This is under Z because of actress Zuleikha Robinson.
Director: Joe Johnson
Writer: John Fusco (Screenplay)
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Zuleikha Robinson, Omar Sharif, Louise Lombard, Adam Alexi-Malle, Said Taghmaoui
Plot: In 1890, a down-and-out cowboy and his horse travel to Arabia to compete in a deadly cross desert horse race.
Tagline – Experience the incredible true story of a man who left behind the world he knew, and found the courage to do the impossible
Runtime: 2 Hours 16 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Hidalgo starts when a famous down on his luck cowboy Frank Hopkins (Mortensen) and his horse Hidalgo a mustang has a reputation for winning long distance races through America. When Sheikh Riyadh (Sharif) learns of the name he has given his horse, he invites him to Arabia to race in a deadly cross desert horse race.
With the race underway Frank finds himself targeted by the locals, but he ends up getting involved with the biggest adventure of his life, building a connection with Sheikh and making history.
Thoughts on Hidalgo
Thoughts – Hidalgo is an action-adventure movie that will see led his horse in one of the most dangerous races in the world to claim the title of greatest long distance racehorse on the planet. This will see a cowboy needing to come up against the odds as he uses his past to try and find victory, while building bridges with the locals who only see him as an outsider. While the core of the film is about the race, the journey and interactions will only make this a more engaging story. The performance from Viggo Mortensen is wonderful to watch, with him going against the odds to survive, with his relationship with the horse in the film coming off natural throughout.
Final Thoughts – Hidalgo is a brilliant story about an adventure that will put racing on another level.
Starring: Alyson Gorske, Richard Grieco, Jack Pearson, Jamie Petitto, Wade Hunt Williams
Plot: Sibling adventurers come under attack from jungle animals while searching for their missing father. As they fight back against the relentless onslaught, they soon start to realize something much more sinister is happening.
Runtime: 1 Hour 25 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Jungle Run starts when Amanda (Gorske) and her brother Scott (Pearson) hire Lebecq (Williams) to take them down the Amazon river as they search for their father who has suddenly vanished working for Vera (Petitto) company deep in the jungle.
As the group head deeper into the jungle they will find themselves coming up against the different dangers within the jungle, some deadlier than others.
Thoughts on Jungle Run
Thoughts – Jungle Run is a movie looking to take advantage of the big blockbuster Jungle Cruise, where we have a pair of siblings traveling down the Amazon River in search for something, this time their father, even if there is a supernatural element behind what they are searching for. This is everything you would come to expect from the knock off version of a bigger movie, weaker story, worse effects all CGI animals for each different moment of peril, we get a different animal from the jungle, not the best acting and all and all, just sloppy. It is a film you could enjoy with a few drinks, get a laugh out of certain things, but by the end it isn’t going to be anything you remember for a good reason.
Final Thoughts – Jungle Run is everything you would expect from a cheap knock off, of a big budget movie.
Writer: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, Michael Green (Screenplay) Glenn Ficarra, Josh Goldstein, John Norville, John Requa (Story)
Starring: Emily Blunt, Dwayne Johnson, Jesse Plemons, Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers), Edgar Ramirez, Veronica Falcon, Jack Whitehall
Plot: Based on Disneyland’s theme park ride where a small riverboat takes a group of travelers through a jungle filled with dangerous animals and reptiles but with a supernatural element.
Runtime: 2 Hour 7 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Jungle Cruise starts when Dr Lily Houghton (Blunt) is trying to convince the British scientific community to go in search for a plant known as the ‘Tears of the Moon’ that is known to cure curses and any illness or injury. Needing to matters into her own hands, she is joined by her uptight brother MacGregor (Whitehall) as they head to the Amazon Rainforest in search of a boat.
Lily finds Frank Wolff (Johnson) a down on his luck captain who talks the talk, who reluctantly offers to take them down river, while they are being pursued by Prince Joachim (Plemons) who wants to petals for himself, as well as the cursed souls of Aguirre (Ramirez), Sancho and Melchor searching to end their curse.
Thoughts on Jungle Cruise
Characters & Performances – Dr Lily Houghton has been dismissed by everyone because she is a woman, she isn’t taking these rejections and looks to go on the adventure herself, being able to fight her way out of different situations, proving to be more resourceful than any of the men around her believe her to be. Determined and stubborn, she will get what she wants when it comes for making history being the strongest character in this film. Emily Blunt is fantastic in this role, being an adventurer that can handle themselves, easily on that performance that could be compared to Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones. Frank Wolff is a captain who owes a lot of money, filled with dad jokes but knowledge of the rainforest like nobody else. He does play into the conman style as he looks to get money out of tourists, needing to find a way to make Lily mission more difficult for her own safety. Dwayne Johnson is great in this role, the confident figure that will look to take advantage of people, while also not being afraid to poke a bit of fun at himself through the film. MacGregor is the high society brother of Lily, he is loyal to her even if he doesn’t like getting his hands dirty, the fish out of water role would be the best way to describe him. Jake Whitehall gets most of the laughs in this role, he will get to poke fun at somebody not being prepared for a rainforest adventure. Aguirre is one of the cursed men trapped in the rainforest looking to end the curse after centuries of being trapped here. Prince Joachim is searching for the petals as he believes it will help Germany win the war, he will bring the latest weaponry to the rainforest as he looks to hunt down Lily, knowing she has what needs for answers. Jesse Plemons is delightfully over the top in this role, boarding the crazed obsessed psychopath willing to kill anyone to get what he believes is his.
Story – The story here follows a British adventurer that heads to the Amazon in search of a legendary flower that she wants to use to help cure illness around the world, only for her to learn the truth behind the legend and what it is really been hiding for all these years. This is a story that is based on a theme park ride, like what Pirates of the Caribbean did a few years ago. The story will easily get compared to Indiana Jones, The Mummy, Pirates of the Caribbean and many others in this style, it will have enough to just about make it have an original tone. The adventure itself is fun, with Lily and Frank breaking the typical molds in this world, while the villains don’t get flushed out enough, especially Aguirre and his men, who could have been haunting levels of villains instead of certain parts being played for laughs.
Themes – Jungle Cruise is a big fun adventure movie that will see the dangers and beauty of the Amazon rainforest for everyone to see, having the supernatural side to it, playing into the legends that will have come before them. The creations of Aguirre, Sancho and Melchor are special effects heavy, showing how they have become part of the rainforest through the years. Each one gaining a weapon to fight back with.
Final Thoughts – Jungle Cruise is a blast of an adventure movie that will have plenty of fun throughout.
Starring: LeBron James, Don Cheadle, Cedric Joe, Khris Davis, Sonequa Martin-Green, Zendaya, Jeff Bergman
Plot: A rogue artificial intelligence kidnaps the son of famed basketball player LeBron James, who then has to work with Bugs Bunny to win a basketball game.
Tagline – They’re all Tuned up for a rematch.
Runtime: 1 Hour 55 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Space Jam: A New Legacy starts as basketball superstar LeBron James (Himself) is looking to stay connected to his children with Dom (Joe) dreaming of something outside of basketball, Darius (Wright) looking to follow in his footsteps. Warner Brothers algorithm Al G Rhythm (Cheadle) wants to bring LeBron into become the face of the latest project Warner 3000. After LeBron rejects the offer, Al drags Lebron into the game to challenge him to a basketball match for his freedom, leaving LeBron to look for a new team, taking him to meet Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Toons.
Thoughts on Space Jam: A New Legacy
Thoughts – Space Jam: A New Legacy is looking recapture the magic of the original film with a new basketball star in LeBron James, who isn’t on the international levels of Michael Jordan, can’t act and looked lost for most of the film. The idea does bring the transportation into the modern era, by mixing the damaged relationship between LeBron and his son Dom who wants to build a game, rather than play basketball, with an evil AI that wants to control the world, bringing us the evil characters against the Looney Toons. The game between the characters goes into super moves and other gaming nonsense, which only confuses the game. The animation does look clunky for the most part. The fact that this is nearly 2 hours long is even more shocking, if clearly doesn’t need to be. We also fall into the trap that Warner Bros seem to be doing, that involves throwing all their owned materials for lazy references, that seem to be more for the adults.
Final Thoughts – Space Jam: A New Legacy is a lazy sequel to a cult classic.
Starring: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Dominic Monaghan, Ralph Ineson, Hannah New, Josie Ho, Bront Palarae
Plot: The adventures of Sir James Brooke, who defied the British Empire to rule a jungle kingdom in 1840s Borneo, embarked on a lifelong crusade to end piracy, slavery and head-hunting, and inspired LORD JIM and THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING.
Runtime: 1 Hour 44 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Edge of the World starts as Britain’s Empire had continued to span the globe, with Sir James Brooke (Meyers) leading the latest expedition to a new land of Borneo, with Arthur Crookshank (Monaghan) by his side they find the new land and the Pengiran Indera Mahkota (Palarae).
As James Brooke starts to adapt to the country, he starts to see himself being considered the King of the land, looking to make sure the slavery is stopped within the country, but it doesn’t go as smoothly as he would like, with enemies from every direction.
Thoughts on Edge of the World
Characters & Performances – Sir James Brooke is a traveller representing the British Empire in the 1800’s, he has arrived at a new land, wanting to know how the people of Borneo operate, to help continue to build the British Empire in new lands. He is trying to stop slavery, piracy, all to create an equal land, despite learning about the barbaric methods the country uses. Jonathan Rhys Meyers does bring this character to life, showing him not to be an evil conquer, but someone who wanted to learn. When it comes to the other characters we get Arthur and Charlie that have travelled with James, they both have different ideas of what is needed to be done, one wants change, one wants to learn. One of the problems you will find in the film, is the lack building of the supporting characters and what they truly want from the new land to them.
Story – The story here follows Sir James Brooke as he leads the expedition of Borneo looking to learn their culture and finding himself in the middle of a war between people on the jungle island, where he must look to bring peace to the land, while trying to prevent the British Empire taking advantage of the land. This is a history lesson like story, that does show the first few days or weeks on the island, before a big moment to try and change things, which is fine. The problem will come from not really seeing the bigger work he is meant to have achieved, which is only shown through the written material at the end of the film, which could have been larger interesting aspects of what happens.
Themes – Edge of the World is a history drama adventure about Sir James Brooke and how he tried to stop slavery, piracy and head-hunting in Borneo, the locations look brilliant, being the biggest highlight of the while film.
Signature Entertainment presents Edge of the Worldon Digital Platforms 18th June and DVD 21st June
Edge of the World is a basic history lesson that does seem to skip over the bigger moments of the life.
Writer: Brian Duffield, Matthew Robinson (Screenplay)
Starring: Dylan O’Brien, Jessica Henwick, Michael Rooker, Dan Ewing, Ariana Greenblatt, Ellen Hollman
Plot: Seven years after he survived the monster apocalypse, lovably hapless Joel leaves his cozy underground bunker behind on a quest to reunite with his ex.
Runtime: 1 Hour 49 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Love and Monsters starts seven years after a plan to destroy an asteroid left the nuclear wastage hitting Earth creating monsters on Earth, the humans need to move into colonies underground with Joel (O’Brien) living in one of them. He is the chef and not used to fight against any of the monsters, with the rest of colony being the ones that look out for him.
One day Joel decides he wants to go in search for his girlfriend Aimee (Henwick) who is in another colony, which will see him going into the world alone for the first time, meeting a lonely dog named Boy, Clyde (Rooker) and Minnow (Greenblatt) who have been surviving together in the dangerous world.
Thoughts on Love and Monsters
Characters & Performances – Joel has been living in an underground colony after the world got infected by nuclear fallout turning the animals into giant monsters roaming the Earth. He is seen as the wimpy one of the colony that isn’t prepared for the dangers outside, though he is the only single one. He wants to go in search of his girlfriend, which will see him leave the colony and travel in the world of danger alone for the first time, learning to fight, while also seeing the pain others have been through. Dylan O’Brien is wonderful in the leading role of this film, bringing all the charisma needed for the film to shine. Aimee is the woman that Joel makes the journey for, a former girlfriend before the events happened, she is in a different colony with only radio communication. Clyde and Minnow help Joel in the open world, teach him about the dangers and how to survive, they both have their own story for being together and tough to this world. Michael Rooker brings the experienced head to the cast, where he is always good in a mentor like role. The whole cast does a great job through this film, playing their characters perfectly.
Story – The story here takes us to a world where everyday animals have been turned into giant monsters, with humans needing to live in colonies under the surface, where one young man decides to go in search of an ex-girlfriend from a different colony, learning about the changed world above for the first time. This is a story that feels like a soft version of a Fallout game, where it doesn’t have the pure violence, but the creatures are enlarged ones we could see in everyday life. The story is told in a way that feels like it is Zombieland, trying to turn the dark world into something cheery, which is also a highlight in the film. The story uses the adventure side of a story is a joy to watch because we get given the real side effects of the world, be it through the dog, Clyde or Minnow.
Themes – Love and Monsters is an action adventure sci-fi film that takes our leading character on a journey against the monsters now crawling the Earth, big creatures that we would see in everyday life, the world created is brilliant and when it comes to the special effects with the creature creations, it is stunning to watch.
Love and Monsters is a truly enjoyable adventure movie with a great cast, phenomenal effects and an amazing tone.
Writer: Stephen Gaghan, Dan Gregor, Doug Mand (Screenplay) Thomas Shepherd (Story)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr (Gothika, Tropic Thunder), Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, Jim Broadbent, Jessie Buckley, Harry Collett
Plot: A physician who can talk to animals embarks on an adventure to find a legendary island with a young apprentice and a crew of strange pets.
Tagline – He’s just not a people person.
Runtime: 1 Hour 41 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Dolittle starts as we learn how Dr John Dolittle (Downey Jr) travelled the world saving animals with his wife Lilly, only for her to be lost at sea on her own voyage, turning John into closing himself off to the world with animals. When young boy Tommy Stubbins (Collett) shots a squirrel, he gets guided to the mansion along with a message from Queen Victoria (Buckley) asking for his help.
John Dolittle must go on the same voyage that took his wife to save the Queen of England, which will see him taking on a new enemy, teaching his ways to the Tommy and complete the journey that will give him closure about his wife.
Thoughts on Dolittle
Characters & Performances – Dr John Dolittle has closed himself off from the world after losing his wife at sea, he still cares for the animals in the mansion, trying to help build their strengths, while accepting their weaknesses. He is forced to give up his life of solidarity to save the Queen of England, who gave him the land for the animals. John takes on an apprentice and is joined by his animals in search for a cure, while will see him come face to face with an old enemy and deal with his own demons. Robert Downey Jr does bring this character to life with his eccentric style even if the accent can go missing at times, but he shows the pain his character has been through in life very well through the film. Tommy Stubbins is from a family of hunters, he doesn’t want to kill animals though, which sees him injury one and get guided to Dolittle for help, he joins the journey and ends up learning the kindness that can be shown to animals. Harry Collett add the innocent and excitement to the film, showing us just how important his character is to the connecting to the human side of life. When it comes to the animals, the different species blend together wonderfully, with the voice performances adding new levels to the film, John Cena as Yoshi the polar bear and Kumail Nanjiani as the ostrich show brilliant chemistry with all the best lines in the film. Rami Malek as Chee-Chee the gorilla has the most serious side of all of the animals, showing us how characters will need to overcome fears in life.
Story – The story here follows Dr John Dolittle as he needs to come out of his reclusive life to save the Queen of England and put the tragedy of his own life behind him. Having only ever seeing the Eddie Murphy version of Dr Dolittle, I didn’t know what I was expecting going into this movie, the story is very different, moving away from the sudden change, focusing on the established man who has always helped animals from around the world, in a different era, the Victorian England world. This does bring a new lease of life to the story, playing into the eras technology as well as showing us how different animals together can achieve more, instead of making them circus animals, like many he has rescued through the years. The journey side of the story is everything we have seen before, but works by keeping things simple, with each step becoming more challenging, but the teamwork helping achieve the goal of the journey. We might well end up having a few too many farts jokes, though this would play in for the younger audience to get a laugh along the way.
Themes – Dolittle brings us an adventure that will see the characters travel across the ocean for a mythical item, which could save the queen, it will be filled with peril, which does get the unity of family coming through in how everything unfolds, while also offering us the comedy, which often sees character paired up for each laugh along the way. The film uses the settings well, bringing us from the beautiful mansion where the animals live in peace, to Buckingham Palace, the open water ships and the land of King Rassouli, which could have easily come out of any Game of Thrones set. The costumes used in the film are used to show the characters backgrounds well, with the eccentric ones that Dolittle himself has, to the limited style that Tommy has, coming from a poor family, with Dr Blair Mudfly in all black, showing his darker nature to everything. The animals might well be CGI, but they work very well in the film, making everything feel more connected in the long run during the film, not looking out of place, like many CGI animals in the past.
Best Parts
Plimpton & Yoshi’s banter
Chee-Chee needing to overcome his fears
The Victorian setting.
Weakest Parts
Dolittle’s accent, not sure what it was meant to be.
Final Thoughts – Dolittle is an enjoyable family film, which can be filled with laughs along the way.
