boulevard-ijab (IJA & ME) - one half completing the other half....

Is it a bird, is it a plane? No, it's the overweight Abdunman, whose tummy is now bulging.... :)

Review rating system:
***** - 'super good' movie; don't miss it.
**** - good movie; try to find the time to watch it.
*** - average movie; you may or may not like it.
** - crap movie; watch only if you have nothing else to do.
* - 'super crap' movie; don't watch it at all!

Note to fellow Muslims: If you do want to watch the movie(s), please still do obey your prayers and whenever possible, still strive to do so in jemaah. Wallahua'lam. Thank you.

Hey, it's that familiar music score again; that familiar 'trademarked' hairstyle with curly cowlick over the left side of forehead; the familiar-looking red cape; the familiar artistic costume design in blue; the familiar 'S' symbol in red, embossed within a five-sided polygon against a yellow-coloured background; and who can forget the familiar red boots and red 'outer'pants to match.

The poster of the first Superman movie says, "You'll Believe A Man Can Fly". This year, we get to see the man flies again, and he hasn't aged a bit (in fact, getting younger). We missed his heroic moves - how Clark Kent dashed into some enclosed space (like a phone booth) to change into Superman without being seen; how he, with all his might, stopped a giant heavy machine from crushing some innocent civilians; how he swept across the sky with lightning speed, unlike any flying bird or moving plane out there; and how he defied gravity, lifting his girl (Lois Lane) up to give her the bird's eye view.

Here's a list of his other abilities:

1. His X-ray vision enables him to see through anything except lead. Ladies, let's just hope Superman is not standing outside your bedroom wall and for some reason, he is up to no good :)

2. Imagine having a pair of eyes that can function like a magnifying glass, where you can zoom in to some extent, to see something at a great distance. Well, Superman can...

3. His microscopic vision helps him find things as small as Lois Lane's paper clip, stuck in a thick rug.

4. Through his heat vision ability, he can fire invisible beams of intense heat from his eyes at a target. All he has to do is to focus on the target before activating this power. Superman can decide how wide or small an area that he wishes to aim, and the temperature can be as hot as that of a nuclear detonation. Now, don't you wish he was around when you just can't find the match to light a fire?

5. Super-hearing - Like a blue whale (yes, the mammal), he can hear any sound at any volume or pitch. Say, he suspects you of talking bad things about him across the hall, he just needs to filter out unnecessary sounds like the traffic outside or the sound of a vacuum cleaner, and listen to your words only.

6. "Super breath" - he can blow winds, as strong as a hurricane, or freeze a target (pray that his breath is minty should he does this to you). He can also breathe in large amounts of air in the event that he needs to suck in poisonous gas trapped in a closed room (for example) and dispose it some place else.

The first Superman movie was released back in 1978. During a span of 9 years, four Superman movies were released, with Christopher Reeve leading the cast. Now, after almost 20 years since the last movie was released, we waited with bated breath for the new Superman movie. New lead actors/actresses, new feel to the movie, new(er and slightly modified) costume and new plot.

The movie is directed by Bryan Singer, who had successfully brought X-Men I & II to life. So, people have high expectations over how he handles Superman materials. However, the 2006 movie is not the continuation of Superman IV, but instead the story actually resumes after the alien convicts landed on Earth in Superman II.

A newcomer Brandon Routh is superb as Clark Kent/Superman (luckily it's not that Welling guy; he is so boring in Smallville). Kate Bosworth dies her hair brunette to play Lois Lane. Oscar winner Kevin Spacey goes baldy as Superman's nemesis, Lex Luthor. Then, there's James Marsden who plays a very likable character, Richard White, Lois' new love interest. From an X-Men to a normal man (no, no mutant remedy is involved in his transformation), you hate Richard for being in Lois' life, but at the same time, you don't really mind him standing there, between Superman and Lois. Oh yes, there's also Tristan Lake Laebu who is Jason, a young boy whose genes is somewhat extra-terrestrial. Every cast member carries out their roles perfectly, despite some who seem to think that Bosworth is not aggressive enough to play Lois Lane.

Superman shows human emotions and his romantic side in a number of scenes. Though some may not enjoy it, what's the harm of showing the human side of him? After all, he was raised by humans, he deals with humans (whether as their friend or when combatting crimes) in his daily activities, he's in love with a human and in this particular chapter of Superman's life, there's another man in his girl's life. Surely that must have been devastating for him after his long tiring journey of finding his home planet. Like adding salt to an open wound, she even wrote an essay, "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman" and won a Pulitzer Prize for it. But does Lois really despise Superman that much, and has she really moved on with her new guys (fiance and a son)?

Lex Luthor, who has been sprung from prison due to Superman's absence to testify in his trial, steals Superman's technological secrets for his world domination plan(s). Using the secrets, Lex is able to create masses and masses of land, to the extent that he can put a new continent on the world map. However, just like any devious plans in the world, it comes with destruction of others. The (future) death of many doesn't bother Lex as he considers them dispensable (sounds like a common Is***l* to me), as long as there are those who are willing to buy his lands or willing to pay to live on his 'properties'.

Go watch this movie if you love Superman, love having a good time at the movies, love feeling romantic while watching a movie with your loved one, love good comics or books adaptations, and love the fact that despite good things having been absent for many years now, they will return with full force one day and they will prevail, Insha' Allah (sorry, get a bit emotional here)... Overall rating: *****

posted by The Pisces Man @ 7:07 am