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David McK (3932 KP) rated Beauty and the Beast (2017) in Movies
Dec 31, 2019
Live-action remake of the 1994 Disney film which (from what I remember) sticks almost exactly to that source material, with Emma Watson's Belle perhaps given a bit more independence than before.
Mostly the same songs as before (although I'm not sure about Hermione - sorry, sorry, Emma Watson - vocals), with maybe one or two new additions, with those songs serving more as time fillers than for moving the plot along (compare these to those in Aladdin and you'll see what I mean) - that's not a criticism, as such, just an observation!
Mostly the same songs as before (although I'm not sure about Hermione - sorry, sorry, Emma Watson - vocals), with maybe one or two new additions, with those songs serving more as time fillers than for moving the plot along (compare these to those in Aladdin and you'll see what I mean) - that's not a criticism, as such, just an observation!
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Pete's Dragon (2016) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
Lovely in every sense of the word
2016 really does belong to Disney. The House of Mouse has been churning out some incredible films this year with the live-action remake of The Jungle Book proving sceptical audiences (and critics) completely wrong.
The BFG was a pleasant and inoffensive adaptation of Roald Dahl’s wonderful novel and Finding Dory got Pixar back on the right track, and let’s not forget Captain America: Civil War, by far the best superhero film of the year.
Here, Disney continues its trend with recreating its classic cartoons in live-action; resurrecting Pete’s Dragon. But is this remake of the 1977 film of the same name as good as The Jungle Book?
Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford), a woodcarver, delights local children with stories of a mysterious dragon that lives deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. His daughter Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) believes these are just tall tales, until she meets Pete (Oakes Fegley), a 10-year-old orphan who says he lives in the woods with a giant, friendly dragon called Elliot. With help from a young girl named Natalie (Oona Laurence), Grace sets out to investigate if this fantastic claim can be true.
Director David Lowery helms the film with a quiet subtlety that automatically makes Pete’s Dragon a very different adaptation to Jon Favreau’s stomping Jungle Book. Here, the joy is in the storytelling rather than popping on a set of nostalgia glasses and settling in for the journey.
Acting wise, it’s a pretty formulaic affair. Bryce Dallas Howard, in her first major role since last year’s smash hit Jurassic World, is as likeable as ever and like the film itself, commands the screen with an understated presence. Elsewhere, Oakes Fegley gives a cracking portrayal of Pete.
Naturally, the main character throughout is Elliot, the big friendly dragon. This bright green behemoth is rendered in wonderful CGI, with each gust of wind lifting his fur beautifully. Considering the film’s modest $65million budget, Elliot is utterly believable in each and every scene.
The lush forest landscape provides a mesmerising backdrop on which to construct a film and David Lowery takes the audience on sweeping journeys across the tree-tops, brilliantly juxtaposed with confined caves and the woodland floor.
Unfortunately, the deforestation side plot is never truly explored with Karl Urban’s underdeveloped “villain” proving to be a slight undoing in this near perfect remake.
Thankfully though, the themes of family, friendship and never giving up despite the odds are explored to their fullest – these are themes that Disney knows how to do better than any other studio and the emotional heart that brings to Pete’s Dragon ensures teary eyes are inevitable.
Overall, Disney has done it again. Just five months after the phenomenal Jungle Book remake, the studio has got it spot on with Pete’s Dragon. The two films couldn’t be further apart, with this one succeeding in its quiet dignity. It is in every sense of the word – lovely.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/08/16/lovely-in-every-sense-of-the-word-petes-dragon-review/
The BFG was a pleasant and inoffensive adaptation of Roald Dahl’s wonderful novel and Finding Dory got Pixar back on the right track, and let’s not forget Captain America: Civil War, by far the best superhero film of the year.
Here, Disney continues its trend with recreating its classic cartoons in live-action; resurrecting Pete’s Dragon. But is this remake of the 1977 film of the same name as good as The Jungle Book?
Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford), a woodcarver, delights local children with stories of a mysterious dragon that lives deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. His daughter Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) believes these are just tall tales, until she meets Pete (Oakes Fegley), a 10-year-old orphan who says he lives in the woods with a giant, friendly dragon called Elliot. With help from a young girl named Natalie (Oona Laurence), Grace sets out to investigate if this fantastic claim can be true.
Director David Lowery helms the film with a quiet subtlety that automatically makes Pete’s Dragon a very different adaptation to Jon Favreau’s stomping Jungle Book. Here, the joy is in the storytelling rather than popping on a set of nostalgia glasses and settling in for the journey.
Acting wise, it’s a pretty formulaic affair. Bryce Dallas Howard, in her first major role since last year’s smash hit Jurassic World, is as likeable as ever and like the film itself, commands the screen with an understated presence. Elsewhere, Oakes Fegley gives a cracking portrayal of Pete.
Naturally, the main character throughout is Elliot, the big friendly dragon. This bright green behemoth is rendered in wonderful CGI, with each gust of wind lifting his fur beautifully. Considering the film’s modest $65million budget, Elliot is utterly believable in each and every scene.
The lush forest landscape provides a mesmerising backdrop on which to construct a film and David Lowery takes the audience on sweeping journeys across the tree-tops, brilliantly juxtaposed with confined caves and the woodland floor.
Unfortunately, the deforestation side plot is never truly explored with Karl Urban’s underdeveloped “villain” proving to be a slight undoing in this near perfect remake.
Thankfully though, the themes of family, friendship and never giving up despite the odds are explored to their fullest – these are themes that Disney knows how to do better than any other studio and the emotional heart that brings to Pete’s Dragon ensures teary eyes are inevitable.
Overall, Disney has done it again. Just five months after the phenomenal Jungle Book remake, the studio has got it spot on with Pete’s Dragon. The two films couldn’t be further apart, with this one succeeding in its quiet dignity. It is in every sense of the word – lovely.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/08/16/lovely-in-every-sense-of-the-word-petes-dragon-review/
CassidyTristyn (189 KP) rated Stephen King's It in TV
Jul 31, 2018
Old Vs. New
I have seen both the original It and the newer remake and I have to say that both are very good movies. They do have their differences, of course, but I try not to compare them too much because I enjoy both of them. If you enjoy Stephen King then you will definitely enjoy It. It displays telltale Stephen King horror that we all know and love. The horror aspect, while obviously a dominant feature, does not completely take away from the underlying friendship within the movie. These kids from Derry band together to face It and develop a profound bond and connection that brings them together again years later. Overall, a really good movie and a just portrayal of a Stephen King classic.
David McK (3932 KP) rated Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) in Movies
Nov 4, 2021
Direct sequel to 2017s 'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle'; itself a quasi remake of the 1995 original updating it to a more modern audience in which the cursed game is now a video game cartridge rather than a boardgame.
Anyway, this mainly follows the same characters as in the previous entry but also introduces a few new 'real life' characters into the mix (portrayed by Danny DeVito and Danny Glover), with those characters then also getting sucked into the game.
As before, most of the comedy comes from watching the in-game characters (still portrayed by Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson) doing imitations of their 'real life' counterparts, with Jack Black again stealing the show with his imitations!
Anyway, this mainly follows the same characters as in the previous entry but also introduces a few new 'real life' characters into the mix (portrayed by Danny DeVito and Danny Glover), with those characters then also getting sucked into the game.
As before, most of the comedy comes from watching the in-game characters (still portrayed by Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson) doing imitations of their 'real life' counterparts, with Jack Black again stealing the show with his imitations!
Omari Hardwick recommended Clash Of The Titans (1981) in Movies (curated)
Peter G. (247 KP) rated Let Me In (2010) in Movies
Sep 6, 2019
Not much to say here as this remake is one of those rare beasts that's very good but not quite as good as the original.
The acting from the two leads is superb and the blossoming romance believable, the films pacing is also similar to the original.
Lovers of the first film may pass this one by as to not spoil their connection with it, however those not having encountered the original will be in for a treat as this vampire love story beats anything twilight has to offer.
The acting from the two leads is superb and the blossoming romance believable, the films pacing is also similar to the original.
Lovers of the first film may pass this one by as to not spoil their connection with it, however those not having encountered the original will be in for a treat as this vampire love story beats anything twilight has to offer.
David McK (3932 KP) rated Total Recall (1990) in Movies
Jun 21, 2019 (Updated Sep 16, 2019)
Forget the rather pointless Colin Farrell-starring 2012 remake, this is the original (and best) of the 2 movies to share the name, itself based on the Philip K Dick short story 'We Can Remember It for You Wholesale' - it bears little in common with that story, however, other than the idea of false memory implants!
Starring a pre-T2 Arnold Schwarzenegger alongside Sharon Stone and Michael Ironside, the main plot of this is actually open to interpretation: are these events actually happening, or is Arnie's character of Douglas Quaid dreaming them? Every thing that happens after he visits Rekall is left deliberately open to interpretation, even down to the film ending with a white out instead of a black out ...
Starring a pre-T2 Arnold Schwarzenegger alongside Sharon Stone and Michael Ironside, the main plot of this is actually open to interpretation: are these events actually happening, or is Arnie's character of Douglas Quaid dreaming them? Every thing that happens after he visits Rekall is left deliberately open to interpretation, even down to the film ending with a white out instead of a black out ...
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