Movie 3: Musa: The Warrior (2001)

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Whoa. I first saw this in 2005 and it’s still as beautiful as ever. I think they edited out some scenes in this version. Pretty sure there was a point during the journey where everyone gathered round and shared what they were going to do once they got home. I wouldn’t have felt so attached to them otherwise.Seeing this movie the second time, I understand the plot a whole lot better. I now see where the love story plays into this. If the general didn’t have a crush on the princess, he wouldn’t have bothered trying to save her. The whole group would’ve returned to Korea safely. I can’t help but feeling sorry for him anyway though. Toward the end when everyone is dying, the princess chooses to hold Yeosol instead of him. I guess dying with that in sight will just hurt.

In this version, Daejung is called Sergeant Jinlip. I don’t see the resemblance between the two names, but then I don’t know any Korean at all. Jinlip is still the wise one, the one who looks after the general without being obvious about it. He doesn’t want power; he just wants for everyone to get home safely.

The text in the beginning of the movie says this: “This is the story of those who were unable to return home [to Korea].”

Kind of makes you wonder if Jinlip was unable to make it home using that raft.

Book 9: Dragon’s Blood by Jane Yolen (1982)

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This book reminds me a lot of Anne McCaffrey’s books and of how much I hate dragon stories. So dull. I should give Christopher Paolini some credit for writing the only dragon story (sort of) that didn’t bore me to tears so far.

I already got the entire trilogy, too.

Book 8: Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot (2006)

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This is actually pretty good. I was expecting for the main character to moan on and on over her weight and her inability to get a date and how shallow men are (it is a chicklit), but it is actually only part of the story. Heather Wells is a former pop teen star who now works at a dorm. She’s not that smart, but she’s not annoyingly stupid either. This book is also better because it’s not in a diary format.As far as mystery goes, I don’t know how good or not good the book is. I don’t read mystery. I’m going to give Meg Cabot some points though. After everything else she has written, this is totally a step up. Maybe she should start combining regular chicklit with something from now on.

(I was even almost tempted to pick up the sequel: Size 14 Is Not Fat Either. Maybe later.)

Book 7: The Beliefnet Guide to Gnosticism and Other Vanished Christianities by Richard Valantasis (2006)

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It looks interesting at first (I like the font type and size), but after a while it gets tiring. Turns out I’m not that interested in learning the details about groups that no longer exist. The essence is this: Gnostics believe in the ultimate God, not in the Biblical God. The degree of extremism varies from one subgroup to another.The author’s writing style is a little bothersome. Why does he keep plugging in “I” for no reason? Carrying the narrative in a third-person in books like this would’ve worked very well. And he sounds condescending, too.