New Moon

The Twilight Saga continues with the second screenplay based on the novel sequel, New Moon. The movie and the book serve the same, a darker side of vampire-romance, which also focusing on a love triangle story. And we won't see Catherine Hardwicke back to direct the sequel, as Chris Weitz takes on the director seat.

The main story still revolve around the romance of the human, Isabella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and the vampire, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). It focus on Bella's concern about Edward's immortality, when she see herself in an elderly figure stood together with the ever young Edward in a dream. And when the Cullens family invite Bella to celebrate her 17th birthday, Bella cut her hand accidentally and thus awaken the vampire bloodlust sense of Jasper. Realising that this will be bad for Bella, Edward decides to leave Fork. In desperate situation, Bella found herself comfort spending time with Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), a member of the Quileute tribe and also an old childhood friend of Bella. And soon the situation gets more complicated when the nomadic vampires return, soon as they know the Cullens gone and Bella left unprotected. Another part of the story starts when Bella, together with Alice Cullens (Ashley Greene), chase Edward to Italy, where the Volturi, an ancient vampire coven, rules.

While we all saw that romance is the main genre of Twilight, Chris Weitz add more of the action element to New Moon. Fortunately, he managed to makes the action part smoothly and also makes the romance not cheesy. And yes, it's proven that indeed New Moon is an awaited sequel, by seeing that New Moon successfully set domestic box office records as the biggest midnight screening with $26.3 million. And also it's followed by biggest single day domestic gross with $72.7 million.

Astro Boy

"Have a blast", is the tagline of the remake of Osamu Tezuka's masterpiece, Tetsuwan Atomu (Mighty Atom) or better known as Astro Boy. The anime itself first broadcast in Japan in 1963. And the remake was directed by David Bowers who also directed Flushed Away and also involved in the making of Chicken Run.

The movie's main plot focusing on the birth of Astro Boy (Freddie Highmore), who was created by Dr. Tenma (Nicholas Cage) to replace his son, Toby, who killed in an accident. Astro Boy itself is programmed with all the memories recorded in Toby's DNA and powered by the blue core, a positive energy from a dead star, given by Dr. Elefun (Bill Nighy). And here afterwards the plot quiet simple, where Astro have to battle with his own identity and then fight with the big bad guy, President Stone (Donald Sutherland).

There's is nothing to special about the movie, but it sure hits the main movie target demographic with it's visual effect. Of course many kids will enjoy and love the climatic scene when Astro has to battle a giant robot. But maybe for you who miss the old day watching Astro Boy in the 60's or 70's, this movie will remind you of your old memories.

And don't forget to mention there's a lot of star filled up the cast, such as Nicholas Cage, Charlize Theron (yeah, "Our Friends" Narrator is Charlize Theron) and also Samuel L. Jackson. Final words, it still a good choice for taking your kid to watch this.