Sonic the Hedgehog
After a week of previews, the Sonic in the Movies adventure fantasy with Jim Carrey and James Marsden starring in full release. The film was directed by Jeff Fowler - a debutant in feature films and an Oscar nominee for a short meter.
The film is based on the popular in the 1990s series of Sonic the Hedgehog games created for the Sega video console. In the story, the hero of the game - Sonic the blue hedgehog capable of developing supersonic speed - appears on Earth. Here, in the real world, he is forced to confront the evil Doctor Robotnik, who wants to catch a hedgehog and, with the help of his abilities, gain world domination. Sonic hopes to escape from the villain, and a new friend helps him in this.
Even before the release of the screens, “Sonic in the movie” ran into a flurry of criticism. After watching the first trailer, fans were unsatisfied with the appearance of the hedgehog, which gave rise to many memes. Potential viewers especially did not like his teeth, very similar to human ones. The creators of the picture took into account some comments and decided to redraw the character, making him much more like Sonic from the game. After that, there were less dissatisfied, and interest in the film only increased.
“The Amazing Journey of Dr. Dolittle” (Dolittle)
Family adventure fantasy "The Amazing Journey of Dr. Doolittle," directed by Stephen Geigan, is based on the novel The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by English writer Hugh John Lofting.
The plot focuses on the adventures of a veterinarian who has received the gift of talking with animals. After the death of his wife, the hero lives for many years as a hermit in the company of only animals. But certain events force the doctor to get out of his hiding place and go on a journey to the mythical island.
Lofting's works about Dr. Doolittle were repeatedly filmed. The first film adaptation appeared in 1967. Then the doctors were played by Rex Harrison, known primarily for the role of Professor Higgins in the film “My Fair Lady”, and directed by Richard Fleischer, who directed the films “Torah! Torah! Torah! ”,“ Vikings ”,“ 20,000 leagues under the sea ”and others. The film adaptation received two Oscars for the best song and best visual effects.
In the early 1970s, an animated series about the adventures of Dr. Doolittle was created, and in the 1990s and zero came out a series of five full-length films. In the first two, the main role was played by Eddie Murphy. The rest is about the daughter of Dr. Maya, who inherited her father’s gift (she was played by Kayla Pratt).
In the new film adaptation, the main role was played by Robert Downey Jr. Also involved in the film are Antonio Banderas, Jim Broadbent, Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, John Cena, Tom Holland, Ralph Fiennes, Selena Gomez, Marion Cotillard and others.
The Call of the Wild
“Call of the Ancestors” is another family picture about the adventures of animals, based on a literary work. This time, the adaptation of the eponymous novel by the American writer Jack London was filmed. The script was adapted by Michael Green, known for the Blade Runner 2049 and Logan projects. The director of the picture is Chris Sanders, already experienced in working with animated animals: he shot The Croods Family and How to Train Your Dragon, and also acted as the production designer for The Lion King in 1994. The roles in the film were performed by Harrison Ford and Karen Gillan.
The protagonist of "Call of the Ancestors" - dog Back. During the gold rush, he was kidnapped and taken from California to Alaska. There, the dog serves in the harness of the postal service and every day fights for survival. Back wants to escape, and one day he has the opportunity. The dog goes after the lone traveler John Thornton, who, after losing his family, seeks solace in adventure.
The rating of paintings on Rotten Tomatoes today is 70% based on 46 reviews. Most critics call the film exciting, funny, beautiful, and well thought out. Some, however, have complaints about the appearance of the dogs: the overly “cartoony” animals express emotions so obviously and unnaturally that it seems strange why they were not given the power of speech at all.
Whistlers (La Gomera)
The crime comedy “Whistlers” directed by Corneliu Porumboy was shot in a joint production of Romania, France and Germany. The events in the film take place in Bucharest, on the island of Homer and in Singapore. In the story, the corrupt police officer Christy goes to Homer to help a certain businessman get free from prison. To do this, the hero has to learn one of the local dialects - "silbo homero", very similar to a whistle. This language is also spoken by local drug dealers.
The film was featured in the main program of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. He did not receive a golden palm branch, losing to the "Parasites" Pong Joon Ho, but was highly praised by critics.
Viewers noted high-quality humor, an intriguing detective story, dynamic development of events, ironic references to classical paintings and interesting musical accompaniment helping to create a special atmosphere. Thanks to all these factors, the film may appeal to the mass audience, which does not happen every time with festival films.
Cyrano de Bergerac
Only on February 20 in several cinemas will it be possible to see a live broadcast of the production of the legendary drama of Edmond Rostan “Cyrano de Bergerac” in the reading of the London Playhouse Theater. The main role in the play is played by James McAvoy.
The production tells about the life of the French poet and duelist Cyrano de Bergerac, who lived in the XVII century and is known primarily for his vulnerable nature, talent for fighting and a big nose. In the new play, events are being carried forward at present. Director Jamie Lloyd rethought the classic work, depriving the heroes of the attributes typical for the 17th century, and Cyrano himself - his legendary nose. Here the characters wear clothes of our days, and modern music sounds on the stage. However, the characters and problems remained the same.
Ema: Dance of Passion (Ema)
Chilean musical drama Pablo Larraina “Ema: Dance of Passion” talks about the problems and relationships of a pair of young dancers. Heroes adopt a child, and after some events return him back to the shelter. Experiencing a difficult period, Em's ex-mother plunges even deeper into the Latin American reggaeton dance, which becomes the meaning of her life.
The main roles in the film were played by Mariana Di Girolamo and Gael Garcia Bernal. Larrain has already worked with the latter twice: in the tapes “No” (2012) and “Neruda” (2016).
The project was selected for the 2019 Venice Film Festival program and received the Arca Cinemagiovani Award for Best Film by the Youth Jury. Reviews about the picture were mixed. Many critics noted a confusing narrative and a slurred script, but at the same time positively evaluated the incendiary soundtrack, loud statements on the theme of freedom and bright, passionate, bewitching characters.
Kalashnikov
The Kalashnikov biopic covers a period of eight years and talks about the life of the inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov, who created the legendary AK-47. He, a self-taught, worked on weapons for six years.
The film is directed by Konstantin Buslov, who directed the drama "The Sky is Measured by Miles" about the life of helicopter designer Mikhail Mil. He, along with Sergei Bodrov, produced the picture. The main role was played by Yuri Borisov, known for the projects "Invasion" and "Bull". Also in the film were Olga Lerman, Arthur Smolyaninov, Vitaliy Khaev, Valery Barinov and others.
As the creators of the film promise, the image of Mikhail Kalashnikov will be displayed on the screen as reliably as possible. Preparing for the role, Yuri Borisov read the personal notes of the gunsmith, his biography, and also met people who knew the inventor personally. All this was necessary for the audience to see not a faceless hero, but a living person with complexes and shortcomings.
More information about the tape - in the material RT.