‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ is awesome. A must-see at the big screen.

Originally scheduled to be released in last year’s November, ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ finally premiered to cinemas worldwide on last Wednesday. It is one of my most highly anticipated movies of the year. I can’t wait to see the clash and epic battle between the two Titans; Godzilla and Kong and this movie delivered on that perfectly well.

It all started with 2014’s Godzilla film where the titular monster battled and defeated the MUTOs. It was then followed by 2017’s Kong: Skull Island where the mighty ape took down Skullcrawlers. A sequel film to Godzilla was released in 2019 and is titled ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ where the Godzilla managed to kill even the powerful King Ghidorah. And now in Godzilla vs. Kong, both Godzilla and Kong appeared together in a single movie to take down Mechagodzilla. (opps…spoiler!)

The film started off with human characters’ development that didn’t quite take off except for the deaf little girl who is the only one that bonded with Kong and can communicate with him. Anyway, humans are not critical for this type of film; the titans are. As soon as the first encounter between Kong and Godzilla occurred, things get very excited. That’s what all of us wanted to see from this movie. The film delivered intense and heart-stopping battle scenes from the sea all the way to Hong Kong city. Those fight scenes are pure awesome! The visual effects are extremely good too!

Sorry to Kong’s fans. In the first battle with Godzilla, Kong did lost because he had a disadvantage as the clash took place on water. He will drown underwater but not Godzilla. In the second battle at Hong Kong, he lost again to Godzilla despite having the help of a giant axe. Godzilla is truly the king of the monsters. Once Mechagodzilla appeared, the two teamed up to take down this robotic Godzilla-lookalike monster and Kong finally had a proud moment in the end as he is the one that tore down and killed Mechagodzilla with the axe powered up by Godzilla’s atomic blast. This is a movie that must be watched on the big screen to truly experience the epic battles of these titans. The film didn’t disappoint and I would rate it a total of 8.0 out of 10.

On the other hand, I have watched another movie called ‘The Father’ which was released last year and it was a good movie. It was also recently nominated at the Oscars for several categories. The story follows an aging man portrayed by Anthony Hopkins who must deal with his progressing memory loss. Olivia Colman starred as his daughter.

The film’s portrayal of dementia is very emphathetic and it moved me a lot. I do felt the struggle and pain of the aged father who had to deal with this illness while watching the story develops. Both Anthony and Olivia delivered excellent performances in here and made the movie so heartfelt and moving. It’s a small conventional story but is executed effectively. Out of 10 points, I rate ‘The Father’ 8.2.

(Images in this post are from various online sources)

Congratz to Lee Zii Jia on winning 2021 All England Open!

Since yesterday’s evening, my Facebook home page is flooded with news and posts congratulating Lee Zii Jia on winning the 2021 All England Open. All England Open is considered one of the most prestigious annual badminton championships and the last time a Malaysian winning in the tournament is none other than Lee Chong Wei back in 2017 before his retirement.

On last night, I do knew earlier than Zii Jia succeeded on getting into the final (he is the last Malaysian standing) but I couldn’t find any online platform to watch the match live. By the time it is almost midnight, we were all greeted with news of him winning the championship. He defeated Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen (30-29, 20-22, 21-9). Looking at the score, it must be a very tight and intense match in the first two games.

Today I managed to saw the highlight of the match from YouTube and his performance was really good. He appeared to be not nervous although the score was neck to neck in the first two matches. That is good. Getting nervous can really affect one’s performance on court. His solid game throughout the tournament allowed him to win over Kento Momota (current world’s no.1) in quarterfinal and over Viktor Axelsen (current world’s no.2) in the final yesterday.

He is only 23 years old this year. Ahhaa…he is still young and has many years ahead. Hopefully he can maintain or even further improve on his form and then we will see the next successor of Lee Chong Wei in representing Malaysia to win more badminton championships and even the very first elusive Olympic gold medal in the near future. However, his performance over the years was actually not consistent (sometimes good, sometimes bad). Hopefully he will just excel from this day onward. I have not been watching badminton tournaments for a couple of years already ever since Chong Wei retired because literally there is no one else from Malaysia’s badminton team that can truly deliver on international stage.

Now, Lee Zii Jia gave us back some hope. But I think he should not be too proud over this recent achievement and should instead push himself further to be the undefeatable. Tokyo 2020 Olympics is just around the corner (postponed due to the pandemic and is now scheduled to be held from July to August this year). Hope he can do well there!

(Images in this post are from various online sources)

Review to ‘The Forgotten Day’ and ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’.

‘The Forgotten Day’ is the third TVB series that I have watched this year. This 27-episode drama revolves around two individuals with different background who got kidnapped together. In the process, one of them lost 24 hours of memory which led to eventful stories. The series starred Roger Kwok, Shaun Tam, David Chiang, Grace Wong, Roxanne Tong, Zoie Tam, Elvina Kong, etc.

The series went off to a convincing start. The two main characters immediately bump onto one another into a strange friendship after they both supposingly got kidnapped together. Shaun lost a day of memory and seeks the truth to what actually happened on the day of the kidnapping that led to disappearance of his wife. On the other hand, Roger has to hide information from Shaun while trying to be a better person to his family. That’s quite an interesting plot.

However, as the story develops, things get very draggy. The scenes with Roxanne Tong and her relationship with Shaun are particularly boring to me. Same goes to scenes with Shaun’s younger sister and her romance with a veterinarian. The drama only gets back to the pace when it nears the end (which is a little too late) when Shaun’s wife is found dead and appeared to be killed on the day of his kidnapping. Focus shifted to finding the mysterious killer and things get intense finally.

However, the ending turned out differently (very anticlimactic). Everyone seems to have their own happy ending (typical for TVB) although I find this ending disappointing and felt forced. Roger’s performance here is solid (well, he has a lot of experience especially in comedic roles) but same cannot be said for Shaun. In fact, Shaun’s performance here is quite awful. There is nothing natural or convincing from his acting here. His gestures and expressions became awkward in several scenes. He is better in serious role. Generally, the series is actually quite good if not for the draggy middle section and from Shaun’s bad acting. The plot is there but TVB couldn’t deliver a solid execution to it. Out of 10 points, I rate ‘The Forgotten Day’ a total of 6.6.

On the other hand, I have also watched the Zack Snyder’s Justice League which was recently released. This Snyder’s version of Justice League is 4 hours long, and that is 2 hours more than the theatrical version released 4 years ago. His version got to see the light due to huge request from fans after disappointing outcome of the theatrical version which he first directed but left the project when it was largely unfinished after death of his daughter. Joss Whedon then came in as the director and altered Snyder’s vision.

Many praised Snyder’s version to be superior than Joss Whedon’s theatrical version. I have to agree, but I think it is unfair to compare the two. If you give 2 more hours of run time to Whedon, he could have deliver a better copy too. Snyder’s cut has more characters’ development and explained in more depth certain story arcs that comic fans will surely love (me too…I like that the main villain, Darkseid is featured here). Well, in the end, it’s all because it has a much longer run time. 4 hours…that’s actually very long! Anyway, Snyder’s vision do felt more epic and close to the DC universe. Out of 10 points, I rate ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ a total of 7.6.

(Images in this post are from various online sources)

Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal; winners of 2021 Pritzker Architecture Prize.

Recent years, the Pritzker Prize (highest honor of architecture to individuals) tend to recognize the less famous architects who still contribute significantly to the built environment. Well, at least it introduces us to these architects whom we would have not known before they won. This year’s winners are Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, founders of Lacaton & Vassal architecture office based in Paris, France.

Below are the extracts from Archdaily article on their philosophies and some of their works:

The French duo are renowned for their multiple sustainable housing projects and for the Palais de Tokyo, a contemporary art gallery in Paris. In their three decades of work, Lacaton & Vassal always prioritized the “enrichment of human life”, benefiting the individual and supporting the evolution of the city.

“Good architecture is open—open to life, open to enhance the freedom of anyone, where anyone can do what they need to do. It should not be demonstrative or imposing, but it must be something familiar, useful and beautiful, with the ability to quietly support the life that will take place within it.” — Anne Lacaton

Praised for their approach that renews modernist hopes of improving the lives of many and reexamines the definition of the profession itself, the French studio generates interventions that “respond to the climatic and ecological emergencies of our time, as well as social urgencies, particularly in the realm of urban housing”. Re-thinking the notion of sustainability, the duo believes firmly in the “never demolish” principle, taking the opportunity to upgrade and transform, while allowing enduring properties of a building to remain.

Having met in the late 1970s at École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture et de Paysage de Bordeaux, Anne Lacaton (1955, Saint-Pardoux, France) and Jean-Philippe Vassal (1954, Casablanca, Morocco) built their first joint project in Niamey, Niger, a temporary straw hut, constructed with locally sourced bush branches that relented to the wind within two years of completion. At that time, they vowed to “never demolish what could be redeemed […] extending through addition, respecting the luxury of simplicity, and proposing new possibilities”. In 1987, they established Lacaton & Vassal in Paris, focusing on generous spaces and freedom of use through economic and ecological materials. So far, they have completed over 30 projects throughout Europe and West Africa, ranging from private cultural and academic institutions to public spaces, social housing, and urban developments.

Increasing living space “inexpensively”, the architects first integrated greenhouse technologies through winter gardens and balconies. Their initial application was in the Latapie House in 1993 (Floirac, France) before progressing to bigger scales, and transforming La Tour Bois le Prêtre in 2011 (Paris, France), a 17-story, 96-unit city housing project originally built in the early 1960s, alongside Frédéric Druot. Rejecting city plans calling for the demolition of social housing, they removed the original concrete façade and extended the footprint of the building to form bioclimatic balconies, making every unit bigger. This framework allowed a dramatic visual reinvention of many social housing complexes. In fact, in 2017, they transformed 530 units within three buildings at Grand Parc in Bordeaux, France, with Christophe Hutin architecture, Frédéric Druot, designing from the inside out to prioritize the welfare of a building’s inhabitants.

Always within the same concepts of maximizing usable space, in their most recent transformation of Palais de Tokyo (Paris, France 2012), Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal increased the museum by 20,000 square meters, to accommodate changing needs. On another hand, for the Atelier de Préfabrication no. 2 (AP2), a postwar shipbuilding facility, the duo chose to erect a second building, identical in shape and size to the first, instead of filling the existing void. Working with academic institutions, the architects were able to almost double the areas outlined in the brief of the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Nantes in 2009 (Nantes, France), creating spaces that are deliberately un-prescribed and adaptable.

Current works in progress comprise the housing transformations of a former hospital into a 138-unit, mid-rise apartment building in Paris, France, and an 80-unit, mid-rise building in Anderlecht, Belgium; the transformation of an office building in Paris, France; mixed-use buildings offering hotel and commercial space in Toulouse, France; and a 40-unit, private housing, mid-rise building in Hamburg, Germany.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

So here are my thoughts; although I do find their works slightly too humble and simple, but I do understand the notion of ‘beauty in simplicity’ in some of them. There isn’t any imposing or awestruck designs coming out from them but I do admire their strong and consistent push for adaptive reuse. This area is getting more and more significant now due to the rising issues of abandoned or dilapidated buildings over time worldwide. Why demolish when with a careful and creative thought, an old unused building can be transformed into something spectacular and above all, useful and ‘alive’ again!

Reference:

https://www.archdaily.com/958565/anne-lacaton-and-jean-philippe-vassal-receive-the-2021-pritzker-architecture-prize?fbclid=IwAR1GE6h2MqEB87iNZB_KEYfEi6UIotzA_ZMmAe_camgOMLYaamC-DTvFD80

(Images in this post are from various online sources)

‘Nomadland’ dominating the Hollywood awards season so far for this year.

I seem to have not discuss much on the major Hollywood awards season for this year which is happening right now. It is most probably because I didn’t watch most of the films that are getting various nominations. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the awards season has been pushed back to allow more entries of films that are only released very recently. Besides that, all of the awards ceremonies have to be switched to virtual/online format with very little to no live audiences to prevent outbreak of the coronavirus.

The Golden Globes took place two weeks ago with ‘Nomadland’ winning best motion picture-drama and its director, Chloe Zhao winning best director. The late Chadwick Boseman, won best actor in motion picture-drama for his performance in ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ while Andra Day surprisingly won best actress in motion picture-drama from her role in ‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’ over the favourite, Carey Mulligan from ‘Promising Young Woman’. ‘Soul’ won best animated film and best score (very much deserved) while ‘Minari’ won best foreign language film.

The Critics Choice took place last weekend with very similar result except that Carey Mulligan do pull off the best actress win here. However, things got a bit shocking when the nomination list for the BAFTA is recently announced and she is not even nominated at all for best actress category. It’s going to be an interesting race for this category all the way to the Oscars. The other categories mostly appear consistent with the same set of winners. The SAG and BAFTA will take place on early next month and finally, the Oscars will happen on 26th April 2021.

‘Nomadland’ is dominating the season so far this year with some major wins already. It stars Frances McDormand as a woman who leaves home to travel around the American West. The film currently holds 94% score at both Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. It made me wanted to try to watch it and see how good it is. And I just did. It’s an unappealing film for me. This isn’t just my type of film.

Critics praised it for being unassuming yet powerful but I find it being a bit too modest, quiet and boring. But I have to admit that the movie delivers strong character study and that Frances McDormand portrays it very well. Out of 10 points, I would have rated it 7.0 only. It is merely a depiction of a life of a woman down the road slightly elevated by solid acting, cinematography and direction. But its core story still remains dull to me.

(Images in this post are from various online sources)

Disney’s latest film; ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ is awesome.

Disney seldom disappoints with its huge collection of excellent animated films that mesmerized us all with emotional storylines, heartfelt messages, beautiful visuals, classic music/songs, and memorable scenes/moments. After having seen ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’, I can confirm that the movie is no exception.

The story revolves on Raya, a female warrior who must find the last dragon to save her father and unite the civilization in a realm known as Kumandra. Needless to say, the film features captivating visuals (every setting of the five tribes are beautiful especially the scenes featuring the floating village in the evening). However, the best thing about the movie is its fast-paced plot, which brought us into an exciting and entertaining adventure across various places with various obstacles or encounters. The journey also brought in more companions to Raya who started the quest alone in the beginning.

The film meaningfully taught us on the importance of trust which can bring about unity and peace. Although Disney’s film plots are pretty much formulaic now (storyline here is very much predictable too), but they are still able to mesmerize us all each time. That’s Disney’s magic there. Highly entertaining and gorgeously animated, ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ has made it to become another Disney’s epic film. Out of 10 films, I rate the film a total of 8.2.

Before ending the post, I would like to share a beautiful photograph (had to praise my photography skill…haha) I took early today during the sunset time from Sentosa Boardwalk, a walking distance from VivoCity shopping mall where I watched the movie. The moment is so beautiful that I had to immediately take a shot of it, with the cable cars at the foreground and the reflection of the Sun on the water.

(The first three images in this post are from various online sources)