DISNEY'S “THE LITTLE MERMAID” TRAILER AND POSTER

 

The trailer and poster for Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” the live-action reimagining of the studio’s animated musical classic, are here! Two of the film’s stars, Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy, debuted the trailer moments ago on ABC’s live broadcast of the 95^th Annual Academy Awards®. “The Little Mermaid,” helmed by visionary filmmaker Rob Marshall, opens exclusively in theaters nationwide May 26, 2023.

 

“The Little Mermaid” is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy. The film stars singer and actress Halle Bailey (“grown-ish”) as Ariel; Jonah Hauer-King (“A Dog’s Way Home”) as Prince Eric; Tony Award® winner Daveed Diggs (“Hamilton”) as the voice of Sebastian; Awkwafina (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) as the voice of Scuttle; Jacob Tremblay (“Luca”) as the voice of Flounder; Noma Dumezweni (“Mary Poppins Returns”) as Queen Selina; Art Malik (“Homeland”) as Sir Grimsby; with Oscar® winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”) as King Triton; and two-time Academy Award® nominee Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” “Bridesmaids”) as Ursula.      

 

“The Little Mermaid” is directed by Oscar® nominee Rob Marshall (“Chicago,” “Mary Poppins Returns”)with a screenplay by two-time Oscar nominee David Magee (“Life of Pi,” “Finding Neverland”). The songs feature music from multiple Academy Award® winner Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin”) and lyrics by Howard Ashman, and new lyrics by three-time Tony Award® winner Lin-Manuel Miranda. The film is produced by two-time Emmy® winner Marc Platt (“Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” “Grease Live!”), Miranda, two-time Emmy winner John DeLuca (“Tony Bennett: An American Classic”), and Rob Marshall, with Jeffrey Silver (“The Lion King”) serving as executive producer. 

 

The brand new soundtrack for Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” is available now to Pre-Save, Pre-Add or Pre-Order – https://presave.umusic.com/thelittlemermaidsoundtrack

TEASER TRAILER AND POSTER FOR DISNEY’S “HAUNTED MANSION”

 

Look alive, foolish mortals! We’re dying for you to view our teaser trailer and poster for Disney’s comically creepy adventure “Haunted Mansion,” which will appear in theaters on July 28. 

 

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Justin Simien, the film features an all-star ensemble cast including LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Chase W. Dillon and Dan Levy, with Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto as The Hatbox Ghost.

 

Director Simien says, “As a lifelong fan of the Haunted Mansion attraction, I’m beyond excited to share the teaser trailer for our new film adaptation featuring an incredible cast. Our team has worked tirelessly to create a scary, funny and cinematic otherworldly adventure for both new and die-hard fans to enjoy! I can’t wait for audiences to experience this big screen version of the iconic Disney attraction.”

 

Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, “Haunted Mansion” is about a woman and her son who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters. The film’s producers are Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, with Nick Reynolds and Tom Peitzman serving as executive producers.

Digital Review: Empire of Light

 

Director and writer Sam Mendes brings us a drama about human connection during turbulent times.  We find ourselves in a coastal English town in the 1980s. We meet Hilary (Olivia Colman), a manager of the local movie theater and struggling with mental health issues. New employee Stephen (Michael Ward) looks to leave this town where he faces racial issues each and every day. These two unlikely souls find each other and learn about the power of movies and community.

Sadly, the movie suffers from a script that is not engaging for the audience. Perhaps it is the subject matter that makes the film feel depressing and joyless. The saving grace is the brilliant cinematography by Roger Deakins. The vintage theater becomes a character and conveys mood in many of the scenes. 

Video Quality:

The 1080p image here is striking. From facial textures to color reproduction, the vivid imagery pushes the HD image as far as it can go. Black levels are deep and inky. The field of depth is natural with no blur at all. 

Audio Quality:

The 5.1 track is solid here. The dialogue, score and sound effects are all loud and clear and yet never get in the way of one another. The rear channels are put to good use as well creating a nice ambiance in each scene. 

Bonus Features:

Featurette

• Creating Empire of Light - Go behind the scenes of this personal film with writer-director Sam Mendes, and uncover the story’s origins and the director’s love of cinema. See how the perfect location was found to rebuild a classic movie theater that had the cast in awe.

Conclusion:

Empire of Light is a depressing tale that does have wonderful video and audio. There is only one bonus feature. This is recommended as a rental or viewed on a streaming service before deciding if this needs to be a purchase.

*The movie was provided by Walt Disney Home Entertainment for the sole purpose of review. The review is solely my own opinion.*

4K Digital Review: Wakanda Forever

 

Wakanda Forever had the near impossible task of moving a massive franchise forward after the loss of Chadwick Boseman and does so in the most heartfelt way. The movie begins with the loss of King T'Challa and takes us through where his mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), and sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) are at. So much of real life is emulated here and the movie becomes one of dealing with loss. 

With T'Challa gone, Wakanda is in the global spotlight with other countries trying to get their hands on vibranium. As other countries discover that vibranium also exists on the bottom of the ocean, they unknowingly awaken Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and his nation of Talokan. This leads to Shuri having to figure out how to save the young scientist Riri Williams (Dominique Thorn) from Namor and a possible war.

The cast is amazing and the standout here is easily Angela Bassett who gives and Oscar worthy performance. Letitia carries a lot of emotional weight here as well. Tenoch is powerful as Namor and makes you feel his emotion of protecting his people. Just an absolute solid cast and I cannot wait to see where Shuri and Namor go into the future of the MCU. 

Video Quality:

The streaming 4K video is pristine. Every detail from skin tones to the intricate details of the costumes are a sight to be seen. The wide variety of colors are rich and lush. An absolute visual delight that needs to be seen in this format. 

Audio Quality: 

The Dolby Atmos mix here is wonderful. Dialogue is clean and without any issues. The surround is put to good use in both the water and battle sequences. The score rumbles and gets the best bass here. 

Bonus Features:

Gag Reel

·       Take a look at some of the lighthearted moments on the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Audio Commentary

·       Listen to Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole, and Autumn Durald Arkapaw discuss the film.

Featurettes

·       Envisioning Two Worlds – Uncover the making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever through the lens and leadership of co-writer/director Ryan Coogler, production designer Hannah Beachler, and costume designer Ruth Carter.

·       Passing the Mantle – Follow the evolution of the Black Panther through the films. In tracing Shuri, Ramonda, and Riri’s journeys through the film, this featurette explores what legacy ultimately means in Wakanda and how it will resonate with MCU viewers for years to come.

Deleted Scenes

·       Outside The Scope – Okoye has a shocking standoff with Ayo and the Dora Milaje. Aneka makes a challenging decision.

·       The Upstairs Toilet – Ross infiltrates the NSA in disguise in an attempt to uncover information.

·       Daughter of the Border – After a conversation with her Uncle, Okoye is faced with a daunting choice.

·       Anytime, Anywhere – In Haiti, Shuri and Okoye share a bittersweet moment.

Conclusion:

Wakanda Forever pays a fitting tribute to the loss of Chadwick Boseman and propels the franchise forward. A wonderful transfer and audio mix combined with some great bonus features including a must listen to audio commentary makes this a solid addition to your personal library.  

(The review copy was provided by Walt Disney Home Entertainment and the review is solely my opinion)