Eragon Review

Eragon

Release Date: 14th December 2006 - Australia

Production Companies

Fox 2000 Pictures (presents)

Davis Entertainment

Dune Entertainment (made in association with)

Ingenious Film Partners (in association with)

Major Studio Partners (made in association with)

Mid Atlantic Films

Distribution

20th Century Fox Australia

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: M

Runtime: 99 minutes

Budget: $100,000,000

Box Office Gross: $249,488,115 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

When poor farm boy

Eragon finds a smooth

blue stone in the forest,

he believes it will help

him buy food for his

family over the winter.

However, Eragon realises

that he has stumbled upon

a legacy as old as the

Empire itself when he

discovers that the stone

is an egg from which a

baby dragon is hatching.

From one night to the next,

his simple life shatters,

thrusting him into a

dangerous new world of

destiny, magic, and power.

Eragon and the young

dragon must navigate the

treacherous landscape and

malevolent forces of an

empire ruled by a king

whose evil extends far and

wide, guided only by an

ancient blade and the

wisdom of a storyteller.

Will Eragon rise to the

challenge of becoming

a Dragon Rider, a role that

has existed for generations?

His actions may determine

the Empire's fate.

Cast

Ed Speleers - Eragon

Jeremy Irons - Brom

Sienna Guillory - Arya

Robert Carlyle - Durza

John Malkovich - Galbatorix

Garrett Hedlund - Murtagh

Alun Armstrong - Uncle

Garrow

Christopher Egan - Roran

Gary Lewis - Hrothgar

Djimon Hounsou - Ajihad

Rachel Weisz - Saphira (Voice)

Richard Rifkin - Horst

Steven Spiers - Sloan

Joss Stone - Angela

Michael Mehlmann - Villager #1

Tamas Deak - Villager #2

Matt Devere - Tall Soldier

Mate Haumann - Sergeant

Andrea Fazekas - Horst's Wife 

Caroline Chikezie - Nasuada

Agnes Banfalvy - Varden Woman

Pal Makrai - Varden Guard

Spencer Wilding - Razac #1

Gabor Hortobagyi - Razac #2 

Crew

Director - Stefen Fangmeier

Based Upon the Novel "Eragon" -

Christopher Paolini

Screenplay - Peter Buchman
Executive Producers - Gil Netter and

Chris Symes

Producers - John Davis and Wyck Godfrey

Co-Producer/Film Editor - Roger Barton

Co-Producer - Adam Goodman 

U.K. Casting Director - Priscilla John

U.S. Casting Director - Mindy Marin 

Production Designer - Wolf Kroeger

Concept Artist - Derek Thompson

Supervising Art Director - Jonathan McKinstry

Supervising Art Director: Additional

Photography, Vancouver - Helen Jarvis
Art Directors - Jonathan Hely-Hutchinson,

Stuart Kearns, Stuart Rose, John King

and Tibor Lazar

Art Director: Additional Photography,

Vancouver - Michael Diner
Set Decorators - Elli Griff, Sandy Walker,
Istvan Toth and Simon Wakefield (Uncredited)

Property Master - Paul Hedges

Property Master: Additional Photography,

Vancouver - James H. Chow 

Supervising Prop Maker - Roland Stevenson 

Costume Designer - Kym Barrett

Chief Makeup Artist - Trefor Proud

Chief Hair Stylist - Tracey Wells

Director of Photography - Hugh Johnson

Directors of Photography: Second Unit -

Harvey Harrison and Mike Brewster
Director of Photography: Motion Rig Unit/

Additional Photography, Vancouver - Shaun O'Dell

Aerial Directors of Photography - John Marzano

and Adam Dale 

"A" Camera Operators - Peter Taylor

and Des Whelan

Supervising Location Manager - Terry Blyther

Unit Production Manager: Second Unit - Richard Sharkey

First Assistant Director - Christopher Newman
Second Unit Directors - Andy Armstrong

and E.J. Foerster
Second Unit Director/Unit Director: Motion

Rig Unit - Peter MacDonald

Stunt Coordinators - Steve M. Davison and
Gabor Piroch

Assistant Stunt Coordinator - Melissa R. Stubbs 

Motion Rig Stunt Coordinator - Mark Southworth

Vancouver Stunt Coordinator - J.J. Makaro 

Sword Master - C.C. Smiff

Pilot/Aerial Coordinators - David Paris

and Marc Wolff
Special Effects Supervisor - Gerd Nefzer

Special Effects Coordinator - Gabor Kiszelly
Special Effects Supervisor: Second Unit - Uli Nefzer

Special Effects Coordinator: Additional

Photography, Vancouver - Cameron Waldbauer

Creature Effects Supervisor/Visual Effects
Modeller - Brian Best

Visual Effects Supervisors - Samir Hoon and

Michael J. McAlister

Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta Digital - George Murphy

Co-Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta Digital - Guy Williams
Additional Visual Effects Supervisor - John T. Van Vilet
Visual Effects Producers - Denise Davis

and Arthur Windus

Visual Effects Producers: ILM - Gretchen Libby

and Jeff Olson 

Visual Effects Producer: Weta Digital - Eileen Moran

Art Directors: Weta Digital - Michael Pangrazio

and Gus Hunter

Animation Supervisor: ILM - Glen McIntosh
Animation Supervisor: Weta Digital - David Clayton

Animation Technical Supervisor: Weta Digital -

Shawn Dunn 

Digital Production Manager: ILM - Michael DiComo

Visual Effects Production Manager: ILM -

Wayne Billheimer
Creature Supervisor: ILM - Aaron Ferguson

Creature Supervisor: Weta Digital - Dana Peters

VFX Dragon Build Supervisor - Craig Narramore
CG Supervisor: ILM - John Helms

Digital Compositing Supervisor: ILM - Dorne Huebler

Sequence Supervisors: ILM - Kevin Barnhill,

Jeff Doran, Kevin Reuter, Steve Braggs,

Raul Essig, Jason Rosson, Jay Cooper,

Michael Kennedy and R. Jay Williams

Concept Artists: ILM - Christian Alzmann

and Carlos Haunte

Digital Model Supervisors: ILM - Ken Bryan

and Paul Giacoppo

Lead Digital Matte Artists: ILM - Brett Northcutt

and Joshua Ong

Digital Paint and Roto Supervisor: ILM - Patrick Jarvis

Massive Supervisor: Weta Digital - Jon Allitt 

Film Editors - Masahiro Hirakubo and
Chris Lebenzon
Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Editor/

Sound Re-Recording Mixer/ - Randy Thom

Supervising Sound Editor - Dennis Leonard

Assistant Sound Designer - Will Files

Saphira's Voice Designer - Bruce Botnick 

Sound Re-Recording Mixer - Gary A. Rizzo 

Production Sound Mixer - Mac Ruth

Dialogue Editor - Michael Silvers

ADR Editor - Daniel Laurie

Sound Effects Editors - Al Nelson

and Douglas Murray

Foley Artists - Jana Vance,

Denise Thorpe and Ellen Heuer 

Foley Mixer - Frank Rinella 

Music - Patrick Doyle

Review
ERAGON isn't bad for a fantasy movie, but it feels like Star Wars. The film follows the plot of Christopher Paolini's novel of the same name, part of the best-selling Inheritance Cycle series, which I haven't read. It felt unoriginal and inconsistent, with several odd narrative choices, but I was lucky to notice them all. Inheritance fans deemed every deviation from the original novel unacceptable. Additionally, the dialogue was clunky.

The film boasts weird but impressive CGI visuals and a few solid acting performances, except for John Malkovich, who fails to convince as the evil King Galbatorix. He was ultimately miscast and wooden for a menacing role that didn't suit him. I was beginning to like the English actor Jeremy Irons, who delivered an exceptional portrayal of Brom, and I didn't even realise that Garrett Hedlund from Tron: Legacy was in the film.

If audiences had accepted the movie, they would have made its sequel, Eldest. Overall, ERAGON was a less-than-incredible adaptation and an inoffensive fantasy adventure I'd rather forget.

Star rating: (3/5) Average

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Armageddon Review

Armageddon

Release Date: 20th August 1998 - Australia

Production Companies

Touchstone Pictures (presents)

Jerry Bruckheimer Films

Valhalla Motion Pictures (in association

with)

Distribution

Walt Disney Studios Motion

Pictures Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi/Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 151 minutes

Budget: $140,000,000

Box Office Gross: $553,709,788 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

When an asteroid threatens to destroy Earth in 18 days, NASA hires a group of oil drillers to head off to outer space to land on the meteor and place a nuclear bomb in its core.

Cast

Bruce Willis - Harry Stamper

Ben Affleck - A. J. Frost

Billy Bob Thornton - Dan Truman

Liv Tyler - Grace Stamper

Will Patton - Charles 'Chick' Chappel

Steve Buscemi - Rockhound

Michael Clarke Duncan - J. Otis 'Bear' Kurleenbear

Peter Stormare - Lev Andropov

William Fichtner - Colonel Willie Sharp

Ken Hudson Campbell - Max Lennert

Keith David - General Kimsey

Owen Wilson - Oscar Choice

Jessica Steen - Jennifer Watts

Jason Isaacs - Dr. Ronald Quincy

Judith Hoag - Denise Chappel

Chris Ellis - NASA Flight Director Clark

Grayson McCouch - Gruber

Clark Heathcliff Brolly - Noonan

Marshall R. Teague - Colonel Davis

Anthony Guidera - Co-Pilot Tucker

Greg Collins - Halsey

J. Patrick McCormack - General Boffer

Ian Quinn - Astronaut Pete Shelby

John Mahon - Karl

Grace Zabriskie - Dottie

K.C. Leomiti - Samoan

Eddie Griffin - Bike Messenger

Stanley Anderson - President

James Harper - Admiral Kelso

Ellen Cleghorne - Helga the Nurse

John Aylward - Dr. Banks

Mark Curry - Stu the Cabbie

Harry Humphries - Chuck Jr. (Cameo)

Dyllan Christopher - Tommy

Judith Hoag - Denise

Sage Allen - Max's Mom

Charlton Heston - Narrator (Voice)

Lawrence Tierney - Eddie 'Grampa' Stamper (Uncredited)

Michael Bay - Scientist (Cameo) (Uncredited)

John Frazier - Priest (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew

Producer/Director - Michael Bay

Story - Robert Roy Pool and
Jonathan Hensleigh

Adaptation - Tony Gilroy and
Shane Salerno

Screenplay - Jonathan Hensleigh
and J.J. Abrams

Associate Producer/Second Unit Director/
Stunt Coordinator - Kenny Bates

Associate Producer/Unit Production Manager -
Barry H. Waldman

Executive Producers - Jonathan Hensleigh,
Chad Oman and Jim Van Myck

Producers - Jerry Bruckheimer
and Gale Anne Hurd

Consultant: NASA - Joseph P. Allen

Technical Advisor - Harry Humphries

Mission Control Advisor - Jerry Bostick

Casting Director - Bonnie Timmermann

Production Designer - Michael White

Vehicle Designer - Harald Belker

Illustrators - Wil Rees, James M. Carson,

Tani Kunitake, James Oxford and

Derek Gogol

Supervising Art Director - Geoff Hubbard

Art Directors - Lawrence A. Hubbs

and Bruton Jones

Assistant Art Directors - Doug J. Meerdink

and Ron Mendell

Set Decorator - Rick Simpson

Property Master - Charles Stewart

Costume Designers - Magali Guidasci
and Michael Kaplan

Director of Photography - John Schwartzman

Director of Photography: Second Unit - Mauro Fiore

Aerial Directors of Photography - David B. Nowell

and Kurt E. Soderling

Aerial Director of Photography: New York -

Larry Blanford

Underwater Photographer - Pete Romano

"A" Camera Operator - Mitchell Amundsen

Second Assistant Camera: Second Unit -

Harry Zimmerman

Production Supervisor - Diane L. Sabatini

First Assistant Director - K.C. Hodenfield

First Assistant Director: Second Unit/Second

Assistant Director - Jeff Okayabashi

Second Second Assistant Director - Nick Satriano

Aerial Coordinator/Helicopter Pilot - Alan D. Purwin

Aerial Coordinator: International Unit -

Frédéric Notth
Special Effects Supervisor - John Frazier

Special Effects Lead: Paris Destruction

Sequence, DQI - John Ziegler

Special Effects Coordinator: Paris Destruction

Sequence, DQI - Richard O. Helmer

Physical Effects Supervisor: Physical Effects -

Richard Stutsman

Visual Effects Supervisors - Richard R. Hoover
and Pat McClung

Visual Effects Supervisor: Buena Vista Imaging -

Mark Dornfeld

Visual Effects Supervisor: Matte World Digital -

Craig Barron

Visual Effects Supervisor: Blue Sky/

VIFX - Richard E. Hollander

Visual Effects Supervisor: Tippett Studio -
Bruce Nicholson

Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain -
Erik Nash

Visual Effects Supervisor: Paris Destruction
Sequence, DQI - Hoyt Yeatman

Visual Effects Creative Supervisor: Digital

Domain - Robert Legato
Visual Effects Producer: Digital Domain -

Cari Thomas

Visual Effects Producer: DQI - Rae Griffith

Visual Effects Producer: Blue Sky/VIFX -

Josh R. Jaggars

Additional Visual Effects - John T. Van Vliet

Digital Effects Supervisor: DQI - Darin Hollings

Digital Effects Supervisor: Paris Destruction

Sequence, DQI - Dan DeLeeuw

Digital Visual Effects Supervisor: Cinesite -

Carlos Arguello

Digital Effects Supervisor: Digital Magic -

Bryan Grill

Digital Effects Supervisor: CFC - Rob Hodgson

Digital Supervisor: Blue Sky/VIFX -

Anthony 'Max' Ivins

Digital 3D Supervisor: Digital Domain -

Matthew E. Butler

Digital Visual Effects Producer: Cinesite - Aaron Dem

Animation Supervisor: Tippett Studio - Blair Clark

Directors of Photography: Visual Effects Shoot

Crew - Philip Timme and Tony Cutrono

Matte Painting Supervisor: Cinesite - Charles Darby

Digital Compositing Supervisor: Digital Domain -

Mark O. Forker

Composite Supervisor: Cinesite - Kevin Lingenfelser

Senior Technical Supervisor: DQI - John Murrah

Editors - Mark Goldblatt,
Chris Lebenzon and Glen Scantlebury

Additional Editor - Michael R. Miller

Associate Film Editors - Roger Barton

and Todd E. Miller

Sound Designer - Christopher Boyes

Supervising Sound Editor - George Watters II

Sound Editors - David A. Arnold,

Frank E. Eulner, Scott Guitteau,

Doug Jackson, Suhail Kafity, Jason King,

Adam Kopald, Andy Kopetzky,

F. Hudson Miller, R.J. Palmer,

Bruce Richardson, Christopher Scarabosio,

Ethan Van der Ryn, Gary Wright,

Steve Boeddeker, Ed Callahan, Midge Costin,

David Farmer, Tom Myers, Robert L. Sephton

and Marshall Winn (Uncredited)

Re-Recording Sound Mixers - Kevin O'Connell

and Greg P. Russell

Additional Re-Recording Mixers -

Gregory H. Watkins, Bill W. Benton and

Greg Orloff

Music - Trevor Rabin

Additional Music - Harry Gregson-Williams

Executive in Charge of Music: Walt Disney

Motion Pictures Group/Music Supervisor -

Kathy Nelson

Music Supervisor - Bob Badami

Music Programmers - Don Harper,

Steve Jablonsky, Paul Linford and

John Van Tongeren

Scoring Mixers - Steve Kempster and

Alan Meyerson

Awards

1999 Academy Awards
Best Sound - Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell
and Keith A. Wester (Nominated)
Best Sound Editing - George Watters II (Nominated)
Best Visual Effects - Richard Hoover, Pat McClung

and John Frazier (Nominated)
Best Music, Original Song "I Don't Want to Miss a

Thing" - Diane Warren (Nominated)

Review

ARMAGEDDON is a very entertaining disaster movie. This film delivers laughter and drama, giving audiences plenty to appreciate. I don't mind the scientific errors, including the space goofs some people noticed. I enjoyed Michael Bay's direction, with its incredible action and explosions. Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, and Steve Buscemi deliver predictably good performances for a sci-fi/action movie.

ARMAGEDDON was the director's second-best film. It's also an explosive, enjoyable popcorn smash for fans of disaster movies and other Michael Bay features (like the Transformers series, which includes Bay's best film ever).

You can find this blockbuster on DVD, Blu-ray, or online. If you prefer a different asteroid flick, try Deep Impact.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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Stealth Review

Stealth

Release Date: 8th September 2005 - Australia

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Original Film

Phoenix Pictures

Laura Ziskin Productions

AFG Talons Productions

Distribution 
Sony Pictures Releasing Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi/Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 121 minutes

Budget: $135,000,000

Box Office Gross:

$76,932,872 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Marine fighter pilots Ben

Gannon, Henry Purcell, and

Kara Wade must train a

state-of-the-art, fully

automated, pilotless, super-

stealth aircraft to carry out

strikes on key foreign

targets. After the plane is

struck by lightning and

rewired, Ben loses faith in

artificial intelligence

technology. But even after

it takes on its own, the Navy

is determined to keep it in

the air. With the plane

wreaking havoc worldwide,

the team must embark on

their deadliest mission to

stop it before it causes

World War 3!

Cast

Josh Lucas - Lt. Ben Gannon

Jessica Biel - Lt. Kara Wade

Jamie Foxx - Lt. Henry Purcell

Sam Shepard - Capt. George Cummings

Joe Morton - Capt. Dick

Marshfield

Richard Roxburgh - Dr. Keith Orbit

Ian Bliss - Lt. Aaron Shaftsbury

Ebon Moss-Bachrach - Tim

David Andrews - Ray

Wentworth Miller - EDI (Voice)

Alexandra Davies - Ben's Date

Caroline de Souza - Henry's Date

Jaipetch Toonchalong - Henry's Thai Girlfriend

Megan Gale - Dr. Orbit's Secretary

Jason Lee - Colonel Young

Michael McCabe - Commander 3rd Fleet

Robert L. Keane - Aircraft Carrier Chaplain

Nicholas Hammond - Executive Officer

Joel Tobeck - Black Ops Leader

John Waters - Black Ops Doctor

Michael Denkha - Naval Controller

Rocky Helton - Master at Arms

Clayton Adams - USS Abraham Lincoln Soldier

Maurice Morgan - USS Abraham Lincoln Soldier

Woody Naismith - USS Abraham Lincoln Soldier

Charles Ndibe - USS Abraham Lincoln Soldier

Sara Saliba - Korean Girl

Jim Diamond - Rangoon Terrorist

Jaffar Hussain - Rangoon Terrorist

Gary Quiy - Rangoon Terrorist

Jason Lee - Colonel Yune

Rowan Schlosberg - EDI Technician

Jason Chan - EDI Technician

Matthew Wilkinson - EDI Technician

Johann Walraven - EDI Technician

Randall Mettam - Naval Controller

Lucia Mastrantone - Naval Controller

Dorian Nkono - Naval Controller

Miles Paras - Naval Controller

Harli Ames - Naval Controller

Adriano Cappelletta - Naval Controller

Blazey Best - Naval Controller

Paul Pantano - Naval Controller

Ilya Melbokoff - Russian Pilot

Nikolai Nikolaeff - Russian Pilot

Warwick Young - Russian Pilot

Paul Donazzan - Russian Pilot

Vanessa Grimm - Sky News Reporter

Matthew Jorgensen - Barricade Officer

Colby Sanders - Aviation Plane Captain

Diego Corral - Ships Safety Officer

Crew

Director - Rob Cohen

Writer - W.D. Ritcher
Executive Producer - Arnold Messer

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager:

Aircraft Carrier Units - E. Bennett Walsh  

Producers - Mike Medavoy,
Neal H. Moritz and Laura Ziskin

Casting Directors - Sarah Finn,

Randi Hiller and Christine King

Senior Military Advisor - David M. Kennedy

Production Designers - Jonathan Lee and
J. Michael Riva

Supervising Art Director - Richard Hobbs

Model Supervisor - Peter Wyborm

Set Decorator - Suza Maybury
Costume Designer - Lizzy Gardiner

Assistant Costume Designer - Jane Johnston

Key Makeup & Hair Supervisor - Lesley Vanderwalt

Director of Photography - Dean Semler

Director of Photography: Second Unit - Brad Shield

First Assistant "A" Camera: Aircraft

Carrier Units - Clyde E. Bryan

Lear Jet Pilots - Alex Kvassy and Craig Hosking

Unit Production Manager - Catherine Bishop

Production Manager: Second Unit - Libby Sharpe

First Assistant Director - PJ Voeten

First Assistant Director: Aircraft Carrier Units -

Lars P. Winther

Second Assistant Director - Deborah Antoniou

Third Assistant Directors - Scott Lovelock

and Eddie Thorne

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -
Lance Gilbert

Stunt Coordinator - Guy Norris

Stunt Coordinator: Second Unit - Glenn Suter

Parachute Stunts - Tim Rigby

Australian Aerial Coordinator - Gary Tocehurst
Special Effects Supervisor - John Frazier

Special Effects Supervisor: Flying Fish/

Human Dynamo - Scott Harens
Special Effects Coordinators - David Young 
and Jim Schwalm

Visual Effects Supervisor - Joel Hynek

Visual Effects Supervisor: Animal Logic -

Chris Godfrey

Visual Effects Supervisor: Pacific Title and

Art Studio - David Sosalla

Visual Effects Producer: Digital Domain -

Julian Levi

Visual Effects Executive Producer: Digital

Domain - Nancy Bernstein

Executive Producer: Animal Logic -

Zareh Nalbandian

Visual Effects Director of Photography:

Digital Domain - Erik Nash

Director of Photography: Flying Fish/Human

Dynamo - Richard Bluck

Digital Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain - Kelly Port

Computer Graphics Supervisors: Digital Domain -

Markus Kurtz and Vernon R. Wilbert Jr.

Compositing Supervisor: Digital Domain - Bryan Grill

Digital Compositing Sequence Leads:

Digital Domain - Brian Begun, Paul Kirwan

and Lou Pecora

Senior Digital Compositors: Digital Domain -

Ted S. Andre, Eric M. Beaver, Alette Boyce,

Paul Lambert, Kevin Lingenfelser,

Michael Maloney, Michael Melchiorre,

Marc Morissette, Robert Nederhorst,

Marc Dominic Rienzo, Jason Selfe and

Deborah Siltman

CG Effects Animation Sequence Leads:

Digital Domain - Robert A.D. Frick,

John Gibson and Garman Heritstad

CG Animation Lead: Digital Domain - Erik Gamache

Film Editor - Stephen E. Rivkin

First Assistant Editor - Andrew S. Eisen

Supervising Sound Editor - Bruce Stambler

Sound Designer - Tim Walston

ADR Supervisor - Becky Sullivan

Supervising Sound Mixers - Jeffrey J. Jaboush,

Bill W. Benton and Rick Kline

Music - BT

Additional Music - Trevor Morris

Music Supervisor - Bob Badami

Orchestra Recordist and Mixer - Alan Meyerson

Review
STEALTH could have been a good film, but unfortunately, it needs improvement to match its contenders, such as Top Gun. Many viewers claim this box-office misfire took elements and a few ideas from other films to produce this unoriginal picture. Yes, the premise is cheesy, but what more could moviegoers want? STEALTH has faced criticism for its lack of originality and thin characterisation, with some commentators even calling it generic and unoriginal. The aerial sequences, camerawork, and special effects make this film a visual delight. It even includes intriguing parts, such as in the movie's middle act, where something happens to one of the main characters. The acting is typically good, thanks to leading actors like Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel, and Jamie Foxx. They weren't good enough to save STEALTH from crashing down.

This movie is average at best and probably not Rob Cohen's finest work. It's worth watching once, but there is nothing to rush out to see.

Star rating: (3/5) Average

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