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And The Oscar Goes To..... (92nd Academy Award Winners)
Now, here are the winners of the 92nd Academy Awards.
The only winner I predict in this year's ceremony is Renée Zellweger, who won the Best Actress award for her performance as Judy Garland in Judy. I expected Ford v Ferrarito win Best Picture, but I was disappointed that the award now goes to Parasite, the first non-English film to have this rare distinction. I was even amazed to discover that Joaquin Phoenix has won the Best Actor award for his performance as the Joker in the titular film.
Best Visual Effects
1917 - Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy
Best Film Editing Ford v Ferrari - Andrew Buckland and Michael McCusker
Best Costume Design
Little Women - Jacqueline Durran
Best Makeup and Hairstyling Bombshell - Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan and Vivian Baker
Best Cinematography 1917 - Roger Deakins
Best Production Design
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Production Design: Barbara Ling; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
Best Sound Mixing
1917 - Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson
Best Sound Editing Ford v Ferrari - Donald Sylvester
Best Original Song
"(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from Rocketman - Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Bernie Taupin
Best Original Score
Joker - Hildur Guonadottir
Best Animated Short Film Hair Love - Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver
Best Live Action Short Film
The Neighbors' Window - Marshall Curry
Best Documentary - Short Subject Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) - Carol Dysinger and Elena Andreicheva
Best Documentary - Feature American Factory - Steven Bognar and Julia & Jeff Reichert
Best International Feature Film
Parasite (South Korea) in Korean - Directed by Bong Joon-ho
Best Animated Feature Film Toy Story 4 - Josh Cooley, Jonas Rivera and Mark Nielsen
Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay
Jojo Rabbit - Taika Watiti based on the novel 'Caging Skies' by Christine Leunens
Best Writing - Original Screenplay Parasite - Written by Bong Joon-Ho and Han Jin-won
Best Supporting Actress Laura Dern - Marriage Story as Nora Fanshaw
Best Supporting Actor Brad Pitt - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Cliff Booth
Best Actress Renee Zellweger - Judy as Judy Garland
Best Actor Joaquin Phoenix - Joker as Arthur Fleck/The Joker
Best Director Bong Joon-ho - Parasite
Best Picture Parasite - Kwak Sin-ae and Bong Joon-ho
It's official, moviegoers. Nominations for this year's Oscar ceremony are announced, with Joker leading 11 award categories, including Best Picture. I'm disappointed that neither Matt Damon nor Christian Bale got nominated for the Best Actor award in Ford v Ferrari. I was surprised to discover that the Best Foreign Language Film category is now the Best International Feature Film award.
Here is the list of the contenders that are nominees for each category.
UPDATE: 10/2/20
Sorry guys! I forgot to include Parasite and Pain and Glory, as these films got nominated for Best International Feature Film.
Best Visual Effects
Avengers: Endgame - Dan DeLeeuw, Matt Aitken, Russell Earl and Dan Sudick
The Irishman - Pablo Helman, Leandro Estebecorena, Stephane Grabli and Nelson Sepulveda
The Lion King - Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Eliot Newman
1917 - Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach and Dominic Tuohy
Best Film Editing
Ford v Ferrari - Andrew Buckland and Michael McCusker The Irishman - Thelma Schoonmaker Jojo Rabbit - Tom Eagles Joker - Jeff Groth Parasite - Yang Jin-mo
Best Costume Design
The Irishman - Sandy Powell and Christopher Peterson
Jojo Rabbit - Mayes C. Rubeo
Joker - Mark Bridges
Little Women - Jacqueline Durran
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Arianne Phillips
Best Makeup and Hairstyling Bombshell - Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan and Vivian Baker Joker - Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou Judy - Jeremy Woodhead Maleficent: Mistress of Evil - Paul Gooch, Arjen Tuiten and David White 1917 - Naomi Donne, Tristan Versluis and Rebecca Cole
Best Cinematography
The Irishman - Rodrigo Prieto Joker - Lawrence Sher The Lighthouse - Jarin Blaschke 1917 - Roger Deakins Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Robert Richardson
Best Production Design
The Irishman - Production Design: Bob Shaw; Set Decoration: Regina Graves
Jojo Rabbit - Production Design: Ra Vincent; Set Decoration: Nora Sopkova
1917 - Production Design: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Production Design: Barbara Ling; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
Parasite - Production Design: Lee Ha-jun; Set Decoration: Cho Won-woo
Best Sound Mixing
Ad Astra - Gary Rydstrom, Tom Johnson and Mark Ulano
Ford v Ferrari - Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Steven A. Morrow
Joker - Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic and Tod Maitland
1917 - Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Michael & Christian P. Minkler and Mark Ulano
Best Sound Editing
Ford v Ferrari - Donald Sylvester
Joker - Alan Robert Murray
1917 - Oliver Tarney and Rachael Tate
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Wylie Stateman
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Matthew Wood and David Acord
Best Original Song
"I Can't Let Yourself Throw Away" from Toy Story 4 - Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman
"(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from Rocketman - Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Bernie Taupin
"I'm Standing with You" from Breakthrough - Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren
"Into the Unknown" from Frozen II - Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson & Robert Lopez
"Stand Up" from Harriet - Music and Lyrics by Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo
Best Original Score
Joker - Hildur Guonadottir Little Women - Alexandre Desplat Marriage Story - Randy Newman 1917 - Thomas Newman Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - John Williams
Best Animated Short Film
Dcera (Daughter) - Daria Kashcheeva Hair Love - Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver Kitbull - Rosana Sullivan and Kathryn Hendrickson Memorable - Bruno Collet and Jean-Francois Le Corre Sister - Siqi Song
Best Live Action Short Film
Brotherhood - Meryam Joobeur and Maria Gracia Turgeon Nefta Football Club - Yves Piat and Damien Megherbi The Neighbors' Window - Marshall Curry Saria - Bryan Buckley and Matt Lefebvre A Sister - Delphine Girard
Best Documentary - Short Subject
In the Absence - Yi Seung-Jin and Gary Byung-Seok Kam Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) - Carol Dysinger and Elena Andreicheva Life Overtakes Me - John Haptas and Kristine Samuelson St. Louis Superman - Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan Walk Run Cha-Cha - Laura Nix and Colette Sandstedt
Best Documentary - Feature
American Factory - Steven Bognar and Julia & Jeff Reichert The Cave - Feras Fayyad, Kirstine Barfod and Sigrid Dyekjaer The Edge of Democracy - Petra Costa, Joanna Natasegara, Shane Boris and Tiago Pavan For Sama - Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts Honeyland - Ljubomir Stefanov, Tamara Kotevska and Atanas Georgiev
Best International Feature Film
Parasite (South Korea) in Korean - Directed by Bong Joon-ho
Corpus Christi (Poland) in Polish - Directed by Jan Komasa Honeyland (North Macedonia) in Turkish - Directed by Tamara Koevska and Ljubomir Stefanov Les Miserables (France) in French - Directed by Ladj Ly
Pain and Glory (Spain) in Spanish - Directed by Pedro Almodovar
Best Animated Feature Film
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - Dean DeBlois, Bonnie Arnold and Brad Lewis I Lost My Body - Jeremy Clapin and Marc du Pontavic Klaus - Sergio Pablos, Jinko Gotoh and Marisa Roman Missing Link - Chris Butler, Arianne Sutner and Travis Knight Toy Story 4 - Josh Cooley, Jonas Rivera and Mark Nielsen
Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay
The Irishman -Steven Zaillian based on the book 'I Heard You Paint Houses' by Charles Brandt
Jojo Rabbit - Taika Watiti based on the novel 'Caging Skies' by Christine Leunens
Joker - Todd Philips and Scott Silver based on characters created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson
Little Women - Greta Gerwig based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott
The Two Popes - Anthony McCarten based on his play 'The Pope'
Best Writing - Original Screenplay
Knives Out - Written by Rian Johnson Marriage Story - Written by Noah Baumbach 1917 - Written by Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Written by Quentin Tarantino Parasite - Written by Bong Joon-Ho and Han Jin-won
Best Supporting Actress
Kathy Bates - Richard Jewell as Barbara "Bobi" Jewell
Laura Dern - Marriage Story as Nora Fanshaw
Scarlett Johansson - Jojo Rabbit as Rosie Betzler
Florence Pugh - Little Women as Amy March
Margot Robbie - Bombshell as Kayla Pospisil
Best Supporting Actor
Tom Hanks - A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood as Fred Rogers
Anthony Hopkins - The Two Popes as Pope Benedict XVI
Al Pacino - The Irishman as Jimmy Hoffa
Joe Pesci - The Irishman as Russell Bufalino
Brad Pitt - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Cliff Booth
Best Actress
Cynthia Erivo - Harriet as Harriet Tubman
Scarlett Johansson - Marriage Story as Nicole Barber
Saoirse Roman - Little Women as Josephine "Jo" March
Charlize Theron - Bombshell as Megyn Kelly
Renee Zellweger - Judy as Judy Garland
Best Actor
Antonio Banderas - Pain and Glory as Salvador Mallo
Leonardo DiCaprio - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Rick Dalton
Adam Driver - Marriage Story as Charlie Barber
Joaquin Phoenix - Joker as Arthur Fleck/The Joker
Jonathan Pryce - The Two Popes as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio
Best Director
Martin Scorsese - The Irishman
Todd Phillips - The Joker
Sam Mendes - 1917
Quentin Tarantino - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Bong Joon-ho - Parasite
Best Picture
Ford v Ferrari - Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and James Mangold The Irishman - Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Emma Tillinger Koskoff Jojo Rabbit - Carthew Neal and Taika Watiti Joker - Todd Phillips, Bradley Cooper and Emma Tillinger Koskoff Little Women - Amy Pascal Marriage Story - Noah Baumbach and David Heyman 1917 - Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Jayne-Ann Tenggren and Callum McDougall Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh and Quentin Tarantino Parasite - Kwak Sin-ae and Bong Joon-ho
Make sure you let me know who you think the winners will be. My predictions for the winners of the following categories are
Best Picture - Ford v Ferrari
Best Actress - Renee Zellweger for Judy
Best Animated Feature - Klaus
Best Visual Effects - Avengers: Endgame
Good luck!
Hollywood acting legend Kirk Douglas passed away from natural causes on 5 February 2020 at age 103. His legendary screen presence and indomitable acting spirit were iconic, and he appeared in over a dozen feature films, maintaining his charisma and celebrity status. Kirk was one of Hollywood's leading men, yet one of the last surviving actors from the Golden Age. He was also the father of Michael Douglas, who followed in his footsteps as an actor.
Born Izzy Demsky to Russian parents who emigrated to America, Kirk legally changed his name to Kirk Douglas before enlisting in the United States Navy during World War II. Before embarking on his acting career, Kirk worked in radio, theatre, and commercials. He made his breakthrough on stage with "Kiss and Tell" when he took over a role originally portrayed by Richard Widmark. It led to other offers for Douglas, and his career blossomed. He later shifted his focus to movie roles, beginning with his debut in "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers," starring Barbara Stanwyck.
Kirk's leading-man persona and tough-guy image emerged in 1949, when producer Stanley Kramer cast him as a boxer in "Champion." This part brought him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Other early films soon followed, including "Young Man with a Horn," "Ace in the Hole" with Lauren Bacall, and "Detective Story," which brought him a Golden Globe nomination. Kirk then starred in "The Bad and the Beautiful" and received an Oscar nomination for his role as a movie producer. In 1954, the same year he played the titular character in "Ulysses," Douglas proved that he could handle parts with a comic edge in Walt Disney's big-budget adaptation of Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," in which he starred as the sailor Ned Land. In addition to starring in his movies, Kirk founded his own production company, Byrna Productions, which he named after his mother.
Kirk played Vincent Van Gogh in "Lust for Life," which earned him his third Oscar nomination. He has collaborated with a young, unknown film director, Stanley Kubrick, on two films,such as "Paths of Glory" and, famously, "Spartacus." The latter featured Kirk in a role that defined his career as the title character who leads a slave rebellion. He was also the executive producer of that movie and was the producer of "Lonely Are the Brave," inwhich he also starred. Throughout the decades, Kirk has continued to appear in more films like "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral," "Lonely Are the Brave," "The Devil's Disciple," "Seven Days in May," "In Harm's Way," "The Heroes of Telemark," "Saturn 3," "The Final Countdown" (which was produced by his son Peter), "The Man from Snowy River," "Tough Guys," etc.
In 1963, Kirk starred in the stage play "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," after buying the rights to the novel from its author. It was later adapted into a movie by his son, Michael, who produced it and had Jack Nicholson in Kirk's stead, as he was considered too old for the part.
Before retiring from acting in 2004, Kirk survived a helicopter crash that nearly killed him in 1991 and suffered a stroke in 1996, which affected his speech. That same year, he received an Honorary Award in recognition of his lifetime achievement spanning over 50 years. Kirk celebrated his 100th birthday, becoming a centenarian. At age 101, he appeared at the 2018 Golden Globes with his daughter-in-law, Catherine Zeta-Jones, to present the Best Screenplay award, and he received a standing ovation.
I had never seen many of Kirk Douglas's movies; however, I respected him as an actor. My condolences go out to his family and friends, including his son Michael.
Plot Summary
When famous publishing mogul Charles Foster Kane dies, a reporter must investigate the shocking details of his personal life and the meaning of his final word: "Rosebud."
Cast
Joseph Cotten - Jedediah Leland/Screening Room Reporter
Dorothy Comingore - Susan Alexander Kane
Ray Collins - James W. Gettys
George Coulouris - Walter
Parks Thatcher
Agnes Moorehead - Mary Kane
Ruth Warrick - Emily Monroe Norton Kane
Erskine Sanford - Herbert Carter/Screening Room Reporter
Everett Sloane - Mr. Bernstein
William Alland - Jerry Thompson
Paul Stewart - Raymond
Fortunio Bonanova - Matiste
Philip Van Zandt - Mr. Rawlston
Georgia Backus - Miss Anderson
Harry Shannon - Kane's Father
Sonny Bupp - Kane III
Buddy Swan - Kane - Age Eight
Orson Welles - Charles Foster
Kane
Charles Bennett - Entertainer (Uncredited)
Alan Ladd - Pipe Smoking Reporter (Uncredited)
Arthur O'Connell - Reporter (Uncredited)
Gregg Toland - Interviewer in 1935 Newsreel (Cameo) (Uncredited)
Herman J. Mankiewicz - Newspaperman (Cameo) (Uncredited)
Crew
Original Screenplay/
Production/Director - Orson
Welles
Original Screenplay - Herman J. Mankiewicz
Contributing Writer/Editorial
Supervisor - John Houseman
(Uncredited)
Contributing Writers - Roger
Q. Denny and Mollie Kent
(Uncredited)
Executive Producer - George
Schaefer (Uncredited)
Production Advisor - Miriam Geiger (Uncredited)
Art Director - Van Nest Polglase
Associate Art Director - Perry
Ferguson
Set Decorator - Darrell Silvera (Uncredited)
Makeup Artist - Maurice Seiderman (Uncredited)
Costumes - Edward Stevenson
Photography - Gregg Toland
Grip - Ralph Hoge (Uncredited)
Special Effects - Vernon L. Walker
Optical Effects - Linwood G. Dunn (Uncredited)
Sound Recordists - Bailey Fesler,
James G. Stewart, Terry Kellum (Uncredited)
and Edward Ullman (Uncredited)
Sound Supervisor - John Aalberg (Uncredited)
Editor - Robert Wise
Assistant Editor - Mark Robson (Uncredited)
Music - Bernard Herrmann
Awards
1942 Academy Awards
Best Writing, Original Screenplay - Orson Welles
and Herman J. Mankiewicz (Won)
————————
Best Picture - Orson Welles (Nominated)
Best Director - Orson Welles (Nominated)
Best Actor - Orson Welles (Nominated)
Best Cinematography - Gregg Toland (Nominated)
Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-
White - Perry Ferguson, Van Nest Polglase,
A. Roland Fields and Darrell Silvera (Nominated)
Best Film Editing - Robert Wise (Nominated)
Best Sound, Recording - John Aalberg (Nominated)
Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic Picture -
Bernard Herrmann (Nominated)
Review
Most film buffs and directors have considered CITIZEN KANE the best film ever. Others believed it was Vertigothat outranked Orson Welles' classic masterpiece. Before I watched the movie, I remember seeing bits of the picture, such as the twist ending. I didn't get to watch the whole thing when I came across it recently. The history of CITIZEN KANE dates back to before a new generation of filmmakers and movie buffs like us were even born, as the film first premiered in 1941.
Initially, critics loved the film, but it was unrecognised at the box office and pulled from theatres because of the influence of news baron William Randolph Hearst. It's believed that the movie includes unflattering comparisons between him and Charles Foster Kane, although it's only loosely based on him. It caused Hearst to detest it, and he used his connections to have the film removed before anyone could see it. KANE didn't resurface until the mid-50s after Hearst's death, and when television became everyone's favourite pastime. Then, decades later, the movie was vindicated, and the rest is history.
There is so much craftsmanship poured into CITIZEN KANE, as it was Orson Welles' magnum opus. Welles self-financed and even co-wrote, produced, directed, and acted in his movie. He was extremely proud of accomplishing it. He was also genuine in his performance as Charles Foster Kane. From a technical standpoint, Gregg Toland's cinematography was magnificent. It paved the way for other cinematographers to use his camera techniques in modern movies. Aside from the cinematography, there is little to mention, except for the narrative, another noteworthy aspect. It is well written and structured, with a twist ending that is the granddaddy of them all.
I'm hesitant to watch this classic again because it didn't satisfy my expectations. Even though CITIZEN KANE is not one of my favourite films, its iconic status makes it a classic. The movie is available for streaming for those who need to watch it.
British comedian/writer Terry Jones died on January 21st, 2020, at the age of 77, following the complications of his dementia. He was one of the members of the British comedy troupe Monty Python, which consisted of himself and others like John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, and Graham Chapman. The group is responsible for its sketch show "Monty Python's Flying Circus" and five of its movies, including "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," "Life of Brian," and "The Meaning of Life," which have all influenced a new generation of comedians.
The group was formed in 1969, as all of the founding members became household names and invented the phrase "Pythonesque" through its absurdist style of humour. Like the rest of his fellow Pythons, Jones performed various characters in several comedies. Such roles include Sir Bedivere the Wise and Prince Herbert in "Holy Grail," Brian's mother in "Life of Brian," who has famously shouted, "He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!" and the morbidly obese Mr Creosote in "The Meaning of Life." In addition to starring in these movies, Terry Jones was known to have co-directed "The Holy Grail" in his debut with Terry Gilliam and is the sole director of "Life of Brian" and "The Meaning of Life." Outside of his fame with Monty Python, Terry even wrote the script of "Labyrinth" for Jim Henson. He even directed movies like "Absolutely Anything," which he reunited with the surviving Python members and features Simon Pegg and Robin Williams in his final role.
In 2015, Jones could no longer speak due to being diagnosed with a rare degenerative form of dementia. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. We will surely miss him.
When Spencer returns to the video game Jumanji, it's up to his friends. With the help of his grandfather and Milo, they return to the game to find him. As the players return to Jumanji, they discover that the game has changed, and they must journey through the sandy dunes and snowy mountains to finish playing the world's most dangerous game.
Cast
Dwayne Johnson - Bravestone
Kevin Hart - Mouse
Jack Black - Shelly
Karen Gillan - Ruby
Nick Jonas - Seaplane
Awkwafina - Ming
Alex Wolff - Spencer
Ser'Darius Blain - Fridge
Madison Iseman - Bethany
Morgan Turner - Martha
Danny DeVito - Eddie
Danny Glover - Milo
Colin Hanks - Alex
Rhys Darby - Nigel
Rory McCann - Jurgen the Brutal
Dania Ramirez - Lady in Red
Derek Russo - Key Master
Vanessa Cater - Red Headed Marauder
Bebe Neuwirth - Nora Shepherd (Cameo)
Massi Furlan - Switchblade
Javier Villamil - Switchblade's Sidekick
Anthony Neves - Jurgen's Patrolman
Jennifer Patino - Bravestone's Mother
Lamorne Morris - Heater Repair Man
Deobia Oparei - Gromm
Marin Hinkle - Janice
Madison Johnson - Little Bethany Vreeke
Michael Beasley - Coach Davis (Uncredited)
Leslie Simms - Cake Lady
John Ross Bowie - Cavendish
Dorothy Steel - Village Elder
Lucy DeVito - Maiden
Nick Gomez - Oasis Drunk
Morgan Brown - Fortress Guard
Deobia Oparei - Elevator Guard
Crew
Writer/Producer/Director - Jake Kasdan
Based on the Book "Jumanji"/Executive
Producer - Chris Van Allsburg
Writers/Executive Producers - Jeff Pinkner
and Scott Rosenberg
Executive Producers - Ted Field, Melvin Mar,
William Teitler and Mike Weber
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -
David B. Householter
Producers - Dany & Hiram Garcia,
Dwayne Johnson and Matt Tolmach
Co-Producer - David Manpearl
Production Designer - Bill Brzeski
Concept Artists - Christian Scheurer,
Simon Murton, Ed Natividad and
Manuel Plank-Jorge
Art Directors - Andrew Max Cahn,
Drew Monahan and Brian Stultz
Set Decorator - Danielle Berman
Costume Designer - Louise Mingenbach
Director of Photography - Gyula Pados
Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -
Wade Eastwood
Fight Coordinator - Wolfgang Stegemann
Picture Car Coordinator: Glamis Unit -
Dennis McCarthy
Special Effects Supervisor - J.D. Schwalm
Special Effects Coordinator - Eric Cook
Visual Effects Supervisor - Mark Breakspear
Visual Effects Supervisors: Weta Digital -
Mark Gee and Ken McGaugh
Animation Supervisor: Weta Digital -
Simeon Duncombe
Editors - Steve Edwards, Mark Helfrich
and Tara Timpone
Supervising Sound Editor - Joel Shryack
Supervising Sound Editor/Re-Recording Mixer -
Julian Slater
Sound Designers - Chuck Michael and
Ken McGill
Production Sound Mixer - John Pritchett
Re-Recording Mixer - Kevin O'Connell
Foley Artists - Gary A. Hecker and
Adam DeCoster
Music - Henry Jackman
Music Supervisors - Manish Raval
and Tom Wolfe
Score Recordist and Mixer - Alan Meyerson
Review
The game has changed for JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL. It has maintained the same quality as its predecessor in most aspects, with visual effects, and this movie has elevated the franchise to a new level (no pun intended). While I still haven't revisited the original Jumanji film, the graphics wouldn't be as good as the latest instalments.The humour in the movie is simple but still blends well with the action.
The returning main cast gave quality comedic performances, with Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black and Kevin Hart as the standouts. The other actors featured added colour to the film, with Danny DeVito and Danny Glover's characters (also portrayed by Johnson and Hart, respectively) acting as a running joke. It may look like a difference between THE NEXT LEVEL and Welcome to the Jungle. In other words, the action and antics stayed the same, but the performances changed.
THE NEXT LEVEL was a great sequel and enjoyable for audiences who had seen its predecessor. However, this film may prove to be a tough act to follow. That depends on whether the next instalment turns out to be less good than we thought. Best of luck, movie viewers!
Toho Company (in association with)
Province of British Columbia Production Services Tax Credit
Nintendo (additional copyright holder)
Creatures (additional copyright holder)
GAME FREAK (additional copyright holder)
Distribution
Roadshow Films
Genre: Family/Mystery
Rating: PG
Runtime: 104 minutes
Budget: $150,000,000
Box Office Gross: $451,453,444 (Worldwide)
Plot Summary
When an expert detective named Harry Goodman goes missing, it's up to his son, Tim, to investigate. Tim teams up with Harry's former Pokémon partner, a Pikachu (only Tim can communicate with), who tags along and helps with the investigation. They set out on a mystery in the sprawling metropolis of Ryme City, where humans and Pokémon peacefully coexist, to unravel a shocking discovery that could destroy the Pokémon universe.
Screenplay/Director - Rob Letterman
Based on "Pokémon" - Satoshi Tajiri, Ken Sugimori and Junichi Masuda
Characters - Atsuko Nishida
Original Story - Tomokazu Ohara and Haruka Utsui
Original Creator: "Detective Pikachu" - Hiroyuki Jinnai
Story/Screenplay - Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit
Story - Nicole Perlman
Screenplay - Derek Connolly
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -
Joseph M. Caraccioli Jr.
Executive Producers - Tsunekazu Ishihara,
Hiro Matsuoka, Ali Mendes, Toshio Miyahara,
Kenji Okubo and Koji Ueda
Producers - Cale Boyter,
Hidenaga Katakimi, Don McGowan
and Mary Parent
Co-Producer/Visual Effects Producer -
Greg Baxter
Co-Producer - Lisa Dennis
Co-Producer/First Assistant Director -
Cliff Lanning
Casting Directors - Sarah Finn and Jina Jay Production Designer - Nigel Phelps
Supervising Art Directors - Ben Collins
and David Allday
Art Directors - Andrea Borland,
Guy Bradley, Nick Dent, Shira Hockman,
Rhys Ifan and Nic Pallace
Makeup and Hair Designer - Frances Hannon Director of Photography - John Mathieson
Aerial Director of Photography - Adam Dale
Production Supervisor - Jessica Derhammer
Unit Production Manager - Sam Breckman
Supervising Location Manager - Chris Moore
Key Location Manager - Richard Hill
Location Managers - Susannah Booker,
Jamie Jones, Mandy Sharpe and
Julia Tomlinson (Uncredited)
Second Unit Director - Stephen Wolfenden
Stunt Coordinator - Mark Henson
Picture Vehicles Supervisor - Alex King
Special Effects Supervisor - Steven Warner
Special Effects Lead Senior Technicians - Ian Biggs,
Terry Jones, Matt Veale and Nigel Wilkinson
Visual Effects Supervisor - Erik Nordby
Visual Effects Supervisors: MPC - Pete Dionne
and Bryan Litson
Senior Visual Effects Supervisor: Framestore -
Jonathan Fawkner
Visual Effects Supervisor: Framestore -
Carlos Monzon
Visual Effects Supervisor: Rodeo FX - Peter Nofz
Visual Effects Producers: Framestore -
Johannes Bresser and Martina Chakarova
Visual Effects Consultant - Page Buckner
Creature Creative Designer - Kristyan Mallett
Animation Supervisor - Ferran Domenech
Compositing Supervisors: Framestore -
Dominique Fiore and Gavin McKenzie
Assets Supervisor: Image Engine - Barry Poon
Previz Creative Supervisors: The Third Floor,
Inc. - Vincent Aupetit, Nicolas Markel
and Joshua Wassung
Film Editors - Mark Sanger and James Thomas
Supervising Sound Editors: E2 - Erik Aadahl
and Ethan Van der Ryan
Sound Designers: E2 - John Marquis and
Brandon Jones
Production Sound Mixer - John Midgley
Re-Recording Mixers - Jon Taylor
and Frank A. Montano
Creative Director: End Titles - Jarik Van Sluijs
Music - Henry Jackman
Music Supervisors - Peter Afterman
and Margaret Yen
Review
I remember being introduced to Pokémon as a kid, and it seems like it was so long ago that I started playing a few of its games. Then I started watching the anime show on Channel 10's Cheez TV and Cartoon Network. I was excited to hear that a live-action Pokémon film was in the works. Unfortunately, I wasn't expecting a movie based on a specific spin-off video game of the franchise.I was sceptical of the film about the titular Pokémon character who talks like a human because it seemed weird. In other words, I had low expectations. Particularly when Ryan Reynolds, best known for playing Deadpool, is cast as Pikachu. My opinion changed when I read the film's reviews that showered it with praise.
Unlike the other Pokémon features that received mixed reviews, critics were less caustic towards this one. Most video game movie adaptations have not had a good track record, with some turning out to be disappointments in the critical and box-office reception. Thankfully, DETECTIVE PIKACHU turned things around and is the best video game movie adaptation I have seen. The humour is very witty and offbeat. It makes the film extremely satisfying to watch. Reynolds' talking Pikachu was the reason why the movie was so funny. Another layer of DETECTIVE PIKACHU was an intriguing mystery with twists to keep moviegoers engaged.
Reynolds did a fantastic job voicing the titular character, bringing charm and comic timing to the role. Reynolds was a blast in this movie. However, he also had some heartfelt moments in his performance. Justice Smith was not the best actor in Hollywood, but he was okay in his role as Tim. Bill Nighy is still Bill Nighy, and it was unexpected to see him in a Pokémon movie. I felt the CGI visuals were good and breathed life into the Pokémon in this film.
I have nothing more to say about DETECTIVE PIKACHU, but it is a must-see movie for all Pokémon fans. Some fans may not like it, but it won't stop them from watching and enjoying the anime series and playing the franchise's video games.
