Page 54 - Wednesday, September 18, 2019
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Movies, DVDs with Jim Sherlock, Aaron Rourke What’s Hot and What’s Not in Blu-Rays and DVDs FILM: ALADDIN: Genre: Adventure/Fantasy/F amily/Comedy. Cast: Naomi Scott, Will Smith, Billy Magnussen, Navid Negahban. Year: 2019. Rating: P G . Length: 128 Minutes. Stars: ***½ Review: The classic tale of a kind-hearted, thieving street urchin, Aladdin, who is in love with Jasmine, the princess of Agrabah, but to win her love, Aladdin is ordered by Jafar, the Grand Vizier to bring him a magical lamp, which wields the powerful Genie, and now it is upon Aladdin and Genie to stop Jafar and his evil intentions and marry the love of his life. Entertaining live-action reimagining of the 1992 Oscar winning Disney animated classic of the same name has a lot to stand up to, and even though it sags a bit in the middle section, it delivers for the most part with plenty of striking colour, adventure, humour, music, drama and thrills for both children and adults alike, and achieves the rarity of being both a tribute to the original and standing very much on its own. Replacing the irrepressible, endearing and unforgettable Robin Williams as the Genie would be a daunting task for any actor, big shoes to fill - and the multi-talented Oscar nominated Will Smith bursts vibrantly onto the screen in a performance of almost equal energy and likability, keeping the fun, drama and vitality of this classic story alive, most notably with the eye-popping and showstopping (The Greatest Showman-esque) "Friend Like Me" musical number, among others. Naomi Scott is immediately likeable and effective as Princess Jasmine, Mena Massoud is equally effective as the impoverished thief and "street rat" Aladdin who is smitten with the Sultan's daughter, as well as Marwan Kenzari as Jafar, the nefarious and deceptive sorcerer, and all are aided by standout CGI effects, costume, set and production design. Directed by Guy Ritchie, who's previous credit include the energetic and quirky "Lock, Stock & Two Smokin' Barrels," "Snatch," "Sherlock Holmes" and "Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows," we'll forgive him now for "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword," has delivered, with the only possible exception of Disney's 2016 live-action remake of "The Jungle Book" (2016), a film that soars higher than other live-action remakes of late, an impressive effort for all to enjoy! FILM: Genre: Cast: Halle Berry,
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - Parabellum: Action/Thriller. Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Anjelica Huston,
Laurence Fishburne, Asia Kate Dillon, Jerome Flynn, Year: 2019. Rating: MA15+ Length: 130 Minutes. Stars: *** Review: In this third instalment of the adrenaline-fuelled action franchise, super assassin John Wick returns with a $14 million and rising price tag on his head after killing a member of the shadowy international assassin's guild, and now an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail, and the world's most ruthless hit men and women await his every turn. If you thought the action in John Wick (2014) and John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) was a blast, then get ready to strap yourself in for this adrenaline pumping full barrelled blast of action and thrills, a wildly outrageous, over-the-top, excessively violent, quirky, silly and humorous high-octane comic book style action-thriller driven by a smart screenplay, solid direction, strong performances, supremely well staged eye-popping action sequences and production design. Even though it may miss in parts due to underdeveloped supporting characters, which made Chapter 2 outstanding, as well as repetition, Keanu Reeves is again a force of nature here and clearly having fun, and in the process earning every cent of his pay, as a rogue James Bond [ish] ex-hitman on steroids, that all began when they killed his dog and stole his prized 1969 Ford Mustang, and aided with a standout supporting cast of veterans including Halle Berry, Anjelica Juston, Ian McShane and Laurence Fishburne. Reflective of such highly recommended Asian action classics as John Woo's "Hardboiled" and "The Killer," along with "Full Contact," and "Battle Royale," as well as "Kill Bill," "The Matrix" and "Die Hard," to name a few, legendary stunt co-ordinator and director Chad Stahelski has delivered again. As in the previous instalments, it's all there, guns, carnage, chases, pyrotechnics, running, jumping, punching, and another body count that goes through the stratosphere, all this adds up to a stylish, tremendously fun, tight, highly illogical, unapologetically brutal, but hugely entertaining thrill ride that will have audiences and fans of the series wanting more.
Rourke’s Reviews The Farewell
■ (PG). 100 minutes. Now showing in cinemas. Arriving on the heels of Crazy Rich Asians, which achieved incredible commercial success, and even stars one of that film's main players, The Farewell may not have done the box-office numbers of its predecessor, but it is easily the better of the two films. Awkwafina stars as Billi, a Chinese-American who has been living in the US since the age of six, when her parents decided to immigrate from China. Based in New York, Billi is trying to get her life in order, much to the annoyance of her mother Lu Jian (Diana Lin) and father Haiyan (Tzi Ma). When Billi is told that her grandmother Nai Nai (a wonderful Shuzhen Zhao) has been diagnosed with stage four cancer, she wants to travel to China and see her, but is shocked when informed that Nai Nai hasn't been made aware of her condition. The family organise a fake wedding, to justify the reason for everyone to get together and see Nai Nai, but Billi still feels compelled to tell her grandmother the truth. Based on writer/director Lulu Wang's actual experiences, The Farewell thankfully avoids sentimentality and dysfunctional family formula schtick, crafting a touching drama that is laced with nicely timed moments of humour. The cast are terrific (and speak mostly in their native language), never overplaying the material's more dramatic elements, and Wang allows each performer to naturally find their own identity and soul. Awkwafina, who was a scenestealer in Crazy Rich Asians, is again extremely likeable, and is a refreshingly believable presence, avoiding the kind of overtly dramatic slickness that can sink a film such as this. Crazy Rich Asians may have made a lot of money, but The Farewell sidesteps all the cliches, stereotypes and formula that frustratingly undercut that film's likability, and will hopefully find a wide and supportive audience. I can't wait to see what Lulu Wang does next (her feature film debut was the 2014 drama Posthumous). RATING - ****
IT: Chapter 2
■ (MA). 169 minutes. Now showing in cinemas, including IMAX. After an underwhelming Part One, which felt like Stranger Things : The Movie, we now have Part Two, finishing off the story originated by Stephen King, but a
needlessly bloated running time and obvious, one-note scares sink some impressive production values, and a cast who attempt to rise above the pop culture-heavy material. Set twenty-seven years after the events that happened in 1989, the Losers' Club have to re-unite as adults to try and stop the murderous Pennywise the clown, whose powers are increasing once more. Playing on their fears, the monstrous entity will stop at nothing to kill to self-doubting club members. Returning director Andy Muschietti (Mama), aided by a talented technical crew, ensure that this follow-up looks impressive, but along with screenwriter Gary Dauberman (The Nun, the Annabelle trilogy), never use their time wisely, needlessly protracting its story with repetition and predictable, highly telegraphed horror setpieces. The two unwisely take an awfully long time to reach the big finale, which itself becomes longwinded (there is no genuinely strong character development to justify the nearly three hour running time). The 80's references come thick and fast, including nods to The Thing, ANightmare On Elm Street, The Lost Boys, Poltergeist 1 and 2, Prince Of Darkness, and even King's own Stand By Me. The change of time period from the 1950's (in the book) to the 80's, again robs Chapter Two of any individuality or originality, and could easily be called Stranger Things : The Movie 2 (a TV series that shamelessly relies on cheap nostalgia and overstuffed film references). A strong cast, including Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, and Bill Hader, try their best to breath life into the material, but are undone by the script's unwieldy narrative, but at least through the numerous flashback sequences, we see the return of Sophia Lillis as the younger Beverly, whose performance was the highlight of Part One. As in the first film, Bill Skarsgard is just too over-the-top and scary-looking to convince us that little children would willingly approach Pennywise (Tim Curry, who played the clown in the 1990 adaptation, still offers the definitive incarnation). Reminiscent of the recent Stephen King TV series Castle Rock, It Chapter 2 proves to be equally forgettable (one wishes that original director Cary Fukunaga had stayed on), and one hopes that the upcoming sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep, fares better than this, which over two parts, has turned out to be an unfortunate misfire. Finally, to Cathy Hill, Babadook Babadook (with a little bit of E.T.). RATING - **
Top 10 Lists SEPTEMBER 15-21 THE AUSTRALIAN BOX OFFICE TOP TEN: 1. IT: CHAPTER 2 WARNER BROS 0 2. ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD SONY PICTURES 2,649,403 3. THE LION KING (2019) WALT DISNEY 1,112,288 4. ANGEL HAS FALLEN ROADSHOW 1,430,600 5. FAST & FURIOUS: HOBBS AND SHAW UNIVERSAL 778,184 6. THE FAREWELL ROADSHOW 0 7. PALM BEACH UNIVERSAL 304,619 8. A DOG'S JOURNEY UNIVERSAL 295,178 9. AMAZING GRACE STUDIOCANAL 10. DANGER CLOSE: THE BATTLE OF LONG TAN. NEW RELEASES AND COMING SOON TO CINEMAS AROUND AUSTRALIA: SEPTEMBER 12: ANIMALS, ARMSTRONG, DOWNTON ABBY, FREAKS, THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE 2. SEPTEMBER 19: ABOMINABLE, AD ASTRA, DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD, GOOD BOYS, MARGARET ATWOOD: LIVE IN CINEMAS, RAMBO: LAST BLOOD. THE DVD AND BLU-RAY TOP RENTALS & SALES: 1. GODZILLA: King of the Monsters [Action/Fantasy/Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga]. 2. ROCKETMAN [Music/Drama/Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden]. 3. THE HUSTLE [Crime/Comedy/Rebel Wilson, Anne Hathaway]. 4. AVENGERS: END GAME [Action/Sci-Fi/ Fantasy/Adventure/Robert Downey, Jnr.]. 5. HIGH LIFE: [Mystery/Drama/Sci-Fi/Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche]. 6. WOMAN AT WAR [Adventure/Comedy/ Drama/Jorundur Ragnarsson]. 7. BRIGHTBURN [Horror/Sci-Fi/Jackson A. Dunn, David Denman, Elizabeth Banks]. 8.. LONG SHOT [Comedy/Romance/Charlize Theron, Seth Rogen]. 9. TOP END WEDING [Comedy/Romance/ Miranda Tapsell, Gwilym Lee, Kerry Fox]. Also: THE EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY OF THE FAKIR, ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, THE CURSE OF THE WEEPING WOMAN, ALL IS TRUE, FINDING STEVE MCQUEEN, LANCASTER SKIES, ESCAPE PLAN: THE EXTRACTORS, POMS, THE MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE, SHAZAM! NEW HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK: ALADDIN [Adventure/Comedy/Fantasy/Will Smith, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari]. JOHN WICK: Chapter 3 - Parabellum [Action/Thriller/Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane]. CHILD'S PLAY [Horror/Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, Brian Tyree Henry]. PETERLOO [Drama/History/Rory Kinnear, Rachel Finnegan, Maxine Peake]. RED JOAN [Drama/Biography/Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson, Stephen Campbell Moore]. WILD ROSE [Drama/Biography/Jessie Buckley, Julie Walters]. ZOG [Family/animated/Adventure/Voices: Rob Brydon, Kit Harrington]. DVD AND/OR BLU-RAY NEW & RE-RELEASE CLASSIC MOVIES HIGHLIGHTS: BATMAN - 4 Film Collection 4K [Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney]. - James Sherlock
DVD COLLECTION: Specialising in Classic and Hard to Find Movies, and Latest Releases Classics, Comedy, TV, Drama, Thriller, Action, Music, Adventure, Cult Classics, Horror, Documentary. All Genres for All Tastes - Box Sets and Limited Editions Collections SHOP 43, THE WALK ARCADE, BOURKE STREET, MELBOURNE. PH: 9654 3825. HOURS: Mon-Thurs 10am to 6pm. Friday: 10am to 7m. Saturday and Sunday: 10am to 5pm.