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Movie Review: Iron Man 3 (2013) (3D)

April 29, 2013 in Best Of, Movie Reviews, Reviews

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The first Iron Man was an instant classic and one of the best superhero movies of all time. The sequel, Iron Man 2, bombed because it thought it could just take the successful template of the first film and make it bigger and louder (like what Michael Bay did for the Transformers franchise). So it’s great to see that the producers learned their lesson and turned Iron Man 3 into a home run. It’s everything fans could have asked for in a third installment – sufficient familiarity but also enough creativity and innovation to make it a completely different experience.

Iron Man 3 takes place after the events depicted in The Avengers (for those living under a rock, that’s the one with Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the Hulk) and has Iron Man’s alter ego, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr), battling demons from that bizarre alien experience. Mysterious terrorist attacks are happening in the US thanks to the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), a new villain who may or may not be linked to someone from Stark’s past.

It seemed like a cookie-cutter premise from the start, and indeed, Iron Man 3 does take a little bit of time to take off. But once it does, director Shane Black (who also directed Downey Jr in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) takes the audience on a brand new adventure that has plenty of surprises and fresh thrills.

For starters, Iron Man is forced this time to spend a lot of screen time out of his suit, or in only parts of his suit, and must rely on his wit to get him out of dangerous situations. There are also several clever new inventions and ideas that show that the evolution of Iron Man is not just different looking suits, but actual functional improvements.

It’s also fantastic to see Gwyneth Paltrow, who has essentially played the damsel in distress in the first two films as love interest Pepper Pots, get to do some heavy lifting for once. Also taking on a physical, but different kind of role, was Don Cheadle, who provides the biggest laughs as sidekick War Machine, rebranded as the Iron Patriot. Unfortunately, every time I saw Cheadle’s face I was reminded of his dark turn as Captain Planet. Not his fault though.

Rounding out the stellar core cast are three excellent actors – the aforementioned Ben Kinsley, in a role I could imagine few others pulling off; Guy Pearce, also in a role few others could pull off (he plays a total freak geek who turns into a handsome devil; the last three films I saw him in were Lawless, where he plays a menacing eyebrow-less menace; Prometheus, where he plays a shriveled old man; and Lockout, where he plays a suave ex-con-turned-buffed-hero); and Rebecca Hall, in a role many others probably could have played (resurfaced ex-lover) but she excels here because she is so damn lovely.

The action in Iron Man 3 is also different and varied, so you don’t have to worry about seeing the same kind of sequences over and over. I can’t say much more without giving stuff away, but as usual, I urge those who want to see it to stay away from the trailers and gossipers because it will be a real shame to have some of the twists spoiled.

This is not a complaint, but I found it strange that after all that press about the film being co-produced by a Chinese company and that it will contain “Chinese elements”, there ended up being virtually no Chinese references. No scenes set in China. Maybe a Chinese actor in a cameo (can’t remember), but that’s it. Perhaps the “special” version released for Chinese audiences with bonus footage has something arbitrary thrown in for the sake of it.

Anyway, considering how difficult it is to inject freshness into a highly successful franchise, Iron Man 3 really is a very impressive effort all round.

4.25 out of 5

PS: Yes, there is a post-credits scene, though there is no reference to any of the other upcoming Marvel adaptations such as Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

PPS: I really didn’t want to see this film in 3D, but difficulties in acquiring a non-3D ticket on opening weekend forced me to fork out the extra dollars for the discomfort and added vision-obscuring tint. If I haven’t made myself clear, AVOID the 3D version at all costs! It adds absolutely nothing.

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Kyo Kinana: sublime Japanese ice cream desserts (Kyoto)

April 29, 2013 in Food, Japan, Reviews, Travel

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Look for Kyo Kinana — because it’s worth it!

Kyoto is known for its green tea and desserts, and most people who go there tend to visit Tsujiri, which is an awesome place but not that special any more because franchises have spread to overseas locations such as Taiwan. So on my most recent visit to Kyoto in March we decided to check out Kyo Kinana, a heavenly ice cream dessert shop tucked away in one of the alleys in the Gion district.

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The counter and waiting area on level 1

The shop looks really inconspicuous but is probably not hard to find especially when the queues often extend out into the street. We were really lucky to only have two groups ahead of us on a weekday afternoon, as by the time we finished there were about six groups queuing up in the level 1 waiting area.

The seating area is on level 2. We quickly ordered two desserts. The first is the Berry Berry Parfait (1050 yen), which has yogurt, raspberries and blueberries along with ice cream flavours such as green tea and black sesame. The second is just a plain ice cream trio of three flavours. Both come with quality free hot tea.

Check it out.

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Berry Berry Parfait

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Three flavours of ice cream: black sugar syrup, soybean and green tea!

I am no ice cream expert, but the ice cream at Kyo Kinana are some of the best I’ve had. There’s more cream than ice, giving it a wonderful texture, and the flavours are sweet and thick, but not overpowering. The ingredients are fresh (and apparently hand-picked by the picky owner) and the ice cream is made fresh, usually on the day. What’s there not to like?

If you’re in Kyoto and walking around in Gion, Kyo Kinana is one place I would definitely recommend for a short break.

Note: downstairs there are tubs of ice cream you can purchase for takeaway (350 yen each), but of course it’s preferable to sit down and eat in the shop if you can. There are also other takeaway items such as cookies, jam and tea.

Details

Kyo Kinana

Japanese website: http://www.kyo-kinana.com/index.htm

Address: 570-119 Minamigawa Gionmachi, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City, 605-0074

Map (Japanese): http://www.kyo-kinana.com/gionkinana/access.htm

Phone: 075 525 8300

Hours: 11:00-19:00

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Movie Review: GI Joe: Retaliation (2013)

April 28, 2013 in Movie Reviews, Reviews

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I have pretty much erased 2009′s GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra from my memory. I vaguely recall Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Channing Tatum and Sienna Miller, a couple of ninjas and some crazy hi-tech machinery, but that’s about it.

The sequel, GI Joe: Retaliation, is probably better than its predecessor, but chances are I also won’t remember much of it in a couple of years. It’s a typical popcorn movie with lots of fight scenes and explosions and corny jokes, but for the most part I found it fun while it lasted. 

It makes no difference if you haven’t seen the first film. The GI Joes are some special American soldiers who do the heavy lifting for the US government. Channing Tatum is back as Duke, and this time he has brought along his buddy The Rock, who plays his second in command. Just about everyone else is gone, except for the white and black ninjas (Lee Byung-hun and Ray Park — better known as Darth Maul) and Jonathan Pryce, who plays the US president. Joseph Gordon-Levitt had better things to do but his character, Cobra Commander, returned behind a convenient mask.

The big new addition to the franchise is Bruce Willis, who appears to be going through a Nicholas Cage phase (ie, “I’ll do whatever you pay me to do”). John McClane is just everywhere these days. Here he plays Joe, apparently the original GI, which makes perfect sense given that Demi Moore once played GI Jane.

The story is not important. All you need to know is that the bad guys (Cobra) want to retaliate, and then the GI Joes want to retaliate against the retaliation. There is a big surprise for those who don’t already know it near the beginning, but apart from that the rest of the film sails on predictably.

The highlight of the ensemble cast is Lee Byung-hun, who gets to show off his impressive physique and sword skills as the white ninja. The scenes between him and Ray Park, especially with all the ninjas flying around on the mountains, are clearly the highlight of the film. To be honest I found the other action sequences involving loads and loads of massive guns and tanks to be rather “meh.” I guess I need to be a gun nut (or American, or both) to appreciate it.

The rest of the cast is adequate, save for some sub-par acting by Channing Tatum (even for him). Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been taking too much steroids lately and he looks like he could explode with one more injection. I don’t get the obsession, but other people clearly do and he is cashing in on it. Adrianne Palicki (Red Dawn) provides the eye candy and girl power as the token female GI, and her male counterpart is DJ Cotrona (no idea where he came from).

What impressed me most about the movie was its nonchalant attitude towards violence and global nuclear destruction. There’s a lot of over-the-top carnage, dialogue and silliness but director Jon M Chu takes it in stride and delivers it in a tongue-in-cheek style. I wouldn’t have expected anything less from the man who directed Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. There is one scene involving the world’s nuclear powers that is just a complete farce, but because Chu just wings it the scene becomes oddly enjoyable. Never mind that a major foreign city is completely obliterated (it’s not American, so who cares, right?).

3.25 stars out of 5

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Ippudo ramen: Japan vs Hong Kong vs Taiwan

April 28, 2013 in Food, Hong Kong, Japan, Reviews, Taiwan, Travel

In 2002, I bought a guide book on all the best ramen restaurants in Kyoto and went about sampling them, one by one. There were two, in the end, that stood above the rest, and one of them was the legendary Ippudo (known in some parts as Hakata Ippudo). At the time, the ramen chain was exclusive to Japan, but has since expanded to New York, Taiwan, Shanghai, Singapore and even Sydney.

I have now tried Ippudo restaurants in Kyoto, Hong Kong and Taipei. Is it true what they say that the original is still the best? Read on to check out my comparisons.

Kyoto, Japan

I have been to the Ippudo restaurant near Kyoto’s famous Nishiki markets probably close to a dozen times, most recently during my trip to Japan in March.

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Inside the Ippudo Nishikoji store in Kyoto, Japan

It’s a small place, with a large group table out the front and a long row of bar tables in the back. The lines are usually long and brutal, though the turnover is quick and the wait could be shorter than it looks.

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The Japanese menu

The menu is relatively simple. In 2002, the big hit was the Akamaru Shinaji, the second from the right, which has a white soup base with a blob of red paste that is like an explosion of flavour. The pork (chashu) is also exquisite and has fatty bits that melt in your mouth. Eleven years later, it’s still my favourite, and the one I always get when I go to Ippudo. The Shiromaru Motoaji flavour (the one on the far right) is for those who like their ramen a little lighter, as some people I’ve spoken to think the Akamaru is a little on the heavier side. The Ippudo Karakamen (middle on menu) is for those who like their noodles spicy.

In Japan, they place a lot of emphasis on the hardness of the noodles (which you can dictate), and many locals also ask for a bowl of plain white rice to offset the heaviness of the flavour. Or if you’re like me, you’ll grab some fresh garlic from the table, crush them, and toss them into the soup for an extra kick.

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Free pickled vegetables, sauces and garlic

As you can see from the menu, there is also fried rice, but not many people order those. One thing I used to get but not this time is the gyoza (pan fried dumplings). It’s pretty good to add on if you are hungry.

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The best: Ippudo’s Akamaru Shinaji

So of course, I got the Akamaru Shinaji, which is as good as it always has been. The mix of flavours is just perfect. The missus, on the other hand, ordered the new one, the “special” (Tokusei) ramen third from the left. It’s actually very similar to the Akamaru but has thicker slices of stewed pork and additional toppings such as a wonton and an egg.

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Ippudo’s Tokusei Ramen

The outcome for both bowls was identical.

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The inevitable conclusion

It’s hard to describe the excellence of Ippudo in words. You know how a lot of ramen places use dodgy noodles that are not much better than instant noodles? Ippudo noodles are not like that — they are proper ramen noodles with the proper texture and bite. The soup is not just soy sauce or miso or salt or even just tonkotsu (ie broth made with bones) — it’s some special super recipe where the soup is cooked for hours and the flavour really penetrates all the way through. The meat is perhaps not the best I’ve had but it’s up there. And throw on the toppings, and what you end up with is about as close to perfect as you can get for a regular bowl of ramen.

10/10

Japanese website: http://www.ippudo.com/index.html

Address (Nishikoji store): 653-1 Nakagyo-ku Babtouyacho Nishiki Bldg 1F 604-8143

Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

There are now four Ippudo restaurants in Hong Kong, and the one I went to last year was in Causeway Bay (the others are in Kowloon, Central and Admiralty). It was a killer wait, and to manage the crowd they had a convenient ticket system.

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You can look at the fake ramen while you wait for the real one at Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

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Or you can look at all the other patrons enjoying their meals

The inside of the restaurant is pretty big and spacious, with lots of share tables and benches. It can get crazy crowded during lunch time as the office workers love to go there for a quick and tasty meal.

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Inside the Causeway Bay Ippudo

The full menu can be found online (here), and as you can see it is quite different to the Japanese one. Of course there is the Akamaru Shinaji and the Shiromaru, but in Hong Kong you can also get this meaty miso flavoured one, a plain Tokyo soy sauce one (I’d never get this) and a Sapporo-style miso one. The toppings are similar but the side dishes are more localized and varied, including a tofu hot pot, steamed dumplings, spring rolls, rice balls and an open bun with chashu pork inside.

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The HK menu

The condiments are also similar but from memory there is no extra garlic or pickled vegetables.

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It took a bit of a wait but the Akamaru I ordered was worth it.

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The HK version looks similar but still tastes a little different

The ramen is supposed to be exactly the same but it wasn’t. Still sublime, but the flavour just wasn’t as deep as its Japanese counterpart. Maybe the Honkies were stingier on the sauces and toppings, I dunno.

We also ordered a fried chicken (karaage) and some additional toppings which comprised half a boiled egg, some extra meat and bamboo shoots. See below.

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If I hadn’t tried the Japanese Ippudo before I’d probably think Hong Kong’s one is the greatest ever, but since I have, I must say it’s not quite there, though I cannot pinpoint anything specific to criticise.

9.5/10

HK website: http://www.ippudo.com.hk/en/index.html

Address (Causeway Bay store): 2/F, 8 Russell Street, Causeway Bay

Taipei, Taiwan

Lastly, the first Ippudo restaurant in Taipei, which I visited several weeks after it opened last year. Taiwanese people were going crazy over the opening and the lines were ridiculous. Things have since died down a little especially with the opening of a second store, but it can still get insane at times during peak hours.

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Waiting with the crowds outside Ippudo Taipei (Zhongshan store)

The interior is also pretty big, more spacious than the Kyoto store and with more private space. There are lot of individual tables, so it’s great for people who prefer not to table-share.

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Inside the Taipei Ippudo

The Taiwanese menu is different as well. You can get the whole menu online (here). It is closer in variety to the HK one than the Japanese one, with a lot of interesting sides. The ramen section features the Akamaru and Shiromaru, but also a spicy ramen, cold ramen and chicken/pork ramen, which looks pretty unusual.

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Taiwan’s Ippudo menu

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More menu items

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More of the menu

  The Akamaru Shinaji reigned supreme again for me.

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Taiwan’s Ippudo Akamaru Shinaji

As you can see from the above photo, the ramen looks a little different to the Japanese and HK versions. It’s stronger in colour and appears to have more sauces. The result is a ramen that tasted too heavy for my liking. By the mouthful, it’s still brilliant, but I would say it’s a step below its foreign counterparts. Maybe it’s the local ingredients or the chef’s penchant for adding an extra dollop of flavouring — either way the equilibrium was off just that little bit.

For the sides we got two very safe options — a cucumber with peanut sauce, which I loved (everything with peanut sauce is great), a spicy red oil bean sprouts with chashu, and a guabao (open bun) with fried prawns and spicy mayo. They were all pretty good, as evidenced by the photos below.

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Overall, I’d say the Taipei restaurant was the weakest of the three I have sampled in terms of the Akamaru Shinaji. The Japanese one was perfect, the HK one was just a little bit less awesome, and the Taiwanese one was too strong and heavy. But the Taiwanese sides are great and salvage the score somewhat.

8.5/10

Taiwanese website: http://www.ippudo.com.tw/index.asp

Address (Zhongshan store): No. 85, Section 1, Zhongshan North Road, Taipei

PS: Price-wise, a regular bowl of Akamaru Shinaji costs 800 yen in Japan (AU$8) , HK$68 in Hong Kong (AU$8.50) and NT$230 in Taiwan (AU$7.60). Not surprisingly, a steaming bowl of Akamaru Shinaji in Sydney will set you back AU$16. Ridiculous but in line with the market, I suppose.

 

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Movie Review: Oblivion (2013)

April 21, 2013 in Movie Reviews, Reviews

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I won’t lie. Oblivion looked pretty awesome from the trailers and I had expected a lot. Which might explain why the film was kind of disappointing. It’s perfectly adequate and beautiful to look at, with moments of tension and occasional thrills. But in the end, it is a film that falls way short of its lofty ambitions and does little to separate itself from other post-apocalyptic sci-fi flicks in recent years.

It is no surprise that the film was directed and co-written by Joseph Kosinski, who made his silver screen debut with Tron: Legacy in 2010, another sci-fi flick that values style over substance. Kosinski’s background is in CGI commercials, including for video games Halo and Gears of War, and he definitely brings that video game feel to Oblivion.

The story is told largely through the point of view of Jack Harper (Tom Cruise), a technician who fixes drones on a post-apocalyptic Earth that has been rendered uninhabitable following the attack of an alien race. Harper resides in a futuristic home with his mission and personal partner (Andrea Riseborough), who maintains regular contact with a woman (Melissa Leo) from headquarters.

Not surprisingly, things start to fall apart for Jack following an encounter with Scanvengers and a frightening discovery. He starts to wonder if everything he believes is real, and whether the reality he knows is an illusion. I don’t need to say much more, but you can already tell from the brief summary that Oblivion has a fairly typical sci-fi storyline about one man’s search for the truth, and that truth is probably what you suspected all along.

I guess that’s where my problem with the film lay. While it had its fair share of action-packed moments, including several high-speed chases and explosive gunfights, the film travelled at what felt like an intentionally slowed pace so it would come across as more of a “thinking man’s” sci-fi movie. But the thing is, the more I thought about the movie the less sense it made, and the less clever and creative it felt. It just wasn’t as original or intelligent or “different” as it thought it was or wanted to be. The plot twists were also rather predictable and the ending was overdone.

That said, it didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the movie, which did have its moments. Tom Cruise, notwithstanding all his crazy shenanigans off camera, is his usual solid self and delivers a performance that carries the film throughout. I particularly liked his interactions with Riseborough, and thought he had much more chemistry with her than with Olga Kurylenko, who appears midway through the film. Morgan Freeman, on the other hand, felt like a poor casting choice, mainly because his star power meant he would get some screen time in the trailers, which is essentially a big spoiler, and also because that damn voice is so recognisable. Also underused was Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), who plays one of Freeman’s henchmen.

The film placed a strong emphasis on visuals, with sweeping landscapes, cool-looking machines and gadgets. All that is good stuff, but it’s a shame the screenplay couldn’t make the film more engaging from an emotional and intellectual standpoint. A lot of questions were left unanswered and the questions that were (kind of) answered didn’t have impact I had been hoping for. In the end, I’d say Oblivion was perfectly adequate, but by no means a sci-fi classic or even one of the more memorable sci-fi films I’ve seen in the past decade.

3 out of 5

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