Movie Review: The Hunger Games

March 22, 2012

Glorietta 4

MTRCB Rating: PG-13

Genre: Science fiction/Action/Drama

Starring:

Jennifer Lawrence

Josh Hutcherson

Woody Harrelson

Eizabeth Banks

Lenny Kravitz

Stanley Tucci

Donald Sutherland

A few months ago, I saw The Hunger Games teaser while waiting for the featured film in a cinema. I was curious about the film because it's a sci-fi film, which I really love, and it's all about game of death with teens as the contestants. Then I heard it is based on a novel. I decided to read it first before it hits the cinema. And the novel is awesome.

I saw the film in its first day.  The cinemas were jampacked with movie-goers.  It was hard to find a seat and  I happened to get a seat right in the first row near the screen.

Panem, once known as North America, was divided into 12 districts. Each year, the Hunger Games was held.  2 tributes from each district, 1 boy and 1 girl, were picked to participate in this televised  fight-to-the-death game.  In District 12, 12 year old Prim was picked.  Her sister Katniss volunteered to take her place.  The other tribute was Peeta.  Even before the game started, Katniss and Peeta captured the hearts of the spectators.  They were the early favorites in the game.  They were loved more when Peeta confessed his feelings for Katniss.

In the main game, alliances were formed and the 24 tributes were greatly reduced by almost half.  Katniss allied with Rue, a 12 year old girl from District 11.  But Rue was also killed.  In the end, Katniss and Peeta outsmarted the others.  But the rule was only 1 should remain so they had to kill each other.  They defied this rule and threatened to kill themselves by eating poisonous berries.  Because the audience loved them so much, they were stopped before the berries touched their mouths.

Positive:  I love everything about this movie.  There couldn't be more perfect to play Katniss than Jennifer Lawrence.  It was just like the softie but toughie character of Katniss was tailor-made for Jennifer. The story was stuck in my mind for a very long time.  One may complain about the teen violence but that was an integral part of the story. The movie tried its best to be faithful to its book counterpart.  And faithful it was.

Negative:  I have just one complain about this movie.  The shaky camera works.  In its opening credits, scenes from the districts were shown.  I was seated in the very front of the screen and the documentary-like shots made me dizzy.

Overall:  This is a must see film.  It is the best dark film since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and way better than any Twilight film.  It lived up to its hype and disappointment would be far from anyone's mind.

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Restaurant Review: Sambokojin Yakinuku Smokeless Grill

Gluttons' paradise.

That's how I describe Sambokojin Restaurant, a fusion of Japanese and Korean cuisines.

My friends Lat and Kat (sounds alike, huh?) and I have been hearing Sambokojin as a new buffet Yakimix-style resto. We were intrigued by the good reviews so we decided to give it a try. And yes, we did try... twice. The first one was on January 14 and the next on March 17, 2012.

It is advisable to make a reservation by phone. We did it the day before. Our call time... 11:00 AM. You will be given a 15-minute grace period in case you failed to show up on time. After that, your reservation will be forfeited.

After verifying your reservation, you will be ushered to the 2nd floor of the building. As you walk through the door, you will be greeted by every staff and crew of the resto by a deafening "Irasshaimase!" Then they'll lead you to your table with your name on it. By the way, "irasshaimase" means "welcome to the store/shop" in Japanese.

A waiter will be assigned to you to attend to your needs. Appetizers will be given to you before you attack the buffet area. I recognized the kimchi and the spicy dilis. The others, I dont know. Then he will explain the sauces, what sauce goes with beef, seafood or chicken. Then he will turn your grill on.

There are so many choices. Imagine the food choices in Yakimix. It's all that and more. The sushi bar has the largest selection of sushi and sashimi . The raw meat section has beef in variety of marinades and bacon wraps (asparagus, bean sprouts, crab meat, salmon, etc. wrapped with bacon). There's so many of them that it is impossible to try them all. Then, there's fried breaded meat section (tempura, tonkatsu, and I-don't-know-the-name-of-the-others). There's also buffalo wings although it is named differently. Vegies are available too like toge (bean sprouts), bell peppers, corn slices, and mushrooms (shitake mushrooms, one of my favorites). Desserts area is heaven. There are lots of bite size cakes (yes, even blueberry cheesecake), fondue (chocolate dip), brownies, and fresh fruits. Well, fruits are limited mostly watermelons and pineapples. And my favorite of all... the ice cream which comes in 4 flavors: strawberry, mocha, chocolate and vanilla. And yeah, the fast refilling of foods is worth commending, too.

Rice is not available in the buffet area so you have to inform the waiter and the Kamameshi rice will be served in your table steaming hot. Don't worry it's included in the price.

The waiters are all attentive. More often than not, they keep on refilling your water and often replacing your plates with new ones. Once my chopsticks got splattered with sauce and as I wiped it clean with tissue, a waiter handed me a new pair of chopsticks. Talk about initiative. They are all cheerful and wearing smiles all the time.

The interior is simple but elegant, no fancy paintings and well lit. There's a good distance between each set of tables so there's no need to worry about budging other customers in their seats. The chairs are made of classy white leather and the table from black granite. The ambiance is awesome. It's like you're inside a hotel. The comfort room is clean and nice smelling.

The price? It's not cheap I tell you. But with the food flooding your table, I say it's worth it.

















Here are some info which might help you:

Price: Weekdays lunch - 495 Php
Weekdays dinner - 595 Php
Weekends (lunch and dinner) - 595 Php
Children - 295 Php
All prices don't include drinks and absolutely no leftovers. With leftovers add 100 Php.

Hours of Opertion: Mon-Thu (11:00 AM - 2:00 PM / 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM)
Fri-Sun (11:00 AM - 2:00 PM / 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM)

Address: 207 EDSA Greenhills, Mandaluyong City
(between Connecticut and Rochester Sts. along EDSA)

Telephone nos.: 726-4466; 726-4520

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Movie Review: Wedding Tayo, Wedding Hindi

September 3, 2011
Glorietta 4

MTRCB Rating: GP
Genre: Romantic comedy

Starring:
Toni Gonzaga
Eugene Domingo
Zanjoe marudo
Wendell Ramos

In a rare occasion, I and my friends/officemates Kat, Vincent, Rachel and Irish got together for a seafood feast at Seaside-Macapagal. After dinner, my female friends dragged me and Vincent to Glorietta 4 to watch this movie. We had 2 options to watch, either Wedding Tayo, Wedding Hindi or Zombadings: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington. Since I was a Eugene Domingo fan and not into indie films (like Zombading), I chose the first one. Then eventually, everybody prefered it, too. So, Wedding Tayo, Wedding Hindi it was.

The movie was about two cousins Belay and Precy. Belay was excited with her upcoming wedding while Precy wanted to end hers. Belay was a balikbayan from Japan and went home to fulfill the promise she and boyfriend Oca made that they would get married after 3 years of working in Japan. Oca was being reluctant of the wedding because he was unsure if Belay still loved him or just honoring their promise. Precy on the other hand had monetary issues with her husband Ben. She had a rift with her mother-in-law. Belay and her Oca had also issues with each other's soon to be in-laws. But all was well that ended well. Belay and her Oca got married and Precy and Ben reconciled.

Positive: The idea of teaming up Eugene and Toni was a clever idea with both having a track record of box office hits each in comedy in the past. I think they complimented each other in this film. Teddy Corpus of Rocksteady rocked the house with his punch lines. I loved Teddy here. He was hilarious. Toni did well with the transformation of her character from a reserved, modest and shy teacher to an outspoken, gay-speaking Japayuki. We could learn some of the legalities of marriage like annulment and legal separation.

Negative: Toni could be annoying sometimes. In her attempt to be funny, she overacted her role. Using gay lingo took my brain some time to comprehend what Toni was trying to say. But it did sound funny.

Overall: This film is funny but do not expect it as great as other Eugene Domingo (well, except Ang Babae sa Septic Tank) and Toni Gonzaga films. If you want to forget your problems for a moment, go watch it.

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Movie Review: Bad Teacher

September 1, 2011
Glorietta 4

MTRCB Rating: R-13
Genre: Comedy

Starring:
Cameron Diaz
Justin Timberlake
Lucy Punch
Jason Segel

I first saw the trailer in a Jollibee store near the office. Jollibee fastfood chain frequently showed the trailer in their flat screen TVs along with their food products. Any movie with Cameron Diaz in it excites me. The movie seemed hilarious so I decided to watch it.

Elizabeth was a middle school teacher who used marijuana, drank alcohol, foul-mouthed her students and showed movies in her class while she slept during the whole period. She planned to quit her job to marry her wealthy fiance but her fiance dumped her leaving with no choice but to resume her teaching post. Elizabeth fancied Scott, a wealthy substitute teacher. But Scott treated her only as a friend because he liked Amy, their co-teacher and Elizabeth's rival. Russell, the gym teacher, expressed his crush on her but she rejected him. Elizabeth wanted her boobs to be augmented but she needed $10,000 for the operation. She participated in the 7th grade car wash wearing sexy attire and kept the money for her own. She manipulated the parents of her students and made them believe their children needed more supplies and tutoring, of course all for a fee. Amy tried to ruin her reputation by exposing her schemes and continuous violation of school rules to the school principal but the principal ditched the idea.

When Elizabeth learned that the teacher who gets the highest score in the state exam would get $5,700 bonus, she became involved in her students studies and forced them to study intensely. But their efforts fell short when they got low quiz scores. She impersonated a journalist and drugged the person who was in charge with the state exam and stole the test papers. When the result of the exam came out, she got the bonus.

On a field trip, Elizabeth seduced Scott but later got turned off by his behavior. Meanwhile, Amy switched her desk with Elizabeth's. She discovered an evidence that Elizabeth cheated with the exam. She informed the principal about it and the principal invited the person in charge with the exam to testify against Elizabeth. But Elizabeth blackmailed him and scrapped Elizabeth's involvement with the leakage. Elizabeth discovered her desk was switched with Amy's and informed some teachers were into drugs. A police K-9 sniffed drugs in Elizabeth's desk... in Amy's classroom. Amy was transfered to another school. Scott wooed Elizabeth but rejected him in favor of Russel, the gym teacher. Her schedule for her breast augmentation was set but she changed her mind. She became nicer to everybody and became the school's new guidance counselor.

Positive: Cameron Diaz. Every comedic role given to her, she always nails it. The characterization of the cast made this a likeable film. Russel was loveable. This is one film that makes a righteous character bitchy ang unlikeable, just like in the case of Amy who had a knack of following rules. There were few good laughs, undeniably.

Negative: The plot was thin. The story seemed to be going nowhere. Elizabeth got away with everything wrong that she did. It would be better if she got caught, took remorse then redeemed herself. I thought it told me that it is OK to do wrong because eventually, you can get around, if not away with it. That's not nice.

Overall: It is entertaining and funny at times. The plot maybe thin but the cast did a good job with their performances which makes this film an enjoyable one. Maybe not that great but still, I was entertained. And that's all that matters.

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Movie Review: Crazy Stupid Love

August 29, 2011
SM Centerpoint, Sta. Mesa

MTRCB Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romantic comedy/Drama

Starring:
Steve Carell
Ryan Gosling
Julianne Moore
Emma Stone
Marisa Tomei
Kevin Bacon

Cal's world crumbled when his wife admitted she cheated on him with her co-worker and wanted a divorce. He moved out from their home and got his own apartment. He frequently went to bars and kept talking about his divorce until a young man named Jacob took pity of him and taught him how to be a lady's man. Jacob helped him have a makeover. He eventually learned to seduce women and bedded 9 women. Cal and Jacob became friends. Although he was flirting with women, Cal still loved his wife and visited their home at night looking at her from afar without her knowing it. He secretly maintained their backyard at night since their divorce. Jacob, on the other hand fell in love with a girl and asked Cal for advice on how to become a compassionate man. Cal's and his wife's children made a plan to reconcile their parents. The plan almost worked until the babysitter's father attacked Cal after discovering his daughter's nude photos addressed to Cal. Cal's son despised him for he was in love with his babysitter. Things got complicated when his daughter Hannah showed up with Jacob, her boyfriend. He bacame furious because he knew how womanizing Jacob was. To make matters worse, his wife's co-worker also arrived to bring her the jacket she left during their last date. Cal, Jacob, the babysitter's father, and his wife's co-worker got into a brawl and were pacified only when the police came. At his son's 8th graduation, his son gave a salutatory speech. He bagan talking about not believing in true love and soulmates anymore. Cal interrupted his son and told the audience about his courtship with his wife when they were young. He said he was unsure if it would work out but he declared he would not give up on her to the audience's delight. The couple finally reconciled. The babysitter gave his son the nude photos as a graduation gift.

Positive: It is a romantic comedy that touches the heart of the people who experienced, are experiencing, and will experience love. I admit I'm not a fan of love stories but this film moved me. The idea of fighting for the one you love and getting him/her back gives me satisfaction. The movie tells people deserve second chances, especially the good-hearted people. Some of the lines were witty and funny. The most remarkle line was when Jacob took off his shirt in front of Hanna and show her his abs and told him, "Seriously, it looks like it's photoshopped!" Cal's transformation into a lady's man was also worth commending. The makeover was effective enough to transform Steve Carell into a younger and hotter man. And yeah, the dirty dancing "Time if My Life" scene of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone was likeable, too. Boy, I'm starting to have a crush on Emma Stone.

Negative: Hmmm. Let me see. Marisa Tomei's character was unnecessary. The movie could still survive without her. The plot wasn't consistent. I like the first parts. It was romantic yet comedic. The latter part turned out to be more serious.

Overall: The film is romantic, smart, witty, funny and moving. Its story can appeal to every people, young and old. Anybody who will watch it will love it for sure.

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Movie Review: Ang Babae sa Septic Tank

August 15, 2011
SM Centerpoint, Sta. Mesa

MTRCB Rating: PG-13
Genre: Independent

Starring:
Eugene Domingo
JM de Guzman
Kean Cipriano
Cai Cortez

I heard and read many praises for this film and it got me curious. The trailer on TV seemed promising. It was funny. Two weeks after its premiere on the big screen, I decided to give it a go.

3 young filmakers, a producer, a director and a production assistant were braimstorming about a project; a story about a mother living in the slums who sold her son to a pedophile in desperation to survive. They believed they had the great script, the determination and the drive to win an Oscar award. They visualized many versions of the script: a musical, indie and mellow drama styles. They had an occular inspection of the slums. Finally, they chose Eugene Domingo to star in the film, who in turn gladly accepted the role in the condition that they would get a double for her in the septic tank scene. During the shooting, Eugene got excited and fell into the septic tank. Not wasting any time, the camera started rolling and Eugene had no choice but to to the scene.

Positive: Eugene Domingo, definitely. She is brilliant here and deserves all praises. JM, Kean, and Cai had very interesting characters, too. I love the musical part. The song was very good. I can't believe it is possible to infuse musical to this kind of film. The movie is informative. It shows the the endeavors, the trials, problems and struggles of filmmakers to produce a movie.

Negative: I got bored most of the time. The opening scene where the slums were shown took a long time that I almost walked out of the cinema. But then again, I thought of the money I spent just to see this. The ending was a cliff-hanger. Eugene fell into the septic tank, shooting resumed, then boom! Closing credits. WTF was that? The teaser shown on TV made me curious to watch the film. I was expecting more comedy scenes. The scenes shown on TV were actually the highlights. Unfortunately, nothing more was offered so I was like in an I-already-watched-it-on-TV mood.

Overall: The good cast didn't make up for my boredom. Or maybe I'm just not into indie films. I wasn't entertained. Well, a few of Eugene's scenes were an exception. If not for her, this movie is trash.

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Food Review: KFC Chicken ala King

I am an avid fan of KFC hot fried chicken and whenever I'm at KFC, I always ordered either one piece chicken with rice or a Fully Loaded meal with one piece chicken and mushroom soup. I never ordered anything else.

Then, my officemate introduced me to KFC Chicken ala King and I liked it instantly. The bowl has 2 chicken fillets topped with creamy sauce. It is boneless that makes eating hassle-free. It is soft and juicy and tastier than KFC fried chicken. There is also buttered corn on the side with a hefty serving of rice. That for a price of P90 for ala carte and P100 with a regular soda. That's a good deal.

Now this is my new favorite.

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