The latest offering from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Thor: Love and Thunder, also signifies the fourth stand-alone film for the character (the most for any character). While it proves wildly entertaining and engaging for most of its running time, the film finds itself caught a bit too much in the whimsical nature of its subject and ends up a little too light on the story side of the ledger.
In Thor: Love and Thunder, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) embarks on an epic journey for inner peace. However, his retirement is halted when Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) arrives seeking to extinguish all of the gods from the universe. In an effort to defeat this new foe, Thor joins forces with King Valkryie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi), and his former flame Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who now possesses the magical hammer Mjolnir.
Working from a script by himself and...
In Thor: Love and Thunder, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) embarks on an epic journey for inner peace. However, his retirement is halted when Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) arrives seeking to extinguish all of the gods from the universe. In an effort to defeat this new foe, Thor joins forces with King Valkryie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi), and his former flame Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who now possesses the magical hammer Mjolnir.
Working from a script by himself and...
- 7/8/2022
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
UTA has hired Jason Garber and David Morris, who had been production agents at Wme. They are now moving to UTA’s Production division based in Los Angeles and report to Pete Franciosa, UTA Partner and Head of Production.
The pair’s client roster includes Oscar and Emmy winners Sanne Wohlenberg (Chernobyl), Erica Kay (Fosse/Verdon), Mary Rae Thewlis (The Americans), Caroline Baron (Mozart in the Jungle), Nikki Penny (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), Alison O’Brien (The Addams Family), Stephen Smallwood (Patrick Melrose), Montez Monroe (Sweetbitter), Mark Sanger (Gravity), James Wilcox (Hillbilly Elegy), Sean Faden (Mulan), Greg Baxter (Detective Pikachu), Matt Jenkins (Murder on the Orient Express) and Donald Mowat (Spider-Man: Far From Home) among others.
Two of their clients, Kazu Hiro and Vivian Baker, were among the trio that won the Oscar on Sunday for Bombshell in Makeup & Hairstyling.
They join a current UTA Production roster that includes this year...
The pair’s client roster includes Oscar and Emmy winners Sanne Wohlenberg (Chernobyl), Erica Kay (Fosse/Verdon), Mary Rae Thewlis (The Americans), Caroline Baron (Mozart in the Jungle), Nikki Penny (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), Alison O’Brien (The Addams Family), Stephen Smallwood (Patrick Melrose), Montez Monroe (Sweetbitter), Mark Sanger (Gravity), James Wilcox (Hillbilly Elegy), Sean Faden (Mulan), Greg Baxter (Detective Pikachu), Matt Jenkins (Murder on the Orient Express) and Donald Mowat (Spider-Man: Far From Home) among others.
Two of their clients, Kazu Hiro and Vivian Baker, were among the trio that won the Oscar on Sunday for Bombshell in Makeup & Hairstyling.
They join a current UTA Production roster that includes this year...
- 2/14/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Is there a Pokémon whose power is to move through your eyeballs and brain and then leave absolutely no impression? Because that was my experience of watching “Detective Pikachu,” a CGI-heavy live-action/animation hybrid based on the popular game-anime-manga franchise (and specifically on the eponymous Nintendo game).
And yes, as someone who has never played, read or watched anything Pokémon-related before now, I know that this movie wasn’t made for me. (That’s why we had expert Johnnie Jungleguts share his thoughts on the film as well.) After trying to make head or tail (or snout or blowhole) of the proceedings here, I can understand the confusion of someone attempting to keep up with “Avengers: Endgame” without having watched any of the previous Marvel Cinematic Universe titles.
But there’s a difference between being the 22nd feature in a franchise and the first — if “Detective Pikachu” had any...
And yes, as someone who has never played, read or watched anything Pokémon-related before now, I know that this movie wasn’t made for me. (That’s why we had expert Johnnie Jungleguts share his thoughts on the film as well.) After trying to make head or tail (or snout or blowhole) of the proceedings here, I can understand the confusion of someone attempting to keep up with “Avengers: Endgame” without having watched any of the previous Marvel Cinematic Universe titles.
But there’s a difference between being the 22nd feature in a franchise and the first — if “Detective Pikachu” had any...
- 5/3/2019
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Its been all the rage on social media – the various Pokemon auditioning for the new POKÉMON Detective Pikachu movie. Check out the hilarious video now and you be the judge.
The world of Pokémon comes to life!
The first-ever live-action Pokémon adventure, “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” stars Ryan Reynolds as Detective Pikachu and is based on the beloved Pokémon brand—one of the world’s most popular, multi-generation entertainment properties and most successful media franchises of all time.
Fans everywhere can now experience Pikachu on the big screen as never before, as Detective Pikachu, a Pokémon like no other. The film also showcases a wide array of beloved Pokémon characters, each with its own unique abilities and personality.
The story begins when ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son Tim to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu: a hilariously wise-cracking,...
The world of Pokémon comes to life!
The first-ever live-action Pokémon adventure, “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” stars Ryan Reynolds as Detective Pikachu and is based on the beloved Pokémon brand—one of the world’s most popular, multi-generation entertainment properties and most successful media franchises of all time.
Fans everywhere can now experience Pikachu on the big screen as never before, as Detective Pikachu, a Pokémon like no other. The film also showcases a wide array of beloved Pokémon characters, each with its own unique abilities and personality.
The story begins when ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son Tim to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry’s former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu: a hilariously wise-cracking,...
- 4/11/2019
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
We are certainly not ashamed to admit that we have fallen in love with Pokemon over the last few years and are avid Pokemon Go players, so needless to say we are highly anticipating the upcoming release of “Pokemon Detective Pikachu”!
We got our first glimpse of the upcoming live-action Pokemon film a few months back, however Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures have now graced us with an even longer trailer showcasing some additional Pokemon creatures that will be featured in the film, as well as, a brand-new poster.
So excited to catch Mew-two at the end of the trailer!!!
About the film:
The world of Pokémon comes to life!
The first-ever live-action Pokémon adventure, “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” stars Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu, the iconic face of the global Pokémon phenomenon—one of the world’s most popular, multi-generation entertainment properties and the most successful media franchise of all time.
We got our first glimpse of the upcoming live-action Pokemon film a few months back, however Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures have now graced us with an even longer trailer showcasing some additional Pokemon creatures that will be featured in the film, as well as, a brand-new poster.
So excited to catch Mew-two at the end of the trailer!!!
About the film:
The world of Pokémon comes to life!
The first-ever live-action Pokémon adventure, “POKÉMON Detective Pikachu” stars Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu, the iconic face of the global Pokémon phenomenon—one of the world’s most popular, multi-generation entertainment properties and the most successful media franchise of all time.
- 2/27/2019
- by Kristyn Clarke
- Age of the Nerd
By Marc Butterfield
Ryan Reynolds has a new movie coming out, and in the teaser, he’s holding his balls. His Poke’ balls, that is. Reynolds is essentially playing himself, but in Pikachu format, in the first new Poke’ movie in quite a while. The reboot that begged not to be made. Granted, the trailers have been visually stunning, and if the lines are written well, Reynolds’ patented smart-alec delivery could still bring this pot to a boil.
In case you haven’t seen the other trailers, or don’t know about poke’mon, or Pikachu, or haven’t had a TV for the last 30 years, Poke’mon, or pocket monsters, are anime’ creatures that you can capture via a red and white Poke’ ball, and then train them to battle Other poke’mon, and Pikachu has been about the only thing that never changes, only saying “peeka-choo” about a thousand different ways,...
Ryan Reynolds has a new movie coming out, and in the teaser, he’s holding his balls. His Poke’ balls, that is. Reynolds is essentially playing himself, but in Pikachu format, in the first new Poke’ movie in quite a while. The reboot that begged not to be made. Granted, the trailers have been visually stunning, and if the lines are written well, Reynolds’ patented smart-alec delivery could still bring this pot to a boil.
In case you haven’t seen the other trailers, or don’t know about poke’mon, or Pikachu, or haven’t had a TV for the last 30 years, Poke’mon, or pocket monsters, are anime’ creatures that you can capture via a red and white Poke’ ball, and then train them to battle Other poke’mon, and Pikachu has been about the only thing that never changes, only saying “peeka-choo” about a thousand different ways,...
- 2/25/2019
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The first live action Pokemon movie is now one step closer to hitting the big screen as filming has officially started on Detective Pikachu with an impressive cast list.
I still haven't quite wrapped my brain around the fact that we're getting a Detective Pikachu movie, let alone with Ryan Reynolds providing the voice of the titular Pokemon. Frankly, the fact we've gone this long without a live-action Pokemon film is baffling in and of itself, but moreso our first one is Detective Pikachu. The game itself (from which the film borrows its story) hasn't even launch in the States, but gamers will finally get their chance to check it out in March, which will
This morning, Legendary Pictures has announced the start of filming along with a confirmation on the rest of the cast, which includes the incredible...
I still haven't quite wrapped my brain around the fact that we're getting a Detective Pikachu movie, let alone with Ryan Reynolds providing the voice of the titular Pokemon. Frankly, the fact we've gone this long without a live-action Pokemon film is baffling in and of itself, but moreso our first one is Detective Pikachu. The game itself (from which the film borrows its story) hasn't even launch in the States, but gamers will finally get their chance to check it out in March, which will
This morning, Legendary Pictures has announced the start of filming along with a confirmation on the rest of the cast, which includes the incredible...
- 1/24/2018
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Jordan Maison)
- Cinelinx
Norway is not known for its blockbusters, but “Pirates of the Caribbean” director Joachim Rønning has always made big movies. His last two features, co-directed with partner Espen Sandberg, weren’t the intimate stories of arthouse filmmaking: “Max Manus: Man of War” was an action drama about a World War II saboteur, while their Oscar-nominated 2012 breakout, “Kon-Tiki,” detailed the journey of a Norwegian explorer who crossed the Pacific Ocean in 1947 on a balsa wood raft.
Read More: The Best Indie Film Directors are Working on One Hulu Show, and Most Just Happen to be Women
“Even making films in Norway, I never felt I made small films,” said Rønning. “I’m drawn to big stories, and big emotions, because I love making movies for the big screen. I like to be engulfed in the theater and make stories that takes you places.”
Nonetheless, there is a matter of scale. In...
Read More: The Best Indie Film Directors are Working on One Hulu Show, and Most Just Happen to be Women
“Even making films in Norway, I never felt I made small films,” said Rønning. “I’m drawn to big stories, and big emotions, because I love making movies for the big screen. I like to be engulfed in the theater and make stories that takes you places.”
Nonetheless, there is a matter of scale. In...
- 5/26/2017
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Swedish director Daniel Espinosa might have been another foreign filmmaker working in obscurity until his film Snabba Cash (Easy Money) caught the attention of Hollywood, and he was hired to helm Safe House, an action-thriller starring Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington that became a huge hit over here. (Espinosa’s next movie, the psychological thriller Child 44, failed to find much of an audience, more due to poor marketing than anything else.)
Now, Espinosa is back with Life, an outer space thriller starring Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and more, which looks at what it might be like if life was discovered on Mars, and what might happen if that life turns out to be hostile. For the astronauts of the Iss (International Space Station), it becomes a life or death situation as a single cell organism starts growing and becoming stronger and smarter, as they have to figure out...
Now, Espinosa is back with Life, an outer space thriller starring Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and more, which looks at what it might be like if life was discovered on Mars, and what might happen if that life turns out to be hostile. For the astronauts of the Iss (International Space Station), it becomes a life or death situation as a single cell organism starts growing and becoming stronger and smarter, as they have to figure out...
- 3/20/2017
- by Edward Douglas
- LRMonline.com
The fifth film in Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" series has begun filming. Here's the press release the company issued today to celebrate the news which also includes a detailed new synopsis. Here's the press release in full:
Queens Land, Australia (February 18, 2015) – Production has commenced on location in Australia on Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films' epic comedy adventure "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," directed by Espen Sandberg & Joachim Rønning ("Kon-Tiki"), the fifth entry in the blockbuster franchise inspired by the classic Disney Theme Parks attraction, which has reaped $3.7 billion in worldwide box office.
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" will film entirely at Village Roadshow Studios and on locations within Queensland, Australia.
Thrust into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Captain Jack Sparrow finds the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost pirates led by his old nemesis, the terrifying...
Queens Land, Australia (February 18, 2015) – Production has commenced on location in Australia on Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films' epic comedy adventure "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," directed by Espen Sandberg & Joachim Rønning ("Kon-Tiki"), the fifth entry in the blockbuster franchise inspired by the classic Disney Theme Parks attraction, which has reaped $3.7 billion in worldwide box office.
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" will film entirely at Village Roadshow Studios and on locations within Queensland, Australia.
Thrust into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Captain Jack Sparrow finds the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost pirates led by his old nemesis, the terrifying...
- 2/18/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales has begun shooting at the Village Roadshow Studios and on locations in Queensland, a major boost to employment in the State. According to Screen Queensland, 75% of the 850-plus crew are Queenslanders and more locals will be employed during the five months of filming. There will be an estimated 6,100 extras man-days, the majority of which will be local hires. A Queensland production manager was among the first to be engaged. As If had reported, Brenton Thwaites is playing Henry, a British soldier, in the Jerry Bruckheimer/Disney production directed by Kon-Tiki.s Espen Sandberg and Joachim Rønning. Geoffrey Rush returns as Barbossa alongside Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, Javier Bardem as his nemesis Captain Salazar, Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner) as Henry's love interest, Golshifteh Farahani (Exodus: Gods and Kings), Kevin R. McNally as Joshamee Gibbs and Stephen Graham as Scrum.
- 2/18/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Production has commenced on location in Australia on Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films’ epic comedy adventure Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, directed by Espen Sandberg & Joachim Rønning (“Kon-Tiki”), the fifth entry in the blockbuster franchise inspired by the classic Disney Theme Parks attraction, which has reaped $3.7 billion in worldwide box office.
Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales will film entirely at Village Roadshow Studios and on locations within Queensland, Australia.
Johnny Depp returns to his iconic, Academy Award-nominated role of Captain Jack Sparrow, one of the most beloved characters in motion picture history, newly joined by Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Skyfall”), rising young stars Kaya Scodelario (“The Maze Runner,” British television’s “Skins”) and Brenton Thwaites (“Maleficent,” “The Giver”) and Golshifteh Farahani (“The Patience Stone,” “Exodus: Gods and Kings”).
Rejoining the action are Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa,...
Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales will film entirely at Village Roadshow Studios and on locations within Queensland, Australia.
Johnny Depp returns to his iconic, Academy Award-nominated role of Captain Jack Sparrow, one of the most beloved characters in motion picture history, newly joined by Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Skyfall”), rising young stars Kaya Scodelario (“The Maze Runner,” British television’s “Skins”) and Brenton Thwaites (“Maleficent,” “The Giver”) and Golshifteh Farahani (“The Patience Stone,” “Exodus: Gods and Kings”).
Rejoining the action are Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa,...
- 2/18/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Exclusive: Deadline revealed exclusively Friday that longtime UTA Production Department co-head Wayne Fitterman had left that agency and was in talks to land at Wme. I have confirmed that he has now officially joined Wme as a partner and that he will head Wme’s Production Department. As I wrote, Fitterman had expected to bring three of his cohorts along with him. UTA staved off that coup, but Fitterman brings 46 clients with him so far, with a lot more hanging in the balance. This is an unsung part of the business, covering cinematographers, editors, line producers, production designers, costume designers, and visual effects supervisors. But it’s important. Aside from making piles of money, the department is a breeding ground for first-time directors. Among the clients Fitterman has brought with him are Jenny Beavan (The King’s Speech), Mark Bridges (The Artist), Bruno Delbonnel (Inside Llewyn Davis), Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood...
- 11/11/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
World War Z is easily the best time I’ve had at the movies so far this summer. Yes, I’ve heard all the stories about the huge production going over budget and all the reshoots and multiple script doctors, but for me, none of that was evident in the finished product.
Not being a fan at all of the zombie genre that has become so popular of late, I saw this more as a “global disaster” movie that had huge portions of the population affected and infected by a worldwide pandemic.
Brad Pitt is Gerry Lane, a former Un field investigator that now enjoys life as a family man with his wife (Mireille Enos) and daughters. In a hot second he goes from that tranquility to having to save his family and basically the rest of the world from marauding zombies. The infected folks are quite frightening as they...
Not being a fan at all of the zombie genre that has become so popular of late, I saw this more as a “global disaster” movie that had huge portions of the population affected and infected by a worldwide pandemic.
Brad Pitt is Gerry Lane, a former Un field investigator that now enjoys life as a family man with his wife (Mireille Enos) and daughters. In a hot second he goes from that tranquility to having to save his family and basically the rest of the world from marauding zombies. The infected folks are quite frightening as they...
- 6/21/2013
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Here’s a first-look at the World War Z movie logo! Get ready for the exclusive trailer premiere coming in two days. The film stars Academy Award-nominee Brad Pitt (Moneyball), Mireille Enos (AMC.s .The Killing.), Daniella Kertesz in her feature film debut, David Morse (The Odd Life of Timothy Green), James Badge Dale (The Departed), Matthew Fox (.Lost.), with Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace) directing.
The story revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself. Enos plays Gerry.s wife Karen Lane; Kertesz is his comrade in arms, Segen.
The geo-political thriller from Paramount and Skydance Productions was filmed in England with photography in Malta, Scotland and Hungary.
Produced by Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Colin Wilson, the screenplay is written by...
The story revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself. Enos plays Gerry.s wife Karen Lane; Kertesz is his comrade in arms, Segen.
The geo-political thriller from Paramount and Skydance Productions was filmed in England with photography in Malta, Scotland and Hungary.
Produced by Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Colin Wilson, the screenplay is written by...
- 11/7/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
World War Z Brad Pitt Zombie Attack Set Video. The Brad Pitt World War Z (2012) zombie attack set video is from a Marc Forster directed film and shows Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) in dire straits on the streets of a metropoltian city. A zombie outbreak occurs and Brad Pitt most flee from the situation very quickly. World War Z‘s plot synopsis: based on the book by Max Brooks, “The story revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself.”
This could be good but I wish they hadn’t changed the story from the book. That is what made this zombie tale innovative.
More on World War Z:
Produced by Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Colin Wilson, the screenplay is written by...
This could be good but I wish they hadn’t changed the story from the book. That is what made this zombie tale innovative.
More on World War Z:
Produced by Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Colin Wilson, the screenplay is written by...
- 9/6/2011
- by filmbook
- Film-Book
Production Is Underway On The Brad Pitt Starrer,
With Marc Forster Directing
London, England (August 2011) – Paramount Pictures announced that it has set a release date of December 21st, 2012 for World War Z starring Academy Award-nominee Brad Pitt, with Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace) directing. The geo-political thriller from Paramount and Skydance Productions, in association with Hemisphere Media Capital and Gk Films, is a Plan B Entertainment/Apparatus Productions production that is shooting in England following initial photography completed in Malta last month. The film will also shoot in Scotland and Hungary.
Produced by Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Colin Wilson, the screenplay is written by Matthew Michael Carnahan (State of Play) from Max Brooks. best-selling novel World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War. Starring Pitt (Moneyball), Mireille Enos (AMC.s .The Killing.), Daniella Kertesz in her feature film debut, James Badge Dale (The Departed) and...
With Marc Forster Directing
London, England (August 2011) – Paramount Pictures announced that it has set a release date of December 21st, 2012 for World War Z starring Academy Award-nominee Brad Pitt, with Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace) directing. The geo-political thriller from Paramount and Skydance Productions, in association with Hemisphere Media Capital and Gk Films, is a Plan B Entertainment/Apparatus Productions production that is shooting in England following initial photography completed in Malta last month. The film will also shoot in Scotland and Hungary.
Produced by Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Colin Wilson, the screenplay is written by Matthew Michael Carnahan (State of Play) from Max Brooks. best-selling novel World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War. Starring Pitt (Moneyball), Mireille Enos (AMC.s .The Killing.), Daniella Kertesz in her feature film debut, James Badge Dale (The Departed) and...
- 8/11/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Last night saw a special ‘fan screening’* of Transformers 3 at the BFI IMAX at Waterloo.
As usual, HeyUGuys were on the press line snatching a few moments from some of the people involved (and one high-profile fan of the series). Below are some of the more interesting conversations we had.
Michael Bay – Director
On filming in 3D:
You rely on the stereographer because they’re the one that’s controlling the knob, but I tell them where we’re focusing, what robots go where. He’s got to imagine with me where I want the focus to be. Jim Cameron was the one that really pushed me to do this. He said he’s been a little disappointed that people are using 3D as an afterthought, not a forethought. He knew I’d do it right.
So I spent a lot of time. 3D’s a pain in the ass.
As usual, HeyUGuys were on the press line snatching a few moments from some of the people involved (and one high-profile fan of the series). Below are some of the more interesting conversations we had.
Michael Bay – Director
On filming in 3D:
You rely on the stereographer because they’re the one that’s controlling the knob, but I tell them where we’re focusing, what robots go where. He’s got to imagine with me where I want the focus to be. Jim Cameron was the one that really pushed me to do this. He said he’s been a little disappointed that people are using 3D as an afterthought, not a forethought. He knew I’d do it right.
So I spent a lot of time. 3D’s a pain in the ass.
- 6/27/2011
- by Ben Mortimer
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Over the Christmas holidays I sat down to watch Danny Cannon’s original Judge Dredd. The horror, the horror. Yes, with its campy swagger, Versace designed outfits, Rob Schneider but quite impressive set designs by Nigel Phelps, the 1995 comic adaptation is a big pile of steaming crappola.
Its a question of tone and boy did they get it wrong. Fast forward fifteen years and director Pete Travis is re-working the 2000 A.D. character into a cracking new film starring Karl Urban as the legendary lawman. Not only that, the new script comes courtesy of Alex Garland, whose work on Never Let Me Go is sure to get him an award from somebody. You can read our review of that film here.
Filming has been under way in Jo’burg for sometime now but an interesting piece of casting news has been revealed. Lena Headey has been cast the villain of the show.
Its a question of tone and boy did they get it wrong. Fast forward fifteen years and director Pete Travis is re-working the 2000 A.D. character into a cracking new film starring Karl Urban as the legendary lawman. Not only that, the new script comes courtesy of Alex Garland, whose work on Never Let Me Go is sure to get him an award from somebody. You can read our review of that film here.
Filming has been under way in Jo’burg for sometime now but an interesting piece of casting news has been revealed. Lena Headey has been cast the villain of the show.
- 1/12/2011
- by Martyn Conterio
- FilmShaft.com
One of the biggest and most inaccurate criticisms of the much-hated 1995 Judge Dredd outing with Sylvester Stallone is that it was faithless to the comic strip. This is almost impossible to accept for anyone who has ever actually picked up 2000Ad: visually, Judge Dredd was about the most accurate comics>movies adaptation ever put on screen. Mega-City One was practically the original comic-strip metropolis come to life, and the oversized Lawmaster bikes were also incredibly respectful of the originals in the comic.
As for the sardonic humour of the original strip, Robocop (1987) screenwriters Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner admitted long ago that they sequestered it for the Paul Verhoeven sci-fi thriller. Leaving Dredd very little left to play with, without looking, ironically, like a Robocop wannabe.
One of the main reasons cited for the failure of the Danny Cannon version is this very fidelity - even Stallone has been quoted...
As for the sardonic humour of the original strip, Robocop (1987) screenwriters Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner admitted long ago that they sequestered it for the Paul Verhoeven sci-fi thriller. Leaving Dredd very little left to play with, without looking, ironically, like a Robocop wannabe.
One of the main reasons cited for the failure of the Danny Cannon version is this very fidelity - even Stallone has been quoted...
- 11/23/2010
- Shadowlocked
"The Island" starts off an aggressively derivative sci-fi thriller, then morphs into an above-average chase melodrama.
With a pair of classy actors, Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson, aboard for the ride and director Michael Bay injecting high-octane fuel into the story's engine, the movie kicks into gear through a series of implausible though fun sequences of pursuit that utilize nearly all the movie action toys from digital effects to daunting stunts to massive sets and locations.
While entering the marketplace with less noise than "War of the Worlds" and "Fantastic Four", "The Island" should soak up much boxoffice coin in the coming weeks, both domestically and internationally.
For a while, the dystopian story about human cloning by Caspian Tredwell-Owen, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci seems more likely to inspire viewer games of Spot the Movie Clone as the filmmakers shuffle through any number of old science-fiction movies for plot points and design ideas. These range from "Coma" to "Logan's Run". Since human cloning itself has become such a hot-button topic, the film feels contemporary. Even Kazuo Ishiguro's recently published novel, "Never Let Me Go", deals with a similar story minus, of course, the chases.
What's troubling from a political point of view is that these filmmakers have, perhaps unwittingly, delivered a film certain to give succor to the religious right. In this ethical horror story, scientists experimenting with human genetics to advance medicine and cure illness are cast as Dr. Frankenstein villains. The chief villain, Dr. Merrick (Sean Bean), mouths platitudes about curing leukemia but clearly has greed in his heart.
The early going sets up a humdrum, meticulously controlled environment where white-clad inhabitants lead aimless lives while supposedly being sheltered from worldwide contamination resulting from an ecological disaster. From the first moment, we know this is all a ruse. An omnipotent police force monitors every bodily function, obsesses over the "proximity" of males to females in the quasi-segregated population and refers to inhabitants behind their backs as "products."
Only when the curious and restless Lincoln Six Echo stumbles onto the truth about the facility, which 95% of the audience will already have guessed, and grabs his pal Jordan Two-Delta (Johansson) for his comrade-in-escape does the film take off. Fleeing the fake environment for the real world, the pair stumble into the Arizona desert with a private army led by ex-Special Forces commander Albert Laurent (Djimon Hounsou) in hot pursuit.
Their ace in the hole is a cynical but accepting worker at the facility, McCord (Steve Buscemi), who in the past has sneaked booze and other contraband to Lincoln. They track McCord to a desert bar and, feeling guilty about his involvement in the cloning enterprise, he agrees to help them.
There is an unfailing law of filmmaking that once Buscemi gets cast in a movie, all the best lines and comic business automatically gravitate to him. Here again he almost single-handedly jump-starts the movie. When he abruptly exits the picture, his presence is truly missed.
Two striking things animate the remainder of the picture. One is highly creative chases on freeways and airways of the future. In one, wheels on a big rig turn into lethal weapons. In another, a futuristic two-man flying machine slams into a glass skyscraper and ends up dangling out the other side, entangled in a sign.
The other gimmick has McGregor playing both the original Lincoln and his clone, one with a Scottish accent and the other American. In an amazing fight scene, using motion control cameras and careful physical movements, McGregor actually wrestles with himself.
McGregor and Johansson's characters comprise an impossible combination of innate smarts and born-yesterday naivete. Yet the young though veteran actors pull these conflicting conceits off with a fair amount of conviction and credibility.
Bay's team hits on all cylinders as designer Nigel Phelps captures the extremes of an ominous future, Steve Jablonsky's surging music urges the action on and Mauro Fiore's energetic cinematography blends nicely with the many digital effects.
The Island
DreamWorks Pictures
DreamWorks and Warner Bros. Pictures present a Parkes/MacDonald production
Credits: Director: Michael Bay; Writers: Caspian Tredwell-Owen, Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci; Story by: Caspian Tredwell-Owen; Producers: Walter Parkes, Michael Bay, Ian Bryce; Executive producer: Laurie MacDonald; Director of photography: Mauro Fiore; Production designer: Nigel Phelps; Music: Steve Jablonsky; Costumes: Deborah L. Scott; Editors: Paul Rubell, Christian Wagner. Cast: Lincoln Six Echo/Tom Lincoln: Ewan McGregor; Jordan Two Delta/Sarah Jordan: Scarlett Johansson; Albert Laurent: Djimon Hounsou; Dr. Merrick: Sean Bean; McCord: Steve Buscemi; Starkweather: Michael Clarke Duncan.
MPAA rating PG-13, running time 133 minutes.
With a pair of classy actors, Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson, aboard for the ride and director Michael Bay injecting high-octane fuel into the story's engine, the movie kicks into gear through a series of implausible though fun sequences of pursuit that utilize nearly all the movie action toys from digital effects to daunting stunts to massive sets and locations.
While entering the marketplace with less noise than "War of the Worlds" and "Fantastic Four", "The Island" should soak up much boxoffice coin in the coming weeks, both domestically and internationally.
For a while, the dystopian story about human cloning by Caspian Tredwell-Owen, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci seems more likely to inspire viewer games of Spot the Movie Clone as the filmmakers shuffle through any number of old science-fiction movies for plot points and design ideas. These range from "Coma" to "Logan's Run". Since human cloning itself has become such a hot-button topic, the film feels contemporary. Even Kazuo Ishiguro's recently published novel, "Never Let Me Go", deals with a similar story minus, of course, the chases.
What's troubling from a political point of view is that these filmmakers have, perhaps unwittingly, delivered a film certain to give succor to the religious right. In this ethical horror story, scientists experimenting with human genetics to advance medicine and cure illness are cast as Dr. Frankenstein villains. The chief villain, Dr. Merrick (Sean Bean), mouths platitudes about curing leukemia but clearly has greed in his heart.
The early going sets up a humdrum, meticulously controlled environment where white-clad inhabitants lead aimless lives while supposedly being sheltered from worldwide contamination resulting from an ecological disaster. From the first moment, we know this is all a ruse. An omnipotent police force monitors every bodily function, obsesses over the "proximity" of males to females in the quasi-segregated population and refers to inhabitants behind their backs as "products."
Only when the curious and restless Lincoln Six Echo stumbles onto the truth about the facility, which 95% of the audience will already have guessed, and grabs his pal Jordan Two-Delta (Johansson) for his comrade-in-escape does the film take off. Fleeing the fake environment for the real world, the pair stumble into the Arizona desert with a private army led by ex-Special Forces commander Albert Laurent (Djimon Hounsou) in hot pursuit.
Their ace in the hole is a cynical but accepting worker at the facility, McCord (Steve Buscemi), who in the past has sneaked booze and other contraband to Lincoln. They track McCord to a desert bar and, feeling guilty about his involvement in the cloning enterprise, he agrees to help them.
There is an unfailing law of filmmaking that once Buscemi gets cast in a movie, all the best lines and comic business automatically gravitate to him. Here again he almost single-handedly jump-starts the movie. When he abruptly exits the picture, his presence is truly missed.
Two striking things animate the remainder of the picture. One is highly creative chases on freeways and airways of the future. In one, wheels on a big rig turn into lethal weapons. In another, a futuristic two-man flying machine slams into a glass skyscraper and ends up dangling out the other side, entangled in a sign.
The other gimmick has McGregor playing both the original Lincoln and his clone, one with a Scottish accent and the other American. In an amazing fight scene, using motion control cameras and careful physical movements, McGregor actually wrestles with himself.
McGregor and Johansson's characters comprise an impossible combination of innate smarts and born-yesterday naivete. Yet the young though veteran actors pull these conflicting conceits off with a fair amount of conviction and credibility.
Bay's team hits on all cylinders as designer Nigel Phelps captures the extremes of an ominous future, Steve Jablonsky's surging music urges the action on and Mauro Fiore's energetic cinematography blends nicely with the many digital effects.
The Island
DreamWorks Pictures
DreamWorks and Warner Bros. Pictures present a Parkes/MacDonald production
Credits: Director: Michael Bay; Writers: Caspian Tredwell-Owen, Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci; Story by: Caspian Tredwell-Owen; Producers: Walter Parkes, Michael Bay, Ian Bryce; Executive producer: Laurie MacDonald; Director of photography: Mauro Fiore; Production designer: Nigel Phelps; Music: Steve Jablonsky; Costumes: Deborah L. Scott; Editors: Paul Rubell, Christian Wagner. Cast: Lincoln Six Echo/Tom Lincoln: Ewan McGregor; Jordan Two Delta/Sarah Jordan: Scarlett Johansson; Albert Laurent: Djimon Hounsou; Dr. Merrick: Sean Bean; McCord: Steve Buscemi; Starkweather: Michael Clarke Duncan.
MPAA rating PG-13, running time 133 minutes.
Versatile filmmaker Neil Jordan is no stranger to the psychological thriller, having intelligently dabbled in the genre with 1984's "The Company of Wolves" and 1994's "Interview With the Vampire".
Of course, there was also that 1988 haunted castle misfire known as "High Spirits", which unfortunately will be more closely associated with his latest otherworldly excursion.
Loosely based on the novel "Doll's Eyes", by Bari Wood, "In Dreams" is an annoyingly overwrought affair, riddled with logic holes and more than just a little derivative, conjuring up the likes of Nicolas Roeg's "Don't Look Now" and Samuel Fuller's "Shock Corridor", not to mention "Eyes of Laura Mars" and virtually any installment of "A Nightmare on Elm Street".
Even with a commendable is-she-or-isn't-she crazy turn by Annette Bening as a mother whose disturbing, prescient dreams start hitting tragically close to home, you don't need a clairvoyant to assess this DreamWorks release's boxoffice future.
It will be considerably less than dreamy.
Bening is Claire Cooper, a children's book illustrator whose persistent, nocturnal visions of a missing girl and lots of apples prove to foretell the abduction and subsequent murder of her own child, Rebecca (Katie Sagona).
But that's just the beginning. It seems Claire has melded minds with Rebecca's psychotic, serial killer (a way-over-the-top Robert Downey Jr.), who initially manifests his presence as voices in her head and messages on her computer monitor.
Alas, to the average onlooker, including her well-meaning pilot husband, Paul (Aidan Quinn), Claire appears simply crazy, and is subsequently checked into the loony bin. As fate and the unsubtle script would have it, she finds herself in the very same ward that housed her tormentor years earlier, when, as a child he went nuts after being chained to his bed just before his quaint New England town was evacuated and immediately flooded to make way for a new reservoir.
Don't ask.
The whole concept of deliberately burying a town under water with its buildings unrazed and their contents unremoved may look cool as a ghostly opening sequence, but it immediately sets the head-scratching tone that only intensifies as co-screenwriters Jordan and Bruce Robinson pile on the implausibilities.
As a director, Jordan certainly has a commanding visual style, and the picture is not without its impressive set-pieces -- that surreal opening, however ludicrous, and a tightly choreographed traffic accident come to mind -- but the overall atmosphere is ridiculously amped-up, even by horror standards.
Bening's reasonably grounded performance aside, the acting runs the gamut from Downey's bug-eyed tribute to Norman Bates to Jordan regular Stephen Rea's miscast turn as a melancholy psychiatrist with a tentative New York accent.
Production values are similarly uneven. Cinematographer Darius Khondji ("Evita", "Seven", "Alien Resurrection") does a nicely eerie job with all that murky, metaphysical stuff; while production designer Nigel Phelps goes overboard with the apple imagery and Elliott Goldenthal's score is all shrill symphonic hysteria.
IN DREAMS
DreamWorks
Director: Neil Jordan
Screenwriters: Bruce Robinson and Neil Jordan
Based on the novel "Doll's Eyes" by: Bari Wood
Producer: Stephen Woolley
Director of photography: Darius Khondji
Production designer: Nigel Phelps
Editor: Tony Lawson
Costume designer: Jeffrey Kurland
Music: Elliot Goldenthal
Casting: Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins
Color/stereo
Cast:
Claire Cooper: Annette Bening
Vivian Thompson: Robert Downey Jr.
Dr. Silverman: Stephen Rea
Paul Cooper: Aidan Quinn
Detective Jack Kay: Paul Guilfoyle
Dr. Stevens: Dennis Boutsikaris
Rebecca Cooper: Katie Sagona
Ruby: Krystal Benn
Running time -- 100 minutes
MPAA Rating: R...
Of course, there was also that 1988 haunted castle misfire known as "High Spirits", which unfortunately will be more closely associated with his latest otherworldly excursion.
Loosely based on the novel "Doll's Eyes", by Bari Wood, "In Dreams" is an annoyingly overwrought affair, riddled with logic holes and more than just a little derivative, conjuring up the likes of Nicolas Roeg's "Don't Look Now" and Samuel Fuller's "Shock Corridor", not to mention "Eyes of Laura Mars" and virtually any installment of "A Nightmare on Elm Street".
Even with a commendable is-she-or-isn't-she crazy turn by Annette Bening as a mother whose disturbing, prescient dreams start hitting tragically close to home, you don't need a clairvoyant to assess this DreamWorks release's boxoffice future.
It will be considerably less than dreamy.
Bening is Claire Cooper, a children's book illustrator whose persistent, nocturnal visions of a missing girl and lots of apples prove to foretell the abduction and subsequent murder of her own child, Rebecca (Katie Sagona).
But that's just the beginning. It seems Claire has melded minds with Rebecca's psychotic, serial killer (a way-over-the-top Robert Downey Jr.), who initially manifests his presence as voices in her head and messages on her computer monitor.
Alas, to the average onlooker, including her well-meaning pilot husband, Paul (Aidan Quinn), Claire appears simply crazy, and is subsequently checked into the loony bin. As fate and the unsubtle script would have it, she finds herself in the very same ward that housed her tormentor years earlier, when, as a child he went nuts after being chained to his bed just before his quaint New England town was evacuated and immediately flooded to make way for a new reservoir.
Don't ask.
The whole concept of deliberately burying a town under water with its buildings unrazed and their contents unremoved may look cool as a ghostly opening sequence, but it immediately sets the head-scratching tone that only intensifies as co-screenwriters Jordan and Bruce Robinson pile on the implausibilities.
As a director, Jordan certainly has a commanding visual style, and the picture is not without its impressive set-pieces -- that surreal opening, however ludicrous, and a tightly choreographed traffic accident come to mind -- but the overall atmosphere is ridiculously amped-up, even by horror standards.
Bening's reasonably grounded performance aside, the acting runs the gamut from Downey's bug-eyed tribute to Norman Bates to Jordan regular Stephen Rea's miscast turn as a melancholy psychiatrist with a tentative New York accent.
Production values are similarly uneven. Cinematographer Darius Khondji ("Evita", "Seven", "Alien Resurrection") does a nicely eerie job with all that murky, metaphysical stuff; while production designer Nigel Phelps goes overboard with the apple imagery and Elliott Goldenthal's score is all shrill symphonic hysteria.
IN DREAMS
DreamWorks
Director: Neil Jordan
Screenwriters: Bruce Robinson and Neil Jordan
Based on the novel "Doll's Eyes" by: Bari Wood
Producer: Stephen Woolley
Director of photography: Darius Khondji
Production designer: Nigel Phelps
Editor: Tony Lawson
Costume designer: Jeffrey Kurland
Music: Elliot Goldenthal
Casting: Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins
Color/stereo
Cast:
Claire Cooper: Annette Bening
Vivian Thompson: Robert Downey Jr.
Dr. Silverman: Stephen Rea
Paul Cooper: Aidan Quinn
Detective Jack Kay: Paul Guilfoyle
Dr. Stevens: Dennis Boutsikaris
Rebecca Cooper: Katie Sagona
Ruby: Krystal Benn
Running time -- 100 minutes
MPAA Rating: R...
- 1/15/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
We've ogled them in "The Fifth Element", laughed at them in "Men in Black" and nuked 'em in "Starship Troopers". Now it's time to get cuddly with them.
So far, 1997 has been the Year of the Aliens in big-budget science-fiction movies, and the aptly titled "Alien Resurrection" checks in with enough slime, gore and scary monster-flick moments to satisfy undemanding audiences. But it's an ugly, animated corpse of a movie stitched together from the other three films in the 20th Century Fox series, even as it follows the direction taken in "Alien3" to its next ghastly stage.
Not the best in the series, but in some ways the most ambitious, "Alien Resurrection" is a mixed bag of stilted humor, repetitive action and successfully more repulsive encounters with alien-human mutations. Strong awareness should help pump up its Thanksgiving-weekend opening numbers, but the American debut of French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet ("The City of Lost Children") won't substantially outperform the previous "Alien" production, released in 1992.
From pesky leaping babies fresh from their eggs to a large artificially created queen (retrieved from a clone of the series' heroine, who sacrificed her life at the end of the last disappointing installment), "Alien Resurrection" is as cynical about human motives as its predecessors, but it's the most sympathetic toward the killer species regularly butchering franchise lead player Sigourney Weaver's male co-stars.
Maybe die-hard genre followers will embrace the grotesque agenda and the endless grisly attacks, but the whole project is a notch or two lower in the writing department.
Not to worry, fans, there is a repeat of the gut-busting that highlighted the first film and a climactic alien birth scene that tries hard to gross out viewers. Unfortunately, the last frightful surprise is borderline laughable, and one has lost interest even when the alien-infested research ship on which the film is set heads toward Earth.
Looking way out of place and not terribly convincing, but trying her best, Winona Ryder as an odd crew member with a secret is dominated by Weaver in their scenes together and mostly overwhelmed by the production. Weaver, with her sleek body and cool demeanor, is hardly the motherly female action hero she blossomed into in "Aliens", but there's no denying she's in a groove with the character. All the best aspects of the film are hers.
ALIEN RESURRECTION
20th Century Fox
A Brandywine production
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Screenwriter: Joss Whedon
Based on characters created by: Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett
Producers: Gordon Carroll, David Giler, Walter Hill, Bill Badalato
Director of photography: Darius Khondji
Production designer: Nigel Phelps
Editor: Herve Schneid
Alien effects: Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr.
Music: John Frizzell
Visual effects supervisors: Pitof Henry,
Erik Henry
Costume designer: Bob Ringwood
Casting: Rick Pagano
Color/stereo
Cast:
Ripley: Sigourney Weaver
Call: Winona Ryder
Johner: Ron Perlman
Elgyn: Michael Wincott
General Perez: Dan Hedaya
Gediman: Brad Dourif
Running time -- 107 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
So far, 1997 has been the Year of the Aliens in big-budget science-fiction movies, and the aptly titled "Alien Resurrection" checks in with enough slime, gore and scary monster-flick moments to satisfy undemanding audiences. But it's an ugly, animated corpse of a movie stitched together from the other three films in the 20th Century Fox series, even as it follows the direction taken in "Alien3" to its next ghastly stage.
Not the best in the series, but in some ways the most ambitious, "Alien Resurrection" is a mixed bag of stilted humor, repetitive action and successfully more repulsive encounters with alien-human mutations. Strong awareness should help pump up its Thanksgiving-weekend opening numbers, but the American debut of French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet ("The City of Lost Children") won't substantially outperform the previous "Alien" production, released in 1992.
From pesky leaping babies fresh from their eggs to a large artificially created queen (retrieved from a clone of the series' heroine, who sacrificed her life at the end of the last disappointing installment), "Alien Resurrection" is as cynical about human motives as its predecessors, but it's the most sympathetic toward the killer species regularly butchering franchise lead player Sigourney Weaver's male co-stars.
Maybe die-hard genre followers will embrace the grotesque agenda and the endless grisly attacks, but the whole project is a notch or two lower in the writing department.
Not to worry, fans, there is a repeat of the gut-busting that highlighted the first film and a climactic alien birth scene that tries hard to gross out viewers. Unfortunately, the last frightful surprise is borderline laughable, and one has lost interest even when the alien-infested research ship on which the film is set heads toward Earth.
Looking way out of place and not terribly convincing, but trying her best, Winona Ryder as an odd crew member with a secret is dominated by Weaver in their scenes together and mostly overwhelmed by the production. Weaver, with her sleek body and cool demeanor, is hardly the motherly female action hero she blossomed into in "Aliens", but there's no denying she's in a groove with the character. All the best aspects of the film are hers.
ALIEN RESURRECTION
20th Century Fox
A Brandywine production
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Screenwriter: Joss Whedon
Based on characters created by: Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett
Producers: Gordon Carroll, David Giler, Walter Hill, Bill Badalato
Director of photography: Darius Khondji
Production designer: Nigel Phelps
Editor: Herve Schneid
Alien effects: Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr.
Music: John Frizzell
Visual effects supervisors: Pitof Henry,
Erik Henry
Costume designer: Bob Ringwood
Casting: Rick Pagano
Color/stereo
Cast:
Ripley: Sigourney Weaver
Call: Winona Ryder
Johner: Ron Perlman
Elgyn: Michael Wincott
General Perez: Dan Hedaya
Gediman: Brad Dourif
Running time -- 107 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 11/12/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Based on two comic-book series, ``Judge Dredd'' and ``Judge Dredd Legends of the Law, '' this formulaic salvo certainly has some relevance in these ``O.J.'' times: Judge Dredd is an icon for firm, swift justice, but, unfortunately, the narrative is a perfunctory amalgam of sci-fi, fantasy and socio-relevance. Basically, it's a revenge yarn, not much more sophisticated than those very late-night TV movies centered around a stern, macho avenging judge.
However, what ``Judge Dredd'' lacks narratively, it tends to entertain on a visual level: credit to director Danny Cannon and production designer Nigel Phelps for the searing look (HR 6/30-7/2).
SPECIES
MGM
After a promising start, MGM's science fiction thriller ``Species'' devolves into a third-rate ``Alien'' redux with all the trappings and shortcomings of the genre. With nothing much new to offer except many opportunities to watch newcomer Natasha Henstridge disrobe, the Roger Donaldson-directed creepshow is one of the summer's naughtier big-budget diversions, but it will unlikely break out in a big way.
While the tense trackdown of half-human/half-alien Sil provides a few thrills and chills, and 20-year-old Henstridge manages to make something interesting out of her woefully underwritten character, the pesky humans are a pack of cliches (HR 6/30-7/2).
MIGHTY MORPHIN
POWER RANGERS:
THE MOVIE
Fox
Destined to do for Fox what those Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles did for New Line, the high-tech, turbo-charged cinematic sugar rush ``Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie'' is jam-packed with all the requisite bells and whistles.
The color-coded sextet of teen superheroes are put to the test when the evil Ivan Ooze (Paul Freeman) is awakened from a 6,000-year slumber and wastes no time in exacting his diabolical plan to destroy the world.
One doesn't have to look far for inspiration here. The story is essentially a thinly veiled reworking of ``The Wizard of Oz'' with a half-dozen Ninja Dorothys, not to mention a powerful wizard (Nicholas Bell as the endangered Zordon), a sexier Glinda (Gabrielle Fitzpatrick as the amazon warrior, Dulcea) and a nasty flock of flying henchmen.
Still, first-time feature director Bryan Spicer and writers Arne Olsen and John Kamps have done a good job keeping the briskly moving story line easy to follow (HR 6/30-7/2).
LIE DOWN WITH DOGS
Miramax
``Lie Down With Dogs'' is fast-paced and often hilarious, overcoming its frequent slips into amateurish self-indulgence with nonstop enthusiasm and a fun-loving attitude.
The feature debut of writer-director-actor Wally White, ``Lie Down With Dogs'' should hit it off big with gay audiences on the select-site circuit.
The low-budget production is well-shot and edited, but it occasionally lags and shows the strain of its episodic nature. Starting with the likable White, the unknown cast is refreshingly off-the-cuff (HR 6/30-7/2).
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
However, what ``Judge Dredd'' lacks narratively, it tends to entertain on a visual level: credit to director Danny Cannon and production designer Nigel Phelps for the searing look (HR 6/30-7/2).
SPECIES
MGM
After a promising start, MGM's science fiction thriller ``Species'' devolves into a third-rate ``Alien'' redux with all the trappings and shortcomings of the genre. With nothing much new to offer except many opportunities to watch newcomer Natasha Henstridge disrobe, the Roger Donaldson-directed creepshow is one of the summer's naughtier big-budget diversions, but it will unlikely break out in a big way.
While the tense trackdown of half-human/half-alien Sil provides a few thrills and chills, and 20-year-old Henstridge manages to make something interesting out of her woefully underwritten character, the pesky humans are a pack of cliches (HR 6/30-7/2).
MIGHTY MORPHIN
POWER RANGERS:
THE MOVIE
Fox
Destined to do for Fox what those Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles did for New Line, the high-tech, turbo-charged cinematic sugar rush ``Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie'' is jam-packed with all the requisite bells and whistles.
The color-coded sextet of teen superheroes are put to the test when the evil Ivan Ooze (Paul Freeman) is awakened from a 6,000-year slumber and wastes no time in exacting his diabolical plan to destroy the world.
One doesn't have to look far for inspiration here. The story is essentially a thinly veiled reworking of ``The Wizard of Oz'' with a half-dozen Ninja Dorothys, not to mention a powerful wizard (Nicholas Bell as the endangered Zordon), a sexier Glinda (Gabrielle Fitzpatrick as the amazon warrior, Dulcea) and a nasty flock of flying henchmen.
Still, first-time feature director Bryan Spicer and writers Arne Olsen and John Kamps have done a good job keeping the briskly moving story line easy to follow (HR 6/30-7/2).
LIE DOWN WITH DOGS
Miramax
``Lie Down With Dogs'' is fast-paced and often hilarious, overcoming its frequent slips into amateurish self-indulgence with nonstop enthusiasm and a fun-loving attitude.
The feature debut of writer-director-actor Wally White, ``Lie Down With Dogs'' should hit it off big with gay audiences on the select-site circuit.
The low-budget production is well-shot and edited, but it occasionally lags and shows the strain of its episodic nature. Starting with the likable White, the unknown cast is refreshingly off-the-cuff (HR 6/30-7/2).
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
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