanchett as the villain works quite well in being effective and giving some hilarious puns at times (particularly during that thrilling sword fight). Shia himself isn't quite as convincing as one of the new heroes, but he's adequate enough and gets some development too, and it's nice to see people like Karen Allen and Ray Winstone among others embracing their roles.
Cinematography works quite well, and the camera moves are occasionally quite thrilling in their execution. Visual effects are used a lot, but they blend it quite well most of the time and offer some great vistas. John Williams's score doesn't quite reach his trademark style, but it's quite interesting, complex and it works well in the context of the film, juggling old themes and new themes (Irina Spalko's theme in particular is a highlight of the new themes in its sophisticated sinister mood). The newest Indy is an alright film and good enough entertainment for fans and those curious enough to go see it. As long as you don't expect anything epic as in Raiders, you'll most likely end up liking it. I'll give it 4- stars out of 5.
Nomad: The Warrior is a Kazakh epic about the legendary history of Kazakhstan. Although the story deals with a great historical struggle between the separate Kazakh tribes and the invading Jungars, it also deals with a touching story between two men who grew up as close as brothers. The two storylines intertwine as we find out that one of these two is destined to become the hero of the Kazakhs who will unite the tribes. There are many other subplots going on too such as triangle drama, some neat villain plotting and the story concerning the teacher Oraz.
The actors do quite a good job in their roles and don't seem that forced most of the time. Cinematography is stunning and intense at times with the vast landscape and battle shots, but it can get a bit too hectic and cut at times too. Carlo Siliotto's score really steals the show, though, with its grand orchestral and choral power with a good dose of ethnicity mixed in. There are many themes which complement the film and really help to tell the story. Nomad is a refreshing epic in its sincerity and grand scale, so I'll give it 4- stars out of 5.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is the follow-up to the first Narnia film. As the Pevensie children get back to Narnia, they notice that a lot of things have changed: a race known as Telmarines have taken over, and Narnia has become a more brutal and savage place to live in. Add to this the power struggle among the Telmarines and the heroes as well as the appearance of the rightful heir to the Telmarine throne, Prince Caspian, and you get a big epic with quite a bit political intrigue. The battles are brutal (maybe even too brutal for a kids' film?) and epic in scope, often reminding me of Kingdom of Heaven and LotR Trilogy. CGI is used a lot, and for the most part it works quite well both for battles as well as for visual effects and for some of the characters.
The actors are fine, and I particularly liked Sergio Castellito as Miraz, and he really made that role his own kind of like Tilda Swinton did for the White Witch. And speaking of such, there's a very epic cameo in the film that is not to be missed. Some of the story points felt kind of forced, though, and Peter and Susan became quite annoying at times, being "holier than thou" types and not getting enough development. Maybe it was the script's fault or then the actors' fault, but it was very jarring and annoying. Thankfully Caspian was modest enough and likable in the story.
Cinematography looks quite cool and really pumps up the epic scope of the film, although sometimes it feels that the story focuses more on battles than, you know, the story itself. Harry Gregson-Williams's score is an improvement over the previous Narnia score by being more epic and more consistent, but it does sound a lot like his Kingdom of Heaven score for better or for worse: it's an alright listen but nothing spectacular. All in all this new Narnia film is about as good as the previous Narnia film, but it could've been better. I'll nevertheless give it 4- stars out of 5.
The Promise is a fantasy film set in ancient China. It concerns four people, all of whom get entangled around a promise. The princess, the slave, the general and the duke each have a part to play, and the three men all seek the princess but because of different reasons. The film offers many battles, some political intrigue and wonderful morals as we learn that some things aren't meant to be and that sometimes it's better to forget the past and look to the future. The plot works quite well and makes all of the characters interesting; one of my favourites was the duke who turned out to be quite a complex and charming villain. The cast does a good job and is quite believable even if they seem to overact at times.
Cinematography is absolutely stunning with wonderful camera moves, eloquent battles and a decent use of CGI. The colour palette is breathtaking in its vivacity, and this film is definitely eye candy as far as that is concerned. Klaus Badelt's lush score is gorgeous and works very well in the bittersweet atmosphere of the film, and it gives the listener multiple themes and motifs to ponder of. I keep wondering why Badelt hasn't reached this kind of awesome sound and thematic development earlier or later on (The Time Machine might be an exception, but still). In any case I'd say that this score is Badelt's best work so far; it's truly beautiful. All in all the film itself is quite good and emotional, and it's definitely worth a watch for anyone enjoying eastern fairytale epics. I'll give it 4- stars out of 5.
It's kind of scary how quickly all of these things have happened. It's odd to think how Midsummer's way past and that it won't be long before it's August. But such is life, I guess. xD
Yours,
Mikko