How to train your dragon

How to Train your Dragon is a film about a young man who encounters the most notorious of all dragons.  Will he be able to train him?

This is the advent of the post-structuralist filmmakers who would rather present a message not through the live characters but through digitally animated ones.  Now, our fantasies come alive, giving fictional characters such as dragons a life, especially if they're viewed on 3D screens. Of course, these should be exceptionally crafted to please the mind of the audience.

The film places a high value on friendships and understanding the other.  Perennial concern among cultures, especially in the first world countries to be suspicious of other cultures or to impose its culture on them.  But the world can be a better place to live in if we live in harmony, respect, and interdependence.

Rating: 5/5

Extraordinary measures

Extraordinary Measures is a film about a father in search of a cure for his 2 children.

The Harrison Ford - Brendan Frazer tandem is truly amazing and constantly brings the film up on its feet. The storyline also gives soul to the essence of this film.

Extraordinary measures is an inspiring movie for those who long for miracles. Remember a popular Filipino saying, "In God is mercy, in man is action," we have the capacity to make the things that God has planned out for us. This film touches hearts and fills them with hope.

Rating: 4/5

Baseco bakal boys

Baseco Bakal Boys is a docu-film about a boy who earns his living by selling scraps of metal.

This is a semi-observational documentary which is also a narrative. It seeks to explore the world of boys submerged in the sea of poverty that they don't have any choice but to sell and perhaps steal scraps for food. Except for some familiar actors, there is a sense of realism in the way the characters acted, as if we're invited to journey into their world.

Baseco is an eye-opener to the world where poverty abounds and all the risks one has to take in order to survive. But life is not all food. There are signs of life elsewhere - through friendships, generosity, and dreams of a better life. The world continues to exist because of these. Of course, everyone should do their part so that not one, not even children, should end up dying on the streets for a scrap of food.

Rating: 4.5/5

Alice in wonderland

After 19 years, Alice reunites with her friends to fight against the evil queen.

The weight of the entire film rests on Johnny Depp who performs quality roles very consistently. Ann Hathaway and Helena Bonhan Carter also gave such exemplary performances that made Alice a much sought-for film for this year. Of course, the world of animation is just going deeper and deeper, being enmeshed in the real world to give fantasy a chance to make itself real, even virtually.

Alice's world is topsy turvy, making the real world a caricature. And yet, the deepest realities of life especially those inside the heart challenge the conventional world outside. Inside the heart, darkness and evil find their home, but so too goodness and light. Eventually, one has to choose what state to live in, and in choosing, give life or death. Choose wisely then!

Rating: 4.5/5