Sing is the latest animated kids film from Illumination studios, and is set in a world with animals instead of people. Buster Moon, a theatre owning Koala, decides to put on a Singing competition to save his Theatre from closing down. The film follows Buster and a variety of different animals who enter his competition, including Jonny the bank robbing Gorilla, Rosita the housewife Pig, Meena the shy Elephant, and more. The film takes the initial premise from Zootropolis, but replaces the cleaver comedy and inspiring social message with pop song covers and on the nose, slap stick humour. To be honest there’s not much to say about this film. There was nothing offensively bad and it wasn’t particularly boring, but it didn’t really have anything that made it unique or especially entertaining either. This is definitely aimed more at a younger audience, and adds up to a perfectly fine but ultimately disposable kids film. The film stars the voices of Mathew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Taron Edgerton, Tori Kelly, Scarlett Johansson, Seth MacFarlane and John C. Riley. Continue reading “Sing (2017)- Film review”
Tag: Childrens film
The Jungle Book (2016)- Film review
The Jungle book is a live action remake of Disney’s classic animated musical of the same name. It has a lot of the same characters and the same basic plot as the original film, but tries to expand and modernise certain things to make it feel fresh and new. The film follows the human child Mowgli, who grows up in the forest with a pack of wolves and his guardian Bagheera, a black panther. After the lives of himself and his pack being threatened by the Tiger Shere Khan Mowgli is forced to leave, and with the help of Bagheera and a variety of other animals, including the care free Bear Baloo, makes his way to the human village on the edge of the jungle. It is a very simple story that has potential to be a lot of fun, and I’m happy to say this film was. This adaptation is directed by Jon Favreau and stars child actor Neel Sethi as Mowgli and the voices of Sir Ben Kingsley, Bill Murry, Idris Elba, Scarlett Johansson and Christopher Walken. Continue reading “The Jungle Book (2016)- Film review”
Zootropolis (2016)- Film review
Zootropolis (or Zootopia) is an animated film from Disney animation and is directed by Bryan Howard, Rich Moore and Jared Bush, starring Ginnefer Goodwin and Jason Bateman and co-starring Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence and J.K Simmons. The film is set in a world where all mammals, predator and prey, live together in the city of Zootropolis. This city’s police force made up solely of large, tough, animals, until Judy Hopps (Goodwin) is appointed as the first rabbit police officer. The film follows Hopps as she struggles to be taken seriously as a cop, and when she tries to prove herself by taking on a case of a missing otter, she must seek the help of a fox con-man Nick Wilde (Bateman). The film is entertaining for both children and adults, as the best family films are, and is full of fun and meaning. It never had me crying but it did make me think and has strong messages that are important for all ages, not to mention smiling and laughing throughout. Continue reading “Zootropolis (2016)- Film review”
Chicken Run (2000)- Film review
Chicken Run was a film I grew up loving, so when I saw it on Netflix I thought I’d see if it is still any good. Happily it is, it is still one of my favourite kids films, not without it’s flaws, for a number of reasons. It is created by Aardman Animations, the genius stop-motion studio behind Wallace and Gromit, and staring Julia Sawalha and Mel gibson. The film follows the Chicken Ginger (Sawalha) and the other Chickens of the Tweedy’s egg farm in Yorkshire as they try to escape. The farm is styled more like a prison camp and the chickens are treated like prisoners of war, and eventually executed when they fail to meet there egg quota by Mrs Tweedy (Miranda Richardson), a greedy and abusive woman, and her simple husband Mr Tweedy, who is obsessed with the chickens, believing they’re organised despite Mrs Tweedy telling him it’s all in his head. All seems hopless for the Chickens after many failed escape attempts, until Rocky (Mel Gibson), a flying Rooster, crashes into the farm and brakes his wing, and promises to try and teach the Chickens to fly so they can escape over the fence. The film is a lot of fun and amazingly created, the stop-motion is very well done, I feel it’s much more personal than computer animated films as you can see the work gone into creating it and you are actually looking at something someone created! The review may have some small spoilers but nothing too much. Continue reading “Chicken Run (2000)- Film review”
The UK Reviewer 