REVIEW: ‘Call of the Wild’ hampered by split story, CG canine

In the 2019 “Lion King” I thought the computer animated animals didn’t emote enough. In this movie “Call of the Wild,” they might have done it too much.

This is the latest adaptation of a book of the same name about a big dog named Buck. As the films start, the dog is stolen from his home in California and sold to buyers in the Yukon.

From there, Buck goes on a series of adventures, which include becoming a sled dog to help deliver mail and later befriending a man named John (Harrison Ford) who lives in the region.

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Monday Movie Report: Cannes Film Fest to broaden VR program

The Marche du Film, the Cannes Film Festival’s business element, is preparing to expand its virtual reality program.

According to Variety, Cannes XR, the immersive and augmented reality content program, will have new elements this year. Variety reports Cannes XR has partnered with companies Positron and Brogent Technologies to bring in a new virtual reality theater, with dedicated space for competition.

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REVIEW: ‘Downhill’ enjoyable thanks to mix of drama, dark comedy

“Downhill,” aka, “Marriage Story: On Ice.”

This movie taking place at a ski resort in Austria follows a family of four on vacation. The family includes the parents Billie (Julia Louis Dreyfus) and Pete (Will Ferrell), and their two sons Finn (Julian Grey) and Emerson (Ammon Jacob Ford). The family appears to have some stress from vacation traveling, but seem to be ready for a pleasant trip in Europe.

However, the situation gets rocky when a controlled avalanche to provide more snow on the slopes causes a sequence of events that results in a rift between the married couple. The rest of the trip explores their drama as they navigate the rest of their vacation.

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In defense of ‘The King’s Speech’

A movie like “The King’s Speech” doesn’t seem like it needs someone to stand up for it.

Just a reminder, this is a film that won four Oscars, including Best Picture, seven British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards, two Critics Choice Awards, a Director’s Guild of America award, a Golden Globe, two Screen Actors Guild awards and a Producers Guild of America award. It has a very full trophy case and everyone involved walked home happy

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REVIEW: Weak story trips ‘Sonic’

One doesn’t need to be as fast as Sonic to catch up on what’s happening in this rather predictable film.

The Sonic character, originally appearing in Sega video games, isn’t a stranger to the screen. There have been six animated series about the Blue Blur, including the 90s series “Sonic the Hedgehog” and the 00s show “Sonic X.” There was also the late 90s anime film, also titled “Sonic: The Hedgehog.”

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Monday Movie Report: Tribeca Film Fest to open with doc about President Carter

The 19th Tribeca Film Festival is set to run this year from April 15-April 26, has officially announced its first movie.

The world premiere of the documentary “Jimmy Carter Rock & Roll President” will serve as the opening picture of the film festival, which is held in the New York City area. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie is directed by Mary Wharton and explores the role of popular music and Carter’s passion for it.

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Special Movie Report: ‘Parasite’ surges on Oscar night

“Parasite” capped off a great award season run with a golden night Sunday, as it earned the top prize from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Along with Best Picture, “Parasite” earned wins in categories such as Original Screenplay and Directing. Also having a good night was “1917,” which earned wins in Visual Effects, Sound Mixing and Cinematography.

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Oscar Docs: A look at the nominees

One of the nice things about the Academy Awards is it shines a spotlight on movies some people haven’t seen.

More often than not, documentaries end up in that category, as they usually lack theatrical releases. As usual, five docs were nominated for the gold statue and I managed to see all of them. Here’s my takeaway.

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92nd Academy Award Predictions

Oscar Sunday is here and after a lot of movie watching and research, I’m ready to make my picks for nearly all of the categories.

I’ve already written prediction pieces for some of the other categories, such as acting and directing. However, there are plenty others I still need to pick.

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REVIEW: ‘The Rhythm Section’ is far offbeat

Revenge movies don’t need to be this complicated.

The “Rhythm Section” is about a woman named Stephanie (Blake Lively), who lost her entire family in a plane crash. Since the tragedy, she fell into a world of drugs and prostitution. However, she learns from an investigative journalist that the plane crash was actually orchestrated.

With that knowledge, Stephanie seeks help from a former MI6 agent named B. After some pleading, B agrees to train her and prepare her for revenge on those who planted the bomb on the plane.

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