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Weaphones WW2: Firearms Simulator Free
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Experience the weapons of World War II like never before. Weaphones WW2 Free Edition redefines what...
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) in Movies
Mar 1, 2021
In a magical land known as Kumandra; Humans and Dragons co-exist in harmony. When a threat in the form of creatures known as Druun arrive and threaten to destroy everything; the Dragons combine their power to defeat them but in doing so all but one of the Dragons remains.
In the new Disney animated film “Raya and the Last Dragon”; audiences are introduced to the narrative of the story by Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), who tells that the world has become fractured and she is to blame. A sacred relic that the Dragons used to Defeat the Druun has given her kingdom prosperity but the surrounding kingdoms all named after various parts of a Dragon are envious of their position.
When Raya’s father Chief Benja (Daniel Dae Kim); attempts to unite the other kingdoms, a tragic betrayal results in the relic becoming fractured with each kingdom taking a fragment. As if this situation was not bad enough; the fracturing of the relic ushers in the return of the Druun and they quickly resume turning everything not protected by a barrier of water to stone.
The story then jumps years into the future where Raya and her faithful companion Tuk Tuk (Alan TudyK) are searching the rivers of the kingdoms in an effort to find the location where the last Dragon Sisu (Awkwafina) is rumored to have been sleeping for 500 years.
Raya is eventually able to locate Sisu who is a very playful and animated creature and the two set off to save the day by obtaining the missing fragments through any means necessary. Naturally, their journey will be filled with dangers, adventure, and humor, as the various kingdoms have their own unique visual style and characters; some of whom join with Raya on her quest to provide much-needed support, perspective, and at times; humor.
The movie is visually amazing as the artists clearly were inspired to create a world that combines elements of many Asian cultures yet has its own unique traits. I marveled at the details of the water and ripples and how the railings on a boat showed uneven discoloration and wear in just a casual scene where the characters talked. It is this attention to detail that really adds to the magic of the film as well as the immersion into fantasy.
The supporting cast was great and there are some characters I do not wish to spoil who practically steals every scene in which they are in. My wife and I were captivated from the very start as Disney has created a film that embodies much of their classic themes and yet expands upon them to create a film the entire family will enjoy.
The movie will be released in cinemas and via a paid option for Disney+ subscribers. We attended a press screening at a cinema; our first in almost a year and found the setup to be very safe and it was amazing to see such visual splendor on a big screen.
Disney has once again created a new classic and has given audiences the magic that they are known for at a time when it is most needed.
4 stars out of 5.
In the new Disney animated film “Raya and the Last Dragon”; audiences are introduced to the narrative of the story by Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), who tells that the world has become fractured and she is to blame. A sacred relic that the Dragons used to Defeat the Druun has given her kingdom prosperity but the surrounding kingdoms all named after various parts of a Dragon are envious of their position.
When Raya’s father Chief Benja (Daniel Dae Kim); attempts to unite the other kingdoms, a tragic betrayal results in the relic becoming fractured with each kingdom taking a fragment. As if this situation was not bad enough; the fracturing of the relic ushers in the return of the Druun and they quickly resume turning everything not protected by a barrier of water to stone.
The story then jumps years into the future where Raya and her faithful companion Tuk Tuk (Alan TudyK) are searching the rivers of the kingdoms in an effort to find the location where the last Dragon Sisu (Awkwafina) is rumored to have been sleeping for 500 years.
Raya is eventually able to locate Sisu who is a very playful and animated creature and the two set off to save the day by obtaining the missing fragments through any means necessary. Naturally, their journey will be filled with dangers, adventure, and humor, as the various kingdoms have their own unique visual style and characters; some of whom join with Raya on her quest to provide much-needed support, perspective, and at times; humor.
The movie is visually amazing as the artists clearly were inspired to create a world that combines elements of many Asian cultures yet has its own unique traits. I marveled at the details of the water and ripples and how the railings on a boat showed uneven discoloration and wear in just a casual scene where the characters talked. It is this attention to detail that really adds to the magic of the film as well as the immersion into fantasy.
The supporting cast was great and there are some characters I do not wish to spoil who practically steals every scene in which they are in. My wife and I were captivated from the very start as Disney has created a film that embodies much of their classic themes and yet expands upon them to create a film the entire family will enjoy.
The movie will be released in cinemas and via a paid option for Disney+ subscribers. We attended a press screening at a cinema; our first in almost a year and found the setup to be very safe and it was amazing to see such visual splendor on a big screen.
Disney has once again created a new classic and has given audiences the magic that they are known for at a time when it is most needed.
4 stars out of 5.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Away (2019) in Movies
Jan 6, 2021
Away is a multi-award-winning animation, single-handedly created by Latvian filmmaker and animator Gints Zilbalodis on a shoestring budget. It has earned a 100% fresh rating on rotten tomatoes, and in what now appears to be something of a regular occurrence for me, it turned out to be yet another movie that I absolutely loved but, I am sorry to say, I had never even heard of beforehand.
The plot of Away is a very modest one. Opening with a young man, hanging by his parachute from a lone tree that stands in a vast, desolate landscape, we see a tall, dark spirit-like figure slowly approaching. The spirit wraps itself around the boy, but as we discover later on throughout the movie, it’s not a hug that the monster is trying to administer. Breaking free of its hold, the boy runs away, with the spirit in slow pursuit, until he arrives at an opening for a forest oasis. The spirit remains standing at the opening, either unwilling or unable to enter, allowing the boy time to rest and recover. He drinks from the river, eats the fruit from the trees, swims and even makes friends with a small bird, all the while taking in the beautiful scenery.
He discovers an abandoned motorcycle and a backpack containing a map of the large island he finds himself on, along with a compass, a water bottle and keys to the motorcycle. Spotting what looks like some kind of harbour at the other side of the island, the boy sets off on the bike, past the tall spirit and off on the long journey through ever-changing and beautiful landscapes in order to reach his destination and discover what awaits him. The dark spirit immediately begins his slow pursuit, lumbering slowly after the boy with determination, like some kind of Terminator.
What follows can only be described as a series of scenes that are just animated, zen-like bliss. Not a single word is spoken throughout Away, leaving the beautiful visuals and meditative music to do all of the work, reminding me of The Red Turtle, another movie which surprised and entertained me. Director, writer, producer, animator and film score creator Gints Zilbalodis worked on Away for three and a half years, writing the story, creating the beautifully animated landscapes and characters, and composing and recording the enchanting music. There are occasional moments of tension and peril, but other than that I haven’t felt so calm and relaxed by a movie in a very long time.
Along the way, we learn of the plane crash which resulted in the boy finding himself alone on the island. But is he in some kind of Lost style remote island purgatory? And what’s the deal with his pursuer? What awaits him on the other side of the island? Well, while the storyline may be a little lacking in places, and may struggle to hold the interest of some, it really didn’t matter to me when it was presented as beautifully as this.
The plot of Away is a very modest one. Opening with a young man, hanging by his parachute from a lone tree that stands in a vast, desolate landscape, we see a tall, dark spirit-like figure slowly approaching. The spirit wraps itself around the boy, but as we discover later on throughout the movie, it’s not a hug that the monster is trying to administer. Breaking free of its hold, the boy runs away, with the spirit in slow pursuit, until he arrives at an opening for a forest oasis. The spirit remains standing at the opening, either unwilling or unable to enter, allowing the boy time to rest and recover. He drinks from the river, eats the fruit from the trees, swims and even makes friends with a small bird, all the while taking in the beautiful scenery.
He discovers an abandoned motorcycle and a backpack containing a map of the large island he finds himself on, along with a compass, a water bottle and keys to the motorcycle. Spotting what looks like some kind of harbour at the other side of the island, the boy sets off on the bike, past the tall spirit and off on the long journey through ever-changing and beautiful landscapes in order to reach his destination and discover what awaits him. The dark spirit immediately begins his slow pursuit, lumbering slowly after the boy with determination, like some kind of Terminator.
What follows can only be described as a series of scenes that are just animated, zen-like bliss. Not a single word is spoken throughout Away, leaving the beautiful visuals and meditative music to do all of the work, reminding me of The Red Turtle, another movie which surprised and entertained me. Director, writer, producer, animator and film score creator Gints Zilbalodis worked on Away for three and a half years, writing the story, creating the beautifully animated landscapes and characters, and composing and recording the enchanting music. There are occasional moments of tension and peril, but other than that I haven’t felt so calm and relaxed by a movie in a very long time.
Along the way, we learn of the plane crash which resulted in the boy finding himself alone on the island. But is he in some kind of Lost style remote island purgatory? And what’s the deal with his pursuer? What awaits him on the other side of the island? Well, while the storyline may be a little lacking in places, and may struggle to hold the interest of some, it really didn’t matter to me when it was presented as beautifully as this.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Wolfwalkers (2020) in Movies
Oct 12, 2020
Wolfwalkers is the latest animated offering from Irish based studio, Cartoon Saloon. I’m actually ashamed to say that before watching Wolfwalkers, I was pretty unfamiliar with their previous Irish folklore offerings - The Secret of Kells (2009) and Song of the Sea (2014) - but having seen this latest animated feature, it’s a mistake that I will be looking to correct as quickly as possible.
Wolfwalkers is set in Kilkenny, Ireland (which is also the home of Cartoon Saloon!) during the 17th century. Robyn (Honor Kneafsey) has moved from Yorkshire with her father, Bill (Sean Bean) to the walled town, where Bill has been tasked by the rather menacing Lord Protector (Simon McBurney) to clear the surrounding forest of wolves. Once the forest is clear, the woodsmen can fell the trees and the farmers can start working the land.
There are signs everywhere, throughout the town and pinned to trees in the forest, showing a snarling wolf with a red cross drawn over it. A wolf attack on some woodsmen early on shows us just how dangerous the wolves are, and also introduces us to the Wolfwalkers that walk among them. With blazing eyes and fiery red hair, the Wolfwalkers are able to communicate with and control the wolves, calling them off their attacks on the humans. They also appear to possess magical healing abilities, using them to heal a wolf scratch on the chest of one of the men.
Robyn has dreams of following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a hunter as she practices her crossbow skills. So rather than work all day in the scullery, she decides to slip past the guards at the outer gate (no children are allowed beyond the town walls) and secretly follow her father out into the forest, watching him as he sets traps for the wolves. When she comes face to face with a wolf, it’s much smaller and a lot cuter than the ones we’ve seen before, and Robyn learns that it is, in fact, a young Wolfwalker named Mebh.
Robyn forms a bond with Mebh and discovers that when the Wolfwalkers sleep, they assume the body of a wolf, leaving their human body to sleep until they return in order to wake it up. Mebh is worried because her mother has been asleep for some time and her wolf form has not yet returned. Robyn learns that the Wolfwalkers are simply trying to defend the animals from the modern world that is encroaching on their forest and Robyn vows to help find her mother. A difficult task when the Lord Protector has given her father 2 days to clear the forest of wolves, and he isn’t listening to his daughter as she pleads with him to stop.
I found Wolfwalkers to be simply wonderful, with a captivating story full of twist and turns for both kids and adults to enjoy. It’s beautiful to look at too, utilising a watercolour style with rough pencil sketches visible in most of the characters and scenery only adding to its visual appeal. I was completely taken by surprise and just couldn’t fault it.
Wolfwalkers is set in Kilkenny, Ireland (which is also the home of Cartoon Saloon!) during the 17th century. Robyn (Honor Kneafsey) has moved from Yorkshire with her father, Bill (Sean Bean) to the walled town, where Bill has been tasked by the rather menacing Lord Protector (Simon McBurney) to clear the surrounding forest of wolves. Once the forest is clear, the woodsmen can fell the trees and the farmers can start working the land.
There are signs everywhere, throughout the town and pinned to trees in the forest, showing a snarling wolf with a red cross drawn over it. A wolf attack on some woodsmen early on shows us just how dangerous the wolves are, and also introduces us to the Wolfwalkers that walk among them. With blazing eyes and fiery red hair, the Wolfwalkers are able to communicate with and control the wolves, calling them off their attacks on the humans. They also appear to possess magical healing abilities, using them to heal a wolf scratch on the chest of one of the men.
Robyn has dreams of following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a hunter as she practices her crossbow skills. So rather than work all day in the scullery, she decides to slip past the guards at the outer gate (no children are allowed beyond the town walls) and secretly follow her father out into the forest, watching him as he sets traps for the wolves. When she comes face to face with a wolf, it’s much smaller and a lot cuter than the ones we’ve seen before, and Robyn learns that it is, in fact, a young Wolfwalker named Mebh.
Robyn forms a bond with Mebh and discovers that when the Wolfwalkers sleep, they assume the body of a wolf, leaving their human body to sleep until they return in order to wake it up. Mebh is worried because her mother has been asleep for some time and her wolf form has not yet returned. Robyn learns that the Wolfwalkers are simply trying to defend the animals from the modern world that is encroaching on their forest and Robyn vows to help find her mother. A difficult task when the Lord Protector has given her father 2 days to clear the forest of wolves, and he isn’t listening to his daughter as she pleads with him to stop.
I found Wolfwalkers to be simply wonderful, with a captivating story full of twist and turns for both kids and adults to enjoy. It’s beautiful to look at too, utilising a watercolour style with rough pencil sketches visible in most of the characters and scenery only adding to its visual appeal. I was completely taken by surprise and just couldn’t fault it.
Weaphones WW2: Firearms Simulator
Games and Entertainment
App
Experience the weapons of World War II like never before. Weaphones WW2 Edition redefines what the...
Perfect Video - Movie Maker
Photo & Video and Utilities
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Perfect Video is a really EASY TO USE and Full featured video/slideshow editing app. It lets you...
Perfect Video Pro
Photo & Video and Utilities
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Perfect Video is a really EASY TO USE and Full featured video/slideshow editing app. It lets you...
Alarm Clock & Weather HD - Digital Night Stand for iPad
Travel and Weather
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Alarm Clock is the most realistic alarm clock app ever made for the iPad. APPLE picks the Alarm...
Ronyell (38 KP) rated Hen, His Wife (1990) in Movies
Aug 4, 2020
My Wife Is a Hen!
Wow! I have to say that even though I have watched lots of surreal shorts over the years, none of them quite compared to how weird this short was! It was interesting to see an animated short that is about domestic problems and one that has so much symbolism to it. There are so many different interpretations about what is really going on in this short and what kind of message it's trying to send to the viewers. So it would be almost impossible for me to describe to you about what I think the ulterior meaning behind this short really is. But, I'm going to give it my best shot and tell you guys what I think that this short is trying to say.
My Interpretation:
So apparently, the couple has been happy together until the husband's friend comes in and tells him that his wife is a hen. Now, it's quite obvious to the audience that the wife is a hen, so how come the husband didn't notice this until his friend told him? Did the wife looked way different when she and her husband first met or did the husband just ignore the obvious signs over the years? So, when the husband finally notices that his wife is a hen, he turns her out of the house. Maybe the husband was more upset about his wife deceiving him for all of these years and that's why he turned her out because she had betrayed his trust in her. So, the husband tried to live life the way it was before, but he missed his wife and he starts hallucinating his situation. It was then that he called her over the phone and begged her to come back to him. But then the ending comes up and... well, you have to see the ending of this short for yourself!
I just loved the way that Igor Kovaliov weaved this bizarre world as all the characters look so strange, what with the blue colored husband and the humanoid hen wife. And let's not forget the half human, half worm pet that the couple has! I also loved the fact that there is so much symbolism and random moments going on in this short as it made the narrative so disoriented yet creative at the same time!
I was a bit thrown off by the mysterious plot of this short. I wasn't sure what to make of the situation that happened between the couple or the various symbolism that jumped out at you with no warning. So, there were times where I was a bit confused about what was really going on and I even had to read several different interpretations from other people who have seen this short in order to understand what was really going on in this short.
Overall, "Hen, His Wife" is a great surreal animated short that gives us a more literal description of marriage problems and anyone who loves watching Russian cartoons or just really weird shorts will definitely enjoy this short!
My Interpretation:
So apparently, the couple has been happy together until the husband's friend comes in and tells him that his wife is a hen. Now, it's quite obvious to the audience that the wife is a hen, so how come the husband didn't notice this until his friend told him? Did the wife looked way different when she and her husband first met or did the husband just ignore the obvious signs over the years? So, when the husband finally notices that his wife is a hen, he turns her out of the house. Maybe the husband was more upset about his wife deceiving him for all of these years and that's why he turned her out because she had betrayed his trust in her. So, the husband tried to live life the way it was before, but he missed his wife and he starts hallucinating his situation. It was then that he called her over the phone and begged her to come back to him. But then the ending comes up and... well, you have to see the ending of this short for yourself!
I just loved the way that Igor Kovaliov weaved this bizarre world as all the characters look so strange, what with the blue colored husband and the humanoid hen wife. And let's not forget the half human, half worm pet that the couple has! I also loved the fact that there is so much symbolism and random moments going on in this short as it made the narrative so disoriented yet creative at the same time!
I was a bit thrown off by the mysterious plot of this short. I wasn't sure what to make of the situation that happened between the couple or the various symbolism that jumped out at you with no warning. So, there were times where I was a bit confused about what was really going on and I even had to read several different interpretations from other people who have seen this short in order to understand what was really going on in this short.
Overall, "Hen, His Wife" is a great surreal animated short that gives us a more literal description of marriage problems and anyone who loves watching Russian cartoons or just really weird shorts will definitely enjoy this short!
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The little mermaid (2023) in Movies
May 26, 2023
(By my wife Genevieve)I must admit that I may be biased about this movie, being a huge fan of all things Disney. However, the popular and beloved original The Little Mermaid was released in November 1989, about 6 months before I graduated high school. Not really the age to be that interested in an animated movie about a mermaid who trades her voice away to be able to live where the people are. But of course, I still watched it and I, like many, definitely loved the songs. The storyline? Not so much.
When I first heard a live-action version was in the works, my initial response was tepid, "That's nice." Only when I heard a person of color would play Ariel was my curiosity really piqued. As a minority, when many asked, "Why?", I thought, "Why not?" I was very moved when I saw the videos of young Black girls reacting excitedly to the first trailer when they discovered Ariel looked like them, further answering the many still asking "Why?" with "This. This is why."
If you've seen the animated version, then you know the gist of the story - young mermaid Ariel, played beautifully by Halle Bailey, is fascinated by the world above the water and collects all the human thingamabobs that litter the sea floor. She rebels against her father, King Triton, the handsome Javier Bardem, by giving in to her curiosity and ends up rescuing the merchant Prince Eric from drowning when the ship he's sailing is caught in a treacherous storm. Ariel is instantly smitten and Prince Eric, played by the perfectly-cast Jonah Hauer-King, is equally obsessed with the voice he heard as he was revived by Ariel’s siren song.
While obviously geared towards a younger audience, I found much to love about this movie. Jodi Benson’s original version will always be perfection, but Halle Bailey’s emotional rendition of “Part of Your World”, coupled with her luminous and expressive face, was just phenomenal. I had to temper my applause after her performance while a few appreciative “Whooo!” sounded through the audience. Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula and her iconic “Poor Unfortunate Souls” was definitely a highlight. Daveed Diggs as Sebastian (also inspired casting) and Awkwafina as Scuttle need their own spinoff. They’re hilarious together.
Alan Menken’s classic songs from the original were given new life by McCarthy, Bailey, and Diggs, and Lin Manuel Miranda’s signature touch is easily identifiable in the new ballads for Ariel and Prince Eric, and a Hamilton-style rap by Awkwafina and Diggs.
I appreciated the parallel stories with the prince just as curious about the world beyond his island as Ariel is about the world beyond her ocean, both bound by duty to their parents and their people, while yearning to explore the great “out there”. In all my Disney and Pixar movie-watching experiences, it has consistently been Pixar movies that get me emotionally compromised, so I was a bit surprised to find myself reaching for a napkin at the end of this movie, after a scene between Ariel and her dad. I will blame it on the nostalgia.
4 out of 5 stars just for the musical performances alone.
When I first heard a live-action version was in the works, my initial response was tepid, "That's nice." Only when I heard a person of color would play Ariel was my curiosity really piqued. As a minority, when many asked, "Why?", I thought, "Why not?" I was very moved when I saw the videos of young Black girls reacting excitedly to the first trailer when they discovered Ariel looked like them, further answering the many still asking "Why?" with "This. This is why."
If you've seen the animated version, then you know the gist of the story - young mermaid Ariel, played beautifully by Halle Bailey, is fascinated by the world above the water and collects all the human thingamabobs that litter the sea floor. She rebels against her father, King Triton, the handsome Javier Bardem, by giving in to her curiosity and ends up rescuing the merchant Prince Eric from drowning when the ship he's sailing is caught in a treacherous storm. Ariel is instantly smitten and Prince Eric, played by the perfectly-cast Jonah Hauer-King, is equally obsessed with the voice he heard as he was revived by Ariel’s siren song.
While obviously geared towards a younger audience, I found much to love about this movie. Jodi Benson’s original version will always be perfection, but Halle Bailey’s emotional rendition of “Part of Your World”, coupled with her luminous and expressive face, was just phenomenal. I had to temper my applause after her performance while a few appreciative “Whooo!” sounded through the audience. Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula and her iconic “Poor Unfortunate Souls” was definitely a highlight. Daveed Diggs as Sebastian (also inspired casting) and Awkwafina as Scuttle need their own spinoff. They’re hilarious together.
Alan Menken’s classic songs from the original were given new life by McCarthy, Bailey, and Diggs, and Lin Manuel Miranda’s signature touch is easily identifiable in the new ballads for Ariel and Prince Eric, and a Hamilton-style rap by Awkwafina and Diggs.
I appreciated the parallel stories with the prince just as curious about the world beyond his island as Ariel is about the world beyond her ocean, both bound by duty to their parents and their people, while yearning to explore the great “out there”. In all my Disney and Pixar movie-watching experiences, it has consistently been Pixar movies that get me emotionally compromised, so I was a bit surprised to find myself reaching for a napkin at the end of this movie, after a scene between Ariel and her dad. I will blame it on the nostalgia.
4 out of 5 stars just for the musical performances alone.