more summer movies

r and i saw the dark knight over the weekend. awesome. we were still thinking about the movie the next day and want to see it on imax now. the acting, particularly heath ledger, was phenomenal. just the title itself, the dark knight/night, so apt to the theme. there was a slight mention of terrorism, but it was pretty soft-handed considering how much it has been used in movies in the past few years. but then, r and i discussed that the word "villain" has been replaced by "terrorist" just because of the times. also, i felt a sense of warmth when hong kong entered the picture as a location. i even found it fitting that the mob's accountant spoke mandarin instead of cantonese, the dominant chinese language in hong kong, because of the way the city has changed and the rising power of mainland china. college kids would surely be writing papers on this movie in their film classes.

we had seen hellboy 2 earlier in the season and had a lot of fun, consistent with the first hellboy. the ending was a little weak, but the new characters introduced were incredible in terms of the imagination that brought it to life.

lastly, f and i saw mamma mia but without r, which actually turned out to be a good move. it was totally a girl's flick. the story was a little ridiculous and predictable, and i bet the musical in the theatre setting is better just because it creates more distance between the audience and the character, thereby allowing the sudden burst into songs more acceptable. but i found myself amazed with meryl streep and mouthing along with the abba songs. abba = happy.

i can't think of any other movie i must see at the moment, but we're eager for the curious case of benjamin button to hit the theatres. r had worked on it and was very proud to have been a part of it.

this year might just be the year when the cinema looks worthy again.