DAM NATION has been deleted

My old blog, http://damthenation.blogspot.com, has been hacked and deleted! I don't know how but it's all gone! Everything! Geez. So I need to start from scratch. I don't have any back up filed of everything. I'll try my best to rebuild my site and hopefully, all ends well.

Welcome to the new DAM NATION!

Movie Review: Alice In Wonderland

Muchness. Ha.

Having never really read the book/s and only having little to no memory of the old Disney cartoon version of Alice in Wonderland, all I knew going into this film was the gist of what the story was about. And no matter how different things may be this time around, I thought that it was still an interesting tale.

As far as the story goes, I personally thought that this was an interesting interpretation. I never really felt things got boring at any stage, which was refreshing. Yes, the storyline may be a little rushed and I would have liked a bit more time to explore the characters, but it worked fine for the movie. To me, the story ended at just the right moment and with a nice conclusion for the lead character.

The acting ensemble was actually noteworthy. Anne Hathaway was acting so odd that I actually found her portrayal quite arresting. Helena Bonham Carter, I thought, single-handedly made everything interesting. Her portrayal was both amusing and a total riot. Johnny Depp, on the other hand, played his role with his usual gusto. He clearly brought some energy and quirkiness to such an oddball character that I actually saw a hint of Willy Wonka and Jack Sparrow somewhere. And as for Alice, I found Mia Wasikowska to be a perfect cast for the lead role as she was able to carry the film surprisingly well despite all the amazing visuals and weird to wonderful characters in the story.

Visually, it was obviously amazing! I mean, its execution weren't as seamless as Avatar's but this must be the first movie I genuinely enjoyed after watching that said blockbuster. Here, I really liked Tim Burton's style where the world seemed so clean, lush and happy. He managed to create an amazing place, often colorful, but equally ravaged and desolate. It was undeniably a treat for the eyes, with the set pieces and design shining through the technology.

If any fault was to be found in the film, in my opinion the blame would be placed on the bar that was set way too high by Avatar with regard to the visuals. Previously, the computer generated effects present in this film would have knocked everyone's sock off, however, in a post-Avatar world, this was significantly underwhelming.

Nonetheless, I REALLY enjoyed this sparklingly fresh fantasy world of Alice!

RATING: 9/10

Movie Review: It's Complicated

I am a bit conflicted with this one. Considering the cast, I began to watch this movie with high expectations. Sadly, I was somehow a bit disappointed.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't horrible but its overly predictable plot [I saw the ending coming a mile away] left me wanting more than just that! I mean, the story was almost promising and I thought that it all went well until I got to know the characters. Then it stopped. And the rest of the movie just passed by like short parodies with commercial breaks as people staring to each other with sparkling eyes.

The real problem, to me, was the script. It was a little too cliched and frankly not funny enough. Some of the lines were lame and I didn't buy the happy ending for one second - although, it made me a little emotional. Also, there were too many unnecessary scenes in the film. The idea of putting so many interesting scenes together to have an additive effect didn't work here - it did not make the whole seem more beautiful.

To be fair though, I thought that the film had some great moments. The acting, for one, was impeccable. Three exceptional actors - Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin - ply their crafts perfectly. Meryl Streep was natural and proved that she can still create a character from scratch and make the role as real as possible. Alec Baldwin had the charm and magnetism to carry such a role. I thought he showed top comedic work here. Steve Martin, on the other hand, was surprisingly in control and utterly enjoyable.

The film did run a bit long and lost some of it's spark in the finale act, but it was still pure entertainment, at the very least. I adore the actors. I like the genre. I unwillingly bought the premise. But I ultimately was still disappointed. I don't know. It really is complicated. Haha.

RATING: 6/10

Movie Review: Miss You Like Crazy

Star Cinema never fails to amuse me. They are consistently producing one good movie after the other and this is no exception. I thought that the film itself was very insightful and its overall charm alone made it better than the usual.

To be honest, I found the first 30 minutes of the film to be a tad boring but the somewhat unconventional storyline made me appreciate the whole lot. Yes, it didn't avoid the usual Star Cinema formula but the film was able to develop the characters quite nicely by giving them enough back story and complete arcs. I personally liked the fact that the story was equipped with a believable script supported by remarkable actors.

The leads - John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo - were AGAIN just outstanding to the point where I admire every flex of their facial muscle for sheer mastery of control, expression and projection. Individually, I saw the subtlety and the nuances in their acting, and together, they were able to prove that the palpable chemistry was still there. Needless to say, both actors were effective in their performances.

That said, the supporting cast also held its own. I found Maricar Reyes to be so convincing for the role that I want her to portray every single 'socialite' role in other Star Cinema projects. Also, I got to admire Bembol Roco for his underrated but effective performance. Seriously. His limited scenes didn’t prevent him from being one of the most notable actors in the movie.

And while the inherent cheesiness cannot be avoided, I must admit that I genuinely enjoyed the film. Truth be told, the movie didn't simply rely on the usual 'kilig' moments but on the depth and maturity of the story and the lead's portrayal.

Another love story that was well complemented by a superb cast, a good story and a direction that was already crafted perfectly by Cathy Molina-Garcia herself. A very nice feel-good movie.

RATING: 7/10

Movie Review: Dear John

This was a wonderful and heartbreaking story. It wasn't perfect - far from it actually - but I fell in love with it immediately.

I haven't read the book - written by Nicholas Sparks - but the plot, I thought, was absolutely stunning and fairly unpredictable. The storyline was engaging and somehow took me on an emotional journey from start to finish. I also loved the touching subplot, which made the movie that much more interesting.

The narrative was also good at the beginning although as the story progressed, it started jumping into scenes that I lost track of its essence including the awkwardly-executed twist that lead the film into a murky second half. Having said that, the love story at its core was charming and endearing.

The two leads, Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfriend, did surprisingly well in their roles. I have to say that the chemistry between them was believable, intense and undeniably noteworthy. I thought that it was certainly the best thing about this film. Individually, Tatum came through pretty well. He emerged as seething with emotion, but strong in holding back. Seyfried, on the other hand, wasn't distinctive but adequate and very sincere.

The real remarkable performance, however, was given by the incredible Richard Jenkins as Tatum's father. He delivered a remarkable performance that, though limited in duration, was packed with emotion and honesty. I thought that his powerful performance resonated in every single second he was in.

Yes, it may have been a little dramatic at times and the feel-good ending was a bit far-fetched and trite, but everything else considered, this was worth seeing. Maybe not as good as The Notebook but it has its own charm to boot. I was satisfied - to say the least.

RATING: 7/10

Movie Review: Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Oh my Gods and Goddesses! Haha.

I've never been a big fan of Greek mythology, so based upon that criteria I've never been a big fan of movies about the subject. And although it did have its fair share of plot loopholes for me to ridicule, I thought the movie was decent - at the very least. Not bad but far from excellent.

Plot wise, it was extremely straight forward - though it was nothing I would not expect from a movie like this. The story, I thought, was a bit thin, flat and two dimensional. I was told that this was an adaptation from a book but the screenplay was lacking. The whole 'demi-god camp' with hundreds of God offspring seemed a little peculiar, considering the limited amount of Gods to begin with. And the fact that the whole thing took place in the United States ALONE struck me somewhat odd.

The action and fight scenes left much to be desired. So much potential wasted from start to end. To say that it met the basic action fight scene requirements for a movie in this genre would be somewhat of an insult to its contemporaries. I thought that the choreography of the 'sword fighting scenes' for instance were a bit disjointed thus allowing it to feel staged.

On the other hand, the visual effects, while nothing groundbreaking, were done to an acceptable level. I was extremely impressed with the mean looking design of the Underworld. The scoring wasn't overbearing but nothing memorable aside from the misplaced Poker Face and TikTok. Haha.

The casting ensemble was done correctly. I thought Logan Leman did a fantastic job as the lead. He was certainly convincing enough and he kept things moving along over some rough spots with plenty of charisma and twinkle. Also, the veteran actors were well within their comfort zones so they did okay. Believable but sorely lacking in depth and emotions.

As a single movie for a bit of Hollywood entertainment, it was fine. It did feel a bit empty with some cheap thrills and cheap laughs but that didn't surprise me at all. Simply put, it was a mind-numbingly raw experience from beginning to end.

 RATING: 6/10

Movie Review: Valentine's Day

On paper, a lot can go wrong when you have too many A-list actors and too many parallel stories to deal with. Much to my surprise, this was actually a good movie. It was entertaining and not overly schmaltzy!

Frankly, the film was so predictable, contrived and cliched that it probably described the celebration of Valentine's Day itself. And while the story may be a little too common - what movie isn't these days? - it was only fair to say that it had a few nice surprises up it's sleeves too.

I thought that majority of the movie was cleverly written with the storylines segue into each other effortlessly. It was littered with fantastic humor and kept me laughing all the way. Yes. The story did move around a lot from character to character - thus less character development - but I felt that there was a decent effort to get that coherent story where the parts add up to a whole.

The cast, obviously, was the strongest thing about this film. I thought that almost everyone gave compelling performances, apart from Jessica Alba who looked bored and unenthused in the movie, thankfully, she only had a small part. Ashton Kutcher was very good and he pulled off one of the bigger roles really well. I fell in love with Jennifer Garner all over again and Jessica Biel had charisma to spare. I loved Bradley Cooper and Julia Robert's storyline. Taylor Swift was surprisingly funny and annoying, although I think she was supposed to be. Anne Hathaway, Jamie Foxx, Queen Latifah and Topher Grace weren't so bad either. Sadly, Taylor Lautner and Kathy Bates were underused. Also, Hector Elizandro and Shirley Maclaine's storyline should have been fleshed out a bit more, I think.

Overall, a definite guilty pleasure. I found just about everything I expected to find in a movie of this sort. It's more meaningful to reiterate that this flick was well made, capably acted, plenty of good laughs with some tender moments and sweet poignant surprise twist at the end. Quite well done!

 RATING: 8/10