RED 2, Movie Review

Wow, I must say, this line up of actors and actresses for RED 2 seems more impressive than RED.

Although this is the sequel, not watching RED is not important at all.

Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, are all back for the sequel. The interaction between Bruce Willis, John Malkovich and Mary-Louise Parker is very funny as Bruce Willis is overly protective but John Malkovich keeps teaching Mary-Louise Parker to be an operative.

There is a series of assassins sent to kill Bruce Willis, and as a retired superspy, Bruce Willis and his gang manages to recruit friends (and enemies) and hunt for a deadly weapon. I cannot reveal much more as the plot twist is pretty good, and interesting.

I really liked the pace of the movie, the scenes moved on seamlessly and there was great comedy from the veteran actor between action shots. There were many well done scenes which the whole theater clapped when it happened, and overall, it was a lot of laughs, and you will have a great time.

Very enjoyable movie!

Rating: 8.5/10

The Way, Way Back - Movie Review

The Way, Way Back is a coming of age story, set in Massachusetts.

14 year old introvert Duncan, a quiet and shy boy goes on a summer vacation with his mom and her boyfriend to Cape Cod area, where he meets Owen, the owner of Water Wizz, a typical Massachusetts Beach area water theme park and Duncan slowly opens up and finds his place in the world.



Although Steve Carell is in the movie, this is not a Steve Carell comedy. In fact, he is the boyfriend of Duncan's mom, and he is not a good guy, and he calls Duncan a "3" and puts him down all the time.

The storyline is rather emotional, and the characters are very believable. The pace and comedy is perfectly done and the 80's pop soundtrack makes the movie endearing. Steve Carell also shows that he can play a bad guy.

Overall, the movie does leave a feel good feeling and the whole movie feels right, and its very enjoyable to watch. Well done!

-- Robin

Rating: 8/10
Great for a Sunday Matinee...

The Internship - Movie Review.

Directed by Shawn Levy
Writing credits: Vince Vaughn (screenplay) and Jared Stern (screenplay)
                          Vince Vaughn (story)




This is a comedy about 2 middle aged salesman losing their jobs and joining Google for an Internship, competing with young "kids" for an opportunity for a job.

I watched it today in anticipation of a lot of laughs, but this movie really had a very bad start. In fact, the lack luster start made me want to walk out as it was dry and boring. The start was filled with many uninteresting characters which did not add much to the story, and their plan after losing their jobs was a convoluted process to enroll in an online class to be eligible for an internship opportunity at Google?

There is some kinda funny jokes, and a lot of misses, and it gets slightly better when the whole movie is set in Google. Looking back at what actually happened, this whole movie felt like a big advertisement for Google. It does talk about the corporate culture and products, and I could see a lot of potential for the movie to be much better, however the 2 hour long movie failed to impress.

A lot of references to many "Geeky things" fail to draw laughter in the tough crowd in the cinema, and the whole "Googlers, Googliness thing" is a weak attempt to put Google's "making the world better" agenda in your face.

The little bit of romance is simply, "meh" and the big finale was long and drawn out and you do not really feel for their victory.

However, the movie does make you think about how insecure your job situation is, and how people in their 30s and 40s are totally screwed by today's system.

I would say, there was much disappointment in the cinemas, and I would not recommend watching this at all. Still, I would say catching it when it goes to cable or watch it online streaming is not too bad.

Overall 5/10

If you are Google worshipping, this may be one movie you CANNOT miss.

S.E.A. Aquarium at Resorts World Sentosa Review

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The S.E.A. Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the world. Located at the Marine Life Park at Resorts World Sentosa, (Singapore) this contains a total of 45,000,000 litres (9,900,000 imp gal; 12,000,000 US gal) of water for 100,000 marine animals of over 800 species. The aquarium comprises 10 zones with 49 habitats. The Open Ocean habitat, which is the centerpiece of the Aquarium, includes the world's largest viewing panel. At 36-metre (118 ft) wide and 8.3-metre (27 ft) tall, it is intended to give visitors the feeling of being on the ocean floor.

How to get to S.E.A. Aquarium ?

Located at the Marine Life Park at Resorts World Sentosa, you can take a bus or MRT (NE Line) to Vivo City then another bus RW8 or the monorail to Resorts World Sentosa.

Opening hours?

It usually opens at 10am - 7pm daily.

How much does it cost to get in?

Adults: S$29
Children and Seniors: $20

What to expect.

Lots and lots of endless walking in air-conditioned environment. It is wheelchair accessible, but still very very big.

Food and drinks are not cheap there, bring along a bottled water in your bag.

Collection:
The S.E.A Aquarium houses the world's largest collection of manta rays, including the only giant oceanic manta ray in captivity. It also showcases 24 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, scalloped hammerhead sharks, the Japanese spider crab, and relatively uncommonly-exhibited species such as the guitarfish and the chambered nautilus.

Japanese Spider Crab

Cute Jellyfish

Big Jellyfish

A HUGE Tank with large Manta Rays and other large fishes.

Many other rays that will swim near you.

Giant Oceanic Manta Ray

Beautiful Jellyfish

Starfish and Rays in shallow tanks that you can touch.

Starfish that wants to High Five you.

Weird looking fishes.

Colorful Fishes

Cam Whore fishes which swim in front of your cameras to block other fishes.

Large shy shrimps.

More colorful fishes

Huge Lobsters.

Sharks and Dolphins

Fishes with noses

Beautiful coral reef.


I am quite satisfied with the experience at S.E.A. Aquarium. It is indeed amazing how big the displays are, and how beautiful nature is. Definitely worth going, but just a reminder as well, on the weekends, the S.E.A Aquarium is packed, and so crowded that it is hard to take any meaningful photos of fishes.

This is one of the better aquariums I've been to. I would like to see some deep sea fishes, horned cowfish and other interesting creatures of the depth... But could not find them.

Overall, the staff are quite knowledgeable, but the photographer to take the photo when you go in really really sucks, so don't bother paying $50 for a bad photo. Some nice souvenirs though..

Overall: 8.5/10

-- Robin Low

Taipei Zoo Review

Like a lot of Zoos, Taipei Zoo is still a zoo, and I do not have high hopes for it.

Getting there is a little hassle as it is FAR FAR AWAY, but otherwise easily accessible via MRT.

If you are interested in visiting, I  must warn you. This Zoo is Huge, walking is ok, if you can walk 5km or so, because the exhibits are easily 500m apart.

 The zoo is pretty interesting, with lots of insects and a variety of animals.

 

I was there today, Panda exhibit is not open as Pandas are mating.

Check before you go if you want to see Pandas

Like most Zoos, the animals are far away, sleeping and really stinky. Well Animals poop openly, and you can smell poop from afar.

The design is rather pleasing, and walking around is not hard, except for the long distances. Most exhibits, you get to see Coyotes sleeping, Monkeys Sleeping, Turtles Sleeping... You get what I mean.

The one I recommend is the Insectarium. There are butterflies every, and they land on you!

I mean butterflies don't bite right? So they are everywhere! If you are squirmish, they will come to you.

The Penguins don't seem to sleep in the day, and they are the only animals that swam. Perhaps it because they have an Aircon Tank?

All other animals, like Horses, Giraffes, Camels, Zebras ... Yups -- STINK! Even the Bison. You see them from afar, and smell them from afar too.

 The Aviary is closed too, and there are some large birds in cages, and that is about it.

There are a lot of rare and random animals at this zoo. And expect it to be a zoo, smelling like poop, like all other zoos.

The entrance is only NT$60 and the food is not very overpriced  (Just Taipei Price)

Overall, the zoo is well maintained and staff rather knowledgeable. It is a zoo worth going if you like going to zoos.

But remember, there is a lot of walking, even if you pay NT$5 to take the tram, so wear comfortable shoes!

-- Robin Low

Travel Review - Dominican Republic - 5 Reasons to visit

Dominican Republic is a hidden Gem. Just a 5 hour flight from New York City, costing less than $400 return trip (Flown with Delta in Jan 2013)

Why visit Dominican Republic?

Let me give you 5 reasons.

1) Santo Domingo is oldest European city in the Americas. Much of the historic buildings are still around and they are very beautiful and interesting. Definitely worth visiting where Christopher Columbus landed... (Many of Santo Domingo's most notable landmarks are located within the Zona Colonial district of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990. The Colonial Zone, bordered by the Río Ozama, also has an impressive collection of 16th century buildings, including palatial houses and majestic churches that reflect the architectural style of the late medieval period.)

2) Santiago is a very interesting city as well, with the Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration, a big building on top of a hill built to honor all the past. Construction of the monument began in 1944 on the orders of then-dictator Rafael Trujillo. He named it the "Trujillo's Monument to Peace", and was designed by architect Henry Gazón Bona. Trujillo was assassinated in 1961, after which the monument was renamed the "Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration", in remembrance of the Independence Restoration War of 1863, in which the Dominican Republic regained its independence from Spain.

 3) Beautiful Beaches. Popular - Punta Cana -- the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic. The area is best known for its beaches and balnearios, which face both the Caribbean and Atlantic, and it has been a popular tourist destination since the 1970s. The ocean waters are mainly shallows, with several natural marine pools in which visitors can bathe without any danger. Away from Tourists - Monte Cristi -- The northwest of the country, a sleepy town away from large cities with a unique sand dune and beautiful beaches. The beaches near the cliff face of the sand dune is pretty beyond description.

4) Great weather. 30 degrees in the day, 20 degrees at night... No snow.

5) Highlands to get away from it all. Waterfalls, Strawberry fields, Cherry Blossoms... Yep, its all there.

If you have not been to Santo Domingo, it is definitely worth a visit.

-- Robin Low