Dunkirk Review

Dunkirk


Release Date: 20th July 2017 - Australia


Production Companies
Syncopy
Warner Bros. Pictures
Dombey Street Productions

Distribution
Roadshow Films


Genre: War

Rating: M

Runtime: 106 minutes


Budget: $150,000,000

Box Office Gross: $530,432,122 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary

In 1940, in the French port town of Dunkirk during World War II, four hundred thousand Allied soldiers from Britain, Belgium and France were trapped on the beach when German forces had them cut off and surrounded. While the enemy is closing in, the men must make their way into evacuation before all hope is lost.

Cast
Fionn Whitehead - Tommy
Tom Hardy - Farrier
Mark Rylance - Mr. Dawson
Kenneth Branagh - Commander Bolton
Harry Styles - Alex
James D'Arcy - Colonel Winnant

Tom Glynn-Carney - Peter

Jack Lowden - Collins

Aneurin Barnard - Gibson

Barry Keoghan - George
Cillian Murphy - Shivering
Solider

Matthew Marsh - Rear Admiral
John Nolan - Blind Man (Cameo)
Bill Milner - Lone Private

Will Attenborough - Second Lieutenant

Michael Caine - Fortis Leader (Voice) (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew
Writer/Producer/Director -
Christopher Nolan

Executive Producer - Jake
Myers

Associate Producer - Andy Thompson

Producer - Emma Thomas
Casting Directors - John
Papsidera and Toby Whale
Historical Consultant - Joshua Levine

Production Designer - Nathan Crowley

Supervising Art Director - Kevin Ishioka
Supervising Art Director: UK
Unit - Toby Britton
Supervising Set Decorator - Gary Fettis

Property Master - Andrew Petrotta

Costume Designer - Jeffrey
Kurland

Director of Photography - Hoyte Van Hoytema

Director of Photography: Aerial Unit -

Hans Bjerno

Supervising Location Manager - Ben Piltz

Location Managers: UK - Mandy Sharpe

and Paul Tomlinson

Unit Production Manager - David Witz

Unit Production Manager: UK - Chris Brock

First Assistant Director - Nilo Otero

Second Assistant Director - Eric Lasko

Third Assistant Director: UK - Toby Spanton

Stunt Coordinator - Tom Struthers

Aerial Coordinator - David Paris

Helicopter/Aerostar/Yak Pilot: Aerial Unit -

Craig Hosking

Marine Coordinator - Neil Andrea

Special Effects Supervisor - Paul Corbould

Special Effects Assistant Supervisor - Ian Corbould

Special Effects Workshop Supervisors: UK -

Tony Edwards and Jason Leinster

Visual Effects Supervisor - Andrew Jackson

Visual Effects Supervisor: Double Negative -

Andrew Lockley

Visual Effects Producer - Mike Chambers

Digital Effects Supervisor: Double Negative -

Tim McGovern

CG Supervisors: Double Negative -

Alexander Seaman, Alison Wortman

and Kedar Khot

Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Editor -

Richard King

Sound Mixer - Mark Weingarten

Sound Effects Recording Mixers -

Peter Albrechtsen, John P. Fasal,

Eilam Hoffman, Ken J. Johnson,

Max Lachmann, Mats Lundgren, Bernard Löhr

and Eric Potter

Re-Recording Mixers - Gregg Landaker

and Gary A. Rizzo

Foley Artists/Recordists (Uncredited) - 

Shelley Roden and John Roesch

Editor - Lee Smith

Associate Editor - John Lee
Music/Synth Programming - Hans Zimmer
Score Producer - Lorne Balfe

Composers: Additional Music -

Satnam Singh Ramgorta,

Andrew Kawczynski and Andy Page

Score Recordist - Geoff Foster

Score Mixer - Alan Meyerson

Sequencer Programming - Steve Mazzaro

Supervising Music Editor - Alex Gibson


Review

Director Chris Nolan was on the verge of losing his touch when two of his previous films, The Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar, divided audiences. However, these films still had positive responses compared to his earlier successes. Now, Nolan triumphs through the ongoing success of his latest film, DUNKIRK. It's a down-to-earth, suspenseful and melancholy war drama that accurately portrays the realism of the operation that has taken place in a small town in Europe during World War II. It's told from a few different perspectives, including civilians and young soldiers who were desperate to survive and be rescued from a war-torn land occupied by the Germans.

There have been several movies based on the same historical battle. Each one shared its same-titled location before Nolan was to have this depiction filmed in 2017. Similar to what Steven Spielberg had to offer in his well-made epic Saving Private Ryan, it deserves to be appreciated by veterans who might tell their grandchildren and great-grandchildren about their experiences in Dunkirk.

Seeing the newcomers Fionn Whitehead and Harry Styles from One Direction get together with veterans like Kenneth Branagh and Tom Hardy. They were performing most splendidly with the guidance of their director. The well-balanced cinematography was stunning and catered to scenes involving action, suspense and heartbreak. Hans Zimmer is again the composer for one of Nolan's compelling achievements, and he certainly hasn't changed the style of orchestration for which he is known.

Nolan's signature directing style is unmistakable, and DUNKIRK is no different, from deep psychological thrillers, caped-crusaders, magicians, exploring sub-consciousness, and travelling wormholes. It's now often considered one of Nolan's best movies. For those who may or may not be familiar with its history, I recommend seeing DUNKIRK in theatres before it hits the shelves.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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War for the Planet of the Apes Review

War for the Planet of the Apes

Release Date: 27th July 2017 - Australia

Production Companies

20th Century Fox

Chermin Entertainment

TSG Entertainment (in association with)

Distribution

20th Century Fox Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

 
Runtime: 140 minutes

Budget: $150,000,000

Box Office Gross: $490,719,763 (Worldwide) 

Plot Summary

Highly intelligent Caesar and his ape colony are engaged in a heated battle with power-hungry humans. At the loss of several apes, Caesar is enraged and vows to avenge his fallen primates. To do so, he knows he'll have to combat the leader of the humans, a merciless Colonel. 

Whichever way the battle goes, the fate of apes and the future of Planet Earth hang in the balance. (Source - Metro Cinemas)

Cast

The Apes

Andy Serkis - Caesar

Steve Zahn - Bad Ape

Karin Konoval - Maurice

Terry Notary - Rocket

Ty Olsson - Red

Michael Adamthwaite - Luca

Max Lloyd-Jones - Blue Eyes

Judy Greer - Cornelia

Toby Kebbell - Kopa 

Sara Canning - Lake

Devyn Dalton - Cornelius

Aleks Paunovic - Winter
Alessandro Juliani - Spear
Timothy Webber - Ape Elder

The Humans

Woody Harrelson - Colonel

Amiah Miller - Nova

Gabriel Chavarria - Preacher
Chad Rook - Boyle
Roger Cross - Captain
Mercedes de la Zerda - Lang
Doug Chapman - Alpha Omega Deserter
Shaun Omaid - Soldier Who Sees Ape
James Pizzinato - Captured Solider
Dean Redman - Commanding Officer

Crew

Writer/Director - Matt Reeves

Based on Novel and Suggested Concept
"La Planete des Singes" - Pierre Boulle (Uncredited)

Based on Characters/

Producers - Rick Jaffa and 

Amanda Silver

Writer/Executive Producer - Mark Bomback

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager - Mary McLaglen 

Executive Producer - Jenno Topping

Producers - Dylan Clark and Peter Chermin

Co-Producer/Visual Effects Producer - Ryan Stafford

Casting Director - Debra Zane

Production Designer - James Chinlund

Costume Designer - Melissa Bruning

Director of Photography - Michael Seresin

Second Unit Director - Bradley Parker
Stunt Coordinator/Movement Choreographer -
Terry Notary
Stunt Coordinator - John Stoneham Jr.
Stunt Coordinator/Horse Stunts - Danny Virtue

Special Effects Supervisors - Dan Cervin and
Joel Whilst

Senior Visual Effects Supervisor - Joe Letteri

Visual Effects Supervisors - Dan Lemmon,
Luke Millar and Erik Winquist

Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta Digital - Mark Gee
Visual Effects Producer - Ryan Stafford
Creative Visual Effects Art Director/Texture Supervisor -
Gino Acevedo

Animation Supervisors - Daniel Barrett,
Sidney Kombo, Dennis Yoo and Emile Ghorayeb
Models Supervisor: Weta Digital - Florian Fernandez

Film Editors - William Hoy and Stan Salfas

Music - Michael Giacchino

Review

The 'Apes' trilogy has come to a screeching halt with its recent third instalment of 'WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES'. Director Matt Reeves is among those crew members that have returned to conclude the extensive chapter of the apes' re-told origins. The story-line of the third instalment was bleaker, heartbreaking and more interesting than the first two. I am surprised how this instalment turned out good with a more brooding atmosphere and less human protagonists (sans one). It's supposed to show us the outcome of the warring conflict between the apes and the humans in their battle for inheritance. It's simply unexpected for the apes to win the fight for domination.

So much has changed for Andy Serkis being his last time in the mo-cap as the ape-leader Caesar, who is now more vengeful than ever and is struggling to face his inner demons. Steve Zahn was funny as the film's comic relief as Bad Ape whom becomes a great help to Caesar and the other apes in their cause. Woody Harrelson was a gentleman actor and was rather outstanding to portray a vicious military colonel who is just as bad as the other humans that were unpleasant, cruel, selfish and misguided. His character was very much an extremist only that he is trying to preserve humanity above ape. The music score by Michael Giacchino was absolutely vivid and breathtaking to listen too. The score hit the right cords to portray emotion in situations of torture and prison confinement.

'WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES' feels like an end to the characters and not the series itself, which could mean there may be a few more 'Apes' films in the future. It could possibly lead to a remake of the 1968 classic which is unlike the drastically altered version by Tim Burton. It's a fantastic movie that could never be forgotten by its fan-base and is a must-see on the big screen.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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The Great Wall Review

The Great Wall

Release Date: 16th February 2017 - Australia


Production Companies

Universal Pictures

Legendary East
Atlas Entertainment
China Film Group Co., Ltd. (in association with)
Kava Productions
Le Vision Pictures (in association with)
Legendary Entertainment

Fuji Television Network

Dentsu

Distribution

Universal Pictures Australia

Genre: Fantasy/Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 103 minutes

Budget: $150,000,000

Box Office Gross: $334,933,831 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

A mercenary warrior gets imprisoned within the Great Wall. He discovers the secret behind one of the greatest wonders of the world. As the massive structure began to be besieged by wave after wave of marauding beasts, his quest for fortune became a journey of heroism when he joined an enormous army of elite warriors to confront the unimaginable and seemingly indestructible force.

Cast

Matt Damon - William

Tian Jing - Commander Lin Mae

Willem Dafoe - Ballard

Andy Lau - Strategist Wang

Pedro Pascal - Tovar

Hanyu Zhang - General Shao

Lu Han - Peng Yong

Kenny Lin - Commander Chen

Eddie Peng - Commander Wu

Xuan Huang - Commander Teng

Ryan Zheng - Shen

Karry Wang - Emperor

Pilou Asbæk - Bouchard

Numan Acar - Najid

Johnny Cicco - Rizzetti

Vicky Yu - Lt. Xiao Yu

Bing Lu - Lin Mae's 2nd Lt. Li Qing

Crew

Director - Yimou Zhang

Story - Max Brooks, Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz

Screenplay - Carlo Bernard, Doug Miro and Tony Gilroy

Executive Producers - Alex Gartner, La Peikang, Jillian Share, E. Bennett Walsh and Zhao Zhang

Producers - Jon Jashni, Peter Loehr, Charles Roven and Thomas Tull

Co-Producers - Yong Er, Wang Zhang and Alex Hedlund

Co-Producer/Production Manager: Second Unit - Eric Hedayat

Casting Director - John Papsidera

Production Designer - John Myhre

On-Set Supervisor: Weta Workshop - Joe Dunkley

Design & Manufacturing Supervisor:

Weta Workshop - Richard Taylor

Workshop Supervisor: Weta Workshop -

Rob Gillies

Senior Supervising Art Director - Helen Jarvis

Supervising Art Directors - Huang Xinming

and Colin Gibson

Set Decorators - Gordon Sim and Yanbin Sun

Property Master - Simone Leclerc

Costume Designer - Mayes C. Rubeo

Makeup & Hair Designer - Paul Engelen

Directors of Photography - Stuart Dryburgh
and Xiaoding Zhao

Supervising Location Manager - William Doyle

Unit Production Manager - Kwame Parker

First Assistant Director - P.J. Voeten

Second Assistant Director - Scott Lovelock
Action Unit Director - George Marshall Ruge
Supervising Stunt Coordinator - Buster Reeves

Stunt Coordinator - Hua Yan
Stunt Co-Coordinator - Hiro Koda
Fight Coordinator - Vincent Wang
Special Effects Coordinator - Mark Koivu
Special Effects Consultant - Allen Hall

Visual Effects Supervisor - Phil Brennan

Visual Effects Supervisors: ILM - Samir Hoon

and Ben Snow

Associate Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Jeff Capogreco

Visual Effects Executive Producer: ILM - Jill Brooks

Animation Supervisor: ILM - Jance Rubinchik

Additional Supervisors: ILM - Jay Cooper,

Hayden Landis, David Nakabayashi and

David Weitzberg

Editors - Mary Jo Markey and Craig Wood

Supervising Sound Editor - Gwendolyn Yates Whittle

Sound Designer - Kyrsten Mate

Additional Sound Design - Gary Rydstrom

Re-Recording Mixers - Michael Semanick

and Beau Borders

Foley Artists - Jana Vance, Dennie Thorpe

and Geoff Vaughan

Music - Ramin Djawadi

Music Supervisors - Peter Afterman and

Margaret Yen

Review

An ambitious US/Asian co-production came crashing down due to its unpopularity and lost income at the box office. At first, THE GREAT WALL seemed to be a pleasant historical fantasy film with great action scenes and a bonafide star like Matt Damon. Unfortunately, the Chinese were too offended by its white-saviour plot in a setting for a famous landmark in China. While not the worst but certainly not the best movie ever made, THE GREAT WALL lacked the distinctive flair of an epic film. Some historical aspects were in THE GREAT WALL. The remainder was fantasy-based as its storyline was entirely fictional, and none were true to the Chinese legends. Many characters are flat and one-dimensional, caused by the writing and direction.

I don't blame Matt Damon for being in this big-budgeted misfire if it weren't for the filmmakers' decision to hire him in the first place. Instead, he is the centre of attention and nearly ends up getting his career killed by the movie. Willem Dafoe also takes a risk in being cast as a European stuck in the Great Wall for a long time.

Here is another big-screen disappointment you would have least expected. It'd be one of those recent movies that belong to obscurity. THE GREAT WALL is powerless against a silly plot and wooden characters. I consider this a mediocre film. It's not something I want to watch again.

Star rating: (4/10) Below Average

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