Thor: Mythology, action, and eye-candy

I'm not much into Norse mythology, but what I know is that some of the days of the week are named after them, with Thursday being the day of the Norse god of thunder.

But that isn't really touched in this Marvel-produced film.

And because I'm also not into Thor as the comic character, I watched this movie without any knowledge of his background, except that his father was Odin, the All-Father and that his brother is Loki, the god of mischief.

The film starts off with a bit of a background of Odin and his sons, Thor and Loki, and how Asgard (the realm of the Norse gods) was in a truce with the Frost Giants. But then, something breaches that truce and Thor, the heir apparent of Odin, went to wage a battle with the Frost Giants, which eventually becomes the reason why he gets banished to Midgard aka Earth.

So here in Earth he loses his godly strength (yet still retains his pride and pumped-up physique) and meets a scientist named Jane. And because he loses his power to even wield Mjolnir, the magical hammer, he begins to cool down a bit and takes the time to mull on his mistakes.

Meanwhile, back in Asgard, as Odin unexpectedly hibernates, Loki begins to claim power and twists everything. Upon learning what his brother has done, Thor sets on to free Asgard from the wicked clutches of his brother.

As part of the precursors to the big Avengers movie, Thor seems to be my least favorite of them all for now, if I compare it to Iron Man 1 and 2, and the Hulk movie. Maybe because Thor has that proud personality or because unlike Bruce Banner and Tony Stark (and even Steve Rogers aka Captain America), Thor isn't a human/ superhuman.

It might also be because the character development seemed to be in too fast a pace. Suddenly Thor is humbled when he can't wield the Mjolnir -- after 2 days of crashing into Earth?

And it's also probably because I felt Natalie Portman was just the distracting eye-candy in this movie. After her stellar portrayal in Black Swan, she's here in the movie acting like a teenager who gets those "kilig" moments when she's in front of her crush. I felt she was under-utilized here, I dunno.

But while there may be some misses in this movie, I kinda enjoyed it because it is part of the pre-Avengers continuity. At least I get some background as to how SHIELD gets to form this super-group and who some of the members are. And Agent Coulson has been getting more screen time since he appeared in Iron Man.

Of course, there's also the so-called Easter egg at the end of the movie. And Chris Hemsworth's muscles.

For much of it's eye-candy and action, I guess the film holds up -- which becomes some of the reasons why this movie is a must-see. Also if you're into the Avengers Initiative excitement. Just don't expect it to be as cool as Iron Man, though.

Church tripping in Bohol

It's been weeks since my family and I took a week-long stay in Bohol. It's my parents' home province and my daughter and I got the chance to see the wonders that it beheld.

Visiting relatives aside, our stay in Bohol was marked by a road trip around Tagbilaran, the capital city, and its neighboring towns. Of course, going to Chocolate Hills and Panglao Island was included in our itinerary, but one other thing I enjoyed during my stay in Bohol were visiting its centuries-old churches.

Our Lady of the Assumption - Dauis, Bohol

The first church we went to was the Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Dauis, Panglao, Bohol. It's a really huge church (well, I think all the main churches in Bohol are colossal) with painted ceilings (another main fixture in Bohol churches).

The altar of the church in Dauis

The painting at the altar area

If you notice, the altar has a staircase that allows devotees and other people to come close to the images. That's also what all the churches in Bohol have.

What made Our Lady of the Assumption interesting is that it had a well inside the church, near the altar.

The well inside the church

The well is like 20 feet deep, and there's water in it. The water is said to have some healing properties, and since there are also a lot of people who want to get water from the well, the church staff have taken it among themselves to put the water from the well into some bottles and give them to the people, in exchange for a monetary donation (regardless of how much you want to give).

Next stop for us was the oldest church in Bohol: The Immaculate Conception Cathedral, or more known as the Baclayon Church.

The famous Baclayon Church

It was constructed during the 1700s and is one of the most visited spots in Bohol. It also has a baroque-style architecture, stained glass windows, and painted ceilings.

The lights were turned off, as there was no Mass heard that day.

Stained glass windows (apologies for the crappy photo quality)

Images on the left side of the altar

The painting by the altar

Baclayon Church also has a museum beside it that features all artifacts and items that it has used since the church was erected. Unfortunately, due to their delicate condition, cameras were not allowed inside.

We also visited St. Joseph Cathedral in the capital city.

St. Joseph Cathedral from the side (didn't get to take a facade shot)

The altar of St. Joseph Cathedral in Tagbilaran

Weird, I kinda got shy taking photos of the inside. There were too many people and the elders were looking at me weird. Or that was just me.

Our last stop was the Church of San Pedro Apostol in Loboc.

Church of San Pedro Apostol, Loboc

Unlike St. Joseph Cathedral, the church in Loboc was empty. Too empty, in fact -- there was no guard or a member of a church staff even in the office area. Might I add, it was a creepy experience for me: an empty church, a dilapidated museum at the back, an iron wrought gate that was left open, and a dark back door entrance were all it took to send shivers down my spine.

But when we got inside, I found the church to be pretty awesome.

The altar of the Loboc church (sorry for another crappy and dark shot)

The pipe organ

A section of the church's fully painted ceiling

The painting by the altar

There were still some old churches that we have failed to go to, as it was already far from the city. The next time I'll be there, I'll try to drop by these other churches.

Hmm, I think I had my Visita Iglesia quite early, don't you think? But hey, if you're visiting Bohol, visiting these old churches proves to be a great experience. As I have learned, there's more to Bohol than just the Chocolate Hills.

Sucker Punch: Prepare to disbelieve

Zack Snyder, director of 300 and Watchmen, comes up with an original story wherein he can put in a mix of action, anime, and sexy girls. The result: Sucker Punch.

Plot layering seems to be the trend in movies nowadays, after the success of the mind-boggling film that was Inception. In this particular movie, the story begins with Baby Doll, a young orphaned girl who was sent by her stepfather to a girl's hospital for the mentally insane. Here, she meets 4 other women: Sweet Pea, Rocket, Amber, and Blondie. Baby Doll is to be lobotomized, but the scene is suddenly cut, revealing the same group of people, only in a brothel. Suddenly the mental patients become dancers, and Baby Doll is the newest girl to be included (imprisoned?) in their roster.

Wanting to get out of the place that held her, Baby Doll finds the answer when she gets entranced while dancing. Here, she meets a wise man who told her to find 5 things to attain freedom. Baby Doll then comes up with a plot to set her and the 4 other girls free.

And if you think the plot layering stops here, wait till the girls perform their "mission" one by one. As Baby Doll performs each of her dances, you're sucked again in another story, this time filled with guns, bombs, robots, and Nazi zombies.

And then you're reeled once again to the brothel afterwards. Or was it to the asylum?

Suddenly you're thinking, what is the movie's reality and the fantasy? Obviously the action sequences were the fantasy, wherein each blasts and slashes describe each of their missions. But when you come back to the brothel scene, were they back in the real world? Or still trapped in a dream?

Plot-wise, Sucker Punch held up in the mind-game aspect, as the viewers are provided a reality, then get sucked up by a fantasy, and then pulled up to the reality once again. The actors deliver as well, as each of them exuded a whole lot of sexiness and toughness. One thing I liked about the film is its soundtrack, perfectly giving life to every move and sequence in its battle scenes. Techno and rock provided the perfect ambience as the girls carried on each step towards freedom.

If you plan to watch this movie, I'd suggest to suspend disbelief. As its catchphrase goes, "You will be unprepared." So come prepared. Leave all logic behind when you go inside the cinema and just enjoy the ride.