Posts tagged tv5
Ninja Assassin: A Dam of CG Blood
Nov 25th
Ninja Assassin — About the only other time I’ve seen that much CG blood is when I play any of my favorite video games.
Which is, to say, there’s a lot of the stuff in the movie. That, plus, if it helps, the blood in this movie is vibrant red — even in the dark. It’s not even the “it-drips-and-looks-sticky” Kill Bill type of blood, it’s full-on-it-splatters-the-most-where-its-cut-and-stains-the-floor-but-hardly-looks-slippery CG blood.
Ninja Assassin is the tale of a ninja named Raizo (Rain), taking revenge on the Ozunu clan, the very ninja clan that raised him and taught him the ways of the ninja. That’s basically it. A to B.
There’s also this thing about him relocating to Berlin, gettling tangled with Europol, German troops versus ninjas finale etc etc etc. Not that anybody talked in German, or, other than the sign on the parking lot that said “AUSFAHRT,” any indicator that they were indeed in Berlin goes out the window. He could have very well been hiding out in Manila, and it probably wouldn’t make any difference.
The movie works when there are ninjas on-screen or when there are body parts flying about — but the talking parts? I get confused — why would a ninja need help from an intelligence agency? The only logical thing would’ve been to tag another ninja to help along, so why get an intelligence agency researcher? Just because she believes in “ninjas”? (A line by Maslow, “ninjas?! in this day and age?”)
Also, in the confrontations between the ninjas and the German military troops — the army guys ALL die in the scene where Raizo was captured, but they bloody well dominated the finale — and the agents helping Raizo, Mika (Naomie Harris) and Maslow (Ben Miles) seem to be protected by plot armor. No matter how many shurikens slice and dice their allies, they seem to always manage to get away, unscathed.
The nice thing about the movie is how they eventually build-up the image of the ninja. They are urban legend material — they are more than human, at least until some get shot down and some get hit by cars. You’d think with extraordinary ninja sensory acuity, Raizo would’ve heard the ambush, or maybe during that terrifying slice-and-dice chase on the road, they’d have heard a car screeching nearby and jump out of harm’s way, right?
The film is done in a way where it’s stylized, but not quite? Raizo’s kusarigama (the chained sickle weapon) chains slow down every so often and leave motion trails, then speeds up ’til it hits the intended target. Shurikens leave those shiny silver trails to let you know some went this way, some went the other way. Amputated body parts are neatly cut. A washer stuffed with body parts jumps about and protests its heavy load, then slowly lets out blood just as the laundromat’s manager looks on in horror.
Also, in terms of the ninja-drama — I don’t know if the film was trying to be ironic, but they threw every trope in the book. A nemesis that calls him “little brother,” the final fight-to-the-death with the master, flashbacks, a tragic incident involving a love interest, etc. THOSE parts had me laughing. 
All in all — it works when limbs are a-flying, but it lacks a certain … umami to truly make it even more entertaining. And, well, sorry Rain, but the best ninja-related thing I’ve seen this week is still Turtles Forever. 
3/5
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Also, the girls in the theater must’ve been seeing a different movie — they covered their eyes when sharp metal objects and CG blood are on-screen, then they collectively swoon when Raizo’s around. :p
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A super-special thanks to TV5 / 5MAX Movies and Myk for the invite! Woohoo!
New Shows on TV5!
Nov 22nd
TV5′s Late Night Trip Season 2 launches new shows Sabado Boys and URCC TV; Urban Tribe Season 2
Now onto its second season, TV5′s Late Night Trip gets stronger and tougher as it hikes up its dynamic programming this November with fresher offerings and two new shows that will surely pique the interest of both men and women—Sabado Boys, hosted by the country’s top male pop artists, and the explosive world of fighting in URCC TV, both airing at 11:30pm starting this week.
Harmonizing with their new hit program airing on the radio, Sabado Boys is a variety show of music and smooth-flowing act that now finds its new home on TV5, hosted by top musicians Luke Mijares, Mike Chan, DJ Myke, Paolo Santos, Top Suzara, and Jimmy Bondoc. Although it airs on a Tuesday evening, the show exudes great relaxation mood with its musical features, performances, and album reviews matched with the beach location that gives off the perfect chill out Saturday getaway.
Dominantly an acoustic show, Sabado Boys promises to offer the kind of relaxing, calming, attractive, and soothing music that’s coupled with segments and live repartee that display the humorous side of life, as perceived by the creative eyes and minds of a Pinoy musician.
Thursday evening features the explosive show on the fastest-rising full-contact combat sport, Universal Reality Combat Championship TV (URCC TV) hosted by URCC Founder, President, and MMA expert Alvin Aguilar.
Featuring the local Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) community, specifically URCC, and its high-caliber fighting events and activities, URCC TV will showcase regional MMA activities, tournaments that allow martial artists of different backgrounds to compete, as well as champion fighters who will share their intelligent, perceptive and insightful analysis focused on the disciplines of different mixed martial arts that Pinoys all over the world love.
Urban Tribe Season 2
Successfully finishing off its first season with the country’s leading fiesta house band Tribomanila, Season 2 of Urban Tribe pushes more energy to the scene as it is now hosted by four of the most popular bands in the country composed of Sugarfree, Up Dharma Down, Delara (formerly Mojofly), and journalist-musician Lourd de Veyra of Radioactive Sago Project and TV5′s The Evening News (TEN).
The show features different segments that fit the urban Pinoy with Sugarfree’s “Noypi Know How,” focusing on Pinoy businesses – big and small – their operations, and their products, while promoting Pinoy entrepreneurship and invention; Up Dharma Down on “F.T.,” featuring restaurants, chefs, dishes and everything that comes with a great dining experience that satisfies the “food trip” of Pinoys.
Highlighting Filipino movers and shakers and delving into the minds of the country’s visionaries in search of insights and inspiration is Lourd de Veyra of Radioactive Sago Project on “Piling Pinoy,” followed by the showcasing of sporting-related events and activities, as well as highlighting the benefits of having a healthy lifestyle in “Crunchtime,” by Delara, with singer-host Lougee Basabas.
Watch out for these new offerings of Late Night Trip with Urban Tribe Season 2 every Monday starting November 9, Sabado Boys every Tuesday starting November 10, Stoplight TV Season 2 on Wednesdays, URCC TV on Thursdays starting November 12, and MOG (More on Gaming) TV second season every Friday, 11:30pm on TV5.
TV5 5MAX Movies for November
Nov 22nd
TV5′s 5MAX Movies offers special screening of 2012, Ninja Assassin and more blockbuster movies
Another ‘Friday the 13th’ is coming this weekend, which is believed to mean ‘bad luck’. But on TV5, all loyal viewers are lucky because the channel just can’t get enough of offering blockbuster movies both in your living rooms and on the big screen as it gives to its viewers the special screening of the most-awaited upcoming movies 2012 and Ninja Assassin this November, as well as thriller and comedy movies Thirteen Ghosts, The Crew, and Liar Liar this weekend on 5MAX Movies.
Aptly showing on Friday (November 13), Thirteen Ghosts is the remake of the 1960 film of the same name, following the horror story of a very rich collector of unique things who leaves all his possessions to his family, including his malicious collection of ghosts.
Four retired mobsters plan one last crime to save their retirement home on Saturday (November 14) in the action-comedy movie The Crew, starring Burt Reynolds, Richard Dreyfuss, Dan Hedaya, Seymour Cassel, and Carrie-Ann Moss
Jim Carrey stars as a fast track lawyer who can’t lie for 24 hours due to his son’s birthday wish in the award-winning and Golden Globe nominee movie, Liar Liar, showing on Sunday (November 15).
With the Mayan calendar ending in 2012, a large group of people must deal with natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, typhoons and glaciers in the drama thriller film 2012, showing this Friday (November 13) at Glorietta 4 Cinema 1 at 7:30pm, to be attended by the lucky winners of 2012 promo winners who won by simply texting “5MAX ON” and “5MAX<space>Name” to 2256.
For those who missed the 2012 5MAX Movies texting promo, you can still join the online contest for winning VIP passes for the special screening of the upcoming martial arts film Ninja Assassin, starring Korean pop artist, Rain. Interested contestants will simply have to tune in to TV5 and watch out for the question to be flashed onscreen and log on to TV5 website to answer the promo question.
Winners will get to win two VIP tickets to the Ninja Assassin special screening, as well as a chance to take home Ninja Assassin premium items during the movie screening on November 24, 7:30pm at Glorietta 4 Cinema 2.
Keep on texting 5MAX ON to 2256 to join and experience all these great and exciting promos offered only by TV5, and enjoy watching all the best blockbusters every evening at 9pm on 5MAX Movies.
Astro Boy’s Posterior Cannons
Oct 29th
You’ve seen the cartoons. You’ve played the games. You’ve seen the trailer. Yes, the posterior cannons make it into the new Astro Boy movie!
Brilliant (and partly-reckless) dude gets into an “accident.” He is rebuilt using technology. His chest now has a blue glowy thing. He uses his new-found powers to help mankind. Wait, scrap that. That sounds like the plot to Iron Man! Think about it!
Now that we have that out of the way, Astro Boy *is* a pretty lighthearted way of telling the Iron Man story — it may not keep all the original plot points from the manga and various animé retelling, but it still has the spirit.
When Dr. Tenma’s son, Toby “disappeared” (killed off) during a military testing at the Ministry of Science in the floating city of Metro, he wastes no time (literally, like, a scene after Toby dies) to recreate him using technology. (instead of grieving, he tries to rebuild his boy harder.better.faster.stronger) Being head of the Ministry of Science does help in these sort of things, I guess — utilizing military tech, and a mysterious blue core — a “purely positive” source of energy, he creates a robot with the memories of his son who has passed away.
At first it was as if Toby had never left — terrorizing the robot butler, acing home-schooled rocket science physics, and adding mischief to philosophy lessons — but Tenma feels different. Philosophical questions are raised — can a robot with a human’s memories REPLACE that human? Tenma decides no, and as Toby 2.0 is learning of his abilities, he is discarded, much like a broken robot in metro city.
Which makes for an interesting turn, feeling abandoned, “Toby” finds himself on the surface, along with discarded robots from the past — this is where he meets the Robot Revolutionary Force (Viva La Robolution!), Cora and the kids, and several familiar names from Astro Boy’s history.
Will “Toby” ever find his place? Will the surface-dwellers (the ones who didn’t make it to Metro City standards) accept him for what he is? Will he face some Human-Robot discrimination? And what of the military, and the plans to retrieve the powerful core that allows him to live?
The movie moves at a fast, fast pace. Clocking in at about 90 minutes, it seems as if we’ve seen Toby’s/Astro Boy’s rise, fall and eventual get-back-up. The only thing about this pace is, as mentioned above, the disappearance (death) of Toby skipping immediately to the scene where Astro is built. There’s nothing in-between — do scientists grieve like this? Given Nicolas Cage’s stoic voice doesn’t help either, and we fail to sympathize with what he wanted to do in the first place.
A big concern after seeing the trailers was Astro Boy’s proportions. He’s always been known to be short with gigantic rounded head/boots/arms. He’s still like that. There’s this fantastic respect for Tezuka’s original designs — there’s no anatomically-correct characters here! Astro Boy has a giant head, Dr. Elefun’s nose is still … bulbous, and so on.
Astro Boy’s proportions don’t appear obvious when he’s clothed, but he still retains the “tiny dynamo” figure. He’s been aged, however, to 13. Which isn’t so bad, really — and I think Freddie Highmore’s voice sort-of cracks every once in a while, suggestive of a boy who’s going through puberty. Some voice actors to watch out for — Eugene Levy, Kristen Bell, Nathan Lane, Samuel L. Jackson and Bill Nighy.
The characters from the original manga/animé make their way into the new movie, but you may not recognize them — although you may find that the robots from the R.R.F., ZOG and trash can all vie for your choice as the most endearing supporting characters. :)
There’s tons of fun gags all through the movie, which is really nice — it keeps the movie from getting a bit too dark. This is a kid’s movie … with tough choices. If you could, would you rebuild a lost loved one? If you’re a robot, and you have the memories of a human, are you human … or robot?
Which puts my faith firmly in IMAGI that they’ll treat Gatchaman with the same respect. Posterior cannons!
4/5!
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A special thanks to TV5 / 5MAX Movies, Stanley Chi’s Astro Boy hairhat, Dimetapp for the … Dimetapp, Azrael and Myk for the invites, woohoo!
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Also there was Mike Unson and Stanley Chi of Front Act! Watch Front Act — Sunday, 6 PM Only on TV5!
ramblings.