No Time to Die Review

No Time to Die

Release Date: 11th November 2021 - Australia

Production Companies

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (copyright holder)

Universal Pictures (copyright holder)

Eon Productions (presents)

B25

Danjaq (copyright holder)

Distribution

Universal Pictures Australia 

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 163 minutes 

Budget: $301,000,000

Box Office Gross: $774,153,007 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Having retired from active service as a secret agent, James Bond is now

enjoying a life of serenity

in Jamaica. However, he

is called out of retirement

when his old contact from

the CIA, Felix Leiter, turns

up and asks for his help,

and M also wants to thrust

007 back into his new

assignment. Bond even

encounters a new 00

called Nomi, who has

replaced him as the top

agent and learns she is not

impressed by his previous

accomplishments.

Bond's new mission is to

rescue a captured

scientist who turns out to

be far more treacherous

than expected, which

leads him to go after

a mysterious villain behind

the plot called Safin with dangerous new technology.

Cast

Daniel Craig - James Bond

Léa Seydoux - Madeleine Swann

Rami Malek - Lyutsifer Safin

Lashana Lynch - Nomi

Ralph Fiennes - M

Ben Whishaw - Q

Naomie Harris - Miss Moneypenny

Rory Kinnear - Bill Tanner

Jeffrey Wright - Felix Leiter

Billy Magnussen - Logan Ash

Christoph Waltz - Ernst

Stavro Blofeld

David Dencik - Valdo Obruchev

Ana De Armas - Paloma

Dali Benssalah - Primo (Cyclops)

Lisa-Dorah Sonnet - Mathilde

Coline Defaud - Young Madeleine

Mathilde Bourbin - Madeleine's Mother

Hugh Dennis - Dr. Hardy

Priyanga Burford - Dr. Symes

Amy Morgan - Alison Smith

Lizzie Winkler - Sarah Jones

Brigitte Millar - Vogel

Hayden Phillips - Sir

Sebastian D'ath

Michael G. Wilson - Officer

at Spectre Party (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew

Story/Screenplay/Director - Cary Joji Fukunaga

Based on Characters - Ian Fleming

Story/Screenplay - Neal Purvis and Robert Wade

Screenplay - Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Associate Producer - Gregg Wilson

Executive Producer - Chris Brigham

Producers - Michael G. Wilson

and Barbara Broccoli

Co-Producers - Daniel Craig,

Andrew Noakes and David Pope

Casting Directors - Debbie &

Jemima McWilliams

Production Designer - Mark Tildesley

Supervising Art Director - Chris Lowe

Senior Art Director - Mark Harris

Art Directors - Andrew Bennett,

Neal Callow, Dean Clegg, Sandra Phillips

and Mark Scruton

Set Decorator - Véronique Melery

Property Master - Ben Wilkinson

Costume Designer - Suttriat Anne Larlarb

Hair and Makeup Designer - Daniel Phillips

Prosthetics Makeup Designer - Barrie Gower

Director of Photography - Linus Sandgren

Camera Operators - Jason Ewart,

Ossie McLean, Oliver Loncrane,

Clive Jackson, Gary Spratling,

Tim Wooster and Chris Plevin

Supervising Location Manager - Ben Piltz

Location Production Managers - Matt Jones

and Martin Joy

Location Managers - Rob Campbell-Bell,

Charlie Hayes, Duncan Broadfoot,

Matthew Clarke, Mandy Sharpe and Liam Irving

Location Managers: Italy - Fabio Ferrante,

Simona Scianimanico, Vincenzo Testa and

Elisabetta Tomasso

Unit Location Managers - Jason W. Nightingale,

Ben Firminger and Charlie Simpson

Unit Production Managers - Katherine Tibbetts

and Chris Brock

Production Manager: Scotland - Mally Chung

First Assistant Director - Jon Mallard

Key Second Assistant Director - Matthew Sharp

Second Unit Director/Director of

Photography - Alexander Witt

Marine Coordinator: Jamiaca - Daniel F. Malone

Diving Coordinator - Dave Shaw

Supervising Stunt Coordinator - Olivier Schneider

Stunt Coordinator - Lee Morrison

and Petr Rychly

Stunt Coordinators: Second Unit - Yves Girard

and Boris Martinez

Fight Coordinator - Patrick Vo

Fight Arranger - Grégory Loffredo

Action Vehicle Supervisor - Neil Layton

Special Effects Supervisor - Chris Corbould

Special Effects Floor Supervisors -

Ian Lowe and John Van Der Pool

Visual Effects Supervisor - Charlie Noble

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Mark Bakowski

Visual Effects Supervisor: Framestore -

Jonathan Fawkner

Visual Effects Supervisor: DNEG - Joel Green

Visual Effects Producer - Anna V. James

Computer Graphics Supervisor: BLIND

LTD - Andrew Booth

Compositing Supervisor: Lola Visual

Effects - Edson Williams

Film Editors - Tom Cross and Elliot Graham

Supervising Sound Editor - Oliver Tarney

Co-Supervising Sound Editor - James Harrison

Sound Designers - Michael Fentum,

Bryan Bowen and Elias Hoffman

Re-Recording Mixer - Paul Massey

Re-Recording Mixer/Sound Effects Editor -

Mark Taylor

Main Titles Designer - Daniel Kleinman

Music - Hans Zimmer

Score Producer/Additional Music - Steve Mazzaro

Conductor/Arranger: Title Song/Score

Conductor - Matt Dunkley

Writer/Singer: Title Song - Billie Eilish

Music: Title Song - Finneas O'Connell

Music Supervisor - Randall Poster

Ambient Music Designer - Mel Wesson

Supervising Music Editor - Christopher Bernstead

Review

Since April 2020, I have waited for the new James Bond movie NO TIME TO DIE to land in theatres as everyone gets vaccinated for COVID-19. Now the wait is over, and we finally experience the conclusion of Daniel Craig's tenure as Bond after having played the character for 15 years. This film is a fitting end to the actor's portrayal of the iconic British secret agent we have been hoping for, unlike a few that are not so great for Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan (though Timothy Dalton's Licence to Kill comes close in second).

NO TIME TO DIE is a definite improvement on Spectre, which has a lot of issues with the plot and characterisation. It doesn't suffer the same problems as its predecessor but maintains the status quo of Bond that you least expect. This feature has a lot of callbacks from previous Bond flicks, including those from On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Daniel Craig has all he has to give proper closure for his character, especially since he is at the end of his era in Bond. Still, he's fantastic. While the rest of the cast calls their shots, Rami Malek has had the opportunity to play a Bond villain far more terrifying than Blofeld or Raoul Silva called Safin, who plans to unleash a bio-weapon on the unsuspecting world. I didn't think that Léa Seydoux would return as a Bond girl. I remember the same thing that almost happened to Olga Kurylenko's character in Quantum of Solace, which would return in Skyfall but never did. Hans Zimmer becomes the new composer for Bond and does a terrific score in NO TIME TO DIE.

I had no idea that NO TIME TO DIE would be shocking to end Craig's interpretation, and I believe the series would reboot again with a new actor taking a new edge of James Bond, whether it's Tom Hardy or a highly obscure and unknown actor. NO TIME TO DIE is arguably the best Bond movie we've seen and recommended for Bond fans.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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Total Pageviews App Installed

Hello everyone. It's been a long time since I've done a news update besides obituaries and Oscar announcements. I removed one redundant gadget from the sidebar and installed the Total Pageviews app to see how many views this blog has. I even moved a few things on the sidebar. It's a little of an update but worthy of consistency.

For more updates, I have revised and re-published my reviews of The Empire Strikes Back and Rango (which I forgot to mention that I did a few months ago), as well as a movie analysis on the former (click here) and rewrote the plot descriptions on most of my reviews.

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Next Gen Review

Next Gen

Release Date: 7th September 2018 - Australia (Netflix)

Production Companies

Netflix

Baozou Manhua
Tangent Animation (in association with)
Alibaba Pictures

Distribution

Netflix (Worldwide)

Genre: Animation/Family/

Sci-Fi

Rating: PG

Runtime: 104 minutes

Budget: ¥150,000,000

Plot Summary

A rebellious young girl named Mai finds a top-secret robot and thus starts their friendship. At the same time, they have to contend with an evil madman unleashing terror through his plan involving technology.

Voice Cast

John Krasinski - 7723

Charlyne Yi - Mai

Jason Sudeikis - Justin Pin/Ares

Michael Peña - Momo

David Cross - Dr. Tanner Rice/Q-Bots

Constance Wu - Molly
Kiana Lede - Greenwood
Anna Akana - Ani
Isaac Ryan Brown - Ric

Reba Borr - Diagnostic Computer

Amber Friendly - Mailbox Drone
Jet Jurgensmeyer - Junior
Joe Ksander - Ramen Cup

Shaye Ogbonna - Fan Boy

Jon Oswald - Toothbrush/

Door

Betsy Sodaro - Toliet/Gate/

Hairbrush

Fred Tatasciore - Police

Robots/Robot Podium/

Announcer

Kitana Turnbull - RJ

Charlotte Alexis White - Fan Girl

Crew
Story/Screenplay/Directors - Kevin R. Adams

and Joe Ksander

Creative Director/Storyboard Artist -

Ricardo Curtis
Based on the Comic "7723"/Story/Screenplay -

Wang Nima

Story/Screenplay/Executive Producers -

Olivia Hao and Ricky Rem

Story/Screenplay - Napkin Su and Sasa Zhau

Screenplay - The Baozou Family
Additional Screenplay Material - Ryan W. Smith

Script Translator - Angelina Wang
Executive Producers - Luluyan Fan,

Ounan Hong, Michael Yu, Teger Sheng,

Alfred Jin, Ronbjiang Ye, Jerry Li, Face Hu

and Phyllis Laing

Executive Producer/Artist - Wei Zhang

Producers - Javier Zhang, Jeff Bells,

Patty Hicks, Charlene Logan Kelly,

Yangbin Lu, John Morch and Ken Zorniak

Pre-Production Studio Supervisor/Designer -

Ken Duncan

Production Designer - Craig Sellars

Art Director/Additional Visual Development

Artist/Character Designer/Printing/Main Titles

Art Direction - Richard Chen

Character Designers - Tohru Patrick Awa

and Marceline Gagnon-Tanguay
Character Designer/Animator - Charlie Bonifacio

Additional Visual Development Artist/CG

Supervisor - Conrad Dueck

Additional Visual Development Artist/Surfacing

Supervisor - Shane Jackson

Additional Visual Development Artist/

Modelling/Character Effects Supervisor/

Visual Effects Set Dressing Artist - Andy Carney

Additional Visual Development Artist/

Lighting Supervisor - Alex Carney

Story Supervisor - Joe Giampapa
Storyboard Producer - Wes Lui

Animation Supervisors - Adam Beck

and Wesley Rodricks

CG Supervisor - Brian Foster

Character Effects Technical/Rigging Supervisor -

David Hearn
Director of Photography: Camera - Paul Kohut
Director of Photography: Lighting - Paul Stoldony

Editor - Matt Ahrens
Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Editor/

Re-Recording Mixer - David Acord

Supervising Sound Editor - Steve Slanec

Re-Recording Mixer - Tom Myers

Foley Supervisor - Frank Rinella

Foley Artists - Ronni Brown and Margie O'Malley

Music - Samuel Jones and Alexis Marsh

Executive in Charge of Music - Robyn Klein

Music Supervisor - Justine Von Winterfeldt

Review

The streaming service Netflix has plenty of movies available, including the originals. I had seen some that were watchable, and I was curious about NEXT GEN. Because I looked at the trailer and thought it was similar to Big Hero 6. Big Hero 6 was an action-packed movie with a lot of heart and humour, while NEXT GEN was surprisingly edgier and more of a cautionary tale about the dangers of technology. A significant difference exists between the two main characters in that one focuses on a rebellious teen who finds companionship with a robot. The other revolves around a troubled teen who deeply resents anything robotic but learns to accept her newfound relationship with the robot.

This animated feature reminds me of I, Robot with Will Smith, which used to stream on Netflix. Both movies have similar human protagonists who have a mutual dislike of robots. But later, they bond with one another and face an incoming revolution against humanity. The only thing that bothers me is the type of audience the film aims for and how it contains bleeped-out profanity (courtesy of the foul-mouthed dog), cartoon violence and mature themes.

In looking at the characterisation of NEXT GEN, the young female protagonist is too bratty, unlikable and ungrateful. It is hard to understand her struggles with the new age of technology and some personal issues. However, this angry adolescent is abandoned by her father, bullied by her peers and neglected by her mother. The main robot, however, is a wise and likeable character. The people who made this movie are trying so hard not to copy the design and personality of Baymax for this character.

Overall, the story is good, but the execution is poor. The film even had strong messages, remarkable animation (thanks to the animators for partially using the Blender software) and incredible voice acting from John Krasinski, Charlyne Yi, David Cross and Jason Sudeikis.

Being a Netflix animated movie, it is equal to those in the cinema. While it's not a product of animation giants Disney, Pixar, Blue Sky, Illumination and DreamWorks, it is still a decent movie.

Star rating: (6/10) Fair Movie

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Planes, Trains and Automobiles Review

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Release Date: 26th December 1987 - Australia

Production Companies

Paramount Pictures (presents)

Hughes Entertainment

Distribution

Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Comedy

Rating: M

Runtime: 92 minutes

Budget: $30,000,000

Box Office Gross: $49,752,241 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

He is advertising executive Neal Page, trying to get home to Chicago to spend a day with his family for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately for him, his flight gets rerouted to Wichita.

There, he bumps into a

talkative yet loveable

salesman named Del Griffith.

Together, they undertake

a cross-country trip that

includes various modes of

transportation, hilarious

disasters, and unforgettable

rental car shenanigans.

Cast

Steve Martin - Neal Page

John Candy - Del Griffith

Lalia Robins - Susan Page

Michael McKean - State Trooper

Kevin Bacon - Taxi Racer

Dylan Baker - Owen

Carol Bruce - Joy

Olivia Burnette - Marti

Diana Douglas - Peg

Martin Ferrero - Second Motel

Clerk

Larry Hankin - Doobie

Richard Herd - Walt

Susan Kellermann - Waitress

Matthew Lawrence - Little Neal

Edie McClurg - Car Rental Agent

George Petrie - Martin

Gary Riley - Motor Thief

Charles Tyner - Gus

Susan Isaacs - Marie

Lulie Newcomb - Owen's Wife

John Randolph Jones - Cab Dispatcher

Nick Wyman - New York Lawyer

Gaetano Lisi - Cab Driver - New York

Bill Erwin - Man on Plane

Ruth de Sosa - New York Ticket Agent

Ben Stein - Wichita Airport Representative

Crew

Writer/Producer/Director - John Hughes

Associate Producer/Second Unit Director -

William H. Brown

Executive Producer - Michael Clinich

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Neil Machlis

Casting Directors - Janet Hirshenson

and Jane Jenkins

Production Designer - John W. Corso

Art Director - Harold Michelson

Set Decorators - Jane Bogart and

Linda Spheeris

Costume Designer - April Ferry

Makeup Designer: John Candy - Ben Nye III

Director of Photography - Don Peterman

Location Coordinator: New York -

Lydia Dean Pilcher

First Assistant Director - Mark Radcliffe

Second Assistant Director - Arthur Anderson

First Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Richard Graves

First Assistant Director: Second Unit,

Chicago - James Giovannetti Jr.

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -

Bernie E. Dobbins

Special Effects - William Aldridge,

Stan Parks and Ken Speed (Uncredited)

Editor - Paul Hirsch

Additional Editors - Adam Bernardi,

Andrew London and Peck Prior

Supervising Sound Editors - Lon Bender

and Wylie Stateman

Re-Recording Mixers - David E. Campbell,

John T. Reitz and Gregg Rudloff

Foley Artists - Dean Drabin, Gary A. Hecker

and Alicia Stevenson

Music - Ira Newborn

Composers: Additional Score - Brian Banks

and Anthony Marinelli

Music Supervisor - Tarquin Gotch

Review

After years of making teen comedies, filmmaker John Hughes breaks out of the sub-genre to make the buddy/road comedy PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES. It was hilarious and groundbreaking but often dramatic as the film is about a mismatched pair who wind up getting through the worst of a bad situation in the middle of a holiday. Sure, there are times when the movie has funny moments that make us laugh, such as the iconic "Those Aren't Pillows!". There are heartfelt scenes that occasionally pop up in a comedy like this and give a balance.

Steve Martin and John Candy were terrific and had fantastic chemistry, but they were the best. It's a shame they never got around to working again in another movie that is almost as good, heartfelt and hilarious as PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES when Candy met his untimely death in 1994. I enjoyed the soundtrack, which is remarkable. It has songs I didn't even know existed.

I appreciate how the late John Hughes is willing to shift from producing movies aimed at teens like Weird Science, The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off to comedies like PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES and Home Alone. It was his best work, and nothing could compare this film to those made in modern times. I highly recommend it to fans of the filmmaker and even those who liked Steve Martin and the late John Candy.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Review

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Release Date: 10th August 2017 - Australia

Production Companies

EuropaCorp

TF1 Films Production (Co-Production)

OCS (with the participation of)

TF1 (with the participation of)

Fundamental Films (in association with)

BNP Paribas (in association with)

Orange Studio (in association with)

Universum Film (UFA) (in
association with)

Novo Pictures (in association
with)

River Road Entertainment (in association with)

Belgium Film Fund (in association with)

Distribution

eOne Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 137 minutes

Budget: €197,000,000

              (gross)

              $205,000,000 (net)

Box Office Gross: $225,973,340 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary
In the 28th century, two operatives, Valerian and Laureline from the United Human Federation, must track down the last converter as part of their assignment, a rare species considered extinct.

After completing their mission, they head back to the space station Alpha. Only to find out that the mysterious humanoids have abducted the commander. It's up to the two heroes to rescue him without relinquishing the converter into the wrong hands.

Cast

Dane DeHaan - Major Valerian

Cara Delevingne - Sergeant

Laureline

Clive Owen - Commander
Arun Filitt

Rihanna - Bubble

Ethan Hawke - Jolly the Pimp

Herbie Hancock - Defense Minister

Kris Wu - Sergeant Neza

Sam Spruell - General Okto-Bar

Alain Chabat - Bob the Pirate

Rutger Hauer - President of the World State Federation

Peter Hudson - Captain Crawford

Xavier Giannoli - Captain Norton

Sasha Luss - Princess Lïhio-Minaa/Creature 'Candy Dress'

Aymeline Valade - Emperor Haban Limaï

Elizabeth Debicki - Emperor Haban Limaï (Voice)

Pauline Hoarau - Empress Aloï/Creature 'Swing Angel'

Barbara Scaff - Empress Aloï

(Voice)

Ola Rapace - Major Gibson

Stefan Konarske - Captain Zito

Gavin Drea - Sergeant Cooper

Eric Lampaert - Guide Thaziit

Laurent Ferraro - Igon Siruss/

Dothan-Dagui

John Goodman - Igon Siruss (Voice)

Alexandre Willaume - Captain Kris

Tristan Robin - Roper

Réginal Kudiwu - Major Samk

Louis Leterrier - Captain Welcoming Mercurys (Cameo)

Olivier Megaton - Captain

Welcoming KCO2 (Cameo)

Crew

Screenplay/Director - Luc Besson

Based on the Comic Book Series "Valerian and

Laureline" - Pierre Christin

Based on the Comic Book Series "Valerian and

Laureline"/Additional Concept Design: Development Phase - Jean-Claude Mézières

Executive Producers - Jc Cheng, Mark Gao and Gregory Ouanhon

Producer - Virginia Besson-Silla

Production Designer - Hughes Tissander

Concept Designers - Ben Mauro,

Alain Brion, Sylvain Despretz,

Patrice Garcia, Marc Simonetti

and Feng Zhu

Art Directors - Gilles Boillot,

Stéphane Robuchon, Etienne Rohde,

Patrick Tandiang, Christian Vallat and

Thierry Zemmour

Art Director: Drawings - Dominique Moisan

Set Decorator - Evelyne Tissandier

Costume Designer - Olivier Bériot

Valerian's Space Suits - Claudine Lachaud,

Laurent Couline, Anthony Sgard and

Laurent Dozot

Director of Photography - Thierry Arbogast

Stunt Supervisor/Fight Choreographer

(Uncredited) - Laurent Demianoff

Special Effects Supervisor - Philippe Hubin

Special Effects Coordinator - Jean-Christophe Magnaud

Senior Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta Digital -

Joe Letteri

Visual Effects Supervisor - Scott Stokdyk

Visual Effects Supervisors: Weta Digital -

Wayne Stables, R. Christopher White,

Martin Hill and Ken McGaugh

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Phillippe Rebours

Visual Effects Supervisor: Rodeo FX - François Dumoulin

Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Factory -

Jérôme Lionard

Associate Visual Effects Supervisor: Rodeo FX -

Peter Nofz

Visual Effects Producer - Sophie Leclerc

Visual Effects Producer: Weta Digital - Ben Pickering

Visual Effects Art Directors: ILM - Bianca Draghici

and Christian Alzmann

Art Director: Rodeo FX - Olivier Martin

Previs Supervisor: HALON - Brad Alexander

Animation Supervisors: Weta Digital - Paul Story

and Eric Reynolds

Motion Capture Supervisors: Weta Digital -

Dejan Momcilovic and Ben Murray

On Set Layout Supervisor: ILM - Duncan Blackman

Editor - Julien Rey

Supervising Sound Editors - Shannon Mills

and Guillaume Bouchateau

Sound Designers - David Farmer, Josh Gold

and Nia Hansen

Additional Sound Designers - Gurwal Coïc-Gallas

and Alexis Place

Sound Editor - Aymeric Devoldère

Production Sound Mixer - Stephane Bucher

Re-Recording Mixers - Tom Johnson,

Didier Lozahic and Juan Peralta

Original Score - Alexandre Desplat

Recordists and Music Mixers - Peter Cobbin

and Kirsty Whalley

Review

A misguided effort by filmmaker Luc Besson, VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS rivals the Star Wars prequel trilogy in its overproduced visuals, scope and deficiencies. The film was an adaptation of a French sci-fi comic series, which people say that George Lucas had taken some of its ideas for his Star Wars series, but it was just a coincidence. Having experienced the images and not the storyline, Besson took it upon himself to revisit these ideas he previously integrated into his other space opera, The Fifth Element. He tried to replicate the state-of-the-art visuals that James Cameron used to create the experience in Avatar, but it worked. While the visuals are stunning, they tend to overdo it.

I am so fascinated by the incredible world-building and its concepts. Unfortunately, the film could not overcome the obstacles that are its shortcomings. It includes an uninspired and convoluted plot. The movie starts with an opening sequence, its only best moment, with David Bowie's "Space Oddity" playing in the background.

Dane DeHaan is miscast for the role of the titular protagonist. He looks too boyish and creepy and tries to imitate Keanu Reeves' acting when attempting to be like him. Cara Delevingne is wooden in her performance as Laureline, and this should have gone to a different, well-known actress with much more acting experience. The romance between their two characters feels flat, which may have been due to a lack of chemistry. Rihanna, however, does a fantastic job in the role of the shape-shifting alien Bubble.

VALERIAN is a feasible space adventure, but it's nothing new. It fell short of my expectations and was instantly forgettable. In recommendation, viewers are to see this film for just one time. They are curious to know something that has potential.

Star rating: (4/10) Below Average

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In Memory of Ed Asner (1929-2021)

Ed Asner (1929-2021)

Seven-time Emmy-winning actor Ed Asner, known for playing the gruff Lou Grant in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and its titular spin-off and a poignant voice role in Pixar's Oscar-winning movie "Up", passed away on August 29th, 2021. He was 91 years old.

Ed worked for many years as a character actor in films and television series before rising to fame in the 1970s as the curmudgeonly newsroom head in the sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", which earned him three Emmys for Best Supporting Actor. When that sitcom ended, he returned as the same character in the hour-long dramatic spin-off that brought him two leading actor Emmys and five nominations. Ed won Emmys for the miniseries "Rich Man, Poor Man" and "Roots" and was even honoured with seven. He recently appeared in hit shows like "Grace and Frankie", "Modern Family", and "Cobra Kai" and has remained active on television for decades in numerous roles. Asner also worked in film, beginning in 1961 with his debut role in the Elvis Presley vehicle "Kid Galahad" as well as other movies like "The Satan Bug", "The Slender Thread", "El Dorado", "Gunn", and "Change of Habit" (again with Elvis and Mary Tyler Moore). He made occasional appearances in films such as "Skin Game", "Fort Apache the Bronx", "Daniel", and "JFK". Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Asner continued to work steadily on the big screen with features including "Academy Boyz", "Hard Rain", "The Bachelor", "Above Suspicion", "Elf" (where he played Santa for the fifth consecutive time) and "Enchanted Cottage".

Aside from his film and television work, Ed has done voiceovers in animation like "Captain Planet and the Planeteers" (which drew him a Daytime Emmy nomination), "Fish Police", Batman", "Gargoyles", "Spider-Man", "Freakazoid", "Superman", "The Boondocks", "WordGirl", etc. However, his finest work on voice acting would be his emotional role as Carl Fredericksen in the animated Pixar film "Up", which won two Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature.

The acclaim of "Up" reinvigorated interest in the actor's presence, resulting in guest spots on shows like "Law & Order: SVU", "The Middle", and "Hawaii Five-O".

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G.I. Joe: Retaliation Review

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Release Date: 28th March 2013 - Australia

Production Companies
Paramount Pictures (presents)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (presents)
Skydance Media (presents)
Hasbro (in association with)
Di Bonaventura Pictures
Saints LA
Spyglass Entertainment

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 110 minutes

                112 minutes

                (extended)

Budget: $93,600,000

Box Office Gross: $375,740,705 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

The G.I. Joe team is branded as traitors by their nemesis, Cobra, as they have successfully infiltrated the government. With Zartan masquerading as the president and the Cobra Commander having all the world leaders under his control, they plan to launch advanced nuclear warheads upon innocent countries as part

of their evil scheme. After

escaping a deadly attack, the

remaining Joes have no

recourse but to turn to their

original leader, General

Cotton, to help them uncover

Cobra's plot and save the

world from destruction.

Cast

Dwayne Johnson - Roadblock

Bruce Willis - Gen. Joe Cotton

Ray Park - Snake Eyes
Channing Tatum - Duke
Jonathan Pryce - President
Luke Bracey - Cobra Commander
Elodie Yung - Jinx
Ray Stevenson - Firefly
D.J. Cotrona - Flint
Adrianne Palicki - Jane
Walton Goggins - Warden Nigel James
Arnold Vosloo - Zartan
Joseph Mazzello - Mouse
Byung-hun Lee - Storm Shadow
RZA - Blind Master

Joe Chrest - Chief of Staff

Nathan Takashige - Young Storm Shadow

Jim Palmer - Clutch

Nick Erickson - President Picture Double

Crew
Director - Jon M. Chu
Writers - Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick
Executive Producers - Gary Barber,

Roger Birnbaum, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg,

Erik Howsam, Paul Schwake and

Stephen Sommers

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Herbert W. Gains

Producers - Lorenzo di Bonaventura
and Brian Goldner

Casting Director - Ronna Kress

Military Technical Advisor - Harry Humphries
Production Designer - Andrew Menzies

Supervising Art Director - Tom Reta

Art Directors - Luke Freeborn,
Alan Hook, Scott Plauche and
Sebastian Schroeder

Set Decorator - Cynthia La Jeunesse

Costume Designer - Louise Mingenbach

Special Makeup Effects Artists - Martin Astles,

Bart J. Mixon and Lauren Thomas
Director of Photography - Stephen F. Windon

Aerial Director of Photography: British

Columbia Unit - David B. Nowell

Production Supervisors - Sara Flamm

and Daren Hicks

First Assistant Director - Philip A. Patterson

First Assistant Director: Second Unit - David Sardi

Second Unit Director - George Marshall Ruge

Helicopter Pilots - Frédéric North

and Cliff Fleming
Stunt Coordinator - Steven Ritzi

Fight Coordinator - Thomas DuPont
Special Effects Coordinator - Michael Meinardus

Visual Effects Supervisors - James Madigan

and Gregory L. McMurry

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Bill George

Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain - Thad Beier

Visual Effects Supervisor: Lola Visual Effects -

Edson Williams

Visual Effects Producer - Paul V. Molles

On-Set Visual Effects Producer: Digital Domain -

Jeff Olson

Visual Effects Executive Producer: ILM -

Janet Lewin

Visual Effects Executive Producer: Digital Domain -

Daniel Brimer

Visual Effects Art Director: Digital Domain -

Claas Henke

Digital Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain -

Lou Pecora

Animation Supervisor: ILM - Paul Kavanagh

Animation Supervisor: Luma Pictures -

Raphael A. Pimentel

CG Supervisor: ILM - Craig Hammack

CG Supervisor: ILM Singapore - Patric Roos

CG Supervisors: Digital Domain - Erik Gamache

and Paul George Paloo

Additional Supervisors: Digital Domain -

Simon Carr, Tushar Kewlani, Mark Michaels,

David Mucci and Abhinav Sah

Concept Artist: ILM - John Bell
Editors - Roger Barton and Jim May

Additional Editor - Calvin Wimmer

Supervising Sound Editors/Sound Designers -

Ethan Van Der Ryan, John Marquis and

Erik Aadahl

Re-Recording Mixers - Scott Millan

and Greg P. Russell
Music - Henry Jackman

Additional Music - Dominic Lewis,

Matthew Margeson and Junkie XL

Additional Music Arrangements - Stephen Hilton

and Andrew Kawczynski

Music Recordist and Mixer - Alan Meyerson

Review

After The Rise of Cobra made good earnings at the box office despite the first G.I. Joe film being a lacklustre feature. Director Stephen Sommers leaves the helm because of his rocky start with Cobra. However, the duties got handed to Jon M. Chu, best known for directing pop sensation Justin Bieber in his concert feature, Never Say Never. I'm satisfied that RETALIATION is a mild improvement over its predecessor with its heavy action, incredible visuals and a few known actors like Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis.

The most striking aspect about RETALIATION is that it's supposed to be true to the G.I. Joe mythology, which, fortunately, only mildly succeeds. We finally see Cobra Commander in his full costume, no longer a mere shadow of his former self. I'm disappointed how Channing Tatum's character got killed off at the start. He didn't get to stay alive or develop in the sequel. I'm so surprised that Johnson and Willis consistently gave solid performances to what is almost a lacklustre film.

RETALIATION could have put the series on ice had it not been as successful. However, this sequel came off as flawed, but I enjoyed it more than Cobra.

Star rating: (6/10) Fair Movie

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Black Widow Review

Black Widow

Release Date: 8th July 2021 - Australia

Production Companies

Marvel Studios

Distribution

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 133 minutes

Budget: $200,000,000

Box Office Gross: $379,751,655 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Former Avenger Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow, must face the darker parts of her past when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past emerges. When a deadly force starts to pursue her and plans to take her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy, even the torn relationships left in her wake long before becoming an Avenger.

Cast

Scarlett Johansson - Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow

Florence Pugh - Yelena Belova

David Harbour - Alexei/

Red Guardian

Rachel Weisz - Melina

Ray Winstone - Dreykov

Ever Anderson - Young Natasha

Violet McGraw - Young Yelena

O-T Fangbenle - Mason

William Hurt - Secretary Ross

Ryan Kiera Armstrong - Young Antonia

Liani Samuel - Lerato

Michelle Lee - Oksana

Lewis Young - Scientist Morocco 1

C.C. Smiff - Scientist Morocco 2

Olivier Richters - Ursa

Olga Kurylenko - Antonia/

Taskmaster

Jeremy Renner - Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Voice) (Cameo)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Valentina

Allegra de Fontaine (Cameo)

(Uncredited)

Crew

Director - Cate Shortland

Story - Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson

Screenplay - Eric Pearson

Associate Producer/First Assistant Director - Jamie Christopher

Executive Producers - Victoria Alonso, Louis D'Esposito, Nigel Gostelow, Scarlett Johansson and Brad Winderbaum

Producer - Kevin Feige

Co-Producers - Mitchell Bell

and Brian Chapek

Casting Director - Sarah Finn

Production Designer - Charles Wood

Visual Development

Supervisor - Andy Park

Visual Development Concept Illustrators - Anthony Francisco, Rodney Fuentebella, Josh Nizzi, Jana Schirmer and Jackson Sze

Supervising Art Director - Thomas Brown

Art Directors: Los Angeles

Unit - Jann Engel and Clint Wallace

Set Decorator - John Bush

Set Decorator: Los Angeles Unit - Lauri Gaffin

Property Master - Barry Gibbs

Costume Designer - Jany Temime

Costume Designer: Los Angeles Unit - Lisa Loovas

Costume Supervisor - Dan Grace

Makeup and Hair Designer - Paul Gooch

Director of Photography - Gabriel Beristain

Camera First Assistants: Los Angeles Unit -

Dan Ming, Chris Toll and Jacqueline Stahl

Production & Development Manager -

Kyana F. Davidson

Unit Production Manager: Los Angeles Unit -

Leeann Stonebreaker

First Assistant Director: 2nd Unit - Marvin Williams

Second Unit Director - Darrin Prescott

Second Unit Director: Descent Unit -

Jeff Habberstad

Stunt Coordinator - Rob Inch

Stunt Coordinator: Wind Tunnel - Allan Hewitt

Fight Coordinator - James Young

Aerial Coordinator - Jeremy Braben

Aviation Advisor - Mike Woodley

Special Effects Supervisor - Paul Corbould

Special Effects Coordinator - Jodie Jackman

Special Effects Coordinator: Los Angeles Unit -

Chris Brenczewski

Special Effects Floor Supervisor: Second Unit -

Chris Corbould

Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta Digital -

Sean Noel Walker

Visual Effects Supervisor - Geoffrey Baumann

Visual Effects Supervisor: Third Unit -

Chris Shaw

Visual Effects Supervisor: LA Unit -

Janelle Croshaw

Visual Effects Supervisors: ILM - Craig Hammack

and Jose Burgos

Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain -

David Hodgins

Visual Effects Supervisor: Lola VFX -

Trent Claus

Additional Visual Effects Supervisor -

Jesse James Chisholm

Visual Effects Producer - Lisa Marra

Compositing Supervisor: Lola VFX -

Edson Williams

Digital Roto and Paint Supervisors: ILM -

Beth D'Amato and Naren Naidoo

Creative Finishing Supervisor - Evan Jacobs

Editors - Leigh Folsom Boyd and

Matthew Schmidt

Supervising Sound Editors - Shannon Mills

and Daniel Laurie

Sound Designer - Nia Hansen

Production Sound Mixer - Chris Munro

Re-Recording Mixers - Juan Peralta

and Lola Hirschberg

Foley Supervisor - Christopher Flick

Foley Artists - Ronni Brown and Jana Vance

Music - Lorne Balfe

Music Supervisor - Dave Jordan

Score Mix Engineers - Peter Cobbin

and Kirsty Whalley

Review

A few times last year, BLACK WIDOW is getting delayed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which also happened to the other forthcoming movies that are supposed to premiere, like Fast & Furious 9. Thankfully, it finally came out in theatres and Premier access on Disney+ in 2021. The film isn't like the typical Marvel movie that you're after that was an action-packed spy thriller packed with espionage and so on. BLACK WIDOW explains everything you need to know about the heroine, making her death in Avengers: Endgame even more tragic. The first half was impressive, especially when you learn about the character whose idyllic life was deprived of her before she became the titular Avenger she is now.

The action sequences are first-rate and explosive, with spectacular performances by Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh and David Harbour. It will be the last time Scarlett has ever played a character in eleven years of being in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Whereas Avengers: Endgame was a send-off to Marvel's ensemble team, BLACK WIDOW feels its plot is tying up all the loose ends to the character. Nevertheless, it is still an enjoyable movie for Marvel fans who have waited for a lifetime.

Star rating: (9/10) Excellent Movie

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Fast & Furious 9 Review

Fast & Furious 9

Release Date: 17th June 2021 - Australia

Production Companies

One Race Films

Roth/Kirschenbaum Films

(in association with)

Perfect Storm

Original Film

Universal Pictures

China Film Co. Ltd (in association with)

Distribution

Universal Pictures Australia

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 145 minutes

Budget: $225,000,000

Box Office Gross: $726,229,501 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Dom Toretto now lives a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son. But when danger strikes, Dom has to confront his past sins to save the people

he loves most. With his

crew by his side, they join

together to foil a world-

shattering plot and face

the most skilled

assassin and high-

performance driver

they've ever confronted:

a man who also happens to

be Dom's forsaken brother, Jakob.

 

Cast

Vin Diesel - Dominic Toretto

Michelle Rodriguez - Leticia "Letty" Ortiz

Jordana Brewster - Mia Toretto

Tyrese Gibson - Roman Pearce

Ludacris - Tej Parker

Nathalie Emmanuel - Ramsey

Charlize Theron - Cipher

John Cena - Jakob Toretto

Sung Kang - Han Seoul-Oh

Anna Sawai - Elle

Helen Mirren - Queenie

Kurt Russell - Mr. Nobody

Lucas Black - Sean Boswell

Shad Moss - Twinkie

Thus Ersted Rasmussen - Otto

Don Omar - Santos

Shea Wingham - Stasiak

Vinnie Bennett - Young Dom

Finn Cole - Young Jakob

JD Pardo - Jack Toretto

Michael Rooker - Buddy

Jim Parrack - Kenny Linder

Siena Agudong - Young Mia

Isaac & Immanuel Holtane - Little Brian

Azia Dinea Hale - Young Letty

Juju Zhang - Young Elle

Karson Kern - Young Vince

Igby Rigney - Young Jesse

Sophia Tatum - Racer Chick

Francis Ngannou - Ferocious Professional

Martyn Ford - Lieutenant Sue

Bad Bunny - Lookout

Jimmy Lin - Lookout

Jason Tobin - Earl

Cardi B - Leysa

Cered - Young Leo

Ozuna - Young Santos

Oqwe Lin - 'Hey' Kid

Bill Simmons - Linder Pit Crew

Vincent Sinclair Diesel - Younger Dom

Luka Hays - Deputy

Jason Statham - Deckard Shaw (Cameo)

(Uncredited)

Crew

Story/Screenplay/Producer/Director - Justin Lin

Based on Characters - Gary Scott Thompson

Story - Alfredo Botello

Story/Screenplay - Daniel Casey

Producers - Vin Diesel, Jeff Kirschenbaum,

Neal H. Moritz, Joe Roth and Samantha Vincent

Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Clayton Townsend

Co-Producer - Joshua Henson

Casting Director - Rachel Tanner

Production Designer - Jan Roelfs

Supervising Art Director - Ashley Lamont

Senior Art Director - Andrew Palmer

Set Decorator - Lucy Eyre

Construction Manager - Paul J. Hayes

Costume Designer - Sanja Milkovic Hays

Makeup Designer - Amanda Knight

Hair Designer - Lisa Tomblin
Director of Photography - Stephen F. Windon

Directors of Photography: Second Unit -

Igor Meglic and Callan Green

Aerial Director of Photography: Second Unit -

David B. Nowell

Camera Operators: Second Unit - Nino Pansini,

Peter Field, Picha Srisansanee, Maurice McGuire

and Barney Piercy

Steadicam/Additional Camera Operator -

Jonathan 'Chunky' Richmond

Second Assistants Camera: Second Unit,

Los Angeles - Mike Cahoon, Robert Forrest,

Michael Luntzel, Jordan Pellegrini,

Matt Taylor and Theresa Wong

First Assistant Director - Vincent Lascoumes

Second Unit Director and Stunt Coordinator -

Spiro Razatos

Second Unit Director/Supervising Stunt

Coordinator - J.J. Perry

Stunt Coordinators - Steve Griffin

and Troy Robinson

Stunt Coordinator: Los Angeles Unit/

Rehearsal Stunt Coordinator/Stunt Utility:

Second Unit - Steve Kelso

Stunt Coordinator: 2nd Unit - Andy Gill

Fight/Stunt Coordinator - Justin Yu

Fight Coordinator: Additional Photography -

David Wald

Picture Vehicle Coordinator - Dennis McCarthy

Picture Vehicle Supervisor: UK - Alex King

Special Effects Supervisor - Alistair Williams

Special Effects Supervisor: Los Angeles Unit -

Michael Meinardus

Special Effects Department Coordinator -

Usha Chaman

Visual Effects Supervisor - Peter Chiang

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Julian Foddy

Visual Effects Supervisor: DNEG - Daniel Rauchweger

Additional Visual Effects Supervisors: DNEG -

Derek Wentworth and Michael Grobe

Visual Effects Producer - Hal Couzens

Visual Effects Producer: Factory VFX -

Eric D. Christensen

Compositing Supervisor: ILM - Jeff Sutherland

Computer Graphics Supervisor: BLIND LTD. -

Andrew Booth

Editors - Greg D'Auria, Dylan Highsmith

and Kelly Matsumoto

Additional Editor - David Kern

Sound Designer and Supervisor - Peter Brown

Sound Designers - Stephen P. Robinson,

Eliot Connors and Ann Scibelli

Production Sound Mixer - John Casali

Re-Recording Mixers - Jon Taylor

and Frank A. Montaño

Music - Brian Tyler

Review

It's been a year since the release of FAST & FURIOUS 9 got delayed because of COVID-19. It has finally made its way into theatres with two more instalments from the series underway. There's no telling how it would end. The movie is not as good as the other instalments like Fast & Furious 5 or 7, but it retains the supercharged thrills of adrenaline and the madcap stunts. Justin Lin returns to helm the ninth chapter after being absent in the director's chair for the last two Fast & Furious movies (barring Hobbs & Shaw). Unfortunately, he has forgotten what made the franchise all special. The action is getting outlandish, and there are some issues with the plot, such as Han being alive, which robs the impact of Furious 7.

It featured new cast members, including John Cena as Dom's estranged younger brother Jakob. The wrestler-turned-actor was terrific in handling that role and did it very well. I'm slightly disappointed that Dwayne Johnson didn't show up for this movie, given what has happened with him not wanting to be in the franchise. That would explain a lot.

While FAST 9 didn't give closure to the series, I'd be surprised it would have, seeing that the plot has its formulaic nature and the implausibility it undertook. Nonetheless, I consider it a semi-decent film, and it's up to the fans or non-fans to decide if they have to see it in theatres before all the sessions expire or if they will have to wait until it is on DVD, Blu-ray, iTunes and video streaming.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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