Iron Man Re-Review

Iron Man


Release Date: 1st May 2008 - Australia


Production Companies
Paramount Pictures (presents)
Marvel Enterprises (presents)
Marvel Studios
Fairview Entertainment (in association with)
Dark Blades Films

Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi/Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 126 minutes


Budget: $140,000,000

Box Office Gross: $585,796,247 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary

When wealthy philanthropist Tony Stark ventures into Iraqi territory for a weapons demonstration, he gets injured and captured by Afghan terrorists who take him to their hideout. While imprisoned, Tony invents a weaponised suit of armour and uses it in an escape attempt. He safely returns home and uses his high-tech to perfect the armour, becoming the world's saviour, Iron Man.


Cast
Robert Downey Jr. - Tony
Stark/Iron Man
Terence Howard - Lt. Colonel
James "Rhodey" Rhodes
Jeff Bridges - Obadiah Stane
Gwyneth Paltrow - Virginia
"Pepper" Potts
Shaun Toub - Dr. Yinsen
Faran Tahir - Raza
Paul Bettany - JARVIS (Voice)
Jon Favreau - Hogan
Leslie Bibb - Christine Everhart
Clark Gregg - Agent Phil
Coulson
Bill Smitrovich - General Gabriel
Sayed Badreya - Abu Bakaar
Peter Billingsley - William
Ginter Riva
Tim Guinee - Major Allen
Kevin Foster - Jimmy
Garrett Noel - Pratt
Eileen Weisinger - Ramirez
Ahmed Ahmed - Ahmed
Fahim Fazli - Omar
Gerard Sanders - Howard Stark
Nazanin Boniadi - Amira Ahmed
Thomas Craig Plumer - Colonel Craig
Jim Cramer - Himself (Cameo)
Stan Lee - Himself (Cameo)
Samuel L. Jackson - Nick Fury (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew
Executive Producer/Director - Jon Favreau

Based on the Marvel Comic Book/

Executive Producer - Stan Lee

Based on the Marvel Comic Book -

Don Heck, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby
Screenplay - Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby,

Art Marcum and Mark Holloway

Script Supervisors - Rebecca Robertson

and Cristina Weigmann
Executive Producers - Ari Arad,

Peter Billingsley, Jeremy Latcham

and David Maisel
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -
Louis D'Esposito
Executive Producer/Executive in Charge of
Production - Ross Fanger
Producers - Avid Arad and Kevin Feige
Co-Producer/Visual Effects Producer -
Victoria Alonso

Military Advisor - Harry Humphries
Casting Directors - Sarah Finn
and Randi Hiller

Production Designer - J. Michael Riva
Supervising Art Director - David F. Klassen
Art Directors - Richard F. Mays

and Susan Wexler
Set Decorator - Lauri Gaffin

Property Master - Russell Bobbitt

Costume Designers - Rebecca Gregg
and Laura Jean Shannon

Suit Consultant - Adi Granov

Director of Photography/A-Camera Operator -

Matthew Libatique

Additional Photography - Gabriel Beristain

Director of Photography: Second Unit -

Jonathan Taylor

Aerial Director of Photography - David B. Nowell

Aerial Camera Operator - Craig O'Brien

Helicopter Pilot - Kevin LaRosa

First Assistant Camera: "B" Camera - Taylor Matheson

Production Supervisor - David J. Grant

First Assistant Director - Eric Heffron

Second Assistant Director - Michael J. Moore

Second Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Chris Castaldi

Additional Second Second Assistant Director -

Marvin Williams
Second Unit Director - Phil Neilson

Location Managers - Molly Allen

and Liz Matthews
Stunt Coordinator - Thomas Robinson Harper

Stunt Coordinator: Second Unit - Keith Woulard

Aerial Stunt Coordinator - Tim Rigby

Special Effects Coordinator - Daniel Sudick

Special Effects - Stan Winston (Uncredited)

Suit Model Department Key Coordinator:

Stan Winston Studio - David Merritt

Second Unit Co-Coordinator: Stan Winston

Studio - Christopher Swift

Studio Co-Administrator: Stan Winston Studio -

John Rosengrant

Visual Effects Supervisor - John Nelson

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Ben Snow

Visual Effects Supervisor: The Orphanage -

Jonathan Rothbart

Visual Effects Supervisor: Lola Visual Effects -

Edson Williams

Additional Visual Effects Supervisor - Wesley Sewell
Visual Effects Producer: ILM - Wayne Billheimer
Visual Effects Art Director: ILM - Aaron McBride
Physical Suit Effects Supervisor - Shane Mahan

Visualisation/HUD Effects Supervisor - Kent Seki

Animation Supervisor: ILM - Hal T. Hickel

Associate Animation Supervisor: ILM - Marc Chu

Digital Production Supervisor: ILM - Douglas Smythe

Compositing Supervisor: ILM - Jeff Sutherland

CG Supervisor: ILM - Philippe Rebours

Digital Model Supervisor: ILM - Bruce Holcomb

Viewpaint Supervisor: ILM - Ron Woodall

Creature Supervisor: ILM - James Tooley

Film Editor - Dan Lebental

Additional Editors - Derek Brechin,

Greg Parsons and Michael Tronick

Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Editor

(Uncredited)/Re-Recording Mixer - Christopher Boyes

Sound Designer - Shannon Mills

Supervising Sound Editor - Frank E. Eulner

ADR Supervisor - Michael Silvers

ADR Editor - Gwendolyn Yates Whittle

Sound Mixer - Mark Ulano

Foley Mixer - Frank Rinella

Foley Artists - Ronni Brown,

Ellen Heuer, Dennie Thorpe and

Lana Vance

Re-Recording Mixer - Lora Hirschberg

Music - Ramin Djawadi
Additional Music Arranger/Composer/
Musician: Drums - Ryeland Allison

Additional Music Arrangers/Composers -

Lorne Balfe, Clay Duncan, Bobby Tahouri

and Atli Orvarsson (Uncredited)

Music Supervisor - Dave Jordan

Executive Music Producer - Hans Zimmer

Score Recordist - Geoff Foster

Score Mixer - Alan Meyerson

Awards

2009 Academy Awards
Best Sound Editing - Frank E. Eulner and
Christopher Boyes (Nominated)
Best Visual Effects - John Nelson, Ben Snow,
Daniel Sudick and Shane Mahan (Nominated)


Review

It was a great comic book movie since IRON MAN was the first to start the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) out in theatres and released with The Incredible Hulk before the following year, Disney came to buy Marvel and its rights. Many comic-book fans were sceptical of this movie in its pre-release before it opened and regarded it as the MCU's best feature before The Avengers. The film was beginning to wear off its novelty. However, it is an excellent career choice for director Jon Favreau. He brought action and comedy with gusto before he tackled the semi-decent sequel of Iron Man 2 and the part animation/part live-action remake of The Jungle Book.

It was a terrific comeback for Robert Downey Jr., proving that he could take on the role of the billionaire playboy Tony Stark, who becomes the wearer of a metal suit with no need for metaphysical powers. He outperformed the character as being himself as a little bit immature but deadpan and witty. DC's Batman/Bruce Wayne was better than Marvel's title character, as both were similar in wealth and technology and never revealed their true identities to the public or any foe who might officially exploit them. Jeff Bridges was still a remarkable actor when portraying a villainous mentor like Obadiah Stane, who was affably evil and yet hid his true colours. He is the version of Lex Luthor that we never saw in Batman v Superman.

I sincerely enjoyed the film because of the style and visuals. I appreciate that IRON MAN hasn't gone unnoticed as an extraordinary film. It broke new ground for pre-released films from the MCU that came out in later years, like The Avengers, etc. Those who have seen the movie before will enjoy it with the other films in its order of continuity.

Star rating: (9/10) Excellent Movie

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Zoom Review

Zoom

Release Date: 20th June 2007 - Australia (DVD premiere)

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures

Revolution Studios (presents)

Team Todd

Boxing Cat Films

Underground

Revolution Leaf Productions (Uncredited)

Distribution

Sony Pictures Australia

Genre: Family/Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 88 minutes

Budget: $75,600,000

Box Office Gross: $12,506,362 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Reluctantly called back to

work by the military, former

superhero Jack Shepard,

a.k.a. Captain Zoom, has to

embark on his mission to

train an unlikely bunch of

super-powered children

into the next generation

of superheroes. Jack must

teach them to work as

a team and harness

their superhuman abilities

in countering a returning threat that is yet to cause havoc and imminent destruction in the world.

Cast

Tim Allen - Jack Shepard/

Captain Zoom

Courteney Cox - Marsha Holloway

Chevy Chase - Dr. Grant

Spencer Breslin - Tucker Williams/

Mega-Boy

Kevin Zegers - Connor Shepard/

Concussion

Kate Mara - Summer Jones/Wonder

Michael Cassidy - Dylan West/Houdini

Ryan Whitney - Cindy Collins/Princess

Rip Torn - Larraby

Cornelia Guest - Cindy's Mom

Ashton Moio - Halloween Bully

Hunter Aarniokoski - Prince

Thomas F. Wilson - Dylan's Teacher

Ridge Canipe - Mean Bully

Danny McCarthy - Meaner Bully

Jason Bailey - Mucus Boy

Jesse Bendevis - Spitball Kid

Rashad Richards - Jupiter the Gas Giant

Chantal Cole - Speed Blinker

Steven Torres - Callente

Austin Torres - Muy Frio

David L. Lander - Wendy's Employee

Lauren Sanchez - Reporter

Willie Garson - Dick

Crew

Director - Peter Hewitt

Based on the Book "Zoom's Academy" -

Jason Lethcoe

Screen Story/Screenplay - Adam Rifkin

Screenplay - David Berenbaum

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Neil Machlis

Executive Producers - Nicholas Osborne

and Trevor Engelson

Producers - Suzanne & Jennifer Todd

and Todd Garner

Co-Producer - Julie Ragland

Casting Director - John Papsidera

Production Designer - Barry Chusid

Art Director - Joshu de Cartier

Set Decorator - Clive Thomasson

Costume Designer - Ha Nguyen

Special Makeup Effects Designer -

David LeRoy Anderson

Director of Photography - David Tattersall

First Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Simon Board

Third Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Adam Bocknek (Uncredited)

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -

James Arnett

Stunt Coordinator - Matt Birman

Action/Fight Coordinator - Tommy Chang

Special Effects Coordinator - Clive Beard

Special Effects Supervisor - Colin Chilvers

Assistant Special Effects Coordinators -

Steve Cullane and Andy Williams

Visual Effects Supervisor - Mark O. Forker

Visual Effects Supervisor: Custom Film Effects -

Mark Dornfeld

Visual Effects Producers: Digital Domain -

Todd Isroelit and David P.I. James

Visual Effects Art Director: Digital Domain -

Claas Henke

Digital Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain -

Serge Sretschinsky

Operators: Mr Pitt - Ron Prott and

Jamie Oxenham (Uncredited)

Previz Artist - Patrick Perez (Uncredited)

Film Editor - Lawrence Jordan

Supervising Sound Editor - Matthew Wood

Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Mixer -

Christopher Scarabosio

Assistant Sound Designer - David Acord

Supervising Sound Mixer - Gary Summers

Sound Effects Editors - Erclot,

David C. Hughes and Addison Teague

Dialogue Editors - Cheryl Nardi

and Steve Slanec

Foley Artists - Jana Vance,

Dennie Thorpe and Ellen Heuer

Foley Mixer - Frank Rinella

Music - Christophe Beck

Music Supervisors - John Houlihan and

Darian Pollard

Songs - Smash Mouth

Review

ZOOM came out a year after a similar superhero movie from Disney, Sky High, and was a box office bomb at its release. It was one of those movies that followed the massive success of The Incredibles. Through other reviews, I heard that the film was unfaithful to the book from which it was adapted (although I haven't read it) and that most critics have been harsh on it. While it had an intriguing premise, the storyline was derivative and inconsistent, with the most gross-out and unfunny jokes, unlikable characters, editing, and a rushed climax. The product placement (like Wendy's) is redundant with limited costume design, and some scenes barely make sense. Unfortunately, the film had only one fight scene, which was only in the last few minutes.

This movie lacks energy and wastes its duration on comedy. Tim Allen's character appeared tired (maybe this was intentional). Despite his generic acting lacking in understanding emotion, his performance was decent. Courteney Cox did not seem like an ideal actress to portray a scientist. Chevy Chase looks like he's still headlining one of his comedic roles in Community and is trying to be funny. Instead, he takes on a disposable role with embarrassing scenes. Even Kevin Zegers has the least-developed role in the feature.

Some comical moments redeem the film, but these weren't enough. The special effects vary from decent to subpar. However, by the time this movie premiered in 2006, some of its CGI had become outdated due to its use of simple techniques. The music score is okay, but it uses songs (some are from Smash Mouth and Five for Fighting).

It's far from being the worst superhero movie. ZOOM didn't hold up to The Incredibles and Sky High. I am sorry, it's not super. However, it is only for a one-time viewing.

Star rating: (4/10) Below Average

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Scooby-Doo Review

Scooby-Doo


Release Date: 20th June 2002 - Australia


Production Companies
Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)
Mosaic Media Group
Atlas Entertainment (Uncredited)

Distribution
Roadshow Films


Genre: Family/Comedy

Rating: G

Runtime: 86 minutes


Budget: $84,000,000 

Box Office Gross: $275,678,613 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary

After two years of splitting up, Scooby and Shaggy reunite with Fred, Velma, and Daphne as the Mystery Inc. gang receives an invitation to Spooky Island, an amusement park/resort. However, strange things are happening at Spooky Island, seemingly affecting young visitors in unusual ways.

Scooby and the gang will have to work together and resolve their differences to solve this mystery and discover if this island is indeed haunted. Or it could be the work of a sinister individual behind all these occurrences.


Cast
Matthew Lillard - Shaggy
Neil Fanning - Scooby (Voice)
Freddie Prinze Jr. - Fred
Sarah Michelle Gellar - Daphne
Linda Cardellini - Velma
Rowan Atkinson - Mondavarious
Isla Fisher - Mary Jane
Miguel A. Nunez Jr. - Voodoo Maestro
Steven Grives - N' Goo Tuana
Scott Innes - Scrappy (Voice)
J. P. Manoux - Scrappy Rex
Sam Greco - Zarkos
Charlie Cousins - Velma's Friend
Kristian Schmid - Brad
Nicholas Hope - Old Man Smithers
Jess Harnell - Creatures (Voice)
Frank Welker - Creatures (Voice)
Pamela Anderson - Herself (Cameo)
Sugar Ray - Themselves (Cameos)

Crew
Director - Raja Gosnell
Story - Craig Titley
Story/Screenplay - James Gunn
Based on Characters - Joe Ruby and Ken Spears (Uncredited)

Based on Characters/

Executive Producers - William Hanna and Joseph Barbera

Associate Producer - Sheryl Benko

Associate Producer/Unit Production Manager - Stephen Jones

Associate Producer/First Assistant Director -

Philip A. Patterson
Executive Producers - Robert Engelman,

Andrew Mason and Kelley Smith-Wait
Producers - Charles Roven and

Richard Suckle
Co-Producer - Alan Glazer

Casting - Mary Vernieu
Production Designer - Bill Boes

Art Directors - Bill Booth,

Donna Brown, Helen Gabrielle Gliniak

and Christian Wintter

Set Decorators - Jodie Allen,

Suza Maybury, Matthew Putland

and Sandy Wingrove
Costume Designer - Lessa Evans

Hair/Makeup Supervisor - Lesley Vanderwalt
Director of Photography - David Eggby

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -

Guy Norris
Special Effects Supervisor - Brian Cox

"Scooby Doo" Designer/Cyber-Scan Model

Sculptor: Jim Henson's Creature Shop/

Rhythm + Hues - Brian Wade

Visual Effects Supervisor - Peter Crosman

Visual Effects Supervisor: Rhythm + Hues -

Betsy Paterson

Additional Visual Effects Supervisor -

Neil Krepela

Visual Effects Producer - Kurt Williams

Digital Effects Supervisor: Rhythm + Hues -

Todd Shifflet

Director of Photography: New Deal Studios -

Tim Angulo
Animation Supervisor - Richard Baneham
Animation Supervisors: Rhythm + Hues -

Leon Joosen and Bill Kroyer

Animation Sequence Supervisors: Rhythm +

Hues - Erik De Boer, Keith Roberts and

Lyndon Barrois

Animation Leads: Rhythm + Hues -

Bud Myrick and Danny Speck

Editor - Kent Beyda

Supervising Sound Editor - Michael D. Wilhoit

Sound Designer - Scott Sanders

Production Sound Mixer - Paul 'Salty' Brincat

Re-Recording Mixers - David E. Campbell,

John T. Reitz and Gregg Rudloff
Music - David Newman

Music Supervisor - Laura Ziffren

Music Recordist and Mixer - Bruce Botnick


Review
Initially conceived as a risqué, adult-oriented take on the cartoon franchise, SCOOBY-DOO got toned down to be a kids' movie by the studio that owns the property from Hanna-Barbera. I grew up with this film and didn't notice how bad it was, although it had a few good aspects. For example, Matthew Lillard was consistent in his role as Shaggy. In future reference, he would inherit the character in later Scooby productions. Unfortunately, there are disappointing things that ruin it for everybody. The attempts at humour (except in a few scenes) and outdated CGI characters didn't age well. Not to mention that the story is poorly executed (concerning a plot twist involving the real villain that comes out of nowhere), and it happens to be written by James Gunn. Yes, that man, James Gunn, who 12 years later would successfully bring Guardians of the Galaxy to the big screen. I didn't even realise that the live-action adaptation was just a rehash of one of the direct-to-video Scooby-Doo movies called Zombie Island.

The acting (save for Matthew Lillard) is far from perfect, including Linda Cardellini, who sounds so bored in her role as Velma. She did a magnificent job with her voice. Freddie Prinze Jr. had no big shoes to fill as Fred. The same goes for Sarah Michelle Gellar when playing Daphne. Rowan Atkinson's character was underused. It should have played a significant part in the movie.

It's "ruh-oh" for Scooby-Doo fans as the movie adaptation fell short of the ongoing mystery in the series. It spawned a sequel, Monsters Unleashed, which is considered a slight improvement on the original, along with a few others that have shifted to direct-to-video.

I would rather sit through watching the first few direct-to-video animated movies than revisit the lowbrow cinematic interpretation.

Star rating: (4/10) Below Average

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Ocean's Eleven (2001) Review

Ocean's Eleven


Release Date: 10th January 2002 - Australia

Production Companies
Warner Bros. Pictures
Village Roadshow Pictures (in association with)
NPV Entertainment (in association with)
Section Eight
WV Films II
St. Petersburg Clearwater Film Commission

Distribution
Roadshow Films


Genre: Crime/Comedy

Rating: M

Runtime: 117 minutes


Budget: $85,000,000

Box Office Gross: $450,717,150 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary

Danny Ocean is a thief/con artist, recently released from prison. In earning his parole, he's assembled a team of eleven accomplices to pull off the biggest, most daring, and elaborate heist in the century, which involves three casinos in Las Vegas.

Cast
George Clooney - Danny Ocean
Brad Pitt - Rusty Ryan
Matt Damon - Linus Caldwell
Andy Garcia - Terry Benedict
Julia Roberts - Tess Ocean

Bernie Mac - Frank Catton

Don Cheadle - Basher Tarr

Casey Affleck - Virgil Malloy
Scott Caan - Turk Malloy

Elliot Gould - Reuben Tishkoff

Carl Reiner - Saul Bloom
Eddie Jemison - Livingston Dell
Shaobo Qin - Yen
Joe La Due - Billy Tim Denham
Scott L. Schwartz - Bulldog, the Bruiser

Lennox Lewis - Boxing Opponent (Cameo)

Wladimir Klitschko - Boxing Opponent (Cameo)

Jerry Weintraub - High Roller (Cameo)

Henry Silva - Boxing Spectator (Cameo)

Angie Dickinson - Boxing Spectator (Cameo)

Wayne Newton - Boxing Spectator (Cameo)

Siegfried Fischbacher - Boxing Spectator (Cameo)

Roy Horn - Boxing Spectator (Cameo)

Larry Merchant - Boxing Spectator (Cameo)

Holly Marie Combs - Herself (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Topher Grace - Himself (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Joshua Jackson - Himself (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Steven Soderbergh - Vault-Bombing Thief

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Barry Watson - Himself (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Shane West - Himself (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew
Director of Photography/Director - Steven Soderbergh
1960 Story - George Clayton Johnson and

Jack Golden Russell
1960 Screenplay - Harry Brown and

Charles Lederer
Screenplay - Ted Griffin
Executive Producers - Bruce Berman,

Susan Ekins and John Hardy
Producer - Jerry Weintraub
Co-Producer - R.J. Louis

Casting Director - Debra Zane

Production Designer - Phillip Messina

Art Director - Keith P. Cunningham

Construction Coordinator - Chris Snyder

Set Decorator - Kristen Toscano Messina

Property Master - Steven B. Melton

Costume Designer - Jeffrey Kurland

First Assistant Camera: "A" Camera - Barry Baz Idoine

Unit Production Manager - Frederic W. Borst

First Assistant Director - Gregory Jacobs

Second Second Assistant Director -

Basti Van Der Woude

Special Effects Coordinator - Kevin Hannigan

Visual Effects Supervisor: Cinesite -

Thomas J. Smith

CG Supervisor: Cinesite - Serge Sretchinsky

Film Editor - Stephen Mirrione

Lead Sound Editor - David E. Stone

Re-Recording Mixer/Supervising Sound

Editor - Larry Blake

Foley Artists - Dawn Fintor and

Alicia Stevenson

Music - David Holmes


Review

It is where it all started in 2001 with Steven Soderbergh's remake of OCEAN'S ELEVEN, a fun and sophisticated popcorn flick with a superb storyline and an ensemble cast. I have seen this caper a few times, including a drive-in where I watched it for the second time. I never got to see the sequels (except for Ocean's Eight) and the original that featured the "Rat Pack" players, such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Sammy Davis Jr. There aren't too many surprises in this movie. The cinematography is acceptable, the humour is witty, and the pace is good.

The all-star cast is terrific, with George Clooney and Brad Pitt headlining alongside supporting players like Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Elliott Gould, Carl Reiner, and Casey Affleck. The only problem with the acting in this movie is Don Cheadle. He adopted a fake English accent for his role, which is one of the worst I've ever heard.

While it is considered the granddaddy of all cinematic heist movies, OCEAN'S 11 is a no-brainer. It is thoroughly enjoyable to all audiences. To those seeking a great heist movie, now is the time to watch it.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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50 First Dates Review

50 First Dates

Release Date: 25th March 2004 - Australia

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures

Happy Madison
Anonymous Content
Flower Films

Distribution

Sony Pictures Australia

Genre: Comedy

Rating: M

Runtime 99 minutes

Budget: $75,000,000

Box Office Gross: $198,520,934 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Henry Roth, a marine veterinarian living in Hawaii, is afraid of commitment when he meets Lucy Whitmore. While she appears to be the girl of his dreams, Henry discovers that Lucy has short-term memory loss and doesn't remember him from their first meeting. He romances her every day and hopes she falls in love with him.

Cast

Adam Sandler - Henry Roth

Drew Barrymore - Lucy Whitmore

Rob Schneider - Ula

Sean Astin - Doug Whitmore

Luisa Strus - Alexa

Dan Aykroyd - Dr. Keats

Amy Hill - Sue

Allen Covert - Ten Second Tom

Blake Clark - Martin Whitmore

Maya Rudolph - Stacy

Pomaika'l Brown - Nick
Missi Pyle - Noreen
Lynn Collins - Linda

Jackie Sandler - Dentist (Cameo)
Kevin James - Factory Worker

Crew

Director - Peter Segal

Writer - George Wing
Associate Producer - Kevin Grady
Executive Producers - Michael Ewing and Jay Roach
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager - Daniel Lupi
Producers - Jack Giarraputo, Steve Golin and Nancy Juvonen
Co-Producers - Scott Bankston and Larry Kennar
Casting Director - Roger Mussenden

Animal Coordinator - Steve Berens
Production Designer - Alan Au
Art Director - Domenic Silvestri
Set Decorator - Robert Greenfield

Property Master - Timothy S. Wiles
Costume Designer - Ellen Lutter
Director of Photography - Jack N. Green

Director of Photography: Second Unit -

Joseph D. Urbanczyk

Camera Operator - Stephen S. Campanelli

First Assistant Director - John Hockridge

First Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Adam Druxman

Second Assistant Director - Joseph J. Kontra
Second Unit Director/Visual Consultant -

Jim Bissell

Stunt Coordinator - Webster Whinery
Special Effects Coordinator - John C. Hartigan
Visual Effects Supervisor - Sheena Duggal
Visual Effects Producer - Victoria Alonso
Visual Effects Executive Producer - Debbie Denise
Film Editor - Jeff Gourson

Additional Editors - Tom Costain

and Jason Gourson

Supervising Sound Editor - Elmo Weber

Sound Effects Supervisor - Derek Vanderhorst

Supervising Sound Mixers - Jeffrey J. Haboush

and Bill W. Benton
Music - Teddy Castellucci

Music Supervisor - Michael Dilbeck

Review

What seemed to be a typical Adam Sandler movie or an average romantic comedy is nothing I have ever seen. 50 FIRST DATES is both touching and funny. It has a terrific storyline and a wonderful setting. I know a person who has also suffered from short-term memory loss who is nothing like the character portrayed by Drew Barrymore. While it is the second film to feature Sandler and Barrymore, as they have been together since The Wedding Singer, they're adequate in their performances with easy chemistry. The supporting cast is also good, but they don't usually stand out like the lead actors.

I rank 50 FIRST DATES as my new favourite rom-com. It's one of those features I wish to see again.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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Paul Blart: Mall Cop Review

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Release Date: 19th March 2009 - Australia

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures (presents)

Relativity Media (in association with)

Happy Madison Productions

Hey Eddie

Distribution

Sony Pictures Australia

Genre: Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 91 minutes

Budget: $26,000,000

Box Office Gross: $183,348,429 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary
All his life, mild-mannered Paul Blart has dreamed of becoming a state trooper, but instead, he is a security officer in a local mall in New Jersey. When a gang of crooks invaded the mall and took some hostages, it's up to Paul Blart to rescue them and defend the place from intruders, as he must go from being a mall cop to an actual cop!

Cast

Kevin James - Paul Blart

Keri O'Donnell - Veck Simms

Jayma Mays - Amy
Raini Rodriguez - Maya
Shirley Knight - Mom
Stephen Rannazzisi - Stuart
Peter Gerety - Chief Brooks
Bobby Cannavale - Cmdr. James Kent
Adam Ferrara - Sergeant Howard
Jamal Mixon - Leon
Adhir Kalyan - Pahud
Erick Avari - Vijay
Mike Vallely - Rudolph
Jason Ellis - Prancer
Jason Packham - Comet
Rick Thorne - Cupid
Victor Lopez - Donner
Natascha Hopkins - Vixen
Mookie Barker - Mr. Ferguson
Dylan Clark Marshall - Jason
Bernie McInerney - Old Man on Scooter
Gary Valentine - Karaoke Singer

Crew

Director - Steve Carr
Writer - Nick Bakay
Writer/Producer - Kevin James
Executive Producer - Jeff Sussman
Producers - Todd Garner,

Jack Giarraputo and Adam Sandler

Producer/2nd Unit Director - Barry Bernardi
Production Designer - Perry Andelin Blake
Art Director - Alan Au

Set Decorator - Tracey Doyle
Costume Designer - Ellen Lutter
Director of Photography - Russ T. Alsobrook

"A" Camera Operator - Casey Hotchkiss

Location Manager - Charles Harrington

Stunt Coordinator - Chris O'Hara
Special Effects Coordinator - Ray Bivins

Visual Effects Supervisor: Zoic Studios -

Patti Gannon
Editor - Jeff Freeman

1st Assistant Editor - Jason Gourson

Supervising Sound Editors -

Michael J. Benavente and Elmo Weber

Supervising Sound Mixers - Deb Adair

and William Freesh
Music - Waddy Wachtel

Music Supervisor - Michael Dilbeck

Review

In light of COVID-19, the pandemic is happening across the world. I was so disappointed that several new movies' release dates got postponed and all the cinemas were temporarily closed. This fear of a pandemic was so widespread that it caused everyone to stay home and begin social distancing. Fortunately, it didn't stop me from continuing to review movies. One of the films I watched while being self-isolated was PAUL BLART: MALL COP.

I was supposed to review this comedy before 2020, but I started doing it anyway. The film has some great laughs, but the jokes are hit-or-miss, and the storyline is predictable. It feels like a stale, lighthearted parody of Die Hard that's missing the fun and gratuitous violence. I liked the moment when Paul got drunk and then made a fool out of himself. Kevin James was not a bad comedian, though he had a knack for playing overweight characters. James's acting was decent. It doesn't save the movie from its shortcomings.

PAUL BLART: MALL COP is not one of my favourite comedies. And it was an average movie at best. I was surprised that the film did have a sequel, which is improbable because there is no way it could prove better than the original.

Star rating: (5/10) Average

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Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Review

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End


Release Date: 24th May 2007 - Australia


Production Companies
Walt Disney Pictures (presents)
Jerry Bruckheimer Films (in association with)

Second Mate Productions

Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia


Genre: Action/Adventure/

Fantasy

Rating: M

Runtime: 168 minutes


Budget: $300,000,000

Box Office Gross: $960,996,492 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, and Captain Barbossa take on the almost impossible task of rescuing Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones' Locker? And enlist the support of the other pirate lords to combat the forces of Lord Beckett and Davy Jones (under Beckett's control).

Cast

Johnny Depp - Captain Jack Sparrow

Geoffrey Rush - Hector

Barbossa

Bill Nighy - Davy Jones

Orlando Bloom - Will Turner

Keira Knightley - Elizabeth

Swann

Jack Davenport - Norrington

Jonathan Pryce - Governor Weatherby Swann

Keith Richards - Captain Teague

Kevin McNally - Joshamee Gibbs

Stellan Skarsgård - Bootstrap Bill

Chow Yun-Fat - Captain Sao Feng

Lee Arenberg - Pintel

Mackenzie Crook - Ragetti

Tom Hollander - Cutler Beckett

Naomie Harris - Tia Dalma

David Bailie - Cotton

Martin Klebba - Marty

David Schofield - Mercer

Alex Norton - Captain Bellamy

Dermot Keaney - Maccus

Andy Beckwith - Clanker

Clive Ashborn - Koleniko

Reggie Lee - Tai Huang

Christopher Adamson - Jimmy Legs

Jonathan Linsley - Oglively

John Boswell - Wyvern

Max Baker - Burser

Steve Speirs - Quartermaster

Greg Ellis - Lt. Theodore Groves

Giles New - Murtogg

Angus Barnett - Mullroy

Lauren Maher - Scarlett

Vanessa Branch - Giselle

Dominic Scott Kay - Henry Turner

Crew

Director/Musician - Gore Verbinski

Based on Characters/Writers - Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio

Based on Characters - Stuart Beattie and Jay Wolpert

Script Supervisor - Sharron Reynolds

Executive Producers - Mike Stenson, Chad Oman and Bruce Hendricks

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager - Eric McLeod

Producer - Jerry Bruckheimer

Head Animal Trainer - Mark Harden

Animal Coordinator - Boone Narr

Casting Director - Denise Chaiman

Production Designer - Rick Heinrichs

Creature Concepts - Mark 'Crash' McCreery

Conceptual Consultant/

Storyboard Artist - James Ward Byrkit

Supervising Art Director - John Dexter

Art Directors - William Ladd Skinner, Bruce Crone and William Hawkins

Assistant Art Directors - Nick Navarro, Darrell L. Wright, Clint Wallace and Eric Sundahl

Set Decorator - Cheryl Carasik

Property Master - Kris Peck

Master Armourer - Harry Lu

Costume Designer - Penny Rose

Associate Costume Designer - John Norster

Costume Supervisor - Jessica Pazdernik

Costume Supervisor: Location - Ken Crouch

Makeup Effects Creator/Department Head -

Ve Neill

Makeup Effects Supervisor/Key Makeup Artist -

Joel Harlow

Additional Makeup Supervisor/Tattoo Designer -

Ken Diaz

Makeup Mechanical Supervisor - Russell Shinkle

Chief Hair Stylist/Stylist: Johnny Depp - Martin Samuel

Director of Photography - Dariusz Wolski

Director of Photography: Aerial Unit -

David B. Nowell

Underwater Director of Photography -

Peter Zuccarini

Additional Photography - Ben Seresin

Camera/Steadicam Operators -

David Luckenbach and P. Scott Sakamoto

Camera Operators - Martin Schaer

and Chris Mosley

Aerial Coordinator - David Paris

Dive Master - Alex Krimm

Production Supervisor - Thomas Hayslip

Unit Production Manager - Douglas C. Merrifield

First Assistant Director - David H. Venghaus Jr.

Additional First Assistant Director - Peter Kohn

Supervising Location Manager - Laura Sode-Matteson

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -

George Marshall Ruge

Second Unit Director/Visual Effects Supervisor -

Charles Gibson

Sword Master/Stunt Double: Geoffrey Rush/

Bill Nighy - Thomas DuPont

Picture Boat Coordinator - Will White

Transportation Coordinator - Dave Robling

Special Effects Supervisor - John Frazier

Special Effects Coordinator: Bahamas -

Allen Hall

Special Effects Gimbal Foreman: Bahamas -

Mark Hawker

Visual Effects Supervisor - John Knoll

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Roger Guyett

Visual Effects Supervisors: Digital Domain -

Erik Nash and Bryan Grill

Senior Visual Effects Supervisor: Asylum -

Nathan McGuinness

Visual Effects Supervisor: Asylum - Phil Brennan

Visual Effects Supervisor: The Orphanage -

Kevin Baillie

Visual Effects Supervisor: CIS Hollywood -

Bryan Hirota

Visual Effects Supervisor: Pacific Title and

Art Studios - David Sosalla

Visual Effects Producer: ILM - Jill Brooks

Visual Effects Art Director: ILM - Aaron McBride

Digital Production Supervisor: ILM - David Meny

Animation Supervisor: ILM - Hal T. Hickel

Animation Supervisor: The Orphanage -

David Andrews

Associate Animation Supervisor: ILM - Marc Chu

Layout Supervisor: ILM - Jason H. Snell

Composting Supervisor: ILM - Eddie Pasquarello

Creature Development Supervisor: ILM -

James Tooley

Creature Model Supervisor: ILM - Geoff Campbell

Digital Model Supervisors: ILM - Bruce Holcomb

and Steve Walton

Models and Miniatures Unit Supervisors: Kerner

Optical - Charles Bailey, Geoff Heron,

Carl Miller, Marty Rosenberg and

Pat Sweeney

Editors - Craig Wood and Stephen Rivkin

Additional Editor - Daniel P. Hanley

Supervising Sound Editor/Designer/

Sound Mixer: Skywalker Sound - Christopher Boyes

Supervising Sound Editor - George Watters II

Additional Sound Design - Tim Nielsen

and Christopher Scarabosio

Sound Effects Editors - Ken Fischer,

Shannon Mills, J.R. Grubbs, Addison Teague

and David C. Hughes

Sound Mixer - Lee Orloff

Sound Mixer: Skywalker Sound - Paul Massey

Additional Sound Mixers - James Bolt

and Lora Hirschberg

Music - Hans Zimmer

Composer: Additional Music/Conductor -

Nick Glennie-Smith

Composers: Additional Music - Lorne Balfe,

Tom Gire, Henry Jackman, John Sponsler,

Geoff Zanelli and Atli Örvarsson

Music Supervisor - Bob Badami

Score Recordist and Mixer - Alan Meyerson

Awards

2008 Academy Awards
Best Makeup - Ve Neill and Martin Samuel (Nominated)
Best Visual Effects - John Knoll, Charles Gibson,

Hal T. Hickel and John Frazier (Nominated)

Review

AT WORLD'S END was supposed to be the grand finale of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. There were two more movies to come, including On Stranger Tides. However, this eventuality did not detract from the spectacle of AT WORLD'S END. This instalment is a highly intricate but less daring adventure fantasy movie. Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer were the masterminds behind its reduced swashbuckling action. It felt like this instalment was so convoluted it could sink into the ocean depths.

Like Dead Man's Chest, it's not as entertaining as the first movie, The Curse of the Black Pearl. The second and third films are linked in plot and glamorously over-produced for definite success at the box office. Despite this, none had the same charm as the original. Because of this, fans might find this film jarring and not quite the fantasy adventure film they've expected. It creates an inconsistent tone that has drawn the film onto a new path. The storyline proved confusing and required more concentration than viewers might have realised. The pirates have an implosion rather than a united fight against their adversaries.

Keith Richards was a bold casting choice for Jack Sparrow's dad, which is fitting given that Depp famously modelled his Jack Sparrow on the musician himself.

AT WORLD'S END is a decent movie, yet it is short of eight pieces. I recommend this film to all audiences, but you don't expect it to live up to the original.

Star rating: (6/10) Fair Movie

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Review

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Release Date: 1st December 2005 - Australia

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)

Heyday Films

Distribution

Roadshow Films

Genre: Fantasy/Family

Rating: M

Runtime: 157 minutes

                166 minutes
                (extended)

Budget: $150,000,000

Box Office Gross: $897,468,207 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary
When Harry Potter's name
suddenly appears in the

Goblet of Fire, he has to
compete in the gruelling
battle for glory among
three wizarding schools -
the Triwizard Tournament.
But if Harry didn't
submit his name for the
Tournament, who did?
Harry has to undergo what

he has to face, including

a deadly dragon, fierce
water demons, and an
enchanted maze. Only to
find himself in a cruel
twist of fate when he comes

face-to-face with He Who

Must Not Be Named.

Cast

Daniel Radcliffe - Harry Potter

Emma Watson - Hermione
Granger

Rupert Grint - Ron Weasley

Ralph Fiennes - Lord
Voldemort 

Robbie Coltrane - Ruebus
Hagrid

Gary Oldman - Sirius Black

Michael Gambon - Albus
Dumbledore

Maggie Smith - Minerva
McGonagall

Alan Rickman - Severus
Snape

Brendan Gleeson - Alastor

'Mad Eye' Moody
Tom Felton - Draco Malfoy

Jason Isaacs - Lucius Malfoy

Warwick Davis - Filius Flitwick

David Bradley - Argus Filch

Devon Murray - Seamus
Finnigan

Jamie Waylett - Vincent Crabbe

Joshua Herdman - Gregory

Goyle

Mark Williams - Arthur Weasley

Bonnie Wright - Ginny Weasley

James & Oliver Phelps - Fred
and George Weasley

Robert Hardy - Cornelius Fudge

Roger Lloyd-Pack - Barty

Crouch

Jeff Rowle - Amos Diggory

Robert Pattinson - Cedric
Diggory

Timothy Spall - Wormtail

David Tennant - Barty Crouch Jr.

Shefali Chowdhury - Parvati

Patil

Afshan Azad - Padma Patil

Alfred Enoch - Dean Thomas

William Melling - Nigel

Katie Leung - Cho Chang

Louis Doyle - Ernie MacMillan

Charlotte Skeoch - Hannah

Abbott

Tiana Benjamin - Angelina

Johnson

Henry Lloyd-Hughes - Roger

Davies

Adrian Rawlins - James Potter

Geraldine Somerville - Lily

Potter

Miranda Richardson - Rita

Skeeter
Stanislav Ianevski - Victor Krum

Clémence Poésy - Fleur

Delacour

Angelica Mandy - Gabrielle

Delacour

Eric Sykes - Frank Bryce

Bredrag Bjelac - Igor Karkaroff

Frances de la Tour - Madame Maxime

Shirley Henderson - Moaning Myrtle

Crew

Director - Mike Newell
Based on the Novel "Harry

Potter and the Goblet of Fire" -

J.K. Rowling

Screenplay - Steve Kloves

Associate Producer/First

Assistant Director - Chris Carreras

Executive Producers - David
Barron and Tanya Seghatchian
Producers - David Heyman

and Lorne Orleans (IMAX 

Version)
Co-Producer/Second Unit
Director - Peter MacDonald
Casting Directors - Mary
Selway and Fiona Weir

Animals Supervisor - Gary Gero

Head Animal Trainers - David Sousa and Julie Tottman
Production Designer - Stuart
Craig

Creature Designers - Adam

Brockbank and Paul Catling

Conceptual Artists - Wayne D. Barlowe,

Ben Dennett, Geoffrey Huband, Iain McCaig,

Andrew Williamson and Dermot Power (Uncredited)

Supervising Art Director - Neil Lamont

Senior Art Director - Andrew Ackland-Snow

Art Directors - Mark Bartholomew,
Alastair Bullock, Alan Gilmore,
Gary Tomkins and Alexandra Walker

Standby Art Director - Martin Foley

Construction Manager - Paul J. Hayes

Supervising Modeller - Pierre Bohanna
Set Decorator - Stephenie McMillan

Co-Set Decorator - Lee Sandales

Property Master - Barry Wilkinson

Assistant Property Master - Jamie Wilkinson
Costume Designer - Jany Temime

Costume Supervisors - David Crossman

and Charlotte Finlay

Creature & Makeup Effects Designer -

Nick Dudman
Makeup Designer - Amanda Knight

Key Prosthetic Makeup Artists - Mark Coulier

and Shaune Harrison

Chief Hairdresser & Designer - Eithne Fennel

Director of Photography - Roger Pratt

Director of Photography: Second Unit -

Mike Brewster

"B" Camera Operators - Trevor Coop

and Gary Spratling

Location Manager - Sue Quinn

Unit Location Managers - Michael Harm,

Steve Harvey, Joseph Jayawardena and

Mark Somner

Unit Production Manager - Tim Lewis

First Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Jamie Christopher

Second Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Sallie Hard

Third Assistant Directors - Tom Brewster,

Phillippa Hunt and Michael Michael

Third Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Lyndsay Bullock

Choreographer - Wayne McGregor
Stunt Coordinator - Greg Powell

Aerial Coordinator: Second Unit - Marc Wolff
Diving Coordinator: Second Unit - Dave Shaw

Special Effects Supervisor - John Richardson
Special Effects Coordinator - Rosie Richardson

Supervising Animatronic Designers - Guy Stevens

and Chris Barton

Performance Systems Supervisor - Matthew Denton

Visual Effects Supervisor - Jim Mitchell

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Tim Alexander
Visual Effects Supervisor: Framestore CFC -

Tim Webber
Visual Effects Supervisor: MPC - Ben Shepherd
Visual Effects Supervisor: Cinesite - Simon Stanley-Clamp

Additional Visual Effects Supervisors - Tim Burke

and Richard Stammers
Visual Effects Producers - Theresa Corrao and
Emma Norton

Visual Effects Producer: ILM - Jill Brooks

Animation Supervisors: Framestore CFC -

Pablo Grillo and Max Solomon
Animation Supervisor: Dragon, Ship and

World Cup, ILM - Steve Rawlins
Computer Graphics Supervisors: ILM -

Douglas Smythe and Robert Weaver

CG Supervisor: Framestore CFC - David Lomax

CG Supervisor: Cinesite - Ivor Middleton

CGI Modelling Supervisor: ILM - Ken Bryan
Model Unit Supervisor: Cinesite - José Granell

Model Workshop Supervisor: Cinesite -

Nigel Trevessey

Model Director of Photography: ILM -

Pat Sweeney
Supervisors: MPC - Nicolas Aithadi,

Caine Dickinson, Ferran Domenech,

Clwyd Edwards, Charley Henley and

Uel Hormann

CG Sequence Supervisors: Framestore CFC -

Andy Kind, Rob Allman, Justin Martin

and Andrew Rawling
Character Rigging Supervisor: ILM - Eric Wong

Motion Control Supervisor - Chris Shaw

Compositing Supervisor: ILM - Patrick Tubach

Compositing Supervisors: Framestore CFC -

Adrian De Wet, Areito Echevarria,

Christian Manz, Ivan Moran and Pedro Sabrosa

Editor - Mick Audsley

Sound Designer & Supervising Sound Editor -

Randy Thom

Supervising Sound Editor - Dennis Leonard

Sound Effects Editors - Andy Kennedy

and Douglas Murray

Re-Recording Mixers - Tom Johnson

and Mike Prestwood Smith

Foley Artists - Peter Burgis,

Andie Derrick and Nicolas Becker

Music - Patrick Doyle

Composer: "Hedwig's Theme" - John Williams

Awards

2006 Academy Awards

Best Art Direction - Stuart Craig and Stephenie McMillan (Nominated)

Review

The Harry Potter film series continues its magic with THE GOBLET OF FIRE. While The Prisoner of Azkaban was a step up, GOBLET is the darkest movie of the franchise. The series has increased its shift and attracts only some age groups. The later instalments appealed to younger teens and adults and focused on the characters now facing adult situations. Mike Newell takes Alfonso Cuaron's position as the director, and it's incredible how he pulls off a simple task in this movie. The visuals are significant, and the film has shown no signs of slowing down. But enough said, let's talk about the acting.

I praise Ralph Fiennes for doing an extraordinary job of portraying Lord Voldemort. He knows how to introduce a dark wizard who is already a villain. Brendan Gleeson takes the 'Mad Eye' Moody role by making his character look strange. I came here for this movie because of its supporting actors, David Tennant and Robert Pattinson. Incredibly, Tennant plays a Death Eater rather than a doctor who wanders through time and space in the television series Doctor Who. Also, it is worth mentioning that Pattinson, who plays the ill-fated Cedric Diggory, also plays a vampire in the infamous Twilight movies and Batman in an upcoming titular film. The music by Patrick Doyle is good, though it has the same notes that John Williams composed in the previous instalments. 

GOBLET OF FIRE remains fresh but is still a gripping chapter of a film series that helps everyone believe in magic. I encourage all fans of the franchise to see it.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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