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YeinJee's Asian blog

Asian Culture, Lifestyle and Entertainment

Aidan Gillen

King Arthur movie trailer

July 31, 2016 by Yein Jee

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is an epic fantasy action adventure film. Inspired by the British Arthurian legends, directed by Guy Ritchie, and stars Charlie Hunnam, Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, Djimon Hounsou, Aidan Gillen, Jude Law and Eric Bana. In cinemas next year, check out the early trailer…

If you don’t know much about the legend, please proceed to wiki for a long read if interested. In short, this movie follows the young Arthur who fights against his evil uncle and claims his rightful throne; and he does that with the help of a mage, some warriors, and the legendary Excalibur sword.

Historians are still debating whether King Arthur is real or just a myth. There are many folklore about the legend (and his knights), and some are pretty wild with mages and dragons. It’s widely agreed though, that it’s set in medieval Britain around the 5-6th century, and this film is way off in that sense…

It’s fine to have some modernised ideas in an old-age setting, but they shouldn’t overdo it. The filmmakers obviously want the movie to be in a medieval theme, but for some reasons think that it’s smart to rewrite the cultural stuff just because they can. Creativity or whatever, it’s not my cup of tea.

Besides, many people who are interested in Arthurian legends are fond with the medieval background. Marketing wise it’s a bad idea to discard those aspects in the movie, which looks more like Game of Thrones or some video games instead. Good luck if they think that it’s a good idea.

The trailer is interesting from neutral point of view though. I’ll never forgive the fashion and those dashing hairs among other things. But the visual effects are decent, and I like the song – The Devil and The Huntsman by Sam Lee and Daniel Pemberton – in later part of the video.

Review and updates – we won’t be seeing Merlin

The film is above average despite the issues I’ve mentioned above. They did spoil many medieval stuff, but if we can see beyond that… the action and visual effects are decent, and the soundtrack is amazing. Jude Law is awesome too, but I have mixed feelings about the rest of the cast.

The plot is a bit weak though. It’s fine at first but becomes stale after Arthur’s rescue. The movie is also too long (over two hours) for a sub-par script. There are boring moments which could be cut off without affecting the whole story. But overall it’s still an entertaining film in my opinion.

David Beckham in King Arthur Legend of the Sword movie

On lighter note, it’s a pleasant surprise to see David Beckham in a cameo role. The timing (and his acting) is awkward though, it took away the focus from the scene – when Arthur pulls the sword from the rock – which should have been epic but appears comical instead.

I’m also disappointed with the lack of notable female characters besides the mage. Most women are servants and prostitutes in the movie. Don’t tell me that’s factual in those days, the producers threw away the historical aspects at the first place. This issue doesn’t hurt the film though.

Regardless, they have cancelled future sequels – originally planned to be a six-film franchise – because of poor box office result. Perhaps the legend is not that big a selling point to begin with. Or perhaps the Arthurian fans (and general publuc) are not that fond of the medieval-modern fusion.

Sad thing is we won’t be seeing a big budget movie for Merlin and some others. It’s a pity because there are better stories beside King Arthur despite him being the centre of the legends. But I’m also glad at the same time because I don’t want this group of filmmakers to touch the legends any further.

Filed Under: Entertainment Tagged With: Action movies, Aidan Gillen, American movies, Astrid Berges Frisbey, British movies, British showbiz, Djimon Hounsou, Epic movies, Fantasy movies, Guy Ritchie, Jude Law, Village Roadshow, Warner Bros

Game of Thrones beginner’s guide

July 14, 2016 by Yein Jee

An uncensored recap of popular American TV series Game of Thrones, narrated by Samuel L Jackson. Fans need little intro about the HBO fantasy drama series that’s making waves across the globe. This video is a nice guide for people like me who are not familiar with the show instead…

I’ve known about the TV phenomenon for a while but I don’t have free access to watch it in Malaysia, and I’m not fond of illegal downloads and stuff. I’ve watched a few episodes while in Korea though, and it’s pretty awesome despite the limited exposure. I can understand why it’s so popular worldwide.

Well, perhaps I will pay and binge watch this after the end of the show. I don’t have much patience waiting between seasons these days, and I’m fine with missing the buzz and catching up later.

Filed Under: Entertainment Tagged With: Aidan Gillen, American pop culture, American showbiz, American TV shows, Charles Dance, David Benioff, Emilia Clarke, Global pop culture, Jason Momoa, Jonathan Pryce, Liam Cunningham, Samuel L Jackson

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials movie trailer

May 23, 2015 by Yein Jee

Trailer for Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, an American dystopian action movie based on James Dashner’s novel series. Directed by Wes Ball, and stars Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Giancarlo Esposito, Aidan Gillen, Ki Hong Lee, Barry Pepper, Lili Taylor and Patricia Clarkson.

The Scorch Trials is the second instalment in the Maze Runner film trilogy. I didn’t pay much attention when the first movie rolled out last year. Watched it on TV by chance and it’s surprisingly fun. It also stars Korean American actor Ki Hong Lee – it’s always good to see a new Asian face in Hollywood.

The first film follows a group of teenagers who try to find their way out of a labyrinth guarded by monsters while also establishing a functional society in a safe area at the same time.

The Scorch Trials takes place immediately after the ending of the first film (it was a cliffhanger). The survivors were rescued by an organisation called the WCKD which has a hidden agenda. And the folks still have to run a lot but in the desert and city ruins instead.

Don’t want to judge too early but I wonder if the new one will be as fun without the “real” maze. From the trailer seems like it’s turning into a generic action movie. Not necessary bad but it may have lost an important element from the first film. And no zombie please, that will be a real bummer.

Update – It’s a disappointment. The original Maze Runner is far better, and even without comparison The Scorch Trial is still a below average movie. The action is decent but the plot is really poor, and there’s not much suspense unlike the original. Don’t think I’ll follow up on the next instalment.

Filed Under: Entertainment Tagged With: 20th Century, Action movies, Aidan Gillen, American movies, American showbiz, Ki Hong Lee, Scifi movies, TSG Entertainment

Ambition – Rosetta Mission short film

November 1, 2014 by Yein Jee

Ambition is a short film to promote the Rosetta mission by the European Space Agency (ESA). Directed by Tomek Bagiński, filmed in Iceland, and stars Aidan Gillen and Aisling Franciosi.

Rosetta is a space probe launched in March 2004 for a detailed study of Comet 67P. It reached its destination last August. According to ESA, it will be the first mission in history to rendezvous with a comet, escort it as it orbits the Sun, and deploy a lander to its surface.

You can learn more about Rosetta on its official website here or read a bit on wiki instead. Set aside the mission, it’s a pretty nice video on its own – it encourages people to learn, explore, and be brave.

Update – The spacecraft ended its mission by hard-landing on the comet in September 2016. Not sure if it has collected any useful data about the comet, but it has achieved many “first” in space exploration besides the few mentioned above. Seems like a successful mission overall.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Aidan Gillen, European movies, Iceland, Space Exploration

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Yein Jee is a Malaysian traveller, food lover & self proclaimed entrepreneur. This blog is about Asian culture, lifestyle, travel, food, fun and entertainment ... Read More...

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