Maleficent

Title: Maleficent

Year: 2014

Director: Robert Stromberg

Rating (by MPAA): PG for sequences of fantasy action and violence, including frightening images

Synopsis: A vengeful fairy is driven to curse an infant princess, only to discover that the child may be the one person who can restore peace to their troubled land.

Official Page and IMDb Page

Official Trailer



STEPH SAID

Rating:


Review:

*This review contains spoilers*

Since this movie is a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story, from Maleficent's point of view, I expected a few changes from the original Disney story. However, this movie doesn't have just a few changes; it is a completely different story. I didn't enjoy that. I mean, if they wanted to do a different story, then why sell it through a classic's name. The only similarities are the character's names and the curse; which seems like everything, but, when put into context, is not much.

Maleficent started as a young, good fairy who fell in love with a human boy, and grew to be the protector of the Moors, the magical realm where she lives. After being betrayed by the man she loved, she grows to be the bitter, vengeful creature we all know and love. So far so good, right? Well, not quite. The first thing I noticed about the Moors is that there are no other fairies. Maleficent's parents are dead, and even though she talks as if there are other fairies in the Moors, we never see them. She is, supposedly, the most powerful fairy. But, how can we know that, when we can't compare her to anyone? As I imagined, we don't see much of her magic in the movie. Just the curse she casts on Aurora and some transfiguration charms.

Also, I didn't like the fact that once Maleficent turns evil, she bounds the Moors, and everyone in it, in her darkness. I understand why she turned bitter and vengeful, and I would have understood if she shut everyone off. However, I can't understand how she betrayed her whole country; everyone in the Moors loved her and trusted that she would protect them. Instead, she ensnared them, literally and figuratively, when she started a dark, oppressive reign over the Moors, and surrounded it with gigantic thorns.

These are just small details, yet, as the actual story started to develop I encountered bigger problems with this movie. The firsts of which have to do with the curse. Stefan made Maleficent miserable, so she wants to return the favor, and curses Stefan's daughter, Aurora. The curse scene tries to be grandiose, key word being “tries”. The scene looks forced. Especially when Maleficent doesn't even know with what to curse Aurora and starts looking around the room. She notices a spinning wheel that happened to be in the christening ceremony and thinks “Ehh... What the heck... This can work as well as anything else.” Stefan, with all the power he has as king, decides to gather every spinning wheel of the kingdom and hide them in the castle, instead of burning them to ashes. 

Maleficent suddenly is not as evil and starts looking after Aurora, who was sent to live with three pixies. Maybe, Maleficent wants her to grow up safely so she can die at the right moment. No matter why, she looks after Aurora. When Aurora is a teenager Maleficent reveals herself to Aurora, and Aurora immediately names Maleficent as her fairy godmother, even though Maleficent doesn't even have wings. They start to bond and care for each other. But, the day before her sixteenth birthday Aurora finds out about her curse and the fairy who cursed her. She went to talk with her fairy godmother and immediately says that her fairy godmother is the evil fairy who cursed her. Five minutes before she thought that Maleficent was the greatest of the fairies, the one that had protect her her entire life. Now, out of the blue, she knows that said fairy is the evilest of fairies, the one that cursed her as a baby.

The following scenes are about the curse being fulfilled, and Aurora being awaken by a kiss. Some expected changes are made from the original story. I don't mind those. The ensuing battle, on the other hand, lefts much to be desired. That was the perfect moment to showcase Maleficent's true magical powers. Instead, she transform someone else into a dragon and that's about it.

The resolution of the story is the worst. If the ending of this movie had aligned with Disney's Sleeping Beauty's storyline, I would have given it a higher rating. Except it did the complete opposite. Maleficent ends up as a good guy and she unites the Moors and the kingdom of men through Aurora. Which seems nice considering Aurora's good nature, but isn't. The inhabitants of the Moors were free and now aren't. Also, we don't know who will reign after Aurora. What if they don't share her kind nature? What will happen to the magical creatures of the Moors?

One of the things I disliked the most about this ending is that it is implied that Aurora ends up with a prince that she only saw once. I know Disney is trying to distant itself from their love-at-first-sight-with-a-prince-charming past. Yet, of all the things they could change from their initial story, they left that part intact.

If this movie gets a two-star/ok rating, instead of a one-star/bad rating, is due to the amazing magical creatures of the Moors. Among them: the Ent-like guardians, the pixies that took care of Aurora, and, most importantly, Diaval, the raven.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Year: 2014

Director: Marc Webb

Rating (by MPAA):  PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action/violence

Synopsis (IMDb): Peter Parker runs the gauntlet as the mysterious company Oscorp sends up a slew of super villains against him, impacting his life.

Official Page

Official Trailer

STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

Do you know how Hollywood likes to mess up a really good movie, with an awful sequel? They take already big movies and try to make them even bigger to make them "better", and they fail miserably. Exhibit A: Two Fast, Two Furious; Exhibit B: The Matrix Reloaded; Exhibit C: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I was scared that might have happen to the new Spider-man, but I'm happy to say it didn't. This is another win for Spider-man, yet again; it was a truly amazing movie. This sequel follows in its predecessor's footsteps. It had a perfect balance between drama, action, comedy and romance; it managed to create perfect moments of dramatic intensity, followed by carefree moments filled with Peter's charisma and charm.

In this instance we get to delve into Peter's past, or technically, his parents'. We find out why they left Peter behind, why they disappeared, and about Richard's involvement with Oscorp. However, I'm sensing that what we find out is merely the tip of the iceberg.

The newcomers, Jamie Foxx and Dane DeHaan, and their respective characters, are literally at the center of this movie; the movie revolves around these two. And they deserve it. Their enactments were amazing and their characters, brilliant and astounding. Their gradual progression from good to evil was gripping and exciting. If I didn't know how things were going to turn out, I could have been completely fooled by Harry's good boy haircut and Max's pity-inducing Spider-man obsession. In fact, I was captivated by their good counterparts. I couldn't believed that they were going to turn evil eventually; maybe the trailers were mistaken, I hoped. Unfortunately, my hopes were extinguished.

Harry's transformation from a world traveled brat to the Green Goblin, the specific moment of the transformation, was chill-inducing. (In a great way!) That is one of my favorite parts of the movie. DeHaan's acting afterward was even better that before. He literally created a completely different character for the Goblin. As he said, Harry was dead. There was no trace of him in the Goblin.

One thing that I usually don't notice in movies, but adored in this one, is the soundtrack. The music for this movie, especially the original music, dazzled me. The effects it was accompanied by helped increased its impressiveness.

The movie's critical and climactic plot-twist was undoubtedly surprising. Even though I was expecting it, and knew what was going to happen, I was caught off-guard. It was beautifully made, with no room for mistake. I like that the movie didn't portray it as it happened in the comics, that way it was more visually easy to understand. Most people that say the movie wasn't as good as the first one is, probably, because they didn't like or understand this twist. To those people I say: review the story developed through Spider-Man 1, 2 & 3.

iPhone apps - Secret Folder Apps

Secret Folder Apps

*These reviews were made based on the free version of the app which have a limit of photos and videos you can store.*

It happens all the time. One person’s phone or iPod gets "borrowed" by another friend and many crazy posts appear on Facebook. During those precious minutes that the phone wasn’t in possession of the owner, the friend could have looked through pictures, videos or documents. And even though those are our friends, there are some things we like to keep to ourselves. That’s where a secret folder app comes in handy. These apps are, basically, a folder, protected by a password, where you can store videos, pictures, documents, contacts and other things. There are many out there, however, most have the same huge fault: their icon includes an image of a lock. What’s the point in having a secret if you’re going to be screaming "I have a secret!" at the top of your lungs? Fortunately, there are a few apps that have a discreet icon and, coincidentally, those are the apps that offer the most features. I chose the best two because one has what the other lacks, and vice versa. The one best suited for you will depend on why you want the secret folder app.

HiDisk

As other apps of the same style HiDisk lets you use a full password or a dot pattern to protect pictures, videos and notes. It has the ability to create a decoy password that leads to a completely different secret folder and it has a Q&A to help you when you forget your password. HiDisk lets you transfer you data via bluetooth, usb and Wi-Fi.

The features that make this app stand out are the ability to create folders and sub-folders, and the ability to create .zip files from within the app. The latter is very useful when sharing multiple, say, pictures, through e-mail. Also, this app lets you create, edit and share .txt documents and record audio notes.

Though the icon you see has a keyhole, once the app is installed the icon will look like this:

KYMS

With KYMS you can save pictures, videos and notes, which can be organized in different folders. These can be transferred through usb and Wi-Fi. This app also has a double password protection. For iPhone user the app includes an additional feature: the Panic Gesture, that let's you log out of the app by covering the phone with your hand.

What makes this app stand out is its ability to go unnoticed and its online browser. Though the promo icon for this app is pretty obvious, the icon that appears on your screen once you have the app installed, looks discreet. To make it even better, when someone opens the app they will see a fully functioning calculator. On top of that, the online browser keeps an independent history from Safari's, and has a downloader. 



Both are great apps to save private media and information. In the end, the app that will work for you will depend on whether you want to save your own pictures and information, or whether you want to browse for new ones. Having both apps is, definitely, the best option.

The Walking Dead - Season 3

Title: The Walking Dead

Year: 2010

Season: 3

Broadcasting Station: AMC

Official Page

Official Synopsis: The survivors led by police officer Rick Grimes take refuge in a prison and attempt to set up a permanent camp. But while invading zombies are an ever-present danger, they must also battle the living.

ELL SAID

Rating:

Review:

This TV Series has proved to be one of the most flawless TV Series I've ever seen. Everything is done so perfectly, I can only describe it as beautiful. The story is excellent and the character development is, too. Daryl keeps proving that he deserves the fame he's gathered. I must say that one thing wronged the beauty of the rest of the series, (SPOILERS) and that's Andria's death. She was handcuffed onto a chair, yes, but when she finally got out, the Walker was very close. She let it bite her, but she had pliers in her hand, which could be used to burrow through the eye to the brain. Besides that technicality, this season is the best so far.

The Dark Knight (2008)

Title: The Dark Knight

Year: 2008

Director: Christopher Nolan

Synopsis: When Batman, Gordon and Harvey Dent launch an assault on the mob, they let the clown out of the box, the Joker, bent on turning Gotham on itself and bringing any heroes down to his level.

Official Site and IMDb Page

ELL SAID

Rating:

Review:

Wow. Just wow. This movie was magnificent, if not pure perfection. I literally have nothing bad to say about it! The actors portrayed their characters to such an extent that they took acting to another level. But the jewel that pushed this movie to new heights was The Joker himself. When he first gives an explanation for his scars, I shuddered and had to stop the movie for a bit just to relax, because he was seriously terrifying. At other times, he was funny to the point that I was laughing out loud, a balance few characters can achieve. I have yet to see a better portrayed villain anywhere. The tension was nerve-wracking during the ferries "game", and Two-Face was just completely terrifying and awesome. Batman was more agile and skilled than before, and his gadgets and tools just keep getting better and better. A small appearance by The Scarecrow was epic, and the Batman impersonators added to the whole "Gotham Is Changing" feel. So, if you want a thrilling, action-packed, hero movie, you can't get anything better than this.

STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

The only thing I didn't like about this movie was Batman's new stupid voice. But, this was such a minor part of the movie that I'm going to let it slide. 

Besides this small nuisance, the movie was utter perfection. It build up on what Batman Begins had already started; it kept the same tone, the same harsh view of reality and the same amazing actors.

What makes The Dark Knight different and way better than its predecessor is the new things that it introduced (besides Batman's new voice!). The new characters, the Joker and Harvey Dent, stole the show. They are the actual stars of this movie. The actors' portrayal were intense and on point. Each actor lived and became his role. Aaron Eckhart excelled at portraying both good and evil sides of his character, his slow transition from Gotham's White Knight to Harvey Two Face was dramatic and powerful. Nonetheless, Heath Ledger outshone even Eckhart. His performance was creepy, disturbing and chill-educing. He didn't won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for nothing. He was THAT good. 

I also liked is that this story doesn't follow the usual dramatic structure of rising action, climax and falling action. Many things were happening at once, many stories unraveling. This created many plot twists and many climaxes throughout the movie. It was, definitely, well written. 

However, to fully understand the brilliance of this movie, words are not enough. You will have to go ahead and watch it.

Doctor Who Christmas Special - The Next Doctor

Title: The Next Doctor

Broadcasting Station: BBC

Original Airdate: 25 December 2008

Official Page

Official Synopsis: When the Doctor meets another Doctor, the two must combine forces to stop the Cybermen and the colossal CyberKing.

ELL SAID

Rating:

Review:

The title of this special definitely scared me when I first read it. I mean, David Tennant was an amazing Doctor, so thinking of him leaving was little less than a death sentence. I began the episode hoping Tennant didn't die. Upon seeing the so-called "Next Doctor", I realized he wasn't really a new regeneration. All throughout the episode I honestly knew the guy wasn't the Doctor at all, which destroyed most of the episode's excitement. Adding to that, the Cybermen are an overused enemy, which made the this episode all the more painful. David Tennant was, obviously, amazing, as were all the other actors, but this episode was, sadly, a filler. It was fun, but one of my least favorite episodes ever. At least we got a enormous robot and a balloon.

STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

After the emotional climax that was the end of “Journey's End” I was left with high hopes for the future of Doctor Who. However, “The Next Doctor” went back to the uninteresting type of episodes of season two. The overall story of the episode wasn't something fresh or engaging, possibly due to nature of the enemy: The Cybermen. At least since they started appearing in New Who they have always wanted the same thing: to upgrade humankind, to convert everyone into Cybermen. I know they are classic Doctor Who villains, but, after a while, their stories start to seem the same.

What gave a little twist to this particular story was The Next Doctor. He was a clever Doctor with a dramatic story. His partnership with The Doctor was lively and witty. Unfortunately, since this was a special, individual episode we probably won't see the character again.

Orphan Black - Season 1

Title: Orphan Black

Year: 2013

Broadcasting Station: BBC America

Official Page

Official Synopsis: Sarah [is] an outsider and orphan whose life changes dramatically after witnessing the suicide of a woman who looks just like her. Sarah assumes her identity, her boyfriend and her bank account. But instead of solving her problems, the street smart chameleon is thrust headlong into a kaleidoscopic mystery. She makes the dizzying discovery that she and the dead woman are clones… but are they the only ones? Sarah quickly finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly conspiracy and must race to find answers about who she is and how many others there are just like her.

*This TV series has been rated TV-MA, for mature audiences.*

STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

This new series caught me by surprise and hooked me from the get go. Orphan Black is a marvelous and intense roller coaster ride from beginning to end. Every episode will have you on the edge of your seat; you won't know who to trust or what to believe. Your whole world and reality will be turned upside down.

The first half of the season is more intense and thrilling. The main characters are focused on covering their tracks and running away. However, halfway through the season the intensity starts to decline, which was good, because I thought I was going to get a heart attack watching the first episodes. During the second part of the series the main characters focus on getting some answers and understanding their life. 

That second part is what I didn't enjoy as much. Don't get me wrong. It was good, interesting and intriguing. But, at this point many characters and subplots were introduced really fast and the episodes felt packed and unnecessarily complicated.

Every actor of this TV series was fantastic. My biggest surprise was 7-years-old Skyler Wexler. Her enactment of Sarah's daughter, Kira, was perfect. Her performing caliber was equal to the adults' in the series. Nevertheless, the actress that shines the brightest is Tatiana Maslany, who plays the clones. She excelled at her various performances; managing to create a completely different character for each of her roles. Her performance of each  clone is unique. Maslany didn't conform with using various costumes to differentiate each clone. She used different language, attitudes, personalities, traits and mannerisms, and the result was extraordinary. I still have trouble wrapping my head around the brilliance of her performance, how one actress managed to make so many women that look alike behave so different.

*SPOILERS below*

I wasn't too happy with the ending. I loved the progress made and the new questions that were posed in it, but I didn't like Cosima and Sarah's reaction to the patent. I mean, this is a sketchy company that got away with something as huge as human cloning, they can get away with anything. The only way to break them is from the inside. No matter if Sarah and Cosima signed or if they didn't, Neolution (or however the actual organization is called) would still own them. However, if they had signed the contracts maybe they would've had more liberty to find some answers. Neolution gave them an opportunity and they didn't get it, now things will be done Neolution way. Which means things will be a lot harder and painful for Cosima and Sarah. Being on the run and trying to break an organization that is tracking your every move and that won't think twice before killing someone that is in the way is not an easy feat. They should have signed and tried to gain the organization's trust. 

Fortunately, this didn't put a damper on the series. I still love and recommend it. Hopefully, it will make something good out of this situation on season two.