Tag: 20th Century Fox

The Spirit of Kahmunrah Rises Again in a Night at the Museum! And He’s Not Happy.

After Kahmunrah Rises Again It’d be a miracle to see A Night at the Museum continue as a series.

Night at the Museum Kahmunrah Rises AgainStreaming on Disney Plus
Mild Spoiler Alert

Disney’s animated continuation of Night at the Museum with Kahmunrah Rises Again is a decent finale to a beloved franchise. Despite having to get other voice over talents in to voice this latest entry to the franchise, I’m okay with it. That’s because bringing Ricky Gervais and Ben Stiller back is probably too expensive. And to continue it as a live action film without Robin Williams, who passed away many years ago, would be a disservice. Thomas Lennon, who replaces him, does his best to honour this comedian, even though his vocal performance isn’t entirely perfect.

I am a fan of 20th Century Fox’s original trilogy, and even after the acquisition by Disney, I’m glad that the roots are honoured. The reason objects come to life is because the Moon God Khonsu empowered the Golden Tablet of Pharaoh Ahkmenrah to animate them. Historically and spiritually, the ushabti figurines placed in the tombs come to life to take care of the deceased person’s needs. However, in this film’s world, any effigy don’t have to do that. They can serve a greater good should they happen across a person whom they recognise needs their help to overcome problems in his or her life. In the live-action films, Larry Daley finds a new purpose, and in the animated continuation, Nick (Joshua Bassett), acquires the confidence he needs to become a young adult who can take on the world.

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When to Expect More Night at the Museum

Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian review | Den of GeekAnyone who loves the premise behind the 20th Century Fox’s Night at the Museum most likely knows about the upcoming animated sequel by the new franchise owners, Disney. Development may have stalled. The original news was revealed in 2020, during the pandemic, and reports back then suggested a 2021 release.

Hopefully plans have not been shelved. When considering other franchise properties recently released, namely Home Sweet Home Alone and Ice Age: Adventures of Buck Wild, hope is alive again, and it may show up later this year.

In the trilogy of live-action films, the Golden Tablet of Pharaoh Ahkmenrah is the raison d’être behind why many animals and statues came to life. Instead of dealing with a threat we’re all familiar with, the tentatively titled Kahmunrah Rises Again shifts the story to Nick Daley and how he’s going to continue in his father’s legacy of being a night custodian. Any other details are, pardoning the proverbial Ancient Egyptian pun, under wraps.

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Perfection in Ron’s Gone Wrong Message!

I appreciate the subtle criticism this film makes about social media and technology. It’s tough to disconnect, and I believe that’s the goal writers Peter Baynham and Sarah Smith (who also directed) had in mind…

Ron's Gone Wrong (2021) poster.jpgBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Spoiler Alert

It’s hard not to draw comparisons to Big Hero 6 in Ron’s Gone Wrong. The title character, a B-Bot, is a pill-shaped version of Baymax. This replacement is sleek and stylish and sometimes behaves like a Minion. In this film, no bot is alike because each robot is customized by its owner. 

In a world where kids are very glued to social media, owning one of these mechanical wonders to stay ahead is a must. Nearly every child has one, except for Barney (Jack Dylan Grazer). His family can barely make ends meet and he’s a social outcast. This boy had the neighbourhood gang to hang out with before going to the local school became part of the complex equation. As they entered those formative tween years, they drifted apart because everyone has found a clique to belong to. Only his eccentric grandmother notices, and she tries her best to help.

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When is a MMO not an MMO When We Have to Free Guy?

Reynolds is a charmer in the same style as Chris Reeve’s Superman, but only done in reverse in Free Guy.

Free Guy | 20th Century StudiosBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Spoiler Alert

Part of Free Guy‘s success owes a debt to the writing team of Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn. Both would’ve known about Disney’s TRON and they may have been influenced by its deeper narrative. The world Guy (Ryan Reynolds) lives in is familiar enough. I wondered if a few concepts were taken from the classic.

Our dorky hero in this movie is an artificial intelligence who is becoming self-aware. He knows there’s more to life and his job as a bank teller. He’s the target in robberies and for once, decides to fight back. I recognized elements of the beloved cult film more so in how smart Guy becomes as the film develops. Director Shawn Levy helps add even more hints by saying we need a tank here and a Recognizer (a helicopter) crash and we have a story which I’ll gladly watch repeatedly.

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Predator: The Original Screenplay is Green for a Reason!

Dark Horse Comic\'s Predator Original ScreenplayDespite an iffy future for the Predator franchise, I’ve enjoyed the first film for what it was–a tale of who is the alpha. Whether that belonged to man or alien, that was besides the point. Arnold Schwarzenegger and all the heavyweights from that time certainly exercised their testosterone.

The challenge I found was in balancing a “Shootout at the OK corral” type narrative with something of mystery–about alien invaders coming to Earth and in this film, it was all about sport! However, what the first two films created was an intrigue for a species rooted in our primal lore about simply surviving. The mythology was never set in stone. It was made up on the spot as new writers and producers joined the fore. Original producer Joel Silver turned the first treatment that was more pulp science fiction orientated into a cat and mouse style chase.

The sequels and merchandise that followed–including Dark Horse’s foray into cross media projects –had me excited to see just how far back this species visited Earth. I was deadly curious to see how this society works, and now (and no doubt due to the success of William Gibson’s Aliens 3 getting printed), we get to see another screenplay adapted to comic book form! To see how much of Jim and John Thomas screenplay survived will have me very curious, and waiting for this work to hit stands.

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