Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Finally, after long years, Dr. Henry Jones is back with another installment of his adventure. He's being trapped in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls and leaves him no choice but follow what fate and life threat has called him.

The Good

It's good to see Harrison Ford again after quite some time. I couldn't imagine Indiana Jones being portrayed by another actor, though I have a strong feeling that this character would be passed on to Shia LaBeouf maybe on the next sequel or two. The action sequence, the soundtrack, the slapstick, Jones' whip and his hat and the old setting, the same Indy Jones ingredients are still found. I'm also suprised to see Karen Allen again in the middle of the movie (it just goes to show that I don't read the opening credits). I hardly even recognized Cate Blanchett donning a Baby Tsina hairdo. I was only able to realize it was her after more than five minutes since she appeared. Ha ha ha! I must say she's really one great actress.

The Bad

What's the purpose of the word "imperfection" if we won't use it. Add the word "criticize" which helps mold my personality. Ha ha.

This movie seems to be a fusion of "The National Treasures" and "X-Files" wherein the characters have to unveil the mystery behind the Peruvian dirt that leads to the discovery of some aliens. This part really made me disappointed.

Questions

Why do adventure movies always involve some groundwater scenes?
Will locking oneself in a refrigerator save him from the atomic bomb?
Why do those aliens have to leave Earth immediately after the skull has been returned?
Isn't their main purpose of coming in this planet to rule us?
Are there really aliens to begin with?
Will Shia LaBeouf be the next Indiana Jones?
When will the story be set in the Philippines, like solving the mystery of the Golden Tara found in LA Museum, returning it to Agusan River and having them end up in Mt. Apo where the tribe of this cultural minority cannibals will be waiting for them at the foot of the mountain? And in between that, some folk stories like barang will be injected and the victim will be Durian while GG and Juliut will be drowned in a pool of juice? Ha ha ha. The barang thing I could still contain to be included but I was just joking about the three insignificant high school characters. Ha ha ha!

Tele-tubby

What national TV has to offer nowadays:

• Marian Rivera's over-exposed face, jolog accent and same Latina dance moves
  
• Kris Aquino who looks like Valentina in her very curly hair in a Casino advertisement
  
• Judy Ann Santos saying "byutipul" in her Pantene ad (she doesn't speak that bad)
  
• Claudine Barreto whose face looks like an unimpressive drawing with very thick contour and very sharp eyebrows that could even slit one's neck
  
• Heart Evangelista and Jericho Rosales divulging so much about their break-up which is supposedly considered as a private matter
  
• Jennylyn Mercado keeping on expressing how she hates the father of her son-to-be (how pathetic)
  
• Gabby Concepcion and his cases here, there and everywhere
  
• Sam Milby and Piolo Pascual having the you-can-visit-the-DOJ-secretary-anytime access just to ask assurance that they'll be given justice (seems like they're as kawawa as those human rights and rape victims)
  
• MERALCO and its business of profiteering from people
  
• Environmental campaigns that only a few people care about
  
• Ratings issues

To Kill a Mocking Bird

Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.

Last Good Friday, what was supposedly a silent day turned out to be a noisy one. I felt like a saint's spirit had possessed me since I kept on defending Janina San Miguel. I believe I have a strong point. She shouldn't be blamed nor ridiculed for getting the crown because it's not her fault at all - it's the organizers' who set the criteria. Janina is just one simple girl, who wants to be a beauty queen, got convinced by some people thinking that joining this would help her augment her family's status, and then, unexpectedly, after that very unimpressive answer, she won. It's pointless criticizing her because after all, she'll be representing our country in an international pageant and giving her such kind of bad image gives us that negative image, too. I'm against beauty contests because they really don't serve a very logical purpose but since it's already there, we might, as well, support our candidates. In this pageant patty kind of society, English is not the only basis of being victorious.

So much about that lecture, yes, admittedly, I became kind and sensitive and considerate and understanding for a day. My friends even thought that it wasn't me who were with them. Anyhow, I've stated my piece.

Late night came and the then depressed Sam was already happy and excited sharing some pictures that he downloaded via wi-fi - Dingdong Dantes' Bench underwear photographs and this Cuban actor/model named William Levy (I still have to google his name). The latter's pictures in stupid and nonsense underwear with no support at all show his melted balls that made Janice wonder if all guys' balls really look like that. Ha ha ha! It's not really a good thing to do on a holy day so I told them to stop it and go to sleep.

Sam slept soundly. After every series of snoring, Janice and I could hear him moan and do that very brief and relatively high-pitched "Hmm" thing that made me laugh. Actually, just thinking about it makes me laugh until now. Perhaps in his dream, he was fantasizing of those two guys. Ha ha ha!

The day after that, I told Janice that if I'll be a celebrity, I should have the most unique name so that people could easily remember me. Though there's no artist named Third yet, I choose to not use it.

I could imagine a host introducing me before my number, "Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for 'Hmm!'"

Now that's unique.

Ploning

I've watched this movie yesterday and I must say it didn't disappoint me. I'm not a Juday fan but her acting is not really the usual mucus-stimulating, melodramatic, cry-me-a-stream attack. Everything is so subtle, something that is rare to find among Filipino movies. Ploning depicts a woman of love and hope, who, even during despair, chooses to shine out her positivity to all the people in her place, who've been suffering from their own personal problems.

The cinematography shows a panoramic view of Cuyo, Palawan and all the shots are like postcards.

Other than reading the Tagalog subtitle of more than one-third of the entire movie, there's just one irritating flaw I couldn't miss to point out in this film. I just don't like the actor who portrayed the character of the old Digo. Had I possessed six-pack abs, known how to swim, and known that there is an audition for this role, I would have tried out. To give him credit, his blank nuance at the start was good enough to provide mystery with his character but at the end part, when the scene warrants an intense emotion even with just his eyes, he wasn't able to deliver it which really made me think like throwing my cellphone on the silverscreen while watching it. Panira talaga. Nevertheless, everybody in the cast was good including that young Digo. Judy Ann is really very pretty in this movie, I should say and her eyes speak of love. I also applaud Gina Pareño, Meryll Soriano, Tessie Tomas, Tony Mabesa, Eugene Domingo, Beth Tamayo, Ces Quesada and Mylene Dizon for their effective portrayal.

I don't want to give out any more spoilers. Your 100 bucks is worth it and you'll also be patronizing a Filipino product, something that our dying movie industry badly needs. And if you'll go to any SM cinema until May 6, you'll get a chance to win a trip for two to Palawan.