Tag: Emily Blunt

The Rhythm is in My Shoes with Disney’s Jungle Cruise

The adventure is very familiar. The backstory is the best part, and I’d watch a film based on that alone.

Jungle Cruise - theatrical poster.pngBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Spoiler Alert

Disney’s Jungle Cruise is not the most original tale based on one of their rides. We see and hear nearly everything from that park attraction used in some capacity in the cinematic take about taking on the dangers of the Amazon river. It works to make this world come alive. Add in some mystique with fabled fauna, namely the Tree of Life where a leaf is said to cure any disease or magical curse, and that’s the start of a franchise!

The backstory is the best part, and I’d watch a film based on that alone. The symphonic version of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” is perfect to drive home the context in what drives those characters. Anyone who doesn’t know the lyrics would be missing a nuance. Fortunately, the song title speaks for itself. That also includes the relentless pursuit for the gold by the present treasure seekers.

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My Little Pony: The Movie Delights and is All-Star

My_Little_Pony_The_Movie_Poster_2.jpgBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

The toy company Hasbro will most likely have a hit with their theatrical relaunch of the My Little Pony franchise. The simply named film My Little Pony the Movie debuts October 6th and it will have enough humour to appeal to young fans and old. Newcomers might be at a loss to understand what the hubbub is about; all anyone needs to know is that these talking animals are an embodiment of the best virtues of knighthood. But this club is not exclusive. The ponies do their best to teach to the world (and each other) how to be a better person. In this film, we meet Capper, a cat who can easily challenge Puss in Boots (DreamWorks) for the title of which animated feline to love and a team of parrot pirates who embody the true romance of sailing the seven seas. Well, in their case, it’s the skies over Equestria.

The story sees Princess Twilight Sparkle (Tara Strong) and her friends prepare for a festival. Moments before any fun can take place, a very familiar if not generically evil Storm King (Liev Schreiber) — I was reminded of how alike he is to The Emporer in LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures — and his assistant Tempest Shadow (Emily Blunt) raid the kingdom. Sparkle’s sisters are captured and she barely escapes. and attempt to capture her too. This unicorn gone bad and the wolf-like conquerer teamed up because Shadow believed the king can restore her broken horn. Between all the various types of horses believed to roam this world, I think more unicorns types exist because they are inherently more magical than ponies and pegasi. This stems from their mythical origins. While the toy company may have never considered making this connection since the introduction of this product line in 1981, some newer and older fans may well wonder.

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Trying to Turn The Huntsman: Winter’s War from Fairy Tale to Saga

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By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

When I first heard the Mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is in a retelling of the Snow White tale because the story is now in the public domain, the first thought that came to my mind is if (the original movie and) the sequel The Huntsman: Winter’s War can be told from a grandiose Viking perspective? I see it trying to go that route, but the narrative is forcing the fairy tale aspects in a bitter direction.

I skipped the first film because I’m not a big fan of Kristen Stewart. This latest version caught my eye because of Jessica Chastain‘s work in Interstellar (2014) and The Martian (2015). I enjoyed what she brought to the table in those science-fiction films. In fantasy, that world is ridden with tropes where not every “once upon a time” is all that fascinating anymore. In the details I’ve noticed, the Anglo-Saxon imagery permeates and I had to wonder why the mirror, when viewed in closeup, is decorated with runes. Could Loki be involved?

When the new villain is Freya (Emily Blunt), I can not help but wonder if her character might be based on the divinity of the same name from Nordic lore. This goddess of war and death rules the afterlife and she leads the spirits of dead soldiers into battle. She leads the fights for the thrill of the hunt instead of the cold-hearted rule of the people (like Ravenna [played by Charlize Theron] did in the first film). She’s sometimes connected with the heavenly Valkyries of lore. They find the slain to take to Valhalla. Although this movie twists the legend around by spiriting children away (from murdered parents) to become the Huntsmen, the ideology suggests a darker world. These kids have their innocence stripped so they can become ideal soldiers. Instead of a goddess, she’s a mutant with the ability to create ice from the moisture in the air.

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Explaining Sicario to Nerds & Its Anime Connection, A Movie Review

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

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There’s a nerdy connection in the movie Sicario that fans of Marvel Entertainment will like. They will get to see just how wonderfully talented Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro are. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they play Thanos and The Collector. In the movie made universe of the Sicario, where the cartel wars in Mexico are explored, they are special agents Matt Graver and Alejandro attempting to control the situation. But just how well will they succeed? Both of whom have secret motives that’s subtly explored, and these actors are not alone in this tiny club. Jon Bernthal plays The Punisher in Netflix’s Daredevil.

When Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) gets thrust into this world after a drug bust. just what she is after is uncertain. She’s the real lead in this film, and the world she’s exposed to is mostly that of subterfuge and double-dealings. In what she discovers is more than just a cat and mouse game of who will gain control. In this game that’s also like a chess match, it’s hard to tell if she’s simply just a pawn. She wants to be a champion for a cause, but there are learning pains before she realizes what’s going on.
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Exploring Tom Cruise’s Meaningless Life in Edge of Tomorrow, A Movie Review

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

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Maybe Tom Cruise can use Scientology to explain Edge of Tomorrow. It has the makings to have a deeper meaning but that’s an opportunity missed. This science fiction film uses a time loop formula in the style of Groundhog Day to tell a ‘save the Earth from an alien invasion’ scenario in the vein of Starship Troopers. In terms of how this religion can be read into this film, all anyone has to know is that from one life to another the immortal soul learns from its experiences from one life to better itself in the next. In this film’s case, Major William Cage (Cruise) gains the experience needed to deal with the marauding Mimics, a tentacled species intent on conquering Earth, every time he dies and is ‘reborn.’

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