Pluckerz Corner

Movie Review: The Orphan

Have you ever wanted to adopt a child? For any reason it may be? Maybe because you want to grow your family, or perhaps you just love children. For Kate Coleman (Vera Farmiga) and her husband John (Peter Sarsgaard), it was about completing their family. They will soon meet Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), an orphan from a nearby orphanage. She dresses a little funny and speaks very politely and isn't like other children... That is because she is not who she seems to be... Has the story unfolds, a mystery and dark past comes forward. A thriller with an interesting twist to it, The Orphan is not that bad a movie to watch.

Mini Synopsis

The movie will start off with Kate being pregnant and about to give birth. Her dreams of giving birth to a child soon turns into a nightmare when she suffers a miscarriage just before giving birth. She goes through extreme amounts of pain only to wake up and realize that it was just a dream of her losing her baby. Kate has however two children already. A son and a deaf-mute daughter (who is really very cute). Kate also suffers from past alcoholism and has struggled to overcome it.

The lost of her child did not help in anyway either. But she and her husband still wanted another child, seemingly wanting to complete their family. They soon head out to a nearby orphanage and meet the children. One in particular stands out... It is none other then Esther. She is an orphan from Russia who lost her family in a fire. She is polite, sweet, paints well, comes up with very nice stories and pick things up very quickly. She is the perfect child... or is she? Kate and John decides to adopt her and brought her home to meet her new siblings. Esther seems to fit in so well at first, but things will soon turn for the worst.

Creepy things slowly starts to happen. Accidents of all sorts. The weird thing was, when those so called "accidents" happen, Esther wasn't to far away. Kate beings to feel that something wasn't right but her husband John felt that Kate has yet to accept the lost of her child and is being paranoid. But Kate is determine that there is something wrong with Esther. She slowly investigates about Esther and discovers a shocking but real fact about her... The little girl they adopted was more then they expected. What is Esther hiding? Who is she really? Watch The Orphan to find out... =p

My Feedback On The Movie

Well, to be really honest, I felt that the movie was to draggy. The story line of the show was being based more on not so important issues and was being stretched for far to long. I won't deny that the twist to the story was pretty interesting and what Kate found out about Esther was shocking as well, but that only came very far towards the end and it played out very quickly. So the initial part of the whole movie was pretty draggy.

Also, an interesting fact that I read about this movie was that it was actually called to be boycotted. This was because many people calms that it portrayed a bad image for orphans and orphanages a like. But it made no sense for that really because once you find out what was wrong with Esther, you would realize that this case would probably never ever occur. So finally, I would rate The Orphan 3 out of 5 stars due to its interesting twist. So if you want to find out the secret behind Esther, watch The Orphan... Enjoy!!! =)

Movie Review: Up

Everyone has some dream in life that they would like to accomplish. May it be to travel around the world or to visit some unknown place to winning the lottery or building an empire. =p But for Carl Fredricksen, at age 78, its not going to be an easy task to fulfillyour dreams. Always wanting to travel the globe and live life to its fullest, but age soon catches up and he feels that life has passed him by. Not until he meets Russell, an 8-year old wilderness explorer. The unlikely pair sets out on a pretty weird adventure... A great movie to watch and enjoy. I managed to catch the first screening and really enjoyed every bit of it. Filled with good jokes and life lessons anyone can use, Up is a really great animation.

Mini Synopsis

So, the movie starts off with Carl, and seeing how his life progress. From a little kid with a heart for adventure till he gets married and grows old. His adventure starts after watching an adventure documentary of an adventurer, Charles Muntz. He soon meets his wife to be, Ellie, who makes him promise that he will take her to Paradise Falls someday.

So life goes on and soon as you know it, Carl and Ellie are in their old ages. Things don't really happen the way they planned and some sad stuff happens as well. So, there we have Carl in his old age and feeling that life has passed him by. Grumpy and about to have his house taken away from him, Carl decides that this would be his last chance for some adventure. He rigs his house up with balloons and sets off on his way to Paradise Falls. Little does he know that he has a little stow away with him on board his flying house. Russell, the little wilderness explorer.

So the two sets out on a funny adventure filled with un-suspecting villains and companions. They will be joined by Dug (the talking dog) and Kevin (the paradise monster - so called). So from a boring life, to an adventure filled with excitement and surprises, Up will surely keep you entertained. You will feel very connected with the characters as the movie progresses. But what villains await Carl and Russell as they journey on to Paradise Falls? Watch Up to find out. =p

My Feedback Of The Movie

Like I said, the movie is really fun to watch. Filled with laughter and great life lessons along the way. The movie also tells us that age is just a number and nothing should stop us from seek out the adventure that we want to have. Up also provides its viewers with different types of personalities and characters that everyone will enjoy.

So do go watch the movie Up to join Carl and Russell on their adventure. Believe me, you will surely enjoy the movie as much as I did. =) I would rate Up a solid 5 out of 5 stars for its wonderful characters and story line. For all the comedy, adventure and drama, I feel that this is one of Disney/Pixar's better animations. Who knows, it might be the best to date! =) I hope you all enjoy the movie as much as I did. =)

Movie Review: The Proposal

Ever imaged how you would be proposing to the person of your dreams or being proposed to? Well, I believe we all have some point in our lives. But imagine this, you work for an extremely horrible, evil, devil-like boss and in order to keep your job and save your career, you need to marry this person... =S The boss: Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock). The sad victim: Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds). A movie filled with laughs and good moral values, The Proposal is a really fun movie to watch. So here is a mini synopsis of the movie for all you Pluckers. =)

Mini Synopsis

So like I said, this movie is about an evil, everybody-hates-this-person, type of boss and her I-will-do-everything-for-you, assistant. The movie starts out with Andrew Paxton (Reynolds) running all his bosses errands and making sure everything goes well for her. Margaret (Bullock) on the other hand is busy with herself and proceeds to firing somebody. This women is full of arrogance and pride. Everyone is afraid of her and she is sitting on top of the world.

But just as everything was falling into place for Margaret, an unlikely event takes place. She is a Canadian whose visa has already expired and is about to get deported back to Canada. If that happens, she not only loses her job but, the person that she fired will take her position as editor of the company. Has she begs and pleads with the directors of the company, out pops Andrew. He starts telling her some stuff about work and the word "Engage" pops up somewhere along the line, sparking a brilliant idea for Margaret to save her career. She then turns to the directors and tells them that she and Andrew are about to get married. Andrew's is shocked and left speechless. The two then negotiate the terms of their so called "Proposal" and "Marriage" after visiting the immigration department.

So from the busy streets of New York, Margaret and Andrew will travel to the quiet, beautiful and laid-back town of Sitka in Alaska. There Margaret will meet Andrew's family and experience life in a whole new way. The once so-in-control-of-herself editor finds herself in one comedic fish-out-of-water situation to another. So, with a weird wedding about to take place and a determine immigration officer on their tails, they both agreed to stick with their plan of getting married (despite the fact that they have loads of issues with one another and the precarious consequences).

My Feedback Of The Movie

The movie was really fun to watch =) It was filled with laughs and it had an interesting twist. It was also fun to see Bullock play a bitchy boss and what she would have to go through in order not to get deported. The movie was also like a National Geographic documentary at times =p with all the beautiful scenary shots of the Alaskan mountains and sea. Throughout the movie as well, I notice that there were sort of like different moral values.

So all and all, with all its humor and moral values, I would rate The Proposal, out of 5 stars, an awesome 4 stars. The movie is great for couples (young and old), families, and those who just want a good laugh. Also for all you Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds fans too. So I hope you guys enjoy this movie as much as I did. Enjoy!!! =D

Movie Review: Public Enemies

A movie with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, how do you think it would end? Public Enemies premiered in the cinemas about a week back and so far, I haven't heard anything bad about it. Its true I tell you, I watched myself already =D It is a pretty awesome movie with these two superstars in it. It has a mix of action, drama and a little bit of humor in it as well. So here is a mini synopsis of the movie. =)

Mini Synopsis

The movie takes places in the 1930's. America is faced with the Depression and it was sort of a party time for criminals such as John Dillinger (Depp), Baby Face Nelson (Stephan Graham) and Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi). The movie is based on author Bryan Burrough's Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI. Dillinger was a charismatic bank robber whose lightning fast raids became well known to everyone and making him America's first ever Public Enemy Number One.

No one could stop Dillinger and his band of outlaws. No jail could hold him either. He could easily break out of every jail that he was placed in during the course of the movie. But though he rob banks, Dillinger would not harm anyone unnecessarily . He would also not take money from the public, only the banks. He was a real gentlemen and the public loved him and hated the banks which plunged the country into that Depression.

During that time, the FBI was also in the midst of its formation. J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) was in charge of them. He took this opportunity to make Dillinger the most wanted criminal at that time in hopes that capturing him would boost his Bureau of Investigation. He then brings in Melvin Purvis (Bale) in order to capture Dillinger. But Purvis underestimates Dillinger and ingenuity as a criminal mastermind. Outwitted and outgunned, Purvis only hope was to turn to several ex-lawman from the West and orchestrating a series of betrayals that was so cunning that the criminal mastermind would also not expect.

Watch the movie to find out what happens =)

My feedback on the movie

I feel that the movie was really interesting and filled with excitement. It was very interesting to see how Dillinger could outwit the FBI almost every single time. Not only that, watching him escape from prison with so much ease was also very amazing to watch. But there were several fun facts in the movie though. For example, at certain parts of the movie, Dillinger would be walking around in public and no one would take notice of him. Not only that, there will be a point in the show where he was surrounded by the police, but no one could recognize him. He could even walk in and out of the police station and no one would know its him. All he had for a disguise was a hat, a pair of sunglasses and a thin mustache. At times it was just hilarious. =) Out of 5 stars, I would rate this movie at a 4 and a half star. =) A must watch for you Johnny Depp and Christian Bale fans.

NKOTB: 2 In The Morning

Who would have thought that New Kids On The Block (NKOTB) could make such a comeback. I mean, I heard this song quite a while back and no matter how many times I listen to it, I can't seem to get bored of it. I don't know... maybe it has something to do with the beat and meaning to the song. Its a really amazing comeback from the guys and full respect to them for returning so well, and with such great music. 

This song really does mean alot to me... Its really meaningful and to all you couples out there having problems, this song is for you. I hope it helps you. So here it is. I hope you all like it as much as I do. =D

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2 In The Morning

Tic-tic-toc-toc
Tic-tic-toc-toc-tic-tic
Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up

I know you must have had a long day
Cause at six o’clock I heard you say
There was something that was on your mind
But you ain’t told me and it’s almost nine

Now it’s nine o’clock and I thought we could talk
But you ain’t givin’ it, (girl)
Will this ever end? Girl, it’s almost ten
Gotta know if you’re mad at me before Grey’s Anatomy
Cause we could drag this out all night, until

It's 2 in the morning
Girl, what do you wanna do?
Do you wanna fight? Wanna say goodnight?
If you tell me you want it, this could be over
Cause it's 2 in the morning
Girl, what do you wanna do?
Do you wanna fight?
Wanna say goodnight?
If you tell me you want it
This could be over

The lights are out, don’t wanna wake you so, I’m creepin’ in
I know you’re hurt cause baby, I’m not sleepin’ in
My favorite pair of boxers that you make look so hot, girl
You're playing sleep but I know that you’re not, girl
And now it’s 12 o’clock and I thought I should talk
But, you’re not listening
Here we go again, you know I like it when
You got your back to me,
But now when you’re mad at me
Please look at me and say goodnight

It's 2 in the morning
Girl, what do you wanna do?
Do you wanna fight? Wanna say goodnight?
If you tell me you want it, this could be over
Cause it's 2 in the morning
Girl, what do you wanna do?
Do you wanna fight? Wanna say goodnight?
If you tell me you want it, this could be over

I wanna come over, baby, turn over

Girl, I’ve been laying up all night (up all night)
Just waiting for your kiss goodnight (goodnight)
Even if you’re mad at me (mad at me)
You know we shouldn’t go to bed angry

It's 2 in the morning (2 in the morning)
Girl, what do you wanna do?
Do you wanna fight? Wanna say goodnight?
If you tell me you want it
This could be over
Cause it's 2 in the morning
Girl, what do you wanna do?
Do you wanna fight? Wanna say goodnight?
If you tell me you want it
This could be over

We could work it out (wake up wake up)
We could work it out (get up get up)
We could work it out, I wanna come over
We could work it out
We could work it out
We could work it out, I wanna come over

Movie Review: Monsters Vs Aliens

Monsters vs Aliens is an animated film filled with laughs. Premiered about a month ago, I only got to watch it several days back. =p It was pretty cool actually. The animation was really top class and advance. The storyline was rather direct and typical, hero beats villian thingy. But a good movie to watch non the less.

Short Synopsis

The story starts of with Susan. She is your average everyday girl, doing her average everyday thing and was about to get married to her weather-man boyfriend. Then, out of the blue, she gets hit by a meteorite which causes her to grow about 50 feet tall and her hair turned all white.

She was then captured by the government and was locked up alone with other monsters. They are, Dr. Cockroach Ph.D, The Missing Link, the gelatinous (and brainless) B.O.B, and a 350-feet grub named Insectosaurus. Together they must team up to save their country, America (the only country that aliens seem to go to) from an alien who wants to conquer the world.

So go catch the movie if you want to know what happens. =)

My feedback on the movie

The movie overall was good. It was filled with loads of laughs and their great combination of funny characters, great animation and visual effects, makes this movie very enjoyable. The plot however has came under heavy criticism ever since its release. Many (including myself) feels that the storyline / plot could have been much more interesting. With such great animation, its a shame that they could get a plot that could match. So, on a scale of 1 to 5, I would give Monsters vs Aliens a 3 and a half stars for its great animation and humor.

Note, audience should really watch the 3D version. If you don't mind paying a little bit extra for it. Its not only a great family movie but also for everyone.

 Insectosaurus with an alien

Movie Review: Transformers 2

Finally after many months of waiting, its here! Transformers 2 is here!!! =D

The much anticipated movie of the year has hit the shores of Malaysia. I have been personally waiting for it ever since I knew that there was going to be a second installment. So, I went a couple of days back to watch it and it was really, really awesome!!! =) I ended up watching it twice =p

So here is a little bit about Transformers 2: Revenge of The Fallen.

Short Synopsis:

After 2 years from the first time the Autobots came to Earth, they have found a new home in"NEST", a secret military unit created to seek out and destroy all remaining Decepticons. While they go about hunting those Decepticons, little do they know that Soundwave (a satellite) is in orbit, listening to their every movement and preparing the Decepticons for their counterstrike. After Ravage steals the shard of the Allspark from NEST, a team of Constructicons and The Doctor, journey to the bottom of the ocean where Megatron was thrown into to revive him. The Decepticon leader then jets back to the crashed Nemesis where he meets Starscream and his master, The Fallen.

The Fallen will then explain that he had built a Solar Harvester on Earth long ago to extract the energon. He went against the Primes' code of never harming an inhabited planet. The Primes turned against him, banished and imprisoned him. The Harvester still stand however and only one Prime remains, Optimus Prime. So, if Megatron destroys Optimus Prime, The Fallen will be freed from his imprisonment and will be able to activate the Harvester, which will destroy Earth and give the Decepticons enough energon to raise an army. Megatron obeys and returns to Earth to with a vengeance.

Sam Witwicky however is the only person who knows where the Key to the Harvester is. He absorbed the knowledge from another Allspark shard. The Decepticons begin their all-out war on Earth as they hunt down Sam. The Autobots and NEST are blamed for the ensuing carnage. Sam goes to ground, and must turn to unlikely allies in order to find a solution to stop this catastrophe.

So if you guys wanna know all that happens, I suggest you watch the movie. It is really worth it. =)

 

A screen-shot of Megan Fox =)

My feedback about the movie

Well, overall I felt the movie was really good. Though at certain points the story line was a little bit off, the movie was still awesome. I did feel that the plot could have been more interesting in some ways like maybe the addition of more Autobots or a certain climax and anti-climax to the movie.

I also did realize a couple of weird things and loopholes in the movie. For example:

• The Decepticons used the Allspark shard they stole to revive Megatron right? So why couldn't they use the shard that Sam found on his jacket? Was it because it was to small?

• Or the part when Megatron was revived and coming up from the ocean. When the Decepticons were going down, there were 5 of them. One of them got very unlucky and was ripped up for parts for Megatron's revival. But when they were coming up the sonar person said that there is now 6 heading up. The only possibility is that the sonar was strong enough to detect The Doctor as well.

• The Decepticon that was after Sam (Alice) could transform into a HUMAN!!! So, if she could do that, it would mean other Decepticons and Autobots should be able to do the same.

Well, these are just a few of them. But they didn't actually spoil the movie in anyway. It was just my observation. =) So my rating for the show, if it was out of 5, I will give it a solid 4 and a half.

I can also safely say that there will be a Transformers 3. It has been confirmed by Paramount that there will be a third installment to this movie. So we are looking at the release date to be around 2011 - 2012. Can't wait!!!

So for all of you who haven't yet watched Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, GO!!! Go and watch it.

The Passing of the King Of Pop - M.J

Who doesn't know Michael Jackson? The man who remind me of days where I would pretend and dancing like him. Trying to do the moonwalk, and trying to dance to his moves in "Thriller". Dressing up and wearing similar sunglasses to look like him. He was an icon to many throughout his music career. Always fighting to unit the "blacks" and "whites", bringing the awareness of the suffering of people in Africa, and many others. He was "The King Of Pop".

Though he enjoyed much fame and fortune, Jackson's illustrious career would be plagued with sexual scandals and financial meltdown.

 Michael Jackson at age 11

He started his career at the age of 11 with his brothers, The Jackson 5. There he and his brother, Marlon, were the lead singers. They toured the midwest, and later signed for Motown Records in 1968. The Jackson 5 went on to produce hits like "ABC", "I'll Be There", "I Want you back", and "The Love You Save" all which peaked at number one on the Billboard 100 Hits.

Jackson would later produce his greatest works such as "Thriller", "Billie Jean", and "Beat It" which were on his album "Thriller", sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide, making it the best selling album of all time. His signature move - the moonwalk - debuted on Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever during his performance of "Billie Jean" live where about 47 million viewers were watching.

 Michael Jackson before his illnesses

He then suffered a setback on the 27th of January 1984, during a filming for a Pepsi Cola commercial. Jackson's hair was accidentally set on fire by pyrotechnics and he suffered second degree burns to his scalp. He went on with his third rhinoplasty surgery (for his nose) and soon after, became very self conscious about his appearance.

 Michael at the peak of his career

On the very same year, 14th May 1984, Jackson was invited to the White House to receive an award from American President, Ronald Reagan. It was an award for Jackson's support of charities that help people with alcohol and drug abuse.

In the year 1986 would be the year that widespread rumors and tabloids started following Jackson. It began with the story of Jackson sleeping in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to slow his aging. The claim was untrue and Jackson himself explained that the reason for the photo of him in the chamber was for a promotion of his upcoming movie at that time, Captain EO. Next, Jackson would purchase a pet chimpanzee called Bubbles who he shared his toilet with him. Jackson was linked with the rumor of purchasing the bones of The Elephant Man. Although untrue, these claims and stories inspired the nickname, Wacko Jacko.

  Michael after being hit by illnesses

News of Jackson bleaching his skin to become fairer was also untrue. Jackson was actually diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus (both illnesses made him sensitive to sunlight). Changes to his face however, were due to significant weight loss. There were witnesses that speculated that Jackson was suffering from anorexia nervosa. Other medical professionals believed that the singer had body dysmorphic disorder, a psychological condition where the sufferer has no concept on how others perceive them.

How he look like then till now

Many other rumors, tabloids and gossip shadowed the King Of Pop during his reign. But through it all, he came back stronger then ever. May it be sexual scandals, financial debts, health issues or even re-launching his career, Jackson always seemed to make it through. He persevered and continued his work with charity and those in need all over the global. He also continued to win many awards and nominations.

Jackson was scheduled for an unprecedented 50 shows at a London arena, with the first starting on the 13th of July 2009. A move that was setup for his comeback into the music industry. His first 10 shows alone would have earned him approximately £50 million. He was said to be rehearsing really hard and was looking forward to it.

Sadly, his reign ended on the 25th of June 2009. He was found unconscious in his rented home in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles. Paramedics responded to a 911 call and arrived at approximately 12.30pm. Jackson was reportedly not breathing and CPR was quickly performed. He was then rushed to UCLA Medical Center when he fell into coma. Its to be said that the caused of his death was Cardiac Arrest (an abnormal heart rhythm that stops the heart from pumping blood to the body).

The uniter of Black and White music leaves behind 3 children (Prince, Paris and Blanket), 2 ex wives (Lisa Marie Presley and Deborah Jeanne Rowe), and millions of fans (including me) that he had gained throughout his years. Thank you for your great music... You will always be remembered. This is my tribute to Michael Jackson, the true King Of Pop. R.I.P

 

Rest In Peace Michael Jackson (1958 - 2009)

For other references:

• http://www.michaeljackson.com

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_jackson

Movies and Music

The double M... Movies and music. Here, I will be posting to you Pluckerz about all sorts of movies and music. From the classics to the modern age. From comedy, to horror. I will be filling you all with loads of information and news.

I'll even try to cover non-english music and movies. =) Hopefully you guys will also be interested in getting to know more about them.

And of course if you know of a good movie or music piece, please do let us know at anytime. =)