New addition to the family

Ynee's sister Di gave us a cute chow/spitz puppy! Aww...isnt she adorable? Mum has succumbed to her ultra-cuteness and is actually letting her stay in the house.

What's a good name for her?

Radio Ga-ga (2)

I was listening to the news on the radio - something about Philippine coinage being smuggled out of the country and into Japan, where they melt it down and use the metal for electronic parts and game tokens. It's nice to know that Philippine money is so undervalued, it's practically the same as play money now.

Before this newscast, however, there was a talk show wherein the hosts interviewed a lady from the Philippine Central Bank (which doubles as the Philippine Mint). When asked about the smuggling, she replied: "Oo, dinadala ang mga barya natin sa ibang bansa para gawing bagay na...pwedeng gamitin."* (Yes, our loose change is being brought to other countries so [that] they can make it into things...that you can use.)

Well. That was as clear as mud...was she afraid to give other people ideas, or just completely clueless? We may never know...

*Not the exact words, but the translation comes out pretty much the same as makes no never mind.

Superman Returns!

Watched Superman Returns last night with Garric and WBen - here's my take on the movie (spoilers abound!):

The Good:

1) Kevin Spacey's portrayal of Lex Luthor is part homage to Gene Hackman but ultimately his own - he plays up the daffiness of Hackman's Luthor, yet has a beautifully vicious vibe to him that emerges when confronted with Superman (or any mention thereof).
2) I loved the scene where the bullet bounces off Superman's eye - it was more fun that the scene before it, where Luthor's goon uses a chain gun on him - we already know the Man of Steel can bounce bullets off his chest; it's visually striking (pun intended) to see him do it off his eye and really hammers the invulnerability point home.

3) Routh's goofy Clark Kent. He's a better Clark than the Smallville guy!
4) It just wouldn't be a Superman movie without John Williams' score.

5) The plane-stopping scene. Now THAT was Action! Also more realistic than just picking it up and completely ignoring the laws of physics.

6) No cheesy X-men III-like dialogue!!!

7) Casting was more or less good, with the possible exception of Kate Bosworth as Lois. She just didn't seem as 'tough' as Margot Kidder :)

8) Loved the 50's feel to the whole movie :) The bright, modern art deco Metropolis makes a striking contrast with the dark gothic/baroque Gotham City. It helps you see where both Superman and Batman are coming from.

9) After Superman gets the bejeezus kicked out of him on the Kryptonite Continent, you realize that maybe he should've taken some martial arts lessons from the Dark Knight. You see how versatile Batman looks in comparison? :)

10) The flying effects were great, looked effortless, and the CGI-ed Superman was nigh indistiguishable from the real thing.

11) The best part about being injured when you're Superman is that they can take the whole costume off, and your secret identity is STILL safe! Let's just hope a well-meaning nurse doesn't slick back that spit curl...

The Bad:

1) There is really no earthly reason to play sinister music upon viewing a whole bunch of stands with wigs on them. I mean, really. And if the musical accompaniment is supposed to signify Lois' reaction to seeing aforementioned wigs, then she should go see a shrink. (Although I must say the wig Lex Luthor wore to the museum robbery deserved it)
2) It doesn't take a genius to guess that Wheezykid is Superman's love child with Lois - and that's why she's so mad at him at the beginning. I mean, you have a one-night stand, the rotten (albeit gorgeous) bastich runs off the next day, leaves you in the family way, and doesn't help with child support for FIVE frigging years! SuperJerk.

3) Lois Lane's ridiculous dive into the ocean to save Superman. I mean, you're swimming hampered by an evening gown. Hellooo?

The Ugly:

1) Well, certainly not Brandon Routh :) Though not as classically handsome as Christopher Reeve, Routh's mug will sure sell a lot of collectibles. :)
2) Lex Luthor's museum-robbing wig. It reminded me of Geoffrey Rush in the Marquis de Sade movie.

3) I don't think Luthor thought his continent-growing plan through. It sure looked boring over there. I mean, not even a Starbucks to play cards in?

Things that made me go Huh?

1) When Luthor fires the kryptonite-encased super-grow crystal into the sea, why was their boat NOT affected by the electromagnetic pulse? Everything else as far away as Metropolis was fried...

2) The plane-stopping scene: If Superman was using enough force to stop the plane from falling at that great a speed AND he's got that ultra-dense Kryptonian physiology, then what was stopping him from going through the plane like a hot knife through butter?

3) I felt that Lois didn't really pay that much attention towards Clark - I didn't expect her to slap him on the back and yell, "Hey! Buddy!", but it didn't even look like they'd ever worked together from the way she treated him.

4) As Superman flies KryptoLand towards the sun, why were larger concentrations of Krytonite pushing their way through towards him? Is it denser than the rest of the island? Are inertia and gravity responsible for that effect? I'd hate to think they were just growing out there to spite Superman...

5) Superman's costume is impervious to re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere and gunfire, but some guy in the ER with scissors can just cut it right off???

*Author's Note: This review is subject to the insane whims of my Muse. Will add more if and when she whaps me on the head.