Tag: Action

How The Inventor (2023) Seeks to Change the World, A Movie Review

Leonardo da Vinci’s life has been retold countless times from various perspectives, and not all of them are as charming and magical as this take, simply titled The Inventor!

The Inventor (2023) Movie PosterSherry Media Group
Now on VOD (Amazon Prime link) and DVD

Nearly everything you want to know but were afraid to ask about the last decades of Leonardo da Vinci’s life is charmingly examined in the stop-motion masterpiece, The Inventor. I couldn’t spot anything that’s worth critiquing on since it’s so perfect in keeping me entertained. Not only does it have an internal rhythm like a nursery rhyme to entertain kids, but also just most of his diagrams and art gets blended in are very dreamlike.

Its whimsical style is as eye-catching as a Cartoon Saloon movie, and without Stephen Fry, I’d probably pass on viewing it. He knows how to keep an audience engaged and is no stranger to providing character voices. When considering his huge resume (which includes The Canterville Ghost), he’s just everywhere, delighting audiences with his performances. The plot, if there is one, really concerns how The Maestro managed to stay out of trouble. Although this movie doesn’t recount his early life, just where it comes in is at the height of his desire to reform Western Civilization.

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Jackie Chan’s Ride On, Back in the Saddle Again

For anyone who missed this gem in the theatres, Jackie Chan’s Ride On is now available on home video!

Ride On Blu Ray with Jackie ChanWell GO USA
Available to order on Amazon

Out of all the films Jackie Chan has appeared in this decade, Ride On is simply the best! It’s a very heartwarming family style film that will certainly tug at the heartstrings, and for horse lovers, to learn about everything that went on during production to keep Red Hare safe will have many smiling.

Usually those disclaimers regarding animal handling are added at the end credits without some added thought. And to observe what was done to ensure safety will have some admire this film even more. Some of that discourse from this movie regarding safety versus getting in harm’s way is discussed, and to see how it’s handled is simply amazing. The credit really goes to the CGI experts who remove the trainers in green screen tights during filming. Sometimes, the cinematic background gets very busy, so to find the balance between editing and digitally removing requires careful syncing so nothing is hidden with motion blur.

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All Is Not Well in Future TX, A British Time Travelling Teenage Comedy

While the adventure the two teens in Future TX are in is akin to an episode of the Sarah Jane Adventures, I hoped for more future tech to present itself.

Future TX Movie PosterComing to VOD Apr 18, 2023

The teens trying to save all of humanity in Future TX may well be tempus fugitives if they don’t get their act together. Here, Dylan (Arran Kemp) and Molly (Adele Congreve) get to buy their very first smartphones. Although they look oversized to carry, someone from the hereafter calls them and says the world is doomed! This reasonably fast set up also reveals what will happen, and Foley (played up hilariously by Griff Rhys Jones) must be stopped. He nicely fits into the mad inventor role, and although he’s not really the bad guy, some rich industrialist who looks like him wants the crazy tech he made.

This movie written and directed by Tim Clague & Danny Stack has the feel of a television show more than anything else. When considering their past production, this fact is not a surprise. What they present is a cat-and-mouse game of searching for the perpetrator who will cause a tear across the dimensions. Instead of actual time travel, the scientific explanations are smart–it’s possible to project radio waves, but to send someone back and forth has yet to be discovered.

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How to Ride On into an Epic Sunset with Jackie Chan, and Company

Larry Yang’s film, Ride On, nicely balances a multi genre narrative where it brings The Fall Guy and Free Willy to the fore and still deliver a lot of fantastic Jackie Chan moments.

Ride On Movie PosterWell GO USA
Playing at Select Cinemas near you
Mild Spoiler Alert

Jackie Chan‘s best films are often about family rather than the action, and when his latest deals with mending hearts, I was immediately hooked! Ride On is quite the emotional roller coaster. This story written and directed by Larry Yang (who made the very pet friendly Adoring) examines the life of Luo (Chan), an old stuntman and why raising Red Hare, his stunt horse, matters more.

These days, he’s past his prime and barely able to make a living as a busker at the studio he once worked at. His accolades also include two individuals learning how to become stunt persons like him. They all know the rewards and the risks, but alas, to create that movie magic sometimes means being prepared for the worst. The team camaraderie they have is like what I fondly recall from the 80s action program, The Fall Guy.

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On Why Leonor Will Never Die on Home Video!

Ramirez Escobar delivers a lot of classic and cheesy 80s action in Leonor Will Never Die. We can see why this “Mom” loves the genre.

Leonor Will Never Die Movie PosterMusic Box Films
Available to order on Amazon USA

Worlds collide, and as for why Leonor Will Never Die is because she simply refuses to give up! This elderly woman (sweetly played by Sheila Francisco) wants to be a screenwriter for those movies she loves watching. She adores action films and did work in the industry long ago.

Although what she writes is for a Filipina audience, her love for the genre is very clear. I’m sure she can be the next Stephen J. Campbell if she wanted to. But her son, Rudi (Bong Cabrera) can’t put up with her. He plans to leave the nest, and little is said about how the other, Ronwaldo (Anthony Falcon), died. In classic ghost story fashion, he can’t move on until he sees the rest of the family is in a good place.

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