Mrs. Doubtfire Review

Mrs. Doubtfire

Release Date: 16th December 1993 – Australia

Production Companies
Blue Wolf

20th Century Fox (presents)

Distribution
20th Century Fox Australia

Genre: Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 125 minutes

Budget: $25,000,000

Box Office Gross: $441,286,195 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary
Daniel Hillard is a former actor/father who recently divorced and learned that his ex-wife is looking for a housekeeper. Wishing to be closer to his children while the custody battle continues, Daniel disguises himself as Mrs. Doubtfire (a made-up British nanny) and successfully applies for the job. In his new role, Daniel transforms his family's lives, as well as his perspective.

Cast

Robin Williams – Daniel
Hillard/Mrs. Euphegenia
Doubtfire

Sally Field – Miranda Hillard

Lisa Jakub – Lydia "Lydie"
Hillard

Matthew Lawrence – Christopher "Chris" Hillard

Mara Wilson – Natalie "Nattie" Hillard

Pierce Brosnan – Stuart Dunmire

Harvey Fierstein – Uncle Frank Hillard

Scott Capurro – "Aunt" Jack Hillard
Robert Prosky – Mr. Lundy
Polly Holiday – Gloria
Anne Haney – Mrs. Sellner
Sydney Walker – Bus Driver
Martin Mull – Justin Gregory
Terence McGovern – ADR Director Lou
James Cranna – Ron
William Newman – Mr. Sprinkles

Crew

Director – Chris Columbus

Based on the Novel "Alias Madame

Doubtfire" – Anne Fine

Screenplay – Randi Mayem Singer
and Leslie Dixon

Executive Producer – Matthew Rushton

Producers – Marsha Graces,
Robin Williams and Mark Radcliffe

Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager –

Joan Bradshaw
Casting Directors – Janet Hirshenson
and Jane Jenkins

Animal Handler – Gary Gero

Production Designer – Angelo P. Graham

Art Director – W. Steven Graham

Assistant Art Director – James J. Murakami

Set Decorator – Garrett Lewis

Costume Designer – Marit Allen

Special Makeup Creator – Greg Cannom

Key Makeup Artist – Ve Neill

Director of Photography – Donald McAlpine

First Assistant Director – Geoffrey Hansen

Second Assistant Director – Cherylanne Martin

Location Manager – Bruce Devan

Stunt Coordinator – Troy Brown

Special Effects – John McLeod,

Frank W. Tarantino, Geoff Heron and

Leo Loverro

Animation Supervisor – Chuck Jones

Animation Producer – Linda Jones Clough

Animation Associate Producer – Stephen Fossatti

Film Editor – Raja Gosnell
Sound Designer/Re-Recording Mixer –

Gary Rydstrom

Assistant Sound Designer – Lora Hirschberg

Supervising Sound Editor – Gloria S. Borders

Foley Recordist – Christopher Boyes

Foley Artists – Tom Barwick and

Dennie Thorpe

Re-Recording Mixers – Tom Johnson

and Gary Summers

Music – Howard Shore

Composer/Conductor: Cartoon Music –

Fred Steiner

Supervising Music Editor – Ellen Seagal

Awards

1994 Academy Awards
Best Makeup – Greg Cannom, Ve Neill and Yolanda Toussieng (Won)

Review

MRS. DOUBTFIRE is a funny movie that will keep audiences laughing when they see Robin Williams' nanny disguise. There are so many funny scenes, and I especially liked the one where the kids see Williams' character, Daniel Hillard, drop the face mask onto the road only to have it run over by a truck. Another hilarious scene is when Daniel has trouble cooking and suddenly finds his fake appendages on fire.

This movie is a testament to Williams' versatility as an actor and his comic timing. He nails it perfectly with a dash of sweetness and energy. Some actors did a great job, especially Sally Field, who portrays the long-suffering ex-wife Miranda. I was surprised to see Pierce Brosnan play a supporting role in this movie. Usually, he is suited to the heroic lead roles, but in MRS. DOUBTFIRE, Brosnan's character as a suitor, is the second fiddle to Robin Williams' imperfect Daniel. The makeup artists and costume designers show great creativity in transforming Robin Williams into a matronly Mrs. Doubtfire.

About this comedy, I have nothing negative to say. MRS. DOUBTFIRE has been a great joint effort between Williams and director Chris Columbus. It remains popular and proves its enduring quality as an entertaining movie that keeps audiences laughing.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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Independence Day Review

Independence Day

Release Date: 29th August 1996 – Australia

Production Companies

Centropolis Entertainment

20th Century Fox Film Corporation

Distribution
20th Century Fox Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: PG

Runtime: 145 minutes

                 154 minutes

                 (extended)

Budget: $75,000,000

Box Office Gross: $817,400,891 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary
Humanity becomes threatened when alien spaceships arrive on Earth, launching a massive attack on multiple large cities. Only a group of human survivors can unite and make one last attempt to save the human race from extinction.

Cast

Will Smith – Captain Steven Hiller

Jeff Goldblum – David Levinson

Bill Pullman – President Thomas J. Whitmore

Margaret Colin – Constance Spano

Robert Loggia – General William Grey

Randy Quaid – Russell Casse

James Duval – Miguel Casse

Judd Hirsch – Julius Levinson

Mary McDonnell – Marilyn Whitmore

Vivica A. Fox – Jasmine Dubrow

James Rebhorn – Albert Nimzicki

Harvey Fierstein – Marty Gilbert

Adam Baldwin – Major Mitchell

Brent Spiner – Dr. Brackish Okun

Harry Connick, Jr. – Captain

Jimmy Wilder

Kiersten Warren – Tiffany
John Storey – Dr. Isaacs
Frank Novak – Teddy
Devon Gummersall – Phillip

Mae Whitman – Patricia
Ross Bagley – Dylan Dubrow
Lisa Jakub – Alicia Casse
Giuseppe Andrew – Troy Casse
Bill Smitrovich – Captain Watson
Corin Nemec – Connor McGrady
Barbara Beck – Monica Soloway

Vincent Schiavelli – Dr.

Hartmund Engel (Uncredited)
Gary A. Hecker – Alien Vocal

Effects
Frank Welker – Special Vocal

Effects

Dean Devlin – Eagle 2 Pilot (Voice) (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Volker Engel – Man in Office (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew

Writer/Executive Producer/

Director – Roland Emmerich

Writer/Producer/Second Unit Director – Dean Devlin

Associate Producer – Peter Winther
Executive Producer – Ute Emmerich
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager:

New York – William Fay

Production Designer – Oliver Scholl

Production Designer/Alien Creature Effects
Designer & Supervisor – Patrick Tatopoulos
Art Director – William James Teegarden

Assistant Art Director/Set Designer –

Lauren E. Polizzi

Set Decorator – Joe Erickson

Property Master – Doug Harlocker
Costume Designer – Joseph A. Porro

Assistant Costume Designer – Sanja Milkovic Hays

Director of Photography – Karl Walter Lindenlaub

Additional Photographer – Ueli Steiger

Director of Photography: Second Unit –

Jonathan Taylor

Unit Production Manager – Kelly Van Horn

First Assistant Director – Sergio Mimica-Gezzan

Second Assistant Director – Kim H. Winther

Stunt Coordinator – Dan Bradley

Aerial Second Unit Director/Coordinator –

Kevin LaRosa

Mechanical Effects Supervisor – Clay Pinney

Miniature Pyrotechnics/Mechanical Effects

Supervisor – Joe Viskocil

First Unit Supervisor: Mechanical Effects –

Hans Metz

Second Unit Supervisor: Mechanical Effects –

Mike Edmonson

Visual Effects Supervisors – Volker Engel
and Douglas Smith

Digital Effects Supervisor/Producer –

Tricia Henry Ashford

Digital Visual Effects Supervisor: OCS –

Ray McIntyre Jr.

Digital Effects Producer: POP – Andrea D'Amico

Digital Producer: VisionArt – Joshua D. Rose

Visual Effects Project Managers –

Nikolaus Kraemer and Marc Weigert

VFX Production Supervisor: Visual Effects

Camera Unit – Bob Hurrie

VFX Directors of Photography: Visual Effects

Camera Unit – Anna Foerster and Phillipp Timme

Technical Supervisor: VisionArt – Rob Bredow

Model Shop Supervisor – Michael Joyce

Model Unit Art Director: Model Department –

Steven Legler

Motion Control Camera Operators: Visual Effects

Motion Control Unit – Harry J. Alpert

and James Balsam

Digital Effects Production Administrator:

Digital Visual Effects – Craig A. Mumma

Digital Imaging Supervisor: Digiscope – Dion Hatch

Digital Compositing Supervisor: POP – Pablo Helman

CG Supervisors: Digital Visual Effects –

Tara Hardy Turner and Joseph Francis

CG Unit Digital Animation Supervisor –

Hartmut Engel

CG Previsualization Compositing – Marc Kolbe

and Fred Fouquet

Film Editor – David Brenner

Additional Assistant Editors – Donald Likovich

and Michael McCusker

Sound Designer – John P. Fasal

Supervising Sound Editors – Sandy Gendler

and Val Kuklowsky

Sound Design/Editorial - Jonathan Miller

and Jon Johnson

Sound Mixer – Jeff Wexler

Sound Effects Recordists – Ken J. Johnson

and Eric Potter

Re-Recording Mixers – Bob Beemer,

Bill W. Benton and Chris Carpenter

Additional Sound Re-Recording Mixers –

James Bolt, Michael C. Casper,

Patrick Cyccone Jr., Daniel J. Leahy,

Christian P. Minkler, Sergio Reyes and

B. Tennyson Sebastian II

Foley Artists – Hilda Hodges and John Roesch

Music – David Arnold

Awards

1997 Academy Awards

Best Visual Effects – Volker Engel, Douglas Smith,

Joe Viskocil and Clay Pinney (Won)

---------------------

Best Sound – Chris Carpenter, Bill W. Benton,

Bob Beemer and Jeff Wexler (Nominated)

Review

INDEPENDENCE DAY is an excellent sci-fi disaster film dealing with a terrifying alien invasion of Earth that plays out like a cheesy old 1950s B-movie. The aspects of this film were the cheap laughs, stunning visual effects, terrific explosions, impressive dogfights and the acting of Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman. Opposed to the other alien antagonists who may have a single target, the ones portrayed in this film targeted several monuments, destroying them with their mothership. While aliens in movies and television can range from friendly to evil, the intriguing part of this feature is explaining why the aliens chose to attack Earth (but I won't give spoilers).

This magnificent blockbuster hit is a one-of-a-kind blast. I like to thank Roland Emmerich for making INDEPENDENCE DAY an exceptional flick. I highly recommend this alien invasion movie to anyone who wants to see it, whether it's your home or anywhere.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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Return from New Zealand message

Hi, this is Film Guru Lad here! I have just returned from my wonderful overseas holiday in New Zealand. I'm just letting you know both reviews of Independence Day and Mrs. Doubtfire will have to be posted by the end of the week. I like to see more comments from my viewers, and I'll see you soon.

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Rio Review

Rio

Release Date: 7th April 2011 - Australia

Production Companies
Blue Sky Studios
20th Century Fox Animation

Distribution
20th Century Fox Australia

Genre: Animation/Family

Rating: G

Runtime: 96 minutes


Budget: $90,000,000

Box Office Gross: $483,866,772 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary
A domesticated, flightless Macaw named Blu from a small town in Minnesota in the USA gets taken to the exotic Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. There, he meets a fellow Macaw named Jewel, who is feisty but independent, and with the help of Rio's human owner and a clumsy scientist, they try to save the species from

extinction. Unfortunately,

a band of smugglers and a

bitter cockatoo, Nigel, capture

the two as they intend to

sell the rare birds for a

profit. Can Blu overcome
his obstacles with the help
of his new friends?

Voice Cast
Jesse Eisenberg - Blu
Anne Hathaway - Jewel
George Lopez - Rafael
Jemaine Clement - Nigel
Jake T. Austin - Fernando
Leslie Mann - Linda
Tracy Morgan - Luiz
Will.i.am - Pedro
Jamie Foxx - Nico
Rodrigo Santoro - Tulio
Carlos Ponce - Marcel
Jeffrey Garcia - Tipa
Davi Vieira - Armando
Brian Baumgartner - King
Mauro
Bebel Gilberto - Eva

Sergio Mendes - Samba School Director

Crew
Story/Director - Carlos Saldanha
Story - Earl Richey and Todd R. Jones

Screenplay - Don Rhymer,
Joshua Stermin, J.R. Ventimilia and Sam Harper
Executive Producer - Chris Wedge
Producers - Bruce Anderson
and John C. Donkin
Art Director - Thomas Cardone

Lead Set Designer - Arden Chan
Character Designers - Jason Sadler,
Sang Jun Lee and Sergio Pablos

Sculpting Supervisor - Mike Defeo

Head of Story - Karen Disher

Story Consultants - Alec Holland

and Mike Reiss

Production Manager - David Esnault

Supervising Animator - Galen T. Chu

Animation Leads - Jackie Fortin, Jeff Gabor,

Amila & Patrick Puhala, Derek Rozmes,

David R. Sloss and Melvin Tan

Senior Animators - James Bresnahan,

Nick Bruno, Pete Paquette and Mika Ripatti

Animation Technical Lead - Matthew D. Simmons

CG Supervisor - Robert V. Cavaleri

Fur and Feathers Supervisor - Eric Maurer

Cinematographer - Renato Falcao

Head of Camera and Staging - Robert Cardone

Camera Concept Sketch Artist - William H. Frake III

Head of Lightning - Andrew Beddini

Lightning Supervisor - James Gettinger

Lyrics/Performer: Songs - Sergio Mendes

Editor - Harry Hitner

Co-Editor - Randy Trager

Associate Editor - Christopher Campbell

Additional Editor - Tim Nordquist
Supervising Sound Designer/Editor

(Uncredited)/Re-Recording Mixer -

Randy Thom

Supervising Sound Editor - Gwendolyn Yates Whittle

Sound Effects Editors - Josh Gold,

Pete Horner, Teresa Eckton and

Malcolm Fife

Dialogue Editor - Cheryl Nardi

Re-Recording Mixers - Lora Hirschberg

and Gary A. Rizzo

Additional Re-Recording Mixers -

Gary Summers and Juan Peralta

Foley Artists - Jana Vance

and Dennie Thorpe

Foley Mixer - Frank Rinella

Executive Music Producer - Chris Mendes

Music - John Powell

Additional Arranging, MIDI Orchestration

and Programming - Paul Mounsey,

Michael Mollo, Beth Caucci, Victor Chaga

and Dominic Lewis

Recordist and Mixer - Shawn Murphy

Review
A remarkable but amusing and colourful movie set in Rio de Janeiro released in 2D and 3D, RIO is an animated musical with an exotic flavour created by Blue Sky (not Disney, as you would expect). The film is much better than any Ice Age movie and has a better-executed premise. Despite its fantastic comical and visual elements, the story may be predictable. Notes of praise include the terrific aerial views, splendid characterization and the voice acting by Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, George Lopez and Jemaine Clement.

RIO is a great family picture with an incredible rhythmic undertone, and I recommend this film to anyone of all ages.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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Going Away Message

Hi, this is Film Guru Lad here! Just letting you know that I am taking an overseas trip to New Zealand on Saturday, the 9th, and I will not be posting on my blog for a couple of weeks. But I will check to see if there are any comments on my blog site. I won't be back here to do film reviews until not this Saturday but the week after, which will be on April 23rd.

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Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls Review

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls

Release Date: 30th November 1995 - Australia

Production Companies
Morgan Creek Productions

Distribution

Roadshow Films

Genre: Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 90 minutes


Budget: $30,000,000

Box Office Gross: $212,385,533

(Worldwide)

Plot Summary
After exiling himself to a
Himalayan temple, Ace
Ventura must accompany
an explorer named Fulton
Greenwall and travel to
Africa to find a sacred bat,
which is the key to
preventing a war between
the two tribes, Watchootoo

and Wachati.

Cast
Jim Carrey - Ace Ventura
Ian McNeice - Fulton Greenwall
Simon Callow - Vincent Cadby
Maynard Eziazhi - Ouda
Bob Gunton - Burton Quinn
Damon Standifer - The Wachati Chief
Sophie Okonedo - The Wachati Princess
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje - Hitu
Tommy Davison - The Tiny Warrior
Danny Daniels - Watchootoo Witch Doctor
Sam Phillips - Watchootoo Chief
Andrew Steel - Mick Katie
Bruce Spence - Gahjii
Tom Grunke - Derrick McCane
Kristin Norton - Pompous Woman
Michael Reid McKay - Skinny Husband
Arsenio 'Sonny' Trinidad - Ashram Monk

Crew
Writer/Director - Steve Oedekerk
Characters - Jack Bernstein
Associate Producer - Bob Israel
Executive Producer - Gary Barber
Producer - James G. Robinson
Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager -
Andrew G. La Marca

Head Animal Trainers - David Sousa

and April Macki

Production Consultants - David J. Negron Sr.,

Daren Dochterman and Jack Johnson

Production Designer - Stephen J. Lineweaver

Art Director - Christopher Nowak
Set Decorator - Derek R. Hill
Costume Designer - Elsa Zamparelli
Director of Photography - Donald E. Thorin

Director of Photography: Second Unit,

South Carolina and Texas - Michael Bonvillain

First Assistant Directors - William M. Elvin

and Barry K. Thomas

Additional Second Assistant Director -

Robert Huberman

Second Unit Directors/Directors of Photography:

Second Unit, South Carolina & Texas -

Peter Montgomery, Phillip C. Pfeiffer and

John E. Sullivan
Stunt Coordinator - Rick Barker
Special Effects Coordinator - Mike Vezina
Animatronic Gorilla Supervisor: Alterian Studios -

Tony Gardner
Visual Effects Supervisor: Boss Film Studios -

Michele Moen
Digital Effects Supervisor: Buena Vista Visual

Effects - Wally Schaab

Visual Effects Production Supervisor: Buena

Vista Visual Effects - Lydia Bottegoni

Animation Designer & Supervisor: Available
Light Limited - John T. Van Vilet

Editor - Malcolm Campbell

Additional Editor - Paul Cichocki

Supervising Sound/ADR Editor - Michael Hilkene

Co-Supervising Sound/ADR Editor -

Christopher T. Welch

Sound Effects Designer - Ken J. Johnson

Sound Mixer: Canada - David Husby

Re-Recording Mixers - Steve Maslow

and Gregg Landaker

ADR Mixers - Charleen Richards

and Greg Steele

Foley Artists - James Moriana

and Jeffrey Wilhoit
Music - Robert Folk

Review
While returning to play the familiar character he established in the first Ace Ventura movie, Jim Carrey makes us laugh again in WHEN NATURE CALLS. Unlike the first instalment, the second movie has less lowbrow humour and an intelligent plot. Despite this, it manages to be even funnier and wilder in what can be a lighthearted, energetic sequel. I was entertained by two of its scenes, including the Slinky scene and the moment when Ace gets trapped in the fake rhino and gets out of it, making people think that the rhino is giving birth to a baby. I'll never look at rhinoceroses and Jim Carrey in the same way.

Carrey has stated that he dislikes doing follow-ups because of this film. I disagreed with Carrey's view because WHEN NATURE CALLS is a terrific comical sequel and much better than the original. I recommend this movie to Jim Carrey fans.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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