Iceman 3D: Not well thawed out
Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen's new movie "Iceman 3D", a remake of the 1989 classic "The Iceman Cometh", has juvenile jokes and unsatisfying action sequences.
SINGAPORE: In “Iceman 3D”, Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen plays Ying, a Ming dynasty general sent to retrieve the Golden Wheel of Time for the Chinese emperor, a mystical device that allows one to travel back in time.
He is stopped by his brothers-in-arms Niehu (Yu Kang) and Sao (Wang Baoqiang) as he made his way back across a snowy mountain with the device in tow, and is accused of conspiring against the throne with Japanese pirates.
Before he can be captured, a sudden avalanche buries him, Niehu and Sao under tons of snow.
Four hundred years later, the frozen trio are dug out from the snow by a businessman named Tang and transported to Hong Kong on the orders of a mysterious investor.
But a road accident causes the containers holding the three men to break.
Ying thaws out and encounters May (Eva Huang), a hostess at a club.
She helps him piece together what happened and he enlists her help to find the Golden Wheel of Time in order to return home to clear his name, with Niehu, Sao and the Hong Kong police hot on their heels.
Remakes generally aren’t as good as the original.
“Iceman 3D”, a remake of the 1989 film “The Iceman Cometh”, is no exception.
“The Iceman Cometh” managed to strike a fine balance between comedy, romance and action but “Iceman 3D" did not.
Quite frankly, “Iceman 3D” has a lot of superfluous bits that seem shoehorned into the film to give Ying more depth and make him stand out, like the scenes at a home for the elderly with May’s mother.
Those particular scenes appeared to be simply be there to make Ying look like a sensitive, all-round great guy, and make the Yen-Huang pairing feel less awkward.
Alas, the two just don’t have chemistry and their onscreen romance still falls flat.
Director Law Wing Cheong was perhaps a little too ambitious with “Iceman 3D”.
Aside from the romance between May and Ying, Law attempted to flesh out Ying’s relationship with his former buddies.
He also tried to inject a healthy amount of humour into the film, all while trying to keep the focus on Ying’s quest for the Golden Wheel of Time.
The fish-out-of-water antics of Ying, Niehu and Sao as they struggle to adapt to the modern world do bring on a few laughs.
However, some of the film’s gags required the viewer to have a good grasp of certain issues in China in order to understand them, while others were simply crass and juvenile.
Like most films starring Yen, it is up to the action sequences to save “Iceman 3D” from mediocrity.
But with so many things going on in the film, there is little time left over for action sequences.
A fight sequence in a bar that pits Ying against Sao was well done.
It had lightning fast blows, dramatic fight choreography and high-impact moves - but it was also way too short and unsatisfying.
The audience had to wait till the end of the film for a decent fight sequence involving Ying, Niehu and Sao on a bridge.
Even then, the battle was unsatisfying as Ying completely outclassed his two former comrades.
What’s worse, the film ended abruptly after the fight, and was followed by a small preview of the second part of “Iceman 3D” before the credits rolled.
With an ending like that, it is hard to feel excited about “Iceman 3D” part two, and makes one wonder if it should be put on ice.
2.5/5 stars.
“Iceman 3D” is now showing.
- CNA/ha
- wong chee tat :)
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Telcos not charging existing customers with contracts for 4G services
Telcos not charging existing customers with contracts for 4G services
The three telcos - StarHub, M1 and SingTel - have decided not to charge for 4G services for existing customers with minimum term contracts.
SINGAPORE: The three telcos - StarHub, M1 and SingTel - have decided not to charge for 4G services for existing customers with minimum term contracts.
This is after industry regulator Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore conducted an investigation into StarHub's recent announcement that it will start charging for 4G value-added services from 1 June.
IDA said in a statement on Wednesday that telcos should not change prices mid-way that affect customers with minimum term contracts if they were not clear to customers upfront what those price changes might be.
Under the Telecoms Competition Code, telcos must communicate key terms and conditions to customers prior to service sign-up.
StarHub had earlier said that it will charge customers on its SmartSurf plans $2.14 a month for the use of 4G services, after a promotion ends on 31 May.
According to IDA, currently 4G services do not support voice and SMS services, which are delivered over the 3G network.
The three telcos have offered 4G services as part of their mobile data bundle promotion and positioned them as value-added services in their promotional materials and service terms and conditions.
Speaking on Channel NewsAsia's Talking Point programme on Wednesday, IDA's Deputy Chief Executive Leong Keng Thai said the regulator has clarified the matter with the telcos and they have decided not to charge for 4G services for existing customers with term contracts until they expire.
He said: "Based on some of the feedback from consumers, we've actually reviewed certain contracts, including various promotional materials of all the three telcos.
"We found that generally and to various degrees, the terms and all the necessary notifications are captured in writing in one form or another.
"But I think, more importantly, the point is that whether this has been clearly communicated to consumers at the point of sale.
"I think at the point of sale, it is very critical, and our finding is there is certainly room for improvement in this area.
"We will be working on improving and tightening those procedures at the point of sale to ensure consumers are fully aware and we will make it a regulatory requirement."
In response, StarHub said in a statement that it values the feedback of its customers and that it has decided to further the free promotion to existing customers of its SmartSurf Lite/Value/Premium/Elite price plans till the end of their contract.
Meanwhile, a SingTel spokesman said: "Even before IDA's latest announcement was made, SingTel's policy with regard to changes to price plans or promotions is that these changes would only apply if customers choose to renew their contract or sign up a new contract.
"We will always provide customers with ample advance notice if we introduce changes or end promotions, so that they have sufficient time to make an informed decision."
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
The three telcos - StarHub, M1 and SingTel - have decided not to charge for 4G services for existing customers with minimum term contracts.
SINGAPORE: The three telcos - StarHub, M1 and SingTel - have decided not to charge for 4G services for existing customers with minimum term contracts.
This is after industry regulator Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore conducted an investigation into StarHub's recent announcement that it will start charging for 4G value-added services from 1 June.
IDA said in a statement on Wednesday that telcos should not change prices mid-way that affect customers with minimum term contracts if they were not clear to customers upfront what those price changes might be.
Under the Telecoms Competition Code, telcos must communicate key terms and conditions to customers prior to service sign-up.
StarHub had earlier said that it will charge customers on its SmartSurf plans $2.14 a month for the use of 4G services, after a promotion ends on 31 May.
According to IDA, currently 4G services do not support voice and SMS services, which are delivered over the 3G network.
The three telcos have offered 4G services as part of their mobile data bundle promotion and positioned them as value-added services in their promotional materials and service terms and conditions.
Speaking on Channel NewsAsia's Talking Point programme on Wednesday, IDA's Deputy Chief Executive Leong Keng Thai said the regulator has clarified the matter with the telcos and they have decided not to charge for 4G services for existing customers with term contracts until they expire.
He said: "Based on some of the feedback from consumers, we've actually reviewed certain contracts, including various promotional materials of all the three telcos.
"We found that generally and to various degrees, the terms and all the necessary notifications are captured in writing in one form or another.
"But I think, more importantly, the point is that whether this has been clearly communicated to consumers at the point of sale.
"I think at the point of sale, it is very critical, and our finding is there is certainly room for improvement in this area.
"We will be working on improving and tightening those procedures at the point of sale to ensure consumers are fully aware and we will make it a regulatory requirement."
In response, StarHub said in a statement that it values the feedback of its customers and that it has decided to further the free promotion to existing customers of its SmartSurf Lite/Value/Premium/Elite price plans till the end of their contract.
Meanwhile, a SingTel spokesman said: "Even before IDA's latest announcement was made, SingTel's policy with regard to changes to price plans or promotions is that these changes would only apply if customers choose to renew their contract or sign up a new contract.
"We will always provide customers with ample advance notice if we introduce changes or end promotions, so that they have sufficient time to make an informed decision."
- CNA/ir
- wong chee tat :)
Hitachi is building the world's fastest elevator: 95 floors in 43 seconds
Hitachi is building the world's fastest elevator: 95 floors in 43 seconds
BY MARIELLA MOON @MARIELLA_MOON APRIL 23RD 2014, AT 3:16:00 AM ET
- wong chee tat :)
BY MARIELLA MOON @MARIELLA_MOON APRIL 23RD 2014, AT 3:16:00 AM ET
In 2016, Hitachi will take over Toshiba's title as the maker of the fastest elevator in the world. The Japanese company's slated to install two lifts that move at a swift 45mph inside China's Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, currently under construction. Apparently, you can reach the 95th floor (the building will have 111 floors in all) straight from the ground in just 43 seconds on one of these zippy elevators -- hardly long enough to freshen up before reaching the office. Toshiba's current record-holding lifts in Taipei 101 (a skyscraper in Taiwan) ferry people up and down floors at only 38mph.
While you might typically associate 45mph with a relaxing Sunday drive, that speed takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to lifts. Would these speedy elevators trigger vertigo or cause passengers' stomachs to drop like they would on a roller coaster? Construction won't be done until 2016, so we don't quite know. Hitachi, however, says the vertical speed demons have the technology to prevent ears from popping and to reduce any side-to-side-shaking. The company assures that its creation is perfectly safe to ride, as it's made from heat-resistant materials.
The elevator also come with equipment (amazingly) called the "governor" which activates brakes when the system detects excessive speeds -- Hitachi even built a 698-feet tower simply for testing in 2010. Room for improvement? Well, these elevators would be even better if they had Mitsubishi's wheelchair-friendly add-on, but well, you can't have everything.
- wong chee tat :)
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