Movie Reviews Archives | Page 213 Of 241

Kung Fu Panda 3 Executes Relentless Punches to Marvel At!

Kung Fu Panda 3 Movie Poster Everybody will soon want to hum to the new Kung Fu Fighting in Po’s journey (Jack Black) in Kung Fu Panda 3. Not only does the story reunite him with his past, of a life totally forgotten, but also the CGI, watercolour scroll visuals (revealed in flashback) and 3D deliver a glorious blow to the senses to behold. Very rarely will a film get the depth right and this film gets the job done perfectly!

There’s no subtitle to indicate what the tale is about, and true to the great cosmic will, this young warrior’s destiny is looking like it will come full circle. The virtues of yin and yang are duly explored in this latest entry; from witnessing how Po has to deal with two fathers—one biological (Li Shan, voiced by Bryan Cranston) and the other adoptive (Mr. Ping, played by James Hong) not necessarily seeing eye-to-eye—to learning about what his true potential is, this computer animated gem combines the best themes realized in other Wuxia films. When considering this story is co-developed by both divisions of DreamWorks (in China and USA), enlightenment is achieved!

While this movie is focussed on reuniting Po with his Panda heritage, an old threat wants to return to the physical realm to wreck chaos. Kai (J. K. Simmons) is a temperamental bull who has a history with Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim) — who passed away in the first movie. This film takes a peek into the spirit realm to show that life continues, and while this turtle is enjoying his ‘retirement,’ not everyone in this plane of existence feels the same. The two meet again, and the plot of Kai wanting to steal souls exist so he can amass a new army. Of course, he senses Po’s vitality and he is coveting it for his own use.

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Scaring Up Missed Opportunities in ‘The Boy’

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

TheBoy There’s no devil found inside The Boy, only misguided innocence. This movie is a mildly chilling thriller directed by William Brent Bell. His trail of horror films are amusing, but they feel like they do not have the necessary sparkle and charm needed to put them at a level of being truly scary when compared to his non genre work.

In this film, a porcelain doll is the subject of speculation. The trailers suggest a spirit inhabits it. When people are not looking, it would jerk its head or disappear. Tiny moments of solid direction in the movie editing suite offers some terse moments, but they are not enough to carry the movie from beginning to end. Writer Stacey Menear might have crafted this movie on spec and the true discomfort of what a haunted doll can project is not always convincingly portrayed. Gone are the days of Chucky, and the in-thing now is with Annabelle. For people interested in authentic histories of such possessed figures, there’s plenty of to go around, including a locale in Mexico which nobody in their right mind would want to visit at night. Maybe the filmmakers should have went to Isla de las Muñecas for added inspiration.

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Astronomical Messages in The Revenant, A Movie Analysis

At least for this film’s astronomical connection, the fact that this constellation was highlighted in a prolonged transition sequence elevates The Revenant to a different level.

The Revenant Movie Poster The Revenant is a very aptly titled film that shows how real life frontiersman Hugh Glass (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) comes back from the dead. Based on reports of how he survived a bear attack and swam through a cold river, this man has more lives than a cat! Technically, he was at death’s door after the mauling, but as for what he’s become, this movie shows how he turns into a shadow of his former self. If it was not for his exceptional survival instincts, he would be six-feet under.

In this movie and not counting what’s not said about his life prior, he must be down to his last life by the film’s end. The only reason he lives is because he wants revenge upon the self-serving Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy). It’s because of him that he gets left for the vultures to eat. Unlike military training where it’s said that you never leave one of your own behind, this individual wanted Glass put out of his misery and left as carrion.

For the rest of the fur-trading expedition, Glass is important. He was most likely the tracker of this group and without him, the trappers may not have been able to communicate with the local tribes they run into. Unfortunately, that does not stop the Arikara nation; The chief is searching for his daughter, and he will command his forces to kill any white men they meet in his search. Although Glass’ married into the Pawnee tribe and has a son, that did not stop Arikara’s first sortie from razing the trader camp. They flee for their lives.

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Deciphering Dreams Rewired, A Documentary Review

With Dreams Rewired, mass communications is explored through a collection of vintage reels dating from the days of the Lumière brothers (at least) to Thomas Edison’s experiments to pre-war propaganda.

Could this beauty be activating a Bluetooth device in this turn of a century photo?

Please check local listings for showtimes near you.

Wannabe futurists and technophiles ought to go see Dreams Rewired, a documentary exploring humanity’s interconnectivity with media. In the changing world of communications, new technical innovations annually appear, but to keep up requires understanding where it has come from — which is what this film excels at showing. One part history lesson and three parts montage, the discoveries of the past (in how the radio, phone and television was developed) is brilliantly explored in contrast to today’s obsession with cell phone culture. Today’s reliance on social media to stay connected with the news around the world can be put into contrast here, but viewers are left to decide on how that affects them instead of this movie making a statement.

This film really wants to explore the role the Internet played through hypermedia, but it stops short of going into detail on the role the military and academic institutions played to bring mass communication to the public. Quite often, our need for exacting data is met with trepidation, and this detail is gently explored through Tilda Swinton’s guiding and lilting narrative. The way she reads the script provided to her by the writing team of Manu Luksch, Mukul Patel, Martin Reinhart, and Thomas Tode brings the charm of Gloria Swanson to life. The way the dialogue moves only affirms the issues people had with technology back in that time, and it carries through to today with the coming innovations. The rhetoric she’s trying to convey can be tough to interpret but it can understood after spending time in deep thought.

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Animage’s Latest Issue has Macross Delta Surprise

By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

AnimageFeb2016 The Macross Delta (MD) hype train left the station and it’s full speed ahead as Animage, Japan’s monthly anime and entertainment magazine, will include a MD spread for their February, 2016 issue.

The cover will prominently display Macross idols from the series. From left to right are Kaname Buccaneer, Mikumo Guynemer, Freyja Wion, Makina Nakajima, and Reina Prowler.

On New Year’s Eve in Japan, a preview of Delta was broadcast for people at home to see. Macross played against more traditional programs like No-Laughing Detective Batsu, Kohaku Uta Gassen, and Yukutoshi Kurutoshi. But the rest of Macross Delta will not be broadcast until April of this year.

L to R: Kaname Buccaneer, Mikumo Guynemer, Freyja Wion, Makina Nakajima, and Reina Prowler

Written by Shōji Kawamori and Toshizo Nemoto, Macross Delta is set in 2067, eight years after Macross Frontier’s 2nd movie. The story focuses on Walküre, a team of talented idols and their protectors the Delta Squadron, as they battle against the Var Syndrome, a mysterious entity that is consuming the galaxy. But in their struggle both must also battle the Aerial Knights, a group of Valkyrie pilots from the Kingdom of Wind.

Source(s): Yande.re, Macross Fans- US, and pinoi78 (YouTube video).

Star Wars The Force Awakens, A Fan Commentary and Review

The Force Awakens is a masterpiece of technical filmmaking and that’s about all it has going for it under this new Disney management.

To witness Star Wars: The Force Awakens in the same fervour as this franchise got exciting in the later parts of the original trilogy, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, is exhilarating. The subtitle says more about the potential of where this latest instalment is going sounds like a return to form — in keeping the mystique that surrounds The Force — and from there I was sold! I wondered what can transpire in a property that is now managed by Disney. Are they doing it because the property is a cash cow or because Lucas is out of ideas? In what the new writing team developed brings a new hope to a franchise that’s now 38 years old.

As the narrative in the trailers have indicated, there’s something in those “eyes” of the old and new heroes who find themselves in this war. In traditional story-telling fashion, they are often regarded as a window to an individual’s soul. Quite often, writers use that angle to show how people can recognize family lines of individuals they have not met. Take, for example, the Harry Potter films where the hero is often told, “You have your mother’s eyes.”

Just who is Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Rey (Daisy Ridley), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver)? They make up the cast in this latest film which is emphasizing the fact that a few of them may be related to one another, or to an individual from the past.
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