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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Lion King (2019) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
It seems recently that the Disney vault has exploded with the release of several of their classic animated films being remade. Unfortunately, the classics that have inspired these remakes have been redone with mixed results. The original The Lion King was released back in 1994 and it’s hard to believe that I was a junior in college when I saw it. Since that time, we’ve seen various iterations of the classic story, a few direct to VCR sequels and the awe-inspiring Broadway stage production (which if you are a serious fan of the movie I encourage you to see). It seems odd to discuss the plot of a movie that I’m certain everyone reading this has seen at least once (or a dozen times over). To the uninformed however, The Lion King is about a young cub named Simba (JD McCrary as the young voice and Donald Glover as the adult) who suffers the tragic loss of his father Mufasa (James Earl Jones) at the paws of his evil uncle Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Scar convinces Simba that he is responsible for his father’s death and that he must leave the pride and never return. With the help of his faithful friends Timon (Billy Eichner), the lovable warthog Pumbaa (Seth Rogen), the ever wise Zazu (John Oliver) and his budding queen Nala (Beyoncé’) he learns that true courage comes from within and realizes he must face Scar if he is ever to bring peace back to the Pride Lands.
Given the recent track record, I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a retelling of the story as I remembered it, or a re-imagining of the story as a whole (and yes there is a difference). Thankfully, I can say that The Lion King draws practically all of its inspiration directly from the animated classic. Director Jon Favreau (who had already wowed audiences when he directed The Jungle Book) brings the same heart-warming, tear jerk moments that we all know and love. While he certainly didn’t take any risks with The Lion King, that’s exactly what made it such a pleasure to behold. He understood that there was no need to change the story into something new or try to make it something it shouldn’t be. True, for those who have seen the animated film it will feel incredibly familiar, but I think that’s exactly what fans are looking for. Changes and risks don’t always make a movie better, and The Lion King is a prime example of not breaking something that works.
The real star of the show however isn’t the actors, nor it’s incredible director, but the technology that went behind bringing our favorite felines to life. Disney refers to this as a “photo real movie”. The technology behind it merges both new and old together to bring the animals to life, indistinguishable from their real-life counterparts. Utilizing VR, animation and mixed with live action film-making it is practically impossible to distinguish what is live and what is animated. The character models have come a far way from the original Jumanji, which was heralded back in 1995 for it’s use of computer animated animals that supposedly looked and felt like the real thing. While Disney has always made great strides to make their computer-generated animals look and feel real (much like the absolutely stunning Jungle Book) The Lion King takes this to an entirely different level altogether.
Disney has done what has seemed practically impossible lately, bringing a classic back to the screen without changing what made the original such a classic. Unlike some of their more recent attempts, The Lion King holds true to the source material which has delighted fans for over 25 years. While the story doesn’t bring anything particularly new to the table, the photo realistic lions and their supporting cast feel as fresh as they ever have. If you aren’t a fan of the classic animated movie, The Lion King won’t necessarily change that, however the imagery alone may be reason enough to see it. I hope Disney takes note of this movie in particular, that fans don’t need a re-imagining of the stories that captivated our youths to bring the magic back. The Lion King is a testament to how the Disney classic still holds up today, and how to make something old feel new again.
http://sknr.net/2019/07/11/the-lion-king/
Given the recent track record, I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a retelling of the story as I remembered it, or a re-imagining of the story as a whole (and yes there is a difference). Thankfully, I can say that The Lion King draws practically all of its inspiration directly from the animated classic. Director Jon Favreau (who had already wowed audiences when he directed The Jungle Book) brings the same heart-warming, tear jerk moments that we all know and love. While he certainly didn’t take any risks with The Lion King, that’s exactly what made it such a pleasure to behold. He understood that there was no need to change the story into something new or try to make it something it shouldn’t be. True, for those who have seen the animated film it will feel incredibly familiar, but I think that’s exactly what fans are looking for. Changes and risks don’t always make a movie better, and The Lion King is a prime example of not breaking something that works.
The real star of the show however isn’t the actors, nor it’s incredible director, but the technology that went behind bringing our favorite felines to life. Disney refers to this as a “photo real movie”. The technology behind it merges both new and old together to bring the animals to life, indistinguishable from their real-life counterparts. Utilizing VR, animation and mixed with live action film-making it is practically impossible to distinguish what is live and what is animated. The character models have come a far way from the original Jumanji, which was heralded back in 1995 for it’s use of computer animated animals that supposedly looked and felt like the real thing. While Disney has always made great strides to make their computer-generated animals look and feel real (much like the absolutely stunning Jungle Book) The Lion King takes this to an entirely different level altogether.
Disney has done what has seemed practically impossible lately, bringing a classic back to the screen without changing what made the original such a classic. Unlike some of their more recent attempts, The Lion King holds true to the source material which has delighted fans for over 25 years. While the story doesn’t bring anything particularly new to the table, the photo realistic lions and their supporting cast feel as fresh as they ever have. If you aren’t a fan of the classic animated movie, The Lion King won’t necessarily change that, however the imagery alone may be reason enough to see it. I hope Disney takes note of this movie in particular, that fans don’t need a re-imagining of the stories that captivated our youths to bring the magic back. The Lion King is a testament to how the Disney classic still holds up today, and how to make something old feel new again.
http://sknr.net/2019/07/11/the-lion-king/
Auburn (57 KP) rated Mirror, Mirror in Books
Apr 10, 2019
Thank you Disney and NetGalley for granting my wish to read this.
First off I need to say that anyone who loves the Evil Queen, snow white, or has read the other stand alone villians book needs to read this one stat. It is so well thought out and gives the reader that much more. The dual stories/views expands not just what we thought we know but what could have been. While I will never feel perfectly happy thoughts for the evil Queen, I mean she is evil. This definitely helped me to want to find out more about the villains in general. Maybe start a fanclub for slightly misunderstood characters.
First off I need to say that anyone who loves the Evil Queen, snow white, or has read the other stand alone villians book needs to read this one stat. It is so well thought out and gives the reader that much more. The dual stories/views expands not just what we thought we know but what could have been. While I will never feel perfectly happy thoughts for the evil Queen, I mean she is evil. This definitely helped me to want to find out more about the villains in general. Maybe start a fanclub for slightly misunderstood characters.
While on a MouseQuest at Disneyland, Adam and Lance find what they think is Walt Disney's diary. A clue in it leads them on a quest through his life with a possible big prize at the end. This book is an example of everything that can go wrong with self-publishing. There are too many data dumps, the action is slow at times, and the characters are flat and unlikable. I'm enough of a Disney geek to enjoy parts of it, but it needed a good editor before it saw the light of day.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-review-hidden-mickey-1-by-nancy.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/06/book-review-hidden-mickey-1-by-nancy.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Darren DrRock Rogerson (4 KP) rated Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) in Movies
Apr 2, 2018
Finally a decent Spiderman movie
Tom Holland is a spectacular Spiderman he is the closest to the comic version out of all the actors to portray the character. I was unsure about Michael Keaton as Toomes/Vulture at first but he was excellent. The addition of Tony Stark and Happy was a great idea but not necessarily needed, it feels they were added to get the bums on seats in case it failed. All in all, the action and thrills you expect from Marvel/Disney and then some. I loved the Sam Raimi trilogy, and i cant wait to see what Jon Watts can do with his incarnation of Spidey
David McK (3508 KP) rated Zootopia (2016) in Movies
Dec 31, 2019
Known as Zootropolis in the UK, this Disney animation is set in a world where talking animals have evolved and live in peace and harmony, with the city of Zootroplis the New York (or London) of that world.
While they may have evolved, most animals still fall into several roles: the police (or security) forces, for instance, are nearly entirely composed of predators, with this film following the ZPD's first Bunny recruit as she attempts to solve a mystery around a missing person (animal) case, and ends up teaming up with a street smart, wise talking fox.
With an underlying theme of racism, the message, in short, is that anyone can be anything they want to be!
While they may have evolved, most animals still fall into several roles: the police (or security) forces, for instance, are nearly entirely composed of predators, with this film following the ZPD's first Bunny recruit as she attempts to solve a mystery around a missing person (animal) case, and ends up teaming up with a street smart, wise talking fox.
With an underlying theme of racism, the message, in short, is that anyone can be anything they want to be!
Elli H Burton (1288 KP) rated Help I'm a Fish (2000) in Movies
Nov 3, 2019 (Updated Nov 4, 2019)
It's funny (2 more)
It's one of a kind
It has some seriously catchy music
Not enough people have seen this!
Not many people I know have seen this so I tell everyone to give it a go.
A kids film, completely off the radar, as it's not branded (not pixar or disney etc) it's a German, Danish and Irish creation, about 3 children that take get into all sorts of problems. It bombed at the box office but it definitely didn't deserve the bad press, it's about family, loyalty, the importance of intelligence and a hint of magic.
It has funny, scary (for young kids anyway) , tense, lovable scenes that everyone can enjoy.
A kids film, completely off the radar, as it's not branded (not pixar or disney etc) it's a German, Danish and Irish creation, about 3 children that take get into all sorts of problems. It bombed at the box office but it definitely didn't deserve the bad press, it's about family, loyalty, the importance of intelligence and a hint of magic.
It has funny, scary (for young kids anyway) , tense, lovable scenes that everyone can enjoy.
Erika (17789 KP) rated Marvel Studios: Expanding the Universe (2019) in Movies
Nov 16, 2019
This 12 minute documentary was essentially a long trailer for the upcoming MCU Disney+ shows. It consisted of the announcements and information that came from SDCC and D23 this past year. There wasn't any new info on the Ms. Marvel, Moonknight, and She-Hulk series. The only new footage was some behind the scenes stuff. And hey, I'll look at Tom Hiddleston's profile for an extra 10 seconds.
What struck me as interesting was the amount of time spent on the Hawkeye show, considering the drama with Jeremy Renner. I guess that means they're not planning on firing him? I'm assuming that they'll probably minimize his role in the show, if anything.
What struck me as interesting was the amount of time spent on the Hawkeye show, considering the drama with Jeremy Renner. I guess that means they're not planning on firing him? I'm assuming that they'll probably minimize his role in the show, if anything.
Rosemarked: Rosemarked Book 1
7.5
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Book
When Zivah falls prey to the deadly rose plague, she's destined to live her last days in isolation...
fantasy paranormal young adult
Shakespeare in Love: Adapted for the Stage
Tom Stoppard, Lee Hall and Marc Norman
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I will have poetry in my life. And adventure. And love. Love above all. Promising young playwright...
The Sword in the Stone (1963)
7.5
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Movie Watch
This Disney adaptation of the classic fable chronicles King Arthur's humble beginnings. As an...