Tag: reviews

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Body of Lies

The Middle East or at least things that involve Middle Eastern terrorists is very much in vogue these days. Body of Lies is just one among that long list of movies (Syriana, The Kingdom, Rendition, and the recent Eagle Eye among others) and luckily, it’s among those on the top.

Roger Ferris (Leonardo Di Caprio of that yeech-boat-movie fame) is a CIA field agent who reports to Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe), a Machiavellian spy master (is there any other kind?). They are tracking a notorious Middle Eastern terrorist of the Osama Bin Laden shade. Di Caprio is eager, talented, and resourceful but his best laid plans are often messed up by Crowe to dire consequences. And this is the focus of the movie, the human cost of the shadow war on terror.

Rating: 4/5

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Amarela Resort (Or Where To Stay In Bohol)

Amarela is one of those boutique hotels that have mushroomed all over Bohol. It started off as a vacation home with a few rooms and has since become a hotel with a wing housing a lot more rooms. But because it started off as a vacation home, it has that homey feel to it. The staff is friendly, the restaurant serves good (in terms of quality and quantity) food, a cozy infinity pool (that unfortunately doesn’t appear to merge into the ocean), and facilities for beach activities (volleyball court, beach chairs, kayaks/bancas, snorkeling gear, etc). And if you really can’t leave work behind and just focus on your vacation, they have a business center with WiFi access.

There’s just one problem, the beach is not all that good. But then again, I’ve never been very impressed with the few Bohol beaches that I’ve been to. If you really want the beach maybe you can try the new Eskaya or time-tested Bohol Beach Club. Or for a lower budget you can try Alona Kew or Dumaluan Beach Resort. The last two are rated rather poorly in reviews but they should be fine if you’re not planning on staying in your room most of the time anyway.

Amarela is not cheap. But it’s rated quite highly in reviews. I myself would rate it higher if not for the rates (and the beach). But that’s just me.

Rating: 4/5

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The Dark Knight

This has got to be the greatest Batman or even superhero movie to date. Gotham City is still a crime-ridden city. The mob controls the streets as the police, led by an incorruptible councilman and police chief, fight a never ending struggle against them. Vigilantes dressed as The Batman roam the street to take matters into their own hands.

Into this chaos, The Joker steps in. A mysterious figure with no history: No past and only a present and future of anarchy. The Batman must find out who he is and stop him before he bathes the city in fire and blood. As he does, he sets into motion things he didn’t expect.

The mood of the movie is dark and somber. It fits The Batman who is as dark, brooding, and tormented as ever. The Joker was absolutely demented and totally terrifying. This movie is as much about him as it is about The Batman. He’s greatest superhero movie villain to date. This last role of Heath Ledger earns him a position in the ranks of great movie villains like Hannibal Lecter and Anton Chigurh (No Country For Old Men).

This is not your normal adolescent superhero movie. Even though sanitized for PG-13, this is more mature material and even disturbing and thought-provoking.

Rating: 5/5

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Wanted

If you’re a fan of hard-hitting gun-slinging extreme action flicks like The Matrix Trilogy, Equilibrium, Underworld, and Underworld Evolution. then you will like this movie as I did. It is loosely based on the graphic novel of the same name. An accountant (and you know all the jokes) finds himself in the middle of a vendetta between The Fraternity, a group of assassins, and an errant former member. Soon he finds himself taking the side of the fraternity, training to be an assassin, and going after the errant member. Non-stop highly-entertaining action from start to finish. And then there’s Angelina Jolie…

Rating: 4/5

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Avenue Q: The Farewell Run

Avenue Q is a musical that’s like a twisted version of Sesame Street. And I found it quite funny and pretty entertaining :P It’s about a fresh out of school puppet named Princeton who set out to do what most fresh graduates do: go out into the “real” world and work. Soon after, he ends up in Avenue Q where he meets a whole bunch of quirky neighbors and what follows is a hilarious two hours. The cast was great in providing the voices to the puppets as well as providing additional facial expressive clues. Don’t just focus on the puppets. Worth mentioning is Joel Trinidad (Val’s favorite) and Aiza Seguerra (“former child star”, her own words). Unfortunately they replaced Rachel Alejandro with Carla Guevarra. Or maybe that’s fortunate because Carla was pretty good. Whatever, it’s still one good play to watch. It’s the final run here in Manila so try not to miss it.

Below are the contact numbers (snarfed from Our Awesome Planet) where you can buy tickets:
June 13 Friday 8pm  Joelle Horca +63920-9010863
June 14 Saturday 2pm Lorna Lopez +63917-9256505
June 14 Saturday 8pm Joelle Horca +63920-9010863
June 15 Sunday 3pm Pamela Cruz +63906-3414545
June 15 Sunday 8pm Theody Demaisip +63920-9326067
June 17 Tuesday 8pm Women of Aleitheia +63915-9263965
June 18 Wednesday 8pm Alexandra Orosa +63917-8432252
June 19 Thursday 8pm Ticketworld +632 891-9999
June 20 Friday 8pm Ticketworld +632 891-9999
June 21 Saturday 2pm Jay Duran +63917-5366832
June 21 Saturday 8pm Lorna Lopez +63917-9256505
June 22 Sunday 3pm Theody Demaisip +63920-9326067
June 22 Sunday 8pm Mae Castro +63906-3414559