How Long Has It Been Since...

...I last went to the movies? I can't remember. That's how long it's been. Which makes December quite a special month because I went not once but twice (!) to the GSC cineplex at the Mid Valley Mall. The tickets were all complimentary - given out during a recent movie-themed wedding dinner I attended. With some leave to clear, I redeemed the tickets for a round of Happy Feet with Carbokid and another for Casino Royale with my insurance agent friend. Happy Feet was just OK and I thought the movie should have ditched the environmental crusade theme on hyperdrive in the last quarter of the animation. An ultra-swimming penguin was just stretching it and if that wasn't bad enough, the humans had to be brought into the picture.

 

Casino Royale, on the other hand, was pretty good. It was a "re-bonded" (not unlike "re-branded") Bond and I liked the result. From a wimpish agent who relied too much on gadgets to save his skin, we now have an SAS-looking toughie whom you don't wanna mess with. The added ruthlessness of Bond is counterbalanced with some good repartee he shared with the female lead on the train. The new Bond too seemed to be a good sprinter with arm actions reminiscent of those of Robert Patrick the T1000. How not to support a fellow athlete?

 

The action was realistic and there were no silly "tie-him-up-and-dip-him-in-a-piranha-infested-pool" gimmick. Just plain ball busting torture scenes. I especially liked the Parkour opening scene which had a black Jackie Chan doing some pretty nifty leaps. A cameo by Richard Branson - the CEO of Virgin Atlantic - got me chuckling as he was being frisked by the airport police - what irony. Yup, I still have my treasure-hunting eyes.

 

The only part where it failed was the lovey-dovey exchanges Mr Bond shared with Ms Lynd. Very stiff exchanges and reminded me of the script spewed by Anakin Skywalker and Amidala. Eva Green looked gorgeous and in the makeup scene in the bathroom, she even looked like Jennifer Connelly. Hmmm...

 

So that's it for the year - this shall be my last posting until after Christmas. To all celebrating, a very Blessed Christmas to you and your families!