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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated The Lion King (2019) in Movies
Jul 19, 2019 (Updated Jul 19, 2019)
If this is where the monarchy is headed Count me out!
Lion king 2019 is by far the worst of the Disney live action remakes & while newcomers/children will certainly love it many of the people that hold the original close to their hearts will leave wishing they had just stayed home with the far superior predecessor instead. Aladdin & The Lion King are two of the greatest animated feature films of all time & as I experienced them both in cinema on release they are very special to me. Now i loved the Aladdin remake & im not one for comparing these to the animated features but while I was watching this all i could think about was how much better the original is. While it looks absolutely gorgeous (until anything starts to move) the animation at times is so unnatural especially when animals are walking slowly that its constantly distracting & kills the illusion of these creatures being real. Voice work is bland/mediocre & delivered with almost no enthusiasm at all like the cast were more concerned with sounding different to the original than giving the characters charm & personality. Voices also dont feel connected to the characters like your watching a nature documentary thats been dubbed over. While Aladdin did its own thing & changed up the movie Lion King is practically & infuriatingly a scene for scene remake which would be ok if it had the charm, colour, grand scale, imagination, excitement, thrill, humour & emotional impact of the original but it doesnt. Songs are butchered/dull with seemingly no energy or spectacle to them at all feeling significantly toned down/grounded rather than fun & toe tapping (they have also ruined 'Be Prepared'). So whats new? theres new humour & yup you guessed it its really bad with awkward timing & dragged out jokes that just fall flat. I wanted so bad to love this movie but not even a scense of nostalgia kicked in either because the film is just soulless, unenthusiastic, boring, bland, lacking in excitement & magic. Kids will no doubt love it but for me its this years biggest let down. If it were a silent film with an epic score over the top it might of at least been unique/watchable & helped be bearable but as it is I just cant recomend seeing it. A big fat cash grab.
TA
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David McK (3475 KP) rated Mulan (2020) in Movies
Aug 22, 2023
Aladdin.
Beauty and the Beast.
Cinderella.
The Jungle Book.
The Lion King.
Pinnochio
And Mulan.
What do they all have in common? Answer: they're all live action reimaginings of animated movies.
From that aforementioned list, this is also the only one I haven't actually seen the original of, so can't really compare (except I know the original had Eddie Murphy voicing a character), and that the basic plot is about a girl pretending to be a bloke to join the Imperial army.
This also actually had more mystical/magical elements in it than I was expecting for a live action movie, what with the whole 'witch' turning into birds thing and the Phoenix, but was also curiously 'dead' and not really all that involving.
Beauty and the Beast.
Cinderella.
The Jungle Book.
The Lion King.
Pinnochio
And Mulan.
What do they all have in common? Answer: they're all live action reimaginings of animated movies.
From that aforementioned list, this is also the only one I haven't actually seen the original of, so can't really compare (except I know the original had Eddie Murphy voicing a character), and that the basic plot is about a girl pretending to be a bloke to join the Imperial army.
This also actually had more mystical/magical elements in it than I was expecting for a live action movie, what with the whole 'witch' turning into birds thing and the Phoenix, but was also curiously 'dead' and not really all that involving.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Aladdin (2019) in Movies
Jan 28, 2020
Pleasantly Surprising
As I've mentioned before, I grew up during the 90s, and therefore, the Disney movies I have the fondest memories of run between Beauty & the Beast and Mulan. The original Aladdin's release in 1992 places it firmly it that era, and as such, is one that I lived as a kid. Couple this with the fact that I haven't particularly liked any of the live action Disney remakes so far, and this was one I was prepared to loathe.
But, dammit, Guy Ritchie wasn't going to let that happen! Aladdin is an adaption that is full with to the brim with positives.
The cast for one thing. Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott (as Aladdin and Jasmine) are likeable leads and carry the main bulk of the story with minimal effort. They share good chemistry and are instantly charming.
Will Smith was obviously the big talking point before the films release. I though he did a great job at bringing Genie to life. He doesn't try to imitate what Robin Williams did back in 1992, and manages to stop short of turning into a full blown Will Smith vehicle, and this results in a respectful and fun portrayal of one of Disney's most beloved characters.
Jafar (Marwan Kenzari) was fine - he never really goes full Disney villain and felt quite subdued. Both a little underwhelming, but maybe a bit more grounded?
Even the CGI characters of Apu and The Magic Carpet have a respectable amount of personality!
The CGI is actually (and maybe predictably) where one of the few negatives stems from. The CG effects use in Will Smith when he's in full blown genie mode are pretty jarring at first. I feel myself getting used to it, and accepting that it actually looked fine seeing as he is a magical being and all, but then there another close up of his face and it's terrifying again. The infamous carpet ride hand a few dodgy moments as well, but other than that, it was all pretty good. The wider shots of Agrabar looked stunning and full of colour, and the film is gorgeous looking for the most part.
I've also mentioned before that I'm not a massive musical fan, but the nostalgia in me give films like Aladdin a bit of a pass. The songs here are all fine (if you ignore the autotune here and there) and the cast all seem like they can sing mostly unaided. I didn't care much for the new song they put in - it absolutely reeked of Frozen, right down to Jasmine's posturing - and added nothing to the narrative, even if the message is an empowering one.
The film also gets a bit carried away during the pre-credits, with it's reliance on the audiences tolerance for the songs.
Other than that handful of gripes, I would say that Aladdin is safely the best of the bunch so far when it comes to these live action Disney remakes. It actually feels like that cast and crew care about what they're doing, and it's doesn't come across as a money grab anywhere near as much as say The Lion King.
If you haven't yet given it a chance due to your fondness for the original, try not to worry about that and enjoy it for what it is. It could have been a lot worse!
But, dammit, Guy Ritchie wasn't going to let that happen! Aladdin is an adaption that is full with to the brim with positives.
The cast for one thing. Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott (as Aladdin and Jasmine) are likeable leads and carry the main bulk of the story with minimal effort. They share good chemistry and are instantly charming.
Will Smith was obviously the big talking point before the films release. I though he did a great job at bringing Genie to life. He doesn't try to imitate what Robin Williams did back in 1992, and manages to stop short of turning into a full blown Will Smith vehicle, and this results in a respectful and fun portrayal of one of Disney's most beloved characters.
Jafar (Marwan Kenzari) was fine - he never really goes full Disney villain and felt quite subdued. Both a little underwhelming, but maybe a bit more grounded?
Even the CGI characters of Apu and The Magic Carpet have a respectable amount of personality!
The CGI is actually (and maybe predictably) where one of the few negatives stems from. The CG effects use in Will Smith when he's in full blown genie mode are pretty jarring at first. I feel myself getting used to it, and accepting that it actually looked fine seeing as he is a magical being and all, but then there another close up of his face and it's terrifying again. The infamous carpet ride hand a few dodgy moments as well, but other than that, it was all pretty good. The wider shots of Agrabar looked stunning and full of colour, and the film is gorgeous looking for the most part.
I've also mentioned before that I'm not a massive musical fan, but the nostalgia in me give films like Aladdin a bit of a pass. The songs here are all fine (if you ignore the autotune here and there) and the cast all seem like they can sing mostly unaided. I didn't care much for the new song they put in - it absolutely reeked of Frozen, right down to Jasmine's posturing - and added nothing to the narrative, even if the message is an empowering one.
The film also gets a bit carried away during the pre-credits, with it's reliance on the audiences tolerance for the songs.
Other than that handful of gripes, I would say that Aladdin is safely the best of the bunch so far when it comes to these live action Disney remakes. It actually feels like that cast and crew care about what they're doing, and it's doesn't come across as a money grab anywhere near as much as say The Lion King.
If you haven't yet given it a chance due to your fondness for the original, try not to worry about that and enjoy it for what it is. It could have been a lot worse!
Erika (17789 KP) rated Mary Poppins Returns (2018) in Movies
Dec 22, 2018 (Updated Dec 22, 2018)
A sequel no one asked for, but Disney was going to give it to us whether we wanted it or not...
Unnecessary is the main word I would use to describe this film. Mary Poppins (1964) is actually practically perfect in every way, like the lady herself; and anything to follow was going to pale in comparison. Maybe I would have been more tolerant if Christopher Robin hadn't had an extremely similar plot, but I was honestly just counting down the minutes until it was over.
The music was ok, I guess, sufficient. I just can't believe Emily Blunt in period pieces, she has a face that knows about text messaging (I am a huge Blunt fan, btw). I'm glad Disney decided to keep the whole, American doing the crappiest Cockney accent thing going. I get why they chose Lin-Manuel Miranda, he's very entertaining, and I know he did that Hamilton thing (zero interest in that). The only parts I loved him in was when he was just dancing, no singing with the bad accent. The lamplighter song was by far the best out of the lot.
In the end, I've seen this same movie several times. I'm really doubting whether I want to see Aladdin, and I'll never give Disney my money again for a remake/sequel to a classic film (aside from possibly Aladdin).
Honestly, I don't know who would actually love this film. Who was it even made for? I think the reason they want everyone to see it the first weekend is so it doesn't get around how just ok the film was.
The music was ok, I guess, sufficient. I just can't believe Emily Blunt in period pieces, she has a face that knows about text messaging (I am a huge Blunt fan, btw). I'm glad Disney decided to keep the whole, American doing the crappiest Cockney accent thing going. I get why they chose Lin-Manuel Miranda, he's very entertaining, and I know he did that Hamilton thing (zero interest in that). The only parts I loved him in was when he was just dancing, no singing with the bad accent. The lamplighter song was by far the best out of the lot.
In the end, I've seen this same movie several times. I'm really doubting whether I want to see Aladdin, and I'll never give Disney my money again for a remake/sequel to a classic film (aside from possibly Aladdin).
Honestly, I don't know who would actually love this film. Who was it even made for? I think the reason they want everyone to see it the first weekend is so it doesn't get around how just ok the film was.
David McK (3475 KP) rated Arabian Nights Volume One in Books
May 7, 2020
"Arabian nights, like Arabian days,
more often than not
Are hotter than hot
In a lot of god ways …"
(Sorry, that's from Aladdin …)
Audible's full-cast dramatization of several Arabian folk-tales, this covers:
1) the set-up for the telling of the tales (Scheherazade telling her Sultan the tales each night so she won't be beheaded!)
2) the tale of Ali-Baba and the 40 thieves
3) Julnar of the Sea
While I was knew of the first and (more famously) the second above, I probably couldn't have told you the full ins and outs of the stories until now; only a general outline of what happened. I have to admit, also, that Julnar of the Sea was completely new to me.
Now to pick up Volume Two (Sinbad the Sailor) ...
more often than not
Are hotter than hot
In a lot of god ways …"
(Sorry, that's from Aladdin …)
Audible's full-cast dramatization of several Arabian folk-tales, this covers:
1) the set-up for the telling of the tales (Scheherazade telling her Sultan the tales each night so she won't be beheaded!)
2) the tale of Ali-Baba and the 40 thieves
3) Julnar of the Sea
While I was knew of the first and (more famously) the second above, I probably couldn't have told you the full ins and outs of the stories until now; only a general outline of what happened. I have to admit, also, that Julnar of the Sea was completely new to me.
Now to pick up Volume Two (Sinbad the Sailor) ...
Nick Rhodes recommended Aladdin Sane by David Bowie in Music (curated)
Glen Banyard (13 KP) rated Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019) in Movies
May 12, 2019
Predictable plot (1 more)
Forced humour
Pika Pika
Pokemon is a global brand spanning cartoon, cards, animated films, video games and now a live film, well as live as you can get with imaginary creatures.
Watched in 3D, it really didn't bring anything extra to film.
The plot is pretty much by the numbers and suffers from being horribly predictable, this most likely due to being aimed at a much younger demographic. Bill Nighy really got license to over act his heart out and it shows, in his somewhat limited screen time.
Will it spawn a sequel, possibly, only time will tell as it's launched at difficult time with Endgame still massing larger viewings and Aladdin and John Wick 3 releasing in the next 10 days, it may get squashed to limited performances quickly.
Watched in 3D, it really didn't bring anything extra to film.
The plot is pretty much by the numbers and suffers from being horribly predictable, this most likely due to being aimed at a much younger demographic. Bill Nighy really got license to over act his heart out and it shows, in his somewhat limited screen time.
Will it spawn a sequel, possibly, only time will tell as it's launched at difficult time with Endgame still massing larger viewings and Aladdin and John Wick 3 releasing in the next 10 days, it may get squashed to limited performances quickly.