Hanna - movie review

It has been long since a review was updated here. Anyway, I'm a guest blogger who will be reviewing the movie 'Hanna'.

'Hanna' is a story about a girl, Hanna who lives with her father, Erik and is trained to be an assassin. She is actually a specimen of a project to genetically modify children to make them into super-soldiers. After the project was terminated, everyone involved in the project was eliminated (in other words, killed) and Hanna was the sole survivor. So the story basically revolves around Hanna trying to escape Wiegler, who is out to kill her off (and Erik actually). It is an art in itself, set in a sombre mood since Hanna never really knew what was happiness until she met a family who helped her in her escape from Wiegler and her hired assassins.

'Hanna' first came across like an interesting movie to me, since it featured notable actors consisting of Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett and Eric Bana. However, since it's a 2D film, one might be skeptical about the how the movie was brought out (this is just an exclamation by a friend of mine who said 2D movies were of lower quality). I think to be exact, 2D movies are done on a lower scale budget so the movie itself is not extravagant.

To be honest, I would say it's not your typical action-packed or dramatic film. Rather, it's like a home video but I think it was meant to be that way to make the audience feel like they were the ones shooting the film. The film wasn't boring however, although a friend of mine who watched it with me found it so. I wouldn't call it nice but it was really fascinating how the main character, Hanna was moulded into such an independent and skillful child. The acting was good although at times, some scenes were a bit dull. One should be open and patient to watch this film as the audience is meant to follow Hanna's life as the movie plays and not judge. Do not have expectations for this movie as it will surprise you. At least it did, for me.

The opening and closing scene was a bit bizarre however (I guess I can't disclose here as it is somewhat a spoiler) but, I think that was meant to demonstrate the coldness in Hanna who was deprived of happy emotions and only knew to be cold and heartless like the assassin she was brought up to be.

The soundtrack was suitable in some ways yet some came across as a bit creepy to me. You'll find yourself humming along to it after the movie is long over and thinking about the scene it was associated with (which is a murder scene btw).

In conclusion, the movie is worth watching if you feel like watching a movie different from the norm. It's not everyone's cup of tea but it will have a lasting impression on you. Just remember to be open to anything the movie throws at you, even the more "gory" scenes where Hanna is being ruthless, as well as her slight inclination to lesbianism. Not that it's a problem but it can be disturbing to some people...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part 2)

       

           Yes, today you'll all be getting a long overdue review on the grand finale for the Harry Potter series. Before we begin, here's a brief summary.

Story so far
          Harry Potter is known as the boy-who-lived as a result of surviving Voldemort's attempt to murder him because he is protected by Lily Potter's love. When Harry first attended Hogwarts at the age eleven, he managed to foil Voldemort's attempt to steal the Philosopher's Stone to regain a body.
          During his second year at Hogwarts, Harry stopped a memory of Voldemort (later revealed to be a Horcrux) and a Basilisk.In his third year, Harry met his godfather Sirius Black and also discover that the actual traitor was Peter Pettigrew who returns to Voldemort and helps him regain a body along with  Barty Crouch Jr in Harry's fourth year.
          In Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts, he discovers about a prophecy regarding him and Voldemort. In that year, Harry's godfather was killed in a duel by Bellatrix Lestrange. In his sixth year, Harry learns about Voldemort's Horcruxes and went with Dumbledore to hunt for one of them (which was not the real thing as we discover in the end). Dumbledore was killed by Severus Snape at the end of this year.
          In Part one of the Deathly Hallows, we see Harry being brought from Privet Drive to the Burrow. They were attacked along the way and Mad-Eye Moody died as a result.Following Bill and Fleur's wedding, the Burrow was attacked and Harry and co escaped. During their trip, they managed to destroy the locket which was a Horcrux. In the end, they were captured and brought to Malfoy Manor but with the aid of Dobby, they escaped to Shell Cottage.

Storyline
          In this movie, we follow Harry Potter on his adventure to destroy the remaining Horcruxes. Throughout the movie, we see dragons and familiar characters. Another viewpoint is how Voldemort begins to show fear as he discovers he is slowly being killed off as his Horcruxes are destroyed one by one.
         Because there is so much left to show from the books in this movie, one would have to admit, the movie has included as much elements of the books as possible and I would give it a 8 out of 10 in this aspect.

Emotions
           In this movie, we experience the excitement and suspense in a very realistic manner as it could get.Furthermore, when we return with Harry to Hogwarts for the final stand, we get to feel the sorrow as our home was also destroyed.
          In short, you get to feel the movie as though its a life experience and not just some pictures on the screen movie with sounds. As a result, it gets a 9.5 out of 10.

Music
          The music does suit the moment and helps to bring in the gravity of the situation in the movie. However good as it was, its not really the highlighting point for this movie. Although, one must not deny that the melodies in the credits bring about a nostalgic feeling and therefore I'd give it a 7.5 out of 10.

Conclusion
          As a conclusion, we from this blog agree that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two is a definite must watch. Especially if you're a fan of the books and/or the movies. This review does not even do the movie justice in my personal opinion.  Seriously readers, this movie is worth watching to the extent I've already watched it twice and may even go for a third time.

iPhone 4 Music app review

A short review for you guys. Hope you gain something from this review as well. Usual disclaimer applies.


1) iheartradio
   
     So for this app, its just plain great. Access to a lot of radio stations and unlike some radio stations i won't name, the music is back to back with very few talking in between. Maybe its the time zone factor yeah.
    Also in this app,there are also videos which are the top 25 videos. The interface, is simple and easy to use so its not too complicated. There's also a shake mode where a random radio station will be chosen.
    This is available on the iPad 2 as well.

2) vevo

    This app, is useful when you know what you want to search for, such as searching for Adam Lambert videos on vevo. Otherwise, you can also see what is featuring or search by artist. Slightly more complex compared to iheartradio app.

PS3-Need for Speed Hot Pursuit (super short review)

     So recently, a friend got me this for my soon to arrive birthday ( funny circumstances but i digress). So firstly, I have to say this is my second PS3 racing game since Gran Turismo 5 and my previous NFS was NFS most wanted for the ps2.


Gameplay


     Well the single player mode, I have to say is a good introduction to the game. But after a while it does get a bit dull. Actually that was a lie, it was very very dull. So as PSN was down for a heck of a while over here, I had to put off the multiplayer gameplay. But guess what, I got to play online very recently.

Online


     So online play, three game modes, I personally recommend Hot Pursuit mode. There I feel the thrill of game. Human players are always more skilful and amusing. One race, I had a racer hiding under a bridge and another time I had a cop drive ahead to the finish line for god knows why.
     The other two modes, is pure racing in my opinion. So yeah, stick to Hot Pursuit for a while if you want to test your driving skills against others. A pure skill and technique arena.

Graphics


     So the graphics, is quite well done. But the crashes online is quite interesting. One must try it to understand what is amusing about it. But while playing online, you'll see other cars warping all over the place at times. No its more to do with the internet as compared to graphic.

Conclusion
     Three words, go get it. So here ends my short post.

My Phone: HTC Wildfire

• 3.2-Inches Capacitive Touchscreen
• 528 MHZ Qualcomm MSM 7225 Processor
• 384MB RAM, 512MB ROM
• MicroSD Card Support
• Android 2.1 (upgradable to 2.2)
• HTC Sense UI, Optical Trackpad
• 5 MP Camera with LED Flash
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
• GPS & A-GPS Support
• HD Video Recording
• FM Radio and 3.5 mm Headphone Jack
• 1300 mAh Li-ion Battery (Long Battery Life)

This is a review on my phone, the HTC Wildfire bought on November 2010. This is my first ever Android phone so I'm still in the process of learning to operate one efficiently.

Of course once the Android OS is loaded in your ROM would be reduced to about 175 MB with a RAM of about 314 MB availability for your installation of other software applications from the Android market and data.

Giving this HTC Wildfire a spin, generally this is pretty well design despite the lower hardware spec. I suppose they have to in order to keep the lower budgeting.

Design

The phone is nice and compact. The Wildfire is a seriously smart looking phone and is shorter than most others in the market, apart from the stupidly designed Xperia X10, and presents a slab-like form that sinks into the hand perfectly.

The rather more cramped Home screens of the HTC Wildfire, when compared to the iPhone, began to grate after a little while, and those with larger fingers may struggle to make the appropriate selections.

There are of course compromises with a phone of this size, but at 3.2” the screen is not one, at least not dimensionally. The materials used feel just right as well; they are not super expensive like the iPhone 4 and do not exhibit the cheapness of some other phones. Personally, I'm kind of on the fence in terms of build quality, not that great and not too shabby.

Available in a variety of colours – from jolly cerise to serious bronze – the HTC Wildfire looks grown-up and feels solid in the hand despite its lightweight disposition.

The optical trackpad below the screen is amazing and works very well I must say. The optical trackpad doubles as the front panel's only button; other commands are controlled by touchpads at the bottom of the touchscreen panel.

Unfortunately, HTC has not seen fit to give the Wildfire the camera button, so the optical trackpad doubles as shooter too.

The handset does have the one-button volume control on one side though, and the HTC Wildfire's power/screen-lock button sits on the top of the handset alongside the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Screen

Screens are all important in this era of technology and it is now entering a time when they are able to offer pin-sharp resolution that is viewable in all conditions. At 240×320 pixels the Wildfire is one of very few smartphones offering only QVGA and this is disappointing even at this price point.

In bright sunlight it is much easier to see that I expected which adds to the confusion- it works well in most conditions so is of good quality, but the resolution is at odds with the rest of the hardware.

Performance

The Wildfire's been given the same HTC Sense UI blessing as its other 2.1 siblings -- highlights include Leap for switching between homescreens, FriendStream widget for stalking your friends, an intuitive text highlighting tool (which is dangerously similar to the iOS's), built-in Flash Lite, and a keyboard that many have shown preference to over the stock version.

528 MHz, 512Mb of ROM and 384MB of RAM sounds pretty good for a device retailing at just over £200 and it is, but there are times when the performance slows a little. Don’t get me wrong, it is far from a slouch, but intense multi-tasking will bring about an inevitable drop in speed.

However, there are some problems present that are performance related; data entry is difficult because the keyboard does not react quickly and Flash web browsing is painfully slow all of the time.

Since I don't have package for 3G connection I cannot test it but according to my other friends who have the same phone as mine said that they managed to get at least 12 hours of battery life with 3G switched on, while enjoying the occasional music, photo-snapping, video recording, Twitter, FriendStream, and web browsing.

Camera

HTC has cleverly ignored the camera setups it supplied on the later Android phone such as the Desire and Nexus One and decided to implement a camera which is roughly as good as they were 3 years ago. It is rated at 5 Megapixels, has auto-focus, a flash and Geotagging and it is not great.

Well, just like any other HTC device, don't expect mind-blowing picture quality -- especially in low-light condition -- from the Wildfire's five-megapixel camera, but indoor shots like the one above look pretty good. As for outdoor usage, the still camera either struggled with the white balance or consistently under-exposed the shots. Still, they are nowhere as bad as the videos recorded -- they're capped at a 352 x 288 resolution with a sad frame rate, and you'll get an even lower frame rate if you record in the dark. What a bummer.

To summarise the entire review:

The Good:

- Stylish

- Battery life is incredible

- Reasonably priced

The Bad:

- Weak video playback

- Video recording is terrible

- Low-resolution screen

POTC-On Stranger Tides review.

            Ay mateys, so there I was bored one Sunday after-morning.So i wondered about and found myself in the Gardens, Mid Valley. There be before me a Cinema with a Golden Screen. So me being oh so adventurous, found myself buying a ticket to watch the new Pirates of the Caribbean eh.



This be a picture of the movie.


So onwards with the review.


Storyline


            So not being any different from its predecessors, this time the story in entwined once again with some myth one would very like have heard of or read of. Jack Sparrow (there's a captain in there somewhere) after defeating a curse and putting Davy Jones back in his own locker with the help of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, has now decided to hunt for the Fountain of Youth. 


            Now ye won't be seeing any spoilers in this review now will we. So without revealing anything. here's my take. Once again a great storyline, full with comedy, suspense, action, thrills,life and a tad bit of romance. Partnered with a piratey mythological theme, this really is a excellent combo.


            However if one wanted a reason to complain and searched hard, they would come to the conclusion of why and how did Blackbeard avoid Davy Jones prior to this movie. Surely ol fish face would have hunted blackbeard down of vice versa.


Characters


            Captain Jack Sparrow once again is still his eccentric humorous fool-like genius. Watch how he turns nearly any bad situation to his favour.  Yes, we have Johnny Depp to thank for the wonderful experience in the cinema.As for Angelica( Penelope Cruz) Blackbeard (Ian McShane) Joshamee Gibbs (Kevin McNally) and Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) they also blend into the story and together these people would give us the experience of reality. This is no movie people, this is reality( well thats how you'd feel after the movie)


            However, do note that dear Will and Elizabeth are not and I repeat are not in this movie.


Music


            Once again Hanz Zimmer shows his genius and talent where the soundtrack fits every moment so well, it enhances the experience without you really noticing the music as a seperate entity. Its a singluar entity with the movie. Unlike other movies where the music stands out, this is another kind of awesomeness, one which only experience can make you understand. No amount of words by me would show ye the light mateys.




Quality of Movie (the pictures on the screen in short)


            Yes, with good technology and funds the movie is stunningly beautiful. Not so beautiful to the extent it goes too far into fantasy (Avatar for instance, although good in its way still) but not too regular like something a normal person could have recorded. Very well balanced. I'm sure one would enjoy the quality and may even want to watch the movie again.


Conclusion


            Definitely a must watch in cinema, the bass of the music, the wonderfully realistic acting, the epic storyline and so much more. To be honest mates, I've watered down this review a heck lot. If I wrote a full and spoiler filled review. it probably be very very long. 


            A note, if you do watch this in cinemas and not hear about it through word of mouth. Make sure to stay after the LONG LONG credits and watch a very short clip at the back. I swear only 5 people stayed back to see the short clip. 


            And this ends the review. Now where's the rum.






       
            

iPad review (External Reviewer)

You might ask whether if the iPad is worth your money? In this review, I will be covering many aspects of the iPad: design, display, books, videos, apps, gaming, battery life... etc...

External Design

When I unboxed the iPad, the first thing I noticed was the design of the iPad. The build quality is excellent. When I touched the aluminium back of the tablet, honestly, it feels really good with my fingers better than those with the plastic-ky feeling as though it was cheaply made. Along with the iPad is the external connector which is the proprietary Apple connector. On the top left hand corner of the device is your standard 3.5 mm headset jack as well as a microphone for certain apps (e.g: voice memo). The speaker is on the bottom right-hand corner from where the Home button is. On the side is your volume rocker to control the volume and that's it.

Display

The display deserves its own section: with a resolution of 1024×768, it has a seemingly low pixel density compared to select high-end smartphones. That said, everything looks sharp and colorful. The contrast and colors are very nice. And the brightness distribution is stable regardless of the viewing angle. In direct sunlight, you will get a good amount of reflections, but overall, the iPad display does OK, especially if you are looking at an image with bright colors.

User Interface

For those who have used an iPhone or an iPod touch, there is no learning curve whatsoever. It’s the same look (with many additions) and feel and you’ll be productive right away. If you are not familiar with it, this is arguably one of the best touch interface out there, and I expect most people to be able to ramp up fairly quickly.

Media Consumption

iBooks: I like the user interface of the Apple book reader, it’s simple and readable, it has a search feature and most importantly, most books (if not all) come with a free sample. Overall, I don’t think that there is such a big difference between the Apple book reader and the Kindle reader when it comes to the act of reading but… Amazon seems to be a better book provider.

PDF files: the iPad has great support for .PDF files. It is much faster than the Kindle to handle those and the rendering is much better. If you are reading complex PDF files, this is a no-brainer.

YouTube: Youtube has more high-resolution content, so we tried watching a few movie trailers and they all came out looking smooth and sharp.

Music

The user interface is a little different from the iPhone version, but music playback basically works well, there’s not much to report on that front. it’s an iPod after all. LOL...

Productivity

Virtual keyboard: after typing on it for some time, here’s my feedback: it is so much better than a smartphone in either portrait or landscape mode. However, this is not as fast as a 10″ Netbook keyboard, or a full-sized keyboard.

Email: The email experience is comfortable. Because the Mail application user interface is tailored to a small display, it is better than it would be on a laptop. Emails are easy to read and it’s also easy to switch from one account to the next.

Calendar: the calendar is another element that benefits from an increased display size. Looking at a week’s worth of appointments can be done easily. In two taps, you can enter in Edit Mode and change the time and other properties of an event.

Gaming

There are ton of games on the Apple app store. In my opinion, I preferably like games which uses a controller or a mouse rather than tactile controls. The iPad is able to handle high graphics but with the iPad 2 which has a much faster processor, of course it obviously is much better than the iPad and provides a much better experience.

Web Browsing

The web browsing experience is very like the one on the iPhone/iPod touch, but a little faster, and with a much more comfortable display. Now, there is no need to zoom much and this feels very much like browsing on a computer but, they are some things which should be pointed out:

1) Not that fluent as you scroll up and down the page fast (seeing some checkered-board like patterns)

2) No flash. (can't say that much now, do I?)

Battery Life

Thanks to progress in low-power designs, testing the battery life of computers is becoming seriously long. The custom iPad A4 processor consumes very little power, so in most cases, the display will be the largest drain factor on the battery.

• Local storage video: 10+ hours
• Streaming video (YouTube): 10+ hours
• Book reading:11-12hrs
• Music (display off): (too long, if I want to publish this week)

A typical day: For my personal use, the iPad will stay alive for about 1.5 days, and possibly 2 days if I stop trying all the apps with shiny icons.

Sleep mode: most gadgets continue to drain power when they are in sleep mode. In the case of the iPad, I noticed that it lost about 1% per night (7hr), which is quite low. This might be a positive effect of not having too much stuff running in the background…

USB charging incompatibility: although it is mentioned that the iPad can be charged from a computer USB ports, it turns out that this is true mainly for Mac computer USB ports because they have a little more juice. It doesn’t work on most PC computers, or USB HUBs.

Battery replacement: the battery is not user replaceable, and like most batteries, it might lose its charge capabilities or simply die (after a while).