Kung Fu Panda 2 Review

Kung Fu Panda 2


Release Date: 23rd June 2011 - Australia


Production Companies
DreamWorks Animation

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Animation/Family/

Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 90 minutes


Budget: $150,000,000

Box Office Gross: $665,692,281 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary
When a new enemy emerges, he plans to use a new unstoppable weapon, leading

to his conquest of China

and ending kung fu.

Po and the Furious Five

must travel across China

to thwart his attempt and

have him extinguished.

But how will Po ever

prevent a weapon that

could destroy kung fu?

He must look deeper

into his past and unravel

the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will he succeed in unlocking the strength he needs to master.

Voice Cast

Jack Black - Po

Angelina Jolie - Tigress

Gary Oldman - Lord Shen

Jackie Chan - Monkey

Seth Rogen - Mantis

Lucy Liu - Viper

David Cross - Crane

Dustin Hoffman - Master Shifu

James Hong - Mr. Ping

Michelle Yeoh - Soothsayer

Danny McBride - Wolf Boss

Dennis Haysbert - Master Storming Ox

Jean-Claude Van Damme -

Master Croc

Victor Garber - Master Thundering Rhino

Crew

Director - Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Based on Characters - Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris (Uncredited)

Writers/Co-Producers - Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger
Associate Producer - Chris Sanders

Executive Producer/

Creative Consultant - Guillermo del Toro

Producer - Melissa Cobb
Co-Producer - Suzanne Buirgy

Production Designer - Raymond Zibach

Art Director - Tang Kheng Heng

Character Designer - Nicolas Marlet

Head of Story - Philip Craven

Story Artist/Animation Supervisor/Animator:
2D Sequence Production/Choreographer:

Kung Fu - Rodolphe Guenoden

Head of Layout - Damon O'Beirne

Production Manager - Jeff Hermann

Head of Character Animation - Dan Wagner

Animation Supervisors - Marek Kochout,
David Pate and William Salazar
Animation Supervisor/Animator: 2D Sequence

Production - Philippe Brun

Effects Supervisor - Li-Ming 'Lawrence' Lee
Visual Effects Supervisor - Alex Parkinson

Global Leads - Jonathan Gibbs,

Jin Liou, Phil 'Captain 3D' McNally and

Jason Reisig

Head of Lighting - Dave Walvoord

Lighting Supervisors - Igor Lodeiro,

Aaron Smith, M. Scott McKee, Pablo Valle,

Michael Necci, Liang-Yuan Wang and

Marc Jason Scott

Supervising Character Technical Directors -

Martin Costello and Kevin Oochs

Technical Director - Serge Sretschinsky

Final Layout Supervisor - Richard Shiba
Surfacing Supervisor - Wes Burian

Stereo Consultant - Willem Drees

Editors - Maryann Brandon and

Clare De Chenu

Associate Editors - Mark Hester and

Anna Solorio-Catalano

Supervising Sound Editors - Ethan Van der Ryn

and Erik Aadahl

Sound Effects Field Recordist - John P. Fasal

Re-Recording Mixers - Andy Nelson

and James Bolt

Music - Hans Zimmer and John Powell
Composers: Additional Music - Lorne Balfe,
Dominic Lewis and Paul Mounsey

Scoring Mixer - Alan Meyerson

Review
Not only was KUNG FU PANDA 2 more awesome and funnier than the first movie (click here), but it also has a darker tone and a plot much deeper than the original. This continuation boasts excellent characterisation with other aspects that proved to be positive, including better animation and more well-choreographed action sequences. Alongside Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Seth Rogen, and others are the new additions to the voice cast, such as Gary Oldman, who did a fantastic job of voicing Lord Shen. However, his character is compared to Ian McShane's Tai Lung in the predecessor and is more intimidating than the former. I can't believe I knew all this time that the goose, Mr. Ping, is not Po's dad. I laughed at the scene when Po says, "My fist hungers for justice!" and then his stomach growls, "That was my... fist."

KUNG FU PANDA 2 proves to be exciting in 3D when it delivers an immersive experience for fans. It was an entertaining, if not a more action-oriented animated sequel.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Review

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade


Release Date: 8th June 1989 - Australia


Production Companies
Paramount Pictures (presents)
Lucasfilm Ltd.

Distribution

Paramount Pictures Australia


Genre: Action/Adventure

Rating: PG

Runtime: 127 minutes


Budget: $48,000,000

Box Office Gross: $474,171,806 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
In 1938, Indiana Jones successfully retrieved the Cross of Coronado, thwarted by robbers in his youth, which he attempted to recover 26 years ago. Indy gets approached by a wealthy businessman, Walter Donovan, who informs him of his father's disappearance. He also offers to find the Holy Grail and his father, who has searched for it throughout his life.

Unfortunately for Indy, rescuing his dad ends with discovering the Nazis
want to find the missing
Grail in their quest for world
domination. Can Jones and
his father stop the Nazis
and retrieve the artefact
before they are willing to

get their hands on it?


Cast
Harrison Ford - Dr. Indiana
Jones
Sean Connery - Professor
Henry Jones
Denholm Elliott - Dr. Marcus
Brody
Alison Doody - Dr. Elsa
Schneider
John Rhys-Davies - Sallah
Julian Glover - Walter Donovan
River Phoenix - Indiana Jones

(aged 13)
Michael Byrne - Colonel Ernst

Vogel

Kevork Malikyan - Kazim
Robert Eddison - The Grail
Knight
Alex Hyde-White - Young Henry Jones

Paul Maxwell - Panama Hat
Richard Young - Fedora
Alexei Sayle - Sultan
Isla Blair - Mrs. Donovan (Cameo)
Vernon Dobtcheff - Butler
J.J. Hardy - Herman
Bradley Gregg - Roscoe
Jeff O'Haco - Half Breed
Vince Deadrick Sr. - Rough Rider
Marc Miles - Sheriff
Ted Grossman - Deputy Sheriff
Tim Hiser - Young Panama Hat
Larry Sanders - Scout Master
Pat Roach - Gestapo
Michael Sheard - Adolf Hitler (Uncredited)

Ronald Lacey - Gestapo (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew
Director - Steven Spielberg
Characters/Story/Executive Producer -

George Lucas

Characters - Philip Kaufman

Story - Menno Meyjes

Screenplay - Jeffrey Boam

Executive Producer/Second Unit Director -
Frank Marshall
Producer - Robert Watts

Production Executive: USA - Kathleen Kennedy
Casting Directors - Maggie Cartier,
Mike Fenton, Valorie Massalas and Judy Taylor

Animal Trainers: USA - Boone Narr

and Paul 'Sled' Reynolds
Production Designer - Elliott Scott

Production Illustrators - David Jones

and Ed Verreaux

Supervising Art Director - Fred Hole

Art Director - Stephen Scott

Art Director: Spain - Benjamin Fernandez
Set Decorator - Peter Howitt

Property Master - Barry Wilkinson

Armourer - Simon Artheton
Costume Designers - Joanna Johnston
and Anthony Powell
Makeup Supervisor - Peter Robb-King

Makeup Effects Supervisor: ILM - Stephan Dupuis

Chef Makeup Artist: Prosthetics - Nick Dudman

Chief Hairdresser - Colin Jamison
Director of Photography - Douglas Slocombe

Director of Photography: Second Unit, USA -

Rexford L. Metz

Additional Photography - Paul Beeson

Additional Photography: USA - Robert M. Stevens

Camera Operators - Mike Roberts and David Worley

Camera Operator: USA - Norman G. Langley

Camera Operators: Second Unit -

Derek V. Browne and Wally Byatt

Second Assistant Cameramen - Graham Hall and

Clive Mackey

Panaglide Operator: USA - Raymond Stella

Panaglide Assistant: USA - Clyde E. Bryan

Production Supervisor: UK - Patricia Carr

Production Manager: UK - Roy Button

Production Managers: USA - Joan Bradshaw

and Ian Bryce

Production Coordinator: USA - Lata Ryan

First Assistant Director: UK - David Tomblin

Second Assistant Directors: UK - Lee Clearly

and Patrick Kinney
Second Unit Director - Michael D. Moore
Stunt Coordinator - Vic Armstrong

Helicopter Pilot - Marc Wolff
Special Effects Supervisor: USA - Michael Lantieri
Mechanical Effects Supervisor - George Gibbs
Visual Effects Supervisor - Michael J. McAlister

Visual Effects Art Director: ILM - Steve Beck

Camera Operators: ILM - Peter Daulton,

Kim Marks, Pat Sweeney and Pat Turner

Animation Supervisor: ILM - Wes Takahashi
Editor - Michael Kahn

Associate Editor - Colin Wilson

Assistant Editors - Patrick Crane,

Andrew MacRitchie, Nick Moore,

Carin-Anne Strohmaier and Robert Frazen

(Uncredited)

Sound Design/Re-Recording Mixer - Ben Burtt

Supervising Sound Editor - Richard Hymns

Dialogue Editors - Karen Spangenberg,

Michael Silvers and Gloria D'Alessandro

Sound Effects Editors - Sandina Balio-Lape,

Teresa Eckton, Ken Fischer and David E. Stone

Assistant Sound Editors - Ewa Sztompke,

Bob Marty, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle,

E. Larry Oatfield, E. Jeane Putnam and

Kris Handwerk Wiskes

Sound Mixer: USA - Willie D. Burton

Re-Recording Mixers - Shawn Murphy

and Gary Summers

Foley Artists - Marnie Moore and

Dennie Thorpe

Music - John Williams

Music Editor - Kenneth Wannberg

Awards

1990 Academy Awards

Best Sound Editing - Ben Burtt and Richard Hymns (Won)

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

Best Sound - Ben Burtt, Gary Summers,

Shawn Murphy and Tony Dawe (Nominated)

Best Original Score - John Williams (Nominated)


Review
INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE had a great story and is considered the second-best movie in the series. The father-son relationship between the Joneses, Indiana and Henry, is heartwarming, and the Holy Grail is similar to the Monty Python movie. Coincidentally, this is the first movie that introduced me to Indiana Jones. I enjoyed the action and the humour with the performances of (James Bond actor) Sean Connery as Indiana's estranged father and River Phoenix as young Indiana. Two notable scenes include young Indy jumping on the rooftops of train cabins and falling into one, and to his shock, he finds a collection of vicious snakes. And the motorcycle chase scene is when Indy and his father, Henry, escape from the Nazis.

It was the last Indiana Jones movie until 2008's Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Overall, this is a must-see film. There have been talks of a fifth instalment of Indiana Jones.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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Kung Fu Panda Review

Kung Fu Panda

Release Date: 26th June 2008 – Australia

Production Companies

DreamWorks Animation

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Animation/Family/

Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 92 minutes

Budget: $130,000,000

Box Office Gross: $632,083,197 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary
Po, a lazy rotund panda, is a huge fan of Kung Fu and works daily in his father's noodle shop when he accidentally gets chosen as the Dragon Warrior. Po becomes a Kung Fu novice and has trouble fitting in the Jade Palace, especially with his idolised heroes, The Furious Five and their

master, Shifu. He must

embrace his destiny

and learn the skills to

safeguard China from the

dreaded snow leopard Tai

Lung, who will stop at

nothing to exact his

vengeance. Will Po find

the confidence to defeat

Tai Lung and become the

greatest Kung Fu master

he was supposed to be?


Cast

Jack Black – Po

Dustin Hoffman – Master Shifu
Angelina Jolie – Tigress
Ian McShane – Tai Lung
Seth Rogen – Mantis
Lucy Liu – Viper
David Cross – Crane
Randall Duk Kim – Master Oogway
James Hong – Mr. Ping
Dan Fogler – Zeng
Michael Clarke Duncan – Commander Vachir
Jackie Chan – Monkey

Wayne Knight – Gang Boss

Kyle Gass – KG Shaw

JR Reed – JR Shaw

Laura Kightlinger – Awed Ninja

Tanya Haden – Smitten Bunny

Stephen Kearin – Gong Pig/Grateful Bunny

Mark Osborne – Pig Patron (Cameo)

John Stevenson – Rhino Guard (Cameo)

Melissa Cobb – Bunny Mom (Cameo)

Emily Burns – Bunny Fan 1

Stephanie Harvey – Bunny Fan 2

Riley Osborne – Baby Tai Lung

Crew

Directors – John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
Story – Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris
Screenplay/Co-Producers –

Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger

Associate Producer – Kristina Reed
Executive Producer – Bill Damaschke
Producers – Melissa Cobb and
Lorne Orleans (IMAX Version)

Production Designer – Raymond Zibach
Art Director – Tang Kheng Heng
Character Designer – Nicholas Marlet

Additional Character Designers – Buck Lewis,

Carlos Grangel, Olivier Malric and Tony Siruno

Additional Character Designer/

Story Artist – Devin Crane

Head of Story/Director: Dream Sequence/

Supervisor: Action Sequences – Jennifer Yuh Nelson

Creative Consultant: Story – Mike Mitchell

Story Artist/Supervisor: Action Sequences –
Simon Wells

Production Supervisor – Rene Harnois Jr.,

Production Supervisor: Animation/Story –

Daniela Mazzucato

Production Supervisor: Lightning –

Maude Lewis

Production Supervisor: Paint Fix – Robyn Mesher

Senior Production Manager – Susan Slagle Rogers

Production Managers – Mary Bills and

Jeff Hermann

Head of Character Animation – Dan Wagner

Animation Supervisors – Philippe Le Brun,

Jason Reisig and William Salazar
Animation Supervisor/Story Artist/

Choreographer: Kung Fu – Rodolphe Guenoden
Animation Supervisor/Story Artist –

Alessandro Carloni

Animation Director: Dream Sequence –

James Baxter

Surviving Character Technical Director –

Nathan Loofbourrow

Lighting Supervisors – Dave Walvoord,

Mark Fattibene, Betsy Nofsinger,

Aaron Smith and Pablo Valle

Surfacing Supervisor – Wes Burian
Head of Layout – Yong Duk Jhun

Character Effects/Crowds/Effects Supervisor –

Alex Parkinson

Visual Effects Supervisor – Markus Manninen
Stereoscopic Production – Phil 'Captain 3D'

McNally
Editor – Clare De Chenu

Additional Editors – Mary Blee

and John K. Carr

Associate Editors – C.K. Horness and

William J. Caparella

Sound Designers/Supervising Sound Editors –
Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn

Sound Mixers – Andy Nelson and Anna Behlmer

Music – John Powell and Hans Zimmer
Composers: Additional Music – Henry Jackman
and James McKee Smith

Score Mixer – Alan Meyerson

Additional Recordists – Shawn Murphy,

Jeff Biggers and Slamm Andrews

Awards

2009 Academy Awards

Best Animated Feature – John Stevenson and Mark Osborne (Nominated)

Review
KUNG FU PANDA is an action-filled and hilarious CGI animated movie that was completely awesome. It has everything, including its faithfulness to the Chinese culture, humour, visual style and the all-star voice cast of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Ian McShane, Angelina Jolie and others. The most important aspects of this movie are the kung fu action and the life lessons.

The other animation studios, such as Pixar and Blue Sky Studios, do not have the secret mix that makes DreamWorks an ultimate competitor in computer animation. This animated film is my second favourite from DreamWorks, with How to Train Your Dragon at number #1. If you saw the first film, you should check out the sequel Kung Fu Panda 2.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Review

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Release Date: 24th June 2009 - Australia


Production Companies
Dreamworks SKG (presents)
Paramount Pictures (presents)
Hasbro (in association with)
Di Bonaventura Pictures
Amblin Entertainment (Uncredited)
Platinum Dunes (Uncredited)

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi/Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 150 minutes

Budget: $210,000,000

Box Office Gross: $836,303,693 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
While in his first year of college, Sam Witwicky discovers the truth about the ancient origins of the Transformers. He must accept his destiny and aid Optimus Prime and Bumblebee in their fight against the Decepticons as they become more powerful than ever with a plan to destroy our world.


Cast

Humans
Shia LaBeouf - Sam
Witwicky
Megan Fox - Mikaela Banes
John Turturro - Seymour
Simmons
Ramon Rodriguez - Leo Spitz
Josh Duhamel - U.S. Army
Major William Lennox
Tyrese Gibson - USAF Master Sergeant Robert Epps
Kevin Dunn - Ron Witwicky
Julie White - Judy Witwicky
John Benjamin Hickey -
Theodore Galloway

Matthew Marsden - Special Air Service Forces

Andrew Howard - Special Air Service Forces

Michael Papajohn - Cal 
Glenn Morshower - General Morshower

Isabel Lucas - Alice
Deep Roy - Egyptian Guard

Rainn Wilson - Professor
Colan (Cameo)

Autobots
Peter Cullen - Optimus Prime (Voice)
Mark Ryan - Jetfire (Voice)
Tom Kenny - Skids (Voice)

Reno Wilson - Mudflap (Voice)
Jess Harnell - Ironhide (Voice)
Robert Foxworth - Ratchet (Voice)
Grey DeLisle - Arcee/
Chromia/Elita One (Voices)
Andre Sogliuzzo - Sideswipe (Voice)

Michael York - Prime #1 (Voice)

Kevin Michael Richardson -
Prime #2 (Voice)

Robin Atkin Downes - Prime #3 (Voice)

Decepticons
Tony Todd - The Fallen (Voice)
Hugo Weaving - Megatron (Voice)
Charles Adler - Starscream (Voice)
Frank Welker - Soundwave/
Reedman/Devastator (Voices)
Tom Kenny - Wheelie (Voice)

John Di Crosta - Doctor (Voice)

Calvin Wimmer - Wheelbot (Voice)

Kevin Michael Richardson - Skipjack (Voice)

Crew
Executive Producer/Director - Michael Bay

Writers - Ehren Kruger,
Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman

Associate Producers - Matthew Cohan

and Michelle McGonagle

Associate Producer/First Assistant Director -

K.C. Hodenfield
Executive Producers - Steven Spielberg,
Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian
Producers - Ian Bryce, Tom DeSanto,
Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Don Murphy
Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager - Allegra Clegg
Co-Producer/Second Unit Director (Uncredited)/

Stunt Coordinator - Kenny Bates
Casting Director - Denise Chaiman

Military Advisor - Harry Humphries
Production Designer - Nigel Phelps
Illustrators - Ryan Church, Steve Jung,

Ryan Meinerding, Josh Nizzi and Paul Ozzimo

Supervising Art Director - John Billington
Art Directors - Julian Ashby, Sean Haworth,
Naaman Marshall and Ben Procter

Art Director: East Coast/Desert Southwest

Units - Lauren E. Polizzi

Assistant Art Directors - Page Buckner,

Martha Johnston and Robert W. Joseph

Assistant Art Directors: East Coast/

Desert Southwest Units - Iain McFayden

and A. Todd Holland
Set Decorator - Jennifer Williams

Property Master - Andrew Petrotta
Costume Designer - Deborah Lynn Scott

Costume Supervisor - Lisa Lovaas

Department Head Makeup Artist - Edouard F. Henriques
Director of Photography - Ben Seresin

"A" Camera/Steadicam Operator - Jacques Joffret

"B" Camera Operator - Philippe Carr-Forester

Pursuit Camera Operator - Brooks P. Guyer

Aerial Director of Photography - David B. Nowell

Production Supervisor - Daren Hicks

Key Location Manager - Ilt Jones

Location Manager - Jonathan Hook

First Assistant Director - Bruce Moriarty

Second Assistant Directors - Chris Castaldi

and Hope Garrison

Second Assistant Directors: East Coast/

Desert Southwest Units - Steve Battaglia

and Jeff Okabayashi

Second Second Assistant Director - Marvin Williams
Second Unit Director (Uncredited)/Visual Effects
Supervisor - Scott Farrar

Aerial Coordinator/Pilot - Alan D. Purwin

Aerial Coordinator/Pilot: Egypt/Jordan/

Paris Units - Frédéric North

Transportation Coordinator - Randy Peters
Additional Stunt Coordinator - Bob Brown
Co-Stunt Coordinator - Troy Robinson
Special Effects Supervisor - John Frazier

Special Effects Coordinator - Jim Schwalm
Special Effects Coordinator: East Coast/

Desert Southwest Units - Bruno Van Zeebroeck

Animatronics Supervisors: KNB EFX Group -

Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger

Mechanical Supervisor: KNB EFX Group -

Wayne Toth
Visual Effects Supervisor: Asylum -
Nathan McGuiness
Additional Visual Effects Supervisor -

Richard Kidd (Uncredited)
Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain -
Matthew E. Butler

Associate Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Jeff White

Visual Effects Producer: ILM - Wayne Billheimer

Visual Effects Producer: Asylum - Elizabeth Hitt

Visual Effects Producer: Digital Domain -

Julian Levi

Visual Effects Art Directors: ILM - Alex Jaeger

and Yanick Dusseault

Digital Production Supervisor: ILM - Jason Smith

Animation Supervisor: ILM - Scott Benza

Animation Supervisor: Digital Domain - Dan Taylor

Associate Animation Supervisor: ILM - Rick O'Connor

Lead Animators: ILM - Stephen Aplin,

Jean-Denis Haas, Greg Towner,

C. Michael Easton and Shawn Kelly

Character Animation Lead: Digital Domain -

Erik Gamache

Computer Graphics Supervisor: Digital Domain -

Paul George Palop

Pre-Visualization Supervisor - Steve Yamamoto

TD Supervisors: ILM - Gerald Gutschmidt,

David Hisanaga and Doug Sutton

Digital Artist Supervisors: ILM - Richard Bluff,

Dave Fogler, Steve Sauers, Timothy Brakensiek,

Ben O'Brien, Amy Shepard and Terry Chostner

Lead Digital Artists: ILM - Steve Braggs,

Neil Herzinger, Kaori Ogino, Thomas Fejes,

Robert Hoffmeister, Anthony Rispoli,

Rene Garcia, Polly Ing, Nigel Sumner,

Willi Geiger, François Lambert,

Meghan Thornton, Bryant Griffin, David Marsh,

Jeff Wozniak, John Hansen, Tory Mercer and

Scott Younkin

Digital Compositing Supervisor: ILM - Nelson Sepulveda

Compositing Supervisor: Digital Domain -

Lou Pecora

Plate Match Mover: ILM - Duncan Blackman

Visual Effects Plate Supervisor: Digital

Domain - Kelly Port

Editors - Roger Barton, Tom Muldoon,
Joel Negron and Paul Rubell

Additional Editor - Glen Scantlebury

Associate Editor - Calvin Wimmer

Supervising Sound Editors - Erik Aadahl

and Ethan Van der Ryan

Supervising Dialogue/ADR Editor -

Mike Hopkins

Sound Effects Editors - Greg Ten Bosch,

John Marquis, Warren Hendriks and

P.K. Hooker

Sound Effects Recordist - John P. Fasal

Dialogue Editors - Ulrika Akander

and Wayne Lemmer

Re-Recording Mixers - Greg P. Russell

and Gary Summers

Additional Recording Mixer - Greg Orloff

Foley Artists - John Roesch and

Alyson Dee Moore

Music - Steve Jablonsky
Composer: Additional Music - Lorne Balfe

Additional Music Arrangements -

Matthew Margeson, John Sponsler and

Tom Gire

Ambient Music Design - Clay Duncan,

Howard Scarr and Andrew Kawczynski

Music Programmers - Ryeland Alison
and Jay Flood
Writer/Performer: "New Divide" - Linkin Park
Music Consultant - Bob Badami

Music Recordist & Mixer - Alan Meyerson


Awards

2010 Academy Awards
Best Sound Mixing - Greg P. Russell,

Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson (Nominated)


Review
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN has terrific action and CGI effects from Industrial Light & Magic and has more good Transformers. The plot and characterisation lacked energy, weakening the entire movie to the point where it's gotten cheesy. It's because of the writers' strike, which led to the crew trying to complete the sequel as best they could. This instalment received heavy backlash from critics who weren't fond of how loud, illogical and childish it was.

The five things that were not quite right in this film include too much adult comedy, the other Transformers, such as the Arcee triplets, which were undeveloped, and the Fallen being an uninteresting and unnecessary replacement for our favourite Decepticon leader, Megatron, Devastator's two wrecking balls that looked like a private body part, and last but not least, the Autobot twins, Skids and Mudflap. I found the latter to be annoyingly racist stereotypes as they both sound and act like two rapping African-American teenagers.

I'm glad the original G1 actor Frank Welker has returned to voice the Decepticon, Soundwave and Hugo Weaving is still voicing the Decepticon leader, Megatron.

To me and the other fans of the Transformers franchise, REVENGE OF THE FALLEN is not as enjoyable as the first movie (click here), but it would have been better if it had less crude humour. And the twins weren't there in the first place.

Star rating: (3/5) Average

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Men in Black Review

Men in Black

Release Date: 11th September 1997 - Australia


Production Companies

Amblin Entertainment

Columbia Pictures

MacDonald/Parkes Productions

Distribution

Sony Pictures Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi/Comedy

Rating: M

Runtime: 98 minutes

Budget: $90,000,000

Box Office Gross: $589,390,539 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

James Edwards, a brash NYPD detective, gets recruited by a federal agent named K to join a top-secret agency called the Men in Black that controls and observes any alien activity on Earth and serves as his new partner, Agent J. The two agents must stop an intergalactic terrorist from hatching his twisted scheme before Earth gets destroyed.

Cast

Tommy Lee Jones - Kevin

Brown/Agent K

Will Smith - James Darrell

Edwards III/Agent J

Vincent D'Onofrio - Edgar

the Bug

Linda Fiorentino - Dr. Laurel

Weaver/Agent L

Rip Torn - Chief Zed

Tony Shalhoub - Jack Jeebs
Siobhan Fallon Hogan - Beatrice
Mike Nussbam - Gentle
Rosenberg the Arquillian
Jeweler
Carel Struycken - Arquillian
Sergio Calderon - Jose
Fredric Lehne - INS Agent Janus
Richard Hamilton - Dee

Tim Blaney - Frank the Pug
(Voice)

David Cross - Newton the
Morgue Attendant
Keith Campbell - Perp
John Alexander - Mikey

Norma Jean Groh - Mrs. Edelson

Ken Thorley - Zap-Em Man

Patrick Breen - Mr. Redgick

Becky Ann Baker - Mrs. Redgick

Sean Whalen - Passport Officer

Harsh Nayyar - News Vendor

Michael Willis - Cop in Morgue

Willie C. Carpenter - Police Inspector

Michael Goldfinger - NYPD Sergeant

Brad Abrell - Worm Guy (Voice)

Thom Fountain - Worm Guy (Voice)

Carl J. Johnson - Worm Guy (Voice)

Drew Massey - Worm Guy (Voice)

Sylvester Stallone - Alien on TV

Monitor (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Danny DeVito - Alien on TV Monitor

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

George Lucas - Alien on TV Monitor

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Dionne Warwick - Alien on TV Monitor

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Anthony Robbins - Alien on TV Monitor

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Al Roker - Alien on TV Monitor (Cameo)

(Uncredited)

Isaac Mizrahi - Alien on TV Monitor

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Barry Sonnenfeld - Alien on TV Monitor

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Chloe Sonnenfeld - Alien on TV Monitor

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Steven Spielberg - Alien on TV Monitor

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew

Director - Barry Sonnenfeld

Based on the Malibu Comic - Lowell Cunningham

Screen Story/Screenplay - Ed Solomon

Executive Producer - Steven Spielberg

Producers - Laurie MacDonald
and Walter F. Parkes
Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Graham Place

Casting Directors - David Rubin

and Debra Zane

Production Designer - Bo Welch

Illustrators - James Carson,

Matt Codd, Ricardo F. Delgado,

Tim Flattery and Jacques Rey
Art Director - Tom Duffield

Art Director: New York - Chris Shriver

Set Decorator - Cheryl Carasik

Property Master - Doug Harlocker
Costume Designer - Mary E. Vogt

Alien Makeup Effects/Special Makeup

Effects Artist - Rick Baker

Special Makeup Effects - David LeRoy Anderson

Director of Photography - Donald Peterman

Director of Photography: Main Title (Uncredited)/

Second Unit - Keith Peterman

Director of Photography: Second Unit,

New York - David M. Dunlap

Camera Operator - Stephen St. John

Camera Operators: New York - Florian Ballhaus

and Michael Caracciolo

First Assistant Director - John Cameron

First Assistant Directors: Second Unit -

Cara Giallanza and Chris Soldo

Second Unit Director/Visual Effects Supervisor -
Eric Brevig

Stunt Coordinator - Brian Smrz

Stunt Coordinator: Second Unit - Gregg Smrz

Special Effects Coordinator - Peter M. Chesney
Special Effects Supervisor - Kyle Ross Collinsworth

Animatronic Performance Supervisor -

Tony Urbano

Practical Effects/Pyro Supervisor: Saucer Crash

Miniature and Blue Screen Unit - Geoff Heron
Visual Effects Supervisor: End Sequence -

Scott Farrar

Visual Effects Producer: End Sequence -

Denise Ream

Visual Effects Art Director: ILM -

David Nakabayashi

Digital Effects Supervisors: ILM -

John Andrew Berton Jr., Carl N. Frederick

and Robert Marinic

Digital Effects Supervisors: End Sequence -

Patrick T. Myers and Ellen Poon

Digital Effects Sequence Supervisor: ILM -

Gerald Gutschmidt
Animation Supervisor - Rob Coleman

Computer Graphics Producer: VisionArt -

Joshua D. Rose

Digital Modeller Supervisor: ILM - Geoff Campbell

Creature Designers: ILM - Benton Jew

and Derek Thompson

Conceptual and Animatic Artists: ILM -

Jonathan Harb, Louis Katz and Jules Mann

Supervising Model Maker: Saucer Crash
Miniature and Blue Screen Unit - Steve Gawley
Chief Model Makers: Saucer Crash

Miniature and Blue Screen Unit - Rodney Morgan,

Lorne Peterson and Christopher Reed

Stage Manager: Saucer Crash Minature and Blue

Screen Unit - Edward Hirsh

Motion Control Director of Photography:

Miniature Tunnel Unit - Martin Rosenberg

Director of Photography: Miniature Tunnel Unit -

Pat Sweeney

Additional Visual Effects: VCE - Peter Kuran

Film Editor - Jim Miller

Sound Effects Designer - Eugene Gearty

Sound Designers/Mixers: Alien Languages -

Van Ling and Chuck Michael

Re-Recording Mixer/Supervising Sound Editor -

Skip Lievsay

Re-Recording Mixers - Lee Dichter

and Michael Barry

Foley Artist - Marko A. Contanzo

Music - Danny Elfman

Writer/Performer/Co-Producer (Song:

"Men in Black") - Will Smith

Music Recordist and Mixer - Shawn Murphy


Awards

1998 Academy Awards
Best Makeup - Rick Baker and

David LeRoy Anderson (Won)

----------------------
Best Art Direction - Bo Welch and Cheryl Carasik

(Nominated)

Best Original Score - Danny Elfman (Nominated)


Review
Unlike many other science fiction movies, MEN IN BLACK is intelligent in its story and hilarious. The film is full of wit and is similar to Ghostbusters. Barry Sonnefeld has directed a comic book adaptation that no other filmmaker has ever done. MEN IN BLACK has all the aspects, including the terrific action scenes, Rick Baker's alien makeup designs and splendid visuals. I liked the acting pair of Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith. Their performances solidify the movie with perfect chemistry. The music score by Danny Elfman is fascinating and fits the tone of the feature. The funny scenes include when Agent K delivers a squid baby from the wife of a taxi driver. Another amusing bit is a quote, "Oh, I'm sorry. Was that your auntie? Then that must be your uncle over there!" said K after he squished a bug that ticks off that giant cockroach.

It has been a flesh-dropping, slimy action-comedy movie made exclusively for the entire sci-fi geek community. BREAKING NEWS!! I just announced that the third Men in Black film is now in cinemas in 2D and 3D. And it features new actors like Josh Brolin and Jermaine Clement.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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