Tag: Illumination Entertainment

From Spies in Disguise to Bad Boys for Life…

Image result for spies in disguiseBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Fans of action star Will Smith will get 100% Fresh Prince’d, if not more in Spies in Disguise as Lance Sterling, a top-notch agent. Although I find he rarely strays from this persona over the years, I’m not tired of this fact. He sometimes jazzes his role up by being more macho and that’s enough for me. Aside from Six Degrees of Separation, I don’t think he’s ever deviated.

As a voice over performer, Shark Tale deserves to be locked up in Davy Jones’ Locker. He is who he is, and very much typecast. Spies in Disguise showcases him at his best–cocky. In larger movie metroplexes, fans can see him in a family friendly work (this one) and also Bad Boys for Life, which sees him as a total badass and perhaps ending this set of films. Continue reading “From Spies in Disguise to Bad Boys for Life…”

How to Make Christmas Last with The Grinch on Feb 5th!

thegrinch
Available to pre-order on AmazonThe Grinch

In Whoville, The Grinch watches over all and before his change, he could not wait for the holidays to be over. During the yuletide season, he has plenty to bah humbug about. With the home video release on Feb 5th, fans of Dr Seuss and Grinch can reflect upon all that’s happened and realize the smiles can last year round.

The updated version owes a huge debt to its realization back in 1966, with the first animation voiced by and starring Boris Karloff. While it’s tough to beat the love for the Chuck Jones animated work and the song, “You’re a Mean One, Mr Grinch,” this update by Illumination Studios does a very respectable job. To make this release perfect, Universal should have included the original work (studio ownership notwithstanding). Not only is the song given a hip hop take by Tyler, the Creator but also new characters are introduced. Fred is particularly adorable as a very rotund reindeer which The Grinch uses to get around. The animators would not do this unless they plan on having them come back.

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The Holidays Isn’t Over Yet with The Grinch Coming Soon to VOD & Home Video

Watching The Grinch helped lift the bah humbugs on when I saw it theatrically, and now I can see it year-round.

thegrinch
Available to pre-order on AmazonThe Grinch

Enjoying what the Winter Wonderland represents can soon enjoy watching how The Grinch rang in the New Year (and the holidays) with the digital release Jan 22. The home video release is Feb 5th, 2019 and the creative minds from Illumination Entertainment show no bounds, especially when the Minions are along for the ride! Yes, these miscreants from Despicable Me are back, and no they have not teamed up with this anti-hero. I can only imagine the chaos to ensure should the day this studio decide to fashion a shared universe.

This physical release has more than 60 minutes of bonus content and personally, I cannot wait. The film was a joy to lift me from the bah humbugs over the season when I saw it theatrically, and now I can see it year-round. Immediate access to the new music videos is a nice touch. Details of the physical release are as follows:

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Why Bury The Anubis Tapestry? A Book Review & What Could Have Been …

The GrinchBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

No reasons were fully revealed about why the cinematic adaptation of The Anubis Tapestry by Illumination Entertainment was removed from schedule. I had to seek out the book and wonder what was I missing? It’s doubtful that the story was untranslatable to screen. Author Bruce Zick is no stranger to the industry. He worked on the development of successful films like Prince of Egypt, Hercules and Wall*E. The project seemed like it was in perfect hands since the tale had all the elements required for a fun-filled adventure!

The story about a young boy wishing to be closer to his dad is good. When Chance Henry is left to his own devices to entertain himself, it’s not so much about the gang he hangs out with, but rather the distance growing between father and son. Mother died a while ago and when pops is often preoccupied with work, there’s no time for the two to bond. The senior is the curator for the Portland Museum of Eastern Antiquities. When two new mummies arrived for him to get ready for display, neither would realize Egyptian curses are real!

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Can You “Sing” Me a Fortune? A Movie Review

Illumination Entertainment’s Sing is their latest animated work and it is so far not making the charts.

sing

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Illumination Entertainment has not had a massive hit outside of the Despicable Me franchise. The Secret Life of Pets (now available on Amazon) was kind of fun, but a lot of the good parts was given away in the trailer. Sing is their latest and it is so far not making the charts. While there’s a lengthy story to bring the lives of five anthropomorphic animals together to win a contest, there was not a lot of plot short of turning this film into the animated equivalent of Glee.

This film is more like a celebration of all those television shows that follow the America’s Got Talent mold, but this time it includes a bit of back story about the lives of the top five talents. Had this film been a television show, more drama could have been added and the lives could have been better explored.

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The Secret Life of Pets Gets Revealed, and It’s Busy

The-secret-life-of-pets-poster-newIllumination Entertainment’s The Secret Life of Pets shows that life does not have to be a dog eat dog world. The Jack Russell Terrier Max (Louis C.K.) gets his world upturned when his owner, Katie (Ellie Kemper) decides to adopt another dog, a massive Wookie-sized Newfoundland named Duke. Both want the human’s affection and Max’s jealousy is almost warranted. The larger of the two thinks he can have the run of the place, and tensions only rise until they are forced to work together.

After an incident at the park where they fight for alpha dog status and lose their tags, the two are chased by animal control and a crazy underground world of displaced pets. The rabbit, Snowball (Kevin Hart) leads this motley gang and he’s dangerous! As the trailers suggest, he very nearly steals the movie and his relationship with the two canines is only that of an enemy, because they are recognized as domesticated.

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