Monday, May 30, 2016

Underdog Review














Underdog


Release Date: 20th September 2007 - Australia


Production Companies
Walt Disney Pictures (presents)
Have No Fear Productions
Maverick Film Company
Classic Media (in association with)
Spyglass Entertainment (in association with)

Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia


Genre: Family/Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 82 minutes


Budget: $25,000,000

Box Office Gross: $65,270,477 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
An ordinary beagle finds
himself endowed with
unimaginable powers
and the ability to speak
when he is involved in
an accident in the
mysterious laboratory of
mad scientist Dr. Simon
Barsinister. Outfitted with
an adorable costume,
Underdog swears to
protect the imperilled
citizens of Capitol City,
especially one beautiful
spaniel called Polly
Purebred. When the evil
Barsinister and his
overgrown henchman Cad
hatch a diabolical scheme
that may threaten to
destroy Capitol City,
Underdog is the only one
who can save the day.


Cast
Jason Lee - Underdog (Voice)
Peter Dinklage - Dr. Simon Barsinister
James Belushi - Dan Unger
Patrick Warburton - Cad
Alex Neuberger - Jack 
Taylor Momsen - Molly
John Slattery - Mayor
Amy Adams - Polly (Voice)
Brad Garrett - Riff Raff (Voice)
Samantha Bee - Principal
Susie Castillo - Diana Flores
Timothy Crowe - Police Chief
Frank Ridley - Police Sergeant
John DiMaggio - Bulldog/
Supershep (Voice)
Phil Morris - Supershep (Voice)
Cam Clarke - Supershep/
Little Brown Dog (Voice)
Michael Massese - Supershep (Voice)
Jay Leno - Himself (Cameo)
Jess Harnell - Astronaut (Voice)

Crew
Director - Frederik De Chau
Based on the Television Series - W. Watts Biggers (Uncredited)
Story/Screenplay - Adam Rifkin, Joe Piscatella and Craig A. Williams
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager - Todd Arnow
Executive Producers - Eric Ellenbogen
and Bob Higgins
Producers - Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum,
Jonathan Glickman and Jay Polstein
Co-Producers - Rebekah Rudd and Erin Stam
Production Designer - Garreth Stover
Art Director - James Truesdale
Set Decorator - Maggie Martin
Property Master - David Gulick
Costume Designer - Gary Jones
Director of Photography - David Eggby
Aerial Director of Photography - Hans Bjerno
Location Manager - Adam McCarthy
Unit Production Manager: Second Unit -
R.J. Mino
First Assistant Director - Phillip A. Patterson
Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator - Bob Brown
Animal Coordinator - Boone Harr
Head Animal Trainer - William S. Grisco
Animal Trainers - James Dew, Tracy Kelly,
Shawn Weber, Linda Rowe, Joe McCarter,
Jackie Kaptan and David Allsberry
Special Effects Coordinator - Paul J. Lombardi
Supervisors: K.N.B. EFX Group - Greg Nicotero
and Howard Berger
Visual Effects Supervisor - Hoyt Yeatman
Visual Effects Supervisor: Framestore CFC -
Robert Duncan
Visual Effects Supervisor: Cinesite - Ben Shepherd
Visual Effects Supervisor: Cinesite, City -
Matt Johnson
Visual Effects Supervisor: Digiscope - Mark Dornfeld
CG Supervisor: Framestore CFC - Michael Mulholland
Animation Supervisor: Framestore CFC -
Kevin Spruce
Animation Supervisor: Cinesite - Alexander Williams
Editor - Tom Finan
Sound Design & Supervising Sound Editor -
Robert L. Sephton
ADR Supervisor - Jessica Gallavan
Re-Recording Mixers - Terry Porter
and Dean A. Zupancic
Foley Artists - Dawn Fintor and
Alicia Stevenson
Music - Randy Edelman


Review
You may be too young to recognise the old cartoon series UNDERDOG, which hardcore purist fans may have grown up with within the sixties. I have only experienced the film iteration of UNDERDOG when Disney released it in 2007. It was before 2012 when DreamWorks bought Classic Media, which owns the original 60s TV show. The show no longer airs, but DreamWorks, now that they own the rights, may reinvent the character in a movie that I hoped is better than this one. It became unnoticeable at the box office, possibly due to competition with few other film adaptations. Most likely, the feature gets criticised for having recycled material and barely resembling the classic cartoon. It's no wonder the director Frederik De Chau has stripped all privileges of what made the original very nostalgic. Here's what Disney should do: not turn UNDERDOG into a live-action feature. And do not get too involved in competing with Alvin and the Chipmunks or Michael Bay's non-kiddie action hunk of Transformers.

The humour is flat and cheesy, which could have been handled better except for a few giggles. Jason Lee's voice of Underdog is tolerable, though he is trying to be witty to be that power-pampered pup we all know and love. I believe Jason is better to be in Alvin and the Chipmunks as this role is beyond his talents. Considering his short stature, Peter Dinklage is lucky to portray the evil mad scientist. Peter proves to be a worthy, talented actor in the face of a poorly written script.

Unfortunately, as I watched this movie the whole time, I was waiting for it to finish as it lacked certain qualities, like an intriguing plot. It is an instantly forgettable cartoon movie adaptation that would only appeal to young children. It would be only something that I would watch once, and I suggest you direct your attention to something more engaging than this.

Star rating: (4/10) Below Average

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Monday, May 23, 2016

Battle: Los Angeles Review











Battle: Los Angeles


Release Date: 17th March 2011 - Australia


Production Companies 
Columbia Pictures (presents)
Relativity Media (in association with)
Original Film
 
Distribution 
Sony Pictures Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi/Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 111 minutes
 

Budget: $70,000,000

Box Office Gross: $211,819,354 
(Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Witness the end of
civilisation unfold
as hostile alien invaders
attack the planet. As
people everywhere
watch the world's great
cities fall, Los Angeles
becomes the last stand
for mankind in a battle
no one expected. Now
it's up to a Marine staff
sergeant and his platoon
to draw a line in the sand
as they take on an enemy
unlike any they've
encountered, in this epic
sci-fi action film.


Cast
Aaron Eckhart - SSgt. Michael Nantz
Ramon Rodriguez - 2nd Lt. William Martinez
Will Rothhaar - Cpl. Jason Lockett
Jim Parrack - LCpl. Peter Kerns
Gina Anthony Pesi - Cpl. Nick Stavrou
Ne-Yo - Cpl. Kevin Harris
James Hiroyuki Liao - LCpl. Steven Mottola
Bridget Moynahan - Michele
Noel Fisher - Pfc. Shaun Lenihan
Adetokumboh M'Cormack - Corpsman Jibril Adukwu
Bryce Cass - Hector Rincon
Michael Peña - Joe Rincon
Michelle Rodriguez - TSgt. Elena Santos
Neil Brown, Jr. - LCpl. Richard Guerrero
Taylor Handley - LCpl. Corey Simmons
Joey King - Kirsten 
Lucas Till - Cpl. Scott Grayston 
Kenneth Brown, Jr. - Cpl. Richard Oswald
Jadin Gould - Amy
Joe Chrest - 1st Sgt. John Roy
Rus Blackwell - Lt. Col. K.N. Ritchie
Susie Abromeit - Amanda
Brandi Coleman - Cherise
Elizabeth L. Keener - Kathy Martinez
Jessica Heap - Jessy
Lena Clark - Chris

Crew
Director - Jonathan Liebesman
Writer - Chris Bertolini
Executive Producers - Jeffrey Chernov and
David Greenblatt
Producers - Neal H. Moritz and 
Ori Marmur
Casting Directors - Craig & Lisa Mae Fincannon 
and Debra Zane
Technical Advisor: Military - Tom Minder
Production Designer - Peter Wenham
Design Consultant - Mike Elizalde
Conceptual Creature Designer - Jordu Schell
Conceptual Designer - TyRuben Ellingson
Supervising Art Director - Thomas Valentine
Art Directors - Andrew Neskoromny and
Chris L. Spellman
Set Decorator - Bob Kensinger
Costume Designer - Sanja Milković Hays
Director of Photography - Lukas Ettlin
Stunt Coordinator - Joey Box
Special Effects Coordinator - Stan Parks
Visual Effects Supervisors - Everett Burrell,
Bill Kunin and Geoff D.E. Scott
Visual Effects Supervisor: Matte World Digital -
Craig Barron
Visual Effects Designers - Colin & Greg Strause
Visual Effects Producers - Kevin Elam and
Kendrick Wallace
Animation Supervisors - Jeremy F. Butler and
Raphael A. Pimentel
Miniature Effects Supervisor - Michael Joyce
Film Editor - Christian Wagner
Music - Brian Tyler


Review
Some interesting trivia is Jonathan Liebesman (director of 'BATTLE: LOS ANGELES') was originally in line to direct 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'. For a time, this successful director was under the guidance of Michael Bay and scored a big hit in 2011 with the action-oriented sci-fi movie called 'BATTLE: LOS ANGELES'. It is much similar to other features before that dealt with humans fighting an extra-terrestrial invasion like 'War of the Worlds' and 'Independence Day'The camerawork is intentionally shaky as a method to portray a world in chaos through the lens of a solider. While this shaky camerawork makes sense from this perspective, it is distracting and hard to watch. The choice of actors in this film were good but lacking star quality, the actors get the job done but do not portray their characters in such a way which is memorable or creative. I think more skillful experienced actors like Dwayne Johnson or Mark Wahlberg.

The story is predictable but too unoriginal and something we've seen time and time again in other movies. This is one of the film's major weaknesses. In saying that, it is a watchable movie and will appeal to people in the mood for a B-grade slice of action. 

Star rating: (6/10) Fair Movie

Monday, May 16, 2016

Uncle Buck Review











Uncle Buck


Release Date: 21st December 1989 - Australia 


Production Companies
Universal Pictures (presents)
Hughes Entertainment

Distribution 
Universal Pictures Australia


Genre: Comedy

Rating: PG
 
Runtime: 99 minutes 


Budget: $15,000,000

Box Office Gross: $79,258,538 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary 
When Cindy and her
husband are away for a
family emergency, only
one person can watch
their three children: Bob's
slacker, easygoing brother,
Buck. While his two
younger children are an
instant hit, Buck will have
to change his bachelor
lifestyle to take on the
responsibility of caring
for an angsty teenager, Tia.


Cast
John Candy - Buck Russell
Jean Louisa Kelly - Tia Russell
Gaby Hoffmann - Maizy Russell
Macaulay Culkin - Miles Russell
Amy Madigan - Chanice Kobolowski
Elaine Bromka - Cindy Russell
Garrett M. Brown - Bob Russell
Laurie Metcalf - Marcie Dahlgren-Frost
Jay Underwood - Bug
Brian Tarantina - E. Roger Coswell
Mike Starr - Pooter the Clown
Suzanne Shepherd - Mrs. Hogarth
William Windom - Mr. Hatfield (Voice)
Dennis Cockrum - Pal
Ron Payne - Maizy's Teacher
 
Crew
Writer/Producer/Director -
John Hughes
Script Supervisors - Anne Rapp and Marshall Scholm
Associate Producers - William H. Brown and Ramey E. Ward
Producer -  Tony Jacobson
Casting Directors - Risa Ramon Garcia and Billy Hopkins
Production Designer - John W. Corso
Visual Consultant - Doug Kraner
Set Decorator - Daniel Loren May
Property Master - Jerry Moss
Costume Designer - Marilyn Vance
Makeup Designer III - Ben Nye III
Director of Photography - Ralf D. Bode
Location Manager - Jacolyn Bucksbaum
Unit Production Managers - Alan C. Blomquist,
Raymond Hartwick and Tom Udell
Animal Trainer - William Shane Grisco
Stunt Coordinator - M. James Arnett
Special Effects Coordinator - Jeff Jarvis
Editors - Lou & Tony Lombardo
and Peck Prior
Supervising Sound Editors - Tom Bellfort
and Wylie Stateman
Sound Editors - George Frederick,
Scott Martin Gershin, Larry Kemp,
Lou Kleinman, Michael Magill, Cindy Marty,
Jeff Rosen and Frank Smathers
Re-Recording Mixers - Doug Hemphill,
Gary Alexander and Chris Jenkins
Supervising Foley Artist - Gary A. Hecker
Music Score - Ira Newborn


Review
Most people who grew up in the late '80s and early '90s will not forget the late clown of comedy, John Candy and all of the movies before his untimely and tragic death in 1994. A few times, Candy collaborated with the late writer, producer and director John Hughes in three films (also appearing as a cameo in Home Alone). UNCLE BUCK was the third of their collaborations and a little too perfect to be a simply enjoyable movie in its own right.

There wasn't much else that this feature could provide us with, and it hit the nail on the head by creating funny characters that are easily relatable. It is very simplistic, easy to watch and heartwarming. There were a few parts that had me laughing all over the balcony! One of the standout scenes was when Buck had several encounters with his niece's annoying boyfriend. He threatens to murder him with a hatchet and drill. Also, the funniest scene is when Buck binds him in duct tape and puts him in the boot of his car. Then, Buck releases him and shoots some golf balls at him as he's running away with nothing but his undies.

John Candy's acting was commendable and funny. He is a great comedian actor and cemented his place as a Hollywood-funny guy in this amusing feature. I'm surprised that Macaulay Culkin was at his early role before he had yet to make his big break in next year's Home Alone.

UNCLE BUCK was a simplistic and heartwarming but solid feature that nobody should deny watching. I recommend this movie to anyone in the mood for a good laugh. Also, this is a very re-watchable movie.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Miscounted My Reviews

Hello, movie buffs. It's Rad Dingo here. As you may have noticed, I've incorrectly labelled The Adventures of Tintin, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, After Earth and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace as the 100th, 200th, 300th and 400th reviews when miscounting them that I recently found out. I had to sort these reviews out in numbers and changed the 100th review to The Iron Giant, while the 200th goes to Oz the Great and Powerful, 300th for Guardians of the Galaxy (moving a mention of it to Crimson Tide) and the 400th for The Lorax.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Meet Me in St. Louis Review















Meet Me in St. Louis


Release Date: 12th July 1945 - Australia


Production Companies
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer


Genre: Musical

Rating: G

Runtime: 108 minutes


Budget: $1,885,000

Box Office Gross: $12,800,125 (Worldwide - figure subject to change)


Plot Summary
St. Louis 1903. The well-
off Smith family has four 
daughters, including 
Esther and little Tootie. 
Seventeen year old Esther
has fallen in love with the
boy next door who has 
just moved in - John. He 
however, barely notices 
her at first. The family is 
shocked when Mr. Smith 
reveals he has been 
transferred to a nice 
position in New York, 
which means the family 
has to leave St. Louis 
and not attend the St. Louis 
Fair. (Source - IMDb)


Cast
Judy Garland - Esther Smith
Margaret O'Brien - 'Tootie' Smith
Leon Ames - Alonzo Smith
Mary Astor - Anna Smith
Lucille Bremer - Rose Smith
Tom Drake - John Truett
Marjorie Main - Katie 
Harry Davenport - Grandpa
Henry H. Daniels Jr. - Lon Smith
Joan Carroll - Agnes Smith
June Lockhart - Lucille Ballard
Robert Sully - Warren Sheffield
Hugh Marlowe - Colonel Marly
Chill Wills - Mr. Neely

Crew
Director - Vincente Minnelli
Based on the Book - Sally Benson
Screenplay - Irving Brecher,
Fred F. Finklehoffe, Victor 
Heerman (Uncredited), 
William Ludwig (Uncredited),
Sarah Y. Mason (Uncredited) 
and Doris Gilver (Uncredited)
Producer - Arthur Freed
Associate Producer/Music (Uncredited)/Musical Adaptation - Roger Edens
Art Directors - Lemuel Ayers, Cedric Gibbons and Jack Martin Smith
Costume Designer - Irene Scharaff
Makeup Creator - Jack Dawn
Director of Photography - George J. Folsey
Dance Director - Charles Walters
Songs & Lyrics - Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane
Film Editor - Albert Akst
Music (Uncredited)/
Orchestrator - Conrad Salinger


Awards

1945 Academy Awards
Juvenile Award - Margaret O'Brien (Won)
-------------------------------
Best Writing, Screenplay - Irving Brecher and Fred F. Finklehoffe (Nominated)
Best Cinematography, Color - George J. Folsey (Nominated) 
Best Music, Scoring of a
Motion Picture - George Stoll (Nominated)
Best Music, Original Song
"The Trolley Song" - Ralph Martin and Hugh Blaine (Nominated)


Review
A charming and entertaining vintage musical for a film of its age hasn't lessened a bit since its release in 1944. 'MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS' was produced when war was nearing its end and probably a huge step-up to those old-time MGM musicals that were on a successful period around the 40s and early 50s. The movie of this direction was all thanks to producer Arthur Freed and director Vincente Minnelli who both made this as more sincere effort for its main star Judy Garland who used to play a country girl out of Kansas City in 'The Wizard of Oz'. She has matured since then and plays her part as the leading lady well, adding the refined elegance to the film. I'm still not a huge fan of her other talents including her music. The movie does have its magical moments with such songs, as the catchy melody of the "Trolley Song" and the melancholy "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" - have remained as timeless and remembered tunes in history.

'MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS' is probably not a favourite movie of mine, but it's a great musical that I must see again. Who knows, maybe in the future you might like to see its cinematic version or if you prefer a live stage production of the film adaptation.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

Monday, May 9, 2016

Captain America: Civil War Review












Captain America: Civil War


Release Date: 28th April 2016 - Australia


Production Companies
Marvel Studios (presents)
Vita-Ray Dutch Productions (a co-production of)
Studio Babelsberg (co-production of)

Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia


Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 170 minutes


Budget: $250,000,000

Box Office Gross: $1,153,337,496 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
When another international incident involving the Avengers causes the government to push a registered act limiting their actions, the arrogant Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, believes that superheroes should register before doing more collateral damage. On the other hand, Captain America stands for the principles of freedom and feels that saving the world is more important than relying on the government to solve these crises. It causes
a rift between the two in their
friendship and the Avengers.

Then, their disagreement would escalate into an all-out war with two factions divided, and Steve must fight to protect his old friend Bucky Barnes, who gets framed for a crime that he did not commit, and his life is now in jeopardy.


Cast
Chris Evans - Steve Rogers/
Captain America
Robert Downey, Jr. - Tony
Stark/Iron Man
Scarlett Johansson - Natasha
Romanoff/Black Widow
Sebastian Stan - Bucky
Barnes/Winter Solider
Anthony Mackie - Sam
Wilson/The Falcon
Don Cheadle - Lt. James
Rhode/War Machine
Chadwick Boseman -
T'Challa/Black Panther
Elizabeth Olsen - Wanda
Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
Paul Bettany - Vision
Jeremy Renner - Clint
Barton/Hawkeye
Paul Rudd - Scott Lang/Ant-Man
Emily VanCamp - Sharon Carter
Tom Holland - Peter Parker/
Spider-Man
Frank Rillo - Brock Rumlow/
Crossbones
William Hurt - Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross
Daniel Brühl - Zemo
John Slattery - Howard Stark
Hope Davis - Maria Stark
Kerry Condon - F.R.I.D.A.Y. (Voice)
Martin Freeman - Everett Ross
Marisa Tomei - Aunt May
John Kani - King T'Chaka
Alfre Woodard - Miriam
Jackson Spidell - Josef/
Super Solider #1
Yi Long - Super Solider #2
Heidi Moneymaker - Super
Solider #3
Aaron Toney - Super Solider #4
Cale Schultz - Super Solider #5
Ann Russo - Zemo's Wife (Voice)
Gene Farber - Karpov
Florence Kasumba - Security Chief
Amelia Morck - UN Staffer Gibson
Joe Rosso - Dr. Broussard (Cameo)
Stan Lee - FedEx Driver (Cameo)

Crew
Directors - Anthony & Joe Russo
Based on the Marvel Comics - Joe Simon
and Jack Kirby
Based on the Comic Book "Civil War" -
Mark Millar (Uncredited)
Screenplay - Christopher Markus and
Stephen McFeely
Associate Producer/First Assistant Director -
Lars P. Winther
Executive Producers - Victoria Alonso,
Louis D'Esposito, Alan Fine, Stan Lee
and Nate Moore
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -
Patricia Whitcher
Producer - Kevin Feige
Co-Producers - Mitchell Bell, Christoph Fisser,
Henning Molfenter and Charlie Woebcken
Military Consultant - James D. Dever
Casting Director - Sarah Finn
Production Designer - Owen Paterson
Marvel Head of Visual Development - Ryan Meinerding
Lead Visual Development Concept Illustrator  -
Andy Park
Visual Development Concept Illustrators -
Rodney Fuentebella, Jackson Sze,
Phil Saunders and Josh Nizzi
Supervising Art Director - Greg Berry
Art Directors - David Scott and
Gregory S. Hooper
Art Director: Germany Unit - Stephan O. Gessler
Motorcycle Coordinator - Justin Kell
Set Decorator - Ronald R. Reiss
Property Master - Russell Bobbitt
Costume Designer - Judianna Mavkosky
Hair Department Head - Camille Friend
Director of Photography - Trent Opaloch
Director of Photography: Brazil Unit - Dante Belluti
Director of Photography: Second Unit,
Germany - Jacques Haitkin
Director of Photography: Second Unit -
James Whitaker
Aerial Director of Photography - David B. Nowell
Aerial Director of Photography: Germany
Unit - Jeremy Braben
Camera Operators: Second Unit - Richard Cantu,
Eric Laudadio and Charles Schner
"A" Camera First Assistant - Taylor Matheson
Unit Production Manager - Leeann Stonebreaker
Supervising Location Manager - James Lin
Key Second Assistant Director: Second Unit,
Germany - Tom Edmondson
Floor Second Assistant Director: Second Unit,
Germany - Tom Browne
Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -
Spiro Razatos
Second Unit Directors - David Leitch,
Darrin Prescott and Chad Stahelski
Stunt and Fight Coordinator - Sam Hargrave
Supervising Stunt Coordinators - Doug Coleman
and Mickey Giacomazzi
Fight Choreographer - James Young
Aerial Coordinator - Kevin LaRosa
Picture Car Coordinator - Dennis McCarthy
Special Effects Supervisor - Daniel Sudick
Special Effects Supervisor: Second Unit,
Germany - Gerd Nefzer
Physical Suit Effects Supervisors: Legacy Effects -
Lindsay MacGowan and Shane Mahan
On-Set Suit Coordinator: Legacy Effects -
Christopher Swift
Senior Visual Effects Supervisor: Double
Negative - Paul J. Franklin
Visual Effects Supervisor - Dan Deleeuw
Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Russell Earl
Visual Effects Supervisor: Method Studios -
Greg Steele
Visual Effects Supervisor: RISE Visual Effects
Studios - Florian Gellinger
Visual Effects Supervisor: Lola Visual Effects -
Trent Claus
Visual Effects Supervisor: Cinesite -
Simon Stanley-Clamp
Visual Effects Supervisors: Cantina Creative -
Stephen Lawes and Alan Torres
Visual Effects Supervisor: Animal Logic -
Paul Butterworth
Visual Effects Associate Supervisor -
Swen Gillberg
Visual Effects Producer - Jen Underdahl
Visual Effects Producer: ILM - Katherine Farrar
Visual Effects Producer: Method Studios -
Karey Maltzhan
Visual Effects Producer: Cantina Creative -
Donna Cullen
Visual Effects Producer: Technicolor VFX -
Marie Rheinschild-Jordan
Senior Animation Supervisor: Method Studios -
Keith Roberts
Animation Supervisor: ILM - Steve Rawlins
Animation Supervisor: Method Studios -
Daniel Mizuguchi
Animation Supervisor: Luma Pictures -
Raphael A. Pimentel
CG Supervisor: Double Negative - Stephen Aplin
Digital Model Supervisor: ILM - Bruce Holcomb
Compositing Supervisors: ILM -
Francois Lambert and Jean LaPointe
Compositing Supervisor: Lola Visual Effects -
Edson Williams
Asset Supervisor: Image Engine - Barry Poon
3D Stereoscopic Supervisor - Evan Jacobs
Editors - Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidt
Supervising Sound Editors - Shannon Mills
and Daniel Laurie
Sound Designers - David C. Hughes and
Nia Hansen
Sound Mixer: Second Unit - Whit Norris
Dialogue Editors - Cheryl Nardi and
Stuart McCowan
Re-Recording Mixers - Tom Johnson
and Juan Peralta
Foley Artists - John Roesch and Shelley Roden
Music - Henry Jackman
Music Supervisor - Dave Jordan
Score Mixer - Alan Meyerson


Review
After watching DC's latest mild disappointment, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, I decided to write a review for the recent film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR. However, the latter is better than anything DC has put out recently. The story is much better in development with heaps of action sequences. The film is also a significant improvement on Age of Ultron. Thankfully, the movie resolves in a thrilling climax, almost bigger than Batman v Superman's but with more grit and emotion.

Almost all of the players from the previous Marvel movies have returned for their roles. Even new actors were added, especially for this film. The best of these roles would be Tom Holland for his recent interpretation of Spider-Man, who has only shown up in the mid-half of the feature and could be a better version of the character than the role portrayed by Andrew Garfield or Tobey Maguire.

Frankly, CIVIL WAR feels more like an Avengers movie than a standalone film compared to the last two Captain America hits. It is a spontaneous, thrilling superhero epic that everyone will enjoy and watch multiple times in either format. Please don't miss out on this film before you regret it!

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Changes, More Changes



Over the last week of April to the first of May, I have fixed mistakes in most of my posts, such as sentences, re-wording, re-hyperlinked and proper capitalisation when needed. I've done a massive update on Hot Fuzz since this is my first critique of an MA15+-rated movie. I've also changed the star rating of Avengers: Age of Ultron when it did make sense of the rating I gave it. Since most of the repairs were necessary, they will match the consistency I've had in the recent reviews I've posted every Monday or Sunday. 

It might be the last time I've checked this blog to get everything fixed, and who knows? Maybe I will keep doing that often in the least a few of my already-critiqued movies, news updates or even top lists. 

Anyway, this is FilmGuruLad. I hope you've read this newsletter. The sooner, the better.

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Monday, May 2, 2016

The Jungle Book (2016) Review












The Jungle Book


Release Date: 14th April 2016 - Australia


Production Companies 
Walt Disney Pictures 
Fairview Entertainment 

Distribution 
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia


Genre: Adventure

Rating: PG

Runtime: 105 minutes


Budget: $175,000,000

Box Office Gross: $966,553,944 (Worldwide - figure subject to change)


Plot Summary
The story of Mowgli, 
an orphan boy is raised
in the jungle with the
help of a pack of wolves,
a bear, and a black
panther.


Cast
Neel Sethi - Mowgli
Kendrick Reyes - Infant Mowgli
Ritesh Rajan - Mowgli's Father

Voice Cast
Bill Murray - Baloo the Bear
Ben Kingsley - Bagheera
Idris Elba - Shere Khan
Lupita Nyong'o - Raksha
Christopher Walken - King Louie
Scarlett Johansson - Kaa
Giancarlo Esposito - Akela
Garry Shandling - Ikki
Brighton Rose - Gray
Jon Favreau - Pygmy Hog
Sam Raimi - Indian Giant Squirrel
Russell Peters - Rocky the Rhino
Madeline Favreau - Raquel the Rhino

Crew
Producer/Director - Jon Favreau
Based on Book "The Jungle Book" - Rudyard Kipling
Screenplay - Justin Marks
Executive Producers - Molly Allen, Karen Gilchirst and Peter M. Tobyansen
Producer - Brigham Taylor
Co-Producer - John Bartnicki
Casting Director - Sarah Finn
Production Designers - Christopher Glass and Abhjeet Mazumder
Supervising Art Director - Andrew L. Jones 
Supervising Visual Art Director - Yuri Bartoli
Costume Designer - Laura Jean Shannon
Cinematography - Bill Pope
Second Unit Director/Director
of Photography: Second Unit/
Visual Effects Supervisor - Robert Legato
Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator - Thomas Robinson Harper
Special Effects Supervisor - J.D. Schwalm
Visual Effects Supervisor - Charley Henley
Visual Effects Supervisor: MPC - Adam Valdez
Visual Effects Supervisors: Weta Digital - Joe Letteri, 
Dan Lemmon and Keith Miller 
Animation Supervisors - Andrew R. Jones, Dennis Yoo and Gabriele Zucchelli
Film Editor - Mark Livolsi
Sound Designer (Uncredited)/Supervising Sound Editor/
Re-Recording Sound Mixer - Christopher Boyes
Music - John Debney
Lyrics: The Bare Necessities - Terry Gilkyson
Lyrics: I Wan'na Be Like You
and Trust In Me (The Python's Song) -
Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman


Review
Before the newly-released feature film of 'THE JUNGLE BOOK', there were many versions recreating this high-spirited, adventurous story, most notably the original 1967 animated version by Walt Disney. This animated classic is colourful and energetic and is more of a musical whereas this one is just a live-action remake, but dark and scary. I would have waited first to review the earlier interpretations before watching the latest incarnation of 'THE JUNGLE BOOK', this may not have been a bad thing because often when you watch the originals then watch the remake, you can have a biased opinion and miss some of the qualities in the remake. 

Director Jon Favreau is so amazing in keeping the film intact with borrowing both of the elements from Rudyard Kipling's original story and the Disney animation. It confirms to audiences that there's still a glimmer of hope for Disney to green-light any more live-action remakes after this one alongside 'Maleficent' and 2015's 'Cinderella'. The best aspect is probably the CGI rendering which is a highest standard and the really captures the jungle settings which really immerses you in a deep, beautiful and mystical world.

All the voices in the latest version are brilliant, there are three standouts such as Idris Elba as Shere Khan, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera and Bill Murray as the carefree Baloo. This isn't the first time Elba has been with Disney with a few successes under his belt such as the 'Thor' series and 'Zootopia' and it is at this point that he finally outdone the late George Sanders in terms of performing a real menace inside a vicious tiger. I'm surprised that they haven't removed any of the two songs that were from the 1967 classic "The Bare Necessities" and "I Wan'na Be Like You", this does well to mix musical elements originally used in the animated film and this will have some sentimental value for fans of the original.

Some people who have grown up watching the classic may not like it and I don't blame them. Because the original was lighthearted, less dark and gritty and more tailored to a younger audience. I think this is a very watchable movie which is deserving of the attention of any movie-goer in the mood for a wild ride.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie