Last Saturday, all my class mate and my lecturer went to visit The National Museum Of Computing. Museum is located far from the city of London and it took us 2 hours by bus to get over there from the campus. We were going there because my lecturer need all the students to look at history of computing and need to compare with nowdays. We can see a lot of the old school computing and technology at the museum and we very excited and want to know a lot of the story right there.
Could
1) I could just go to the place where my parents permission right only. 2) I want prove to my family I can succeed I could make them proud with me. Couldn't Have 1) Ning Baizura couldn't have sung without music. 2) I couldn't have slept without drink warm milk. Would 1) I would go if John was coming in. 2) She would buy the dress for dinner but not have size for her body. Wouldn't 1) We wouldn't be able to use the tube unless we have an oyster card. 2) I wouldn't go if I got the money first. Should 1) I think I should buy many souvenirs for my family and friends from London 2) Your work should be finished if you want to go out to lunch today. Shouldn't have 1) Amer shouldn't have talked to teachers like that. 2) I shouldn't have disappointed my parents. Michael Bay takes a lot of flack for his films, but whatever you think of them you have to agree that he’s pretty good at blowing stuff up. Directing an action movie is actually a special skill, and not one that everyone always gets right. Some directors fall prey to the shaky-cam, others use too many wires and end up making their actors look like they’re full of helium. The real trick of helming a superhero franchise is that in the end it’s not enough to fill your movie with nothing but kick ass stunts, nor is it enough simply to nail proper character development. A truly great superhero movie successfully scores with all elements: story, character, atmosphere, and action. The Batman universe’s new entry, Batman Begins, misses being the definitive take on the character precisely because helmer Christopher Nolan is no action director. In spite of that, the movie works because he gets the Dark Knight in a way no one else yet has.
Nolan’s attempt is called Batman Begins and as the title suggests it covers the most boring of superhero genre necessities, the origin story. Next year director Bryan Singer will try to restart the Superman series by picking up where Richard Donner left off, but Nolan is going the opposite war here, he’s giving Batman a total reboot. Behind the cape and cowl (at least when Bruce Wayne finally gets around to putting it on) is British actor Christian Bale who most recently won acclaim for doing a Lindsay Lohan impression in The Machinist. Begins follows Bruce Wayne’s journey to becoming Batman, from the murder of his parents in a back alley to training in a remote Chinese dojo under the tutelage of a mysterious martial arts master. Batman, unlike most superheroes, isn’t driven so much by a desire to do right as he is by a burning need for vengeance. The screenplay by Chris Nolan and genre veteran David Goyer builds towards that admirably, taking time to languish over Bruce Wayne’s internal conflict for at least an hour before he actually wraps himself in a bat symbol. In that time we’re treated to flashbacks and flash forwards, training montages, and words of wisdom from Bruce’s crime-fighting instructor Ducard as given life by the perfect on-screen mentor, Liam Neeson. Once Wayne returns to Gotham, we’re thrown still more exposition as the film tries to put a realistic spin on the vigilante character. Batman’s car for instance is an abandoned military tank prototype, a little more plausible than a Rolls Royce that can climb walls. Time for more montage, this time while Bruce paints his costume, sharpens Batarangs, and orders his mask from Taiwan. Yes, Batman’s cape is made in China. Isn’t everything? By the time Batman takes on his first mission, we’re well and fully primed for some action. It’s here that Nolan really does something different, by first showing us the Batman from a criminal’s perspective. Our dark clad hero lurks unseen in the shadows, luring criminals in and then in the blink of an eye dragging them mercilessly up to a rooftop. Batman’s initial costumed outing plays a lot like a scene from Alien, with the caped crusader hanging from the ceiling as he awaits unsuspecting prey. When he finally attacks it’s in a blur of darkness and pounding kicks, for the first time we fully understand what it is about him that strikes so much fear into the heart of his opponents. This shadowy, obscured introduction to Bale in costume is wonderfully effective, provided that we’re given an opportunity to clearly see the icon at work in costume as the rest of the movie progresses. This is Batman after all, and we’re here for the action as much as the character. That’s where Nolan’s movie really hits a roadblock, because the action never goes much further. Subsequent fights are shot with extreme close-ups and in overbearing shadow. We don’t get many good looks at Batman in motion, and anything approaching a wide shot is obscured in heavy clouds of steam. The film’s climax features a powerful hand to hand battle between Batman and Ra’s Al Ghul, but with Nolan’s camera three inches away from the Dark Knight’s cowl I’d be hard pressed to tell you who is punching who. I admire Nolan’s reported refusal to over-use computer generated effects on his film, but if this sort of off-screen action is the result perhaps he should have considered throwing in some nice animation. Tim Burton managed to give us a few thrills without computers so I’m not sure that’s a valid excuse. It isn’t that Batman Begins isn’t visually stunning, it is. Nolan has a distinct visual style that pays off in gorgeous ways when put to work on Bats. Watching him descend from Gotham’s pollution streaked sky into a hive of villainy has never looked quite so eerily beautiful. There’s a great chase sequence involving the new Batmobile too, its new tank-like structure opening up new opportunities for destruction. I also love the way the film uses actual bats, it ads a unique air of significance to Batman’s animal persona that the other movies have never had. Aside from a rather odd scene in which Batman fights the equivalent of hordes of lumbering zombies, sharp believability seems to be the watchword here, in place of Burton’s Gothic influence or Schumacher’s wacky circus act. For me, the film is at its best when breathing life into the people around Batman. Future police commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) plays a pivotal role in the story, except we’re catching him before he’s even made Lieutenant. You’ll like the way Goyer’s screenplay develops a relationship between Gotham’s last honest cop and the controversial vigilante, it’s the first time that’s been explored on-screen outside of some half-hearted references. Bruce Wayne’s butler/father figure Alfred benefits as well, and of course it doesn’t hurt that he’s played by a venerable actor like Michael Caine. I could have done without newly appointed tabloid centerfold Katie Holmes mucking things up as an obligatory girlfriend, but her role isn’t important enough for a lackluster performance to drag the movie down. Batman Begins is a solid re-entry into the comic book hero’s crime riddled world. Missing is some of the exhilaration and fun of its predecessors, in its place is a closer examination into the nature of the character. If there’s fault to be laid, put it at the feet of Nolan who seems to understand the character, but not his karate chops. You won’t see a lot of good “Pow!”, “Bang!”, “Boom!”, or “Zowie!” in this version of Batman, Nolan appears incapable of making that sort of movie. Luckily, the film otherwise captures the Batman so well that any missing excitement can be forgiven. Last week I got an assignment from my lecturer Sam to select my favorite song, story books, movies or tv shows. I select the song The Man by Aloe Blacc and I write what I understand about this song. [Chorus:] Well you can tell everybody Yeah you can tell everybody Go ahead and tell everybody I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man Yes I am, yes I am, yes I am I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man [Verse 1:] I believe every lie that I ever told Paid for every heart that I ever stole I played my cards and I didn't fold Well it ain't that hard when you got soul (this is my world) Somewhere I heard that life is a test I been through the worst but I still give my best God made my mold different from the rest Then he broke that mold so I know I'm blessed (this is my world) [Bridge:] Stand up now and face the sun Won't hide my tail or turn and run It's time to do what must be done Be a king when kingdom comes [Hook:] Well you can tell everybody Yeah you can tell everybody Go ahead and tell everybody I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man [Chorus:] Well you can tell everybody Yeah you can tell everybody Go ahead and tell everybody I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man Yes I am, yes I am, yes I am I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man [Verse 2:] I got all the answers to your questions I'll be the teacher you can be the lesson I'll be the preacher you be the confession I'll be the quick relief to all your stressin' (this is my world) It's a thin line between love and hate Is you really real or is you really fake I'm a soldier standing on my feet No surrender and I won't retreat (this is my world) [Bridge:] Stand up now and face the sun Won't hide my tail or turn and run It's time to do what must be done Be a king when kingdom comes [Hook:] Well you can tell everybody Yeah you can tell everybody Go ahead and tell everybody I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man [Chorus:] Well you can tell everybody Yeah you can tell everybody Go ahead and tell everybody I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man Yes I am, yes I am, yes I am I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man I'm the man Go ahead and tell everybody what I'm saying y'all I'm the man Go ahead and tell everybody what I'm saying y'all [Hook 3x:] Well you can tell everybody Yeah you can tell everybody Go ahead and tell everybody I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man [Chorus:] Well you can tell everybody Yeah you can tell everybody Go ahead and tell everybody I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man Yes I am, yes I am, yes I am I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man Why I pick this song is because if I hear this song, the song can give the people of the world some spirit if they feel the song and understand the lyric. Lyric The Man is a song all about trying to get over obstacle in life, it's about figuring out your short coming and past mistake and doing better to become a new person.
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