Reaction: Rurouni Kenshin live action movie

There's no anime I watched and re-watched more than Samurai X. I watched it in Tagalog, in English, in original subtitled, over and over again in grade school that I almost memorized everything that happened in the story. My fondest memories of the summer just after Grade 6, before high school, was watching the marathon run of around 10 episodes a day during afternoons in Studio 23 (along with Final Fantasy, Rave!, and Angelic Layer. Loved all of them). I imagined that if I could relive a past life, it will be in 1890s Japan (2nd to medieval Europe). Never again will I be so absorbed in a story that way! Knowing there's a live action film, more than a decade after the anime's airing, of course I could not miss it.

The movie is set in the Meiji Restoration, ending a violent era with Japan adopting new systems from the Western World. The Samurai class is no longer influential. "Its the wives and daughters of samurai who now run the brothels, former samurai are now gangs of petty thieves," says the businessman who celebrates the 'New Age' with drug and firearm trade.

The former notorious killer Battosai Himura decides to live a new life as a wanderer, and now carries a reverse-bladed sword as a vow not to kill again. But can he run away from the past, or his past can't help but stay? As Saito (a former samurai, now a cop) says, "Wandering is the easy way out. We live by the sword and die by the sword." To those familiar with the story, we know Kenshin will still fight many enemies along the way, old and new, challenging his beliefs. As the antagonist in the movie says: once a killer, always a killer.

A still-scarless Battosai (now Kenshin with the scar).

In the movie, they encounter two villains: the greedy businessman Kanryu Takeda and the psychotic killer Udo Jine. Megumi, who came from a doctor's family, makes opium for Takeda. Udo Jine is a former Samurai who works for Takeda, but still blood-thirsty, kills many using the name of Battosai. He mocks Kenshin's new ways. Jine would be very satisfied to see Kenshin as the merciless killer again, and provokes him. Will Kenshin yield?

Clockwise from left: Kaoru, Sanosuke, Saito, and Megumi

Their cast is perfect for their roles. My favorites were Saito and Sanosuke. Sano: who else would pause in the middle of a fight to eat lechon manok and even offer some to his opponent? They even drink together. Then back to the action. Saito blurs the line of morality, and mocks Kenshin too. As a former Samurai, he easily blended in the new age as a police officer. I like the way he smirks.


Overall, a fun and action-filled movie. Let's end this post with Takeda and his fruity assistants. The masked guy could be an endorser for Pantene. 

2 movies: Skyfall & Breaking Dawn

I have a huge girl-crush on Kate.

I've been watching movies in mall theaters a lot lately. There's this energy in audience reactions when seen on the big screen, which for me makes it more fun than watching at home in pirated DVD or downloaded (which I know is cheaper, but the other pricier option is at least legal and high-definition). There are two recent pop movies I didn't expect to like, but I did: Skyfall and Breaking Dawn. I was about to write something lengthy about the the films, but I'll just be repeating what everyone else says, and I have nothing more to comment. I like the James Bond villain, and Twilight Saga's ending was good (I'm rooting for the other vampires like Kate, Garrett, Emmett, and Benjamin but not much about the Cullens). My favorite thing is, the series is finally OVER.

I watched both for free as my sister had an extra ticket for their school film showing for Breaking Dawn, and my dad bought Skyfall tickets.
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Okay, I just wanted to post something, because I keep on forgetting I have this thing. I'm distracted with people's reblogs, retweets, instagram pictures, and odd news when I'm on the net. Maybe long-form text is not so popular with kids these days than screen-manipulated pictures. Most of this blog's content about myself no longer reflects my current state of mind, but this will go on indefinitely.

Tiktik: The Aswang Chronicles vs. A Secret Affair

I'd recommend TIKTIK for your money (its better seen in theaters).I liked it more so it gets a picture in this post. 

I watched A Secret Affair last week with a friend, and I mentioned that I enjoyed Tiktik and her reaction was like, "What?! Well, I don't like it" even if she hasn't watched it. I didn't argue further because our tastes differ and I would say that too to her wanting to watch the other movie. I saw the trailer, it just wasn't my thing (I prefer action to romance). Now that I watched Affair, I think it is a good movie for its genre. Two different movies and stories, so there would be no point in comparing the two or deciding which is better. Let's not delve into that "What I like is better than what you like" attitude, they're just films.

I can relate more to the local people and monstrous aswangs in Tiktik than the bitchy socialites fighting over a guy in Affair. The first is set in a remote rural area with houses built far apart, the second is in a crammed high-end city of posh restos and classy condos. The first is about a guy (Makoy/Dingdong Dantes) trying to woo back his pregnant girlfriend (Sonia/Lovi Poe), and deal with the legion of monsters who happen to live nearby. The second is a love triangle of Very Rich People: a renowned chef (Anton/Derek Ramsey), a stylist (Rafi/Anne Curtis), and the spoiled, jobless daughter of a company tycoon (Sam/Andi Eigenmann). 

There was a lot of sex in Affair, too much it was irritating. Sam is jobless and does not have much to do with her life than stalk Anton and blackmail him to be with her instead of his fiance. Its also funny that she reads Rafi's twitter to know where Anton is and she just shows up. That's creepy. Ah, the problems of the rich. *Spoiler*: I liked the sassy, smart-ass-ness of Rafi in this movie. In the end, she says a final NO to her ex: she deserves better. Also, Anton mentioned "casual hookups" many times I cringe to hear the phrase. Sam simply wants to be more than friends-with-benefits, she also deserves better.

One thing I noticed that the dialogue in Affair is mostly in English, its almost an English movie. I've never heard people actually talk like that. I think Tiktik is a very Pinoy movie, the house where most of the story happens is a typical Filipino home familiar to us. The well-designed mansions and even the well-designed clothes in Affair was alienating to me. Tiktik uses familiar items (like those giant wooden spoon and fork) and product placements (Boy Bawang, Lipps candy, Gran Matador) in a witty and fresh manner. 

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What I liked about Tiktik: 

1. My favorite thing about this movie is the use of Ilonggo folklore and beliefs about aswangs, as the director said was his main inspiration. 

2.  Roi Vinzon, Ramon Bautista, Joey Marquez, the aswangs, all of them were good, in my opinion. 

3. Buntot Pagi or Stingray Tail is my new weapon of choice. Move over, samurai swords. 

Movie: The Devil's Double (2011)

(Disclaimer: My posts on books and movies are more reactions than proper reviews.)  

The Devil's Double is loosely based on the true story of Latif Yahia, a man hired as body double of Saddam Hussein's son, Uday. Latif is a simple soldier while Uday is a spoiled party boy. That's the simplest comparison. Uday is called 'The Devil': killed his father's assistant in a party, raped minors picked off schools, gets a deadly rage when angered that there's a body count right after. Even Saddam told him, "I wish I killed you when you were born."

Latif is chosen after a war and taken to a plastic surgeon to make him look exactly as Uday. They already know each other, both had been classmates in elementary and others often comment on how similar they look. Latif resists at first but agrees after being tortured and his family threatened. Uday will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Latif is told to 'kill' himself -- his family thinks he's dead anyway -- and BE from now on Uday Saddam Hussein.

Being the son of Iraq's dictator has its perks: he gets to live in opulence, he can wear expensive wardrobe, everything for Uday is free to him. The downside is bloody. Latif will go to events as Uday, and the number of attempted killings for the prince during Latif's stint says that a body double is really needed. In contrast to Uday's careless debauchery, Latif gets in the act as the responsible son. Latif is the one who speaks to motivate the soldiers, he's skilled in combat and survived death threats, while the brat Uday will only call on his bodyguards at the first hint of danger.

My favorite scene was Latif looking at the mirror after being tortured, hating his face and fate, punching the mirror and slamming a door on the way out... spoofing Uday's tantrums. Of course, Latif tries his best to act like Uday. He hates Uday, but knows he can't do anything about it, or he'd be dead. One can only endure seeing too much uncontrolled insanity.

Latif, Uday, and the mirror

The viewer will hate Uday and root for Latif. After all the brutality, the last scene when Latif finally gets his revenge is satisfying.

Dominic Cooper portrays both, and I laud him for his acting of such opposing characters. I first doubted if it was the same person. The actor says that he's been a bit schizophrenic during the shoot. The movie is a portrait of Uday Hussein's cruelty and its consequences, and how a simple guy stops him even it seemed impossible.

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This song from the soundtrack was played during a party scene, I thought it was an Iraqi "Right Round" but found out its the original song where Flo Rida got his catchy chorus. "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" by Dead or Alive, it makes me feel dizzy listening:

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (2011)

A nice short film about books, with a Wizard of Oz hurricane. If only books could fly like that to their proper call number arrangement, so we won't have to reshelve.