The Adventure Begins...

So it has finally begun… The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey –The first instalment of Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien’s original fantasy book. Almost ten years after Return of the King (yes, it has been that long), and years of development nightmares, it does feel good to be brought back to the beloved world of Middle Earth.

The story centers on hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), whom we remember from The Lord of the Rings is Frodo’s uncle.



And instead of a ‘Fellowship of the Ring’, joining him we have Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen, brilliantly reprising his role) and a band of 13 dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), who wish to reclaim their homeland, taken from them by the mighty dragon Smaug, who has a peculiar love for gold and treasure.

Being based on the earlier book gives the movie a different feel than The Lord of the Rings, but every bit as interesting. The shorter story spread over three films allows Jackson to flesh out plenty of detail, many of which fans will have a ball of a time spotting. However some may find this slower pace slightly sluggish with a lack of urgency. It may also take some time warming up to new characters (the dwarves mostly look the same at first, but you'll be able to distinguish some as the story goes) but there are plenty of familiar faces making appearances.



Andy Serkis is excellent playing Smeagol once more, and with technology much improved now, he is chillingly hyper-realistic.



The film may lack some of the grandeur of the Rings Trilogy but it amazes in many other ways – flashy battles, gorgeous scenery and more of the humor the saga has been known for.



And if you enjoyed the manner in which characters spoke in the Rings Trilogy (Thorin Oakenshield, Son of Thrain, Son of Thror…), you’ll be delighted to know that plenty of it has been lifted word-for-word from the book itself.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey warrants repeated viewing and most definitely a watch in spell bounding 3D. Bring on The Desolation Of Smaug!

4 Stars out of 5

Simply SCANDALicious!

It was a rainy and traffic jam-packed Saturday in Kuala Lumpur but nothing was going to stop hordes of fans from catching popular Japanese pop-rock group SCANDAL’s inaugural concert in Malaysia. Japanese bands seldom make it to this part of the globe, so it was a real treat to welcome the SCANDALous outfit consisting lead vocalist Ono Haruna, bassist Ogawa Tomomi, lead guitarist Sasazaki Mami and drummer Suzuki Rina.



Held at KL Live, the 'SCANDAL Special: LIVE in Malaysia 2012’ concert was in line with the 30th Anniversary of the Look East Policy between Japan and Malaysia. As a huge fan myself, it was indeed a wonderful opportunity to have the opportunity to cover the concert thanks to my friends at Rentak Sejuta.

Excited fans came from all corners of Malaysia, and even those hailing all the way from Japan! Many lined up outside from as early as morning in hopes of snatching up sweet spots in the free-standing hall. "At long last, the queens are here!," one delighted fan exclaimed.



After a brief opening act by our very own talented Haoto, it was finally time for the main event. Armed with a battalion of multi-colored glowsticks, the fans started cheering even when the crew did a sound check with what was clearly Haruna’s glittery skull-adorned guitar.

Many, like fans from international fan forum SCANDAL HEAVEN, came with large message-scribbled banners, while some hardcore Japanese supporters were equipped with official towels and wristbands, all hoping to gain the attention of their favourite SCANDAL members.

Needless to say, the crowd went wild as the fabulous four took over the stage and fired it up with hard-hitting Rock'n Roll.  



The girls then followed-up with fan-favourite hit Shunkan Sentimental, which saw the crowd singing along enthusiastically to every word.



Fans cheered even louder  the moment they heard the opening riffs to Queens are trumps,  the title track of the band's latest album. 

After a brief break, the girls went on to play Shōujo S, made popular by the anime Bleach. They continued with the enthusiastic Rising Star and slightly slower, emotional Bitter Chocolate, in which Tomomi took the lead.



Half of their hard-rocking song list consisted of newer tracks from Queens are trumps. Fans were supportive, chanting during the fast tracks, waving glowsticks in synchrony and singing along to almost every song.

Mami then took over on vocals with the much-loved Koe, much to the delight of the crowd.



Renowned for their 'most powerful Japanese girl band' status, SCANDAL certainly did not disappoint. The band rocked one number after another with much ease and worked the crowd with seemingly never-ending energy (often head-banging too!).



And best of all, they sounded way, way better performing live than on CD!

The girls seemed to be enjoying it as much as the fans, as seen from joyful faces and laughter throughout the concert. Rina was totally absorbing the fun banging on the drums while Mami was strumming in full concentration throughout the show.




Haruna, being the superstar she was, dominated the stage with her powerful vocals and sizzling charm while fun-loving Tomomi would have probably bounced off the stage if she jumped any more than she did. 

In a surprise move, SCANDAL then performed Happy Collector, their brand-new single featured in the upcoming movie Kyo Koi wo Hajimemasu. The band also sang the energy-filled Taiyo Scandalous, which resulted in the crowd jumping around in unison.



In another short break, the band addressed the crowd in a mix of English and Japanese. The girls expressed that they never expected so many people to turn up and were very appreciative of the support given. The fans went wild when they uttered "Terima Kasih" to the audience.

SCANDAL then continued with HARUKAZE – another Bleach theme – with plenty of energy, much to the delight of fans.





SCANDAL has made quite a name for themselves in recent times after their music were picked as theme songs for animes like Bleach and Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood.

They then blazed away with up-tempo beat LOVE SURVIVE and fan-favourite SCANDAL BABY, before waving goodbye to the hall full of screaming supporters. The fans of course thirsted for more, chanting, "encore! encore!", with many even using Japanese pronunciation for added effect. 

Not too long later the SCANDALicious four returned and the crowd roared back to life, bringing decibel levels to new heights.



The band went on to perform their new track Satisfaction, which is used in current promotions for Windows 8 in Japan. 



To give their concert a perfect finale, SCANDAL performed one of their earliest, and most loved hits, DOLL, much to the approval of ecstatic screaming fans, who joyfully sang along.




Haruna encouraged the crowd to sing along and even pointed the microphone to them. Tomomi on the other hand was the queen of fan-service, blowing kisses to the audience and gaining tons of screaming. The band then welcomed Rina to the front of the stage – to much applause – as she was hidden behind her drum set throughout the night.



Mami also made hearts stop when she decided to suddenly throw her guitar pick into the audience.

The girls ended what was quite a memorable night with the exact words every fan wants to hear: “We love you all! We will come back soon! Please wait for us!”

Aris Tee
- Photos taken via Nikon D5000 
© 2012 raptorclans @ Aris Tee Raptorgraphy

Katy Perry - A Part of Me

3D concerts are quite the trend these days and it's not difficult to see why. Advancements in three-dimensional technology meant that watching one would be akin to catching a larger-than-live performance and the availability of fans almost ensures the producers a certain amount of success. We've had stars like Michael Jackson, Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber grace the 3D stage, but I'm sure many agree these films are either a hit or miss affair, with most attempting to cash in on an artiste's popularity.

Which brings us to the part-biopic, part concert movie Katy Perry - A Part of Me. Katy Perry is no stranger to most of us, and the film follows her year-long world tour and also gives us an insight into her early years as well as journey as an artiste. While it's admittedly pretty hard to drag a non-fan to the movie, it is however worth noting that how well-made this 3D flick is.

Filmed from a best buddy-ish perspective, it feels personal and you will find yourself really close to Katy. The hardships and false-starts that Katy had to endure before achieving success with her breakaway hit "I Kissed a Girl" are well-documented, as well as all her lovable goofiness. It is clear she wasn't an overnight success. And due to the fact that filmmakers followed her tour for an entire year, her recent split with Russell Brand is also documented. It does however, stay neutral and serves as a clear example why some celebrity relationships don't work out.

On the musical part, it is everything you might come to expect from a Katy Perry concert. It's colorful, wild and funky. Her songs are naturally great to listen to, and combined with excellent editing, you could see what inspired her to write such songs. Some songs even add to the feel of a segment, like how her world crumbled when her marriage broke apart. A very prominent scene was where she was so crushed she didn't want to go on-stage for her performance until the absolute last minute.

Overall Katy Perry - A Part of Me is quite a noteworthy addition to the 3D concert genre. It blends a biopic and concert so seamlessly, yet it even has the feel of actually being with Katy the whole time. It would be really nice to see more 3D concert flicks done this well. So go ahead and catch this movie, believe me you'll have newfound respect for Katy after watching it.

4.5 Stars out of 5

Spidey, Re-made

Reboots can either be exciting or bring us a face-palm, and most frequently, the latter. While there are exceptions to this, more often than not we see numerous franchises or even classic films remade, only to have us feel like throwing popcorn tubs (and our drinks) at the movie screen.

Which brings us to the reboot of the Spider-Man on the silver screen, The Amazing Spider-Man, despite the movie franchise being only a mere ten years of age. Unnecessary perhaps, but was it any good? Definitely.

With strong performances from the cast, director Mark Webb brings more depth to the characters, which are more believable and relatable this time around. Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker blows Toby Maguire’s out of the water.



His portrayal of an angst-ridden and often humorous young superhero is more faithful to the Marvel comics, and he certainly has excellent chemistry with lovely co-star Emma Stone, who plays Spidey’s original love interest Gwen Stacy.



This time it’s more about the man, rather than the spider. In fact, it takes almost a full hour before Peter dons the iconic red and blue suit.

The special effects have also been given a good three-dimensional boost and I must say it was truly enjoyable catching this on IMAX 3D. The action sequences are relentless and it is undoubtedly satisfying finally seeing The Lizard on the big screen. The only complaint perhaps is that he has little resemblance to his comic self.



However all’s forgiven, thanks to Rhys Ifans’ likeable performance of his alter ego, Curt Connors.

So folks, the Spider-Man franchise is alive and well. I guess reboots do surprise us sometimes.

4 out of 5 Stars