Mano Po 5: Gua Ai Di

Synopsis: I wonder why no decent synopsis has been given out by the publicity people for this movie… Is it because everybody knows that it has no decent storyline to begin with, just a rambling gibberish of corny pa-cute love story crap that Lily Monteverde’s lousy-excuse-for-a-film-company has been producing? Lily Monteverde, Joel Lamangan, and Richard Guttierez…all bad omens that a movie would be awful. If you put them together, you get probably the lousiest movie ever made. Theyre making a Mano Po 5, which has nothing to do with Mano Po 4, 3, 2, & 1. It’s all pointless. It’s as if theyre making all Tagalog movies with Chinoys as part of the Mano Po franchise. What we will see in Mano Po 5 is a whole lot of boring pa-cuteness and lovestory drama crap from Angel Locsin and Richard Guttierez. Nothing much. Just the same crap that you can get on television. So, why waste your money on this garbage?

OTHER REVIEWS / COMMENTS

(from clickthecity.com)

stop it!

mano po again? i hope the producers would stop making follow ups to the sucess of part 1 and 2. its becoming a typical filipino movie again. i was impressed with 1 and 2 cuz it was different and the storyline was pretty good. it just seems to me that all they care right now is the profits they will get from its popularity and not the satisfaction of the viewers. well i guess thats philippine cinema for u.

if mmff wants pinoy movies to be known world wide they should have more strict rules and regulations. this is unacceptable

-ang 2 centavos ko
x-x-x

Stop insulting movie viewers!

A few years ago, Lily Monteverde claimed that Mano Po is inspired by countless stories of her Chinese heritage and that the film franchise is the Filipino answer to America's The Godfather.

Now here we are with the 5th chapter of the pathetic movie series, called Mano Po 5. This time around, the focus is on commercial values and the milking of the Richard-Angel love team.

The story was obviously written to revolve around Richard and Angel and most of the supporting crew are nothing more than token faces. It was very obvious from the beginning that the movie highlighted the superiority of the Chinese race over that of the Filipinos, and the story itself is an insult to us.

Avoid this movie like the plague!!!

Ritchie Nolasco
RitchieNolasco@yahoo.com

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Matakot Ka Sa Karma

Synopsis: This is a horror trilogy "about an antique shop where the pieces of the furniture each have their own stories from the past. The new owners get their little piece of horror," says Joey Reyes. In "Kama," Aleli purchases an antique bed, not realizing that its previous owner of the bed is out to claim her son. "Aparador" is about a couple who purchased an antique cabinet where a young man died inside before. In "Tokador", an independent woman gets a possessed dresser out to take her soul.
Personal Take: Here is ANOTHER horror-three-in-one (Not Another one!). Horrors-three-in-one are movie devices that obviously relay the massage that these people are not confident that the movie they’re making is any good. It goes to show that they’re so freaking clueless of their project so as to splice it into three separate movies. Matakot Ka Sa Karma will surely have ANOTHER Sadako (Ring) rip-off, and shots copied from movies like “The Others” and “The Exorcist”. The film is directed by Jose Javier Reyes whose also had a long mileage in the local movie industry but he never has made one single decent movie which is not “baduy”, “corny, or bland & silly. His forgotten works like “Guwapings”,”Pinay Pie”, and “Narinig Mo Na Ang L8test” have all been movies that have given the Philippine movie industry such a really AWFUL image. We will all be glad when the day comes when this very experienced BAD director retires from film directing.

OTHER REVIEWS / COMMENTS

(from clickthecity.com)
korny!
la mashadong story. puro takutan effect lang. la mashadong kinalaman yun title. -.-'
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dragging, bad acting, bad bad bad movie! at hindi nga tama ang pamagat sa kwento.
- mischa
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not worth a dime
I expected to get the scare out of my life but i somehow found myself laughing when all those "supposedly-spooky" characters came out. Hello?! Did you really expect people will find weirdly masked creatures SCARY? The movie was very frustrating to the point that people cursed in unison after leaving the movie theatre. Swear!
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no connection to the story
by Robert Matias

the movie doesn't deserve to receive any good remarks when it comes to a story. Poor execution of how to suspense the audience, as well as the acting of Rica, Derek, Rafael, Bianca and Angelica - worst performers on this movie. Again VERY PREDICTABLE! You already know what will happen next from scene to scene. I think the director, Jose Javier Reyes has gone tried of making this movie after or before making the VERY GOOD FILM from Star Cinema KASAL, KASALI, KASALO. Comparison between the 2 movies is very much broader in terms of craftness the director has done in the said films. The only saving grace of this movie is the acting ability of ANA CAPRI who stands out in every scene. Shame on La Greta, she was forgettable and obviously not a good come back picture on her. Please, do not make film like this anymore
x-x-x

Where's the story?
by Edmund Reyes

The only thing scary was the thought that we spent 130 bucks just to watch people scream for no reason.
No one and nothing on the film had any reason for being there.
Too much repetitive camera angles and sound effects.

NOthing REMOTELY scary at all!
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ZsaZsa Zaturnnah Ze Moveeh

Synopsis: Zsazsa Zaturnnah is based on the fictional comic book superheroine of the same name created by Filipino illustrator and graphic designer Carlo Vergara. It was in a small town where Ada rented a space owned by Aling Britney, and set up shop. With his assistant Didi, Ada was on his way to what he believed to be a normal life. That is, until a strange green stone fell from the sky, granting Ada the ability to transform into a superhuman woman whenever he ingests it and shouts the word "Zaturnnah!" Didi proudly names the new hero Zsazsa Zaturnnah.
Personal Take: Joel Lamangan is directing this movie. It has been tested and proven that Joel Lamangan is the WORST film director in Tagalog cinema in recent times. His works are always inconsistent, bland, corny, devoid of any creativity and originality. Sure, he has won awards, but are you sure those awards were won over an intelligent judgement? Sure, it may have been a good idea to adapt Zaturnnah for film. But Lamangan? Give him any project, and he will screw it up with his gross lack of creativity and cinematic talent.

OTHER COMMENTS / REVIEWS

From clickthecity.com
read the comics, saw the play, and then this
This is a NOT SO GOOD movie of the comic book zsazsa. The feel of the movie is so dated. Unlike the comic book or the play, this movie is so forgettable. After seeing the play, di naman sia ganon ka-artistic but im sure matatandaan ko pa rin siya. this one, it is so-so. maganda pa ang Darna kuno ni Dolphy (which was so "it" then). Ito talagang parang 80's ang attack ng director. ang pangit ng visuals (saw number of filipino films na naaaproximate naman nila ang US films in terms of effects), ito talaga hindi. And the music, this film is supposed to be a musical pero parang wala (tunog lata ang music). I know the music, i have the CD from the play, ito walang dating. kung ito ang una kong napanood, nakakadisappoint talaga. Thanks to the wonderful Alfred Vargas and Rustom, taob ito (actually di man lang napuno sa SM cinema ito). Ang dami namang young directors, sana sila na lang ang gumawa. What is funny is that this film, in spite of the sure fire hit na kabaklaan in the story, did not really fly. Last comment, nawala din iyong superhero ek kasi ano ba naman iyon, mas maganda pa si Ada kaysa kay ZsaZsa (kaya naman pala patay na patay si dodong kay ada eh). Iyong play and comics, gave fantasy-hope sa mga parlorista gay that they would find dodong because of inner beauty. Sad to say, di ito nagawa ng film dahil ang laking ganda ni rustom kay zsazsa (this is the GREATEST JOKE of the film)

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(from clickthecity.com)
if uve watched the play, unappealing ung movie! and the characters at the play are all better.. lalo na c "didi" ng play compared to chokoleit.. and wats with the deletion of the falous lines sa book?! aun pa namn inintay ko! che!!
- dida

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("futurefilmmaker" from pinoyexchange.com)
First and foremost, Zsa Zsa Zaturnah is intended for MATURE AUDIENCES EVER. Meaning maraming homosexual themes, sexual innuedo, mature language and even nudity ang ZZZ. Evident yun sa graphic novel.

Then came the musical stage play. True, naging faithful sya sa original text and naging enhancement na lang ung pagiging musical niya. The stage play was still catered to MATURE AUDIENCES EVER so the adult content of the material was retained.

Then came the evil hands of mother Lily that raped ZZZ. Daig pa ng ZZZ ang nagang-bang ng sampung lasing na kargador. Regal Films made their own version of ZZZ and simply bought the franchise from CarVer and viola! Isang malaking insulto para sa awtor ng ZZZ na balahurain ang isang materyal na intended para sa mga MATURE AUDIENCES EVER. Nagdagdag ng mga karakter para sa star appeal na wala naman sa original na manuscript. Tapos si Joel Lamangan na naman? Susmaryosep, wish ko lang minsan mastroke si Joel bago ang MMFF 2007 tapos bigla syang gumaling para naman Joel Lamangan Free ang film fest. One word: OVERRATED.

Lamangan indeed is an Actor's Director. But he certainly is not a filmmaker.

Mag-acting coach na lang sya.

Nakakainis kasi fan ako ng ZZZ. Hindi miscast si Zsa Zsa Padilla lalong lalo na si Rustom Padilla. Si Chokoleit din ang unang pumasok sa isip ko habang binabasa ko ang kopya ko ng ZZZ. Katunayan walang miscast sa kanila (maliban kay aling Britney na mas bagay kay Caridad Sanchez) pero badly executed lang talaga ang pelikula. Hindi siya naging faithful to the original graphic novel at parang naging engot at **** lamang si CarVer.

See what commercialization could do.

Kaya apat na superheroes na ang naging biktima ng panggagahasa ng mga producer na nais lamang kumita ng malaki at binalahura ang kanilang mga dangal. Una si Darna na kung nabubuhay lamang si Mars Ravelo, nanaiisin na nyang mamatay. Ang Panday na isang malaking flopsina dahil na rin sa walang kalatoy latoy na storyline. Si Captain Barbell na ultimo damit, pinalitan. Pangalan lang ata ang kinuha kasi ung pinakaessence ng CAPT BARBELL, nawala na. Naging Captain Smallville sya.

At ang huling biktima, ang walang kamuwang muwang na si Zsa Zsa Zaturnah na ginawang rated GP para nga naman malaki ang kita ni mother Lily. Nawala na ang pagiging BAKLA ng ZZZ dahil ginawa syang pampamilya.

MOTHER LILY, ANG ZZZ ay ginawa para sa mga BAKLA at hindi para sayo.

Enteng Kabisote 3: Okay Ka Fairy Ko...The Legend Goes On And On

Synopsis: Oh, why bother… The film is not concerned with a decent storyline anyway. It just goes on a big ride of clichés over-used in sci-fi fantasy films. It’s pretty f%%in obvious that over the years, this franchise is pure disposable trash that is designed to give temporary ignorant bliss upon feeble minds that are unaware of how stupidity like this is left to reign in Philippine cinema. This is a circus of fad-bound slapsticks, and pathetic unfunny silliness, the same formula Vic Sotto and the rest of his team have been resorting to for more than ten years now. Will people remember Enteng Kabisote 3, years from now? No. Why? Because it is disposable trash. If you want your children to grow up with a sense of taste and smartness, don’t let them succumb to this stupidity. This big pile of trash is directed by Tony Y. Reyes, whose never made a decent movie in his life. From forgotten pieces of dirt like “Bobocop” and “Long Ranger” of the 80’s up till the new millennium, his mileage is all centered upon slapstick crap. His movies will never ever be remembered. Just like in previous years, Enteng Kabisote may hold the highest box office rating. But it still is nothing but garbage.

like watching a tv commercial
(from Cinematographer at clickthecity.com)

All I can say is, like i paid to watch this movie to watch a tv commercial. 1st half of the movie was spent endorsing their sponsors' products. It's almost like home tv shopping, only in the movie theatre and you have to pay to watch it.

Acting and action scenes were so bad, it is like they made every scene in just one take. 3rd, animation is bad for all film fest entries. For the past years, it was getting better. Don't know why it dropped back to this. Although, the cinematography & 3d effect of the flying skeleton was acceptable.

The storyline was dragging. It's like they just made some scenes, just trying to be funny without leading the story to somewhere. I don't understand how this movie made it to box office. It could be just the loyal fans of Mr Sotto. This is one of those movies, where I'd rather walk out than to waste my time in the theatre. We better stick to artistic drama & love stories. We are better on that.

Hindi Ka Okay Fairy Ko
(from Parpol Purple from clickthecity.com)
...The Legend Should Really Stop

Give it a rest. The same jokes ... On and On. It gets old. Please give us something new.

To add insult to injury it seems this movie felt that it was alright to BLATANTLY COPY ideas from STAR WARS. Excuse me... LIGHTSABER and the QUEEN AMIDALA costume... Did the producers run out of creativity?

INANG YAYA

INANG YAYA
A Delightfully Light-Hearted Drama that is actually a MUST SEE!
By Reymundo Salao

Because Norma must work in the city, she has to leave behind her daughter Ruby in the province with her mother. But when nobody can look after Ruby anymore, Norma has no choice but to bring Ruby to live with her in the house of her employers and the latter's daughter Louise. There, Norma must try to balance who she devotes her attention to: her own daughter or her ward?

It’s no big surprise that INANG YAYA is such a beautiful movie with a quality that can match Hollywood movies, it’s a film from Unitel Pictures, which is known for its topnotch quality movies like “Crying Ladies” and “Magnifico” Over the years of its existence, Unitel is known for gradually breaking the cliché of Tagalog movies. They redefine Pinoy movies, slowly removing its common ugly characteristics such as “baduy”, “corny”, or “kopya”. Instead, they have introduced movies that are beyond the expectations of many viewers. Movies that indeed have originality, art, style, impact, beauty, and depth. When the movie was announced, it was a sure bet that this one will be right on the money. Even though I had free movie passes, I proudly did not use them and paid to watch this movie on the first day. And indeed, INANG YAYA is a champion. I enjoyed the film, with no regrets, and even an urge to watch it again.


The film is directed by Pablo Biglang-awa, Jr. and Veronica Velasco, who also wrote the script. They have both weaved such a wonderful light-hearted drama that does touch the very depth of a viewer's heart and probably generate a more positive kind of tear-jerking. Yes, this film is a tearjerker, but it does not resort to the overused cliché used and abused by other big-studio Tagalog movies. In other movies, they'd have to kill a handful of important characters, subject the protagonist to extreme domestic maltreatment, and make her life a living (oftentimes obviously-fabricated) hell, in order to just call itself a tearjerker. Inang Yaya will have none of that garbage. This movie is a tearjerker because of the real emotions and the simple little dramas of life as a nanny. It taps into issues that any of us might encounter, and give us an impact of a jackhammer, no matter how simple it could be. The conflict of a mother's love towards her own daughter and her love serving as a mother-figure-nanny to her employer's daughter. It never seems complicated, but it carries deep emotional impact. Inang Yaya is tear-jerking in a positive light. It makes you shed tears, not because it has a sad and/or dark theme. It makes you shed tears because of the feel-good emotions that it gives off to its audience.


Right from the beginning, the film has breathtaking cinematography. The scenes in the rural setting were well-polished to make the backgrounds seemingly unintentionally scenic. The set design for the interior shots of the house, which is the main setting were attractive. The camera work was superb, as it is executed with high-definition cameras that made each-second-of-a-shot photographic. There is a very brief underwater scene which shows the prowess of the film's cameras.

The chemistry between Maricel Soriano, Tala Santos, and Erika Oreta is incredibly beautiful. The three characters really stuck it true to the drama of the story with a gold standard performance. Marita Zobel, Sunshine Cruz and Zoren Legaspi also gave good performances. But Liza Lorena's role as a slightly villainous grandma, Lola Toots, gave the movie its balance of darkness. Her role does work, and gives it a similarly realistic touch, not making her too much of an absolute villain of sorts. Maricel Soriano, who is the title character, is indeed brilliant in this movie. I have only seen a couple of her performances in other movies but it is in subtly-plotted drama that she gives all the more deeply moving performances. It is in her slight gesture of emotions that she portrays a character that does connect to the emotions of the viewers. But even though she is the title character, the real superstars of this movie are the two children who both share the love of Norma, the Inang Yaya.


Both young actresses Tala Santos and Erika Oreta are brilliantly adorable, giving a performance of unblinking realism, with Tala Santos slightly more charming than the other because of her more dramatically active and oftentimes funny character. She plays Ruby, the daughter of Norma, who has a stronger and slightly mature personality than her counterpart. Erika Oreta plays Louise, the daughter of Norma's employer, who grew up a rich girl, who is a bit more naive and a bit spoiled, but nevertheless, innocently goodhearted. It's almost unbelievable to find two young actresses that can stir up a chemistry which is highly engaging and delightfully charming to watch.

All in all, I would say that INANG YAYA is the year’s best Filipino movie. It has the slight social relevance, the charm of an entertaining piece, and the drama that can make tears flow. It is balanced by equally excellent visuals, with a cinematography that implies discipline and innovation. The overall direction is well-executed. No sloppy continuity errors and not even the musical scoring may bring it down. And the impact of Inang Yaya is cerebral and extremely emotional. A drama of delight that should not be missed, INANG YAYA is a must see. If you rarely watch Pinoy movies, now is the time to do it. Movies like this are very rare, don’t miss it.

INANG YAYA Full Trailer

This Wonderful Light-Hearted Drama from Unitel Pictures is Now Showing in Theaters. It is directed by Pable Biglang-awa Jr. and Veronica Velasco, who also wrote the screenplay, and stars Tala Santos, Erika Oreta, Liza Lorena, Sunshine Cruz, Zoren Legaspi, and Maricel Soriano.

CASINO ROYALE (2006)

BOND BEGINS AT CASINO ROYALE
By Reymundo Salao

By now, it should probably be already be fairly easy to create a James Bond movie, because we simply would have to copy the Bond templates established by Sean Connery, Roger Moore, George Lazenby (ok, maybe not him), Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan. But as time goes by and as Bond clichés have gone from one to the other with the Brosnan Bond films slowly losing charm, it is high time that they made a Bond film that tells us who or what Bond is, as based on the source material; the James Bond books of Ian Fleming himself. And the new James Bond universe recreated by Martin Campbell and the new actor to play the 007 agent, Daniel Craig, is definitely a world that intends to capture the James Bond the way Ian Fleming wrote him to be.

CASINO ROYALE is the 21st James Bond film produced by EON Productions and the first to star Daniel Craig as British Secret Service agent James Bond. Based on the 1953 novel Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, it was adapted by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Academy Award-winning screenwriter Paul Haggis and directed by Martin Campbell, director of the 1995 Bond film, GoldenEye. CASINO ROYALE was first made into a TV movie in 1954, and in 1967, there was also a Casino Royale movie which starred Peter Sellers and Orson Welles, but that was a James Bond parody. First word of a new Casino Royale adaptation came in 2003 when Quentin Tarantino was said to have lobbied EON to let him do a "proper" film adaptation of Fleming's novel, based on a screenplay he had written that would have starred Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, set immediately after the death of Bond's wife Tracy in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. However, as Tarantino does not belong to the Directors Guild of America, he is unable to work with Sony or MGM/UA, so this is seen as a publicity stunt on Tarantino's part. Casino Royale was officially announced under Martin Campbell in February 2005.


SEARCH FOR THE NEW JAMES BOND
Highlighted by a flurry of unconfirmed reports from a variety of different sources, the quest for the actor to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond attracted a great deal of high-profile media attention after rumors began to surface in the Autumn of 2004 that Pierce Brosnan would not be re-signing with EON Productions to play agent 007 in Casino Royale. Brosnan confirmed this on October 14, 2004, stating "It's absolutely over," and that he considered himself "fired" from the role. A spokesperson for EON Productions issued a statement on April 17, 2005 that it would "definitely not be Pierce Brosnan."

Throughout 2004 and 2005, an endless stream of potential new Bonds — both unknowns and established Hollywood actors — were rumored and even announced by some media. Some of the popular names mentioned to be in actual consideration by EON Productions, the list included Christian Bale, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Gerard Butler, Henry Cavill, Daniel Craig, Jack Davenport, Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes, Rupert Friend, Ioan Gruffudd, Hugh Jackman, Jude Law, Ewan McGregor, Julian McMahon, Alex O'Loughlin, Clive Owen, Colin Salmon, Dougray Scott, and several others.

THE REVIEW
The setting of CASINO ROYALE is set in the early days of James Bond being a Double-O Agent, so we won’t be seeing a hundred percent the James Bond we already know. Instead, we are being treated into HOW he becomes the man that we know he is. We may notice that at the beginning, James Bond is needlessly reckless, even clumsy and his charm is not as elegant. But as the story progresses, he adapts and evolves, he goes through lessons and ordeals, he refines with a touch of class, picks up tricks, and creates his own lethal sense of style. And he eventually becomes suave and and charmingly dangerous secret agent 007. This progression is excellently done. A very smart way of portraying subtle changes in Bond's psyche, and such a storyline that does answer many James Bond questions that many have long asked.


Martin Campbell is a sure and safe bet to creating and re-introducing this new world of James Bond. After all, he was the one who pulled off giving the Pierce Brosnan Bond a grand welcome introduction with "GoldenEye". His sense of tight consistency and balance gives CASINO ROYALE no room for tackiness, sloppiness, and dullness. Employing old-fashioned stunts, he even succeeds in creating one very exhilarating and breath-taking chase scene that highlights in towering cranes. A sequence that literally takes you to dizzying heights.

LE CHIFFRE, as portrayed by Mads Mikkelsen, is one of those cool James Bond villains, which create an unsettling diabolical presence whenever they enter a room. But this movie provides many levels of twists and turns that may take the attention away from Le Chiffre. Don't expect Le Chiffre to be the kind of stereotyped Bond villain that has super-villain abilities, that has pet scorpions, or that is spoofed by Austin Power's Dr. Evil. He certainly has no sharks that shoot lasers.

Eva Green as Vesper Lynd is dazzlingly beautiful. She succeeds in playing a character that does indeed have the strength and the influence to bring in a touch of style and a sense of change in James Bond making him the man that he is. Her performance creates a fabulous chemistry with Craig’s Bond. A chemistry that certainly brings out both actor & actresses’ impressive acting talent. And may I add that Eva Green is far more beautiful in one scene where she has no make-up on. If I was a cartoon, my jaw would’ve fallen off.


And about the new Bond, DANIEL CRAIG..? Well, Initially, many ladies hate him. They say he looks short and ugly like a villain. But then again, many of us guys cheer a James Bond that has more of a tough-guy action movie image. The kind that does enter a room of bad guys and leaving it with remnants of chaos. Many of us cheer for him because he personifies an action hero image that we could relate to, rugged, tough, and rebellious. But the film really reveals how much Daniel Craig proves himself to be more than worthy of being the new James Bond. Apart from his rugged physique, he delivers more spiky charm with both arrogance and a sensitive side of Bond which makes him a complex character, and that is what makes him very interesting. This film even shows a far more sensitive, loving, and romantic Bond than in any other James Bond movie (he actually says the magic words "I Love You" in this one). Far beyond the romantic version that George Lazenby has portrayed in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (wherein Bond got married). Craig brings to life a more human Bond. One that actually knows how to care for something important to him and his soul, and has a nasty sense of humor even when he’s being tortured.

CASINO ROYALE pushes for a more believable Bond in a believable setting. There would be no volcanoes here that reveal to be mountain fortresses for villains, nor are there underwater palaces or outer space stations run by uniformed bad guys. But there are some pretty simple gadgets not worth mentioning. My guess is, that just like “From Russia with Love”, this movie sticks to the plain action-thriller formula from the Fleming books. Perhaps some of us can wait for the gadgets till the next Bond movie may come.

The film is said to take James Bond "back to his roots" in a film that would be similar to From Russia with Love where the focus was on character and plot rather than high-tech gadgets and visual effects. An issue which would surely revolutionize the James Bond genre. Incredible visuals would always be part of the James Bond genre. But after more than three decades of Bond movies marinated with overblown visuals, you would think that it's high time they got back to the roots of Bond; the thrill, the suspense, the espionage, the intrigue. We are in a movie age where many moviegoers have become desensitized by visuals. Perhaps the same reason why "Exorcist: The Beginning" for instance, has not worked, because it relied on visuals rather than innovating raw refreshing ideas that may hit a cerebral appeal rather than the visual aspect. After years of having witnessed movies such as "The Matrix" and the "Star Wars" prequels, some people would be less surprised by stunts and explosions that viewers could easily dissect. CASINO ROYALE does not go that direction. It brings you back to how Bond was written the way Ian Fleming would’ve wanted him to be.

And indeed, CASINO ROYALE does possess faithfulness with the original book by Ian Fleming from which it is based on, although there have been minimal revisions which sticks the storyline close to present-time standards.

By the time I was done watching the movie, I have concluded that CASINO ROYALE is THE best James Bond movie I have ever seen. And one that has made me consider Daniel Craig one of the best Bonds, only second to the gold standard James Bond himself, Sean Connery. It is highly amusing to think that the press releases and the trailers of this film initially got mixed reactions from the public, some even going so far as to hating it. Now, they are proven wrong, because CASINO ROYALE is the finest James Bond movie that will surely remain timeless in film history.

The BANQUET / YE YAN

THE BANQUET: More than just a Hamlet Adaptation
By Reymundo Salao

Set in China in the 900s AD, this loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is about a prince’s return to an empire now ruled by his uncle when his father died. His return from an assassination attempt stirs the kingdom, but he has no wishes to rule as Emperor. The Empress, his former love married by his own father and now is Empress to his uncle the new Emperor, wishes of him to replace as Emperor. But time will only tell if the fates will change, and perhaps, all their plans may be set in motion during the Imperial Banquet.

The combination of Shakespearean stories and an Ancient Asian setting makes for great chemistry as may be proved by Akira Kurosawa's RAN, which adapted William Shakespeare's "King Lear". "The Banquet" (originally entitled “Ye Yan”) is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" which, I believe, is Shakespeare's most powerful literary creation, and one which has been adapted (as I count) 5 times in the silver screen (my personal fave is the version with Mel Gibson; I have yet to watch the one with Ethan Hawke). This adaptation is so loose that oftentimes it feels like it has its own originality and only drew inspiration from "Hamlet".

One of the original aspects of the film is that of the character played by Ziyi Zhang, which is a product of a revision of the original script. A revision which added quite a depth to the storyline. Gong Li (Memoirs of a Geisha, Miami Vice, Farewell My Concubine) was originally supposed to play Zhang Ziyi's part. Maggie Cheung (2046, Hero) was also considered for the role. Due to scheduling conflicts. When Ziyi Zhang took over the part, the script was rewritten to make the character younger. Her character is a former love interest of the Prince Wu Luan (the main character) but was later wed to the Prince's own father and eventually, to become the Empress to his uncle. Such a character has given a large amount of dramatic tension to the storyline and further complicates it, making the story more unpredictable even though it is an adaptation.

It is such a wicked delight to see Ziyi Zhang play such a dark snake of a character in this movie, a character who claims a love which is actually of self rather than something pure. Since her breakthrough in "Crouching Tiger..." she has proven time and again that the potency of her talent doesnt easily wither, and in her youth she has already made great performances, more than enough to satisfy a cinema-acting retiree. Likewise, impressive performances from Daniel Wu as the Prince Wu Luan, (the alluring & yummy) Xun Zhou as the Opheliac Qing Nu, Jingwu Ma as the wise Minister, and You Ge who also deserves much praise for playing the Emperor Li, a character who defies being generalized as black & white; a character which is richly layered with many levels.


THE BANQUET is mainly drama, You do not watch this film for the Martial Arts, even though Yuen Woo Ping has a hand in the making of this film as both producer and action choreographer (I would consider Yuen Woo Ping as the living god of Martial Arts movies, having directed timeless classics like "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow" & "Drunken Master" until now, & was given international spotlight when he worked as Fight choreographer of "The Matrix" movies), but you watch this movie for its beautiful storyline. Although there are moments that induce awe in some of the fight sequences, these are expected to be minimal compared to the dialogue-driving motion of the film. It may even be observed that the martial arts here is a mere icing on the cake.

Along with that icing is the amazing visuals that it presents. From flying stunts, to set designs to costumes. You can feast your eyes upon the visuals, which wakes up viewers from a possible boredom. It employs a semi-surreal style of setting.

It seems that ever since it broke into worldwide popularity, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" has opened the floodgates for Chinese dramatic epics which are done in "closed form" of movies, movies which such a forced unnatural ambiance that generally use wireworks to do fantastic martial arts feats and exaggerated vibrancy and style on sets which depict surreal environments (although this style was long used in Hong Kong, but mostly only for action epics). But this type of fantasy-like genre was getting old and it needed to be complemented with really good storylines. Such was achieved by Yimou Zhang's "Hero" (which starred Jet Li & Donnie Yen). This same surreal "closed form" style is employed by THE BANQUET.

I am glad that this film is on extended run, which gives a chance for those who missed it last week to watch it. THE BANQUET is powerful, dramatically rich, and such a masterpiece of a work, as dark and beautiful as the Shakespearean tragedy from which it is based on.