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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Last Letter from Your Lover (2021) in Movies
Sep 5, 2021
Having missed the Unlimited Screening of this I was having to endure constant enthusiasm of a certain moviegoer until I'd seen it, but even then it didn't quite stop.
When Ellie discovers a random love letter while searching the archives for assignment, it sets in motion a hunt for more letters. With each letter the mystery unfolds and Ellie's life changes with every heartfelt sentence.
This is based on a Jojo Moyes book (that as usual, I haven't read), and I believe that traditionally that means gut-wrenching feels?
A modern day love story that evolves around a love story of letters. As tales of romance go, this is a very compelling one. I understand that the film has been stripped back from the novel (as you'd expect), and from what I've heard about what's missing, it's probably done the film a favour by not getting bogged down in extra backstory.
Let's start at the beginning with Jennifer (played by Shailene Woodley). She's the perfect balance throughout the film, composed and demur, frantic and firey. And my god, I felt all of her emotions in every scene. Her performance was probably my favourite from the cast, especially when combined with Callum Turner as Anthony O'Hare.
The way the two of them interacted was compelling the whole way through, and the emotion felt so horribly real that I was bawling my eyes out. Turner's performance was understated but powerful... and it totally wrecked me.
Meanwhile, in the present, Ellie (Felicity Jones) and Rory (Nabhaan Rizwan) are discovering Jennifer and Anthony's hidden romance through letters uncovered in the archives where they work. These sections of the film gave me very strong vibes of Love Actually mixed with Last Christmas. On their own they were funny and cute moments, but I think the balance was just right. Any more of them and I'm not sure the film would have held quite the same appeal.
The historic scenes were beautiful, the settings, the costumes, absolutely stunning. It makes you nostalgic for a style that some of us have never even experienced.
As I said, I bawled my eyes out, but that wasn't how I felt all the way through. At the beginning of the film I was a little bored if I'm honest. I wasn't really getting along with what was happening, and I was a little annoyed that the first cut didn't clearly switch between past and present. But there was one point that had me sold, my heart was in my throat and the tears started... and I'm not convinced they stopped until the credits rolled.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-last-letter-from-your-lover-movie.html
When Ellie discovers a random love letter while searching the archives for assignment, it sets in motion a hunt for more letters. With each letter the mystery unfolds and Ellie's life changes with every heartfelt sentence.
This is based on a Jojo Moyes book (that as usual, I haven't read), and I believe that traditionally that means gut-wrenching feels?
A modern day love story that evolves around a love story of letters. As tales of romance go, this is a very compelling one. I understand that the film has been stripped back from the novel (as you'd expect), and from what I've heard about what's missing, it's probably done the film a favour by not getting bogged down in extra backstory.
Let's start at the beginning with Jennifer (played by Shailene Woodley). She's the perfect balance throughout the film, composed and demur, frantic and firey. And my god, I felt all of her emotions in every scene. Her performance was probably my favourite from the cast, especially when combined with Callum Turner as Anthony O'Hare.
The way the two of them interacted was compelling the whole way through, and the emotion felt so horribly real that I was bawling my eyes out. Turner's performance was understated but powerful... and it totally wrecked me.
Meanwhile, in the present, Ellie (Felicity Jones) and Rory (Nabhaan Rizwan) are discovering Jennifer and Anthony's hidden romance through letters uncovered in the archives where they work. These sections of the film gave me very strong vibes of Love Actually mixed with Last Christmas. On their own they were funny and cute moments, but I think the balance was just right. Any more of them and I'm not sure the film would have held quite the same appeal.
The historic scenes were beautiful, the settings, the costumes, absolutely stunning. It makes you nostalgic for a style that some of us have never even experienced.
As I said, I bawled my eyes out, but that wasn't how I felt all the way through. At the beginning of the film I was a little bored if I'm honest. I wasn't really getting along with what was happening, and I was a little annoyed that the first cut didn't clearly switch between past and present. But there was one point that had me sold, my heart was in my throat and the tears started... and I'm not convinced they stopped until the credits rolled.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-last-letter-from-your-lover-movie.html
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Avengers: Endgame (2019) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
The epic Marvel Saga that started over ten years ago has been building up to the inevitable clash with the powerful tyrant Thanos (Josh Brolin). Last year’s “Avengers: Infinity War” set the stage for the highly-anticipated conclusion; “Avengers: End Game” and at long last it has arrived.
Picking up shortly after the events of the last film, the Avengers must deal with the aftermath of what Thanos has done. The team is naturally divided between wanting revenge, wanting to set things right, and just wanting to take what they have and go on.
As time passes and they struggle to accept the reality of their situation; an unexpected individual returns and with them comes the seeds of a new plan to make things right. Naturally Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is skeptical but eventually warms to the possibilities of the idea thanks to a new scientific breakthrough that makes it possible.
Inspired, Tony sets out to put an elaborate plan in motion that will allow the team to try to fix things and to stop Thanos once and for all.
What follows is an extended and at times nostalgic heist where various members of the team work to assemble the pieces needed for the plan as they believe they only have one chance to make things right.
The film is essentially three acts in one. The first deals with the recap and expansion of their situation and the planning. The second act is basically a heist where action and comedy are blended with some touching moments.
This all leads to the final act which is the FX laden set piece where the ensemble cast gathers to fight the forces of evil in a battle to save the Universe.
The film is epic in scale and length as it clocks in at over three hours but the movie is filled with so much content that the time goes by quickly and you have a hard time believing three hours have elapsed.
It is also a difficult film to review as you cannot recap elements of the film in any great detail without giving away elements that are sure to delight the fans. Suffice it to say that my only real issue with the film and it was minor; was that it took a while to get to the action but at least there was plenty to keep you entertained along the way.
As this phase of the Marvel Film Universe winds down and plans are put in place for the next five years; “Avengers: End Game” is a satisfying conclusion to the epic saga that was started many years ago and weaves elements of many of the past Marvel films into an entertaining tale which features all of the best elements that have made the series of films such big hits.
http://sknr.net/2019/04/23/avengers-endgame/
Picking up shortly after the events of the last film, the Avengers must deal with the aftermath of what Thanos has done. The team is naturally divided between wanting revenge, wanting to set things right, and just wanting to take what they have and go on.
As time passes and they struggle to accept the reality of their situation; an unexpected individual returns and with them comes the seeds of a new plan to make things right. Naturally Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is skeptical but eventually warms to the possibilities of the idea thanks to a new scientific breakthrough that makes it possible.
Inspired, Tony sets out to put an elaborate plan in motion that will allow the team to try to fix things and to stop Thanos once and for all.
What follows is an extended and at times nostalgic heist where various members of the team work to assemble the pieces needed for the plan as they believe they only have one chance to make things right.
The film is essentially three acts in one. The first deals with the recap and expansion of their situation and the planning. The second act is basically a heist where action and comedy are blended with some touching moments.
This all leads to the final act which is the FX laden set piece where the ensemble cast gathers to fight the forces of evil in a battle to save the Universe.
The film is epic in scale and length as it clocks in at over three hours but the movie is filled with so much content that the time goes by quickly and you have a hard time believing three hours have elapsed.
It is also a difficult film to review as you cannot recap elements of the film in any great detail without giving away elements that are sure to delight the fans. Suffice it to say that my only real issue with the film and it was minor; was that it took a while to get to the action but at least there was plenty to keep you entertained along the way.
As this phase of the Marvel Film Universe winds down and plans are put in place for the next five years; “Avengers: End Game” is a satisfying conclusion to the epic saga that was started many years ago and weaves elements of many of the past Marvel films into an entertaining tale which features all of the best elements that have made the series of films such big hits.
http://sknr.net/2019/04/23/avengers-endgame/
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.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
From director Steven Spielberg who brought us “E.T.” and the producer of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy Peter Jackson, comes the fabulous “The Adventures of Tintin”. The film is based upon the popular European comic books which were created by Belgian artist Georges Remi and tells the story of Tintin (Jamie Bell) , a young journalist and his canine Snowy who are always seeking to find a one of a kind story to write about.
One afternoon at an outdoor market the two come across a small replica of the three-masted Unicorn sailing ship being sold at a very good price. Tintin then starts to be pressured into selling his replica to a sketchy man Ivan Sakharine (Daniel Craig) who tries very hard to purchase the ship by offering him double than what was originally paid. Without luck, Sakharine leaves and is soon followed by another man who also attempts to purchase the ship, only this time he warns Tintin about what he has gotten himself into. Tintin starts to think that maybe there is a secret about this ship and he is determined to get to the bottom of it. After returning home following a scuffle between Snowy and a neighboring cat, the ship is accidentally broken and concealed in one of the masts is a cylinder that later is revealed to contain directions to hidden treasure.
After being bitten by the curiosity bug, Tintin decides to investigate at the house of Sakharine and ends up discovering a second replica that holds another clue. He becomes captured by Sackharine and imprisoned on a ship headed to find the third and final Unicorn replica. Tintin is imprisoned with the Captain of the ship, Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis). Who learn that they must escape and collect all three of the clues to assemble the directions that will lead them to the treasure.
Both are racing to get to the treasure before Sakharine as there is a history between he and the Captain which further complicates the issues at hand.
After what seemed to be a very long and drawn out opening, the film jumps right into the action with lots of adventure, pirates, comedic moments and realistic scenes. This proves that you really can‘t judge a book by the cover as I have never been a fan of stop motion film at all, in fact it has always been creepy to me.
Knowing that this movie was filmed with that technology, I was extremely hesitant in even giving it a chance but I am very glad I did. The film is very well written and executed and truly delivers. The 3D is also outstanding and makes you feel as if you are a part of the epic adventure. I recommend this film to all ages and if you have your doubts, please trust me and give it a chance. You will not be disappointed.
One afternoon at an outdoor market the two come across a small replica of the three-masted Unicorn sailing ship being sold at a very good price. Tintin then starts to be pressured into selling his replica to a sketchy man Ivan Sakharine (Daniel Craig) who tries very hard to purchase the ship by offering him double than what was originally paid. Without luck, Sakharine leaves and is soon followed by another man who also attempts to purchase the ship, only this time he warns Tintin about what he has gotten himself into. Tintin starts to think that maybe there is a secret about this ship and he is determined to get to the bottom of it. After returning home following a scuffle between Snowy and a neighboring cat, the ship is accidentally broken and concealed in one of the masts is a cylinder that later is revealed to contain directions to hidden treasure.
After being bitten by the curiosity bug, Tintin decides to investigate at the house of Sakharine and ends up discovering a second replica that holds another clue. He becomes captured by Sackharine and imprisoned on a ship headed to find the third and final Unicorn replica. Tintin is imprisoned with the Captain of the ship, Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis). Who learn that they must escape and collect all three of the clues to assemble the directions that will lead them to the treasure.
Both are racing to get to the treasure before Sakharine as there is a history between he and the Captain which further complicates the issues at hand.
After what seemed to be a very long and drawn out opening, the film jumps right into the action with lots of adventure, pirates, comedic moments and realistic scenes. This proves that you really can‘t judge a book by the cover as I have never been a fan of stop motion film at all, in fact it has always been creepy to me.
Knowing that this movie was filmed with that technology, I was extremely hesitant in even giving it a chance but I am very glad I did. The film is very well written and executed and truly delivers. The 3D is also outstanding and makes you feel as if you are a part of the epic adventure. I recommend this film to all ages and if you have your doubts, please trust me and give it a chance. You will not be disappointed.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated A Nightmare on Elm Street in Video Games
Feb 26, 2020 (Updated Feb 26, 2020)
Why?????
A Night on Elm Street- based on the movie franchise turned into a video game. A video game that is both awful and hard as hell. So this and the Friday The 13th video game, came out around the sane time. With Friday The 13th coming out first in 1989 in NA and A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1990 in NA.
So what do think the genre for A Nightmare on Elm Street should be then? Platformer, you say. Yes Platformer, you heard that right. A platformer, for a horror film thats now turned into a video game and whats the first thing you think when you think of A Nighmare on Elm Street? Platforming, no, well tell the people who made this video game then.
The plot: "The game manual contains the following synopsis...
You ARE Freddy Krueger. A horde of obnoxious teenagers is trying to get rid of you by finding your scattered bones and burying them. The only way to stop them is to kill them. You can travel along Elm Street through the electrical and plumbing lines or step into a mirror and step in another room.
The kids have weapons to battle you with and some of them even possess powerful "Dream Alter Egos" ...but if you can strike before they wake, they'll trouble you no more. So sharpen up your finger razors and get ready to slash, 'cause Freddy's here!"
Gameplay:
The player takes on the role of an ordinary teenager. 7 Additional teenagers can be controlled by up to three other players with the use of the NES Four Score. The objective is to scour the vicinity of Elm Street, collect the bones of the supernatural serial killer Freddy Krueger and dispose of them in the local high school's furnace.
The game takes place in the neighborhood of Elm Street and is played from a side-scrolling perspective.
Being attacked a certain number of times will cause the player to lose a life. Because the game takes place around midnight, certain areas are initially locked off from the player and require a key to be collected for later access.
When all the bones are collected, a boss battle with Freddy will commence. Defeating Freddy will both allow the player to exit the area and earn the player a key that allows access to a new area.
A game mechanic unique to the title is the "Sleep Meter". The meter indicates how close the player character is to falling asleep. If even one of the player characters falls asleep, all of the player characters will be transported to an alternate version of the environment referred to as the "Dream World", where the player is more vulnerable to attacks from Freddy. The Sleep Meter decreases automatically, but does so at a slower pace when the player character stays in motion.
I have played thia game, time and time again and overall, i would rather watch the movies than this game.
So what do think the genre for A Nightmare on Elm Street should be then? Platformer, you say. Yes Platformer, you heard that right. A platformer, for a horror film thats now turned into a video game and whats the first thing you think when you think of A Nighmare on Elm Street? Platforming, no, well tell the people who made this video game then.
The plot: "The game manual contains the following synopsis...
You ARE Freddy Krueger. A horde of obnoxious teenagers is trying to get rid of you by finding your scattered bones and burying them. The only way to stop them is to kill them. You can travel along Elm Street through the electrical and plumbing lines or step into a mirror and step in another room.
The kids have weapons to battle you with and some of them even possess powerful "Dream Alter Egos" ...but if you can strike before they wake, they'll trouble you no more. So sharpen up your finger razors and get ready to slash, 'cause Freddy's here!"
Gameplay:
The player takes on the role of an ordinary teenager. 7 Additional teenagers can be controlled by up to three other players with the use of the NES Four Score. The objective is to scour the vicinity of Elm Street, collect the bones of the supernatural serial killer Freddy Krueger and dispose of them in the local high school's furnace.
The game takes place in the neighborhood of Elm Street and is played from a side-scrolling perspective.
Being attacked a certain number of times will cause the player to lose a life. Because the game takes place around midnight, certain areas are initially locked off from the player and require a key to be collected for later access.
When all the bones are collected, a boss battle with Freddy will commence. Defeating Freddy will both allow the player to exit the area and earn the player a key that allows access to a new area.
A game mechanic unique to the title is the "Sleep Meter". The meter indicates how close the player character is to falling asleep. If even one of the player characters falls asleep, all of the player characters will be transported to an alternate version of the environment referred to as the "Dream World", where the player is more vulnerable to attacks from Freddy. The Sleep Meter decreases automatically, but does so at a slower pace when the player character stays in motion.
I have played thia game, time and time again and overall, i would rather watch the movies than this game.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Big Hero 6 (2014) in Movies
Nov 5, 2018
Phenomenal
Big Hero 6 sits on top for me as probably the best under-the-radar film of all-time. No one talks about it or really brings it up. Anytime I mention its greatness, I get the typical response: “Well, yeah, I guess it was kind of awesome.” Not only is it one of the best under-the-radar films, but it’s the best film I have reviewed so far. Disagree all you want, but hear me out on my argument.
Set in the swanky, futuristic city of San Fransokyo, Big Hero 6 is the story of how young Hiro Hamada develops an unlikely friendship with his brother’s marshmallow-esque robot Baymax and they form an unlikely superhero team.
Acting: 10
Each voice actor does an excellent job capturing the essence of their character. Strong, emotional moments suck you into the film and keep you invested. As in most Disney films, there are no weaknesses from an acting standpoint. Damon Wayans Jr. was my personal favorite playing the role of Wasabi one of Hiro’s friends. He doesn’t dominate the scenes that he stars in, but definitely manages to make the most of his lines.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
The animations are beautiful and crisp. The opening scene provides a breathtaking view of the city of San Fransokyo. Building lights pop against the night sky. Bay waters glimmer. Attention to detail is exquisite. There is one scene where Hiro and Baymax are falling through an open window in slow-motion. Bushes below rustle while glass flies past them. It only lasts for a couple of seconds, but it’s a testament to the solid work that went into the animation of this film.
The powers the team displayed added to the film’s visual prowess. I loved watching Fred breathe fire in his awful (and also hilarious) superhero costume. Their powers and team-ups made for some stunning battles against a unique villain.
Conflict: 10
I am amazed at the balance of story and action as a film typically has to sacrifice one over the other. Even during their earlier training phases, the action is both consistent and non-stop. It fills the entire landscape of the screen. From battles to car chases to harrowing escapes, Big Hero 6 establishes and maintains a high level of intensity.
Genre: 10
Not only does this film establish itself as one of the best animated films ever done, but it’s also one of the best superhero films ever made. The fact that it excels in both genres just speaks of the film’s overall greatness. I expected to like it, but I never expected to love it. Big Hero 6 is easily in the same class as The Incredibles.
Memorability: 10
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Resolution: 10
The ending is perfect. Sappy, yet believable. Great wrap-up of a great movie.
Overall: 100
A great family film with solid superhero action and a fun, meaningful story you can get behind. What more do you need? Loved this movie.
Set in the swanky, futuristic city of San Fransokyo, Big Hero 6 is the story of how young Hiro Hamada develops an unlikely friendship with his brother’s marshmallow-esque robot Baymax and they form an unlikely superhero team.
Acting: 10
Each voice actor does an excellent job capturing the essence of their character. Strong, emotional moments suck you into the film and keep you invested. As in most Disney films, there are no weaknesses from an acting standpoint. Damon Wayans Jr. was my personal favorite playing the role of Wasabi one of Hiro’s friends. He doesn’t dominate the scenes that he stars in, but definitely manages to make the most of his lines.
Beginning: 10
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
The animations are beautiful and crisp. The opening scene provides a breathtaking view of the city of San Fransokyo. Building lights pop against the night sky. Bay waters glimmer. Attention to detail is exquisite. There is one scene where Hiro and Baymax are falling through an open window in slow-motion. Bushes below rustle while glass flies past them. It only lasts for a couple of seconds, but it’s a testament to the solid work that went into the animation of this film.
The powers the team displayed added to the film’s visual prowess. I loved watching Fred breathe fire in his awful (and also hilarious) superhero costume. Their powers and team-ups made for some stunning battles against a unique villain.
Conflict: 10
I am amazed at the balance of story and action as a film typically has to sacrifice one over the other. Even during their earlier training phases, the action is both consistent and non-stop. It fills the entire landscape of the screen. From battles to car chases to harrowing escapes, Big Hero 6 establishes and maintains a high level of intensity.
Genre: 10
Not only does this film establish itself as one of the best animated films ever done, but it’s also one of the best superhero films ever made. The fact that it excels in both genres just speaks of the film’s overall greatness. I expected to like it, but I never expected to love it. Big Hero 6 is easily in the same class as The Incredibles.
Memorability: 10
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Resolution: 10
The ending is perfect. Sappy, yet believable. Great wrap-up of a great movie.
Overall: 100
A great family film with solid superhero action and a fun, meaningful story you can get behind. What more do you need? Loved this movie.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) in Movies
Oct 31, 2019
Finally a worthy sequel
After all of the other poor sequels since the original Terminator films, I hadn’t been holding out much hope for this one and had forgotten it even existed until the trailers popped up a couple of weeks ago. However this film was a massively pleasant surprise.
Right from the opening scene, this film knows how to pack a punch. This opening scene is so far away from anything I expected and it was so brilliantly done, the CGI in this was fantastic and starting this way really increased the nostalgia factor that seems to resonate through the entire film. There’s no doubt whatsoever that this film fits in with the original two and for me there’s no other way they could’ve pulled this off. We’ve seen before how badly other Terminator films can go wrong, but this doesn’t shy away from nods to the originals and it really works.
The first 20-30 minutes are non-stop action, and a great introduction to both the Rev-9 and Grace. The Rev-9 is a very good addition to the Terminator family, he’s rather creepy, virtually unstoppable and a seemingly appropriate transition from the T-1000. Aside from the odd dodgy CGI moment, he’s definitely a rather worthy successor to the T-1000. And then there’s Grace, a kick ass powerful female who is a brilliant and much better alternative to the male protector we’ve seen from the rest of the films. She’s played wonderfully by Mackenzie Davis who definitely looks the part. Having Grace alongside old hand Sarah Connor and newbie Dani brings a powerful trio of independent women who spend most of the film battling on their own, is a refreshing change to a male driven film.
Of course they are joined eventually by Arnie, who’s return has sadly been by the trailers. However his appearance in the latter half of the film is very much welcome, as he provides some great deadpan humour that is a little lacking from the first half, and also some of the emotional heartwarming side which was a pleasant surprise. Seeing him back alongside Linda Hamilton is a wonderful feeling, even if her Sarah Connor seems a little too OTT at times.
Despite the above, Dark Fate isn’t perfect. It has been entirely ruined by the trailer, which has given away a lot of the plot – I for one would’ve preferred not to know Arnie was returning, how much of a shock would that have been?! Also, I found some of the action scenes (especially in the second half) to be a little bit much and I wish they could’ve been toned down a little as they were almost giving me motion sickness! There’s also the fact that this film has blatantly been set up for another sequel and I’m hoping and praying that this isn’t the case. This is a very worthy sequel to the original Terminator films and whilst it doesn’t surpass them it sure as hell doesn’t let them down, and I think it’d be such a shame if they were to ruin the franchise again by bringing out yet more second rate sequels.
Right from the opening scene, this film knows how to pack a punch. This opening scene is so far away from anything I expected and it was so brilliantly done, the CGI in this was fantastic and starting this way really increased the nostalgia factor that seems to resonate through the entire film. There’s no doubt whatsoever that this film fits in with the original two and for me there’s no other way they could’ve pulled this off. We’ve seen before how badly other Terminator films can go wrong, but this doesn’t shy away from nods to the originals and it really works.
The first 20-30 minutes are non-stop action, and a great introduction to both the Rev-9 and Grace. The Rev-9 is a very good addition to the Terminator family, he’s rather creepy, virtually unstoppable and a seemingly appropriate transition from the T-1000. Aside from the odd dodgy CGI moment, he’s definitely a rather worthy successor to the T-1000. And then there’s Grace, a kick ass powerful female who is a brilliant and much better alternative to the male protector we’ve seen from the rest of the films. She’s played wonderfully by Mackenzie Davis who definitely looks the part. Having Grace alongside old hand Sarah Connor and newbie Dani brings a powerful trio of independent women who spend most of the film battling on their own, is a refreshing change to a male driven film.
Of course they are joined eventually by Arnie, who’s return has sadly been by the trailers. However his appearance in the latter half of the film is very much welcome, as he provides some great deadpan humour that is a little lacking from the first half, and also some of the emotional heartwarming side which was a pleasant surprise. Seeing him back alongside Linda Hamilton is a wonderful feeling, even if her Sarah Connor seems a little too OTT at times.
Despite the above, Dark Fate isn’t perfect. It has been entirely ruined by the trailer, which has given away a lot of the plot – I for one would’ve preferred not to know Arnie was returning, how much of a shock would that have been?! Also, I found some of the action scenes (especially in the second half) to be a little bit much and I wish they could’ve been toned down a little as they were almost giving me motion sickness! There’s also the fact that this film has blatantly been set up for another sequel and I’m hoping and praying that this isn’t the case. This is a very worthy sequel to the original Terminator films and whilst it doesn’t surpass them it sure as hell doesn’t let them down, and I think it’d be such a shame if they were to ruin the franchise again by bringing out yet more second rate sequels.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated The LEGO Movie (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Could The LEGO Movie just be considered one hour and a half long commercial for a children’s toy product? Absolutely. Does that make the movie any less entertaining? Nope! I grew up in the eighties. A time when toy manufacturers would make TV shows, mixing up entertainment with advertising in the tender minds of their youth demographic, and doing it well. We seem to be in a new age of that very same ethos of ultra-marketing, only now we have the internet to exacerbate the matter. That all said, The LEGO Movie is perhaps one of the cleverest, funniest, and perhaps most creative films I’ve seen in a long while. It’s enjoyable, fresh, and seems to celebrate with reckless abandon the joyous chaos of childhood play over the blind consumption of product.
The comforting, self-aware, almost self-deprecating tone that has found its way into the LEGO videogames that have been hitting the markets lately that defines The LEGO Movie. The film takes place in a world made of LEGOs, and the characters all have snap-on/snap-off hair and can merrily disassemble the world around them and build again from the ruins. And while it’s not filmed in stop-motion (which was more disappointing than I thought it would be), the characters have the pleasantly stiff and jerky movement that is the trademark to the style. It’s essentially a film with the rules of a young boy at play, just making it up as things progress.
Even the story felt like it was straight from a children’s book. An average, run-of-the-mill, Joe… well, Emmet (Chris Pratt) falls unsuspectingly into an adventure involving freedom fighters, superheroes, and villains in a very Matrix-esque plot. When he stumbles upon the legendary Piece of Resistance, the only force that can undo the Kragle, a mysterious weapon being used by Lord Business/President Business (Will Ferrell), Emmet begins his journey to fulfill the prophecy and become the best “master builder” in all the world. Along the way he is helped by a plethora of recognizable, and not so recognizable, characters including Batman (Will Arnett), Shaquille O’Neil (Himself), Vitruvious (Morgan Freeman) and Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks).
Most children’s films these days, especially in the CGI genre, tend to be lighting fast paced, basically overloading you with unfunny material hoping to distract your from how lame the movie really is. While The LEGO Movie is frantic, it feels like controlled chaos. It has a point. There is a direction where all this weird wild silliness is headed. And while The LEGO Movie would be fine were it just a frantic and clever child’s comedy, it additionally bothers to reach beyond its bounds and address its own artificiality in a plot twist that was way more clever, daring and meaningful than anything seen in most modern adult thrillers. But I don’t want to spoil that for you.
So here it is again, my “Would I buy it” test. Absolutely. The LEGO Movie is great fun and a joyous celebration of the chaos I recall as childhood.
The comforting, self-aware, almost self-deprecating tone that has found its way into the LEGO videogames that have been hitting the markets lately that defines The LEGO Movie. The film takes place in a world made of LEGOs, and the characters all have snap-on/snap-off hair and can merrily disassemble the world around them and build again from the ruins. And while it’s not filmed in stop-motion (which was more disappointing than I thought it would be), the characters have the pleasantly stiff and jerky movement that is the trademark to the style. It’s essentially a film with the rules of a young boy at play, just making it up as things progress.
Even the story felt like it was straight from a children’s book. An average, run-of-the-mill, Joe… well, Emmet (Chris Pratt) falls unsuspectingly into an adventure involving freedom fighters, superheroes, and villains in a very Matrix-esque plot. When he stumbles upon the legendary Piece of Resistance, the only force that can undo the Kragle, a mysterious weapon being used by Lord Business/President Business (Will Ferrell), Emmet begins his journey to fulfill the prophecy and become the best “master builder” in all the world. Along the way he is helped by a plethora of recognizable, and not so recognizable, characters including Batman (Will Arnett), Shaquille O’Neil (Himself), Vitruvious (Morgan Freeman) and Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks).
Most children’s films these days, especially in the CGI genre, tend to be lighting fast paced, basically overloading you with unfunny material hoping to distract your from how lame the movie really is. While The LEGO Movie is frantic, it feels like controlled chaos. It has a point. There is a direction where all this weird wild silliness is headed. And while The LEGO Movie would be fine were it just a frantic and clever child’s comedy, it additionally bothers to reach beyond its bounds and address its own artificiality in a plot twist that was way more clever, daring and meaningful than anything seen in most modern adult thrillers. But I don’t want to spoil that for you.
So here it is again, my “Would I buy it” test. Absolutely. The LEGO Movie is great fun and a joyous celebration of the chaos I recall as childhood.
Lee (2222 KP) rated The Lion King (2019) in Movies
Jul 20, 2019 (Updated Jul 20, 2019)
Disney's 1994 animated version of The Lion King was a huge hit. Not only did it win Academy Awards for original score (courtesy of the amazing Hans Zimmer) but also for original song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" by Elton John & Tim Rice. It also won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and went on to become a huge Broadway stage show in 1997, winning further awards and proving to be one of the most popular shows ever. Some movie sequels quietly came and went, along with a couple of TV series, but it's the original movie which is still loved by millions to this day. While Disney currently feels the need to rework their animated back catalogue, and with considerable advances in photorealistic computer animation technology, it was only a matter of time before The Lion King had it's turn in landing a remake.
Right now, I'm neither for or against this current wave of remakes. I don't think they're entirely necessary, but I've been pleasantly surprised by one or two of them so far, so I'm happy to give them my time for now. The Lion King is the third remake to emerge this year though, following the disappointing Dumbo and the not as bad as I was expecting Aladdin. The term 'live action' has been used to describe this version of The Lion King, although it's not really live - more of a CGI upgrade - and it's been getting a lot of negativity online too, more so than any other Disney remake so far. Most of the backlash appears to be down to the fact that this is a beloved film, with the remake being more of a shot by shot recreation than any of the others so far, supposedly rendering it unnecessary in the eyes of the haters. But, while I agree that the original is an incredible movie, that certainly didn't stop me, or millions of others, from going to view the stage show production of The Lion King - a retelling and re-imagining of the story and characters you know and love, just with a different set of tools to do the job. So, why not treat this new movie in the same way, at least until you've actually seen it? And, even if you do hate the new version, the original is still going to be there for you to enjoy afterwards.
The story here, as mentioned earlier, is the same as the original movie, with a pretty impressive cast lending their voices to the characters. We follow young lion cub Simba (JD McCrary), who is destined to succeed his father, Mufasa (James Earl Jones reprising his 1994 performance), as King of the African Pride Lands. But his uncle Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor) has other plans, murdering Mufasa and forcing Simba into exile where he meets a warthog called Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) and a meerkat named Timon (Billy Eichner). As an adult, Simba (now voiced by Donald Glover) reconnects with childhood friend Nala (voiced by Shahadi Wright Joseph as a child, Beyoncé as an adult) and mandrill Rafkiki (John Kani) and returns to the Pride Lands in order to take his rightful place as King. The circle of life, etc...
The visuals are incredible. Director Jon Favreau, who also directed the 2016 version of The Jungle Book, has taken what was done on that movie to a whole new level here. But the imagery is both the movies strength and it's weakness. As we sweep across the African landscape, in and around the animals as they go about their lives, you feel as though you are in a beautifully well shot documentary, the animals are that realistic. But that realism also means that animals cannot realistically convey human expressions or emotions, and there's a lot to be conveyed in the story of The Lion King - laughter, anger, sadness - and the majority of the voice cast cannot seem to stop it all from just feeling a bit flat and lifeless.
The first half meanders along, hitting all the right beats and songs from the original, but never really feeling like an improvement on it. And then Timon and Pumbaa arrive on the scene, providing much needed laughs and proving to be the movie's saviours. The film finds its feet, lightens up a little and becomes more enjoyable for its remainder, but it isn't enough. This is yet another remake where it's all style and not enough substance. Worth seeing, but certainly not better than the original.
https://www.cinechat.co.uk/the-lion-king-2019-review/
Right now, I'm neither for or against this current wave of remakes. I don't think they're entirely necessary, but I've been pleasantly surprised by one or two of them so far, so I'm happy to give them my time for now. The Lion King is the third remake to emerge this year though, following the disappointing Dumbo and the not as bad as I was expecting Aladdin. The term 'live action' has been used to describe this version of The Lion King, although it's not really live - more of a CGI upgrade - and it's been getting a lot of negativity online too, more so than any other Disney remake so far. Most of the backlash appears to be down to the fact that this is a beloved film, with the remake being more of a shot by shot recreation than any of the others so far, supposedly rendering it unnecessary in the eyes of the haters. But, while I agree that the original is an incredible movie, that certainly didn't stop me, or millions of others, from going to view the stage show production of The Lion King - a retelling and re-imagining of the story and characters you know and love, just with a different set of tools to do the job. So, why not treat this new movie in the same way, at least until you've actually seen it? And, even if you do hate the new version, the original is still going to be there for you to enjoy afterwards.
The story here, as mentioned earlier, is the same as the original movie, with a pretty impressive cast lending their voices to the characters. We follow young lion cub Simba (JD McCrary), who is destined to succeed his father, Mufasa (James Earl Jones reprising his 1994 performance), as King of the African Pride Lands. But his uncle Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor) has other plans, murdering Mufasa and forcing Simba into exile where he meets a warthog called Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) and a meerkat named Timon (Billy Eichner). As an adult, Simba (now voiced by Donald Glover) reconnects with childhood friend Nala (voiced by Shahadi Wright Joseph as a child, Beyoncé as an adult) and mandrill Rafkiki (John Kani) and returns to the Pride Lands in order to take his rightful place as King. The circle of life, etc...
The visuals are incredible. Director Jon Favreau, who also directed the 2016 version of The Jungle Book, has taken what was done on that movie to a whole new level here. But the imagery is both the movies strength and it's weakness. As we sweep across the African landscape, in and around the animals as they go about their lives, you feel as though you are in a beautifully well shot documentary, the animals are that realistic. But that realism also means that animals cannot realistically convey human expressions or emotions, and there's a lot to be conveyed in the story of The Lion King - laughter, anger, sadness - and the majority of the voice cast cannot seem to stop it all from just feeling a bit flat and lifeless.
The first half meanders along, hitting all the right beats and songs from the original, but never really feeling like an improvement on it. And then Timon and Pumbaa arrive on the scene, providing much needed laughs and proving to be the movie's saviours. The film finds its feet, lightens up a little and becomes more enjoyable for its remainder, but it isn't enough. This is yet another remake where it's all style and not enough substance. Worth seeing, but certainly not better than the original.
https://www.cinechat.co.uk/the-lion-king-2019-review/
Ronyell (38 KP) rated The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) in Movies
Jul 24, 2020
Bone Daddy Nearly Ruins Christmas!
Every Halloween, Jack the Pumpkin King, would go out and scare many people with his frightening theatrics. Unfortunately, Jack has grown tired of doing the same routine every year and wanted to do something different. It was then that Jack accidentally ended up in Christmas Town and he was so awed and amazed at the Christmas visuals and the figure of Santa Claus (who he mistakenly calls "Sandy Claws"), that he decided that he should take over Christmas for the year! This then leads to Santa Claus being kidnapped by Oogie Boogie and Christmas nearly put into disaster!
Can Jack fix all of this before it's too late?
Seriously, this is probably my most favorite film made by Tim Burton (well technically, it was produced by Tim Burton and the poem was written by him, but Henry Selick directed the film). I just loved the cute yet nightmarish visuals in this movie as they gave the movie a creative vibe and I really loved seeing the different kinds of characters that pop up in Halloween Town, with my favorite creatures being the Clown with the Tearaway Face and the Vampires! I also loved the characters themselves as they were all interesting and amusing to look at. Probably my most favorite character in this entire movie was none other than Jack Skellington himself as he was a truly charming and charismatic character! I just loved the way that Jack went about trying something different for a change and it was cute seeing him lit up with enthusiasm as he tried to become the new Santa Claus. I also loved the character of Sally the Rag Doll as she truly cares about Jack and would do anything to prevent Jack from ruining Christmas! The visuals were amazing as all the characters look truly nightmarish (especially the werewolf and the witches) and yet, their personalities are so likable that you cannot help but actually care for these characters. Probably the best part of this movie were the songs themselves as they truly capture the true essence of this film, with my favorite songs being "What's This?" "This is Halloween" and "Sally's Song."
The only problem with this film is that the reason why this movie was rated PG was because of the scary imagery. So, there may be some images, like the various monsters that show up in this film, that might scare smaller children for the most part. Also, there is not enough back stories with any of these characters to really get to know their true motives and their existence, so some people might be a bit confused about where some of the motives of the characters came from, like in the case of Oogie Boogie where we don't know much about his character other than he despises Jack Skellington.
Overall, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is a fantastic animated film that you can see either during Christmas or Halloween ( a two in one deal, how cool is that)? and it will forever be remembered as a classic film that Tim Burton and stop motion fans will love for many years!
Originally posted on: http://surrealmoviesandtvblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/movie-review-nightmare-before-christmas.html
Can Jack fix all of this before it's too late?
Seriously, this is probably my most favorite film made by Tim Burton (well technically, it was produced by Tim Burton and the poem was written by him, but Henry Selick directed the film). I just loved the cute yet nightmarish visuals in this movie as they gave the movie a creative vibe and I really loved seeing the different kinds of characters that pop up in Halloween Town, with my favorite creatures being the Clown with the Tearaway Face and the Vampires! I also loved the characters themselves as they were all interesting and amusing to look at. Probably my most favorite character in this entire movie was none other than Jack Skellington himself as he was a truly charming and charismatic character! I just loved the way that Jack went about trying something different for a change and it was cute seeing him lit up with enthusiasm as he tried to become the new Santa Claus. I also loved the character of Sally the Rag Doll as she truly cares about Jack and would do anything to prevent Jack from ruining Christmas! The visuals were amazing as all the characters look truly nightmarish (especially the werewolf and the witches) and yet, their personalities are so likable that you cannot help but actually care for these characters. Probably the best part of this movie were the songs themselves as they truly capture the true essence of this film, with my favorite songs being "What's This?" "This is Halloween" and "Sally's Song."
The only problem with this film is that the reason why this movie was rated PG was because of the scary imagery. So, there may be some images, like the various monsters that show up in this film, that might scare smaller children for the most part. Also, there is not enough back stories with any of these characters to really get to know their true motives and their existence, so some people might be a bit confused about where some of the motives of the characters came from, like in the case of Oogie Boogie where we don't know much about his character other than he despises Jack Skellington.
Overall, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is a fantastic animated film that you can see either during Christmas or Halloween ( a two in one deal, how cool is that)? and it will forever be remembered as a classic film that Tim Burton and stop motion fans will love for many years!
Originally posted on: http://surrealmoviesandtvblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/movie-review-nightmare-before-christmas.html