Movie: Train to Busan 2016

★★★★/★★★★★

Main Characters:

Gong Yoo as Seok woo

Kim Su an as Su an

Jung Yu mi as Sung Kyeong

Ma Dong seok as Sang hwa

Ahn So hee as Jin hee

Choi Woo shik as Young guk

Kim Eui sung as Yong suk

Director: Yeon Sang ho

 Synopsis from Asianwiki:

Seok woo (Gong Yoo) is a fund manager in Seoul. He is separated from his wife and lives with his daughter Su an (Kim Su an). Seok woo doesn't spend much time with his daughter or show affection to her. On the night before Su An's birthday, Su an insists on seeing her mother for her birthday. Seok woo has no other choice, but to take her to Busan. Early the next morning, they board the KTX train for Busan at Seoul Station.

Before the KTX train leaves Seoul Station, a zombie like girl jumps onto the train. The girl is infected with a horrific virus that is spreading like wildfire. Seok woo, Su an and the other passengers on the KTX train must now fight for their lives. 

***

Like everyone else, I was excited when I found out that Train to Busan will be shown in theaters here in Philippines. I'm a big fan of zombie movies and watching one in a big screen always always excites me! So, in this movie we have zombies, an exciting-thrilling setting which is a train full of passengers and of course, our handsome lead actor Gong Yoo and the other characters. 

The movie starts off a little dramatic with Seok woo and Su an trying to work out their estranged father-daughter relationship. But as they travel to Busan aboard a train full of zombies with other passengers who are also tyring to survive, Seok woo and Su an become closer and they get to learn a thing or two from each other. While Seok woo's only priority is Su an, Su an cares for the well being of others. She tries to do good by simply offering a seat to an elderly or wanting to inform others that her father knows a safe way out when it is only arranged for the two of them. Seok woo, being so different from his daughter tells her, “At a time like this, only watch out for yourself.” But later on, Seok woo also learns to help and care for others while trying to keep their loved ones safe. 

We also have other characters like Sang hwa and his pregnant wife, Sung kyeong, a student with his baseball team Young guk, Jin hee, a girl who has a crush on Young guk and a couple of elderly sisters. It's supposed to be a normal train trip for them but when a strange girl boards the train unnoticed, the next thing they know is that people just start attacking and biting each other. In a matter of seconds, they have a train full of zombies.

This movie is thrilling enough to make you jump out of your seat and (unintentionally) punch the guy next to you. I watched this last night with my family and I remember grabbing my sister's arm not once, not twice but almost the entire movie! (Maybe we screamed once or twice, too.) Anyway, we really enjoyed it and aside from delivering us an entertaining zombie movie, this movie also teaches us things about a parent's love to his/her child, a person's true nature when faced in danger and most importantly, a man's courage of sacrificing himself for the good of others. I occasionally cried too especially at the ending!

If you want a good zombie movie, you must watch this one! :D

Movie: Goosebumps 2015

★★★★★/★★★★★

Characters:

Jack Black as R.L. Stine

  Dylan Minnette as Zack Cooper

Odeya Rush as Hannah Stine

Ryan Lee as Champ

Amy Ryan as Gale Cooper

Director: Rob Letterman

 The movie is basically about R.L. Stine's books and the horror they bring not only to children but to everyone. I admit I haven't read a single book of him and I don't intend to because I'm not a fan of horror but the movie was awesome. Goosebumps came out October last year which instantly became a box office hit!

So the movie tells the story of Zach and his mother moving to Madison, Delaware where Zack meet Hannah, the daughter of their mysterious neighbor, Mr. Shivers. Mr. Shivers warns Zack to stay away from them but Hannah and Zach quickly became friends. The next night, Zach hears Hannah and Mr. Shivers arguing and Hannah's scream makes him call the police. When the police comes, Mr. Shivers assures them that he and Hannah are not arguing but Zach doesn't believe him. So to make sure, Zach tricks Mr. Shivers by calling and making him go to he police station for further questioning and he also tricks Champ, his new friend at his new school, who reluctantly helps him break into Mr. Shivers' house. They look for Hannah but instead found Goosebumps manuscripts, all of which are locked. And to their luck, they accidentally open one when Hannah appears, startling them all. When the books opens, it releases the Abominable Snowman of Pasadena which they pursue to a skating rink and thankfully put back inside the book with the help of Mr. Shivers. 

On their way back to the house, Mr. Shivers is crazy mad and doesn't have a choice but to reveal that he's actually R.L. Stine. He's also determined to move away again with his books now that Zach and Champ already know his secret. But when they arrive at their house, Slappy is waiting for them and it's when the real horror begins.

Slappy, mad for being imprisoned inside the book, releases the other monsters and wages war with Stine. Slappy also burns the books so there's no way Stine could trap them again inside. Now fearing for their life, R.L. Stine, Zach, Hannah and Champ escape to get away from the monsters. Zach then suggests Stine to write a new book that will trap all the monsters inside but Stine says he can only write with his special typewriter which is in the high school where a formal dance is happening. So they head to the high school and on their way meet different monsters like the invisible boy, giant praying mantis and the Werewolf of Fever Swamp.As they cut through the cemetery, Zach notices that Hannah shines in the moonlight. She glows blue which surprises Zach and a crazy thought enters his mind. To make sure it's not what he thinks, Zach privately talks to Stine about Hannah. Here, Stine reveals that Hannah is not really his daughter and he only created her because he was lonely. 

When Stine finds the typewriter, he begins writing a new story based on what's happening around them. But Slappy and the others are closing in the high school too so Zach and the other students have to buy Stine some time so he can finish writing. Slappy then confronts Stine and breaks his fingers with the typewriter case before he can finish the story.

With the help of the students, Stine, Zach, Hannah and Champ are able to escape and head to the abandoned amusement park where Hannah brought Zach earlier. Here, Slappy releases the Blob that Ate Everyone causing Stine to hand over the typewriter to Zach, telling him to finish the story. Zach finally finishes the book but reluctantly opens it because he knows that once he opens it, Hannah will be sucked inside the book too. But Hannah tells him that's it's okay and that she knew about her true nature. So she opens the book herself, sucking every monster, and before getting sucked she and Zach kiss. 

Hannah: You have to let go, Zach.

Sometime later, Stine starts teaching at Zach's school and one day after class, he calls Zach to give him a present. To his surprise, Zach see Hannah. Stine then tells him that he wrote another book with Hannah in it. Zach and Hannah share another kiss and we see Stine burning the book making Hannah permanently real.

But wait, there's more. When Stine is about to leave the school, he sees the typewriter writing by itself. And to his horror, the invisible boy wasn't sucked by the book and is now writing a new story.

THE END

I really enjoyed this movie and Jack Black was really fitted for the role. Hannah was lovely and it was nice that she and Zach had a happy ending. :)