My Sister's Keeper: Movie Review
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Sofia Vassilieva, Jason
Patric, Alec Baldwin, Thomas Dekker
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Take the tissues.
Adapted from the novel of the same name by Jodi Picoult, this is the tale of
Kate and her dysfunctional family, the Fitzgeralds.
They're as dysfunctional as any normal family - except for two differences:
Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) has leukaemia and her sister Anna (Breslin) has been
created for the sole purpose of donating organs/ blood/ cells to help get her
through the treatment.
Only there are two problems with this - one, Kate's getting sicker and two,
her sister Anna's gone to a lawyer to seek medical emancipation so she can live
her life and not always endure painful operations for Kate.
With that in mind, the scene is set for a showdown, heartbreak and plenty of
tears - as well as a sprinkling of flashbacks to life before the illness.
My Sister's Keeper is what you'd expect - it's emotionally manipulative in
parts (right down to the slow motion backed with piano music and power ballads)
and will be guaranteed to move even the most hard hearted of cinemagoers to
succumb to tears.
However, while there is severe over milking of the emotional issues at stake
- a family torn apart trying to do the right thing, a dying young girl wanting
her family to heal and a couple of moments - and dialogue - designed purely to
pull at the heartstrings, what will surprise you is the unshowy performances of
the ensemble cast.
Sofia Vassilieva doesn't make Kate mawkish and sad sack - she brings a quiet
dignity to the dying girl who has realized her time is up; likewise Abigail
Breslin does well as the sister grown purely to help her sister and failing to
do so; Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric play admirable roles in making the
suffering parents whose lives have been dragged through the wringer a reality;
and Thomas Dekker's fellow sufferer shows a depth of subtlety hinted at during
TV2's Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
My Sister's Keeper won't win any prizes for originality and there are a few
cloying plot holes (how can a mother who's a lawyer be involved in the case of
her daughter without it being a conflict of interest is just one), and perhaps
the sentimentality has been heaped on a little too much. But what it does do is
show the importance of family at times of crisis and how devastating a disease
cancer continues to be during and after life.
If
you're in the mood for having your heart strings pulled and want an emotional
release which will see you crying buckets, then My Sister's Keeper strays on
just the right side of sentimental mawkishness - thanks to the performances of
its cast, you'll be heading out into the foyer sniffing and holding on tightly
to the one you love.
Thursday, 5 November 2009
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: Movie Review
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus: Movie Review
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Verne Troyer, Lily Cole, Tom Waits, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Andrew Garfield
Director: Terry Gilliam
Let's start by addressing the elephant in the room - yes, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is the last film with Heath Ledger in following his untimely death.
But it's important to note, he's only part of an ensemble cast - and isn't the real star of the film; granted there'll be a lot of attention on it because of that, but that's not the main reason to see this.
Anyway, I've got a bit ahead of myself there - plot wise, it's the fantasy tale of Dr Parnassus (a wonderfully world weary Christopher Plummer) who travels the land with his carnival troupe (including Verne Troyer of Austin Powers fame) and his daughter Valentina (a porcelain doll like Lily Cole).
Granted immortality, Parnassus is locked in an ongoing battle with Tom Waits' Devil - and the Devil has arrived to collect his due. You see, years ago, Parnassus wagered his first born and now to stop the Devil taking what's his, he bets he can win over five souls.
Into this mélange of madness in modern day London, arrives Heath Ledger's shyster Tony. Mysteriously left for dead, he's taken in by the troupe - and could be the tipping point in Parnassus' quest to finally beat the Devil.
Yes, it's sprawling and a bit unfocussed at times, but The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is perhaps one of the most visually original pieces of cinema you'll ever see - there are flashes of pure genius from director Terry Gilliam as he weaves his surreal web.
Within minutes of the film's slightly sinister opening, we're thrown directly into the wondrous world of The Imaginarium and see what wonders it offers those who peer in. I don't really want to spoil the visual surprises on offer moments into the film - but suffice it to say, I'm pretty sure you'll have never seen anything this audacious or original up on the big screen before - both in terms of landscapes and scale - it's simply awe inducing.
If there's a star to this film, then it's director Terry Gilliam - while Ledger shows why he was always a cinematic presence, his dodgy dealer Tony, with his Jack Sparrowesque stylings, is not as outstanding a performance as his portrayal of Joker in The Dark Knight (although it was never meant to be). The rest of the cast are pretty damn good too - from Waits' seedy Devil to Plummer's put upon Parnassus, to Lily Cole's debut performance; each rise to the challenge laid down by their director.
Gilliam has had the wonderful visionary flair to create something magical among the mundane; his flights of fancy transform the film and turn it into something fantastical and new.
It was, after all, his vision which allowed him to give the film a life after Heath Ledger's death; it was his idea which gave Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law the chance to be part of it - and he manages their arrival into proceedings flawlessly and so perfectly, you have to double take how you've been given the visual equivalent of sleight of hand.
It's not a perfect film - and its rambling ways and narrative sometimes threaten to derail it; but for flights of fancy and unique spectacle, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is astonishing on so many levels. The journey is fantastic and so moving that by the end, you'll fight hard to keep a tear back.
If this is Ledger's legacy, then he can be grateful Terry Gilliam helmed his final outing - because what they've produced is simply unique. Easily one of the best films of the year - if only for the sheer audaciousness of it all.
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Verne Troyer, Lily Cole, Tom Waits, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, Andrew Garfield
Director: Terry Gilliam
Let's start by addressing the elephant in the room - yes, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is the last film with Heath Ledger in following his untimely death.
But it's important to note, he's only part of an ensemble cast - and isn't the real star of the film; granted there'll be a lot of attention on it because of that, but that's not the main reason to see this.
Anyway, I've got a bit ahead of myself there - plot wise, it's the fantasy tale of Dr Parnassus (a wonderfully world weary Christopher Plummer) who travels the land with his carnival troupe (including Verne Troyer of Austin Powers fame) and his daughter Valentina (a porcelain doll like Lily Cole).
Granted immortality, Parnassus is locked in an ongoing battle with Tom Waits' Devil - and the Devil has arrived to collect his due. You see, years ago, Parnassus wagered his first born and now to stop the Devil taking what's his, he bets he can win over five souls.
Into this mélange of madness in modern day London, arrives Heath Ledger's shyster Tony. Mysteriously left for dead, he's taken in by the troupe - and could be the tipping point in Parnassus' quest to finally beat the Devil.
Yes, it's sprawling and a bit unfocussed at times, but The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is perhaps one of the most visually original pieces of cinema you'll ever see - there are flashes of pure genius from director Terry Gilliam as he weaves his surreal web.
Within minutes of the film's slightly sinister opening, we're thrown directly into the wondrous world of The Imaginarium and see what wonders it offers those who peer in. I don't really want to spoil the visual surprises on offer moments into the film - but suffice it to say, I'm pretty sure you'll have never seen anything this audacious or original up on the big screen before - both in terms of landscapes and scale - it's simply awe inducing.
If there's a star to this film, then it's director Terry Gilliam - while Ledger shows why he was always a cinematic presence, his dodgy dealer Tony, with his Jack Sparrowesque stylings, is not as outstanding a performance as his portrayal of Joker in The Dark Knight (although it was never meant to be). The rest of the cast are pretty damn good too - from Waits' seedy Devil to Plummer's put upon Parnassus, to Lily Cole's debut performance; each rise to the challenge laid down by their director.
Gilliam has had the wonderful visionary flair to create something magical among the mundane; his flights of fancy transform the film and turn it into something fantastical and new.
It was, after all, his vision which allowed him to give the film a life after Heath Ledger's death; it was his idea which gave Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law the chance to be part of it - and he manages their arrival into proceedings flawlessly and so perfectly, you have to double take how you've been given the visual equivalent of sleight of hand.
It's not a perfect film - and its rambling ways and narrative sometimes threaten to derail it; but for flights of fancy and unique spectacle, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is astonishing on so many levels. The journey is fantastic and so moving that by the end, you'll fight hard to keep a tear back.
If this is Ledger's legacy, then he can be grateful Terry Gilliam helmed his final outing - because what they've produced is simply unique. Easily one of the best films of the year - if only for the sheer audaciousness of it all.
Monday, 2 November 2009
Blackadder: Ultimate Collection: DVD Review
Blackadder: Ultimate Collection: DVD Review
Blackadder: The Ultimate Edition - Remastered
Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Entertainment/ BBC
Cast: Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Tim McInnery, Miranda Richardson
Ah Black Adder, the bastion of comedy quotes since it first began back in 1983 and much loved still, despite being just shy of its thirtieth birthday.
It was the sitcom which saw Rowan Atkinson charm the public (before he goofed around as bumbling idiot Mr Bean) and watching this wonderfully remastered collection of all four series and three after show specials, it's easy to see why.
From the brilliant wordplay to the continuing lunacy - and indeed poignancy - the show's got an enduring urbane appeal and is guaranteed to make you laugh time and again.
Admittedly, the first series was not one of the best -but by the time, Richard Curtis had found his feet in the Elizabethan years, BlackAdder was guaranteed a place in Television history.
And this set should be guaranteed a place in a) TV on DVD history and b) on your shelves at home. Not only content with remastering each of the quartet of series, there's a whole host of interviews/ behind the scenes footage and documentaries for the most ardent of fan to delve into. And if you're not a fan, you'll pretty much be guaranteed to be one at the end of the set.
It's difficult to pick one stand alone moment from the set - from Tony Robinson's suffering buffoon Baldrick to Hugh Laurie's performances throughout, there's more than enough to ensure repeat viewing.
But it's hard to beat the closing moments of BlackAdder Goes Forth when it comes to poignancy - having suffered the idiocy of life in the trenches during World War I, the gang finally goes over the Top to certain death. There was not a dry eye in the house back in 1989 when it first screened - and 20 years on, it still puts a lump in your throat.
If the series are great, then it's a testament to why it never worked 100% afterwards - while the specials are good, they don't hold a candle upto the originals (and certainly the ill conceived BlackAdder Back and Forth shows that) but for a completist, this 6 disc set (which clocks in at over 16 hours) is the perfect way to wile away any spare time you may have.
Extras: Too numerous to list here - but commentaries and extended interviews from the cast and Richard Curtis, Costumes Revisited, an hour doco celebrating the show's 25th anniversary are just a few of the goodies on offer here.
Rating: 9/10
Blackadder: The Ultimate Edition - Remastered
Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Entertainment/ BBC
Cast: Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Tim McInnery, Miranda Richardson
Ah Black Adder, the bastion of comedy quotes since it first began back in 1983 and much loved still, despite being just shy of its thirtieth birthday.
It was the sitcom which saw Rowan Atkinson charm the public (before he goofed around as bumbling idiot Mr Bean) and watching this wonderfully remastered collection of all four series and three after show specials, it's easy to see why.
From the brilliant wordplay to the continuing lunacy - and indeed poignancy - the show's got an enduring urbane appeal and is guaranteed to make you laugh time and again.
Admittedly, the first series was not one of the best -but by the time, Richard Curtis had found his feet in the Elizabethan years, BlackAdder was guaranteed a place in Television history.
And this set should be guaranteed a place in a) TV on DVD history and b) on your shelves at home. Not only content with remastering each of the quartet of series, there's a whole host of interviews/ behind the scenes footage and documentaries for the most ardent of fan to delve into. And if you're not a fan, you'll pretty much be guaranteed to be one at the end of the set.
It's difficult to pick one stand alone moment from the set - from Tony Robinson's suffering buffoon Baldrick to Hugh Laurie's performances throughout, there's more than enough to ensure repeat viewing.
But it's hard to beat the closing moments of BlackAdder Goes Forth when it comes to poignancy - having suffered the idiocy of life in the trenches during World War I, the gang finally goes over the Top to certain death. There was not a dry eye in the house back in 1989 when it first screened - and 20 years on, it still puts a lump in your throat.
If the series are great, then it's a testament to why it never worked 100% afterwards - while the specials are good, they don't hold a candle upto the originals (and certainly the ill conceived BlackAdder Back and Forth shows that) but for a completist, this 6 disc set (which clocks in at over 16 hours) is the perfect way to wile away any spare time you may have.
Extras: Too numerous to list here - but commentaries and extended interviews from the cast and Richard Curtis, Costumes Revisited, an hour doco celebrating the show's 25th anniversary are just a few of the goodies on offer here.
Rating: 9/10
The Reader: DVD Review
The Reader: DVD Review
The Reader
Cast: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross
Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
From director Stephen Daldry, this is the film which finally saw Kate Winslet enter the pantheon of Oscar winners after five prior nominations.
She stars as Hanna Schmitz, who begins a torrid affair with a 15 year old boy Michael Berg (a stunning turn by David Kross). Years later, when the pair's paths cross again, he's enrolled in a law school and she's on trial for war crimes - not exactly the reunion either would have planned&
The Reader sees Daldry tread some tricky ground - it's difficult to feel anything too much for Schmitz's character because Winslet plays her as cold, unemotional and very matter of fact. Although he does make it an interesting look at how far some would go to protect a secret.
It starts off as a love affair type story and then switches to a court room drama which packs a bit of an emotional sucker punch around the 90 minute mark.
Ralph Fiennes is okay as the elder Michael Berg who ends up dealing with the emotional fall out of his relationship with Schmitz; but it's David Kross who carries most of the film with his performance - it's a compelling turn from a relative newcomer which anchors the film and provides an emotional heart to what is, by all accounts, a thespian's dream role.
The solid extras (the usual docos of behind the scenes and trailers) round off a reasonable package - and while The Reader may not be the easiest night's entertainment, it's certainly understandable to see why the Academy honoured this performance from Winslet.
Extras: Making The Reader; Kate Winslet on the art of ageing Hanna Schmitz; A New Voice- a look at the Reader's composer; Production Designer and a trailer flesh out the DVD
Rating: 7/10
The Reader
Cast: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross
Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
From director Stephen Daldry, this is the film which finally saw Kate Winslet enter the pantheon of Oscar winners after five prior nominations.
She stars as Hanna Schmitz, who begins a torrid affair with a 15 year old boy Michael Berg (a stunning turn by David Kross). Years later, when the pair's paths cross again, he's enrolled in a law school and she's on trial for war crimes - not exactly the reunion either would have planned&
The Reader sees Daldry tread some tricky ground - it's difficult to feel anything too much for Schmitz's character because Winslet plays her as cold, unemotional and very matter of fact. Although he does make it an interesting look at how far some would go to protect a secret.
It starts off as a love affair type story and then switches to a court room drama which packs a bit of an emotional sucker punch around the 90 minute mark.
Ralph Fiennes is okay as the elder Michael Berg who ends up dealing with the emotional fall out of his relationship with Schmitz; but it's David Kross who carries most of the film with his performance - it's a compelling turn from a relative newcomer which anchors the film and provides an emotional heart to what is, by all accounts, a thespian's dream role.
The solid extras (the usual docos of behind the scenes and trailers) round off a reasonable package - and while The Reader may not be the easiest night's entertainment, it's certainly understandable to see why the Academy honoured this performance from Winslet.
Extras: Making The Reader; Kate Winslet on the art of ageing Hanna Schmitz; A New Voice- a look at the Reader's composer; Production Designer and a trailer flesh out the DVD
Rating: 7/10
Family Guy: Season Eight: DVD Review
Family Guy: Season Eight: DVD Review
Family Guy: Season Eight
Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Seth Green, aka Peter, Lois, Stewie, Brian, Quagmire, Cleveland
Rating: 13 for violence, offensive language and sexual references
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Cancelled and resurrected, it's no wonder animated hit Family Guy continues to push it as far as it can.
In this latest batch of 13 episodes (taken from the show's actual sixth and seventh season broadcasts), the gang go to the limits of taste, humour, depravity - and perhaps least surprisingly, language.
It's hard to sum up what on earth the creators of Family Guy have in mind when they create these episodes; sometimes, even I'm surprised at what they manage to conjure up on the screen - in amongst these latest eps are such bizarre moments as Stewie the megalomaniac child and pooch Brian end up in Poland on the day Germany invade; Brian loses his girlfriend to Cleveland, Peter manages to lose his family to James Wood thanks to identity theft&.seriously, at times, there appears to be no rhyme or reason to this show.
And yet, if you're not easily offended (and this latest uncut DVD does have some very strong language in places) Family Guy is still a really guilty pleasure as you find yourself laughing at something and then checking no-one saw you giggle.
While the humour is risky and borderline offensive, the antics are at times deeply amusing - and creator Seth MacFarlane continues to push it right to the edge.
Riddled throughout with homages to other films and pop culture, Family Guy works best when it parodies famous moments - Brian channeling Snoopy at a Hallowe'en party is very very funny - and doesn't veer too far into the overtly obscene.
The latest set will appeal to fans of the show and maybe appall some new fans - but with commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as featurettes, there's plenty of extras to get your teeth into.
But it's aimed at a certain audience - Baby Stewie continues to amuse as ever - and goodness alone knows why Lois puts up with the sometimes downright stupid antics of her husband (but then why does Marge always support Homer?) - and all in all, Family Guy continues to plough its own comedy route.
Family Guy will never be totally mainstream - and perhaps that's a good thing.
Extras: Commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as four featurettes
Rating 7/10
Family Guy: Season Eight
Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Seth Green, aka Peter, Lois, Stewie, Brian, Quagmire, Cleveland
Rating: 13 for violence, offensive language and sexual references
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Cancelled and resurrected, it's no wonder animated hit Family Guy continues to push it as far as it can.
In this latest batch of 13 episodes (taken from the show's actual sixth and seventh season broadcasts), the gang go to the limits of taste, humour, depravity - and perhaps least surprisingly, language.
It's hard to sum up what on earth the creators of Family Guy have in mind when they create these episodes; sometimes, even I'm surprised at what they manage to conjure up on the screen - in amongst these latest eps are such bizarre moments as Stewie the megalomaniac child and pooch Brian end up in Poland on the day Germany invade; Brian loses his girlfriend to Cleveland, Peter manages to lose his family to James Wood thanks to identity theft&.seriously, at times, there appears to be no rhyme or reason to this show.
And yet, if you're not easily offended (and this latest uncut DVD does have some very strong language in places) Family Guy is still a really guilty pleasure as you find yourself laughing at something and then checking no-one saw you giggle.
While the humour is risky and borderline offensive, the antics are at times deeply amusing - and creator Seth MacFarlane continues to push it right to the edge.
Riddled throughout with homages to other films and pop culture, Family Guy works best when it parodies famous moments - Brian channeling Snoopy at a Hallowe'en party is very very funny - and doesn't veer too far into the overtly obscene.
The latest set will appeal to fans of the show and maybe appall some new fans - but with commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as featurettes, there's plenty of extras to get your teeth into.
But it's aimed at a certain audience - Baby Stewie continues to amuse as ever - and goodness alone knows why Lois puts up with the sometimes downright stupid antics of her husband (but then why does Marge always support Homer?) - and all in all, Family Guy continues to plough its own comedy route.
Family Guy will never be totally mainstream - and perhaps that's a good thing.
Extras: Commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as four featurettes
Rating 7/10
Family Guy Series Eight: DVD Review
Family Guy Series Eight: DVD Review
Family Guy: Season Eight
Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Seth Green, aka Peter, Lois, Stewie, Brian, Quagmire, Cleveland
Rating: 13 for violence, offensive language and sexual references
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Cancelled and resurrected, it's no wonder animated hit Family Guy continues to push it as far as it can.
In this latest batch of 13 episodes (taken from the show's actual sixth and seventh season broadcasts), the gang go to the limits of taste, humour, depravity - and perhaps least surprisingly, language.
It's hard to sum up what on earth the creators of Family Guy have in mind when they create these episodes; sometimes, even I'm surprised at what they manage to conjure up on the screen - in amongst these latest eps are such bizarre moments as Stewie the megalomaniac child and pooch Brian end up in Poland on the day Germany invade; Brian loses his girlfriend to Cleveland, Peter manages to lose his family to James Wood thanks to identity theft&.seriously, at times, there appears to be no rhyme or reason to this show.
And yet, if you're not easily offended (and this latest uncut DVD does have some very strong language in places) Family Guy is still a really guilty pleasure as you find yourself laughing at something and then checking no-one saw you giggle.
While the humour is risky and borderline offensive, the antics are at times deeply amusing - and creator Seth MacFarlane continues to push it right to the edge.
Riddled throughout with homages to other films and pop culture, Family Guy works best when it parodies famous moments - Brian channeling Snoopy at a Hallowe'en party is very very funny - and doesn't veer too far into the overtly obscene.
The latest set will appeal to fans of the show and maybe appall some new fans - but with commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as featurettes, there's plenty of extras to get your teeth into.
But it's aimed at a certain audience - Baby Stewie continues to amuse as ever - and goodness alone knows why Lois puts up with the sometimes downright stupid antics of her husband (but then why does Marge always support Homer?) - and all in all, Family Guy continues to plough its own comedy route.
Family Guy will never be totally mainstream - and perhaps that's a good thing.
Extras: Commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as four featurettes
Rating 7/10
Family Guy: Season Eight
Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Seth Green, aka Peter, Lois, Stewie, Brian, Quagmire, Cleveland
Rating: 13 for violence, offensive language and sexual references
Released by Roadshow Entertainment
Cancelled and resurrected, it's no wonder animated hit Family Guy continues to push it as far as it can.
In this latest batch of 13 episodes (taken from the show's actual sixth and seventh season broadcasts), the gang go to the limits of taste, humour, depravity - and perhaps least surprisingly, language.
It's hard to sum up what on earth the creators of Family Guy have in mind when they create these episodes; sometimes, even I'm surprised at what they manage to conjure up on the screen - in amongst these latest eps are such bizarre moments as Stewie the megalomaniac child and pooch Brian end up in Poland on the day Germany invade; Brian loses his girlfriend to Cleveland, Peter manages to lose his family to James Wood thanks to identity theft&.seriously, at times, there appears to be no rhyme or reason to this show.
And yet, if you're not easily offended (and this latest uncut DVD does have some very strong language in places) Family Guy is still a really guilty pleasure as you find yourself laughing at something and then checking no-one saw you giggle.
While the humour is risky and borderline offensive, the antics are at times deeply amusing - and creator Seth MacFarlane continues to push it right to the edge.
Riddled throughout with homages to other films and pop culture, Family Guy works best when it parodies famous moments - Brian channeling Snoopy at a Hallowe'en party is very very funny - and doesn't veer too far into the overtly obscene.
The latest set will appeal to fans of the show and maybe appall some new fans - but with commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as featurettes, there's plenty of extras to get your teeth into.
But it's aimed at a certain audience - Baby Stewie continues to amuse as ever - and goodness alone knows why Lois puts up with the sometimes downright stupid antics of her husband (but then why does Marge always support Homer?) - and all in all, Family Guy continues to plough its own comedy route.
Family Guy will never be totally mainstream - and perhaps that's a good thing.
Extras: Commentaries on every episodes with cast and crew, deleted scenes and animatic episodes to take you behind the scenes as well as four featurettes
Rating 7/10
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Ponyo: Movie Review
Ponyo: Movie Review
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Frankie Jonas, Tina Fey, Noah Cyrus, Liam Neeson, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
From the renowned animation stable of Studio Ghibli, comes Ponyo.
Or to give it its full title - Ponyo on a Cliff By The Sea.
A 5-year-old boy, Sosuke (voiced by Frankie Jonas) adopts a goldfish (the titular Ponyo played by Noah Cyrus)when she emerges from the sea one day having escaped from her father, the king of the ocean (voiced by Liam Neeson.)
However their friendship is torn apart as quickly as it's begun after the seas reclaim her.
But Ponyo works a way out to become human and return to her friend - yet, her desire could signal the end of the world.
Studio Ghibli animation is always a delight - and this latest offering from the stable of Hayao Miyazaki is no exception.
(This version is the American one which has been redone - with Miyazaki's permission by Walt Disney and released worldwide - the Japanese version is also out there if you look hard enough.)
It's a truly enchanting tale - based on the Little Mermaid clearly; but Ponyo is sweet and quite beautifully animated with traditional drawings as opposed to the computer animation so prevalent in today's cinematic world.
The backgrounds are pencilled and the characters are animated - in many ways Ponyo is simplistic and childish - in a good way - as it makes it accessible to all.
In fact the children in the audience were completely entranced by the vivid animation and beautiful orchestral score as they sat spellbound. It's a gorgeous world which has been created - one which shows man and nature at balance and in harmony.
Ponyo has a pure heart and joy about her - even when a tsunami threatens to engulf a town, the visual of Ponyo, in her human form, skipping over the waves brings a smile to your face.
A work of pure fantasy and one which shows there's plenty of life left in Studio Ghibli, Ponyo is a magical dizzying treat with gorgeously sumptuous visuals and sounds for all ages.
Rating: 8/10
Cast: Frankie Jonas, Tina Fey, Noah Cyrus, Liam Neeson, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
From the renowned animation stable of Studio Ghibli, comes Ponyo.
Or to give it its full title - Ponyo on a Cliff By The Sea.
A 5-year-old boy, Sosuke (voiced by Frankie Jonas) adopts a goldfish (the titular Ponyo played by Noah Cyrus)when she emerges from the sea one day having escaped from her father, the king of the ocean (voiced by Liam Neeson.)
However their friendship is torn apart as quickly as it's begun after the seas reclaim her.
But Ponyo works a way out to become human and return to her friend - yet, her desire could signal the end of the world.
Studio Ghibli animation is always a delight - and this latest offering from the stable of Hayao Miyazaki is no exception.
(This version is the American one which has been redone - with Miyazaki's permission by Walt Disney and released worldwide - the Japanese version is also out there if you look hard enough.)
It's a truly enchanting tale - based on the Little Mermaid clearly; but Ponyo is sweet and quite beautifully animated with traditional drawings as opposed to the computer animation so prevalent in today's cinematic world.
The backgrounds are pencilled and the characters are animated - in many ways Ponyo is simplistic and childish - in a good way - as it makes it accessible to all.
In fact the children in the audience were completely entranced by the vivid animation and beautiful orchestral score as they sat spellbound. It's a gorgeous world which has been created - one which shows man and nature at balance and in harmony.
Ponyo has a pure heart and joy about her - even when a tsunami threatens to engulf a town, the visual of Ponyo, in her human form, skipping over the waves brings a smile to your face.
A work of pure fantasy and one which shows there's plenty of life left in Studio Ghibli, Ponyo is a magical dizzying treat with gorgeously sumptuous visuals and sounds for all ages.
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Brand new Oblivion posters unveiled Entertainment Weekly' s got the first look at some new Oblivion posters. The Oblivion posters s...
