Shrek Review

Shrek


Release Date: 21st June 2001 - Australia


Production Companies
DreamWorks Pictures (presents)

DreamWorks Animation
Pacific Data Images (PDI)

Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia


Genre: Animation/Family/

Fantasy/Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 90 minutes


Budget: $60,000,000

Box Office Gross: $494,327,743 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
A terrifying ogre named Shrek discovers that fairy-tale creatures, all exiled by the diminutive Lord Farquaad, have invaded his swamp. Shrek begins his journey with the wisecracking Donkey to reclaim his swamp from Farquaad, who then makes a deal with the ogre: he must rescue Princess Fiona in exchange for the swamp.


Voice Cast
Mike Myers - Shrek/Blind Mouse
Eddie Murphy - Donkey
Cameron Diaz - Fiona
John Lithgow - Lord Farquaad
Vincent Cassel - Monsieur Hood
Conrad Vernon - Gingerbread Man
Chris Miller - Magic Mirror/

Geppetto
Cody Cameron - Pinocchio/

The Three Little Pigs
Simon J. Smith - Blind Mouse
Christopher Knights - Blind Mouse/Thelonius
Aron Warner - Big Bad Wolf
Jim Cummings - Captain of Guards
Kathleen Freeman - Old Woman
Bobby Block - Baby Bear
Michael Galasso - Peter Pan

Val Bettin - Bishop
Andrew Adamson - Duloc Mascot (Uncredited)

Crew
Writer: Song "Merry Men"/
Director - Andrew Adamson
Director - Vicky Jenson
Based Upon the Book "Shrek" - William Steig
Writers/Co-Producers - Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio
Writers - Joe Stillman and Roger S.H. Schulman
Additional Dialogue/Story

Artists - Cody Cameron, Chris Miller and Conrad Vernon

Associate Producer/Head of Production: PDI - Jane Hartwell
Executive Producers - Penney Finkelman Cox, Sandra Rabins and Steven Spielberg (Uncredited)

Co-Executive Producer - David Lipman
Producers - Jeffrey Katzenberg,

Aron Warner and John H. Williams

Production Designer - James Hegedus
Art Directors - Guillaume Aretos and
Douglas Rogers
Character Designer - Tom Hester

Character Designer/Supervising Animator -

Raman Hui

CG Visual Development - Wendy Rogers
Costume Designer - Isis Mussenden

Co-Heads of Story - Randy Cartwright

and David Lowery

Directing Animators - Tim Cheung,

Paul Chung, Denis Couchon,

Donnachada Daly and James Straus

Additional Supervising Animator - Rex Grignon
Head of Layout - Simon J. Smith

Layout Production Supervisors -

Denise Nolan Cascino and Laura Lockwood

Animation Software Development Director -

Ken Pearce
Visual Effects Supervisor - Ken Bielenberg

Character Technical Director Co-Supervisors -

Lucia Modesto and Lucas Prasso

Lead Character Technical Directors -

Beth Hofer and Dick Walsh

Sequence Supervisors: Lighting and Effects -

Susan Hayden, Philippe Gluckman,

Apurva Shah, Paul Wang, Janet Rentel and

Mark Wendell

Film Editor - Sim Evan-Jones

Second Editor - Mike Andrews

Supervising Sound Editors - Wylie Stateman

and Lon Bender

Re-Recording Mixers - Andy Nelson

and Anna Behlmer

Foley Artists - James Moriana and

Jeffrey Wilhoit

Music - Harry Gregson-Williams and
John Powell

Music Supervisor - Marylata Elton

Additional Music Mixer - Alan Meyerson


Awards

2002 Academy Awards
Best Animated Feature - Aron Warner (Won)
------------------------
Best Adapted Screenplay - Ted Elliott,

Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman and

Roger S.H. Schulman (Nominated)


Review

A childhood classic in its time, I can't recall the last time I watched SHREK at school. It has been a long time, and the film remains unchanged. SHREK was conceived just as DreamWorks began emulating Pixar's charm in its computer-animated features, and it changed the game. The studio and its rivals tried to replicate the formula and style in other movies, but none matched SHREK's anachronism and goofiness. The team behind the feature was not afraid to mock Disney and satirise the magical world of fairy tales that had previously appeared in animation (such as Pinocchio, The Three Little Pigs, Snow White, and others). Along with these Disney references, the film features several pop-culture references to movies anyone may recognise. The animation and humour have aged better, with innuendos and adult jokes.

The film's best aspects include its witty dialogue and stellar voice acting by a few A-list celebrities, including Mike Myers as the titular ogre. Veteran comedian and actor Eddie Murphy delivers a show-stealing performance as the annoying, wisecracking Donkey. Cameron Diaz portrays Princess Fiona, and John Lithgow plays the main antagonist, Lord Farquaad.

Kids and adults will enjoy SHREK just as much as they did years ago. It is a cheerful, lighthearted, and delightfully funny animated movie for all ages. It spawned a franchise with three sequels, a spin-off, and two television specials in the years that followed.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

Back to Home

Mission: Impossible - Fallout Review

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Release Date: 2nd August 2018 - Australia

Production Companies

Paramount Pictures (presents)

Bad Robot

Skydance Media (presents)

TC Productions

Alibaba Pictures (in association with)

Distribution

Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Action
 

Rating: M

Runtime: 147 minutes

Budget: $178,000,000

Box Office Gross: $824,171,374 (Worldwide)
 

Plot Summary

Ethan Hunt and the IMF team must team up with hard-hitting CIA agent August Walker to prevent a massive catastrophe. Weapons dealer John Lark and a terrorist group known as the Apostles plan to use three nuclear devices to simultaneously attack the Vatican, Jerusalem, and Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Ethan and his crew fight desperately to stop the weapons from falling

into the wrong hands when

they go missing.

Cast

Tom Cruise - Ethan Hunt

Henry Cavill - August Walker

Vanessa Kirby - White Widow

Simon Pegg - Benji Dunn

Rebecca Ferguson - Ilsa Faust

Ving Rhames - Luther Stickell

Michelle Monaghan - Julia Meade-Hunt

Sean Harris - Solomon Lane

Alec Baldwin - Alan Hunley

Angela Bassett - Erica Sloan

Wes Bentley - Patrick

Frederick Schmidt - Zola

Liang Yang - Lark Decoy

Kristoffer Joner - Nils Debrunk

Wolf Blitzer - Himself (Cameo)

Alix Benezech - French Policewoman

Charlie Archer - Delivery Man

Crew

Writer/Producer/Director -

Christopher McQuarrie

Based on the Television

Series - Bruce Geller

Executive Producers - David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger

Producers - J.J. Abrams, Tom Cruise and Jake Myers

Co-Producer/First Assistant Director - Tommy Gormley

Casting Directors - Mindy Marin and Toby Whale

Production Designer - Peter Wenham

Supervising Art Director - Phil Sims

Senior Art Director - Matthew Gray

Art Directors - Oliver Hodge,

Gary Jopling and David Weare

UK Art Director: New Zealand Unit -

Steven Lawrence

Set Decorator - Jillie Azis

Property Master - Barry Gibbs

Action Props Supervisor - Toby Shears

Costume Designer - Jeffrey Kurland

Master Armourer - Simon Atherton

Supervising Armourer: New Zealand Unit -

Nick Komornicki

Weapons Master: New Zealand Unit -

Gunner Ashford

Director of Photography - Rob Hardy

Additional Director of Photography/

Director of Photography: New Zealand,

Helicopter Sequence - Fraser Taggert

Underwater Director of Photography - Pete Romano

Aerial Director of Photography - Adam Dale

"B" Camera/Steadicam Operator - Marcus Pohlus

Supervising Location Manager - Ben Plitz

Supervising Location Manager: Norway Unit -

Thor Kjartasson

Unit Production Manager - Chris Brock

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -

Wade Eastwood

Chief Instructor: Norway Unit - Ray Armstrong

Skydiving Coordinator: Norway Unit - Allan Hewitt

Lead Aerial Coordinator: H-145/Camera

Pilot - Marc Wolff

Fight Coordinator - Wolfgang Stegemann

Animal Wrangler Head Trainer: New Zealand

Unit - James Delaney

Action Vehicles Supervisor - Graham Kelly

Unit Base/Set Coordinator: New Zealand Unit -

Glenn Shaw

Special Effects Supervisors - Neil Corbould

Special Effects Supervisor: New Zealand Unit -

Richard Schuler

Assistant Special Effects Supervisor - Keith Dawson

Visual Effects Supervisor - Jody Johnson

Visual Effects Supervisors: DNEG - Huw J. Evans

and Rohit Prakash Gujar (Uncredited)

Additional Visual Effects Supervisor: Prime Focus

World - Vinod Gundre

Visual Effects Consultant - Nikki Penny

Computer Graphics Supervisor: BLIND Ltd -

Andrew Booth

Film Editor - Eddie Hamilton

Supervising Sound Editor - James H. Mater

Production Sound Mixer - Chris Munro

Re-Recording Mixers - Mike Prestwood Smith

and Gilbert Lane

Additional Re-Recording Mixer - Chris Burdon

Foley Mixer - Glen Gathard

Foley Artists - Peter Burgis and Zoe Freed

Music - Loren Balfe

Writer: Themes from Mission: Impossible -

Lalo Schifrin

Recording Engineer: Air Studios - Geoff Foster

Review

I have seen all five previous Mission: Impossible (M: I) movies. It has been three years since I last waited for the sixth instalment. Since Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation, the ongoing movie series has drawn praise for its latest instalments, and Tom Cruise remains its dominant figure. Full of action and suspense, FALLOUT is a more exciting addition to the series than its predecessors, with exceptional set pieces balanced by dramatic moments. The stunts displayed high-level coordination, and the movie's pacing is fast but exhilarating. Again, Chris McQuarrie employed his creative talents to produce FALLOUT, as he is the only director returning to make another feature in the series.

It's nice to see Cruise again, but he still looks older than he did in the last movie. He joins an ensemble cast alongside the other players. Sean Harris returns as the main villain, with Simon Pegg, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin, Rebecca Ferguson, and others. Finally, Henry Cavill joins the cast as the CIA-trained assassin August Walker, an excellent foil to Cruise's Ethan Hunt and a stark departure from his previous role as Superman in the DCEU.

I never thought this film would stand above all its predecessors. It has exceeded the fans' expectations. FALLOUT is an exception among the Mission: Impossible movies, with several callbacks for fans of the previous films. I hope to see it again soon.

Star rating: (9/10) Excellent Movie

Back to Home

Ghostbusters (2016) Review

Ghostbusters

Release Date: 14th July 2016 - Australia

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures (presents)

LStar Capital (in association with)

Village Roadshow Pictures (in association with)

Pascal Pictures

Feigco Entertainment

Ghostcorps

The Montecito Picture Company

Distribution

Sony Pictures Releasing Australia

Genre: Comedy/Fantasy

Rating: PG

             M (extended)

Runtime: 116 minutes

                134 minutes
                (extended)

Budget: $144,000,000

Box Office Gross: $229,147,509 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

To prove the existence of ghosts in modern society, Abby Yates, a paranormal researcher, and Erin Gilbert, a physicist, embark on a mission to find out. When mysterious phenomena started appearing in Manhattan, they enlisted the aid of an engineer named Jillian Holtzman. Patty Tolan, a lifelong New Yorker who knows the city inside out, also joins the team. As more than 1,000 vicious ghosts descend on Times Square, the four women, armed with proton packs and plenty of attitudes, prepare for an epic battle.

Cast

Melissa McCarthy - Abby Yates

Kristen Wiig - Erin Gilbert

Kate McKinnon - Jillian Holtzman

Leslie Jones - Patty Tolan

Chris Hemsworth - Kevin

Neil Casey - Rowan North

Michael Kenneth Williams - Agent Hawkins

Matt Walsh - Agent Rourke

Andy Garcia - Mayor Bradley

Ed Begley Jr. - Ed Mulgrave

Cecily Strong - Jennifer Lynch

Charles Dance - Harold Filmore

Bill Murray - Martin Heiss

Michael McDonald - Jonathan

Adam Ray - Slimer (Voice)/Lead Singer
Robin Shelby - Lady Slimer (Voice)
Dave Allen - Electrocuted Ghost

Steve Bannos - Flasher Ghost

Elizabeth Perkins - Phyllis Allder (Uncredited)

Steve Higgins - Tom Shanks

John Higgins - Baba Booey Shouter

Zach Woods - Garrett

Nate Corddry - Graffiti Artist

Toby Huss - Officer Stevenson

Katie Dippold - Rental Agent

Karan Soni - Bennie

Bess Rous - Gertrude Aldridge Ghost

Eugene Cordero - Bass Guitarist

Milana Yaybtrub - Subway Rat Woman

Sigourney Weaver - Rebecca Gorin (Cameo)

Ernie Hudson - Uncle Bill (Cameo)

Dan Aykroyd - Cabbie (Cameo)

Annie Potts - Desk Clerk (Cameo)

Ozzy Osbourne - Famous Rock

Star

Al Roker - Himself

Pat Kiernan - NY1 News Anchor #1

Greg Kelly - Fox 5 News Anchor

Rosanna Scotto - Fox 5 News Anchor

Chris Gethard - Himself

Theodore Shapiro - Keyboardist (Cameo)

Daniel Ramis - Metal Head (Cameo)

Stephen Boss - Police Officer (Cameo)

Justin Kirk - Phil (Cameo) (Extended Cut

Only)

Brian Baumgartner - Frank (Cameo)

(Extended Cut Only)

Crew

Writer/Executive Producer/
Director - Paul Feig

Based on the 1984 Film "Ghostbusters"

Director/Producer - Ivan Reitman

Based on the 1984 Film "Ghostbusters"

Writer/Executive Producer - Dan Aykroyd

Based on the 1984 Film "Ghostbusters" Writer -

Harold Ramis 

Writer - Katie Dippold

Executive Producers - Ali Bell,
Jessie Henderson, Joe Medjuck and Tom Pollock

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Michele Imperato

Producer - Amy Pascal

Casting Director - Allison Jones

Production Designer - Jefferson Sage

Illustrators - Peter Rubin,

Shae Shatz, Tully Summers and

Constantine Sekeris
Art Directors - Beat Frutiger,

Lorin Flemming, Iain McFayden,

Brad Rubin and Audra Avery
Set Decorator - Leslie Pope

Property Master - Kirk Corwin

Costume Designer - Jeffrey Kurland

Director of Photography - Robert D. Yeaman

"A" Camera Operator - Casey Hotchkiss

"B" Camera/Steadicam Operator - David Chameides

Location Managers - Mark Fitzgerald

and Charlie Harrington

Unit Production Manager - David Witz
Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -
G.A. Aguilar
Stunt Coordinator - Walter Garcia

Choreographer - Stephen Boss

Special Effects Supervisor - Mark Hawker

Special Effects Coordinator - Andy Weder

Visual Effects Supervisor - Peter G. Travers

Visual Effects Supervisor: SPI - Daniel Kramer

Visual Effects Supervisor: MPC - David Seager

Visual Effects Supervisors: Illoura -

Glenn Melenhorst and Andrew Hellen

Executive Visual Effects Supervisor:

Furious FX - David Lingenfelser

Visual Effects Producer - Sean Santiago

Visual Effects Consultant - Eric Brevig

Animation Supervisor: SPI - Sebastian Kapijimpanga

Lead Animation Supervisor: Illoura - Nicholas Tripodi

Animation Supervisor: Illoura - Terence Bannon

Stereoscopic Supervisor: Legend 3D - Anthony Dunifer

Editors - Melissa Bretherton and Brent White

First Assistant Editors - Alex Hepburn

and Ken O'Keefe

Supervising Sound Editors - Andrew DeCristofaro

and Becky Sullivan

Sound Designers - Karen Treist,

Michael Payne and Tony Lamberti

Sound Mixer - Steve Cantamessa

Re-Recording Mixers - Mark Paterson

and Beau Borders

Foley Artists - Gary A. Hecker

and Rick Owens

Music - Theodore Shapiro

Music Editor/Supervisor - Erica Weis

Review
When they officially announced the new GHOSTBUSTERS movie, I hoped it'd be about a new generation, with some original cast members reprising their old characters. Unfortunately, it occurred to me that this was a remake, not a sequel. Its co-creator, Harold Ramis, has passed away, making it impossible to continue with the newer film. However, it's a mind-numbing epic fail that could not possibly recreate the original's comical fright with gags and jokes from the original actors. All four new lead protagonists are women. I'm not saying I am a sexist, but it's bad luck to mention some forced female empowerment in this movie. This remake should have had only one or two female lead characters, with the other two (or three) male.

It contains only a few jokes, with the rest being non-humorous. The actresses who played the four female Ghostbusters have better movies in their careers than this one, especially from the gorgeous talents of Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. They did not live up to the reputations of these classic actors, trained to the best of their abilities. However, some, like Sigourney Weaver, Dan Aykroyd, Annie Potts, and Eddie Hudson, took on unnecessary cameo roles, while Bill Murray was in a supporting role. The CGI is terrible, which makes the original effects look better in comparison (save for the stop-motion animation, which hasn't aged well).

I recommend you not watch the new GHOSTBUSTERS, as it is an unsuccessful revamp of the original. All female viewers should note that it's a soulless and misguided attempt to improve the 1984 classic.

Star rating: (2/10) Bad Movie

Back to Home

Edge of Tomorrow Review

Edge of Tomorrow

Release Date: 5th June 2014 - Australia

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)

Village Roadshow Pictures (in association with)

RatPac-Dune Entertainment (in association with)

3 Arts Entertainment

Viz Productions (in association with)

Distribution

Roadshow Films

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 113 minutes

Budget: $178,000,000

Box Office Gross: $387,529,562 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

When a powerful alien race

attacks Earth, the military

stands no chance against

the marauders. Maj.

William Cage gets

assigned to a suicide

mission, and within

moments, he is killed, only

to be brought back again in

a time loop where he has to

relive the same battle and

his death many times. With

each encore, Cage's fighting

skills improve, which brings

him and a comrade closer

to defeating the aliens.

Cast

Tom Cruise - Cage

Emily Blunt - Rita

Brendan Gleeson - General Brigham

Bill Paxton - Master Sergeant Farell

Jonas Armstrong - Skinner

Tony Way - Kimmel

Kick Gurry - Griff

Franz Drameh - Ford

Dragomir Music - Kuntz

Charlotte Riley - Nance

Masayoshi Haneda - Takeda

Noah Taylor - Dr. Carter

Lara Pulver - Karen Lord

Madeleine Mantock - Julie

Terence Waynard - Cruel Sergeant
Beth Goddard - Secretary - Iris

David Kaye - UDF Commercial (Voice)

Crew

Executive Producer/Director - Doug Liman

Based on the Novel "All You Need Is Kill" - Hiroshi Sakurazaka

Screenplay - Christopher McQuarrie and Jez & John-Henry Butterworth

Script Supervisor - Lisa Vick

Executive Producers - David

Bartis, Bruce Berman,

Hidemi Fukuhara, Joby Harold

and Steven Mnuchin

Producers - Jason Hoffs, Gregory Jacobs, Tom Lassally and Erwin Stoff

Producer/Unit Production Manager - Jeffrey Silver

Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager - Tim Lewis

Co-Producer/First Assistant Director - Kim H. Winther

Production Designer - Oliver Scholl
Concept Artists - Harald Belker,

Tim Browning, Steve Burg,

Stephen Forrest-Smith, James Hegedus,

Will Htay, Jeff Julian, Tani Kunitake,

Magda Kusowska, Michele Moen,

Ed Natividad, Jamie Rama,

Matthew Savage and Henrik Tamm

Illustrators - David Allcock

and Martin Asbury

Supervising Art Director - Neil Lamont
Art Directors - Alastair Bullock,

Mark Harris, Christian Huband,

Jason Knox-Johnston, Andrew Palmer,

Hayley Easton Street, Stephen Swain

and Gary Tomkins

Assistant Art Directors - Jordana Finkel,

Robert Hochstoeger, Ashley Lamont,

Will Coubrough and Jeffrey D. Simon

Set Decorators - Elli Griff and
Gene Vazquez (Uncredited)

Head ExoSuit Builder - Pierre Bohanna

Costume Designer - Kate Hawley

Costume Supervisor - Dan Grace

Supervising Armourer - Simon Atherton

Armourers - Roy Stratford and Tim Wildgoose

Director of Photography - Dion Beebe

Director of Photography: Second Unit -

Fraser Taggart 

"A" Camera/Steadicam Operator - Peter Robertson

"A" Camera Operator: Second Unit - Peter Field

Supervising Location Manager - Sue Quinn

First Assistant Directors - Chris Carreras

and Max Keene

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator - Simon Crane

Stunt Coordinator - Wade Eastwood

Special Visual Consultant - Guillermo del Toro

Special Effects Supervisor - Dominic Tuohy
Special Effects Coordinator - Jess Lewington

Visual Effects Supervisors - Nick Davis

and Rohit Prakash Gujar (Uncredited)

Visual Effects Supervisor: SPI - Daniel Kramer

Visual Effects Supervisor: Framestore - Jonathan Fawkner

Visual Effects Supervisor: Cinesite - Simon Stanley-Clamp

Additional Visual Effects Supervisor: Framestore -

Christian Kaestner

Visual Effects Producers - Alex Bicknell

and Emma Norton

Senior Visual Effects Producer: SPI - Eric Scott

Visual Effects Producers: Framestore -

Chloë Grysole and Danielle Legovich

Digital Effects Supervisor: SPI - Kee-Suk 'Ken' Hahn

Art Director and Lead Concept: Framestore -

Kevin Jenkins
Animation Supervisor: SPI - Steve Nichols
Animation Supervisor: Cinesite - Eamonn Butler

CG Supervisors: Framestore - Alexis Wajsbrot

and Neil Weatherley

Editors - James Herbert and Laura Jennings

Supervising Sound Editor - Dominic Gibbs

Sound Designer - Jimmy Boyle

Additional Audio - Mark P. Stoeckinger

and Ann Scibelli

Production Sound Mixer - Stuart Wilson

Re-Recording Mixers - Chris Burdon

and Mark Taylor

Foley Mixer - Glen Gathard

Foley Artists - Jason Swanscott

and Peter Burgis

Music - Christophe Beck

Music Supervisor - Julianne Jordan

Review

Director Doug Liman has turned his attention to helm EDGE OF TOMORROW, an ideal sci-fi action blockbuster based on a Japanese manga. It's interesting how the director has attempted to make another science-fiction breakthrough, unlike his failed effort, Jumper. The film is well-written with an intriguing concept and non-stop action, but it is fascinating to examine its repetitive style, which feels like Groundhog Day all over again. Although the time loop structure of EDGE OF TOMORROW is tricky to understand, that was all part of its premise and style. The producers secured actor Tom Cruise for the lead role and his screenwriting collaborator Chris McQuarrie to write the feature-length film adaptation.

The actor Cruise deserves to be in the movie, as he seems confident and delivers another terrific performance. Emily Blunt is a fantastic leading actress who has done a tremendous job in her role and shares some incredible chemistry with the aforementioned male actor. The cinematography is impressive, and the visual design of the alien race, the Mimics, is strikingly well-designed.

EDGE OF TOMORROW is terrific and stylish, but it was a great movie overall. I did enjoy it, and at some point, I will have to compare it to the other films that came before it that I have and have not experienced.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

Back to Home

Skyscraper Review

Skyscraper

Release Date: 12th July 2018 - Australia

Production Companies 

Universal Pictures (presents)

Legendary Entertainment (presents)

Flynn Picture Company

Seven Bucks Productions

Dentsu (presented in association with)

Fuji Television Network (presented in association with)

Distribution 

Universal Pictures Australia

Genre: Action

 
Rating: M

Runtime: 102 minutes

Budget: $125,000,000

Box Office Gross: $304,868,961 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Will Sawyer, a former

head of the FBI Hostage

Rescue Team and U.S.

war veteran, is tasked

with assessing the

security of The Pearl,

one of the world's

tallest buildings.

While working in China,

Sawyer gets invited to

stay with his wife and

children at The Pearl,

a 240-story luxury tower.

While he is attending a

meeting to present a

report on the Pearl's

safety, a fire breaks out

on level 96, trapping

his family. Sawyer's

efforts at rescuing them

result in his capture

and a life-threatening

situation for his wife

and kids. Now a fugitive,

he must find those

responsible, exonerate

himself, and save his

family members

trapped in the inferno.

Cast

Dwayne Johnson - Will Sawyer

Neve Campbell - Sarah Sawyer

Chin Han - Zhao Long Ji

Roland Møller - Kores Botha

Noah Taylor - Mr. Pierce

Bryon Mann - Inspector Wu

Pablo Schreiber - Ben

McKenna Roberts - Georgia
Sawyer

Noah Cottrell - Harry Sawyer

Hannah Quinlivan - Xia

Adrian Holmes - Ajana Okeke

Elfina Luk - Sergeant Han

Kevin Rankin - Ray
Gretal Montgomery - Ray's Wife
Jett Klyne - Ray's Son
Kayden Magnuson - Ray's Daughter

Byron Lawson - Suit #1

Jason William Day - Botha's Thug #1

Ryan Handley - Botha's Thug #2

Sean Kohnke - Botha's Thug #3

Shawn Stewart - Botha's Thug #4

Brian Ho - Shady Man

Nelson Wong - News Camera Man

Mike Li - Operations Technician

Colin Corrigan - Windbreaker Man

Omari Newton - Hostage Rescue Commander

Venus Terzo - Hostage Negotiator

Paul McGillion - On Scene Commander

Matt O'Leary - Skinny Hacker

Tzi Ma - Fire Chief Sheng
Tina Tong - Building Voice (Voice)

Carlo Yu - HKP Officer #1

Dimitri Tsoy - HKP Officer #2

Allen Keng - HKP Officer #3

Sam Yunussov - Penthouse Guard #1

Paul Wu - Penthouse Guard #2

Glenn Chow - Maintenance Technician

Robert Boyce - Helicopter Pilot

Aaron Au - Police Sniper

Grace Wang - News Reporter #1

Marcus Sim - News Reporter #2

Rene Wang - Hong Kong Newscaster

Kathy Wu - Chinese Newscaster #1

Lawrence Chau - Chinese Newscaster #2

Evan Lai - Chinese Newscaster #3

Shamel Hashish - Arabic Speaking Newscaster

Matthew Wolf - British Newscaster

Fabio Tassone - French Newscaster

Leanne Suter - American Newscaster #1

Rick Chambers - American Newscaster #2

LaSaundra Gordon - American Newscaster #3

Wendy Jacobson - Zhao Interviewer

Sarah K. Thurber - Ferry Princess

Crew

Writer/Director - Rawson Marshall Thurber

Executive Producers - Dany Garcia,

Eric Hedayat, Wendy Jacobson and

Eric McLeod

Producers - Beau Flynn,

Hiram Garcia, Dwayne Johnson

and Mary Parent

Co-Producer/Visual Effects Producer

(Uncredited)/Post-Production Supervisor

(Uncredited) - Petra Holtorf-Stratton

Casting Directors - Sarah Finn

and Candice Elzinga (Uncredited)

Production Designer - Jim Bissell
Supervising Art Director - Helen Jarvis

Set Decorators - Lin MacDonald

and William DeBiasio (Uncredited)

Costume Designers - Ann Foley
and Luca Mosca

Director of Photography - Robert Elswit

First Assistant Director - James Bitonti
Second Unit Director - J.J. Perry

Supervising Stunt and Fight Coordinator -

Allan Poppleton

Stunt Coordinator - Robert Alonzo
Co-Fight Coordinator/Stunts - Brian Ho

Special Effects Supervisor - Joel Whist

Special Effects Coordinator: Second Unit -

Steve Hamilton
Visual Effects Supervisor - Craig Hammack

Visual Effects Supervisors: MPC - Kevin T. Hahn

and Bryan Litson

Visual Effects Supervisors: Image Engine -

Bernhard Kimbacher and Dave Morley

Visual Effects Supervisor: UPP - Viktor Muller

Additional Visual Effects Supervisors: ILM -

Eddie Pasquarello and Jeff White
Associate Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM -
Jose Burgos
Senior Visual Effects Producers: Image Engine -

Geoff Anderson and Tara Conley
Visual Effects Producer: Umedia FX - Karin Johnson

Visual Effects Executive Producer: ILM -

Jill Brooks

Visual Effects Executive Producer: Image Engine -

Shawn Walsh

Asset Supervisor: Image Engine - Barry Poon

Editors - Julian Clarke and
Michael L. Sale

Supervising Sound Editor - Per Hallberg

Co-Supervising Sound Editor - Karen Baker Landers

Sound Designers - Ann Scibelli,

Jon Title and Peter Staubli

Production Sound Mixer - David Husby

Re-Recording Mixers - Jon Taylor and

Frank A. Montano

Music - Steve Jablonsky

Review 

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has played several heroes throughout his career. Now, the former wrestler and well-known actor takes on the role of a new John McClane in the action-packed film SKYSCRAPER, named for its setting. However, viewers might find SKYSCRAPER too familiar, as it resembles other films such as Die Hard and The Towering Inferno. The movie copied elements from these two films, making the plot predictable and unoriginal by today's standards. SKYSCRAPER features intense scenes that deliver an adrenaline rush that defies all logic. The action unfolds in a fictional skyscraper, purportedly taller than Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Despite its predictable aspects, Johnson delivers an impressive performance. Even Bruce Willis would likely appreciate that Johnson, as his potential successor, portrays the action hero quite differently from how he did in the Die Hard films. Neve Campbell is remarkable in her role as a survivor.

Good but ludicrous, SKYSCRAPER may not be as exciting and thrilling as moviegoers have anticipated. It offers pure escapism for everyone living dull lives who have yet to experience the film currently showing on the big screen. If you haven't seen Die Hard and The Towering Inferno, this could be the movie for you. However, if you have watched these two films, you'll find that SKYSCRAPER is decent but brings nothing new.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

Back to Home

Incredibles 2 Review

Incredibles 2

Release Date: 15th June 2018 - Australia 

Production Companies 

Walt Disney Pictures 

Pixar Animation Studios

Distribution 

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia 

Genre: Animation/Family

Rating: PG 

Runtime: 120 minutes 

Budget: $200,000,000

Box Office Gross: $1,242,805,359 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Everyone’s favorite family of superheroes is back in “Incredibles 2” – but this time Helen is in the spotlight, leaving Bob at home with Violet and Dash to navigate the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life. It’s a tough transition for everyone, made tougher by the fact that the family is still unaware of baby Jack-Jack’s emerging superpowers. When a new villain hatches a brilliant and dangerous plot, the family and Frozone must find a way to work together again—which is easier said than done, even when they’re all Incredible. (Source - Google)

Voice Cast

Craig T. Nelson - Bob Parr/
Mr. Incredible

Holly Hunter - Helen Parr/
Elastigirl

Sarah Vowell - Violet Parr

Huck Milner - Dashielle Parr (Dash)

Samuel L. Jackson - Lucius
Best/Frozone

Brad Bird - Edna Moda (E)

Bob Odenkirk - Winston
Deavor

Catherine Keener - Evelyn
Deavor

Jonathan Banks - Rick Decker

Sophia Bush - Voyd

Michael Bird - Tony Rydinger

Isabella Rossellini -
Ambassador

Phil LaMarr - Krushaer/
Helectrix

John Ratzenberger -
Underminer

Bill Wise - Screenslaver/
Pizza Guy

Crew

Writer/Director - Brad Bird

Executive Producer - John
Lasseter 

Producers - John Walker and
Nicole Paladis Grindle

Story Supervisor - Ted Mathot

Story Consultants - Peter Sohn,
Mark Andrews and Michael Arndt 

Additional Story Artist/Character Designer/
Supervising Animator - Tony Fucile

Production Designer - Ralph Eggleston

Character and Costume Designer - Deanna Marsigliesse

Character Supervisor - Bill Wise
Supervising Animators - Alan Barillaro
and Dave Mullins
Directing Animators - Evan Bonifacio
and Travis Hathaway

Director of Photography: Camera - Mahyar Abousaeedi

Director of Photography: Lightning - Erik Smitt 

Film Editor - Stephen Schaffer

Second Film Editor - Anthony Greenberg

Music - Michael Giacchino

Review

It's been 14 years since Pixar released 'The Incredibles' and the stakes have never been higher. After such a long waiting period, a sequel has been released and it has met all expectations. Brad Bird has revisited his own cinematic creations and is again doing the impossible by putting them into this new installment with twice the fun and action as its predecessor. He even went back to his roots in 3D animation in the wake of the box office fiasco that was his second live-action feature 'Tomorrowland'. My small concern on 'INCREDIBLES 2' is that it doesn’t deliver as much of a original story and some bits were all too vaguely familiar from the original. However, it’s nice to get away from the excitement of the Marvel movies and that it is a rare opportunity to see the whole superhero family fight crime while trying to balance it in living with a normal life. 

One of the reasons that this film had brought me here is the whimsical joy of the humour and some of which has come from the antics of the baby Jack-Jack who has recently discovered his super-powers. Added to the movie was its message that promotes gender equality; probably because Elastigirl was the centre of attention and since Pixar nowadays has shifted lead characters from traditional male-dominated world of  animated movies. 

Now it seems that 'INCREDIBLES 2' won’t be up there with the sequels that Pixar has made for the original 'Toy Story', but I admit, it has been a fun, thrill ride and it would be more exciting if I have to see these two animated movies in a mini-marathon. WARNING!: Viewers with epilepsy are cautioned that due to several of the movie’s sequences containing flashing lights as a risk of seizures.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

Back to Home

The Fifth Element Review

The Fifth Element

Release Date: 15th May 1997 - Australia

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures (presents)

Gaumont

Distribution

Madman Entertainment

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: PG

Runtime: 126 minutes

Budget: $90,000,000

Box Office Gross: $263,920,180 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

In the 23rd century, life

has become boringly

repetitive for ex-Marine

Korben Dallas, who drives

a flying taxi and eats

takeaway from the same

Chinese restaurant that

delivers directly to his

window. Unbeknownst

to Korben, a tremendous

alien evil has joined forces

with Zorg and threatens

to destroy the Earth.

Combining the four

earthly elements with

an alien 'fifth' element can

only prevent this event

from coming. Before long,

Korben finds himself a

key player in saving the

Earth when a beautiful

alien, Leeloo, falls through

the roof of his cab,

revealing herself to be

the elusive fifth element.

Only Korben and Leeloo

hold the key to humanity's

survival in the ultimate

battle between good and

evil. But time is running

out.

Cast

Bruce Willis - Korben Dallas

Gary Oldman - Zorg

Ian Holm - Cornelius

Milla Jovovich - Leeloo

Chris Tucker - Ruby Rhod

Luke Perry - Billy

Brion James - General Munro

Tommy 'Tiny' Lister - President Lindberg

Lee Evans - Fog

Charlie Creed-Miles - David

Tricky - Right Arm

John Neville - General Staedert

John Bluthal - Professor Pacoli

Matthieu Kassovitz - Mugger

Christopher Fairbank - Mactilburgh

Kim Chan - Thai

Richard Leaf - Neighbour

Julie T. Wallace - Major Iceborg

Clifton Lloyd Bryan - Mangalore Aknot/

Mondoshawan/Airport Guard

Aron Paramour - Mangalore Akanit

Alan Ruscoe - Mangalore Kino

Vladimir McCrary - Human

Aknot

Al Matthews - General Tudor

Maïwenn - Diva Plavalaguna

John Bennett - Priest

Ivan Heng - Left Arm

Sonita Henry - President's Aide

Tim McMullan - Scientist's Aide

George Khan - Head Scientist

John Hughes - Head of Military

Roberto Bryce - Omar

Said Talidi - Aziz

Justin Lee Burrows - Mondoshawan

Richard Ashton - Mondoshawan

Jerome St. John Blake - Mondoshawan

Kevin Molloy - Mondoshawan/Ground Crew

Bill Reimbold - Mactilburgh's Assistant

Colin Brooks - Staedert's Captain

Anthony Chinn - Mactilburgh's Technician

Sam Douglas - Chief NY Cop

Derek Ezenagu - NY Cop

David Kennedy - Flying Cop

David Barrass - Flying Cop

Roger Monk - Flying Cop/Military Technician

Mac McDonald - Flying Cop

Mark Seaton - Flying Cop

Jean-Luc Caron - Flying Cop

Riz Meedin - Flying Cop

Jerry Ezekiel - Flying Cop

Indra Ové - VIP Stewardess

Nicole Merry - VIP Stewardess

Stacey McKenzie - VIP Stewardess

Rachel Willis - Stewardess

Genevieve Maylam - Stewardess

Josie Perez - Stewardess

Natasha Brice - Stewardess

Sophia Goth - Check-In Attendant

Martin McDougall - Warship Captain

Pete Dunwell - Diva's Manager

Paul Priestley - Cop

Jason Salkey - Cop

Stewart Harvey-Wilson - Ruby Rhod Assistant

Dave Fishley - Ruby Rhod Assistant

Gin Clarke - Diva's Assistant

Eve Salvail - Tawdry Girl

Kaleem Janjua - Shuttle Pilot

Tyrone Tyrell - Shuttle Co-Pilot

Kevin Brewerton - Shuttle Mechanic

Vincenzo Pellergino - Ground Crew

Ian Beckett - Baby Ray

Sonny Caldinez - Emperor Kodar Japhet

Zeta Graff - Princess Achen

Eddy Elwood - Roy von Bacon

Yui - Fhloston Hostess

Laura De Palma - Fhloston Hostess

Michael Culkin - Hefty Man

Lenny McLean - Police Chief

Robert Oates - Fhloston Commander

John Sharian - Fhloston Captain

Fred Williams - Hotel Manager

Sibyl Buck - Zorg's Secretary

Sarah Carrington - Scientist

Ali Yassine - Scientist

Sean Buckley - Scientist

Dane Messam - Military Technician

Nathan Hamlett - Military Technician

Cecil Cheng - Military Technician

Scott Woods - Lab Guard

Leon Dekker - Lab Guard

David Garvey - Staedert's Technician

Stanley Kowalski - Staedert's Technician

Omar Williams - Staedert's Technician

Robert Clapperton - Robot Barman

Robert Alexander - Warship Technician

Mia Frye - TV Stewardess

Leo Williams - Power Operator

C. Keith Martin - Power Operator

J.D. Dawodu - Zorg's Man

Patrick Nicholls - Zorg's Man

Shaun Davis - Zorg's Man

Roy Garcia - Zorg's Man

Alex Georgijev - Zorg's Man

Marie Guillard - Burger Assistant

Renee Montemayor - Burger Assistant

Stina Richardson - Burger Assistant

Fitz Hall - Young Boy (Uncredited)

Inva Mila - Diva's Singing Voice (Uncredited)

Crew

Story/Screenplay/Director - Luc Besson

Screenplay - Robert Mark Kamen

Associate Producer/Post-Production

Supervisor - John A. Amicarella

Producer - Patrice Ledoux

Co-Producer - Iain Smith

Casting Director - Lucinda Syson

US Casting Director - Francine Maisler

Production Design 'Moebius' Giraud,

Jean-Claude Mézières, Sylvain Despretz,

Patrice Garcia, Sean Hargreaves, Kanel Tazit,

Hélène Giraud, Jacques Rey, Michel Gibrat,

Humbert Chabuel and Pierre-Alain Chartier

Art Directors - Michael Lamont,

Jim Morohan and Kevin Phipps

Assistant Art Directors - Frederic Evard,

Gary Tomkins and Paul Kirby

Draughtsmen - Su Whitaker,

Peter Francis, Jon Billington, Pat Johnson,

David Wood and Stephen Morohan

Construction Coordinator - Ray Barrett

Set Decorators - Maggie Gray and Anna Pinnock

Property Master - Barry Wilkinson

Costume Designer - Jean-Paul Gaultier

Assistant Costume Designer - Graham Churchyard
Armourer - Simon Atherton

Chief Makeup Artist - Lois Burwell

Makeup Artist: Bruce Willis - Amanda Knight

Hairdressers - Lisa Tomblin and Sarah Love

Director of Photography - Thierry Arbogast

Steadicam Operator - John Ward

Location Managers - Andrew MacDonald Brown

and Kevin de la Noy

Production Managers - Sarah Bradshaw

and Barrie Melrose

First Assistant Director - Chris Carreras

Key Second Assistant Director - Cliff Lanning

Assistant Director: Second Unit - Jamie Christopher

Second Unit Director - Pascal Chaumeil

Stunt Coordinator - Marc Boyle

Special Effects Supervisors - Nick Allder and Neil Corbould

Special Effects Workshop Supervisor - Trevor Wood

Pyrotechnics Supervisor - Thaine Morris

Creature Design Supervisor - Nick Dudman

Key Animatronic Model Designers -

Monique Brown, Chris Barton and John Coppinger

Senior Animatronic Model Designers -

Malcolm Evans, Joe Scott, Jim Sandys

and Gary Pollard

Special Visual Effects Supervisor - Mark Stetson

Art Directors: Digital Domain - Ira Gilford

and Ron Gress

Supervising Visual Effects Director of

Photography: Digital Domain - Bill Neil 

Digital Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain -
Karen E. Goulekas

Digital Effects Producer: Digital Domain -

Tamara Watts Kent

Lead Digital Compositing Supervisor: Digital

Domain - Jonathan Egstad

Digital Compositing Supervisor: Digital Domain -

Bryan Grill

Sequence Supervisors: Digital Domain -

Remo Balcells, Sean C. Cunningham,

Sean Dever, Joshua I. Kolden, Christine Lo,

Franklin Londin, Rodney J. McFall,

Christopher Roda and Scott Stokdyk
Miniature Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain -

Niels Nielsen

Director of Photography: Camera, Digital

Domain - Paul Gentry

Editor - Sylvie Landra

Sound Designer and Supervisor - Mark A. Mangini

Sound Design - John Popisal and John P. Fasal

Supervising ADR Editor - Curt Schulkey

Re-Recording Mixers - Chris Jenkins,

Mark Smith and Ron Bartlett

Foley Artists - Ellen Heuer and James Moriana

Music/Words and Music: "The Little Light

of Love" - Éric Serra


Awards

1998 Academy Awards
Best Sound Effects Editing - Mark A. Mangini (Nominated)

Review

The concept was first conceived by French filmmaker Luc Besson decades ago when he was 16. THE FIFTH ELEMENT is a colourful and entertaining sci-fi movie made after his groundbreaking 1994 masterpiece, Leon: The Professional, was successful. Some moviegoers found it dumb and cheesy, while others thought it was impressive. I believe so myself, and there's nothing wrong with this movie that came out in the same year as the Star Wars special editions and James Cameron's Titanic, except for one defect. It may have prevented THE FIFTH ELEMENT from being accomplished as the best movie of 1997. Immersive visuals, cityscapes, and masterful concepts, all beautifully designed with regal splendour, as Luc Besson interpreted the future for sci-fi-loving audiences. It may have inspired George Lucas to create more of this city scenery for Attack of the Clones, one of the Star Wars prequels.

The cast is no more than the extraordinary visuals on the left side of a plate. Bruce Willis was a multi-talented actor who ended up in this farce, even though he wasn't my favourite action star. He was convincing as the ex-military turned cab driver who finds himself in a predicament to save the universe, Korben Dallas. Milla Jovovich was pleasant to watch, as the actress fits the bill as Korben's love interest and is the key to everything. Gary Oldman enjoys playing villainous roles without being typecast. Here, he portrays the immorally corrupt businessman Zorg, who speaks with a Southern accent that differs from Oldman's English accent and is over-the-top rather than serious. All the actors are good. One particular performance I did not like was by Chris Tucker, whose musician Ruby Rhod acts like a prima donna and is very annoying.

Humorous, imaginative, and explosive. Those are the three simple words I use to describe THE FIFTH ELEMENT. It's been good to rewatch this movie, but I know it's cheesy. Most moviegoers would agree this is a semi-decent feature.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

Back to Home