The Avengers

Marvel's The Avengers (classified under the name Marvel Avengers Assemble in the UK and Ireland), or simply The Avengers, is a 2012 American superhero film produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, based on the Marvel Comicssuperhero team of the same name. It is the sixth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film is scripted and directed by Joss Whedon and features an ensemble cast including Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson. In the film, Nick Fury, director of the peacekeeping organization S.H.I.E.L.D., recruits Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, and Thor to form a team that must stop Thor's adoptive brother Loki from subjugating Earth.

The film's development began when Marvel Studios received a loan from Merrill Lynch in April 2005. After the success of the film Iron Man in May 2008, Marvel announced that The Avengers would be released in July 2011. With the signing of Johansson in March 2009, the film was pushed back for a 2012 release. Whedon was brought on board in April 2010 and rewrote the original screenplay by Zak Penn. Production began in April 2011 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before moving to Cleveland, Ohio, in August and New York City in September. The film was converted to 3D in post-production.

The Avengers premiered on April 11, 2012, at Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre and was released theatrically in the United States on May 4, 2012. The film received positive reviews from most film critics and set or tied numerous box office records, including the biggest opening weekend in North America and the fastest film to gross $1 billion. The Avengers grossed $1.51 billion worldwide, and became the third highest-grossing film of all time. The film was released on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on September 25, 2012. A sequel to be written and directed by Whedon is scheduled for release on May 1, 2015.

The Asgardian Loki encounters the Other, the leader of an extraterrestrial race known as the Chitauri. In exchange for retrieving the Tesseract,2 a powerful energy source of unknown potential, the Other promises Loki a Chitauri army with which he can subjugate the Earth. Nick Fury, director of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D., and his lieutenant Agent Maria Hill arrive at a remote research facility during an evacuation, where physicist Dr.Erik Selvig is leading a research team experimenting on the Tesseract. Agent Phil Coulson explains that the object has begun radiating an unusual form of energy. The Tesseract suddenly activates and opens a wormhole, allowing Loki to reach Earth. Loki takes the Tesseract and uses his scepter to enslave Selvig and several agents, including Clint Barton, to aid him in his getaway.

In response to the attack, Fury reactivates the "Avengers Initiative". Agent Natasha Romanoff is sent to Calcutta to recruit Dr. Bruce Banner to trace the Tesseract through its gamma radiation emissions. Coulson visits Tony Stark to have him review Selvig's research, and Fury approaches Steve Rogers with an assignment to retrieve the Tesseract. While Barton steals iridium needed to stabilize the Tesseract's power, Loki causes a distraction in Stuttgart leading to a confrontation with Rogers, Stark, and Romanoff that ends with Loki's surrender. While Loki is being escorted to S.H.I.E.L.D., Thor, his adoptive brother, arrives and frees him hoping to convince him to abandon his plan and return to Asgard. After a confrontation with Stark and Rogers, Thor agrees to take Loki to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s flying aircraft carrier, the Helicarrier. There Loki is imprisoned, while scientists Banner and Stark attempt to locate the Tesseract.

The Avengers become divided, both over how to approach Loki and the revelation that S.H.I.E.L.D. plans to harness the Tesseract to develop weapons as a deterrent against hostile extraterrestrials. As the group argues, Barton and Loki's other possessed agents attack the Helicarrier, disabling its engines in flight and causing Banner to transform into the Hulk. Stark and Rogers try to restart the damaged engine, and Thor attempts to stop the Hulk's rampage. Romanoff fights Barton, and knocks him unconscious, breaking Loki's mind control. Loki escapes after killing Coulson and ejecting Thor from the airship, while the Hulk falls to the ground after attacking a S.H.I.E.L.D. fighter jet. Fury uses Coulson's death to motivate the Avengers into working as a team. Stark and Rogers realize that simply defeating them will not be enough for Loki; he needs to overpower them publicly to validate himself as ruler of Earth. Loki uses the Tesseract, in conjunction with a device Selvig built, to open a wormhole above Stark Tower to the Chitauri fleet in space, launching his invasion.

The Avengers rally in defense of New York City, the wormhole's location, but quickly realize they will be overwhelmed as wave after wave of Chitauri descend upon Earth. Banner transforms into the Hulk, and together with Rogers, Stark, Thor, Barton and Romanoff, they battle the Chitauri while evacuating civilians. The Hulk goes after Loki and beats him into submission. Romanoff makes her way to the wormhole, where Selvig, freed of Loki's control, reveals that Loki's scepter can be used to close the wormhole. Meanwhile, Fury's superiors attempt to end the invasion by launching a nuclear missile at Manhattan. Stark intercepts the missile and takes it through the wormhole toward the Chitauri fleet. The missile detonates, destroying the Chitauri's mothership and leaving their forces disabled on Earth. Stark's suit runs out of power and he falls back through the wormhole, but the Hulk saves him from crashing to the ground. Romanoff deactivates the wormhole to prevent further invasion. In the aftermath, Thor returns Loki and the Tesseract to Asgard. Fury expresses confidence that the Avengers will return if and when they are needed.

In the first of two post-credits scenes, the Other confers with his master about the attack on Earth and humanity's resistance; in the second, the Avengers eat in silence at a shawarmarestaurant.

Read more »

Action , Blu-ray , Super hero , Walt Disney ,

{[['']]}

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader  is a 2010 fantasy-adventure film based on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third novel in C. S. Lewis's epic fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia (and fifth in internal chronological order). It is the third installment in The Chronicles of Narnia film series from Walden Media. Unlike the first two films, which were distributed by The Walt Disney Company, this was distributed by 20th Century Fox and the first and so far only film in the series to be released in Digital 3D.

The film is set three Narnian years after the events of Prince Caspian. The two youngest Pevensie siblings, Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy(Georgie Henley), are transported back to Narnia along with their cousin Eustace Scrubb (Will Poulter). They join the new king of Narnia, Caspian(Ben Barnes), in his quest to rescue seven lost lords and to save Narnia from a corrupting evil that resides on a dark island. Each character is tested as they journey to the home of the great lion Aslan at the far end of the world.

Development on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader began in 2007, while Prince Caspian was still in production. Filming was supposed to take place inMalta, Czech Republic and Iceland in 2008 with Michael Apted as its new director, for a planned release in 2009. But production was halted after a budgetary dispute between Walden Media and Walt Disney Pictures concerning Prince Caspian's performance at the box office, resulting in Disney's departing the production and being replaced by 20th Century Fox. Filming later took place in Australia and New Zealand in 2009 and was converted into 3D in 2010. It was released in traditional 2D, RealD 3D, and Digital 3D, and a limited release in 4D. The screenplay based on the novel by C. S. Lewis was written by Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus.

The film premiered on November 30, 2010, at a Royal Film Performance in London and was released worldwide on December 10, 2010 and was commercially successful but met with mixed reviews praising the performances and visual effects but criticizing the script and pace. The film received moderate success in North America with a gross of $104 million, which was lower than its predecessors. However, it fared better than Prince Caspian internationally with $310 million. The film was the 12th highest-grossing film of 2010 worldwide with nearly $415 million and received a nomination at the 68th Golden Globe Awards. It then became 20th Century Fox's highest-grossing film in 2010. The Magician's Nephew was to be the fourth entry to the series, but in Fall 2011 Walden Media's contract with the C. S. Lewis estate expired, placing the possibility of another film on indefinite hold.


 

Read more »

Adventure , Best Sellers , Blu-ray , Fantasy , Walt Disney ,

{[['']]}

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian  is a 2008 epic fantasy film based on Prince Caspian, the second published, fourth chronological novel inC. S. Lewis's epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. It is the second in The Chronicles of Narnia film series from Walden Media, followingThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005). The four Pevensie children (William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, and Georgie Henley) return to Narnia to aid Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) in his struggle for the throne against his corrupt uncle, King Miraz(Sergio Castellitto). The film was released on May 16, 2008 in the United States and on June 26, 2008 in the United Kingdom. The screenplay based on the novel by C. S. Lewis was written by Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus.

Prince Caspian is also the last Narnia film to be distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, as 20th Century Fox became the distributor of its future films starting with The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Work on the script began before The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was released, so filming could begin before the actors grew too old for their parts. Director Andrew Adamson wanted to make the film more spectacular than the first, and created an action sequence not in the novel. The Narnians were designed to look wilder as they have been hiding from persecution, stressing the darker tone of the sequel. The filmmakers also took a Spanish influence for the antagonistic race of the Telmarines. Filming began in February 2007 in New Zealand, but unlike the previous film, the majority of shooting took place in Central Europe, because of the larger sets available in those countries. To keep costs down, Adamson chose to base post-production in the UK, because of recent tax credits there.

The film was a moderate success in the United States and Canada with a total sum of $141 million. It also made $278 million in the rest of the world.

 

Read more »

Adventure , Best Sellers , Blu-ray , Fantasy , Walt Disney ,

{[['']]}

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

In 1940, in the London suburb of Finchley, the Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, are endangered by an attack of numerous German Heinkel He 111 bombers. When running to the shelter, Edmund runs back to the house to get a photograph of his father for which Peter scolds him. The next morning, they are evacuated to the country home of Professor Digory Kirke, who is not accustomed to having children in his house, as Ms. Macready, the strict housekeeper, explains.

While the Pevensies are getting used to the house and playing hide-and-seek out of boredom, Lucy discovers a wardrobe and enters a wintry fantasy world to her surprise, called Narnia. Lucy shortly encounters and befriends the faun, Mr. Tumnus, who explains about the land she has just entered and invites her back to his home to which she accepts. There, he puts Lucy to sleep by playing a Narnian Lullaby on his flute. However, when she wakes up, Lucy finds Tumnus grieving, and he explains that Jadis, the White Witch, has cursed Narnia, and it has been winter for one hundred years. If a human is ever encountered, they were to be brought to her. Tumnus takes a huge liking to Lucy and cannot bring himself to kidnap her, so he sends her home. When she returns, hardly any time has passed in the normal world, and her siblings do not believe her story since that when they look in the wardrobe, it has a normal wooden back. Peter then scolds Edmund when he jokes about believing Lucy, to which Edmund responds by yelling at Peter and storms out of the room, believing that Peter is trying to be a father figure (presumably showing us that Edmund's bad behavior began when his father was forced to fight in the war).

One night, Edmund follows Lucy into the wardrobe, presumably to tease her about the country he thinks she has made up. However, he enters Narnia as well, and shortly after searching for Lucy, he meets the White Witch who claims to be "The Queen of Narnia" and her dwarf Ginarrbrik. She offers him Turkish Delight as well as the prospect of becoming king and having power over his siblings if he brings them to her house. After she departs, Edmund and Lucy meet again and return; Lucy tells Peter and Susan about the experience, but Edmund lies about it. The Professor talks with Peter and Susan; he does not understand why they do not believe Lucy's story and gives them three possible logical explanations of Lucy's behaviour — madness, dishonesty and sincerity — the others know she is neither mad nor dishonest, so she must be telling the truth. However, they are still not convinced.

While running away from Ms. Macready after accidentally breaking a window while playing cricket, the four siblings retreat to the wardrobe and enter Narnia. There, they apologize to Lucy. They discover Mr. Tumnus has been taken by the Witch's secret police, and meet Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, who tell them about Aslan. According to the beavers, Aslan is on the move to take control of Narnia from the Witch. The four must help Aslan and his supporters; it has been prophesied that if two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve sit in the four thrones, the White Witch's reign would end.

Edmund sneaks off to visit the Witch, where Mr. Beaver explains the witch's motive and that the siblings now must resort to reaching Aslan to save him. When he arrives at her castle, she is angry that he did not deliver his siblings. The Witch sends wolves to hunt down the children and the beavers, who barely escape with the help of a fox. Edmund is chained in the Witch's dungeon where he meets Tumnus. The Witch demands that Edmund reveal where his siblings are because her police could not find them; Edmund then tells her about Aslan and the witch demands to know where Aslan is. Edmund hesitates when Tumnus claims that Edmund does not know anything and Edmund tells the Witch that he heard no further information regarding Aslan. Seeing that Tumnus is hindering the information, the Witch tells Mr. Tumnus that Edmund betrayed him (by talking about him at Edmund's first visit), then turns Tumnus to stone.

While Peter, Lucy, Susan and the beavers travel to the Stone Table, they see what they believe to be the White Witch chasing after them, so they hide. It is really Father Christmas, a sign that the Witch's reign is ending. Father Christmas gives Lucy a healing cordial and a dagger to defend herself with. Susan, a bow and arrows and a magical horn that will summon help when blown, and Peter a sword and shield.

Pursued by wolves led by Maugrim, the group crosses a thawing river, leaving the Witch unable to reach them. The Witch's wolves who then appear had captured the fox that helped the Pevensies escape. The Witch then demands that the fox reveals the Pevensies destination. After the fox refuses to comply, the Witch is about to turn him to stone when Edmund reveals that the Pevensies are heading to the Stone Table and that Aslan is already assembling his army. The Witch however still turns the fox to stone and slaps Edmund in the face for hiding information from her. Arriving at Aslan's camp, the group encounters Aslan, who is revealed as a huge and noble lion. Aslan promises to help Edmund in any way he can. Later, two wolves ambush Lucy and Susan while they are frolicking by the river. When Peter intervenes, Maugrim attacks him, and Peter kills him with his sword. After some of Aslan's troops follow the other wolf to the witch's camp and rescue Edmund, Peter is knighted by Aslan.

After Edmund and his siblings reunite, The White Witch journeys to Aslan's camp and asserts her claim to the traitor Edmund, but Aslan secretly offers to sacrifice himself instead. That night, as Lucy and Susan covertly watch, Aslan is killed by the White Witch at the Stone Table with a crowd of creatures watching. In the morning he is resurrected because "there is a magic deeper still the Witch does not know". Aslan takes Susan and Lucy to the Witch's castle, where he frees the prisoners that the White Witch turned to stone, forming reinforcements for Aslan's army.

Edmund persuades Peter to lead Aslan's army to fight the White Witch's forces. Though Aslan's army begins to have a winning streak, the White Witch's huge army is much larger than Aslan's (that is, Peter's), so it soon begins to lose. To stop the Witch from attacking and killing Peter, Edmund attacks the White Witch and destroys her wand, but is gravely wounded by the Witch in return. Peter, angered at what the Witch did, fights her. As the Witch fights Peter, Aslan arrives with reinforcements and kills her. After Edmund is revived by Lucy's cordial, the Pevensies become Kings and Queens, staying in Narnia until they are adults.

Fifteen years later, while chasing a white stag through the forest, they come to the same forest clearing where there is a lamppost that Lucy saw on her first trip to Narnia. Lucy begins to remember, and with Edmund, Susan and Peter following, fights through the trees, where they begin to tumble through the coats and finally out of the wardrobe and return to England, becoming children again. The Professor enters the room and asks what they were doing. Peter replies, "You wouldn't believe us if we told you, sir." The Professor tosses him the ball that broke the window and replies, "Try me." Lucy later attempts to return to Narnia via the wardrobe, but the Professor tells her he has been trying for many years, and they will probably return to Narnia when they least expect to return.

A

 

B

Read more »

Adventure , Best Sellers , Blu-ray , Fantasy , Walt Disney ,

{[['']]}

Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas

Belle and the Beast throw a Christmas party at the castle for the local villagers who had been pardoned for their attack on the Prince which been led by Gaston. Lumiere (Jerry Orbach) and Cogsworth (David Ogden Stiers) argue over who brought Christmas back to the castle, whilst Mrs. Potts (Angela Lansbury) insists on explaining the true story behind Christmas' return to the castle.

The film then switches into a lengthy flashback, during the events of the first film after the Beast saved Belle from a wolf pack. Belle (Paige O'Hara) is excited for Christmas but is shocked when the castle servants reveal the Beast (Robby Benson) has forbidden Christmas from occurring. Belle finds the Beast outside in the snow and offers to teach him ice skating, but the Beast storms off when he crashes into the snow.

Belle decides to throw Christmas, Lumiere and Chip (Haley Joel Osment) accompanying her to the castle attic where they meet Angelique (Bernadette Peters), one of Lumiere's lovers who objects to the reintroduction of Christmas, due to the Beast's curse occurring on Christmas when he rejected the Enchantress (Kath Soucie) entry into the castle. The Beast consults the court composer Forte (Tim Curry), who was transformed into a giant pipe organ. Forte would prefer to remain as an ornament than be released by Belle, enjoying his manipulation over the Beast's anger. The Beast confronts Belle in the castle's boiler room, but they dissent over the occurrence of Christmas. Belle eventually meets Forte, who advises her to venture into the deepest part of the forest to cut down a giant Christmas tree. Belle then goes to the forest and finds the tree is near impossible to cut down and eventually falls under a sheet of ice. The Beast learns what has happened and goes to rescue her where he catches up to Lumiere, Cogsworth, Forte's humble minion Fife (Paul Reubens), and a carpenter Axe (Jeff Bennett). However, the Beast, knowing that Belle was planning Christmas against his wishes, imprisons Belle in the dungeon.

The servants visit Belle, and Angelique apologizes for her rude attitude. The Beast finds a present, a storybook, from Belle and reads it. Moved by the book's words, the Beast has a change of heart and frees Belle, offering to celebrate Christmas after all. Furiously realized that he and the other servants would return back to their human forms if Belle loves their master, the Beast before the last petal fall, Forte uses his music to destroy the castle in an attempt to kill Belle and the Beast, ensuring that he and all will be remained enchanted forever. The Beast confronts Forte, but is easily overwhelmed by his music. Fife points out that Forte's keyboard is his weak point, the Beast rips it off Forte who collapses and dies. Belle, the Beast and the servants celebrate Christmas together.

The film ends at the party, with Prince Adam taking Belle aside and giving her a rose as a Christmas present as Fife is now his new court composer.

Read more »

Animated , Cartoon , Walt Disney ,

{[['']]}

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast is a 1991 American animated musical romantic fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The 30th film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and the third film of the Disney Renaissance, Beauty and the Beast is based on the fairy tale La Belle et la Bête by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont. Featuring the voices of Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, and Angela Lansbury, the film tells the story of a handsome prince who is transformed into a hideous beast as punishment for his selfish actions. To become human again, the Beast must earn the love of a beautiful young woman that he imprisons in his castle, or else remain a beast forever.

Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, and produced by Don Hahn, the film was written by Roger Allers, Brenda Chapman, and Chris Sanders, with a screenplay by Linda Woolverton. Originally, the film was to have been by directed by English director Richard Purdum, but he resigned following the studio's decision to turn Beauty and the Beast into a musical. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken wrote the film's songs, while Menken composed its score. Ashman, who also served as executive producer on the film, died of AIDS related complications eight months before the film's release. The film is dedicated to him in his memory.

Beauty and the Beast was released on November 22, 1991 to positive reviews. The film was a significant commercial success during its initial release, and has since then garnered over $424 million in box office earnings. Beauty and the Beast was nominated for several awards, winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. Famously, Beauty and the Beast was the first-ever animated film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, remaining the only animated film to hold this honor until 2009 when the Academy expanded the number of nominees and Pixar's Up was nominated.

Beauty and the Beast received five additional Academy Award nominations, including Best Original Score, Best Sound, and three separate nominations for Best Original Song. Ultimately, Beauty and the Beast won Best Original Score, and Best Original Song went to its title song. In 2002, Beauty and the Beast was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

In April 1994, Beauty and the Beast became Disney's first animated film to be adapted into a Broadway musical. The success of the film spawned two direct-to-video midquels: Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, released in 1997, and Belle's Magical World, released in 1998. This was followed by a spin-off television series, Sing Me a Story with Belle. An IMAX special edition version of the original film was released in 2002, with a new five-minute musical sequence included. After the success of the 3D re-release of The Lion King, the film returned to theaters in 3D under supervision of John Lasseter on January 13, 2012.

Read more »

Animated , Cartoon , Walt Disney ,

{[['']]}