Friday, December 30, 2005

My Year in Reflection

Hey ho, 2005 zooms by and 2006 is about to creep up on all of us in less than 48 hours.Looking back, this year has been so full of ups and down that I am just glad to see the back of it. Full of regrets, yeah but I ain't about to quit. If you've been following my life since the start of this blog, you'll know what hell it has been this whole year. So many changes.
So here's the highlights of a year that I would rather not look back yet, except for the few lights that brought hope in an otherwise bleak, dark and moody year:
Quiting my Teacher's Post
This has to be the one huge significance that really sparked off an upheavel in my life. April of 2005 was the end of my contract at the international school I taught for the past 1 1/2 years. Mind you, I didn't want to go willingly but alas, I knew I had to go... considering how the management of the school is becoming worse and worse. I am thankful that I got out of that terrible school as a dastardly person - a person who was a pathetic excuse for a human being and who probably slept her way into the position - was appointed as principal. I pity the teachers and students who had to suffer under her bigoted authority. I sincerely won't recommend anyone overseas to go to this idiotic school. There are much better schools than this one, seriously. No point wasting cash on your kids education in this money-minded, dumb school.
Embarking on a new future career
I must admit that I did have second thoughts about pursuing my 2nd degree in Counselling in Education. The choices were pretty vast and I had no idea what I wanted. You can say I was on the crossroads all over again and without a clue as to which path to go. It's all up to fate and to God to lead me where He wants me to go. After much thought and consideration, my mind has made up that I will definitely continue my education. So, with my head held high, I began my quest for more knowledge and skills that I hope would one day help me to help others.
Dad's sickness getting worse
It has come to a point that 2005 is a year my father would rather forget. Blighted and plagued with ill health again and again... culminating in his Alzheimer's diagnosis. Went through a minor surgery. His condition is not looking to improve in the next year. Its a matter of time before he goes away for good. I have come to accept the fact that I might not have time to spend with my dad. All i can do now is to help him get through one day after another and allevate his suffering a little less. It's all I can do now as my dad's only son...
A New Window of Opportunity
I sincerely did not expect it. I was ecstatic the moment the fact sank in. That I managed to win myself a contributing writer's job for a magazine! It was a breath of fresh air for me. It most certainly was! I am enjoying myself writing for FACES magazine. I am so thankful and grateful to God for this talent in the written word. I hope I can build a side career in writing, not just for the magazine but also for other media as well.
New Home, New Start... is it really?
The big move. My new condominium at Kelana Mahkota had finally completed its construction and obtained the certificate of fitness. My parents and I began to start moving from our old house at Taman SEA to the new place. Brilliant looking place. But sadly, a new start it was not going to be. Barely three months after moving in, disaster (more like nighmare actually) struck. A girl drowned in the condo's pool. Shit happens, yeah but I was crushed that it happened at where I am staying. I just couldn't believe it. That incident has really taken a bit of the joy of staying in the condo. Nevertheless, I'm not gonna let one tiny incident blight my time in this place. The condo is, after all, under my name and my sister's name but I am the primary owner. No way in hell am I gonna look for another place in a long time.
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Well, five major highlights in my 22 year of life. As I look forward to beginning my 23rd year in this temporal, earthly body, I cross my fingers and sincerely pray that 2006 will be the year I see a significant turnaround in my fortunes.After all, my 23 year coincides with the Year of the Dog, of which I was born on. As dog's are man's best friend, here's to hoping that I have a good... no... a GREAT year ahead!!

Thursday, December 29, 2005

A year at the Movies - A Look Back at the Best and Worst of 2005

Ah... another topsy turvy year has come to an end. What a year it has been indeed! Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, diplomatic shenanigans not withstanding, it has been an equally exciting year at the world of movies.

Hollywood may have been running out of ideas but far from croaking, they had turned their profit-minded attention to the literary world for inspiration. And its not just the literary world too, but Hollywood saw it fit to do modern society a favour by 'modernising' old movies needlessly. Not to forget too, that some Hollywood studio bigwigs think they are doing all us Asians a huge favour by tranlating and reworking our movies into their 'bankable' and 'flashy' versions. Ah yes, there's also the matter of wanting to continue the adventures of our favourite silverscreen heroes - thus, we have sequels and prequels, some works but alas, some falls flat upon the director's and the studio's faces.

An interesting year, 2005, isn't it?

Without delay, let's get on with my pick of the 10 best movies released in Malaysia this year.

Philip's Top 10 Movies of 2005

10. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

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The final chapter of the painfully long space saga that is a long time coming. The fall of Anakin Skywalker is complete. His transformation into the dastardly evil Darth Vader was really heart-wrenching to see. Sometimes i feel like reaching into the screen and shake and slap that Skywalker chap silly for the pain she caused the beautiful Padme. The attack on the Jedi Temple too, was utterly gut-wrenching for me. Yea, so I'm a softy. So sue me. Crappy, soppy dialogues aside, George Lucas could not have made a much more fitting end to the Star Wars saga and should really be apllauded for the wonderful digital effects. HD is certainly the future of filmmaking!

9. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events


Released in the USA in December 2004 but took three months to open here in Malaysia. Having not read the books, I can gladly say that I enjoyed this movie very much. The young leads handled their roles very well... but arguably, the stars of the movie has to be their adult co-stars that simply steals every scene. Jim Carrey is at his best with a slick, supremely evil performance as the pathetic, scheming, greedy and evil Count Olaf. He gave us a villain that we just simply love to hate and hate to love. Meryl Streep is certainly having a lot of fun as eccentric, scaredy-cat Aunt Josephine. Jude Law's sombre and smooth voice set the tone of the movie perfectly, dark, morbid with an air of mystery. Wonderful sets. Wonderful acting al round. And did I mention that I simply got dreamily lost in Liam Aiken's wonderfully expressive eyes? Gorgeous!

8. Sepet



Definitely, by far, one of the most heart-warming Malaysian movies I have ever seen. And it is certainly my No.1 Malaysian film ever! Much better than that expensive, too-grand-for-its-own-good Puteri Gunung Ledang. Released in Singapore in September 2004 before it was shown in Malaysia in February 2005, this second film by the uncomparable Yasmin Ahmad - she who brought us those touching and inspiring Petronas festive TV ads - broke all boundaries by daring to explore the complex issue of interracial romance. Touching and inspiring in every aspect, it is a shame to note that Malaysia's Film Censorship Board wanted to ban this film if Yasmin had not cut out several scenes from the film. I must thank her for not giving into the demands of those ancient foggies sitting on that board. With a sequel in the works, Sepet is a MUST see film for all ages and one that is worthy to be studied and taught in schools all over the country for its messages of tolerance, acceptance and understanding.

7. Constantine



I have to admit that this film adaptation of Garth Ennis' comic book called Hellblazer is fun and riveting. Again, I was not preoccupied with making comparisons between the comic and the film as I have not seen any of Ennis' works before. So, I was able to enjoy this heaven vs. earth vs. hell film very much. It's hard, of course, for Keanu Reeves to shake off his Neo mantle and I half-expected him to defy gravity at some point along the film. Nevertheless, this film introduced me to Tilda Swinton, who was really good as the misguided angel Gabriel. Peter Stormare too, made an impact in his short confrontation scene with the dying Constantine. I like how the movie portrayed the selfish anti-hero, for all his faults, who finally redeemed himself in the eyes of Heaven by willing to sacrifice himself. A certainly good watch.

6. The Interpreter



Political drama thrillers are always risky business. The director must be skillful too convey a sense of excitement, edginess and anxiety that is gripping enough for audiences to keep their eyes on the screen while not being too chatty and putting people to sleep with all the political jargon and conspiracy theories. With The Interpreter, veteran director Sydney Pollack mixes just the right amount of edginess and excitement to keep the audiences glued to the screen as the conspiracy unfolds before them. With superb acting from two of Hollywood's hottest leads in the vein of Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman, what you got in the end is one really cool, heart-stopping drama played out for the first time within the actual United Nations building.

5. Initial D

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Contrary to what some people thought about this film, I found it to be quite impressive to say the least. Especially with Taiwanese heartthrob Jay Chou making an impressive acting debut as the moody and brooding high speed racing junkie Takumi Fujiwara. Yes, this is a Hong Kong made film based on a popular Japanese anime of the same title. Although it certainly gave me the shivers hearing people with Japanese names speaking in Cantonese, the directors gave us enough adrenaline rush in the form of brilliantly choreographed car racing scenes worthy of the anime, not to mention that it also feature some of the best looking cars that I would certainly kill to have. This is certainly one cool flick.

4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory



I absolutely loved Johnny Depp and Freddie Highmore! After seeing them in last year's Finding Neverland, I could not wait to see them both in this film. And they certainly didn't disappoint! Depp is just as wonderfully eccentric and weird as he can ever be as Willy Wonka, the manufacturer of seemingly the world's MOST popular chocolate. Freddie is so sweet looking and just plain absolutely adorable! Roald Dahl must be happy to know that they have made quite a faithful adaptation of his book. The interior of the chocolate factory was just as how I imagined it! And Deep Roy as the Ooompa-Loompas is so... well... cute! Lavish, colourful sets that just seems to bring the book to life. Kudos to Tim Burton for a job well done on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!

3. Batman Begins


Thank you Christopher Nolan for giving us the best ever interpretation and adaptation of Bob Kane's Batman! Christian Bale is absolutely perfect as the Caped Crusader of Gotham City. The role was made for him! Dark, gritty and edgy - just like in the comics. Katie Holmes not withstanding, the supporting cast was just as great and colourful. Cilian Murphy's portrayal of The Scarecrow makes him my favourite Bat-villain of all the Batman movies. Michael Caine was just as funny too but the best of the lot has to be that ever dependable Liam Neeson, my favourite actor ever! Lots of memorable scenes in this film that will bring viewers back to the film again and again. Not to mention guys will get a kick out of that supercool Batmobile! Go Batman!!

2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire



The trio is maturing really fine onscreen, having followed through their growing up process since the first Harry Potter film. What a cute, shy little boy Daniel Radcliffe was back then! How time flies! Dan is back in his fourth year in Hogwarts and he is turning into a hunkalicious teenager who is set to break some hearts! Did I hear gasps of adoration and moans of longing when Daniel sheds his clothes for his first ever shirtless scene?? Heh, I did too. Delicious body! Got me salivating, hahaha! The bath scene alone makes this my No.2 film of the year. Of course, there's Ralph Fiennes who showed everyone the reason why he is one superb character actor in portraying the murderous wizard, Voldemort. Then, there's also David Tennant as Barty Crouch Jr, the escaped Death Eater who infiltrates Hogwarts to snare our none the wiser hero! However, though it may be the darkest Harry Potter film yet, Alfonso Cuaron's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban remains my No.1 Harry Potter film, mainly because the characters were far more developed and the film looked much more stylish. Still, GoF is what made 2005 a good year for me.

1. Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe



The ultimate holiday film if there ever was one! Narnia moved me even more than that soppy tale of a giant ape falling in love with a pathetic female homo sapien. Glorious special effects, wonderful acting, fantastic characters and a timeless tale of the battle between good and evil makes this film my No.1 film of the year. As I mentioned in a couple of posts back, the film is brimming with so many good points that I just don't know where to start praising. What's even better is that i didn't even bothered to read the stories first, which gave me a much more objective outlook and appreciate Andrew Adamson's work on this film even more. Everything was just how it should be - the centaurs, the mermaids, the phoenix, the fauns and the griffins were exactly how I had imagined such wondrous mythological creatures should be. What else can I gush about? Don't blame me just because everything about this film simply works for me. And I simply must mention the fact that my favourite actor of all time provided the voice for the majestic lion God, Aslan! Glorious! Utterly glorious!
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Heh, and so... that sums up my Top 10 Movies of the year 2005. Check out the next post for the worst of the lot...

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

The 10 Worst Movies of 2005

Hey, I'm no film critic and I'm certainly no filmmaker but I have enough experience studying films in college to make me qualified in giving objective and constructive criticisms about films. I'm an avid film goer and nothing gives me more pleasure than to sit in a dark cinema all by myself and get lost in the fantasy world of films. All I want most in a film to justify the RM8 to RM10 ticket is a great, meaningful story to tell that simply grips my attention and kept me riveted to the screen. You see, I' quite easy to please... but no amount of flashing human skin, flashy explosions, flashy effects and flashy fashions are going to save a film from ending up as 'trash' in my book.

So, my unfortunate winners of The Worst 10 Films released in Malaysia in 2005 are:

10. Zathura


Two cute warring brothers bond together to fight space aliens after one of them inadvertently send their home hurtling through space by playing a mysterious board game that makes events literally real. Much, much below the par that Jumanji has set. Same storyline. Same kind of action. Sadly, it's pretty much a bore to me. Special effects are nothing new. Nothing to really shout about here. Pretty much junior school fare. Fit for the kiddies to enjoy or if you fancy watching adults squirm and yawn.

9. Aeon Flux


A cheap copy-cat female version of Neo... in skintight leather... in the form of Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron could not even save this film, with its watery plots, from flowing down the drain. Do we really need more of these cheesy popcorn sci-fi action flicks to bombarde the senses of us poor cinemagoers?? I only hope that the comic version is much intelligible and the computer game is much more engaging than this sorry excuse of a film.

8. House of Wax


Interesting premise. Engaging story. Creative way of getting away with murder by the use of wax. Sadly, bad acting from a cast who thinks they look beautiful and worst still... who thinks that they can act, makes this film a much more painful thing to watch than to be covered in hot wax. Plllleeeaaasseee will someone stop mega brat Paris Hilton from gracing the public domain!!! The very sight of her really, really make me wanna barf!

7. The Fog


Bad, bad remake! I'm utterly surprised that John Carpenter, the producer of this turkey and the director of the original 1980 version, even consented to Rupert Wainwright's boring take. Seriously, what took the ghosties in The Fog so long to take their vengeance against the ancestors of the people who murdered them?? And can you see that the ghosties seemed to be half-heartedly trying to kill our three beautiful leads (Selma Blair, Tom Welling and Maggie Grace) while they gleefully kill off the rest of the unattractive and uninteresting cast members? Doh! 'nuff said.

6. Seven Swords


After the incredibly bad Legend of Zu (2001) and the utterly forgettable Double Team (1997), you'll think Tsui Hark would learn his lesson in making laughable action-kung fu films. He is certainly no Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige! Unfortunately, even with Hong Kong stars such as Leon Lai, Donnie Yen and Charlie Yeung could not safe this poorly executed Chinese version of the Magnificent Seven. Instead of cowboy hats and pistols, we have hear a bunch of seven martial artists skilled with the sword swooping down from their mountain hideout to rid the earth of the cruel warlord that is decimating everything in its path. in the midst of all the grand action and fights, we see a three way love tussle and a betrayal. Yawn!

5. Stealth


A Top Gun Stealth is certainly not! Far from it! And don't even say that this is a great action movie! Sure it has some really cool flying stunts but I rather watch cool flying stunts in Langkawi during LIMA. The only reason this film is fairly watchable to me is Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx. He is really one cool actor and a really talented one at that. Something which Jessica Biel and Josh Lucas ought to learn. Lucas still comes across as pretty wooden to me and seems to be devoid of expression. Hopefully, Lucas will do better in next year's Poseidon, in which he is headlining alonside much more established and talented stars such as Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss and Emmy Rossum. Stealth certainly deserves better.

4. Bewitched


Yet another poor remake. This could hardly even qualify as a remake. More like paying a homage to the classic TV series. Director Nora Ephron should really stick to doing sweet, memorable romance films for which she is much more popular for. Bewitched hardly qualifies as a love story between a witch and a normal human guy. Will Ferrell tries hard to be funny but he is certainly not. He's much better and funnier in Anchorman (2004) but comes across as a pompous bastard whose head is too big for his own good. Nicole Kidman's nose comes into the spotlight once more since her infamous prosthetic nose in The Hours (2002) that won her an Oscar for Best Actress. Here, she twitches her nose as a means of casting her spells. Somehow, i much prefer the way Elizabeth Montgomery did it in the 60s.

3. Elektra


One thing's for sure. It's better for Elektra to stay dead in the poor adaptation of Marvel Comics' Daredevil. The only good thing about this film is the way Jennifer Garner fits into the bloody hot, skintight, fiery red outfit. Storywise... its utterly boring, considering that I cannot help but fantasise the epic battle between Kill Bill's The Bride and Elektra during much of this film in the cinema. No doubt as to who won hands down!

2. Doom


Ugh, ugh and ugh! I must warn you that this film is utterly detestable and it only besmirches the good name of a legendary computer game! Even Resident Evil fared much better this shameless 'The Rock' vehicle. All the actors are weak in their roles, no chance for them to flex their acting muscles as they are all busy blasting aliens into smithereens. There's really nothing, nothing at all, that is worth capturing the attention of the viewers. Most likely the worst film The Rock has ever been in... besides The Scorpion King.

1. Dukes of Hazzard


No contest at all. This is definitely the worst movie I have ever seen... not just this year alone but in my entire life... well ok... Glitter was the worst movie I had ever seen in my life but Hazzard certainly came really close (thankfully, I steered clear of Britney Spear's Crossroads). Jessica Simpson is totally sooooooo NOT hot at all. She simply does nothing but try to flaunt her assets in ridiculously tight fitting clothes and her role is nothing more than attempting to draw unwitting male audiences to part with their cash to watch this Turkey of the Year. Pathetic! I don't know if the cult hit 60's TV series (another one!!) is just as bad, i never watched it and I don't think I want anything to do with the Hazzards ever again! It's much, much too hazardous (pun unashamedly intended) for my health and sanity!

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Well, there you go, folks! This list was much harder to do as I had seen quite a lot of turkeys this year instead of gems. I basically steered clear of Asian horror because they definitely don't hold much interest to me. And not to mention some campy Hong Kong comedy films too. But these 10 are definitely bad, bad, bad in my books and I am soooo gonna steer clear of them. Over my dead body will anyone attempt to drag me to watch these silly films again!

Friday, December 16, 2005

I am beginning to be really annoyed by the STUPID Americans...

And perhaps the biggest, and STUPIDEST American of them all is none other than the daft, Texas horn dog that they call 'president' - Mr George W "I'm a Hero" Bush, who is anything but a hero. He's a war-mongerer. He's a liar. He's usurping, money minded freakazoid. He's a self-righteous baboon who gives Christians everywhere a bad name! What good has this clownish "president" done to the countries he so-called "liberated"?? If he ever step foot on Malaysian soil, I have a bucket load of shit and piss to flung at him and his assistants!

Heck, I think the Americans are not doing anything to save the reputation of Christianity with their stupid shennanigans. I mean, how stupid can you be when you decide to ban Christmas plays and Christmas carols and the Nativity from schools?? And instead of "Christmas" trees... you get Holiday trees. And instead of "Merry "Christmas" - its better to say Happy Holidays lest someone from the other religions get offended!

Talk about going all out to appease everyone! Can someone scream "STUPID" loudly at them??

I really have nothing against Americans. I'm in no way anti-American. But I am anti-stupid Americans. See, there's a difference! And of course, like the millions of people out there in the world... I am downright anti-Bush! If he can't even sort his twin daughters out, how the hell do you think he's gonna sort the whole world out?? The Americans who re-elected him has got to be the dumbest, stupidest Americans on the whole freaking damn planet!!!

So what got me ranting about stupid Americans and their stupid mascot (Bush, who else??). The war. Their stance on the issue of Kyoto Protocol - the fact that they call global warming a myth just riles me up! The fact that the world had to put up with this idiot for another three to four years. And the fact that he admitted to spying on people's private lives. The fact that he's appointing himself savior and commander of the world. The list is endless...

As the year draws to a close, 2006 is not gonna be any different than this one. I can sooooo tell that another country is gonna be attacked next year. Nope not North Korea. The fact that the new Iranian president's stupid rants about Israel and the whole thing about Holocaust being a myth and their pretentious argument that their nukes are for generating power is putting it in the target sights of US and Britain. So, it's safe to say that Iran's gonna be "liberated" next.

A new year I am so not looking forward to...

So go eat, drink and be merry while you can! Have a Happy Hol... oops... I ain't gonna be no stupid American... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! AND LET'S HOPE FOR A BRIGHT NEW YEAR!!

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Burn Fat...literally

You know, it's really downright hilarious seeing the lengths people go to just to lose te inches of fat of their bellies, waist and thighs.

If you read The Star today, they featured a story by Hazel Parry on Hong Kong's latest slimming solution - fat burning. Literally. Meaning they set fire to your stomach and the fat melts away.

No kidding. I bowled over laughing out loud at the poor ladies who are conned by this fad.

All I could think is someone being roasted over a burning fire, cooked till juicy tender and ready to be served just in time for Christmas!

The full story below:

Lose Fat - By Being Set on Fire!

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

I just Watched a god damn bloody brilliant film!!

And you wanna know what it is??

It's the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe!!! And its all thanks to DiGi Rewards that I managed to catch an advance screening of this excellent film by Shrek director Andrew Adamson with my dear friend Patricia all for FREE!!! It was really worth it and I just feel like I want to watch this once more in the cinema and help it to get more money than Harry Potter... hahaha.

Seriously, if there's one movie that you have to, got to, must see for this holiday season/month... make it Narnia cause the film will just blow you away with its brilliant imagery and characters that make you feel for them in every way and scenes that just takes your breath away and keep you to the edge of your seats! Narnia IS really THAT GOOD!!!

It would be totally unfair to make comparisons with that mother of all fantasy movies Lord Of The Rings as Narnia is a whole different ball game altogether. C.S Lewis' precious work is eons away from his best friend JRR Tolkien's works. It's not as dark, not as complex and not too wordy, which makes it an excellent fantasy film for children of all ages.

There's no subplots in Narnia and the story is pretty much linear and thats the best because you are not distracted from the main focus of the story and allows you to have time to take in the fantastic special effects and imagery that Adamson had dreamt and visualised for the world of Narnia. The landscapes are absolutely breathtaking! It's been a while since I saw visually stunning landscapes in a movie, never since LOTR.

I have absolutely no complains regarding the actors who played the key characters in the film. Though Georgie Henley, the wonderful actress playing little Lucy Pevensie was a tad annoying to me about halfway through the movie with her constant tears and weeping. But she's suppose to typify the type of woman that was normal in those days during Lewis' times when writing this novel.

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Edmund playing a spot of cricket in the real world with his siblings

My favourite characters here has to be Skandar Keynes' Edmund Pevensie (see pictures) and Jim Broadbent as Professor Kirke. Skandar was brilliant portraying the stubborn and headstrong Edmund, his wonderful facial expressions really conveyed the emotions that Edmund would have felt when he realises the wrong that he had done. Jim Broadbent was was great as the lovable Professor Kirke with a secret that he has kept from his four, young charges.

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Edmund seems happy to be in the presence of the White Witch's castle. Pity he doesn't know the fate that awaits him



Jim Broadbent as the Professor who seems to have a mysterious secret about the wardrobe. If you've read the books, you'd know too!

Tilda Swinton... what can I say about her? On one hand I felt her portrayal of Jadis was excellent, yet I have to agree that she could actually be a bit more menacing and look graceful and elegant while she's at it. Jadis here seems to be a little bit more brutish than elegant but boy, can she churn out a menacing, piercing, icy cold evil stare! It's the stare that she utilises more to convey her fearsomeness and wrath. But I certainly cannot picture any other actresses that would fit the mould of Jadis the White Witch. Tilda is the White Witch, with her flawless, beautiful fair skin in real life. And after seeing her play a misguided angel in Constantine, I just know she would be perfect as Jadis the moment she was casted in the role. Well done Tilda, and bravo to Adamson for a spot-on casting! Tilda Swinton as the cold, evil Jadis with the steely gaze of menace

CGI Aslan was really good looking too. But Liam Neeson could have done slightly better with the voice acting. I had imagined Aslan's voice to be a bit more deep and husky and a bit older sounding and wise. Nevertheless, he did a commendable job in this and must be applauded for his effort to give voice to one of the most benevolent characters that ever lived in the fantasy realm.

But the best part of the entire movie has to be the final battle scene. A sight to behold. It's an epic battle worthy of the LOTR: Return of the King. Arguably one of the best battlefield scenes that I had ever seen in a movie. The build up to the final battle was fantastic, it really kept the audience at the edge of their seats. You felt like you are involved in every single decision that Peter Pevensie had to make that will decide the outcome of the classic battle against the forces of good and evil. Really fantastic.

Of course, every film, no matter how brilliant they are, will have its weak points as well but thankfully, it did not overshadow the film and was not obvious to ruin the movie. Some scenes look almost like watercolour effects, some scenes the actors were in did not gel with the effects - to the untrained eye, it makes no difference but alas, I had taken a course in filmmaking so I was every bit aware of the detail and could detect certain parts where it was plain obvious that it was unreal. The most important reason why special effects are utilised in movies are so that they can lend a sense of actuality and "realness" to the scenes. Meaning - special effects are used to make things look believably real to people that they actually thought it was real. But thats just a technical hang up that I have so don't worry about it too much. Overall, on a whole, THIS IS ONE REALLY DARN FREAKING COOL FILM!!!

Support this film! Watch the original and BUY the original. I sure hope Adamson will follow Peter Jackson in coming up with a special extended version! It would be so priceless! And maybe he will improve a bit on the special effects while doing the transfer to DVD. Who knows? One things for sure: I'll definitely be getting the DVD!

Can't wait for more Chronicles of Narnia films! And while waiting for it, I guess now is as good as a time as any to get started on reading the books again. Yes, I have not read all of the books, certainly not the second novel which The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was based on. I guess I should say that the books are now highly recommended to everyone who loves a bit of magic and fantasy in their life after all the LOTR and the Harry Potters. ^_^

Now I can go to bed happy... knowing that I had just gushed out my joy and happiness at having seen a great movie and not be disappointed at all! Good night!

Pictures are courtesy of Narnia Web Galleries