Movies

I like watching movies. And I very rarely have popcorn or soft drinks during movies, I like to stay totally hooked to the movie. And I’m usually one of the last to leave the cinema, reading all the credits, while listening to the soundtrack, just to soak up all the good feels of the experience. And I only watch movies at night. Coming out from the comfortable, cool, enchanting darkness into bright hot sunlight would vapourise all the imagination stirred up during the movie, it gives me headache too.

And it’s been eight long years since I last fully enjoy a movie.

After my eldest child was born, fatherhood had somehow diminished my interest in movies, and makes cinema a less attractive place than by the side of my children. It was not until my eldest girl was six and my little boy was four that we went for our first family movie, when I thought they were old enough to be introduced into the wonderful world of movie magic.

“Chicken Little” was the first movie we went together as a family, and the first after a 6-years-long hiatus. I was ready to enjoy movie again. Yipee!

“Why the soda give out gas when you shake them?”, “How come Chicken Little is so little and can swing such a big bat?”, “How come the pig so fat can go through the hole so small?”, “How come … ” - Q & A session.

Ooo…kay, that’s what it’s like bringing little children to their first movie. I spent half the time answering their questions while trying to hush them down. Needless to say, I didn’t get to enjoy the movie, but it’s a revelation.

So there was quite a long while before we decided to take the children for another movie again. “Spiderman 3” came along. That time, I invited my cousin and his family to come along. My 2 kids and his 3 kids would have each other for company sitting together. They would have a good time while I could enjoy my movie.

All was fine when there were fast and furious actions on the screen, However, when the audience was enjoying a quiet, romantic moment between Peter Parker and Mary Jane, they also had to endured our kids arguing about whose turn was it to hold the popcorn bucket. Ooo…kay, too many “cold” scenes, and not enough hot actions on the screen to attract their attentions. Lesson learned.

We sat through the movie trying to instruct, order, and even threaten the kids to shut up or turn down their voices, while hoping for more car chasing, web swinging, and villains fighting scenes on the screen.

There would be another long wait for the next movie. “Transformers”. That time, I made sure by consulting my friend who had watched the movie, “Good exciting actions from start to finish. Good show.” Ah … that’s the one. No cousin that time. Some expected Q & A sessions regarding the story. Tolerable. And just when we’re getting excited gearing towards the final showdown between the Autobots and Decepticons with Sam and Mikaela being brought to the secret base of Sector 7, a voice whispered in my ear …

“Baba, I want to pee-pee …”

“WHAT?” I screamed out at the top of my lungs … in my thought. “But they are going to fight soon, it’s going to be very exciting, you’ll like it,” I tried to persuade him to hold on.

“But it’s going to come out already …”

Ooo…kay, no more popcorn and soft drinks for movie, another lesson learnt.

A few more movies we watched recently during school holiday, “Iron Man” and “Indiana Jones”. Knowing what to expect, the pain and disappointment in not able to enjoy the movies become more tolerable.

Finally, “Kungfu Panda”. I expected the worst for this movie. Because we’re going with the family of my sister-in-law, 5 adults, 5 children, loads of popcorn and soft drinks. Ooo…kay, I’m ready.

However, as soon as I walked into the cinema, I had a good feeling. Children were everywhere (it was school holiday and it’s the second night after the premier) talking, eating, laughing and, of course, asking questions. Seemed like my kids were the more mature ones this time round. One down.

In the middle of the confusion in trying to get everybody seated, I was separated from my kids, by two seats, my wife and my sister-in-law. Shouldn’t be any Q & A this time round. Two down.

If only I could sit through the whole show with Mother Nature going AWOL on my kids, I would have a great time.

True enough, after being enchanted, and laughing together with everyone in the cinema, I was able to enjoy the whole movie for once, at long last. No Q & A, no fighting for popcorn, no toilet breaks, lots of laugh, loads of humour, kungfu in every other scene, nice atmosphere, .... Ah ... satisfied. Oh, I love movies.