Dark Shadows (2012) Rating : 2.5 / 5 "A lot of empty hole"

A lot of missing part and half hearted plot but with a good character execution, great costumes and great settings. Dark Shadows has a lot of holes that needed to be filled. The story is too rush, the mystery is not intriguing enough, the plot is nothing but a plug in plug out plot to make the story seems longer. However, from all the bad side, what makes the movie good enough to compete in the movie market is the cast. Johnny Depp "Barnabas Collins" is good, so do Helena Bonham Carter "Dr. Julia" and Eva Green the antagonist "Angelique Bouchard". They do really perform the best portraying the weird characters. The setting is amazing, Tim Burton is good in bringing a classic tale to new adapted darker theme just like what he did in Alice in wonderland. The costume perfectly fit the 70s time as well as the old fashion imperial age Barnabas Collins costume. Really love the way each setting and costume is crafted with full passionate. Well the comedy is not as hilarious as I could imagine. Dark Shadows is a remake of 70s  horror comedy soap opera, perhaps that is why you will find a lot of empty mysteries left behind because you just simply cannot squished all the story into  113 minutes movie.

There is absolutely a lot of mysteries being left out just to rush it to the end. Starting from the Dr. Julia, to mysteriously behaving teenage girl "Carolyn  Stoddard" and sad lonely young boy "David Collins". They are all just a plug in plug out plot to make the story longer. The ghost in the mansion is just lame. Barely anything being told about it. The nanny doesn't even solved the mystery why the Barnabas loves ghost is talking to her. Firstly the attention is being brought to the nanny "Victoria Winters" in the first part of the movie, leaving the audience with a great expectation that Barnabas Collins will be mystery. Then, reaching the half of the movie, the main attention turns to Barnabas Collins leaving out the nanny as a supporting character. But for ever what reason, suddenly Victoria Winters fell in love with Barnabas Collins while the whole story is telling about how Barnabas Collins is going to restore the family wealth. Overall the plot and storyline is weak. 

On the other side, the collaboration of Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp is great. Just like in Alice in Wonderland portraying a funny weird character, they also did it in Dark Shadows. Bonham as Dr. Julia and Johnny as the vampire "Barnabas Collins". They executed the character very well. Don't forget the antagonist Eva green, she does make Angelique as annoying and evil as it is but not neglecting the heart that the character is still in love with Barnabas Collins. The other characters are lacking of character development, perhaps not enough time to tell it. Or the writer just assume that everyone watching the movie has lived through 70s or at least have watched part of the Opera soap. Unfortunately, I haven't watched it and I feel a lot of empty plot being left out or just merely plugged in for a short amusement.

The setting is amazing, a lot of Tim Burton themed setting to please audience eyes. Barnabas Collins mansion is creepy magnificent huge and glamorous. The imperial design could still be felt in the mansion. In the town, the 70s atmosphere is surely convincing enough with the car, costume and architect. The forest is as dark as what you can find in Alice in wonderland. Tim Burton is the amazing in creating a new theme to fit the current taste of movie goers which is a little bit darker and serious. Quite amazed by the ghost scene that brings out the nanny from her room to the hall but disappointed heavily on the story line. Well directed movie as I can say. Well, here is the trailer for you to enjoy =>

21 Jump Street (2012) Rating: 3.5 / 5 "Hilarious"

21 Jump street is a good movie choice for your weekend entertainment. Hilariously scripted and perfectly executed by Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. Haven't seen any TV series popularized by our beloved actor "Johnny Depp", 21 Jump street is following its predecessor as a teenage movie choice. Surely 21 Jump street did really lifted up the spirit of Action comedy genre that is purely for entertainment only. Majority of movie in this genre has been a "A pass by entertainment" where people watched and doesn't expect much about it then people just stopped talking about it. Some action comedy movies beside 21 Jump street that makes people coming back for the sequel is Rush Hour (Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker), the other doomed action comedy is Killer (Asthon Kutcher and Katherine Heigl). Well, Triple X (Vin Diesel) was a good action comedy genre before it was ruined in the second movie starring "Ice cube".

Triple xXx does really show the movie industry that casting does really matter for action comedy genre. 21 Jump street do have a good cast. I was firstly doubted Channing Tatum joining the set making the same mistake like Ice cube in Triple X: State of union which brought the franchise on the knee. However Tatum executed the character "Greg Gengko" fairly well. On the other hand, Jonah Hill is fantastic. Even though, Hill is 28 now, he did really put his best in Morton Schimdt. He executed it very well and made the character very alive. Jonah Hill do really show us that age doesn't matter in movie industry as long as you can act.

I thought that 21 Jump street was a first fresh action comedy before I found out that 21 Jump Street is a famous 80s TV shows starring Johnny Depp. The storyline is perfectly scripted and does not gives you awkward corny line. Perhaps, it was Hill and Tatum that made the character alive. Unlike Killer that dragged you too long on the introduction or Big Mommas 3 that brought you the same formula which bored you to dead, 21 Jump street do balanced out the drama, comedy and action giving you a hilarious 109 minutes rides of fun.

 Well, the twisting plot I have to admit it, is not brilliant enough. A good twisting plot is the one that makes you guessing a lot and found out that you have been accusing the wrong person or makes felt that you have been fooled by the story-line. 21 Jump street does not give you that formula, perhaps that is never their attention as this is supposed to be "Action Comedy" movie. At least, the movie gives you an interesting plot.

Johnny Depp starred as a cameo. According to entertainment news, Johnny Depp as a cameo with several conditions which one of them is his cast mate in 80s 21 Jump street must also involved in it and another one is *SPOILER*. Well, perhaps you have to find it in the movie.







Here is the trailer for you to watch, enjoy =>

Alice in Wonderland (2010; Genre: Adventure, Fantasy) Rating: 4.5/5 "A MUST WATCH"

Tim Burton is magnificent in changing the classical Disney fairytale to fit with today taste and trends. Alice in Wonderland is no longer Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo cartoon but instead, a terrific adorable enjoyable family movie that must not be missed.

Starring, Mia Wasikowska (Alice); Johnny Depp (Mad Hatter); Helena Bonham Carter (Red Queen); Anne Hathaway (White Queen). The movie begins with a teenager Alice that is going to be engaged soon and then finds herself following a tick-tock rabbit to the tree hole and falls into the underland. There the adventure begins in restoring the wonderland that is under the rule of the red queen. Alice is belief to be the one who is going to slay the jabawocckey (The dragon) and save the underland.

Johnny Depp acted weirdly good as a Mad Hatter. Mad Hatter is magnificently unique from the whole character in there. As well, the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) which I finds that she perfected the Red Queen bad characteristic. Without, her, the red queen is no longer a red queen. Various character is introduced enhance the imaginative of the young and old such as the cherious cat which mysteriously interesting. However, I am quite disappointed in how Anne Hathaway executed her characters that I find bit awkward. Nevertheless, "Alice in Wonderland" is a spot on family entertainment that adult will enjoy it as much as the young.