Tag: Illumination Entertainment

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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Leo Ieiri’s 4th Album “We” Hits Retail Shelves Today!

LeoIeiriPetsBy James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

The 4th full-length album of J-pop artist Leo Ieiri, “We,” hits retail shelves in Japan today and it has the song “Brand New Tomorrow” — the Japanese theme to Illumination Entertainment’s upcomng animated movie The Secret Life of Pets. The movie will open August 11th in Japan.

The film is about a terrier named Max who enjoys his freedom while his owner is away from home. But this dog’s life is turned upside down when said owner takes in Duke, a stray mutt who manages to stir up Max’s cozy lifestyle.

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One Little, Two Brave or Three ‘Stewart’ Minions, A Review

The world of Earth is still without heroes in Minions.

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

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The world of Earth is still without heroes in Minions. Just where they are to defeat the bad guys does not need to be asked, and nor are they required when these funny yellow critters (all of them voiced by Pierre Coffin) finally get their own movie. After tiny appearances of their hijinks in the Despicable Me movies, the producers from Illumination Entertainment thankfully took five years to get a product out to feature them as bumbling heroes whereas DreamWork’s The Penguins of Madagascar, their rivals, took ten.

These cute little yellow, capsule shaped, creatures are on a quest to serve the most vile villain they can find. The only problem they have is their ineptitude to help them rise to power. Just what happens to these ruthless tyrants under their Igor like care is hilarious and the voice-over narrative Geoffrey Rush provides is touching. Sadly, the best moments are given away in the trailers.

In the history lesson that’s provided, it’s merely a sampling of the rulers they met over the millennia. To see how these Minions served other past dictators like Caligula, Genghis Kahn, Blackbeard or Stalin would have added more flavour instead of reiterating what the teasers have shown. At least one ruler is missed: in the Middle Ages, perhaps King Edward I of England got the brutal end of a blade and that was not included in the film. This exclusive moment in the trailer suggests a longer cut was animated but in what’s pared down for the film, nothing new is added.

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Mass Marketing Minion-Mania is with Kinder Surprise!

despicable_me_2_minions-wideBy Ed Sum (The Minion Addict)

Unless you have been living under a rock or cave, the Minions are invading the planet! That is, from grocery to big box stores, there are more than toy products. While I was out shopping this past month, I saw General Mills Minions cereal, licensed boxers from Despicable Me 2 and Chinese knock-offs at the gift shop in Chinatown. These adorable yellow puff n’ stuffs might also be set to invade the television screen too. Well, if a series is in development, Illumination Entertainment is not telling but I will not be surprised. These single-celled organisms have one simple goal: serve someone evil and show they are not inept. There’s no better strategy than to appear anywhere so they tell everyone they are willing to help!

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The Minions, One Trailer, Two Trailers … An Analysis — Will There Be a Third?

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

despicable_me_2_minions-wideThe Minions has an all-new trailer and the happy banana-loving trio of Stuart, Kevin, and Bob are headed to Villain Con! Unless they have a leader soon, they are going to wilt into less than the single-celled organisms that they are.

In what fans will see is them discovering that the human world needs bad guys in their lives. As strange as that sounds, it will have some viewers wondering just what kind of crazy mixed up world is this? Are there any saviours?

Whatever the reason, the Minions are no doubt going to be the unlikely heroes of this film and series. Their innocence will turn the tables on Scarlet Overkill (voiced by Sandra Bullock), who takes the three on as her aides. In this trailer’s case, perhaps to adopt them and to teach them the ways of how to be evil. Shades of what made the Despicable Me films wonderful are noticeable, and the relationship dynamics are amped up. Some may wonder if Overkill is the mother of Gru. They both have a tell-tale long and pointy nose.

The humour is fantastic, and hopefully this two and a half-minute short does not give the best scene away. The first two trailers pretty much establish what the first two acts are going to be like. Minions is due in theatres July 10th, 2015.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9-FCC6I7u0%5D
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcRAnhcEYLY%5D

The Minions are doing a Mad Shuffle. Movie pushed back.

despicable_me_2_minions-wideFans of Despicable Me will have to wait one year longer for the Minions to invoke their madness upon the silver screen. Illumination Entertainment and parent company Universal announced today that this film will be released July 10, 2015. It was previously slated for Dec 19, 2014, and the reasons why are undisclosed.

Maybe some breathing room is required? After all, there are hundreds of minions to deal with and the story will have to be restricted to just a sampling of the stand-outs of this genetic crowd for some good stand-up comedy.

At least the minions are not alone in all this shuffling that’s going on. PIXAR’s Good Dinosaur movie also got the one year bump. And fans of animation will just have to wait for a busy 2015 season to get their fix. In the meantime, fans can get their fix on Youtube with a variety of shorts made over the years, like this fun Football one.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXVTmMXSUxk&w=560&h=315]

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