Dolittle Movie

The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle (Universal Pictures)

Set Robert Downey Jr. in the middle of a bunch of animals, add a dose of humor and a golden combination has been created! I suppose that might have been a thought from the makers of The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle. Smart move because Downey Jr. has a huge fan base and a real fan (like me) shall not skip one of his movies! Do you say Dr. Dolittle, then images of the humorous Eddy Murphy, who has played the role in quite some films, are coming in right away. Now it's up to Robert Downey Jr. to portray the role of Dolittle, the doctor who’s able to communicate with animals. Of course Robert is best known as Tony Stark / Iron Man, a role that in my opinion truly was made for him! But also as detective Sherlock Holmes, he proved that he can be called an actor with the capital letter A. 

In Dolittle, the Avengers actor brings along one of his Marvel colleagues: Tom Holland, the current Spiderman from the MCU. As Jip the dog, he dropped four legs. (Because spiders have 8 legs, I know bad joke..) Bohemian Rhapsody actor Rami Malek also has a role in this film, namely Gorilla Chee-Chee. The female roles in this film are portrayed by (among others) Emma Thompson and Selena Gomez.

If you are following Robert Downey Jr. on social media, you probably have seen some of the promotion that he did for Dolittle. Around the 10th of December, he shared a humorous video in which the animals supposedly did an audition. (Several existing films included, shall add the video below). One thing was Barry the tiger (Ralph Fiennes) roaring like a dinosaur from Jurassic Park. A little later he says: "Put me in the movie or it's Downey for dessert .." I saw that in the morning, so I didn’t wanted a dessert, but it did made me look forward in seeing the film even more!

Also, from the first second, the trailer took me to the adventurous and somewhat fairy-tale world of Dolittle. The film was produced by the makers of Disney's Alice in Wonderland & Maleficent and you can certainly see that in it. Dolittle is set in the Victorian era and based on the equally named children's book series (the first one now is a 100 years old). Eddy Murphy’s version was compared to the books and earlier films quite different in details such as time, story and characters. Dr. John Dolittle, portrayed by Downey Jr. with some traits of characters that can be found on the IMDb list from Johnny Depp, prefers only animals around him. Due a serious illness of the young Queen Victoria, the eccentric doctor is needed, urgent. Together with his faithful parrot Poly and a student (Harry Collett), he’s going on quite the adventurous quest to find an extremely rare medicine for the queen. The rest of the crew includes a polar bear and an ostrich who are constantly arguing, a squirrel with sinister plans and a silly duck. Compared to Dolittle’s animal chaos, Tony Stark was lucky with just one talking raccoon!

Dolittle is a film for the whole family. (Although Dolittle takes his pet gang everywhere, I don’t think the employees at the cinema will appreciate it if you bring your own pets to the film..) Not just among children, but also among grown-ups, animal films are still hugely popular. And obviously the dose of animals and humor are all well present in Dolittle! 

 And no, I’m not Robert Downey Jr. tired yet. Hell no! I’m happy that we will at least see him one more time as Tony Stark in the Black Widow movie & that there’s a Sherlock Holmes film scheduled for 2021!

Have you seen Dolittle? What did you think of it? Feel free to share it in the comments!

Joker

Joker

I don‘t need to ask you who officially doesn't belong in this list..

My blog is not dedicated to Tom Hiddleston/Loki for nothing, so when I found this amazingly made Loki/Joker fan-art from TheMainManCreation (I have permission to use the image) I couldn't resist using it. Of course linking the Joker with Loki, who‘s in the Norse myths also known as the trickster, is not such a weird thing (+they are both genius), I don‘t know if I want to see Tom as the Joker. But I cannot judge about something I've never seen before, so if it ever happens I shall not complain. However after I have seen the new Joker, I think with Joaquin Phoenix they have found a really good Joker so I hope this wasn't his last and only performance of it.

Feel free to share your opinions!

Photo: DC Comics

“When you bring me out, can you introduce me as Joker?” 

Finally, the Joker, labelled as the most impressive and popular villain of DC Comics, now has its own standalone solo film! In this film called Joker (yes, without 'The' ..), actor Joaquin Phoenix, whose name I also found in the list called: ‘7 celebrities whose names you've been pronouncing wrong’, crawls into the skin of this rouged psychopath. The actor is one of all trades, in 2018 he portrayed Jesus in the film Mary Magdalene. The last Joker portrayed by actor/singer Jared Leto ( Suicide Squad ), was a somewhat disappointing one. The most famous Jokers perhaps are Jack Nicholson (Batman 1989) and Heath Ledger, who in The Dark Knight (2008) truly had set the bar very high! After Ledger‘s performance, hardly no one talked about the Joker from Nicholson anymore. Now Phoenix succeeds in portraying an equal Joker like Ledger did and with this role he also paid a nice tribute to his deceased friend.

I have a huge respect for this artwork of Anarchy Graphics.

It also requires a whole lot from the actors to be able to empathize in the role of this psychopath. To lose weight for the role, at least Joaquin Phoenix probably had to say no to a lot of food, which for example I think was easier for a vegan like him than for a great meat-lover. A more extreme example is the tragic story of Heath Ledger, who died in 2008 at the age of 28, before The Dark Knight premiered. If this had not happened, the closing part of The Dark Knight trilogy would probably have looked very different and perhaps Jared Leto was never given the role (that‘s what I think though).

Heath Ledger & Jared Leto.

"Knock, knock .."

Now in 2019, this manically disturbed villain from the comics is back in the cinemas! Personally the trailer had blown me away already. The critics mentioned that Phoenix managed to make the Joker look even more kooky than his predecessors did, personally I think the kooky look still remains with Ledger‘s version. With this film Todd Philips gives you a glimpse into the life/head of Arthur Fleck, a resident of Gotham City, whose mental condition does not fit within the norms of society. During the day he‘s earning his money as a clown and in the evening he tries to become a successful stand-up comedian. However, he discovers that it is a tough world and is laughed away by his crowds. Let‘s say the balloons in his head are about to pop.. Also his past with Batman/The Wayne‘s will be a little bit more highlighted. For this role, Phoenix has already received much praise. In Venice, where the film already premiered in August, it won the important prize called the Golden Lion at a film festival. Phoenix is ​​also ‘tipped’ to have a big chance of winning an Oscar. Heath Ledger had also won an Oscar for his role as the Joker, so if Phoenix manages to win one, it means that two actors receive an Oscar for the portrayal of the same role, something that is rare! In fact Robert De Niro (who also has a role in this film) is the only other actor who has succeeded this.

"Send in the clowns.."

With both Joker and Pennywise in IT: Chapter Two, the horror clowns are definitely taking over the cinemas for a while! Although these clowns are a lot more frightening than the typical carnival clowns, thanks to films such as these people occasionally are taking a different look at these painted entertainers. Besides children and teenagers there are also many adults who are suffering from a clown phobia, perhaps partly caused by the horror clowns seen in films. For one I remember the clown-like puppet riding the bicycle (I shall not add a picture of this puppet called Billy..) in the Saw films really caused me some scary nights.. Oh well, as long as you can tell the difference between reality and imagination (which Arthur doesn't really in this film..) I assume it‘s all fine. Seen from the style and among others, the film-music, I think Joker definitely fits well with Nolan‘s The Dark Knight trilogy, but I can certainly recommend Joker to anyone who has rated Tim Burton’s Batman films, especially Batman Returns, high. Next year Harley Quinn, Leto's Joker ex-partner in crime, will get her own film. But in 2021 DC will release a movie called The Batman with Robert Pattinson (Twilight / Harry Potter) as the new Batman and in which reportedly Jeremy Irons will return as Alfred. According to some rumors, we will also see drain-villain The Penguin again. Joker is not part of the DC Extended Universe, so that reduces the chances of getting to see Joaquin Phoenix's anti-hero and Batman (all grown) in the same film. Although, never say never! Given the worldwide success of Joker, if I were DC, I wouldn't give him a goodbye-wave yet.. All with all, Joker is definitely worth the watch! 

Photo: DC Comics

*If the multiple Joker pictures in this blog post caused you any nightmares, I‘m deeply sorry!

The Madness Of King Scar

The Madness Of King Scar

My two favourite Disney/Marvel characters to write about are obviously, Loki & Scar. Today I would like to share a few parts of the scene The Madness of King Scar, which comes from my fan fiction story called: Scar‘s Reign.

Note that this isn‘t the whole scene, I‘ve picked some parts out. You can find the whole chapter here:
Ao3 c7 TMOKS Scar‘s Reign (FF.net & Wattpad link posted at the end of this post).

Scar's mind is chaos, unpredictable and the drama-'queen'(king) has a huge personality which I wanted to be fully shown in The Madness of King Scar.. This chapter is a mix of the one particular scene from the film with Scar, Zazu and the hyenas in his cave + the deleted scene and the equally titled scene from the musical. Added: My own imagination.

Italic: Character thoughts.
Bold: Character sings.
Small warning: Scar‘s words aren‘t all even (women) friendly..

"I'm the king! But why am I not satisfied?" Did I think that out loud?  Scar sunk too deep in his thoughts and had reached the point of not knowing whether he spoke aloud or in his mind. Terrific, he assumed he thought.. Scar sighed himself down at his rock.

"Sire, what's with the long face?" Zazu, the bird Scar kept behind bars dragged him out of his thoughts.

"Zazu? Why am I not... loved?" Scar decided to directly cut to the chase. The lionesses, why don't they like me? With my black manes, I must be irresistible! And I'm a king! What more could they possibly want?

"Well, why do you think you are not loved?" The hornbill spoke, to Scar's annoyance, with a wise tone.

According to Scar the bird sounded just like his father, or like Mufasa. He didn't wanted to be reminded of them over and over again. They had everything when they were kings while at Scar's reign everything got black, literally.. Scar figured he wasn't in the mood after all so he made a gesture towards Zazu, signing the bird to leave him and his mind alone.

--

"Hey, boss! Talking to the silly bird again?" Banzai called out to the lion, when he, Shenzi and Ed hopped in.

Ah, my friends! Well, 'friends'.. Since when is calling a friend 'boss' a common thing?  Every now and then, Scar wouldn't mind getting rid of them. He narrowed his eyes at the three of them. Shenzi, the female leader, who according to him, at least owned a little brain. In Scar's opinion Banzai was nothing more than a cubbish piece of junk and the last one, Ed, who besides laughing and nodding lacked any manner of communication, he thought was completely beyond redemption. He rolled his eyes as he surveyed everyone around him. "I'm surrounded by idiots again.."

When Shenzi immediately responded, there was no need for Scar to hesitate whether that was just a thought or not. "Well, thank you! What's wrong with ya lately? You are not the only one who's forced to skip breakfast!" she commented without hiding that she felt slightly offended. "Was he like this all day, Zazu?"

"Oh, he just needs a mate!" Even Zazu surprised himself by speaking this sentence. Well for this particular moment, it did gain him a little popularity among the hyenas. Leastwise that surely counted for the two male hyenas, who both had fallen into a giant laughter caused by Zazu's comment.

"Stop that! You fools!" Scar tried using his voice to overshadow their laughter, which he rated as highly annoying.

--

"Can't you not even have a little sympathy for me?" Scar acted like his pride got touched. "Don't mistake the colour of this small beating thing here inside of me with the colour of my manes," he gushed, almost in a singing tone. Dramatically, Scar held his paw on his chest, right at the place of his heart.

"Here we go again.." Shenzi mumbled, not amused.

"Tell me I'm adored! Please, tell me I'm adored!" Scar sung.

Banzai was close to bursting into laughter again. "A door?"

Scar took a deep breath. He stated to be burdened with the wrong public. Scar covered up his eyes in the hope of when he lowered his paw again, all these 'odd surrounding objects' were gone. His current view isn't quite the one that he visualized and thought he signed himself up for all those years ago.

--

"And I thought we had bad under Mufasa.." Banzai sighed.

Immediately Scar jumped in front of the hyena. "What did you say!?" he growled.

"I said..-"

Quickly Shenzi elbowed him again. Preventing Banzai from repeating names from Scar's forbidden name list seemed to be her full-time job nowadays.

"I said, uh... Que pasa?" Banzai eventually answered the black maned lion.

Scar heard enough and turned his back on the hyenas. "Good, and now get out.."

Staring to the cave's wall, Scar frowned. They're still behind me, aren't they?

"But we still have no food!" Banzai confirmed Scar's thought.

"I said get out!!" Scar roared. Luckily this time, the hyenas had taken the hint. With a grin, Scar peeked backwards and saw a last glimpse of them running out.

"Zazu, where were we before those three beggars came in?" The hyenas had spoiled his mood. Scar figured continuing his little game with Zazu could restore it a bit.

--

Ever since that Scar had made Nala the lead huntress, he hoped that it eventually led her to his cave. Within himself, Scar already had plotted how he would succeed in sailing the ship off to another course. "Yes, but there's.." Like a predator sneaks up on his prey, Scar started to walk around her. "Nala.. my, how've you grown!" Quickly he cleared his throat. "There's one little title upgrade required for you to receive from me before we can make this plan work. And there's more to it! I'm brightening up both yours and little Mheetu's future!" Seductively he let his tail slide below Nala's chin. 

Nala blinked. "And what's that title?" All though that with mentioning her younger brother, Scar had awakened Nala's curiosity, still she wasn't naive. She knew that somewhere in this story there was a catch. Because involving this particular lion, there always was a catch!

Suddenly Scar's energy-meter filled itself to the max. "I shall tell you, but first let me deliberate it with myself a bit," he spoke rather mysterious while he still moved himself around her.

--

"I'm not following you!" Riddle after riddle, why can't he just be straight to the point?-, Nala wondered.

"My cylinders are firing with fervor. And you, my sweet thing, fit.. the part.." With pressing his head against Nala‘s neck, Scar softly pushed the lioness a bit.

"Oh Sire, you are not supposed to say those kind of things out loud!" Zazu, the bird Scar already had forgotten about, snarled.

Did I? Scar used his paw to cover up his mouth.

--

From the inside, Scar's blood was still flowing through his veins like flashes of energy. And so it did outside. A heavy, dark thunderstorm was overshadowing the already sad looking Pride Lands. Scar's enthusiasm only grew bigger when a lightning stroke had caught his attention. Perfect!  He stormed outside and stopped when he stood on top of the Pride Rock. He looked up, let the rain soak him. His long black gleaming manes, flattened by the rain and sticking to his skin. Scar felt no fear for the lightning at all. From afar he saw a few of the lionesses, including Nala. Of course a lot of hyenas were present too. He saw fear in some of the eyes of his subjects. Scar grimed, he imagined how frightened the sight of him must look with the lightning and the terrifying sounds of the thunder right behind him. There he felt what he desired. Power!

All eyes were still pointing at him. This moment required a speech, as Scar himself stated. Somehow Scar never lacked in finding his words, not that they always helped him. Anyhow, if there was one thing Scar kept in his mind it was to always be prepared!
--

I‘m also writing a Lion King/ Loki & Thor crossover. (more info later) While watching The Lion King Thor & Loki were sent into the film due a portal (obviously as lions..). It needs some work but these two genius minds together.. Really fun to write!

If you‘re interested in reading the whole scene, I like to refer you the fanfiction websites I've shared it on. (All rights to The Lion King belongs to Disney, but be kind enough not to copy my work.)

Other links:

Fanfiction.net TMOKS Scar‘s Reign

Wattpad c7 TMOKS Scar‘s Reign. (On here I also just posted the newest chapter called: Scar‘s Be Prepared '2.0' in which he‘s giving the hyenas an exclusive performance of so as he sees it, his improved version of Be Prepared.. I might just seen a disco edit of the scene in which Zazu is singing Scar a song..)

Thanks to Pridelands.eu for the screenshots. Really worth the look, these are taken second by second.
Scar is looking really odd in some shots..

Tom Hiddleston‘s selfie in New York (Treatment day)

Tom‘s selfie in New York

Tom Hiddleston Treatment Day: Tom is spoiling his fans with stunning photo‘s!

When having a beautiful lovely day there‘s always plenty of room for things that make you feel even better! I had such a lovely positive day and this: posted by Tom Hiddleston himself, only made my day even better!

❤❤

Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram

New office. #BetrayalBroadway

Een bericht gedeeld door Tom Hiddleston (@twhiddleston) op 16 Jul 2019 om 9:09 (PDT)

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On this picture I see Tom Hiddleston being totally in his element. His angel like smile just makes me melt! 😇😊He is such a beautiful person and his heart is so pure. This is precious. You are shining the light Tom, NY never was this light hihi 😇

❤❤

Today is a good career day. There are some positive movements happened for me today and then as cherry on top I saw this picture of Tom.

❤❤

Mis-grabbed this lovely Dumbo plushie at the fairground today,
Tom totally made that right. (I might just buy the plushie somewhere..)

❤❤

Photo: Getty Images Cindy Ord

He also visited the SiriusXM Studios today. It truly is treatment day here in the Hiddlesfandom! Again such lovely photo‘s of this talented man!

Photo: Getty Images Cindy Ord

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Is it okay if a post has two of the same pictures? If it‘s Tom, of course it‘s okay! His eyes are sparkling, his light is shining. This is our lovely Tom and I can‘t be more proud at him! I wish him and all involved best of luck and a great time during Betrayal Broadway in New York!

❤❤

Kong: Skull Island vs. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Kong: Skull Island vs. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

This isn‘t really a fair title but I just couldn‘t come up with another title that fast. I like Godzilla, but sorry he can‘t compete against Tom Hiddleston. I just ordered these three DVD‘s: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, War Horse and Kong: Skull Island (one of my fave Tom Hiddleston movie). There also was a dvd box of Godzilla (2014) and Skull Island in one. But the normal Kong: Skull Island dvd had Tom Hiddleston extra‘s and deleted scenes. Tom Hiddleston extra‘s or Godzilla? The choice was easily made..

Kong: Skull Island

First I will discuss Kong: (Jeez, I keep typing KOng) Skull Island and than there‘s a little Godzilla: King of the Monsters review/blog I wrote the other day. (No spoilers for Godzilla: KotM, but cannot say the same about Kong:SI.) I had only seen Kong: Skull Island once, and that was when it was released in 2017, so it was about time I watched it again.. I liked Godzilla: King of the Monsters, but now I got reminded to the many fronts MonsterVerse‘s previous one Kong: Skull Island truly was much better.

Couldn't wait for the DVD to arrive, watched it on Netflix instead.. 

The movie starts in 1944, two World War II fighter pilots (American pilot Hank Marlow and Japanese pilot Gunpei Ikari) parachute on Skull Island. As quickly as they are landed, they‘re continuing their fights. When Hank is about to face his death by Gunpei, Kong interferes. Here‘s the introduction of the King of Skull Island and perhaps you would have assumed that on that very moment Gunpei had found his death. However later in the film (28 years later), when among others Captain James Conrad, are coming across of the older Marlow, it gets revealed that something else had killed the Japanese pilot. Something they do not call by its name. (I‘ll discuss those things later.) You could be each other‘s enemies in a great war, but when you‘re trapped on a Island together where you‘ll have new enemies: bigger than the ones you've faced before, non of that matters anymore. During their journey towards surviving and getting off the Island, they even became the best friends. I liked this development a lot, because well, war is useless. For that same reason Samuel L. Jackson‘s character got me annoyed very much, I guess every film needs to have one of those..

From Tom to moments I spilled my drink..

"An uncharted island? Let me list all they ways you gonna die. Rain, heat, mud, disease carrying flies and mosquitoes. Sure you could load up on the Atabrine for the malaria... but what about the other bacteria? And we haven't even started on the things that want to eat you alive."

Now the introduction of Tom Hiddleston‘s character (former) Captain James Conrad. When we first lay eyes on him he‘s playing pool. He seems like the rough type to me, when we see him getting into a fight. However later in the film, I thought this 'rough-tough man factor' had decreased and we got to see a more calmer version of James Conrad, perhaps the Island/Weaver had the needy effects on him. And among characters like Bill Randa and Preston Packard, the movie needed the more calmer/normal types like Conrad and Weaver. Tom Hiddleston: unshaven and surrounded by the blue and red lights, truly no punishment to watch at all! When Randa is hiring Conrad to track something down, Conrad wonders who of what he wants him to track. And he‘s pretty warm, or shall I say: glowing hot when he mentions: "Things that want to eat you alive."

Credit: WikiZilla

I already love this movie from the start, but as soon as the Island is reached, it‘s getting more and more interesting. The scene in which Kong is taking down the helicopters (toy helicopters in his case) one by one is absolutely done amazingly! At one point you see someone ending up in the big guy‘s mouth and in the next shot you see someone eating a sandwich or something like that. Another great watch is, I have to admit: Brie Larson. She‘s absolutely stunning (still, not beating Tom Hiddleston) and I remember how the guys were so overwhelmed every time she was on the big screen (same thing counts for Captain Marvel). Another thing that I suddenly remembered from when I had watched it in the cinema‘s, is the moments it had that made me spill my drink. The sudden moments something happens or appears, like a giant spider/ant stepping into someone‘s jaw. Okay, during some silent moments where someone is looking around them, I know I don‘t have to touch my drink because something is coming. But these sudden moments still are getting me, and I found that Godzilla: King of the Monsters lacked these moments. It had a few, but not really the Skull Island kinds. Godzilla: KotM had more speed, while in Skull Island the tension is built up more.

The film increased the humor-level when we meet the older version of Marlow. For example when speaking of the Cold War, he commented if they took a sabbatical during the summers. As Conrad seemed to ignore that comment, I escaped a grin.

A breathtaking scene is when we see one of nature‘s beauty wonders: the Southern Lights, (also known as the 'Aurora Australis') the Northern Lights cousin so to say. I think it‘s truly magnificence if you may experience seeing such a stunning wonder like that. I hope I myself have the chance to see the Northern Lights (that‘s more likely) one day too, I think it‘s truly a magical spiritual moment. (Godzilla: King of The Monsters has a few stunning moments too, I don‘t want to say too much about a movie that has just hit the cinema‘s but one I shortly address in my review below.) Another breathtaking moment is when, during the same night Kong is standing in front of Conrad and Weaver. I absolutely loved the touching scenes between Kong and Weaver. Plus she‘s the only one who can retell about being inside of the Skullcrawler‘s throat, if she had been aware of that happening!

Skullcrawlers

Hank Marlow: "The Iwis won't speak their name, but I call them... Skullcrawlers." 
James Conrad: "Why?" 
Hank Marlow: "Cause it sounds neat." James Conrad: "Okay." 
Hank Marlow: "Look, I just made that name up. I'm trying to scare you."  

Credit: MonstersVault

Now, let‘s talk about my friends.. The Skullcrawlers. Perhaps the name has something to do with the way they walk and because of their head is looking like a skull. Or it is because they crawl in between the left overs (skulls) of Kong‘s murdered (by them) family. On second thoughts we could also call them 'Skull -vomiting- crawlers'.. You know, in a letter to Tom in which I wrote something about Kong: Skull Island, I named them: Brilliant designed lizards, especially the big one! ( to be exact, I used the word Geniously back then) Still, I would definitely not want to come across of one if they had existed. When one of them scrolls out their long snaky tongue, it‘s not because they are in for some french kissing.. We had a T-Rex in King Kong (2005) and some people mentioned in reviews that they missed the T-Rex, while I just liked seeing something else than a dinosaur we have seen in so many movies before!

The scene in which the 'Apes Graveyard' is reached actually is incredible. Not only we have the hunting smaller Skullcrawler (after he just puked, how is that thing even capable of thinking about food again?), also James Conrad is showing his rough -heart attack warning- side again by slaying some Dino Birds while wearing the gas mask. Amazing shots with all the blue blood splashing around the place that looks bright green because of the surrounding gas.

Picture: twitter

Even after the knowledge of these creatures, Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson) still thinks going after Kong is the right thing to do. I must say that the scene where we see the two of them standing across of each other, looking eye to eye, truly was a powerful scene. Packard, with his ready to war outfit doesn't really have a dead flame in his eyes and neither does Kong! We‘re reaching the climax of the film: Kong‘s fight with the biggest Skullcrawler until the epic ending in which Kong, who hasn't lost his flame, shows who the true King is!

After Credits

The scene during the credits in which Marlow gets reunited with his family again after 28 years was truly lovely to see!

I must confess that I had never seen the end credits scene of this film before, so I was surprised to see it. Back then I thought only Marvel films had them, later I also found out that the 5th Pirates of the Caribbean film had a end credits scene, I guess I also missed the other 4 than.. However part of the scene I had seen many times before in GIF forms on Tumblr. It‘s the part where James Conrad throws a pencil (he‘s kind of losing his patience in this scene) while he and Weaver are kept in a interrogation room by Monarch. In one of the GIFs that I saw it‘s edited that he threw it to Thor (a scene of one of Chris Hemsworth‘s other characters who is dodging something that‘s being thrown at him is shown) who just had entered Loki‘s room. I think it had the subscription: 'Big brother walking in on little brother‘s room during intimate moments', something like that. Too bad I couldn‘t find the GIF anymore, otherwise I would have shared it here ;).

Anyway this scene links the Godzilla films and this Kong film together. A small preview for Godzilla: King of the Monsters is shown. The duo gets informed from the existing of even more monsters when cave paintings depicting Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah and Rodan (If you‘re normally not into monster movies like these, the last three names perhaps don‘t sound all that familiar to you. I‘m addressing Mothra and King Ghidorah more in the Godzilla 2 part) are being shown to them. After that, when the screen is black already, a roar of Godzilla can be heard.

Watching this film again was a incredible choice to do on my free Saturday night! I truly find Tom Hiddleston‘s performances from top class in it and it‘s one of my favorite Hiddleston movies! I will probably use the DVD soon for watching the Tom Hiddleston extra‘s and the deleted scenes that were promised on the description!



Note: The following review of Godzilla part 2 I had written earlier and it actually was for our local cinema. (Dutch version then..)

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

"Long live the King!"

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the 2014 Godzilla sequel. A rather late sequel perhaps. The film was originally scheduled to be released in June 2018, which was later postponed to March 2019 and, in order not to have to compete against Captain Marvel, it eventually became the end of May. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen, perhaps better known today as The Maximoff Twins from Marvel's Avengers series, both featured in Godzilla from 2014, but due other film projects they couldn‘t return. (For Elizabeth Olsen, I‘m sure that‘s all about Avengers Infinity War & Endgame.) Godzilla: King of the Monsters is part of the MonsterVerse, a series in which Godzilla and King Kong are centered. That means Godzilla: King of the Monsters actually comes after Kong: Skull Island (with Marvel stars Tom Hiddleston & Brie Larson in the leading roles) from 2017. We certainly have something to look forward to, because next year these two monsters will face each other in Godzilla vs. Kong. 

Before visiting the film, I found a number of facts via Wilson Worldwide Productions. Among others that because Godzilla is able to breathe with both gills and lungs, it is considered more of an amphibian than a reptile. I can remember that I had seen a Godzilla movie on TV before, that was from 1998 in which Godzilla's babies seemed more frightening than the "King of the Monsters" her/himself. (I think they like Godzilla to be a male, ‘Godzilla’ sounds more manlike anyway and in Godzilla: King of the Monsters Godzilla is called a he. Reproduction works rather complicated concerning amphibians and reptiles, so.. Or perhaps the 1998 one was a female?.. Can you believe I studied these species? Anyway, continue Nicole, continue!) There was a lot of criticism about the appearance of the monster, people complained that it had looked too much like a giant iguana. In Japan, as a reaction to this film, a film was made in which the Japanese Godzilla defeated this American one. The American Godzilla even got called Gino (Godzilla In Name Only). Anyway, as I remember it, the film was entertaining to watch. 

And now let‘s talk about Godzilla: King of the Monsters: Is it truly worthy to call Godzilla the “King of Monsters”? He truly is a lust for your eyes, that's for sure! In any case, again he shall have competition and by far is he thrilled about that! It appears that according to this film series there are no fewer than 17 titans scattered around the world. The monster-caliber truly rises high in this film and all hell really breaks loose the moment the three-headed Monster Zero, captured in ice is awakened. This monster, called King Ghidorah in Japanese myths (I wish the film had given the myths some more attention), has the appearance of a Game of Thrones-like dragon. Speaking of Game of Thrones, in this film Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister in GoT) has a role as well. In addition of these two monsters, we see Mothra and among others Rodan. Mothra looks like a large butterfly and less monster-ly when she folds her angelic luminous wings. The scenes with Mothra are breath taking, but also most shots with King Ghidorah are magnificent! 

MonsterVerse

Although Godzilla & co actually portray the lead roles in this film, I will still mention some names of the actors: Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), Vera Farmiga, Kyle Chandler and among others can be seen in the film. 

"Oh, yeah, sure. Let's bring him in for a beer."

In a rapid speed the viewer will get confronted with fighting monsters who are causing a lot of vibrations and devastation. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the battle from the first part isn‘t exactly redone.. They‘re really taking it to the next level! (I faced trouble with picking my toilet break moment. The absence of breaks during films nowadays really is a disadvantage for people with a weak bladder..) Well, let‘s say: you don't have much time to recover in between. (A film lover hasn‘t had much of that lately anyway, because the blasts keep coming out week after week..) Although the level of threat is at maximum, there is also some space left for sarcastic humor in this film. Here and there, of course, is some drama and the film is a bit over the top, but as I mentioned in the review of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom: What film about prehistoric / mythical and fantasy creatures can‘t be called that nowadays? Besides for Godzilla lovers, this film is really meant for people who like to see a spectacle in which giant monsters bring the air to life. And after the film, you don't have to drink your drink extra quickly if you haven‘t finished it yet. Nowadays, an extra scene after the credits is highly popular because after the credits, an extra scene can be seen as a preview for the next film. Although I have to miss Tom Hiddleston again (Remember that Kong: Skull Island took place in the 70s while Godzilla: King of the Monsters sets in the present day. So Captain James Conrad would be a lot older + given the fact that the cast-list is out there to find..), I am looking forward to Godzilla vs. Kong.

However I don‘t know if I would like to see Godzilla & Kong, the two monster heroes, compete against each other. Hopefully there‘s something out there that makes them realize they got to fight side by side.

Disney‘s Aladdin & Dumbo Live Action

Disney‘s Aladdin & Dumbo Live Action

Given the fact that writing truly is one of my biggest passions, and this personal blog is about what inspires me, why should I not share this here? Tom Hiddleston, Loki, writing, films, what me concerns, they all have one thing in common: That is, they‘re all my passions! So why should I not combine those passions together, every once in a while? That‘s what I do for the local cinema. Often after visiting a film, mostly Marvel or Disney, but I‘m also in for the 'monster' kind of movies like Jurassic World/Park, Kong: Skull Island (duh!) and Godzilla (guess where I‘m going to tomorrow..), I‘ve gotten enough inspiration to write a blog/review about it. Then I‘ll send it to them which they then share on their website. Today I‘ve translated my writings about Aladdin & Dumbo and decided to share them here as well. (I know for Dumbo that‘s very late!)

Aladdin

Aladdin: The story of the street thief set in Disney's Agrabah, the City of Mysteries. You don't have to go to Paris or to Florida to experience the magical Disneyland. This year you will experience it in your own cinema! From a flying elephant to a flying carpet with The Lion King as cherry on top! If you are a Disney fan in heart and soul, you certainly should not skip Aladdin! Let yourself be guided by Aladdin's magic carpet and float with Aladdin, Jasmine & the naughty monkey Abu through the desert-like environments. When you talk about Aladdin, you probably immediately think of that magic lamp with the Genie who gives its finder 3 wishes. Dreaming is something we do every day. Everyone has them: the one big dreams, the other more modest dreams. Imagine: You can make 3 wishes. Whatever you want, anything is possible! What would you wish for? Or would you perhaps waste 2 of the 3 wishes right away? Because.. ‘Be careful what you wish for!’

Aladdin truly is a sensation for your eyes with among others the terrifying but impressive Cave of Wonders (with the voice of Frank Welker, who also provides the voice of this cat-shaped cave in the original version.) This Live Action version also comes with a number of brand new songs including 'Speechless' sung by Jasmine, the princess of Agrabah. It may seem as if she has everything her heart desires such as dresses of the finest silk fabrics, beautiful jewellery & a tiger as a pet! Anyway, she doesn't have to be afraid of thieves, sure they will stay outside (except for one of course!). However she doesn't have the one thing that‘ll make her the happiest: freedom. She can't even show herself outside, let alone be heard! That of course the sly Jafar will make clear to her father! "Speechless" together with the famous "A Whole New World" perhaps is one of the strongest songs in the film. It certainly left a big impression on me! With her golden voice, Naomi Scott sets a strong character and proves that Jasmine is much more than just a princess! 

When Disney just dropped the trailer, I came across of all sorts of statements about the Genie, which looks like a strange blue CGI version from his performer Will Smith. For example, some people would have liked to see Jim Carrey as the Genie. (That might just work in an animation version, but definitely not in this Live Action version.) Other people had doubts about whether Smith was the right actor to take on this role, and it appears that he himself had those doubts first too. Because let's be honest: Robin Williams (died in 2014) is hard to peer with and also that, you shouldn't want either. This is the Live Action version and of course that‘s a challenge. But I don‘t think Will Smith is one who throws in the towel easily. With being himself and having a lot of enthusiasm he managed to create his own version of the Genie. Will Smith calls it a bit of "The Prince of Bel-Air", a pinch of "Men in Black" and a touch of "Bad Boys" (interview with Veronica Magazine). This Genie, blue or not, comes with a lot of humor in his mission to turn the bit inexperienced Aladdin (Mena Massoud) into a real prince!

As it comes to Disney movies I‘m always a little curious for the villain. In Aladdin that‘s of course Jafar: The villain with the scary narrow head, his serpent staff and his always faithful parrot Iago on his shoulder. In this Live Action version, Jafar is portrayed by the Dutch Marwan Kenzari, who was featured in "The Mummy" in 2017. I am always in for some facts and I find it interesting that Oded Fehr, actor from the earlier Universal 'The Mummy' films, portrayed Jafar in the well-known fairy tale series "Once Upon a Time". Although honest, the animated Jafar gave me some more shivers, Kenzari turns out to be a very convincing Jafar and he gives the villain some extra handsome-ness! I believe both Jafar and Iago, the writers could have given some more depth. I wonder what I shall think of Scar‘s Live Action version..

Disney has once again transformed one of its classics into a spectacular magical Live Action adventure! Did you know that in a number of countries it‘s a tradition in the cinema to clap after the end of a movie? Well, for me the temptation rather was big! Whether you like fairy tales, want to relive your childhood memories or just want to dream away in this fantasy world, Aladdin is a film for all age!

Note: Funko should have included Rajah (the tiger) in their Aladdin Live Action line too!

Dumbo

Dumbo, the cute little baby elephant with the big ears. Who doesn‘t know him?

It‘s no secret that Disney's Live Action films are immensely popular at this very moment. After "The Jungle Book" and, among others, "Beauty And The Beast", it‘s now Dumbo‘s turn to shine on the big screen, or perhaps better said: fly. We can't really call this version of Dumbo a remake because with a more extensive storyline and new characters such as Holt (Colin Farrell) and his children, Dumbo gets a more ‘modern’ look. To refresh your memory: The original Dumbo had talking (and singing pink) elephants, a stork that ‘delivers’ the infants and Timmy the mouse that was jumping for making Dumbo a star. I can imagine all that would have looked truly unbelievable in a Live Action film that takes place in a circus environment with people. After all, Dumbo is not a film that takes place in the wild nature such as "The Jungle Book" or "The Lion King", although there are indeed references to the original. The direction of Dumbo was in the hands of Tim Burton and from him we are mostly used to imaginative, dark edged films. Think of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" or one of his many films with Johnny Depp such as "Sleepy Hollow" or "Edward Scissorhands". In addition, Burton chose to focus more on the question of how humans will react when seeing a flying elephant. I‘m sure, in an animated version of this film, the owner of the theme park called Dreamland (Michael Keaton) should have dollar signs in his eyes! We also see Danny DeVito (a.o known for Matilda) playing a convincing role as a circus boss. By the way, a Tim Burton film with the actors Michael Keaton & Danny DeVito is nothing new. In Burton's film "Batman Returns" the duo portrayed Batman & the Penguin. The latter might have fitted in Nightmare Island, which is an attraction of Dreamland in the film.

Perhaps 2019 can be called the year of Disney. I'm already looking forward to Disney +: the streaming device platform that Disney is likely to launch by the end of this year (Of course, in my case, that has to do with the Loki series. My local cinema had cut this sentence when they published my Dumbo review on their site). But before the end of the summer we have two more Disney Live Action films to visit. We saw Aladdin's trailer prior to the Dumbo movie, which will be released in May. And although I never ranked Aladdin among my favorite Disney movies, I secretly thought the trailer looked promising. Then finally in July: The Lion King! (Here I had written that I expected Disney to come with a trailer that gives us a preview of Scar too, literally two days later Disney actually dropped the trailer..) 

As far as my opinion goes, Dumbo has not lost his charms even when he‘s is painted as a piteous clown. I‘m sure most people will sympathize with the baby elephant that is first laughed at because of its large ears, before his flying talent gets them all amazed, while he himself only just wants to fly to his mommy! With his cute, innocent look, Dumbo shall melt many hearts! And in the case of the 3D version, watch out that Dumbo doesn't fly out of the cinema ;).

I‘m truly excited for The Lion King though.. I haven‘t written a review about Endgame, but I‘m planning to dedicate a blog post about it soon!