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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (2006) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
It has been almost four years since audiences last embraced the animated misadventures of a pack of prehistoric animals in the runaway smash Ice Age.
As the calendar moves into spring the multiplexes throughout the land prepare to welcome the arrival of the early summer season films which like the warming of spring also indicates a warming at the box office as scores of moviegoers look forward to the latest releases which often contain a fair number of sequels.
In the new film, Ice Age 2: The Meltdown things are going well for the animals as they frolic the days away in a scenic glacier. Sid (John Leguizamo) has taken it upon himself to open a camp for younger animals much to the dismay of his friends Manny (Ray Romano), and Diego (Denis Leary).
Things take a turn for the worse when a rapidly warming environment threatens to melt the ice and flood the valley which results in a mass migration of the animals to a new locale where they will be safe from the flooding.
Along the way, Manny, Diego, and Sid encounter an odd trio of refugees, a family of possums. What makes this family different is that one of the possums named Ellie (Queen Latifah) is actually a Mammoth who thinks she is a possum after she was taken in at an early age by the two brothers Crash (Seann William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck).
Along the way this eclectic band of creatures must bond with one another as they face all manner of obstacles ranging from the elements to dangerous animals and the growing bond/tensions between Manny and Ellie who Manny fears may be the last two mammoths left.
Of course it would not be an Ice Age film without the misadventures of Scrat, the loveable squirrel from the first film who is still trying desperately to secure his beloved acorn and has all manner of misadventures as a result. As good as the other characters are the comedic interludes with Scrat are the funniest moments in the film which is saying something as there are many, many shining moments in the film.
The animation is first rate and is greatly improved from the first film as the animal’s now show greater texture and motion in their furs as well as a realistic weight transfer when they walk.
While this is not vital to the film, it does show a level of attention and detail that infuses the film with a vitality and flair not often shown in family entertainment that did not come from Disney.
Fox is at the top of their game, and “Ice Age: The Meltdown” is a further reminder that Disney no longer has a lock on animated family classics as this is a film that will delight viewers of all ages.
As the calendar moves into spring the multiplexes throughout the land prepare to welcome the arrival of the early summer season films which like the warming of spring also indicates a warming at the box office as scores of moviegoers look forward to the latest releases which often contain a fair number of sequels.
In the new film, Ice Age 2: The Meltdown things are going well for the animals as they frolic the days away in a scenic glacier. Sid (John Leguizamo) has taken it upon himself to open a camp for younger animals much to the dismay of his friends Manny (Ray Romano), and Diego (Denis Leary).
Things take a turn for the worse when a rapidly warming environment threatens to melt the ice and flood the valley which results in a mass migration of the animals to a new locale where they will be safe from the flooding.
Along the way, Manny, Diego, and Sid encounter an odd trio of refugees, a family of possums. What makes this family different is that one of the possums named Ellie (Queen Latifah) is actually a Mammoth who thinks she is a possum after she was taken in at an early age by the two brothers Crash (Seann William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck).
Along the way this eclectic band of creatures must bond with one another as they face all manner of obstacles ranging from the elements to dangerous animals and the growing bond/tensions between Manny and Ellie who Manny fears may be the last two mammoths left.
Of course it would not be an Ice Age film without the misadventures of Scrat, the loveable squirrel from the first film who is still trying desperately to secure his beloved acorn and has all manner of misadventures as a result. As good as the other characters are the comedic interludes with Scrat are the funniest moments in the film which is saying something as there are many, many shining moments in the film.
The animation is first rate and is greatly improved from the first film as the animal’s now show greater texture and motion in their furs as well as a realistic weight transfer when they walk.
While this is not vital to the film, it does show a level of attention and detail that infuses the film with a vitality and flair not often shown in family entertainment that did not come from Disney.
Fox is at the top of their game, and “Ice Age: The Meltdown” is a further reminder that Disney no longer has a lock on animated family classics as this is a film that will delight viewers of all ages.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Missing Link (2019) in Movies
Jan 21, 2020
Despite being a huge fan of Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings, I'd managed to miss out on Missing Link, the latest movie from stop-motion masters Laika, last year when it was originally shown in cinemas. Having recently won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film, and on the receiving end of a number of other nominations, including an Oscar nom for Best Animated Feature, I was very happy to discover (by chance!) that it had now made its way onto Netflix.
Missing Link is set in Victorian England and tells the story of Sir Lionel Frost (voiced by Hugh Jackman), an adventurer with a passion for exploration and the discovery of mythical creatures. When we first meet Sir Lionel, he is on a small boat with his assistant, hoping to obtain photographic evidence of the existence of the elusive Loch Ness monster. Such evidence would hopefully grant him membership to the exclusive "Society of Great Men", which is run by Lord Piggot-Dunceby (Stephen Fry). Unfortunately, despite Nessie making an appearance to Frost, things don't quite go according to plan and he returns home without any evidence. And in need of a new assistant!
Another shot at entry into the society comes in the form of a letter, which is addressed to Frost on his return home to London. The letter describes the legendary Sasquatch and tells of sightings in the Pacific Northwest so Frost immediately makes a deal with Piggot-Dunceby that will see him accepted should he return with proof that the Sasquatch is real. But Piggot-Dunceby has no such plans to admit Frost and enlists the services of an assassin (Timothy Olyphant) to follow and eliminate him before he gets chance to make it back to England.
When Frost eventually arrives in the forest, he not only discovers the Sasquatch, but also that the Sasquatch can talk and was in fact the one who sent the letter! Sir Lionel names him "Mr. Link" and learns that he just wanted his help in finding his relatives, the Yetis who live in the Himalayas. They join forces and set off, back across America, across the Ocean and across Europe, all the while trying to avoid and outwit the deadly assassin.
Missing Link is more vibrant, more detailed and exhibits a much smoother animation style than any of the previous movies from Laika. It is an outstanding achievement from everyone involved and I am always in awe whenever I see the behind the scenes making of videos from Laika. However, despite looking amazing and featuring some very funny moments from a talented and on-form voice cast, I found Missing Link to the be the weakest in terms of story when compared to Coraline and Kubo. It's certainly not a bad movie, it just didn't grab me at any point, and I didn't feel it was particularly memorable when I'd finished it either.
Missing Link is set in Victorian England and tells the story of Sir Lionel Frost (voiced by Hugh Jackman), an adventurer with a passion for exploration and the discovery of mythical creatures. When we first meet Sir Lionel, he is on a small boat with his assistant, hoping to obtain photographic evidence of the existence of the elusive Loch Ness monster. Such evidence would hopefully grant him membership to the exclusive "Society of Great Men", which is run by Lord Piggot-Dunceby (Stephen Fry). Unfortunately, despite Nessie making an appearance to Frost, things don't quite go according to plan and he returns home without any evidence. And in need of a new assistant!
Another shot at entry into the society comes in the form of a letter, which is addressed to Frost on his return home to London. The letter describes the legendary Sasquatch and tells of sightings in the Pacific Northwest so Frost immediately makes a deal with Piggot-Dunceby that will see him accepted should he return with proof that the Sasquatch is real. But Piggot-Dunceby has no such plans to admit Frost and enlists the services of an assassin (Timothy Olyphant) to follow and eliminate him before he gets chance to make it back to England.
When Frost eventually arrives in the forest, he not only discovers the Sasquatch, but also that the Sasquatch can talk and was in fact the one who sent the letter! Sir Lionel names him "Mr. Link" and learns that he just wanted his help in finding his relatives, the Yetis who live in the Himalayas. They join forces and set off, back across America, across the Ocean and across Europe, all the while trying to avoid and outwit the deadly assassin.
Missing Link is more vibrant, more detailed and exhibits a much smoother animation style than any of the previous movies from Laika. It is an outstanding achievement from everyone involved and I am always in awe whenever I see the behind the scenes making of videos from Laika. However, despite looking amazing and featuring some very funny moments from a talented and on-form voice cast, I found Missing Link to the be the weakest in terms of story when compared to Coraline and Kubo. It's certainly not a bad movie, it just didn't grab me at any point, and I didn't feel it was particularly memorable when I'd finished it either.
Cinderella Fairy Tale Dress Up and Storybook HD
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Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated The Lion King (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
Return of The King
The Lion King is a 2019 computer-animated musical movie directed and produced by Jon Favreau. It was written by Jeff Nathanson, and produced by Fairview Entertainment and Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film stars Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Beyonce and James Earl Jones.
King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and Queen Sarabi rule over the animal kingdom with their pride of lions from Pride Rock, in the African Pride Lands. Things change with the birth of their son, Simba, the new Prince. Mufasa's younger brother, and former heir to the throne, Scar, covets the throne and plots to eliminate Mufasa and Simba, so he may become king. The battle for Pride Rock is filled with betrayal, tragedy and drama and circumstances are forever changed after the events of the stampede.
This movie was really good, but of course it was. The original Lion King was one of Disney's best animated films to date. There was a lot of build up to the release of this movie, with fans every anticipating when they could finally see this story on the big screen again. Jon Favreau did not disappoint, but there was a lot of negativity and bad review scores when it first released. I think the big problem was that in all the previews/trailers leading up to the movie coming out showed how realistic the animals looked and how they were able to recreate iconic scenes in stunning state of the art CGI, but they never showed the animals talking or singing. This for me made it difficult to get fully immersed in the film when the very realistic animals began talking and singing, but eventually it went away or I got used to it a couple minutes into the movie. Also they changed very little in this remake and it was almost literally a shot for shot or scene for scene recreation of the original Lion King, which I think bothered the critics. I personally liked little changes they made that I felt made the movie just a little bit better, like the dialogue between Mufasa's and Scar implying Mufasa's gave him the scar, Zimbabwe catching up with Nala for the journey back to Pride Rock, and Nala leading the female lions in the fight against the hyenas. I also thought it was cool how they made it more clear that one of the hyenas was the leader and it was the female and the scene where Scar makes the deal with them. Overall though I feel like they could have shown more emotion in the animals if they had chosen a style that was so detailed to look so realistic. I give this movie a 7/10. It is worth watching for nostalgia and to see it in theaters is a treat, especially when getting children or younger family members to see it for the first time, but the original is still the better film.
King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and Queen Sarabi rule over the animal kingdom with their pride of lions from Pride Rock, in the African Pride Lands. Things change with the birth of their son, Simba, the new Prince. Mufasa's younger brother, and former heir to the throne, Scar, covets the throne and plots to eliminate Mufasa and Simba, so he may become king. The battle for Pride Rock is filled with betrayal, tragedy and drama and circumstances are forever changed after the events of the stampede.
This movie was really good, but of course it was. The original Lion King was one of Disney's best animated films to date. There was a lot of build up to the release of this movie, with fans every anticipating when they could finally see this story on the big screen again. Jon Favreau did not disappoint, but there was a lot of negativity and bad review scores when it first released. I think the big problem was that in all the previews/trailers leading up to the movie coming out showed how realistic the animals looked and how they were able to recreate iconic scenes in stunning state of the art CGI, but they never showed the animals talking or singing. This for me made it difficult to get fully immersed in the film when the very realistic animals began talking and singing, but eventually it went away or I got used to it a couple minutes into the movie. Also they changed very little in this remake and it was almost literally a shot for shot or scene for scene recreation of the original Lion King, which I think bothered the critics. I personally liked little changes they made that I felt made the movie just a little bit better, like the dialogue between Mufasa's and Scar implying Mufasa's gave him the scar, Zimbabwe catching up with Nala for the journey back to Pride Rock, and Nala leading the female lions in the fight against the hyenas. I also thought it was cool how they made it more clear that one of the hyenas was the leader and it was the female and the scene where Scar makes the deal with them. Overall though I feel like they could have shown more emotion in the animals if they had chosen a style that was so detailed to look so realistic. I give this movie a 7/10. It is worth watching for nostalgia and to see it in theaters is a treat, especially when getting children or younger family members to see it for the first time, but the original is still the better film.
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated X-Force, Volume 1: Angels And Demons in Books
Nov 30, 2020
When X-FORCE relaunched in 2009, I was on board for the first couple issues. Clayton Crain's sombre-hued, v art was perfectly suited to the new incarnation of the team: essentially, they were being re-crafted as a mutant Black Ops team. This was the book that got me into the character of Laura Kinney/X-23, and since that time, I have gobbled everything related to her backstory (both the well-written stuff and the not-so-well-written stuff).
Unfortunately, I was trying to read X-FORCE at a darker point (no pun intended) in my life. Long story short, I dropped the series after the third issue.
Fast forward to now.. I am at a better place mentally/emotionally (for the most part. Some days are better/worse than others). In I went, gobbling it up at a brisker pace than I could have imagined, bearing witness to a hitherto unheard of trail of carnage in an X-related book!
Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost were responsible for the creation of the character of X-23, where she first appeared in the animated series X-MEN: EVOLUTION back in the early 2000's, so I had an inkling of what to expect. However, the animated series was tame as heck compared what went down. If you have had the opportunity to see the movie LOGAN, it was that kind of intensity that was going on in these pages!
From the start, it was a team that Logan did not believe in, and he told Cyclops that in so many words (and a punch to the jaw!). However, as Cyclops told him, these are dark times, and to combat what is about to come, a "no rules" team, one that would be off-the-books is necessary! Logan does not agree with the team as whole, but he goes along with their first mission, as he feels the need to keep an eye on them, as well as watching out for Laura (Cyclops' assigning her to the team earns him the sock on the jaw!).
A lot of blood, a boatload of hurt, and a whole lot of things you mostly likely will not be able to unseen. All in the name of making it safe to be a mutant!
Kyle and Yost's characterizations are spot on, never wavering or disappointing. The characterization for Logan is particularly good, as are that of the Purifiers, the series', and mutantkind's, Big Bad. From the art to the writing, everything about this book, and clearly the series as a whole, is one hundred percent!
I won't lie, this is probably one of the darkest X-books you will ever read! The only one darker that I can think of is OLD MAN LOGAN. However, if you can handle angst-heavy, zero happy endings, then this is definitely for you! I can't recommend it enough!
Unfortunately, I was trying to read X-FORCE at a darker point (no pun intended) in my life. Long story short, I dropped the series after the third issue.
Fast forward to now.. I am at a better place mentally/emotionally (for the most part. Some days are better/worse than others). In I went, gobbling it up at a brisker pace than I could have imagined, bearing witness to a hitherto unheard of trail of carnage in an X-related book!
Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost were responsible for the creation of the character of X-23, where she first appeared in the animated series X-MEN: EVOLUTION back in the early 2000's, so I had an inkling of what to expect. However, the animated series was tame as heck compared what went down. If you have had the opportunity to see the movie LOGAN, it was that kind of intensity that was going on in these pages!
From the start, it was a team that Logan did not believe in, and he told Cyclops that in so many words (and a punch to the jaw!). However, as Cyclops told him, these are dark times, and to combat what is about to come, a "no rules" team, one that would be off-the-books is necessary! Logan does not agree with the team as whole, but he goes along with their first mission, as he feels the need to keep an eye on them, as well as watching out for Laura (Cyclops' assigning her to the team earns him the sock on the jaw!).
A lot of blood, a boatload of hurt, and a whole lot of things you mostly likely will not be able to unseen. All in the name of making it safe to be a mutant!
Kyle and Yost's characterizations are spot on, never wavering or disappointing. The characterization for Logan is particularly good, as are that of the Purifiers, the series', and mutantkind's, Big Bad. From the art to the writing, everything about this book, and clearly the series as a whole, is one hundred percent!
I won't lie, this is probably one of the darkest X-books you will ever read! The only one darker that I can think of is OLD MAN LOGAN. However, if you can handle angst-heavy, zero happy endings, then this is definitely for you! I can't recommend it enough!
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