Tag: reviews

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Two Things

Tired of One Thing? Well here’s something different: Two Things. Over the weekend I watched the 1982 version of The Thing, followed by the 2011 version. That’s not actually accurate, the later movie is actually a prequel. But I started out with the earlier one. It’s on the same vein as Alien but a bit more down-to-Earth, literally. It takes place in a remote Antarctic scientific base where a dog ran into while being chased by what seems to be hunters on a helicopter. Things got a little hairy and the hunters ended up dead and the dog adopted by scientific team. Things got worse from that point when they discover a burned out base, found an alien ship, and the dog turns out to be quite a bit more than a dog. Quite a suspenseful sci-fi thriller.

Rating: 3.5/5

The 2011 version is, as I mentioned, a prequel. Some scientists have discovered an alien ship and a frozen alien somewhere in Antarctica. They took the frozen alien back to their base and, well, things got hairy and worse from that point when they discover the alien isn’t dead and that anyone can turn out to be quite a bit more than what he or she is. In the span of the movie, the mysteries of the first movie was slowly unraveled. But less mysterious doesn’t necessarily mean less suspenseful. Not as original as the umm original but still a suspenseful sci-fi thriller. Plus the effects (and acting) were better.

Rating: 3/5

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Apple EarPods: One Less Reason to Get an iPhone 5

Grabbed a pair of EarPods yesterday. They were out of stock in quite a few stores but I finally got lucky.

The EarPods come in a case that acts as a cable wrap and is really pretty and, more importantly, functional. The earphones themselves are just as beautiful. It’s got a curvy organic look. Supposedly it was designed for the human ear. They’re not in-ear headphones but they are shaped in such a way as to deliver the sound directly into the ear canal.

The sound is definitely better compared to the old Apple earphones. The sound is not as tinny as before. Definitely there was an improvement in the mid and low range. The bass is definitely not the thumping, at least in the ear, kind of way but I guess they also had to consider voice.

I’m quite pleased with them. Too bad, because now that I have them, there’s one less reason for getting an iPhone 5 :P

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Lifetrons Worldwide Travel Adapter

Got this from the in-flight duty free shop ($36) because it was more expensive at the airport duty free shop (NT$1400 or around $48). And then I find out that similar travel adapters are just around $20-$30 from Amazon.

Still, it’s not so bad. It’s your normal travel adapter with 4 different types of retractable prongs and as many sockets. It’s a bit chunky (see photo comparing it to standard iPhone charger) and not easily pocketable but with a gadget bag should be no problem. It has a smooth satin finish that looks pretty and resists fingerprints. But it is not scratch-resistant and can easily get marred or rubbed off.

The best thing about it is that it has two USB charging ports. And they’re not just ordinary ports, they are iPad-compatible (1000mA). The USB ports are actually the primary reason why I got this adapter. You’re supposed to be able to fast-charge two iPads but since I have only one, I wasn’t able to verify this. But being able to charge a phone, a tablet, and a laptop at the same time? That’s good enough for me!

Rating: 4/5

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Soldier of God

Soldier of God takes place in the Holy Land during the time of the crusades. It takes off in the aftermath of the Battle of Hattin, probably the single, most disastrous defeat for the crusaders. René, a member of the Knights Templar was wounded during the battle, captured, and taken for ransom.

For those unfamiliar with history, the Knights Templar is a Christian military order that gained fame (and notoriety) during the Crusades. All members of the order take take vows of poverty, chastity, piety, and obedience. The knights of the order are practically warriors priests. In fact, they’re the elite troops among the crusaders.

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Underworld: Awakening

If I look back the past few years, I’d be hard-pressed to name an action actress more badass than Kate Beckinsale. Yes, the lead of romance movies like Serendepity and Pearl Harbor. Now, after a short absence, she’s back in the franchise that launched her action career.  She reprises her role as Selene, a vampire “death dealer” (that means exactly what it says). The story  is frankly ho-hum: The humans found out about vampires and lycans and, with the help of UV flashlights and silver bullets, set out exterminating them. Fast-forward 12 years later and Selene awakens from cryo-stasis, freed by a mysterious benefactor and soon after escapes from captivity. She later finds her liberator, not her mate as she expected, but her progeny. She also finds a world where humans are still vigorously hunting the remnants of the vampires but strangely less so the lycans. Digging through the mystery, she finds a powerful pack of lycans planning on harvesting her daughter as a source for biological fixer-uppers. That’s a big no-no and she proceeded to shoot and slice through the lycans in the coolest, most impossible, matter-of-fact way possible. Did I say Kate Beckinsale is badass? Hell, yeah!