As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu.

Directed by Jon Favreau, “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” is written by Jon Favreau & Dave Filoni & Noah Kloor, and is produced by Jon Favreau, p.g.a., Kathleen Kennedy, p.g.a., Dave Filoni, p.g.a., and Ian Bryce, p.g.a., with Karen Gilchrist, John Bartnicki, and Carrie Beck serving as executive producers. The music is composed by Ludwig Göransson.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu will be released in Aussie cinemas May 21!
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It’s not the easiest film to review because there are so many moments of delightful surprise that to reveal even the slightest tidbit would do viewers a real disservice. Just suffice to say that there is an almost constant flow of elements that fill the theatre with loud and lusty cheers.

Picking up where Spider-Man: Far from Home left off with Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal) telling the world the true identity of Spider-Man, Peter Parker now has his hands full with the disclosure. From this point on the story spins into some bold and adventurist avenues while the multiverse unfolds to the delight of the audience.

The character of Spider-Man has always had the most elastic connection to the Marvel Universe and this has led to a wonderful degree of freedom, even allowing an outstanding excursion into the animated world with Into the Spider-Verse. In some ways Spider-Man: No Way Home pulls Spidey fully into the MCU but in others that freedom has led to one of the companies’ most entertaining properties.

Rob Hudson
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When he enlists Doctor Strange’s help to restore his secret, the spell tears a hole in their world, releasing the most powerful villains who’ve ever fought a Spider-Man in any universe.

Now, Peter will have to overcome his greatest challenge yet, which will not only forever alter his own future but the future of the Multiverse.

Starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jon Favreau, Jacob Batalon with Marisa Tomei, Spider-Man: No Way Home will be released in Australian cinemas December 16!

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When he asks for help from Doctor Strange the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.

Starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jon Favreau, Jacob Batalon, Spider-Man: No Way Home will be released in Aussie Cinemas this Boxing Day!

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So with that in mind, it’s great to see Marvel relax the reins on Spider-man: Homecoming a bit and tell a story more character driven than special effects driven. The film’s lighthearted touch with an emphasis on humour makes it much more accessible than some of the recent overly serious Superhero films. It easily lives in the MU while comfortably standing alone. It even features a crazy credit at the very end of the film that sells laughs instead of product.

Peter Parker in comic book form has always been a geeky kid and the new Spidey, Tom Holland gets those nuances just right. He plays awkward as endearing. The story starts right after the Battle of New York and we get an early view of both Spider-man’s progression (further along than the radiated spider bite) and the political machinations that helped to create his new nemesis.

The thoughts of restarting the franchise again are rapidly lost as the charm and humour of this latest edition sweep you away. It gets the balance of action, storyline and character development just right and as such is a blast from beginning to end.

Rob Hudson
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It doesn’t end there however as they have wisely added a few new ideas of social relevance and ramped up some of the humour. The main example of this funny business is Seth Rogan’s take on Pumbaa that gets the modern laughs flowing with a presentation that reads like the loveable warthog has been foraging jazz cabbage.

The voice acting feels more vital than the original and the live action setting carries a higher level of visual impact. It might now be a bit too intense for the youngest members of the audience. The level of detail in the computer generated imagery is often times stunning and it almost sells the idea that animals can actually talk.

Out of all of the older Disney films, the original Lion King was one of the most successful at creating its own industry. With the new version’s arresting visuals, increased elements of modern context and expanded humour, it bodes well to help establish the brand’s viability once again.

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Disney’s “The Lion King,” journeys to the African savanna where a future king is born. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival. Scar, Mufasa’s brother—and former heir to the throne—has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.

Widely considered an animated masterpiece, beloved by fans worldwide, Disney’s 1994’s classic “The Lion King” won Academy Awards® for the original song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (Elton John, Tim Rice) and original score (Hans Zimmer).

In 1997, the stage production inspired by the film made its Broadway debut, subsequently winning six Tony Awards®; 22 years later, it remains one of Broadway’s biggest hits, recently marking its 9,000th show.

“It’s such a beloved property,” says Favreau. “Disney has had tremendous success with the original animated version and then the Broadway musical. I knew that I had to be very careful with it. I felt a tremendous responsibility not to screw it up. I wanted to demonstrate that we could be respectful of the source material while bringing it to life using mind-blowing techniques and technologies.”

Favreau helmed 2016’s “The Jungle Book,” utilizing technology to tell the story in a contemporary and immersive way. The film wowed audiences and won an Oscar® for best visual effects (Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones, Dan Lemmon), and the experience was eye-opening for the director, revealing a new world of possibility.

But it was a trip to Africa that pointed him in the direction of “The Lion King.” “I went on safari to Africa six months prior to first talking to Disney about doing this film,” says Favreau. “I remember when a warthog ran by our safari vehicle, one of the people in our group started singing ‘Hakuna Matata.’ And then when we saw lions up on a rock, they all said, ‘Oh, look, it looks like Lion King.’ This story has become a frame of reference that everybody now knows and accepts. It pops up in music, on TV shows, in comedy routines, as part of sketches. It’s continually referenced. It’s such a deep part of our
culture that it felt like there was a tremendous opportunity to build on that and to retell the story in a different medium.”

The all-star cast includes Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa and Billy Eichner as Timon.

The Lion King roars into cinemas everywhere on Wednesday July 17!
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The movie is filled with a plethora of insider jokes for fans of the MCU as well as a level of spectacle that rivals almost any other superhero franchise. Giving the experience even more charm is filtering the characters’s actions through the prism of those awkward early teen years. They really are a likeable lot.

Holland shares strong chemistry with Jake Gyllenhaal as Quentin Beck / Mysterio and Jon Favreau as Tony Starks right hand man, Happy Hogan. The interface with his school friends is also appealing and allows for more humour to be injected into the proceedings.

Spider-Man: Far from Home successfully fills the void in the Marvel Universe left by the end of the Avengers films. It’s bigger, bolder and more fun than any Spider-Man film that has come before. It also steps it up in the crazy credits department, so don’t leave until the end of the credits finish even if the get out room lights are telling you otherwise.

Rob Hudson
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The stars were also joined by the films Director, Jon Watts and co-star Jacob Batalon.

Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.

SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME stars Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, JB Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr with Marisa Tomei and Jake Gyllenhaal, and is in Australian cinemas Monday July 1!
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However, Peter’s plan to leave super heroics behind for a few weeks are quickly scrapped when he begrudgingly agrees to help Nick Fury uncover the mystery of several elemental creature attacks, creating havoc across the continent!

Spider-Man™: Far From Home stars Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, JB Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr with Marisa Tomei and Jake Gyllenhaal, and is in Australian cinemas July 1!
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