Daniel's top 5 favorite movies of 2016

2017 is approaching us rapidly, can you hear the echoes of its footsteps? As we are counting down to welcome a new year, I wish to share a list for my favorite movies of 2016. This year, I visited the cinema more frequently than in 2015, because I received a pile of free movie tickets from work. Due to the busyness of life, however, I was unable to write a review for every movie I have seen this year. Therefore, 4 days before Mr. Calendar opens the floodgate to New Year celebration, I sat down, and picked 5 movies to compile a list for my favorite movies in 2016. I recommend these 5 movies to you (if you haven't seen them already).

Of course, this list is highly subjective. These 5 movies may not be the most artistic films, or even the best films. No, these 5 movies are my personal favorites of 2016 and I think they are worth watching (and they are also re-watchable).

Without further delay, please allow me to present my list to you.

Number 5:

The Jungle Book

I didn't see The Jungle Book in the cinema. Instead, I watched this remake in the magical format of a 3D Blu Ray, at home. I loved every second of this movie and the 3D effect was breathtaking! Now, you might think this movie is for young children because of.... talking animals? Well, the talking animals are the best thing about The Jungle Book; the voice acting was top notch, and these characters are very likable. Overall, The Jungle Book is a fun and entertaining movie. What was my favorite scene in this film? It was the iconic moment, when the bear and Mowgli sang “Bare Necessity”. I was singing along very happily and I know you would have loved to sing along Mowgli and his fluffy bear friend, too.

Number 4:

Deepwater Horizon

A disaster movie – checked

A movie based on a true story – checked

A movie that keeps you at the edge of your seat – checked

A movie with a good moral message - checked

Starring Mark Wahlberg and based on a true event, Deepwater Horizon narrates the story about the WORST oil spill in US waters, ever! What caused it? Watch this movie and see for yourself. The visuals in Deepwater Horizon were both gripping and explosive, and it created a very immersive cinematic experience. This is a disaster movie, but unlike most Hollywood disaster movies, Deepwater Horizon delivers a heavy impact on its audience because it is based on a true story – a story about the best and the worst of the human nature.

Number 3:

Kubo and the Two Strings:

The studio, Laika, created a masterpiece in Kubo and the Two Strings. This stop-motion movie, hand-crafted, narrates a tale of epic fantasy set in medieval Japan. I was very impressed by the level of details and the artistic designs that went into the making of this film. It suffices to say, Kubo and the Two Strings is a labor of love. The story in Kubo and the Two Strings can be a little dark, and at times, melancholic and tragic, but I appreciated its themes about mortality and family values. This movie lingered on my mind for days after I left the cinema. It was a really good movie, and the soundtracks were delightful to the ear too! This movie has been released for home media, and I have purchased a 3D Blu Ray set. After viewing this film for the 2^nd time, I became even more fond of it, because I discovered a few little things I missed out at the 1^st time.

Number 2:

Arrival

Hollywood made (and will make) a lot of cheesy popcorn flicks about fighting evil aliens. But every now and then, they do make intelligent sci-fi movies, where the theme focuses on discovering ourselves through a story about aliens. So here we have it. Starring Amy Adams, Arrival takes the number 2 position on my list of favorites movies in 2016. There is a good reason why I am rating this movie so highly. Let me put it this way, Arrival is the most thought-provoking sci-fi movie I have seen this year. On the surface, the premise in Arrival posits the question: If we come into contact with an intelligent alien species, how will we communicate with them? However, on a deeper level, the story in Arrival really is about communication and language; not with aliens, but more about ourselves. If you like sci-fi movies, metaphor, and the history of the human language, then make sure to check out Arrival.

Number 1:

Love and Friendship

Here it is, my number 1 movie of 2016 is Love and Friendship. I think it is a shame this period comedy didn't receive more publicity. How did I discover this movie? By accident, I came across a few review videos on Youtube for Love and Friendship. Now, I am very fond of movie adaptations of Jane Austen novels, and my favorite actress is Kate Beckinsale. Upon discovering that this movie is adapted from a Jane Austen novella, Lady Susan, who is starred by Kate Beckinsale, I immediately added this film to my “must watch” list. When I finally watched Love and Friendship, this 90 minutes feature film delighted me with every second of its screen time! This movie satirizes the mannerism in high society, and the dialogues were hilarious! I grinned and laughed throughout the entire film. The acting in this vibrant movie was top notch. But Kate Beckinsale's acting was particularly outstanding. From the way she spoke, to the way she acted, Kate Beckinsale portrayed Lady Susan so vividly, and it was a truly stunning performance. I want to watch Love and Friendship again, because I think viewing this movie multiple times can bring one to appreciate it even more. Indeed, with superb acting and hilarious dialogues, Love and Friendship seizes the top spot on my list of favorite movies in 2016.

NOT EVEN WRONG? - Regarding my review for How Jesus Became God

I posted my review for How Jesus Became God on my own facebook page, and it generated a discussion both interesting and fruitful.

During the discussion, my Christian friend raised many objections to the points I raised in the book review. One objection stood out to me, and it was regarding this point:

Me: "With the way you are defending and reinterpreting the Bible, if the Bible is wrong, then can you know it is wrong?"

So what was the objection? My Christian friend wrote:

Quote: 'When you say, "I think Christians usually interpret the Bible this way..." and then a few paragraphs down say, "With the way YOU are reinterpreting and defending the Bible..." you're assuming things about my beliefs and approaches to scripture that you have no basis for assuming. “

I think this is a fair protest! Why? This is indeed my own observation (based on induction) and I have not talked to every Christian in the world. Perhaps there are some Christians out there who are approaching the Bible/Christianity differently, so if the Bible/Christianity is wrong then they can know it is wrong. 

But here is the thing, in order to Christians to falsify my point, they need to demonstrate what is this approach to the scripture/Christianity, that in the case when the Bible/Christianity really is wrong, they can know it is wrong.

The objection raised my curiosity, if my observation is incorrect then I want to know. (By the way, aren't you glad to know that my statement is falsifiable? Isn't falsifiability a good thing? Just a thought, you know?)

Therefore, if you are a Christian and you are reading my blog, then I invite you to a question:

If the Bible/Christianity is wrong, then how will you know it is wrong?

P.S.

1) I am NOT asking, “if your approach to the Bible/Christianity is wrong, then how will you know it is wrong”. Instead, I am asking, "what will make you stop believing Christianity?" Please take a note on this.

2) Some Christians (such as John Lennox) have said, if the body of Jesus is discovered (bones that belong to Jesus), then they will concede their faith is false. However, since we do not know the anatomical/biological features of Jesus, so there doesn't seem to be a feasible way to know if a pile of bone belong to Jesus. In other words, Christians need to demonstrate, how they will know a pile of bone belongs to Jesus. If they cannot demonstrate this, then they are just being evasive; they might must just as well say "nothing will ever make me stop believing in Christianity". My friend wrote a very good article titled, "The Body of Jesus Discovered!", where he discussed this issue in detail. The article can be found here:

http://www.skepticink.com/reasonablyfaithless/2014/01/12/body-of-jesus-discovered/

A Book Review: The Seventh Plague by James Rollins (Sigma Force #12)

Last week, a new Sigma Force novel arrived at the shore of my reading world. This new book is called The Seventh Plague. Being a big fan of Sigma Force series, I devoured the new novel in 3 sittings. All the while, this book reminded me of Metallica's song, Creeping Death.

Oops, by mentioning Creeping Death, I might have just given away what The Seventh Plague is about.

Or have I?

Worry not, my gentle readers. We are talking about James Rollins and his Sigma Force novel. This is a series of mystery/techno thrillers famous for inducing nail-biting suspense and havoc-wrecking action! This is why, even if you have already guessed, that The Seventh Plague has something to do with the biblical plagues of Egypt, please rest assured this is just the beginning of it and you haven't seen anything yet! And today I will be sharing my non-spoiler review for this much anticipated new book of Sigma Force.

Synopsis:

Out of the Sudanese desert came a delirious man, who stumbled his way to a small town and died shortly after. The officials identified him as Professor Harold McCabe, the leader of a British expedition who disappeared two years ago.

A medical team arrived on the scene to perform an autopsy, only to be shocked and mystified by what they saw – there, on the cold, steely bench lied the professor's body, but it appeared that someone started mummifying the good professor while he was still alive!

The bizarre discovery called for a further examination of the body, and the professor's mortal remain was returned to London. Meanwhile, disturbing news came from Egypt; an unidentified disease struck down all members of the medical team who performed the autopsy, and a strange plague also began to spread as a wild fire in Cairo.

A colleague of the professor took this alarming news in great concern. Before Professor McCabe disappeared, he was leading an expedition to search for the truth behind the biblical plagues of Egypt.

Can this be a coincidence?

It was not long before Painter Crowe, the director of Sigma Force, received a distress call for help. As soon as Painter Crowe and Sigma Force operatives began to investigate the case, however, they met a throwback immediately; a shadowy group of assailants firebombed the professor's home and destroyed his body, erasing all evidence. Now, Sigma Force must turn to the professor's daughter for help.

The clock ticks away as the pandemic spreads across the globe. Together, Sigma Force and the professor's daughter must hurry and piecing together an ancient puzzle, and find its linkage to an untold, historical journey involving Mark Twain, Nikola Tesla, and Henry Morgan Stanley. Should Sigma Force fail, unthinkable consequences will emerge from the shadow of a forgotten past.

Thus begins the adventure of The Seventh Plague, where Painter Crowe and Sigma Force are facing their deadliest challenge yet...

My thoughts on this book:

Reading The Seventh Plague was a blast! This book is a fast, thrill machine and it has Sigma Force's signature stamped all over it.

What is this “signature”? Well, since 2005, Sigma Force novels have attracted a large readership, because these novels successfully blended science fiction with history. I do not know if the science and history in these books are credible, but I do love how James Rollins meshed these “facts” together so seamlessly to writing these ultra fun, engaging novels.

The Seventh Plague opened its story with a mystery. The moment I read its first page, it immediately dragged me into a whirlpool of suspense. Throughout the rest of the novel, James Rollins gradually weaved tensions into the narratives, and his story beats at an excellent rhythm. The story maintained its suspense and mystery, right until the last page. Chapter after chapter, its many twists and turns will keep surprising you at the least expected moment. Not a single page in this book bored me, and I was yearning for more when the story ran to its end. This year, I have read dozens of thrillers, but The Seventh Plague stands near the top, as one of the best entries of 2016.

The Seventh Plague is using the biblical plagues of Egypt as a background for its story. At this point, some might be wondering, is this another “Dan Brownish” novel, attracting readers with religious controversy? Nope, I do not think this book is controversial at all. While The Seventh Plague is based on religious history, but James Rollins pulls it off with style. I do not think this book will offend a religious follower.

Sigma Force novels are exemplars of the thriller genre, but character development is also contributing greatly to its wide success; veterans and new comers to the series have all expressed their love for the characters in these books. Character development in thrillers? Yes, that is right! While best-selling thrillers don't usually pay attention to character development, but James Rollins has put a lot of works into portraying and growing his characters over the years. Most Sigma Force operatives, from Painter Crowe, Gray Pierce, Monk, Seichan, Kathryn, and Kowalski, are recurring characters in the series. James Rollins did an excellent job at depicting, how, the events in these books impacted and changed his characters. This means, while every Sigma Force novel is telling a stand alone story, but the heroes in these books are changing and growing from one book to the next, and a reader will become very fond of these characters. James Rollin's characters are an memorable, and likable bunch of daredevils. They will cut marrow deep impressions into your mind, and you cannot help but anticipating the next book.

Indeed, although The Seventh Plague delivered a satisfying conclusion to its story, but I cannot wait to read the next Sigma Force adventure. I wonder what's in store for Rollin's beloved characters, and what ancient mystery and peril are lurking around the corner, waiting to strike out at Sigma Force next time.

If you like Sigma Force series, then you will love The Seventh Plague. On the other hand, if you have never read a Sigma Force book but have a fondness for thriller novels, then I recommend this series to you, starting from a book called, Sandstorm.

Until the next time, happy reading!