Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Review

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Release Date: 10th August 2017 - Australia

Production Companies

EuropaCorp

TF1 Films Production (Co-Production)

OCS (with the participation of)

TF1 (with the participation of)

Fundamental Films (in association with)

BNP Paribas (in association with)

Orange Studio (in association with)

Universum Film (UFA) (in
association with)

Novo Pictures (in association
with)

River Road Entertainment (in association with)

Belgium Film Fund (in association with)

Distribution

eOne Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 137 minutes

Budget: €197,000,000

              (gross)

              $205,000,000 (net)

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

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

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

Cast

Dane DeHaan - Major Valerian

Cara Delevingne - Sergeant

Laureline

Clive Owen - Commander
Arun Filitt

Rihanna - Bubble

Ethan Hawke - Jolly the Pimp

Herbie Hancock - Defense Minister

Kris Wu - Sergeant Neza

Sam Spruell - General Okto-Bar

Alain Chabat - Bob the Pirate

Rutger Hauer - President of the World State Federation

Peter Hudson - Captain Crawford

Xavier Giannoli - Captain Norton

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

Aymeline Valade - Emperor Haban Limaï

Elizabeth Debicki - Emperor Haban Limaï (Voice)

Pauline Hoarau - Empress Aloï/Creature 'Swing Angel'

Barbara Scaff - Empress Aloï

(Voice)

Ola Rapace - Major Gibson

Stefan Konarske - Captain Zito

Gavin Drea - Sergeant Cooper

Eric Lampaert - Guide Thaziit

Laurent Ferraro - Igon Siruss/

Dothan-Dagui

John Goodman - Igon Siruss (Voice)

Alexandre Willaume - Captain Kris

Tristan Robin - Roper

Réginal Kudiwu - Major Samk

Louis Leterrier - Captain Welcoming Mercurys (Cameo)

Olivier Megaton - Captain

Welcoming KCO2 (Cameo)

Crew

Screenplay/Director - Luc Besson

Based on the Comic Book Series "Valerian and

Laureline" - Pierre Christin

Based on the Comic Book Series "Valerian and

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

Executive Producers - Jc Cheng, Mark Gao and Gregory Ouanhon

Producer - Virginia Besson-Silla

Production Designer - Hughes Tissander

Concept Designers - Ben Mauro,

Alain Brion, Sylvain Despretz,

Patrice Garcia, Marc Simonetti

and Feng Zhu

Art Directors - Gilles Boillot,

Stéphane Robuchon, Etienne Rohde,

Patrick Tandiang, Christian Vallat and

Thierry Zemmour

Art Director: Drawings - Dominique Moisan

Set Decorator - Evelyne Tissandier

Costume Designer - Olivier Bériot

Valerian's Space Suits - Claudine Lachaud,

Laurent Couline, Anthony Sgard and

Laurent Dozot

Director of Photography - Thierry Arbogast

Stunt Supervisor/Fight Choreographer

(Uncredited) - Laurent Demianoff

Special Effects Supervisor - Philippe Hubin

Special Effects Coordinator - Jean-Christophe Magnaud

Senior Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta Digital -

Joe Letteri

Visual Effects Supervisor - Scott Stokdyk

Visual Effects Supervisors: Weta Digital -

Wayne Stables, R. Christopher White,

Martin Hill and Ken McGaugh

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Philippe Rebours

Visual Effects Supervisor: Rodeo FX - François Dumoulin

Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Factory -

Jérôme Lionard

Associate Visual Effects Supervisor: Rodeo FX -

Peter Nofz

Visual Effects Producer - Sophie Leclerc

Visual Effects Producer: Weta Digital - Ben Pickering

Visual Effects Art Directors: ILM - Bianca Draghici

and Christian Alzmann

Art Director: Rodeo FX - Olivier Martin

Previs Supervisor: HALON - Brad Alexander

Animation Supervisors: Weta Digital - Paul Story

and Eric Reynolds

Motion Capture Supervisors: Weta Digital -

Dejan Momcilovic and Ben Murray

On Set Layout Supervisor: ILM - Duncan Blackman

Editor - Julien Rey

Supervising Sound Editors - Shannon Mills

and Guillaume Bouchateau

Sound Designers - David Farmer, Josh Gold

and Nia Hansen

Additional Sound Designers - Gurwal Coïc-Gallas

and Alexis Place

Sound Editor - Aymeric Devoldère

Production Sound Mixer - Stephane Bucher

Re-Recording Mixers - Tom Johnson,

Didier Lozahic and Juan Peralta

Original Score - Alexandre Desplat

Recordists and Music Mixers - Peter Cobbin

and Kirsty Whalley

Review

A misguided effort by filmmaker Luc Besson, VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS rivals the Star Wars prequel trilogy in its overproduced visuals, scope, and deficiencies. The film was an adaptation of a French sci-fi comic series, which some speculate George Lucas borrowed some of its ideas for his Star Wars series, but it was just a coincidence. Having experienced the images rather than the storyline, Besson took it upon himself to revisit these ideas he had previously integrated into his other space opera, The Fifth Element. He successfully replicated the state-of-the-art visuals that James Cameron used to create the world of Pandora in Avatar. While the visuals are stunning, they tend to overdo it.

I am so fascinated by the incredible world-building and its concepts. Unfortunately, the film failed to overcome its shortcomings. It includes an uninspired, convoluted plot. The movie begins with an opening sequence, which is the best moment, accompanied by David Bowie's "Space Oddity" playing in the background.

Dane DeHaan is miscast as the titular protagonist. He looks too boyish and creepy, and tries to imitate Keanu Reeves' acting when he attempts to emulate him. Cara Delevingne is wooden in her performance as Laureline, and this role would have benefited from a different, more experienced actress. The romance between the two characters feels flat, possibly due to a lack of chemistry. Rihanna, however, does a fantastic job as the shape-shifting alien Bubble.

VALERIAN is a feasible space adventure, but it's nothing new. It fell short of my expectations and was instantly forgettable. I recommend that viewers see this film just once. They are curious about something that has potential.

Star rating: (4/10) Below Average

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In Memory of Ed Asner (1929-2021)

Ed Asner (1929-2021)

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

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

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

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

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G.I. Joe: Retaliation Review

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Release Date: 28th March 2013 - Australia

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

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 110 minutes

                112 minutes

                (extended)

Budget: $93,600,000

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

Plot Summary

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

of their evil scheme. After

escaping a deadly attack, the

remaining Joes have no

recourse but to turn to their

original leader, General

Cotton, to help them uncover

Cobra's plot and save the

world from destruction.

Cast

Dwayne Johnson - Roadblock

Bruce Willis - Gen. Joe Cotton

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

Joe Chrest - Chief of Staff

Nathan Takashige - Young Storm Shadow

Jim Palmer - Clutch

Nick Erickson - President Picture Double

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

Roger Birnbaum, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg,

Erik Howsam, Paul Schwake and

Stephen Sommers

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Herbert W. Gains

Producers - Lorenzo di Bonaventura
and Brian Goldner

Casting Director - Ronna Kress

Military Technical Advisor - Harry Humphries
Production Designer - Andrew Menzies

Supervising Art Director - Tom Reta

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

Set Decorator - Cynthia La Jeunesse

Costume Designer - Louise Mingenbach

Special Makeup Effects Artists - Martin Astles,

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

Aerial Director of Photography: British

Columbia Unit - David B. Nowell

Production Supervisors - Sara Flamm

and Daren Hicks

First Assistant Director - Philip A. Patterson

First Assistant Director: Second Unit - David Sardi

Second Unit Director - George Marshall Ruge

Helicopter Pilots - Frédéric North

and Cliff Fleming
Stunt Coordinator - Steven Ritzi

Fight Coordinator - Thomas DuPont
Special Effects Coordinator - Michael Meinardus

Visual Effects Supervisors - James Madigan

and Gregory L. McMurry

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Bill George

Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain - Thad Beier

Visual Effects Supervisor: Lola Visual Effects -

Edson Williams

Visual Effects Producer - Paul V. Molles

On-Set Visual Effects Producer: Digital Domain -

Jeff Olson

Visual Effects Executive Producer: ILM -

Janet Lewin

Visual Effects Executive Producer: Digital Domain -

Daniel Brimer

Visual Effects Art Director: Digital Domain -

Claas Henke

Digital Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain -

Lou Pecora

Animation Supervisor: ILM - Paul Kavanagh

Animation Supervisor: Luma Pictures -

Raphael A. Pimentel

CG Supervisor: ILM - Craig Hammack

CG Supervisor: ILM Singapore - Patric Roos

CG Supervisors: Digital Domain - Erik Gamache

and Paul George Paloo

Additional Supervisors: Digital Domain -

Simon Carr, Tushar Kewlani, Mark Michaels,

David Mucci and Abhinav Sah

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

Additional Editor - Calvin Wimmer

Supervising Sound Editors/Sound Designers -

Ethan Van Der Ryan, John Marquis and

Erik Aadahl

Re-Recording Mixers - Scott Millan

and Greg P. Russell
Music - Henry Jackman

Additional Music - Dominic Lewis,

Matthew Margeson and Junkie XL

Additional Music Arrangements - Stephen Hilton

and Andrew Kawczynski

Music Recordist and Mixer - Alan Meyerson

Review

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

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

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

Star rating: (6/10) Fair Movie

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Black Widow Review

Black Widow

Release Date: 8th July 2021 - Australia

Production Companies

Marvel Studios

Distribution

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 133 minutes

Budget: $200,000,000

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

Plot Summary

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

Cast

Scarlett Johansson - Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow

Florence Pugh - Yelena Belova

David Harbour - Alexei/

Red Guardian

Rachel Weisz - Melina

Ray Winstone - Dreykov

Ever Anderson - Young Natasha

Violet McGraw - Young Yelena

O-T Fangbenle - Mason

William Hurt - Secretary Ross

Ryan Kiera Armstrong - Young Antonia 

Liani Samuel - Lerato

Michelle Lee - Oksana

Lewis Young - Scientist Morocco 1

C.C. Smiff - Scientist Morocco 2

Olivier Richters - Ursa

Olga Kurylenko - Antonia/

Taskmaster

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

Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Valentina

Allegra de Fontaine (Cameo)

(Uncredited)

Crew

Director - Cate Shortland

Story - Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson

Screenplay - Eric Pearson

Associate Producer/First Assistant Director - Jamie Christopher

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

Producer - Kevin Feige

Co-Producers - Mitchell Bell

and Brian Chapek

Casting Director - Sarah Finn

Production Designer - Charles Wood

Visual Development

Supervisor - Andy Park

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

Supervising Art Director - Thomas Brown

Art Directors: Los Angeles

Unit - Jann Engel and Clint Wallace

Set Decorator - John Bush

Set Decorator: Los Angeles Unit - Lauri Gaffin

Property Master - Barry Gibbs

Costume Designer - Jany Temime

Costume Designer: Los Angeles Unit - Lisa Loovas

Costume Supervisor - Dan Grace

Makeup and Hair Designer - Paul Gooch

Director of Photography - Gabriel Beristain

Camera First Assistants: Los Angeles Unit -

Dan Ming, Chris Toll and Jacqueline Stahl

Production & Development Manager -

Kyana F. Davidson

Unit Production Manager: Los Angeles Unit -

Leeann Stonebreaker

First Assistant Director: 2nd Unit - Marvin Williams

Second Unit Director - Darrin Prescott

Second Unit Director: Descent Unit -

Jeff Habberstad

Stunt Coordinator - Rob Inch

Stunt Coordinator: Wind Tunnel - Allan Hewitt

Fight Coordinator - James Young

Aerial Coordinator - Jeremy Braben

Aviation Advisor - Mike Woodley

Special Effects Supervisor - Paul Corbould

Special Effects Coordinator - Jodie Jackman

Special Effects Coordinator: Los Angeles Unit -

Chris Brenczewski

Special Effects Floor Supervisor: Second Unit -

Chris Corbould

Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta Digital -

Sean Noel Walker

Visual Effects Supervisor - Geoffrey Baumann

Visual Effects Supervisor: Third Unit -

Chris Shaw

Visual Effects Supervisor: LA Unit -

Janelle Croshaw

Visual Effects Supervisors: ILM - Craig Hammack

and Jose Burgos

Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain -

David Hodgins

Visual Effects Supervisor: Lola VFX -

Trent Claus

Additional Visual Effects Supervisor -

Jesse James Chisholm

Visual Effects Producer - Lisa Marra

Compositing Supervisor: Lola VFX -

Edson Williams

Digital Roto and Paint Supervisors: ILM -

Beth D'Amato and Naren Naidoo

Creative Finishing Supervisor - Evan Jacobs

Editors - Leigh Folsom Boyd and

Matthew Schmidt

Supervising Sound Editors - Shannon Mills

and Daniel Laurie

Sound Designer - Nia Hansen

Production Sound Mixer - Chris Munro

Re-Recording Mixers - Juan Peralta

and Lola Hirschberg

Foley Supervisor - Christopher Flick

Foley Artists - Ronni Brown and Jana Vance

Music - Lorne Balfe

Music Supervisor - Dave Jordan

Score Mix Engineers - Peter Cobbin

and Kirsty Whalley

Review

Last year, BLACK WIDOW was delayed several times due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which also impacted the release of other forthcoming movies, such as Fast & Furious 9. Thankfully, it finally came out in theatres and on Disney+ Premier Access. The film isn't like the typical Marvel movie you're looking for; it is an action-packed spy thriller, full of espionage and so on. BLACK WIDOW explains everything you need to know about the heroine, making her death in Avengers: Endgame even more tragic. The first half was impressive, especially when you learn about the character whose idyllic life was deprived of her before she became the titular Avenger she is now.

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

Whereas Avengers: Endgame served as a send-off of Marvel's ensemble team, BLACK WIDOW feels like it is tying up all the loose ends for the character. Nevertheless, it remains an enjoyable movie for Marvel fans who have waited for a lifetime.

Star rating: (9/10) Excellent Movie

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Fast & Furious 9 Review

Fast & Furious 9

Release Date: 17th June 2021 - Australia

Production Companies

One Race Films

Roth/Kirschenbaum Films

(in association with)

Perfect Storm

Original Film

Universal Pictures

China Film Co. Ltd (in association with)

Distribution

Universal Pictures Australia

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 145 minutes

Budget: $225,000,000

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

Plot Summary

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

he loves most. With his

crew by his side, they join

together to foil a world-

shattering plot and face

the most skilled

assassin and high-

performance driver

they've ever confronted:

a man who also happens to

be Dom's forsaken brother, Jakob.

 

Cast

Vin Diesel - Dominic Toretto

Michelle Rodriguez - Leticia "Letty" Ortiz

Jordana Brewster - Mia Toretto

Tyrese Gibson - Roman Pearce

Ludacris - Tej Parker

Nathalie Emmanuel - Ramsey

Charlize Theron - Cipher

John Cena - Jakob Toretto

Sung Kang - Han Seoul-Oh

Anna Sawai - Elle

Helen Mirren - Queenie

Kurt Russell - Mr. Nobody

Lucas Black - Sean Boswell

Shad Moss - Twinkie

Thus Ersted Rasmussen - Otto

Don Omar - Santos

Shea Wingham - Stasiak

Vinnie Bennett - Young Dom

Finn Cole - Young Jakob

JD Pardo - Jack Toretto

Michael Rooker - Buddy

Jim Parrack - Kenny Linder

Siena Agudong - Young Mia

Isaac & Immanuel Holtane - Little Brian

Azia Dinea Hale - Young Letty

Juju Zhang - Young Elle

Karson Kern - Young Vince

Igby Rigney - Young Jesse

Sophia Tatum - Racer Chick

Francis Ngannou - Ferocious Professional

Martyn Ford - Lieutenant Sue

Bad Bunny - Lookout

Jimmy Lin - Lookout

Jason Tobin - Earl

Cardi B - Leysa

Cered - Young Leo

Ozuna - Young Santos

Oqwe Lin - 'Hey' Kid

Bill Simmons - Linder Pit Crew

Vincent Sinclair Diesel - Younger Dom

Luka Hays - Deputy

Jason Statham - Deckard Shaw (Cameo)

(Uncredited)

Crew

Story/Screenplay/Producer/Director - Justin Lin

Based on Characters - Gary Scott Thompson

Story - Alfredo Botello

Story/Screenplay - Daniel Casey

Producers - Vin Diesel, Jeff Kirschenbaum,

Neal H. Moritz, Joe Roth and Samantha Vincent

Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Clayton Townsend

Co-Producer - Joshua Henson

Casting Director - Rachel Tanner

Production Designer - Jan Roelfs

Supervising Art Director - Ashley Lamont

Senior Art Director - Andrew Palmer

Set Decorator - Lucy Eyre

Construction Manager - Paul J. Hayes

Costume Designer - Sanja Milkovic Hays

Makeup Designer - Amanda Knight

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

Directors of Photography: Second Unit -

Igor Meglic and Callan Green

Aerial Director of Photography: Second Unit -

David B. Nowell

Camera Operators: Second Unit - Nino Pansini,

Peter Field, Picha Srisansanee, Maurice McGuire

and Barney Piercy

Steadicam/Additional Camera Operator -

Jonathan 'Chunky' Richmond

Second Assistant Camera: Second Unit,

Los Angeles - Mike Cahoon, Robert Forrest,

Michael Luntzel, Jordan Pellegrini,

Matt Taylor and Theresa Wong

First Assistant Director - Vincent Lascoumes

Second Unit Director and Stunt Coordinator -

Spiro Razatos

Second Unit Director/Supervising Stunt

Coordinator - J.J. Perry

Stunt Coordinators - Steve Griffin

and Troy Robinson

Stunt Coordinator: Los Angeles Unit/

Rehearsal Stunt Coordinator/Stunt Utility:

Second Unit - Steve Kelso

Stunt Coordinator: 2nd Unit - Andy Gill

Fight/Stunt Coordinator - Justin Yu

Fight Coordinator: Additional Photography -

David Wald

Picture Vehicle Coordinator - Dennis McCarthy

Picture Vehicle Supervisor: UK - Alex King

Special Effects Supervisor - Alistair Williams

Special Effects Supervisor: Los Angeles Unit -

Michael Meinardus

Special Effects Department Coordinator -

Usha Chaman

Visual Effects Supervisor - Peter Chiang

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Julian Foddy

Visual Effects Supervisor: DNEG - Daniel Rauchweger

Additional Visual Effects Supervisors: DNEG -

Derek Wentworth and Michael Grobe

Visual Effects Producer - Hal Couzens

Visual Effects Producer: Factory VFX -

Eric D. Christensen

Compositing Supervisor: ILM - Jeff Sutherland

Computer Graphics Supervisor: BLIND LTD -

Andrew Booth

Editors - Greg D'Auria, Dylan Highsmith

and Kelly Matsumoto

Additional Editor - David Kern

Sound Designer and Supervisor - Peter Brown

Sound Designers - Stephen P. Robinson,

Eliot Connors and Ann Scibelli

Production Sound Mixer - John Casali

Re-Recording Mixers - Jon Taylor

and Frank A. Montaño

Music - Brian Tyler

Review

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

It featured new cast members, including John Cena as Dom's estranged younger brother Jakob. The wrestler-turned-actor was terrific in the role and handled it very well. I'm slightly disappointed that Dwayne Johnson didn't appear in this movie, given his previous reluctance to be part of the franchise. That would explain a lot.

While FAST & FURIOUS 9 didn't give the series closure, I'd be surprised if it had, given the series' formulaic nature and the implausibility of its plot. Nonetheless, I consider it a semi-decent film, and it's up to fans or non-fans to decide whether they should see it in theatres before all sessions expire or wait until it becomes available on DVD, Blu-ray, iTunes, and video streaming.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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In Memory of Ned Beatty (1937-2021)

Ned Beatty (1937-2021)

I know it's too late to do an obituary of someone who passed away last month, but I hope you understand.

Oscar-nominated character actor Ned Beatty, known for his roles in films such as "Deliverance," "All the President's Men," "Network," "Superman," and "Toy Story 3," passed away on June 13th, 2021, due to natural causes. He was 83 years old.

In 1972, after years of being in regional theatre, Beatty made his screen debut opposite Burt Reynolds in the movie "Deliverance," where his character gets brutally assaulted by two mountain men while on a canoeing trip. In 1976, Beatty appeared in films like "All the President's Men," "The Big Bus," "Silver Streak," and "Mikey and Nicky." Later that same year, Ned Beatty's performance in "Network" earned him his only Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

In 1978, Beatty received a call from director Richard Donner to play Lex Luthor's bumbling henchman, Otis, in "Superman: The Movie" and its 1980 sequel, "Superman II." In 1991, he had a leading role in the Irish movie "Hear My Song."

Beatty's other films included "The Front Page," "The Big Easy," "Nashville," and, more recently, "Shooter," "Charlie Wilson's War," "Toy Story 3" (where he voiced the evil stuffed bear Lotso), and "Rango" before he retired in 2013. Beatty often appeared on television, with recurring roles such as John Goodman's father on the sitcom "Roseanne" and a detective on "Homicide: Life on the Streets."

Contrary to the belief, Ned was unrelated to fellow Hollywood actor Warren Beatty, as both were born in 1937.

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In Memory of Richard Donner (1930-2021)

Richard Donner (1930-2021)

Richard Donner, who directed films such as "The Omen," "Superman: The Movie," "The Goonies," "Scrooged," and the "Lethal Weapon" series, passed away on July 5th, 2021. He was 91 years old.

Donner initially wanted to become an actor to develop his career and gained a minor role in a television program. However, its director, Martin Ritt, encouraged Donner to pursue directing instead. And so Dick was hired by Ritt to be his assistant. Later, Donner began directing commercials while working at Desilu. He transitioned to television series in the late 1950s, starting with "Get Smart," "The Twilight Zone" (most notably, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" with William Shatner), "The Wild Wild West," "Perry Mason," "Kojak," and "Gilligan's Island." Donner also worked with the animation studio Hanna-Barbera, directing several episodes of the serial "Danger Island" as part of the kids' show "The Banana Splits."

Richard's first movie as a director, in 1961, was the low-budget "X-15," starring Charles Bronson. He then directed a few British films, including "Salt and Pepper," "Twinky" (also known as "Lola"), and "Child Bride." Donner also broke into directing made-for-television movies, including "A Shadow in the Streets" and "Sarah T: Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic."

Building on the experience he gained from "The Twilight Zone," Donner successfully navigated the challenges of helming his first feature-length movie, the scary "The Omen." This runaway success led to his assignment to bring "Superman" to the big screen in 1978, for which he received worldwide recognition. The movie starred Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel, alongside Margot Kidder, Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, and Ned Beatty, and set the template for future superhero movies. However, halfway through the film's sequel, "Superman II," which was nearing its completion, a dispute with the producers led to Donner being booted and replaced by Richard Lester. Much of Donner's work remained intact, albeit uncredited. In 2006, Donner released his director's cut of "Superman II" on DVD on the same day that Bryan Singer's franchise revival, "Superman Returns," debuted on home video.

After his dismissal from "Superman II," Donner directed "Inside Moves," one of his smaller and personal films, and it didn't perform well at the box office despite fair notices and "The Toy", starring Richard Pryor.

In 1985, Donner directed the period romantic fantasy "Ladyhawke" with Michelle Pfeiffer. The same year, Donner directed a seminal children's adventure movie for writer Chris Columbus and fellow filmmaker Steven Spielberg, "The Goonies," a coming-of-age film about a group of kids looking for hidden treasure.

Following the mid-80s movies came the success of "Lethal Weapon," in which Donner reinvented the buddy-cop subgenre with "Mad Max" star Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in the lead roles. It led to three more entries, all directed by Donner. Donner would later work with Gibson on films such as "Maverick" and "Conspiracy Theory." Donner's other films include "Scrooged" with Bill Murray, "Radio Flyer," "Assassins," "Timeline," and "16 Blocks." The latter of which proved to be his last.

In addition to directing features, Donner served as executive producer on films such as "Omen III: The Final Conflict," "The Lost Boys," "Delirious," three "Free Willy"  movies, and "Any Given Sunday." He was even involved in the "X-Men" movie franchise with his wife, Lauren Shuler, through their company, The Donners' Company, especially Bryan Singer's first entry (click here) and its prequel, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."

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