I saw Babe, I Love You (Anne Curtis/Sam Milby) and Working Girls 2010 simultaneously today April 21, 2010 at Festival Mall Alabang.

Acting wise and story wise, ok ang BABE, I LOVE YOU. Kaso typical Filipino Film na feel good with alot of twists and turns.




Working Girls 2010 is nothing new as well. Mas maganda yung naunang Working Girls which I recently seen on Cinema One (Movie Channel). It presented what a typical Jose Javier Reyes film was supposed to be. Meaty lines, meaty characters, very up to date. Kaso ang nagdala mostly ng comic relief sa film eh si Ms. Eugene Domingo. Flat ang istorya, pero kwentong walang wenta, puro characters na hindi masyadong najustify. Pero OK na to kumpara sa mga walang kamatayang Filipino romance stories of the recent years



Of the 5 stars which is supposed to be an excellent Film, i would give BABE I LOVE YOU a 2.5 star, Working Girls 2010 is a 1.5 star.

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Who wants to be a god, anyway?

That's the principle twist inserted into the new "Clash of the Titans," a remake of the sometimes fondly recalled, technologically dated 1981 film about the fury of the gods of Mount Olympus and the rise of the young, earthly demigod Perseus.

This time, Perseus (Sam Worthington) bears a distaste for his godlike nature: He just wants to be a regular dude and do normal guy stuff — like ride his winged horse Pegasus on the beach.

It's perhaps a fitting updating of the film for an era marked by distrust for political leaders and Internet-empowered masses. Now, even the gods are spurned in their own movie: Deity is so out.

On Mount Olympus, that golden round table in the clouds, Zeus (Liam Neeson, in the part played by Laurence Olivier in the original) is angry at an ungrateful mankind and lets loose his brother Hades (Ralph Fiennes) to destroy the city of Argos.

As a new citizen of Argos, Perseus (the son of Zeus) doesn't much like this. He embarks on the familiar journey (particularly familiar for those who saw the recent, bouncier teen version "Percy Jackson & the Olympians") in defeating a number of mythical creatures, including a serpentine Medusa and the sea monster Kraken — which, rest assured, is eventually released.

Directed by Louis Leterrier (2008's "The Incredible Hulk"), "The Clash of the Titans" will likely lure moviegoers chiefly by its digital effects (which are largely quite good but forgettable) and its promise of 3-D spectacle (which disappoints altogether).

Like several blockbusters being released now in the post-"Avatar" environment, "Clash of the Titans" was made in 2-D but converted to 3-D in post-production. Audiences will hardly notice any increased depth. Though this is preferable to the distraction of most 3-D, it's surely not worth the hike in ticket price.

Worthington, the Australian actor who stared in "Avatar," knows a little something about 3-D. Here, he trades aqua blue-colored skin for an equally artificial bronze spray tan in the mold of "300" torsos.

Worthington was largely eclipsed by the surrounding effects of "Avatar"; it's an interesting irony that few would be able to name the star of the biggest box-office grosser of all-time. In "Titans," his presence is more explicit but also less substantial.

With a crew cut atop his almost perfectly spherical head, Worthington grits his way through the film and does plenty of dramatic leaping while brandishing a sword. But he doesn't supply the charisma that the movie needs and the whole thing feels like a joyless slog.

Fiennes's appearances provide a jolt. Arriving always with his head curiously fixed within a cloud of swirling black smog, he knows how to make an entrance. His part is surely the best in the movie and he's clearly having fun. He hisses in a horse whisper: "What could be more beautiful than death?"

But that's not nearly enough to engender the kind of fondness people feel for the original "Clash of the Titans," campy though it is.

"Clash of the Titans," a Warner Bros. Pictures release, is rated PG-13 for fantasy action violence, some frightening images and brief sensuality. Running time: 106 minutes. Two stars out of four.


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After John Lloyd and Bea's blockbuster hit One More Chance (another 5 ✮ in my book for local films) comes this post-Valentine offering Miss You Like Crazy (MYLC). The film talks about love and its perfect timing. Is there really such a thing as right time when it comes to falling in love? -- trailer tag line.

I loved the movie because of two things. First, the main characters are realistic and "within reach". Unlike other Pinoy flicks showing the bidas as near-perfect, MYLC's Allan (JLC) and Mia (Bea) are so flawed. They have their own issues and they made mistakes which most of us can truly relate. Tao lang po. Second, I liked how the story played with the elements of time making the viewers wonder how long it has been or which part this particular scene belongs to.

Story-wise, ok lang. Acting is two-thumbs up! JLC and Bea's amazing chemistry is still there. The supporting cast also delivered well. Ketchup Eusebio playing the gay friend of Bea is funny. The film's highlight location, Malaysia, is close to my heart so I love the shots taken there. I will rate this movie 4/5 because of the two points I mentioned above and because of the Korean-feel cinematography which I find refreshing.


I'm such a John Lloyd - Bea Fan... I duno! they just have the chemistry or maybe because i love their movie ONE MORE CHANCE so much that i've seen it a hundred times already. heheheh... everybody can relate to that movie... lines are so exactly correct and precise! and believe me i have lots of guy friends seen and love the movie too...

And now there's a new movie of them both together again... Miss you like Crazy... seems like another box office hit and a very nice setting... Petronas Twin Towers! been there huh! so i would never really miss this movie! nah... nah... nah...

The Verdict? Indeed! A very romantic movie and a tear jearker as well... i cried... yes! i cried... cathchy lines is still there like... "TIME IS MEANINGLESS WHEN YOU'RE IN LOVE!" and 'TODAY IS THE DAY. BELIEVE!" and much more...

I do like the movie... I'd learned something and realized that "If you're really meant for each other...Whatever...Wherever... Whenever... You two will be together forever..."

"IF SEEINGS BELIEVING IT'S WORTH THE WAIT... SO HOLD ME AND TELL ME IT'S NOT TOO LATE... WE'RE SO GOOD TOGETHER... WE'RE STARTING FOREVER NOW..."


I just got home around 12:30AM. I usually watch John Lloyd movies on the first day of showing, but for some reasons, I didn't this time. Luckily, I had a very nice friend who agreed to accompany me to watch it for last full show.

Both characters portrayed their roles as best as they could. Mia, and Allan, met by chance in an unexpected way, place and time. That's when things started to go in circles. Twists and turns, they had to find their way to make it a happily ever after.

It may not be as epic as their last movie, One More Chance, but somehow, it did leave a mark to me. It had flaws yes, but the movie is still worth watching, and worth the price at Cinema 7. The movie tried to show a different John Lloyd and Bea, more mature roles, and more diversity in acting. I salute not only the main characters, but everyone who's part of the movie. They've done a job good enough to pull the movie through. There are lines really worth remembering, and scenes which I think would be a classic. The Petronas Towers story of Mia at Kopiroti, the scene with lolo Yulie.


One thing I didn't miss: the new John Lloyd-Bea flick.

I cried. Which is not surprising, because I cry easily over movies. I cried over that third Tanging Ina movie and Bruce Almighty, demmit.

But apparently this movie was able to make even my friend Agie cry, which is in a feat itself, because she has a cold, cold heart. (I must qualify: only when it comes to movies, because she'll kill me if she reads that I have told the world she's basically heartless.)

Before the movie, Elaine and I had planned to buy Kleenex in anticipation of what we assumed would be the solution to El Nino, but stores were closed. I had to make do with my hankie. I tried being sneaky about the whole crying thing, like, pretending that I wasn't teary-eyed, but apparently, gravity is my enemy.

And, I saw a male senior associate from my old law firm, seemingly alone, waiting in line to watch the movie. Awesome, and totally disturbing.


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Is there really such a thing as right time when it comes to falling in love? This is what Star Cinema’s latest offering Miss You Like Crazy is all about. It asks about life’s mysteries that would only be answered if you’ve given it a try. It dares you to be brave enough to fight for your love and wait until destiny itself conspires to make things right no matter how long it takes. It teaches you that before you commit to a person, it’s because he/she is the one your heart desires and not because you’re just settling to what’s available and convenient. But ultimately, it tells you that a happy ending is possible only if two people in love work hard to stay that way. Otherwise, both parties may be subjected to a lifetime of sorrow and regret.

Without giving away the specific plot of the story, you’d find that there lies the beauty of watching Miss You Like Crazy because it keeps you guessing until the end of the film. John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo have given justice to the well-written script by conveying their character’s inner conflict by knowing when to hold back or give in to their emotions. But the biggest surprise is Bea who stands out with her role as Mia Samonte whose quirks (like writing out her dilemmas on marbles), attitude, and beliefs are mostly the take-off points of the movie’s themes. But this doesn’t make John Lloyd less of an actor for it was his character Alan Alvarez’s subtle charm and intensity which made the whole dramatic performance really effective.

John Lloyd and Bea certainly haven’t lost their on screen chemistry as they will make your heart race with unexpected kilig moments like the fact that they often meet by pure chance whether in Manila or Malaysia. There’s this one scene where they got separated while shopping in Divisoria and John Lloyd was at a loss in the midst of the throng of people. But when they finally saw each other Bea quips, “Bakit ka ba nagpa-panic? Kahit nga hindi mo ako hinahanap nagkikita pa rin tayo!” While in Malaysia, John Lloyd ends up bumping into Bea even when she’s trying to avoid him. “I can’t take away all the pain that I’ve caused you. But if you will just let me, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you,” says John Lloyd to Bea when he’s asking her to come back to him.

True to Direk Cathy Garcia-Molina’s word, all love stories are the same but it is the manner that Mia and Alan’s love story was told which made all the difference. Don’t forget your hanky when you watch this movie for you will find yourselves crying and hurting with the characters even when you don’t want to.

Miss You Like Crazy is now showing in theaters nationwide.

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You already know what I’m going to write about Ang Tanging Pamilya. You already know what the movie’s going to be like, even if you haven’t seen it. You know there will be sped up footage of people running around. You know DJ Durano’s going to show up in a role that could have easily been written out. You know that at some point, someone’s going to be reciting lines from some other hit film. You know that the filmmaking is going to be sub par. You know that outtakes are going to run over the credits. You already know exactly what you’re going to get: a whole heaping mess of more of the same from Wenn Deramas.

Charlie (Toni Gonzaga) has a long distance relationship with Prince (Sam Milby), a guy she literally met in her dreams. The two are made for each other, but are struggling to cope with not being able to see each other. One day, to Charlie’s surprise, Prince arrives at her doorstep asking her to marry him. The two look ready to spend their lives together, but Charlie’s parents seem intent on getting in the way. Her dad Dindo (Joseph Estrada) puts Prince through a series of trials, while her mom Sunshine is worried that Prince won’t put Charlie’s happiness first. It all gets worse when Prince’s parents come over for the wedding, and Sunshine gets off on the wrong foot with Prince’s mom (Dionisia Pacquaio).

If you’re ever seen a Wenn Deramas film before, you know exactly what to expect. The story is really just a framework from which to hang Deramas’ trademark comedic stylings, the characters doing little more than making fun of people’s looks, running around at double speed, and occasionally acting out a scene from some other Star Cinema movie. There’s nothing particularly wrong with this approach, but it certainly makes the film seem ridiculous when it tries to tap into some sentiment. The little bits of drama that the movie squeezes in feel like parts of a completely different film, only serving to add heavy lulls to an already lackluster and fragmented narrative.

But what really bothers me about this film is the overall shoddiness of the production. There’s just no excuse in this day and age for a mainstream film to be this badly made. Corners are cut everywhere: a scene that’s supposed to be happening at midnight is undermined by the daylight outside the windows, a sequence that uses a split screen has black bars that fall short of running the entire edge of the picture, and more than a couple of scenes have glaring continuity errors. Amazingly enough, Deramas still finds the time and the budget to shoot an early scene with CGI, but can’t be bothered to make the rest of the film anywhere near a watchable level.

Performances are generally game, though the material isn’t there. Ai Ai de las Alas still manages to be entertaining, but one begins to wonder if she can do anything else. Joseph Estrada still has a couple of moves in him, but he delivers his lines with the conviction of a mule. Toni Gonzaga is oddly enthusiastic in everything she does, and her energy makes things work well enough. I think Sam Milby is an underrated talent, though this isn’t really his best outing. His commitment to his role is still apparent, however, in a somewhat entertaining stunt sequence. Dionisia Pacquiao is in the movie, and a lot of jokes are made at her expense. I think there’s little else to say about that.

It’s become increasingly difficult to avoid the fact that Wenn Deramas has been making essentially the same film for the last five or so years. The context changes, but when you get right down to it, he just keeps doing the same thing over and over again, going as far as committing the same technical errors. I can stand everything else, but the lack of care put into these productions is downright offensive to me. There’s just no reason these movies should look this bad.
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AFTER the video release “The Echo,” a Hollywood remake of “Sigaw,” in the US, it would only be logical for director Yam Laranas to follow it up with another horror flick. After all, he has shown that he has the natural acumen for keeping people glued to their seats in anticipating what was to happen next.

“Patient X” showing this Halloween season is an aswang or local vampire story with chilling sequences, not brought about by special effects but purely by the talent of director Yam in building up the suspense. Richard Gutierrez is not only the lead star as a doctor, but producer as well with his own outfit in cooperation with Viva Films and GMA Films. The lovely Christine Reyes is the title holder.

Why do people love to be frightened? We don’t know. We just know that there are those who patronize scary movies then go home to sleep with all the lights on for fear that what they have just watched would trail them home. At Megamall when we watched, a group of four youngsters sitting in front of us had their cellphone lights open throughout the particularly scary scenes. They wanted to make sure no aswang would be sitting beside them.

At the risk of being a spoiler we’d like to share some observations good and bad. Richard’s many action encounters including shootouts with the aswangs and running around the hospital could have been aided by more appropriate makeup. The matinee idol looked too much like the matinee idol that he is, instead of a man in the grips of the unknown. He was much too clean, his hair much too well coiffed for the role. Christine was better deglamorized which aided in establishing the tension of the movie. The aswangs on the prowl growled too much, we couldn’t tell if they were ready to transform into wolves at any moment since they appeared at a loss of what to do. For such important major support roles, there are many veteran contrabidas in our ranks who might provide better interpretation and atmosphere.

We were also disappointed by the sparse crowd at the time we watched. Possibly moviegoers were saving their movie money for the visit to the cemetery. It could also be because, especially at the Megamall, large standees announcing the coming of Twilight’s New Moon could unwittingly have given vampire movie enthusiasts another alternative.

Speaking of Twilight, we couldn’t help thinking how it could have been even more bittersweet had director Yam extended the palpable attraction between Richard and Christine a few more minutes in the ending sequence. We are certain tears would fall. Everyone loves a story of impossible love, even in a horror movie.