Dune: Part Two Review

Dune: Part Two

Release Date: 29th February 2024 - Australia

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures (present)

Villeneuve Films

Legendary Entertainment (present)

Distribution

Universal Pictures Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 165 minutes

Budget: $190,000,000

Box Office Gross: $665,490,948 (Worldwide - figure subject to change)

Plot Summary

Seeking retribution

against the conspirators

who destroyed his family,

Paul Atreides joins forces

with Chani and the

Fremen. Forced to choose

between the love of his

life and the fate of the

known universe, he must

try to prevent a horrific

future that only he can

foresee.

Cast

Timothée Chalamet -

Paul Atreides

Zendaya - Chani

Rebecca Ferguson - Lady Jessica Atreides

Javier Bardem - Stilgar

Josh Brolin - Gurney Halleck

Austin Butler - Feyd-Rautha

Florence Pugh - Princess Irulan

Dave Bautista - Beast

Rabban Harkonnen

Christopher Walken -

Emperor

Léa Seydoux - Lady

Margot Fenring

Stellan Skarsgård - Baron

Vladimir Harkonnen

Charlotte Rampling -

Reverend Mother Mohiam

Souhelia Yacoub - Shishakil

Roger Yuan - Lanville

Babs Olusanmokun - Jamis

Alison Halstead - Maker

Keeper

Giusi Merli - Reverend

Mother Ramallo

Kait Tenison - Bene

Gesserit Sister

Tara Breathnach - Bene Gesserit Sister

Akiko Hitomi - Bene Gesserit Sister

Imola Gáspár - Watermaster

Alison Adnet - Young Fremen Patrol

Hamza Baissa - Young Fremen Patrol

Hassan Najib - Young Fremen Patrol

Jasper Ryan-Cater - Young

Fremen Patrol

Omar Elbooz - Young

Fremen Patrol

Abdelkarim Hussein Seli

Mohamed Hassanin - Young

Fremen Patrol

Joseph Beddelem - Fedaykin Leader

Xavier Alba Royo - Fedaykin

Rachid Abbad - Fedaykin

Affif Ben Badra - Fedaykin

Botond Bota - Fedaykin

Abdelaziz Boumane - Fedaykin

Abdellah Echahbi - Fedaykin

Zouhair Elakkari - Fedaykin

Noureddine Hajoujou - Fedaykin

Mohamed Mouraoui - Fedaykin

Adil Achraf Sayd - Fedaykin

Hamza Sayd - Fedaykin

Hopi Grace - Fremen Nun

Havin Fathi - Fremen Nun

Kincsö Pethö - Fremen Nun

Cat Simmons - Young Nun

Burt Caesar - Devotee

Remi Fadare - Devotee

Amer El-Erwadi - Huge Fighter

Tedroy Newell - Fremen Onlooker

Oxa Hazel - Fremen Onlooker

Hajiyeva Pakiza - Fremen Onlooker

Leon Herbert - Oldest Elder

Sima Rostami - Female Elder

Yvonne Campbell - Elder

Joseph Charles - Elder

Vic Zander - Elder

Dylan Baldwin - Harkonnen

Translator

Marcia Tucker - Old

Wounded Woman

Nicola Brome - Wounded Fremen

Kathy Owen - Wounded Fremen

How Novelli - Fundamentalist Fighter

Moe Bar-El - Fundamentalist Fighter

Serhat Metin - Fundamentalist Fighter

Amra Mallassi - Fundamentalist Fighter

Adam Phillip Bloom - Fundamentalist Fighter

Luis Alkmim - Sentinel Leader

Jordan Long - Smuggler Driver

Omar A.K. - Wounded Smuggler

Zdenek Dvoracek - Arena

Gladiator

Billy Clements - Arena Gladiator

Anton Valensi - Harkonnen Commander

Lex Daniel - Harkonnen Commander

Dominic McHale - Harkonnen Commander

Paul Boyle - Harkonnen Commander

Niall White - Ornithopter Military Pilot

Tony Cook - Harkonnen Scanner Operator

Gabor Szeman - Harkonnen

Officer

Jonathan Gunning - Game

Supervisor

Will Irvine - Slave Master

Alan Mehdizadeh - Weapon

Master

Rex Adams - Harpy

Molly Mcowan - Harpy

Ana Cilas - Harpy

Kajsa Mohammar - Feyd-Reutha's Attendant

Sara Bacsfalvi - Feyd-Reutha's Attendant

Zsófia Kocsis - Feyd-Reutha's Attendant

Matthew Sim - Spice Steward

Steve Wall - Bashar

Italo Amerighi - Imperial Council

Tim Hilborne - Imperial Council

Cecile Sinclair - Imperial Council

Tracy Coogan - Imperial Servant

Zoe Kata Kaska - Baby Jessica

Jimmy Walker - Baron Proxy

Rand Faris - Female Fremen Fighter

Fouad Humaidan - Male Fremen Fighter

Manaf Irani - Male Fremen Fighter

Dora Kápolnai-Schwab - Baron Servant

Joelle - Baron Servant

Anya Taylor-Joy - Alia Atreides

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew

Screenplay/Director - Denis Villeneuve

Based on the Novel - Frank Herbert

Screenplay/Executive

Producer - Jon Spaihts

Script Supervisor - Jessica Clothier

Special Consultant - Kevin J. Anderson

Executive Producers - Joshua Grode, John Harrison, Herbert W. Gains, Brian & Kim Herbert, Bryon Merritt, Richard P. Rubinstein and Thomas Tull

Producers - Cale Boyter,

Patrick McCormack and Mary Parent

Producer/Second Unit Director - Tanya Lapointe

Co-Producers - Toby Hefferman

Co-Producer/Visual Effects

Producer - Brice Parker

Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Jessica Derhammer

Casting Director - Francine Maisler

Production Designer - Patrice Vermette

Concept/Storyboard Artist - Sam Hudecki

Concept Artists - Kamen Anev,

Paul Chadession, Ed Natividad,

Peter Popken, Kris Turvey and George Hull

Concept Artist/Visual Effects Art Director:

Rodeo FX - Deak Ferrand

Supervising Art Director - Tom Brown

Chief Set Decorator - Shane Vieau

Property Master - Doug Harlocker

Costume Designer - Jacqueline West

Makeup Department Head/Makeup,

Hair & Prosthetics Designer -

Donald Mowat

Director of Photography - Greig Fraser

Unit Production Manager - James Grant

Supervising Location Manager - Duncan Broadfoot

Supervising Stunt Coordinator - Lee Morrison

Co-Stunt Coordinator - Henry Kingi Jr.

Fight/Stunt Coordinator - Roger Yuan

Aerial Coordinator - Cliff Fleming

Special Effects Supervisor - Gerd Nefzer

Visual Effects Supervisor - Paul Lambert

Visual Effects Supervisors: DNEG -

Michael Grobe, Stephen James and

Rhys Salcombe

Visual Effects Producers: DNEG -

Jennifer Fairweather and Jose Maria de la Puente

Visual Effects Producer: Rodeo FX - Wassila Lmouaci

Senior Animation Supervisor: DNEG - Robyn Luckham

Animation Supervisors: DNEG - Nick Symons

and Eric Bates

Visualisation Supervisor: The Third Floor -

Nicholas Markel

Visualisation Supervisor: Digital Domain -

Scott Meadows

Film Editor - Joe Walker

Supervising Sound Editor - Richard King

Sound Designer - Dave Whitehead

Additional Sound Design - Michael Babcock,

Lee Gilmore and Randy Torres

Re-Recording Mixers - Ron Bartlett

and Doug Hemphill

Music/Synth Programming - Hans Zimmer

Composers: Additional Music - David Fleming,

Steve Mazzaro, Steven Doar and

Andrew Kawczynski

Music Supervisors - Peter Afterman,

Deric Berberabe and Alison Litton

Score Mixer - Alan Meyerson

Review

DUNE: PART TWO was the ultimate continuation of the glorious sci-fi epic that Dune fans have clamorously waited for in the last three years. It was supposed to premiere in 2023, but due to a Hollywood strike involving the writers and actors, the studio delayed it and changed its release date to 2024. We haven't seen a cinematic event we witnessed as epic, majestic and impactful since Lord of the Rings!

Many critics hailed PART TWO as a triumph and a landmark science-fiction film that will go down in history as one of the best sequels. Some even compared it to The Empire Strikes Back and The Dark Knight, which were sequels much better than their predecessors and highly regarded by audiences. Even filmmaker Christopher Nolan (who directed the latter) likened this movie to the former, which may be true, considering they're both timeless masterpieces and milestones of the science fiction genre. It's also compared to another highly regarded sequel, The Two Towers, with both movies being large in scale with huge spectacles, character-driven plots and battle scenes.

While Part One was only the beginning, PART TWO continues to strengthen the narrative direction with more full-scale action. Like the previous movie, it is also a visual delight in every sense of the word. It excels in sound and sight, engineering and spectacle. None of this would be possible if it weren't for Canadian director Denis Villeneuve, who saw fit to bring Dune into the big screen when no one else would (unless some of you prefer David Lynch's 1984 film). However, some long-time readers of the book weren't happy with the changes made in the second instalment as it did happen in its predecessor. Then again, a few deviations are necessary to improve the storyline. It re-introduced a few characters, such as Feyd-Rautha, The Emperor, Princess Irulan, etc, who were absent in the first instalment. There was a lot of territory to cover in the sequel, and Villeneuve doesn't shy away from finding the right balance between drama, breathtaking visuals and character development.

Once again, Timothée Chalamet is as excellent in his career-defining role as Paul Atriedes. He gets it right this time by lending his gravitas to the character, making him more determined and aware of what he has to do. He has a natural chemistry with Zendaya, who is just as fabulous as her co-star and also shines in her performance as Chani. I am glad she has more screen time in her role in the sequel than in its predecessor, which relegated her to Paul's visions. Her character is still the same love interest, but her personality is much different than in the books and previous adaptations. The ensemble cast is terrific, with returning players like Rebecca Ferguson and Javier Bardem and new additions like Florence Pugh and Austin Butler. Butler is the highlight as he steals the show as the Baron's hairless, pale-skinned and psychopathic nephew Feyd-Rautha. He possesses a killer instinct and a unique dialect into his role with the same rock star swagger he brought into Elvis and doesn't wear the same winged codpiece as Sting wore in the 1984 film version of Dune.

On the technical side of things, Greig Fraser's lavish camerawork enhances the vision of the desert world of Arrakis with sweeping shots that are a clear homage to Lawrence of Arabia. Once again, Hans Zimmer proves what he does best in creating an ominous, epic score with a layer of ambience and rich texture. He does this to expand upon the original, which he previously composed in 2021. There were some of my favourite moments in the film, including Paul's first ride on a sandworm, the monochromatic gladiator fight and the final climactic battle.

If this sequel has taught me anything, PART: TWO is a towering work of art that fulfils the first film's promise while adding expanses of layers and depth. It established the franchise as famous as Lord of the Rings and ushered in Denis Villeneuve as one of the finest directors of our time. Its ending leaves the door open for a third part of the movie, which would be the adaptation of Frank Herbert's sequel to the original novel, Dune Messiah and leaves fans waiting for more. If you're new to Dune, you start with Part One. It will give you the context and understanding you need to know and enjoy the second part. I highly recommend seeing PART TWO in the cinema, preferably in IMAX, once you've seen both movies.

Star rating: (9/10) Excellent Movie

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In Memory of Louis Gossett Jr. (1936-2024)

 

Louis Gossett Jr. (1936-2024)

Louis Gossett Jr., the first African-American to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and an Emmy for his performance in the landmark TV miniseries "Roots", recently died on 29th March 2024. He was 87 years old. After a career that spanned over 60 years and hundreds of films, Louis Gossett Jr. has established a legacy as an unwearied actor, a charismatic stage presence, and a trailblazing talent who set a standard for black acting.

Gossett was born on 27th May 1936 in Brooklyn, New York. In honour of his father, he later added Junior to his name. He began acting in school productions and debuted on Broadway debut at age 16 in the play "Take A Giant Step". After attending New York University on a basketball and drama scholarship, the actor befriended Hollywood great James Dean before studying acting with such luminaries as Marilyn Monroe, Martin Landau and Steve McQueen. His Broadway success came with Sammy Davis Jr. and Sidney Poitier (who in 1964 became the first African American to win the Academy Award for Best Actor).

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Gossett guest-starred in numerous TV shows, but his breakthrough role on the small screen was that of Fiddler in "Roots", the 1977 miniseries about the terrible atrocities of slavery. His performance would later win him an Emmy Award. Gossett would win an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor as Emil Foley, the intimidating drill instructor alongside Richard Gere and Debra Wagner in 1982's "An Officer and a Gentleman". A few years later, after winning the Oscar, Gossett Jr. also acted opposite Dennis Quaid in "Enemy Mine" and in 1986's "Iron Eagle", the latter of which led to three more sequels and established him as the star of a bona fide franchise. His other movies include "The Deep", "Blue Chips", "Daddy's Little Girls", "Firewalker", "Jaws 3D", "The Punisher" and "Toy Soldiers".

In recent years, Gossett has appeared in television shows, such as "Boardwalk Empire", "Extant", "Madam Secretary", "ER", and "Watchmen", and played a stubborn patriarch in a remake of "The Color Purple".

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In Memory of M. Emmet Walsh (1935-2024)

M. Emmet Walsh (1935-2024)

About a week ago, the unforgettable character actor M. Emmet Walsh, who was best known for his roles in "Blade Runner", "Knives Out" and "My Best Friend's Wedding" and the Coen brothers' movies "Blood Simple" and "Raising Arizona" has just passed away on 19th March 2024. He was 88. I didn't think he was famous enough until I changed my mind and wrote a late obituary.

Born in 1935 in New York and raised in Vermont, Walsh first performed in a series of stage productions, which led to his Broadway debut in 1969, starring opposite Al Pacino in "Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?" Walsh received his first uncredited film role - as an extra in "Midnight Cowboy" - and his first credited film role in "Alice's Restaurant", both of which came in 1969. After "Alice", Walsh headed for Los Angeles in 1970 to pursue film and television work. He starred opposite Barbara Streisand and Ryan O'Neal in the 1972 hit movie "What's Up Doc". His breakthrough role was when he played Dustin Hoffman's gruff probation officer in 1978's "Straight Time".

Perhaps one of his two best-known performances was that of the hard-nosed police captain Harry Bryant, who brings Harrison Ford's character out of retirement in 1982's "Blade Runner". The other was the corrupt Texas private detective in the first film from the Coen brothers, the 1984 neo-noir "Blood Simple". The other movies from his career include "Little Big Man", "The Jerk", "Serpico", "The Gambler", "Slap Shot", "Ordinary People", "Fletch", "Critters", "Raising Arizona", "Romeo + Juliet", "My Best Friend's Wedding" and "The Iron Giant", as well as numerous guest appearances on television, including "Starsky and Hutch", "Frasier", "The Twilight Zone", "The X Files", "Home Improvement" and "Adventure Time".

His most recent performance came in Rian Johnson's 2019 murder mystery comedy "Knives Out". Walsh portrayed Mr Proofroc, the ageing security guard at the Thrombey mansion, where much of the film takes place after a murder, as part of an ensemble cast led by Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc.

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Dune (2021) Review

Dune

Release Date: 2nd December 2021 - Australia

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures (present)

Legendary Entertainment (present)

Villeneuve Films

Distribution

Universal Pictures Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 156 minutes

Budget: $165,000,000

Box Office Gross: $406,018,000 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

In the far-off future, an intelligent and gifted young man named Paul Atreides has a great destiny ahead of him by travelling to the scorching desert planet Dune to secure

the fate of his family and

his people. As evil forces

collide over the planet's

exclusive supply of the

most precious resource known to existence, only those who can overcome their fear will survive.

Cast

Timothée Chalamet - Paul Atreides

Rebecca Ferguson - Lady Jessica Atreides

Oscar Issac - Duke Leto Atreides

Jason Momoa - Duncan

Idaho

Stellan Skarsgård - Baron

Vladimir Harkonnen

Stephen McKinley Henderson -

Thufir Hawat

Josh Brolin - Gurney Halleck

Javier Bardem - Stilgar

Sharon Duncan-Brewster - Dr. Liet Kynes

Chang Chen - Dr. Wellington Yueh

Dave Bautista - Beast Rabban Harkonnen

David Dastmalchian - Piter de Vries

Zendaya - Chani

Charlotte Rampling - Reverend

Mother Mohiam

Babs Olusanmokun - Jamis

Benjamin Clémentine - Herald

of the Charge

Souad Faress - Bene Gesserit Sister

Golda Rosheuvel - Shadout Mapes

Roger Yuan - Lieutenant Lanville

Seun Shote - Arrakeen Residency Gardener

Neil Bell - Sardaukar Bashar

Oliver Ryan - Hawat Specialist

Stephen Collins - Harkonnen Trooper

Charlie Rawes - Harkonnen Trooper

Richard Carter - Harkonnen

Trooper

Ben Dilloway - Sardaukar

Assassin

Elmi Rashid Elmi - Shamir

Tachia Newall - Tanat

Gloria Obianyo - Female Fremen

Fehinti Balogun - Male Fremen

Dora Kápolnai-Schvab - Baron Servant

Joelle - Baron Servant (Cameo)

Jimmy Walker - Atreides Lieutenant

Paul Bullion - Sardaukar Soldier

Milena Sidorova - Human Spider Proxy

János Timkó - Harkonnen Guard

Jean Gilpin - Bene Gesserit

Ancestors (Voice)

Marianne Faithfull - Bene 

Gesserit Ancestors (Voice)

Ellen Dubin - Bene Gesserit

Ancestors (Voice)

Crew

Screenplay/Director - Denis Villeneuve

Based on the Novel - Frank Herbert

Screenplay/Executive

Producer - Jon Spaihts

Screenplay - Eric Roth

Script Supervisor - Jessica Clothier

Special Consultant - Kevin J.

Anderson

Executive Producers -

Joshua Grode, John Harrison,

Herbert W. Gains, Brian & Kim

Herbert, Tanya Lapointe, Bryon

Merritt, Richard P. Rubinstein

and Thomas Tull

Producers - Cale Boyter and

Mary Parent

Producer/Unit Production

Manager - Joseph M. Carraciolo Jr.

Co-Producer/First Assistant Director - Chris Carreras

Co-Producer/Production Supervisor - Jessica Derhammer

Casting Directors - Jina Jay and Francine Maisler

Production Designer - Patrice Vermette

Concept Designer/Storyboard

Artist - Sam Hudecki

Props Concept Artist - Ed Natividad

Concept Artists - Kamen Anev, Joseph Cross, Jeremy Hanna, George Hull, Eric Hamel, Carlos Haunte, Yanick Dusseault, Peter Popken and Colie Wertz

Concept Artist/Visual Effects

Art Director: Rodeo FX -

Deak Ferrand

Supervising Art Director - Tom

Brown

Set Decorators - Richard

Roberts and Zsuzsanna Sipos

Property Master - Doug Harlocker

Costume Designers - Bob

Morgan and Jacqueline West

Makeup Department Head/Makeup and Hair Designer - Donald Mowat

Prosthetic Designer: Baron Harkonnen - Love Larson

Director of Photography - Greig Fraser

Directors of Photography:

Additional Photography -

Pierre Gill and Adam Arkapaw

Unit Production Manager - James Grant

Location Manager: California - Leann Emmert

First Assistant Director:

Additional Photography -

Cliff Lanning

Second Unit Director/Stunt

Coordinator - Tom Struthers

Stunt Coordinator - Dave Judge

Fight Coordinator - Roger Yuan

Aerial Coordinator - Cliff Fleming

Special Effects Supervisor - Gerd Nefzer

Visual Effects Supervisor - Paul Lambert

Visual Effects Supervisors: DNEG - Brian Connor

and Tristan Myles

Visual Effects Producers - Maricel Pagulayan

and Brice Parker

Visual Effects Producers: DNEG -

Jennifer Fairweather and Jose Maria de la Puente

Visual Effects Producer: Rodeo FX - Wassila Lmouaci

Senior Animation Supervisor: DNEG -

Robyn Luckham

Animation Supervisors: DNEG - Nick Symons

and Eric Bates

Visualisation Supervisor: The Third Floor -

Nicholas Markel

Visualisation Supervisor: Digital Domain -

Scott Meadows

Film Editor - Joe Walker

Sound Designers/Supervising Sound Editors -

Mark A. Mangini and Theo Green

Sound Designer - Dave Whitehead

Re-Recording Mixers - Ron Bartlett

and Doug Hemphill

Music/Synth Programming - Hans Zimmer

Composers: Additional Music - David Fleming,

Steve Mazzaro, Steven Doar and Andrew Kawczynski

Music Supervisors - Peter Afterman

and Alison Litton

Score Mixer - Alan Meyerson

Awards

2022 Academy Awards

Best Sound - Mac Ruth, Mark A. Mangini,

Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett (Won)

Best Achievement in Visual Effects -

Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor

and Gerd Nefzer (Won)

Best Achievement in Production Design -

Patricia Vermette and Zsuzsanna Sipos (Won)

Best Achievement in Music Written for

Motion Picture (Original Score) - Hans Zimmer (Won)

Best Achievement in Film Editing - Joe Walker (Won)

Best Achievement in Cinematography -

Greig Fraser (Won)

------------------------

Best Motion Picture of the Year - Mary Parent,

Denis Villeneuve and Cale Boyter (Nominated)

Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling -

Donald Mowat, Love Larson and Eva Von Bahr

(Nominated)

Best Achievement in Costume Design -

Jacqueline West and Bob Morgan (Nominated)

Best Adapted Screenplay - Jon Spaihts,

Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth (Nominated)

Review

Before 2021, DUNE was considered one of the unfilmable science fiction novels by many people who read it and its fans. There have been numerous failed attempts to bring DUNE to the big screen, one of which was from Alejandro Jodorowsky, which never got off the ground. Even Ridley Scott came dangerously close to adapting the original sci-fi story but backed out when he opted for Blade Runner instead. However, David Lynch created the first film adaptation (click here) in 1984, which remained true to its weird nature but failed at the box office and wasn't well-received by critics. It grew to be a cult classic in later years. Even the 2000 miniseries version suffered from poor casting and cheap CGI while being faithful to the original novel. It finally succeeded when Denis Villeneuve, the man behind Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, followed his lifelong ambition of directing a massive sci-fi epic.

While a remarkable adaptation, this film differs from the original book but covers the first half, leaving the story incomplete and ending abruptly. The slow pacing is also a detriment to the movie. A few characters from the book are missing in this film, as these will appear in the second part. Villeneuve has lived up to the vision and scope that Frank Herbert has conceived for DUNE, but wasn't trying to be like David Lean, Stanley Kubrick or Steven Spielberg. Instead, he was doing his own thing and proved he was the best man to bring DUNE to life like no other director could handle the responsibility of helming it. There are epic and memorable moments that make DUNE an exciting film.

It maintains a sizable cast with a pedigree of actors who have all done well in their terrific performances, particularly Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson, whom the two actors did such a fine job in their roles. Stellan Skarsgård appears to have gained weight (due to the makeup and fat suit) to play the sinister Baron Harkonnen. His performance is better than Kenneth McMillan's in the original film by being less over-the-top. Zendaya could have had more scenes for the character Chani. She has less screen time than any of the other actors.

The costume design is impressive, and the visual effects are stunning. Even the cinematography by Greig Fraser is awe-inspiring in the breathtaking imagery it uses to capture the scale of this movie. Hans Zimmer retains his crown as one of the greatest movie composers by delivering a powerful, booming score. It helps that he was a fan of the book and has read it ever since to infuse the rich texture in his cinematic score.

This mind-blowing experience has left fans wanting more, but they will have to watch the second part after watching its predecessor. I can't say I loved DUNE, but it's different from the other versions I grew up watching. Overall, it is a great movie. This interpretation came highly recommended to those who previously experienced the original versions in either Lynch's or the miniseries.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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Winners of the 96th Academy Awards

Now, here are the winners of the 96th Academy Awards. Not as few as I predicted, Oppenheimer won not just four Oscars but seven in its categories, including Best Picture. As for Barbie, it only won Best Original Song, "What Was I Made For?, not Best Costume and Production Design as I hoped, and Godzilla Minus One won for Best Visual Effects. Surprisingly, Hayao Miyazaki won Best Animated Feature for The Boy and the Heron, marking his second consecutive Oscar for a 2D animated film (anime).

There are two moments of this ceremony, including when wrestler John Cena was naked while presenting the award for Best Costume Design and Emma Stone had a wardrobe malfunction as she was on her way to collect her second Best Actress Oscar for Poor Things.

Best Visual Effects

Godzilla Minus One - Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masako Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima

Best Film Editing

Oppenheimer - Jennifer Lame

Best Costume Design

Poor Things - Holly Waddington

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Poor Things - Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston

Best Cinematography

Oppenheimer - Hoyte van Hoytema

Best Production Design

Poor Things - Production Design: James Price and Shona Heath; Set Decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek

Best Sound

The Zone of Interest - Johnnie Burn and Tarn Willers

Best Original Song

"What Was I Made For?" from Barbie - Music and Lyrics by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell

Best Original Score

Oppenheimer - Ludwig Göransson

Best Animated Short Film

War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko - Dave Mullins and Brad Booker

Best Live-Action Short Film

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - Wes Anderson and Steven Rales

Best Documentary Short Film

The Last Repair Shop - Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers

Best Documentary Feature Film

20 Days in Mariupol - Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner and Raney Aronson-Rath

Best International Feature Film

The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom) - Directed by Jonathan Glazer

Best Animated Feature Film

The Boy and the Heron - Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki

Best Adapted Screenplay

American Fiction - Cord Jefferson; based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett

Best Original Screenplay

Anatomy of a Fall - Justine Triet and Arthur Harari

Best Supporting Actress

Da'Vine Joy Randolph - The Holdovers as Mary Lamb

Best Supporting Actor

Robert Downey Jr. - Oppenheimer as Lewis Strauss

Best Actress

Emma Stone - Poor Things as Bella Baxter

Best Actor

Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer as J. Robert Oppenheimer

Best Director

Christopher Nolan - Oppenheimer

Best Picture

Oppenheimer - Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan, producers

Honorary Awards

Angela Bassett

Mel Brooks

Carol Littleton

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

Michelle Satter

Stay tuned for my critique of Dune: Part One.

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Wonka Review

Wonka

Release Date: 14th December 2023 - Australia

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)

Village Roadshow Pictures (in association with)

Domain Entertainment (in association with)

The Roald Dahl Story Company

Heyday Films

Distribution

Universal Pictures Australia

Genre: Fantasy/Musical/

Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 116 minutes

Budget: $125,000,000

Box Office Gross: $608,261,770 (Worldwide -

figure subject to change)

Plot Summary

As a young and poor man with dreams of opening a chocolate shop in a famous city, Willy Wonka is determined to change the world with one delectable bite at a time. However, he discovers that a cartel of

greedy chocolatiers controls

the industry and will stop at

nothing to rid their competitors.

Cast

Timothée Chalamet - Willy Wonka

Gustave Die - Ship's Engineer

Murray McArthur - Ship's Captain

Paul G. Raymond - Map Seller

Bertie Caplan - Shoeshine Boy

Isy Suttie - Fruit & Veg Vendor

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith -

Officer Affable

Matilda Tucker - Young Mother

Tom Davis - Bleacher

Olivia Colman - Mrs.

Scrubbit

Calah Lane - Noodle

Paterson Joseph - Slugworth

Matt Lucas - Prodnose

Matthew Baynton - Fickelgruber

Freya Parker - Miss Bon Bon

Keegan-Michael Key - Chief of Police

Hugh Grant - Oompa-Loompa

Jim Carter - Abacus Crunch

Rakhee Thakrar - Lottie Bell

Natasha Rothwell - Piper Benz

Rich Fulcher - Larry

Chucklesworth

Colin O'Brien - Young Willy Wonka

Sally Hawkins - Willy's Mother

Rowan Atkinson - Father Julius

Ellie White - Gwennie (Mistress of the Keys)

Rufus Jones - Jenkins

Simon Farmaby - Basil (Zoo Security Guard)

Susie Fairfax - Abacus

Crunch's Wife

Macie Blake - Abacus

Crunch's Granddaughter

(4 Years Old)

Charlotte Ritchie - Barbara

Phil Wang - Colin

Bleu Woodward - Waitress

Robyn Rose - Tram Lady 1

Millie O'Donnell - Tram Lady 2

Ben Howard - Oompa Loompa Guard 1

Muzz Khan - Oompa Loompa Guard 2

Ian Bartholomew - Sceptical Old Man

Sophie Winkleman - The

Countess

Lola Shepelev -

Moustached Little Girl

Michael Abubakar - Orange-

Haired Customer

Justin Edwards - Green-

Skinned Customer

Marina Bye - Green-Bearded Customer

Tim Fitzhigham - Sinister Ship's Captain

Jane Bertish - Bardness Von Schmeichelhammer

Dominic Coleman - Donovan

Tracy Ifeachor - Dorothy Smith

Ellie Blake - Abacus Crunch's Granddaughter (8 Years Old)

Alison Pargeter - Wendy Chucklesworth

Crew

Story/Screenplay/Director - Paul King

Based on Characters - Roald Dahl

Screenplay - David Farnaby

Executive Producers - Cate Adams,

Rosie Alison and Michael Siegel

Executive Producer/Unit Production

Manager - Tim Wellspring

Producers - David Heyman,

Alexandra Derbyshire and Luke Kelly

Co-Producer - Bernie Hall

Casting Director - Nina Gold

Military Technical Advisor - Paul Biddiss

Production Designer - Nathan Crowley

Supervising Art Directors - Toby Britton

and Tom Brown

Set Decorator - Lee Sandales

Property Master - Jamie Wilkinson

Costume Designer - Lindy Hemming

Hair & Makeup Designer - Ivana Primorac

Director of Photography - Chung-hoon Chang

"A" Camera/Steadicam Operator - Peter Robertson

Unit Production Manager: Additional Unit -

Steve Harding

Second Unit Director/Director of Photography -

John Sorapure

Choreographer - Christopher Gattelli

Stunt Coordinator - Paul Lowe

Animal Coordinators - Julie Tottman

and James Weller

Special Effects Supervisor - Hayley J. Williams

Visual Effects Supervisor - Graham Page

Visual Effects Producer - Dominic Sidoli

Editor - Mark Everson

Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer -

Glenn Freemantle

Supervising Sound Editor - Ben Barker

Production Sound Mixer - John Casali

Re-Recording Mixers - Niv Adiri

and Paul Massey

Foley Mixer - Glen Gathard

Original Songs - Neil Hannon

Music - Joey Talbot

Music Producer - Charlie Rosen

Music Supervisor/Vocal Producer -

James A. Taylor

Review

It took me a few months to finish this review before I could publish it. Despite the turbulence of 2023, the film is still going through a rough patch, with industrial action and the popularity of streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. However, the former affected many movies that came out in the same year and bombed in theatres due to poor marketing and ridiculously high budgets. But there are some exceptions, like Barbie and Oppenheimer. At the end of this year, a few films came out during the holiday season. One of which was WONKA, which is the latest incarnation of Roald Dahl's beloved character.

Considered the most popular of all Roald Dahl's stories, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has been the subject of several adaptations over the years (the two most famous are the 1971 Mel Stuart film and the 2005 Tim Burton film). At first, I was sceptical because this prequel may be a cash cow as it would tarnish the legacy of the original 1971 musical with Gene Wilder. Thankfully, it wasn't. I'm glad it's nothing like the interpretation that Tim Burton produced with Johnny Depp as the titular character. While the previous film adaptations by Mel Stuart and Tim Burton have the same story, this one is a tribute to the former with its confectionary qualities, such as a hint of sweetness and energetically choreographed musical numbers.

Paul King is already familiar with audiences for directing the first two Paddington movies and is no stranger to children's fiction when taking some elements of a literary classic. All that is missing is the dark undertones, which makes the classic book and the two previous interpretations so interesting. The set designs and visuals are phenomenal. The songs are irresistibly catchy.

Timothée Chalamet may seem an odd choice to play Willy Wonka, but he was naturally good at this role and had the eagerness to do so. Interestingly, this version of Wonka is a young optimist, whereas the previous incarnations show him as a self-absorbed individual with little regard for the thoughts and feelings of others. I never knew Chalamet could sing and dance, let alone act in an exuberant and colourful motion picture like WONKA. I liked his rendition of "Pure Imagination", which differs from Gene Wilder's version.

The supporting cast consists of comedians who stole the show, while young Calah Lane lends a sincere performance as Noodle. Keegan-Michael Kay is terrific as the chief of police. Paterson Joseph distinguishes himself as a full-on pantomime villain, supplemented by Matt Lucas and Matthew Baynton, who make a delightfully evil trio. Hugh Grant has made a terrific comeback in his latest work in recent years, but playing an Oompa Loompa named Lofty isn't something I expected from him.

While silly and whimsical, WONKA is a sweet-filled cinematic delight that will arouse audiences and crave their tastebuds. When you have a movie that came out in the holiday season, you know it's WONKA. I recommend this film to those who grew up with Gene Wilder's previous incarnation and Roald Dahl's original story.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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In Memory of Carl Weathers (1948-2024)

Carl Weathers (1948-2024)

It is with great sadness that the actor Carl Weathers has died on 1st February 2024. He was 76 years old. The actor was famous for his role as boxer Apollo Creed in the first four "Rocky" films. He also appeared as Colonel Al Dillon in "Predator", Chubbs Peterson in "Happy Gilmore", and his recent part as Greef Karga in the "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian". Weathers made over 75 films and television appearances in a screen career spanning over 50 years.

Born in New Orleans on 14th January 1948, Weathers was a football linebacker at San Diego State University, where he also studied drama, before joining the Oakland Raiders. Weathers gravitated to Hollywood, inspired by Woody Strode, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte and Muhammad Ali. After appearing in bit parts in numerous projects in the mid-70s, Weathers rose to stardom in 1976 as the fictional boxer who rivalled Sylvester Stallone's champion, Rocky Balboa. He appeared in the first "Rocky" film before reprising his role for the second, third and fourth films. Weathers' character was the source of inspiration for Jordan's "Creed" film series.

While continuing to star in the "Rocky" franchise, Weathers scored several significant roles in the 1980s, including 1987's "Predator", in which he played Arnold Schwarzenegger's former war buddy turned CIA operative. Weathers also appeared in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", "Force 10 from Navarone", "Action Jackson", and "Hurricane Smith". While Weathers was known for his action roles, he had a knack for comedy too, with a memorable turn as Chubbs in Adam Sandler's 1996 film "Happy Gilmore". He would reprise his character in "Little Nicky" and had a minor voice role in "Eight Crazy Nights". He also played himself in the sitcom "Arrested Development", serving as an acting coach for David Cross' character, Tobias Funke. Weathers was also the voice of Combat Carl in the "Toy Story" series, beginning with the television special "Toy Story of Terror" to the Oscar-winning "Toy Story 4".

Most recently, however, his most high-profile role has been in the Star Wars universe, where he has played Greef Karga in all three current seasons of the Disney+ series "The Mandalorian". It earned him an Emmy Award nomination for his performance in 2021. Aside from starring in his role, Weathers was also a director of two episodes in the show, such as Season 2's "Chapter 12: The Siege" and Season 3's "Chapter 20: The Foundling". He also helmed episodes in television shows like "Law & Order" and "The Last O.G."

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