Iron Man 3: Worth the Pay

The moment you happen to read this, you probably have been bombarded already with praises on Marvel’s latest film. If you have not watched the film yet, this would be a cliff-hanger: Why is this making such noise online or even in the real world? Truth be told, Iron Man 3—directed by Shane Black and top-bills the equally impressive as the man-in-metal suit himself, Robert Downey, Jr.—surely deserves all the recognition it gets. This recognition can also be easily translated to a nerve-wracking box office returns, amassing a whooping 60 million pesos on its opening day in the Philippines last week.

Never in the past months after the release of The Avengers that movie-goers have been treated to such an immersive movie experience until Iron Man hit the silver screen. While it can’t be denied that we’ve been enchanted with the highs and lows of The Hobbit or gripped with the gory scenes in Olympus Has Fallen or Zero Dark Thirty, Iron Man 3 undeniably deserves a sweet spot in the pantheon of interesting films this year.

It's not the suit. It's the man.

Part of the reason perhaps is its element of twists and surprises, notwithstanding its vivid, superbly-rendered and stunning visuals. The 130-minute film follows a very American formula, packed with elements of action thriller enough to send the audience wondering what would happen next. The intertwining elements of adrenaline rush-filled action sequences, twists, action and humor encapsulated in effective punch lines contributed to the film’s over-all impact.

But one of the film’s greatest ingredients is perhaps the villain itself, which is interestingly good as the protagonist itself. Pinoy film fanatics certainly know this: you can only bring out the luster of your superhero if you employ such a dark, if not diabolic, scalawag to make the protagonist-antagonist clash more appealing and grand. In this case, the twist of the fake Mandarin and the emergence of Killian—whose collaboration with Dr. Maya Hansen led to the the rise of Extremis virus—left us either amused or amazed. In its entire “heavy metal” splendor, Iron Man 3 also gives interesting sides of—and fragility—of the human spirit, which makes it more humane.

The destruction of the remaining Iron Man’s suits towards the end of the film, resembling that of a lackluster fireworks display, can be translated as such: it’s not the suit, it’s the man. While it may be true that he threw his obsolete chest arc reactor into the sea, he will always be Iron Man, even without his armor.

I’ve never been such satisfied when I stepped outside the IMAX Theater where I first watched it last Saturday and on Sunday, in a 3D Cinema here in Tagum. Yes, I’ve seen it twice as what I did with Les Miserables and Wreck it Ralph, and this I have to tell: It’s definitely worth the pay.

Hijo's 'Monkey Business'

This is homecoming!

This is how one fellow guest described the feeling as we slowly made our way to the secluded part of the second-growth forest inside the Hijo Estate Resorts in Madaum, Tagum City. From a distance, we already saw a barrel of Philippine Macaque Monkeys that are abound in the area, along with other wildlife animals such as wild boars, snakes, monitor lizards, among others.

The sighting of monkeys is the first exciting part of the Forest Tour offered by the Tuason-owned resort inside a 700-hectare coconut plantation. The same tour will take you swinging and walking mid-air through an elevated canopy walk, passing through anahaw forest and towering Dao trees.

So if you feel like doing nothing this weekend, why not settle for a "monkey business" in Tagum?

Louie.

Fore more info about this tour and Hijo Estate Resorts, visit their website here.

We Just Have to Believe

This I have to admit: I find it hard to provide more than 10 Pinoy films which I assumed to have gone beyond cinematic excellence and thought-provoking storyline. In this age where movie outfits care for box office returns more than the challenge of producing quality films, the list of Philippine-made films that we can proudly call as our “jewel” is not that very long.

Movie outfits that make millions of money out from a single movie release should not be entirely blamed for the current state of Philippine Cinema. The lion’s share of this blame should go to us—the movie goers—who fell short in making our country’s top production outfits realize their full potential to produce an excellent film. When we continue to patronize spur-of-the-moment movies whose primary aim is just to raise money for the sake of raising money per se, these outfits continue to provide the silver screen with outputs with such cinematic mediocrity.

As of late, though, one film seems to be an exemption which broke my perception on how I view Philippine movies nowadays. Though not that very great, It Takes a Man and a Woman—which top-billed Sarah Geronimo and John Lloyd Cruz—is a surprising treat. Upon the insistence of a friend, my barkada happened to watch it last Saturday night, and I never had any regrets in spending (because wasting seems not to be the appropriate word) nearly two hours inside the cinema. Filipinos has this penchant for anything that revolves around the topic of love. Across generation, scores of songs, poems and movies has been devoted to love. All of those are sure hits.

True Love

I was waiting for guests the Old City Hall grounds this morning when I noticed this old couple enjoying some quality time together. It was 30 minutes past nine, which to many teenagers today, is not an ideal time for a date. I probably sat there for about 15 minutes, just observing them. I could tell the woman have a hard time moving, say incapacitated by age-related illness, that is why she lies across the concrete bench. This old man is her knight in shining armor: buying her banana cue and buko juice. I am posting this photo as an ode to true love. This photo also salutes those couple—who, despite the many challenges in life—remained true to their vows. I sat there wondering when will I meet the woman I’ll share my lifetime with.

Happy weekend guys,

Louie.

The Raging Waters of Panas

What I like about unplanned adventures is that it offers spontaneity and extraordinary thrill. You’ll never know what’s in store for you as you traverse the path to your destination. This is exactly what I experienced during my recent weekend getaway in the bizarre town of New Corella in Davao del Norte, some 18 kilometers from my hometown Tagum.

This quaint town, as I was previously told, offers a diverse option for eco-tourism adventures. This includes natural water terraces and wading pools, exotic caves and nature trails.

The fact that it’s just near ignites my wanderlust radar. Since two friends decided to drop a planned hiatus in Davao Oriental, I found myself waking up on a Saturday morning thinking where to go. Out of nowhere, New Corella came to mind.

Panas Waterfalls in Barangay Carcor, New Corella, Davao del Norte

A big commuter jeepney took me from Tagum Overland and Transport Terminal to this town, with weary-looking people facing each other from the parallel seats where we are seated. The 30-minute ride is mostly punctuated with commuters moving in and out of the jeep. The provincial government should be credited for the nicely-paved concrete roads which make the travel bearable.

Tuwing Umuulan

Kaysayang tingnan ng mga batang

Naliligo sa malakas na ulan

Tila nagpapaalalang buhay kaysaya

sa daigdig ng mga bata

Ang lamig ng tubig-ulan 

Pumapawi sa pagod dala ng nakakalokang init

Ang lakas ng hangin nama'y Sumasabay sa talon, kaway at habulan

Ng mga batang naglalaro sa buhos ng ulan

The Majestic Mt. Apo Experience

It all began with hesitation, but as soon as we started our journey on a broad daylight, I know there’s no coming back. This is no ordinary journey and certainly not for the faint-hearted.  We’re heading to Mt. Apo, the grandfather of Philippine mountains and the crown jewel of Philippine mountain climbing experience.

Last Holy Week, I felt like Bilbo Baggins of Shire—plucked from his comfort zone to take a part in a journey that could only be described as an ultimate adventure of a lifetime.  I certainly know how this journey would take its toll on us, especially on me—an obvious heavyweight and an inexperienced mountaineer. One would certainly wonder why I decided to join and the fact that we are aiming to reach the summit of the highest mountain in the Philippines for my first major climb is totally a crazy idea. As what we always say along the trail, kiat ray agi. Climbing Apo is not really included in my bucket list because I know that mountain climbing is not my cup of tea. Originally, I already planned to do a documentary about the holy week activities in Tagum last week but when I realized that majority of my officemates are joining the trip, I hastily agreed to take part and might as well give it a try. The journey to Apo started in Tagum two weeks before March 28, in early mornings at Energy Park where I did my exercise regimen.With just a little bit of jogging and more on walking and just few days to do it, I know this wouldn’t be enough. But still I pushed through with the plan, this time inspired by the idea of standing in the spot that every true-blooded mountaineer dreamed of reaching.

Mt. Apo's reflection is seen in a portion of Lake Venado. The country's highest lake sprawls at the foot of the country's highest mountain. According to local tribesmen, the lake is believed to be enchanted, killing countless mountaineers in the past.