Mulan (2020) Review

Mulan

Release Date: 4th September 2020 - Australia (Disney+)

Production Companies

Walt Disney Pictures

Jason T. Reed Productions

Good Fear Content

China Film Group Corporation (CFGC)

Distribution

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia

Genre: Action/Drama

Rating: M

Runtime: 115 minutes

Budget: $200,000,000

Box Office Gross: $69,965,374 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

To save her ailing father from the horrors of war, a young Chinese maiden named Mulan disguises herself as a male soldier named Hau Jun and takes his place in the Imperial Army. After rigorous training, the courageous Mulan sets out to prove herself a warrior as China faces grave danger from the Northern Invaders led by Bori Khan.

Cast

Yifei Liu - Mulan

Donnie Yen - Commander Tung

Gong Li - Xianniang

Jet Li - Emperor

Jason Scott Lee - Bori Khan

Yoson An - Honghui

Tzi Ma - Zhou

Rosalind Chao - Li

Pei-Pei Cheng - Matchmaker

Xana Tang - Xiu

Ron Yuan - Sergeant Qiang

Jun Yu - Cricket

Chen Tang - Yao

Doua Moua - Po

Jimmy Wong - Ling

Crystal Rao - Young Mulan

Elena Askin - Young Xiu

Vincent Feng - Longwei

Ming-Na Wen - Esteemed Guest (Cameo)

Crew

Director - Niki Caro

Screenplay - Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek

Executive Producers - Tim Coddington, Mario Iscovich, William Kong and Barrie M. Osborne

Producers - Chris Bender,

Jason Reed and Jake Weiner

Co-Producer/Visual Effects Producer - Diana Giorgiutti

Co-Producer/First Assistant Director - Liz Tan

Casting Director - Debra Zane

Production Designer - Grant Major

Supervising Art Director - Ian Gracie

Art Directors - Damien Drew, Mark Robins

and Jill Cormack

Art Director: US/Supervising Art Director:

Additional Photography - Thomas P. Wilkins

Art Director: US Jason T. Clark

Art Director: China - Calvin Tsoi

Standby Art Director - George Hamilton

Set Decorators - Amber Richards and

Anne Kuljian

Property Master: Additional Photography -

Kris Peck

Creative Supervisor: Weta Workshop -

Richard Taylor

Head of Manufacture: Weta Workshop -

Rob Gillies

Weapons Master - Joe Dunckley

Costume Designer - Bina Daigeler

Hair, Makeup & Prosthetics Designer - Denise Kum

Hair & Makeup Department Supervisor -

Rick Findlater

Director of Photography - Mandy Walker

Second Unit Director - John Mahaffie

Stunt Coordinator - Benjamin Cooke

Stunt Coordinator: Additional Photography -

Scott Rogers

Fight Coordinator - Nuo Sun

Stunt Fight Coordinators: Additional Photography -

Heidi Moneymaker and Shane Yan

Special Effects Supervisor - Steve Ingram

Special Effects Off-Set Coordinator - Karl Chisholm

Senior Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta Digital -

Joe Letteri

Visual Effects Supervisor - Sean Andrew Faden

Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta Digital -

Anders Langlands

Visual Effects Supervisor: Framestore -

Hubert Maston

Visual Effects Executive Producer: Image

Engine - Shawn Walsh

Previsualization Supervisor - Rpin Suwannath

Film Editor - David Coulson

Additional Editors - Paul Rubell

and Lisa Lassek

Supervising Sound Editor - Gwendolyn Yates Whittle

Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer -

Kyrsten Mate

Sound Re-Recording Mixers - Anna Behlmer

and Terry Porter

Foley Artists - John Roesch and

Shelley Roden

Music - Harry Gregson-Williams

Score Recordist & Mixer - Alan Meyerson

Review

The remake of MULAN has been delayed several times due to the COVID-19 scare. Thankfully, it made its way to Disney+ and some international theatres on the big screen. After watching the film, I wasn't aware of the negative comments about the remake. Chinese moviegoers weren't happy with this film. I don't mind the songs and the dragon character, Mushu, that were left out of the new interpretation, as it opted for a realistic and darker tone. Although a phoenix character took over Mushu's stead as Mulan's guardian, it didn't do much. Gone is the empowering message, and several scenes from the original film are nowhere in the remake. What is also missing is Shang, the eponymous heroine's love interest.

The movie's cultural elements have not fared well, especially the use of the word "chi," which is not a magical power. I was also disappointed by some aspects, such as bland characterisation, poorly choreographed action, redundant fantasy elements, and overproduced visuals, which diminished its impact. Some acting is wooden, as in Yifei Liu's performance, suggesting she did not take her role seriously. However, there are good performances from a few other actors, such as Gong Li and Jet Li. The scenery and landscapes in the movie are impressive. These locations in MULAN had their scenes partially shot in New Zealand. It so happens that the film's director, Niko Caro, was born in that country. Unfortunately, these saving graces are not enough to keep MULAN from dishonour.

It isn't the first Disney live-action remake that has tried to disappoint me. I'm glad this isn't a carbon copy of the original movie, which thankfully isn't like The Lion King. At least MULAN manages to retell the same plot. I'd always hoped this film would be like 2009's Rise of a Warrior, in realism and respect for its cultural heritage. I was wrong. It was, at best, a lacklustre remake that failed to impress me or even fans of the original.

Star rating: (5/10) Average

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Non-Stop Review

Non-Stop

Release Date: 27th February 2014 - Australia

Production Companies

StudioCanal (presents)

Anton (in association with)

Silver Pictures

TF1 Films Production (in co-production with)

Canal+ (with the participation of)

TF1 (with the participation of)

LOVEFILM International (in association with)

Government of Canada (participation)

Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC) (participation)

Province of British Columbia

Production Services Tax Credit (participation)

Distribution

StudioCanal Australia

Genre: Action/Thriller

Rating: M

Runtime: 106 minutes

Budget: $50,000,000

Box Office Gross: $222,809,600 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Ex-cop turned federal air marshal Bill Marks is coping with the death of his daughter through drinking. He is boarding a plane on an en route flight to London when he receives a series of text messages that he must transfer all $150 million to an offshore account or otherwise, each passenger on this plane will die every 20 minutes. Will he find the terrorist before he can save everyone on this plane?

Cast

Liam Neeson - Bill Marks

Julianne Moore - Jen Summers

Scoot McNairy - Tom Bowen

Michelle Dockery - Nancy

Nate Parker - Zack White

Corey Stoll - Austin Reilly

Lupita Nyong'o - Gwen

Omar Metwally - Dr. Fahim Nasir

Jason Butler Harner - Kyle Rice

Linus Roache - David McMillan

Shea Whigham - Agent Marenick

Anson Mount - Jack Hammond

Quinn McColgan - Becca

Corey Hawkins - Travis Mitchell

Frank Deal - Charles Wheeler

Bar Paly - Iris Marianne

Edoardo Costa - Herve Philbert

Jon Abrahams - David Norton

Amanda Quaid - Emily Norton

Beth Dixon - Older Woman

Cameron Moir - Steward

Lars Gerhard - German Father

Oliver Lehne - German Son

Michael Thomas Walker - Michael Tate

Pat Kiernan - NY1 Anchor

Annika Pergament - NY1 Reporter

Victoria Arbiter - Tilkynna 3 Reporter

Jefrey Pollock - Pundit

Hank Sheinkopf - Pundit

Dani de Waal - Airline Attendant

Adi Hanash - Security Officer

Crew

Director - Jaume Collet-Serra

Story/Screenplay - John W. Richardson

and Christopher Roach

Screenplay - Ryan Engle

Executive Producers - Oliver Courson,

Ron Halpern, Steve Richards and Jeff Wadlow

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Herbert W. Gains

Producers - Alex Heineman,

Andrew Rona and Joel Silver

Co-Producers - Adam Kuhn and

Richard Mirisch

Casting Directors - Amanda Mackey

and Cathy Sandrich Gelfond

Production Designer - Alec Hammond

Art Director - David Swayze

Set Decorator - Regina Graves

Property Master - Jeff Butcher

Costume Designer - Catherine Marie Thomas

Director of Photography - Flavio Martinez Labiano

Director of Photography: Additional Photography

Unit - Jeff Cutter

B Camera/Steadicam Operator: Additional

Photography Unit - John S. Moyer

Location Manager - Robert T. Striem

First Assistant Director: Additional

Photography - Julian Wall

Stunt Co-Coordinator - Jery Hewitt

Stunt Co-Coordinator/Stunt Double:

Liam Neeson - Mark Vanselow

Fight Choreographer - Rafael Kayanan

Special Effects Supervisor - Jeff Brink

Special Effects Coordinator - Shane Gross

Visual Effects Supervisor - Richard Yuricich

Visual Effects Supervisor: Prime Focus

World - Randy Goux

Visual Effects Supervisors: T38 - David Heras

and Joaquin Gutierrez

On-Set Visual Effects Supervisor -

Jim Rider

Editor - Jim May

Supervising Sound Editor/Re-Recording

Mixer - Ron Bochar

Sound Mixer - Danny Michael

Re-Recording Mixer - Steve Maslow

Foley Editors - Steven Visscher and

Jamie Baker

Foley Artist - Marko A. Contanzo

Music - John Ottman

Review

I didn't watch all of NON-STOP before watching this aerial thriller on TV recently. I found it to be riveting. This movie has suspense and edge-of-your-seat thrills with an intriguing premise that will captivate audiences. The storyline, however, is far-fetched but engaging in its tense setup. I'm surprised that a few moviegoers have noticed its resemblance to the Taken series. The film's cinematography is astounding, making it feel claustrophobic.

Liam Neeson did an outstanding performance, as his role in Taken solidified his status as a genuine action star. He is a viable asset to this movie. The supporting cast is also solid, with a few players, including Julianne Moore, Scoot McNairy, and Corey Stoll, excelling in their roles.

At this point, it is a non-stop action thriller, as the title suggests. I recommend this film to action-loving moviegoers and fans of Liam Neeson.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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In Memory of Chadwick Boseman (1976-2020)

Chadwick Boseman (1976-2020)

The African-American actor Chadwick Boseman died at age 43 after losing a four-year battle with colon cancer on August 28, 2020. He is best known for his performances as iconic figures such as Jackie Robinson and James Brown, as well as the African superhero Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Chadwick debuted on television in 2003, appearing in an episode of "Third Watch." He also appeared in episodes of other series like "Law & Order," "CSI: NY," and "ER." In 2008, the same year he had a recurring role in "Lincoln Heights," Boseman also made his feature film debut in "The Express: The Ernie Davis Story." In 2010, Chadwick gained a regular role in a mystery serial drama, "Persons Unknown."

In 2013, Boseman transitioned into leading roles, beginning with the indie film "The Kill Hole" and his portrayal of the baseball player and pioneer Jackie Robinson in "43," opposite Harrison Ford. In 2014, he appeared opposite Kevin Costner in "Draft Day." Later that same year, he would portray famous musician James Brown in "Get on Up."

His big break came in 2016 after portraying the ancient Egyptian deity Thoth in "Gods of Egypt." It was followed by playing the character that would instantly propel him to fame as T'Challa and his alter-ego, Black Panther, in "Captain America: Civil War." It was his first film as part of a five-picture deal with Marvel. In 2018, Chadwick would headline "Black Panther" as a standalone film focused on the main character and his country of Wakanda. It was one of America's highest-grossing films when it opened. Expectations were high. He continued playing the character in both "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame," which also grossed even higher at the box office, with "Endgame" being the highest-grossing movie of all time.

His promising, brilliant acting career was cut short, but we will remember him for his Black Panther role and as a role model for younger generations. Everyone will sorely miss him, including colleagues, family and friends.

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Ocean's Eleven (2001) Review

Ocean's Eleven


Release Date: 10th January 2002 - Australia

Production Companies
Warner Bros. Pictures
Village Roadshow Pictures (in association with)
NPV Entertainment (in association with)
Section Eight
WV Films II
St. Petersburg Clearwater Film Commission

Distribution
Roadshow Films


Genre: Crime/Comedy

Rating: M

Runtime: 117 minutes


Budget: $85,000,000

Box Office Gross: $450,717,527 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary

Danny Ocean, a thief/con artist, has recently been released from prison. In earning his parole, he's assembled a team of eleven accomplices to pull off the biggest, most daring, and elaborate heist in the century, which involves three casinos in Las Vegas.

Cast
George Clooney - Danny Ocean
Brad Pitt - Rusty Ryan
Matt Damon - Linus Caldwell
Andy Garcia - Terry Benedict
Julia Roberts - Tess Ocean

Bernie Mac - Frank Catton

Don Cheadle - Basher Tarr

Casey Affleck - Virgil Malloy
Scott Caan - Turk Malloy

Elliot Gould - Reuben Tishkoff

Carl Reiner - Saul Bloom
Eddie Jemison - Livingston Dell
Shaobo Qin - Yen
Joe La Due - Billy Tim Denham
Scott L. Schwartz - Bulldog, the Bruiser

Lennox Lewis - Boxing Opponent (Cameo)

Wladimir Klitschko - Boxing Opponent (Cameo)

Jerry Weintraub - High Roller (Cameo)

Henry Silva - Boxing Spectator (Cameo)

Angie Dickinson - Boxing Spectator (Cameo)

Wayne Newton - Boxing Spectator (Cameo)

Siegfried Fischbacher - Boxing Spectator (Cameo)

Roy Horn - Boxing Spectator (Cameo)

Larry Merchant - Boxing Spectator (Cameo)

Holly Marie Combs - Herself (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Topher Grace - Himself (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Joshua Jackson - Himself (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Steven Soderbergh - Vault-Bombing Thief

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Barry Watson - Himself (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Shane West - Himself (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew
Director of Photography/Director - Steven Soderbergh
1960 Story - George Clayton Johnson and

Jack Golden Russell
1960 Screenplay - Harry Brown and

Charles Lederer
Screenplay - Ted Griffin
Executive Producers - Bruce Berman,

Susan Ekins and John Hardy
Producer - Jerry Weintraub
Co-Producer - R.J. Louis

Casting Director - Debra Zane

Production Designer - Phillip Messina

Art Director - Keith P. Cunningham

Construction Coordinator - Chris Snyder

Set Decorator - Kristen Toscano Messina

Property Master - Steven B. Melton

Costume Designer - Jeffrey Kurland

First Assistant Camera: "A" Camera - Barry Baz Idoine

Unit Production Manager - Frederic W. Borst

First Assistant Director - Gregory Jacobs

Second Second Assistant Director -

Basti Van Der Woude

Special Effects Coordinator - Kevin Hannigan

Visual Effects Supervisor: Cinesite -

Thomas J. Smith

CG Supervisor: Cinesite - Serge Sretchinsky

Film Editor - Stephen Mirrione

Lead Sound Editor - David E. Stone

Re-Recording Mixer/Supervising Sound

Editor - Larry Blake

Foley Artists - Dawn Fintor and

Alicia Stevenson

Music - David Holmes


Review

It all started in 2001 with Steven Soderbergh's remake of OCEAN'S ELEVEN, a fun and sophisticated popcorn flick with a superb storyline and an ensemble cast. I have seen this caper a few times, including a drive-in where I watched it for the second time. I never got to see the sequels (except for Ocean's Eight) and the original that featured the "Rat Pack" players, such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Sammy Davis Jr. There aren't too many surprises in this movie. The cinematography is acceptable, the humour is witty, and the pace is good.

The all-star cast is terrific, with George Clooney and Brad Pitt headlining, alongside supporting players like Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Elliott Gould, Carl Reiner, and Casey Affleck. The only problem with the acting in this movie is Don Cheadle. He adopted a fake English accent for his role, which is one of the worst I've ever heard.

While it is considered the granddaddy of all cinematic heist movies, OCEAN'S 11 is a no-brainer. It is thoroughly enjoyable to all audiences. To those seeking a great heist movie, now is the time to watch it.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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In Memory of Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020)

Olivia de Havilland (1916-2020)

Considered the last surviving actress of Hollywood's Golden Age, Olivia de Havilland passed away at age 104 on July 26, 2020. Most famously, she is best known for her role as Melanie Hamilton Wilkes in "Gone with the Wind," the biggest box-office hit of all time when adjusted for inflation.

De Havilland's film career began in 1935, when director Max Reinhardt saw her perform in a stage production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in California and cast her in his 1935 film adaptation. Later, she entered a seven-year contract with Warner Bros and became Errol Flynn's on-screen romantic partner. Together they starred in films like "Captain Blood," "The Charge of the Light Brigade," and "The Adventures of Robin Hood," among others. In 1939, Olivia was loaned from Warner Bros. to play the sympathetic sister-in-law to the selfish main heroine in "Gone with the Wind," for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, but lost to her co-star Hattie McDaniel. McDaniel was the first African-American actress to win the award. In the late 1940s, she became one of the top actresses to grace the silver screen. In 1943, Olivia sued Warner Bros for trying to extend her seven-year contract, which had already expired. During that time, actors faced the threat of unpaid suspension from their contracts with the major studios if they turned down roles that didn't suit them.

Her court victory proved that celebrities have more influence than any major studio when that power shifts to them. To this day, it is known as the Havilland Law. Olivia won two Oscars for Best Actress, the first for "To Each His Own" in 1946 and the second for "The Heiress" in 1949. Her other roles include "The Snake Pit," "My Cousin Rachel," "Light in the Piazza," and "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte," in which she starred alongside Bette Davis.

De Havilland retired from acting in the late 1980s but continued to make public appearances and receive honours for her long career, like the National Medal of Arts in 2008 and France's Legion of Honour in 2010.

She was the sister of another famous actress, Joan Fontaine, and the two actresses had a rivalry regarding their achievements.

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Brock: Over the Top Review

Brock: Over the Top


Release Date: 22nd June 2020 - Australia


Production Companies
Universal Pictures Australia (present)
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (present)
Wildbear Entertainment
Screen Queensland (in association with)
The Port Lounge (in association with)

Distribution
Bonsai Films


Genre: Documentary

Rating: M

Runtime: 103 minutes

Box Office Gross: A$12,638 (Australia)

Plot Summary
This documentary chronicles the life of Australia's famous race car driver, Peter Brock, detailing his personal life, triumphs, and dark side.

Cast

Craig Lowndes - Himself 
Phil Brock - Himself

Lewis Brock - Himself
Ian Tate - Himself
Allan Moffat - Himself
Dick Johnson - Himself
Bev Brock - Herself
Garry Wilkinson - Himself

Michelle Downes - Herself

Julie Bamford - Herself
James Brock - Himself
Robert Brock - Himself
Alexandra Brock - Herself
Phil Scott - Himself

David Hassall - Himself

Greg Rust - Himself

John Harvey - Himself

John M Wright - Himself

Tim Pemberton - Himself

Brian Sampson - Himself

Craig Fletcher - Himself

Graeme Brown - Himself

Mick Hone - Himself

Jim Richards - Himself

Jane Caro - Herself

Peter Brock - Himself (Voice)

(Archive Footage)

Bill Tuckey - Himself (Voice)

(Archive Footage)

Harry Firth - Himself (Voice)

(Archive Footage)

Crew
Writer/Director - Kriv Stenders

Original Concept/Producer - Veronica Fury

Associate Producer - Rudy Schmidt
Executive Producer - Alan Erson
Director of Photography - Mark Broadbent
Editor - Tania Nehme

Sound Designer - Paul Pirola

Re-Recording Mixer - Brendan Coxon
Music - Jason Fernandez


Review
Racing legend Peter Brock was well-known in Australia as "The King of the Mountain" and "Peter Perfect." However, his life was far from perfect. Those closest to him understood his inner turmoil and his hunger for fame and victory. I've never reviewed a feature-length documentary other than Michael Jackson's This Is It, but I'm willing to watch this one in theatres now that they've reopened amid the COVID-19 crisis. Years before, I had barely heard of Peter Brock until he died in a rally car accident, which I had listened to on the radio. I'm not a big Brock fan because of his partnership with Holden, as I am a proud Ford supporter. BROCK: OVER THE TOP was an introspective look at the famous Aussie race car driver discussing his ten consecutive wins at Mount Panorama and his business deals with Holden.

Director Kriv Stenders may not have made a biopic about Peter Brock, but he examined the facts of his personal life and compiled them in this kind of documentary. This film addresses sensitive issues, particularly his troubled marriage with Michelle Downes, his relationships with Bev and Julie, and his fallout with Holden over the Energy Polariser.

BROCK: OVER THE TOP is a must-see film that will attract fans of his life story. If you're a fan of Peter Brock or want to know more, this documentary is for you.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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In Memory of Ennio Morricone (1928-2020)

Ennio Morricone (1928-2020)

Legendary Italian film composer Ennio Morricone passed away on July 6, 2020. He was 91 years old. An accomplished music maestro has composed over 500 scores for cinema and television over 66 years, including "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," "The Untouchables," "The Mission," and "The Hateful Eight." Morricone was born in Rome and is the son of a trumpeter. He began writing music at the age of six, and at twelve, he entered a conservatory to study it. His classmate at school was the filmmaker Sergio Leone, with whom he began collaborating by composing music for Leone's spaghetti westerns. These films are part of his trilogy with Clint Eastwood. Their careers took off with "A Fistful of Dollars," which has given him some prominence. However, one of his most influential scores in cinema history is "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly."

Morricone's other movie scores include "Once Upon a Time in the West," "Days of Heaven," John Carpenter's "The Thing," "The Mission," "Cinema Paradiso," "The Untouchables," "Bugsy," "Malena," and "Ripley's Game." In 2016, he became the oldest recipient to earn an Academy Award for Best Original Score for Quentin Tarantino's western "The Hateful Eight." Before that, in 2007, he was given an Honorary Award statuette for his contributions to the art of film music. Morricone's style of movie scoring inspired several film composers, including Hans Zimmer, to compose their soundtracks.

We will surely miss him. Here are the highlights of his film scores.

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