The Lion King (2019) Review

The Lion King

Release Date: 17th July 2019 - Australia

Production Companies

Walt Disney Pictures (presents)

Fairview Entertainment

Distribution

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia

Genre: Animation/Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 118 minutes

Budget: $260,000,000

Box Office Gross: $1,663,075,041 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

In the CGI and live-action retelling of the animated classic, Simba is a young lion who "just can't wait to be king." Unfortunately, his evil uncle Scar had other plans to ensure that Simba would not get in his way of taking the throne. He tricks his nephew into believing he caused his father's death and exiles him from his homeland.

Luckily, Simba has his life saved by a lovable meerkat and warthog duo named Timon and Pumbaa, who teach him to live their carefree lifestyle of "Hakuna Matata" and ignore his responsibilities. As Simba matures, much

to his surprise, his friend
Nala returns to convince
him that he must return
to the Pride Lands to face

Scar and take his place in

the "Circle of Life."

Voice Cast

JD McCrary - Young Simba

Donald Glover - Simba

Chiwetel Ejiofor - Scar

Beyoncé Knowles - Nala

Shahadi Wright Joseph -
Young Nala

Billy Eichner - Timon

Seth Rogen - Pumbaa

James Earl Jones - Mufasa

Alfre Woodard - Sarabi

John Oliver - Zazu

Florence Kasumba - Shenzi

Keegan Michael-Kay - Kamari

Eric Andre - Azizi

John Kani - Rafiki

Penny Johnson Jerald - Sarafina

Amy Sedaris - Guinea Fowl

Chance the Rapper - Bush
Baby

Josh McCrary - Elephant Shrew

Crew

Producer/Director - Jon
Favreau

Based on "The Lion King"

Screenplay - Irene Mecchi,

Jonathan Roberts and

Linda Woolverton

Screenplay - Jeff Nathanson

Associate Producer/First Assistant Director - David H. Venghaus Jr.

Executive Producers - Tom C. Peitzman, Thomas Schumacher and Julie Taymor

Producer - Karen Gilchrist

Producer/Unit Production Manager - Jeffrey Silver

Co-Producer - John Bartnicki

Casting Director - Sarah Finn

Production Designer - James Chinlund

Supervising Art Director - Vlad Bina

Head of Story - David Lowery

Director of Photography - Caleb Deschanel

Second Assistant Director - Kim Richards

Second Unit Director/Visual Effects Supervisor -
Robert Legato

Visual Effects Supervisor - Adam Valdez

Visual Effects Supervisor: MPC - Elliot Newman

Virtual Production Supervisor: Magnopus -

Ben Grossmann

Animation Supervisor - Andrew R. Jones

Animation Supervisors: MPC - Gabrielle Zucchelli

and Stephen Enticott

Film Editors - Adam Gerstel and Mark Livolsi

Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer/

Re-Recording Mixer - Christopher Boyes

Supervising Sound Editor - Frank E. Eulner

Re-Recording Mixer - Lora Hirschberg

Foley Artists - Ronni Brown and

Jana Vance

Original Songs - Elton John and Tim Rice

Songs Producer - Pharrell Williams

Music/Executive Music Producer -

Hans Zimmer

African Vocal and Choir Arrangements/

Music Consultant - Lebo M.

Consultant - Chris Montan

Score and US Choir Recordist and Mixer -

Alan Meyerson

Review

What began in 1994 was an animated blockbuster movie that became a big hit for Disney and drew in a large crowd. THE LION KING was one of Disney's top-grossing animated films, and most fans have considered it the crown jewel of this renaissance in animation. Since then, it's been one of my all-time favourite movies. It made more money at the box office, was re-released over the past two decades and was only out-grossed by Frozen in 2013. Then, in 2016, the unthinkable happened. An official announcement that Disney is producing a remake of THE LION KING and that Jon Favreau will direct the new version. I wasn't happy that the studio decided to cash in by retelling the original Disney classic. The closest anyone has got to a version was THE LION KING stage production. Alas, my fears of this new iteration coming into existence are confirmed. The recent version came out in 2019. It has since received mixed reviews, which shows that I'm not the only one who thinks Disney messed up.

The remake is distasteful and less meaningful. It lacked the energy, the impact and the heartfelt connection that made the original film special. The remake fixes some problems within the storyline from the 1994 classic, albeit with slight differences. These changes don't add to the film. I compliment the visual look of the feature with the animals animated in photo-realism. Yet, there aren't subtle facial expressions on these characters, which might explain the lack of emotion. I understood that Favreau wanted the new film to look naturalistic in all its visuals but went too far with the excessive focus on the current animation technology. He previously used this in his remake of The Jungle Book.

I liked how they brought back James Earl Jones to do the voice of Mufasa, yet I'm disappointed they didn't get Jeremy Irons and Whoopi Goldberg back as Scar and Shenzi. Somehow, his performance lacks energy compared to the original, where he has previously acted. Maybe it's due to old age. Donald Glover was fantastic as the voice of Simba. Chiwetel Ejiofor was nowhere near as menacing as Jeremy Irons' version of Scar. However, Ejiofor's take on the villainous character was more of his own and is less charismatic than the one brilliantly conceived by the English actor. Though, Beyoncé did okay with her singing. Unfortunately, there is a lack of energy and line delivery in her performance as Nala. Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen were fun as Timon and Pumbaa, the lovable meerkat/warthog duo and weren't bad at their singing either. Finally, John Oliver voices Zazu, and his necessary eloquent nature refined this character.

The music team from the 1994 classic of Elton John and Hans Zimmer have returned to rewrite the songs and score they previously composed for the original with some alterations. One change that made me uncomfortable was that the song "Be Prepared" was shortened. Added to the remake are three songs, including two new ones, "Spirit" and "It's Never Too Late". The addition of these two songs isn't necessarily bad.

Generally speaking, the modern retelling of THE LION KING failed to exceed my expectations. While it differs from the original and the stage show, there are some entertaining parts.

Star rating: (4/10) Below Average

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In Memory of Rutger Hauer (1944-2019)

Rutger Hauer (1944-2019)

Dutch-born actor Rutger Hauer died from a short illness on July 19th, 2019, at 75. Hauer was famous for his role as the rogue replicant Roy Batty in Ridley Scott's sci-fi cult classic "Blade Runner" opposite Harrison Ford. He came up with the closing monologue said by Hauer's character Roy as he talks to Ford's Rick Deckard about the things he has seen, and it was a memorable scene in the iconic movie.

Before his fame in "Blade Runner", Hauer starred in a Dutch television series "Floris" in 1969. Years later, the actor began his career when during the 1970s, he worked with Paul Verhoeven in films like "Turkish Delight" and "Soldiers of Fortune". Hauer would not get his Hollywood debut until he starred with Sylvester Stallone in "Nighthawks" in 1981. In addition to "Blade Runner", Hauer had other roles in numerous features, including "Flesh + Blood", "Ladyhawke", "Blind Fury", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind", "Batman Begins", "Sin City", "The Rite", "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" and "The Sisters Brothers". Hauer had even appeared on television in shows like "Smallville", "Merlin", "Alias", "Galavant", and "True Blood".

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The Reef Review

The Reef


Release Date: 19th June 2008 - Australia (DVD) 


Production Companies
Wonderworld Studios

Digi Art
Silver Nitrate
Sovik Fund
FX Digital

Distribution
Roadshow Distribution


Genre: Animation/Family

Rating: G

Runtime: 77 minutes


Budget: $10,000,000

Box Office Gross: $13,662,815
(Worldwide) 


Plot Summary
When Pi, an ordinary fish from Boston, arrives at the exotic reef to live with his Aunt Pearl, he meets and fells for Cordelia, the fish of his dreams.

The problem is that Troy, the meanest shark in the ocean, not only keeps the reef community in constant fear of becoming shark bait, but also has his eye on Cordelia, and 

doesn't want any competition.

Now, Pi must band together with his new group of friends in order to outwit Troy and his henchmen, save the reef and win the heart of Cordelia.


Voice Cast
Freddie Prinze Jr. - Pi
Evan Rachel Wood - Cordelia
Donal Logue - Troy
Andy Dick - Dylan
Fran Drescher - Pearl
Rob Schneider - Nerissa/

Various
John Rhys-Davies - Thornton
R. Lee Emery - Jack
Richard Epcar - Moe
Mel Rodriguez - Manny
David Fickas - Max
Jimmy Bennett - Young Pi
Trent Ford - Percy
Dylan Cash - Young Percy
Megahn Perry - Meg
Lena Gleen - Buddy
Joel Michaely - Lou
Bruno Alexander - Pike
Reedy Gibbs - Piper

Crew
Directors - Kyung Ho Lee, John Fox and Howard Baker
Story - Anurag Mehta
Story/Additional Writing/Co-Producer - Timothy Wayne Peternel
Screenplay - Scott Clevenger
Additional Writing - Chris Denk
Executive Producers - Hyuk Shim, Alex J. Yoo and Sunoip Shah
Producers - Ash Shah, Mark A.Z. Dippe and Youngki Lee
Co-Producers - David Hillary
and Joshua S.H. Sohn
Casting Director - Shannon Makhanian
Voice Director - Richard Epcar
Production Designer - Deane Taylor
Additional Production Designers - Owen Paterson
and Naomi Shohan
Animation Director - Mark Donald
Animation Supervisor - Ken Duncan
Additional Animation Supervisor - Adam Wood
Supervising Animator - Kevin Lombardi
Lighting Supervisor - Keun Yup Lee 
Cinematography - Jan Carlee,
Jericca Cleland and Andy Wang
Editors - John Damien Ryan and
Tom Sanders
Music - Christopher Lennertz


Review
The animated movie 'THE REEF' (known as 'Shark Bait' in the US) is a total knock-off of 'Finding Nemo' and to a lesser extent 'Shark Tale'. Just how is it a rip-off? Well, it shares the same underwater setting where the main character is a fish. This character's name is Pi, who lost his parents to fishing and he's now being raised by his aunt Pearl. This seems very much like our friend Nemo who left temporarily orphaned when he is scooped up by a diver and ends up in a dentist's aquarium. There he is helped out by an odd collection of characters who stand in for his parents. In 'THE REEF', the shark is an antagonist. Well, it's true there was no shark antagonist in 'Finding Nemo', but remember the character Don Lino in 'Shark Tale' who refused to accept his son's vegetarianism? Now in 'THE REEF', we have a bully shark named Troy who has a unhealthy obsession with a fish named Cordelia and who likes to torment those poor fish who he considers insignificant. Compare this to Frankie from 'Shark Tale' who likes to bully his younger brother. 

Unlike how the characters are the same, 'THE REEF' tries to be more like 'The Karate Kid' but with fish. Just like Danny LaRusso and Mister Miyagi, Pi and the wise turtle Narissa work together to help Pi defeat the shark and win the heart of Cordelia. Whilst not immediately taken from 'Finding Nemo' or 'Shark Tale', it is still a direct reference to a well-known movie. Unfortunately, the animation is second-rate, the visuals are out of date and the puns like "sharking" are atrocious. The film is not helped it all by the voice acting with players such as Freddie Prinze, Jr, Andy Dick, Fran Drescher, Rob Schneider, John Rhys-Davies, R. Lee Emery and Evan Rachel Wood.

'THE REEF' should definitely be let off the hook. It’s better for you not to sit through this one because the movie contains toilet humour, bad voice acting, a terrible plot and subpar animation. It is suggested for young kids who may be able to watch this horrendous B-grade animated feature.

Star rating: (2/10) Bad Movie

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Spider-Man: Far From Home Review

Spider-Man: Far from Home

Release Date: 1st July 2019 - Australia

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures (presents)

Marvel Studios

Pascal Pictures

Studio D

Distribution

Sony Pictures Australia

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 129 minutes

Budget: $160,000,000

Box Office Gross: $1,131,927,996 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Eager to have some fun and put his responsibilities behind him, Peter Parker has decided to leave his Spider-Man suit behind when he goes on a school excursion with his friends and classmates, including MJ, Ned, Betty and Flash.

However, mysterious forces called The Elementals have begun attacking the cities of Europe; Peter has a meeting with Nick Fury and Happy Hogan, who have information that his friends are in trouble and that he has an errand to do. They give Peter a new suit. Not only does it protect him, but it also protects Spider-Man from his friends.

Cast

Tom Holland - Peter Parker/
Spider-Man

Jake Gyllenhaal - Quentin
Beck/Mysterio

Samuel L. Jackson - Nick Fury

Jon Favreau - Happy Hogan

Jacob Batalon - Ned Leeds

Zendaya - MJ

Angourie Rice - Betty

Tony Revolori  - Flash Thompson

Marisa Tomei - May Parker

Cobie Smulders - Maria Hill

J.K. Simmons - J. Jonah Jameson (Cameo)

Remy Hii - Brad Davis

Martin Starr - Mr. Harrington

Numan Acar - Dimitri

Michael Mando - Max Gargan

J.B. Smoove - Mr. Dell

Jorge Lendeborg Jr. - Jason Ionello

Peter Billingsley - William Ginger Riva

Claire Dunne - Victoria

Nicholas Gleaves - Guterman

Claire Rushbrook - Janice

Hemky Medara - Mr. Delmar

Dawn Michelle King - E.D.I.T.H.

Zach Barack - Zach

Zoha Rahman - Zoha

Yasmin Mwanza - Yasmin

Joshua Sinclair Evans - Josh

Sebastian Viveros - Sebastian

Toni Garrn - The Seamstress

Pat Kiernan - Himself (Cameo)

Ben Mendelssohn - Talos (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Sharon Blynn - Soren (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew

Director - Jon Watts

Based on the Marvel Comic Book/Executive Producer - Stan Lee

Based on the Marvel Comic Book - Steve Ditko

Writers - Chris McKenna

and Erik Sommers

Executive Producers - Victoria Alonso, Avi Arad, Eric Hauserman Carroll, Rachel O'Connor, Louis D'Esposito and Matt Tolmach

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager - Thomas M. Hammel

Producers - Amy Pascal and Kevin Feige

Casting Director - Sarah Finn

Casting: UK - Jina Jay

Production Designer - Claude Paré

Head of Visual Development - Ryan Meinerding

Visual Development Concept Illustrators -

Anthony Francisco, Rodney Fuentebella,

Jerad Marantz, Josh Nizzi and Jackson Sze

Supervising Art Director - Grant Armstrong

Set Decorator - Tina Jones

Set Decorator: Los Angeles Unit,

Additional Photography - Lauri Gaffin

Property Master: Los Angeles Unit,

Additional Photography - Brad Einhorn

Costume Designer - Anna B. Sheppard

Associate Costume Designer - Michael Mooney

Costume Supervisors - Daryl Bristow

and Graeme Churchyard

Makeup Department Head - Peter Swords King

Director of Photography - Matthew J. Lloyd

Director of Photography: Los Angeles Unit,

Additional Photography - Larkin Sieple

Supervising Location Manager - David Pinnington

Location Managers - Lee Robertson,

Richard Hill, Andrew Ryland, Jojo Warne,

David Seaton, Eleri Coulten and Matthew Clarke

Location Manager: Los Angeles Unit,

Additional Photography - James Lin

Unit Production Manager: Los Angeles Unit,

Additional Photography - Joann Perritano

First Assistant Directors - Josh Robertson

and Douglas Plasse

First Assistant Director: Los Angeles Unit,

Additional Photography - Jeff Okabayashi

Second Assistant Directors - Tom Brewster,

Danni Lizaitis and Annie Hitchcock

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -

George Cottle

Fight Coordinator - Marlow Warrington-Mattei

Special Effects Supervisor - Andy Williams

Special Effects Supervisor: Los Angeles Unit,

Additional Photography - Roy K. Cancino

Visual Effects Supervisor - Janek Sirrs

Visual Effects Supervisor: SPI - Theodore Bialek

Visual Effects Supervisors: Luma Pictures -

Kevin Souls and Brendan Seals

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Julian Foddy

Visual Effects Supervisor: Framestore -

Alexis Wajsbrot

Additional Visual Effects Supervisors -

Marc Dominic Rienzo and Jesse James Chisholm

Visual Effects Producer - Cyndi Ochs

Senior Visual Effects Producer: SPI - Julie M. Groll

Visual Effects Producers: Framestore -

Caitlin Thomas and Annette Wullems

Animation Supervisor: SPI - Richard Smith

Animation Supervisor: Luma Pictures -

Raphael A. Pimentel

Animation Supervisors: Framestore - Kayn Garcia

and Nathan McConnell

Editors - Leigh Folsom Boyd and

Dan Lebantal

Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer -

Steven Ticknor

Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer/

Re-Recording Mixer - Tony Lamberti

Sound Designers - Andy Sisul and

Chris Diebold

Production Mixer - Chris Munro

Sound Mixers: Los Angeles Unit, Additional

Photography - Lee Orloff and Ed Novick

Re-Recording Mixer - Kevin O'Connell

Foley Artists - Gary A. Hecker and

Rick Owens

Music - Michael Giacchino

Music Supervisor - Dave Jordan

Review

Two months after the release of Avengers: Endgame proves to be a big nail in the coffin for the Infinity Saga. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is near the end of its third phase and is back to standalone movies with SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME. It is the first film to come out of the era of post-Endgame. The movie is more action-oriented than its predecessor, Homecoming. While not as much fun to watch as suggested by a few viewers, FAR FROM HOME provides a seemingly impossible, mind-blowing continuation for everyone, especially those who have never experienced any form of illusion.

The movie even presents some teen romance involving Peter and MJ, which is one of the integral parts of the film. A new addition to the film's star-studded cast is Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio, hence the mystery of a character with strange mystical powers. Gyllenhaal is well-suited for the role of Mysterio, who was one of Spider-Man's many arch-nemeses in the comics. In the film, he appears to be a hero who helps Spider-Man when he is deceptive. Zendaya portrays Peter's love interest, MJ, even though this female character has little resemblance to the MJ that I remember from the animated cartoon and Sam Raimi's originals.

FAR FROM HOME is a refreshing return to the old standalone approach of the MCU, which does the character justice. It remains an outstanding follow-up to Homecoming that the fans want to see.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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The Secret Life of Pets 2 Review

The Secret Life of Pets 2

Release Date: 20th June 2019 - Australia 

Production Companies 

Universal Pictures 

Illumination 

Distribution 

Universal Pictures Australia 

Genre: Animation/Family 

Rating: PG

Runtime: 86 minutes 

Budget: $80,000,000

Box Office Gross: $430,051,293 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary
Max the terrier must cope with some major life changes when his owner gets married and has a baby. When the family takes a trip to the countryside, nervous Max has numerous run-ins with canine-intolerant cows, hostile foxes and a scary turkey. Luckily for Max, he soon catches a break when he meets Rooster, a gruff farm dog who tries to cure the lovable pooch of his 
neuroses.
 

Voice Cast

Patton Oswalt - Max

Eric Stonestreet - Duke

Jenny Slate - Gidget

Kevin Hart - Snowball

Tiffany Haddish - Daisy

Harrison Ford - Rooster

Dana Carvey - Pops

Nick Kroll - Sergei

Lake Bell - Chloe

Ellie Kemper - Katie

Pete Holmes - Chuck
Hannibal Buress - Buddy 

Bobby Moynihan - Mel
Tara Strong - Sweetpea
Henry Lynch - Liam
Meredith Salenger - Cat Lady
Michael Beattie - Lead Wolf/Skinny Cat
Sean Giambrone - Cotton
Kiely Renuad - Molly
Chris Renaud - Norman/Additional Voices

Crew

Director - Chris Renaud
Co-Director - Jonathan del Val
Writer - Brian Lynch
Executive Producer - Brett Hoffman
Producers - Janet Healy and Christopher Meledandri
Co-Producer - Christelle Balcon
Production Designer - Colin Stimpson
Character Designers - Eric Guillon and 

Daniel Fernandez Casas

Head of Story - Eric Favela
Animation Director - Patrick Delage
Editor - Tiffany Hillkurtz
Music - Alexandre Desplat

Review 

Continuing their tradition of animated features, Illumination has produced 'THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2' as a follow-up to the original 'Secret Life of Pets'. The sequel was a mild improvement on its predecessor which I believe heavily borrows aspects of 'Toy Story'. This sequel feels new because it has some new tricks added while the original had none. For example, it cleverly weaves three different plots into the one story-line.

What made me interested in 'Pets 2' is the fact that Harrison Ford does one of the voices in the movie. Part of me wanted to hear him in animation because of his legendary status. Ford voices an old farm dog named Rooster who mentors one of the main characters Max as he teaches him how to let go of his fears. Rooster's methods seemed brutal but proved effective.

While the ending was a bit far-fetched, 'THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2' remains a colourful, yet endearing and impacting feature.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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Yesterday Review

Yesterday


Release Date: 27th June 2019 - Australia


Production Companies
Decibel Films

Dentsu (presented in association with)

Etalon Film

Perfect World Pictures (in association with)
Working Title Films

Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia


Genre: Comedy

Rating: M

Runtime: 116 minutes


Budget: $26,000,000

Box Office Gross: $154,608,507 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary

Jack Malik is a struggling songwriter and musician who gets hit by a bus in a massive blackout. He wakes up in a world that he soon finds

that it has no memory or

existence of the Beatles.

Jack begins to play their

music in public and takes

credit for them. He gains

popularity and becomes

instantly famous. However, as Jack has become a huge sensation, he soon finds that he is losing the only woman who has ever believed in him in his whole life.

Cast
Himesh Patel - Jack Malik
Lily James - Ellie Appleton
Sophia Di Martino - Carol
Ellise Chappell - Lucy
Meera Syal - Shelia Malik
Harry Michell - Nick
Vincent Franklin - Brian
Joel Fry - Rocky
Michael Kiwanuka - Himself
Karma Sood - Young Jack
Gus Brown - Marcus the Dentist
Sanjeev Bhaskar - Jed Malik
Karl Theobald - Terry
Alexander Arnold - Gavin
Ed Sheeran - Himself
Maryana Spivak - Alexa (Russian Stage

Manager)
Justin Edwards - Leo (Russian Stranger)
Kate McKinnon - Debra Hammer
Javon Prince - Hans (Music Producer)
Camilla Rutherford - Hilary
Sarah Lancashire - Liz (Liverpool Stranger)
Jaimie Kollner - Young Ellie
Ana de Armas - Roxanne
James Corden - Himself (Cameo)
Elizabeth Berrington - Hazel

Robert Carlyle - John Lennon (Uncredited)

Crew
Producer/Director - Danny Boyle
Story/Screenplay/Producer - Richard Curtis
Story - Jack Barth
Executive Producers - Nick Angel,
Lee Brazier and Liza Chasin
Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Bernard Bellew
Producers - Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner
and Matthew James Wilkinson
Production Designer - Patrick Rolfe

Supervising Art Director - James Wakefield

Set Decorator - Catherine Cosgrove
Costume Designer - Liza Bracey

Makeup and Hair Designer - Ivana Primorac

Prosthetics Designer - Mark Coulier
Director of Photography - Christopher Ross

Stunt Coordinator: U.K. - Julian Spencer
Stunt Coordinator: L.A. - Steven John Brown

Special Effects Supervisor - Neal Champion
Editor - Jon Harris

Supervising Sound Designer - Glenn Freemantle

Sound Design Editor - Ben Barker

Sound Design Editor/Re-Recording

Mixer - Niv Adiri

Production Sound Mixer - Simon Hayes

Re-Recording Mixer - Brendan Nicholson

Foley Artists - Peter Burgis

and Zoe Freed

Foley Mixers - Glen Gathard and

Jemma Riley-Yolch

Score/Music Producer - Daniel Pemberton

Review

You're probably wondering why a movie like YESTERDAY has a bizarre concept of a world where The Beatles do not exist, with only one person who remembers their music. Hypothetically speaking, the idea seems absurd for a movie that shares the same title as the song written and performed by a famous band. Given their influence on such artists as ELO and Oasis, I admire what the filmmakers suggested with the premise that a world without The Beatles couldn't exist. YESTERDAY is a gentle romantic comedy that appears as a fitting tribute to the Fab Four while showing the absurdity of a Beatles-free world. A few aspects of the film's storyline got me bothered and confused. For example, did our hero, Jack, experience this alternative reality, or was it just a coma-induced dream? I won't give away what ensues, but it did leave me wondering.

The lead actor, Himesh Patel, was ideal for the underdog struggling musician who, while enjoying fame, battles with his conscience. Kate McKimmon portrays a satirical take on a power-hungry manager, providing extra comedy to the film. Though I have never been a fan of Ed Sheeran and his music, he almost steals the show with his willingness to have humour at his expense.

The musical sequences were gratifying whether you are a Beatles fan from way back or a newbie first exposed to their timeless classics. The film's subplot contains romantic tension between Jack and his loyal friend and manager, Ellie. It results from the question of will-they-or-won't-they end up together?

It is far from the best movie I've ever seen, but I consider YESTERDAY a decent film. If you are a longtime fan of John, George, Paul and Ringo, you'll love it!

Star rating: (6/10) Fair Movie

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Toy Story 4 Review

Toy Story 4

Release Date: 20th June 2019 - Australia

Production Companies

Walt Disney Pictures (presents)

Pixar Animation Studios

Distribution

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia

Genre: Animation/Family/

Adventure/Comedy

Rating: G

Runtime: 100 minutes

Budget: $200,000,000

Box Office Gross: $1,073,841,394 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary
Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the gang set off on a road trip with Bonnie and a new toy called Forky. When Woody's quick detour leads him to his long-lost friend Bo Peep, the adventurous journey is transformed into an unexpected reunion. As Woody and Bo reminisce about the old days, they soon discover they're worlds apart in knowing what they want when it comes to being a toy.

Voice Cast

Tom Hanks - Woody

Tim Allen - Buzz Lightyear

Annie Potts - Bo Peep

Tony Hale - Forky

Christina Hendricks - Gabby

Keegan-Michael Kay - Ducky

Jordan Peele - Bunny

Joan Cusack - Jessie

Don Rickles - Mr. Potato Head

Estelle Harris - Mrs. Potato Head

John Ratzenberger - Hamm

Wallace Shawn - Rex

Blake Clark - Slinky Dog

Jeff Pidgeon - Squeeze Toy Aliens

Kristen Schaal - Trixie

Emily Davis - Billy, Goat & Gruff

Bonnie Hunt - Dolly

Timothy Dalton - Mr. Pricklepants

Jeff Garlin - Buttercup

Madeline McGraw - Bonnie

Lori Alan - Julia Anderson

Keanu Reeves - Duke Caboom

John Morris - Andy

Jack McGraw - Young Andy

Laurie Metcalf - Andy's Mom

Patricia Arquette - Harmony's Mom

Jay Hernandez - Bonnie's Dad

Betty White - Bitey White

Steve Purcell - The Dummies

Mel Brooks - Melephant Brooks

Ally Maki - Giggle McDimples

Carl Weathers - Combat Carl

Carl Reiner - Carl Reineroceros

June Squibb - Margaret the Store Owner

Carol Burnett - Chariol Burnett

Lila Sage Bromley - Harmony

Juliana Hansen - Miss Wendy

Alan Oppenheimer - Old Timer

Bill Hader - Axel the Carbine

Flea - Caboom TV Announcer

Melissa Villasenor - Karen Beverly

Maliah Bargas-Good - Lost Girl

Crew

Original Story/Additional Screenplay

Material/Director - Josh Cooley

Original Story/Screenplay/
Executive Producer - Andrew Stanton

Original Story/Screenplay - Stephany Folsom

Original Story - John Lasseter,
Rashida Jones, Will Cormack and
Martin Hymes

Original Story/Story Supervisor - Valerie LaPointe

Executive Producer - Pete Docter
Executive Producer/Additional Editor -

Lee Unkrich

Producers - Mark Nielsen, Jonas Rivera

and Galyn Susman

Development Producers - Denise Ream

and Katherine Sarafian

Story Consultant - Mark Andrews

Production Designer - Bob Pauley

Character Art Director - Albert Lozano

Sets Art Director - Daniel Holland

Shading Art Director - Laura Phillips

Graphics Art Director - Craig Foster

Lighting Art Director - John Lee

Character Designers - Grant Alexander,

Daniel Arriaga, Jason Deamer, Tom Gately,

Mara MacMahon, Deanna Marsigliese

and Qian Celine You

Sculptor - Jerome Ranft

Shading Designers - Bert Berry,

Chia-Han Jennifer Chang, Maria Lee

and Bill Zahn

Director of Photography - Patrick Lin

Director of Photography/Visual Development -

Jean-Claude Kalache

Simulation Supervisor - Henry Dean Garcia

Lighting Supervisor - Jesse Hollander

Supervising Animators - Scott Clark and
Robert H. Russ

Directing Animators - Aaron J. Hartline,

Patty Kihm and Becki Rocha Tower

Character Supervisor - Sajan Skaria

Sets Supervisors - Thomas Jordan

and Steve Karski

Supervising Technical Director - Bob Moyer

Technology & Pipeline Supervisor - William Reeves

Effects Supervisor - Gary Bruins

Rendering Supervisor - Ariela Nurko Fedorov

Film Editor - Alex Geddes

Second Film Editors - Torbin Xan Bullock

and Greg Snyder

Additional Editing - Gregory Amundsen,

Steve Bloom and David Suther

Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Editor -

Ren Klyce

Supervising Sound Editor - Coya Elliott

Re-Recording Mixers - Nathan Nave and

Michael Semanick

Dialogue/ADR Supervisor - Cheryl Nardi

Foley Artists - Shelley Roden

and John Roesch

Music - Randy Newman

Review

If you thought the Toy Story series had officially ended nine years ago with the third instalment (click here), you would be surprised to see the fourth movie in theatres. Several people were sceptical about TOY STORY 4 as they believed this new instalment should never have existed if the film series was supposed to stay in its conclusion. However, TOY STORY 4 is a new addition that draws you into the seemingly heartfelt conclusion of Woody and Buzz's adventures together. They are on a road trip with a new friend who takes them on an important journey. The film is sad, hilarious and heartwarming, with a dozen new supporting characters. For example, we have Forky, a newly made toy made of discarded material, and Ducky and Bunny, the latter two, were the definite highlights of this movie and voiced by the comic duo Keegan-Michael Kay and Jordan Peele. Finally, Duke Caboom, a daredevil toy unexpectedly voiced by Keanu Reeves.

I never knew that Reeves could prove himself in voice acting by having fun with his performance. He was already a prolific actor in Point Blank and Speed and other film series like Bill & Ted, The Matrix and John Wick. However, TOY STORY 4 shows that he is just as capable of an entertaining performance as a voice-over artist. Annie Potts returns as Bo Peep in the fourth movie after the character is absent in the last sequel. Several scary scenes may frighten little kids, courtesy of the main villain, Gabby Gabby and her ventriloquist doll minions.

Young and old viewers can relate to the toy characters who feel forgotten, lost and discarded. These themes were already relevant in the originals. The animation is spectacular, typical of every Pixar animated feature with the look of its innovations.

TOY STORY 4 isn't quite a legitimate send-off of the franchise, as fans had promised after watching the previous instalments on this special occasion. The film should captivate a new generation by meeting the characters for the first time. If you're sceptical about TOY STORY 4, this critique might change your mind. I highly recommend seeing the film as it does take you back to your childhood.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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