IDSPISPOPD

Google the title and you might figure out why I chose it. It's kinda less obvious than bamf.

Anyway, I just got done watching Jumper, and the first thing that hit me was "Shit. It's Vader vs Mace. Holy crap!" And really, it doesn't disappoint in that aspect. Lets see what I think.

Firstly, I'll admit that after watching the trailers for the film, I was caught in two minds. Firstly, I loved Nightcrawler in X-Men 2, and am generally tolerant of Sci-Fi action flicks of most sorts. However, after the debacle that was AVP:R (which I'm not even going to bother reviewing), my faith in the genre has sunk to new depths. I'm a huge fan of things like Terminator, Alien, Predator, Robocop, Minority Report, Jurassic Park and I, Robot, but then there are such painful memories as, well, AVP and it's bastard child of a sequel.

The movie opens up with young David (who I'm tempted to call Anakin) narrating to us, the fortunate audience, how he discovered his "ability". Of course, not the most original introduction to a story about people with super powers, but it works. And at the same time, you're introduced to his lady friend, Summer from the OC. Incidentally, I was dead sure her name was Rachel Wilson, and I immediately thought of Rainn Wilson, or Dwight from The Office.

It's Rachel Bilson.

But back to Jumper. As most American movies do, it centres around a love story that is intricately tied to the larger-than-life plot. Like Peter Parker agonising over telling Mary Jane, or Bruce Wayne hiding behind a mask and revealing himself by kissing some blonde, or Clark Kent shuffling his glasses uneasily around Lois Lane, David tries to hide his "talent" from Millie (Summer/Rachel), something most of us would have expected.

What I didn't expect, however, was the way most of the "jump" sequences were actually quite enjoyable. The fight scenes in particular, while paling in comparison to the latter half of Nightcrawler's assault on the White House, were original enough, I thought. Fans of DotA would be thinking "BLINKSTRIKE" here and there, and I haven't even begun talking about teleporting cars.

A big part of the movie revolves around the on-going war, which has "been going on for years", between the Jumpers and the Paladins. This is where the "Vader vs Mace" thing comes in, as Samuel L. Jackson resumes his role as the hard line, no nonsense black cop-person. Sort of like Shaft. There's also the issue of "how the hell do you realistically fight against people who can teleport, at will?", and that's dealt with too, at least to my satisfaction.

Then, the movie kinda ends on a lame note.

Because Vader is in it, there's the obligatory "parent" save. I guess it's a legacy that dates back to Luke being burnt by lightning (and also repeated in Awake), a move which kind of fell into line with the "I am your mother" "twist" in The Golden Compass. I didn't like it.

Still, I disagree with the generally poor reviews that Jumper has gotten. It's by no means an awesome movie, but it's still watchable, at the very least. It deserves more than a 3.5 out of 5, but I rarely give out 4's, but maybe this comes close.

Comic Relief #101

Yes, I got another idiotic call from MINDEF today telling me about another Alert Amber. Like, WTF. Starting on my birthday too.

WTF.

This is the kind of uncalled-for shit that has led to me seriously considering why the hell I'm still here in this "clean, green, safe and secure island haven" which is, in reality, nothing more than a place where zombies work and study their asses off just so they can pay for inflated transport fees and cups of coffee.

WTF.

Comic Relief #100

I guess the 100th Comic Relief wouldn't be complete without a mention of cats and Jessica Alba. Trust Kania and Jonno to be so considerate as to supply me with the neccessary means to commemorate the occasion with a couple of my favourite things.

Someone tried to sketch a heart on my knee today, with one of those felt-tipped pen/marker hybrids. You know, the kind that has a "fine" and "medium" end and comes in all sorts of fascinating colours like pink and lime green and dirt brown. This was purple.

Typical of the way things have been going, the heart ended up looking like a headless, legless, proboscis-less butterfly, something I helpfully pointed out as Kerri put in the finishing touches of the rather sad-looking masterpiece.

Of course, she added antennae and a few squiggles that vaguely resembled legs (though if they were, it would have been one hell of a lame insect in every sense of the word).

Still, it got me thinking.

Do affairs of the heart really work out the way we all hope they will? The way we are told they will? The way two people fall for each other, totally, truly, honestly, sincerely, eternally as they so often do in books and TV and the silver screen?

Or does it just always end up messy, something other than what you mean and want, leaving you with nothing else but to salvage what you can and turn it into something else entirely?

...And maybe watch it fly off, or fade with time.

A Lack of Communication

My phone is now officially crazy.

I apologise in advance for any missed calls or unreplied messages.

Thank You Note

Thank you,

To the ones who have bombarded me with things like "Are you ok?"

To the one who baked and did an (impressive) impression of Comic Relief on paper wrapping.

To the one who understood that it was difficult to talk.

To the one who had us over and made me laugh and wince at the same time.

To the one who offered to listen, even when burdened with problems.

And thank you,

To you who bothered, when I didn't.

Comic Relief #99

Comic Relief #98

Comic Relief #97

Comic Relief #96

If I had added three pizza's, eating butter from one's fingers, and someone squeaking wildly while apparently dry-humping the floor, it would have been a very accurate depiction of Valentine's 2008 for me.

I'm not pointing any fingers, but you know who you are.

Comic Relief #95

Sunset

Something inside me died today,
When I watched the sun fall into the sea.
My heart choking, drowning
In the salty tide upon my cheeks.
And her outstretched hand upon the tabletop,
Unanswered but for the question,
Why?

Comic Relief #94

Because I couldn't do it the way you wanted.

The Demon Barber

There's a hole in the world like a great black pit,
And it's filled with people who are filled with shit,
And the vermin of the world inhabit it.

I like that. From Johnny Depp & Tim Burton's latest collaboration, Sweeney Todd. I just caught it a couple of days ago, here's what I think.

Alot of people I've spoken to offer either "I gave up on Depp after Willy Wonka" or "A musical? sheesh." To the former, I would have to agree. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was shit. The book was awesome; reading it multiple times as a kid really got me going.

As for those who would bash the movie becuase it's a musical, therein lies my chief complaint about the film. Too much singing. There, I said it. The movie opens with a sailor (no, not Matt Damon) singing about going to London, before Depp - dark eyes and all - interjects singing about how London is really unlike anywhere else in the world, but for different reasons altogther than those floating around the pretty sailor's feeble brain. Of course, he forgot to mention Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.

From there, the movie moves at an alright pace, with more songs to guide the (hopefully) enthralled audience along the dusty scenes. The exchange between Todd and his "landlady" in what would become (or was) his barbershop was actually really good, I thought.

Then there's Jack Sparrow vs Borat, another nice exchange, leading to the first...

Well, I won't give the plot away.

But suffice to say, I thought the movie bloody funny. Literally. Just have to listen, and try not to cringe.

PS: If you are going to watch it, don't bring any food with chili inside, or at least eat it quickly before... well, before.