A couple of reviews

Okay, so I've finally seen Shaolin Soccer and holy crap it's funny! I haven't laughed out loud at a film that much in a very long time. "So, what can I expect from Shaolin Soccer?" I hear you ask, well, quite simply it's an English feel-good sports comedy mixed with Jackie Chan physical humour and with a dash of Bollywood gratuitous dance numbers thrown in for good measure. The effects are amazing - especially given that "all of the "Bullet Time" like effects in the film were done by only two motion picture cameras and all the "still" frames were generated with a computer." (or so says the Trivia section of the IMDB). The acting is, well, kinda cheezy, but appropriately so, and the sports humour is very, very funny. The use of martial arts throughout the film is excellent, with Vicki Zhao's Tai-Chi force re-direction done amazingly well. The super-powered balls leave furrows in the pitch and the impact of those balls on the hapless goalies are painful to watch. In short, you really should find this movie and watch it.

What else have I seen recently? Well I can tell ye that Kill Bill Volume 2 is just as good, if not better than the first. Of course, if you didn't like the first instalment, then you're probably not going to like Volume 2, but I did and I REALLY did. The body count isn't as high, but the violence - when it does happen - is a bit more brutal. In fact, if a human eyeball being trod on by a bare foot is not your cup of tea, it might be an idea to check out 50 First Dates or something. Tarantino's dialogue is back, with Darryl Hannah's rundown of the biology of the Black Mamba snake especially amusing. Also great is Gordon Liu's cameo as the 1000 year old martial arts master Pai Mei - watch for the beard stroking. While painful in parts (and I mean producing of pain, rather than uncomfortable or embarassing to watch), Volume 2 also features a standout performance by David Carradine as Bill. His gentle delivery and calm demeanour are much scarier than any amount of evil ranting and moustache twirling could ever be.

I would have to say that a) I enjoyed volume 2 more than I enjoyed volume 1, but b) I think volume 1 was a smoother film. I also know that c) I can't wait for the DVDs to come out!

One big issue I have with KBvol2 is actually only a peripheral issue, and that is the fact that the review in Saturday's Canberra Times contained no less than four genuine and major spoilers. There is no excuse for this kind of crap, seriously. I actually got a little mad when I read it, and I think I may even write a letter.

Another couple of quick reviews. I finally saw Ned Kelly and I'm very glad I didn't spend the money going to see it at the movies. They managed to make a tension-less film out of a genuinely exciting story. Weird, huh?

Four things I've learned recently;

1. It's probably not wise to get a stand-in for your job who's better than you are.


2. A dodgy Japanese sci-fi film can actually be better than a big-budget Australian bushranger film.


3. Multi-tasking is the secret to efficient barrista-hood.


4. "Recently" can be a relative term for the purposes of padding out a regular section in a blog.

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"Yes, but, why is the rum gone!?"
- Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates Of The Carribean