My Epic: Home

This is my third essay, touching a bit about my family, just a wee bit. I was still in the Uncharted fever, you'll see, it's abundantly clear. This isn't as good as the ones before. Anyway, here you go...

HOME

JANUARY 2012

            "Home is where the heart is", says a cartoon character from my colourful years of childhood. I agree, home is not exactly a house or a sturdy structure. Home is where you grow up, where you are comfortable even if everyone else is not, where you take shelter when the whole world is against you, where you find the ones who love you the most.

            Ever since I got my job, I rarely go back home. I've seen and learned so much, from the ruins of Machu Picchu nestled in the mountains of Peru to the city of Petra that is etched on the side of the hills of Jordan. But, right now, I'm longing to be back in the arms of my family at home. Just one more job.

            Think of me as a modern Indiana Jones, an antiquities retriever, working for museums around the globe, some legitimate, others not so much. The truth is I'm sick and tired of this life and I just want to live a normal life back home.

            There it was, a golden idol worth hundreds of dollars shining through the opening of the cave where sunlight could sneak in. All I have to do was squeeze myself through a crevice separating me from the priceless artifact. Despite the fact that I'm claustrophobic, I made it through with ease. Let's just hope that there's no trap. I took baby steps until I reached the artifact, hoping that nothing will jump at me out of the blue. I took the treasure carefully. Holding it in my palms, I'm elated at the fact that I will be home soon. Sooner than I thought.

            I rang the doorbell twice before I saw a couple of silhouettes moving inside the same house that was very familiar and yet strangely different. As the door opened, I saw Mom and Dad with a glint of happiness in their eyes. They welcomed me warmly. As we sat down for a chat, my cat pounced on my lap and purred silently. Home has never looked and felt better. A few minutes later, my younger sister came out of her room. I could tell that she was very surprised to see me. After dinner, we shared stories about our lives although I was a bit secretive about whom I was working for. My family called me a treasure hunter but I just laughed at the thought of wearing a fedora and carrying a whip even though I knew that it was partially true.

            The next day, I decided to stay at home and just enjoy the little things I never came to appreciate when I was growing up. Things ranging from Mom's exquisite pastries she makes on a daily basis, Dad's obsession with go-kart even though he was getting way too old for it to my sister and the obnoxious music she listens to. That is a home. Homes are not brick-built, instead they are created and fostered by the people who live in them. All those wondrous vistas when I was globetrotting still cannot match the ambience at home. P, B and J Otter are right, home is where the heart is.

The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises

Megat Redzuan / Reviewed on: 20th July 2012

The Dark Knight Rises was gloriously the best moment of my life in a movie theatre. It stands alone, peerless in the pantheon of superhero movies. There will be no spoilers here and if the impulse to spoil yourself before watching the film is too excruciating to bear, remember this, it’ll be the equivalent of Selina Kyle robbing you blind. When Batman Begins came out, I was very sceptical about watching another one of those Batman flicks, such is the enduring traumatic impression Joel Schumacher’s films left me. Thank goodness I did and from that point on there’s no turning back. Christopher Nolan’s finale made all the recently released superhero movies look like child’s play to be honest, it is the appetizer to the main course that is the final chapter of The Dark Knight trilogy. The typical critique of Chris Nolan’s movies is that it might be too cerebral for the casual moviegoer, no it’s not. His films are universal, it’s so well-layered, directed towards everyone. If you’re more of the “intellectual genre” you’ll notice the political undertones and social commentaries and what have you, but even if it goes over your head, it doesn’t detract your experience from the film. Fanatic fans of the Batman comics will love all the little nods and references, even the major ones from the comic books thoughtfully implemented throughout the film.

Christian Bale is just magnificent, as he puts it he plays three characters, the billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, the true persona of Bruce Wayne still grieving the lost of his parents and the Batman. He’s the defining actor of The Dark Knight, his portrayal of all these characters are just perfect and even though he’s a man dressing up at night as a bat beating criminals to a pulp with his bare hands, we empathise with him. Returning inhabitants of Gotham and Bruce’s fundamental foundation of his lifestyle is Gary Oldman’s aged and weary morally-strayed Commissioner Jim Gordon, the Q to Batman’s James Bond, Lucius Fox and possibly a Best Supporting Actor nominee perhaps, the closest thing to a father figure Bruce can get, his moral compass, oozing with words of wisdom, Michael Caine’s Alfred Pennyworth. Scenes between the trio are so poignant, beautifully crafted and presented, it’s so hard to watch without getting a lump in your throat, to describe it as tear-jerking is an understatement.

The newcomers are Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s solid portrayal of beat cop John Blake and Marion Cotillard’s enviromentalist do-gooder Miranda Tate. The chief antagonist is Tom Hardy’s full time terrorist Bane, He’s frightening to watch, Tom embodies and embraces the sheer brutality and monstrosity of “the mercenary” flawlessly with half his face covered up, the way he conveys his emotions with only his eyes is amazing. But with all the characters in Chris Nolan's movies, there's more than meets the eye with this intelligent and articulate monster. Anne Hathaway is the feline femme fatale, morally ambiguous skillful thief known as Selina Kyle, a wild card, there's no way of telling what her next move is and it’s really fun to watch the development and chemistry between the cat burglar and Bruce/Batman.

 The 2 hours and 44 minutes running time didn’t feel long at all, the story flows seamlessly as it comes full circle with flashbacks from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, it’s all beautifully balanced between the intimate moments of character development that’s unusual in a summer blockbuster film and the really elaborate and simply put awesome all-out war action sequences and the choreography of the brawls between Batman and Bane is much improved than the previous films. The most important element of The Dark Knight Rises however and what makes it a gem is that it manages to amp up the suspense and anxiety to incredible heights knowing that every single character is dispensable including the Batman. When was the last time you watched a superhero film and feel a genuine concern that our hero is not going to come out alive? Exactly.

Thank you Christopher Nolan for not giving in to the public and I’m assuming studio demands to continue this magnificent 7-year journey we have all been through together, to truly end this great vision of the legend with integrity, to give this great story a great and true conclusion to let the Batman ride off into the sunset if you will. It was the ending this iconic character deserved. And to anyone who thinks the Rises in The Dark Knight Rises is just a convenient way to name the film, it makes complete sense, it’s perfect.

"Time"

Hans Zimmer's "Time" from Inception

Close your eyes, relax, breathe slowly & fully and listen.

Hans Zimmer’s “Time” is the journey of one’s lifetime encapsulated in a 5-minute piece of artistry. It starts off beautifully quiet, reserved evoking a sense isolation and loneliness. As it goes on, the music starts to grow and begins to find it’s way and it grows exponentially full of confidence until it leaves all the uncertainty behind. It reaches it’s prime. It’s loud and undaunted, fearless and bold, full of highs and lows. It’s inevitable conclusion comes full circle as it ends the way it began, it tapers of heartbreakingly quiet with undertones of sadness. 

The Amazing Spider-Man

Movie Reviews

The Amazing Spider-Man

Megat Redzuan / Reviewed on: July 6 2012

Right off the bat, The Amazing Spider-Man is the best out of all four Spider-Man movies released so far. The key positive aspect of Mark Webb's reboot and what Sam Raimi failed to achieve with his franchise is remain faithful to the comic books. All of Peter Parker's iconic moments is still intact, the inevitable spider bite, uncle Ben's death, the first time he dons the realistic-lookingsuit, it's covered in greater detail and the “Is this scene necessary? We've already seen this” issues are absent. Some of the scenes were directly transferred from the Ultimate Spider-Man comics straight onto the screen, the artificial web shooters invented by Peter himself, is finally restored to the on-screen mythology in favour of the natural ability to shoot organic webs from his wrists, Gwen Stacy has also been re-established as Peter's first love.

In Andrew Garfield, we finally have the perfect Peter Parker and Spider-Man. His portrayal of the likable geeky high-school nerd with a crush on Emma Stone's equally goofy Gwen Stacy is really sweet and it's fun to watch their budding romance under the watchful and disapproving eyes of her father Denis Leary's Police Captain George Stacy. Their teenage romance subplot will undoubtedly be compared to Mr Webb's (500) Days of Summer. But Garfield's take on the “masked vigilante” is the real high point. The wow-he's-really-Spider-man-moment is a playful scene involving a carjacker and Spidey's infamous witty wisecracks and humor directed at said carjacker and the men in blue. 

If you really want to enjoy all the first person shots of Spider-Man acrobatically swinging from rooftops, the easy to follow action sequences and the climatic battle/battles with Dr Curt Connors' the Lizard in the sewers, at Midtown High School, and on top of the skyscraper that is Oscorp tower try and catch it in IMAX 3D. And as an added bonus, I'm sure there's a scene near the end between Peter and Dr. Connors paying homage to a scene in Batman Begins. The loud and fast-paced action sequences provide the obligatory wow moments that a blockbuster summer movie should have but what sets The Amazing Spider-Man apart are the quiet intimate aww-inducing moments in between. And true to his music video director roots, Mark Webb manages to fit a Coldplay song in perfectly too. But you do get a sense that a lot has been sacrificed in terms of tying up loose ends for the apparent new Spider-Man trilogy. Stay for the traditional Marvel mid-credits scene teasing the next villain.

Inception

Movie Reviews

Inception

Megat Redzuan / Reviewed on: July 16 2010

What makes Inception so special is that it's not your typical straight forward summer blockbuster. Nolan gives you bits and pieces of information, and as the movie plays out the viewer begins to put the pieces together and the picture gradually becomes clearer. Chris Nolan doesn't dumb down the movie for the audience like most Hollywood movies do these days, he expects us to keep up with him. And when we do, the reward is extremely gratifying.