A meaningful movie

After many days of not viewing any movies...


Of course the movie is packed with humour and all the laughable stuff, even right from the start, when Alex the little lion trapped a butterfly in his mouth - I thought that's cute and funny.

And here are some of the lines that I feel are really meaningful - yes, meaningful in real life.

1. "This is where we belong"
That's when the four animals saw the reserve and realized how much more attractive it was than the zoo in New York. Don't we all dream that one day, we'd be in a place where we would say everyday, without fail, "Home sweet home."?

2. "My son is back!"
When Alex's dad announced the return of his child/cub (now a grown-up cub). What joy can match that which we experience when a long lost loved one returns?

3. "I am gonna bring the house down"
Said by Alex, just one day before the rite of passage. The message: superb performance makes the audience awestruck.

4. "As your new leader..."
Said by Makunga, who wanted to take the role of alpha lion from Zuba. Doesn't this reflect the reality of this world? In every corner of the earth, there seems to be a conflict of power. Someone is warring against someone else. Someone with power being challenged by another who wants to take it away. Could it be a reflection of the clash between good and evil?

5. "Maybe you can wear a bell, or something?"
When Alex couldn't tell Marty apart from the other thousands of zebras. It sparks questions about individuality and identity, including why each of us has a sense of making our own mark in this world.

6. "Now who wants to go in the volcano to be eaten by the gods?"

That's when the water supply has dried up and a sacrifice is proposed. Melman the giraffe offered himself. I wonder, why do we humans value sacrificial love so much?

The meaning of Pirates 3

I realize that I'm not that much of a "movie person". That's why I remember very well the movies that I _do_ watch. And oh, I left out "to me" in the title above.

I watched Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End some 2 weeks ago. To start with, the title itself was a powerful one, prompting me about the real end of the world. The beginning of the show was a melancholic (and emotional) one, with the multitudes singing a sorrowful song.


But some of the themes raised by the movie - well, to be honest - touched me. It's a movie where there's no Maximus the Gladiator, or Achilles the nearly-invincible (they are all movies involving swords and melee combat though). 9 Pirate Lords, they say. No dictator. And Calypso wasn't a devastating storm in human form. The conflict, too, wasn't as straightforward as the Tristram Hero against Diablo. It's more...realistic, so to speak. In real life, it's basically (fundamentally) Good against Evil, but so many subsidiary (unnecessary?) conflicts arise. And the medieval setting is taken a step further with the guns (and wet powder), cannons and ships. I mean, all the other "swords war" movies prior to this were limited to the arsenal of a swordsman and an archer. Maybe next would be wizards and witches (if Harry Potter/LotR didn't depict it enough).


So much for the wonder of modern special effects. Back to the issue raised in the movie, I think one more significant theme is the separation between lovers. 1 day in 10 years! Man, I can almost relate to this movie (considering my romantic life)! Only different thing is that I'm not married yet, haha! Hey, even the marriage in the maelstrom was impressive to me. My friends say it was stale, so maybe it's just me being underexposed. Hmmm, and talking about "moral of the story", perhaps the scene suggests us not to be hesitant. Certain opportunities might come only once in a lifetime, and perfect timing might be essential.


Movies urge me to play RPG's. This one in particular made me thought of PKO/ToP (Pirate King Online/Tales of Pirates). I think it's the desire to "put" myself into a virtual character, making myself believe that I'm in a quest for fame. Take a look at it for a while. Jack wanted immortality so that he will never be wiped off from the face of the world. People attain high level in online games to have a certain degree of "immortality" (LoL, reminds me of the Immortal King set in Diablo 2). But is there immortality? I believe there is, but not in - and not of - this world. Because, well, the world will come to pass eventually.


It was overall a good movie. During the intense moments, with dramatic music in the background, my tear drops were crying to get out. I held them back, not wanting my buddies to see my eyes wet. I haven't watched the first two movies though, so - again - it could just be me lacking a standard to compare this movie with.