movie review

Wow, we're close to the end of 2008 and the year 2009 is just right on the horizon.
Now, being a blog related to science fiction I find it imperative for me to write something about that year.

Aside the upcoming new year's resolutions (don't ask me what I had for 2008, leave that matter to my other blog), there will be some interesting scifi related flicks coming.

Here's a brief list that I can come to mind, and a short description following them.
Note: Dates are listed as United States premiere dates... I've little info on Indonesian premiere dates)

1. Star Trek (May 9 2009) link
My most anticipated movie of 2009, awaited by millions of fans around the world. Well for one thing, it has been three years since Star Trek graced the airwaves. Unlike the last movie (Star Trek Nemesis), Star Trek will be a kind of ‘origin story' for the original crew of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701.
Official synopsis: From director J.J. Abrams ("Mission: Impossible III," "Lost" and "Alias") and screenwriters Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman ("TRANSFORMERS," "MI: III") comes a new vision of the greatest space adventure of all time, "Star Trek," featuring a young, new crew venturing boldly where no man has gone before.
A note for us Indonesians, the local distributor (Cineplex 21 or what other powers to be) has a bad history with this franchise. The demographic of the Indonesian movie goers seems to shun away from anything related to Star Trek (as it seems to be too geeky for their tastes) and thus the last two Trek movies to ever show here was Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: First Contact. Star Trek Insurrection and Nemesis never came through the local distributors.
So a good question for us scifi enthusiasts in Indonesia would be, will Star Trek play here?

2. Terminator Salvation (May 22 2009) link
My 2nd most anticipated movie of 2009. This is both a sequel and prequel to first three Terminator movies. Unlike the previous ones, this will not feature Arnold Schwarzenegger as the pivotal terminator, and this one will prominently set in the post-Judgment Day future era.
Official synopsis: "Set in post-apocalyptic 2018, John Connor (Christian Bale), the man fated to be the leader of the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators, and the future he was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a Terminator whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's operations, where they find out a terrible secret that may lead to the possible annihilation of mankind."
Okay, I had to cut the official synopsis a little bit since it spoils a good info regarding this movie. I take it'll be very interesting


4. G.I.JOE: Rise of Cobra (August 2009)
Ah, the live-action movie based on one of my favorite 80's cartoon series. The cast mix is quite interesting, and the costume design and storyline will make this show quite a worth. The Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity, a ultra elite international armed forces will face the rising force of COBRA.
From what I can tell from some leaked sources, the story will be set in the near future, and will feature familiar favorite GI Joe characters. But from the production stills and the plot, it is a far mature version than the old cartoon series.

5. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (May 1 2009) link
Ah, Hugh Jackman as the Adamantium-laced bad-ass mutant Logan aka Wolverine. Snikt!!!! To be honest, I was a bit disappointed with X-Men: The Last Stand. But any movie that has Wolverine will definitely rock!

Short Story: Cinderella

Once upon a time, there lived an unhappy young girl. She was unhappy because her mother was dead, and her father had married another woman, a widow with two daughters. Her stepmother didn’t like her. All the nice things, kind thoughts and loving touches were for her own daughters. Not just the kind thoughts and love, but also dresses, shoes, delicious food, comfy beds, as well as every home comfort. All this was laid on for her daughters. For the poor unhappy girl, there was nothing at all. No dresses, only her stepsisters’ hand-me-downs. No lovely dishes, nothing but scraps. No nice rests and comfort. For she had to work hard all day, and only when evening came was she allowed to sit for a while by the _ re, near the cinders. That is how she got her nickname, for everybody called her Cinderella. Cinderella used to spend long hours all alone talking to the cat. The cat said,

 “Meow”, which really meant, “Cheer up! You have something neither of your stepsisters have and that is beauty.”

 It was quite true. Cinderella, even dressed in rags with a dusty gray face from the cinders, she was a lovely girl. While her stepsisters, no matter how splendid and elegant their clothes, were still clumsy, lumpy and ugly and always would be.

One day, beautiful new dresses arrived at the house. A ball was to be held at Court and the stepsisters were getting ready to go to it. Cinderella, didn’t even dare ask, “What about me?” for she knew very well what the answer to that would be:

 “You? My dear girl, you’re staying at home to wash the dishes, scrub the floors and turn down the beds for your stepsisters. They will come home tired and very sleepy.” Cinderella sighed at the cat.

 “Oh dear, I’m so unhappy!” and the cat murmured “Meow”.

 Suddenly something amazing happened. In the kitchen, where Cinderella was sitting all by herself, there was a burst of light and a fairy appeared.

 “Don’t be alarmed, Cinderella,” said the fairy. “The wind blew me your sighs. I know you would love to go to the ball. And so you shall!”

 “How can I, dressed in rags?” Cinderella replied. “The servants will turn me away!” The fairy smiled. With a _ ick of her magic wand, Cinderella found herself wearing the most beautiful dress, the loveliest ever seen in the realm.

 “Now that we have settled the matter of the dress,” said the fairy, “we’ll need to get you a cart. A real lady would never go to a ball on foot!” “Quick! Get me a pumpkin!” she ordered.


“Oh of course,” said Cinderella, rushing away. Then the fairy turned to the cat.

“You, bring me seven mice!”

 “Seven mice!” said the cat. “I didn’t know fairies ate mice too!”

 “They’re not for eating, silly! Do as you are told! And, remember they must be alive!”

Cinderella soon returned with a _ ne pumpkin and the cat with seven mice he had caught in the cellar.

 “Good!” exclaimed the fairy. With a flick of her magic wand… wonder of wonders! The pumpkin turned into a sparkling cart and the mice became six white horses, while the seventh mouse turned into a coachman, in a smart uniform and carrying a whip. Cinderella could hardly believe her eyes.

“I shall present you at Court. You will soon see that the Prince, in whose honour the ball is being held, will be enchanted by your loveliness. But remember! You must leave the ball at midnight and come home. For that is when the spell ends. Your cart will turn back into a pumpkin, the horses will become mice again and the coachman will turn back into a mouse and you will be dressed again in rags and wearing clogs instead of these beautiful slippers! Do you understand?” Cinderella smiled and said, “Yes, I understand!”

 When Cinderella entered the ballroom at the palace, a hush fell. Everyone stopped in mid-sentence to admire her elegance, her beauty and grace.

“Who can that be?” people asked each other. The two stepsisters also wondered who the newcomer was, for never in a month of Sundays, would they ever have guessed that the beautiful girl was really poor Cinderella who talked to the cat!

When the prince set eyes on Cinderella, he was struck by her beauty. Walking over to her, he bowed deeply and asked her to dance.

And to the great disappointment of all the young ladies, he danced with Cinderella all evening.

“Who are you, fair maiden?” the Prince kept asking her. But Cinderella only replied:

“What does it matter who I am! You will never see me again anyway.”

“Oh, but I shall, I’m quite certain!” he replied.

Cinderella had a wonderful time at the ball. But, all of a sudden, she heard the sound of a clock: the first stroke of midnight! She remembered what the fairy had said, and without a word of goodbye she slipped from the Prince’s arms and ran down the steps. As she ran she lost one of her slippers, but not for a moment did she dream of stopping to pick it up! If the last stroke of midnight were to sound… oh… what a disaster that would be! Out she _ ed and vanished into the night.

 The Prince, who was now madly in love with her, picked up her slipper and said to his ministers,

“Go and search everywhere for the girl whose foot this slipper fits. I will never be content until I find her!” So the ministers tried the slipper on the foot of all the girls and on Cinderella’s foot as well. Surprise! The slipper fitted perfectly.

 “That awful untidy girl simply cannot have been at the ball,” snapped the stepmother. “Tell the Prince he ought to marry one of my two daughters! 

 Can’t you see how ugly Cinderella is! Can’t you see?”

Suddenly she broke off, for the fairy had appeared.

“That’s enough!” she exclaimed, raising her magic stick. In a _ ash, Cinderella appeared in a splendid dress, shining with youth and beauty. Her stepmother and stepsisters gaped at her in amazement, and the ministers said,

 “Come with us, fair maiden! The Prince awaits to present you with his engagement ring!”

 So Cinderella joyfully went with them, and lived happily ever after with her Prince. And as for the cat, he just said “Meow”!