Disqualified! No More “The Last Airbender!” on my list!

The Last Airbender Theatrical Poster

After seeing the official theatrical trailer for The Last Airbender, this movie is no longer on my top movies to see for the year 2010! I’m not sure if I’m going to see it at all anymore! I demand a re-make of this adaption!

If you’re a hardcore fan of the television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, as I am, you WILL be severely disappointed. Originally, I was going to see it with a friend, dressed in an Avatar cosplay (as Ty Lee, of course!), but now I’m going to save myself the fabric and the money and not go. Just from seeing the previews, I can point out some major problems.

1. The nationalities of pretty much all of the characters were screwed up in some way. As in, the Water Tribe siblings don’t look too much like Native Americans, and the actor for Zuko doesn’t look very Asian, nor is he pallid enough.

2. There are some details about the characters’ appearances that have been messed up, such as hairstyling. None of the characters (who have hair) have the proper hairstyles. Also, Aang’s arrow isn’t a big blue arrow on his head; instead, it’s a pattern of mystical swirlies that look something like an arrow. Zuko’s scar is barely visible.

Sure, I know those are stupid reasons to not see the movie, but still; I can see how you would change the plot to get the film to fit into an appropriate running time, but there’s absolutely no reason to mess up the appearances of the characters; it won’t make the movies better, nor does it do anything to enhance them.

Should Twilight actors be in more movies?

Twilight Saga: New Moon Theatrical Poster

This is a question my group of friends have been asking each other for a while: should the Twilight Saga actors be cast as lead actors in more films?

We’re leaning to the response of: No. The Twilight actors and actresses should not be cast as lead actors/actresses in future movies.

Our reasoning is this: the Twilight saga has become such a huge phenomenon lately (though, hopefully, its dying down). Robert Pattinson will forever be known as Edward Cullen, and Kristen Stewart will forever be known as Bella Swann. When I saw that Robert Pattinson was the lead in the upcoming film Remember Me, my immediate thought was: They’re making a Twilight spin-off?

There have also been rumors concerning a movie re-make of the popular book series Maximum Ride. The rumors are that Robert Pattinson could be cast as Fang, and Kristen Stewart could be cast as Max–or at least, they could be considered for the role. A group of Maximum Ride fans in my area are in a bit of an uproar about this. Some of us sort of think that casting Twilight actors in this role could somewhat ruin the image of the Maximum Ride series.

Jackson Rathbone, who plays Jasper Hale in the Twilight saga, is also the actor for Sokka in the film adaption of popular anime TV series, Avatar: The Last Airbender. I have less of a problem with Rathbone’s casting, because his character in the Twilight saga isn’t as main and pronounced as Pattinson’s or Stewart’s.

But what do you think about this? Should Twilight saga actors and actresses get the leading roles in future films?

Music Review: NeverShoutNever! – What Is Love?

Cover Art

After the release of 5 Extended Plays (demo-shmemo, Yippee, Me & My Uke, The Summer, and an untitled EP often called Hot Topic), NeverShoutNever! frontman Christofer Drew Ingle released his debut mini-album, What Is Love? The mini-album has 8 tracks, with 4 bonus tracks (2 are available through dowload with the purchase of the album, and 2 others are iTunes bonus tracks).

Track List:
1. Love Is Our Weapon
2. Jane Doe
3. Can’t Stand It
4. Sacrilegious
5. I Love You 5
6. California
7. What Is Love?
8. The Past

Love Is Our Weapon is the opening track of the album. The beginning vocals start off a little bit muted, and I was wondering if my speakers were malfunctioning. Luckily, they weren’t, and the song is officially kicked off with a loud “HEY!” It keeps a steady beat throughout, and seemingly talks about changing the world using “love as our weapon” and “working out the pissy little problems that we’re fighting about.” All in all, it’s a decent, upbeat song that’s worth the listen.

Jane Doe is the album’s second track, and the first track on his most recent extended play. It has a light, somewhat airy feel, and it played mostly on acoustic and electric guitar, and another instrument that I can’t quite tell what it is. The song is quite reminiscent of his earlier works, namely that from the Me & My Uke extended play. It’s the second shortest track on the album, with a run time of one minute and fifty-six seconds.

Can’t Stand It is the third track, and by far one of my favorites. It starts off with an acoustic guitar and finger-snapping underneath Christofer’s vocals. The phrase “…is super-fucking cute” is probably what gave the What Is Love? album it’s parental advisory label. It has a continuous, catchy beat that will keep that song on repeat in your iTunes or mp3 player. It’s the second longest track on the album, with a run time of two minutes and fifteen seconds.

Sacrilegious is the fourth track, which seems like it’s talking about Christofer’s views on religion, and is another track that could remind one of his older works. Its seems like a quite nondescript song, but it carries a powerful message, beautiful guitar chords, and a wonderful melody with an amazing chorus. Though this song is the shortest on the album, running at one minute and fifty one seconds, it’s definitely worth the listen.

I Love You 5 is the fifth track, and nearly the complete opposite of “Sacrilegious.” It has an upbeat drum and guitar beat, and explodes into a great pop/rock track. After one of the choruses, it goes into a softer, more melodic section with what seems like a violin or cello in the background. The “ba-da-da” in the background after this section is just a great addition, and just adds to the flair and charm of this song. The ending is what makes it most spectacular.

California is the sixth track on the album, and my absolute favorite. A refrain of “la-la-las” in the background of the chorus could keep you hooked; these “la-la-las” also make up the harmony in later choruses. It’s upbeat and happy, and one of those definite must-repeat tracks.

What Is Love? is the seventh and the title track of the album, and a little more hardcore than some of the others. Christofer’s vocals are extremely powerful in this song; “What Is Love?” seems to show the most striking differences between Christofer’s current musical style and the style of his older music. This song is one of the album’s best, and a must listen; the way he says the word “hope” in this song just makes you want to listen; the harmonies are also great too.

The Past is the eighth and final track on the album, and also my least favorite. It’s the longest song on the album, with a run time of four minutes and eight seconds. It’s very musically beautiful and diverse, but it’s still pretty boring. If you don’t enjoy listening to slow songs for over three and a half minutes, this song isn’t for you.

Overall Rating:

4/5

Reason For Rating:

The album undoubtedly had its good points, but songs such as “The Past” didn’t seem to fit with the album, and I’m just going to state it plainly: What Is Love? just didn’t fit the expectations I had sent after listening to extended plays like Yippee and Me & My Uke.

Recommended Tracks:

Can’t Stand It

I Love You 5

What Is Love?

Films To Watch Out For In 2010

Well, now that the year 2010 has been rang in, I’ve decided to assemble my list of movies that I want to catch this year. (Many thanks to Film-Releases.com for the release dates.) I’ve chosen ten that I consider my 2010 will not be complete without seeing.

1. Daybreakers (January 8th, 2010)

The first title on my list is the upcoming film Daybreakers, written and directed by by Peter and Michael Spierig. It is about an outbreak in 2019 that causes a majority of the world’s population to become vampires. The ones that remain human are being used basically as “bloodbanks” to satiate the thirst of the vampires. The vampires look just like humans, and cannot be distinguished from the latter without blood tests. But it the vampires don’t get enough human blood, they transform into evil, batlike killing machines.

The vampires want to round up the humans and farm them, while the humans want to continue their lives as a free species; they even take violent measures to ensure the continuity of their endangered race.

I for one am sick of all the vampire sh!t that’s going around nowdays (gee, thanks, Twilight Saga–yuck!).

However, I’m going to give Daybreakers a chance–it looks pretty good, to be honest. As long as the vampire boys don’t sparkle, I’m alright!

2. Legion (January 22nd, 2010)

The second film is Legion, which is directed by Scott Stewart.

After God loses faith in humanity,  the archangel Michael, who has become a fallen angel,  is the only one standing between mankind and Armageddon. This time using angels to execute the Last Judgment, Gods wrath descends on earth to exterminate the population. In a desperate, last-chance gambit, Michael leads a group of strangers to a small New Mexico diner to protect a young waitress who may be pregnant with Christ in his second coming.

3. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (February 12, 2010)

 Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief  is a fantasy film directed by Chris Colombus, based on the book series by Rick Riordan.

A teenager named Percy Jackson discovers that he’s the demigod son of the Greek god, Poseidon. He embarks on a journey across modern-day America with his friends, Annabeth Chase, the demigod daughter of Athena, and Grover Underwood, a satyr, to save his mother, return Zeus’s stolen lightning bolt, and prevent a war amongst the gods.

4. The Crazies (February 26, 2010)

The Crazies is a horror film directed by Breck Eisner and written by Scott Kosar and Ray Wright.

This film is about a small town in Iowa. After one of the residents attends a baseball game with a loaded shotgun and another man burns down his home–with his wife and child locked in a closet–this town becomes a hellhole where the residents are succumbing to an unknown toxin, which makes them sadistically violent. The few that are still sane band together, and an ordinary night becomes a struggle as they try to get out alive.

 

5. Alice in Wonderland (March 5th, 2010)

 Alice in Wonderland is a film directed by Tim Burton, based on the novel by Lewis Carrol.

When Alice Kingsley finds out she is to be proposed to, she runs off, following a white rabbit into a hole that leads to Wonderland, a place she visited before, though she doesn’t remember it. The rabbit came back for her, because only she can slay the Jabberwock, the beast which guards the Red Queen’s kingdom. She embarks on an adventure of self-discovery to save Wonderland from the Red Queen’s reign of terror.

OTHER MENTIONS:

6. MacGruber (April 23rd, 2010)

7. Shrek Forever After (May 21st, 2010)

8. The Last Airbender (July 2nd, 2010)

9. The Roommate (September 17, 2010)

10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One (November 19, 2010)

11. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (December 10th, 2010)

 

G-Dragon…take a break.

G-Dragon 2009

It’s not that we don’t love you, but you need the rest.

With all the fire that GD’s under, it’s no surprise that some people are saying this.

He’s recently just underwent a “criminal investigation” over the so-called “explicit” content that was in his first solo concert, which was attended by thousands of teen girls.

Personally, I don’t see it as that bad. I watched fancams of both sets, and they didn’t look inappropriate at all; a “murder scene” for “She’s Gone” and a “bed scene” in “Breathe.” You see gimmicks like this all the time in American pop culture (TV/music/movies/stage performances), so I’m totally used to it. However, the extremely conservative culture of the Koreans is probably what’s feeding the fire for this. G-Dragon, I think you’re in the wrong music market.

Not to mention he’s already been accused of plagiarism.

But one thing is…how did those teen girls get the expensive tickets and get to the concert venue? Their parents, of course~! Who probably knew that GD’s “HEARTBREAKER” album had been given the Restricted (19+) sticker.

Should G-Dragon have labelled his concert 19+? Maybe, maybe not. Probably, just for safety reasons.

So G-Dragon…I think you should take a break. Go to a spa, be pampered, maybe go to some hot springs. Sleep in everyday for a few weeks, do nothing, and let your creative juices flow so you can wow us with a new single.

Maybe you should think about debuting in the American music market; your artistic talent would fit right in here.

-EDIT-

The down-low has been released about the penalties for G-Dragon’s performance. The Korean singer/songwriter could be sent to prison for a year and/or be fined 5 million won. However, they’re being lenient; the normal sentence is three years of prison and a 20 million won fine.

Am I the only one who thinks that this sentence due to the Youth Protection Act is a little bogus?

Who drove the underage girls to the concert? Their parents. Who bought them the tickets? Their parents. Who probably chaperoned them? Their parents.

I personally think this is a load of bullpoopie, what with G-Dragon getting in trouble for this; it looks like the artist is once again suffering from the shortcomings of the management. -_-

Music Review: Evanescence – My Immortal (Band Version)

Promotional Artwork

Alright, so I was browsing through my friend’s iTunes and found the band version of my favorite Evanescence song, “My Immortal.” So naturally, I was highly intrigued.

And I was amazed at the result. I must say, this song totally rivals the album version! The way Amy Lee sings the lyrics in this version adds a sort of grace to the song, and the guitars that kick in during the piano bridge are amazing.

But I’m most impressed by the addition of the harmonizing vocals. The harmony added in the chorus gives it a thicker texture (sort of reminiscent of their four-part harmony song “Anywhere,” which I shall review on a later date),  and makes it much more pleasureable to listen to. Also, there’s the little “oooo-oo” part at the end, underlying Amy Lee’s repeated line “all of me.” It’s absolutely amazing.

This is definitely my favorite version of the song, although the album version has a sort of elegance that is overpowered by the heavy guitars in this version.

Overall Rating:

4.5/5

Reason For Rating:

The harmony added in this version of the song just adds dimensions of texture and flavor to this piano track. Although the guitar in the piano bridge kills some of the elegance brought in the album version, it’s not something that’s overpowering, and it still sounds incredible.

Music Review: G-Dragon’s Heartbreaker

Promotional Image

HEARTBREAKER is a 2009 solo album from Korean boy band Big Bang‘s leader, G-Dragon.

HEARTBREAKER is an album that has recieved many plagiarism claims; some are legitimate, while some are just downright crazy. There are the legitimate claims of “HEARTBREAKER” plagiarizing Flo Rida’s “Right Round,” and there are nonsensical claims (such as one made by POPSEOUL!) that the music video for “A Boy” plagiaraizes the music video for the Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow.”

Track List:
1. A Boy
2. Heartbreaker
3. Breathe
4. Butterfly (featuring Jin Jung)
5. Hello (featuring Dara)
6. Gossip man (featuring Kim GunMo)
7. Korean Dream (featuring TaeYang)
8. The Leaders (What’s Up) (featuring Teddy and CL)
9. She’s Gone (featuring KUSH)
10. 1 Year Station
This album opens up with the track “A Boy,” whose music video is currently under fire from the POPSEOUL! staff for “plagiarizing” the Black Eyed Peas‘ “Boom Boom Pow” music video. This song opens up with some electrobeats that have you hooked, along with the sexy way that G-Dragon says “GD.” The chorus is one that gets stuck in your head, and you kind of want to bop your head along with the beat.

The second track is the title track, “Heartbreaker.” YG Entertainment has recieved a letter of warning from Sony ATV concerning a plagiarism issue with this song. But ignoring the plagiarism issue, this song is a really strong track that will have you singing along. The verses are infectious, and you’ll find yourself listening to it over and over again.

Track three is “Breathe,” which is probably my favorite song on the whole album. It has an uplifting chorus and catchy verses that has you playing it on repeat.

“Butterfly” is completely different from every song on the album. It’s purely acoustic, minus a few electrobeats heard at the beginning of the chorus. G-Dragon wrote song to describe the first feelings of love, and what a great song it is for that! As he says, close your eyes and think of them while you listen.

“Hello” is by far one of the best tracks on the album. The chorus is definitely the catchiest off the entire album, and you always wanna get up and dance to it. The spoken intro is golden. This song features Dara…and her voice totally steals the spotlight. When you get to her part in the chorus, you just want to keep listening to her for the rest of the song. G-Dragon can’t really compare to Dara here.

“Gossip man” was the first full track from the album that was leaked. It’s relatively nondescript, but it can also get stuck in your head from days on end. The beat for this song is like just about every other one on the album–you wanna get up and dance to it.

“Korean Dream” is a great song, for sure. The first thing you’ll notice about it is that it’s a collaboration with fellow Big Bang member, Taeyang. The melody is so, so, so great. My favorite part? “One, two, step and turn left, to the right 바로 서!. Ladies and gentlemen.” =3 I absolutely love the chorus. =P

“The Leaders” is track eight on the album, and a collaboration with other popular YG singers Teddy and CL. It seems much shorter than it is, really. I didn’t even think that it was nearly four minutes when I first listened to it. The song really wouldn’t be anything without CL in it. Once again, the 2NE1 girl steals the show. I love the spoken parts at the end. ^^ This song has such a great beat–perfect for blasting in the car.

“She’s Gone” is one that I never really listen to; it’s not much of an attention grabber. It has a nice enough beat with it, but it isn’t one that I would have put on the album. ^^;;;

“One Year Station” is another favorite of mine. The melody is just dang catchy, and the second verse will be stuck in your head for days on end.

Overall Rating:

4.5/5

Recommended Tracks:

A Boy
Heartbreaker
Breathe
Hello
Korean Dream
The Leaders (What’s Up)
1 Year Station

Movie Review: Ninja Assassin

Theatrical Poster

Ninja Assassin is a 2009 action-slasher movie written my J. Michael Straczynski and produced by the Wachowski Brothers.

Cast: Rain (Raizo), Naomie Harris (Mika Coretti), Rick Yune (Takeshi), Sho Kosugi (Lord Ozunu), and Ben Miles (Ryan Maslow).

Ninja Assassin is about a secret ninja clan called the Ozunu clan, who raises orphans to be the world’s greatest assassins. However, afte the execution of his best friend, Raizo betrays the clan and is on the run from the ninjas bent on capturing him. Mika Coretti is a Europol agent, who manages to link a money trail to the Ozunu clan. Now, she’s the next target of the Ozunu ninjas, and is saved by Raizo. Now, it’s pretty much a game of cat-and-mouse between the team of Raizo and Mika and the Ozunu ninjas.

The public who have watched this movie have given it about a B+, while it received overwhelmingly bad reviews from critics. It is rumored that the only good review that the film has gotten from mainstream critic is from Chris Nashawaty from Entertainment Weekly. Nashawaty describes the movie like such: “…this slick slice of martial arts mayhem from the producers of The Matrix is awash in blood. It spurts and sprays in geysers, and it never lets up. There’s a brutal (and admittedly very cool) fight scene every five minutes. But let’s be honest; killing is the film’s business…and business is good.”

Alright; I’m going to be honest. The only reason I went to see this movie was because I’m pretty much in love with  Rain, the film’s lead, and I wanted to see that beautiful body of his. (In that aspect, this film gave me everything I wanted and more.)

I’ve read a lot of fan reviews; some hated it, some loved it. A lot of fans were expecting a lot more than this film was capable of.  It was not written to be an A-list, Oscar-nominated movie; it was just for entertainment. A lot of fans were surprised at how gory the movie was, saying that it’s not a movie for children. HELLO! This is an R-rated flick–you’re probably not going to take young children to see it anyway!

Overall, the film isn’t as bad as critics make it out to be. Yes, the plot is pretty weak (you can tell that it was a script that was written in little over two days), and the gore is way to computerized, too much is going on, and the deaths are unbelievable, but it’s still entertaining. If you’re going for a good time, you’ll get it. If you’re going for action, you’ll get it. If your going for sexy guys, you’ll get it. I’d most definitely give it a watch.

Overall Rating:

3/5

Reason for Rating:

Good acting, amazing fight scenes, and pretty daddgum entertaining. However, the plot could use work, the deaths and the blood could be a little more convincing, and some aspects could be edited out or elaborated on. Overall, not bad.