Tag: reviews

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Infernal Affairs

I’ll have to admit that I was leery of Infernal Affairs when my sister handed me the VCD. Coming from Hong Kong, I thought it is just another one of those gunfire blazing unlimited ammo action flicks. And the title didn’t help: It actually got me expecting some demonic horror twist. But haven’t watched a movie for so long that I actually popped it into the CD drive and played it. Fortunately, I was oh so wrong. The movie turned out to be pretty good. It is essentially a cat-and-mouse game between a police mole in a triad gang and a triad mole in the police force. There were no guns blazing. During the whole movie there were probably just over a dozen pistol shots. And there was absolutely no demonic horror twist. Instead, there was intense palpable drama full of twists and turns as the two moles hunt each other out while at the same trying striving to protect their identities and maintain a grasp on the false life (or is it their real life?) they both live. The game culminated in a tragic ending though not without a few more twists.

Rating: 4/5

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Appleseed

My friend Jeremy and I were originally actually planning on watching Ghost In The Shell 2. However when we got to the ticket booth, we learned that it has been canceled. So we decided to watch Appleseed instead. It turned out to be a decision I won’t ever regret: This movie is simply awesome! One of the best things about anime is the extreme intensity of the action sequences, live action sequences just can’t compare. The [what seems to be mixed] artwork and CG is beautiful and detailed. The movie has almost everything I could ask for in a movie: weaponry, soldiers (including the hot warrioress Deunan Knute), battlesuit (Landmates), vehicles, and mecha (mobile fortress)! And it actually has a story that could bring shame to more than a few Hollywood movies. If you’re an anime fan, you definitely should not miss this. If you’re not, do try to see it. You might understand what I’m raving about.

Rating: 5/5

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Surefire G2 Nitrolon

Surefire is known for one thing: personal tactical lights. The G2 is the economy version of the classic 6P. Unlike the 6P, which is made of aircraft-grade aluminum, the G2 is made of Nitrolon, a lightweight, corrosion-proof and non-conductive synthetic material. So although it is less durable than the 6P, it comes quite close. You still get the same bright pre-focused beam Surefire is known for. In fact, they share the same lamp assembly. Very good for activities in the dark. Of course, there is a price to pay for the bright light: The 2 CR123 battery cells last only an hour and can be quite expensive. But then again, tactical lights were never meant for searching. That’s why the primary way to activate it is via a tailcap button that you press and hold for momentary illumination. You can have constant illumination by twisting the tailcap though. Lastly, this light is only splash-proof and not waterproof so don’t go around scuba diving with it.

Rating: 4/5

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Leatherman Wave

One of the most useful tools you can carry around is a knife. But not too far in running would be pliers. And pliers are exactly the main selling point of the Leatherman Wave. This 100% stainless steel multi-tool has long-nose pliers that you can access by simply opening the handle. The grip edges are rounded for a comfortable grip which fixes a problem with earlier Leatherman models. In addition, it has 4 locking blades that are accessible without having to open the handle: A plain-edge clip-point blade, a serrated sheepsfoot blade, a wood saw, and a metal saw with nail and metal files on each side. These blades have liner locks to prevent inadvertent closing. Inside the handle you get a few more goodies: a Philips screwdriver, a can/bottle opener, scissors, and 4(!) flat screwdrivers of various sizes. My only complaint is that the Wave seems to have overly many flat screwdrivers. Replacing on of those with maybe a smaller Philips screwdriver would have been better. But I guess you can get the separately available tool adapter which gives you a few more screwdrivers. All in all, it’s a neat little package. It may be a bit heavy and big for pocket carry, so you will most probably be using the included belt-mountable sheath.

Rating: 5/5

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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

I was curious about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory because Billie likes the original Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory very much. As expected from a kiddie and family movie, it was bright, wondrous, and feel goody. Several [mostly annoying] kids won trips to a tour of The Chocolate Factory. Somewhere in the middle of the movie there was a shade of darkness as they encountered the singing burning dolls (creepy), and meet the mysterious Willy Wonka who seemed to be hiding something (creepier). Then the kids started disappearing one by one, hinting of something sinister going on. If I didn’t know any better I’d have thought that the Oompa Loompa’s are cannibals (Wonka mentioned something about cannibalism before the first kid disappeared) or that the secret ingredients for Wonka’s yummy chocolates were kids (shades of Soylent Green). But then those dark twisted thoughts of mine would have come to naught as this is a kiddie and family movie after all. As expected, in the end the missing kids turned up more or less fine and things got brighter and happier. Great for a family outing.

Rating: 3/5