I Like To Move It

Confession time. I caught movie,Madagascar2 yesterday. In my opinion, DreamWorks Animation seized an opportunity to add another triumphant follow-up to a previous hit. By that, I mean the success of the commercial animated film is best measured against two yardsticks:

Does it deliver for the target audience of kids and is there enough to keep the parents' attention?

For Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, the answer for both of these questions is affirmative. For their first animated sequel, DreamWorks didn't alter the formula that made the first one successful. Humor wise, it did not disappoint me especially the resourceful penguins crew and resolute Mort the Squirrel lemur to go on a holiday with king Julien! I still couldn't contain my laughter when I recalled the pilot's announcement about the imminent plane crash following the good news (immediate landing) to the passengers:) Haha...

Sure, the plot is rather thin. What's holding the sequel together is the fact that we, the audience, see Alex's heartwarming reunion with his folks after his accidental "adoption" by the zoo in New York. More importantly, he has demonstrated to the herd and the rest of the animals that he is as good as his father (despite not a natural fighter like his dad) by risking his life to bring back the water to his kingdom. As a whole, this is a film that will thrill kids while not boring parents. Do you agree?

You Are My Sunshine

Ring ring. Whose calling, please? "It's me, little nice Eunice! I love to eat ice cream. Notice "ice" in three words - nice, Eunice and ice-cream", shouted my five years old niece:)

Albeit annoying to receive calls from little children at work, I must say it did perk me up on a bluesy Monday. So what do you do to keep your spirits up on the first day of the week?

That’s enough for now.

Get Over It

Get over it. Sounds familiar? One may say there are hundred ways of forgetting the heartbreaking moments in life and moving on. If I am feeling unhappy, I will adopt one of the following ways to get over it:

1) Scream to your heart's content
2) Play with little children
3) Isolate and think for the next best step
4) Write a blog
5) Cook as the way to a man's heart is food:)
6) Sing
7) Talk to friends
8) Travel to a new place
9) Engage in sports
10) Have a hearty laugh

Fireflies (Part 2)

Indeed, the cruelty of war has bereaved them of their home and their parents! Hence, one can't help being moved by the unwavering love and care from Nii-Chan to his sister in such annihilated environment. Take for instance, the scene when the brother is caught red-handed by the farmer for pilferage. He always does his best to fend for his sister - cooking and washing the younger sibling, even stealing crops (to the extent of risking his life to ransack neighbours' houses for valuables during air raids) when money runs dry!

Finally, poverty coupled with poor housing conditions take the toll on the siblings' and the movie folded on a melancholic note... Like the short-lived fireflies, the orphans' sorrowful plight in the movie are symbolized as:

- The children themselves who die young
- Real fireflies (who die and are buried by Setsuko)
- Young Setsuko observes that a passing plane resembles a firefly
- Interminable bombs which emit light as fireflies

Truthfully, I couldn't quite hold back my tears when I was following the story. It is one of those movies that will hit you at the bottom of your heart and for a long time...

Fireflies (Part 1)

Caught a tear-jerking movie - Grave of the Fireflies over the weekend. Made in 1988, the animated film is written and directed by Isao Takahata. According to Wikipedia, it is an adaptation of the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by Akiyuki Nosaka.

The writer has lost his sister due to malnutrition in 1945 wartime Japan. As he held himself responsible for her death, he penned the story with the intention of offering a personal apology to sister and aid him to accept the tragedy.

The gist of the story tells the touching relationship between the two orphaned siblings, Nii-Chan and his younger sister in the end of World War II in Kobe. The children have lost both parents in the war - their mother in the air raid, and their father in service to the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Consequently, they seek refuge at their distant relative, but are forced to survive on their own when they are ill-treated by their very aunt. In my opinion, the indifference of the extended family members, among others, is one of the breaking points that leads them to their demise in the midst of widespread famine and poverty.

For an "excerpt" of the film, please click:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88jF99ikO-8