Saturday, December 1, 2012

Comic Review - Powerful in Pink (DC)


A couple of weeks ago I started an entry named Powerful in Pink, but I had only done it on Marvel Characters. As promised, here is the DC version.

You'd think that when creative teams created these characters, the color Pink would be the last color one would pick right? Well, if you do, then you need to think again!

Here is a selection of Marvel characters (we will do the DC guys another day) that sport the color Pink (or in some cases Purple, which is a close enough cousin of dear ol' Pink.).

We start with one who is a little more recognizable even for non-geeks. 
1 of Green Lantern's Arch Nemesis - Hal Jordan's former mentor and friend turned deadliest enemy - Sinestro



Next we turn to his lady love - Carol Ferris, who eventually would become another of his enemies - Star Sapphire.

The next deadly in pink villain is 1 of Superman's greatest enemies - the super intelligent alien Brainiac.
Another pink Superman villain - Parasite
 

The next 3 are from the Justice League's Rogues Gallery, the 1st two are alien (hence, their great taste in color) and not very friendly. The 3rd one is a piece of pink rock that possesses people!
First is Despero.
Kanjar Ro
Eclipso
Next is a character that needs no introduction. I personally think he's been over-used - just like Wolverine. Anyway, people can't seem to get enough of him - I guess in no small part thanks to Heath Ledger's award-winning portrayal in the Dark Knight  (2008). The Joker!
 
This yellow guy has taken on DC heavy-weights like Superman and GL. In fact, it was what he'd done to GL that caused Hal Jordan to be possessed by one of GL's greatest foes - the Fear Entity - Parallax!

Mongul
The next one is part of a group that calls itself the Brotherhood of Evil - Foes of the New Teen Titans. Many confuse him with the Batman foe Clayface but this guy is much pinker - Plasmus.
This guy (yeah, not only does he have bad taste in colors, he dresses like a girl too) is actually a lot deadlier than he looks. He's actually Darkseid's chief interrogator.

Now we move on to the good guys. I guess being good does not improve one's good taste!

Somewhat like the Avengers' wasp, the Huntress has quite a few costumes. Most of them are shown here.



Saturn Girl is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes (or LSH). These guys are supposed to be from the 31st century. I guess being more advanced doesn't improve one's taste in colors either ={

Friday, November 30, 2012

Movie Review - Act Of Valor

Movie Title
Act Of Valor
Year
2012
Genre
Action
Act of Valor depicts a fictionalized account of a team of real Navy SEAL operations. It stars a group of ACTUAL Navy SEALs in a film unlike any other of Hollywood's movies.

The Elite SEAL Team receives orders to go on a fairly simple mission. The mission was to recover a captive female CIA operative in Latin America whose cover was blown. In the course of the rescue mission, they discover a threat much larger and more terrifying than anyone would have initially thought.

The elite SEAL team must immediately split up and follow up this adrenaline-pumping secret operation that brings them all across the globe and eventually back to the good old US of A.

It also features villains so diabolical that they seem like they came out of a Bond movie.

Acting
Now, this is the best part. The movie has no one recognizable or from Hollywood as they are mainly ACTUAL Navy SEALs! Despite that, they actually exhibit some credible acting chops! No, they're not
going to win any acting awards but it doesn't cause a jarring viewing experience. In fact, it's very easy to get into the movie.
Overall
The pacing was great. Makes is very easy to watch and there's never a moment when the viewer may think "Hmm, what am I gonna have for dinner". Act of Valor combines stunning combat sequences, State-of-the-art SEAL field tech and heart-pumping action. It's that gripping! 

The action sequences were really something - realistic and very un-Hollywood! You have to watch it to understand what I mean. It's not glamorous and they look un-choreographed - hence very real.
The mix of action and spotlight on the various characters of the movie was pretty well balanced as well. It doesn't really have a main "Hero". However, to tuck at the audience's heart-strings, a character was given a little more background to let the audiences see the human side of these valiant warriors. He was shown that just as he was about to go off on his mission that he was about to become a brand new dad.

WATCH IT, and be pleasantly surprised by a bunch of Non-Actors! I know I will be watching it again soon.

Rating: 7.5/10

Food Review - Celestial Court (Sheraton Imperial)

Name
Celestial Court Chinese Restaurant
Food
Chinese Cuisine (Lunch & Dinner) & Dim Sum (Lunch only)
Location
Sheraton Imperial, KL


Getting there
Located on the 3rd floor inside the iconic Sheraton Imperial along Jalan Sultan Ismail (and across from the famous Asian Heritage Row for the hip and happening crowds) or a stone’s throw away from the Dang Wangi LRT Station.

Parking
There are lots of parking inside the hotel and outside the hotel for the club-goers


Ambience
It is a multiple award-winning fine dining restaurant, hence, the place exudes an air of elegance with professional & friendly staff members who would make your dining experience memorable.

Presentation
I must say that it has one of the best Chinese Food presentations I have ever come across (the other that comes to mind would be Zuan Yuan @ One World).

Taste
The taste is exquisite (except for the pan fried cod dish which we thought was a little too salty.However, they quickly replaced it with another one which was done just right!). Regardless whether you decide to go for the Dim Sum or Non Dim Sum items, it is evident that they take pride in their food preparation where they not only look good but tastegreat.

Variety
There are enough items on the menu ranging from Meat dishes, poultry, seafood to non-meat/vegetable dishes to keep diners coming back for more. They also have a separate section for Dim Sum where it is further sub-divided into Steamed or Fried varieties and sweets/desserts.


Value For Money
Now, the Non-dim sum items are a little pricey. A single item can range from RM35-55 and the portions are rather dainty (well, it is fine dining after all!). The dim sum however, are a different story altogether! Ranging from RM12-38 per item, they come in really huge portions. For instance, the Siew Mai/Har Gou are at least 35% larger per piece than what one would get in a typical dim sum place. So, for 2 persons, ordering 5-7 items would be more than enough! Yeah, they are that big!

Overall
This is a great place for some top notch Chinese Cuisine – especially if you want to bring your Muslim friends for a good Chinese dining experience. However, be prepared to be set back by quite a bit if you are going for the Non-Dim Sum items.