Precious is too predictable. Things go from bad to worse as the movie progresses. We already had seen a lot of movies about unappreciated students and their overachieving teacher. This is basically the plot of Precious when all of the drama was removed from it.

It is also full of movie clichés. Precious’ parents were depicted to be the evil ones while Precious is the innocent angel. We should forgive her misgivings because she doesn’t know the right from wrong. The teachers and social workers were seen as miracle workers and Precious’ saviors. One of them was played by Mariah Carey, who you might not notice because she was not wearing her usual face in this one.

Of the cast members of Precious, I can honestly say that Mo’Nique was the only one who managed to make her character believable. She deserved the Oscar she got for the role. The same can’t be said about the Best Writing Award it received because there’s nothing entertaining nor original about the movie.

Clareece ‘Precious’ Jones (Gabourey Sidibe): Some folks has a lot of things around them that shines for other peoples. I think that maybe some of them was in tunnels. And in that tunnel, the only light they had, was inside of them. And then long after they escape that tunnel, they still be shining for everybody else.

Precious was full of stereotypes as it tries to play on the viewers’ emotions but the only sensation I got while watching the movie was boredom. It is a complete waste of time. I beg you not to torture yourself with this movie. I’ll give it five out of five yawns.

It is a character-driven story based on a novel that I haven’t read and have no intentions of reading any time soon. The only reason why I watched the movie was because it was directed by Peter Jackson. And he didn’t cease to amaze me with the visual effects he incorporated into The Lovely Bones.

In order to enjoy a character-driven movie, the viewers should feel a connection with any of the characters but I felt none from anyone in the movie. And I can’t blame the cast for it. Mark Wahlberg portrayed the devastated father well and Rachel Weisz should also be commended for her performance in The Lovely Bones.

There were no surprises as to who raped and killed Susie Salmon. This was revealed in the first few minutes of The Lovely Bones. Harvey came out too creepy that you can immediately tell that he’s the one. It managed to suspend the logical mind for 2 hours and 15 minutes but it failed to be suspenseful at all.

I got a bone to pick with one of the sequences when Harvey was about to dump Susie’s bones into the sinkhole. Ruth (Carolyn Dando) saw him and she called Ray (Reece Ritchie) because she saw Susie’s reflection. Susie goes into Ruth’s body and instead of stopping the killer from dumping her body, she asked for a kiss from Ray. I guess for a 15 year old girl, a kiss was more important than catching the killer.

Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan): These were the lovely bones that had grown around my absence. The connections, sometimes tenuous, sometimes made at great cost, but often magnificent that happened after I was gone. And I began to see things in a way that let me hold the world without me in it.

The Lovely Bones is definitely not my type of movie. It is also not a book that I would read in this lifetime. The movie had several plot holes that Peter Jackson must have spent his time developing the CGI of the movie instead of devising a good plot. I want to know from those who read the book about their thoughts of the film adaptation. Anyone?

Henry’s timing is good because Scarlet is now separated from her husband Brad Nelson (Marc Blucas), the obnoxious gym teacher. To make things complicated, Shasta (Hillary Duff), the 17 year old daughter of his classmates, has a crush on him.

Nobody in his hometown has ever read his book, How Lionel Got Him Laid. And if they did then they could have known that it is not a work of fiction but an autobiography. It is about him and the people around him. Then they could have seen that his intention of going back is not to speak to the graduates but to speak to the one.

Good thing he has his crazy friends helping him along the way. There’s the tattoo artist Wino (Josh Holloway) and the gay hairdresser Big Girl (Sean Astin). But then again, he also managed to screw up their friendship.

The true star of Stay Cool is Winona Ryder. I know you might think I’m just being biased but she did make the movie better with her presence. Without her, it’s just another dull movie about high school. I find Mark Polish’s performance to be lackluster.

I don’t like the ending though. All this time Henry is pursuing the girl of his dream and when he managed to sleep with her, he leaves town. I don’t know what the Polish brothers wanted to convey. Was it all about sex? Why did they end it with an anticlimactic goodbye? Maybe they really left it hanging so that the audience can make their own endings for the movie.

Shasta O’Neil (Hillary Duff): You can say yes now, and you can always say no later. But if you say no now, then you’ll never ever have a chance to say yes.

Stay Cool is a light comedy that tackled the what-ifs in life. Not everyone is as lucky as Henry, who has the chance to work on the questions left unanswered after he left town. Do you have any hang-ups in life that you can’t let go?

This genre is an acquired taste that one develops during his puberty stage. Some outgrow it while there are others like me who still enjoy watching this type of movie. It has zombies, sword fighting, blood and gore. What more can you ask for? Oh, did I mention that it has pretty girls as well?

Oneechanbara: The Movie – Vortex is a sequel. Well, I haven’t seen the first one yet but I read that the storylines of both movies are unrelated with each other and although the main characters are the same, the actresses that played them are different.

It is about Aya (Yu Tejima), a skillful swordswoman who has cursed blood of Imichi flowing through her veins. She roams the streets and fight zombies with the help of her sister Saki (Kumi Imura). The evil Himiko (Rika Kawamura) wants their blood so that she could remain young forever. Another eye candy in the movie is Aya’s old friend Reiko (Akina Ozawa), who is an expert with the long rifle.

Don’t expect the fight scenes of this movie to be innovative and fresh. But it is good enough to satisfy my craving for some action. And if you’re still wondering, the answer is no. It doesn’t have any full nudity of any sort nor does it have any sexual or perverse acts. It’s a plain old action flick with zombies, blood, and babes.

If you’re looking for mindless fun then check out Oneechanbara: The Movie – Vortex. The story might be sketchy but who gives a damn about the plot when you got hot chicks wielding swords on the screen fighting zombies. That’s good enough for me.

It is one awkward moment after another. Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Kristen Stewart) have very little chemistry. There was more chemistry between the fairy, I mean vampire Edward, and the half-dog/half-abs Jacob (Taylor Lautner).

The Twilight series might be the only series I know where the supporting cast are hotter than the star. Alice (Ashley Greene) had my full attention whenever she was on. Even Jessica (Anna Kendrick) has more appeal than Bella. I wished Jane (Dakota Fanning) had more screen time in this movie.

And don’t get me started with the CG wolves, which I found funny rather than menacing. Actually there are a few things hilarious in New Moon but most of them were not even meant to be funny. They came from the discomforting interaction between all the characters.

Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner): I know what he did to you but Bella, I want you to know I will never hurt you.

Poor acting and awkwardness are just the few words to describe New Moon. And I’m being nice here. This movie is for die-hard fans that treat the books as their bible. The stupid twits swoon over Edward and Jacob without any regard to the coherency of the movie. You should definitely avoid this one as well as the rest of the movies of the Twilight Saga.

Fish Story is a song recorded by the punk band Gekirin in 1975. They are punk even before Sex Pistols popularized the genre. Despite not mainstream, a producer allows them to record the song. He believes that the song would one day impact the life of a person. Actually the song is good.

The movie jumps through different time periods, from 1975 up to 2012, where a meteor is about to hit the planet. It’s like Armageddon, Japanese-style. Fish Story shows the viewer different stories and how they all contribute to the main story.

It is unpredictable how Fish Story will stop the meteor and I wouldn’t spoil that here. Each story reveals a piece of the puzzle and when the big reveal comes in the end, you’ll find yourself jumping up and down with joy. Then you’ll want to watch it again. Its ending is definitely not a letdown.

Fish Story is well-acted but there are some of them that stand out from the rest. They are Omori Nao, who played the music producer; Kora Kengo, the front man of Gekirin; Ito Atsushi, the band’s leader; and Moriyama Mirai, the champion of justice. Mirai’s action scenes are well choreographed and make Fish Story more entertaining. For eye-candy, there’s Tabe Mikako.

I can’t really pinpoint Fish Story’s genre. It is a good mix of thriller, action, comedy, musical, documentary and drama. Maybe this is the reason why it is gripping and not boring at all. Each of the subplots can be made into a full-length movie and still be interesting. When all of them are combined, the result is a magical rollercoaster ride. It is a fun movie from start to end.

Emily feels that Lilith is in imminent danger, which is why she drags Detective Mike Barron (Ian McShane) to check out the Sullivan house. There they find the couple in the process of burning Lilith inside the oven. Lilith is then sent to child care but she asks Emily to adopt her. Emily agrees and the girl moves in with her. But as Case 39 progresses, she finds out that Lilith is not as angelic as she seems to be.

Renee Zellweger did a decent job in Case 39 but Jodelle Ferland stole the show from her. You can immediately feel that something’s wrong with her right from the start. She makes you feel sorry for her at the beginning as the movie slowly prepares the viewers for a suspenseful ride.

Edward Sullivan (Callum Keith Rennie): They say when you’re born you’re given your eternal soul. The part of you that lives on, lives again. Whatever evil she is, didn’t come from us. It was already there. From the moment she came into being, she brought something with her. Something older, destructive. Soul of a demon.

Case 39 is a decent horror movie but if you really want a good scare, I suggest you watch Orphan instead. Case 39 is too predictable for me and I hate its Hollywood ending. One thing’s for sure, you’ll think twice about adopting a kid after watching Case 39.

Lisbeth’s father, Alexander Zalachenko (Georgi Staykov), is dead but her half-brother Ronald Niedermann (Micke Spreitz) is still after her. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest ties all the loose ends. Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) is still by her side but she continues to refuse any help from him.

While the book version would make you forget about time, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest movie is dragging. This is evident during the long court scene, which explains Lisbeth’s motivations of her actions.

Out of the three books, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest is the least suspenseful. This is why I didn’t expect the movie to be otherwise. It gives the answers to the questions left unanswered by the previous two movies. If you saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire, then you should definitely the last one.

I tried so hard to enjoy The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest movie but I felt tired while watching it. After completing the Millennium trilogy, I conclude that Stieg Larsson’s works are better read than watched. The books are more gripping than the movies.

Most characters are back, including Millennium co-owner Erika Berger (Lena Endre) and Lisbeth’s girlfriend Miriam Wu (Yasmine Garbi). Then there are new characters, including ex-boxer Paolo Roberto (Paolo Roberto) and the invincible thug Ronald Niedermann (Micke Spreitz).

Character develop made by Stieg Larsson is butchered by the movie. Some thrilling elements are removed. This might be due to time constraints because even all the cuts in the story, the total runtime of The Girl Who Played with Fire is 129 minutes.

There is a fight between Paolo and Niedermann that I expected to be interesting because I enjoyed that part in the book. But it didn’t translate well in the movie. The fight was more exciting in the book than in the movie. The Girl Who Played with Fire movie is not as loyal to the book as the first movie of the Millennium Trilogy. I found the book to be more stimulating. One thing that the movie didn’t touch on is the conflict within the police force, which I thought added flavor to the story.

The Girl Who Played with Fire movie is less thrilling than The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The suspenseful novel was turned into an average detective movie.

It was ten years ago when Tom Adkins Sr. (Jon Hamm) lost his son Tom Jr. (Ty Panitz) at a diner. He felt guilty about it and his inability to give up the search for his missing son. Because of his constant absence and guilt, his marriage with Barbara (Rhona Mitra) has suffered and on the brink of divorce.

50 years ago, a young father Matthew Wakefield (Josh Lucas) lost everything, including his home. His wife couldn’t handle the pressure and committed suicide, leaving him to take care of their three kids. He decided to leave his kids with relatives but they would only take the normal ones. They said that John (Jimmy Bennett) would just be a liability because he’s mentally challenged. So Matthew had to find a space for the two of them and started to work at a construction site.

Matthew became friends with Diploma (James Van Der Beek) and Swede (Holt McCallany) and got in an affair. It was during this time when John was abducted. At this point, Stolen jumped back to the present where the body in a box was proven to be that of John Wakefield.

The similarities of the two cases made Tom Sr. more driven to uncover the truth behind the murder of the Wakefield boy. He hoped that the disappearance 50 years ago would lead him to the kidnapper of his son.

And as it turned out, the case of John Wakefield and his son were connected. Dawson did it. As Tom Sr. closed both cases, he was able to come to the realization that he lost his son forever. He also made up with his wife.

The characters in Stolen were well developed and the actors did a solid job with their acting. Jon Hamm and Josh Lucas were perfect as tormented fathers. The two stories were smartly weaved together and didn’t feel forced. It is a good, well-written movie even if the ending felt a bit rushed.