Tag: CGI

There’s a Reason why Beckett has 10 Lives over his 9…

Some cats should not burn through all their chances at living it right that fast, but in 10 Lives, is that enough?

10 Lives Movie PosterStreaming on Apple TV Plus

I’m glad the wait was not long to bring 10 Lives to North America. I knew about its UK debut and knew this was a movie I had to watch! This movie features a cat needing to learn how not to be selfish. Beckett (voiced by Mo Gilligan) has a lot to learn, and I’m glad he has a forever hope on Apple’s streaming service. I recommend it for all cat lovers and fans of Doctor Who too! He’s a cat who has more lives than he should, so I’m guessing he’s been granted an all new cycle like that Time Lord! And just like that BBC series, this kitty can keep his memories of everything that he experienced from his past “regenerations.”

At first, this street cat didn’t have any care for life, and just wanted to survive. But when, after nearly getting smashed by a car, Rose (Simone Ashley) was driving, her guilt would soon morph into pampering the kitty, and over time, the luxury she offered gets taken for granted. He loves his lifestyle until the ex-boyfriend arrives and upends his world. The result is funny at one level but dark when considering how many times this cat burns through life in a brief span of time.

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In Dragonkeeper, Why Is There Only One Protector?

Part of the charm in Dragonkeeper is because of Ping. She’s a character whom some may associate with Ray from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Dragonkeeper DVD Case
Available to purchase on Amazon USA

Shout! Studios

Ping (Lucía Pérez) is the Dragonkeeper, and if she’s to help Danzi (Mario Gas), an elder oriental dragon, she better learn how to train the next generation too! That’s because someone asked her to deliver an egg to a magical pool so it can hatch. As for whether this baby will bond to the human, that’d be saying too much.

Although the choice to have mostly European voices instead of Chinese for this production is very unusual, all I had to do was imagine Michelle Yeoh and James Hong’s voice over what’s heard. Technically, the British/Australian casting isn’t out of place when considering who wrote the book. Carole Wilkinson is an Australian whose series did quite well when it was released down under. I suspect the producers wanted to keep this flavour.

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White Snake 3: Afloat Needs To Surface in North America! Every Explosive Trailer Released.

The movie, White Snake 3, has made its debut in China, and hopefully the plan to bring this latest Light Chaser Animation to North America will be soon!


White Snake 3 Unofficial PosterRelease Date in China:
August 10th, 2024

Light Chaser Animation Studios continues to delight fans of the White Snake series with their latest entry, White Snake 3: Afloat (白蛇：浮生). While the literal translation of the title is “Floating Life,” “Afloat” or even “Rebirth” better captures the intended themes of renewal and emotional drift.

Whatever name you prefer, I can’t wait to see this next chapter! For those unfamiliar with the series, the first film is available online and on Amazon USA, while the second is streaming on Netflix. You can also check out my reviews of Part One and Part Two.

As for why these films feel disconnected, I suspect the North American distributor wasn’t aware this story was always intended as a trilogy.

This fantasy romance raises two big questions: Will the sisters reunite? And will Bianca (Xiao Bai, voiced by Zhe Zhang) see Xian (Tianxiang Yang) again? There’s a third thread too—according to the source material, the couple has a child! The ending of the first film teases this possibility, but in the sequel, Xian is sidelined when time travel complicates everything. During a climactic battle, Verta (Xiao Qing, played by Xiaoxi Tang) is hurled into a future that’s anything but welcoming.

In that timeline, the Baoqing Fox takes on a larger role in the chaos. While the trailers don’t reveal much about her involvement, what little we see is intriguing—and I’m eager to learn more.

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Arriving from Down Under, Scarygirl is Here to Save The Day in her Canadian Debut!

This Australian made film has some moments to make this animation stand out, and Scarygirl is a franchise few know about!

Scarygiurl Movie PosterAfter Scarygirl made its Canadian premiere at Spark! Animation Festival yesterday, I had to wonder who would pick up this rather cute Australian film. I’m fairly sure Shout! Studios will acquire it because this narrative packs an environmental type of punch. Back home, she’s very popular, and there are a lot of products featuring this sort of goth girl from the sea!

When Arkie (Jillian Nguyen) wears an eye patch and has arms of an octopus, I can’t help but think she’s half pirate and a creature of the sea. As for how capable she is as a hero, this film sets up what she must learn before she can face Dr Maybee (Sam Neil). He’s a human who is basically Lex Luthor. As a scientist, he’s rather feared, and as a governor, sort of revered since he’s promising to save it from self-destructing. However, what his people don’t know is that he’s destroying one far off world in favour of saving his.

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Tian Xiaopeng’s Deep Sea is More Than A Study on Depression

This latest import from China arrives just in time for the summer season, and Tian Xiaopeng’s Deep Sea does not dissapoint!

Deep Sea Poster Main Theatrical Release
© 2023 October Media. All Rights Reserved.

Screening at Fantasia Film Festival 2023 on Aug 6
Please click here to purchase tickets

Potential Spoiler Alert

Shenxiu (Tingwen Wang) is not a happy young girl in Tian Xiaopeng’s movie, Deep Sea. That’s because she’s not being loved; not only is she neglected by her dad and step-mom, making her feel very depressed, but also the relationship with her biological one is deteriorating. Because the film didn’t translate all those text conversations that blitzed by in the opening act, I’m thankful I understood enough to notice.

But to comprehend everything this motion picture presents requires a few more viewings and an updated subtitle file to play along with this movie. Although I had an electronic press kit to help reveal some other details, I’d rather want to discover these facts on my own.

Thankfully, more screenings after Tribecca and Fantasia Film Fest are planned, and I would love to see this on the big screen as the filmmaker intended. Xiaopeng is best known for Monkey King: The Hero is Back (movie review), and while that tale delivers more in the humour department, I believe his sophomore work is darker.

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Detailing What’s Missing in Mummies, An Animated Rom-Com

Director Juan Jesús García Galocha could have done more to bring out the romance of what Ancient Egypt represents in Mummies.

Mummies Movie PosterSome Mummies are hard to read, and not all of them experience an easy transition to their afterlife. According to Ancient Egyptian beliefs, their souls first need to get judged and those whose heart is pure get to live on in the Field of Reeds (or the Duat). But for archaeologists looking for evidence of what kind of life they once led, the body they leave behind doesn’t always show if they’re resting in peace.

Here, Thut (Joe Thomas) lost his confidence after a racing mishap and Princess Nefer (Eleanor Tomlinson) isn’t content with her life. She’s almost like Cleopatra (in Space) because she’s fiercely independent and this version didn’t take her life. We meet her as royalty in the undead kingdom, and what’s amusing about how the two are birds of the feather.

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