IMAX @ Lido

Since closing its door almost half a year ago, the newly renovated Lido theatre finally re-opens to welcome movie goers to its latest addition: the IMAX theatre! Finally, we can now enjoy the latest 3D technology and sound effect system, bringing the movie experience to a whole new level!

The renovated ticket counter. Can you believe it? The online redemption ticket queue is actually 10 times longer than the queue for people buying tickets off the shelves!

And this is the reason why everyone is flocking here. Even at $22 a ticket, it still doesn't stop people (including me) from snapping up the seats.

The IMAX tickets complete with the badges, which can be used for some gift redemption if you collect enough of them.

Synopsis: Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush returns as Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Hector Barbossa, where both will be working together to find the Fountain of Youth. On their journey to find the illusive Fountain of Youth, they have to battle their new nemesis Captain Blackbeard played by Academy Award winning actor Ian McShane, while actress Penelope Cruz will play as Blackbeard's daughter and Captain Jack's love interest. [Source: Yahoo! Singapore Movies]

Well well, the ever charming Captain Jack Sparrow is back to entertain us with more actions, this time crossing swords with his mortal enemy Captain Barbossa and Captain Blackbeard. As with the previous installment, his love interest whom he is trying to chase after and dump later will be a new character: Blackbeard's daughter. Breaking away from the norm, I have caught this movie at IMAX Lido, and I must admit the visual and sound system simply blow me away. Plot wise was pretty typical, but it was fun to see Jack trying all sorts of unconventional ways to escape capture and bickering with his team mates. A good movie to catch for the week.

Rate: 7.5/10



Thor

Synopsis: Director Kenneth Branagh ("Henry V") and "I Am Legend" scribe Mark Protosevich bring Marvel Comics strongman Thor (played by Star Trek's Chris Hemsworth) to the big screen in this big-budget adventure that chronicles the mystical roots of the Asgardian god. Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Jaimie Alexander, and Colm Feore co-star, with Tom Hiddleston playing the role of Thor's villainous brother, Loki. [Source: Yahoo! Singapore Movies]

Thor has indeed met its expectation. Although the CGI effects are average, the great selection of cast, especially putting the charming Chris Hemsworth as Thor, they have more than made up for any flaws in the movie. Not everything in the movie is about fighting. I find it great that the director has tried to blend in some romance and comedy in parts of the film. A great movie to catch for the month.

Rate: 7/10

Related articles

• First THOR Clip (collider.com)

PM Lee announces new cabinet lineup

PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced major changes to the Cabinet lineup on Wednesday.

Mr Wong Kan Seng, Mr Mah Bow Tan and Mr Raymond Lim will retire from Cabinet.

There are new heads for 11 out of the 14 ministries, with a new Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) in Tharman Shanmugaratnam. He remains Finance Minister and also takes over the Manpower Ministry. Mr Teo Chee Hean remains DPM and will head the Home Affairs Ministry.

The rest of Cabinet looks like this:

-Mr K Shanmugam will be the new Foreign Affairs Minister and will remain in charge of the Law Ministry.

-Mr Khaw Boon Wan will be the new minister for National Development.

-Dr Yaacob Ibrahim will be in charge of Information, Communications and the Arts.

-Dr Ng Eng Hen will be Defence Minister.

-Dr Vivian Balakrishnan will be in charge of Environment and Water Resources.

-Mr Gan Kim Yong will be the Minister for Health.

-Mr Lui Tuck Yew will be Transport Minister .

- Mr S Iswaran will be the Second Minister for Home Affairs and Second Minister for Trade and Industry.

Newly elected Members of Parliament Heng Swee Keat and MG Chan Chun Sing will be Education Minister and Acting Minister for Community development Youth and Sports. 

Yes, finally, PAP listens....

Fast And Furious 5

Synopsis: Since Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker) and Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) broke Dom (Vin Diesel) out of custody, they've blown across many borders to elude authorities. Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom. As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead. But he's not the only one on their tail as hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) never misses his target. When he is assigned to track down Dom and Brian, he and his strike team launch an all-out assault to capture them. But as his men tear through Brazil, Hobbs learns he can't separate the good guys from the bad. Now, he must rely on his instincts to corner his prey, before someone else runs them down first. [Source: Yahoo! Singapore Movies]

Nice cars, great actions and good skills, what more can you ask? Watch as the elite drivers tear through Brazil, defying odds and completing the impossible, not forgetting the high speed road chase dragging a huge safe weighing at least a ton? The only flaw that I can find: Heroes never die, even faced with a dozen machine gun throttling men. Somehow, they can just killed their army of pursuers and not suffered any injuries. A great movie to catch! This is indeed Brazil!!

Rate: 7/10

Tampines has voted

And the mandate goes to PAP, no issue with the team on the whole with the exception of MBT, hope he can step down as the Housing minister. He really has made a mess out of it for the past 2 years, but I can't punish the whole team because of 1 person right? The alternative, to me, is much worse.

Source Code

Synopsis: When soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man; he discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. In an assignment unlike any he's ever known, he learns he's part of a government experiment called the "Source Code," a program that enables him to cross over to another man's identity for the last 8 minutes of his life. Colter re-lives the incident over and over again through different people until he manages to foil another attack, and in the process unexpectedly falls in love with one of the passengers. [Source: Yahoo! Singapore Movies]

Interesting concept, and this movie somehow reminds me of Matrix, living in an alternate world where everything is pre-programmed. Although the movie comes with suspense (as the main lead always find something new each time he relive the last 8 minute in another person) and action-packed, however parts of the movie still does not make sense. Take for example the final scene where the plug was pulled off, effectively killing off the main lead as his brain will cease to function, how on Earth can the main lead lives on in his alternate world? He is just a pack of data in the computer world, once your physical self (in real world) cease to function, you just die too in the digital world. Well, in summary, if you just want to find some movie to unwind yourself, this movie is quite a good catch.

Rate: 6.5/10

Related articles

• 'Source Code' Trailer #2 (slashfilm.com)

Singapore GE 2011, Tampines GRC: PAP Vs NSP part 2

All right, now I have some time, back to disecting NSP menifesto, to see if it is really a good alternative to what the ruling party (PAP) proposes:

Government Expenditure

Benefits:

• More hospital beds. They are advocating spending $800 millions more over the next 5 years to build 4 more hospitals. I question is there really a need for "4" more hospital? I think 1 or 2 more hospitals to serve regions which are rapidly expanding (ex: Punggol/Seng Kang region) is fine, but "4" more will be a waste. In addition, how do they solve the problem of health care manpower shortage, which is currently the case experienced in all hospitals? Training more Singaporean to go into health care as what they said in their Labour manifesto? But will Singaporean take the bait? PAP has tried with limited success, what can NSP offer? Nothing said yet.

• More subsidies for health care. OK, I will agree with this, and if possible, extending the subsidy to private referrals as well for Singaporean.

• Less crowded public transport. They are advocating purchasing 1000 more buses to rent to SMRT and SBS, with the rent collected to provide subsidy for the senior citizen, physically disabled and children. Isn't the government already doing that? Isn't our students paying 45 cents per trip currently instead of the usual 72 cents? What is NSP trying to counter propose in this manifesto? Besides, if SBS and SMRT is to rent the buses from government, this will cause an increase in their expenditure (increase in manpower and vehicle rental cost, which is not cheap), perhaps maybe turning them into a loss making venture. Can I know who will be the one footing their bill when the day comes? The government? And where will the government find the money? The citizen? This is not productive, think about it.

• Transport subsidies for elderly, disabled and full-time students including Polytechnic and University students. See my comments above.

GST

Benefits:

• Lower GST to 5%. Wow, as a citizen, I will cheer, but if you think deeper, you would'nt. Decreasing the GST by 2% will cost the government $1.9 billion. So what measures will the NSP take to cover this shortfall in income? Nothing said in their manifesto. Proposing a measure without a sound overall solution is simply not productive.

• Basic necessities exempted from GST. This sounds good on paper, but in truth, it is easier said than done. What will constitute a necessity? An item might be a necessity to you but it may not be the same for me. Besides, where can NSP cover the shortfall in revenue from the exemption of necessity GST. Back to the same question again. This is not said in their proposed manifesto.

Arthur

Synopsis: Irresponsible charmer Arthur Bach (Russell Brand) has always relied on two things to get by: his limitless fortune, and the good sense of lifelong nanny Hobson (Helen Mirren) to keep him out of trouble. Now he faces his biggest challenge of choosing between an arranged marriage that will ensure his lavish lifestyle, or an uncertain future with the one thing money can't buy, Naomi (Greta Gerwig), the only woman he has ever loved. With Naomi's inspiring personality and some unconventional help from Hobson, Arthur will take on the most expensive risk of his life and finally learn what it means to become a man, in this re-imagining of the classic romantic comedy "Arthur". [Source: Yahoo! Singapore Movies]

If you have no idea how a total jerk with no limits to his money supply will behave, you are about to find out in this movie. On the whole, the first half of the movie disgust the audiences with Arthur sickening extravagant, and his ideology that everything in this world can be bought with money. However, on deeper thoughts as we explored Arthur's past, he seems like a lost child, over protected and under exposed to society, trying to fill a void since his father death (and moms absence) without success. Everything change when his only nanny died and for the first time in his life, he has to be independent. A funny light hearted movie that may just brighten you weekend.

Rate: 6.5/10