The Magic Pudding Review

The Magic Pudding

Release Date: 14th December 2000 - Australia

Production Companies

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (produced with the assistance of)

Energee Entertainment

Icon Entertainment International

New South Wales Film & Television Office (developed with the assistance of)

Premium Movie Partnership (produced with the assistance of)

RTV Family Entertainment AG (produced with the assistance of)

Genre: Animation/Family/

Adventure/Comedy 

Rating: G

Runtime: 80 minutes

Budget: A$12,000,000 (estimated)

Box Office Gross: A$1,001,000 (Australia)

Plot Summary

Bunyip Bluegum is a

splendid young koala on a

quest to find his missing

parents when he comes

across a magic pudding named Albert and meets a loud sailor, Bill Barnacle, and his penguin mate, Sam Sawnoff. Together, they form the Noble Society of Pudding Owners, as they constantly thwart the attempts of the Pudding Thieves.

Voice Cast

Sam Neill - Sam Sawnoff

Hugo Weaving - Bill Barnacle

Geoffrey Rush - Bunyip Bluegum

John Cleese - Albert the Magic Pudding

Dave Gibson - Uncle Wattleberry/Possum/Additional Voices

John Laws - Rumpus Bumpus

Greg Carroll - Watkin Wombat

Peter Gwynne - Benjamin Brandysnap

Michael Veitch - Bandicoot

Robyn Moore - Henrietta Hedgehog/Additional Voices

Jack Thompson - Buncle

Mary Coustas - Ginger

Sandy Gore - Frog on the Log

Toni Collette - Meg Bluegum

Roy Billing - Tom Bluegum

Martin Vaughan - Parrot

Gerry Connolly - Dobson Dorking

Lee Perry - Additional Voices

Marg Downey - Additional Voices

Crew

Story Development/Director - Karl Zwicky

Based on the Story "The Magic Pudding" - Norman Lindsay

Story Development - Morris Gleitzman

Screenplay - Harry Cripps,

Greg Haddrick and Simon Hopkinson

Executive Producers - Paddy Conroy

and Carmel & John Travers

Executive Producers: Icon - Bruce Davey,

Ralph Kemp and Mel Gibson (Uncredited)

Producer - Gerry Travers

Production Designer/Background

Style Development/Drawn Background

Artist/Digital Background Supervisor/Artist -

Helen Steele

Production Designer/Background Style

Development/Key Color Stylist/Digital

Background Artist - Kelly Wallwork

Character Designer/Storyboard/

Timing Artist/Animation Director -

Robbert Smit

Character Designer/Storyboard Artist/

Key Layout Design - Daniel Foley

Character Designer/Storyboard/Layout Artist -

David Wilkinson

Character Designer/Layout Artist - Jo-Anne Boag

Storyboard/Layout Artists - Stephen Doric

and Joe Wylie

Storyboard/Layout Artist/Mouth Breakdown -

Astrid Nordheim

Layout Director/Animation Supervisor -

Margaret Parkes

Editor - Richard Hindley

Sound/Re-Recording Mixer - Phil Judd

Re-Recording Mixer - Peter Purcell

Music/Original Songs/Keyboards/

Programming - Chris Harriott

Original Songs - Dennis Watkins

Conductor/Orchestrator - Christopher Gordon

Concert Master - Phillip Hartl

Review

As a young kid, I was unfamiliar with the children's classic The Magic Pudding, having never read it but having seen the animated movie only once, a long time ago. I have good memories of it and can't wait to see the film again. While it had decent production values, a tremendous voice cast, and terrific animation, the character designs remained true to the book illustrations. Unfortunately, the plot is unfaithful to the original story Norman Lindsay wrote. It lacks the wit and the surrealistic charm that make it so great. Perhaps the filmmakers got the recipe wrong and substituted their interpretation for the original storyline.

The songs don't advance the plot much and are instantly forgettable. Perhaps they were trying to follow in Disney's footsteps, but by the time the film premiered, they were unaware that the Disney formula had ended with the advent of computer animation, thanks to Toy Story. On the bright side, the racist overtones in Norman Lindsay's story are gone to make it more politically correct.

There are some good things about this film, especially the voices with actors like John Cleese, who is fitting as Albert, the irascible magic pudding, and Geoffrey Rush, who is appropriately sincere as the plucky young koala Bunyip. The rest of the cast, including Hugo Weaving, Sam Neill, and Jack Thompson, is also good, to be honest. I never knew Toni Collette could sing, and she is heard briefly as Bunyip's missing mum.

THE MAGIC PUDDING is an average but watchable film. Young children unfamiliar with the book will likely enjoy this movie. Those who have read the classic Australian book will be disappointed by this film, as its story differs significantly from the original.

Star rating: (5/10) Average

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Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Review

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Release Date: 26th December 2024 - Australia

Production Companies

Paramount Pictures (presents)

Sega Sammy Group (in association with)

Original Film

Blur Studio

Marza Animation Planet

Sega (based on the video game from)

Distribution

Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Family/Action/

Adventure/Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 110 minutes

Budget: $122,000,000

Box Office Gross: $492,162,604 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles

face a mysterious new

enemy with powers

beyond anything they

have ever faced: Shadow

the Hedgehog. Outmatched

in every way, the trio must

seek an unlikely alliance

with Dr Robotnik to stop

Shadow and protect the

planet, but the risks

grow when Robotnik

reunites with his long-

lost grandfather, Gerald

Robotnik, who seems

to have his sights set on

Shadow.

Cast

Ben Schwartz - Sonic the Hedgehog (Voice)

Jim Carrey - Ivo Robotnik/Gerald Robotnik

Keanu Reeves - Shadow the Hedgehog (Voice)

Idris Elba - Knuckles the

Echidna (Voice)

Colleen O'Shaughnessey -

Miles "Tails" Prower (Voice)

James Marsden - Tom

Wachowski

Tika Sumpter - Maddie Wachowski

Natasha Rothwell - Rachel

Adam Pally - Wade

Shemar Moore - Randall

Lee Majoub - Agent Stone

Krysten Ritter - Director Rockwell

Alyla Browne - Maria

Tom Butler - Commander Walters

Jorma Taccone - Kyle

Lancebottom

Sofia Pernas - Gabriella

Cristo Fernández - Pablo/Juan

James Wolk - Young Walters

Brett Tutor - Prison Guard

Richard Sutton - G.U.N. HQ Security Guard

Will Austin - G.U.N. Heli Pilot

Bola Okun - Military Man

Reggie Banigo - Rockwell's Assistant

Barry Calvert - 70s G.U.N. Soldier

Brendan Murphy - Robotnik

Proxy

Toru Nakahara - Japanese

News Reporter

Crew

Executive Producer/Director - Jeff Fowler

Story/Screenplay - Pat Casey

and Josh Miller

Screenplay - John Whittington

Executive Producers - Tommy Gormley, Tim Miller, Haruki Satomi and Shuji Utsumi

Producers - Neal H. Moritz,

Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara

and Hitoshi Okuno

Co-Producers - Tyson

Hesse, Dmitri M. Johnson,

Andrew Riach, Nicole Monter,

Dan Jevons and Matt Gustafson

Co-Producer/Second Unit Director/Visual Effects Supervisor - Ged Wright

Casting Directors - Sophie Holland, Janelle Scuderi and Tricia Wood

Production Designer - Luke Freeborn

Artistic Consultant - Jim Carrey

Sonic Character Supervisor:

Sega - Takashi Iizuka

Supervising Art Director - Tom Still

Senior Art Directors - Su Whitaker

and Joe Howard

Art Directors - Claire Fleming,

Sarah Ginn and Laura Miller

Construction Manager - Ray Barrett

Set Decorator - Anna-Lynch Robinson

Costume Designer - Eleanor Baker

Costume FX Designer - Pierre Bohanna

Prosthetics Makeup Designer - Mark Coulier

Digital Makeup Designer - Bill Corso

Director of Photography - Brandon Trost

Supervising Location Manager -

Christian McWilliams

Second Unit Director - Peter Lyons Collister

Stunt Coordinator - Eunice Huthart

Fight Choreographer - Mike Lambert

Special Effects Coordinator - Sarah Pearce

Special Effects Supervisor - Hayley J. Williams

Visual Effects Supervisor: Lola VFX -

Edson Williams

Visual Effects Producer - Paul V. Molles

Senior Animation Supervisor - Clement Yip

Editor - Al LeVine

Supervising Sound Editors/Sound Designers -

Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn

Sound Designer - Darren Maynard

Production Sound Mixer - Paul Munro

Re-Recording Mixers - Ron Bartlett and

Anna Behlmer

Music - Tom Holkenborg

Review

It is the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025. What better way to cap off this year than watching the fireworks and SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3? Let me tell you, each movie in the franchise gets better, with the speedy blue hedgehog always winning the race. SONIC 3 builds on the success of its first two predecessors by shedding excess baggage and focusing more on the well-known Sega characters. For example, the human characters (minus two Robotniks) get less screen time, the pacing is tighter, and the pop-culture references are minimal. Still, it avoids useless subplots like the wedding in Sonic 2.

The film's cast adds Sonic's rival, Shadow, whose dark past propels the plot forward and who already appeared in the second instalment's mid-credits scene. Introducing this character deepens the film, turning it into an emotional rollercoaster as it explores themes of grief, vengeance, and redemption. Interestingly, the movie's director, Jeff Fowler, had previously worked on the animations for the 2005 platformer Shadow the Hedgehog, so he returns to his connections with Sega's gun-toting villainous hedgehog.

Unlike the earlier Sonic movies, which were family-friendly romps, SONIC 3 takes a darker tone and raises the stakes for Sonic and his friends. Whereas the first two instalments borrowed elements from the classic Mega Drive games, SONIC 3 owes much to Sonic Adventure 2 on the Dreamcast. What makes SONIC 3 a more deliberate video game adaptation than its predecessors is the distinct duality it establishes between Sonic and Shadow. The film never fails to impress with its awe-inspiring visuals and dynamic action, culminating in a climax reminiscent of Dragon Ball Z's iconic battles. The humour is well-balanced, with plenty of laughs for kids and moments that will make adults laugh. The film even features Easter eggs and references fans can recognise from the games.

As always, Ben Schwartz shines as Sonic's voice, lending the blue hedgehog boundless enthusiasm and charm. Idris Elba and Colleen O'Shaughnessey deliver great performances as Knuckles and Tails. Together, they create great chemistry. Keanu Reeves was an inspired choice to play Shadow. No one expected the legendary action star to play someone as dark and brooding, with a tragic backstory and a thirst for revenge (similar to the titular character he portrayed in the John Wick series). That said, Reeves did an incredible job of bringing edginess to the character, perfectly capturing his dark nature.

Remember what I said in my Sonic 2 review: Jim Carrey is considering retirement after he finishes playing Dr Robotnik in the second instalment. He's back for the third time, pulling double duty. The legendary comedian portrays not only the wacky mad scientist, but also his even more sinister grandfather. While he outdoes himself as two generations of Eggman, he hasn't lost the quirkiness we've come to anticipate from Jim Carrey.

While a significant step up from the first two instalments, SONIC 3 is the best entry in the movie franchise and one of the better video game film adaptations. It features a compelling story, striking performances, and stunning visuals that will appeal to audiences of all ages. If you've watched its predecessors, now is your chance to see the third outing.

The film ends with two post-credit scenes fans should watch for. These scenes could hint at the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 4, scheduled for release in 2027. I can't wait for the sequel. It should be as good as the third instalment.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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The Super Mario Bros. Movie Review

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Release Date: 5th April 2023 - Australia

Production Companies

Universal Pictures (present)

Nintendo (present)

Illumination Entertainment

Dentsu (presented in association with)

Fuji Television Network (presented in association with)

Distribution

Universal Pictures Australia

Genre: Animation/Family/

Adventure/Comedy 

Rating: PG

Runtime: 92 minutes

Budget: $100,000,000

Box Office Gross: $1,360,783,214 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Two plumbers from

Brooklyn, Mario and his

brother Luigi, are

transported down a

mysterious pipe into a

magical new world while

working underground to

repair a water main. When

the two brothers are

separated, Mario sets off

to find him. With help

from Toad, a Mushroom

Kingdom resident, Mario

unleashes his powers

He also trains under

Princess Peach, the

Mushroom Kingdom's

strong-willed ruler.

Voice Cast

Chris Pratt - Mario

Anya-Taylor Joy - Princess Peach

Charlie Day - Luigi

Jack Black - Bowser

Keegan-Michael Key - Toad

Seth Rogen - Donkey Kong

Fred Armisen - King Cranky

Kong

Kevin Michael Richardson - Kamek

Sebastian Maniscalco - Spike

Charles Martinet - Mario's Dad/Giuseppe (Cameo)

Jessica DiCicco - Mario's Mom

Rino Romano - Uncle Tony

John DiMaggio - Uncle Arthur

Khary Peyton - Penguin King

Juliet Jelenic - Lumalee

Scott Menville - Koopa General

Crew

Directors - Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic

Co-Directors - Pierre Leduc and Fabien Polack

Writer - Matthew Fogel

Executive Producers - Brett Hoffman, Bill Ryan and Yusuke Beppu

Producers - Christoper Meledandri and Shigeru Miyamoto

Co-Producer - Christelle Balcon

Production Designer - Guillaume Aretos

Art Director - Matthieu Gosselin

Additional Art Director - Yoriko Ito

Character Designers - Tohru Patrick Awa,

Daniel Fernandez Casas, Maxime Mary,

Sam Nielson, Nicolas Olivieri, Tony Siruno

and Philippe Tilikete

Head of Story - Ed Skudder

Studio CG Cinematographer - James C.J. Williams

Animation Directors - Christophe Delisle

and Ludovic Roz

Supervising Animators - Adrien Kedochim,

Aymeric Palermo, Basile Heiderscheid,

Benjamin Faure, Benoît Guillaumot,

Ludovic Savonnière, Mathieu &

Nicolas Menard, Bruno Scheerens,

Pierre Avon and Quentin Piq

Editor - Eric E. Osmond

Additional Editors - Tiffany Hillkurtz,

Ken Schretzmann, Julian Smirke and

Andrew Walton

Supervising Sound Editor - Daniel Laurie

Sound Designers - Jamey Scott

and Randy Thom

Re-Recording Mixers - Pete Horner

and Juan Peralta

Foley Artists - Ronni Brown,

Sean England and Jana Vance

Original Nintendo Themes - Koji Kondo

Music - Brian Tyler

Review

Five years in the making, THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE has been in the pipeline since 2014, and it seemed like the right option to adapt the franchise into an animated feature. It is also an apology letter to fans who were hugely disappointed by the 1993 live-action adaptation, which didn't capture the games. Illumination is the only animation studio, besides DreamWorks, willing to produce an animated movie based on a popular video game franchise. Its track record is mixed, with successes like the Despicable Me franchise, The Secret Life of Pets, and Sing. I'm unsure if they are the right people to handle this sort of film, but thankfully, they proved me wrong.

Audiences loved the movie more than critics, who gave it mixed reviews and are not huge fans of the games. THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE evokes nostalgia for those who have played the games while remaining faithful to their accuracy. However, I am delighted to see it keep its colourful world and menagerie of characters, brought to life by splendid animation. The storyline is average, but that's a minor misstep I won't have to worry about. Bolstered by an ensemble voice cast of highly trained, well-known actors and a killer soundtrack.

Chris Pratt was incredible as Mario (when he took over from Charles Martinet in the video games), despite what many thought about him not being the perfect fit for the role. Pratt nailed that part, even capturing the accent. Jack Black swaps roles, playing Mario's arch-nemesis, Bowser, rather than the heroic characters he's played before, including the shark in Shark Tale and Po in the Kung Fu Panda series. It isn't the first time Black has played a character that bad since The NeverEnding Story III, a film he didn't want to acknowledge existed.

In hindsight, this movie adaptation is much better than its critically maligned, in-name-only live-action interpretation. It's an introduction for youngsters who have never even heard of the Super Mario Bros. games, let alone own a Nintendo Switch. The movie is in general release and recommended to Mario fans who have played the game on every Nintendo console.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Review

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Release Date: 31st March 2022 - Australia

Production Companies

Paramount Pictures (presents)

Sega Sammy Group (in association with)

Original Film

Blur Studio

Marza Animation Planet

Sega (based on the video game from)

Distribution

Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Family/Action/

Adventure/Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 122 minutes

Budget: $110,000,000

Box Office Gross: $405,421,518 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

After living in Green Hills, Sonic is determined to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His chance to prove himself comes when the evil Dr Robotnik returns with a new partner, Knuckles the Echidna. Robotnik seeks a mystical emerald that can wipe out civilisations; Sonic gains a

new sidekick, Tails, and

the two embark on a globe-

trotting quest to find it

before Robotnik does and

achieve his goals. 

Cast

Ben Schwartz - Sonic the Hedgehog (Voice)

Jim Carrey - Dr. Robotnik

Idris Elba - Knuckles the

Echidna (Voice)

Colleen O'Shaughnessey - 

Miles "Tails" Prower (Voice) 

James Marsden - Tom Wachowski

Tika Sumpter - Maddie Wachowski

Natasha Rothwell - Rachel

Adam Pally - Wade

Shemar Moore - Randall

Lee Majoub - Agent Stone

Tom Butler - Commander Walters

Melody Nosipho Niemann - Jojo

Brad Kalilimoku - Drench

Krista Alvarez - Faucet

Donna Jay Fulks - Longclaw

(Voice)

Scott Patey - Armored Truck Security Guard 

Leif Havdale - Bank Robber

Johnson Phan - Bank Robber

Colby Chartrand - Bank Robber

Kevin Fortin - Bank Robber

Jeff Sanca - Armored Truck Driver
Sook Hexamer - Elderly Woman

Maria Ameerali - Shopper

Kyle Riefsnyder - Camper

Parker Rowell-Laferriere - Ice Cream Child

Tammy Nera - Pedestrian

Gerald Paetz - Police Driver

Corry Glass - Police Driver

David Jacox - Police Driver

Mike Mitchell - Police Driver

Heath Stevenson - Police Driver

Douglas Chapman - Police Driver

Rhys Williams - Scavenger

Nilo Ghajar - Scavenger

Don Lew - Scavenger

Elizabeth Bowen - Tatiana

Vladimir Ruzich - Russian Giant Bully

Shay Kuebler - Russian Dancer

Keiran Bohay - Russian Dancer

Kevin Mylrea - Russian Dancer

Jared Khalifa - Russian Dancer

Aiden Cass - Russian Dancer

Andrew Kyrzyk - Russian Dancer

Stanislav Galimkhanov - Russian Dancer

Alex Bogomolov - Tavern Menacing Card Player

Shaun Magee - Tavern Menacing Card Player

Shawn Stewart - Tavern Menacing Card Player

Barry Nerling - Tavern Tattooed Knuckle Cracker

Simon Chin - Tavern Fish Butcher

Vladimir Raiman - Tavern Bartender

Yvetta Fisher - Tavern Knitting Woman

Adrian Hein - Tack

Jess Lundgren - Wisco

Steven Chang - Grommet

Ted Barba - Priest

Brennan Dyson - Randall's Brother

Saida Dyson - Bridesmaid

Katie Wright Pere - Bridesmaid

Ha'a Keaulana - Bridesmaid

Quinn Early - Rachel's Father

Cheryl Lewis - Rachel's Mother

Angela Meryl - Rachel's Aunt

Ashlei Tave - Rachel's Cousin

Mariah Dyson - Rachel's Family

Tavita Woodward - Rachel's Family

Ernie Jackson - G.U.N. Soldier

Rob 'Sluggo' Boyce - G.U.N. Soldier

Robert Zen Humpage - G.U.N. Soldier

Fraser Corbett - G.U.N. Soldier

Marcus Aurelio - G.U.N. Soldier

Sean Kennedy - G.U.N. Soldier

Jason Triplett - G.U.N. Agent

Eli Olson - G.U.N. Agent

Mike Rufino - G.U.N. Agent

Nito Larioza - G.U.N. Agent

Chad Keaulana - G.U.N. Agent

Sarah Surh - G.U.N. Mean Bean Agent

Paul Lazenby - Mean Bean Trucker

Preston Blaine Arsement - Volleyball Player

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew

Director - Jeff Fowler

Story/Screenplay - Pat Casey and Josh Miller

Screenplay - John Whittington

Executive Producers - Tim Miller,

Haruki Satomi, Yukio Sugino and

Shuji Utsumi

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Nan Morales

Producers - Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher,

Toru Nakahara and Hitoshi Okuno

Co-Producer/Lead Designer: Blur Studio

(Uncredited)/Storyboard Supervisor

(Uncredited) - Tyson Hesse

Co-Producers - Dmitri M. Johnson,

Dan Jevons and Sammy Warshaw

Casting Directors - Janelle Scuderi and

Tricia Wood

Production Designer - Luke Freeborn

Sonic Character Supervisor: Sega -

Takashi Iizuka

Supervising Art Director - Don Macaulay

Set Decorator - Shannon Gottlieb

Set Decorator: Hawaii Unit - Katrin Chong

Costume Designer - Debra McGuire

Director of Photography - Brandon Trost

Aerial Director of Photography/Camera

Operator: Vancouver Aerial Unit - Hans Bjerno

Second Unit Director/Director of Photography -

Peter Lyons Collister

Stunt Coordinator - Marny Eng

Stunt Coordinator: Second Unit - Guy Bews

Special Effects Coordinator - Joel Whist

Lead Fabricators - Dan Cervin and Rob Falck

Visual Effects Supervisor - Ged Wright

Visual Effects Producer - Lisa Beroud

Additional Visual Effects Supervisors: MPC -

Erik Nash and Nicolas Aithadi

Animation Supervisors: MPC - Eric Guaglione,

Steve Cady and Yves Ruprecht

Animation Supervisors: Animism Studios -

Jeremy Stewart and Eric Petey

Additional Animation Supervisors: MPC -

Michael Langford, Elwaleed Suliman and

Peta Bayley

Editor - Jim May

Supervising Sound Editors/Sound Designers -

Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn

Sound Designers: E2 - John Marquis,

Malte Bielef and Darren Maynard

Production Sound Mixer - Chris Duesterdiek

Re-Recording Mixers - Ron Bartlett and

Anna Behlmer

Additional Re-Recording Mixer - Drew Webster

Foley Artists - Dawn Lunsford and Alicia Stevenson

Music - Tom Holkenborg

Review

For two years, I have waited for SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 to get made. Now, here it is. I was looking forward to watching the sequel in theatres after it came out and having it critiqued. Unfortunately, I have to delay it by a few weeks because I was in close contact with someone who has COVID-19. Luckily, I started to watch it and found the film (if not slightly) better than the original.

While SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 is a great movie that's mostly a step up from its predecessor, I would've preferred it to be a much better sequel. Unfortunately, a few setbacks prevented it from achieving a perfect 10-star rating. Many critics say the film is lengthy and overplotted, given its two-hour runtime and a single unnecessary subplot, but I'm willing to overlook those faults. But enough about that. Let's dig into the positives. The sequel adds Tails and Knuckles. The same goes for the mythology, which expands on its predecessor and stays truer to the games. The action sequences are top-notch, with humour and pop-culture references to liven things up.

The original actors return to their roles, including Ben Schwartz as the titular protagonist and Jim Carrey as the dastardly villain Dr Robotnik. Though Carrey is considering retiring from acting after SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2, I hope he continues playing his character in the third instalment, or the role might get recast (or otherwise) if he does retire. Idris Elba wasn't as bad as Knuckles. He packed a wallop (pardon the expression) into his performance with a more serious edge than the other characters, yet he still delivered punchy comic timing when needed. Don't get me wrong, Idris was good in the role, but I would have loved an Aussie accent, since echidnas are native to my home country. His Thor co-star, Chris Hemsworth, might be a good fit.

Colleen O'Shaughnessy reprises her role as Tails (despite the character already being introduced in the first movie's mid-credits scene) from the video games and the Sonic Boom TV show in this sequel, bringing her bubbly, unapologetically cartoonish cadence.

As I said before, I would've loved SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 more if it'd been an even better sequel, like some that did it for their franchises and outclassed their predecessors. Still, it is a fun, enjoyable, action-packed experience for many fans. The youngsters will also love it. Whether you've played the Sonic games before or not, I recommend watching the first instalment before moving on to the second. I would love to hear your thoughts about the sequel.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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Uncharted Review

Uncharted

Release Date: 17th February 2022 - Australia

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures

Arad Productions

PlayStation Productions

Atlas Entertainment

Distribution

Sony Pictures Releasing Australia

Genre: Action/Adventure

Rating: M

Runtime: 116 minutes

Budget: $120,000,000

Box Office Gross: $401,748,820 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Experienced treasure hunter Victor "Sully" Sullivan recruits streetwise thief Nathan Drake to help him recover a lost

500-year-old fortune

amassed by explorer Ferdinand Magellan. What begins as a heist becomes a globe-trotting, white-knuckle race to reach the prize before the ruthless Santiago Moncada gets it. If they can decipher the clues and solve one of the world's oldest mysteries, Nate and Sully could find $5 billion in treasure, but only if they learn to work together.

Cast

Tom Holland - Nathan Drake

Mark Wahlberg - Victor Sullivan

Sophia Ali - Chloe Frazer

Antonio Banderas - Santiago Moncada

Tati Gabrielle - Braddock

Steven Waddington - The Scotsman

Pingi Moli - Hugo

Tiernan Jones - Young Nate

Rudy Pankow - Young Sam

Jesus Evita - Guard at Museum

Georgia Goodman - Sister

Bernadette

Diarmid Murtagh - Police Officer

Joseph Balderrama - Carlos

Serena Posadino - Goldie

Alana Boden - Zoe

Jonathan Failla - Unsuspecting Doorman

Anthony Thomas - Luxury Sedan Driver

Peter Seaton-Clark - Auctioneer

Robert Maaser - Guard at Auction

Eskindir Tesfay - Security Guard

Manuel de Blas - Armando Moncada

Carme Capdet - Spanish Nun

Julia Schunevitsch - Club

Bartender #1

Alois Knapps - Club Bartender

#2

Patricia Meeden - Spanish

Woman in Club

Nolan North - Hotel Guest (Cameo)

Matt Barkley - Hotel Bellman

Jimmy Hart - Concepcion Helo

Pilot

Brett Praed - Concepcion Co-Pilot

Carlo Kitzlinger - Trinidad Helo Pilot

Pilou Asbaek - Gage

Crew

Executive Producer/Director - Ruben Fleischer

Screen Story/Screenplay - Rafe Judkins

Screen Story - Jon Hanley Rosenberg

and Mark D. Walker

Screenplay/Executive Producers -

Art Marcum and Matt Holloway

Associate Producer/First Assistant Director -

Brian Reylea

Executive Producers - David Bernad,

Robert J. Bohrmann, Neil Druckmann,

Tom Holland, Asad Qizilbash,

Carter Swan and Evan Wells

Producers - Avi & Ari Arad,

Alex Gartner and Charles Roven

Co-Producer - Elise Callas

German Co-Producers - Christoph Fisser,

Henning Molfenter and Charlie Woebecken

Casting Directors - John Papsidera and

Denise Chaiman

Production Designer - Shepherd Frankel

Concept Artists - Victor James Martinez,

Giorgio Grecu, Thomas Möhring

and Jamie Rawa

Supervising Art Director - David Ingram

Art Directors - Robert Reblin,

Daniel Chour, Michael Fissneider,

Calla Klessig, Florian Müller,

Cornelia Ott, Nenad Pecur,

Sabine Engelberg and Patricia Woerler

Set Decorator - Eli Griff

Costume Designer - Marlene Stewart

Hair & Makeup Designer - Victoria Down

Director of Photography - Chung-hoon Chang

Director of Photography: Second Unit -

Brad Shield

Director of Photography: Spain, Additional

Photography Unit - Eric Steelberg

"B" Camera Operator - Marcus Pohlus

First Assistant Director: Spain, Additional

Photography - Paul Barry

First Assistant Director: Second Unit - Joe Geary

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -

Scott Rogers

Stunt Coordinators - Stephen Dunlevy,

Ryan Hanna, Kyle Weishaar and Keir Beck

Fight Coordinators - Wayne Dalglish

and Jimmy Chhlu

Special Effects Supervisor - Uli Nefzer

Special Effects Coordinator - Jonny Martin

Visual Effects Supervisor - Chas Jarrett

Visual Effects Supervisor: Sydney Unit -

Chris Godfrey

Digital Effects Supervisors: DNEG - Gregor Lanker

Daniel Elophe and Jolene McCaffrey

Visualisation Supervisor: The Third Floor -

Nicholas Markel

Editors - Chris Lebonzon and Richard Pearson

Additional Editors - John Schaeffer and

Joseph Kirkland

Supervising Sound Editors - Kami Asgar

and Erin Oakley

Sound Designer - Paul N.J. Ottosson

Re-Recording Mixers - Beau Borders,

Kevin O'Connell, Mark Paterson and

Tony Lamberti

Foley Artists - Gary A. Hecker and

Adam DeCoster

Music - Ramin Djawadi

Music Supervisor - Gabe Hilfer

Review

I never actually played the Uncharted games on the PlayStation because, at the time, I only had an Xbox and a Wii. Now I have seen the recent movie adaptation. I'm new to this source material. While Pokémon Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog are among the few that have shown respect, I'm unsure how accurate this movie is to the video games, since most adaptations have been unsuccessful. I just learned that UNCHARTED is supposed to be an origin story that begins with the two characters meeting for the first time. While UNCHARTED is mostly a lighthearted globe-trotting adventure, its plot and concept become too clichéd, reducing it to just a typical, safe action-adventure flick.

Director Ruben Fleischer has never tapped into anything like this and was known for officially shepherding the two Zombieland movies and Venom. He drew plenty of inspiration from the games to make UNCHARTED his own Indiana Jones adventure. The action sequences are exciting, but I don't see the video game comparisons that many said were unwanted.

One reason I wanted to see the film was Tom Holland. He finished playing Spider-Man in the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film. While UNCHARTED is one of his attempts to break away from his famous role, Holland performs terrifically as street-smart thief Nathan Drake, who gets embroiled in a treasure hunt. He even has Tom Cruise's Cocktail vibes when he works at a bar during an action scene. Mark Wahlberg did just fine in his role. However, he has good chemistry with Tom Holland, making Sully a father figure to Holland's protagonist. While a great actor, Antonio Banderas had less screen time and played a forgettable villain.

Despite offering nothing new to the action/adventure genre, I find UNCHARTED moderately entertaining. It had a better chance of becoming a decent adaptation than most games, and it is enjoyable. It isn't great, but I recommend it to all audiences once you get past the clichés.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Review

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End


Release Date: 24th May 2007 - Australia


Production Companies
Walt Disney Pictures (presents)
Jerry Bruckheimer Films (in association with)

Second Mate Productions

Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia


Genre: Action/Adventure/

Fantasy

Rating: M

Runtime: 168 minutes


Budget: $300,000,000

Box Office Gross: $961,691,209 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, and Captain Barbossa take on the almost impossible task of rescuing Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones' Locker? And enlist the support of the other pirate lords to combat the forces of Lord Beckett and Davy Jones (under Beckett's control).

Cast

Johnny Depp - Captain Jack Sparrow

Geoffrey Rush - Hector

Barbossa

Bill Nighy - Davy Jones

Orlando Bloom - Will Turner

Keira Knightley - Elizabeth

Swann

Jack Davenport - Norrington

Jonathan Pryce - Governor Weatherby Swann

Keith Richards - Captain Teague

Kevin McNally - Joshamee Gibbs

Stellan Skarsgård - Bootstrap Bill

Chow Yun-Fat - Captain Sao Feng

Lee Arenberg - Pintel

Mackenzie Crook - Ragetti

Tom Hollander - Cutler Beckett

Naomie Harris - Tia Dalma

David Bailie - Cotton

Martin Klebba - Marty

David Schofield - Mercer

Alex Norton - Captain Bellamy

Dermot Keaney - Maccus

Andy Beckwith - Clanker

Clive Ashborn - Koleniko

Reggie Lee - Tai Huang

Christopher Adamson - Jimmy Legs

Jonathan Linsley - Oglively

John Boswell - Wyvern

Max Baker - Burser

Steve Speirs - Quartermaster

Greg Ellis - Lt. Theodore Groves

Giles New - Murtogg

Angus Barnett - Mullroy

Lauren Maher - Scarlett

Vanessa Branch - Giselle

Dominic Scott Kay - Henry Turner

Crew

Director/Musician - Gore Verbinski

Based on Characters/Writers - Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio

Based on Characters - Stuart Beattie and Jay Wolpert

Script Supervisor - Sharron Reynolds

Executive Producers - Mike Stenson, Chad Oman and Bruce Hendricks

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager - Eric McLeod

Producer - Jerry Bruckheimer

Head Animal Trainer - Mark Harden

Animal Coordinator - Boone Narr

Casting Director - Denise Chaiman

Production Designer - Rick Heinrichs

Creature Concepts - Mark 'Crash' McCreery

Conceptual Consultant/

Storyboard Artist - James Ward Byrkit

Supervising Art Director - John Dexter

Art Directors - William Ladd Skinner, Bruce Crone and William Hawkins

Assistant Art Directors - Nick Navarro, Darrell L. Wright, Clint Wallace and Eric Sundahl

Set Decorator - Cheryl Carasik

Property Master - Kris Peck

Master Armourer - Harry Lu

Costume Designer - Penny Rose

Associate Costume Designer - John Norster

Costume Supervisor - Jessica Pazdernik

Costume Supervisor: Location - Ken Crouch

Makeup Effects Creator/Department Head -

Ve Neill

Makeup Effects Supervisor/Key Makeup Artist -

Joel Harlow

Additional Makeup Supervisor/Tattoo Designer -

Ken Diaz

Makeup Mechanical Supervisor - Russell Shinkle

Chief Hair Stylist/Stylist: Johnny Depp - Martin Samuel

Director of Photography - Dariusz Wolski

Director of Photography: Aerial Unit -

David B. Nowell

Underwater Director of Photography -

Peter Zuccarini

Additional Photography - Ben Seresin

Camera/Steadicam Operators -

David Luckenbach and P. Scott Sakamoto

Camera Operators - Martin Schaer

and Chris Mosley

Aerial Coordinator - David Paris

Dive Master - Alex Krimm

Production Supervisor - Thomas Hayslip

Unit Production Manager - Douglas C. Merrifield

First Assistant Director - David H. Venghaus Jr.

Additional First Assistant Director - Peter Kohn

Supervising Location Manager - Laura Sode-Matteson

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -

George Marshall Ruge

Second Unit Director/Visual Effects Supervisor -

Charles Gibson

Sword Master/Stunt Double: Geoffrey Rush/

Bill Nighy - Thomas DuPont

Picture Boat Coordinator - Will White

Transportation Coordinator - Dave Robling

Special Effects Supervisor - John Frazier

Special Effects Coordinator: Bahamas -

Allen Hall

Special Effects Gimbal Foreman: Bahamas -

Mark Hawker

Visual Effects Supervisor - John Knoll

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Roger Guyett

Visual Effects Supervisors: Digital Domain -

Erik Nash and Bryan Grill

Senior Visual Effects Supervisor: Asylum -

Nathan McGuinness

Visual Effects Supervisor: Asylum - Phil Brennan

Visual Effects Supervisor: The Orphanage -

Kevin Baillie

Visual Effects Supervisor: CIS Hollywood -

Bryan Hirota

Visual Effects Supervisor: Pacific Title and

Art Studios - David Sosalla

Visual Effects Producer: ILM - Jill Brooks

Visual Effects Art Director: ILM - Aaron McBride

Digital Production Supervisor: ILM - David Meny

Animation Supervisor: ILM - Hal T. Hickel

Animation Supervisor: The Orphanage -

David Andrews

Associate Animation Supervisor: ILM - Marc Chu

Layout Supervisor: ILM - Jason H. Snell

Composting Supervisor: ILM - Eddie Pasquarello

Creature Development Supervisor: ILM -

James Tooley

Creature Model Supervisor: ILM - Geoff Campbell

Digital Model Supervisors: ILM - Bruce Holcomb

and Steve Walton

Models and Miniatures Unit Supervisors: Kerner

Optical - Charles Bailey, Geoff Heron,

Carl Miller, Marty Rosenberg and

Pat Sweeney

Editors - Craig Wood and Stephen Rivkin

Additional Editor - Daniel P. Hanley

Supervising Sound Editor/Designer/

Sound Mixer: Skywalker Sound - Christopher Boyes

Supervising Sound Editor - George Watters II

Additional Sound Design - Tim Nielsen

and Christopher Scarabosio

Sound Effects Editors - Ken Fischer,

Shannon Mills, J.R. Grubbs, Addison Teague

and David C. Hughes

Sound Mixer - Lee Orloff

Sound Mixer: Skywalker Sound - Paul Massey

Additional Sound Mixers - James Bolt

and Lora Hirschberg

Music - Hans Zimmer

Composer: Additional Music/Conductor -

Nick Glennie-Smith

Composers: Additional Music - Lorne Balfe,

Tom Gire, Henry Jackman, John Sponsler,

Geoff Zanelli and Atli Örvarsson

Music Supervisor - Bob Badami

Score Recordist and Mixer - Alan Meyerson

Awards

2008 Academy Awards
Best Makeup - Ve Neill and Martin Samuel (Nominated)
Best Visual Effects - John Knoll, Charles Gibson,

Hal T. Hickel and John Frazier (Nominated)

Review

AT WORLD'S END was supposed to be the grand finale of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Two more movies were to come, including On Stranger Tides. However, that didn't detract from the spectacle of AT WORLD'S END. This instalment is a highly intricate, yet less daring, adventure-fantasy movie. Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer were the masterminds behind its reduced swashbuckling action. This instalment felt so convoluted it could sink to the bottom of the ocean.

 

Like Dead Man's Chest, it's less entertaining than the first movie, The Curse of the Black Pearl. The second and third films are linked in plot and glamorously overproduced to ensure box-office success. Still, neither had the original's charm. As a result, fans might find the film jarring and not quite the fantasy adventure they expected. It creates an inconsistent tone that pulls the film in a new direction. The storyline proved confusing and required more concentration than viewers might have realised. The pirates implode instead of uniting to fight their adversaries.

Keith Richards was a bold casting choice for Jack Sparrow's dad, which fits given that Depp famously modelled Jack Sparrow on the musician himself.

AT WORLD'S END is a decent movie, yet it is short of eight pieces. I recommend this film to all audiences, but you don't expect it to live up to the original.

Star rating: (6/10) Fair Movie

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Sonic the Hedgehog Review

Sonic the Hedgehog

Release Date: 13th February 2020 - Australia

Production Companies

Paramount Pictures (presents)

Sega Sammy Group (in association with)

Original Film

Marza Animation Planet

Blur Studio

Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (with the participation of)

Sega (based on the video game from)

DJ2 Entertainment

Paramount Animation (uncredited)

Distribution

Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Family/Action/

Adventure/Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 99 minutes

Budget: $95,000,000

Box Office Gross: $319,715,683 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Sonic is the fastest hedgehog and has lived peacefully, undiscovered, on Earth for ten years. But one day, he accidentally causes a power outage in a small town, catching the attention of Dr Robotnik, a mad scientist working for the government. With his newfound friend, a local human sheriff named Tom, Sonic must stop the evil doctor from capturing him and using his powers for his nefarious purposes.

Cast

Ben Schwartz - Sonic the

Hedgehog (Voice)

James Marsden - Tom
Wachowski

Jim Carrey - Dr. Ivo Robotnik

Tika Sumpter - Maddie Wachowski

Natasha Rothwell - Rachel

Adam Pally - Wade

Lee Majdoub - Agent Stone

Neal McDonough - Major Berrington

Tom Butler - Vice Chairman Walters

Frank C. Turner - Crazy Carl

Melody Nosipho Niemann -

JoJo

Shannon Chan-Kent -

Roadhouse Waitress

Brad Kelly - Roadhouse Thug

Elfina Luk - Secretary of

Homeland Security

Garry Chalk - Navy Chief of
Staff (Cameo)

Michael Hogan - Air Force Chief of Staff

Peter Bryant - Army Chief of Staff

Jeremy Arnold - Businessman

Jeanie Cloutier - Businesswoman

Emma Oliver - Parisian Little Kid

Bailey Skodje - Minivan Kid

Dean Petriw - Minivan Kid

Jeff Sanca - Minivan Dad

Lisa Chandler - Minivan Mom

Chris Gailus - News Anchor

Bethel Lee - Receptionist

Anthony Santiago - Senior Glass Installer

Jeremiah Oh - Junior Glass Installer

Charles Heffernan - Mime

Terence Kelly - Farmer Zimmer

Sean Campbell - Bartender

Scott Patey - Bar Patron/On-Set Sonic

Sandy Robson - Bar Patron

Andrea Marcum - Yoga Instructor

Benjamin Vilac - Baby Sonic
(Voice)

Donna Jay Fulks - Longclaw
(Voice)

Colleen O'Shaughnessey - Miles "Tails"

Prower (Voice) (Cameo)

Crew

Executive Producer/Director - Jeff Fowler

Based on Characters - Yuji Naka,
Naoto Ohshima and Hirokazu Yasuhara

Writers - Patrick Casey and Josh Miller

Associate Producers - Mie Onishi

and Chuck Williams

Executive Producers - Masanao Maeda,

Tim Miller and Hajime & Haruki Satomi

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Nan Morales

Producers - Toby Ascher, Takeshi Ito,
Neal H. Moritz and Toru Nakahara

Co-Producers - Dan Jevons,
Dmitri M. Johnson and Karina Rahardja

Production Designer - Sean Harworth

Sonic Character Supervisor: SEGA -

Takashi Iizuka

Lead Sonic Designer: Blur Studios -

Tyson Hesse

Graphic Designers - Shannon Courte,
Erin Sinclair and Morgan McConnell

Supervising Art Director - Grant Van Der Slagt

Set Decorator - Shannon Gottlieb

Costume Designer - Debra McGuire

Digital Makeup Designer - Bill Corso

Director of Photography - Stephen F. Windon

Second Unit Director/Director of Photography:

Second Unit - Peter Lyons Collister

Stunt Coordinator - Garvin Cross

Special Effects Coordinator - Alex Burdett

Visual Effects Supervisors - Chris Uyede
and Ged Wright

Visual Effects Supervisor: Marza Animation -
David Nelson

Visual Effects Producer - Denise Davis

Animation Supervisor: MPC - Clement Yip

Visualisation Supervisor - Scott Meadows

Editors - Debra Neil-Fisher and
Stacey Schroeder

Supervising Sound Editors/Sound Designers -

Ethan Van Der Ryn and Erik Aadahl

Sound Designer - Tim Walston

Additional Sound Designers - Brandon Jones,

Matt Cavanaugh, Chris Diebold, John Marquis,

Jason W. Jennings and Goeun Lee

Production Sound Mixer - David Husby

Re-Recording Mixers - Anna Behlmer and

Mark Paterson

Foley Artists - Alicia Stevenson and

Dawn Lunsford

Music - Tom Holkenborg

Review

Remember what I said in my review of Wreck-It Ralph about wishing for a Sonic the Hedgehog movie adaptation? It has finally come true, but not the way you would expect. I've already reviewed a video game-based film that was actually a two-episode anime miniseries. I was sceptical about the new Sonic the Hedgehog movie, thinking it wouldn't work in live-action. I watched the teaser, which featured an unsettling CGI design of Sonic that felt too bizarrely realistic, and many other fans feel the same. Fortunately, the filmmakers responded to their criticism and redesigned the character, and fans were much happier with his new design.

An energetic and (no pun intended) fast-paced movie brings the character to life on the big screen. Unlike several video game movies, this one does justice to the source material. However, a few exceptions exist, like Detective Pikachu. One drawback of SONIC is the simplistic, predictable storyline, which feels like a cut-and-paste from other live-action cartoon adaptations.

Besides the redesign of Sonic, the best aspect of this movie was Jim Carrey's performance as Dr Robotnik (also known as Dr Eggman). Carrey was back in over-the-top comedic form as the evil genius. It reminded me of his early roles, when he had the frantic energy to pull it off. Ben Schwartz was funny as the titular protagonist's voice. He played well against James Marsden's straight-arrow performance as Tom, which held the otherwise chaotic film together.

You should go and see SONIC THE HEDGEHOG. Some fans may not like it, but that shouldn't stop the rest of you from watching it. For this reason, it is a good video game movie.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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