G.I. Joe 2: Byung-Hun Lee Makes Storm Shadow Hot!

Yep, I'm a girl, but growing up, I preferred watching action-packed boy's cartoons than My Little Pony or Rainbow Brite any given day.

So, I could hardly contain my excitement when I first found out that there was going to be a G.I. Joe movie. While there were girls like Scarlett and Lady Jaye in the series, I found myself more fascinated with the male characters and their storylines, and two of my favorites were Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes. I liked the fact  that, unlike the other Joes and Cobra operatives, with their fast-talking mouths and bravado, these two had the Asian characteristics of being respectful and disciplined.   

Any G.I. Joe cartoon fan will definitely count Storm Shadow as one of the coolest characters in the show. His deadly ninja skills are awesome, and he puts these to good use as a Cobra operative. While there was never any big scenes between him and his Joe ninja counterpart Snake Eyes, he was constantly pitted against Quick Kick, who displayed another discipline of the Asian martial arts, more like Bruce Lee's Kung Fu. And for you Westerners out there, here's a special note: They are not the same thing.  

Anyway, flash forward to the movie franchise, where Korean actor Byung-Hun Lee portrays Storm Shadow, and the role fits him to a T.

While one would assume that a Japanese actor would be best to portray a ninja, I had no qualms about it, and there is no doubt that this guy is HOT! Need proof? Here you go:

Intense, huh? Before going on to Hollywood, Lee's actually made a name for himself in Korea, with top-rated TV shows and box-office movies in diverse roles ranging from villain to good guy who falls in love with the girl-next-door. He's actually one of the first Koreans to put his hand and foot prints on the forecourt of Grauman's Theater in LA.

He reprises his Storm Shadow role in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, which I and the rest of the Joe fandom are really excited about.  He gives a sneak peek in the development of his character in the movie franchise:


“If I had just a lot of sword fights and kicks in the first movie, this time my character is seen more up close. It has a dramatic aspect that shows his history, inner conflicts."        

G.I. Joe: Retaliation is showing March 2013 in Philippine theaters, released and distributed by United International Pictures, through Solar Entertainment Corp. 

Stand Up Guys: A Cool Mobster Mash

  Are you talking to them?

 

Mafioso movie fanatics will definitely enjoy this epic gathering of  three of screendom's most memorable mobsters: Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and Alan Arkin topbill Stand Up Guys, a comedy about three aging tough guys who are trying to relive their glory days as hoodlums in suits.

After all the reminiscing and hi-jinks the group gets into, the twist is that one of them is keeping a secret that threatens to explode if they don't get on top of the situation. Of course, the trio gets to resolve the crisis with their street-smarts and wisecracks. Trying to beat a bunch of gangsters in their own game? Fuhgettaboudit! Shootouts are, like, their thing, and the bonus is that they look good doing it too.

Reunion movies seem to be the thing these days, with big name stars collaborating on action-packed flicks. Stand Up Guys has the formula down pat, complete with mobspeak and action scenes to show that these guys can really walk the talk. 

The movie comes to Philippine theaters soon, and is released by Crystalsky Multimedia.

Scary "Mama"

Oh, moms can be scary all right... forget to do your homework, and she'll scream your full name, like: "Rachelle Annamarie Silverio Ramirez! Get your butt over here!"  She  can scowl and howl until you get your grades up in the next semester. Oh, and buying your first brassiere with your mom? That will leave you cringing in fear, because she tells EVERYBODY in the whole wide world where you are going and what you are about to do.

But the matriarchal figure in the new Mama movie has got nothing on your own mom. The plot starts with two little girls found abandoned in the woods. They were adopted by their father's brother who tries to give them the most normal life as possible. But normal may be farthest from the truth, because the freakiest things start happening in the household. The mere whisper from the girls' lips of the word "Mama" is enough to send chills down your spine, and practically guarantees a seat-of-the-pants ride.

The cast has star power -- Games of Thrones actor Nickolaj Coster-Waldau and Zero Dark Thirty best actress Jessica Chastain play the couple tasked with rearing the kids towards a happy childhood, away from the horrors they had to endure out on their own. Were they really alone, though? Watch the creep-out fest as soon as it shows to find out!

The movie is presented by filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, based on a short flick by Andres Muschietti -- that is enough to get you to hold your breath until Mama shows nationwide on February 6. The thriller is released and distributed by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment.