Tag: Animation

Light Chaser Animation Studio’s Next Film is Strange Tales From A Chinese Studio! Teaser Trailer

For those unfamiliar with thie collection of spooky stories from China, Strange Tales from A Chinese Studio shows that ghosts are just as prominent in local folklore!

Strange Tales from a Chinese StudioLight Chaser Animation released a teaser to their next project over the weekend, and for fans of the book, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (Amazon link), this news is very exciting! One of the most famous stories includes a short to which Tsui Hark’s 1987 A Chinese Ghost Story is based on. And as for what I assume to be an anthology series, just what other spooky tales can be offered can range from spectres just wanting a second chance at life to that of spirits taking vengeance! The date for this release is the summer of 2025!

With over 500 tales to choose from in the 12 volumes published, I can’t venture to guess just how many segments will be offered. If I was producing, I’d opt to select one story per book, and instead of making one movie, at least make it a trilogy. In the West, the only compilation I’m acutely aware of is The A, B, C’s of Death where 26 shorts are offered in just one work!

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Transformers One Failure to Rewrite The Past

Only newcomers need apply to become Transformers One. It’s tough to accept a new origin story and retelling of Optimus and Megatron’s relationship when it’s been well established in other fronts.

Transformers One Movie PosterLong time fans of Transformers can forget about Michael Bay changing everything that’s beloved from the original cartoon series. Instead, it’s Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari who can take the blame on everything that is wrong in Transformers One, rather than director Josh Cooley. When he can write and win an award for Inside Out, he can craft imaginative worlds. But as for getting actors and talent pools to give their all, that part of the film is at least done right. Since he’s not responsible for the story, that’s when things go wrong.

It seems the writers room knows nothing about what makes past takes of this IP, namely Generation One and Prime, great. Bearing in mind this animated take is supposed to be a loose prequel to the live-action movies–and said to eventually morph the voices we hear now to the infamous duo of Peter Cullen and Frank Welker–I suppose some liberties can be allowed. This origin story takes place before the Autobots and Decepticons became a faction. Their war hasn’t even started.

Technically, that history was presented in an excellent trilogy by Alex Irvine and I’ll reiterate this fact time and time again! He improved upon what was established instead of changing a lot of things around. Sadly, this film retcons everything that I believe is sacred. Orion Pax is no longer a clerk/librarian. D-16 (Megatron) never fought in the gladiatorial pits. They are now miners (with Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry as the ‘new’ voices) who get bored with their role, want to figure out where they came from, and understand who the Primes are. Their interest in the Matrix of Leadership sort of drives the story, as only one can possess it, and I feel that’s the reason for their rift.

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Breezing onto VOD this Week: Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds

One of the reasons why Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds is taking its time to arrive on home media is that it should celebrate the season too, and Autumn feels just right.

Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds Movie PosterGKIDS & Shout! Studios
Now available on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.

Sirocco and the Kingdom of Winds is one of those wonderful and whimsical films I’ll gladly see time and time again, and it’s now available on demand! One reason is that it’s wildly colourful. When two kids get dropped off for a weekend with their babysitter, who is a well established writer of children’s fiction, little do they know that her words have power. One day, an illustration comes to life, and this mysterious rabbit (technically he isn’t one) says there’s trouble in the magical realm, it’s up to Juliette and her sister to venture into the Kingdom of the Winds instead of visiting Oz to do what’s right.

In a move considered very Studio Ghibli, they transform into anthropomorphic cats and do what they can to find the mysterious Sirocco, and save another woman as well. But when this person Selma has a connection to this strange magician, things aren’t as what they seem. To note, the real world connection is important, and that’s a detail I won’t spoil.

A more detailed review about this movie can be read here. I’m glad to view this movie again since this animation is one of two features acquired by GKIDS to be featured either theatrically or play at film festivals this year. I wanted to see this work again since it had a lot of magical moments to adore, and hoped to find it again. As for the eventual home video release, I don’t expect to find bonus features to be included and that’s okay.

The other work I’m anxious to see Ghost Cat Anzu, and I hope this feature will “haunt” cinemas this Autumn or be delivered to digital!

Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds Trailer

By Thunder, Is Twilight of the Gods Signalling Another Ragnarök?

There’s no denying that Twilight of the Gods is a take on the end of days, and my question is that will there be an epilogue like in Lord of the Rings?

Twilight of the Gods Official PosterTwilight of the Gods is coming to Netflix, and for fans who love Norse mythology, this series looks bold and epic! Zack Snyder, Eric Carrasco, and Jay Oliva are creative minds behind this reimagining of the sagas, and if the title is any indication, it’s safe to say it’ll lead up to Ragnarök!

The Stone Quarry and Xilam Animation are the studios involved in crafting this animated look, and if I had to guess, they are borrowing from Cartoon Saloon’s style, and that’s very good! Eight episodes are planned, and although the information is light, when the end is nigh, it’s doubtful more will be offered afterwards.

There’s two trailers, and while the first one is quite tame (featured below), the red band version shows the extent in how violent this war is going to be! Just when I thought the live-action series was it, I’m glad to say there are other takes, and this animated take will debut September 19, 2024!

Netflix Twilight of the Gods First (Teaser) Trailer

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An Overview on Star Trek Prodigy Season Two and Where To Find It

Star Trek Prodigy Season 2Unfortunately, the only way to watch Star Trek Prodigy Season 2 in certain countries is through a VPN. Even three months later, I’m still not finding it on regular broadcast channels, and I’m stuck waiting for the eventual home video release, which is November 12 (according to Inverse.com). Because of agreements with certain broadcasters in Canada and other territories, Netflix cannot provide. The following list of recognized outlets will eventually broadcast this highly anticipated run, but even then, they may not be released in one fell swoop.

  • Canada: CTV.ca and the CTV App.
  • France: France Télévisions Channel and Okoo.
  • Iceland: Sjonvarp Simans Premium.
  • The Nordics, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Central and Eastern Europe: SkyShowtime.

I’m thankful for my VPN service to help me see this series on Netflix. What’s presented is the best animated Star Trek to date! It picks up a few days after the events of the last season, where Dal (Brett Gray) and his ragtag crew are now studying at Starfleet Academy. But pretty soon, Admiral Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) gives them a chance to train on board a new Voyager class starship! Although she has another agenda, none of the cadets are the wiser save for Dal. The Doctor (Robert Picardo) lets slip another shuttle bay and his decision to investigate leads him to discover what this training cruise is about! Pretty soon, he gets his former crew to join!

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The Road Trip Movie About Never Surrendering! Gracie and Pedro: Mission Impossible, A Movie Review.

What do you get when you pair a dog and cat who seem to never get along? Well, Gracie and Pedro better team up if they are to cross the road, and find their way home to their loving human family!

Gracie and Pedro Movie PosterIn an adventure that almost mirrors The Secret Life of Pets, Gracie and Pedro: Mission Impossible are a different type of beast. That’s because of the subtitles, and it does imply a super spy adventure! Sadly, it’s not and that’s okay. The idea here is to show just how difficult the task is for pets to find their way back to their owners! Here, Gracie (Claire Alan) and Pedro (Cory Doran) aren’t exactly the best of friends, and they have to be the best of friends in order to locate where home on the range is.

After this domesticated canine and a streetwise feline manage to get lost in transit on the flight to their new forever home, things go from where am I, and how can we find Salt Lake City? The cat fears the worst, because she’s a rescue kitty with memories of how she got abandoned. I can’t blame her for fearing the worst.

Thankfully, Sophie (Bianca Alongi) has a plan after the airlines lost her pets. Her can-do attitude is infectious. She created a viral video asking people to help find where her pets have gone. And because they lost their collars, finding them will be tough! As for why they aren’t chipped, well, that’s a question only the writing team behind this film can answer!

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