The Emperor's New Groove Review

The Emperor's New Groove


Release Date: 5th April 2001 - Australia


Production Companies
Walt Disney Pictures (presents)
Walt Disney Feature Animation

Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion
Pictures Australia


Genre: Animation/Family/

Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 78 minutes


Budget: $100,000,000

Box Office Gross: $169,701,441 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Kuzco is a young but vain, spoiled and selfish emperor. He is transformed into a llama by his treacherous advisor, Yzma, in an attempt to seize the throne. Now Kuzco has to find a way to get back into his palace, change back into his human form and reclaim the throne with the help of a llama herder named Pacha.

Voice Cast

David Spade - Emperor Kuzco

John Goodman - Pacha

Eartha Kitt - Yzma

Patrick Warburton - Kronk
Wendie Malick - Chicha
Kellyann Kelso - Chaca
Eli Russell Linnetz - Tipo
Bob Bergen - Bucky the
Squirrel/Fly Stuck in Web
Patti Deutsch - Waitress

John Fiedler - Old Man
Tom Jones - Theme Song Guy (Uncredited)

Miriam Flynn - The Piñata Lady

Jess Harrell - Guard

Steve Susskind - Irate Chef

Joe Whyte - Official

Jennifer Darling - Female Villager #1

Mickie McGowan - Woman #1

Sherry Lynn - Woman #2

Andre Stojka - Topo

Rodger Bumpass - Townspeople/Guard (Uncredited)

Robert Clotworthy - Guards

Crew

Story/Director - Mark Dindal
Story - Chris Williams
Based on an Original Story -
Roger Allers and Matthew Jacobs
Additional Story Material/
Artistic Supervisor: Story - Stephen J. Anderson
Additional Story Material -
Don Hall and John Norton

Additional Story/Lead Animator:

"Chicha" - Doug Frankel

Additional Story - Mark Kennedy and Mark Walton

Associate Producer - Patty Hicks
Executive Producer - Don Hahn
Producer - Randy Fulmer
Production Designer - Paul A. Felix

Casting Directors - Ruth Lambert

and Mary Hildago
Art Director - Colin Stimpson
Co-Art Director - Thomas Cardone
Artistic Coordinator - Dan Hansen
Character Designers - Joseph C. Moshier and
David Pruiksma (Uncredited)

Artistic Supervisor: Layout - Jean-Christophe Poulain

Additional Layout Supervisor - Rasoul Azadani

Artistic Supervisor: Background - Natalie Franscioni-Karp

Supervising Animator: "Kuzco/Kuzco

Llama" - Nik Ranieri
Supervising Animator: "Pacha" - Bruce W. Smith
Supervising Animator: "Yzma" - Dale Baer
Supervising Animator: "Kronk" - Tony Bancroft

Lead Animator: "Tipo" - James Lopez

Lead Animator: "Chaca/Bucky" - Brian Ferguson

Supervising Animator: Paris Unit, Character

Animation - Dominique Monfrey

Additional Animators - Hendel Butoy

and Mark Henn

Artistic Supervisor: Clean-Up - Vera Pacheco
Scene Planning Supervisor - Thomas Baker

Artistic Supervisor: Visual Effects - Mauro Maressa

Editor - Pam Ziegenhagen

Additional Editors - Thomas R. Bryant

and Michael E. Polakow

Associate Editor - Lisa Linder

Sound Designer - Tim Chau

Sound Editors - Nils C. Jensen,

David Kern, Albert Gasser and

Donald Sylvester

Re-Recording Mixers - Terry Porter,

Mel Metcalfe and Dean A. Zupancic

Foley Artists - John Roesch

and Allyson Dee Moore
Music and Lyrics - Sting

Music/Vocal Arrangements - David Hartley

Score - John Debney

Executive Music Producer - Chris Montan

Music Production Manager - Tom MacDougall

Score Recordist and Mixer - Shawn Murphy

Awards

2001 Academy Awards
Best Music, Original Song "My Funny Friend and

Me" - Sting and Dave Hartley (Nominated)

Review
THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE was pretty hilarious. In this movie, Disney made something more lighthearted and whimsical in the tradition of flicks such as Aladdin and, to a lesser extent, Hercules. The plot scenario is meaningful and humorous. This underrated movie had certain developmental hurdles during its production, such as removing the songs by Sting and changing the story at the last minute. The best things about the movie, which I must highlight as a starting point, are the comedy and the voice acting chemistry by David Spade and John Goodman. Their roles are total opposites, and their characters progress in learning to accept each others' differences. Furthermore, Patrick Warburton and the late Eartha Kitt perform with much energy as the two villains.

THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE is arguably the zaniest and funniest animated movie I have ever seen. It almost reached the heights of success before the arrival of Shrek, which came as a pleasant surprise to the audience. NEW GROOVE should not be mistaken for an animated musical, which it is certainly not.

Star rating: (9/10) Excellent Movie

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Home Review

Home

Release Date: 19th March 2015 - Australia

Production Companies

DreamWorks Animation

Distribution

20th Century Fox Australia

Genre: Animation/Family/

Sci-Fi/Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 94 minutes

Budget: $135,000,000

Box Office Gross: $386,041,607 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

After an invasion by a hive-minded alien race called the Boov, they relocated the planet's human population, all but one, a resourceful young girl named Tip, who managed to avoid capture. She meets a Boov outcast called Oh, who is on the run from his people and isn't like his comrades but longs for friendship and fun. As their distrust fades, the two begin their journey to find Tip's mother. Unbeknownst

to them, the Gorg, the

enemies of the Boov,

are en route to their

new occupied world.

Voice Cast

Jim Parsons - Oh

Rihanna - Gratuity "Tip" Tucci

Jennifer Lopez - Lucy

Steve Martin - Captain Smek
Matt Jones - Kyle
Brian Stepanek - Gorg
Commander/Father/Boov

Crew

Director - Tim Johnson
Based on the Book "The True

Meaning of Smekday" -

Adam Rex
Screenplay - Tom J. Astle

and Matt Ember
Producers - Suzanne Buirgy, Chris Jenkins and Mireille Soria

Production Designer - Kathy Alteri

Art Director - Emil Mitev
Character Designer - Takao Noguchi

Additional Character Designer - Devin Crane

Head of Story - Todd Wilderman

Head of Layout - Mark Mulgrew 
Creative Consultant: Layout - Gil Zimmerman

Dance Choreographer - Casper Smart

Head of Character Animation - Jason Resig
Animation Supervisors - Maren Kochout
and Carlos Fernandez Puertolas
Supervising Animators - Mark Donald
and David Pate
Additional Supervising Animator - Simon Otto

Head of Lighting - Betsy Nofsinger
Lighting Supervisors - Ken Ball,
Murali Babu Kodiparthi, Ronman Yiu Yan Ng,
Greg Liv, Rajarajan Ramakrishnan and

Aaron Smith
Visual Effects Supervisor - Mahesh Ramasubramanian

Stereoscopic Supervisor - Willem Drees

Film Editors - Jessica Ambiner-Rojas

and Alexander Berner

Supervising Sound Designer - Randy Thom
Sound Designer - Al Nelson

Supervising Sound Editors - Brian Chumney

and Tom Meyers

Re-Recording Mixers - Scott R. Lewis

and Gary A. Rizzo

Foley Artists - Ronni Brown and

Sean England

Music - Lorne Balfe

Music/Executive Music Producer - Stargate

Review

On a cold Sunday, I went to the cinema to see HOME since there were no other movies to watch. This animated film boasts some animation and laughter but did not compliment the animation company DreamWorks after a series of commercial disappointments (minus The Croods and How to Train Your Dragon 2) blew its chances to dream big to impress everyone. HOME attempts to regain the quality and hype of previous DreamWorks films, but the story proves childish and inconsistent. The Boovs are immature and self-centred beings who only care about themselves in their cowardice. The underdeveloped story couldn't explain how they got past the planet's defence forces when they invaded Earth. If the finer details and events in the story had gotten more attention, then it might have been less disorganised.

There is a reason why I wanted to see HOME, which is because I am a fan of Jim Parsons, who you might know as the actor who plays Sheldon Cooper from the TV sitcom The Big Bang Theory. He fits in perfectly as a voice actor for the protagonist, Oh, who presents as a somewhat odd being that the audience can sympathise with and laugh at his quirkiness. Aside from Parsons's acting, which I enjoyed, there are a few other notably praise-worthy voice talents of Steve Martin and Rihanna; I certainly don't have to criticise her acting versatility as I did once on Battleship. She had her first big break away from music stardom.

The film has similarities to the modern Disney classic Lilo & Stitch, especially the concept of a lonely girl bonding with a wanted alien. Still, HOME can be an entertaining feature if you're in the mood for something lighthearted. Many would agree with my critical opinion that HOME is an average film compared to other successful productions by DreamWorks.

Star rating: (5/10) Average

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Avengers: Age of Ultron Review

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Release Date: 23rd April 2015 - Australia

Production Companies

Marvel Studios

Distribution 

Walt Disney Studios Motion 

Pictures Australia

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 141 minutes

Budget: $279,900,000

Box Office Gross: $1,402,413,868 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary
After Tony Stark restarts
a dormant peacekeeping
program, things go awry,
and he, Thor, the Incredible
Hulk and the rest of the
Avengers must regroup,
putting them to the

ultimate test as the fate
of Earth is at stake. When
the villainous Ultron
appears on the scene, it
is up to the Avengers to
stop him from carrying
out his terrible plans to
wipe out the human race.
En route, they meet two
enigmatic and formidable
newcomers, Pietro and
Wanda Maximoff.

Cast

Robert Downey, Jr. - Tony
Stark/Iron Man
Chris Evans - Steve Rogers/
Captain America
Mark Ruffalo - Dr. Bruce Banner/Hulk
Lou Ferrigno - Hulk (Voice)
Chris Hemsworth - Thor
Scarlett Johansson - Natasha
Romanoff/Black Widow
Jeremy Renner - Clint Barton/Hawkeye
James Spader - Ultron
Aaron Taylor-Johnson - 

Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver
Elizabeth Olsen - Wanda
Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
Paul Bettany - JARVIS/Vision
Samuel L. Jackson - Nick Fury
Don Cheadle - James Rhodes/War Machine
Cobie Smulders - Maria Hill
Anthony Mackie - Sam Wilson/The Falcon
Hayley Atwell - Peggy Carter
Stellan Skarsgård - Erik Selvig
Linda Cardellini - Laura Barton
Claudia Kim - Dr. Helen Cho
Thomas Kretschmann - Strucker
Andy Serkis - Ulysses Klaue

Julie Delpy - Madame B
Henry Goodman - Dr. List
Idris Elba - Heimdall

Dominique Provost-Chalkiey - Zrinka

Isaac Andrews - Costel

Ben Sakamoto - Cooper Barton

Imogen & Isabella Poynton - Lila Barton

Jaiden Stafford - Nathaniel Pietro Barton

Kerry Condon - F.R.I.D.A.Y. (Voice)
Josh Brolin - Thanos (Cameo) (Uncredited)
Stan Lee - Himself (Cameo)

Crew

Writer/Director - Joss Whedon

Based on the Marvel Comics/

Executive Producer - Stan Lee
Based on the Marvel Comics/

Captain America Creator - Jack Kirby

Captain America Creator - Joe Simon

Thanos Creator - Jim Starlin

Associate Producer - Daniel S. Kaminsky

Associate Producer/Editor - Jeffrey Ford

Associate Producer/First 

Assistant Director - Jamie Christopher
Executive Producers - Victoria Alonso,

Louis D'Esposito, Jon Favreau, Alan Fine

and Jeremy Latcham

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Patricia Whitcher 

Producer - Kevin Feige

Co-Producer - Mitchell Bell
Casting Director - Sarah Finn

Casting Director: UK - Reg Poerscout-Edgerton

Production Designer - Charles Wood

Marvel Head of Visual Development - Ryan Meindering

Marvel Co-Head of Visual Development - Charlie Wen

Concept Illustrators - Rodney Fuentebella,

Andy Park, Jackson Sze and Josh Nizzi

Concept Artists - Nick Ainsworth,

Roberto Fernandez Castro, Paul Catling,

Bob Cheshire, Kevin Jenkins, Stephan Martiniere,

Jon McCoy, Peter Popken, Chris Rosewarne

and Ivan Weightman
Supervising Art Director - Ray Chan 

Art Directors - Julian Ashby,

Tom Brown, Jordan Crockett, Matthew Robinson,

Phil Sims, Mike Stallion and Mark Swain

Set Decorators - Sheona Mitchley and

Richard Roberts

Property Master - Barry Gibbs

Costume Designer - Alexandra Byrne

Costume Supervisor - Dan Grace

Costume FX Supervisor - Graham Churchyard

Makeup & Hair Designer - Jeremy Woodhead

Director of Photography - Ben Davis

Underwater Director of Photography/

Camera Operator: Second Unit - Mike Valentine

Additional Camera Operators: Second Unit -

Stefan Stankowski, Jonathan 'Chunky' Richmond

and Peter Taylor

Production Supervisors - Lulu Morgan

and Hannah Godwin

Unit Production Manager - Michael Sharp

Second Unit Director - John Mahaffie
Stunt Coordinator - Greg Powell

Fight Choreographer - James Grogan

Picture Vehicle Coordinator - Ian Clarke
Special Effects Supervisor - Paul Corbould

Special Effects Coordinators - Ben Vokes

and Alicia Davies

Senior Floor Supervisor - Ian Corbould

Senior Floor Supervisor: Second Unit -

Gareth Wingrove

Physical Suit Effects Supervisors - Shane P. Mahan

and Lindsay MacGowan
Senior Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Ben Snow
Visual Effects Supervisor - Christopher Townsend

Visual Effects Supervisors: ILM - Michael Mulholland,

Philippe Rebours and Dan Seddon

Visual Effects Supervisor: Double Negative -

Ken McGaugh

Visual Effects Supervisors: Method Studios -

Chad Weibe, Olivier Dumont and Simon Carr

Visual Effects Supervisor: Lola VFX - Trent Claus

Visual Effects Supervisors: Framestore -

Nigel Deaton-Howes and Rob Duncan

Visual Effects Supervisor: Zoic Studios -

Rocco Passionino

Additional Visual Effects Supervisor - Geoffrey Baumann

Visual Effects Producers - Ryan Stafford

and Ron Ames

Visual Effects Producers: ILM - Nina Fallon

and Georgie Uppington

Senior Visual Effects Producer: Soho VFX -

Allan Magled

Visual Effects Producer: Soho VFX - Sarah Swick

Visual Effects Producer: Zoic Studios - Lauren Weidel

Visual Effects Producer: Blur Studio - Natasha Anne Francis

Visual Effects Art Directors: ILM - Alex Jaeger,

Ryan Church and Lubo Hristov

Animation Supervisor: ILM - Marc Chu

Co-Animation Supervisor: ILM - Michael Eames

Animation Supervisors: Method Studios -

Erik De Boer and Keith Roberts

Animation Supervisor: Framestore - Max Solomon

Animation Supervisor: Luma Pictures -

Raphael A. Pimentel

Lead CG Supervisor: ILM - Patrick Conran

CG Supervisors: ILM - Tim Belsher,

Jordi Cardus Civit, Laurent Higuenoit

and Doug Sutton

CG Supervisor: Double Negative -

Malcolm Humphreys

Lead Compositing Supervisor: ILM - Jon Alexander

Compositing Supervisors: ILM - Mark Bakowski,

Jean Lapointe, Paolo Acri and Karim Sahai

Compositing Supervisor: Lola VFX -

Edson Williams

Compositing Supervisor: Cantina Creative -

Stephen Lawes

CG Look Development Leads: CGI -

Robert Marinic, Anthony Rispoli and

John Walker

CG Sequence & Build Supervisors: Double

Negative - Stephen Ellis and Stephen Tong

Digital Paint & Roto Supervisors: ILM -

Amy Shepard and Justin Kosnikowski

Digital Model Supervisor: ILM - Bruce Holcomb

Creature Supervisors: ILM - Michael Galog,

Steve Sauers and Eric Wong

Performance Capture Consultant - Andy Serkis

Tech Supervisor: The Third Floor - Casey Schatz

3D Stereoscopic Supervisor - Evan Jacobs
Editor - Lisa Lassek
Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Editor/
Re-Recording Sound Mixer - Christopher Boyes

Supervising Sound Editor - Frank E. Eilner

Sound Designer - David Acord

Sound Effects Editors - J.R. Grubbs,

David Chrastka and Richard Hymns

Re-Recording Sound Mixer - Lora Hirschberg

Additional Re-Recording Mixer - Gary Summers

Foley Walkers - Jana Vance and Dennie Thorpe

Music - Brian Tyler and Danny Elfman

Composer: Themes from Marvel's "The

Avengers" - Alan Silvestri

Music Supervisor - Dave Jordan

Score Mixers - Noah Scot Snyder and

Alan Meyerson

Review

In 2012, when I first saw the first Avengers movie in 3D upon its initial screening, I was amazed by its quality and proclaimed it one of the best in the superhero-action genre, next to The Dark Knight. Having high hopes for the new fresh instalment, AGE OF ULTRON, the film is not as strong due to a lack of fanciful qualities of fun and energy, which blended to make the first one irresistible for every die-hard comic book fan. Although this is only Joss Whedon's second time he directed (and wrote) a feature to continue Marvel's first superhero league on a big scale, he has proven his worth as an accomplished visionary director. The visuals are flawless, and every frame is top-notch.

Other factors aside from the CGI expansion include the acting from the original cast, which continues to empower the sequel. The talented newcomer James Spader gives an intensifying voice performance as the killer android Ultron. He provides a subtle impression of an evil metallic version of Tony Stark minus the humanity that is deep and compelling, which I best describe as a HAL 9000 (2001: A Space Odyssey) trapped in a machine's body.

This movie is on a big budget, and the scenes are on such a large scale and magnitude. That's all for now in my review of the sequel of The Avengers. I would watch it again but never say it is better than the first instalment.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Review

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Release Date: 10th July 2014 - Australia

Production Companies

20th Century Fox

Chernin Entertainment

TSG Entertainment

Relativity Media (in association with)

Ingenious Media (made in association with)

Down Productions (produced in association with)

Distribution

20th Century Fox Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 125 minutes

Budget: $170,000,000

Box Office Gross:

$710,644,566 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

In 2026, humanity was on the verge of extinction by a lethal virus. A group of survivors has been searching for a new power source in the woods near San Francisco. Only to discover a community of highly evolved intelligent apes led by Caesar. A fragile truce was born between the two species. But dissection grows as the groups find themselves hurtling toward an all-out war.

Cast

The Apes

Andy Serkis - Caesar
Toby Kebbell - Koba
Nick Thurston - Blue Eyes
Karin Konoval - Maurice
Terry Notary - Rocket
Doc Shaw - Ash
Judy Greer - Cornelia
Lee Ross - Grey
Scott Lang - Luca
Richard King - Stone

The Humans

Jason Clarke - Malcolm

Gary Oldman - Dreyfus

Keri Russell - Ellie
Kodi Smit-McPhee - Alexander

Kirk Acevedo - Carver
Jon Eyez - Foster
Enrique Murciano - Kemp
Keir O'Donnell - Finney
Kevin Rankin - McVeigh
Jocko Sims - Werner
Al Vicente - Manone
Lombardo Boyar - Terry
James Franco - Dr. Will
Rodman (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew
Director - Matt Reeves
Based on the Novel and Suggested Concept "La Planete

des Sings" - Pierre Boulle

Based on Characters/

Writers/Producers - Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver

Writer/Executive Producer - Mark Bomback

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager - Thomas M. Hammel

Executive Producer - Jenno Topping

Producers - Peter Chernin and Dylan Clark

Casting Director - Debra Zane
Production Designer - James Chinlund

Supervising Art Director - Naaman Marshall

Art Directors - Aaron Haye,

William O. Hunter and Scott Plauche

Art Director: Vancouver Unit - Kelvin Humenny,

Set Decorator - Amanda Moss Serino

Set Decorator: Vancouver Unit - Shane Vieau

Property Master - Doug Harlocker 

Costume Designer - Melissa Bruning 

Director of Photography - Michael Seresin

Director of Photography: Second Unit/

Second Unit Director - Gary Capo

Unit Production Manager: Vancouver - Lisa Towers

First Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Julian Wall

Second Assistant Director - Brandon Lambdin

Key Second Assistant Director: Second Unit -

David Waters

Second Assistant Director: Vancouver -

Gary Hawes

Second Unit Director - Bradley Parker
Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator

(Reshoots Only) (Uncredited) - Gary Powell

Stunt Coordinator/Movement Choreographer

(Uncredited) - Terry Notary
Stunt Coordinator - Charles Croughwell

Stunt Coordinator: Vancouver Unit - Marny Eng

Stunt Rigging Coordinator - Jake Lombard
Special Effects Supervisor - Matt Kutcher
Special Effects Supervisor: Vancouver - Alex Burdett

Special Effects Tech: Second Unit - John S. Baker

Special Effects Coordinator - Jennifer Picard

Senior Visual Effects Supervisor - Joe Letteri
Visual Effects Supervisor - Dan Lemmon

Visual Effects Supervisors: Weta Digital -

Keith F. Miller and Erik Winquist
Visual Effects Producer - Ryan Stafford

VFX Sequence Supervisors: Weta Digital -

Thelvin Cabezas, Luke Millar and Thrain Shadbolt

Pre-Visualisation Supervisor - Jeffrey James Varab
Textures HOD/Creative Art Director:

Weta Digital - Gino Acevedo
Animation Supervisors: Weta Digital -

Daniel Barrett and Paul Story

CG Supervisors: Weta Digital - Phillip Leonhardt,

Daniel Macarin, Alessandro Mozzato,

Mike Perry and Alessandro Saponi

Head of Compositing: Weta Digital -

Charles Tait

Compositing Supervisors: Weta Digital -

Scott Chambers, Sam Cole, Robin Hollander,

Florian Schroeder and David Houghton Williams

Models Supervisor: Weta Digital - Florian Fernandez

Digital Creature Supervisor: Weta Digital -

Simon Clutterbuck

Massive Supervisor: Weta Digital - Jon Allitt

Head of Layout/Animation Technology:

Weta Digital - Shawn Dunn

Film Editors - William Hoy and
Stan Salfas

Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer/

Additional Re-Recording Mixer - Douglas Murray

Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer/

Re-Recording Mixer - Will Files

Re-Recording Mixer - Andy Nelson

Additional Re-Recording Mixers - James Bolt

and Craig Henighan

Music - Michael Giacchino

Awards

2015 Academy Awards
Best Visual Effects - Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon,
Daniel Barrett and Erik Winquist (Nominated)

Review

I plan to watch and review any new Planet of the Apes movies released in the future. To date, I have reviewed Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which was the restart of the timeline. I recently had the privilege of watching the new one in the saga. For an apocalyptic theme, the setting of DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is perfect. It's not in the original 1968 classic. My visit to its predecessor explained how apes turned against humanity, and the second instalment shows that the surviving humans are struggling to co-exist with the dominant apes. Stepping up the directorial helm is Matt Reeves, who has previously gone through the success of another sci-fi great, Cloverfield.

It still has motion capture technology to craft the apes' visual design instead of the makeup applied in the classic series and the Tim Burton remake. Returning is Andy Serkis, who uses the mo-cap technique to portray the main ape of Caesar, whereas the last movie shows the beginning of his character rising to power. Toby Kebbell is believable as the treacherous ape Kopa, who takes no pleasure in hating the human race when he is almost the opposite of Caesar. At first, I was stunned that Gary Oldman took on a different role after appearing as Commissioner Gordon in the Batman series.

To the Ape fans, this film matches the quality of its predecessor, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and has entertainment value. Great continuation or not, this instalment fits well and is a worthy addition to an already reinstated franchise. If you have not seen it, you should watch it if sci-fi is your thing.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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The Transporter Review

The Transporter 


Release Date: 31st October 2002 - Australia


Production Companies
20th Century Fox (presents)
EuropaCorp
TF1 Films Production
Current Entertainment (in association with)
Canal+ (in association with)

Distribution
20th Century Fox Australia


Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 88 minutes


Budget: $21,000,000

Box Office Gross: $43,928,932
(Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Frank Martin is the best
at what he does: transporting
dangerous or illegal goods
with no questions asked.
But his latest shipment,
a beautiful young woman
kidnapped by international
slave traders, brings deadly
complications to his delivery
plans. Now Frank must kick
into overdrive in a nonstop
action-packed fight to save
his precious cargo and his
life.


Cast

Jason Statham - Frank Martin

Qi Shu - Lai

Matt Schulze - Wall Street

François Berleand - Inspector
Tarconi

Ric Young - Mr. Kwai

Crew

Action Director/

Choreographer/Director - Corey Yuen
Artistic Director - Louis Letterier

Writer/Producer - Luc Besson

Writer - Robert Mark Kamen

Producer - Steven Chasman
Production Designer - Hubert Tissandier
Costume Designer - Martine Rapin
Director of Photography - Pierre Morel
Stunt Coordinator - Philippe Guegan
Car Stunt Coordinator - Michel Juilenne
Special Effects Supervisor - Georges Demetrau
Film Editor - Nicolas Trembasiewicz
Sound Designers - Vincent Tulli
and Ken Yasumoto

Music - Steven Clarke

Review
It has come to my attention after having reviewed 'Fast & Furious 7' and watching Jason Statham portray one of the characters in the film that I actually have not seen all of his work and this inspired me to starting doing reviews of some of his movies. He first became a global superstar from his action series called 'THE TRANSPORTER' in which he was known for his role by audiences as ex-military man turned mercenary Frank Martin. The first instalment was alright but highly focused on fast paced kinetic fighting and vehicle chase scenes and not enough story development and I feel it is not a film to be taken too seriously. This movie has been composed from the collaborative efforts of Luc Besson and directors Corey Yuen and Louis Letterier who were able to make 'THE TRANSPORTER' a very decent film of their own style and surely than can raise the bar. Perhaps this movie could have been better if more attention had be given to the development of the story in terms of creating more believable and more realistic.

It is, however, a fair movie to watch if you are just in the mood for a simple action-packed treat. I've seen it once, but now I'm not so sure if I want to watch it for a second time. Hopefully I can get through the second instalment with a better opinion than the first.

Star rating: (6/10) Fair Movie

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What Made The Empire Strikes Back So Special?

Beware! There are some spoilers in this review!

(UPDATE: 17/10/21 - I had to change this article from having seven factors that made EMPIRE great to just nine.)

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. There came a time when THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK didn't yet exist before George Lucas began pre-production after the original Star Wars movie came out on May 25 1977. He had his sights on doing the next chapter of the series, which continues the space adventures of Luke, Han, Leia, C-3PO, R2-D2 and Chewbacca in their struggle to fight against the tyranny of the Galactic Empire. During its theatrical run in May 1980, EMPIRE, while a smash hit, had a mixed reception from critics as some dismissed it while others applauded it. It then changed when THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK proved to be the best science-fiction film and the best not only in the original Star Wars trilogy but out of all the movies.

It is an analysis of my all-time favourite movie. I am coinciding with Star Wars Day. It's an appreciation day for Star Wars fans, and celebrations include cosplay, movie viewings, social media and other ceremonies. We'll look at nine factors that made EMPIRE so innovative and appealing to the present generation of fresh moviegoers. Forget what Lucas did to the original trilogy in these updated versions, not by changing the scenes like when Greedo shoots first instead of Han and adding new ones like the "Jedi Rocks" number. Since Lucas is no longer in control of his ultimate movie franchise, perhaps there is hope that the original versions will be released on Blu-ray before Disney can release Episode VII, whatever the date is.

Believe me, what you've just heard, I used to think EMPIRE was the weakest of the bunch. Because it was a dark movie with a bleak ending, I preferred Return of the Jedi as a lighthearted addition because I was too young to appreciate it. I didn't realise until now that I first learned that many fans considered it the best of the series. I've grown to watch EMPIRE through the years and now have a different opinion than when I first watched the film. I also realised that EMPIRE was the first Star Wars movie I ever saw and had brought me to the universe where there are Jedi, Sith, Ewoks, Wookies, droids, stormtroopers and lightsabers. I know by now that the movie is how it got me into the series.

A few characters like Yoda or the interplanetary worlds, such as the winter landscapes of Hoth, the swamps of Dagobah and even the floating Cloud City of Bespin, would not have existed if it weren't for EMPIRE. Then Darth Vader certainly wouldn't be Luke's father if it weren't for this scene that surprised audiences with this shocking plot twist.

#9. Han + Leia

Let us now take a look at the first factor of the feature, which is the romance between Han and Leia. Sure, this would be a better love story in EMPIRE. It beats the misguided attempt in the Attack of the Clones prequel, which, by far, has less experience in romantic chemistry. Even the line Anakin said to Padme, "I don't like sand," will not stop it from going unmoving.

This love/hate relationship works without the mediocre dialogue from George Lucas; it flows terrifically, and both characters are a perfect match for each other. Even in their moments, they argue and up to the scene where they profess their love. It is there that Han and Leia are in their last moments together, in which Leia says, "I love you," and Han replies, "I know," before being separated. That line wasn't in the original script but was suggested by Harrison Ford to the director as he believes his character Han should be the one to say it. I was about to mention that Luke should have been the one to fall in love with Leia if she weren't related to him.

#8. The Action

For moments of the film, we've seen the Battle of Hoth, the chase on the asteroid belt, and the first-ever lightsaber duel between Luke and Vader. These are all part of the action that keeps EMPIRE loaded with thrills to give us the edge of our seats. The Hoth battle scene is one of the most memorable pieces ever brought to the screen. It shows that instead of being an outer space battle like the original, where it took place on the Death Star, the visual effects team from ILM has taken measures to create a large-scale assault with hovering snow-speeders and giant AT-AT walkers.

#7. Yoda

In THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, we have characters that prove essential to the story, like Lando Calrissian and Boba Fett. Who can remember the little fellow who gives us wisdom and says the more important things like Yoda? Although creating characters in a live-action backdrop through CGI was not introduced until 1985, Yoda's creation was an extensive puppetry process. He serves as a seemingly odd but wise mentor figure to Luke. He often imparts his profound sentences to the protagonist when he teaches him his skills as a Jedi, for example, "Do. Or do not. There is no try."

Yoda remains one of the best iconic characters created for the Star Wars saga, and even in EMPIRE, he served as a plot device to Luke when learning the ways of the Force. Frank Oz did an outstanding job bringing the character to life through puppeteering and voice acting. It impressed George Lucas that, at one point, he tried to get Oz an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor through an advertising campaign that he spent thousands of dollars on, which was unsuccessful. The character's popularity ensured that Frank Oz would reprise his role in the later Star Wars movies.

#6. Boba Fett

One character I've already mentioned in the previous factor that's also added in EMPIRE is the Mandalorian bounty hunter known as Boba Fett. After being introduced in an animated segment of The Star Wars Holiday Special, the character would not make his screen debut until 1980. Despite being in a supporting role, Boba is a mercenary who is more of a silent and mysterious type in EMPIRE. Besides working for a notorious crime lord like Jabba the Hutt, part of his job description was that the Empire had hired him to track down the Millennium Falcon, which leads to the Cloud City of Bespin.

Like Yoda, Boba proved a fan favourite in the Star Wars series. The character also appeared in Return of the Jedi, where he met his unwitting defeat at the hands of Han Solo before being brought back into the expanded universe. He's even appeared in the Droids cartoon, comics, books, the prequel Attack of the Clones (which explains his origins), The Clone Wars series, and a few episodes of The Mandalorian got rid of the character's mystery.

#5. The Music

For every composition, John Williams is always a viable asset and is a necessity in Star Wars. Nobody will forget his memorable musical pieces on the official soundtrack that became a top-standard and sensational score with such standouts as the iconic "Imperial March" theme. The former was a brooding anthem to the Imperials. It represented their oppressive dictatorship and served as a character theme for Darth Vader. The rest of the instrumentals, like "The Asteroid Field", "Yoda's Theme", "The Clash of the Lightsabers", and "Han Solo and the Princess", were enough to create the tempos of a fantasy sci-fi feeling. The rapidity and the action-packed atmosphere are similar to what he had done in his work with its predecessor.

This one is in debate for the best of the Star Wars soundtracks. It depends on how you listen to the instrumentals of EMPIRE, A New Hope, or The Phantom Menace. It doesn't matter if you listen to all six of them as they are brilliant.

#4. Dark Tone

One of the factors that made EMPIRE intriguing was its moody atmosphere. It brings a feeling of danger and suspense that was not there in its predecessor. You'll be surprised to see the film's dark scenes, like when Darth Vader cuts off Luke's right hand when he bests him in the lightsaber duel before the unsettling plot twist, which we'll get on to number one later. Or when a hideous-looking snow bear called a Wampa attacks Luke and drags him back to its cave in the opening act. Or when Luke enters a mysterious cave and confronts a hallucination of Vader, which, in the aftermath, he sees himself behind the mask. These moments may be traumatic for younger viewers who have not seen THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. However, no exception includes the scene where Han suffers a fate far worse than death when he gets frozen in Carbonite to be a wall decoration for a crime boss to whom he owes money.

No wonder this film started a trend of sequels that took a dark turn, such as Back to the Future: Part II, Lethal Weapon 2 and George Lucas' own Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Nowadays, it feels tame compared to the other dark and mature Star Wars films like Revenge of the Sith, The Force Awakens, Rogue One and The Last Jedi.

#3. The Ending

Instead of ending happily, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK ends so differently from the rest of the Star Wars films that it concludes on a tragic note. It's one of the reasons I never liked it as a child. It doesn't help that the protagonists are left broken and defeated by the Empire, and the film is left open on a cliffhanger, which leaves viewers questioning whether there will be a next instalment that will soon resolve the conflict on both sides.

Some die-hard fans like writer/director Joss Whedon may not want to watch it win if they couldn't find the perseverance to recover from this depressing conclusion. I disagreed with what Joss said about the ending ruining the film. It's a very emotional and thought-provoking conclusion to a stunning movie.

#2. Direction & Writing

One of the reasons EMPIRE

is always the greatest of all the Star Wars movies is the direction by the late Irvin Kershner. And also the writing by the late Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan. Kershner agreed to direct the sequel when it became clear that George Lucas, overwhelmed by the production problems of the first film, didn't want to. While not known for many of his movies, even later ones like the non-Eon Bond outing Never Say Never Again and the Robocop 2 sequel. Whereas Lucas was more of a technological whiz and was not exactly an actor's director, Kershner did a significant enhancement and an exceptional job of turning the Star Wars film series from a pulp science fiction adventure into a character-based story. He even had a better impression of the acting by making the actors more comfortable and letting them deliver most of their lines straight from the script or improvised.

While George was the executive producer and heavily involved in the film's conceptual stage, he did write the story for the sequel (albeit uncredited for the scriptwriting). Leigh Brackett wrote the screenplay (until her death after completing the first draft). Lucas took over from her in re-writing the original script until he hired Lawrence Kasdan to revise it. Kasdan is more accomplished in making the narrative more character-driven and improving the character dialogue, which suits the film better to balance the humanity and sense of humour in certain scenes like these.

#1. "No, I Am Your Father"

Kicking off this top spot in the EMPIRE tribute is the father of all plot twists. This line said by the film's main antagonist, Darth Vader, was often misquoted as "Luke, I am your father" when it was actually "No, I am your father." Two years before the release of EMPIRE, rumours began to circulate that Darth Vader is Luke's supposedly deceased father. Eventually, the audience didn't see it until the next two years when they started watching EMPIRE and were unexpectedly shocked by this horrifying revelation. Nobody knew at the start that Luke was the offspring of the most feared Sith Lord in the universe. Some people who first watched the movie thought Darth Vader was lying to Luke in an attempt to join him on the dark side until the following chapter proves that he was telling the truth.

This rumour came from Dave Prowse, who was then playing the body of Vader, who thought it was a lucky guess in 1978 when they had barely written the screenplay for EMPIRE. It is during shooting that Prowse didn't use the scripted line. Instead, the script had a different line spoken by Vader to Luke that Obi-Wan killed his father to keep the big reveal a secret from everyone by the time they were filming the scene. It is changed in post-production when James Earl Jones (the then voice of Darth Vader) dubs over that scene of performing the actual line that's added to the film. Only three people knew about it, including Lucas, Kershner and Mark Hamill. This trivial fact has ended.

I can relate to the experience of this plot twist. It's one of these pivotal moments that catapulted EMPIRE to iconic status. Since then, other films and TV shows have parodied, referenced and paid homage to this twist, like Spaceballs, Toy Story 2, Austin Powers, The Simpsons, Family Guy, etc.

Conclusion

We may get this belief that THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is the crown jewel of the enthralling action-packed science fiction saga that we grew up in endearment. It doesn't matter which version of EMPIRE I'm watching. I've got the altered version on DVD and Blu-ray and watched the original online. Anyway, this concludes my tribute to the fifth Star Wars chapter, and I hope to be back again to post my review for all of you. Stay tuned for further updates.

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