The Field Marshal

Have not been able to catch any of the latest Hollywood flicks on the big screen. So, had to count on dvds and Star Movies for my diet of movies. Having been hugely impressed by Peter Jackson's LOTR trilogy, I had pretty high expectations of King Kong. Being the ever avid dvd collector, I got myself a 2-disc code 1 dvd version of the movie. Both Mydaemon and I were expecting a roaring good time when I popped in the disc. Perhaps it's me. But as the movie progressed, I felt that it was one of the most uninspired movies I have ever watched. The CGI depiction of Kong and his T-Rex nemesis were great. Colours were vibrant. Sound effects were so-so. But the word 'overkill' was written all over the movie. I can still remember vividly the scenes where Adrien Brody was attacked by giant insects, again and again and again, and then there was the scene where Naomi Watts, bless her good looks, juggled and danced so that Kong would growl in approval. Think there were more, but my mind was too numb to remember all of them. I give this movie a rating a rating of only 6/10. Nothing fantastic. Good CGI, but not groundbreaking when compared to Spielberg's Jurassic Park in 1991(?). Oh yeah, another overkill scene was the stampede of the dinos. It felt like it lasted forever. Seabiscuit

Got the chance to catch this movie on Saturday. Although I am not a fan of Toby Maguire, I am a fan of stories depicting the triumph of the underdogs. The storyline for this movie is simple. What do you get when you put together a down and out racehorse, a passionate trainer and a kid who's blind in one eye? One hell of a good movie which showcases the strength of spirit, in both man and animal. This story is all about putting 'broken' people together and having each of them helping each other in fixing themselves. Always had a soft spot for such movies, especially when they are based on true life accounts. Despite the lack of mind-boggling CGI or action scenes, the storyline got my vote. Seabiscuit gets a rating of 8/10. I thoroughly enjoyed it. By the way, the photo above is a real photo of Seabiscuit and Red Pollack (acted by Toby in the movie). Hostage It has been a long time since I watched an action-flick. The last one should be Chronicles of Riddick, which I caught on HBO while at my parents place. Bruce Willis is my all time favourite botak action hero. Instead of hearing lines like "I see dead people.", the movie is a nicely paced action thriller taking place in a sleepy small town.

Willis is a police negotiator who has chosen to take up the post of a small-town sheriff after failing to save the hostages in a case he was negotiating. Hasn't he learnt that life's troubles don't disappear when one chooses the escape route? Trouble will follow you everywhere till you have solved the problem. Anyway, Bruce's negotiating skills were once again put to the test when 3 rednecks held a family hostage after a botched robbery.

The twist in the story came when Willis' family was also taken hostage by a highly clandestine group, who seems to work for the rich and powerful. These fellas wanted a dvd from the home of the family, which happens to be held hostage. So, Bruce had to save his family while also ensuring that the lives of his hostages are not compromised. The story is more complicated than this, but you gotta watch it yourself as I don'tintend to go into specifics.

The simple storyline was both engaging and well paced. Both Mydaemon and I had our eyes glued, mine more so, to the tv as the story unfolded. Bruce was once again the hero that saved the day. For it well paced plot, I give it a rating of 7/10. An entertaining movie.