Entertainment

Entertainment

B8 5 – 11 july 2011

Third in Action Sci-Fi Series Movie Review: Transformers: Dark of the Moon By Derek Padula Director: Michael Bay Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, Rosie HuntingtonWhiteley Genre: Action/ Adventure Rating: PG/Action Violence Running Time: 152 minutes Release Date:

29 June 2011

Epoch Times Staff Just when you thought giant talking robots with machine guns couldn’t get any better, Optimus Prime pulls out a jetpack, battle axe, and a deadly trailer of justice. Following the original “Transformers” (2007) and its sequel “Revenge of the Fallen” (2009), “Transformers: Dark of The Moon” makes up for the weak second film with a dramatic finale. The Autobots and Decepticons are at it again, and the United States government finds itself in a battle of wills between the great former leaders of Cybertron. Apollo moon landing conspiracies, Russians, and top secret revelations push the plot forward. Unfortunately the first two acts are hit or miss, as the story and character arcs build up slowly and the film is overly long at 157 minutes. But it’s tied together admirably in the end, as the third act satisfies your desires with city-eating robots, hand to hand combat, exploding paratrooper helicopters, resurfaced rivalries, huge explosions, fire fights,

Shia LaBeouf and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”. Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: Sentinel Prime vs. Optimus Prime in “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”. Courtesy of Paramount Pictures humour, drama, surprises and even more explosions. Director Michael Bay could be faulted for his near constant use of the slow down camera amidst conflicts, but you know what? It’s fun! The role of this movie is to be a

summer blockbuster, and it plays that role well. The stars are both human and computer generated. On the human side, Shia LeBouf returns as Sam Witwicky, the ally to the earth defending Autobots. Megan

Fox is gone as the sexy girlfriend, replaced by Rosie HuntingtonWhitely as Carly. While not the most amazing actress by herself, their on-screen relationship is believable. The film also stars John Malkovich, Patrick Dempsey, and a recognisable cast of dozens more. As far as voice acting goes, “Transformers” has some of the best, and the robots are vitalised with genuine emotions. Peter Cullen reprises his role as Optimus Prime, accompanied by Hugo Weaving as Megatron, and Leonard Nimoy (Spock from “Star Trek”) as Sentinel Prime. 3D cinematic effects are appropriately impressive, accompanied by a professional display of lighting and specialised camera work. The Decepticon robot called Shockwave is remarkable: A giant metallic tentacled beast that can devour entire buildings. Its sharp metallic body appears smoothly organic as it constricts around a rectangular glass and steel tower. The PG-13 rating is there for a reason. Sam’s overbearing parents are sexually crude and annoying, just as in the previous films. Swear words are spoken for the sake of being edgy. And the ultra robot-onrobot violence, while entertaining, is also graphic. Simply because they’re robots, it seems okay. Ultimately, this instalment of “Transformers” satisfies where it matters most. The climactic showdown between Optimus Prime and the bad guys makes the entire movie worth the price of a ticket. Autobots, roll out!

Entertainment IN Brief Toy Story 4 Possibly in the Works, Says Tom Hanks The next film in the smash Toy Story franchise is being worked on, Tom Hanks said in a recent interview published on Monday. Hanks, who provides the voice of the toy cowboy, Woody, in the series, said that the next film is in its infancy but is being worked on, according to an interview with the BBC. “I think there will be, yeah,” Hanks told Tim Muffett at the BBC after he was asked if another

film is on the way. “Yeah, yeah, think they’re working on it now. There you go.” Hanks’ response is not official but he appeared earnest when he responded to the question. Last year’s Toy Story 3 became the top-grossing movie of 2010 in North America and was nominated for a number of Academy Awards and won Best Animated Feature. The film grossed more than S$1 billion worldwide.

Chris Meloni Cast in ‘Man of Steel’ Actor Christopher Meloni, 50, who after 12 seasons left the hit television detective drama “Law & Order: SVU”, confirmed to Vulture.com that he has joined the cast of the upcoming Superman movie “Man of Steel”. While some have speculated he would play villain Lex Luther,

Meloni coyly set the record straight and indicated that he will play a general in the movie, but wouldn’t elaborate more. The Web site reports that the production starts filming at the end of August, including locations such as Chicago, Vancouver, and Edwards Air Force Base.

Rachel Weisz Weds Daniel Craig 007-Style NEW YORK—Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig secretly wed on June 22 in New York. The couple kept the wedding low profile, only inviting Weisz’s 5-year-old son Henry, Craig’s 18-year-old daughter Ella, and two family witnesses according to U.K. newspaper, the Guardian. The couple have been friends for years, and since the two were “madly in love and couldn’t wait to be husband and wife”, they tied the knot without “fuss” according to Mail Online. Their relationship is said to have grown since they

worked together on the set of “The Dream House”, an upcoming horror movie where the two star as husband and wife. The newlyweds kept all the details of the ceremony private. Both Weisz and Craig were previously in serious long-term relationships. Weisz got out of a nine-year relationship with Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky in 2010, the same year that Craig broke off his most recent six-year relationship with film producer and fiancée Satsuki Mitchell.

Exciting Adventures Suitable for Young and Old Book Review: ‘The Throne of Fire’ by Rick Riordan By Pat Chasteen Epoch Times Staff Rick Riordan is a master at combining modern life, mythology, and history and meshing all three elements into a fascinating, entertaining story that everyone—no matter what age—enjoys reading. The second instalment of his “Kane Chronicles”, “The Throne of Fire” takes us back into the world of ancient Egypt. Like the first book in the series, “The Red Pyramid”, “Throne” chronicles the story of two teenage

LET THE ADVENTURES BEGIN: Author of “The Kane Chronicles” Rick Riordan gave a lecture at Alice Tully Hall in New York’s Lincoln Centre on 25 May, 2011. Janette Pellegrini/Getty Images

siblings, Carter and Sadie Kane, as they discover their connection to the ancient Egyptian gods that have been released into the modern world. Carter and Sadie are descendants of the pharaohs Narmer and Ramesses II, and are just beginning to discover the full powers that are available to them as members of the royal bloodline. But the challenge doesn’t stop there—they must learn to master their magical powers while fighting off a variety of opposing forces, including magicians in the House of Life, an organisation determined to destroy the two; a griffin that tries to eat them alive; and a cast of vindictive gods like the baboon god, Babi and a vulture god named Bekhbet. Carter and Sadie live in Brooklyn House, a fictional palace in New York City, with their Uncle Amos, their father’s brother. With his help, they have started a training school for young magicians there. But a new threat has arisen— the god of chaos Apophis (who usually takes the form of a giant serpent) wants to break free from his ancient prison and if he does, he will destroy the world as we know it—plunging it into chaos! Luckily, in this instalment, the two protagonists gain a new protector of sorts in the god of dwarfs, Bes. Carter and Sadie are not exactly sure whether he is a help or hindrance to them, but they need all the help they

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The “Kane Chronicles” provides us with interesting, unforgettable characters, a worldwide adventure, and a storyline that keeps us wanting more.

can get to combat the evil magician Vlad Menshikov. “Throne of Fire”, like “The Red Pyramid”, is narrated alternately by the two wisecracking teens. Aside from all the challenges they face, they also get to know each other as brother and sister again after being separated during childhood. Carter was raised by their father after their mother died, and Sadie was raised by her grandparents. As the story progresses, they slowly develop a bond that has to do not only with

their supernatural powers and royal ancestry, but also with a rekindling of the family relationship they lost when they were separated. The adventures of these two young heroes are made more entertaining by their contrasting perspectives. As they take turns narrating the chapters of the book, readers will realise that the two teenagers often have very different recollections of the events that have transpired. It’s amazing that Rick Riordan can come up with as many fascinating ideas and storylines as he does. His most famous series to date are the bestselling “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”, about Greek gods and demigods (half human and half god) that reside in the modern world. In Riordan’s latest series, “The Heroes of Olympus”, characters from “Percy Jackson” reappear along with a cast of supernatural beings from Roman mythology. His books are primarily aimed at children and teens, but everyone who picks up one of his books will find them a fun read. The “Kane Chronicles” provides us with interesting, unforgettable characters, a worldwide adventure, and a storyline that keeps us wanting more. The next and last book in the series will continue this wild ride as they attempt to revive the sun god Ra in order to help them defeat Chaos. Currently the book is sold in most Singapore bookstores including Popular, Kinokuniya, Borders and Times.

Rick Riordan’s second installment of his “Kane Chronicles”, “The Throne of Fire” takes us back into the world of ancient Egypt. Courtesy of Hyperion Book CH

Dream High Synopsis

K-POP idols Kim Soo-hyun, Taek-yeon (2PM), Wooyoung (2PM), Suzy (miss-A), Eun-jung (T-ara), and IU have all gathered at one place. A soap opera featuring the aforementioned teenage stars, “Dream High” tells the tale of six students at the elite Kirin Art School. Although they herald from various backgrounds and circumstances, they all aspire to become global stars. Along the way, they develop their talents and overcome numerous challenges.

Characters

Ko Hye-mi—She has always been the cream of the crop since she was a child, excelling in her studies, singing and piano performance. This has made her into a proud person who is full of self-worth. But, as her father’s business goes bankrupt, she decides to audition for Kirin Art School to become a pop singer despite her former disdain for the profession, giving up her dream of becoming a classical singer. But she faces unexpected difficulties… Jinguk (real name “Hyun-soo” in the drama)— Although he’s always humorous and has a funny disposition, his heart carries a deep wound that has not been healed. Due to his complicated family history, he’s had to face total neglect from his family under one roof. In the end, he gives up on enrolling in high school,

leaves home, and starts a new life under the name Jinguk. While he was spending time dancing away with friends he met on the street, he unexpectedly gets to step into the auditioning site at Kirin Art School… Song Sam-dong—Although he looks like a redneck who doesn’t have much to do with music, when he sings, he sounds like a professional singer. He’s mesmerised instantly by Hye-mi, a city girl. He decides to become the best singer so that he’d be deserving of her. Yoon Baek-hee—She was Hye-mi’s best friend and sidekick. She’s been living a life recognised or noticed by no one. Following Hye-mi, she gets to audition for Kirin Art School, where she finds out her talents and dreams. Jason—He’s a genius who has impeccable talents in singing and dancing but he’s not too interested in competing with others. He’s a public enemy insofar as he makes Jin-guk nervous with his dancing and threatens Sam-dong with singing. Kim Pil-suk—She looks like someone who may appear on a comedy cartoon but has the sensibilities of one on a drama cartoon. She’s mesmerised instantly by Jason whom she met at Kirin Art School and develops a one-sided love for him. Distributed By: Poh Kim Video Tel: 6842 1288