Movie Review: American Sniper

My second entry to 2015 comes with much enthusiasm for the year's slate of Hollywood films - There's SO MUCH GOOD MOVIES to look forward to later this year, and we're getting a sampling of them already in just the first month alone. That's pretty much a good indicator of just how much positive vibes I have for sure hit blockbuster flicks like Avengers: Age of Ultron, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, and plenty more... But we also have to take in the serious pieces, comedies, and biographical pictures that will certainly be coming our way as well as the year rolls onward.

However, I'd be hard-pressed to find something that's as awe-inspiring, bold, and captivating as "American Sniper" - the brand new film directed by Clint Eastwood that serves as the official biographical war drama pic that tells the life of Chris Kyle - United States Navy SEALS soldier, father, husband, and the MOST LETHAL SNIPER IN US MILITARY HISTORY to date.

Here's a review for the film just before the month ends, and just on its second week in cinemas to date. Special thanks goes to Warner Bros. PH for the screening earlier this January!

First Entry for 2015: Happy New Year! Updates and a Movie Review: Taken 3!

It's a new year and the third week of 2015, and here's a belated Happy New Year greeting to you all! It's been a while since I've posted any reviews, updates, or news in this personal blog of mine, and I'm hoping to change all that as time goes on this year. With so much other things keeping me preoccupied and busy, I find myself hard pressed to do so given several other things to do in my list. Still, there's always the usual channels and avenues you can follow me and my adventures- such as my Facebook page, and my Twitter and Instagram accounts!

One of those things is handling other sites, such as my daily news blog with Pop Culture Crusader, and my brand new writing duties in UnGeek PH! You'll see plenty of what I have to say or share about just about everything and anything hobby related in those two sites, and news that comes along for movies, comics, games, etc.

And of course, there's the fact that I still cosplay! While I haven't gone to any event yet for this year, me and my fellow cosplay teams of Justice PH and Enchantment PH welcomed 2015 with a bang by joining the festivities of the grand "2015 Philippine Countdown Celebration" held at the Philippine Arena at Bulacan! As you can see right above, there's a greeting for the new year I made on behalf of my heroic cosplay group, and you can check out pics of that 2014 ender of an event in each of the team's respective Facebook pages, which are linked above!

And of course, The CW's DC Comics' programs with Arrow and the Flash are coming back this week! I myself have cosplayed the Emerald Archer of TV as portrayed by the talented Stephen Amell, and I can't wait to get back in the hood and wield the bow soon enough.

Anyway, it's time to restart the blog with some thoughts on the very first movie I've seen this year - Liam Neeson's KICKASS RETURN as ex-CIA agent Bryan Mills in the third installment of the action-packed Taken film series with "Taken 3"!

Now for those who are new to this and the franchise altogether, I'm going to be real honest and direct - This mini-review WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS, and I got to see this flick a few days before it opened courtesy of 20th Century Fox Philippines. I'd highly recommend you go watch Taken and Taken 2 first before stepping into this one-man-do-whatever-it-takes movie that just shows that even in his age, Mr. Neeson is a force to be reckoned with... And you certainly don't want to piss off a man with "A very particular set of skills" that he can use to get the job done.

TAKEN 3 | Exclusive Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX
In this third installment of the Taken Trilogy, Neeson reprises his role as Bryan Mills, a ex-covert operative who has saved his family twice from forces who would seek to kidnap and use them in their own sinister desires and vendettas. Some years after those two incidents, Bryan has kept close ties with his own daughter Kim (Maggie Grace), and is slowly rekindling his relationship and romance with his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen). Unfortunately for Bryan, he goes home to his apartment one day and finds Lenny dead on his own bed. Framed for her murder and hunted down by the combined forces of the police, CIA, and FBI, Mills is determined to find out who killed his ex-wife and protect his daughter from suffering the same fate. To do this, he evades the law and takes it upon himself to track down those responsible... Using his "particular set of skills" to get the job done and end the madness once and for all.

As with any action movie sequel that follows up from a highly successful first film, Taken 3 is pretty much loyal to its fanbase (including yours truly), and will impress those looking to see Liam Neeson kick butt and take names. Critics may not be so forgiving, but that's beside the point of seeing this movie - you're here to see someone take out the bad guys with extreme measures, and that's something that's both the definition of entertainment and a popcorn flick you can take your family, friends, or dates to if they're in the mood for it. Luc Besson and Olivier Megaton return as producer and director respectively to give another challenge to the life of Mr. Mills that seeks more out of him than ever before, and it becomes very personal after he loses his ex-wife. Also, Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker joins this film as the head inspector sent to chase Mills named Franck Dotzler, and you know his presence adds more encouragement for action buffs to see this film.

So without any doubts on the matter, if you're a Taken fan, do go and see this film for the assurance that you will be entertained. The film is now on its second week as of this writing, so do yourself a favor... And get some nice action from a guy who doesn't like him or his family to be messed around with.

And that about wraps it for my first blog entry return for 2015! More improvements and updates to come with the site... And here's me sporting a brand new Playstation Vita! Time for some portable gaming goodness!Xd

Movie Review: Interstellar

It's hard to imagine that two years have passed since The Dark Knight Trilogy wrapped up with The Dark Knight Rises, and now that we've reached the end of the year 2014 - we get the newest IP helmed by the director of the films that breathed new life and interest to the Caped Crusader - the one and only Christopher Nolan.

His newest movie, aptly titled "Interstellar", is the British-American director's attempt at space exploration and science fiction... In this case outer space and mankind's attempt to find a new home in the midst of a terrible environmental disaster that is slowly killing the Earth. With a magnificent cast led by the likes of Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway, paired with some ambitious storytelling and rich cinematography, this is a film that dares to venture into the unknown while telling a story that is very much rich in emotion and what makes humans persevere to do make the impossible possible.

Having seen the film in IMAX during its press screening thanks to the folks from Warner Bros. Philippines, here is my review of a movie that embodies Nolan's spirit as a filmmaker and his desire to explore and tap into uncharted territory all the same. Opening on November 6th, be prepared for a sci-fi space tale like no other with Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar".