Total Pageviews App Installed

Hello everyone. It's been a while since I've done a news update that isn't an obituary or an Oscar announcement. I removed one redundant gadget from the sidebar and installed the Total Pageviews app to see how many views this blog has. I even moved a few things on the sidebar. Although it's a minor update, it's essential for maintaining consistency.

For more updates, I have revised and republished my reviews of The Empire Strikes Back and Rango (which I updated a few months ago), as well as a movie analysis of the former (click here). I have also rewritten the plot summaries on most of my reviews.

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Next Gen Review

Next Gen

Release Date: 7th September 2018 - Australia (Netflix)

Production Companies

Netflix

Baozou Manhua
Tangent Animation (in association with)
Alibaba Pictures

Distribution

Netflix (Worldwide)

Genre: Animation/Family/

Sci-Fi

Rating: PG

Runtime: 104 minutes

Budget: ¥150,000,000

Plot Summary

A rebellious young girl named Mai discovers a top-secret robot, and their friendship begins. At the same time, they must contend with an evil madman unleashing terror through his plan for technological domination.

Voice Cast

John Krasinski - 7723

Charlyne Yi - Mai

Jason Sudeikis - Justin Pin/Ares

Michael Peña - Momo

David Cross - Dr Tanner Rice/Q-Bots

Constance Wu - Molly
Kiana Lede - Greenwood
Anna Akana - Ani
Isaac Ryan Brown - Ric

Reba Borr - Diagnostic Computer

Amber Friendly - Mailbox Drone
Jet Jurgensmeyer - Junior
Joe Ksander - Ramen Cup

Shaye Ogbonna - Fan Boy

Jon Oswald - Toothbrush/

Door

Betsy Sodaro - Toilet/Gate/

Hairbrush

Fred Tatasciore - Police

Robots/Robot Podium/

Announcer

Kitana Turnbull - RJ

Charlotte Alexis White - Fan Girl

Crew
Story/Screenplay/Directors - Kevin R. Adams

and Joe Ksander

Creative Director/Storyboard Artist -

Ricardo Curtis
Based on the Comic "7723"/Story/Screenplay -

Wang Nima

Story/Screenplay/Executive Producers -

Olivia Hao and Ricky Rem

Story/Screenplay - Napkin Su and Sasa Zhau

Screenplay - The Baozou Family
Additional Screenplay Material - Ryan W. Smith

Script Translator - Angelina Wang
Executive Producers - Luluyan Fan,

Ounan Hong, Michael Yu, Teger Sheng,

Alfred Jin, Ronbjiang Ye, Jerry Li, Face Hu

and Phyllis Laing

Executive Producer/Artist - Wei Zhang

Producers - Javier Zhang, Jeff Bells,

Patty Hicks, Charlene Logan Kelly,

Yangbin Lu, John Morch and Ken Zorniak

Pre-Production Studio Supervisor/Designer -

Ken Duncan

Production Designer - Craig Sellars

Art Director/Additional Visual Development

Artist/Character Designer/Printing/Main Titles

Art Direction - Richard Chen

Character Designers - Tohru Patrick Awa

and Marceline Gagnon-Tanguay
Character Designer/Animator - Charlie Bonifacio

Additional Visual Development Artist/CG

Supervisor - Conrad Dueck

Additional Visual Development Artist/Surfacing

Supervisor - Shane Jackson

Additional Visual Development Artist/

Modelling/Character Effects Supervisor/

Visual Effects Set Dressing Artist - Andy Carney

Additional Visual Development Artist/

Lighting Supervisor - Alex Carney

Story Supervisor - Joe Giampapa
Storyboard Producer - Wes Lui

Animation Supervisors - Adam Beck

and Wesley Rodricks

CG Supervisor - Brian Foster

Character Effects Technical/Rigging Supervisor -

David Hearn
Director of Photography: Camera - Paul Kohut
Director of Photography: Lighting - Paul Stoldony

Editor - Matt Ahrens
Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Editor/

Re-Recording Mixer - David Acord

Supervising Sound Editor - Steve Slanec

Re-Recording Mixer - Tom Myers

Foley Supervisor - Frank Rinella

Foley Artists - Ronni Brown and Margie O'Malley

Music - Samuel Jones and Alexis Marsh

Executive in Charge of Music - Robyn Klein

Music Supervisor - Justine Von Winterfeldt

Review

The streaming service Netflix offered access to many movies, including original productions. I had seen some that were watchable, and I was curious about the animated feature NEXT GEN. Because I looked at the trailer and thought it was similar to Big Hero 6. Big Hero 6 was an action-packed movie with a lot of heart and humour, while NEXT GEN was surprisingly edgier and more of a cautionary tale about the dangers of technology. A significant difference exists between the two main characters: one focuses on a rebellious teen who finds companionship with a robot. The other revolves around a troubled teen who deeply resents anything robotic but learns to accept her newfound relationship with the robot.

This animated feature reminds me of I, Robot with Will Smith, which used to stream on Netflix. Both movies featured similar human protagonists who disliked robots. However, they later bond and face an uprising against humanity. The only thing that bothers me is the film's target audience, which includes bleeped-out profanity (courtesy of the foul-mouthed dog), cartoon violence, and mature themes.

In examining the characterisation of NEXT GEN, the young female protagonist is too bratty, unlikable, and ungrateful. It is hard to understand her struggles with the new age of technology and some personal issues. However, this angry adolescent is abandoned by her father, bullied by her peers, and neglected by her mother. The main robot, however, is a wise and likeable character. The people who made this movie are trying so hard not to copy Baymax's design and personality for this character.

Overall, the story is good, but the execution is poor. The film boasted strong messages, remarkable animation (thanks to the animators for using Blender), and incredible voice acting from John Krasinski, Charlyne Yi, David Cross, and Jason Sudeikis.

Being a Netflix animated movie, it is on par with those shown in cinemas. While it's not a product of animation giants Disney, Pixar, Blue Sky, Illumination, and DreamWorks, it is still a decent movie.

Star rating: (6/10) Fair Movie

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Planes, Trains and Automobiles Review

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Release Date: 26th December 1987 - Australia

Production Companies

Paramount Pictures (presents)

Hughes Entertainment

Distribution

Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Comedy

Rating: M

Runtime: 92 minutes

Budget: $30,000,000

Box Office Gross: $49,752,241 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Neal Page, an advertising executive, tries to get home to Chicago for Thanksgiving with his family. Unfortunately, his flight gets rerouted to Wichita. There, he bumps into

a talkative yet lovable

salesman named Del

Griffith. Together, they

take a cross-country trip

that includes various

modes of transportation,

hilarious mishaps, and

unforgettable rental-car

shenanigans.

Cast

Steve Martin - Neal Page

John Candy - Del Griffith

Lalia Robins - Susan Page

Michael McKean - State Trooper

Kevin Bacon - Taxi Racer

Dylan Baker - Owen

Carol Bruce - Joy

Olivia Burnette - Marti

Diana Douglas - Peg

Martin Ferrero - Second Motel

Clerk

Larry Hankin - Doobie

Richard Herd - Walt

Susan Kellermann - Waitress

Matthew Lawrence - Little Neal

Edie McClurg - Car Rental Agent

George Petrie - Martin

Gary Riley - Motor Thief

Charles Tyner - Gus

Susan Isaacs - Marie

Lulie Newcomb - Owen's Wife

John Randolph Jones - Cab Dispatcher

Nick Wyman - New York Lawyer

Gaetano Lisi - Cab Driver - New York

Diana Castle - Stewardess

Julie H. Morgan - Stewardess

Bill Erwin - Man on Plane

Ruth de Sosa - New York Ticket Agent

Ben Stein - Wichita Airport Representative

Kim Genelle - Receptionist

Grant Forsberg - Brand Manager

David Raiport - Cafe Patron

Andrew J. Hentz - Bus Lover

Karen Meisinger - Bus Loverette

Gary Palmer - Pilot

Diane Nieman - Earring Customer

Sylvia Vitrungs - Earring Customer

Joann Taylor - Earring Customer

Julie A. Herbert - Earring Customer

Jennifer Allswang - Earring Customer

Wendy Lee Avon - Earring Customer

Amy Meyers - Earring Customer

John Moio - Screaming Driver

Victor Vanderkloot - Screaming Driver's Wife

Lyman Ward - John (Uncredited)

William Windom - Mr. Bryant (Uncredited)

Crew

Writer/Producer/Director - John Hughes

Associate Producer/Second Unit Director -

William H. Brown

Executive Producer - Michael Clinich

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Neil Machlis

Casting Directors - Janet Hirshenson

and Jane Jenkins

Production Designer - John W. Corso

Art Director - Harold Michelson

Set Decorators - Jane Bogart and

Linda Spheeris

Costume Designer - April Ferry

Makeup Designer: John Candy - Ben Nye III

Director of Photography - Don Peterman

Location Coordinator: New York -

Lydia Dean Pilcher

First Assistant Director - Mark Radcliffe

Second Assistant Director - Arthur Anderson

First Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Richard Graves

First Assistant Director: Second Unit,

Chicago - James Giovannetti Jr.

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -

Bernie E. Dobbins

Special Effects - William Aldridge,

Stan Parks and Ken Speed (Uncredited)

Editor - Paul Hirsch

Additional Editors - Adam Bernardi,

Andrew London and Peck Prior

Supervising Sound Editors - Lon Bender

and Wylie Stateman

Re-Recording Mixers - David E. Campbell,

John T. Reitz and Gregg Rudloff

Foley Artists - Dean Drabin, Gary A. Hecker

and Alicia Stevenson

Music - Ira Newborn

Composers: Additional Score - Brian Banks

and Anthony Marinelli

Music Supervisor - Tarquin Gotch

Review

After years of making teen comedies, filmmaker John Hughes breaks out of the subgenre to make the buddy/road comedy PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES. It was hilarious and groundbreaking, but often dramatic, as the film follows a mismatched pair who must get through the worst of a bad situation. Sure, the movie has funny moments that make us laugh, like the iconic "Those Aren't Pillows!" Its heartfelt scenes occasionally emerge and provide balance.

Steve Martin and John Candy were terrific and had fantastic chemistry, but they were the best. It's a shame they never got around to working again in another movie that is almost as good, heartfelt, and hilarious as PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES when Candy met his untimely death in 1994. I enjoyed the remarkable soundtrack. It has songs I didn't even know existed.

I appreciate how the late John Hughes shifted from teen movies like Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off to comedies like this one and Home Alone. AUTOMOBILES was his best work, and nothing in modern times compares to it. I highly recommend it to fans of the filmmaker. Not to mention fans of Steve Martin and the late John Candy.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Review

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Release Date: 10th August 2017 - Australia

Production Companies

EuropaCorp

TF1 Films Production (Co-Production)

OCS (with the participation of)

TF1 (with the participation of)

Fundamental Films (in association with)

BNP Paribas (in association with)

Orange Studio (in association with)

Universum Film (UFA) (in
association with)

Novo Pictures (in association
with)

River Road Entertainment (in association with)

Belgium Film Fund (in association with)

Distribution

eOne Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 137 minutes

Budget: €197,000,000

              (gross)

              $205,000,000 (net)

Box Office Gross: $225,973,340 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary
In the 28th century, two operatives from the United Human Federation, Valerian and Laureline, must track down the last converter, a rare species considered extinct.

After completing their mission, they head back to space station Alpha, only to discover the mysterious humanoids have abducted the commander. The two heroes must rescue him without letting the converter fall into the wrong hands.

Cast

Dane DeHaan - Major Valerian

Cara Delevingne - Sergeant

Laureline

Clive Owen - Commander
Arun Filitt

Rihanna - Bubble

Ethan Hawke - Jolly the Pimp

Herbie Hancock - Defense Minister

Kris Wu - Sergeant Neza

Sam Spruell - General Okto-Bar

Alain Chabat - Bob the Pirate

Rutger Hauer - President of the World State Federation

Peter Hudson - Captain Crawford

Xavier Giannoli - Captain Norton

Sasha Luss - Princess Lïhio-Minaa/Creature 'Candy Dress'

Aymeline Valade - Emperor Haban Limaï

Elizabeth Debicki - Emperor Haban Limaï (Voice)

Pauline Hoarau - Empress Aloï/Creature 'Swing Angel'

Barbara Scaff - Empress Aloï

(Voice)

Ola Rapace - Major Gibson

Stefan Konarske - Captain Zito

Gavin Drea - Sergeant Cooper

Eric Lampaert - Guide Thaziit

Laurent Ferraro - Igon Siruss/

Dothan-Dagui

John Goodman - Igon Siruss (Voice)

Alexandre Willaume - Captain Kris

Tristan Robin - Roper

Réginal Kudiwu - Major Samk

Louis Leterrier - Captain Welcoming Mercurys (Cameo)

Olivier Megaton - Captain

Welcoming KCO2 (Cameo)

Crew

Screenplay/Director - Luc Besson

Based on the Comic Book Series "Valerian and

Laureline" - Pierre Christin

Based on the Comic Book Series "Valerian and

Laureline"/Additional Concept Design: Development Phase - Jean-Claude Mézières

Executive Producers - Jc Cheng, Mark Gao and Gregory Ouanhon

Producer - Virginia Besson-Silla

Production Designer - Hughes Tissander

Concept Designers - Ben Mauro,

Alain Brion, Sylvain Despretz,

Patrice Garcia, Marc Simonetti

and Feng Zhu

Art Directors - Gilles Boillot,

Stéphane Robuchon, Etienne Rohde,

Patrick Tandiang, Christian Vallat and

Thierry Zemmour

Art Director: Drawings - Dominique Moisan

Set Decorator - Evelyne Tissandier

Costume Designer - Olivier Bériot

Valerian's Space Suits - Claudine Lachaud,

Laurent Couline, Anthony Sgard and

Laurent Dozot

Director of Photography - Thierry Arbogast

Stunt Supervisor/Fight Choreographer

(Uncredited) - Laurent Demianoff

Special Effects Supervisor - Philippe Hubin

Special Effects Coordinator - Jean-Christophe Magnaud

Senior Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta Digital -

Joe Letteri

Visual Effects Supervisor - Scott Stokdyk

Visual Effects Supervisors: Weta Digital -

Wayne Stables, R. Christopher White,

Martin Hill and Ken McGaugh

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Philippe Rebours

Visual Effects Supervisor: Rodeo FX - François Dumoulin

Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Factory -

Jérôme Lionard

Associate Visual Effects Supervisor: Rodeo FX -

Peter Nofz

Visual Effects Producer - Sophie Leclerc

Visual Effects Producer: Weta Digital - Ben Pickering

Visual Effects Art Directors: ILM - Bianca Draghici

and Christian Alzmann

Art Director: Rodeo FX - Olivier Martin

Previs Supervisor: HALON - Brad Alexander

Animation Supervisors: Weta Digital - Paul Story

and Eric Reynolds

Motion Capture Supervisors: Weta Digital -

Dejan Momcilovic and Ben Murray

On Set Layout Supervisor: ILM - Duncan Blackman

Editor - Julien Rey

Supervising Sound Editors - Shannon Mills

and Guillaume Bouchateau

Sound Designers - David Farmer, Josh Gold

and Nia Hansen

Additional Sound Designers - Gurwal Coïc-Gallas

and Alexis Place

Sound Editor - Aymeric Devoldère

Production Sound Mixer - Stephane Bucher

Re-Recording Mixers - Tom Johnson,

Didier Lozahic and Juan Peralta

Original Score - Alexandre Desplat

Recordists and Music Mixers - Peter Cobbin

and Kirsty Whalley

Review

A misguided effort by filmmaker Luc Besson, VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS rivals the Star Wars prequel trilogy in its overproduced visuals, scope, and deficiencies. The film adapted a French sci-fi comic series that some speculate George Lucas borrowed ideas from for his Star Wars series, but it was just a coincidence. After seeing the images, not the storyline, Besson revisited ideas he had previously integrated into his other space opera, The Fifth Element. He replicated the state-of-the-art visuals James Cameron used to create Pandora in Avatar. While the visuals are stunning, they tend to overdo it.

I'm fascinated by the incredible world-building and its concepts. Unfortunately, the film failed to overcome its shortcomings. It includes an uninspired, convoluted plot. The movie opens with its best moment, accompanied by David Bowie's "Space Oddity" playing in the background.

Dane DeHaan is miscast as the titular protagonist. He looks too boyish and creepy, and he tries to imitate Keanu Reeves' acting style. Cara Delevingne is wooden as Laureline, and her role would have benefited from a different, more experienced actress. The romance between the two characters feels flat, possibly due to a lack of chemistry. Rihanna, however, does a fantastic job as the shape-shifting alien Bubble.

VALERIAN is a feasible space adventure, but it's nothing new. It fell short of my expectations and was forgettable almost immediately. I recommend that viewers see this film just once. They are curious about something that has potential.

Star rating: (4/10) Below Average

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In Memory of Ed Asner (1929-2021)

Ed Asner (1929-2021)

Seven-time Emmy-winning actor Ed Asner, known for playing the gruff Lou Grant in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and its titular spin-off and a poignant voice role in Pixar's Oscar-winning movie "Up," passed away on August 29th, 2021. He was 91 years old.

Ed worked for many years as a character actor in films and television series before rising to fame in the 1970s as the curmudgeonly newsroom head in the sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," which earned him three Emmys for Best Supporting Actor. When that sitcom ended, he returned as the same character in the hour-long dramatic spin-off that brought him two leading actor Emmys and five nominations. Ed won Emmys for the miniseries "Rich Man, Poor Man" and "Roots" and was even honoured with seven. He recently appeared in hit shows like "Grace and Frankie," "Modern Family," and "Cobra Kai" and has remained active on television for decades in numerous roles. Asner also worked in film, beginning in 1961 with his debut role in the Elvis Presley vehicle "Kid Galahad" as well as other movies like "The Satan Bug," "The Slender Thread," "El Dorado," "Gunn," and "Change of Habit" (again with Elvis and Mary Tyler Moore). He made occasional appearances in films such as "Skin Game," "Fort Apache the Bronx," "Daniel," and "JFK." Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Asner continued to work steadily on the big screen with features including "Academy Boyz," "Hard Rain," "The Bachelor," "Above Suspicion," "Elf" (where he played Santa for the fifth consecutive time), and "Enchanted Cottage."

Aside from his film and television work, Ed has done voiceovers in animation like "Captain Planet and the Planeteers" (which drew him a Daytime Emmy nomination), "Fish Police," Batman," "Gargoyles," "Spider-Man," "Freakazoid," "Superman," "The Boondocks," "WordGirl," etc. However, his finest work on voice acting would be his emotional role as Carl Fredericksen in the animated Pixar film "Up," which won two Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature.

The acclaim of "Up" reinvigorated interest in the actor's presence, resulting in guest spots on shows like "Law & Order: SVU," "The Middle," and "Hawaii Five-O."

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G.I. Joe: Retaliation Review

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Release Date: 28th March 2013 - Australia

Production Companies
Paramount Pictures (presents)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (presents)
Skydance Media (presents)
Hasbro (in association with)
Di Bonaventura Pictures
Saints LA
Spyglass Entertainment

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 110 minutes

                112 minutes

                (extended)

Budget: $93,600,000

Box Office Gross: $375,740,705 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

The G.I. Joe team is branded as traitors by their nemesis, Cobra, after successfully infiltrating the government. With Zartan masquerading as the president and the Cobra Commander having all the world leaders under his control, they plan to launch advanced nuclear warheads upon innocent countries as part

of their evil scheme. After

escaping a deadly attack, the

remaining Joes have no

recourse but to turn to their

original leader, General

Cotton, to help them uncover

Cobra's plot and save the

world from destruction.

Cast

Dwayne Johnson - Roadblock

Bruce Willis - Gen. Joe Cotton

Ray Park - Snake Eyes
Channing Tatum - Duke
Jonathan Pryce - President
Luke Bracey - Cobra Commander
Elodie Yung - Jinx
Ray Stevenson - Firefly
D.J. Cotrona - Flint
Adrianne Palicki - Jane
Walton Goggins - Warden Nigel James
Arnold Vosloo - Zartan
Joseph Mazzello - Mouse
Byung-hun Lee - Storm Shadow
RZA - Blind Master

Joe Chrest - Chief of Staff

Nathan Takashige - Young Storm Shadow

Jim Palmer - Clutch

Nick Erickson - President Picture Double

Crew
Director - Jon M. Chu
Writers - Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick
Executive Producers - Gary Barber,

Roger Birnbaum, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg,

Erik Howsam, Paul Schwake and

Stephen Sommers

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Herbert W. Gains

Producers - Lorenzo di Bonaventura
and Brian Goldner

Casting Director - Ronna Kress

Military Technical Advisor - Harry Humphries
Production Designer - Andrew Menzies

Supervising Art Director - Tom Reta

Art Directors - Luke Freeborn,
Alan Hook, Scott Plauche and
Sebastian Schroeder

Set Decorator - Cynthia La Jeunesse

Costume Designer - Louise Mingenbach

Special Makeup Effects Artists - Martin Astles,

Bart J. Mixon and Lauren Thomas
Director of Photography - Stephen F. Windon

Aerial Director of Photography: British

Columbia Unit - David B. Nowell

Production Supervisors - Sara Flamm

and Daren Hicks

First Assistant Director - Philip A. Patterson

First Assistant Director: Second Unit - David Sardi

Second Unit Director - George Marshall Ruge

Helicopter Pilots - Frédéric North

and Cliff Fleming
Stunt Coordinator - Steven Ritzi

Fight Coordinator - Thomas DuPont
Special Effects Coordinator - Michael Meinardus

Visual Effects Supervisors - James Madigan

and Gregory L. McMurry

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Bill George

Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain - Thad Beier

Visual Effects Supervisor: Lola Visual Effects -

Edson Williams

Visual Effects Producer - Paul V. Molles

On-Set Visual Effects Producer: Digital Domain -

Jeff Olson

Visual Effects Executive Producer: ILM -

Janet Lewin

Visual Effects Executive Producer: Digital Domain -

Daniel Brimer

Visual Effects Art Director: Digital Domain -

Claas Henke

Digital Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain -

Lou Pecora

Animation Supervisor: ILM - Paul Kavanagh

Animation Supervisor: Luma Pictures -

Raphael A. Pimentel

CG Supervisor: ILM - Craig Hammack

CG Supervisor: ILM Singapore - Patric Roos

CG Supervisors: Digital Domain - Erik Gamache

and Paul George Paloo

Additional Supervisors: Digital Domain -

Simon Carr, Tushar Kewlani, Mark Michaels,

David Mucci and Abhinav Sah

Concept Artist: ILM - John Bell
Editors - Roger Barton and Jim May

Additional Editor - Calvin Wimmer

Supervising Sound Editors/Sound Designers -

Ethan Van Der Ryan, John Marquis and

Erik Aadahl

Re-Recording Mixers - Scott Millan

and Greg P. Russell
Music - Henry Jackman

Additional Music - Dominic Lewis,

Matthew Margeson and Junkie XL

Additional Music Arrangements - Stephen Hilton

and Andrew Kawczynski

Music Recordist and Mixer - Alan Meyerson

Review

After The Rise of Cobra made good box-office earnings despite the first G.I. Joe film being a lacklustre feature. Director Stephen Sommers steps down from the helm because of his rocky start with Cobra. However, the duties were handed to Jon M. Chu, best known for directing the concert feature, Never Say Never, featuring pop sensation Justin Bieber. I'm satisfied that RETALIATION is a mild improvement over its predecessor, with its heavy action, incredible visuals, and a few notable actors, including Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis.

The most striking aspect about RETALIATION is that it's supposed to be true to the G.I. Joe mythology, which, fortunately, only mildly succeeds. We finally see Cobra Commander in his full costume, no longer a mere shadow of his former self. I'm disappointed that Channing Tatum's character got killed off at the start. He didn't survive or develop in the sequel. I'm so surprised that Johnson and Willis consistently gave solid performances in what is almost a lacklustre film.

RETALIATION could have put the series on ice had it not been as successful. This sequel was flawed, but I enjoyed it more than Cobra.

Star rating: (6/10) Fair Movie

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Black Widow Review

Black Widow

Release Date: 8th July 2021 - Australia

Production Companies

Marvel Studios

Distribution

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 133 minutes

Budget: $200,000,000

Box Office Gross: $379,751,655 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Former Avenger Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, must face the darker parts of her past when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past emerges. When a deadly force begins pursuing her and plans to take her down, Natasha must confront her history as a spy and the torn relationships left in her wake, long before she became an Avenger.

Cast

Scarlett Johansson - Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow

Florence Pugh - Yelena Belova

David Harbour - Alexei/

Red Guardian

Rachel Weisz - Melina

Ray Winstone - Dreykov

Ever Anderson - Young Natasha

Violet McGraw - Young Yelena

O-T Fangbenle - Mason

William Hurt - Secretary Ross

Ryan Kiera Armstrong - Young Antonia 

Liani Samuel - Lerato

Michelle Lee - Oksana

Lewis Young - Scientist Morocco 1

C.C. Smiff - Scientist Morocco 2

Olivier Richters - Ursa

Olga Kurylenko - Antonia/

Taskmaster

Jeremy Renner - Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Voice) (Cameo)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Valentina

Allegra de Fontaine (Cameo)

(Uncredited)

Crew

Director - Cate Shortland

Story - Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson

Screenplay - Eric Pearson

Associate Producer/First Assistant Director - Jamie Christopher

Executive Producers - Victoria Alonso, Louis D'Esposito, Nigel Gostelow, Scarlett Johansson and Brad Winderbaum

Producer - Kevin Feige

Co-Producers - Mitchell Bell

and Brian Chapek

Casting Director - Sarah Finn

Production Designer - Charles Wood

Visual Development

Supervisor - Andy Park

Visual Development Concept Illustrators - Anthony Francisco, Rodney Fuentebella, Josh Nizzi, Jana Schirmer and Jackson Sze

Supervising Art Director - Thomas Brown

Art Directors: Los Angeles

Unit - Jann Engel and Clint Wallace

Set Decorator - John Bush

Set Decorator: Los Angeles Unit - Lauri Gaffin

Property Master - Barry Gibbs

Costume Designer - Jany Temime

Costume Designer: Los Angeles Unit - Lisa Loovas

Costume Supervisor - Dan Grace

Makeup and Hair Designer - Paul Gooch

Director of Photography - Gabriel Beristain

Camera First Assistants: Los Angeles Unit -

Dan Ming, Chris Toll and Jacqueline Stahl

Production & Development Manager -

Kyana F. Davidson

Unit Production Manager: Los Angeles Unit -

Leeann Stonebreaker

First Assistant Director: 2nd Unit - Marvin Williams

Second Unit Director - Darrin Prescott

Second Unit Director: Descent Unit -

Jeff Habberstad

Stunt Coordinator - Rob Inch

Stunt Coordinator: Wind Tunnel - Allan Hewitt

Fight Coordinator - James Young

Aerial Coordinator - Jeremy Braben

Aviation Advisor - Mike Woodley

Special Effects Supervisor - Paul Corbould

Special Effects Coordinator - Jodie Jackman

Special Effects Coordinator: Los Angeles Unit -

Chris Brenczewski

Special Effects Floor Supervisor: Second Unit -

Chris Corbould

Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta Digital -

Sean Noel Walker

Visual Effects Supervisor - Geoffrey Baumann

Visual Effects Supervisor: Third Unit -

Chris Shaw

Visual Effects Supervisor: LA Unit -

Janelle Croshaw

Visual Effects Supervisors: ILM - Craig Hammack

and Jose Burgos

Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain -

David Hodgins

Visual Effects Supervisor: Lola VFX -

Trent Claus

Additional Visual Effects Supervisor -

Jesse James Chisholm

Visual Effects Producer - Lisa Marra

Compositing Supervisor: Lola VFX -

Edson Williams

Digital Roto and Paint Supervisors: ILM -

Beth D'Amato and Naren Naidoo

Creative Finishing Supervisor - Evan Jacobs

Editors - Leigh Folsom Boyd and

Matthew Schmidt

Supervising Sound Editors - Shannon Mills

and Daniel Laurie

Sound Designer - Nia Hansen

Production Sound Mixer - Chris Munro

Re-Recording Mixers - Juan Peralta

and Lola Hirschberg

Foley Supervisor - Christopher Flick

Foley Artists - Ronni Brown and Jana Vance

Music - Lorne Balfe

Music Supervisor - Dave Jordan

Score Mix Engineers - Peter Cobbin

and Kirsty Whalley

Review

Last year, BLACK WIDOW was delayed several times due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which also impacted the release of other forthcoming movies, such as Fast & Furious 9. Thankfully, it finally came out in theatres and on Disney+ Premier Access. The film isn't like the typical Marvel movie you're looking for; it is an action-packed spy thriller, full of espionage and so on. BLACK WIDOW explains everything you need to know about the heroine, making her death in Avengers: Endgame even more tragic. The first half was impressive, especially when you learn about the character whose idyllic life was deprived of her before she became the titular Avenger she is now.

The action sequences are first-rate and explosive, with spectacular performances by Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, and David Harbour. It will be the last time Scarlett has played a character in the eleven she's been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Whereas Avengers: Endgame served as a send-off of Marvel's ensemble team, BLACK WIDOW feels like it is tying up all the loose ends for the character. Nevertheless, it remains an enjoyable movie for Marvel fans who have waited for a lifetime.

Star rating: (9/10) Excellent Movie

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