Showing posts with label jon favreau. Show all posts
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| "Is this John, Paul, George, or Ringo?" |
Before we begin, I'd just like to say that I don't really like comparing a remake with the original version, as I'd like to judge the remake on its own merits. That said, I would like to make an exception with this film, as comparisons between the original and the remake cannot be avoided.
1. The "Circle of Life" intro was spectacular. It's an almost shot-for-shot recreation of the 1994 animated version, bringing the photorealistic animals to the forefront along with the music. The filmmakers retained the original opening chant by Lebo M, but replaced the original vocals of Carmen Twillie with Lindiwe Mkhize. And if you loved the Zulu chanting, you can thank Hans Zimmer for that. That was all his idea. (If you listen closely, you can even hear the Zulu tongue click.)
2. Speaking of Hans Zimmer, that man is a genius. His name may be very familiar to moviegoers everywhere, but what you probably didn't know is that despite his decades in the business, he only has one Academy Award, and that was in 1994 for Best Original Score for The Lion King. But does he really need another Oscar to cement his status in Hollywood? No, he doesn't. He is a wonderful musician, despite not having any formal musical training, and he will continue to be one of my all-time favourite film composers.
3. The only dynamic in this movie that truly works is the one between Timon and Pumbaa. That's because Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen recorded most, if not all, of their lines together, and their chemistry is just so natural that children watching this wouldn't doubt that a meerkat and a warthog could be friends in real life.
4. By comparison, Donald Glover was perfect as the adult Simba, while Beyoncé Knowles-Carter was perfect as the adult Nala. But that's individually. Together, there's something a bit off. Their dynamic just doesn't work well as a duo, and I'd chalk that up to faulty chemistry.
5. Chiwetel Ejiofor, meanwhile, is brilliant as Scar. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that Chiwetel Ejiofor is this film's strongest asset. His Scar performance was subtle and nuanced enough to bring it up to the same level as Jeremy Irons's excellent performance in the animated version. The only downside, I guess, is that Ejiofor's rendition of "Be Prepared" dwelled more in spoken word territory than actual singing, but that doesn't really matter. Lions can't really sing, anyway.
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| Ladies and gentlemen, the real star of the show. |
6. The good thing about Disney's catalogue is that it is so extensive, you can make pop culture references in any Disney film and not worry about trademark infringement. Here in this film, Pumbaa and Timon made a Beauty and the Beast reference, specifically Lumiere's intro to "Be Our Guest" in Beauty and the Beast. Of course, that's one Disney film referencing another Disney film, but think of the possibilities: A Disney film can reference something from Pixar, Marvel, or Star Wars, because these are also owned by Disney.
7. Photorealistic animals are creepy when they talk. That's of course because of the way their mouths are. I think the only animal that could pull off human speech would be the great apes, which is why Planet of the Apes works so well. That's because heir mouths are similar to humans, specifically their lips, tongue, and teeth – three elements that affect speech. Director Jon Favreau could have gone with altered photorealism instead, similar to The Jungle Book or The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, instead of going for a BBC nature documentary look.
8. One of the nice things about this remake is the updated anti-shaming lesson given by Pumbaa. In the original film, Pumbaa goes on a tirade after the hyenas call him "Mr. Pig". Here, Seth Rogen expands on his admonition by stating that what the hyenas are doing is actually considered body-shaming, and he calls them out on it. Nice move by the writers, since body-shaming has been identified as one of the biggest social problems in the Instagram age.
9. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is an old song, like really old. The original song was recorded in 1939, but the version most of us are familiar with, the one by The Tokens, was released in 1961. I first encountered this song watching a short-lived children's afternoon show called Going Bananas in the 80s, and I've loved the song ever since. The original 1994 animated film had Timon and Pumbaa singing a few lines, but in the 2019 version, they went all out and sang more than half of the song.
10. Rafiki is a shaman. I just realised that now, of course. When I was a kid, the only shaman I knew was a character in the animated series Bravestarr. I became interested in shamanism and sorcery in college, and by then my Lion King days were behind me. It was only after watching this 2019 remake that I realised Rafiki is in fact the most powerful animal in the Pride Lands.
11. John Oliver wasn't as good as Rowan Atkinson as the voice of the hornbill Zazu. It's kind of obvious that he was going for an Atkinson-like performance, but he came off as a sort of poor imitation. Kids who haven't seen the old version might see no problem with Oliver's performance, but the real question is this: How could those parents allow their kids to go through life without having seen the original Lion King?
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| This shot is so iconic that it's enough to give 90s kids goosebumps. |
The Lion King. USA. 2019.
Original rating: 8.5/10
No lion sex: -0.1
Final rating: 8.4/10
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| You can almost see Bill Murray in that bear's face. |
As I've said countless times before, reboots and remakes are the bane of Hollywood. And Disney seems to be on the warpath, hell-bent on remaking all their classic animated flicks into live-action adaptations for a younger audience.
True, they've done well with Maleficent and Sleeping Beauty. But how will they fare with a story involving talking animals and a single lone human character? Pretty well, it seems, according to box office returns. And here are five reasons you shouldn't miss The Jungle Book.
5. The closing credits
The animation in the closing credits is a joy to behold, first because of the lovely animation (a small-scale version of how awesome the animation in this entire movie is), and second because of its surrealism. A miniature gigantopithecus and humongous mice? And artwork from the original Rudyard Kipling novel? More, please.
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| I Am Your Target Demographic |
When asked to choose between Walking with Dinosaurs, 47 Ronin, and The Wolf of Wall Street, the answer was easy: the Scorsese film, of course. First, I didn't want to watch Ronin or Dinosaurs in 2D. Second, it's Scorsese.
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| It's most probably Scorsese if Leo DiCaprio is in it. |
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| YouTube |
*PISS OFF IF YOU HATE SPOILERS*
Through this movie, I shall be teaching you "How to Bleed a Franchise Dry".
1. First, let everyone know that the studio owns the brand, not the actors. Any actor is basically expendable. And yes, I still have hang-ups over Don Cheadle replacing Terrence Howard.
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| Yeah, just stay in that armor, so I can imagine it's still Terrence Howard. |
At last, another one of 'em originals!
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| Thanks in part to this duck! |
Well at least I thought it was. Turns out Jon Favreau adapted it from a graphic novel.
Another one of them senseless Vince Vaughn comedies. Funny at times. But not all the time.
Plot goes like this: Couples go on a retreat just for the vacation, thinking there is nothing wrong with them. But there is. And in the end, problem solved.
And they had to stretch that to standard cinema length.
Jon Favreau was hilarious here, by the way. Hard to imagine him directing Iron Man. Jean Reno was great, too. It's refreshing to see him in comic roles. And Jason Bateman is always welcome.
Oh, and let me add that I had to google the gong-ringer before I found out that he's Star Wars' Jango Fett.
Girls' reason to watch this: Abs. From that funny yoga instructor with the huge bulge.
Guys' reason to watch this: Malin Åkerman, and Kristen Bell.
*some info from IMDb
pic from allmoviephoto.com
Couples Retreat. USA. 2009 (2010 Philippines).
Rating: Five point seven out of ten.
I want Terence Howard.
Not "want" in a sexual way. "Want" like I-think-Terence-Howard-would-be-better-than-Don-Cheadle way.
Not that I have anything against Don Cheadle. He's a great actor. But I just have problems with continuity. I really can't stand it when film franchises change actors midstream. I can only forgive actor changes when the cause of change was death. Like what they did with Professor Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, or the Oracle in The Matrix Revolutions.
Anyway, the story was...bleh. I was expecting something flashier. I mean, it's Iron Man, come on. He's like the coolest non-superpower super hero since Batman. And yet, this film seemed to be wanting in action sequences. Not a great way to start the Hollywood summer line-up.
So since I can't find anything to nitpick story-wise, I'll just pick on the actors.
Robert Downey, Jr.: In the words of the great Stan Lee, "'Nuff said." Robert Downey, Jr. equals Iron Man. Period.
Don Cheadle: Sorry, but I still want Terrence Howard.
Gwyneth Paltrow: I sincerely believe she genuinely enjoys playing Pepper Potts. Maybe she gets a real kick out of it. Who knows.
Scarlett Johansson: Yum. Okay, let me say that again. YUM.
Samuel L. Jackson: How many movies does he plan to make before he retires? Does he plan to surpass Christopher Lee's record? I hope not.
Sam Rockwell: I was genuinely entertained by Mr. Rockwell's performance. Bravo.
Mickey Rourke: I salute Mr. Rourke for the effort he put into this role. His Russian accent is more than an accent, as he has even captured the grammatical errors. Good job, Mr. Rourke.
Jon Favreau: I would've normally criticized him for having a small role in his own movie. But of course, directors are gods, and they can do whatever they want. And he was funny, by the way. So he is hereby forgiven.
So again, special effects are top-notch. But the story was so-so. But watch it, anyway, especially if you loved Iron Man, the first film.
And I still want Terrence Howard.
*some info from IMDb
pic from newsoftheworld.co.uk
Iron Man 2. USA. 2010.
Original Rating: Seven out of ten.
Using Don Cheadle instead of Terrence Howard: Two out of ten.
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