The honeymoon weeks are over. I wonder if I could tahan the long days for the next few months. Rushing to and fro faculties seems to be the norm for this semester. And I don't like to be late for lessons, especially tutorials.
First of all I have to start cultivating the habit of sleeping early before the date changes. In order to achieve that I should stop napping in the afternoon or even after dinner. Otherwise it would be worse if I force myself to sleep, and end up getting a headache instead.
It's a relief that I don't have much commitments, so I could concentrate more on my school work. By the way I haven't quitted the Japanese Society yet. I'm clinging onto it because of a special programme they just introduced this year. Yeah, I'm making myself even busier. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) I was unable to participate in any activities yet...
Hopefully this CNY holidays can serve as a good rest before the true battle starts. Thinking about going through the whole cycle of tutorials, mid terms, assignment deadlines, final exams, etc makes me feel lethargic.
The surprise of the week is probably meeting WJ in the same lecture. It has been a long time ever since we last attended lecture together eh? Sitting with you did bring back some JC memories...
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Get Set... ...
A busy semester ahead indeed. Even the first week of school felt more packed than the same period last semester. I have 6 hours straight of lectures on a certain day, and this combo is going to be further sandwiched by 2 tutorials back and forth starting from Week 3.
Utmost concentration (and walking speed) is really needed for such back to back lessons. But the more important factor should be the revision time at home. Actually I don't quite believe in the proportionality between time spent in studying and examination results. I guess many could attest to that. More time and effort does not necessarily equate to good results, thus I think it also depends much on the nature of the subject as well as its affinity to your brain cells. That's why people usually say interest should be the priority consideration when choosing modules.
So I went with my interest in the electives and I hope I could excel in them. Though I have the feeling I might use S/U this semester.
Glad that I have no readings this semester, only comprehensible textbooks. In fact most of my modules do not require textbook reading. I remember last semester when the pile of readings ate up most of my time during my free weekday. The worse thing is, I read them lying on the bed and fell asleep shortly after. A few sleep and read cycles continued before the sky became dark, when I realised I hadn't been productive at all. Indeed 'sleep-inducing' as described by YF.
The lectures have been quite smooth so far. The lecturers are generally competent, far from the Material Science lecturer last semester whose voice repels our eardrums.
The happiest thing that happened this week should be the miracle I experienced when balloting tutorials. Initially I failed to secure any tutorial slots for one of my module during the both rounds of balloting. It was very disappointing as my ideal timetable was ruined and I could not have my free day on Wednesday. Furthermore the rest of the available slots clash with my existing timetable. I was ready to file an appeal but there was one more stage to go through: Add/Drop/Swap period.
It was rather fun experimenting with the add/drop/swap function. I could add any available tutorial slots into my arsenal instantly, and drop it as freely as I wanted too. The swap was obviously unsuccessful. Who wants to give up a good slot for a bad timing?
I started to log in from 9am, refreshing the page at regular intervals for several hours. Finally, just few minutes before 5pm, I refreshed the page once. Then somehow I decided to refresh the page once again. This time my ideal slot appeared! I was stunned for a moment but quickly added the slot, which then appeared in my list instantly. Was really really overjoyed at that time. Wednesday is back within my hands' reach! Didn't expect someone to drop this really good time slot. Was also very lucky to discover it within seconds, otherwise it might be taken by somebody else the next moment.
Well, there are still miracles in the world. ^_^
Utmost concentration (and walking speed) is really needed for such back to back lessons. But the more important factor should be the revision time at home. Actually I don't quite believe in the proportionality between time spent in studying and examination results. I guess many could attest to that. More time and effort does not necessarily equate to good results, thus I think it also depends much on the nature of the subject as well as its affinity to your brain cells. That's why people usually say interest should be the priority consideration when choosing modules.
So I went with my interest in the electives and I hope I could excel in them. Though I have the feeling I might use S/U this semester.
Glad that I have no readings this semester, only comprehensible textbooks. In fact most of my modules do not require textbook reading. I remember last semester when the pile of readings ate up most of my time during my free weekday. The worse thing is, I read them lying on the bed and fell asleep shortly after. A few sleep and read cycles continued before the sky became dark, when I realised I hadn't been productive at all. Indeed 'sleep-inducing' as described by YF.
The lectures have been quite smooth so far. The lecturers are generally competent, far from the Material Science lecturer last semester whose voice repels our eardrums.
The happiest thing that happened this week should be the miracle I experienced when balloting tutorials. Initially I failed to secure any tutorial slots for one of my module during the both rounds of balloting. It was very disappointing as my ideal timetable was ruined and I could not have my free day on Wednesday. Furthermore the rest of the available slots clash with my existing timetable. I was ready to file an appeal but there was one more stage to go through: Add/Drop/Swap period.
It was rather fun experimenting with the add/drop/swap function. I could add any available tutorial slots into my arsenal instantly, and drop it as freely as I wanted too. The swap was obviously unsuccessful. Who wants to give up a good slot for a bad timing?
I started to log in from 9am, refreshing the page at regular intervals for several hours. Finally, just few minutes before 5pm, I refreshed the page once. Then somehow I decided to refresh the page once again. This time my ideal slot appeared! I was stunned for a moment but quickly added the slot, which then appeared in my list instantly. Was really really overjoyed at that time. Wednesday is back within my hands' reach! Didn't expect someone to drop this really good time slot. Was also very lucky to discover it within seconds, otherwise it might be taken by somebody else the next moment.
Well, there are still miracles in the world. ^_^
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Ready... ...
This should be my first holiday when both Christmas and New Year's Day became significant. Previously these days were merely 'special Sundays' to me and held no meaning. One year ago I resigned to fate when I was made to perform guard duties on Christmas, as well as the eve of CNY. This time, these public holidays were days that I could look forward too.
All things have to come to an end. It has been a wonderful school holiday with numerous outings and activities, but I think it's time to get back to work too. The presence of work allows us to appreciate the value of holidays.
Perhaps due to the pleasant timetable last semester, my current timetable looks rather horrible. At least I got to experience a good timetable for one semester. As much as I tried to keep my Wednesdays free once again, the other days seemed to become haywire now. If my timetable were to be arranged vertically, it would look like a city of skyscrapers with a slum settlement in the middle.
I wonder if it's a wise idea to overload under such imbalanced 'urbanization'...
Was thinking of taking tuition assignments but I guess it's better to abandon that thought. After all I've already had an active 'assignment' right at home.
Grew panicky yesterday when I realised I haven't prepared anything for the first day of school. There are just so many things to settle tomorrow: lecture bidding, tutorial balloting, meeting textbook sellers, crashing lessons in advance, etc, on top of attending my scheduled lectures. Hopefully the library terminals won't be so packed in the morning.
Though it may be good to study new materials every semester, coping with the curriculum change can be stressful. Within a span of 5 months, we are again plunged into a new academic environment, with significantly different syllabus. Discarding topics you dislike from your brain might be a relief, but being unable to apply previous rooted knowledge on the new modules can be distressing too. Much unlike the transition from O levels to A levels, progressing through university semesters require a higher brain refresh rate.
Laboratory lessons will be a new dimension to me this semester. Hopefully it will not be as dreadful as many have complained, especially the after-reports. I agree it can be rather time-consuming and concentration-demanding, by occupying long slots and being unable to sit back and relax like in lectures and tutorials. Ok, when can I get my doctor coats?
All things have to come to an end. It has been a wonderful school holiday with numerous outings and activities, but I think it's time to get back to work too. The presence of work allows us to appreciate the value of holidays.
Perhaps due to the pleasant timetable last semester, my current timetable looks rather horrible. At least I got to experience a good timetable for one semester. As much as I tried to keep my Wednesdays free once again, the other days seemed to become haywire now. If my timetable were to be arranged vertically, it would look like a city of skyscrapers with a slum settlement in the middle.
I wonder if it's a wise idea to overload under such imbalanced 'urbanization'...
Was thinking of taking tuition assignments but I guess it's better to abandon that thought. After all I've already had an active 'assignment' right at home.
Grew panicky yesterday when I realised I haven't prepared anything for the first day of school. There are just so many things to settle tomorrow: lecture bidding, tutorial balloting, meeting textbook sellers, crashing lessons in advance, etc, on top of attending my scheduled lectures. Hopefully the library terminals won't be so packed in the morning.
Though it may be good to study new materials every semester, coping with the curriculum change can be stressful. Within a span of 5 months, we are again plunged into a new academic environment, with significantly different syllabus. Discarding topics you dislike from your brain might be a relief, but being unable to apply previous rooted knowledge on the new modules can be distressing too. Much unlike the transition from O levels to A levels, progressing through university semesters require a higher brain refresh rate.
Laboratory lessons will be a new dimension to me this semester. Hopefully it will not be as dreadful as many have complained, especially the after-reports. I agree it can be rather time-consuming and concentration-demanding, by occupying long slots and being unable to sit back and relax like in lectures and tutorials. Ok, when can I get my doctor coats?
Monday, January 05, 2009
School Nostalgia II
Anyone remembers ‘Pets Coursebook’? It used to be a popular English textbook used by most schools. The most prominent characteristic about this set of textbooks was, every level would feature a certain animal (or pet). I think I still remember the order:
Primary 1 - Squirrel
Primary 2 - Mouse
Primary 3 - Tortoise
Primary 4 - Rabbit
Primary 5 - Bird
Primary 6 – Monkey
The featured animal would appear in almost every page and I enjoyed searching high and low for them within the drawings haha. And oh, the Pets worksheets smelled nice too. I used to love tearing worksheets from the pad.
Of course the Pets Coursebooks have already been phased out. Currently there is a new approach to teaching primary English called STELLAR. My sister does not have any English textbook, except for a pack of Reading & Comprehension worksheets. It is a good sign that MOE has decided to move away from rigid textbook curriculum and place more emphasis on reading general books. I would not say that the old system was ineffective but for my case, it did not generate enough interest in reading books. Perhaps it was partly because I was addicted to watching TV in my early school life.
The current Maths textbooks seem to be more colourful, and have more illustrations than ever. But my sis has more Maths-related books than any other subjects. There are textbooks, workbooks, homework exercises, etc, and not to forget part A and B. At least the picture-filled, colourful books are much more attractive than plain, numbers-only worksheets.
The Chinese curriculum has undergone the most changes throughout the years I suppose. During my time, textbooks contained chapters with passages which were used to introduce new characters and vocabulary. Since there was a limit to the number of new characters introduced, the passages became restricted too. Thus for Primary 1, there were hardly any passages to read since the sentences were so short. We spent more time practicing how to write characters, memorizing word by word.
But this time, there is no emphasis on memorizing or writing characters. The passages are more varied and relevant, with little restrictions on the vocabulary used. Reading and understanding seem to be the focus of the new system.
However one major aspect I dislike about this system is the overemphasis on hanyu pinyin. The first few (in fact quite a lot) chapters of the textbook cover the basics of hanyu pinyin. I was utterly amazed by a table of hanyu pinyin, containing all the possible character pronunciations in Chinese. Furthermore, every single character has a hanyu pinyin attached to it, even for titles and instructions. This may result in an over-reliance on hanyu pinyin when reading, where one looks at the pinyin before reading the character. And when there is no pinyin, one might stumble and become unable to read the word. Well, one advantage of being familiar with pinyin can be felt when typing Chinese on a computer haha.
Miscellaneous textbooks worth reminiscing are 好公民, Health Education, Social Studies, Song Book (is that counted as a textbook?)...
Bow Wow Wow.
Bow Wow Wow.
Where are you now?
Where are you now?
Naughty Little Puppy Dog,
Bow Wow Wow.
Primary 1 - Squirrel
Primary 2 - Mouse
Primary 3 - Tortoise
Primary 4 - Rabbit
Primary 5 - Bird
Primary 6 – Monkey
The featured animal would appear in almost every page and I enjoyed searching high and low for them within the drawings haha. And oh, the Pets worksheets smelled nice too. I used to love tearing worksheets from the pad.
Of course the Pets Coursebooks have already been phased out. Currently there is a new approach to teaching primary English called STELLAR. My sister does not have any English textbook, except for a pack of Reading & Comprehension worksheets. It is a good sign that MOE has decided to move away from rigid textbook curriculum and place more emphasis on reading general books. I would not say that the old system was ineffective but for my case, it did not generate enough interest in reading books. Perhaps it was partly because I was addicted to watching TV in my early school life.
The current Maths textbooks seem to be more colourful, and have more illustrations than ever. But my sis has more Maths-related books than any other subjects. There are textbooks, workbooks, homework exercises, etc, and not to forget part A and B. At least the picture-filled, colourful books are much more attractive than plain, numbers-only worksheets.
The Chinese curriculum has undergone the most changes throughout the years I suppose. During my time, textbooks contained chapters with passages which were used to introduce new characters and vocabulary. Since there was a limit to the number of new characters introduced, the passages became restricted too. Thus for Primary 1, there were hardly any passages to read since the sentences were so short. We spent more time practicing how to write characters, memorizing word by word.
But this time, there is no emphasis on memorizing or writing characters. The passages are more varied and relevant, with little restrictions on the vocabulary used. Reading and understanding seem to be the focus of the new system.
However one major aspect I dislike about this system is the overemphasis on hanyu pinyin. The first few (in fact quite a lot) chapters of the textbook cover the basics of hanyu pinyin. I was utterly amazed by a table of hanyu pinyin, containing all the possible character pronunciations in Chinese. Furthermore, every single character has a hanyu pinyin attached to it, even for titles and instructions. This may result in an over-reliance on hanyu pinyin when reading, where one looks at the pinyin before reading the character. And when there is no pinyin, one might stumble and become unable to read the word. Well, one advantage of being familiar with pinyin can be felt when typing Chinese on a computer haha.
Miscellaneous textbooks worth reminiscing are 好公民, Health Education, Social Studies, Song Book (is that counted as a textbook?)...
Bow Wow Wow.
Bow Wow Wow.
Where are you now?
Where are you now?
Naughty Little Puppy Dog,
Bow Wow Wow.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
2008 Review (Music)
Here comes my annual music awards again! With further ado let's reveal the results!
Best Male Album: 萧敬腾 《同名专辑》
(close contender: 林宥嘉 《神秘嘉宾》)
Best Female Album: 郭静 《下一个天亮》
(close contender: 梁静茹 《今天情人节》)
Best Group Album: 五月天 《后青春期的诗》
Best Debut Album: 萧敬腾 《同名专辑》
Most Fascinating MV: 收藏 - 萧敬腾
This time, I'll be ranking my top 20 songs of 2008 in order, unlike the previous years. The songs will be judged according to impression, significance, ability to spur emotions and desire to listen. Popularity is not a factor.
20) 你不是真正的快乐 - 五月天
19） 冲动 - 萧亚轩
18） 不想懂得 - 张韶涵
17) 牧羊人 - 张信哲
16) 传说 - 林宥嘉，刘力杨
15) 一颗心的距离 - 范玮琪
14) 庆幸有你爱我 - 蔡淳佳
13) 我很好 - 刘若英
12) 洋葱 - 杨宗纬
11) 限时的遗忘 - 潘嘉丽
Top 10!
10) 伯乐 - 林宥嘉
9) 怪胎 - 郑中基
8) 半情歌 - 元若兰
7) 那些女孩教我的事 - 品冠
6) 你是此生最美的风景 - JS
5) 下一个天亮 - 郭静
4) 明天以后 - 林峰，泳儿
Down to Top 3!
.
.
.
.
.
3) 今天情人节 - 梁静茹
2) 收藏 - 萧敬腾
And the Top song of 2008 goes to...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1) 带我走 - 杨丞琳
Wow, shocking right? Didn't expect Rainie to top my chart as well, but this song indeed scores well in every of my judging criteria. Thanks to 不良笑花 as well, I grew fonder of this song. Came to this conclusion after several considerations. Watching the drama (or movie) does really help to improve the impression and feeling towards its theme songs.
I guess my chart is very different from others as big names and singers did not appear at all. Congrats to Yoga for having two songs on chart!
Best Male Album: 萧敬腾 《同名专辑》
(close contender: 林宥嘉 《神秘嘉宾》)
Best Female Album: 郭静 《下一个天亮》
(close contender: 梁静茹 《今天情人节》)
Best Group Album: 五月天 《后青春期的诗》
Best Debut Album: 萧敬腾 《同名专辑》
Most Fascinating MV: 收藏 - 萧敬腾
This time, I'll be ranking my top 20 songs of 2008 in order, unlike the previous years. The songs will be judged according to impression, significance, ability to spur emotions and desire to listen. Popularity is not a factor.
20) 你不是真正的快乐 - 五月天
19） 冲动 - 萧亚轩
18） 不想懂得 - 张韶涵
17) 牧羊人 - 张信哲
16) 传说 - 林宥嘉，刘力杨
15) 一颗心的距离 - 范玮琪
14) 庆幸有你爱我 - 蔡淳佳
13) 我很好 - 刘若英
12) 洋葱 - 杨宗纬
11) 限时的遗忘 - 潘嘉丽
Top 10!
10) 伯乐 - 林宥嘉
9) 怪胎 - 郑中基
8) 半情歌 - 元若兰
7) 那些女孩教我的事 - 品冠
6) 你是此生最美的风景 - JS
5) 下一个天亮 - 郭静
4) 明天以后 - 林峰，泳儿
Down to Top 3!
.
.
.
.
.
3) 今天情人节 - 梁静茹
2) 收藏 - 萧敬腾
And the Top song of 2008 goes to...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1) 带我走 - 杨丞琳
Wow, shocking right? Didn't expect Rainie to top my chart as well, but this song indeed scores well in every of my judging criteria. Thanks to 不良笑花 as well, I grew fonder of this song. Came to this conclusion after several considerations. Watching the drama (or movie) does really help to improve the impression and feeling towards its theme songs.
I guess my chart is very different from others as big names and singers did not appear at all. Congrats to Yoga for having two songs on chart!
Thursday, January 01, 2009
2008 Review (Movies)
Out of the 12 movies I watched in 2008, 9 are Asian-produced! This year’s definitely the Year of Asian Movies, compared to 2007 Year of Blockbusters. As expected, I watched fewer movies this year, probably due to the lack of anticipation of sequels. As for 2009, the 2 sequels I’ll be looking forward to would be Red Cliff 2 and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Any others?
Similar to previous years, I’ll be listing the movies I’ve watched this year according to personal ranking.
12) 12 Lotus
881 scored badly in my review last year too. Somehow I just can’t seem to appreciate Royston Tan’s movies. Or maybe I can’t appreciate musicals, especially of getai kind. The box office sales was relatively poor and even my parents felt disappointed after watching. The bad reviews were not unexpected however, since the plot seemed to go haywire at the 2nd half. Though humorous, the part about washing Guanyinma’s hair was rather unnecessary. No idea why it was allocated so much screen time.
*Okay I noticed the two consecutive 'twelves'*
Rating: 5/10
11) Kungfu Dunk
Probably we’re getting tired of mystical, supernatural kungfu movies; it doesn’t have the impact like the previous kungfu movies I’ve watched. Once again, Jay Chou was acting his own personality, and his in-movie talent seemed to be too far-fetched for the effect. Furthermore, his ultimate skill appeared to be bit ‘cold’. -__-“ The rest of the characters were quite forgettable…
*Was not feeling well at the time I watched this movie, so the enjoyment factor significantly dropped*
Rating: 5.5/10
10) Twilight
The love story between a mortal girl and a vampire guy seems cliché in this time and age. The plot went slow at the start, but began to pick up midway with a simple and predictable storyline, unfortunately. One noticeable thing is, most characters in this movie appear to have very pale faces. Whether deliberate or not, it enhances the ‘zombie’ ambience and gives a creepy feeling. Fangirls should be going gaga over the gothic male lead.
*The final statement is indeed true...*
Rating: 6/10
9) Ah Long Pte Ltd
This is so similar to Just Follow Law, in terms of the personality contrast between the male and female leads – tomboy vs sissy. Funny, but the novelty does wear off. For the second time, Fann had shown her versatile acting skills. Mark’s accent was really unique too. However this movie somehow lacked originality. Even the ‘durian soccer’ scene looked awfully familiar.
*Watched this movie right after CJ7; experienced a little movie fatigue*
Rating: 6/10
8) Red Cliff I
Actually the storyline is quite simple but there were lots of fillers within the movie, perhaps to extend the screen time. A single movie would be too rush, while 2 may appear draggy. Having prior knowledge to Romance of the Three Kingdoms, thanks to video games and anime, there was no problem following the plot. An interesting observation is, several animals are introduced throughout the movie (eg. dove, horse, tiger, goose, cow, etc). Who can forget Zhuge Liang’s brilliant reply of ‘lue dong’, haha.
*Hopefully the 2nd part will have a bigger climax. Looking forward to the battle scenes!*
Rating: 6.5/10
7) CJ7
An interesting movie title. Stephen Chow’s successful Kungfu Hustle in 2005 had created lots of anticipation for this movie, but unfortunately it did not live up to its hype. The little boy’s (or should I say girl?) acting was commendable, and the Qizai doll was really cute too =). A good marketing strategy eh? The disappointing thing was, I felt the characteristic Stephen Chow’s humour wasn’t enough. When the credits started to roll, there was a ‘Oh, that’s it?’ feeling.
*Still prefer his classic comedies*
Rating: 6.5/10
6) Nim’s Island
I enjoyed the scenery and setting in this movie. Never knew living in a deserted island can be so exciting. Making friends with animals looks fun too. The plot was simple and easy to follow, and its humour still ‘haunts’ me till today. A light hearted movie indeed. The part on chasing the tourists out of the island reminds me of Home Alone, haha. Setting traps is fun =p.
*Rain of lizards...heh*
Rating: 7/10
5) Money No Enough 2
With the rise of home-made, dialect-included movies, the 2nd installment can never be as fresh as the 1st. I remember the first installment 10 years ago had wowed many Singaporeans and set a record box office sale. This movie indeed came at a right time, during the current wave of economic recession when we find ourselves short of money again. The ERP debate was used to illustrate the theme. Current affairs aside, the movie became very touching towards the end. Li Ming is definitely worthy for her nomination in the Golden Horse Awards.
*Will there be Money No Enough 3 in the next recession 10 years later?*
Rating: 7.5/10
4) L Change the World
Glad to see L on the big screen once again. His antics never fail to amuse us. Though the spin-off storyline was rather weak, the individual events that happened during L’s escape from the authorities were quite exciting and trilling. Oh, the part where the scientist died in the laboratory was really gross and horrible. The scene where blood was tearing from the woman’s eye was impactful as well. Am I describing a horror movie? Haha.
*The real world really needs someone as intelligent as L*
Rating: 8/10
3) Cyborg She
Sounds like a female counterpart to Zettai Kareshi (Absolute Boyfriend)? Not really. There were several twists in the story. You can never expect what is going to happen next. Similar to Secret, the entire flow will become clear right near the end, when bits and pieces appear to fit together. The actress’ ability to imitate a robot is really remarkable. The atmosphere in the movie was unexpectedly dark (with all the disasters and such).
*FYI the darkest movie I’ve ever watched was War of the Worlds. The atmosphere was really gloomy and depressing.*
Rating: 8/10
2) The Dark Knight
Another superhero movie, but the limelight is stolen by Joker. (poor Batman) Though it appears to be a typical Hollywood action movie, the underlying theme can be quite deep. It explains how even a righteous person can turn really wicked. The numerous action scenes kept me at the edge of the seat, while I was struggling to understand the flow of the story. A pity that the actor starring as Joker has passed away. We would want to see more of his potential works.
*Undoubtedly the best Hollywood movie of the year*
Rating: 8/10
And the top movie is...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1) Cape No.7
Now I know why this movie became extremely popular in Taiwan. Unlike most movies where we just watch and forget, this movie left the greatest impression on me with its plot, characters, music and of course the 60-year late letter addressed to Cape No. 7. The theme was open for the audience to interpret. The characters came from differing backgrounds and eventually gathered on the basis of a outdoor beach concert. The movie soundtrack is really really nice. Last but not least, the touching love letter, written in Japanese, was read out part by part throughout the movie. The deep storyline may be difficult to grasp for some, but I feel this is what made the movie truly unique and exceptional.
*This movie indeed reflects the melting pot of cultures and languages*
Rating: 8.5/10
Generally Japanese films tend to do well in my ranking as I felt that they have sufficient depth, originality, thrilling climax and unexpected twists, yet simple to understand. 20th Century Boys would score really high if I had watched it.
Hopefully this year will see a better balance of Hollywood and Asian films.
Similar to previous years, I’ll be listing the movies I’ve watched this year according to personal ranking.
12) 12 Lotus
881 scored badly in my review last year too. Somehow I just can’t seem to appreciate Royston Tan’s movies. Or maybe I can’t appreciate musicals, especially of getai kind. The box office sales was relatively poor and even my parents felt disappointed after watching. The bad reviews were not unexpected however, since the plot seemed to go haywire at the 2nd half. Though humorous, the part about washing Guanyinma’s hair was rather unnecessary. No idea why it was allocated so much screen time.
*Okay I noticed the two consecutive 'twelves'*
Rating: 5/10
11) Kungfu Dunk
Probably we’re getting tired of mystical, supernatural kungfu movies; it doesn’t have the impact like the previous kungfu movies I’ve watched. Once again, Jay Chou was acting his own personality, and his in-movie talent seemed to be too far-fetched for the effect. Furthermore, his ultimate skill appeared to be bit ‘cold’. -__-“ The rest of the characters were quite forgettable…
*Was not feeling well at the time I watched this movie, so the enjoyment factor significantly dropped*
Rating: 5.5/10
10) Twilight
The love story between a mortal girl and a vampire guy seems cliché in this time and age. The plot went slow at the start, but began to pick up midway with a simple and predictable storyline, unfortunately. One noticeable thing is, most characters in this movie appear to have very pale faces. Whether deliberate or not, it enhances the ‘zombie’ ambience and gives a creepy feeling. Fangirls should be going gaga over the gothic male lead.
*The final statement is indeed true...*
Rating: 6/10
9) Ah Long Pte Ltd
This is so similar to Just Follow Law, in terms of the personality contrast between the male and female leads – tomboy vs sissy. Funny, but the novelty does wear off. For the second time, Fann had shown her versatile acting skills. Mark’s accent was really unique too. However this movie somehow lacked originality. Even the ‘durian soccer’ scene looked awfully familiar.
*Watched this movie right after CJ7; experienced a little movie fatigue*
Rating: 6/10
8) Red Cliff I
Actually the storyline is quite simple but there were lots of fillers within the movie, perhaps to extend the screen time. A single movie would be too rush, while 2 may appear draggy. Having prior knowledge to Romance of the Three Kingdoms, thanks to video games and anime, there was no problem following the plot. An interesting observation is, several animals are introduced throughout the movie (eg. dove, horse, tiger, goose, cow, etc). Who can forget Zhuge Liang’s brilliant reply of ‘lue dong’, haha.
*Hopefully the 2nd part will have a bigger climax. Looking forward to the battle scenes!*
Rating: 6.5/10
7) CJ7
An interesting movie title. Stephen Chow’s successful Kungfu Hustle in 2005 had created lots of anticipation for this movie, but unfortunately it did not live up to its hype. The little boy’s (or should I say girl?) acting was commendable, and the Qizai doll was really cute too =). A good marketing strategy eh? The disappointing thing was, I felt the characteristic Stephen Chow’s humour wasn’t enough. When the credits started to roll, there was a ‘Oh, that’s it?’ feeling.
*Still prefer his classic comedies*
Rating: 6.5/10
6) Nim’s Island
I enjoyed the scenery and setting in this movie. Never knew living in a deserted island can be so exciting. Making friends with animals looks fun too. The plot was simple and easy to follow, and its humour still ‘haunts’ me till today. A light hearted movie indeed. The part on chasing the tourists out of the island reminds me of Home Alone, haha. Setting traps is fun =p.
*Rain of lizards...heh*
Rating: 7/10
5) Money No Enough 2
With the rise of home-made, dialect-included movies, the 2nd installment can never be as fresh as the 1st. I remember the first installment 10 years ago had wowed many Singaporeans and set a record box office sale. This movie indeed came at a right time, during the current wave of economic recession when we find ourselves short of money again. The ERP debate was used to illustrate the theme. Current affairs aside, the movie became very touching towards the end. Li Ming is definitely worthy for her nomination in the Golden Horse Awards.
*Will there be Money No Enough 3 in the next recession 10 years later?*
Rating: 7.5/10
4) L Change the World
Glad to see L on the big screen once again. His antics never fail to amuse us. Though the spin-off storyline was rather weak, the individual events that happened during L’s escape from the authorities were quite exciting and trilling. Oh, the part where the scientist died in the laboratory was really gross and horrible. The scene where blood was tearing from the woman’s eye was impactful as well. Am I describing a horror movie? Haha.
*The real world really needs someone as intelligent as L*
Rating: 8/10
3) Cyborg She
Sounds like a female counterpart to Zettai Kareshi (Absolute Boyfriend)? Not really. There were several twists in the story. You can never expect what is going to happen next. Similar to Secret, the entire flow will become clear right near the end, when bits and pieces appear to fit together. The actress’ ability to imitate a robot is really remarkable. The atmosphere in the movie was unexpectedly dark (with all the disasters and such).
*FYI the darkest movie I’ve ever watched was War of the Worlds. The atmosphere was really gloomy and depressing.*
Rating: 8/10
2) The Dark Knight
Another superhero movie, but the limelight is stolen by Joker. (poor Batman) Though it appears to be a typical Hollywood action movie, the underlying theme can be quite deep. It explains how even a righteous person can turn really wicked. The numerous action scenes kept me at the edge of the seat, while I was struggling to understand the flow of the story. A pity that the actor starring as Joker has passed away. We would want to see more of his potential works.
*Undoubtedly the best Hollywood movie of the year*
Rating: 8/10
And the top movie is...
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1) Cape No.7
Now I know why this movie became extremely popular in Taiwan. Unlike most movies where we just watch and forget, this movie left the greatest impression on me with its plot, characters, music and of course the 60-year late letter addressed to Cape No. 7. The theme was open for the audience to interpret. The characters came from differing backgrounds and eventually gathered on the basis of a outdoor beach concert. The movie soundtrack is really really nice. Last but not least, the touching love letter, written in Japanese, was read out part by part throughout the movie. The deep storyline may be difficult to grasp for some, but I feel this is what made the movie truly unique and exceptional.
*This movie indeed reflects the melting pot of cultures and languages*
Rating: 8.5/10
Generally Japanese films tend to do well in my ranking as I felt that they have sufficient depth, originality, thrilling climax and unexpected twists, yet simple to understand. 20th Century Boys would score really high if I had watched it.
Hopefully this year will see a better balance of Hollywood and Asian films.
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