movies

articles

• Tintin hits the big screen in 3D
• Puss in Boots is a hilarious 3-D comedy adventure for the whole family!
• Cowboys and Aliens – an exciting 3-D collaboration of two popular Movie Genres!
• Super 8 – A super Sci-Fi movie adventure for young and old alike!
• Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon – The saga continues…
• Thor – a movie review
• Rio – a movie review
• Hop the movie: a review
• Rango will Bring a Smile to Your Face!
• Bieber Fever
• “Never Say Never!” Justin Bieber didn’t….
• “True Grit” brilliant remake of the classic western
• Scott Pilgrim vs.The World, a review
• “The End of The Line”, imagine life without fish
• Charlie St Cloud, a review
• Despicable Me in 3D, a review
• Jock of the Bushveld soon in 3D and as theatre
• Marmaduke : a movie review
• Toy Story 3 in 3D: a review
• Space Chimps 2: write a review and win
• Nanny Mcphee 2 – movie reviews
• How To Train Your Dragon 3D – movie review
• Alice in Wonderland 3D – a movie review
• The Princess and the Frog – a movie review

by Joy Dembo, married, with an 18 year old son and a 25 year old daughter.  Addicted to the www, particularly Twitter. Recruitment Response Handling Consultant and Freelance Copywriter, vegetarian and animal lover. Visit her blog.

We all remember the Adventures of the lovable and fearless Tintin and his cute dog, Snowy, but the movie elevates Tintin to a whole new level of excitement and adventure!  Tintin has been all over the world, but he has never been to the big screen, so prepare yourself for the thrill of thrills.

The animation is absolutely amazing and at times I had to remind myself that the characters were NOT real people J And the 3D action brings the screen to life like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

When Tintin (voiced by Jamie Bell) buys a mysterious model ship from a flea market stall, he and Snowy discover there is more to the ship than meets the eye, as they find themselves being drawn into the middle of a centuries old mystery.

Enter Ivanovitch Sakharine, the bad guy, who wants the ship more than anything else on the planet and doesn’t care who he has to annihilate to get it.  Sakharine (voiced by Daniel Craig) believes that Tintin has stolen the ship, a priceless treasure, from a pirate named Red Rackham, and Tintin is on the evil villain’s hit list.

Tintin and Snowy team up with the constantly inebriated, entertaining Captain Haddock (voiced by Andy Serkis) and Scotland Yard’s finest two detectives (NOT!!!), to solve the mystery and outwit Sakharine.  This results in a rip roaring adventure on land, sea and in the air, travelling across continents to find the remains of the Unicorn, a shipwreck that they believe holds the key to a fortune in gold, and an ancient curse.

Thrills and danger galore will keep you wondering until the very end, when all is revealed.  Or is it?

This movie is a real classic from the Master of epic movies, Steven Spielberg, and in Spielberg’s own words “As soon as I read my first of the books, Tintin never strayed far from my thoughts and heart.  I knew Tintin and I were destined for some kind of collaboration …a journey of discovery”.  He was right!

The movie was released at cinemas countrywide just before Christmas.  Put it on your “to do” list for 2012.  Kids and adults alike will be enthral

by Joy Dembo, married, with an 18 year old son and a 25 year old daughter.  Addicted to the www, particularly Twitter. Recruitment Response Handling Consultant and Freelance Copywriter, vegetarian and animal lover. Visit her blog.

The action takes place long before Puss met Shrek, and is the story of how the Spanish Kitty Cat achieved notoriety, and ultimately became a hero!

Many of our favourite childhood fairytale and nursery rhyme characters come together, albeit with a new twist to their original stories, to make this adventure exciting and amusing.

The story starts when  Puss (Voiced by Antonio Banderas) escapes a bounty hunter,  and whilst having a drink (milk of course) at a local bar,  learns that the giant outlaw couple, Jack and Jill,  have managed to find THE magic beans he’s been looking for since he was a mere kitten!  Puss knows that these beans will grow into a massive ladder, leading to a giant’s castle in the clouds, where the mysterious golden egg laying goose resides, so he sets out to try and steal the beans from Jack and Jill’s hotel room, while they are asleep.

However, he unexpectedly encounters a masked cat in their room, who appears to be on the same mission. Neither of them manages to pull the heist off, but Puss has a massive surprise in store for him!  The masked cat, burglar Kitty Softpaws is a GIRL, (Voiced by Salma Hayek) and further more she  is involved with Humpty Alexander Dumpty  (Voiced by Zach Galifianakis), his long-lost childhood friend from the orphanage where they were both raised. He is enchanted by the gorgeous Kitty Softpaws, and the threesome set out on a rip roaring adventure, in search of the beans and the golden eggs!

There is a lot of adult humour in the film that will have the moms and dads giggling, but will fly over the heads of the kids. But, the story and the fabulous animation will be a treat for kids of all ages. And, all this in 3-D!

This masterpiece from DreamWorks Animation is directed by Chris Miller and produced by Joe M. Aguilar and Latifa Ouaou.

I know that the kids have been eagerly awaiting the release of this movie and I promise they will not be disappointed!

Classified PG, the movie hits the big screen on Friday, 03 December, just in time for the school holidays, so grab some popcorn and prepare for 90 minutes of fun and fantasy.

by Joy Dembo, married, with an 18 year old son and a 25 year old daughter.  Addicted to the www, particularly Twitter. Recruitment Response Handling Consultant and Freelance Copywriter, vegetarian and animal lover. Visit her blog.

This movie is such a clever collaboration of the ever popular western and science fiction genres, so if you want to see something that’s the same, yet vastly different, this movie is the one to pick!

Starring the yummy Daniel Craig and the even yummier Harrison Ford (for the moms), the gorgeous Olivia Wilde (for the dads) and the cute Noah Ringer (for the teens), this movie will keep the whole family entertained.

Combining puppets, and Computer Generated animation,  the visual effects are awesome and the kidswill definitely be glued to the screen when the Aliens finally make their spectacular 3-D appearance!

The action takes place in late 1800’s Arizona, and starts when a stranger (Daniel Craig), wakes up in the dessert, with a strange shackle around his wrist, and severe amnesia, which leaves him with nomemory of who or where he is. Confused and injured, he stumbles into the “skiet, skop and donner” town of Absolution and quickly discovers that  townsfolk don’t take kindly to strangers and that the town is ruled by the all-powerful Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) and his delinquent son.

At least this WAS the case, until the town is caught in the grip of fear, as a strange and eerie force attacks the town, and picks the residents off the street, one by one, and spirits them away in a strange alien craft.

In true hero style, the stranger slowly regains his memory and becomes the town’s only hope of salvation!  The crack shot cowboy comes to the realisation that the mysterious shackle around his wrist holds the key to fighting off the alien force, rescuing the abducted townspeople and saving the town.

Cowboys and Aliens is Universal and Dreamworks latest 3-D offering and is directed by Jon Favreau and based on the 2006 graphic novel of the same name,  created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg.

The film was released on Friday, 19 August, so if you haven’t already seen it, make a point of doing so this weekend.

The movie is classified 13 L V and runs for 117 minutes.

by Joy Dembo, married, with an 18 year old son and a 25 year old daughter.  Addicted to the www, particularly Twitter. Recruitment Response Handling Consultant and Freelance Copywriter, vegetarian and animal lover. Visit her blog.

Super 8, Spielberg’s new Sci-fi movie is reminiscent of Blockbusters such as ET and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  Although, not quite as spectacular, Super 8 will keep you glued to the screen until all is revealed at the end.

Five Ohio school friends decide to make a monster movie on an 8 mm camera, in the summer of 1978.  Filming one evening at a remote railway station,  they witness a catastrophic train crash, whichnot only interrupts the sequence they are shooting, but almost ends up killing them, as carriages derail and fly into the small wooden station building.  Luckily the six manage to escape physically unscathed, but soon realize, to their dismay, that the train wreck was not an accident.

Soon afterwards a series of strange disappearances and unexplained events in town, lead the children,  and the town Deputy, to investigate and uncover a terrifying military conspiracy that rocks the very fabric of this close-knit community.

The central character is Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), who is struggling to come to terms with the death of his mother and trying to make sense of the relationship he now has with his grieving and bitter dad.  His friends are Charles (Riley Griffith), the chubby, and hilarious, movie producer; Cary (Ryan Lee) who is a certified pyromaniac: Martin (Gabriel Basso) and the beautiful and wicked Alice (Elle Fanning, who is the sister of Dakota). They are a typical bunch of happy-go-lucky American kids, amusing themselves during the summer vacation, until the train wreck changes their lives forever.

Brilliant performances by all five make this movie funny, sad, scary and nail biting until the last credits roll!

Very young kids won’t get it, but everyone else will love it, especially if you are a fan of Science Fiction movies.

The movie opens on 29 July, so make a point of taking the older kids to see it this weekend.

by Joy Robyn Dembo, married, with an 18 year old son and a 25 year old daughter.  Addicted to the www, particularly Twitter. Recruitment Response Handling Consultant and Freelance Copywriter, vegetarian and animal lover. Visit her blog.

Sadly, I didn’t see Transformers 1 and 2, as I really love Science Fiction movies.  I mean, I saw all gazillion Star Wars movies, so I am not really sure why I didn’t see Transformers, BUT I can say with confidence that if you have seen the first two, you are in for a treat, and if you haven’t, don’t worry, you will catch on quickly and still be in for a treat! And, unlike the first two, this sequel is in 3D, which makes it even more spectacular.

Directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg, the movie is an EPIC of even more EPIC proportions. The special effects are beyond words and the magnitude of the Autobots and the Decepticons (See! I am already talking like a Transformers Junkie!) is absolutely awesome.

Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and John Turturro continue to give star studded performances, and Peter Cullen and  Hugo Weaving return as the voices of Optimus Prime and Megatron, respectively.  A new addition to the cast is English model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who plays Carly, Sam’s gorgeous new love.

Without revealing the complex plot, I can tell you that the movie begins when a mysterious event from Earth’s past reappears in the present day and threatens the entire future of mankind as we know it.  A catastrophic war threatens to erupt and even the Autobots find it difficult to save the planet.

Meanwhile, Sam Witwicky is living an ordinary and frustrating life until he finds a job,  and meets up with Jerry Wang, who discusses certain conspiracy theories about the “the dark side of the moon” with him, and so the adventure begins.

I came out of this movie absolutely wonder-struck.  It is really that awesome!

Not for kids under the age of 13, but  a must see for the teens this July holiday.

Releasing today, 29 June, but get your tickets quickly as a little birdie told me that it is already almost fully booked for all shows in JHB today!

by Sine Thieme, a writer and mother of four who is new to South Africa and busy chronicling her experiences on her blog, Joburg Expat.

I have no patience for people who don’t like Harry Potter because a boy doing magic is not realistic. The same goes for the Narnia series and the idea of this other ancient world. There are so many great parts in these stories, and so much to learn from their characters, that all you have to do is suspend your disbelief of the overall premise and truly enjoy them.

But I admit I struggled a bit with that in the movie Thor. There was just too much all at once. It starts out promising, with a mysterious cosmic beam somewhere in the desert of New Mexico, which the scientist Jane (Natalie Portman), together with her father and sister, sets out to track. The experience soon turns scary and they scramble to escape in their truck, only to accidentally hit a man who appears out of nowhere. So far so good. But then we’re taken back in time to Norway in the 10th century to learn about an ancient war that involved several battling worlds, or realms, with the one of Asgard under King Odin (Anthony Hopkins) victorious, and since then the protector of mankind by keeping the peace. Only the peace is now threatened as an aging Odin is handing his son Thor (Chris Hemsworth) the crown while traitors from the realm of the Frost Giants break into Asgard to start a new war. Thor, hot-headed and easily provoked, decides to defy his father’s wishes and takes his friends to Yodenheim, where a lot more fighting ensues, which is one of the scenes I found a bit hard to believe. It’s part gladiators, part intergalactic warriors, and part mythical gods. With, oddly, some medieval-type horse riding thrown in for good measure. In any case, Odin is eventually able to save the group from certain death but is furious with Thor and banishes him to Earth, bringing us back to the start of the movie, as of course the man appearing out of nowhere is Thor.

I think it might be easier to be drawn in if you knew the Marvel comic series this is all based on, which would give you a good background as well as appreciation of this universe of different realms and the role of the gods and demigods populating it. But, being a mother – even if an understanding one – I’ve never heard anything about any of this, and it took me a while to find my way through all these worlds and feuds to embrace them wholeheartedly.

I liked the movie much better once Thor was on Earth. Stripped of all his powers but still very strong, he sets out to get back Mjolnir, his magical hammer, which has landed not far away and attracted a big crowd of spectators as well as a group of vaguely sinister FBI-like government workers intent on analyzing it. There were some comical scenes when Thor, used to being a god, clashes with modern-day inconveniences such as moving vehicles, but he soon learns his way around (conveniently being the English-speaking kind of god), helped by Jane, who is intent on getting back all her equipment confiscated by the government guys. As you might have guessed, the two of them fall in love and make a very good pair. It turns out getting back Mjolnir is not as easy as it looks, because Odin stipulated that only “one who is worthy of its powers” would be able to carry it, and Thor’s brother Loki (brilliantly played by Tom Hiddleston) further complicates things by waging his own battle for the future of Asgard.

I personally could have done with a lot less heavy fighting and all sorts of unbelievable weapons (that miraculously never hit the good guys even though huge fireballs are flying every which way), which is also a reason I wouldn’t take any of my younger kids to see this movie. In the end it all does come together and the storyline is pretty good. Overall, Thor reminds me of Star Trek the movie, with the same epic battle between good and evil. I especially liked the coming-of-age of Thor’s character, the idea that you have to be more than brave to be a wise leader, that you have to truly care for others, putting your own ambitions aside, that not strength and power but humility and self-sacrifice will gain you the greatest respect. Oh, and the acting was also pretty good. The ending of the movie was especially redeeming. Not cheesy and, of course, leaving room for a sequel!

Rated: PG-13

Length: 2 hrs 10 min

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins

by Sine Thieme, a writer and mother of four who is new to South Africa and busy chronicling her experiences on her blog, Joburg Expat.

I admit it. I’m one of those moms who need to bring a pack of tissues when taking the kids to a movie. Even if it’s an animated movie. When my oldest son was about 2 years old and a friend had loaned us Lion King, I wanted to make sure it was going to be appropriate, so I watched it first on my own. Within minutes I was totally absorbed by the story and soon sat there bawling, making for a very surprised husband when he came home that night and saw me so distraught.

So you might take any movie advice of mine with a grain of salt, but I can highly recommend the movie Rio for your entire family, especially with kids in the 5-12 age range. It’s about a parrot named Blu who was taken from the rainforest as a baby and has lived all his life in Minnesota with his loving owner Linda. But his quiet and somewhat neurotic (because human-like) existence is suddenly interrupted when an ornithologist from Brazil brings the news that Blu is the last remaining male of his species and that they’ve found his female counterpart, Jewel. At first Blu and Linda are very skeptical at the prospect of traveling to Rio to bring the two together, but they are soon persuaded by the very charming Túlio to set out on the adventure of their lifetimes.

As you can imagine, things don’t go smoothly once they arrive in Rio. Jewel turns out to be very beautiful but not cooperative, and her only goal is to break free and return to the rainforest. Meanwhile, a group of nasty kidnappers – or rather birdnappers – is after the two rare macaws to sell them for a high price. A high-speed chase ensues when Blu and Jewel, with the help of some whacky friends they make along the way, try to escape the smugglers while Linda and Túlio set out to find them, complicated by the fact that Blu has never learned to fly. Of course, this being Rio de Janeiro, their adventure takes place during carnival, which makes for some additional excitement as well as a great soundtrack (though Blu, at some point when he’s very exasperated, confesses that “I hate Samba,” causing his new Brazilian friends to gasp in shock).

Blu is an endearing and funny character whom your kids will love for his courage as well as his weaknesses and fears. He reminds me of the giraffe Melman in Madagascar, while the movie itself has a similar feel to Up (another one of my must-bring-tissues experiences). While Up perhaps had a more captivating story line, it was also a bit scarier for the younger audience. Rio does feature bad guys – which story doesn’t – but most of them are also a bit simple-minded, like the robbers in Home Alone, so I think you can safely bring even your smaller kids to Rio to enjoy a feel-good and entertaining story.

Rated: G

Length: 1 hr 36 min

Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, will.i.am, Jamie Foxx, George Lopez

by Joy Robyn Dembo, married, with an 18 year old son and a 25 year old daughter.  Addicted to the www, particularly Twitter. Recruitment Response Handling Consultant and Freelance Copywriter, vegetarian and animal lover. Visit her blog.

We have a rabbit, named Petunia.  She is an adorable bundle of white fluff, but she has nothing on EB (voiced by Russell Brand of “Despicable Me” fame), the cutest, funniest, most talented little Easter Bunny Designate you have ever seen!  The Star of the movie Hop, EB  is the teenage son of the incumbent Easter Bunny.

This new comedy, from the makers of “Despicable Me”, combines CG animation with live action, and the results are awesome! Directed by Tim Hill (Alvin and the Chipmunks) and produced by Chris Meledandri (Despicable Me and Ice Age), the movie features the voices of Hugh Laurie (House), Hank Azaria (The Simpsons), Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) and a host of other equally respected actors.

The movie begins on Easter Island (Where else would the Easter Bunny live??).  The reigning Easter Bunny decides that its time for his son to start learning the ropes as its almost time for him to take over the job, but EB, like all teenagers, has plans of his own, and none of them include being his dad’s successor.  Nevertheless, he accompanies his dad to work.  Dad runs a massive Easter Candy  factory, which is located under one of the giant stone heads on the island (If you’ve seen “Night at the Museum”, you will instantly recognise the heads as being the same as the gum-chewing head in the Natural History Museum,  in the movie).  It is here that we are introduced to Carlos, an over-sized chick, who is the 2ic to the Easter Bunny and runs the candy production side of the operation.  And, what a wondrous factory it is…. hundreds of bunnies and chicks running around manufacturing the most delectable treats and packing them into baskets to be delivered to the children of the world, by the Easter Bunny!  Carlos fancies himself as the next Easter Bunny, but really…I mean come on… have you ever seen an Easter Bunny Chicken???  Exactly!  The thought is absurd, and never once crossed Daddy Easter Bunny’s mind, which infuriates the chicken and inevitably,  results in an attempted hostile takeover!

On the eve of his succession to the coveted Easter Bunny position, EB runs away from home, and heads to Hollywood, determined to pursue his career as a drummer.

But, when he lands in Hollywood, he soon finds out, like most hopeful musicians (you only have to watch Idols!),  that becoming a star is easier said than done.

Dejected, hungry and lonesome, he runs into (literally) Fred (a real live person, played by James Marsden), who is in an equally dejected state, after being lovingly kicked out of his parents home and being told to pull himself together, get a job,  and make a life for himself.

The adventures of Fred and EB are fun…fun… and more fun, and the ending is just too heart-warming for words!

Can EB and Fred defeat the evil Carlos and save Easter?

Now THAT would be telling!

Releasing on 01 April, this is a really sweet movie for the entire family! (Really, really!!!  This is not an April Fool’s joke, although you will split your sides laughing at the antics of the lovable EB and the gorgeous Fred )

by Joy Robyn Dembo, married, with an 18 year old son and a 25 year old daughter.  Addicted to the www, particularly Twitter. Recruitment Response Handling Consultant and Freelance Copywriter, vegetarian and animal lover. Visit her blog.

There’s nothing cute about a lizard, right?  I mean even though they are harmless, they look like miniature crocodiles or something reminiscent of the Jurassic Era!  They are slithery reptiles that send shivers down my spine!

So, hats off to Paramount and Nickelodean Movies for making Rango!  Rango is the cutest, most lovable lizard on the animated planet, and I really loved this movie.

The movie takes you on a rip roaring adventure through the “Wild West”, with a bunch of creatures that will really steal your heart!

Rango is a lonely family pet, who like some only children, has to find ways of amusing himself.  Then, suddenly disaster strikes and the lizard who has lead a very sheltered life, finds himself in the desert town of “Dirt”, where the constant fight for survival revolves around acquiring WATER!  Water equates to currency, and is indeed the equivalent of gold,  and like gold in a capitalist society, water is the source of greed and corruption in Dirt.

Rango is at first viewed with suspicion by the whimsical desert creatures that inhabit the town, but soon “bluffs” his way into a position of great respect ie. Sheriff, and as a result of  a number of action-packed hilarious situations, he becomes the hero he always dreamed of being when he was in a glass tank!

The storyline is a bit adult, and tells a powerful story of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, and to this end,  the movie will appeal to young and old alike.  The kids will fall in love with Rango and the other adorable creatures, whilst the adults will smile and nod, as the story unfolds in this classic Western tale of the outsider saving the day by exposing the villains and taking back what rightly belongs to the “people”.

Johnny Depp, whilst not his usual hunky self, makes a very cute lizard, and the rest of the cast, including Isla Fisher and Abigail Breslin, are utterly superb, and bring a distinctly human quality to the slithery, creepy creatures of the desert!

I didn’t see the movie in 3D, but I imagine that adding a third dimension to the adorable Rango and the rest of his motley gang, can only add to the fun.

Catch Rango over the long weekend and bring a smile to your kids faces!

Release Date: 18 March 2011

by Fiona Ingram, a  South African writer who loves books, travel, animals, antiques, and adventures of all kinds! Read Fiona’s author site and find out about her recently published children’s adventure novel

Bieber fever is about to hit the big screen in South Africa with “Never Say Never” the biopic of teen singing sensation Justin Bieber. Never Say Never is the inspiring true story and rare inside look at Justin’s rise from street performer in the small town of Stratford, Ontario to internet phenomenon to global super star culminating with a dream sold out show at the famed Madison Square Garden in 3-D.

But as the movie unfolds, viewers will be surprised to see how hard Justin worked to get where he is. The movie opens with interviews of Justin’s family and friends, interspersed with snippets of his roadshow and various gigs. All this is intermingled with pieces leading up to the amazing sell-out performance in Madison Square Gardens. To indicate how popular he is, Justin’s show sold out in a record twenty minutes!

What makes Justin so popular? Young fans interviewed in the movie say it all: his looks, his smile, his hair (oh, sadly he now has a new haircut), his laugh, his songs, his … well, what’s not to like? He is a talented likeable performer who works hard and who projects a wholesome image. It’s not just about looks and a winning smile though. Viewers get to see footage of Justin performing on the drums when he was only two bricks high and – wow – that kid is good! Justin sings and plays drums, guitar and piano. He is one talented boy! Justin’s appeal cuts across all ages and genders: from little ones to tweens, to teens, to adults. Everyone loves his lyrics and music. Oh, one important note – lots of girls who want to marry him as well!!!!

The background to Justin’s success is fascinating and it’s nice to see he has retained a down-to-earth attitude, possibly the result of good basic grounding and a supportive family. Fame has its downside though, as Justin finds out when he asks when he can have a ‘normal’ life. “Welcome to the new normal,” says his voice coach. On the upside, Justin has a lot of fun because he loves performing and being surrounded by people who love him makes it even better.

The highlight of the movie is, of course, the Madison Square Garden show. It’s simply fantastic, and the 3-D element will give young fans a show to remember. Justin performs with another popular young rising star, Jaden Smith. Justin and Jaden rap their hearts out to the screaming applause of what looks like zillions of fans! Miley Cyrus also appears in a duet with Justin. The title of the film links to Justin’s seemingly impossible dream: to sing at Madison Square Garden. He never said never to his dream and achieved it. His message to young fans is the same – go for your dream and “never say never!”