Sunday, September 30, 2012

The Dark Crystal Review











The Dark Crystal


Release Date: 22nd April 1983 - Australia


Production Companies
Incorporated Television Company (ITC) (presents)
Henson Organisation
Henson Associates (HA)

Distribution
Sony Pictures Australia


Genre: Fantasy/Family

Rating: G

Runtime: 93 minutes


Budget: $25,000,000

Box Office Gross: $41,631,350 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
In another world from another time, in the age of wonder, ravaged by the tyrannical race of the Skeksis. Now, a young orphaned Gelfing named Jen must end the Skeksis' power and restore balance by using a shard that would heal the Dark Crystal.


Performers
Jim Henson - Jen/SkekSo the Emperor
Kathryn Mullen - Jen/Kira
Frank Oz - Aughra/SkekSil
the Chamberlain/The Podlings
Jerry Nelson - SkekZok the Ritual Master
Kiran Shah - The Body of Jen, Kira and Aughra
Dave Goelz - SkekUng the
Garthim Master/Fizzgig
Steve Whitmire - SkekTek the Scientist
Brian Muehl - UrZah the
Ritual Guardian/UrSu the
Master/SkekEktt the Ornamentalist
Bob Payne - SkekOk the Scroll Keeper
Louise Gold - SkekAyuk the Gourmand
Mike Quinn - SkekNa the Slave Master
Tim Rose - SkekShod the Treasurer
David Greenway - Urlm/
Healer

Voice Cast
Stephen Garlick - Jen
Lisa Maxwell - Kira
Billie Whitelaw - Aughra
Percy Edwards - Fizzgig
Barry Dennen - SkekSkil the Chamberlain/Podling
Michael Kilgariff - SkekUng the Garthim Master
Sean Barrett - UrZah the Ritual Guardian
Jerry Nelson - SkekSo the Emperor
John Baddeley - SkekOk the Scroll Keeper
Thick Wilson - SkekAyuk the Gourmand
David Buck - SkekNa the Slave Master
Charles Collingwood - SkekShod the Treasurer
Joseph O'Conor - Narrator/Unglm


Crew
Story/Producer/Director - Jim Henson
Director - Frank Oz
Screenplay - David Odell
Associate Producer: Henson Organisation -
Duncan Kenworthy
Associate Producer - Bruce Sharman
Executive Producers - David Lazer
and Lew Grade
Assistant to Executive Producer - Martin G. Baker
Producer/Second Unit Director - Gary Kurtz
Conceptual/Creature/Costume Designer -
Brian Froud
Production Designer - Harry Lange
Supervising Art Director - Charles Bishop
Art Directors - Brian & Terry Ackland-Snow
and Malcolm Stone
Assistant Art Directors - Richard Dawking,
Fred Evans and Katharina Kubrick
Sketch Artists - Michael G. Ploog,
Denis Rich and Bill Stallion
Draftsmen - Michael Boone, Roger Bowles,
Reg Bream, Richard Holland, Don Dossett,
Jim Morahan and Alan Ross
Set Decorator - Peter Young
Direcror of Photography - Oswald Morris
Operating Cameraman - Derek V. Browne
Production Manager - Philip Kohler
First Assistant Director - Dusty Symonds
Second Assistant Director - Christopher Newman
Assistant Director: Second Unit - Vincent Winter
Choreography & Mime Training - Jean-Pierre Amiel
Creative Supervisor: Creature Development/
Creature Design and Fabrication Supervisor:
"Mystics", "Podlings" and "Slaves" - Sherry Amott
Creature Design and Fabrication Supervisor:
"Gelfing" - Wendy Midener
Creature Design and Fabrication Supervisor:
"Skeksis", "Aughra" and "Urseks" - Lyle Conway
Creature Design and Fabrication Supervisor:
"Skeksis" - Sarah Bradpiece
Creature Design and Fabrication Supervisor:
"Garthim" - Fred Nihda
Creature Design and Fabrication Supervisor:
"Fizzgig" - Rollin Krewson
Creature Design and Fabrication Supervisor:
"Landstriders" - Valerie Charlton
Creature Design and Fabrication Supervisor:
"Mystics" - Tim Clarke
Creature Design and Fabrication Supervisors:
"Environmental Creatures" - Tim Miller and
John Coppinger
Special Mechanical Design - Bob Baldwin,
Tad Krzanowski and John Stephenson
Mechanical Effects Supervisor: Production
Effects Unit - Ian Wingrove
Wire Effects: Production Effects Unit -
Robert Harman
Special Visual Effects/Director: Miniature Effects
Unit - Brian Smithies
Special Visual Effects - Roy Field
Director of Photography: Miniature Effects Unit -
Paul Wilson
Camera Operator: Miniature Effects Unit -
John Morgan
Camera Assistants: Miniature Effects Unit -
Johanna Abey and Jonathan Taylor
Scenic Matte Paintings: ILM - Christopher Evans
and Michael Pangrazio
Scenic Matte Photography: ILM - Neil Krepela
Scenic Matte Photography Assistant: ILM -
Craig Barron
Film Editor - Ralph Kemplen
Special Sound Effects Creator - Ben Burtt
Production Sound - Peter Sutton,
Robert Taylor and Don Wortham
Re-Recording - Bill Rowe
Foley Editor - Campbell Askew
Music/Synthesised Electronic Sounds -
Trevor Jones


Review
THE DARK CRYSTAL takes on a dark and mysterious atmosphere of a fantasy world that doesn't include human characters with unique puppetry and a simple plot that makes it the most imaginative picture, thanks to Muppet maker Jim Henson. When the film came out, critics misunderstood it as they were unkind to its darker and more dramatic tone in contrast to the whimsical and lighthearted feel of Henson's previous movies that featured the Muppets. Nowadays, it has a cult following and gained a positive critical re-evaluation. It's packed with everything, including beautiful landscapes, interesting characters like the Mystics and the evil Skeksis, and a powerful music score by Trevor Jones. What makes it more interesting is Brian Froud's design of the characters, which brought them to life.

For an unforgettable classic like THE DARK CRYSTAL, I loved it because it was an epic fantasy film that contained a spirit of significance. It is enjoyable for fans of Henson's work.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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Friday, September 28, 2012

Hotel Transylvania Review










Hotel Transylvania


Release Date: 20th September 2012 - Australia


Production Companies
Columbia Pictures (presents)
Sony Pictures Animation

Distribution
Sony Pictures Australia


Genre: Animation/Family/
Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 105 minutes


Budget: $85,000,000

Box Office Gross: $358,375,603 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Running a large resort for monsters in Transylvania far away from human civilization, Dracula invites his fellow
ghouls to celebrate the 118th birthday of his daughter,
Mavis. One day, the party is
about to commence when a
human named Jonathan
stumbles into the resort
and is head over heels for
Mavis. Not wanting his
daughter to fall in love
with a mortal, Dracula
must try to keep her away
from Jonathan and the guests from his secret.


Voice Cast
Adam Sandler - Dracula
Selena Gomez - Mavis
Andy Samberg - Jonathan
Kevin James - Frankenstein
CeeLo Green - Murray
Steve Buscemi - Wayne
Molly Shannon - Wanda
David Spade - Griffin the
Invisible Man
Fran Drescher - Eunice
Jon Lovitz - Quasimodo
Sadie Sandler - Young Mavis/Winnie
Jackie Sandler - Martha
Chris Parnell - Mr. Fly
Rob Riggle - Skeleton Husband
Brian George - Suit of Armor
Luenell - Shrunken Heads

Crew
Director - Genndy Tartakovsky
Story - Todd Durham and Dan
& Kevin Hageman
Screenplay - Peter Baynham
Screenplay/Executive Producer -
Robert Smigel
Executive Producers - Adam Sandler
and Allen Covert
Producer - Michelle Murdocca
Co-Producer - Lydia Bottegoni
Production Designer - Marcelo Vignali
Art Directors - Ron Lukas and
Noelle Triaureau
Character Designers - Carter Goodrich,
Carlos Grangel, Cathy Jones, Craig Kellman
Luis Grané, Annette Marnat and Pete Oswald
Head of Story - Kaan Kalyon
Senior Animation Supervisor - James Crossley
Supervising Animators - Joshua Beveridge,
Matthew Cowie, Bill Haller,
Sebastian Kapijimpanga, Jeff Panko,
Brian D. Scott and Kevin Webb
Head of Layout - James C.J. Williams
Layout Supervisor - John Clark
Visual Effects Supervisor - Daniel Kramer
CG Supervisors - Danny Dimian,
Michael Ford, Matt Hausman,
Karl Edward Herbst, Rodrigo Ibanez,
Michael Lasker and Daniel Lobl
3D Stereoscopic Supervisor - Von Williams
Editor - Catherine Apple
Associate Editor - Mark Yeager
Supervising Sound Editors - Geoffrey G. Rubay
and Jason George
Sound Designer - John Pospisil
Sound Effects Editors - John Dunn
and Jon Johnson
Re-Recording Mixers - Michael Semanick
and Tom Myers
Additional Re-Recording Mixer -
Jeffrey J. Haboush
Foley Artists - Sarah Monat
and Robin Harlan
Music - Mark Mothersbaugh
Music Supervisor - Liza Richardson
Score Mixer - John Kurlander


Review
I have seen a few animated series that Genndy Tartakovsky created for Cartoon Network, like Samurai Jack, Dexter's Laboratory, the first Clone Wars series, and Sym Bionic Titan. I knew he would direct a movie. But after failed attempts, he finally got his wish. HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA has the most laughter, but I didn't get some jokes. One thing that I want to check on is the voice acting. I'll start with Selena Gomez, who's not as bad as Miley Cyrus, but I'm glad she replaced her for the role of Mavis. I knew Adam Sandler would act so over-the-top as Dracula, but he does tend to go dramatic in a few scenes. One thing I find interesting about TRANSYLVANIA is the use of the word 'racist', which was unheard of in an animated kids' movie.

Sure, it was Tartakovsky's first film that he had done. HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA is a spooky and entertaining feature, but make sure you see it on the big screen.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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Monday, September 24, 2012

Iron Man 2 Review









Iron Man 2 


Release Date: 29th April 2010 - Australia


Production Companies
Paramount Pictures (presents)
Marvel Entertainment (presents)
Marvel Studios
Fairview Entertainment (in
association with)

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia


Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 125 minutes


Budget: $200,000,000

Box Office Gross: $623,933,331
(Worldwide)


Plot Summary
With the world now aware 
of his dual life as the 
armored superhero Iron  
Man, billionaire 
inventor Tony Stark  
faces pressure from the 
government, the press, 
and the public to share 
his technology with the 
military. Unwilling to let go of 
his invention, Stark, along 
with Pepper Potts, and James 
"Rhodey" Rhodes at his side, 
must forge new alliances -- 
and confront powerful enemies. 


Cast
Robert Downey Jr. - Tony
Stark/Iron Man
Gwyneth Paltrow - Virginia
"Pepper" Potts
Don Cheadle - Lt. Colonel 
James "Rhodey" Rhodes
Scarlett Johansson - Natalie
Rushman/Natasha Romanoff
Sam Rockwell - Justin Hammer
Mickey Rourke - Ivan Vanko
Samuel L. Jackson - Nick Fury
Garry Shandling - Senator Stern
Jon Favreau - Happy Hogan
Paul Bettany - JARVIS (Voice)
Clark Gregg - Agent Phil
Coulson
John Slattery - Howard Stark
Leslie Bibb - Christine Everhart
Yevgeni Lazarev - Anton Vanko
Kate Marshal - U.S. Marshal
Stan Lee - Himself (Cameo)

Crew
Executive Producer/Director -
Jon Favreau
Based on Characters/
Executive Producer - Stan Lee
Based on Characters - Don
Heck, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby
Screenplay - Justin Theroux
Executive Producers - Louis D'Esposito, Susan Downey, Alan Fine, David Maisel and Denis L. Stewart
Producer - Kevin Feige
Co-Producers - Victoria Alonso & Jeremy Latcham
Casting Directors - Sarah Finn &
Randi Hiller
Production Designer - J. Michael Riva
Supervising Art Director - David F. Klassen
Art Directors - Page Buckner,
Michael E. Goldman & Suzan Wexler
Set Decorator - Lauri Gaffin
Costume Designer - Mary Zophres
Director of Photography - Matthew Libatique
Director of Photography: Second Unit/
Second Unit Director - Jonathan Taylor
Second Unit Director/Visual Effects Supervisor -
Janek Sirrs
Stunt Coordinator - Thomas Robinson Harper
Fight Coordinator  Jonathan Eusebio
Special Effects Supervisor - Bruce Allan Donnellan
Special Effects Coordinator - Daniel Sudick
Visual Effects Supervisors - Andrew Hellen & 
Ged Wright
Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Ben Snow
Visual Effects Producer: ILM - Wayne Billheimer
Visual Effects Art Director - Aaron McBride 
Visual Effects Art Director: ILM - Alex Jaeger
Physical Suit Effects Supervisor - Shane Mahan
Digital Supervisor - Mike Sanders
Digital Supervisor: Hydraulx - Joshua Cordes Animation Supervisor: ILM - Marc Chu
Head of Animation: Double Negative - Eamonn Butler 
Film Editors - Dan Lebental &
Richard Pearson
Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Editor/
Re-Recording Mixer - Christopher Boyes
Music Supervisor - Dave Jordan
Music - John Debney


Awards

2011 Academy Awards
Best Visual Effects - Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright
& Daniel Sudick (Nominated)


Review
'IRON MAN 2' wasn't quite as good as the first 'Iron Man' movie, but the sequel did have a lot of fun and contained more popcorn action and impressive visuals that will blow the audience. It's a shame Terence Howard got replaced by Don Cheadle for the role of Lt. Colonel James Rhodes a.k.a. War Machine. The things that I might want to talk about is the main villain played by Mickey Rourke. Might I say that Mickey done an outstanding job of playing the villain, and it would be without uncertainty to say his character Ivan Vanko is in fact a very interesting foe who uses those electric whips. At the after-credits scene on the first hit, Samuel Jackson was already cast by actor/director Jon Favreau to portray as Nick Fury. It's the start of his nine-year contract and the character he plays got into a supporting lead instead of a featured cameo presence.

This film is also complimented with two songs of the Aussie rock band AC/DC and I would confess I'm not a huge fan of AC/DC but for this film I have to say was very fitting.

While not compared to the first instalment, 'IRON MAN 2' was a very worthy sequel and I think it does offer the Marvel fans some valuable entertainment.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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Saturday, September 22, 2012

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted Review










Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted


Release Date: 6th September 2012 - Australia


Production Companies
DreamWorks Animation

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia 


Genre: Animation/Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 93 minutes


Budget: $145,000,000

Box Office Gross: $746,921,274
(Worldwide)



Plot Summary
Alex, Marty, Gloria and
Melman are still fighting
to get home to their
beloved Big Apple.
Their journey takes
them through Europe
where they find the
perfect cover: a
traveling circus


Voice Cast
Ben Stiller - Alex
Chris Rock - Marty
David Schwimmer - Melman
Jada-Pinkett Smith - Gloria
Sacha Baron Cohen - King Julien
Tom McGrath - Skipper/First Policeman
Chris Miller - Kowalski
Christopher Knights - Private
John DiMaggio - Rico
Bryan Cranston - Vitaly
Martin Short - Stefano
Jessica Chastain - Gia
Cedric the Entertainer - Maurice
Andy Ritcher - Mort
Frances McDormand -
Captain Chantel DuBois
Frank Welker - Sonya the Bear

Crew
Based on Characters/
Screenplay/Director -
Eric Darnell
Based on Characters/
Director - Tom McGrath
Director - Conrad Vernon
Based on Characters - Mark Burton & Billy Frolick (Uncredited)
Screenplay - Noah Baumbach
Collaborating Writer - Marc Hyman
Producers - Mireille Sora & Mark Swift
Head of Story - Robert Koo
Production Designer - Kendal Cronkhite
Art Director - Shannon Jeffries 
Character Designers - Craig Kellman
& Andy Gialk (Uncredited)
Head of Character Animation - Rex Grignon
Animation Supervisors - Riyad C.M.,
Nideep Varghese & Marek Kochout (Uncredited)
Animation Supervisor/Supervising Animator -
Carlos Fernandez Puertolas
Supervising Animators - Cassidy Curtis,
Mark Donald, Morgan Kelly, Bryce McGovern,
Jason Ryan & David Torres
Supervising Animator/Character Lead Animator:
Penguins - Jason Spencer Galsworthy
Head of Layout - Nol L. Meyer
Director of Photography Consultant - Guillermo Navarro
Head of Lighting - Laura Grieve 
Head of Effects - Dagan Potter 
Visual Effects Supervisors - Mahesh Ramasubramanian
& Vanitha Rangaraju
Character Technical Director Supervisor - Sandy Kao
Stereoscopic Supervisor - Phil 'Captain 3D' McNally
Film Editor - Nick Fletcher
Music - Hans Zimmer
Composers: Additional Music - Lorne Balfe
& Junkie XL
Additional Music Arrangers/Composers - Stephen Hilton
& Jasha Klebe


Review
Greetings, this is Film Guru Lad here, I'm sorry that I didn't review 'Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa', but it's still in the works, well here's 'EUROPE'S MOST WANTED'. I am..... well-amazed that this third sequel has turned out to be dazzling. It still has the good characters and voice acting by Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and Sacha Baron Cohen, I found it very humorous with lots of laughs and great computer animation. I really enjoyed the circus act scene that has the glow in the dark features, plus usage of a song by Katy Perry.

One question, is 'EUROPE'S MOST WANTED' better than the last sequel? I thought so and it's a must-see for viewers including families and children.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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Thursday, September 20, 2012

Stormbreaker Review










Stormbreaker


Release Date: 21st September 2006 - Australia


Production Companies
Samuelson Productions
Isle of Man Film
The Weinstein Company
VIP 4 Medienfonds
Moving Picture Company (MPC)
Rising Star Entertainment

Distribution
Roadshow Distribution


Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 90 minutes


Budget: £40,000,000

Box Office Gross: $23,937,870 
(Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Alex Rider is a regular
teenager who lives
a somewhat mundane
life with his guardian
and uncle, Ian Rider.
Uncle Ian is a boring
bank manager type -
or so it seems - until
he dies under mysterious
circumstances.

Alex soon learns that his
uncle was actually a super
-cool spy for Britain's secret
intelligence service, MI6 and
now they want him as his
replacement! Unbeknownst
to Alex, all those hobbies
that Uncle Ian encouraged
him to develop, have actually
prepared him for a career in
espionage. His skills in
languages, scuba diving,
mountaineering and martial
arts, mean that he has all the
attributes of the perfect spy!

Armed with special gadgets
from MI6, Alex is excused
from school and sent out to
battle some seriously bad
dudes who are about to
discover that he's no child:
he's a lethal weapon!


Cast
Alex Pettyfer - Alex Rider
Mickey Rourke - Darrius Sayle
Alicia Silverstone - Jack Starbright
Bill Nighy - Alan Blunt
Sophie Okonedo - Mrs. Jones
Damian Lewis - Yassen Gregorvich
Missi Pyle - Nadia Vole
Stephen Fry - Smithers
Sarah Bolger - Sabina Pleasure
Andy Serkis - Mr. Grin
Ashley Walters - Wolf
Alex Barrett - Gary
Jimmy Carr - John Crawford
Martin Herdman - Slater
Morgan Walters - Harry
Jamie Kenna - Fox
Kolade Agboke - Eagle
Dave Legeno - Bear
Ewan McGregor - Ian Rider
Robbie Coltrane - The Prime Minister
Jimmy Carr - John Crawford

Crew
Director - Geoffrey Sax
Based on Novel/Screenplay/
Executive Producer - Anthony Horowitz
Executive Producers - Hilary Dugdale,
Nigel Green and Andreas Schmid
Producers - Steve Christian, Andreas Grosch &
Marc and Peter Samuelson
Production Designer - Ricky Eyres
Art Directors - John Fenner,
Alan Gilmore & Michael Kelm
Costume Designer - John Bloomfield
Cinematography - Chris Seager
Stunt Supervisor - Paul Heasman
Stunt Coordinators - Des Hills &
Lee Sheward
Special Effects Supervisor - Chris Dunn
Visual Effects Supervisors - Tom Debenham &
Rudi Holzapfel
Visual Effects Supervisor: Double Negative -
Richard Briscoe
Film Editor - Andrew MacRitchie
Music - Alan Parker


Review
'STORMBREAKER' is a bit like Harry Potter and James Bond, but really an attempt to get teenagers into the spy-fiction genre. The movie's gadgets are interesting such as the Nintendo DS and the actors did a good job of playing their roles especially Mickey Rourke and newcomer Alex Pettyfer. Its such a shame that Ewan McGregor's character got killed off too early and we didn't get to see more of him.

'STORMBREAKER' had plenty of amazing action which I think some of it and is a really good spy movie. I'm so sorry that it got flopped that cancelled all the sequels to the film.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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Monday, September 17, 2012

Madagascar Review











Madagascar


Release Date: 16th June 2005 - Australia


Production Companies
DreamWorks Animation (presents)
Pacific Data Images (PDI)

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia


Genre: Animation/Family/
Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 86 minutes


Budget: $78,000,000

Box Office Gross: $542,063,846 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
They enjoyed their lives of captivity at New York's Central Park Zoo as Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo are its main stars. Every day, the adoring public sees them, and the animals are in the lap of luxury with good meals and comfort. Unfortunately for Marty, he longs to roam free from living in the open
space and into the
African landscapes.
When a group of
penguins help him
flee the zoo, he gets more
than he expected. It leads
his friends to go after him.
Unfortunately, they find
themselves rounded up
and packed in crates,
which takes them into
their wild adventure.


Voice Cast
Ben Stiller - Alex the Lion
Chris Rock - Marty the Zebra
David Schwimmer - Melman
the Giraffe
Jada Pinkett-Smith - Gloria
the Hippo
Sacha Baron Cohen - King
Julien
Cedric the Entertainer - Maurice
Andy Ritcher - Mort
Tom McGrath - Skipper/
Fossa/Panicky Man on Subway
Chris Miller - Kowalski
John DiMaggio - Rico
Christopher Knights - Private
Conrad Vernon - Mason
Eric Darnell - Zoo Announcer/Lemur #1/
Fossa/Subway Car Announcer
David Cowgill - Police Horse
Steve Apostolina - Police Officer
Elias Gabrielli - Old Lady
Devika Parikh - News Reporter
David P. Smith - Spider/Lemur #2
Cody Cameron - Willie
Bob Saget - Zoo Animal

Crew
Writers/Directors - Eric Darnell
and Tom McGrath
Writers - Mark Burton and Billy Frolick
Producer - Mireille Soria
Co-Producer - Teresa Cheng
Creative Consultants - Peter Mehlman and
Ted Tally
Production Designer - Kendal Cronkhite
Art Director - Shannon Jeffries
Lead Character Designer - Craig Kellman
Character Design/Sketch - Sidney DeSeve
Character Designers - Buck Lewis
and Nicolas Marlet
Additional Character Designer - Carlos Grangel
Head of Production - Jane Hartwell
Production Managers - Maryann Garger and
Kerry Shea
Unit Manager - Dave Rosenbaum
Head of Character Animation - Rex Grignon
Animation Consultant - Stephen Hiedelberg
Senior Supervising Animator - Denis Couchon
Supervising Animators - Paul Chung,
Donnachada Daly and Trey Thomas
Additional Supervising Animators -
James Baxter and Dan Wagner
Head of Effects - Scott Singer
Visual Effects Supervisor - Philippe Gluckman
Character Technical Director Supervisors -
Robert Vogt and Milana Huang
Lighting CG Supervisors - Philippe Denis,
Annmarie Koenig, Janet Rentel,
Milton E. Rodriguez-Rios and Pablo Valle
Film Editors - Clare De Chenu,
Mark A. Hester and H. Lee Peterson
Additional Editors - Edie Bielman,
Sim Evan-Jones, Vicki Hiatt and
Marcus Taylor
Associate Editor - Joe Campana
Supervising Sound Editor - Richard L. Anderson
Co-Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Effects
Editor - Wade Wilson
Re-Recording Mixers - Anna Behlmer,
James Bolt and Andy Nelson
Compositors: Titles - Lou Dellarosa
and David Morehead
Music - Hans Zimmer


Review
MADAGASCAR had good characters like those penguins and the story, but some humour, including the jokes, is either a hit or miss. Complemented the film is good-quality computer animation and brilliant voice talents from Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith and Sacha Baron Cohen.

I'm no fan of the series, but the first MADAGASCAR film is way better than the other CGI movie from Disney, The Wildand it has a great sign. I can't wait to review the third sequel, Europe's Most Wanted, and I hope it meets the fans' expectations.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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Thursday, September 13, 2012

The King and I (1999) Review








The King and I


Release Date: 17th June 1999 - Australia


Production Companies
Morgan Creek Productions
Rankin/Bass Productions (in association with)
Nest Family Entertainment (in association with)
Rich Animation Studios

Distribution
Roadshow Distribution


Genre: Animation/Family

Rating: G

Runtime: 87 minutes


Budget: $25,000,000

Box Office Gross: $130,098,664
(Worldwide)


Plot Summary
The story follows a young
Englishwoman who
travels to the Siam to 
become the King's royal 
schoolteacher in 1862.
A clash of cultures
occurs when the strong-
minded Anna Leonowens
brings a different way of
thinking to the King of
Siam and the many children
in the royal academy.


Voice Cast
Miranda Richardson - Anna
Leonowens
Christiane Noll - Anna
Leonowens (singing voice)
Martin Vidnovic - King of Siam
Ian Richardson - Kralahome
Darrell Hammond - Master Little
Allen D. Hon - Prince Chulalongkorn
David Burnham - Prince
Chulalongkorn (singing voice)
Armi Arabe - Tuptim
Tracy Venner Warren - Tuptim (singing voice)
Adam Wylie - Louis Leonowens
Sean Smith - Sir Edward Ramsay
James Fuji - First Wife
Kenny Baker - Captain Orton
Ed Trotta - Sir Edward's Captain
Tony Pope - Burmese Emissary
Alexandra Lai - Princess Ying
Katherine Lai - Princess Naomi

Crew
Director - Richard Rich
Based on Book "Anna and the King of Siam" - Margaret Landon (Uncredited)
Based on Musical "The King and I"/Lyrics -
Oscar Hammerstein II
Based on Musical "The King and I"/Songs -
Richard Rodgers
Concieved and Adapted for Animation/
Producer - Arthur Rankin Jr.
Screenplay/Producer - Peter Bakalian
Screenplay - Jacqueline Feather &
David Seidler
Additional Dialogue - Brian Nissen
Executive Producers - Gary Barber &
Robert Mandell 
Producer - James G. Robinson
Choreographer - Lee Martino
Background Designer/Supervisor - Donald Towns
Film Editors - Joe Campana &
Paul Murphy
Conductor/Music Arranger/
Orchestrator - William Kidd 


Review
Frankly, the animated version of 'THE KING AND I' is quite an abomination and to me is an absolute dishonour to the original Rodgers and Hammerstein musical and the 1956 film. The producers of this adaptation have turned it into a Disney animated movie by adding three animal sidekicks, changing the minor character of Kralahome into an evil villain, altering the story-line, a happy ending, et cetera. The film's 2D animation is not-so great and some of the voice acting is just decent, but the CGI parts are ultimately badly rendered.

The makers of this wretched picture should have picked 'The Sound of Music' instead of 'THE KING AND I'. Taking a classic musical from Rodgers and Hammerstein like 'THE KING AND I' and attempting to reinvent in a animated film is possible but doomed. This movie treats the original like a big fat joke. My advice is for many people who have watched the old classic with Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr should stay well away from this animated interpretation.

Star rating: (2/5) Bad Movie

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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Finding Nemo 3D Review









Finding Nemo 3D


Release Date: 30th August 2012 - Australia


Production Companies
Walt Disney Pictures (presents)
Pixar Animation Studios

Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion
Pictures Australia


Genre: Animation/Family/
Adventure/Comedy

Rating: G

Runtime: 100 minutes


Box Office Gross: $91,844,526 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
After his young son Nemo gets snatched by a deep-sea diver and taken to an aquarium of a dentist's office, it's up to his father, a worrisome clownfish named Marlin, to go out on an adventure and find him and is accompanied by a forgetful blue tang fish, Dory.

They encounter vegetarian sharks, jellyfish, surfer turtles and more in the middle of their journey.

Will Marlin be able to find the
courage and rescue his son?


Voice Cast
Albert Brooks - Marlin
Ellen DeGeneres - Dory
Alexander Gould - Nemo
Willem Dafoe - Gill
Brad Garrett - Bloat
Allison Janney - Peach
Austin Pendleton - Gurgle
Stephen Root - Bubbles
Vicki Lewis - Deb/Flo
Joe Ranft - Jacques
Geoffrey Rush - Nigel
John Ratzenberger - School of Moonfish
Andrew Stanton - Crush/
Additional Voices
Elizabeth Perkins - Coral
Nicholas Bird - Squirt
Bob Peterson - Mr. Ray/
Additional Voices
Barry Humphries - Bruce
Eric Bana - Anchor
Bruce Spence - Chum
Bill Hunter - Dentist
LuLu Ebeling - Darla
Jordan Ranft - Tad
Erica Beck - Pearl
Erik Per Sullivan - Sheldon
Rove McManus - Additional Voices (Cameo)

Crew
Original Story/Screenplay/
Director - Andrew Stanton
Supervising Editor/Co-Director -
Lee Unkrich
Screenplay - Bob Peterson
and David Reynolds
Associate Producer - Jinko Gotoh
Executive Producer - John Lasseter
Producer - Graham Walters
Production Designer - Ralph Eggleston
Art Director: Characters - Ricky Nierva
Art Director: Shading - Robin Cooper
Art Directors: Environments - Anthony Christov
and Randy Berrett
Character Designer - Dan Lee
Additional Character Designer - Jason Deamer
Story Supervisors - Ronnie Del Carmen,
Dan Jeup and Jason Katz
Production Supervisor - Marcia Jones
Directors of Photography - Sharon Calahan,
Jeremy Lasky and Jerrica Cleland (Uncredited)
Camera Supervisor - Louis Rivera
Production Supervisor - Marcia Gwendolyn Jones
Production Manager - Lindsey Collins
Supervising Animator - Dylan Brown
Directing Animators - Alan Barillaro
and Mark A. Walsh
Supervising Technical Director - Oren Jacob
Technical Development Lead - William Reeves
Computer Graphics Supervisors: Ocean Unit -
Lisa Forssell and Danielle Feinberg
Computer Graphics Supervisor: Reef Unit -
David Eisenmann
Computer Graphics Supervisor: Sharks/
Sydney Unit - Steve May
Stereoscopic Supervisor: 3D Version -
Bob Whitehill
Film Editor - David Ian Salter
Second Film Editors - Kevin Nolting,
Katherine Ringgold and Stan Webb
First Assistant Editor - Axel Geddes
Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Editor/
Re-Recording Mixer: Skywalker Sound -
Gary Rydstrom
Supervising Sound Editor: Skywalker Sound -
Michael Silvers
Sound Effects Editors: Skywalker Sound -
Teresa Eckton and Shannon Mills
Re-Recording Mixer: Skywalker Sound -
Gary Summers
Foley Editor - Al Nelson
Foley Artists - Dennie Thorpe and Jana Vance
Music - Thomas Newman
Executive Music Producer - Chris Montan
Music Production Supervisor - Tom MacDougall


Review
While FINDING NEMO was not one of my all-time favourite animated movies, the 3D version is beautiful and still as great as ever. The story and humour still live up, and nothing has changed in the movie.

Those who have already watched the 2D version of this classic (click here) and others who haven't will look forward to seeing it. Let me know your comments about the film.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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Monday, September 10, 2012

The Fast and the Furious Review









The Fast and the Furious


Release Date: 20th September 2001 - Australia


Production Companies
Universal Pictures (presents)
Original Film
Mediastream Film GmbH & Co. Productions KG
Ardustry Entertainment

Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia


Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 102 minutes


Budget: $38,000,000

Box Office Gross: $207,517,509 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Brian O'Conner is a cop who goes undercover in a street-racing circuit. He is looking to take down a hijacking ring but must decide his loyalties when he befriends a street racer, Dominic Toretto and
his crew, who are among
the suspects.


Cast
Vin Diesel - Dominic Toretto
Paul Walker - Brian O'Conner
Michelle Rodriguez - Leticia
"Letty" Ortiz
Jordana Brewster - Mia Toretto
Rick Yune - Johnny Tran
Chad Lindberg - Jesse
Johnny Strong - Leon
Matt Schulze - Vince
Ted Levine - Sgt. Tanner
Ja Rule - Edwin
Vyto Ruginis - Harry
Thom Barry - Agent Bilkins
Stanton Rutledge - Muse
Noel Gugliemi - Hector
R.J. de Vera - Danny Yamato
Beau Holden - Ted Gassner
Reggie Lee - Lance Nguyen
David Douglas - Raster Racer
Monica Tamayo - Monica
Megan Baker - Gimel
Neal H. Moritz - Ferrari Driver (Cameo)

Crew
Director - Rob Cohen
From a Magazine Article
"Racer X"/Technical Consultant - Ken Li
Screen Story/Screenplay -
Gary Scott Thompson
Screenplay - Erik Bergquist
and David Ayer
Associate Producer - Creighton Bellinger
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -
Doug Claybourne
Executive Producer - John Pogue
Producer - Neal H. Moritz
Casting Director - Ronna Kress
Import Car Consultants - Craig Lieberman
and RJ De Vera
Production Designer - Waldemar Kalinowski
Art Director - Kevin Kavanaugh
Set Decorator - Florence Fellman
Costume Designer - Sanja Milkovic Hays
Director of Photography - Ericson Core
Director of Photography: Second Unit -
Jonathan Taylor
"A" Camera/Steadicam Operator - J. Michael Muro
Location Managers - Debbie Laub
and Bob Craft
First Assistant Director - George Parra
Second Assistant Director - Lars P. Winther
Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -
Mic Rodgers
Special Effects Supervisor - Robert Simokovic
Special Effects Coordinator - Matt Sweeney
Visual Effects Supervisor - Mike Wassel
Special Visual Effects - Syd Dutton
and Bill Taylor
Visual Effects Supervisor: Hammerhead
Productions - Thad Beier
Visual Effects Consultant: Illusion Arts -
Lori J. Nelson
Executive Producer: Hammerhead
Productions - Daniel Chuba
Editors - Peter Honess and Dallas Puett
First Assistant Editors - Brett Carroll
Avid Assistant Editor - Steve Moe
Assistant Editors - Andy Cohen,
Peter Ettinger, Jonathan Lucas and
Staci Pontius
Sound Design and Supervision - Bruce Stambler
and Jay Nierenberg
Sound Design - Tim Walston and
Charles Deenen
Re-Recording Mixers - Michael Casper
and Daniel J. Leahy
Music - BT
Music Supervisors - Gary Jones
and Happy Walters
Additional Music Supervision - Kathy Nelson
Music Consultant - Dave Jordan


Review
An excellent start to an action movie series, THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS has a gritty and slick look that its director, Rob Cohen, pulled off with a hybrid of fascinating camera angles and style. But Fast & Furious 5 is the best and the fastest of all the films. The film delivers a bonanza of mean cars, incredible music, stunt driving and plenty of action to pump up the adrenaline, not to mention the A-list cast of Paul Walker, Vinny Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez, who have shown charisma in their performances.

Need I say more? It has all the qualities required for your speed-racing action movie craving. Those who enjoy this film may have to check out the sixth instalment.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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