Ok, fine, not really a "galore" but being able to watch three movies in a month is an achievement for us. Being a Movie addict, it was hard not being able to watch some films due to our schedule. ;)

As my Facebook status says right now, "What can you get for P20? Twin lazyboy seats, unlimited popcorn & drinks. Yay.ü

But before I go into that, let me first make a quick review of the first two films I watched in 2010 - Sherlock Holmes and Avatar. I know it's a little late but hey, as I always say, better late than never. (Although of course, best is on time :P)

(1) So, Sherlock Holmes. Starring two of my favorite actors (next to Johnny Depp), Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law, I knew that I just had to see this. And the movie didn't disappoint - both actors played their characters (Downey as Holmes, Law as Watson) to perfection. It was exactly how I imagined them to be. While I actually haven't read any of Conan Doyle's novels or stories about Holmes, I've heard enough of them to have a picture of how the characters should be in my head. :)

What exactly do we know about Sherlock? Besides his ever-famous line, "Elementary, my dear Watson"? To put it simply, it's his ability to solve cases. I would go on a limb and say that it's the old school CSI, where they also use deduction. Of course, the fact that Holmes does it all without the technology that we have nowadays makes him even more amazing in my eyes. Haha! :P The movie is a "talk-y," which I guess is the reason why other people don't like it. They're used to explosives and fights but while there are some of that in this particular film, it's more on the dialogues. After all, Holmes is an intellectual who has this acute sense of observation and deductive reasoning - how else could this be portrayed to the big screen, if not the use of words? :) Anyway, one word for the movie - amazing. And paired with a bucket of sour cream-flavored popcorn? Great night :D

(2) After the hype surrounding Avatar, it was decided that we would see it in IMAX. This time, it was Max who bought the tickets for everyone (for Sherlock Holmes, it was Mitch, one of Max's friends, who bought tickets for us) the day before we actually watched it.

Now, if Sherlock didn't disappoint, Avatar definitely did. Or maybe it's a good movie but just a tad bit overhyped? The movie came out before Christmas and I was only able to watch it almost a month after, meaning I've heard so many people gushing about it. Which, in turn, raised my expectation to this (hand above my head) level.



You've heard it a million times, but I'm going to say it again - the story's a lot like Pocahontas. And the part where the Na'vi (natives of Pandora) are about to lose and then suddenly, the animals (whatever they're called) arrive as backup, giving them hope? Reminded me of a scene in LOTR when Gandalf appeared in Helm's Deep to save the day and the battle for the good guys. ;) I couldn't say more about the story as there really is nothing more to say about it but I've got to give credit where credit is due - the effects were superb and James Cameron made the right move in not making the movie back when technology was young (late '90s, early '00s). :)

So I guess we also made the right decision in watching it in IMAX because if we didn't, we wouldn't appreciate the movie's effects. The very late dinner at Hawaiian BBQ afterwards made up for the so-so movie, though. :P

(3) And, finally, what my status message is all about. That part about twin lazy boy seats should've been a giveaway. :) Thanks again to Citibank's promo, Max and I were able to watch "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" in the comfort of Eastwood's Ultra 7 Cinema for only P20. Nothing makes us happier than unlimited popcorn and drinks. :) And thank goodness for it, since all the food in the movie can make you hungry.



Anyway, don't expect to use much of your braincells. It is, after all, a movie about food falling from the sky. ;) While I'm a Dreamworks and Pixar fan, this animation by Columbia Pictures' and Sony Pictures didn't fail to make me laugh. Basically, it's about Flint Lockwood (voice talent by Bill Hader) inventing a machine that turned water into food. The said machine ends up in space and it started raining food. Of course, when we say rain, it speaks of the weather, and what good is raining food if it's not reported to the world? That's where weather girl Sam Sparks (voice by Anna Faris) comes in.


Flint and Sam

The movie's really cute and funny. Of course, the impossible happens and if you're the kind of person who can't let his/her imagination run away, this movie's not for you. :) The characters - their personalities, tendencies, antics, everything - are exaggerated that made the movie really funny and charming. I really enjoyed it, though - it's a refreshing change from the movies recently released. And I think the kids that the kid-at-heart who were in the cinema had as much fun as we did. I think that's it - you need to free up your inner child to be able to appreciate this film.

I would say that the story's original, but a quick research told me that this was actually based on a book with the same title by a certain Ron Barret. Is there a lesson from the movie? Yeah, you could probably get a few - believing in yourself, being true to yourself, and so on. But don't think too much, just enjoy it. :)

As the last day of January comes to a close, there are quite a few films that I'm looking forward to - Valentine's Day and The Princess and The Frog. :) Can't wait!