Rampage

Rampage (2018)

Rampage is a science fiction monster film directed by Brad Peyton, loosely based on the video game series of the same name by Midway Games. The film stars Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Åkerman, Jake Lacy, Joe Manganiello, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. It follows a primatologist named Davis Okoye who must team up with George, an albino gorilla who turns into a raging creature of enormous size following a rogue experiment, in order to stop an invasion of monsters

Title: Rampage

Country: USA

Language: English | Spanish

Release Date: 11 April 2018 (UK)

Director: Brad Peyton

Writers: Ryan Engle (screenplay by), Carlton Cuse (screenplay by)

• Synopsis
• Reviews

Primatologist Davis Okoye shares an unshakable bond with George, the extraordinarily intelligent, silverback gorilla who has been in his care since birth. But a rogue genetic experiment gone awry mutates this gentle ape into a raging creature of enormous size. To make matters worse, it’s soon discovered there are other similarly altered animals. As these newly created alpha predators tear across North America, destroying everything in their path, Okoye teams with a discredited genetic engineer to secure an antidote, fighting his way through an ever-changing battlefield, not only to halt a global catastrophe but to save the fearsome creature that was once his friend.

I was truly surprised, the trailer was NOTHING like the actual film. I went in expecting moderate CGI and nothing else, but what I got was an above average CGI action-fest with some things to say about friendship and loyalty. First of all the plot had much more detail than the trailer, the trailer did NO justice to this film as it is much better than much of the CGI laden crap nowadays. I didn't like some things, and I will get to that in the second paragraph. But man was the action well choreographed and was truly a fun spectacle to behold. The way the military faced these creatures was realistic (this coming from an Army veteran) and the way the filmed the action was just so well done, much better than some of the Marvel and other CGI films. The humor was also surprisingly not stupid and made me laugh on multiple occasions. I also liked the use of friendship, you really did understand the friendship between the characters.

So there was some bad, mostly things that wouldn't happen and some plot problems but it really didn't make the film unbearable. First of all, two people under arrest would not be able to escape from a highly secure military air force base, let a lone take off in one of their med-evac chopper. Second of all they consider using a MOAB (Mother Of All Bombs) the largest non-nuclear bomb in US arsenal, problem is, we don't have any more after Trump dropped our last one on a Taliban compound. Again these are small details that didn't take too much away from the film, I still enjoyed it. Some of the cinematography was good in some places, but it was very average during dialog scenes. Action scene were well shot but most else was very average.

If you are looking for beautiful thought provoking cinema, this isn't it, but if you are looking for a fun theater experience, look no further.

The subject of photography began in April 2017 in Chicago. The film was released in the United States on April 13, 2018, by Warner Bros.. Pictures and New Line Cinema in 2D, RealD 3D and IMAX formats, with Johnson and Morgan appearances and praised visual effects, but the writing and infidelity of the material sources were criticized.

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Ready Player One

Ready Player One (2018)

Ready Player One is a science fiction adventure film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, and written by Zak Penn and Ernest Cline, based on Cline's 2011 novel of the same name. Tye Sheridan movie star Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, Simon Pegg, Hannah John-Kamen and Mark Rylance.

Title: Ready Player One

Country: USA

Language: English

Release Date: 11 March 2018 (USA)

Runtime: 140 min

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writers: Zak Penn (screenplay by), Ernest Cline (screenplay by) | 1 more credit »

Stars: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn

• Synopsis
• Reviews

In the year 2045, the real world is a harsh place. The only time Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) truly feels alive is when he escapes to the OASIS, an immersive virtual universe where most of humanity spends their days. In the OASIS, you can go anywhere, do anything, be anyone-the only limits are your own imagination. The OASIS was created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance), who left his immense fortune and total control of the Oasis to the winner of a three-part contest he designed to find a worthy heir. When Wade conquers the first challenge of the reality-bending treasure hunt, he and his friends-aka the High Five-are hurled into a fantastical universe of discovery and danger to save the OASIS.

Of all the Spielberg films of recent years - and possibly with the exception of "The BFG" - this was the film whose trailer disconcerted me the most. It really looked dire: CGI over heart; gimmicks over substance. I was right about 'The BFG", one of my least favourite Spielberg flicks. I was definitely wrong about "Ready Player One": it's a blast.

The film is fun in continually throwing surprises at you, including those actors not included in the trailer and only on small print on the poster. So I won't spoil that here for you (you can of course look them up on imdb if you want to: but I suggest you try to see this one 'cold').

It's 2044, and the majority of the population have taken the next logical step of video gaming and virtual reality and retreated into their own headsets, living out their lives primarily as avatars within the fanciful landscapes of "The Oasis". You can "be" anyone and (subject to gaining the necessary credits) "do" anything there.

The Oasis was the brainchild of a (Steve Wozniak-like) genius called James Halliday (played in enormous style by "Actor R") and supported by his (Steve Jobs-like) business partner Ogden Morrow ("Actor P"). The two had a big falling out leaving Halliday in total control of the Oasis. But he died, and his dying "game" was to devise a devious competition that left a trail of three virtual keys in the Oasis leading to an 'easter egg': which if found would provide the finder with total ownership of the Oasis and the trillions of dollars that it is worth.

But the game is not only played by amateur "gunters" (egg-hunters) like our hero Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan, "X-Men: Apocalypse") and his in-Oasis flirting partner Samantha (Olivia Cooke, "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl"); there are big corporate game-hunters involved like IoI (that's eye-oh-eye, not one-oh-one as I assumed from the trailer) who fill warehouses with combinations of nerd-consultants and professional game players to try to find the keys before anyone else. Which hardly seems fair does it? Ruthless boss Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn, "Rogue One") and his tough-as-nails hench-woman F'Nale Zandor (Hannah John-Kamen, "Tomb Raider") really couldn't give a toss!

What follows is two-hours of high-octane game-play and eye-popping 3D (it is good in 3D by the way) that melds a baseline of "Avatar" with soupçons of "Tron", "Minority Report" and Dan Brown novels. But its a blend that works.

I was afraid as I said that CGI would squash flat any hope of character development and story, and - yes - to be sure this is 'suppressed' a bit. You never get to really know many of the 'pack' members to any great level other than Wade and Samantha. And exactly what drives the corporate protagonists, other than "corporate greed", is not particularly clear. What gives the film heart though are the performances of "Actor P" and (particularly) "Actor R", who again steals every scene he is in. For their limited screen time together, the pair bounce off each other in a delightful way.

I have to make a confession at this point that I spent the whole film thinking "Miles Teller is way too old for the part of Wade"! Tye Sheridan (who I think *does* bear a likeness!) is actually much more age appropriate, and is fine in the role. But the star performance for me, out of the youngsters at least, was Oldham's-own Olivia Cooke, who has a genuinely magnetic screen presence. She is most definitely a name to watch for the future.

Almost unrecognizable in the role is the woman of the hour Letitia Wright ("Black Panther", "Thor: Ragnarok") as Wade's inventor friend Reb.

The story, although simple and quite one-dimensional, in the main intrigues: there is nothing like a Mario-style chase for keys to entertain when it is done well (I am so old and crusty that in my day it was "Manic Miner" on a ZX-Spectrum!).

And there's not just one "Easter Egg" in this film: the film is rammed to the rafters with throwbacks to classic pop-culture icons of past decades, and particularly the 80's.... the film could have been subtitled "I Heart 80's". Some of these are subliminal (Mayor Goldie Wilson anyone?), and others are more prominent but very clever: "The Zemekis cube" and "The Holy Hand Grenade" being prime examples. This is a film that deserves buying on Blu-ray and then slo-mo-ing through! The nostalgia extends to the music by Alan Silvestri, with occasional motifs from his most famous soundtrack!

For me though, the highspot of the film though is a journey into a recreation of a classic '80's film which - while a scary sequence, earning for sure its 12A UK rating - is done with verve and chutzpah.

The film is set up in 2045, when many human beings, escape from real world grief, using OASIS virtual reality software to engage in work and play. Wade Watts (Sheridan) orphaned teenagers find clues to hidden games in a program that promises to win full ownership of OASIS, and joins some allies to try to finish the game before players working in large companies run by entrepreneur Nolan Sorrento (Mendelsohn) can do so.

Ready Player One premiered on South by Southwest on March 11, 2018, theatrically released by Warner Bros Pictures in the United States on March 29, 2018, in 2D, Real D 3D, IMAX and IMAX 3D. Making it the fourth grossing film in 2018. The film received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its visuals, fast tempos, and Rylance's depictions of Haliday, and some people call this movie plot an improvement over the book. Criticism is directed at the lack of character development and the "progressively conscious" view of pop culture enthusiasts.

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Sherlock Gnomes

Sherlock Gnomes (2018)

Sherlock Gnomes is a 2018 3D computer-animated comedy film directed by John Stevenson. A sequel to 2011's Gnomeo & Juliet, the film stars the voices of James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mary J. Blige, and Johnny Depp. It was produced by Paramount Animation, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Rocket Pictures, with the animation service provided by Mikros Image. It is the first film from Paramount Animation to be entirely animated, and the first animated film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer since 2008's Igor.

Title: Sherlock Gnomes

Country: UK | USA

Language: English

Release Date: 23 March 2018 (Indonesia)

Runtime: 86 min

Director: John Stevenson

Writers: Ben Zazove (screenplay by), Andy Riley (story by)

Stars: Kelly Asbury, Mary J. Blige, Emily Blunt

• Synopsis
• Reviews

Meanwhile, Gnomeo and Juliet, as well as the other gnomes, are moving to London. While there, Gnomeo and Juliet are declared the new leaders of the garden. Gnomeo leaves to find a flower for the garden, but is caught. He and Juliet have a brief argument, but then find out that all the other gnomes have gone missing. Sherlock and Watson show up at the scene to investigate, and after Gnomeo and Juliet help them escape from a sewer, they all team up.

I was hesitant about seeing "Sherlock Gnomes", as its simple wordplay title makes it easy to dismiss. I tell you honestly, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and frankly at the end I was surprised by how much I had enjoyed it. It is far funnier, and far more creative, than its throw-away pun of a title would suggest.

True, the story, which takes often broad comedic swipes at a well-established literary franchise, dares to ask its audience to accept the dual conceits that not only do we humans share our world with clay/ceramic garden gnomes which are actually living sentient creatures, but also that one of them is a hyper-intelligent investigator with a strong sense of duty. But once the story gets going (lead into by a Looney Tunes-esque news report), it does prove to have a surprisingly complex plot, in which there is in fact is a mystery in need of solving.

Performances of minor and supporting characters range from acceptable to very good. The leads are very well done. Depp's Sherlock is arrogant and socially awkward yet comically unaware of this; he's also dry almost to the point of being the "straight man". Ejiofor readily elicits sympathy for his exasperated and put-upon Watson. McAvoy's Gnomeo and Blunt's Juliet are played with a good range of emotions, although in my opinion McAvoy goes further, for comedy/action effect.

With so many full-CGI movies today, especially those ostensibly meant for children, it's easy for the viewer to get jaded and miss the details. This is unfortunate, because often the filmmakers put great detail into their films which enrich the viewing, even if those details are only seen subconsciously. "Sherlock Gnomes" is just such a movie, with often stunningly-rendered CGI. In an "over the shoulder" shot of Sherlock talking with Juliet, the side of his pointy, aquiline nose can be seen; it shows flecks and minor chips like an actual ceramic figure would have. This gives more visual weight to the scene than it would've had if that surface were rendered simply as a smooth plane. In another scene, we see that the apron strings tied around Juliet's back are not three-dimensional moving objects; they are in fact rendered to look hand-painted on, as they would be on an actual garden figure. A city scene of people walking past shops is so well-rendered, for a moment I actually thought I was seeing footage rather than animation. Along with the quality of the CGI, this film also has highly creative visuals. Sherlock's "mind palace" sequences are beautifully rendered as line-art animations.

It is this rich detail which makes the film's one down point stand out so poorly. While the movie's soundtrack features much music by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, this is not a musical. For me, the inclusion of what was in essence a music video in the middle of the story was very jarring. The song is performed by a doll voiced by Mary J. Blige. Her character is well-rendered, and her dialogue is nicely delivered; however her singing style combined with the over-produced music made the lyrics almost entirely unintelligible. I found myself wandering off, which was regrettable because I realized I had been missing more great visuals. In the background are very impressive "dance troupe" animations which clearly have Ziegfeld/Berkeley/Esther Williams-esque choreography. These are easy to miss but definitely deserve to be noticed.

Some weak gags in the trailer are not used in the film, to the film's improvement; one that does remain leads to a "Hound of the Baskervilles" reference which works well.

March 23, 2018, by Paramount Pictures, unlike its predecessor, which was distributed by Touchstone Pictures

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Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider (2018)

Tomb Raider adalah film aksi Adventure, yang disutradarai oleh Roar Uthaug dengan skenario oleh Geneva Robertson-Dworet dan Alastair Siddons, dari cerita oleh Evan Daugherty dan Robertson-Dworet. Ini didasarkan pada video game 2013 dengan nama yang sama, dengan beberapa elemen sekuelnya oleh Crystal Dynamics, dan merupakan reboot dari seri film Tomb Raider. Bintang film Alicia Vikander sebagai Lara Croft, di mana ia memulai perjalanan ke tujuan terakhir, memecahkan misteri untuk memecahkan misteri. Dominic West, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu, dan Kristin Scott Thomas muncul dalam peran pendukung.

Title: Tomb Raider

Country: UK | USA

Language: English | Cantonese

Release Date: 16 March 2018 (USA)

Runtime: 118 min

Director: Roar Uthaug

Writers: Geneva Robertson-Dworet (screenplay by), Alastair Siddons (screenplay by)

Stars: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Walton Goggins

• Synopsis
• Reviews

Lara Croft is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen. Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose, Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike courier, barely making the rent, and takes college courses, rarely making it to class. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take the reins of her father's global empire just as staunchly as she rejects the idea that he's truly gone. Advised to face the facts and move forward after seven years without him, even Lara can't understand what drives her to finally solve the puzzle of his mysterious death. Going explicitly against his final wishes, she leaves everything she knows behind in search of her dad's last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. But her mission will not be an easy one; just reaching the island will be extremely treacherous. Suddenly, the stakes couldn't be higher for Lara, who-against the odds and armed with only her sharp mind, blind faith and inherently stubborn spirit-must learn to push herself beyond her limits as she journeys into the unknown. If she survives this perilous adventure, it could be the making of her, earning her the name tomb raider.

At first when I found out about the reboot of this iconic video game character movie, I admit that I had my doubts when they cast Alicia Vikander to play Lara Croft. My doubt was due to the her prior experience of mostly having dramatic roles rather than action role. It would really require a great physical attributes in order to play this heroine who was famous for her agility and ability to run and jump through a whole lot of dangerous places like in the video game. But it turned out my doubt was completely unwarranted. Alicia Vikander truly deserves the praise for being a new action star and she was really great in playing this role. There were soo many action sequences that required her to do all those stuff and what surprised and amazed me was the fact that she did all of her stunts.

This movie's main attraction was definitely all those wonderful action sequence. The plot/story line might not have been appealing to the movie critics as I also found it a bit weak. But that was not the point anyway. When we go to see Tomb Raider, the first thing that comes to people's mind would be lots of actions. The final third of the movie did not disappoint at all. Though I personally felt that the first half was not full of those. But whenever there were actions involved, they were always suspenseful and intense (my most favorite part would be when Lara was going through the jungle and waterfall until finally went to the ground).

In here the movie focused on Lara Croft's early days. Which means the movie was more of an origin story of Lara Croft. This was a nice different approach by the film makers. It was also rather a surprise that the movie was not directed by Hollywood's more well known action director. The director was Roar Uthaug, a Norwegian film maker whose prior experience were directing Norwegian films. But I personally think he did wonderful job on the action sequences.

As for other aspects like the sound effects, it was definitely great. The musical effect though not too good to my opinion (sometimes there was too much volume in certain scene which I think was to give more dramatic effect but felt unnecessary to my opinion). The special effects were good, and the CGI was done neatly & nicely. There were also few dramatic moments where my wife was also affected a bit. Oh there was also a brief fun appearance from Nick Frost. The other supporting characters in the movie that stood out was obviously Walter Goggins (as usual truly nailed it as a villain). The rest were OK, but sadly Daniel Wu's character was not really that great in here (not clear on whether he was supposed to be Lara's sidekick or what). The movie did not have middle or post end-credit scene, so you can relief yourself to the restroom if you have been holding off during the almost 2 hours duration of the movie.

Overall, this movie was a nice reboot of Lara Croft. Do not overthink the plot or the sometimes not really logical part like how Lara was so strong & very good in doing all those stunts despite not having the proper training. Go to this movie to be entertained by the amazing action sequence (even if Lara seemed to be always very lucky like what my wife said). If you enjoy this kind of movie or if you are a fan of Tomb Raider games, then I think it would be satisfying. But if you want to see a lot of the tomb raiding scenes like in the previous Tomb Raiders movies, or if you are looking for the Indiana Jones quality, then this might not be too fulfilling.

Principal photography took place from January to June 2017 at the Warner Bros. Studios in the United Kingdom and in Cape Town, South Africa. The first Tomb Raider film not to be distributed by Paramount Pictures, it was released in the United Kingdom on March 14, 2018 and in the United States on March 16, 2018, by Warner Bros. Pictures in RealD 3D, IMAX 3D and IMAX. It has grossed $268 million worldwide, making it the 10th highest-grossing film of 2018.

The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some criticizing the plot as "paint-by-numbers" but others praising the grittiness and realistic take on the franchise. While Vikander's performance was praised, the characterization of Croft drew a polarized response; some described her as a "capable, powerful and unobjectified heroine" while others called her bland and a "punching bag and onlooker

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Ferdinand

Ferdinand (2017)

Ferdinand is an animated comedy adventure movie of 2017 produced by Blue Sky Studios, Davis Entertainment, and 20th Century Fox Animation. The film is based on the book Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson's The Story of Ferdinand, written by Robert L. Baird, Tim Federle and Brad Copeland and directed by Carlos Saldanha. The film features John Cena's voice as a titular role, along with Kate McKinnon, Anthony Anderson, Bobby Cannavale, Peyton Manning, Gina Rodriguez, Daveed Diggs, Gabriel Iglesias, Miguel Ángel Silvestre and David Tennant. The story written by Ron Burch, David Kidd and Don Rhymer, follows a pacific pacifist bull named Ferdinand who refuses to participate in bullfights but is forced to return to the arena where his belief is challenged by facing the world's largest matador.

Title: Ferdinand

Country: USA

Language: English

Release: 11 November 2017 (USA) 

Runtime: 108 min

Director: Carlos Saldanha

Writers: Munro Leaf (based on the book by), Robert Lawson (based on the book by)

• Synopsis
• Reviews

Ferdinand, a little bull, prefers sitting quietly under a cork tree just smelling the flowers versus jumping around, snorting, and butting heads with other bulls. As Ferdinand grows big and strong, his temperament remains mellow, but one day five men come to choose the "biggest, fastest, roughest bull" for the bullfights in Madrid and Ferdinand is mistakenly chosen. Based on the classic 1936 children's book by Munro Leaf.

It seems that some people think the jokes in this movie fall flat and there is too much unnecessary clutter, but I honestly really really loved this movie. It was a reluctant choice after not finding anything else playing that we wanted to see, but man am I glad we saw it!

Ferdinand is the cutest bull I've ever seen, and I have to say I'm not familiar with this studio's other films but I thought the animation style was wonderful. I especially liked the wide range of expressions on Ferdinand's face throughout the movie, with a few close-ups that really captured the perfection of those expressions well.

The story itself was inspirational and heartwarming, full of examples and discussions on being yourself and breaking the mold and not letting anyone else define who you are. There were some heavy-handed moments that I'm not sure a younger viewer would understand, or possibly that may be too bleak for a very young viewer. Some of the humor was a little more adult-oriented, but most of it was clean, although sometimes rather stupid. The ending is pretty much exactly what you'd expect of a feel-good kid's movie, and I liked it very.

The film premiered on December 8, 2017 at the Dubai International Film Festival and was released theatrically in the United States on December 15, 2017, in 3D and 2D by 20th Century Fox, and received a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards.

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The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water (2017)

The Shape of Water is a romantic fantasy drama directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor. It stars Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer. Set in Baltimore in 1962, the story follows a silent keeper in a high-security government laboratory who falls in love with a captured humanoid amphibious creature.

Title: The Shape of Water

Country: USA

Language: English | American Sign Language | Russian | French

Release: 9 October 2017 (USA)

Runtime: 123 min

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Writers: Guillermo del Toro (screenplay by), Vanessa Taylor (screenplay by)

Stars: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon

• Synopsis
• Reviews

From master storyteller Guillermo del Toro comes THE SHAPE OF WATER, an otherworldly fable set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of isolation. Elisa's life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment. Rounding out the cast are Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Doug Jones.

The Shape of Water was directed/created by Guillermo Del Toro best known for creepy and violent films such as Pan's Labyrinth and more mainstream writings such as Hellboy and The Hobbit. For some reason he has had a dose of the lovestrucks and written a film that is basically Amelie meets Creature from the Black Lagoon. There are a couple of questionable violent scenes (torturing a dying man by dragging him around via a bullet wound to the cheek had a touch of the old GDT that we know and love) but the plot literally has no surprises whatsoever. I picked the minor twist about 10 minutes in, and spent the second half of the film waiting for it to be over.

I am sorry to say the only interesting part was the reveal (not literally) of the sea creature's penis via the main character's description which is frankly hilarious.

Octavia Spencer does a fantastic job of playing herself (Was this woman born middle aged?) but let's face it we love her anyway. I would love her to be my best friend, she's a hoot.

Michael Shannon (whom I remember from Take Shelter and Boardwalk Empire) plays a creepy bad guy in a way that makes me never want to have him around for Christmas lunch. Why does he always play someone sexually awkward? I pray we'll never find out.

I was most disappointed that unlike Pan's Labyrinth and some of the other films GDT has made it's not set in a fantastical different world. It's basically the 1950s cold war era in USA with no real pretense of being anything but. I was hoping for a magical realism, but other than the creature, there's no otherworldliness to it.

I am a solid romantic, but I found the plot so saccharine that it made me feel nauseous. There is also a sudden musical number that almost had me running for the aisle, and my sister desperate to see my husband's face (He's allergic to musicals generally). Apart from this light relief, I couldn't wait to get out of there.

I am pretty alone in this opinion, our party was split between 3 people who loved it, and my husband and I who hated it. Maybe if I hadn't seen other GDT films I would have liked it more. My husband also thought the trailer completely misrepresented what he expected from the film. So maybe we were in the wrong movie. But I think romance lovers won't like the art house element, and art house/GDT fans won't like this film. So I think commercially it will be hard to place.

The film plays in the main competition section of the 74th Venice International Film Festival, which premiered on August 31, 2017, and was awarded the Golden Lion for best film in the competition. It also plays at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. It began a limited release in two theaters in New York City on December 1, 2017, before it developed after December 8, 2017, and has grossed $ 192 million worldwide. Novelization by del Toro and Daniel Kraus was published on March 6,

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Coco

Coco (2017)

Coco is an animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Based on original ideas by Lee Unkrich, it is directed by it and directed by Adrian Molina. The story follows a 12-year-old boy named Miguel Rivera who was accidentally transferred to the land of the dead, where he sought help from his deceased great-grandfather to return him to his family among the living.

Title: Coco

Country: USA

Language: English | Spanish

Release: 21 November 2017 (USA)

Runtime: 105 min

Directors: Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina (co-director)

Writers: Lee Unkrich (original story by), Jason Katz (original story by)

Stars: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt

• Synopsis
• Reviews

Despite his family's baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.

Coco tells the story of young boy named Miguel living in Mexico (Coco is his great grandmother). Miguel loves music and must keep his love a secret from his family who has forbidden music of any kind since the days of his great great grandmother. On Día de Muertos, Miguel wants to enter a contest to showcase his musical talent, but his grandmother intervenes, reiterating the family's ban on music.

In his hunt for a suitable guitar to play, Miguel finds himself in the land of dead, meeting the spirits of those who have passed on. On his adventure he meets his musical hero, much of his deceased family, and a strange man who asks for his help and quickly becomes a close friend. Along the way, Miguel helps his new friend and his friend helps him understand the true significance of Día de Muertos.

Of course, the title character (Coco) turns out to play a vital role before the movie is over. When the moment arrives, she delivers something powerful, and it's beautiful. It moved me in a very satisfying way that felt well-earned and authentic, rather than manipulative, the way many movie moments of this sort feel.

Quick sidebar: when I took Spanish in high school, my teachers would occasionally incorporate culture from Spanish-speaking countries (usually Mexico) into the lessons. In some of these lessons, I learned about Día de Muertos. Sort of. I'm not sure if the lessons were lacking or if I just wasn't paying much attention to them. Regardless, I learned more about Día de Muertos from Coco than I did in four years of high school Spanish classes.

In high school, my understanding of Día de Muertos was that it was basically a Mexican Halloween. They raised spirits from the dead and played music or something, as I understood it. It seemed silly to me. After watching Coco I realized that the tradition is anything but silly.

It's not about the dressing up or the food or the music. It's about family and remembering those that came before us. Leave it to Pixar to not only entertain me, but also educate me about a rich and wonderful tradition of another culture.

The Coco concept is based on a Mexican holiday on the Day of the Dead. The film was written by Molina and Matthew Aldrich from stories by Unkrich, Jason Katz, Aldrich and Molina. Pixar began developing animations in 2016; Unkrich and some film crew visited Mexico for inspiration. Composer Michael Giacchino, who has worked on previous Pixar animation features, compiled the score. The sound of the film features the stars of Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renée Victor, Ana Ofelia Murguía, and Edward James Olmos.

Coco aired on October 20, 2017 during the Morelia International Film Festival in Morelia, Mexico. It was theatrically released in Mexico the following week, the weekend before Día de los Muertos, and became the best-selling film of all time in the country. The album was released in the United States on November 22, 2017 and was praised for its animation, vocal performances, music, emotional tales, and respect for Mexican culture.

The recipient of several awards, Coco was selected by the National Board of Review as Best Animation Film 2017. The film won two Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song ("Remember Me"). In addition, he also won Best Animated Film at BAFTA Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Critical Choice Film Awards, and Annie Awards.

Really very popular animated film

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Justice League

Justice League (2017)

Justice League is a 2017 American superhero film based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the fifth installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film is directed by Zack Snyder, with a screenplay by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon, from a story by Terrio and Snyder, and features an ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, and J. K. Simmons. In Justice League, the superhero team, consisting of Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg forms to honor the memory of Superman and to save Earth from the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons.

Title: Justice League

Country: USA | UK | Canada

Language: English | Irish | Russian | Icelandic

Release: 13 November 2017 (USA)

Runtime: 120 min

Director: Zack Snyder

Writers: Chris Terrio (screenplay by), Joss Whedon (screenplay by)

Stars: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa

• Synopsis
• Reviews

Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes-Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash-it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

The long anticipated "Justice League" has finally arrived finally combining the biggest stars of the DC universe into one film. The proposed film has faced many obstacles on the way to the big screen ranging from script issues, massive reshoots and a change of Director for said reshoots due to a family tragedy that Director Zack Snyder suffered.

The film follows Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Godot), as they look to assemble a team of other gifted individuals to help fight off a pending invasion. The death of Superman has left a void on the Earth, and this has paved the way for an ancient evil to return as he attempts to conquer the planet after he collects the three needed artifacts that his plan requires.

In a race against time, Batman and Wonder Woman recruit Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher), to battle to save the planet. Naturally they battle amongst themselves as well as their massing enemies but ultimately decide on a dangerous plan that can tip the odds in their favor and save the day.

The action in the film is good but it often plays out like a video game. With so many blatantly obvious CGI backgrounds, the movie looked like a video game. There were numerous scenes that looked like they were lifted from Injustice and Injustice 2 that I muse d to myself that someone must have used their Power Up for the shot. Affleck and Gadot are good and work well with one another, but there are some serious casting issues with the film. The biggest for me was Ezra Miller as The Flash. I did not like his effeminate, nerdy, socially awkward, and neurotic and at times cowardly take on the character. This is not the Barry Allen I grew up reading in comics or the one that has been portrayed twice in a much better fashion on television. His comic relief status grew old fast and his character really offered little to the film.

It has been well-documented that Joss Whedon not only handled the rewrites for the film but took over directing duties to complete the film. You can see elements of his humor scattered throughout and the film does move along at a steady pace without dragging.

The biggest issue is that so many of the characters are just stiff and one-dimensional. They really are not overly interesting so it is hard to really connect with them and the tasks they are facing. Unlike Marvel who have excelled with dysfunctional groups who fight amongst themselves as well as the forces of evil, this group seems to be going through the paces rather than being fully engaged with the task at hand and each other.

The film was announced in October 2014, with Snyder on board to direct and Terrio attached to write the script. Initially titled Justice League Part One, with a second part to follow in 2019, the second film was indefinitely delayed to accommodate a standalone Batman film with Affleck. Principal photography commenced in April 2016 and ended in October 2016. Snyder then hired Joss Whedon to write scenes that would be filmed during reshoots; however, Snyder left the project in May 2017 following the death of his daughter. Whedon was hired to oversee the remainder of post-production, including directing additional scenes written by himself. Snyder received sole director credit for the film, while Whedon received a screenwriting credit.

With an estimated production budget of $300 million, Justice League is one of the most expensive films ever made. It premiered in Beijing on October 26, 2017, and was released in the United States in 2D, 3D, and IMAX on November 17, 2017. The film underperformed at the box office, grossing just $657 million worldwide against its massive budget, making it the lowest of the DCEU. Up against an estimated break-even point of as much as $750 million, the film lost the studio an estimated $60 million. It received mixed reviews from critics; the action sequences, visual effects, and performances (particularly Gadot and Miller) were praised, while the plot, writing, pacing, villain, and overuse of CGI were criticized. The film's tone was met with a polarized reception, with some appreciating the lighter tone compared to previous DC films, while others found it inconsistent.

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The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature

The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature (2017)

The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature is a 2017 3D computer-animated comedy film directed by Escape from Planet Earth creator Cal Brunker and written by Brunker, Bob Barlen and Scott Bindley. A sequel to The Nut Job (2014), it stars the voices of Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph, Jackie Chan, Katherine Heigl, Bobby Moynihan, Bobby Cannavale, Isabela Moner, Jeff Dunham, and Gabriel Iglesias. Produced by Gulfstream Pictures, Redrover International and ToonBox Entertainment, the film was released theatrically on August 11, 2017, by Open Road Films.

Title: The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature

Country: South Korea | Canada

Language: English

Release Date: 11 August 2017 (USA)

Runtime: 91 min

Director: Cal Brunker

Writers: Bob Barlen, Cal Brunker, Scott Bindley, Peter Lepeniotis

Stars: Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph, Bobby Cannavale

• Synopsis
• Reviews

Surly and his friends, Buddy, Andie, and Precious, discover that the mayor of Oakton City is cracking one big hustle to build a giant amusement park, which in turn will bulldoze their home. The animals must stop the mayor, his daughter, and a mad animal control officer in order to take back the city park.

Expectations admittedly were not high going into 'The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature'. Didn't think that highly of the first film, while not hating it (a case of great animation and some vocal standouts but very lazy writing), and like with the first film the advertising was not promising at all. Judging from how a number of sequels fare, the point of 'The Nut Job' actually needing a sequel was questioned.

Being a lifelong fan of animation and seeing as there are some good actors in the vocal cast, doubts were cast aside despite not expecting much. So it was a surprise that 'The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature' was much better than expected, actually not being a bad film and better than the advertising made it look, and was an improvement over its predecessor. It may not be a great film and not a film that will go down in history or be remembered for years to come, but it could have been far worse.

'The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature' has a number of strengths. The animation is great, and more polished than the animation in 'The Nut Job'. It's colourful and vibrant-looking, with admirable attention to detail in the expressions (especially with Buddy) and backgrounds and the characters are cute without being cutesy and look more polished in design. The bright and breezy soundtrack is also very catchy, even enhancing what's going on and there is nothing that makes you groan like "Gangnam Style".

On the most part, the voice acting is very good. A bubbly and sassy Maya Rudolph, a ray of sunshine and really makes the film come alive, is the standout, and Jackie Chan was a big surprise. He seemed a bizarre casting choice on paper but he came over as very lively and also gave some verve. Bobby Cannavale is charming and amusing, and while Buddy is largely silent (ah the power of making a character fun and likable through actions and expressions primarily with not so many words) Tom Kenny proves how talented he is and the chemistry between Buddy and Surly gives the film some heart.

Will Arnett and Katherine Heigl are much better than before. Arnett this time doesn't take Surly's surliness to extremes and he doesn't come over as too snarky or smug, voicing with more energy and wit. Heigl tones down the Rom-com cutesiness and does well being the voice of reason. Generally the writing is better. Liked the relatable and relevant messages and how they were dealt with in the film, children and adults alike will appreciate them. Likewise with the homages, recognising them and how they were integrated put a smile on my face, and there were some witty one liners and amusing gags that are generally more tasteful. Oh and the mice are scene stealers.

However, while 'The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature' is tighter paced and there is more of a story it feels too much this time round. The story can feel too busy and rushed, with too much going on and too many characters. This does sacrifice depth to the characters and the subplots, which tend to be underdeveloped. The humour doesn't come off consistently either, needing sharper timing and a less frenetic pace.

Parts did feel tired and are more juvenile than witty. While the humour is more tasteful generally, one gag does come over as vulgar and leaves a bad taste in the mouth involving vomiting out food and eating it up again (not to be viewed while eating).

A few of the characters don't work, especially the hugely irritating Heather voiced in an overbearingly shrill manner by Isabela Moner. The clichéd mayor character annoys more than he intimidates. Gunther is wonderfully voiced by Peter Stormare and he is the fun and menacing character that the mayor should have been, but there are times where the character is at odds with the rest of the film's tone.

Source from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2395427/reviews?ref_=tt_urv

Although classified as old movies, but it would not hurt if you watch again, because the movie in my opinion bener bener extraordinary good

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The Mummy

The Mummy (2017)

The Mummy is a 2017 American action-adventure film directed by Alex Kurtzman and written by David Koepp, Christopher McQuarrie and Dylan Kussman, with a story by Kurtzman, Jon Spaihts and Jenny Lumet. It is a reboot of The Mummy franchise and the first installment in Universal's planned Dark Universe franchise. The film stars Tom Cruise as a US soldier who accidentally unearths the ancient tomb of an entrapped Egyptian princess (Sofia Boutella). Annabelle Wallis, Jake Johnson, Courtney B. Vance and Russell Crowe also star.

Title: The Mummy

Country: China | Japan | USA

Language: English | Egyptian (Ancient)

Release: 9 June 2017 (USA)

Runtime: 110 min

Director: Alex Kurtzman

Writers: David Koepp (screenplay by), Christopher McQuarrie

Stars: Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, Annabelle Wallis

• Synopsis
• Reviews

Though safely entombed in a crypt deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient princess, whose destiny was unjustly taken from her, is awakened in our current day bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia, and terrors that defy human comprehension.

TheMummy is supposed to be the beginning of Universal's ambitious Dark Universe that showcases their classic monsters in one big shared cinematic crossover, then they're off to a terrible start.

There's probably only a couple of sequences that somewhat thrill, the rest are just a continuous string of one poorly written, poorly acted and poorly executed scene after another. It feels more like sitting in a dentist's waiting room as opposed to rockin' on a roller coaster ride. And Tom Cruise is just wrong for this role, a huge case of miscast. Perhaps they should just press the reboot button again.

Sofia Boutella plays an evil ancient princess imprisoned in a tomb deep beneath the unforgiving desert. When a couple of treasure hunters and an archaeologist awaken her in our present day, she returns to life to reclaim her destiny while at the same time unleashing unimaginable terrors in this new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters. Co-starring Tom Cruise, Annabelle Wallis, Russell Crowe and Jake Johnson, directed by Alex Kurtzman.

The concept of what the writers and director Alex Kurtzman is trying to present to us with "The Mummy" is nothing new, in fact it's quite predictable, but the biggest problem about it is that along the way from point A to point B, they fill it in with moments that just don't work. And it gets even more frustrating when they bring it up again the second, third and fourth time as if shoving it down our throats would make it better. The jokes fall flat so much so you kinda feel sorry for Jake Johnson who clearly wants to make some effort as this film's comic relief. There are also parts that are just absolutely pointless and unnecessary. The characters including Dr. Jekyll frequently draw conclusions out of their butts. I do think "The Mummy" is what happens when the story is forced to serve the visual spectacle instead of the other way around. That said, rising star Sofia Boutella is a marvelous choice, she exudes that thirst for power effortlessly in addition to being incredibly seductive.

But of course, just as expected, instead of it being a movie about Sofia Boutella's The Mummy, it becomes all about Tom Cruise, who as I said earlier is just awfully wrong for this role. I understand that the studios probably think that banking on a A-lister would translate into box office results, but fact of the matter is outside "Mission: Impossible" franchise, Cruise just doesn't fit anywhere else anymore. The character that he plays here is is a thieving treasure hunter, much like Nathan Drake from "Uncharted" games, but all you see on the screen instead is special agent Ethan Hunt desperately trying to be someone he's not. By the end of "The Mummy" you're going to have second thoughts about anticipating the next installment of this Dark Universe, and you're going to want to wish Brendan Fraser had still been around.

Source from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2395427/reviews?ref_=tt_urv

The Mummy premiered at the State Theatre in Sydney, Australia on May 22, 2017, and was theatrically released in the United States on June 9, 2017, in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D.The film received generally negative reviews from critics and seven nominations at the 38th Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture, Worst Director for Kurtzman, Worst Actor for Cruise, Worst Supporting Actor for Crowe and Worst Supporting Actress for Boutella. Also, despite grossing $409 million worldwide, it was labeled a box office bomb given its high production and marketing costs, with projected losses up to $95 million.

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Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (released outside North America as Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge) is a 2017 American swashbuckler fantasy film. It is the fifth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series and the sequel to On Stranger Tides (2011). The film is directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg from a script by Jeff Nathanson, with Jerry Bruckheimer serving again as producer. Johnny Depp, Kevin McNally and Geoffrey Rush reprise their roles as Jack Sparrow, Joshamee Gibbs and Hector Barbossa, respectively, and are joined in the cast by Javier Bardem, Brenton Thwaites and Kaya Scodelario.

Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Country: USA

Language: English | Spanish

Release Date: 18 May 2017 (USA)

Runtime: 129 min

Directors: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg

Writers: Jeff Nathanson (screenplay by), Jeff Nathanson (story by)

Stars: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Javier Bardem

• Synopsis
• Reviews

Captain Jack Sparrow finds the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost pirates led by his old nemesis, the terrifying Captain Salazar, escape from the Devil's Triangle, determined to kill every pirate at sea...including him. Captain Jack's only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, a powerful artifact that bestows upon its possessor total control over the seas.

Finally a Pirates of the Caribbean movie that I felt quite at par with the original one. I felt in this movie, the elements of entertainment were quite abundant. Unlike in the 4th installment, I think this one is funnier, more thrilling and gave the sense of happiness at the end. This time,, the movie was not solely telling the story of Jack Sparrow. Instead the other characters, especially Henry and Carina were given quite a lot screen time. It was nice to see Jack Sparrow's charm and wit plus his insistence of helping other people.

This movie provided some background story of Jack while he was young, which was very interesting to see. The movie was filled with lots of fun and laughter but also few brief touching moments. The story was good and there were some surprises too. As a high budget movie, the movie was filled with very good special effects (some done by the Industrial Light Magic). I totally loved the effects of the deads (Salazar's crews), his ship and of course the very cool special effects at the end.

I also felt that the movie did not have any dull moment. From beginning till the end, there were always something interesting to see. My wife and I were entertained throughout the whole movie which was having a duration of a little over 2 hours. Amazingly, due to the sense of excitement, my wife was able to hold going to the bathroom till finished. I guess she forgotten about it while watching.

Actually, even though I looked forward to see this movie, I was a bit skeptical at first about whether this one would be good enough. I felt that the 4th one was a little bit dull, and also a bit forced. The story for that one did not feel strong enough and certainly did not give a lot of impression. But this one really felt it was worthy of giving another sequel after this. Especially if you wait till the very end, after the end-credit scene, where we were given something interesting to ponder. Might be the potential story for the sequel? Perhaps if this one is successful enough.

I believe this one really worth to see. I am happy to see Johnny Depp in this movie which I hope would be a commercial success for him. Since his past few movies were unfortunately not really successful ones. Maybe people grew tired of his acting as unusual characters. So if you are looking for something fun, light, interesting movie with funny charming pirate and treasure hunt story, you should definitely watch this one. I am confident you would be entertained like my wife and I were.

The filmmakers cited the series' first installment, The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), as inspiration for the script and tone of the film. Pre-production for the film started shortly before On Stranger Tides was released in early 2011, with Terry Rossio writing the initial script. In early 2013, Jeff Nathanson was hired to write a new script for the film, with Depp being involved in Nathanson's writing process. Initially planned for a 2015 release, the film was delayed to 2016 and then to 2017, after 6 years of development hell, due to script and budget issues. Principal photography started in Australia in February 2015, after the Australian government offered Disney $20 million in tax incentives, and ended in July 2015.

Dead Men Tell No Tales was released in conventional, 3D, and IMAX formats on May 26, 2017. The film received mixed reviews, with most critics believing the series had run its course, though many considered the film an improvement over its immediate predecessors. The film was a financial success, grossing $794 million worldwide against an estimated budget of $230 to $320 million, though Dead Men Tell No Tales is the second-lowest grossing installment of the series.

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