Batman V Superman Ultimate Edition Trailer Released
Warner Bros has given us our first glimpse of the much anticipated Ultimate Edition of Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. The trailer for the extended edition of the film promises to replace scenes of Jena Malone in an as-yet-unknown character as well as a host of new scenes which were cut from the cinematic release. At 181 minutes, the Ultimate Edition is 31 minutes longer than the original cut.
Expect it in stores from July 19 but for now here’s a taste:
Mary Poppins Sequel Confirmed
Disney studios have officially confirmed that Emily Blunt will be taking on the role of Mary Poppins in an upcoming sequel to the 1964 classic. Helmed by director Rob Marshall (Chicago, Into The Woods), Mary Poppins Returns is scheduled for a Christmas 2018 release in the US and will also star Lin-Manuel Miranda as Jack., with David Magee on scriptwriting duties, adapting author P L Travers’ novels. Meanwhile, new songs and music will be from Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. More news as we get it.
Daisy Ridley In Studio Ghibli’s Only Yesterday
StudioCanal are thrilled to announce the release of an English re-dub of Studio Ghibli‘s 1991 classic ONLY YESTERDAY, and a brand new clip which features the voices of Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and Dev Patel (The Man Who Knew Infinity,Slumdog Millionaire). ONLY YESTERDAY will be in cinemas this Friday 3rd June as part of the STUDIO GHIBLI FOREVER retrospective season, and will be available to own for the first time ever on Blu-Ray from August 15th.
ONLY YESTERDAY follows Taeko (Ridley), unmarried at 27 (much to the chagrin of her friends and family) on her annual visit to see relatives in the countryside, as she reflects on her childhood and memories and forges a relationship with Toshio (Patel), wondering if she has been true to the dreams of her childhood self. Re-dubbed in English and showing in UK cinemas for the first time to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary, ONLY YESTERDAY is an animated masterpiece of reflection, as relevant today as it ever was.
Warcraft: The Beginning Review
The Plot
The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invading orc warriors.
The Good
Director Duncan Jones’ third feature film is his most daring yet. The video game adaptation has never really been done quite right, and while Warcraft has some issues, it’s still a beauty to behold. Jones and co-writer Charles Leavitt’s script does a solid job of introducing newcomers to the rich world, with both sides of the opposing forces of this fantastical war getting just about equal time to be explored.
And then there’s the effects. With Robert Kazinsky as the main orc whom we follow throughout the story, we never get to see his handsome face but instead are treated with an impressive display of visual effects which look and feel as realistic as they can be.
The Bad
While the story is simple enough in the end, at times it can trail off into territories that, if you don’t pay full attention, could make you feel lost quite easily. It doesn’t help either that the character names are all so unmemorable. Whether it’s Kazinsky’s Orgrim, Dominic Cooper’s Llane Wryn or Toby Kebbell’s Durotan, if they’re being discussed while not on screen it can get confusing. It doesn’t help either that the orcs look so alike that you forget which one’s which at times.
Of course with the fantasy element there will always be the comparison with The Lord Of The Rings to which Warcraft cant quite match just yet. This being The Beginning however, it could very well become a worthy opponent to Peter Jackson’s saga. But what is clear from the beginning, is that this is a film for the fans. As someone who has never approached the game from which the film is adapted, it’s not sure whether Warcraft succeeds in pleasing the fans, but perhaps it can be argued that the attempt ultimately affects the general audience at times. It’s a tough thing to balance but oftentimes Warcraft manages to sway easily from one audience to the other.
The pacing too feels much more bloated than it’s 2 hour runtime. The disappointing thing about this is that, while it feels longer, it just feels like the story has been spread out too thin. Perhaps had Jones expanded the world and added another twenty or thirty minutes, we could have had a masterpiece.
The Ugly Truth
At it’s heart, Warcraft is a simple enough storyline but occasionally it can get confusing. The unmemorable character names don’t help when this happens. One thing’s for sure though, the visual effects are pretty faultless and whether the story or indeed the world it presents is for you or not, there’ll undoubtedly be something in here to entertain.
Review by Johnny Ellis
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows Review
The Plot
As Shredder (Brian Tee) joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry) and henchmen Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (Stephen Farrelly) to take over the world, the Turtles must confront an even greater nemesis: the notorious Krang.
The Good
While Michael Bay’s attempt at a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot was mostly problematic while occasionally fun, director Dave Green, fresh from his feature length debut with Earth To Echo, manages to keep the fun and tell an entertaining story alongside it.
Having saved New York from Shredder, the Turtles are still very much underground and keeping away from the public light while Vernon Fenwick (Will Arnett) takes all the praise. Arnett is a joyous return in some of the films funniest scenes as he soaks up his new-found fame, receiving a key to the city and selling bags of his air online. But soon enough, Shredder is broken out of prison and teams up with Krang in a plot that will see the destruction of New York and perhaps even the world.
Returning as headstrong reporter April O’Neil, Megan Fox gets a new team mate in the form of Stephen Amell’s charismatic hockey masked vigilante Casey Jones who, disgraced after letting Shredder slip from his hands, teams up with April and the Turtles to take him down once and for all. On the villain’s side meanwhile, we get the reboot of fan favourites Bebop and Rocksteady, the Rhino/Warthog duo who bumble about as the hapless henchmen to the straight Shredder and bring some great comic relief with them.
The Bad
The final act of Out Of The Shadows is certainly nothing new and brings clear references to Avengers with it’s magical porthole in the sky that ultimately feels unoriginal. And while Michael Bay may not be in the directors chair, it seems his mark is hard to rub off, with some ridiculously gratuitous shots of Megan Fox again returning to the frame. For a film that is advertised heavily towards children, this feels fairly ill-advised. Still, at least we don’t get a re-hash of Will Arnett ogling at her posterior as we did in the previous installment.
The Ugly Truth
Out Of The Shadows is ultimately a fun action romp that gives us some fantastic new characters as well as bringing back the favourites. While the third act falls into familiar territory, it’s certainly a step up from the first installment.
Review by Johnny Ellis