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07Mar

[FILM REVIEW] RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON Review (2021)

Posted in Adventure, Animation, Family/Kids, Film, Film Genre, Home Page | Leave a comment

Summary: A young warrior sets off to find the last remaining dragon after her world faces annihilation at the hands of some dark monsters.

Year: 2021

Cinema Release Dates: 4th March 2021 (Australia), 4th March 2021 (Thailand), 5th March 2021 (USA)

VOD Release Dates: 5th March 2021 (UK), 5th March 2021 (USA)

Country: USA

Director: Don Hall, Carlos Lopez Estrada

Screenwriter: Adele Lim, Qui Nugyen

Cast: Awkwafina (Sisu (voice)), Gemma Chan (Namarri (voice)), Francois Chau (Wahn), Sung Kang (Dang Hai (voice)), Daniel Dae Kim (Benja (voice)), Dichen Lachman (General Atitaya, Spine Warror (voice)), Sandra Oh (Virana (voice)), Jon Park (Chai (voice)), Lucielle Soong (Dang Hu (voice)), Kelly Marie Tran (Raya (voice)), Thalia Tran (Little Noi (voice)), Alan Tudyk (Tuk Tuk (voice)), Izaac Wang (Boun (voice)), Benedict Wong (Tong (voice)), Jona Xiao (Young Namaari (voice))

Running Time: 114 mins

Classification: PG (Australia), G (Thailand), PG (USA)

BLACKBIRD REVIEWS

David Griffiths’ Raya And The Last Dragon Review:

It is hard to believe that it has been twelve months since Disney released a brand new film straight to cinemas… yes even the House Of Mouse was not immune from the great Covid cinema lockdown worldwide. The great news is that Disney returns to cinemas this week with a film that is arguably one of their greatest pieces of animated brilliance – Raya And The Last Dragon.

It is rare these days to find an animation that has adults staring wide-eyed and excited at the screen the way that so many of the Disney classics did when we were kids but such is the stunning artwork and captivating storyline of Raya that it certainly wakes up your inner child.

Inspired by South East Asian culture the film follows the adventures of Raya (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran – Star Wars: The Last Jedi) a young warrior who is trained by her father Benja (Daniel Dae Kim – Hellboy) to guard the last remaining piece of dragon power contained in a magical gem stone.

They live in a world divided, a place where every tribe has fended for itself since a great war that saw the destruction of the dragon race at the hands of evil creatures known as Druuns. Since then the land of Kumandra has become separated and the various tribes do whatever they can to survive while people such as Benja do whatever they can to try and reunite everybody once again.

However, when Raya is tricked by Namaari (Gemma Chan – Crazy Rich Asians), a young warrior from another tribe, the gem breaks and each tribe takes a piece for itself at the same time the spell is broken and the Druuns once again return and begin to destroy what is left on Earth. With the world then slowly disappearing and mankind being wiped out Raya begins a journey to try and find the last remaining dragon – Sisu (Awkwafina – Ocean’s Eight).

Excuse the pun but the magic of Raya And The Last Dragon is out of this world. The storyline here is involving and creative and this time Disney have realised that they don’t need a song every five minutes to move things along a little bit. In fact this time around the screenwriters and the literal team of directors that worked on the film get everything right.

The story itself draws you in the same way as other modern day fantasy tales, such as A Writer’s Odyssey, do while the film doesn’t exactly cater for extremely young children as it mixes fight sequences with chase sequences and even finds a way to throw in some humour without it ever seeming out of place. The world created here is as imaginative as the worlds film lovers a generation ago found themselves escaping to with films like The Neverending Story and The Dark Crystal and while the story is in depth it never loses its audience and instead keeps them on the edge of their seats.

What makes Raya And The Last Dragon come together so well though is the amazing artwork with the animation. There are times with this film where you find yourself watching the screen and believing you are watching actual actors and actresses as the artwork is so realistic – the same can be said for the scenery which was inspired by the filmmakers trips to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Part of what makes the animation of this film work so well is also because the art team decided to make the characters look like the actors and actresses playing them. As soon as Benja walks onto screen the likeness he has in appearance to Daniel Dae Kim is astounding – and yes the filmmakers even find a way to make Sisu look like Awkwafina.

Raya And The Last Dragon is one of the cinematic highlights of 2021. Disney manage to bring everything together in such a way that the capture that old school Disney magic that has been missing from the company for quite awhile. This is truly a film for people of all ages as even adults are going to be captured by the magic and imagination of Raya.

David Griffiths and Lee G’s Raya And The Last Dragon Review:

Dave’s rating Out Of 5

Lee’s Rating Out Of 5:

Alex First and Peter Krausz’s Raya And The Last Dragon Review:

Alex’s Score Out Of 5:

Peter’s Score Out Of 5:

Average Subculture Rating:

IMDB Rating:

Other Subculture Raya And The Last Dragon Reviews:

You can also check out our review for Raya And The Last Dragon in The Phuket News – https://www.thephuketnews.com/disney-is-back-raya-and-the-last-dragon-reigns-supreme-79250.php

Trailer:

26Dec

[FILM REVIEW] Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)

Posted in Action, Adventure, Comedy, Film, Film Genre, Sci-Fi / Fantasy | Leave a comment

Summary: In Jumanji: The Next Level, the gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to rescue one of their own, the players will have to brave parts unknown from arid deserts to snowy mountains, to escape the world’s most dangerous game.

Year: 2019

Australian Cinema Release Date: 26th December 2019

Thailand Cinema Release Date: 25th December 2019

Australian DVD Release Date: TBA

Country: United States

Director: Jake Kasdan

Screenwriter: Jake Kasdan, Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenburg, Chris Van Allsburg (book)

Cast: Awkwafina (Ming Fleetfoot), MichaelBeaslley (Coach Davis), Sarah Bennani (Andi Tow), Jack Black (Professor Sheldon ‘Shelly’ Oberon), Ser’Darius Blain (Anthony ‘Fridge’ Johnson), John Ross Bowie (Cavendish), Rhys Darby (Nigel Billingsworth), Danny DeVito (Edward ‘Eddie’ Gilpin), Massi Furlan (Switchblade), Karen Gillan (Ruby Roundhouse), Danny Glover (Milo Walker), Colin Hanks (Alex Vreeke), Kevin Hart (Franklin ‘Mouse’ Finbar), Jared Hasmuk (Dagfin), Madison Iseman (Bethany Walker), Dwayne Johnson (Dr. Smolder Bravestone), Nick Jonas (Jefferson ‘Seaplane’ McDonough), Sal Longobardo (Tony), Rory McCann (Jorgen The Brutal), Bebe Neuwirth (Nora Shepherd), Deobia Oparei (Gromm), Dania Ramirez (Flame), Ashley Scott (Ashley), Morgan Turner (Martha Kapley)

Running Time: 123 mins

Classification: PG (Australia) G (Thailand)

OUR JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL REVIEWS & RATINGS:

Dave Griffiths Review:

Cinema fans rejoice the true dream team are back. Yes a team made up of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jack Black may seem like a strange line-up for what is essentially an action adventure film, but nobody gets things done like these guys do. No one seemed to predict just how successful of a film Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle was going to be back in 2019 and once again people seem caught out but the arrival of the latest film in the franchise and just how good it is.

Picking up a few years after the events of Welcome To The Jungle we find our original players coming together for the first time since they graduated from High School. Spencer (Alex Wolff) and Martha (Morgan Turner) have split up and Spencer finds himself in a rut that sees him separate himself from his friends.

Determined to try and put some spark back into his life Spencer begins to put the Jumanji game back together and places himself back in the world of the video game. When they discover that he is missing his friends decide to go into the game to rescue him but in doing so accidentally take Spencer’s grandfather Eddie (Danny DeVito) and his ex-best friend Milo (Danny Glover) with them. From there it is once again up to the team of Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan), Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), Franklin Finbar (Kevin Hart) and the Professor (Jack Black) to once again save Jumanji.

With so many franchises staying beyond their welcome these days I can imagine there are a few people out there who are rolling their eyes and thinking ‘oh no, not another one’ when it comes to Jumanji. The good news though is director/screenwriter Jake Kasdan once again finds new ways to bring a freshness to the franchise. The inclusion of Danny DeVito and Danny Glover is the cast enhances this film in a way nobody could have predicted. As well as their character’s storyline adding a little bit more personal drama to the plot but seeing Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson have then to take on the characteristics off DeVito and Glover is absolutely priceless and shows both actors did have more range than many would have predicted. The same goes for Awkwafina who later has to carry the DeVito mantle and does it with brilliant comedic timing.

It is the comedy of Jumanji: The Next Level which also makes the film such a pleasure to watch. Kasdan seems to be able to mix genres throughout this film in a way that very few filmmakers can. Often a film that tries to mix comedy, drama and action would feel disjointed but here Kasdan can go from a scene of pure comedy between Johnson and Hart to an action sequence where all the characters’ lives are placed in danger and it seems just perfectly natural.

The big difference this time around is that the action scenes, excuse the pun, feel like they have gone to the next level. The ostrich attack and the monkey battle on swinging bridges are right up there as some of the best action sequences that you will see in cinemas this year and they only further enhance the video game feel that the film portrays throughout.

As we mentioned earlier Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart steal the show as they try to mimic Danny DeVito and Danny Glover. Hart actually produces some of the best acting of his career as he portrays a character who feels like he owes his former best friend a lot but just can’t break away from his bad habit of over-explaining things. Credit must also be paid to Karen Gillan who is sensational when it comes to the action and fighting sequences throughout the film showing why she is one of the most under-rated action stars going around.

It has taken nearly all year to get there but Jumanji: The Next Level is one of the most enjoyable action films of this year. The film has the right mix of drama, comedy and action and contains one of the best ensemble casts we’ve seen on the big screen for a long time.

Average Subculture Rating:

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Other Subculture Entertainment Jumanji: The Next Level Reviews:

You can read our Jumanji: The Next Level review that appeared in ‘The Phuket News’ using this link – https://www.thephuketnews.com/jumanji-the-next-level-is-rock-solid-74331.php

Trailer:

04Nov

Ocean’s Eight Begins Production

Posted in Film, Film News, Home Page, News | Leave a comment

The tide has turned and it’s a whole new “Ocean’s” when eight women plan and execute a heist in New York. Oscar winner Sandra Bullock stars in the title role, alongside Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, with Rihanna and Oscar nominee Helena Bonham Carter. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Gary Ross is directing.

Ross directs from a screenplay he wrote with Olivia Milch (upcoming “Dude”), with Steven Soderbergh and Jon Kilik producing, Michael Tadross, Susan Ekins, Sandra Bullock, Diana Alvarez and Bruce Berman executive producing, and Milch co-producing. Filming is taking place in and around New York City.

Collaborating with Ross behind the scenes are director of photography Eigil Bryld (“In Bruges,” “Not Fade Away”), production designer Alex DiGerlando (“Beasts of the Southern Wild,” HBO’s “True Detective”), editor Juliette Welfling (“Free State of Jones,” “The Hunger Games”), costume designer Sarah Edwards (“Tower Heist,” Showtime’s “Billions”), and composer Nicholas Britell (“The Big Short,” “Free State of Jones”).

Ocean’s Eight is set for release in Summer 2018 and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.