Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Review

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Release Date: 31st March 2022 - Australia

Production Companies

Paramount Pictures (presents)

Sega Sammy Group (in association with)

Original Film

Blur Studio

Marza Animation Planet

Sega (based on the video game from)

Distribution

Paramount Pictures Australia

Genre: Family/Action/

Adventure/Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 122 minutes

Budget: $110,000,000

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

Plot Summary

After living in Green Hills, Sonic is determined to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His chance to prove himself comes when the evil Dr Robotnik returns, along with a new partner named Knuckles the Echidna. Not only that, Robotnik is after a

mystical emerald capable

of wiping out civilisations.

Sonic gains a new sidekick, Tails, and the two embark on a globe-trotting quest to find it before Robotnik does so that he can achieve his goals.

Cast

Ben Schwartz - Sonic the Hedgehog (Voice)

Jim Carrey - Dr. Robotnik

Idris Elba - Knuckles the

Echidna (Voice)

Colleen O'Shaughnessey -

Miles "Tails" Prower (Voice)

James Marsden - Tom Wachowski

Tika Sumpter - Maddie Wachowski

Natasha Rothwell - Rachel

Adam Pally - Wade

Shemar Moore - Randall

Lee Majoub - Agent Stone

Tom Butler - Commander Walters

Melody Nosipho Niemann - Jojo

Brad Kalilimoku - Drench

Krista Alvarez - Faucet

Donna Jay Fulks - Longclaw

(Voice)

Scott Patey - Armored Truck Security Guard

Leif Havdale - Bank Robber

Johnson Phan - Bank Robber

Colby Chartrand - Bank Robber

Kevin Fortin - Bank Robber

Jeff Sanca - Armored Truck Driver

Sook Hexamer - Elderly Woman

Maria Ameerali - Shopper

Kyle Riefsnyder - Camper

Parker Rowell-Laferriere - Ice Cream Child

Tammy Nera - Pedestrian

Gerald Paetz - Police Driver

Corry Glass - Police Driver

David Jacox - Police Driver

Mike Mitchell - Police Driver

Heath Stevenson - Police Driver

Douglas Chapman - Police Driver

Rhys Williams - Scavenger

Nilo Ghajar - Scavenger

Don Lew - Scavenger

Elizabeth Bowen - Tatiana

Vladimir Ruzich - Russian Giant Bully

Shay Kuebler - Russian Dancer

Keiran Bohay - Russian Dancer

Kevin Mylrea - Russian Dancer

Jared Khalifa - Russian Dancer

Aiden Cass - Russian Dancer

Andrew Kyrzyk - Russian Dancer

Stanislav Galimkhanov - Russian Dancer

Alex Bogomolov - Tavern Menacing Card Player

Shaun Magee - Tavern Menacing Card Player

Shawn Stewart - Tavern Menacing Card Player

Barry Nerling - Tavern Tattooed Knuckle Cracker

Simon Chin - Tavern Fish Butcher

Vladimir Raiman - Tavern Bartender

Yvetta Fisher - Tavern Knitting Woman

Adrian Hein - Tack

Jess Lundgren - Wisco

Steven Chang - Grommet

Ted Barba - Priest

Brennan Dyson - Randall's Brother

Saida Dyson - Bridesmaid

Katie Wright Pere - Bridesmaid

Ha'a Keaulana - Bridesmaid

Quinn Early - Rachel's Father

Cheryl Lewis - Rachel's Mother

Angela Meryl - Rachel's Aunt

Ashlei Tave - Rachel's Cousin

Mariah Dyson - Rachel's Family

Tavita Woodward - Rachel's Family

Ernie Jackson - G.U.N. Soldier

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

Robert Zen Humpage - G.U.N. Soldier

Fraser Corbett - G.U.N. Soldier

Marcus Aurelio - G.U.N. Soldier

Sean Kennedy - G.U.N. Soldier

Jason Triplett - G.U.N. Agent

Eli Olson - G.U.N. Agent

Mike Rufino - G.U.N. Agent

Nito Larioza - G.U.N. Agent

Chad Keaulana - G.U.N. Agent

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

Paul Lazenby - Mean Bean Trucker

Preston Blaine Arsement - Volleyball Player

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew

Director - Jeff Fowler

Story/Screenplay - Pat Casey and Josh Miller

Screenplay - John Whittington

Executive Producers - Tim Miller,

Haruki Satomi, Yukio Sugino and

Shuji Utsumi

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Nan Morales

Producers - Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher,

Toru Nakahara and Hitoshi Okuno

Co-Producer/Lead Designer: Blur Studio

(Uncredited)/Storyboard Supervisor

(Uncredited) - Tyson Hesse

Co-Producers - Dmitri M. Johnson,

Dan Jevons and Sammy Warshaw

Casting Directors - Janelle Scuderi and

Tricia Wood

Production Designer - Luke Freeborn

Sonic Character Supervisor: Sega -

Takashi Iizuka

Supervising Art Director - Don Macaulay

Set Decorator - Shannon Gottlieb

Set Decorator: Hawaii Unit - Katrin Chong

Costume Designer - Debra McGuire

Director of Photography - Brandon Trost

Aerial Director of Photography/Camera

Operator: Vancouver Aerial Unit - Hans Bjerno

Second Unit Director/Director of Photography -

Peter Lyons Collister

Stunt Coordinator - Marny Eng

Stunt Coordinator: Second Unit - Guy Bews

Special Effects Coordinator - Joel Whist

Lead Fabricators - Dan Cervin and Rob Falck

Visual Effects Supervisor - Ged Wright

Visual Effects Producer - Lisa Beroud

Additional Visual Effects Supervisors: MPC -

Erik Nash and Nicolas Aithadi

Animation Supervisors: MPC - Eric Guaglione,

Steve Cady and Yves Ruprecht

Animation Supervisors: Animism Studios -

Jeremy Stewart and Eric Petey

Additional Animation Supervisors: MPC -

Michael Langford, Elwaleed Suliman and

Peta Bayley

Editor - Jim May

Supervising Sound Editors/Sound Designers -

Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn

Sound Designers: E2 - John Marquis,

Malte Bielef and Darren Maynard

Production Sound Mixer - Chris Duesterdiek

Re-Recording Mixers - Ron Bartlett and

Anna Behlmer

Additional Re-Recording Mixer - Drew Webster

Foley Artists - Dawn Lunsford and Alicia Stevenson

Music - Tom Holkenborg

Review

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

While SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 is a great movie that's mostly a step up from its predecessor, I would've preferred it to be a much better sequel. Unfortunately, a few setbacks prevented it from achieving a perfect 10-star rating. Many critics claim that the film is lengthy and overplotted, given its two-hour runtime and a single unnecessary subplot, but I'm willing to overlook those faults. But enough about that. Let's dig deeper into the positive aspects. For the new additions to the movie, we have Tails and Knuckles, who are in the sequel. The same goes for the mythology, which has expanded upon its predecessor, making it more faithful to the games. The action sequences are top-notch, with humour and pop-culture references to liven things up.

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

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

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

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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In Memory of Gilbert Gottfried (1955-2022)

Gilbert Gottfried (1955-2022)

The actor/stand-up comedian Gilbert Gottfried died from a heart disorder on April 12, 2022. He was 67 years old. Gilbert was known for his loud, shrill voice, notably in characters like Iago, the wisecracking parrot in Disney's "Aladdin."

He was born in Brooklyn on February 28, 1955. Gottfried began performing at open mic stand-up sets around New York City when he was 15 and soon developed a reputation as a "comedian's comedian" and caught the attention of TV producers. Gilbert debuted on television when he joined "Saturday Night Live" as a cast member for one season from 1980 to 1981. A few years later, Gottfried appeared in a series of improvised promos for MTV, which launched his career. He reached celebrity status in the early 1990s.

Gilbert's movie credits are few and far between. He played an accountant in "Beverly Hills Cop II" and was best known as the scheming adoption agency employee, Mister Peabody, in the first two "Problem Child" movies. In addition to a few movie and TV roles, his big break in animation came when he voiced the parrot Iago in "Aladdin," which led to him reprising the role in its sequels, spin-offs, and animated series.

Gottfried has done extensive voice work for numerous animated TV and films, mostly in guest appearances, such as "Bonkers," "The Ren and Stimpy Show," "Duckman," "Superman," "The Fairly OddParents," "Cyberchase" (regularly voicing Digit and Widget), "Family Guy," "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy," "SpongeBob SquarePants," etc.

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Winners of the 94th Academy Awards

And The Oscar Goes To….. (94th Academy Awards Winners)

Now, here are the winners of the 94th Academy Awards.

As I predicted, Dune did win the Oscars for Best Visual Effects, Production Design, Cinematography and Original Score. It didn't win Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Costume Design. I'm also disappointed that Raya and the Last Dragon didn't get the Best Animated Feature Film award, but that's my opinion. I was pleased that Hans Zimmer had received his second Oscar for Best Original Score in Dune, the first being The Lion King in 1994.

When watching the ceremony, I was shocked that Will Smith slapped the comedian Chris Rock after the latter made an unsavoury comment about his wife. It's no wonder he didn't get arrested for that, but he did apologise when making his speech after winning the Best Actor award for his performance in King Richard.

Best Visual Effects

Dune - Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer

Best Film Editing

Dune - Joe Walker

Best Costume Design

Cruella - Jenny Beaven

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

The Eyes of Tammy Faye - Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh

Best Cinematography

Dune - Greig Fraser

Best Production Design

Dune - Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos

Best Sound

Dune - Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett

Best Original Song

"No Time to Die" from No Time to Die - Music and Lyrics by Billie Elish and Finneas O'Connell

Best Original Score

Dune - Hans Zimmer

Best Animated Short Film

The Windshield Wiper - Alberto Mielgo and Leo Sanchez

Best Live-Action Short Film

The Long Goodbye - Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed

Best Documentary Short Subject

The Queen of Basketball - Ben Proudfoot

Best Documentary Feature

Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) - Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein

Best International Feature Film

Drive My Car (Japan) in Japanese - Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Best Animated Feature Film

Encanto - Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer

Best Adapted Screenplay

CODA - Screenplay by Sian Heder; based on the film La Famille Bélier by Victoria Bedos, Thomas Bidegain, Stanislas Carré de Malberg and Éric Lartigau

Best Original Screenplay

Belfast - Written by Kenneth Branagh

Best Supporting Actress

Ariana DeBose - West Side Story as Anita

Best Supporting Actor

Troy Kotsur - CODA as Frank Rossi

Best Actress

Jessica Chastain - The Eyes of Tammy Faye as Tammy Faye Bakker

Best Actor

Will Smith - King Richard as Richard Williams

Best Director

Jane Campion - The Power of the Dog

Best Picture

CODA - Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsberger

Honorary Awards

Samuel L. Jackson

Elaine May

Liv Ullmann

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

Danny Glover

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Uncharted Review

Uncharted

Release Date: 17th February 2022 - Australia

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures

Arad Productions

PlayStation Productions

Atlas Entertainment

Distribution

Sony Pictures Releasing Australia

Genre: Action/Adventure

Rating: M

Runtime: 116 minutes

Budget: $120,000,000

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

Plot Summary

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

500-year-old fortune

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

Cast

Tom Holland - Nathan Drake

Mark Wahlberg - Victor Sullivan

Sophia Ali - Chloe Frazer

Antonio Banderas - Santiago Moncada

Tati Gabrielle - Braddock

Steven Waddington - The Scotsman

Pingi Moli - Hugo

Tiernan Jones - Young Nate

Rudy Pankow - Young Sam

Jesus Evita - Guard at Museum

Georgia Goodman - Sister

Bernadette

Diarmid Murtagh - Police Officer

Joseph Balderrama - Carlos

Serena Posadino - Goldie

Alana Boden - Zoe

Jonathan Failla - Unsuspecting Doorman

Anthony Thomas - Luxury Sedan Driver

Peter Seaton-Clark - Auctioneer

Robert Maaser - Guard at Auction

Eskindir Tesfay - Security Guard

Manuel de Blas - Armando Moncada

Carme Capdet - Spanish Nun

Julia Schunevitsch - Club

Bartender #1

Alois Knapps - Club Bartender

#2

Patricia Meeden - Spanish

Woman in Club

Nolan North - Hotel Guest (Cameo)

Matt Barkley - Hotel Bellman

Jimmy Hart - Concepcion Helo

Pilot

Brett Praed - Concepcion Co-Pilot

Carlo Kitzlinger - Trinidad Helo Pilot

Pilou Asbaek - Gage

Crew

Executive Producer/Director - Ruben Fleischer

Screen Story/Screenplay - Rafe Judkins

Screen Story - Jon Hanley Rosenberg

and Mark D. Walker

Screenplay/Executive Producers -

Art Marcum and Matt Holloway

Associate Producer/First Assistant Director -

Brian Reylea

Executive Producers - David Bernad,

Robert J. Bohrmann, Neil Druckmann,

Tom Holland, Asad Qizilbash,

Carter Swan and Evan Wells

Producers - Avi & Ari Arad,

Alex Gartner and Charles Roven

Co-Producer - Elise Callas

German Co-Producers - Christoph Fisser,

Henning Molfenter and Charlie Woebecken

Casting Directors - John Papsidera and

Denise Chaiman

Production Designer - Shepherd Frankel

Concept Artists - Victor James Martinez,

Giorgio Grecu, Thomas Möhring

and Jamie Rawa

Supervising Art Director - David Ingram

Art Directors - Robert Reblin,

Daniel Chour, Michael Fissneider,

Calla Klessig, Florian Müller,

Cornelia Ott, Nenad Pecur,

Sabine Engelberg and Patricia Woerler

Set Decorator - Eli Griff

Costume Designer - Marlene Stewart

Hair & Makeup Designer - Victoria Down

Director of Photography - Chung-hoon Chang

Director of Photography: Second Unit -

Brad Shield

Director of Photography: Spain, Additional

Photography Unit - Eric Steelberg

"B" Camera Operator - Marcus Pohlus

First Assistant Director: Spain, Additional

Photography - Paul Barry

First Assistant Director: Second Unit - Joe Geary

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -

Scott Rogers

Stunt Coordinators - Stephen Dunlevy,

Ryan Hanna, Kyle Weishaar and Keir Beck

Fight Coordinators - Wayne Dalglish

and Jimmy Chhlu

Special Effects Supervisor - Uli Nefzer

Special Effects Coordinator - Jonny Martin

Visual Effects Supervisor - Chas Jarrett

Visual Effects Supervisor: Sydney Unit -

Chris Godfrey

Digital Effects Supervisors: DNEG - Gregor Lanker

Daniel Elophe and Jolene McCaffrey

Visualisation Supervisor: The Third Floor -

Nicholas Markel

Editors - Chris Lebonzon and Richard Pearson

Additional Editors - John Schaeffer and

Joseph Kirkland

Supervising Sound Editors - Kami Asgar

and Erin Oakley

Sound Designer - Paul N.J. Ottosson

Re-Recording Mixers - Beau Borders,

Kevin O'Connell, Mark Paterson and

Tony Lamberti

Foley Artists - Gary A. Hecker and

Adam DeCoster

Music - Ramin Djawadi

Music Supervisor - Gabe Hilfer

Review

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

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

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

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

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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The Batman Review

The Batman

Release Date: 3rd March 2022 - Australia

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures

DC Entertainment

6th & Idaho Productions

Dylan Clark Productions

Distribution

Universal Pictures Australia

Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 176 minutes

Budget: $200,000,000

Box Office Gross: $772,319,315 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

After two years of fighting crime, Batman must look

for a sadistic serial killer

known as The Riddler,

who has killed Gotham's

key political figures and

has left behind a trail of cryptic clues. He must expose the corruption that has plagued the city and question his family's involvement with it.

Cast

Robert Pattinson - Bruce Wayne/Batman

Zöe Kravitz - Selina Kyle

Paul Nano - The Riddler

Colin Farrell - Oz/The Penguin

Jeffrey Wright - Lt. James Gordon

John Turturro - Carmine Falcone

Andy Serkis - Alfred Pennyworth

Peter Sarsgaard - District Attorney Gil Colson

Barry Keoghan - Unseen Arkham Prisoner (Cameo)

Jayme Lawson - Bella Reál

Gil Perez-Abraham - Officer Martinez

Peter McDonald - Kenzie

Con O'Neill - Chief Mackenzie Bock

Alex Ferns - Commissioner Pete Savage

Rupert Penry-Jones - Mayor Don Mitchell Jr

Kosha Engler - Mrs. Mitchell

Archie Barnes - Mitchell's Son

Janine Harouni - Carla

Hana Hrzic - Annika

Joseph Walker - Young Riddler

Luke Roberts - Thomas Wayne

Oscar Novak - Young Bruce Wayne

Stella Stocker - Martha Wayne

Sandra Dickinson - Dory

Jack Bennett - Travis

Andre Nightingale - Ritchie

Richard James-Neale - Glen

Lorraine Tai - Cheri

Joseph Balderama - Lead Detective

James Eeles - Another Officer

Angela Yeoh - Forensic

Photographer

Leemore Marrett Jr. - Muscle Cop

Ezra Elliott - Tactical Medic

Charlie Carver - The Twin

Max Carver - The Twin

Mark Killeen - Vinnie

Elliot Warren - Train Gang Leader

Jay Lycurgo - Train Gang Young Member

Crew

Writer/Producer/Director - Matt Reeves

Writer - Peter Craig

Batman Creators - Bob Kane

and Bill Finger

Associate Producer/First

Assistant Director - Toby Hefferman

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager - Simon Emanuel

Executive Producers - Walter Hamada, Michael E. Uslan and Chantal Nong Vo

Producer - Dylan Clark

Casting Directors - Lucy Bevan and Cindy Tolan

Dialogue Coaches - Jill McCullough and Andrew Jack

Production Designer - James Chinlund

Vehicle Concept Artist - Ed Natividad

(Uncredited)

Supervising Art Director -

Grant Armstrong

Supervising Art Director: US -

Maya Shimoguchi

Art Directors: Vehicles - Joseph Hiura and Will Newton

Set Decorator - Lee Sandales

Assistant Set Decorators - Ben Barrington-Groves,

Anita Gupta and Guy Mount

Property Master - Jamie Wilkinson

Standby Props - Sonny Merchant and Charlie Summerville

Costume Designer - Jacqueline Durran

Costume Designer: The Batsuit/Costume Supervisor - David Crossman

Costume Designer/Chief

Concept Artist: The Batsuit - Glyn Dillon

HOD Costume FX - Pierre Bohanna

Costume Cutters - Jennifer Alford, Sarah Humphrey

and Simone Feulmer

Makeup Designer - Naomi Donne

Prosthetics Design: The Penguin & Unseen

Arkham Prisoner - Michael Marino

Makeup Designer: Selina - Pat McGrath

Director of Photography - Greig Fraser

Supervising Location Manager/

COVID Compliance - Mark Somner

Chicago Location Manager - Adam Boor

Unit Production Manager: Second Unit -

James R. McAllister

First Assistant Director: Second Unit -

Tom Edmondson

First Assistant Director: Chicago Unit -

Julian Wall

Second Unit Director/Supervising Stunt

Coordinator - Robert Alonzo

Stunt Coordinators - Steve Griffin,

Samuel Le and Jacob Dewitt

Stunt Coordinator: Chicago Unit -

Rick LeFevour

Fight Co-Coordinator/Trainer - Daniel Arrias

(Uncredited)

Picture Vehicle Supervisor - Alex King

Special Effects Supervisor - Dominic Tuohy

Special Effects Supervisor: Chicago Unit -

Andre Christopoulos

Special Effects Coordinator - Alicia Davies

Visual Effects Supervisor - Dan Lemmon

Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM - Russell Earl

Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta Digital -

Anders Langlands

Visual Effects Supervisor: Chicago Unit -

Mark O. Forker

Additional Visual Effects Supervisor -

Jeremy Burns

Visual Effects Associate Supervisors: ILM -

Malcolm Humphreys and Anthony Smith

Visual Effects Supervising Producer: ILM -

Jill Brooks

Visual Effects Producers - Alex Bicknell and

Bryan Searing

Visual Effects Producer: Weta Digital -

Sophie Cherry

Editors - William Hoy and Tyler Nelson

Supervising Sound Editor - Douglas Murray

Supervising Sound Editor/Re-Recording Mixer -

Will Files

Sound Designers - Lee Gilmore,

Craig Henighan and and Chris Terhune

Sound Recordist - John P. Fasal

Re-Recording Mixer - Andy Nelson

Sound Mixer - Stuart Wilson

Music - Michael Giacchino

Music Supervisor - George Drakoulias

Music Editor - Joe E. Rand

Score Recordists & Mixers - Peter Cobbin

and Kirsty Whalley

Review

Fans are wary of THE BATMAN since it's not canonically part of the DC Extended Universe, which is supposed to star Ben Affleck as the titular caped crusader and produce, co-write, and direct the film. It was a bold reinvention of the title character that has been adapted many times on the silver screen. The movie arrived in theatres by the time it came. Co-writer/director Matt Reeves, a longtime Batman fan, has poured his heart and soul into putting his spin on the Dark Knight with inspiration from a few of David Fincher's films. He's not as masterful as Chris Nolan, who did the character justice in The Dark Knight trilogy. Reeves knows how to push certain limits in this recent cinematic interpretation, making it a noir thriller.

I don't understand why some fans are disappointed with this iteration. Perhaps they expected an adaptation similar to The Dark Knight but with a tonal balance of light and dark. I admire its action sequences, which feel very similar to the combat style in the Arkham games I've been playing. Additionally, it had an engaging storyline with so many twists and turns.

After years of seeing Christian Bale and Ben Affleck's takes on the character, I was uncertain that Robert Pattinson would be an ideal actor to portray Bruce Wayne/Batman. Given that he played a sullen vampire in the Twilight series. I didn't watch his work. However, Pattinson gives his protagonist a vulnerable edge and proves that he's good at it. Few people complained that Batman was too much of a wimp and not strong enough, but they're probably not used to seeing the new version.

Paul Dano did a fantastic job as The Riddler, whereas Jim Carrey's is comical and lighthearted. His take was darker, homicidal, and extremely psychopathic and would probably rival Heath Ledger's Joker as the terrifying arch-foe of Batman. Colin Farrell looks unrecognisable as the Penguin, although the makeup team did an incredible job of making him look like that. Zöe Kravitz was terrific as Catwoman, and this wasn't the first time she played that anti-heroine, reprising her role from The Lego Batman Movie.

On the technical side, Greig Fraiser's cinematography is simply dazzling. Michael Giacchino's score is hauntingly brutal but eerily similar to Danny Elfman's compositions in the first two Batman movies by Tim Burton.

While it isn't as insightful or original as Nolan's films, THE BATMAN is a superbly daring movie that reinvents the Caped Crusader in a bleak crime-thriller/detective drama. It could be the second-best Batman movie, with The Dark Knight still on top. I highly recommend it to Batman and DC fans, and most would want to see it anyway.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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In Memory of William Hurt (1950-2022)

William Hurt (1950-2022)

The Academy Award-winning actor William Hurt passed away on March 13th, 2022, after a battle with prostate cancer, one week shy of his 72nd birthday. He was best known for roles in "Body Heat," "The Big Chill," "Kiss of the Spider Woman," and "Broadcast News," as well as for his portrayal of General Thaddeus Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Hurt made his screen debut in 1980 with "Altered States," playing a psychopathologist, and quickly emerged as one of the decade's foremost leading men. A year later, Hurt starred opposite Kathleen Turner in a steamy noir film by writer/director Lawrence Kasdan, "Body Heat." It changed the lives of the two performers, who have positively ignited on-screen into major-league Hollywood stars. Hurt would have another lead role in "Gorky Park" and was part of an ensemble of a drama about a group of friends reuniting, entitled "The Big Chill," which became a touchstone for the baby boomer generation.

Then came "Kiss of the Spider Woman," for which Hurt won the Best Actor Oscar for portraying a gay window dresser in a repressive South American dictatorship. Following his award win in "Kiss of the Spider Woman," Hurt landed roles that earned him Oscar nominations in movies like "Children of a Lesser God" and "Broadcast News." Playing a speech teacher at a deaf school and a likable, slightly dimwitted newsman had showcased his talents, and the critical and commercial success of these films propelled Hurt into the A-list. However, the actor didn't seem to care about his celebrity status.

William went through a turbulent period in the 1990s, during which he became acclaimed for his portrayal of an arrogant surgeon in "The Doctor." Films such as "Second Chances" and "Until the End of the World" don't have the same immeasurable success Hurt had in the 1980s. Even his attempt at popcorn entertainment with the big-screen adaptation of "Lost in Space" didn't earn enough money to spawn a franchise, despite being a modest hit and Hurt looking bored throughout the movie.

He also appeared in the television mini-series adaptation of "Dune" and in films such as Steven Spielberg's "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" and M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village." William Hurt settled into supporting roles, including scene-stealing performances in "The Good Shepherd," "Into the Wild," and most notably, "A History of Violence." The latter film earned Hurt an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as a sinister mob boss.

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In Memory of Douglas Trumbull (1942-2022)

Douglas Trumbull (1942-2022)

Douglas Trumbull, the pioneer behind the VFX for "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," and "Blade Runner," passed away on February 7th, 2022. He was 79 years old. Trumbull was the son of a mechanical engineer and effects artist, Don Trumbull, who worked on films like "The Wizard of Oz." His dad also worked with his son on "Silent Running," "Close Encounters," and "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." He received two Scientific and Technical Achievement Oscars before passing away in 2004 at age 95.

Trumbull was an airbrush artist and illustrator at Graphic Films in Los Angeles, where he worked on a 1964 New York World's Fair documentary, "To the Moon and Beyond." The film is shot in Cinerama and projected onto the Moon Dome from above. This impressed director Stanley Kubrick, who then hired Trumbull (along with Graphic Films director Con Pederson) to work on the initial designs for "2001" after Pederson gave him Kubrick's number and he cold-called him. Trumbull began with a relatively minor task: creating the animated displays shown on the computer screens throughout the ship in the film. However, as production continued, his responsibilities increased, and he became one of the film's four visual effects supervisors. He had the task of creating what would become his signature creation, the out-of-this-world passage-of-light finale, known as the Star Gate sequence.

After "2001," Trumbull made his directorial debut with an eco-sci-fi film he conceived, entitled "Silent Running," which achieved cult status despite being made on a $1 million budget. By the 1970s, Trumbull had other commitments and declined an offer to provide the visual effects for George Lucas' "Star Wars." At the same time, Steven Spielberg, about 29, began principal photography on his sci-fi movie "Close Encounters." He rewatched Kubrick's "2001" in preparation and found the masterpiece intimidated him more than it inspired him. Spielberg hired Trumbull, then under contract to Paramount Pictures on a loan-out, to contribute the visual effects for "Close Encounters." The film earned Trumbull and his team an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects, which they lost to "Star Wars." Trumbull also worked with director Robert Wise in films such as "The Andromeda Strain" and "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (the latter earned Trumbull his second Academy Award nomination). He also received his third Oscar nomination for his groundbreaking visual effects work in Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner."

Douglas's second directorial feature was "Brainstorm," starring Natalie Wood in her final role. The movie was the first to showcase his Showscan process (70mm film photographed at 60 frames per second) in the virtual-reality sequences, but due to the cost, MGM withdrew the idea. In November 1981, during a production break, Wood drowned under unknown circumstances while on a boat trip to Catalina Island. This setback prompted MGM to file an insurance claim, and the film remained unfinished for two years. These experiences led Trumbull to withdraw from the film industry and delve into his passion for developing new technology for cinema and filmmakers. He even created the "Back to the Future" ride at Universal Studios.

Trumbull was brought out of retirement to work under Dan Glass as a visual effects consultant on Terence Malick's "The Tree of Life." He received many accolades and honours in his lifetime, including a Scientific and Engineering Award in 1993 from the Academy for his Showscan Camera System and the Gordon E. Sawyer statuette in 2012 for his career contributions. In my opinion, I believe Trumbull and his team deserved the Oscar for the effects work in "2001," not Stanley Kubrick, who took the award for himself.

Here are the clips showcasing the outstanding visual effects work he provided throughout his career.

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