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David McK (3540 KP) rated Obi-Wan Kenobi in TV
Jun 24, 2022
"Hello there"
For many viewers at the time, Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi was the highlight of the prequel trilogy.
Back before the dark days. Back before the Mouse House.
(sorry, couldn't resist).
The last of those movies - Revenge of the Sith - was released way back in 2005, with McGregor distancing himself from the role for a good decade and a half or so afterwards due to the flack he received. Time, however, has been kind to the prequel trilogy (well, that and the dumpster-fire that was the sequel trilogy, with The Last Jedi in particular being hugely divisive (I don't particularly rate it myself)), with McGregor agreeing to reprise the role in this limited-series on Disney+.
A series which, I've heard, has had the highest viewing figures of any yet-released on that platform (although I've no idea if that claim is accurate or not).
But the big question is, of course, was it worth the wait?
Absolutely yes - this blows The Book of Boba-Fett out of the water completely; even managing to over-shadow The Mandalorian. Which is impressive when you consider that most of the main characters - Obi-Wan, Vader, Luke, Owen and Beru - all benefit from having plot armour; all appearing in the original trilogy ...
Yes, it's not perfect - Moses Ingram Reva, in particular annoys at first - and may be a bit slow in the first episode or two, but the finale plays off beautifully, tying in perfectly with A New Hope and even adding another layer to Obi-Wan's claim that "From a certain point of view ..."
Back before the dark days. Back before the Mouse House.
(sorry, couldn't resist).
The last of those movies - Revenge of the Sith - was released way back in 2005, with McGregor distancing himself from the role for a good decade and a half or so afterwards due to the flack he received. Time, however, has been kind to the prequel trilogy (well, that and the dumpster-fire that was the sequel trilogy, with The Last Jedi in particular being hugely divisive (I don't particularly rate it myself)), with McGregor agreeing to reprise the role in this limited-series on Disney+.
A series which, I've heard, has had the highest viewing figures of any yet-released on that platform (although I've no idea if that claim is accurate or not).
But the big question is, of course, was it worth the wait?
Absolutely yes - this blows The Book of Boba-Fett out of the water completely; even managing to over-shadow The Mandalorian. Which is impressive when you consider that most of the main characters - Obi-Wan, Vader, Luke, Owen and Beru - all benefit from having plot armour; all appearing in the original trilogy ...
Yes, it's not perfect - Moses Ingram Reva, in particular annoys at first - and may be a bit slow in the first episode or two, but the finale plays off beautifully, tying in perfectly with A New Hope and even adding another layer to Obi-Wan's claim that "From a certain point of view ..."
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Dumbo (2019) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
It may have been a mistake to see the original animated version before seeing this live-action offering. It's incorrect to say it's a remake, they've taken a 64-minute movie and stripped out the principle idea and made a completely new film that's near two hours long.
I'm going to start with the moaning, but bear with me because it'll get better, I promise.
Let's address the elephant in the room, no not Dumbo, but the fact that they made something live action when it's almost entirely talking animals. (And yes, I'm already concerned for Lion King.) To actually get some human characters in there they've turned it on its head and made the story about the circus and its family. I don't have a problem with them doing this but everything I saw in the run-up to the film made me believe that it was a remake and not an adaptation. Possibly I just got caught up in all the hype of the other remakes Disney are producing. but it did colour my impression.
It's evident that Disney have tried to account for the fact that people won't be getting what they loved so much from the original, everywhere there are nods to the original. All of this is sadly far from that nostalgic fun, instead it felt like a bit of a slap in the face. "Hey look!! Remember this bit?!!" There's a quick nod to the storks, Dumbo getting drunk, and possibly the creepiest of them all, that happy-go-lucky train... you really should have left that one alone.
We're also severely lacking in those wonderful songs. I had heard the Arcade Fire version of Baby Mine in a trailer and it gave me goosebumps, but while it's a lovely scene in the film the song itself doesn't hold nearly enough weight. Disney to me is as much about the music as it is about the story and in this instance they've dropped the ball.
With Tim Burton at the helm it was going to be bleak... but geez! Mum's dead, Dad's missing an arm from war... and that mad elephant scene? "I want to go bigger than spanking an animated child." "I don't think we can have a scene where we spank a child in this day and age." "No, you're right, first thing we're going to need is a coroner." There were a lot of things in this that cut a very fine line, and I think that it's crossed over into a film that isn't really for kids anymore.
Despite these quibbles they've managed to do something magical with Dumbo. All of that magic from the animated version is still there in this little fella. I don't know how you get that much emotion out of something that isn't there, it was wonderful. Dumbo's reactions to feathers throughout, that eyes wide excitement, and when he sees Colette "flying" up to him... honestly, I don't know how to describe it. Hands down my favourite bit has to be the pink elephants bit, Dumbo watching intently and his head bobbing along was so pure.
I still don't know how I feel about the acting in Dumbo, beyond our little pachyderm I was underwhelmed by the whole thing. I wasn't particularly fond of the child characters. They seemed to decide that Milly should be a role model to other little girls, "you can be a scientist", but I don't know that making a role model out of someone who isn't exactly likeable is the way to go with this. They've also given Milly and her brother, Joe, the appointment of elephant trainers, and that frustrated me no end too, but for completely over thought reasons.
Danny Devito was a treat, his character is obviously intended to be dislikeable but is allowed to get some redemption in the end, which was nice to see. His scenes with the monkey were particularly fun.
This review has taken me so long to write, I think that's mainly because I just don't know about these human characters. Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell), V.A. Vandervere (Michae Keaton) and Colette Marchant (Eva Green) all just don't do anything for me... they seem very much like padding for a film that probably shouldn't have been made.
I don't want to run into any major spoilers, but that ending... it needs mentioning... it's ridiculous and clichéd. There was a perfectly good ending point they could have taken but sadly someone made the choice that the "happy ever after" ending needed to be spelt out for everyone.
I am torn about this film. You couldn't have remade the original exactly as it was, mild racism and a drunk minor just aren't going to cut it in a kids film. Potentially there is a new version in there somewhere, but I'm not sure that this dark human heavy one was the way to go.
What you should do
It's the Easter holidays, those kids need to be entertained somehow, Dumbo would not be the worst choice you could make.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I don't think I have room for a baby elephant, so if someone could just cut all the footage of him together and give me a DVD containing all those good feelings that would be great.
I'm going to start with the moaning, but bear with me because it'll get better, I promise.
Let's address the elephant in the room, no not Dumbo, but the fact that they made something live action when it's almost entirely talking animals. (And yes, I'm already concerned for Lion King.) To actually get some human characters in there they've turned it on its head and made the story about the circus and its family. I don't have a problem with them doing this but everything I saw in the run-up to the film made me believe that it was a remake and not an adaptation. Possibly I just got caught up in all the hype of the other remakes Disney are producing. but it did colour my impression.
It's evident that Disney have tried to account for the fact that people won't be getting what they loved so much from the original, everywhere there are nods to the original. All of this is sadly far from that nostalgic fun, instead it felt like a bit of a slap in the face. "Hey look!! Remember this bit?!!" There's a quick nod to the storks, Dumbo getting drunk, and possibly the creepiest of them all, that happy-go-lucky train... you really should have left that one alone.
We're also severely lacking in those wonderful songs. I had heard the Arcade Fire version of Baby Mine in a trailer and it gave me goosebumps, but while it's a lovely scene in the film the song itself doesn't hold nearly enough weight. Disney to me is as much about the music as it is about the story and in this instance they've dropped the ball.
With Tim Burton at the helm it was going to be bleak... but geez! Mum's dead, Dad's missing an arm from war... and that mad elephant scene? "I want to go bigger than spanking an animated child." "I don't think we can have a scene where we spank a child in this day and age." "No, you're right, first thing we're going to need is a coroner." There were a lot of things in this that cut a very fine line, and I think that it's crossed over into a film that isn't really for kids anymore.
Despite these quibbles they've managed to do something magical with Dumbo. All of that magic from the animated version is still there in this little fella. I don't know how you get that much emotion out of something that isn't there, it was wonderful. Dumbo's reactions to feathers throughout, that eyes wide excitement, and when he sees Colette "flying" up to him... honestly, I don't know how to describe it. Hands down my favourite bit has to be the pink elephants bit, Dumbo watching intently and his head bobbing along was so pure.
I still don't know how I feel about the acting in Dumbo, beyond our little pachyderm I was underwhelmed by the whole thing. I wasn't particularly fond of the child characters. They seemed to decide that Milly should be a role model to other little girls, "you can be a scientist", but I don't know that making a role model out of someone who isn't exactly likeable is the way to go with this. They've also given Milly and her brother, Joe, the appointment of elephant trainers, and that frustrated me no end too, but for completely over thought reasons.
Danny Devito was a treat, his character is obviously intended to be dislikeable but is allowed to get some redemption in the end, which was nice to see. His scenes with the monkey were particularly fun.
This review has taken me so long to write, I think that's mainly because I just don't know about these human characters. Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell), V.A. Vandervere (Michae Keaton) and Colette Marchant (Eva Green) all just don't do anything for me... they seem very much like padding for a film that probably shouldn't have been made.
I don't want to run into any major spoilers, but that ending... it needs mentioning... it's ridiculous and clichéd. There was a perfectly good ending point they could have taken but sadly someone made the choice that the "happy ever after" ending needed to be spelt out for everyone.
I am torn about this film. You couldn't have remade the original exactly as it was, mild racism and a drunk minor just aren't going to cut it in a kids film. Potentially there is a new version in there somewhere, but I'm not sure that this dark human heavy one was the way to go.
What you should do
It's the Easter holidays, those kids need to be entertained somehow, Dumbo would not be the worst choice you could make.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I don't think I have room for a baby elephant, so if someone could just cut all the footage of him together and give me a DVD containing all those good feelings that would be great.
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Wreck-It-Ralph (2012) in Movies
Feb 25, 2019
Wish it had been made by Pixar...
Contains spoilers, click to show
At first glance this would appear, as some reviews have sighted, the new Toy Story (1995). Maybe it is, but I just didn't feel it. I'm old enough to remember these 8-bit games and even though Fix It Felix, Hero's Duty and Sugar Rush are all fictitious, they're all rooted in the reality of the industry, with their real life counterparts being Donkey Kong, Call Of Duty and Super Mario Cart.
The plot is basically that of any Disney film and this is kind of where it fails a little. This isn't Pixar and I'm spending most of the time wishing that it was. Tangled (2010) had the same problem, with it being good, in fact better on the second viewing but not as good the masters of digi-mation would have made it. But Wreck-It Ralph would seem to cry out for the Pixar treatment. Its similarity in tone to Toy Story, with computer game characters coming to life when the kids leave, rather than toys, as well as the fact that this is the perfect subject for a Computer Generated movie!
The comedy was decent, with more of the successful jokes revolving around candy, Mentos and cola, rather than the arcade worlds themselves, but still, plenty of references for the game heads, which my wife is but I'm not, really. It was fun and the final reel was exiting, with the running time pushing two hours, it wasn't overly long but still felt wanting.
I think that it would have been better if there was more that just one line cameos from the established arcade characters, but I'll say it again, that for me, this wanted to be a Pixar classic but just couldn't match the standards.
The plot is basically that of any Disney film and this is kind of where it fails a little. This isn't Pixar and I'm spending most of the time wishing that it was. Tangled (2010) had the same problem, with it being good, in fact better on the second viewing but not as good the masters of digi-mation would have made it. But Wreck-It Ralph would seem to cry out for the Pixar treatment. Its similarity in tone to Toy Story, with computer game characters coming to life when the kids leave, rather than toys, as well as the fact that this is the perfect subject for a Computer Generated movie!
The comedy was decent, with more of the successful jokes revolving around candy, Mentos and cola, rather than the arcade worlds themselves, but still, plenty of references for the game heads, which my wife is but I'm not, really. It was fun and the final reel was exiting, with the running time pushing two hours, it wasn't overly long but still felt wanting.
I think that it would have been better if there was more that just one line cameos from the established arcade characters, but I'll say it again, that for me, this wanted to be a Pixar classic but just couldn't match the standards.
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (2018) in Movies
Mar 7, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
At first glance this would appear, as some reviews have sighted, the new Toy Story (1995). Maybe it is, but I just didn't feel it. I'm old enough to remember these 8-bit games and even though Fix It Felix, Hero's Duty and Sugar Rush are all fictitious, they're all rooted in the reality of the industry, with their real life counterparts being Donkey Kong, Call Of Duty and Super Mario Cart.
The plot is basically that of any Disney film and this is kind of where it fails a little. This isn't Pixar and I'm spending most of the time wishing that it was. Tangled (2010) had the same problem, with it being good, in fact better on the second viewing but not as good the masters of digi-mation would have made it. But Wreck-It Ralph would seem to cry out for the Pixar treatment. Its similarity in tone to Toy Story, with computer game characters coming to life when the kids leave, rather than toys, as well as the fact that this is the perfect subject for a Computer Generated movie!
The comedy was decent, with more of the successful jokes revolving around candy, Mentos and cola, rather than the arcade worlds themselves, but still, plenty of references for the game heads, which my wife is but I'm not, really. It was fun and the final reel was exiting, with the running time pushing two hours, it wasn't overly long but still felt wanting.
I think that it would have been better if there was more that just one line cameos from the established arcade characters, but I'll say it again, that for me, this wanted to be a Pixar classic but just couldn't match the standards.
The plot is basically that of any Disney film and this is kind of where it fails a little. This isn't Pixar and I'm spending most of the time wishing that it was. Tangled (2010) had the same problem, with it being good, in fact better on the second viewing but not as good the masters of digi-mation would have made it. But Wreck-It Ralph would seem to cry out for the Pixar treatment. Its similarity in tone to Toy Story, with computer game characters coming to life when the kids leave, rather than toys, as well as the fact that this is the perfect subject for a Computer Generated movie!
The comedy was decent, with more of the successful jokes revolving around candy, Mentos and cola, rather than the arcade worlds themselves, but still, plenty of references for the game heads, which my wife is but I'm not, really. It was fun and the final reel was exiting, with the running time pushing two hours, it wasn't overly long but still felt wanting.
I think that it would have been better if there was more that just one line cameos from the established arcade characters, but I'll say it again, that for me, this wanted to be a Pixar classic but just couldn't match the standards.
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) in Movies
Mar 7, 2019
Darker than you might expect...
Contains spoilers, click to show
The first of Walt Disney's historic features was a pleasure to watch. Beautifully animated with deceptively gentle strokes, we are delicately guided through the Brothers Grimm's fairy tale. But this is still a fairy tale and a 1930′s film, made at a time where stories were not so toned down for our children, and a healthy dose of fear and horror was not shied away from.
Snow White is definitely a ditsy princess, so innocent that her counter has to be the personification of pure evil and she certainly is. The Queen, represents some of our darkest emotions, and there is little effort to tone this down, which I liked, a lot. She is evil, driven by her vain jealously to firstly attempt to have Snow White murdered, and then failing that, to poison her into a narcoleptic state and have her buried alive! Is this what you now think of a s Disney film, with a U rating? No, but thanks to this and the following films successes, this is a prized classic and untouchable. I think that this is a true family movie, with as much darkness as there is light, with some great musical numbers, indelible characters and an animation style which is truly timeless.
I mean this is a musical which was made in Technicolor less than ten years after the innovation of sound was introduced to black and white films. This is a film which children feel a part of and don't even compare to black and white's of the same era, which of course, they hate and don't feel are real.
Hats off to Walt, who I must admit, I've never really been a fan of, but I'm working my way through his classics and am liking what I am seeing so far.
Snow White is definitely a ditsy princess, so innocent that her counter has to be the personification of pure evil and she certainly is. The Queen, represents some of our darkest emotions, and there is little effort to tone this down, which I liked, a lot. She is evil, driven by her vain jealously to firstly attempt to have Snow White murdered, and then failing that, to poison her into a narcoleptic state and have her buried alive! Is this what you now think of a s Disney film, with a U rating? No, but thanks to this and the following films successes, this is a prized classic and untouchable. I think that this is a true family movie, with as much darkness as there is light, with some great musical numbers, indelible characters and an animation style which is truly timeless.
I mean this is a musical which was made in Technicolor less than ten years after the innovation of sound was introduced to black and white films. This is a film which children feel a part of and don't even compare to black and white's of the same era, which of course, they hate and don't feel are real.
Hats off to Walt, who I must admit, I've never really been a fan of, but I'm working my way through his classics and am liking what I am seeing so far.
Lee (2222 KP) rated X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019) in Movies
Jun 7, 2019
Awful dialogue (1 more)
Pointless villain
Disappointing
Dark Phoenix marks the end of an era for the X-Men franchise, being the last of their movies to go into production before the recent acquisition of Fox by Disney. It's a series of movies which unfortunately has had more misfires than hits. But for me, the hits have been right up there with the biggest of the MCU movies in terms of storytelling and entertainment. It's therefore a real shame that Dark Phoenix turns out to be yet another misfire.
Dark Phoenix start off well though. It's 1992, and the X-Men are currently riding high on popularity, with Charles Xavier even having his own hotline to the president. A trip up into space to save some astronauts in peril is impressive, with the X-Men working effectively as a team under pressure. In fact, these team moments are the best thing about the movie - all working together, with every character getting a chance to utilise their specific set of skills.
The worst thing about Dark Phoenix is the script - awkward, cheesy or just plain boring. Moments that are supposed to be emotional, intense or poignant just come across as dull and frustrating, making the heavy handed soundtrack all the more noticeable. Many of the cast do their best with what they've been given, but it rarely works. Add to that a completely pointless villain (Jessica Chastain) without any clearly defined motivation that you can get behind, and the negative elements far outweigh the positive for me. Who knows what form the X-Men may eventually take within the MCU, but hopefully they'll be utilised to their full potential once more.
Dark Phoenix start off well though. It's 1992, and the X-Men are currently riding high on popularity, with Charles Xavier even having his own hotline to the president. A trip up into space to save some astronauts in peril is impressive, with the X-Men working effectively as a team under pressure. In fact, these team moments are the best thing about the movie - all working together, with every character getting a chance to utilise their specific set of skills.
The worst thing about Dark Phoenix is the script - awkward, cheesy or just plain boring. Moments that are supposed to be emotional, intense or poignant just come across as dull and frustrating, making the heavy handed soundtrack all the more noticeable. Many of the cast do their best with what they've been given, but it rarely works. Add to that a completely pointless villain (Jessica Chastain) without any clearly defined motivation that you can get behind, and the negative elements far outweigh the positive for me. Who knows what form the X-Men may eventually take within the MCU, but hopefully they'll be utilised to their full potential once more.
MasterSolace (19 KP) rated X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019) in Movies
Jun 9, 2019
The Actual Phoenix Force (5 more)
Didn't guess Chastain's part
Action was good
Had a piece of DEEP Lore
GENOSHA
Ambiguous Ending
Some Retreading (3 more)
Simon Kinberg can't direct
Wonky Camera Angles
Did I say retreading?
The End is Here(Spoilers)
Contains spoilers, click to show
Dark Phoenix. A another attempt at getting it right... and... it was close. No, it was NOT perfect. Not even close. But I got enjoyment out of it.
I did NOT guess Jessica Chastain's character. I was guessing Deathbird or a physical manifestation of the Phoenix Force for Jean to talk to. But I never would've guessed Vuk, of the D'Bari. Not only left field, but ACTUALLY connected to the lore. Go look up the D'Bari, you will see what I mean.
Performances weren't bad. Sansa... I mean Sophie Turner is what I always picture Jean Grey to be, and she did well. Still impressed by McAvoy and Fassbender pulling off the younger versions.
Simon Kinberg... first time directing, right? Am I wrong? I knew he wrote... hell, he did Last Stand. But first time directing? Right? You CAN tell.
There is a slight retread of X-Men: Last Stand. But most of that is in the first act...... but I think it may be a good thing as well. It's almost like it gave Simon Kinberg a second chance to get it right. And it IS a HUGE improvement over Last Stand.
Dark Phoenix is the Last FOX X-Men movie... and sadly, it shows. Like their hearts weren't 100% in it. And they went ahead and filmed an ambiguous ending anyway. I say... BRAVO. Makes us wonder... What If?
But... now we can focus on what is next? Disney... it's your turn. Don't screq it up.
I did NOT guess Jessica Chastain's character. I was guessing Deathbird or a physical manifestation of the Phoenix Force for Jean to talk to. But I never would've guessed Vuk, of the D'Bari. Not only left field, but ACTUALLY connected to the lore. Go look up the D'Bari, you will see what I mean.
Performances weren't bad. Sansa... I mean Sophie Turner is what I always picture Jean Grey to be, and she did well. Still impressed by McAvoy and Fassbender pulling off the younger versions.
Simon Kinberg... first time directing, right? Am I wrong? I knew he wrote... hell, he did Last Stand. But first time directing? Right? You CAN tell.
There is a slight retread of X-Men: Last Stand. But most of that is in the first act...... but I think it may be a good thing as well. It's almost like it gave Simon Kinberg a second chance to get it right. And it IS a HUGE improvement over Last Stand.
Dark Phoenix is the Last FOX X-Men movie... and sadly, it shows. Like their hearts weren't 100% in it. And they went ahead and filmed an ambiguous ending anyway. I say... BRAVO. Makes us wonder... What If?
But... now we can focus on what is next? Disney... it's your turn. Don't screq it up.
b.Young (97 KP) rated Apocalypticon in Books
Jun 1, 2018
Witty dialog (1 more)
Humorous take on apocalypse genre
The most humorous apocalypse book I've ever read
I found this book offered for Kindle and decided to read it based on the fact that it was humorous instead of serious.
Apocalypticon is a story of two friends in Chicago that somehow survived M-Day, the day the monkey shaped missiles were launched from Jamaica to destroy most of the inhabitants of Earth, only to pack up 3 years later and make a whirlwind trip to visit Disney World, of all places.
Along the way, Patrick and Ben come across some very colorful survivors like Violet, a woman who runs the only bridge out of town like a restaurant: hostess stand, bus boys, wine and all; an Amtrak Captain who happens to be the only one left in the country, that is obsessed with keeping a schedule he never can seem to keep; a futune teller that warns Patrick of his fate; a couple of religious cults, each morbidly twisted in their own way; zombie-like creatures called Runners that snorted their way into the realm of the semi-undead; a gun-toting chick that thinks that the Runners can be cured; and journalist who is trying to make sense of why certain people survived the decimation of 98% of the world's population.
Now, don't get me wrong, there were plenty of action scenes where people and things got effed up, but not so much of the blood and gore that typically goes along with genre.
I surprised myself by actually laughing out loud while reading this...several times, I might add.
I recommend Apocalypticon to anyone who enjoys a good apocalypse story and can accept the hilarity of the situation at hand.
Apocalypticon is a story of two friends in Chicago that somehow survived M-Day, the day the monkey shaped missiles were launched from Jamaica to destroy most of the inhabitants of Earth, only to pack up 3 years later and make a whirlwind trip to visit Disney World, of all places.
Along the way, Patrick and Ben come across some very colorful survivors like Violet, a woman who runs the only bridge out of town like a restaurant: hostess stand, bus boys, wine and all; an Amtrak Captain who happens to be the only one left in the country, that is obsessed with keeping a schedule he never can seem to keep; a futune teller that warns Patrick of his fate; a couple of religious cults, each morbidly twisted in their own way; zombie-like creatures called Runners that snorted their way into the realm of the semi-undead; a gun-toting chick that thinks that the Runners can be cured; and journalist who is trying to make sense of why certain people survived the decimation of 98% of the world's population.
Now, don't get me wrong, there were plenty of action scenes where people and things got effed up, but not so much of the blood and gore that typically goes along with genre.
I surprised myself by actually laughing out loud while reading this...several times, I might add.
I recommend Apocalypticon to anyone who enjoys a good apocalypse story and can accept the hilarity of the situation at hand.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) in Movies
Oct 20, 2019
A pretty solid sequel
Contains spoilers, click to show
The first Maleficent is a film that could quite easily be a one and done type deal. It doesn't particularly need a sequel, but diving back into this world is huge heaps of fun.
The narrative is a little faffy to begin with, as it establishes the story, introducing us to new characters, and re-introducing us to others.
But once it gets going, it easily manages to re capture everything that was good about the first film.
Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, and Sam Riley are Greta as they were before, and newer characters played by the likes of Warwick Davis, Ed Skrein, Robert Lindsay, and Chiwetel Ejiofor all have their place and fit alongside everyone else nicely.
Michelle Pfeiffer is also a fun villain , starting off as a thorn in the side and evolving into full mad queen by the end.
The expiration of the larger world surrounding Maleficent is a nice route to take for the most part. There are some pacing issues around the mid section, and sometimes it feels like Maleficent is sidelined in favour of other it strands.
These are minor annoyances though, as the film heads towards it's hugely entertaining finale.
The third act is fantastic. The action is thrilling, the visuals are stunning, and the stakes actually feel quite high. It plays out at times like a PG version of The Red Wedding!
The CGI throughout is top quality, and much like the first, the various settings seen throughout feel fully realised and vivid.
Mistress of Evil is a sequel that perhaps didn't need to happen, but I'm glad that it did, and the two films together stand head and shoulders above any other live action adaption that Disney have put out in recent years.
The narrative is a little faffy to begin with, as it establishes the story, introducing us to new characters, and re-introducing us to others.
But once it gets going, it easily manages to re capture everything that was good about the first film.
Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, and Sam Riley are Greta as they were before, and newer characters played by the likes of Warwick Davis, Ed Skrein, Robert Lindsay, and Chiwetel Ejiofor all have their place and fit alongside everyone else nicely.
Michelle Pfeiffer is also a fun villain , starting off as a thorn in the side and evolving into full mad queen by the end.
The expiration of the larger world surrounding Maleficent is a nice route to take for the most part. There are some pacing issues around the mid section, and sometimes it feels like Maleficent is sidelined in favour of other it strands.
These are minor annoyances though, as the film heads towards it's hugely entertaining finale.
The third act is fantastic. The action is thrilling, the visuals are stunning, and the stakes actually feel quite high. It plays out at times like a PG version of The Red Wedding!
The CGI throughout is top quality, and much like the first, the various settings seen throughout feel fully realised and vivid.
Mistress of Evil is a sequel that perhaps didn't need to happen, but I'm glad that it did, and the two films together stand head and shoulders above any other live action adaption that Disney have put out in recent years.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
When I was younger, my mom and I would get all dressed up and we would take a special holiday trip up to Seattle to see The Nutcracker. I was captivated by the costumes, dancing and the story. When I found out that a film was being made based off of the famed ballet I was very excited especially with Disney behind it.
Clara is given a gift for Christmas that requires a one of a kind key. To find this key she must follow a piece of string that leads her into a world full of magic and mystery but is in a state of disrepair. Along the way she meets many different characters who want to help her find the key and restore harmony within the lands.
The film in its entirety is visually stunning and equally entertaining. In a way, the film sort of reminds me of Alice In Wonderland as it has a very Tim Burtone-sque feel to it. The star studded cast made the film that much better. It was lovely seeing Mackenzie Foy all grown up, the beautiful Keira Knightly with her somewhat annoying high pitched character voice, Morgan Freeman and Dame Helen Mirren’s amazing acting and Misty Copeland’s beautiful dancing just to name a few.
It is certainly refreshing to see a new twist on a classic story. I am pleased that they didn’t do away with the dancing along with the most familiar score listened to during the holidays. The CG sets were amazing with bold colors that made the film very visually appealing. It encapsulates an entertaining and adventurous story along with humor and excellent acting. In my book, that is the perfect recipe for a great film. I look forward to adding this one to my ever growing movie collection.
Clara is given a gift for Christmas that requires a one of a kind key. To find this key she must follow a piece of string that leads her into a world full of magic and mystery but is in a state of disrepair. Along the way she meets many different characters who want to help her find the key and restore harmony within the lands.
The film in its entirety is visually stunning and equally entertaining. In a way, the film sort of reminds me of Alice In Wonderland as it has a very Tim Burtone-sque feel to it. The star studded cast made the film that much better. It was lovely seeing Mackenzie Foy all grown up, the beautiful Keira Knightly with her somewhat annoying high pitched character voice, Morgan Freeman and Dame Helen Mirren’s amazing acting and Misty Copeland’s beautiful dancing just to name a few.
It is certainly refreshing to see a new twist on a classic story. I am pleased that they didn’t do away with the dancing along with the most familiar score listened to during the holidays. The CG sets were amazing with bold colors that made the film very visually appealing. It encapsulates an entertaining and adventurous story along with humor and excellent acting. In my book, that is the perfect recipe for a great film. I look forward to adding this one to my ever growing movie collection.