The Jungle Book (2016)
Genre: Fantasy
Certification: PG
Duration: 105 minutes
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Starring: Neel Sethi
Voices of: Ben Kingsley, Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johansson, Giancarlo Esposito, Christopher Walken
KRS Releasing Ltd

Neel Sethi is guided by a no-nonsense tiger voiced by Ben Kingsley in The Jungle Book.Neel Sethi is guided by a no-nonsense tiger voiced by Ben Kingsley in The Jungle Book.

The much-hyped new adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale has been welcomed by critics and cinemagoers alike. It received  exceptionally high ratings by reviewers in general and grossed a massive $103.6 million at the  North American box office in its opening weekend.

Director Jon Favreau (especially known for the Iron Man films) revives the story of Mowgli (Neel Sethi) who was raised by a family of wolves since birth but has to leave the only home he's ever known when the fearsome tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) unleashes his mighty roar.

Guided by a no-nonsense panther Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) and free-spirited bear Baloo  (Bill  Murray), the young boy meets an array of jungle animals, including a smooth-talking ape. Along the  way, Mowgli learns valuable life lessons as his epic journey of  self-discovery leads to fun  and adventure.

Sethi, who was nine years old when filming, was selected out of 2,000 children for his "confidence and charisma”, said Favreau in  an interview. The cast also includes the voices of Scarlett Johansson as the snake Kaa and Lupita Nyong'o as wolf mother Raksha.

While the film is not a musical like Disney’s original 1967 animated picture, it still features some fan favourite songs, including Murray's rendition of The Bare Necessities  and Johansson's Trust in Me, a collaboration with R&B producer  Mark Ronson.

The film mixes realistic computer-generated imagery with live-action, which at times makes for hairy scenes for young viewers. But Kingsley rejected claims it is too scary for children.

Among the many critics’ praises, Andrew Barker of Variety wrote: “Maintaining the buoyant heartbeat beneath all the digital flash, Favreau never loses sight of the fact that he’s making an adventure story for children.”

And Eric Eisenberg of Cinemabland said: “The Jungle Book is shot beautifully, and has a fantastic sense of wonder within the world being created. That translates into big-screen magic.”

A sequel about the boy’s adventures has already been announced, also to be directed by  Favreau.

Ratings
IMDB: 8.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Empire Magazine: 3 stars

Eddie the Eagle (2016)
Genre: Biopic
Certification: PG
Duration: 106 minutes
Directed by: Dexter Fletcher
Starring: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Christopher Walken,  Jo Hartley
KRS Releasing Ltd

Hugh Jackman (left) coaches Taron Egerton in Eddie the Eagle.Hugh Jackman (left) coaches Taron Egerton in Eddie the Eagle.

Inspired by true events, the film tells the story of Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards, a British skier who in 1988 became the first competitor to represent the United Kingdom in Olympic ski jumping.

The plot follows Eddie (Taron Egerton), an unlikely but courageous ski jumper who never stops believing in himself – even as an entire nation is counting him out.

With the help of a rebellious  and charismatic coach (Hugh Jackman), he takes on the establishment and wins the hearts of sports fans around the world by making an improbable and historic showing at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.

Directed by actor-turned-director Dexter Fletcher, the feel-good film has been lauded by critics.

Among others, Olly Richards of Empire Magazine said: “Eddie The Eagle turns a long-running joke of British sport into a crowd-pleasing story of inspiration. It’s a solid  gold winner.”

Jonathan Romney of The Guardian commented: “Dexter Fletcher’s film celebrates doughty British spirit in this classy, comic tale of a true-life sporting underdog.”

Ratings
IMDB: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
Empire Magazine: 4 stars

Hardcore Henry (2015)
Genre: Sci-fi
Certification: 18
Duration: 96 minutes
Directed by: Ilya Naishuller
Starring: Sharlto Copley,  Haley Bennett, Tim Roth, Danila Kozlovsky
KRS Releasing Ltd

It’s one run for survival in Hardcore Henry.It’s one run for survival in Hardcore Henry.

The sci-fi action movie, written  and directed by Russian film-mkaer Ilya Naishuller, is shot entirely from a first-person perspective, through the protagonist's eyes. It is in fact shot entirely on GoPro cameras attached to the heads of a dozen stuntmen.

The film follows a man who wakes up in a Moscow laboratory to learn that he has been brought back from the dead as a half-human, half-robotic hybrid. With no  memory of his former life, a woman who claims to be his wife tells him that his name is Henry. Before she can activate his voice, armed thugs storm in and kidnap her.  As he starts to understand his  new abilities, he embarks  on a bloody rampage through  the city to save his spouse  from a psychopath (Danila  Kozlovsky) who plans to destroy the world.

The film recevied tepid reviews. Stephen Witty of The New York Daily describes it as an “action movie that feels more like a video game” and “an unrelenting hour-and-a-half of shaky-cam violence”.

Ratings
IMDB: 7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 51%
Empire Magazine: 1 star

Paper Souls (Les Âmes De Papier) (2013)
Genre: Comedy
Certification: U
Duration: 90 minutes
Directed by: Vincent Lannoo
Starring: Stéphane Guillon, Julie Gayet, Jonathan Zaccaï, Pierre Richard
Eden Leisure Group

Stéphane Guillon in Paper Souls.Stéphane Guillon in Paper Souls.

Belgian director Vincent Lannoo (Strass, Vampires) shows his softer side in this tale set in Paris at Christmas time.

Paul (Stéphane Guillon) has a peculiar job: he writes funeral  orations. Victor (Pierre Richard), his friend and neighbour, no longer knows what to do to shrug off his loneliness.

One day Emma (Julie Gayet), a young widow,  asks Paul to do a curious thing and tell her eight-year-old son about his dead father. A relationship then forms between Paul and Emma, but the ghosts of the past come to haunt them.

Critics have compared the film to Woody Allen’s picture, but overall it received tepid reviews.

The Observer critic Mark Kermode remarked: “At times the twee picture postcard Parisian milieu (street-lit cafés; padlocks on the Pont des Arts) drifts into snore-inducing cliché. But there are one or two poignant encounters en route.”

Ratings
IMDB: 5.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 33%
Empire Magazine: 3 stars

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