Tag: Based On Book

How To Train Your Dragon – Weighing in on the Good and The Bad With The Remake. It’s Never As Intense The Second Time Around.

As beloved How To Train Your Dragon is for long-time fans, this one gets the attention of today’s kids rather than appease those who grew up following the original.

How to Train Your Dragon 2025 Movie PosterMy theory on why a live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon exists is that DreamWorks Animation/Universal doesn’t want to lose their license to this profitable franchise. Rebooting the series with a live-action adaptation, rather than letting it go, makes business sense.

As a fan of the original series—and having covered it extensively—I still find it hard to accept a new actor playing Hiccup. Mason Thames does a decent job in the role, and Gerard Butler is excellent as Stoick, a role he seems born to play. However, the supporting cast doesn’t capture the humor and charm I loved in the animated versions.

For instance, Fishlegs’ (Julian Dennison) relationship with Hiccup feels less defined. Snotlout (Gabriel Howell) doesn’t provoke Hiccup as much, and The Twins (Bronwyn James as Ruffnut and Harry Trevaldwyn as Tuffnut Thorston) come across differently. While the performers are competent, their roles lack the comedic impact and screen time of their animated counterparts. As for Astrid, Nico Parker doesn’t quite match the fiery presence America Ferrera brought to the role.

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In the Movie Trapezium, Not Every Idol Singer Will Have Another’s Back

Although Trapezium is not a true look at the Japanese idol industry, what’s presented certainly scratches the surface.

Trapezium Movie PosterAvailable to view on Crunchyroll

Another star is born and whether the anime movie Trapezium truly explores what goes on in creating an idol singer depends. This tale is allegedly based on a story by Kazumi Takayama, a former member of Nogizaka 46. If true, the insights are not that many. I believe this film is more of a satire than anything else.

When this character drama is atypical, there’s none of that hyper intensity from Pompo the Cinephile (movie review) here. Here, the much slower story focuses on Azuma Yuu (Asaki Yuikawa), whose desire to be famous requires her to be something worse. While she’s almost like Ally Campana from the aforementioned film, her charming attitude isn’t immediate. Ranko (Reina Ueda), Kurumi (Hina Yomiya) and Mika (Haruka Aikawa) are her friends. Together, they are training to be Japan’s next top talent.

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When The Count Stops at Mickey 17, Could The Next War Concern Eugenics?

Dealing with life is never easy, but for Mickey 17, he finds the answer to it and there’s a lot more to it than to be reminded about Toni Basil’s song.

Mickey 17 film_posterNot everyone is going to interpret Bong Joon Ho‘s Mickey 17 the same way as the novel. When I went in not knowing the book, what I found is a story concerning Mickey (Robert Pattinson) looking to escape his past. And when he signs up to be an Expandable for the industrial evangelist Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo), life will not be easy. Instead of a soldier, he’s a replicant. That is, he’s a guinea pig. Whether that’s for medical tests or ordered to walk into a minefield, he’s there!

When this film is deviating from the source material, just what happens next is anyone’s guess. When this narrative mixes up elements from Edge of Tomorrow and Starship Troopers, I’m already hooked! And for the star to be geeked to resemble Steve Rogers before becoming Captain America results from some excellent makeup design.

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On Ne Zha 2, Cultivation and The Grander Plan

Although Ne Zha 2 was years in the making, the wait is worth it! This superhero style retelling of the Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods is all about the wow rather than being fully faithful to the source material.

Ne Zha 2 PosterSpoiler Alert

Anyone who loves the 2019 Chinese animated film about a spunky demon-child (no, not Lil’ Hellboy) will be glad to know Ne Zha 2 is finally here. Having some knowledge of the prior events (or reading my movie review from before and my past coverage) helps because this latest takes place moments after.

Both this kid (Lü Yanting) and Ao Bing (Han Mo) have no mortal shell, and if they don’t have a simulacrum to inhabit, they’ll soon dissipate. Thankfully, with Taiyi Zhenren (Zhang Jiaming) around, a possibility of getting their bodies back exists. However, all do not go according to plan. When the Sacred Lotus lacks the power to build, the result is ectoplasm! This leads to a hilarious intro, and I was in stitches.

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Inkwo for When the Starving Return. When Indigenous Rights Matters in this Amazing Stop-Motion Epic! 

Inkwo for When the Starving Return is a brilliant short film that’s more about survival in the arctic! When confronting the self is just as important as dealing with the supernatural, is Dove Ready?

Inkwo For When the Starving Return PosterNational Film Board of Canada
Available Light Film Festival (Feb 7-16)
Victoria Film Festival (Feb 7-16)

After debuting at Sundance Film Festival, the short film, Inkwo, is headed to the Victoria Film Festival! It’s a beautiful film by Amanda Strong who has nicely integrated some folk tales into a battle about humanity versus self, and also nature! There’s some mention of industry, but it’s only implied than openly said out loud.

Not only will this work mesmerise not only its technical achievement as a stop-motion animated piece but also in telling folks it’s okay to be gender-fluid. Although this is not the primary message, that’s what I first recognized. When Dove (voiced by Paulina Alexis) is introduced as female, I’ll stick to this pronoun. During her excursions outside, she must face various arctic dangers. While some encounters are real, it is the ones she must face about herself that’s the most telling.

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RailGods of Hysterra or Horror on the Orient Express? Either Way, the Latter Has Not Become A Videogame Yet!

Are you daring enough to wait in order to explore and do battle with the Great Old Ones in Railgods of Hysterra?

RailGods of HysterraNo date has been set for RailGods of Hysterra, a cooperative base-building survival action videogame, but it’s safe to say it won’t be like Horror on the Orient Express! This role playing game published by Chaosium Inc., takes months to get through, but for the electronic version from Troglobytes Games, maybe the adventure can be finished over a weekend. And best of all, not all of the action will take place on board a train! Players will have to take to the streets to investigate the strange goings on.

This release from first-time publisher Digital Vortex Entertainment will be available for the PC via Steam and PlayStation 5.

From the Press Release:

Enter a ruined world of ghoulish horrors wrought by the Great Old Ones: ancient cosmic beings beyond human comprehension that took over the world. Survive procedurally generated nightmarish environments, face the wrath of eldritch abominations, and forge a bond with the RailGod – a roaming fortress composed of steel and flesh forged through arcane and obscure rituals.

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