In the Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster Surrogates, action star Bruce Willis is a bad-ass cop who uncovers a plot that could very well turn the world upside-down.

The film centres around surrogacy – the act through which humans live out their ideal lives through robotic doubles (known as surrogates) – becoming commonplace in society.

A threat emerges when a surrogate’s human operator is found dead, resulting in a frantic search for the culprit before the entire world’s new-found way of life breaks down.

Though the concept of surrogacy presented in the movie seems far-fetched, it makes us realise how frighteningly close we are to achieving such technology. The plot deals with several issues synonymous with other sci-fi films, particularly that of the threat of advancing technology, which in spite of all its advantages, can backfire on us and take over our lives.

Though fast-paced, the plot lacks the unpredictability of a good sci-fi thriller. There are exciting twists and turns at several points, but there’s nothing new or surprising to excite avid science fiction fans. There are also lapses in several major plot sequences, leaving the audience a little bewildered about certain characters.

I suppose one could say that the film’s strongest selling point lies in Bruce Willis’s superb acting skills. Aside from the action-packed chase and fight scenes, he portrays his dual roles well. In his surrogate form, his steely face and robotic features convinces us that he is nothing more than a machine; while,in comparison, the other surrogates are not realistic enough as they appear too human. Willis is also very convincing in baring his emotional turmoil, both as a human and a surrogate, thus enabling the audience to feel as “alien” as he does.

Nonetheless, Surrogates offers something for everyone, whether you are an adrenaline junkie, a drama queen or a sci-fi junkie.

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(500)Days of Summer, directed by Marc Webb, is a clever and offbeat romantic comedy that’s refreshingly honest and utterly charming.

Tom Hanson (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a creative greeting card writer who dreams of becoming an architect and finding his true love one day. Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel), on the other hand, is a vintage-looking beauty who doesn’t believe in love at all.

When Summer becomes the new assistant to Tom's boss, the two of them grow closer to each other over the months. Their relationship develops, despite Summer's steely insistence that she doesn’t believe in true love and does not want a boyfriend.

On day 290, the couple splits up after having their first argument and watching The Graduate, a film which Tom thinks is a depiction of true love. Summer resigns from the company; and Tom suffers a bout of depression after Summer's departure from his life, and is moved to the consolations department.

Months later, Summer invites Tom to a party of hers. When he sees a shiny diamond solitaire perched on her finger, everything falls into place for him…

Perfectly enacted, simultaneously serious and light, and endlessly inventive, (500) Days of Summer is a strong contender for the most original date movie of the year. I highly recommend that it be either enjoyed together with a partner or wallowed in alone.

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Abby Richter (Katherine Heigl) is a romantically-challenged TV show producer whose search for Mr Perfect has left her desperately single. And to her chagrin, her bosses have decided to team her up TV personality Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler), in order to salvage the show's flagging ratings.

Abby is prejudiced against Mike as she thinks he is uncouth and grotesque. However, she learns to appreciate him better when he gives her advice on her love life and helps her land the handsome doctor (Eric Winter) living next door to her.

Soon after, Mike is offered the chance to move to another network. This leaves Abby disappointed, and convinces her that her true soulmate is actually the one sitting right across the TV console.

Despite the sublime performances of lead actors Heigl and Butler, audiences will find the seriously flawed characters they play rather appealing.

Overall, The Ugly Truth is a refreshing romance story and thoroughly enjoyable. It’s a good choice of chick flick for a romantic date!

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The movie starts off with Buffalo Grove High School valedictorian, Dennis Cooverman (Paul Rust), being prompted by his best friend to give a speech. Dennis is a nerdy guy who’s wildly addicted to old movies, and he has a huge crush on, who else, but beautiful Beth Cooper, the most sought-after girl in the school.

But the head cheerleader has a boyfriend who’s in the military. He’s much older than her, and a creepy loser who hangs around the school even though he had graduated long ago, simply because he can’t get a girlfriend his age.

Beth Cooper is played by Hayden Panettiere, who also performs the role of the indestructible cheerleader Claire Bennet in the hit television series Heroes.

During his speech, Dennis announces to the whole school and his parents that he has been in love with Beth Cooper since the seventh grade. He asks the students of the graduating class to confess their secrets so that they can look back at their life with no regrets. He even hints to his best friend that it was alright to “come out of the closet”.

This encourages some students to admit their weaknesses and wrong-doings, and reveal their inner feelings, such as having eating disorders and low self-esteem.

The story picks up when Dennis invites Beth to his house for a small get-together (his parents support what he is doing). Beth decides to show up with her two girlfriends just for the fun of it, but is later tracked down by her boyfriend, leading to a wild goose chase that ensues throughout the night.

Although I Love You, Betty Cooper is a typical teen movie (which are mostly forgettable), there’s a little more to this particular one.

My final conclusion? The movie is big on laughs, so enjoy it with a good friend. You can also check out its official website: http://www.iloveyoubethcoopermovie.com/ to watch the cool intro video and upload your own Beth Cooper moment.

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When it comes to pursuing one’s childhood dreams, there is no such thing as being too old. But few of us would think of pursuing a long-cherished dream at a ripe old age, like what 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen (Edward Asner) did.

At the start of the movie, we see Carl as an eight-year-old boy with an adventurous streak. He befriends Ellie (Elie Docter), a girl who shares the same aspiration as him to follow the path of the great adventurer Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer).

United by a common dream, the two eventually marry and lead a blissful but mundane life together. The both of them never got round to fulfilling their dream of travelling to Paradise Falls, a magical place in South America.

After Ellie passes away, Carl spends his time at home, all alone. Eventually, he is being forced to go to a retirement home. He refuses to do so and literally takes flight – by tying thousands of balloons to his house!

As Carl soars to the sky and heads for South America, a stowaway comes onto the scene. The eight-year-old, called Russell (Jordan Nagai),is bent on sticking with Carl so he can earn an “Assisting the Elderly” badge that will qualify him as a Senior Wilderness Adventurer.

As they embark on the adventure of their lifetime, the two meet Dug, a talking dog, and Kevin, a giant bird. This motley gang continues their journey together.

To Carl’s surprise, he meets his hero, who turns out to be a rogue with evil intentions. Carl and Russell find their lives at stake, and try to make an escape. The two, who are united by chance, become everything to each other and shares several profound moments during their adventure in a strange land.

In the end, Carl decides to let go of his home, where he has spent a lifetime with his beloved Ellie. He learns to move on with his life while keeping the precious memories he holds dear and creating more memories worth treasuring at the same time.

This movie may appear to be a fantasy story for children, but it actually has a lot to offer both young and old. It shows us how far our dreams can take us, and that it’s the simple things in life that matters most. It’s a spectacular story that reaches out to the child in every one of us and tugs at our heartstrings, so don’t miss it!

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The movie opens with a gory scene of a woman delivering a dead and bloody baby. As it turns out, it is only one of Kate’s usual nightmares.

Kate has just suffered a miscarriage and is still broken-hearted over the loss of her unborn child.

In order to move on with their life, she and her husband decide to adopt a child. During a visit to an orphanage, they encounter a sweet, mild-mannered child by chance. As they feel a connection with the child (called Esther) after interacting with her for just a few minutes, they decide to make her a part of their family.

As it turns out, this isn’t a good decision as things start going downhill very quickly when they bring her home. The couple does not seem to be aware of the deteriorating situation initially, but the mystery surrounding this precocious child begins to unravel when she shoves a bully who had picked on her earlier on at the playground (which she denies). This incident catches the attention of the orphanage head, who warns the family that similar incidents have occurred at the orphanage, and it appears that Esther was centrally involved every time.

Something tragic happens immediately after, and other similarly alarming events follow suit. After some time, Kate becomes suspicious of Esther and digs into her past. She finds that there is no record of her being in the Russian orphanage where she was supposed to come from. But she continues searching and discovers something else.

Just who is Esther? What mysteries surround this seemingly innocent child of nine? And will her adoptive family survive their misbegotten decision to adopt her? Watch this movie to find out!

Be warned that there is a significant amount of rather disturbing and graphic scenes. But if you are a die-hard horror fan, this is one movie you wouldn’t want to miss!

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In a nutshell, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is about a bachelor who’s haunted by the ghosts of his former girlfriends during his younger brother's wedding.

Its plot is a clever comedic twist of Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol”. Though the movie is obviously a vehicle for enrapturing the legions of Matthew McConaughey’s female fans, it is surprisingly entertaining.

This simple and harmlessly pleasant romantic tale of moral redemption is also the perfect choice for movie-goers who aren’t too keen on the current action-packed extravaganzas like X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Matthew McConaughey plays the role of Connor Mead, a famous photographer and the stereotypical ladies' man. This playboy is a jerk who breaks up with three women simultaneously via a computer conference call! Yet, girls adore him and clamour to be his next one-night-stand.

Connor takes a break from his playboy lifestyle to attend his brother's wedding, where he’s reacquainted with Jenny Perotti (Jennifer Garner), the only girl who has ever captured his heart.

After getting drunk, he delivers a speech at the rehearsal dinner and tells the audience that love isn't real. Afterwards, in the bathroom, he meets the ghost of his Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas), a Hefner-esque horndog who has taught Conner everything he knows about picking up chicks. Uncle Wayne informs Connor that, over the course of the evening, he'll be visited by three ghosts who will lead him through his romantic past, present and future.

Will Connor ever learn to get over himself and love the right woman, or will he remain an emotional Scrooge? Catch this movie to find out!

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The movie begins with an enormous meteorite striking a cosy little church where the wedding ceremony of Susan and Derek is being held. After being hit by the meteorite, Susan’s body undergoes a dramatic change and she turns into a giant.

As Susan is now regarded as a monster, she is captured by the government, renamed Ginormica and sent away to a secret facility where all monsters are being held captive for life.

When an evil alien, Gallaxhar, descends upon planet Earth to destroy and conquer it, prison officer General Monger sets the monsters free so they can help him defeat Gallaxhar.

Together with other monsters, Dr Cockroach Ph.D – a mad-scientist-turned-roach-hybrid, The Missing Link – a lizard-like man, B.O.B. – a slimy mass brought to life by lab scientists, and Insectosaurus – a mutant larva as tall as a skyscraper, Ginormica battles with Gallaxhar.

Unfortunately, their strength is no match for him. But eventually, Ginormica is able to defeat him as she was infused with a dose of quantonium (a rare element with immense energy that Gallaxhar is after)when the meteorite struck her.

However, the battle between the monsters and the aliens is far from over. As Ginormica poses a threat to him, the scheming Gallaxhar hatches a plan to capture her and get hold of the powerful quantonium in her body. After Gallaxhar has extracted the quantonium from her, Ginormica reduces in size and becomes Susan again.

Meanwhile, B.O.B, The Missing Link and Dr Cockroach find their way to Gallaxhar’s UFO and come up with a brilliant plan to save Susan. Though her body no longer contains quantonium, Susan fights Gallaxhar with all she has. She has come to realise that she can use the greatest power she possesses – her will power. She unleashes all the strength within her to defeat Gallaxhar, but will that be enough to put an end to his evil plans? Watch Monsters vs Aliens to find out!

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In this sequel to the hit comedy Night at the Museum, protagonist Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is no longer a security guard but holds a successful career. When Larry visits his former workplace, the Museum of Natural History, he is alarmed to learn that it will be renovated, and all the old exhibits will be transported to Washington Museum where they will be stored underground.

In a bid to save these museum pieces from never seeing daylight ever again, Larry rushes to the storage area and begins another wild adventure as the exhibits come to life in his presence once again. This time, Larry and his friends join forces with Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) in a battle against Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria), an evil pharaoh. Kahmunrah is bent on getting his hands on the magical tablet which has the power to bring the exhibits to life, so that he can be in control and conquer the rest of the world.

When the miniscule Jed (Owen Wilson) is held captive in an hourglass by Kahmunrah, Larry and Amelia set off on a race against time to find the tablet’s secret code for Kahmunrah, so that his little friend can be freed.

Along the way, Larry literally hops into pictures of the past, employs the help of Abraham Lincoln and even takes a flight with Amelia on the plane which took her across the Atlantic Ocean and made history.

Larry figures out the code just in time to save Jed, but the battle is not over yet for Kahmunrah and the rest of the historical characters. When Kahmunrah unlocks the gate to hell and calls his evil forces from the past back to life, havoc breaks out and everyone is in conflict with one another.

While on his quest to fight evil, Larry develops a fondness for Amelia and realises what he needs to do to find true happiness. He also discovers that the satisfaction he gets from working at the museum is something his current job can never offer.

For those who would like have a good laugh, this sequel film certainly brings as much fun and laughter as the first did. Yet, some may be disappointed with the lack of originality as the plot does not seem much different from the first instalment. Nonetheless, the spectacular scenes which are sure to take your breath away make this movie worth watching for everyone.

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This movie picks up from where the last of the series has left off. In T3: Rise of the Machines, it is obvious that lead protagonist John Connor’s efforts in trying to prevent the rise of artificial intelligence and man-killing terminators are futile.

In this latest instalment, the future has arrived. The year is 2018, and Judgement Day has come and gone. The war between the machines, SkyNet, and the surviving humans, the Resistance, rages on. Up till now, SkyNet is only capable of building T-600s – Terminators with human frames and metallic torsos.

Reviewed

However, SkyNet has secretly embarked on building improved Terminators which would look completely human and be able to make rational decisions like human beings. Meanwhile, the Resistance has managed to decipher a hidden signal that allows SkyNet’s command centre to control its Terminators directly.

Meanwhile, John Connor has other concerns of his own. His mum has left him some tapes about the past. In one of these tapes, his father, Kyle Reese, is mentioned. It is imperative that John finds him and sends him back to the past; otherwise, the war against SkyNet is lost.

In the year 2008, a character known as Marcus (a convict on death row) has committed his body for use in medical research after his death. But now, in 2018, a chance explosion at a SkyNet facility allows him to make an escape.

Marcus meets a boyish-looking youth (Kyle Reese) and befriends a little girl during his escape. But both of them are captured by SkyNet later on. Marcus then embarks on a rescue mission; he heads towards SkyNet central where all human prisoners are taken to. Along the way, a chance encounter with a female pilot whom he rescues leads him to a secret base of the Resistance where he meets John Connor.

What happens next? Will the war finally come to an end? And what kind of ending will it be? Watch this movie to find out!

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This is the film adaptation of one of the Hana Yori Dango Japanese manga serials which are highly popular worldwide.

These touching stories are about a poor but tough girl, Makino Tsukushi. She attends a upper-class school where she gets into deep trouble with the school’s most domineering clique, F4. However, the leader and richest member of the group, Doumyouji Tsukasa, falls so madly in love with Tsukushi that he is willing to go through all kinds of hardships just to be with her.

The movie kicks off from the final series of the last season, where Tsukasa’s mother finally gave her blessings to the couple after the endless torment she gave Tsukushi and her family.

As Tsukushi has finally been accepted by the highy-respected Doumyouji family, Tsukasa makes an announcement to the whole world that he will be marrying Tsukushi soon.

Mrs Doumyoji gives Tsukushi the family heirloom, a magnificent tiara that is so precious that many have died in the course of stealing it. Tsukushi is overjoyed to receive the tiara.

However, thieves break into her hotel room to steal the tiara. Tsukasa chases the culprit, but fails to get it back. When they returned to their hotel room, they are very surprised to find that the window has already been fixed. This makes Mrs Doumyoji suspect that the hotel owner is involved in the theft.

They travel all the way to Vegas to meet the hotel owner, and finds out that he has received money from an anonymous person who told him to ignore the incident at the hotel. He gives the money to the couple to buy back the tiara, which is to be sold at an auction in Hong Kong. With the help of the rest of F4 members, they manage to buy the tiara. However, an incident causes a tiff between Tsukushi and Tsukasa.

As the plot progresses, and Tsukasa and Tsukushi become stranded on an island for a month, and the tiara gets stolen once again. They have to survive each day without proper lodging, food and other daily necessities. Having drifted apart after their fight, Tsukushi is reconsidering marrying Tsukasa.

Will the couple ever be rescued or will they be stuck on the island forever, still in the dilemma of whether or not to get married? Find out the answers for yourself in this very enjoyable romantic comedy.

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This movie starts with a bloody scene in which young James Howlett kills his biological father after witnessing a family tragedy. He and his half-brother Victor Creed make their escape and the tale of X-Men begins henceforth.

Both of them have lived for a century before they are being recruited into Team X, an elite group of mutants, by Major William Stryker.

The real action takes place after six years, when James mistakenly thinks that Victor has killed his girlfriend Kayla, and seeks revenge for her death. The relationship between James and Kayla is not properly established in the show, and there doesn’t seem to be any chemistry between the pair. Since viewers are clueless about the development of their relationship and can’t find any logical reason why he is so set on vengeance, it’s natural that they will be bemused by the extremes James goes to in taking revenge.

The lack of character development appears to be a major weakness throughout the film. Various characters, both good and bad, flit in and out of the scenes, and quickly expire.

Viewers who get a kick out of fighting scenes will like the fast-paced action, while others might regard them as “cheap thrills”. Some of more plausible scenes are the touching and contemplative ones, like the one in which a kind couple render help to James (though this was vehemently ended by yet another fighting scene!).

So most of the time, viewers simply get sucked into a whirl of perpetual fighting, unable to make head or tail of what’s actually going on and the relationships between the various parties. As for the ending, it’s bittersweet and predictable in its own way.

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What would you do if you are being offered a chance to go back in time and undo something you regretted doing? This is exactly what 37-year-old Mike O’Donnell (Matthew Perry) has to think about when he becomes a teenager again and gets a chance to rewrite his life.

20 years ago, Mike was the star of his high school’s basketball team, but unfortunately, everything is falling apart for him at present. His wife Scarlett (Leslie Mann) is about to divorce him, his children do not want to have anything to do with him and he fails to get a promotion at work.

On a visit to his high school, Mike chances upon a mysterious janitor who asks if he wishes to be 17 again. With the help of his best friend Ned (Thomas Lennon), Mike is miraculously transformed back to the age of 17 and enrolled as a new kid in his high school.

Coincidentally, the young Mike (Zac Efron) becomes classmates with his own son, Alex (Sterling Knight), and daughter, Maggie (Michelle Trachtenberg). But to his horror, he discovers that Alex is at the bottom of the social ladder while Maggie is dating the obnoxious school bully. Mike does everything he can to save his children from losing their self-worth. He also meets up with Scarlett again and rediscovers the reasons why he fell in love with her.

When Mike is brought back to the day of a big game that took place 20 years ago, he has to grapple with a tough decision. It was a crucial game for Mike at that time as it would enable him to clinch a scholarship. However, he was forced to have second thoughts about this scholarship when he receives a piece of earth-shattering news from his sweetheart Scarlett. And the drastic decision he made that fateful day was to change his life forever.

When Mike finds himself going through this dilemma again, he realises he has not been a good husband to Scarlett for the past 20 years as he has been blaming her for all the things that have gone wrong in his life. Now, he questions himself whether he would still make the same decision that has brought him remorse. Ultimately, he learns what actually matters most, and decides to make up for all the things he has failed to do for his loved ones during the past two decades.

In a typical love story, there will be two characters who fall in love and live happily ever after, but the plot of this movie does not follow this insipid path. Rather, it invites us to take a journey with Mike as he rediscovers himself, falls in love with his wife all over again and recovers the priceless things he has lost. It reminds us not to wait till we lose what we have before we realise how much we actually have all the while!

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If you love sci-fi stories, Knowing is just the movie for you. The gist of this sci-fi thriller is this: A time capsule containing a cryptic message about upcoming disasters sends a concerned father racing against time to prevent the horrific predictions from coming true.

The story begins in 1958, at a newly constructed elementary school where a time capsule is being buried in its grounds. It contains drawings of its students’ visualisations of the future, and is to be unearthed for a new generation of students to examine on the school’s 50th anniversary.

However, instead of a drawing, one little girl has scribbled a random series of numbers on her piece of paper. Fifty years later, after the time capsule has been unearthed, her drawing falls into the hands of a student called Caleb Koestler (Chandler Canterbury).

The young boy takes that piece of paper to his father, Professor John Koestler (Nicholas Cage), for examination. After studying the numbers, the professor discovers that they are actually not random numbers, but an encoded message showing the precise dates, death tolls and coordinates of every major disaster that has occurred since the time capsule was buried.

Not only that, the document also indicates that there will be three more upcoming events, the last of which will be a doomsday scenario that appears to be directly linked to Professor Koestler and Caleb.

As his desperate plea to the authorities to act on this warning falls on deaf ears, Professor Koestler realises that his only hope for preventing more lives from being lost is to take personal action. The author of these prophecies is no longer living, but he eventually manages to track down her daughter Diana Wayland (Rose Byrne) and granddaughter Abby, who reluctantly agree to assist him in his quest.

As the final date on the list draws near, Professor Koestler frantically attempts to prevent the destruction that will occur on a global scale. In the process, he realises that in order to save millions of lives, he may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Catch this movie to see if the little girl’s prophecies of Earth’s doomsday do come true, or not.

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When is one too young to learn about death? Apparently, in Japanese culture, it is customary for both the young and old in a family to witness a diseased member of their clan being cleaned and dressed for burial by a nokanshi. Rather than being a morbid affair, the movie Departure reveals that observing the last rites of death is a natural part of life.

The story begins with protagonist Daigo (Motoki) finding his dream of establishing a career as a cellist dashed after he loses his job. He begins to doubt his ability to carve out a viable future as a musician and decides to return to his rural hometown with his wife Mika (Ryoko Hirosue). Upon his return, he searches for a job and embarks on a new career as a nokanshi by accident.

Viewers will find themselves empathising with the endearing Daigo as he struggles to accept his “calling” and refute the social repugnance towards what he does for a living. Under the tutelage of a stoic boss and mentor, he gradually hones his “craft”.

The plot of this off-beat Japanese film by Yojiro Takita is, pardon the pun, a departure from the usual. Elegantly and sensitively told, this well-crafted film will make you cry and laugh at the same time. Having touched the heart, mind and soul of audiences around the world, it has clinched the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, as well as clinched the Best Actor award for lead actor Masahiro Motoki in the Asian Film Awards.

But Deartures isn’t just about finding beauty in death. It also teaches us virtues like love and forgiveness, as well as imparts the values of answering one’s calling in life and carrying out one’s duties wholeheartedly, no matter how socially abhorrent they seem to be. There is no shame in doing a job, especially if the work you do is honest and meaningful.

If you are the tender-hearted sort, bring along a pack of tissues as the ending will surely move you to tears, as Daigo himself finds closure in his own life through performing the last rites for a dearly departed.

If you’ve yet to catch the show, do so quickly before its run comes to an end. After all, a gem of a movie such as this rarely comes along.

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The sequences of this Oscar award-winning movie are as intoxicating as India, the country in which they are filmed. The movie was directed by Briton Danny Boyle, but many of the cast and crew, including co-director Loveleen Tandan, are Indian.

It tracks the life of the main character Jamal, his brother Salim, and love interest Latika, who call themselves the “three musketeers”. The impoverished and pitiable lives of these three characters begin in the slums of Mumbai, converge into different paths as they grow older and merge again in adulthood.

A popular gameshow called “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” is the vehicle through which Jamal tells his sad life story, and finds the love of his life and wealth, which is actually a secondary bonus for him.

This romance-thriller-drama, cleverly told through a series of flashbacks, is like a skillfully blended masala. It is spiced up with a dash of everything – sadness, humour, joy, love, passion, loyalty, cruelty and fear, so viewers will experience a riot of emotions as the story unfolds.

Slumpdog Millionaire shares a common thread with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – another “Best Picture” contender at the Oscars. Both tell of the trials and tribulations in the lives of the disadvantaged in society, and the touching story of an enduring love.

But while the story of Benjamin Button gently plods along at a painfully slow pace, viewers of Slumdog are propelled along on an exciting journey fraught with chaos and frenzy at every turn in the protagonist’s lives.

The show’s unusual ending (a Bollywood-style dance sequence) will evoke varying reactions from the audience. Some might think of it as a delightful way to lighten up the serious drama of life in Mumbai’s underbelly, while others might feel that it’s rather incongruous to the depressing subject at hand.

But whatever it is, I think Slumdog, with its slick photography, editing, music and production, certainly deserves every one of the eight Academy Awards it garnered at the Oscars.

Though it is not based on a true story, many of the events portrayed in this show are very real for many of the impoverished around the world. In such a densely populated country like India, survival of the fittest is often very much a daily reality, and each step in life a struggle. And like the stories of Ramayana, the traditional Indian classics, this story also reiterates that life is a constant fight between good and evil. Happily, in this case, good triumphs over evil.

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The sequences of this Oscar award-winning movie are as intoxicating as India, the country in which they are filmed. The movie was directed by Briton Danny Boyle, but many of the cast and crew, including co-director Loveleen Tandan, are Indian.

It tracks the life of the main character Jamal, his brother Salim, and love interest Latika, who call themselves the “three musketeers”. The impoverished and pitiable lives of these three characters begin in the slums of Mumbai, converge into different paths as they grow older and merge again in adulthood.

A popular gameshow called “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” is the vehicle through which Jamal tells his sad life story, and finds the love of his life and wealth, which is actually a secondary bonus for him.

This romance-thriller-drama, cleverly told through a series of flashbacks, is like a skillfully blended masala. It is spiced up with a dash of everything – sadness, humour, joy, love, passion, loyalty, cruelty and fear, so viewers will experience a riot of emotions as the story unfolds.

Slumpdog Millionaire shares a common thread with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – another “Best Picture” contender at the Oscars. Both tell of the trials and tribulations in the lives of the disadvantaged in society, and the touching story of an enduring love.

But while the story of Benjamin Button gently plods along at a painfully slow pace, viewers of Slumdog are propelled along on an exciting journey fraught with chaos and frenzy at every turn in the protagonist’s lives.

The show’s unusual ending (a Bollywood-style dance sequence) will evoke varying reactions from the audience. Some might think of it as a delightful way to lighten up the serious drama of life in Mumbai’s underbelly, while others might feel that it’s rather incongruous to the depressing subject at hand.

But whatever it is, I think Slumdog, with its slick photography, editing, music and production, certainly deserves every one of the eight Academy Awards it garnered at the Oscars.

Though it is not based on a true story, many of the events portrayed in this show are very real for many of the impoverished around the world. In such a densely populated country like India, survival of the fittest is often very much a daily reality, and each step in life a struggle. And like the stories of Ramayana, the traditional Indian classics, this story also reiterates that life is a constant fight between good and evil. Happily, in this case, good triumphs over evil.

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This is a movie I won’t recommend action-seekers, as they would find it difficult to tolerate over two hours of dialogue! Thankfully though, for the rest of us, its heart-rending tale of love, life and loss more than makes up for the slow pace at which it unfolds.

The story revolves around two lovebirds, Benjamin (Brad Pitt) and Daisy (Cate Blanchett), from the time they first lock eyes with each other, as an old man and a young girl respectively, to the time they finally part from each other as a baby and an elderly woman.

Brad Pitt turns in a fine performance as Benjamin Button, though he doesn’t seem as soulful as his co-star. Cate Blanchett, on the other hand, with her other-worldly aura, lights up the screen at every turn and surprisingly succeeds at looking like a youthful twenty-something-year-old with minimal makeup.

This film is concerned not so much with Benjamin’s peculiar trait of ageing backwards as it is with his near impossible relationship with Daisy, the love of his life. The ending is a sad but realistic one, expounding the bitter fact that all good things must eventually come to an end. However, it also puts across an uplifting message – to persevere and live life to the fullest even if all the odds are stacked against you. Those of us who are at either end of the age spectrum will find this movie instrumental as a reminder of an oft-forgotten lesson – to treasure each and every moment of our short lives on earth.

Director David Fincher has done a wonderful job in capturing this poignant love story on film. It is a monumental task to turn a fantasy into something that’s believable and identifiable. Of course, he is aided in this cause by an infallible make-up and special effects team, not to mention a stellar cast.

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Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea is a movie about a goldfish called Ponyo who’s born with a girl’s head. Ponyo runs away from her home at the bottom of the sea and aspires to become a human being after falling in love with a 5-year-old boy called Sosuke.

This movie is a 2008 box-office winner in Japan. It is produced by Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, who has also created other critically-acclaimed animation films like My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle.

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea is loosely adapted from Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. However, it differs from the original tale, which is more sombre. There’s more whimsicality and life in the adapted version, which is told from Ponyo and Sosuke’s perspectives. Though it is simple, it does not come across as childish. In fact, because of its simplicity, the movie has become a hit not only with kids, but also with adults of all ages too.

This movie also differs from Miyazaki’s previous hits because it is rendered completely in traditional hand-drawn 2-D pictures. Initially, I had reservations that this 2-D movie might not be realistic, but I found that this isn’t an issue at all after I became caught up in the plot.

The show opens with a delightful scene: a vivid display of the sea creatures and plants in Ponyo’s underwater home. The realistic sounds of the sea and its habitants, which are surprisingly soothing, enhance my overall enjoyment of the movie, and these special effects make this 2-D film as good as any 3-D movie.

What really stands out in this movie is the portrayal of the special relationship between young children and their parents. Sosuke enjoys a close relationship with his parents, particularly so with his mother Lisa.

Because Ponyo’s father, Fujimoto, loves her dearly, he strives to protect her from humans, whom he perceives to be dangerous. But Ponyo finds his overprotectiveness suffocating. This will strike a chord with those of us who’re in the same situation. In the end, Ponyo’s father respects her decision out of his love for her too.

Other themes that are prevalent throughout the movie include the need for humans to protect the ocean. Fujimoto plans to use his magic to take vengeance on humans for causing great harm to the environment over the centuries. Unfortunately for him, but fortunately for mankind, his magical powers are stolen by Ponyo.

A cynic may find this movie a far too simplified representation of the real world. However, I love its simplicity, elegance and grace, and the innocence of the characters. And I’m sure many viewers will appreciate its novel and heart-warming story as well.

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Put together an adorable little girl and a bunch of quirky animals in a heartwarming story about unwavering love, the blossoming of true friendships and the triumph of good over evil, and you get an absolutely entertaining show.

This unbeatable Walt Disney formula has proven to be a big winner once again in “Bolt”, the latest computer-animated film release by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The movie revolves around the relationship between Penny (voiced by Miley Cyrus) and her pet German Shepherd Bolt (voiced by John Travolta), and that between Bolt and a motley crew of animal friends. The supporting cast includes the mangy alley cat Mittens, a roly-poly TV-addict hamster named Rhino and several helpful pigeons.

Penny and Bolt are both actors in a hit action television series. The show opens with an action-packed and scintillating sequence akin to that of a James Bond movie. Here, Bolt’s “super powers” are shown to good effect; but as the audience will learn later on, not all is what it is made out to be.

This gist of the plot is essentially about Bolt becoming separated from Penny, and his quest to find his way home to her. His journey is also one of self-discovery, as he learns the joys of simply being an ordinary being along the way. As they embarked on their adventures, Mittens too evolves from mean mafia kitty to a bunch of harassed pigeons to the pitiful abandoned pet she really is.

The witty script and spunky characters will keep a smile on your face throughout the show. And the sequences in which Bolt believes his super powers are being weakened by styrofoam (just as Superman becomes weakened by Kryptonite), and where he masters the art of begging from Mittens are simply hilarious.

As we all know, a cat is supposed to be a dog’s worst enemy, but the Mittens turns out to be Bolt’s best friend instead. The tender-hearted ones among us will feel our eyes moisten over in those sequences where Mittens teaches Bolt the tricks of being a dog.

The movie has a typical “Lassie-style” ending – loyal dog rescues beloved “person” (not owner, mind you!), both are reunited and everyone lives together happily ever after. And that’s another reason why you and your family must catch this wonderful show!

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The school’s most popular sports hero and prettiest belle pair up. A rich, spoilt brat vies for the affection of who else but the very same stud, and uses all her wiles as well as daddy’s wealth and influence to pry the golden couple apart. But in the end, she loses out (of course) and the much adored and so-much-in-love high school sweethearts continue their dance of love….  

And (barely) holding up the very unoriginal plot of this high school romance story are the stereotypical threads of friendship, betrayal, parting of ways, life-changing decision-making (like which study discipline, university and scholarship to choose), but strangely enough, hardly any homework and no mugging for exams!

Goodness, haven’t we watched such flicks umpteen times before? But apparently, new generations of teenyboppers around the world have not, for they flooded cinema halls for celluloid glimpses into the world of American teenagers (as represented by the people at Walt Disney).

According to an Internet report, the October debut of this Disney musical succeeded overwhelmingly in crossing cultural borders over its first weekend – it amassed $83 million worldwide. And that’s for a film that reportedly cost less than $15 million to make.

Perhaps this phenomenon could be attributed to the fact that such flicks are still fresh in the eyes of the young ones, and adults seek frivolous entertainment as a form of escape from the financial woes that are troubling the world.  

Now back to the story. The third instalment of this trilogy sees the not very charismatic protagonists (tweens may differ in opinion though), Troy (Zac Efron) and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens), cope with the trials and tribulations of their senior year at East High. They also have to face the heartbreaking prospect of separating from one another after graduating and moving on to different universities. Along with the rest of their gang, they stage a spring musical to express their experiences, and hopes and fears about their future.

Bad girl Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) comes across as more sugary than evil, and her brother Ryan (Lucas Gabreel) appears to possess more charm and talent than leading boy Troy.

What I find odd about this teen flick is that the behaviour and costumes of the Wildcats (the name of the musical troupe) are so conservative that they seem more like the high school students of yesteryear than today.

In fact, this modern-day musical pales greatly in comparison to the slick Grease – a class act with much more groove and style in terms of plot, star power, costumes, choreography and lyrics, considering it’s a production from several decades ago. Most of the songs in Grease have become contagious classics, whereas only a couple of the karaoke-style ditties in High School Musical are worth humming.

Still, this family-friendly movie portrays a sweet and innocent world (read: minimal kissing scenes, no sex, drugs, rudeness or exam stress) and is filled with the feel-good vibes between schoolmates, teachers and parents that are so rare now, thus making it the perfect school holiday outing for legions of wide-eyed tweens and their approving parents.

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In parts of Asia, it is believed that the gates of Hell will open during the seventh lunar month every year, and all the spirits within will then be set free. These spirits or "hungry ghosts" will roam the mortal world to satisfy their unfulfilled needs, wants and desires. And in order to appease these wandering spirits, people who believe in their existence will burn offerings and put up island-wide religious rituals and folk performances, such as street operas and getai (song-and-dance extravaganzas).

This movie is made with the intent of capturing the essence of the hungry ghost festival. The outing showcases myriad aspects of this special festive month, through the eyes of devotees, religious leaders et al.

For the uninitiated, this film. - with its eclectic sequences featuring soundly edited footages, colourful practices, cemetery visits, "scientific" approaches and interesting anecdotes (there's a chatty housewife whose devotion to her deceased next-of-kin is emotionally stirring) - serves as a good summary of the customs and traditions that are observed by some Chinese here.

However, my only quibble with it is that it seems to be too well put together, somewhat like a functional scrapbook lacking soul (pardon the pun). Although it's a "straight-ahead" documentary, I feel more could be done to bring out the motivations and pathos behind each character. Each episode could also be more strongly gelled to give viewers a deeper perspective of the subject.

Anyhow, if you do not know much about this particular topic and are keen to learn more, this offering is worth sussing out.

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This play, directed by Goh Boon Teck, is based in the Shanghai of the 1930s, when China was at war with Japan.

Here’s the gist of the plot: During the Second World War, a patriotic young man called Wen Cong (starring Hong Kong singer William So), who’s intent on joining the army, saves a nubile woman from being killed by the bombs raining from the skies by stowing her under a bridge.

Amidst the chaos of the air raid, and under the dark enclaves of this architectural structure, the two fall in love. Though they are not able to see each other clearly, they vow to meet again under the same bridge when the war is over.

Years later, Wen Cong returns to Shanghai as a musician. Still haunted by thoughts of the mysterious lady whom he fell for, the lad returns to the bridge with the hope of reconciling with her. The lass has also visited the spot to look for her wartime soulmate. But certain trying circumstances prevent the couple from reuniting with each other.

Unknown to Wen Cong, the woman he longs for is none other than Tu Yun (played by local starlet Mindee Ong of movie 881 fame), who lives on the lower floor of his residence! Besides being his neighbour, she also turns out to be his feisty showgirl-colleague at a local nightclub in which they both perform.

Meanwhile, Tu Yun befriends Dan Lei (played by acclaimed stage actress Emma Yong), a perky but destitute character, who has come to Shanghai to seek her fortune. She lodges at Tu Yun’s flat, and as fate would have it, a series of coincidences and mistaken identities lead to an inevitable love triangle.

How will the story end? Find out by catching this show next month!

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Like Silence of the Lambs and Seven, this suspenseful thriller is about members of society who live on the fringe.

Directed by Andrew Lau of Internal Affairs fame, this offering sees Errol Babbage (played by Richard Gere), a burnt-out peace officer who has been forced out of his job and assigned to monitor sex offenders on parole.

Babbage is anything but a by-the-book agent. In fact, his unorthodox style of operation rubs his superiors the wrong way in the final weeks on the job, and lands him in an awkward training stint with a female rookie-replacement (played by Hollywood babe Claire Danes).

Things start to get worse when a teenage girl goes missing. Babbage is convinced that one of the convicted sexual predators that he is monitoring is responsible for this, but no one believes him.

Babbage must train his protégé to go beyond the boundaries of standard procedures to crack this case. Together, they delve into a sordid realm of heinous crimes. But it comes to a point when the trainee starts to wonder if Babbage is the only person truly committed to saving the missing person, or a man who has simply gone too deep into the abyss he's been burrowing himself into for years.

If you want to know how the story ends, be sure to catch the flick soon!

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Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium is a movie that begins with an end.

The protagonist, Mr Magorium (Dustin Hoffman), is 243 years old and will be leaving the world soon. So he decides to leave his magical toy shop in the care of Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman), an aspiring pianist who has no faith in herself. A new accountant Henry (Jason Bateman) has also just been hired; he does not believe that the toy shop is magical, but sees something good in Mahoney.

When Mahoney takes over the toy shop, all the toys’ colours begin to fade away, leaving the place dull and gloomy, as if has been long forgotten.

Convinced that she is simply not meant to be the one who should take over Mr Magorium’s toy shop, Mahoney decides to sell it. But Henry stops her from doing so.

During her conversation with Henry, Mahoney remembers a wooden block that Mr Magorium has left behind. This object is supposed to give her the guidance she needs.

When the seemingly lifeless block starts dancing around before Mahoney and Henry’s eyes, Mahoney realises that all it takes to make things work is for her to believe in the block’s magical power. She soon discovers that the magic has been inside her all along, and starts to have faith in herself. Before we know it, she restores the magical touch to the toy shop and brings it back to life again.

The flick’s breathtaking visual effects – when toys come alive in ways beyond your wildest imagination – will appeal to those who fancy fairytales. After watching this movie, you’ll be spurred to discover the magical spark within yourself too!

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You know I’ve never believed in you. Not as a child, and certainly not now, as an adult.

Need you even ask why? Bah, humbug! Surely you’d know better. If you’ve looked at my Christmas wish list, you’d have known that I’ve been asking for a ring (and I don’t mean a phone call!) for the longest time. But you’re so elusive, I’ve yet to catch sight of your shadow even! The closest I’ve gotten to seeing you is during your visits to those dingy neighbourhood malls, where you’ll be hiding from drooling tots who can’t differentiate between their candy floss and your cottony beard. 

I’ve searched in vain for you via Google Earth. And it didn’t help that you aren’t on Facebook either. I’ve come to the woeful conclusion that you’ve never visited me because there’s no chimney in my home through which you can come sliding down. Anyway, this is Singapore, and the only chute I can think of that’s “befitting” of your “home visits” is the one at Senoko; but I don’t think you’d fancy getting your bottom fried.

I was prepared to die sad and jaded, but it all changed when I caught Scrooge – The Musical! Now, you may think this show is a play for children, but its meaningful share-your-love-and-spread-the-joy concept is no child’s play!

The production spins a tale about Ebenezer Scrooge, an old miser who breaks into howls of “Bah, Humbug!” faster than you can bellow “Ho, ho ho!”. Scrooge is a mean tightwad; he holds no love for anyone and is obsessed with accumulating wealth. But his life changes forever one Christmas eve, when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Christmas Future pay him a visit and take him on three time- and space-transcending, and soul-searching journeys.

Beneath the façade of fancy costumes, M&M-esque sets and whimsical ditties are talented actors who work the scenes with finesse. Fanny Kee holds court as the irritable and jittery Scrooge with a wicked consistency that can only be expected of high-calibre actors/actresses.

Subtly but surely stealing the show is Josephine Tan, who is the voice of Tiny Tim (the sickly son of Scrooge’s poor and underpaid accountant) and the youthful Scrooge. Besides showcasing her versatility as a thespian with good comic timing and measured flair, Josephine also impresses with her laudable crooning. Not to be outdone is Celin Rosa Tan, who, despite playing a minor role as the boy’s mother, shines with her enchanting singing voice.

All these have rekindled the fire in my belly, so I’ve decided to write you once again. I’m making a public appeal for you to give me a ring – only this time round, call me on my mobile phone (it’s faster this way), and I’ll give you full details on where to get that jewel this Christmas.

Yours penitently,
(Written by) Linda Lee

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If you think a broken record is bad, you haven’t met Chris Tucker.

Those who have caught the first and second instalments of Rush Hour would have been all too familiar with its mob-caper-meets-bu

mbling-cops premise… and the incessant ramblings of an African American, whose pitchy voice makes screechy nails on chalkboard sound like soothing music to the ears. In this latest fracas, the loquacious one pairs up once again with Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan, an unwilling and straight-laced partner; and together, they bungle through a series of nonsensical brouhaha and contrived sequences to rescue a Chinese Ambassador and his lovely daughter (played by Zhang Jingchu) in distress.

Though he’s no spring chicken, Jackie showcases all his still-sleek gongfu chops and delivers the goods with run-of-the-mill grace. But Chris, I tell you, is as funny as ever and tickles you pink in his reprise of the gabbling idiot.

Whether he’s making a fool of himself (which would be most of the time) fighting a giant at a gongfu school, impressing women (something he tries to do and mostly fails) with his awkwardly egoistic charms, or playing hero (with bungling effects, no less) to save the day, Chris gets his campy acts down pat. Try picking a verbal war with the witty motormouth and he will have you mercilessly hung, drawn and quartered with his stiletto-sharp retorts.

Of course, there were other protagonists who shine with their presence, when they make the occasional (but memorable) appearances. Yvan Attal, an actor who plays a French cabbie with a love-hate relationship with the USA, endears with his whimsical (or some say, typically French) antics, while the beautiful minx that is Jingchu lights up the screen (in spite of her insignificant parts and lame lines) with a megawatt-shiny presence that could well cause Zhang Ziyi to hit the panic button in time to come.

All in all, this show will appeal to those who could do with some slapstick humour or tire those who could do without the repetitive drudgery of yet another purposeless fracas, depending on which camp you belong to.

Oh, and a final note about that broken record and Chris – if I have to choose between the two, I would probably opt for the latter. I’d gladly turn off the broken record, and have Chris turn me on with his screechy-nails-on-chalkboard repartee. Anytime.

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Hairspray is a flick that promises to tantalise movie buffs and keep them at the edge of their seats.

An adaptation of the award-winning Broadway musical (2002) and John Waters' comedy film (1988), this new offering is set in Baltimore, 1962.

Tracy Turnbald (Nikki Blonsky), a "pleasantly plump" teenager, harbours fond dreams of being on The Corny Collins Show. (Corny Collins is played by an effervescent James Marsden - better known as Cyclops of X-Men fame - who ditches his sunglasses in this flick for a slick 60s 'do and a tux.)

The story goes: Tracy decides to audition for the show but is opposed by her mother, Edna Turnbald (played by John Travolta - yes, this role has always been taken by men), who's afraid that her daughter will bear the brunt of harsh comments about her weight. Mummy should know, as she too is "equally blessed".

Although Travolta has lots of experience acting and dancing in movies with a retro setting (think pop culture icon/movie Grease), it seems a tad difficult for him to dance in a fat suit in this one. The notion of seeing Travolta in drag is simply outrageous, though.

Hairspray tackles heavyweight issues like weight obsession and racial segregation with a dose of fun, dance and song, and the sheer glitz of the 60s. It also boasts a killer soundtrack featuring vocal talents like Queen Latifah and Zac Efron. The latter breaks out of his conventional Disney typecasting (eg High School Musical; but I must add that he now sings better than he used to!) to play Link Larkin, a charming, debonair singer who sweeps girls off their feet, complete with lock of dark hair draping charismatically from his forehead, no less.

The big, bouffant-hairdo look of the 60s can be achieved with the help of backcombing and tons of hairspray. But if you're too lazy for that, simply catch Hairspray in the cinemas for some retro fun!

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At first glance, the movie poster makes you think that this flick is just another clichéd fantasy film that screams “for kids only”. Its trailer also gives an impression of all things mythical and fluffy (possibly even a carbon copy of Narnia).

But I must say that both the pin-up and clip are unarguably misleading as they offer an inaccurate hint of the essence of this wonderful story.

Based on a novel by Katherine Paterson, Bridge to Terabithia is about a young boy named Jesse Aarons (Josh Hutcherson), who has a great passion for running and is also the fastest runner in his grade. As he comes from a big and poor family (his parents, five sisters and himself), he constantly finds himself being deprived of the things money can buy. He also often comes home from school to a home devoid of love and care. What makes it worse is that his sisters are a bunch of noisy, nosy brats, with the exception of May Belle (Bailee Madison), his second-youngest sibling.

During the new school term, a new girl, Leslie Burkes (AnnaSophia Robb), beats Jesse at a race and claims the title of “fastest runner in the grade” from him. Jesse is disappointed and crestfallen, but an uneasy friendship develops between the two.

When they each have nasty encounters with Janice Avery, the school bully, they begin to empathise with and warm up to each other. Together, Jesse and Leslie create a magical land of their own and name it Terabithia (a nook that lies beyond a creek near their houses) where they reign as King and Queen in their own make-believe Kingdom; it is also a place where they allow their imaginations to run wild and free.

From numinous creatures and the monsters prowling the grounds and swaying of branches to how Janice sees dragonflies as warriors of the forest and not just insects, the movie takes off into a surreal, magical realm, and it is a joy seeing the two best friends fight off their “enemies” in Terabithia. Their friendship soon deepens into a close, special, respectful and intricate one.

One day, something unexpected happens. All the wonders and imagination associated with Terabithia have been stolen from Jesse and vanished into thin air. Jesse’s pain is evident in the way his emotions get the better of him at school. He subsequently becomes a quiet and depressed boy.

I am really moved towards the end of the tale when I see Jesse muster up the courage to face reality. Although his heart aches terribly, he manages to gather strength to rebuild Terabithia by constructing a bridge that will link the outside world to it, literally. But there is a twist….

I feel that the actors are well cast. Even though they are all rather young, their performances are commendable.

The tagline of the movie reads: “Discover a place that will never leave you, and a friendship that will change you forever.” This film has such a powerful and touching storyline, it will definitely leave a great impact on its audience. And although some parts of it may appeal to kids, the special flick has a distinctive charm and an uplifting edge of maturity as it depicts messages of faith, life, hope, love, friendship and family (with the sky as the limit) through a child’s eyes.

Indeed, Bridge to Terabithia is a beautiful story that will never leave you, but will change you forever.

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