Yowazzup: A Directory of Happening Things

Pride and Glory is a movie that centered on a multi-generational family of New York City Police officers. The family’s moral codes are tested when Ray Tierney (Edward Norton), investigates a case that reveals an incendiary police corruption scandal involving his own brother-in-law (Colin Farrell).

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The Incredible Hulk is a 2008 movie by Marvel starring Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, William Hurt as her father General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross and Tim Roth as the villainous Emil Blonsky.

SPOILER WARNING: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The Incredible Hulk

The movie begins with flashback of Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) turning into the Hulk after infected by Gamma radiation during a lab experiment gone wrong. As a result, Banner becomes a fugitive and is seen hiding out in Brazil as he is pursued by the U.S. Army led by General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) who later on is joined by Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), an elite solider on the special forces team.

Banner is in Brazil not just to runaway from the U.S. Army but he aims to control his temper and is desperately finding a cure. Occassionally, Banner chats with Mr. Blue using a nickname, Mr. Green on finding a cure. Mr. Blue is later on revealed in the show as Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson). Banner even works in the bottling plant to survive but one small accident in the factory has led General Ross discovers his whereabouts. Before the discovery, Banner manages to hide out for at least five years without becoming the Hulk.

Banner is able to escape after turning into Hulk. After humiliated by the Hulk in Brazil, Blonsky volunteers to be a test subject of one of Ross’ tests with Banner’s superhuman experiments.

Banner manages to find his way back to New York City and reunites with his ex-girlfriend, Dr. Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) whose boyfriend, Dr. Samson (Ty Burrell) betrays Dr. Ross by informing General Ross of the location of Bruce Banner. This time, Blonsky, once again faces the Hulk one on one without realizing the Hulk is way too powerful. Although Blonsky has become slightly stronger and faster than ordinary human but he was no match for the Incredible Hulk. He almost dies after being smashed by the Hulk but fortunately, he’s able to cure himself due to the earlier experiment he has undertaken. During the shootout, General Ross almost has his daughter killed, but is saved by the Hulk who later escapes together with Dr. Ross.

The movie explores into romance but halts out of the blue with an intended pun that Banner can’t have sex with Dr. Ross as he will turn into the Hulk if he gets too excited. When Banner finally meets Mr. Blue who manages to cough out an antidocte for the Hulk, it wasn’t known whether it was the cure or just a temporarily solution. The U.S. Army manages to track down the location of the Hulk by intercepting the e-mail Banner sent to Mr. Blue a.k.a. Samuel Sterns. Bruce Banner is easily captured by the armies before Blonsky threatens to kill Sterns if he does not inject him and turns him into what the Hulk has become. Afraid of having his life taken, Sterns duly agrees and turns Blonsky into “Abomination”.

As the Abomination attacks the streets of New York City, Banner volunteers to jump down from the helicopter as he is the only one who can stop the Abomination. This leads us to a great fighting scenes which is certainly the biggest highlight of the movie. Though the Hulk has finally overcome Abomination, Dr. Ross’ sweet voice asking the Hulk to stop torturing Abomination puts an end to the battle and the Hulk just escapes into the darkness.

The last scene depicts General Ross keeps on reloading his Tequilla drink instead of his gun and Robert Downey Jr.’s cameo appearance as Tony Stark who asks the general whether he can team up with him to set up “The Avengers“, a movie scheduled for release in July 2011. Don’t stay back as there is no surprises after the credits. Besides Robert Downey Jr.’s cameo, Lou Ferrigno who plays the voice of the Hulk also has a cameo in the film — as a security guard who is bribed by Banner with a slice of pizza.

Overall, the movie is fine, slightly better than Ang Lee’s 2003 Hulk failure but is nowhere near Iron Man. Though The Incredible Hulk uses tonnes of CGI, there isn’t a clear scenes of Bruce Banner’s transformation into the Hulk. Director, Louis Leterrier, somehow manages to make the movie more watchable and nearly as exciting as Spider-man despite the fact the movie is less than two hours. Well, let’s just wait for The Avengers for now.

My ratings: 7 out of 10.

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Finally, The Incredible Hulk trailer is here. Starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler and Tim Roth, the movie opens on 13 June 2008 in the USA.

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The Illusionist, starring Edward Norton as Eisenheim, and Jessica Biel as Duchess Sophie von Teschen, is one of the most engrossing movies ever, even Rotten Tomatoes are giving it a high 76% rating!

Warning: Partial spoiler ahead!

The movie is about Eisenheim who falls in love with Sophie, a duchess well above his social standing. As a teenager, Eisenheim is the son of a carpenter. One day, he meets a traveling magician along a road. The magician performs several tricks for him and then, both the magician and the tree he was sitting under vanish. Eisenheim becomes obsessed with magic tricks after this and also falls in love with Sophie. Eisenheim tells of his plans to go to China to learn more magic and Sophie promises to go with him. On the day that they are going to leave, however, the police come looking for Sophie. The two hide in the secret room and Sophie begs Eisenheim to make them both disappear. However, he is unable to fulfill the request to make both of them disappear and the two are separated.

Eisenheim leaves his village to travel the world and perfect his magic after this. He returns a master illusionist, only to find that Sophie is expected to marry the ruthless Crown Prince Leopold (Sewell), who is well known for abusing his lady friends. After humiliating the crown prince during a private show, Eisenheim finds his hit performance shut out of Vienna. Eisenheim and Sophie, having recognized each other at a performance, meet privately and finally consume their love. Their romance begun anew, they plan to elope; but first, Sophie points out, something must be done to stop Leopold, who, she reveals, is planning a coup d’etat to take control of Austria from his aging father, the emperor, while using his engagement to her to win the support of Hungary. When Leopold finds out from Uhl, who was following the couple, he apparently kills Sophie in a drunken rage. Unfortunately, Leopold’s aristocratic social standing makes any accusations against him unthinkable. As Eisenheim plunges into despair and the citizens of Vienna begin to suspect Leopold of murder, Uhl begins to observe Eisenheim’s actions more closely.

Distressed with grief, Eisenheim prepares a new kind of magic show, using mysterious equipment and Chinese workers and performed the greatest illusion ever.

You have to watch the movie to truly enjoy the show. All in all, this movie has got many rave reviews and is worth watching. If you love magic, if you love illusion, if you love classical movie, if you love Vienna, even if you don’t love all these, you will truly love this movie.

If you haven’t watched this movie yet, watch the trailer below.

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