Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - 蝙蝠俠對超人:正義曙光 - 蝙蝠侠大战超人:正义黎明

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (蝙蝠俠對超人:正義曙光/蝙蝠侠大战超人:正义黎明) is an 2016 film. The movie stars Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill. The supporting cast include Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, Kevin Costner, and Gal Gadot. There are cameo apperances from future Justine League heroes Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller as Cyborg, Aquaman, and The Flash, respectively. The movie is a sequel to 2013's Man Of Steel and the second film in the DC Extended Universe. Tao Okamoto plays Luthor's assistant as the lone prominent Asian cast member.



Bruce Wayne lands in Metropolis during the battle between Superman and Zod. Wayne Financials building is collateral damage and Wayne blames Superman. Fast forward 18 months, Wayne is operating in Gotham against criminals trying to find the owner of a dirty bomb. Superman rescue's Lois from armed men in Africa, but is blamed for the collateral damage. Leading to the US Government inviting him to an hearing. All the while, Batman is preparing to fight him and defeat him with the only know element to be able to harm Superman, kryptonite. Diane Prince enters the picture as an mysterious figure that seems to cross paths with Wayne a few times. Lex Luther is introduced and finds the kryptonite, but is rebuffed by the US Government when he wants to weaponize it. With Luther's power of influence, he gains access to the carcass of Zod eventually leading to the creation of Doomday for the final showdown.



The movie broke box office records for the Easter weekend and did brisk business on Monday and Tuesday. Lots of people have gone to see the movie. BUT the negativity still surrounds this film. There is a Sad Affleck meme, to the petition to oust Zack Snyder as the director of upcoming Justice League movies. Yet, it still made money, truck loads of it. If the critics were looking for racist Oscar material here, they didn't find it. What you get is slick $250 million dollar film that makes you eat your bucket of popcorn to the bottom. I personally really enjoyed the movie. Lots of story and lots of action. The movie ran for about 2 and half hours.



There were lots of questionable things in the movie, but that would be for spoiler fodder. Time will tell if the additional Justice League set up was a failure or not. Time will also tell if the decision to cast differently for movies and TV will hurt the DCEU or help it. Time will tell if this movie ends up being a classic.

Some personal thoughts. I liked Ben Affleck as Batman. The older Wayne was portrayed as a driven man that kicks butt, like in the comics. Gal as Wonder Woman seemed like a forced plot point, but eye candy isn't bad. Wonder Woman showed she's pretty powerful by going toe to toe with Doomsday. The whole cameras everywhere now makes it pretty hard to keep secret identities anymore. I am looking forward to Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman next year. Hope they do well to keep the DCEU going.

Zhong Guo Box Office - March 27, 2016 - 中国票房榜

Zhong Guo Box Office - Week Ending: March 27, 2016

Week ending in March 27, 2016

Rank	Film Title
1	Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (蝙蝠侠大战超人:正义黎明)
2	Zootopia (疯狂动物城)
3	The Revenant (荒野猎人)
4	女汉子真爱公式 (The Rise Of A Tomboy)
5	Gods Of Egypt (神战:权力之眼)
6	叶问3 (Ip Man 3)
7	Behind The Yellow Line (缘份)
8	美人魚 (The Mermaid)
9	Kung Fu Panda 3 (功夫熊猫3)
10	Eddie The Eagle (飞鹰艾迪)

Source: Ent Group - retrieved March 28, 2016

BBS鄉民的正義 - Silent Code

BBS鄉民的正義 (Silent Code) is an 2012 film out of Taiwan. The movie stars Chen Bolin and Ivy Chen. The supporting cast include Puff Kuo.



Bolin is a super hacker. Chen is a leader of a online community called BBS. Bolin's about to graduate college and look for a job. But before he does that, he's been trying to hack BBS. A nosy reporter finds out about BBS and wants to write a story about it. With the help of Bolin, she's engaged with the community. However, there's a mastermind to BBS that people do not see.

This movie was interesting. The BBS world was interesting. They virtualized BBS for us that are watching the film. It probably more like a forum or a guild in real life. It eventually dives into cartoon world for a good part. Almost Matrix style, but the consequence is mob mentality. If you're a fan of Taiwanese films, this is in the middle of the pack more geared towards a younger crowd.

Taiwan Box Office - March 27, 2016 - 台灣票房榜

Weekend of March 27, 2016

Rank	Film Title
1	Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (蝙蝠俠對超人:正義曙光)
2	Zootopia (動物方城市)
3	The Divergent Series: Allegiant (分歧者3:赤誠者)
4	Kung Fu Panda 3 (功夫熊貓3)
5	London Has Fallen (全面攻佔2:倫敦救援)
6	The Lobster (單身動物園)
7	The Finest Hours (絕命救援)
8	奇幻同學會 (See You Again)
9	只要我長大 (Lokah Laqi!)
10	Room (不存在的房間)
11	Macbeth (馬克白)
12	The Young Messiah (少年彌賽亞)
13	The Boy (託陰)
14	我們的那時此刻 (The Moment)
15	五星級魚干女 (Welcome To The Happy Days)
16	Colonia (窒命地)
17	The Double Life Of Veronique (雙面薇若妮卡 經典數位修復)
18	Carol (因為愛你)
19	黑白 (Mole Of Life)
20	Gods Of Egypt (荷魯斯之眼:王者爭霸)

Source: Yahoo! Movies Taiwan - retrieved March 28, 2016 (This could be updated)

Fantastic Four - 驚奇4超人

Fantastic Four (驚奇4超人) is an 2015 film. The movie stars Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, and Jamie Bell as the Fantastic Four. The movie is a reboot and not really a remake. The story does deviate a bit from the origin story of the comics.

Reed is a kid genius trying to build a machine that teleports. Not really ever able to finish his project, he gains the attention of Storm who recruits him to his team. This team is trying to do something along that line, traveling to another dimension. While traveling to the other dimension, the four of them gain their powers. But another person is on their team too, Doom. Doom gets stuck in the other dimension. With their new found powers, each one does something different with it.



I rented the Blu-ray and thought it would suck. But I am a good comic book fan and have to support the movies. Because I wasn't expecting much, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It was an interesting take on the four and Doom. I would like a origin story that didn't include Doom though. If you like sci-fi, watch with no expectations and I think you'll enjoy it.

Hong Kong Box Office - March 20, 2016 - 香港票房榜

Hong Kong Box Office - Week Ending: March 20, 2016

Weekend of March 20, 2016

Rank	Film Title
1	Kung Fu Panda 3 (功夫熊貓3)
2	London Has Fallen (倫敦淪陷)
3	The Divergent Series: Allegiant (赤誠者:末世醒覺)
4	Gods of Egypt (埃及神戰)
5	The Danish Girl (丹麥女孩)
6	Room (抖室)
7	Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (傲慢與屍變)
8	夢の花嫁 (A Bride For Rip Van Winkle/Rip Van Winkle No Hanayome)
9	Spotlight (焦點追擊)
10	Deadpool (死侍:不死現身)
...	...
11	美人魚 (The Mermaid)
...	...
22	消失的愛人 (The Secret)
...	...
35	臥虎藏龍：青冥寶劍 (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny

Source: BoxOfficeMojo, HKFlimArt, and WMOOV - retrieved March 23, 2016

Dragon - Wu Xia - 武俠

Dragon (Wu Xia/武俠/Swordsmen) is an 2011 film out of Hong Kong. The movie stars Donnie Yen and Takeshi Kanoshiro. The supporting cast include Tang Wei, Jimmy Wang Yu, Kara Hui, Li Xiaoran, Jiang Wu, Ethan Ruan. The movie was released as "Dragon" a couple of years after its Asian release. This movie is an suspense thriller action movie.



Liu is a quiet family man that accidently kills two robbers that come to his farming town. One of the robbers is a highly sought after by the government which draws the attention of investigator, Xu. As Xu investigates, he has to piece together the robbers, Liu, the villages, and many other things. Eventually finding that Liu is a highly skilled bandit, things start to get interesting.



This was one of the better movies of 2011. Donnie goes minimalistic for this role and shows his acting chops. TK does his thing well and takes on a accent that is quite good. The investigation is intriguing and the results come half way through the movie. The second half includes most of the action, but it's not without consequences for the main leads. In the Donnie cannon, this may not be the most action packed, but it is one of my favorites due to the story and his acting. Donnie is a star and he shows it here.

Zhong Guo Box Office - March 20, 2016 - 中国票房榜

Zhong Guo Box Office - Week Ending: March 20, 2016

Week ending in March 20, 2016

Rank	Film Title
1	Zootopia (疯狂动物城)
2	The Revenant (荒野猎人)
3	Gods Of Egypt (神战:权力之眼)
4	叶问3 (Ip Man 3)
5	女汉子真爱公式 (The Rise Of A Tomboy)
6	美人魚 (The Mermaid)
7	洛杉矶捣蛋计划 (PAPA)
8	Kung Fu Panda 3 (功夫熊猫3)
9	床下有人3 (Under The Bed)
10	Eddie The Eagle (飞鹰艾迪)

Source: Ent Group - retrieved March 23, 2016

Fast and Furious 6 - 玩命關頭6 - Fast Six - Furious 6

Fast and Furious 6 (玩命關頭6/Fast Six/Furious 6) is an 2013 film. The movie stars Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. The support cast include Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Luke Evans, Joe Taslim, Sarah Li, and Gina Carano. Cameo appearances from Elsa Pataky, Rita Ora, and Jason Statham. This is Justin Lin's fourth and final film of the series.



Dom and Brian retreat a quiet life raising Jack. Hobbs approaches Dom to come out of retirement to help track down a gang of driving speedsters. Dom rejects the offer, but Hobbs pulls out a wild card. A picture of Letty at the most recent heist. Dom instantly signs up and goes after the target, Owen Shaw. Dom reassembles the crew and Hobbs promises to wipe their records if they succeed. When they meet the first time, Shaw's team hands it to Dom's group and get away. But not before Dom comes face to face with Letty. But Letty does not remember Dom and escapes with Shaw's group. Dom's pursuit of Letty leads to encounters with Shaws group. Everything leads to a final showdown. Since the timeline events of Tokyo Drift merge up with the present, we know some tragic things will happen.



I've seen this movie on Blu-ray and on multiple re-runs on cable during the days leading up to the release of Fast and Furious 7. I feel like I know it like I do Fast Five. The movie was entertaining. You see the characters try to look as cool as they can. You see a lot of comedy. You see a lot of cars. Lots of action. This is one of those movies that you can start up at anytime and watch a few moments and not have to skip a beat.

My Top Ten Favorite Movies of 2014

2014? Clearly we are in 2016 already? Yes, I know, I watch them there movies at a very slow pace. I normally have to wait for them to show up on Blu-ray or on HBO for me to watch the movies. Which gives me that really delayed reaction for making a top films of 2014 list. I just haven't seen them when the foo foo award season kicks off every year. According to Box Office Mojo, there were 702 films released in the US in 2014. Crazy!! I ain't watching that many films unless its my profession. And its not, this blog is a hobby. You can check out the top dozen money making films of 2014 here.

Here are my top films of 2014 of which I've seen at least 59 of!

Rank
1		Captain America: The Winter Soldier - 美國隊長2:酷寒戰士 - 美國隊長2 - 美國隊長2:冬日戰士 Some people called this movie Avengers 1.5. I call it an awesome movie. The handcuffs came off and they let Cap go full bad @$$. A fitting next chapter in Phase Two and throwing the Hydra wrench into the MCU.
2		John Wick (捍衛任務) If Keanu weren't cool enough as Neo. His turn as Wick re-establishes Reeves as an compelling leading man that everyone can get behind. The fast paced no apologies action wrapped into an hitman's underworld intrigued those far and wide.
3		Edge Of Tomorrow (明日邊界) If Tom Cruise had a sci-fi trilogy to Oblivion and Minority Report, this would be it. Emily Blunt and Cruise light up the screen together. We see a zero become a hero.
4		Guardians Of The Galaxy (星際異攻隊/銀河守護隊) Introducing new things isn't always a easy thing. Try it for a whole group of people. Before Chris Platt went Jurassic, he was helping to save the galaxy from destruction. Add in an funny script to a new and wonderful world, you have a film that doesn't take itself too seriously.
5		American Sniper (美國狙擊手) This was a serious film once the war stuff starts. To see the transformation of a man once so full of life, to one that takes them, is truly gut wrenching.
6		The Grand Budapest Hotel (歡迎來到布達佩斯大飯店) Quirky and unique. What can I say, the story was marvelously moved along by slick movie magic. One that will bring in fans on the cult level for generations to come.
7		Big Hero 6 (大英雄天團) A coming of age story that mixes in the emotions of growing up and losing those around him that he loves. Throw a giant marshmallow to spice things up.
8		Fury (怒火特攻隊) A troupe of soldiers that are just trying to survive through their tours during WWII. The warfare that happens is hard to fathom. The realistic warfare scenes intermingled with each character trying to just make it out alive.
9		Sabotage (震撼殺戮) Arnold surprises in this dark look into law enforcement and their proximity to the drugs. Where there is no honor, you'll find corruption.
10		The Maze Runner (移動迷宮) Surprised I even liked this movie as much as I did. After seeing bits and pieces of it via cable, I realized what an intriguing world they created. Too bad the sequel didn't live up the level set by this first installment.

Retrieved from Box Office Mojo on March 17, 2016

Taiwan Box Office - March 20, 2016 - 台灣票房榜

Weekend of March 20, 2016

Rank	Film Title
1	Zootopia (動物方城市)
2	The Divergent Series: Allegiant (分歧者3:赤誠者)
3	London Has Fallen (全面攻佔2:倫敦救援)
4	The Finest Hours (絕命救援)
5	The Lobster (單身動物園)
6	The Boy (託陰)
7	五星級魚干女 (Welcome To The Happy Days)
8	只要我長大 (Lokah Laqi!)
9	Gods Of Egypt (荷魯斯之眼:王者爭霸)
10	Room (不存在的房間)
11	Spotlight (驚爆焦點)
12	Colonia (窒命地)
13	黑白 (Mole Of Life)
14	聞鬼師 (Senior)
15	Carol (因為愛你)
16	The Revenant (神鬼獵人)
17	我們的那時此刻 (The Moment)
18	The Danish Girl (丹麥女孩)
19	Deadpool (惡棍英雄:死侍)
20	Labyrinth Of Lies (謊言迷宮)

Source: Yahoo! Movies Taiwan - retrieved March 21, 2016 (This could be updated)

等一個人咖啡 - Cafe. Waiting. Love.

等一個人咖啡 (Cafe. Waiting. Love.) is an 2014 film out of Taiwan. The film stars Vivian Sung, Marcus Chang, and Bruce Hung. The supporting cast include Vivian Chow, Megan Lai, Lee Luo, and Paulien Lan. The movie was released on the same weekend in both Taipei and Hong Kong. The follow up of Jiubadao's (九把刀/Nine Knives) You Are the Apple of My Eye (那些年,我們一起追的女孩). Targeted as the next blockbuster, it didn't even take number one at the Taiwan box office. There was even a joke in the movie about Nine Knives being a box office king.

The story of a gal who tries to find love at a Cafe with a standoff-ish boy. Throw in some melancholy baristas at the cafe. The gal, Siying, is played by Vivian Sung as a frumpy and bossy (八婆) senior in high school that happens in the Café of a boy she's infatuated with after a chance encounter. The Abusi of the café mistake her a applicant for the waitress job and the boss lady hires her. Now she can eavesdrop on him all the time. Enter A-Tuo, a seventh year senior that's not very smart academically, but full of life working multiple odd part time jobs. A-Tuo and Siying end up spending a lot of time together. Who will Siying choose?

I've been watching a bit of Zhong Guo films recent, a string of them in a row. Just by chance, I watch four Taiwanese films in a row right after. This is the last of the fourth. There is a distinct difference in the feeling of the films of Zhong Guo and Taiwan. To those that may not have ever been to Taiwan or even Taipei, you may think the movies are just another town in Zhong Guo. But there is distinct feel of the buildings in Taiwan. This film is no different. You see it in the classroom, the café, the city streets, the restaurant. All very unique to Taiwan.

The movie was decent, I wasn't enamored with the Siying's character. If anything, she bordered on annoying. But what kept me in going was A-Tuo. They build a distinct, unique, and unapologetic character. How do you figure that the most unsuccessful student is the one that has the most genuine outlook on life? You don't, and I don't know if the filmmakers even know what they had in A-Tuo. Bruce played him to a tee with the wide eyed smile that went for miles.

If you like Taiwanese cinema, this is a must watch as it is a slick production and features Taiwan in the movie.

Hong Kong Box Office - March 13, 2016 - 香港票房榜

Hong Kong Box Office - Week Ending: March 13, 2016

Weekend of March 13, 2016

Rank	Film Title
1	London Has Fallen (倫敦淪陷)
2	The Divergent Series: Allegiant (赤誠者:末世醒覺)
3	Gods of Egypt (埃及神戰)
4	The Danish Girl (丹麥女孩)
5	Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (傲慢與屍變)
6	Room (抖室)
7	美人魚 (The Mermaid)
8	Hail, Caesar! (萬千星輝綁架案)
9	Spotlight (焦點追擊)
10	Deadpool (死侍:不死現身)
...	...
19	消失的愛人 (The Secret)

Source: BoxOfficeMojo, HKFlimArt, and WMOOV - retrieved March 17, 2016

Shadows Of Love - Repeat I Love You - 影子愛人

Shadows Of Love (Repeat I Love You/影子愛人) is an 2011 film out of Zhong Guo. The movie was made jointly with Korean and Hong Kong investors, thus the movie is multinational. The movie stars Cecilia Cheung, Kwon Sang-woo, Angela Zhang, Jing Tian, and Sphinx Ting.

Cecilia is Paris, the CEO of a large company. In the middle of a large business deal, Paris goes missing. Her closest friends finds a look alike in florist Qin Xin. But they must teach a country bumpkin the high society. Can they do it in time to close the deal?

This movie was pretty entertaining. I think because it was such a outrageous premise, I went along with it, knowing that anything the story throws at you will be more than acceptable as the main premise is already out there. So, events line up one after the other to challenge if this bumpkin can really be "trained" for high society. Everyone in the film is good looking. You want to cheer them on.

Zhong Guo Box Office - March 13, 2016 - 中国票房榜

Zhong Guo Box Office - Week Ending: March 13, 2016

Week ending in March 13, 2016

Rank	Film Title
1	Zootopia (疯狂动物城)
2	叶问3 (Ip Man 3)
3	Gods Of Egypt (神战:权力之眼)
4	美人魚 (The Mermaid)
5	爱情麻辣烫之情定终身 (Spicy Hot In Love)
6	The November Man (谍影特工)
7	The 33 (地心营救)
8	床下有人3 (Under The Bed)
9	西游记之孙悟空三打白骨精 (The Monkey King 2)
10	哪一天我们会飞 (She Remembers, He Forgets)

Source: Ent Group - retrieved March 15, 2016

The Mermaid - 美人魚 - Mei Ren Yu

美人魚 (The Mermaid) is an 2016 film from director and producer Stephen Chow. The film was produced by both Hong Kong and Zhong Guo production companies. The film stars Deng Chao, Jelly Lin (Lin Yun), Show Luo, and Kitty Zhang (Zhang Yuqi). The supporting cast include a who's who of Chow's previous colaborators and cameos from Tsui Hark, Wen Zhang, and Kris Wu. The movie is currently the highest grossing film in Zhong Guo. Ever.

Deng Chao plays Liu Xuan, a rich business guy that buys an island. Because the island has dolphins inhabiting it, it is designated as a environmentally protected area where no development can take place. However, he uses technology to drive away the dolphins and gets a permit to develop. However, the mermaids live there and are now plotting to kill Liu. They want to kidnap him, figuring that his death will stop the development.

I'll only go so far with the plot. If I tell more, it'll ruin the surprise. I went into the movie having seen the terrible trailer that basically tells of a tail of a mermaid kidnapping Liu.

I loved this movie. I laughed out loud through out the movie. There was one scene that was so funny, that I was crying from laughing so hard. There were several scenes that are homages to classic TVB dramas of the 1980s and to the basic Kung Fu movies of the 1980s and 1990s. Similar homages are also paid in other Chow movies. This one is no different, just done differently. As a kid that grew up watching TVB and 1980s HK movies, came to age during the early 1990s HK kung fu films, I felt nostalgia to the nth degree watching this.

I watched the movie at an local AMC with a friend who isn't familiar with Chow and he thought it was one of the better films out of Zhong Guo he's seen. He laughed through out the movie too.

I am rambling here, but this movie isn't going to win any artsy fartsy awards. But it has won my laugher and will be on repeat viewings for years to come.

Taiwan Box Office - March 13, 2016 - 台灣票房榜

Weekend of March 13, 2016

Rank	Film Title
1	Zootopia (動物方城市)
2	London Has Fallen (全面攻佔2:倫敦救援)
3	The Finest Hours (絕命救援)
4	The Boy (託陰)
5	Gods Of Egypt (荷魯斯之眼:王者爭霸)
6	The Lobster (單身動物園)
7	Spotlight (驚爆焦點)
8	Carol (因為愛你)
9	Room (不存在的房間)
10	The Danish Girl (丹麥女孩)
11	Deadpool (惡棍英雄:死侍)
12	我們的那時此刻 (The Moment)
13	How To Be Single (單身啪啪啪)
14	The Revenant (神鬼獵人)
15	被遺忘的新娘 (A Bride For Rip Van Winkle)
16	Exposed/Daughter Of God (惡夜殺機)
17	Zoolander 2 (名模大間諜2)
18	獨一無二 (Love In Vain)
19	The Hateful Eight (八惡人)
20	Concussion (震盪效應)

Source: Yahoo! Movies Taiwan - retrieved March 14, 2016

City Of Gold

City Of Gold is an 2015 documentary about food critic Jonathan Gold, based in the Los Angeles area. The movie was released this past weekend and I was able to catch it with my whole family at the Archlight in Hollywood. We than headed out the SGV for some dumplings.

The movie is an ode to the contribution of Jonathan Gold to the profession of food criticism. In 2007, Gold won the Pulitzer Prize, considered an honor in the writing world. The movie follows Jonathan around the city as he eats at some of his favorite places and his daily routines. It really is a delicate look at a man that helped put LA food on the map. From his family life to his work to his down time. You get to see a bit of everything. The movie also covers the process that he has to review a restaurant and talks about what the value of professionals are still in the day and age of Yelp and food bloggers. The last scene of the move is during the end credits, showing Gold and his family making a meal and eating it in their back yard.

This movie was pretty awesome. I like Jonathan Gold, as a native to the Las Angeles area, I've eaten at many of the places he reviews. But I also eat at a lot more of places he doesn't review. But my impression of Gold is that he respects the diversity of LA and the vast number of immigrants that have brought a bit of their food with them. When I encounter a serious food person from outside of LA, Gold helps make the argument that LA legit.

It's not a perfect film, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think the movie is an ode to the city of LA as much as it to its main food champion, Jonathan Gold.