The Bourne Ultimatum Review

The Bourne Ultimatum


Release Date: 13th August 2007 - Australia (Sydney) (premiere) 


Production Companies
Universal Pictures (presents)
Motion Picture BETA Produktionsgellschaft (in association with)
The Kennedy/Marshall Company
Ludlum Entertainment (in association with)
Bourne Again (uncredited)

Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia 


Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 115 minutes


Budget: $110,000,000

Box Office Gross: $442,824,138
(Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Jason Bourne dodges a
ruthless CIA official and
his agents from a new
assassination program
while searching for the
origins of his life as a
trained killer. 


Cast
Matt Damon - Jason Bourne
Julia Stiles - Nicky Parsons
David Strathairn - Noah
Vosen
Scott Glenn - Ezra Kramer
Paddy Considine - Simon Ross
Edgar Ramirez - Paz
Albert Finney - Dr. Albert
Hirsch
Joan Allen - Pamela Landy
Tom Gallop - Tom Cronin
Corey Johnson - Ray Wills
Daniel Bruhl - Martin Kreutz
Joey Ansah - Desh
Colin Stinton - Neal Daniels
Dan Fredenburgh - Jimmy
Lucy Leimann - Lucy
Mark Bazeley - Betancourt
Sinead O'Keefe - Chamberlain
Charles Venn - Agent Hammond
Scott Adkins - Agent Kiley

Crew
Director - Paul Greengrass
Based on Novel "The Bourne
Ultimatum" - Robert Ludlum
Screen Story/Screenplay -
Tony Gilroy
Screenplay - Scott Z. Burns
and George Nolfi
Executive Producers - Doug
Liman, Henry Morrison and
Jeffrey M. Weiner
Producer/Unit Production
Manager - Patrick Crowley
Producers - Frank Marshall
and Paul Sandberg
Co-Producer - Andrew R.
Tennenbaum
Production Designer - Peter
Wenham
Supervising Art Director - Alan Gilmore
Art Directors - Robert Cowper, Jason Knox-Johnston and Andy Nicholson
Set Decorator - Tina Jones
Costume Designer - Shay Cunliffe
Armourer - Simon Atherton
Director of Photography - Oliver Wood

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator - Dan Bradley

Second Unit Director: UK Additional Second Unit - 

Peter MacDonald
Stunt Coordinator (UK) - Gary Powell
Special Effects Supervisor - Joss Williams
Special Effects Coordinator - Csaba Laszlo Eross
Special Effects Coordinator: New York - Steven Kirshoff
Visual Effects Supervisor - Peter Chiang
Digital Visual Effects Supervisor: Double Negative -
Charlie Noble
CG Supervisors: Double Negative - Mattias Lindahl
and David Vickery
Film Editor - Christopher Rouse
Music - John Powell


Awards

2008 Academy Awards 
Best Film Editing - Christopher Rouse (Won)
Best Sound Mixing - Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis (Won)
Best Sound Editing - Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg (Won)


Review

'THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM' was anticipated by 'Bourne' fans to tie up all the loose ends from the previous two movies. In my opinion, 'ULTIMATUM' is the best of the original three movies. The shaky camerawork was toned down greatly for this sequel. As another conspiracy thriller, the action set-pieces were well-handled, particularly in the fight scene between Bourne and the assassin. The plotting and concept has improved since its predecessor 'Supremacy' which was more action-oriented than a narrative. It adds another layer of groundwork to Damon's debonair acting and Paul Greengrass' cohesive direction to produce an exceptionally balanced hit sequel. As for the loose ends, viewers will have to keep watching the sequels.

In my opinion, this movie should have been explained the mysteries of the character Jason Bourne as the sequels went off on a tangent. 'ULTIMATUM' shows this as it could have been the epic finale that the movie-goers would have wanted. This adds up to another extreme favourite action film in my collection.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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Jason Bourne Review

Jason Bourne

Release Date: 28th July 2016 - Australia

Production Companies

Universal Pictures

The Kennedy/Marshall Company
Perfect World Pictures (in association with)
Captivate Entertainment (in association with)
Pearl Street Films (in association with)

Distribution 

Universal Pictures Australia 

Genre: Action

 
Rating: M

Runtime: 123 minutes


Budget: $120,000,000

Box Office Gross: $415,484,914
(Worldwide) 



Plot Summary
It's been 10 years since
Jason Bourne walked
away from the agency
that trained him to
become a deadly weapon.
Hoping to draw him
out of the shadows,
CIA Director Robert
Dewey assigns hacker
and counterinsurgency
expert Heather Lee to
find him. Lee suspects
that former operative
Nicky Parsons is also
looking for him. As she
begins tracking the duo,
Bourne finds himself
back in action battling
a sinister network that
utilizes terror and
technology to maintain
power.

Cast

Matt Damon - Jason Bourne

Julia Stiles - Nicky Parsons

Tommy Lee Jones - CIA Director Robert Dewey
Alicia Vikander - Heather Lee
Vincent Cassel - Asset
Riz Ahmed - Aaron Kalloor
Ato Essandoh - Craig Jeffers
Scott Shepherd - Director NI Edwin Russell
Bill Camp - Malcolm Smith
Vinzenz Kiefer - Christian Dassault
Stephen Kunken - Baumen
Gregg Henry - Richard Webb
Matthew O'Neill - Lead Hub Tech
Lizzie Phillips - Cyber Hub Tech
Robert Stanton - Government Lawyer
Duran Falton Brown - London Alpha Agent
Charles Jarman - London Bravo Agent
Jay Vincent Diaz - Immigration Officer
Ava Katharina Maria Hoeller - Las Vegas Hotel Receptionist

Crew 

Writer/Producer/Director -
Paul Greengrass

Based on "Bourne" Series -
Robert Ludlum
Writer/Executive Producer/
Film Editor - Christopher Rouse
Executive Producers - Doug
Liman, Amy Lord, Henry
Morrison, Helen Medrano,
Colin J. Hara and Jennifer
Todd

Producers - Frank Marshall,
Matt Damon, Ben Smith and
Jeffrey M. Weiner
Producer/Unit Production
Manager - Gregory Goodman
Co-Producers - Chris
Carreras and Andrew R.
Tennenbaum
Production Designer - Paul
Kirby
Supervising Art Directors -
Paul Inglis and Mark Scruton
Set Decorators - Peter
Walpole and Ronald R. Reiss
Set Decorator: Re-shoots -
Claudia Parker
Costume Designer - Mark Bridges
Master Armourer - Simon Atherton
Director of Photography - Barry Ackroyd
Second Unit Director - Simon Crane
Stunt Coordinator - Gary Powell
Special Effects Supervisor - Steven Warner
Special Effects Supervisor: Second Unit Coordination - Scott R. Fisher
Visual Effects Supervisors - Charlie Noble
and Adam Rowland
Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - David Vickery
Visual Effects Supervisors: Double Negative -
Sean Stranks and Shailendra Swarnkar
Visual Effects Producer: Double Negative -
Melinka Thompson-Godoy
Music - Dave Buckley and John Powell

Review

'JASON BOURNE' sees the return of Matt Damon being the titular character of the 'Bourne' series after his absence in 'The Bourne Legacy'. He is even reunited with the director Paul Greengrass who is back to film the newest installment in hopes of recapturing the element of surprise. The movie doesn't come close to match the first three originals, nor does it for Damon's career to continue after being stranded on a red planet in 'The Martian'. The plot is too formulaic and derivative that some of the plot points should not have been re-used from any of its predecessors. To add insult to injury, the series should have picked up where Jeremy Renner was to go into more trouble with the CIA after his introduction on 'Legacy'. This new film would have saved a huge moment where these two meet for the first time at face-to-face. Instead, all this movie has to offer was the unoriginal plot-line trying to capitalise on Matt Damon's return.

The lead actor Damon hasn't changed in one bit since he last performed the character in 'The Bourne Ultimatum'. Still, it isn't enough to save the titular film when is trying to revisit the series' lost golden years. Tommy Lee Jones' performance was so rough and tense as the newly appointed head of the CIA whose intention was to take down Bourne, no matter what the cost.

Not one of the greatest, but definitely an all time low for the series. Still, 'JASON BOURNE' deserves a repeat even if people will watch this film for a second chance, if it will come to Blu-Ray and eventually a huge movie marathon. 

                                                                                         

Star rating: (6/10) Fair Movie

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Footloose (1984) Review

Footloose

Release Date: 12th April 1984 - Australia

Production Companies

Paramount Pictures (presents)

Phoenix Pictures

IndieProd Company Productions

Distribution 

Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Drama/Music

Rating: M

Runtime: 106 minutes


Budget: $8,200,000

Box Office Gross: $80,040,027 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary

When city boy Ren

McCormack moves from
the big city of Chicago with
his family to a small
Midwestern town, he
discovers that the place he
now calls home has
outlawed dancing and

rock music. Ren's fight for

change is an uphill battle

as he struggles to fit in.

Helped by his new friend

Willard Hewitt and

rebellious teenager Ariel

Moore, he could shake up

this conservative town.

However, Ariel's powerful

father, Reverend Shaw

Moore, is blocking their

path.

Cast

Kevin Bacon - Ren McCormack 

Lori Singer - Ariel Moore

John Lithgow - Rev. Shaw Moore

Dianne Wiest - Vi Moore

Chris Penn - Willard

Sarah Jessica Parker - Rusty

John Laughlin - Woody

Elizabeth Gorcey - Wendy Jo

Sam Dalton - Mr. Gurntz 

Frances Lee McCain - Ethel McCormack

Jim Youngs - Chuck Cranston

Douglas Dirkson - Burlington Cranston

Lynne Marta - Lulu Warnicker

Arthur Rosenberg - Wes Warnicker

Timothy Scott - Andy Beamis

Alan Haufrect - Coach Roger Dunbar

Linda MacEwen - Eleanor Dunbar

Kim Jensen - Edna 

Michael Telmont - Travis

Leo Geter - Rich

Ken Kemp - Jeff

Russ McGinn - Herb

H.E.D. Redford - Widdoes

Jay Bernard - Harvey

Meghan Broadhead - Sarah Warnicker

Mimi Broadhead - Amy Warnicker 

Gene Pack - Bernie

Marcia Dangerfield - Virginia

Crew

Director - Herbert Ross

Writer - Dean Pitchford

Executive Producer - Daniel Melnick

Producers - Lewis J. Rachmil and Graig Zadan

Casting Directors - Mike Fenton,

Jane Feinberg and Marci Liroff

Casting Director: New York - Margery Simkin
Production Designer - Ron Hobbs

Set Decorator - Mary Olivia Swanson

Property Master - C.J. Maguire
Costumes - Gloria Gresham

Makeup Artist - Daniel C. Striepeke
Director of Photography - Ric Waite

Second Assistant Director - Robert Engleman
Choreographer - Lynne Taylor-Corbett

Stunt Coordinator - Max Kleven

Special Effects - Wayne Beauchamp

Editor - Paul Hirsch

Assistant Editors - David Handman

and Peck Prior

Supervising Sound Editor - Gordon Ecker

Sound Effects Editors - Robert Bradshaw,

Randy Kelly, Bob Newlan and

Wylie Stateman

Re-Recording Mixers - David E. Campbell,

John T. Reitz and Gregg Rudloff

Score Adaptation - Miles Goodman

Music Supervisor - Becky Shargo

Writer/Producer/Performer: "Footloose" 

and "I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)" -

Kenny Loggins

Awards

1985 Academy Awards

Best Music, Original Song "Footloose" -

Kenny Loggins and Dean Pitchford (Nominated)

Best Music, Original Song "Let's Hear It for the Boy" -

Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford (Nominated)

Review

A straightforward and potent classic teen drama with a simple plot, FOOTLOOSE is an ageless classic, unforgettable and superior to the remake. It was in production when teen movies were a lasting trend in the 80s. Since its release in 1984, it's a heavily undisputed pop cultural touchstone referenced in many films such as Guardians of the Galaxy. It has also inspired an animated movie with a similar plotline aimed at younger audiences called Happy Feet. This film represents the values of teenagers fighting for their independence. To decide about what they will do with their lives and what journey they will take. FOOTLOOSE sends a message that teenagers will understand that when parents control them, they often rebel and have this innate need to achieve their greatest dreams and desires.

I didn't watch this movie for the dancing. Instead, I preferred the inspiring message the film communicates and the upbeat tunes that create energy to FOOTLOOSE. Kevin Bacon looked so young in the movie and nailed the role with a convincing performance that elevated his Hollywood fame. John Lithgow creates a sympathetic yet extremist character who pushes his religious views on those around him and believes dancing to be a sin. John crafted the role of a very strict and disapproving father figure.

Although it's aimed at a teen audience, FOOTLOOSE remains one of the best teen drama movies of its generation, and even to this day, its story and message are still very relevant. I strongly recommend viewing this fantastic movie. You won't regret it.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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In Memory of Kenny Baker (1934-2016)

Kenny Baker (1934-2016)

Hello, movie bloggers. You are all quite familiar with the character of R2-D2 in the "Star Wars" series, which became one of the iconic robots in film. The man inside the little astromech droid, English actor Kenny Baker, has recently died of a long illness two weeks short of his 82nd birthday on August 13th, 2016. 

Baker was raised and educated in Birmingham, Warwickshire and stood three feet and eight inches tall (112 cm) due to his condition called dwarfism, which stunts his growth. It made him part of a theatrical troupe of dwarves, and later, he performed at the circus, which was only for a brief time. In 1976, while doing a successful comedy act with fellow dwarf entertainer Jack Purvis, director George Lucas hired him to operate the droid R2-D2 in his soon-to-be-famous epic space adventure, "Star Wars". This role became synonymous for him to play the character in two more instalments from 1980 to 1983, followed by the prequels from 1999 to 2005. In addition to his portrayal of R2, Kenny was one of the Ewoks in "Return of the Jedi".

Kenny had starred in other movies outside of his known league in "Star Wars", including "Flash Gordon", "The Elephant Man", "Time Bandits", "Amadeus" and other George Lucas film productions such as "Labyrinth" and "Willow". In 2015, after ten years, he continued his association with the character and acted only as a consultant in "The Force Awakens". Before his death, Jimmy Vee took over his role of R2 and is yet to appear in the upcoming Episode VIII.

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The Bourne Supremacy Review

The Bourne Supremacy 

Release Date: 26th August 2004 - Australia

Production Companies

Universal Pictures
The Kennedy/Marshall Company
Ludlum Entertainment, Inc (in association with)
Motion Picture THETA Produktionsgesellschaft (in association with)
Hypnotic (uncredited)

Distribution 

Universal Pictures Australia

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 108 minutes


Budget: $75,000,000

Box Office Gross: $288,500,217
(Worldwide)

Plot Summary
When Jason Bourne is
framed for a botched
CIA operation he is
forced to take up his
former life as a trained
assassin to survive.

Cast

Matt Damon - Jason Bourne

Franka Potente - Maria 
Helena Kreutz

Julia Stiles - Nicky Parsons

Karl Urban - Krill

Brian Cox - Ward Abbott
Gabriel Mann - Zorn

Marton Csokas - Jarda

Joan Allen - Pamela Landy

Tom Gallop - Tom Cronin

John Bedford Lloyd - Teddy

Ethan Sandler - Kurt

Michelle Monaghan - Kim

Karel Roden - Gretkov

Tomas Arana - Martin Marshall

Oksana Akinshina - Irena Neski

Jevgeni Sitochin - Mr. Neski

Marina Weis-Burgaslieva - Mrs. Neski

Tim Griffin - Nevins

Sean Smith - Vic

Maxim Kovalevski - Ivan

Patrick Crowley - Jack Weller

Crew

Director - Paul Greengrass
Based on Novel "The Bourne Supremacy" - Robert Ludlum
Writer - Tony Gilroy
Executive Producers - Doug Liman, Henry Morrison and Jeffrey M. Weiner
Producers - Patrick Crowley,
Frank Marshall and Paul
Sandberg

Co-Producer - Andrew R. Tennenbaum
Production Designer - Dominic Watkins

Supervising Art Director - Peter Wenham

Set Decorator - Bernhard Heinrich
Costume Designer - Dinah Collin
Director of Photography - Oliver Wood
Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator - Dan Bradley

Stunt Coordinator: Second Unit - Darrin Prescott
Fight Stunt Coordinator - Jeff Imada
Special Effects Supervisors - Uli Nefzer and 

Kit West
Special Effects Supervisor: Underwater Unit - 

David Payne
Visual Effects Supervisor - Pablo Helman 

Associate Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - 

Mark Casey
Film Editors - Richard Pearson and 

Christopher Rouse
Music - John Powell
Writer/Producer/Singer: Extreme Ways - Moby

Review 

Due to the release of 'Jason Bourne', I decided to have a marathon of 'Bourne' films which I began with 'The Bourne Identity'. The second instalment of the action series 'THE BOURNE SUPREMACY' was a bit of a step-down from the original. There were a few problems with this movie, firstly the slow pacing of which there's a lot of political nonsense happening at the Pentagon. The camera work was shaky in some scenes particularly where Bourne uses the Jeet Kune Do fighting style against the hitman and finally, my last compliant about is the movie was that the plot seemed recycled from the first movie as it copied scenes such as the car chase, the fight with the assassin and story being again that he is on the run with a girl while the CIA are hunting him down. Just seems too much like deja vu. The direction of Paul Greengrass wasn't bad, he was taking guidance from the previous director Doug Liman who is the film's executive producer. It still prides itself as an action thriller with sequences that are very comparable to the first film.

Matt Damon is still the lead actor to portray this significant character who is yet to discover his true identity while the CIA is on to him. Karl Urban is noticeably recognisable in this movie as the assassin who is sent to kill Bourne. Probably the biggest moment in the movie was the Moscow car chase climax which has the biggest adrenaline rush that is definitely the best scene of 'SUPREMACY' for me.

This was a fine movie to see which I rather enjoyed and think it is a worthy addition to the library of espionage spy thrillers. To reiterate my only concerns were that it seemed to be the rehash of the first and the pacing was sluggish. But this should not prevent you from watching this as it has much to offer.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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The Bourne Identity (2002) Review

The Bourne Identity

Release Date: 22nd August 2002 - Australia

Production Companies

Universal Pictures (presents)
The Kennedy/Marshall Company
Hypnotic
Kalima Productions GmbH & Co. KG
Stillking Films

Distribution 

Universal Pictures Australia 

Genre: Action/Thriller

Rating: M

Runtime: 118 minutes


Budget: $60,000,000

Box Office Gross: $214,034,224

(Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Jason Bourne comes out of

the sea with two bullets in

the back, has no memory of

who he is and discovers he

has the skills of a dangerous

man. Seeking to find the truth

about his true identity, he

discovers the truth: he's an

elite government agent. But

to the government, Jason

isn't just their property, but a

malfunctioning thirty million

dollar weapon. He's a rogue

agent who is lethally trained

and built to disappear, yet

his former superiors want him

taken out.

Cast

Matt Damon - Jason Bourne

Franka Potente - Maria
Helena Kreutz

Julia Stiles - Nicky Parsons

Chris Cooper - Alex Conklin
Clive Owen - The Professor
Brian Cox - Ward Abbott
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje - Wombosi
Gabriel Mann - Zorn

Walton Goggins - Research Tech #1

Josh Hamilton - Research Tech #2
Orso Maria-Guerinni - Giancarlo
Tim Dutton - Eamon
Nicky Naude - Castel
Russell Levy - Manheim

David Selburg - Marshall
Gwenael Clause - Deauvage

Hubert Saint-Macary - Morgue Boss

David Bamber - Consulate Clerk
Vincent Franklin - Rawlins
Roger Frost - Apfel

David Gasman - Deputy DCM
Harry Gilbert - Alain
William Cagnard - Davies
Katie Thynne - Claudia

Brian Huskey - Treadsone

Research Technician (Uncredited)

Crew

Producer/Director - Doug Liman

Based on the Novel "The

Bourne Identity"/Executive

Producer - Robert Ludlum

Writers - Tony Gilroy and
W. Blake Herron

Executive Producer - Frank Marshall

Producer/First Assistant Director - Patrick Crowley
Producer - Richard N. Glenstein

Co-Producer - Andrew R. Tennenbaum

Production Designer - Dan Weil

Supervising Art Director - Bettina von den Steinen

Art Directors - Laurent Prion

and Yann Biquand (Uncredited)

Set Decorator - Alexandrine

Mauvezin-Bosque

Costume Designer - Pierre-Yves Gayraud

Director of Photography - Oliver Wood

Additional Photographers - Don Burgess and Dan Mindel
Second Unit Director/Director

of Photography - Alexander Witt

Camera Operator: Second Unit,

Paris/Additional Photography

(Uncredited) - Ronald Hersey

Stunt Coordinators - Nick Powell

and Jean-Claude Lagniez

Stunt Wire Effects Coordinator/

Rigger - Patrick Cauderlier

Martial Arts Trainer - Damon Caro
Special Effects Supervisor - Philippe Hubin
Special Effects Coordinator -

Jean-Christophe Magnaud

Visual Effects Supervisor - Peter Donen

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Stefan Fangmeier

Special Visual Effects: Illusion Arts - Bill Taylor
Associate Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM -
Habib Zargarpour
Visual Effects Producer - David Dwiggins

General Manager: ILM - Jim Morris
Film Editor - Saar Klein

Additional Editor - Christopher Rouse

Supervising Sound Editors - Karen Baker Landers

and Per Hallberg

Supervising ADR Editor - Anna MacKenzie

Sound Effects Editors - Christopher Assells,

Mark Choi, Dino Dimuro, Dan Hegeman,

Perry Robertson and Bruce Tanis

Production Sound Mixer - Bernard Bats

Re-Recording Mixers - Bob Beemer

and Scott Millan

Music Supervisor - Julianne Jordan
Music - John Powell

Composers: Additional Music -

James McKee Smith and Joel J. Richard

Writer/Producer/Singer: Extreme Ways -

Moby

Scoring Mixer - Alan Meyerson

Review

Before I saw The Bourne Legacy on the big screen, I wanted to see the other Bourne movies with Matt Damon in the lead role. Now that the new Jason Bourne picture is out in theatres, I want to watch all four of these films in order before I see them. 

THE BOURNE IDENTITY is the game-changer of the spy-fiction sub-genre for its realism and cold atmosphere, much like the latest James Bond movies. It's packed with intense scenes and riveting action. Director Doug Liman, who launched a successful career with the first movie of the saga, adapted this gritty spy action thriller.

Matt Damon is top-notch and brilliantly portrays the amnesiac fugitive hero Jason Bourne, who finds himself in a predicament where people are trying to hunt him down. Chris Cooper, Brian Cox and Julia Stiles are well-casted in the supporting roles. One of the best moments in IDENTITY is the car chase sequence, which excels as one of the most memorable drive chase scenes in movie history. Complimenting the action movie is the violent choreography, based on Bruce Lee's fighting style of Jeet Kune Do.

This movie kept me hooked from start to finish, and the story was intriguing and well-crafted. The actors were enjoyable, and the movie's pacing kept viewers engaged. I recommend watching THE BOURNE IDENTITY, and even though it is now somewhat of an older film, it is still very modern and relevant.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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Dune (1984) Review

Dune

Release Date: 14th December 1984 - Australia

Production Companies

Dino De Laurentiis Company
Estudios Churubusco Azteca S.A.

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: PG

Runtime: 137 minutes
                 177 minutes
                 (extended cut)


Budget: $42,000,000

Box Office Gross: $30,980,991 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

In the distant future, the universe and space travel heavily rely on the spice that can only come from the planet Dune. Now, a young son of the noble Duke Leto named Paul Atreides must not only avenge his father's betrayal and murder at the hands of the evil Baron Harkonnen. He has to find the secret of Dune and lead the Fremen in freeing the planet and its residents of the despotic rule of the Emperor, which was his destiny.

Cast

Kyle MacLachlan - Paul Atreides

Sean Young - Chani

Sting - Feyd-Rautha

Patrick Stewart - Gurney

Halleck

Francesca Annis - Lady

Jessica

Jürgen Prochnow - Duke

Leto Atreides

Richard Jordan - Duncan

Idaho

Dean Stockwell - Dr.

Wellington Yueh

Freddie Jones - Thufur

Hawat

Max von Sydow - Dr. Kynes

Linda Hunt - Shadout Mapes

Everett McGill - Stilgar

Alicia Witt - Alia

Virginia Madsen - Princess Irulan

José Ferrer - Padishah

Emperor Shaddam IV

Siân Phillips - Reverend

Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam

Kenneth McMillan - Baron

Vladimir Harkonnen

Brad Dourif - Piter De Vries

Jack Nance - Nefud

Paul L. Smith - The Beast Rabban

Leonardo Cimino - The

Baron's Doctor

Silvana Mangano - Reverend Mother Ramallo

Danny Corkill - Orlop

Honorato Magaloni - Otheym

Judd Omen - Jamis

Molly Wryn - Harah

David Lynch - Spice Worker

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

William Phipps - Narrator

(TV Version) (Uncredited)

Crew

Screenplay/Director - David
Lynch

Based on the Novel "Dune" - Frank Herbert

Executive Producer - Dino De Laurentiis

Producer - Raffaella De Laurentiis

Technical Advisor - Gerald Green

Casting Director - Jane Jenkins

Production Designer -
Anthony Masters
Supervising Art Director - Pier Luigi Basile
Art Director - Benjamin
Fernandez

Assistant Art Directors, Jose Maria Alarcon, Peter Childs, Raul Paton Garcia, Kevin Phipps and Gilberto de Anda (Uncredited)

Draughtsmen - Miguel Chang, Steve Cooper, Ferdinando Giovannoni and Giles Masters
Set Decorator - Giorgio Desideri

Costume Designer - Bob Ringwood

Wardrobe Supervisors - Thomas Casterline and Nadia Vitali

Head of Construction: Stillsuit - Mark Siegel

Creative Makeup - Giannetto De Rossi

Cinematographer - Freddie Francis

Cinematographers/Supervisors: Additional Unit -

James Davis and Frederick Elmes

Production Coordinator - Golda Offenheim

Stunt Coordinator - Richard Humphreys

Fight Coordinator - Kiyoshi Yamasaki

Creature Creator - Carlo Rambaldi

Special Effects Coordinator - Charles L. Finance

Special Effects Flying Unit Chief - John K. Stirber

Special Photographic Effects - Barry Nolan

Mechanical Special Effects - Kit West

Additional Special Visual Effects - Albert Whitlock
Model Unit Supervisor - Brian Smithies
Foreground Miniatures - Emilio Ruiz del Rio

Motion Control - Eric Swenson

Film Editor - Antony Gibbs

Assistant Film Editor - Penelope Shaw

Sound Designer - Alan Splet

Sound Editors - Teresa Eckton,

Leslie Shatz and Les Wiggins

Re-Recording Mixers – Bill Varney,

Steve Maslow and Gregg Landaker

Music - Toto

Composers: Prophecy Theme - Brian &

Roger Eno and Daniel Lanois

Awards

1985 Academy Awards
Best Sound - Bill Varney, Steve Maslow,
Kevin O'Connell and Nelson Stoll (Nominated)

Review

I have never reviewed a David Lynch feature before, as I have not seen one except for DUNE. The film adaptation of DUNE has become a big part of my life after Star Wars. I'm sad to say it was a financial flop during its release, added to a dismal reception among readers and fanatics of Frank Herbert's acclaimed sci-fi book series. Unfortunately, halfway through the filming process, the director, David Lynch, lost control of the movie due to pressure to cut the film's length. His original vision of DUNE was severely compromised in post-production when numerous scenes got trimmed, deleted, re-shot and arranged in a way that seemed so disorganised. The changes also reduced the overall running time of the movie to just over two hours.

It was not until 1988 that more editing applied to the extended cut release, which aired on television. Previously filmed scenes used as stock footage and censorship have been added to this version, not by the decision of Lynch, and this did not please him as he requested for his name to be changed in the opening credits to "Alan Smithee" and "Judas Booth" instead. Since the 1988 re-release, it began a following through the online community and remained a cult favourite to all people who were into sci-fi, films by David Lynch or even the source material from Frank Herbert. After watching the film's theatrical cut, the plot seems inconsistent, with most scenes misplaced and what seems like a disastrous butchery. We can all forget the bad stuff in this stale version as the film has glorious elaborate sets, costume and makeup design and some VFX, which complement the movie and make the bad things about DUNE more bearable.

The acting is good. Some classic actors proved terrific choices for names, such as Kyle MacLachlan in his debut role as Paul Atreides and Sean Young as the film's leading lady. The supporting actors, like future Star Trek alumnus Patrick Stewart, Sting and Max von Sydow, also have their place in the movie. The background score by rock band Toto creates a genuine ambience not heard in any other classic sci-fi film.

DUNE has its moments, but it leaves us wondering if a director's cut of Lynch's version would do this movie justice. In my opinion, DUNE doesn't deserve the bad feedback that it received at the box office and nearly cost the directional career of David Lynch, which DUNE should have finished under his supervision.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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Star Trek: Beyond Review

Star Trek: Beyond

Release Date: 21st July 2016 - Australia

Production Companies

Paramount Pictures 

Skydance Media
Bad Robot Productions
K/O Paper Products

Alibaba Group

Huahua Media

Sneaky Shark

Perfect Storm Entertainment 

Distribution

Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 122 minutes


Budget: $185,000,000

Box Office Gross: $336,648,340
(Worldwide) 


Plot Summary

Scotty and Bones are
stranded on Starbase
Earhart, a remote
outpost just outside of
the Federation Space,
after the Enterprise is
destroyed by an
unknown force of
ruthless aliens. 

Five years into their
mission, they must
now face off against
a new and unexpected
villain that they quickly
learn has a storied and
powerful hatred of the
Federation and all that
it stands for. (Source -
Metro Cinemas)

Cast

Chris Pine - Captain James T. Kirk
Zachary Quinto - Commander Spock
Zoe Saldana - Uhura
Karl Urban - Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy
Simon Pegg - Montgomery
"Scotty" Scott
John Cho - Hikaru Sulu
Anton Yelchin - Ensign Pavel Chekov
Idris Elba - Krall
Sofia Boutella - Jaylah
Joe Taslim - Manas
Lydia Wilson - Kalara
Shohreh Aghdashloo - Commodore Paris
Deep Roy - Keenser
Ashley Edner - Natalia
Bryce Soderberg - Satine
Melissa Roxburgh - Ensign Syl
Anita Brown - Tyvanna
Doug Jung - Ben
Danny Pudi - Fi'Ja
Kim Kold - Zavanko
Fraiser Aitcheson - Hider
Jason Matthew Smith - Hendorff
Greg Grunberg - Commander Finnegan
Douglas Chapman - Sir Olden
Dan Payne - Wadjet
Anthony Shim - Jin
Andrea Yu - Jeanine
Shea Whigham - Teenaxi Leader (Voice)
Christian Sloan - Jae
Ashley Edner - Natalia

Crew

Producer/Director - Justin Lin
Based on Television Series
"Star Trek" - Gene Roddenberry
Writers - Simon Pegg, Doug Jung, Patrick McCay and John D. Payne (Uncredited)
Writer (Uncredited)/Producer - Roberto Orci
Associate/Visual Effects Producer - Ron Ames
Executive Producers - Jeffrey Chernov, David Ellison, Tommy Harper and Dana Goldberg
Producers - J.J. Abrams,
Lindsey Weber and Bryan Burk
Consultant - Marc Orkland

Production Designer - Thomas E. Sanders
Production Designer: Additional Photography - Andrew Murdock
Concept Designers: Ships - Ryan Church and Tim Flattery
Senior Concept Designer/Visual Effects Art Director - Sean Hargreaves

Special Makeup Effects - Joel Harlow
Supervising Art Director - Don Macaulay

Costume Designer - Sanja Milkovic Hays

Creature Designer - Neville Page 
Director of Photography - Stephen F. Windon
Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator - Mike Gunther
Special Effects Supervisor - Cameron Waldbauer

Visual Effects Supervisors - Peter Chiang,
Viktor Muller, Sean Stranks and Geng Li
Additional Visual Effects Supervisor - Jim Gibbs
Animation Supervisor - Michael Lum

Film Editors - Greg D'Auria,
Dylan Highsmith, Kelly Matsumoto and
Steven Sprung
Music - Michael Giacchino

Review

2016 was such a big year of blockbusters that were released in theatres in a time where movie-goers expect the best quality since 2015. One of these movies was 'STAR TREK: BEYOND' and is celebrating the series origins where it all started with the vision of Gene Roddenberry to create one of the most iconic sci-fi television series in history. Yes, it was around that time where no TV show has aired before in over 79 episodes were shown. 'Doctor Who' may done it three years before as the first known television show in the genre. However, this is a much bigger sci-fi franchise as you can expect from any other series and twelve features and four television series were spun-off afterwards. I still believe that George Lucas's 'Star Wars' is a much better series as it is one of the best examples of science fiction. 

J.J. Abrams has moved on from being the director of the reboot series and has instead focused on his efforts in reinvigorating another well-known sci-fi series in the form of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'. It's still revising the timeline, but that doesn't stop Paramount from hiring Justin Lin of 'Fast & Furious' to direct its third and latest paragon. 'STAR TREK: BEYOND' doesn't recycle much of the material that was used in the originals to be on it again like 'Into Darkness'. The lens-flares are reduced and the story-line has much more of an adventurous tone. Probably because of Simon Pegg the actor who portrayed Scotty is one of the writers responsible for the plot. 

Idris Elba has been through roles of good guys and few villains like Shere Khan of 'The Jungle Book' remake. His compelling performance of Krall moves the plot along as he is the real menace with a grudge against the Federation. Sofia Boutella is likely the new star after her debut in 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' as a henchwoman as she portrays the resourceful alien with streak of independence Jaylah.

I liked how the movie is dedicated to not only Leonard Nimoy, but also Anton Yelchin whose role as Chekov would remain in the hearts of Trekkies. Overall, 'STAR TREK: BEYOND' is better than the last film when it's not under the J.J. Abrams' stewardship. It was the most anticipated feature of 2016 and one of the better Trek movies in recent history.

Star rating: (9/10) Excellent Movie 

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