Adios, 2012!

As the year draws to a close - and I still have a pulse despite all the doomsday predictions - it is time to do my annual review of the past 12 months, as I look forward to 2013.

It's been a good one for sure, though not as spectacular as 2011, which featured once-in-a-lifetime experiences with Kevin Spacey and David Foster, as well as a spectacular week of Broadway shows.

Still, 2012 was equally exciting in many ways, and here's a summary of the highlights:

Without a doubt, the best thing that happened to me this year is Jersey Boys! If you haven't bought tickets yet, PLEASE don't delay any further. This South African production is top-notch, with many who've seen the Broadway version reporting that they're equally impressed by this cast.

If you need another nudge, how about the fact that the 4 leads are unbelievably nice chaps? I've got an interview lined up, so keep your eyes peeled. :)

A close second is Pangdemonium's Spring Awakening, which I reviewed in February. It's bloody brilliant!

In third place, God Of Carnage.

Kudos in particular to Adrian Pang, whose production company staged Spring, and who also starred in GOC. I'm a huge fan. :)


The concert scene was jam-packed this year, and I was ecstatic when the opportunity to catch 2 of my favourite musicians came up. However, both gigs failed to live up to expectations.

Jason Mraz sang flawlessly at The Meadow, but an emotional connection with the audience was sorely missing. I don't know what the underlying reasons may be, but it came nowhere close to his power-packed 2009 performance at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, and is way below his mind-blowing Singapore debut at the Esplanade in 2006.

I'm always grateful when he returns to our shores, but if the organizers stick him at The Meadow again next time, I'm going to have to give it a miss. So let's hope that doesn't happen!

Sting's Indoor Stadium concert on 13 December fared no better, personally speaking. Again, I am a long-time fan of his music, and had seen him twice previously, but that night, the audience was absolutely intolerable! I won't go into specifics, but in a nutshell, it was a nightmare.

Sting's vocals were impeccable, as always, and his band was super-slick. Sadly, the repertoire was a rehash of old hits, without much variation from his studio recordings or prior live renditions.

The emotional tone was also lacking, resulting in a conveyor belt-like feel to the proceedings. There's no question about his technical prowess and amazing stamina ( 22 songs in a row, no intermission! ), but I was really hoping for an acoustic set, as suggested by the tagline "Back To Bass".

David Foster's show was much more enjoyable in terms of audience behaviour and artistic performance. I had a such a great time! His annual birthday celebrations and gigs in Singapore have become a tradition, and I fervently hope he will bring either Josh Groban, Chris Mann or Clay Aiken in 2013.

No luck with formal meet and greets 3 years in a row. I hope to change that soon. :)

And speaking of Chris Mann, he is my favourite new artist for 2012! Loved him on The Voice season 2, and downloaded digital versions of his new albums the minute they became available.

By the way, he has 2 releases, not one. He may have come in 4th, but he is clearly doing extremely well. Congratulations, Chris, you deserve it!

I've listened to Roads, and am now moving on to Home For Christmas. Both are overflowing with beautiful tracks, mostly covers, but interpreted in the most inspiring ways, with that all-important ingredient - Chris' gorgeous voice.

I can't quite describe how wonderful he is, only that every note he sings puts a huge smile on my face. I can listen to this man forever. :)


2012 was also a fantastic year for movies. I've lost count of just how many there were, but my personal top 3 are Life Of Pi, The Hobbit and The Bourne Legacy.

p.s. I love Skyfall, but Jeremy Renner is hotter than Daniel Craig. It's true. :)

Click on the individual titles to read my film reviews.

Les Miserables may very well displace one of them. Am looking forward to watching it at the cineplex!


Next, TV shows.

Hands down, Suits is the champion. Granted, season 1 was only screened in Singapore in May, a year after it debuted in the U.S. But it... is... AWESOME. :D

So awesome I couldn't wait for season 2 on local cable ( which probably won't screen it till 2013 ). Thank God for the Internet!

Other worthy contenders: The Voice season 3, The Good Wife season 4, Hawaii 5-0 season 2 and American Horror Story Asylum.

My all-time favourite, Dexter, has lost its way a little with season 7, but remains in the top spot until the story finally concludes in season 8. The cliffhanger finale opted for emotional heft rather than shock tactics, and still almost gave me a heart attack.

Next year, please let Dexter find happiness at last. I won't be happy if he dies...!

True Blood season 5 was wacky as hell, but the cast has never been stronger, nor the chemistry more scorching. It also doesn't help that I had an odd but pleasant dream about Alexander Skarsgard a few nights ago. Can I have another? :)


Rising stars on the horizon: Joseph Gordon-Levitt ( robbed of an Oscar nomination for 50/50, and rumoured to be the next Batman, hmmm ), Richard Armitage ( glorious as Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit ), Rick Hoffman in Suits, and Suraj Sharma in Life Of Pi.


Other events worth mentioning: a trip to breath-taking Switzerland; another to fabulous Japan; my cool new car ( I don't talk about it much, but 4 words are good enough :)); meeting the casts of Jersey Boys and Swimming With Sharks!


Things to look forward to in 2013: a couple more trips overseas; finally enrolling in an ultrasound course I waited more than a year for; hopefully, more great concerts and theatre experiences, maybe celeb meet and greets? :D

I've had a blast; hope you enjoyed 2012 as well.

( Am so glad the world didn't end. Not a fan of doomsday prophecies!)

My next entry may be in January. Thanks for reading, and click on this to see and hear something amazing. :)

The Hobbit - A Review

My 4th entry in 2 weeks! And I thought 2012 would be a dry spell.

But being a movie buff, whenever something truly great comes along, I need to share it with others. :)

It's been a terrific year for movies, and The Hobbit is another in a long line of masterpieces. I'm a huge fan of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, but only film-wise, since I never got round to reading the novels despite having them in my cupboard for eons.

I didn't read the prequel either, but it doesn't matter! Worried about the storyline not being grand enough? Yes, it isn't quite as perilous, but I didn't care!
And what about the dwarves? Not exactly the most popular characters around. Surprisingly, I love them! Even more than the LOTR heroes, who were already pretty cool ( e.g. Aragorn, Legolas ).

I've been reading up on the film in Empire magazine ( aka my movie bible :)). Perhaps it helped with the enjoyment factor, because at least I knew what was going on, and had a rather clear picture of each character's background.

I also kept an eye out for the hunky actors. :)

Here's one: Richard Armitage, who plays dwarf prince, Thorin Oakenshield. Thorin is, essentially, Aragorn's equivalent in this particular tale, but in my opinion, Armitage far exceeds Viggo Mortensen's intense performance in LOTR.

In fact, the former projects such a strong presence, he's probably the reason I had such a fantastic time. He eats up the screen whenever he appears, and even when he's not in a scene, you can't stop thinking about him and wishing he'd return ASAP.

He's also 1.88 metres tall! I'm still trying to wrap my head around that.

Back to the dwarves. I was never a fan of Gimli from LOTR, but absolutely LOVE the motley crew depicted here. Rest assured that you'll be able to pick out individuals easily based on appearance and personality, and will have a roaring good time as you join them on their adventures.

Personally speaking, I consider them fascinating characters when compared to humans and elves. Their various idiosyncracies and group dynamics are hilarious, yet when bravery is called for, they deliver 10 times more than anyone twice their size.

The action sequences are breath-taking! I don't think I've had such a massive adrenaline rush since Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol a year ago! The protagonists battle orcs, wargs, trolls and goblins in nail-biting sequences scattered throughout the movie. Every time you think you can relax, another conflict occurs, with exhilarating results.

These battles marked the turning point in my dwarf appreciation. They demonstrate the lengths to which the pint-sized humans will go to protect their own ( and sometimes, a fellow friend as well ). Gasp in awe as they charge into the fray, facing down giant trolls, vicious wargs and endless armies of orcs and goblins.

I also love how the dwarves' resourcefulness and ingenuity are highlighted, especially in a climactic chase through the goblins' mountain lair. Pay attention to the different methods they employ to escape. It's positively astounding! :)

Do not worry about the lack of a worthy opponent on par with LOTR's evil Sauron. There's a creepy segment where Radagast, the brown wizard, meets a malevolent entity called The Necromancer in an abandoned ruin named Dol Guldur. Made my hair stand!

Last but not least, Smaug the terrifying dragon will debut in Part 2 next year, after a sneek peek in the final seconds of An Unexpected Journey. I do hate cliffhangers sometimes!

However, the review wouldn't be complete without mentioning Martin Freeman, who plays Bilbo Baggins. Jackson made it clear in many interviews that Freeman was always his first choice for the role, and he has chosen wisely indeed. I became acquainted with his work through the BBC's updated version of Sherlock, and think he's much more interesting and charming here.

There're remnants of John Watson's high-strung befuddlement, but Bilbo exhibits his own very unique personality, with many traits which add layers to the otherwise straightforward plot. Since I didn't read the novel, the many instances where Bilbo is at the crossroads and chooses the path we least expect makes for extremely compelling viewing. Whether every incident is faithful to the source material, I have no idea, but the end result is inspiring!

The Hobbit would be excellent for the young and impressionable set, but there're too many potentially traumatizing scenes, from decapitations to slit throats and dismemberment, not to mention all the scary monsters. Yet, at its heart is a beautiful message about never underestimating someone's potential, the unbreakable bond of friendship, and the ability to overcome adversity even when the odds seem stacked against you.

The last 30 minutes had me on the edge of my seat! And my bladder was practically bursting after the halfway mark, no thanks to the blasted air-conditioning which was set to Death Freeze mode.

It just shows how freaking amazing the film is, because I couldn't bring myself to leave the theatre, even for a second. Brace yourself for the 3-hour length, but I guarantee 100% that there will never be a dull moment.

Another 12 months till The Desolation Of Smaug. I hope the time will pass very quickly. :)