JUSTIN BIEBER - MY WORLD 2.0 & MY WORLDS ACOUSTIC REVIEW

Putting all reservations aside, I decided to be a bit adventurous this Holiday and review Teen Star Justin Bieber’s My World 2.0 disc back-to-back with his My Worlds Acoustic, the latter released late November.

Walking in with low expectations, I came out rather surprised how good My World 2.0 actually is, after having been immune to Bieber Fever all this time. From a Pop standpoint, the album is by all standards a solid effort, nailing all essential marks – tight production, memorable melodies and front and center, good vocals which are conscious of never being too showy and thus, non-relatable.

The hits come one after the other right from the get-go with infectious Baby (ft. Ludacris) and The Stereotypes’ Electro-Pop stunner Somebody to Love, perhaps the strongest track on the set. Clever in its shout-outs to couples who belong together like “Sonny & Cher, I got you babe”, Stuck in the Moment is a convincing plea why for young Girls across the world, there is only Bieber and no other Casa Nova. Piano Pop-Rock Ballad U Smile slows things down a bit, giving the then 15 year-old Usher prodigy a chance to show his vocal prowess.

THE KARATE KID (2010) REVIEW

Okay, here's the scoop.  The Karate Kid (2010) in no way lives up to its 1984 predecessor, but enough modifications  have been made to the story to appeal to this generation of Wii-playing, Urbandictionary.com-reading kids to make it a worthwhile watch.  And although it is a bit unsettling seeing pre-pubescent boys fighting in a ring like a $2 Thai Cock Fight, I cannot deny that even I enjoyed it despite my firm belief that Will Smith essentially is playing the same character in every movie he does.  Of course it is plain to the eye that his son Jaden, the film's star has learned a thing or two about Comedic Timing from Dad.

When Sherry Parker (Taraji P. Henson) is required to transfer over to Beijing for work, the single mother takes herself and her son out of Detroit where not much remains after she was widowed by her husband.  Son Dre (Smith) gets himself to trouble quickly upon arrival, falling for the beauty of violin playing Meiying (Wenwen Han).  Sour-faced Cheng (Zhenwei Wang) however also has his eye on her and gets territorial, abusing his Martial Arts prowess in bullying Dre into submission.

KARATE KIDS, OLD AND NEW UNITE

Seen here at Monday's premiere of The Karate Kid (2010) are the original film's star Ralph Macchio and remake star Jaden Smith together at Mann Village Theatre in Westwood, California.  When the original film was made over 27 years ago, Macchio had no idea the legacy the film would create for itself including its garnering of an Oscar nomination for Asian-American actor Pat Morita for Best Supporting Actor as Mr. Miyagi.  

The first instalment in the franchise went on to make over $90 million at the Box Office, after a weak opening of $5 million in 1984.  Actress Hilary Swank who starred in the third instalment of The Karate Kid, eventually went on to win two Oscars for Best Actress.

When asked about his thoughts on the remake, Macchio explained to Access Hollywood "It’s like mixed feelings. At first, I felt old. Number one, you feel old when they start remaking your stuff".