Movie Review: Kung Fu Panda 2

The first Kung Fu Panda was an instant hit. The movie won admirations from viewers across the world with its humorous jokes and meaningful moral messages. In 2011, Dreamworks Animation released the sequel, Kung Fu Panda 2, which came out in real 3D just recently.

Where the original Kung Fu Panda had a good blend of humor and a good moral of the story, one should expect no less from the new sequel. So how does Kung Fu Panda 2 measures against its predecessor? This is what I would like to talk about in this review.

The story of Kung Fu Panda 2 picks up from the end of the first movie. Po, the panda is now a kung fu master and the renouned "dragon warrior". Despite his new gained fame and martial art skills, his teacher told Po that he must find his "inner peace".

At the same time, a mysterious villain appears and introduced a new weapon that threatens to end the history of kung fu. To solve this threat, Po's teacher set Po and the furious five on a mission to save not only kung fu from extinction, but also China from being anniliated by a tyrannical bad guy. The mission turned into a journey where Po discovered his birth origin and learnt to accept himself for who he is. The main theme of the movie, is about dealing with past hurts and pain and coming to term with who we are because of it.

So without spoiling too much story, let me just say that Kung Fu Panda 2 has some very funny moments. The special effects (especially if you watch it in the cinema) are great, and some of the jokes will have you laugh till you are curling up on your seat. Jack Black, Gary Oldman, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan and Angelina Jolie provided great voice overs and really brought the characters to live.

In terms of the the moral messages, personally I think the movie is right in its message that everyone somehow suffers pain and hurt in our lives, and we need to keep on going by reconciling with the past, to accept that everything that happened to us are part of who we are. Most importantily, the movie has a good message that we should not let the past distract us from the present. In the movie, Po got so distracted by his past, and he forgot that his father, although not his biological father, is the one who raised him and loved him. Only at the end did Po came to this realization and turned around to appreciate the family and friend he already has, therefore finding the inner peace he didn't have before.

While this all sounds good, I don't think the movie pointed out how, can we come to term with our past, and find real peace and rest.

So how can we reconcile with our past when someone has hurt us or caused us pain? How can we move on from that? How can we achieve peace and have rest? Is it through Yoga? Meditation? entertainment? or what? Or do we simply forget about the past to achieve peace and rest? One thing the movie didn't talk about, is forgiveness, which is crucial in dealing with previous hurts and pains in our lives.

The Bible makes it clear that our sins can only be reconciled by repenting and accepting Jesus as our Christ and savior. Through the grace of God, our sins are forgiven, and we are called to forgive those who sin against us, just as God has forgiven us (Matthew 6:14-15). Forgiveness, is a way for us to reconcile with our past, so we can lament and move on. Whether if it is forgiveness for others, or forgiveness for yourself, through forgiveness, past wounds can be healed and we stop dwelling in the past but live out the present for the glory of God. But once again, this forgiveness is not possible if Christ didn't die for us and have risen again.

Therefore, Kung Fu Panda 2 is spot on in its message that we need to reconcile with our past, so we stop dwelling in past hurts and pain. However, the wisdom in the story of this movie is of worldly origin, and lacks the most important bits about how to reconcile with the past, which is to accept and embrace the grace of God through Jesus Christ our savior.

Final verdict:

Story 7.5/10 - The movie took its time to deliver the its message, but the humorous moments in the movie will definitely bring aches to your stomach. There are some very touching moments in the movie between Po the panda and his foster father the goose. The story is well written but the pace is a bit too slow. The story does send a good message, but it is from a worldly perspective. Parents may want to talk about the topic of "inner peace" with their children, but this could be a good conversation starter, for talking about the topic of dealing with our past in the strength of Christ.

Visuals 8.5/10 - The 3D effects are really well done, the animations are gorgeous. The characters are very cute and will definitely win not only children, but also adult audiences' hearts.

Sex/nudity: none

Violence: Medium - there are some martial art fighting scenes, but they are very well done and no bloods are involved. One scene in the movie suggested a character died, but the death scene is not shown.

Final conclusion 7.8/10: Kung Fu Panda 2 lives up the expectation to the first movie. Although personally I thought the first movie had a better, and a more well paced story. Having said this, Kung Fu Panda 2 is a light-hearted family entertainment, with memorable and cute characters, mind buzzing special effects and a well knitted story for kids and adults alike.

Video Game Review: The Witcher 2

2011 is the year of RPG, and also the year of AAA title squeals. Major RPG titles such as; Dragon Age 2, Fable 3, The Elder Scroll V: Skyrim, Dungeon Siege 3 and of course, The Witcher 2 are all due in 2011.

Earlier this year in March, Bioware released Dragon Age 2. While the game was good, but several major flaws ultimately disqualifies Dragon Age 2 to be considered "game of the year", and will probably not be remembered as a classic. Actually, criticisms on Dragon Age 2 has caused Bioware to delay the release of another AAA RPG title, Mass Effect 3 which was originally due for release in December 2011.

In the meantime, the Polish video game studio CD Projekt RED has worked on a sequel to the well received 2007 RPG "The Witcher". The Withcer 2 was released on 17th May worldwide. For months prior to its release, The Witcher 2 has already caused major disturbance in the world of video gaming. The initial game play videos and previews has lead to rumors circulating that "The Witcher 2", might just be the only contender for RPG of the year next to TESV: Skyrim. From what we can see, it seems that The Witcher 2 actually has better graphics than TES V: Skyrim.

After some 40 hours of gameplay, I have finally finished The Witcher 2. After finishing the game, I feel compelled to do a review on this game, so here it goes.

Introduction:

The Witcher RPG series, is based on a series of Polish fantasy novels by Andrzej Sapowski. Apparently in Poland, Sapowski's "Witcher" novels are as big as Harry Potter is in the English speaking world. The first 2 Witcher novels, "The Last Wish", and "Blood of the Elves" have both been translated into English. I have read them and I have to say, they are pretty good. So if you like reading fantasy novels, I highly recommend that you pick up "The Last Wish" from your nearby bookstore.

But let us not get distracted by books... The first Withcer game was well received by critics alike due to its complex story intended for more mature audiences. Personally, I really enjoyed the first Witcher game despite some of its flaws, such as the slightly too easy combat mechanics and the lack of armors choices in the game.

In "The Witcher" series, it is set in a medieval European styled world. With elves, dawrves, strange monsters and creatures. It is also an ugly world, with political conspiracies and conflicts of interests, where the elves and dawrves suffer from racism from humans, and some have taken the path of becoming freedom fighters (or terrorists in another sense). The main protaganist is "Geralt of Rivia", a mutant human who is trained from birth as a monster slayer.

Story:

The story of "The Witcher 2" picked up from the first Witcher game. After the events in The Witcher 1, Geralt of Rivia found himself to be the King's favourite subject. In a war to reclaim the king's royal bastards, an assassin managed to kill the king while he was under Geralt's guard. Therefore, Geralt became the prime suspect of the assassination and needed to clear his own name. As Geralt investigated and attempted to catch the assassin responsible for the king's death. A series of political conspiracies began to unveil, which led to a major change in the cause of history depending on Geralt's choice and his role in the story.

The developer CD Projekt Red boasted that "The Witcher 2" would have the most non-linear storyline ever seen in the history of RPG. Apparently, there are 16 different endings to "The Witcher 2". It all depends on the choices player make during the game. What I like most about the story is, unlike most traditional RPGs, when it comes to make decisions and choices in The Witcher 2. There are no obvious "right' or "wrong" choices to make. In other words, none of your choices are absolute good or absolute evil. As in the game you will be able to see both sides of the story, and see that all the clashes are simply conflicts of interests, and often both sides believe that they are doing the right thing. As a result, almost all the quests in The Witcher 2 are morally ambiguous. Most of the time, you will feel like you are making choices to choose the lesser of two evils, and often you will really have to pause to think about the choices you are going to make.

Another great factor of The Witcher 2 story is that, in this game. The story really evolves around your choices. The game will punish you for stuipd decisions you made earlier, while the story in the later chapters will be results of your choices earlier in the game. While many modern RPG often boast non-linear storyline, they are never really well implemented. However, it is not the same with The Witcher 2. As this game definitely has the MOST non-linear storyline I have ever seen in any RPG, and it's great.

As a Christian, my biggest problem against the story of "The Witcher 2" is probably the amount of sexual contents in this game. I was quite hopeful when I heard that the Australian version of the game was going to be censored for MA15+ rating. However, within the first few minutes of the game, scenes of full frontal nudity came into view and I was totally unprepared for that. So here is my warning: if you cannot handle strong sexual contents in video games, then don't play it... YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Otherwise, I really liked the overall story of "The Witcher 2", as it was full of surprises, twists and it really made me think about the choices I was making.

Gameplay and design:

The first thing you would notice about The Witcher 2 is the amazing graphics. I think this is the best looking RPG ever made. CD Projekt has made their own game engine for this game. Although the graphics look amazing, but it is also extremely taxing on your computer. I have a Nivida Geforce GTX 570 (which is the 2nd fastest single GPU card on the market in the 1st quarter of 2011), with Intel Core 2 quad 9300 CPU and 4 gigs of RAM. Yet I cannot run this game at maximum graphics setting.

The stunning graphics is not only coming from the good looking lighting and shadow effects, but also from the artist design and great use of color contrasts and building architectures. It's almost as if the developer went all out to make sure that The Witcher 2 is going to look good even in a few years time.

The gameplay in The Witcher 2 has been completely renovated. The combat mechanics is really simple and fun. The left mouse botton is fast attack, the right mouse button is heavy, slow attack. While "E" is blocking, and "Q" is for casting signs (magic). This combat mechanics has made The Witcher 2 play like a 3rd person action game in combats and is extremely engaging.

Unlike its predecessor, The Witcher 2 has hordes of items. The player can equip Geralt with many armors, and also have the abilites to craft your own armors and weapons, which added to a lot of funs to the RPG element.

However, here comes another flaw in this otherwise amazing game. The Witcher 2, has a very bizzare difficulty curve. In the beginning of the game, it is unbelievably HARD! However, as the game progresses and your character gains level and gets better equipments. The game becomes too easy. The reversed difficulty curve is quite strange in video games. But the good thing is, you can adjust the difficulty setting anytime you want. Still, it doesn't help with my annoyance in the prologue part of the game when I died 30 times...

The "reversed difficulty curve" also eliminated some fun aspects to the game. Not only do you die so often in the beginning of the game, but become untouchable towards the end of the game. With this problem also caused the elimination of some of the fun aspects of the game. For example, in the beginning of the game, because it is so difficult. You are forced to use all of Geralt's abilities, from sword fighting, magic skills to throwing bombs and drinking potions. However, as the game progress it becomes easier, and at the end you only have to use sword fighting, while using magic, bombs and potions are no longer needed. So I think CD Projekt should have balanced the difficulty of the game a bit more.

The world of The Witcher 2 is massive, besides the main quest line. There are numerous side quests to do as well, and even the side quests have good storyline to it. If you still want more, there are many mini games you can play as well and help Geralt to earn more money. From arm wrestling match, dice games to bar fights.

Another great thing about The Witcher 2 is the memorable characters. Although you will only get to play Geralt in the game, but you will meet a huge cast of characters. All of these characters are very interesting, and very memorable indeed. The characters really brought the story of The Witcher 2 to life, and you will definitely want to play this game several times to experiment with how making different decisions in the game will lead to different story and endings.

Final conclusion:

Story (9/10): This is the most non-linear RPG I've ever encountered. The complexity of the storyline is further enhanced by the morally ambiguous choices the player will have to make. All of these features makes the story one of the most compelling tale to ever embrace the world of RPG, and one of the most re-playable game as well.

Gameplay and design (9.8/10): The Witcher 2 is one of the prettiest RPG I've ever seen. The graphics and the environments are simply stunning. The combat mechanics is solid and exciting. However, the reverse difficulty curve is really bizzare. Which makes the first 5 hours of the game a most frustrating experience.

Violence/gore - medium: There are a lot of violence in this game, as Geralt not only kills monsters but also kill humans as he investigates the political consipracies. However, the violence scenes are not very gory. Unlike Dragon Age 2, people don't explode when they die, and no limbs or heads are chopped off and flying around.

Sex/nudity - very strong: I would strongly caution those who want to play this game about the strong sexual contents. Once again, if you have problem handling strong sexual contents in video games, then don't play it. If the Australian version is being censored, I wonder what the uncensored version looks like... There are about 5 scenes of frontal nudity, and 2 optional sex scenes.

Final verdict: 9.6/10

The Witcher 2, is a true AAA title and an instant RPG classic. It is in every way superior to Dragon Age 2, and as good as Mass Effect 2. Until TES V: Skyrim is released, I can see The Witcher 2 being a strong contender for game of the year 2011.

Book Review: Epic of Gilgamesh - Penguin Classics

Epic of Gilgamesh, is the earliest known literature in the world. The earlies version of this ancient Sumerian legend is believed to be composed at approximately 2100BC. It is a series of poems and Sumerian legends, the most complete version we have today, preserved on 12 clay tablets from the library of the Assyrian king from 7BC. The entire epic is composed as a series of poems.

Needless to say, this is indeed an extremely valuable piece of literature. This fascinating and bizzare story is centred on Gilgamesh, king of Uruk. He is a demi-god whose strength is unmatched, with impressive physical build and handsome features. Gilgamesh oppressed the citizens of Uruk in two ways: in the form of claiming the right to the first night of any newly wedded bride. The second form of oppression is by taxing young men's strength in all sorts of useless physical activities and labors. The citizens of Uruk cried out to their gods for help, the gods responded by creating Enkidu. A primitive and wild man whose strength can match that of Gilgamesh's to be his rival. He was spotted by a hunter, who informed Gilgamesh of the pending threat. In response to the threat, Gilgamesh sent a seductress to Enkidu, who was seduced and became civilized. However, Enkidu made a journey into the city, and fought a great battle against Gilgamesh, only to acknowledge Gilgamesh's superiority in strength. The two became close friends, and made a perilous journey to slay Hambaba, the deadly orge of the Cedar Forest. They succeed, but before the orge died, he cursed Enkidu to die a horrible death. The duo returned to the city of Uruk, where the Goddess Ishtar (sounds familiar? King Nebuchadnezzar II build the Gate of Ishtar, dedicated to the Goddess Ishtar in 575BC, the gate is indirectly mentioned in the Book of Daniel from OT) attempted to seduce Gilgamesh. After Gilgamesh refused her advancement, Ishtar became furious, and stormed to her father, borrowed the Bull of Heaven in attempt to kill Gilgamesh. The bull wrcked havoc in Uruk, but Gilgamesh and Enkidu, with their combined efforts they manged to kill the bull.

As the heroic duo celebrated, the gods became angry with them for killing Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. As a punishment, one of them had to die. Enkidu was then struck with illness that eventually took his life. Seeing his friend's death, Gilgamesh was saddened about his friend, and at the same time became greatly distressed about his own, future death. After a great lamentation, Gilgamesh left Uruk, dressed in animal skins and wandered the wild in search of eternal life. He searched for Utnapishtim, who knew the secret of immortality and was amongst the few survivors who survived a "great flood" (sounds familiar? Let's talk about this later). On his journey, Gilgamesh killed a few lions and took the skins for cloth. After a dangerous journey, Gilgamesh arrived at the end of the earth, where the entrance was guarded by two horrible scorpion men. He convinced the scorpion men to reveal the location of Utnapishtim, and braved the trial of the Path of Sun in complete darkness, and completed the path before the sun caught up with him. At the other end, Gilgamesh finally arrived at the garden of paradise, and found the ferry man Urshanabi to help him to cross the sea to see Utnapishtim. Urshanabi was accompanied by stone giants. Gilgamesh thought the stone giants were hostile and killed the giants, the only creatures that can help him cross the Water of Death (deadly to touch).

Urshanabi came up with an alternative plan, and after following Urshanabi's instructions. Gilgamesh crossed the sea and finally found Utnapishtim. Utnapishtim told Gilgamesh that, an obsession to avoid the natural death of human will only take away his joy in life. However, he also told Gilgamesh in order to obtain immorality, Gilgamesh must first pass a trial of no sleeping for 6 days and 7 nights. Due to weariness from long travels, Gilgamesh fell asleep, therefore failing the test. Utnapishtim asked his wife to bake one bread a day while Gilgamesh is asleep, so he cannot deny his failure. Gilgamesh woke, and realizing that he will never be able to defeat death, because he cannot even defeat sleep. Utnapishtim told the ferryman to take Gilgamesh back. However, as a parting gift, Utnapishtim told Gilgamesh that there is a special plant at the bottom of the sea, that will replenish his youth. Gilgamesh was overjoyed, dived into the water and retreived the plant. However, as he emerge from the water, a serpent stole the plant and shed its skin as it departs (strange isn't it? Does that sound familiar to you?). After the magical plant was stolen, Gilgamesh wept as all hopes for immortality was gone and his efforts were ultimately futile. He then returned to Uruk, where he realized that he will only be remembered as long as the massive walls of Uruk shall stand.

So there you have it, a summary of Epic of Gilgamesh. As a Christian, the element of the story that struck me the most is how fearful human beings are of death. By reading Epic of Gilgamesh, I realized that people today are no different to people who lived 4500 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia. All are fearful and dreadful of our own eventual, inevitable death. In the epic, Gilgamesh used his mighty power, and braved dangerous roads and perilous tasks in attempt to gain immortality. Only to fail miserably despite his great efforts,

In modern-day atheist belief, they said we can come to peace with death if we can acknowledge that life is but an accident, and has no purpose. But I think the biggest problem with the atheist belief is that it means ultimately, there is just no point to life. So if life really is just an accident, then what difference does it make if we die now or later? Why not die now and make it easier for ourselves? Actually, why not just destroy the world and put life out of existence, I mean, it's not like the world is an awesome place to be anyway right?

However, as a Christian, the Bible has confirmed that through accepting the grace of God, through accepting that Jesus Christ is my lord and savior. His death and resurrection has ensured me an eternal life with the author of life, God. Also, salvation does not come through works (Ephesians 2:8-9), but through having faith in Jesus Christ. Any good works we do are responses and expressions of our love to the grace of God who had mercy on us, with the intention to love others. See, how good is that? If Gilgamesh was a real person and is standing in front of me, I wonder how he would react if I tell him the good news of Jesus Christ.

In this ancient Sumerian legend, the mighty king of Uruk Gilgamesh, embarked a perilous journey and braved dangerous trials all for the sake of obtaining eternal life. He exerted great efforts by using his unparalleled strength and courage. Yet, ultimately his efforts were all futile and he lamented that he shall "live" only as long as his mighty deeds are remembered by the people. However, Jesus Christ, is standing at our doorways right now, knocking at our doors calling us to let him in. He wants to give us eternal life, and we don't even have to slay lions, fight stone giants and cross the deadly, poisonous water to get it. Because salvation in Jesus Christ is a gift! All we need to do is, open the door, admit that we are sinners, accept Jesus as our lord and savior, and invite Him inside into our hearts and trust Him! How good is that? Has there ever been a better news than the Gospel?

After reading Epic of Gilgamesh, I have several interesting questions in mind, and I think it would be a fascinating research to do:

1) I wonder if there is a co-relation between the "Great Flood" mentioned in Gilgamesh and the flood mentioned in the book of Genesis. Because in Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim (the immortal dude who survived the flood) received a vision with instructions from the gods to build a giant ship, therefore survived the flood. In the Bible, Noah built the ark according to the instruction from God. I wonder if the flood in both Gilgamesh and Genesis are referencing to the same event, a flood that took place in the Mesopotamian region 4500 years ago?

2) In Genesis, the serpent tempted Adam and Eve to sin, which is to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge in the garden of Eden. In Epic of Gilgamesh, a serpent stole the magical plant that could have replenished Gilgamesh's youth. It seems there is a common theme where serpents somehow caused people to loose their eternal life. I wonder if Epic of Gilgamesh drew inspiration from Genesis, or if both Epic of Gilgamesh and Gensis are inspired by an earlier and more ancient account, probably passed down through oral tradition?

Anyway, I am really glad that I have read Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient classic that carries great historical significance as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Morte d'Arthur and Beowulf. It is a fantastic story and now I can say that I've read the oldest piece of written literature in all human history!

TV series review: Sherlock (BBC) Season 1

The name "Sherlock Holmes" should not be foreign to many people. The fictional detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has become a popular, iconic character since the stories were first published more than a hundred years ago.

There have been many TV series, and movies based on Sherlock Holmes. The recent movie "Sherlock Holmes" which came out in 2009 was an instant box office hit. While the movie was good, and Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Sherlock Holmes was entertaining and believable, but the movie just didn't quite capture the vibe from the original books.

In 2010, BBC broad casted a series of TV mini series, titled "Sherlock". This TV series is based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books, but set in modern day London. Each episode is 90 minutes, and the entire season only has 3 episodes. The style of this BBC series is similar to "Bourne Ultimatum".

What's really good about this TV series is that, it managed to capture the character of Sherlock Holmes really well, and the portrayal is very faithful to the source materials. All the while the story never forget to show the quirkiness in the friendship between Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. John Watson, which provided humorous relieves to the intense stories.

Another good aspect about "Sherlock" is the logical deduction, a skill constantly employed by Holmes. In each episode, Sherlock's trademark skill of logical deduction is well thought of, logical with strong reasoning, and most importantly, ingenious. While at the same time, each of the episode is based on the original story. For those who have read all the Sherlock Holmes stories, it will not be difficult to pick out the origins of the plots of this series as you watch it. Episode 1, is based on "A study in Scarlet", Episode 2, is based on "Valley of Fear" and "Dancing man", Episode 3, is based on "The five orange pips", and the "Naval architect".

I have to say the final episode is probably, in my opinion the best in the series. Not only does it have an excellent plot, but it also set up for the future premises of the story by introducing some interesting, and memorable villains, such as "Jim Moriaty" and "Golem".

Personally, I have read all 4 novels and 56 short stories of "Sherlock Holmes", and I have to say that this mini series, is in my opinion, the best adaptation of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes up to date. The violence level is very low, and sex scenes are practically none-existent. The plots are well thought, intelligent, quirky and full of suspense. Very good entertainment and not to be missed.

Rating: 8.6/10

Book Review: Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy - Special Edition

I am a sucker when it comes to sci-fi/fantasy novels. Therefore it is no surprise that I have some "collector's edition" fantasy novels flying around on my bookshelf. More than 3 years ago, I saw this book "Dragonlance chronicles special edition" on the net. At the time, although I've heard the Dragonlance series, but I have never read any Dragonlance books. So I did my research and, well it appeared that the general reviews about the Dragonlance books are usually quite positive. Furthermore, it turned out that the first 6 books of the Dragonlance saga are very highly rated. So I took a big risk and decided to buy this book.

Dragonlance Chronicles special edition (the price is pretty "special" as well), is basically the collection of the first trilogy in the Dragonlance saga. It contains 3 books: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, and Dragons of Spring Dawning. The book itself, as you can see from the pictures above, is of high production quality. Not only is it hard covered, but also has golden edge coatings on all the pages. The papers are very high quality, with illustrations throughout the entire book. This massive tome amounts to +1000 pages, and it took me a month to read it from the starting to the end.

The book sure looks good, but the most important thing about a book (much like people), is not just about appreciating the outside cover and appearance, but to appreciate its contents. So, how is Dragonlance? The first Dragonlance book came out in 1984, and after almost 30 years, Dragonlance saga is still on-going, so it must have its unique charms that continues to attract the readers to come back for more. Therefore, without further delay, I will briefly review the story of the Chronicles Trilogy for you.

The novels took place in the fantasy world of Krynn, it is a story about good VS. evil. A group of friends had a re-union after 5 years of seperatoin. By chance, they became engaged on a quest to deliver a mysterious "Blue crystal staff" to a save location. As they travel, they discovered a major threat is related to their seemingly small quest, where they had to battle against the minions of an evil goddess, dragons and fantastic creatures to save their continent, as they became involved in bigger events that gradually unfolded surrounding their quest.

The story of Chronicles trilogy is a very common good VS. evil tale. However, the authors of the story managed to create a very compelling story that takes its readers to travel to fantastic locations, where the heroes of the story face dangers and continues to overcome dire perils.

For me, I think the best element in the story of the Chronicles trilogy is the character development. Not only did the authors created lively, complex, memorable, distinguishable characters, but in the story the readers will witness the continuous growth and maturing of the characters in the book. All of the characters in the book face their own personal struggles on this perilous journey, and by the end of the book, you will see that they have really grown and faced their personal demons to become the heroes they are called to be. If you read this book, you will like all the heroes in the book, because the readers can easily identifies themselves with any of the characters in the story.

If you like Tolkein's Middle Earth saga, I think you will like the Chronicles trilogy as well.

Rating: 4.5/5

TV series review: Game of Thrones (HBO) Episode 1

The most highly anticipated TV series of 2011 finally debuted last weekend. HBO's fantasy TV series, "Game of Thrones" was aired on the 17th April.

Based on George R.R. Martin's first book of "A song of fire and ice", "Game of thrones" is set in the fantasy world of the 7 kingdoms of Westeros. Where summer can last a few decades and winter can last a life time.

The making of "Game of thrones" is an ambitious project, and the TV series itself is often referred to as "The Sopranos" in "Middle Earth", with HBO throwing in big budgets for season 1 (50~60 million USD). The series has a strong cast, the lead actor is Sean Bean, who is well known for his portrayal as Boromir in "Fellowship of the Ring".

The story evolves around the dynastic struggles amongst the 7 nobles families of Westeros to gain control over the Iron throne, this grand tale is filled with treacheries, twists and betrayals. In episode 1, some of the main characters are well introduced, setting up for the premises of the story.

After watching episode 1, I am really impressed by a few things:

1) The visuals of this TV series are absolutely stunning.

2) The story is compelling, complex and full of intrigues

3) Sean Bean really brought the main protagonaist "Eddard Stark" to live.

4) The supporting actors/actress all did great jobs

5) The production value and the direction of this TV series is probably the best I've seen before in any TV series.

6) The story is very faithful to the original novels of George R.R. Martin's "A song of fire and ice".

However, I also have to warn the would-be viewers that, Game of Thrones contains very heavy contents. Therefore, the violence is pretty heavy, and there are a lot of sex scenes (not very explicit but very suggestive). Therefore, if you want to watch this TV series, you have been warned of its heavy content.

Personally, I can't wait to see episode 2 this weekend.

Rating: 8.5/10

Movie Review: Thor

The superhero hype of 2011 starts with the movie Thor, a fictional character from the Marvel comics. Thor, is a part of the movie studio's plan to bring out a movie for Marvel's "Avenger" superhero team. So the question is, compared to Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk which came out in the last 2 years, is the latest movie about the God of Thunder any good? Let's find out.

Story:

Marvel's Thor, is a superhero based on the mythological god in Norse mythology. In the Norse myth, Thor, is the son of Odin, the father of all. The Norse gods lived in Asgard, and they protected our world Midgard(which actually translates to Middle Earth), by constantly battling against the giants. In Norse mythology, Thor is the God of thunder, the champion of Asgard who wields this magical rune hammer"Mjollnir", which can be thrown and will magically return to his hand. Thor also has a special belt where it grants him super human strength (sounds like some computer RPG hehe..) . Also in Norse mythology, Thor is a hot tempered warrior, who is destined to battle the Midgard serpent (Jurmungandr) who threatens to encircle and engulf the entire life tree of the universe with its body. In Norse mythology, it is said that at the Ragnarok (the end of the world), all the Asgardian gods will battle the giants that will bring about a new age. As for the God of thunder himself, Thor will battle the Midgard serpent until both of them die (a pretty cool story really). In ancient times, the Vikings, Icelanders, and possibly the Saxons have worshipped the Norse gods, and Thor, is one of the biggest diety of worship. Even today, one can find runestones situated throughout Scandinavia from ancient times describing Thor. Actually, the English word for "Thursday" is actually a day dedicated to Thor (Thor's day). I guess this really shows how pagan the English language is.

So, in 1962, Marvel introduced the character Thor, based on the mythological Norse god. The character is well received and is now one of the most notable character in the Marvel universe. In 2011, the movie is released as a part of the built up for the "Avengers" movie.

The story of this movie, is rather simple, linear and not very complex. In the case of the superhero movie, a simple, linear story is actually a good thing, because it allows the movie maker to emphasize the moral of the story instead of distracting audiences with complex plot progression. The movie starts with an introduction of the history of Asgard, where Thor is shown to be an arrogant, hot tempered warrior who is all about battle and glory. After Thor made a big mistake, he refused to listen to his father's teaching. After an argument, Odin stripped Thor of all his power, and banished him to earth. Thor's hammer, was also sent to earth, with Odin's whisper that whoever can lift the hammer, will be granted the power of Thor.

Arriving on earth, although in mortal form, Thor still acted the same way as he did in Asgard. Arrogant, and full of pride. Thor met and befriended a group of scientists in search of the inter-galatic worm holes. At the same time his hammer landed in a desert, where no one can pick the hammer up. After Thor discovered that his hammer is here on earth, he attempted to retrieve his hammer to recover his former strength, only to discover that he cannot lift his hammer, because Odin is trying to teach his young and arrogant son a lesson about humility and the meaning of true leadership...

I will stop telling the rest of the story, so I don't spoil it for you. However, I have to say that although the story of Thor is really linear, simple, with cheesy romance, but it does have some very good values to it, values that are often taught in the Bible, such as humility, self-sacrifice, servitude and leadership..etc.. Another good thing about this movie is that, even though there are a lot of fighting, the level of blood and gore is very low. Sex scenes are non-existent in this film, there are no rude languages neither, and contains some quite humorous moments. Which makes it a good movie for the whole family in my opinion.

Final verdict:

Story 8/10 - Like I said before, Thor has a very linear, simple story with a few cheesy moments. However, I really liked the values and the morals of the story, such as humility, sacrifice, servitude and leadership. In my opinion, I much rather watch a movie with simple stories that has something good I can take with me, than a movie with a complex, sophisticated story but with philosophies that are going to corrupt my mind. Therefore, despite its cheesiness, I give the story an 8/10

Cinematography 8/10 - I saw the movie in 3D, and I think it is worth watching this movie in 3D because the special effects are quite good. The lighting contrast of the pictures are very crisp and clear, and is an entertaining experience.

Violence - low

This is a superhero movie, so there are a lot of fighting scenes. However, the level of blood and gore is really low.

Sex - none

I was really surprised that despite the cheesy romance in the movie, there are actually no sex scenes. Which is quite uncommon for a Hollywood production.

Final score: 8/10

I really enjoyed Thor, the story is simple and the movie doesn't require you to think too much. The moral of the story is very clearly presented and easy to understand, with good values to think about. I will leave it to you to find out how Thor recovered his power, which is the central theme of all these superhero movies. I think you will like it too..