Washing up on KENSUKE'S KINGDOM

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from directors Neil Boyle, Kirk Hendry and Blue Fox Entertainment comes a story of survival and friendship in KENSUKE’S KINGDOM.

Sailing on the family boat around the world is the Peggy Sue. Young Michael (Aaron MacGregor) is with Dad (Cillian Murphy), Mom (Sally Hawkins) and sister Becky (Raffey Cassidy) along with family dog Stella. When a storm hits the boat, Michael runs up to the deck to retrieve Stella and a rogue wave takes them both.

He wakes up on an island and can’t find anyone else! Michael can not see fresh water or food until one morning he awakes to see the mysterious and very standoffish Kensuke (Ken Watanabe). Becoming hurt in the water, Kensuke takes the boy and his dog to his stunning tree home. When Michael wakes up, he can not believe what he is seeing and discovers that talking to Kensuke is going to be difficult. Neither speaks the others language.

But there is another way to communicate and Kensuke introduces Michael to the island world of animals and beauty. As the days pass, a growing friendship happens between the two and Michael starts to understand his new Japanese friend. He has spent his years protecting the island and its animal inhabitants from those who would attempt to destroy it.

But a time comes when the only to inhabitants of the island must tackle those who would try to hurt the animals and Kensuke must choose.

MacGregor voicing Michael is a young man who feels as if he is looked over on the family sailing trip. When the storm hits, his first and only thought is that of family dog Stella. He could never have anticipated what would happen next. On the island, his life is changed by a man who has been there for a long time. The changes are that of caring for another person and animals he could have never imagined would be in his life. Michael has growth of character and it is such a lesson for us all.

Watanabe as Kensuke is not exactly a chatterbox but when he does speak, it is actually filled with emotion. Himself becoming stranded years before, Kensuke has made the island his home in the most unique, inventive and beautiful ways. Instead of trying to change the beauty of the island, he becomes part of it by becoming responsible for it. Kensuke is a character that everyone should aspire to be.

Blue Fox Entertainment is a global film distribution and sales company specializing in connecting filmmakers to audiences and buyers in the United States and around the world internationally. For more of what Blue Fox Entertainment has to offer please visit www.bluefoxentertainment.com.

Directed by Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry, KENSUKE'S KINGDOM is based on the best-selling novel by Michael Morpurgo and adapted for screen by BAFTA Award nominee Frank Cottrell-Boyce. Producers are Emmy Award-winning producers and founders of animation studio Lupus Films, Camilla Deakin and Ruth Fielding, Academy Award nominee Stephan Roelants of Melusine Productions.

KENSUKE'S KINGDOM is an emotional, beautiful, and memorable piece of storytelling from start to finish. The animation is equally stunning filled with color, life and a story all on its own. I watched this film with my nine-year-old granddaughter and we were so very moved. The conversation that followed was a discussion on the characters friendship, the animals and the final scene.

That is what absolutely makes this a family film. There is so much to talk about and hearing it from a child’s perspective is everything. Questions I wouldn’t have thought to ask (no spoilers here) brought another level of understanding to this very thoughtful film. Two people in the most unexpected place brought on by frightening circumstances forge a friendship with not only each other, but an island who embraces them both.

Author Morpurgo wrote a lovely book and Cottrell-Boyce was able to see how it could be brought to the screen. We plan to make this a part of our family’s return-to again and again

In the end – a story of the ultimate friendship!

GODZILLA: King of the Monsters

Jeri Jacquin

In theatres this week from writer/director Michael Dougherty and Warner Bros. Pictures is the return of the titans with GODZILLA: King of the Monsters.

It has been five years since the destruction that led to the death of Mark (Kyle Chandler) and Emma Russell's (Vera Farmiga) son. Daughter Madison (Millie Bobby Brown) has watched her parents go their separate ways not dealing with the loss.

Emma is working with an organization called Monarch and their goal is to find the Titans to learn more about them. In their underground bunker, Emma and Madison watch Mothra come into being. Helping to keep it under control, Emma created a device called the Orca that only these Titans can understand.

Almost immediately there is an attack on the facility and the two are kidnapped by former soldier Jonah Alan (Charles Dance). Arriving at his place of research, Mark is told by Dr. Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) and Dr. Graham (Sally Hawkins) about the kidnapping.

He joins them back at the center station where Dr. Ling (Ziyi Zhang) and Dr. Stanton (Bradley Whitford) explain what is happening around the world. The military wants to take over but the scientists believe there is another way.

In the meantime, Emma releases the titan called Ghidorah as more and more monsters like Baphomet, Typhoon, Abaddon, Bunuip and Methuselah wake up. Godzilla is also on his way to Zero and the team must decide if this is the beginning of working together.

The problem is there are people that can't be trusted, titans who have a plan of their own and so many questions as to how to stop the destruction!

Chandler as Mark doesn't want to get involved in what ever it is that Monarch is doing but once Emma and Madison are taken he has no choice. Especially when he realizes that it is technology he helped develop that is devastating. Chandler has the ability to look sorrowful when needed and jumps into action when he can.

Farmiga as Russell takes on the titans when she should be home with her hubby Ed Warren (The Conjuring) keeping an eye on their evil artifacts. Brown as Madison is a kid who believes what she's told and has to choose what is right and wrong - and then get back to the STRANGER THINGS cast.

Dance as Alan proves that you can take the Hand of the King out of Westeros but you can't stop Tywinn from still wanting to rule the world. Whitford as Dr. Stanton is the sharp tongues comic relief especially when he sees his old White House stomping grounds in sad shape.

Watanabe as Dr. Serizawa is the strength of the group who is trying to keep Godzilla alive while trying to find a way to stop the other Titans. I adore Watanabe and this is a perfect character for him as it is strong but equally quiet. Zhang as Dr. Ling is caught up in every minute of the chaos and it's nice to see Sayuri and the Chairman (Memoirs of a Geisha) together again.

Other cast include Thomas Middleditch as Sam Coleman, Aisha Hinds as Colonel Diane Foster, O'Shea Jackson Jr. as Chief Warrant Barnes, Anthony Ramos as Sgt. Martinez, Elizabeth Ludlow as Lt. Griffin, Jonathan Howard as Asher Jonah and David Strathairn as Admiral William Stenz.

Look, I know I am making a little fun of GODZILLA: King of the Monsters but there are moments crying out for me to poke fun. The story is straight forward, the technology is cutting edge, the graphics are on point and Godzilla never looked so good.

That being said, honestly I could have seen myself sitting at home watching this on a bit 75" screen television with a sound bar and having a great time with friends. I am a kid of the black/white Godzilla/Mothra/Rodan era and I spent many a Friday night or Saturday afternoon watching the battles.

The first film directed by Ishiro Honda in 1954 introduced everyone to Gojira aka Godzilla and the reaction was huge. Everyone knows who Godzilla is even if the youngsters of today don't know the back story. If they see a statue of Godzilla - they know!

The radioactive lizard looking and extremely HUGE creature slips through the ocean with ease while destroying everything below his very large feet. I sort of have the same problem so I can relate!

From the 1950s until today, Godzilla is part of film history and an icon that we love. Although the films haven't always been successful (sorry Matthew Broderick aka 1998 version), this story works even if it is cheesy, campy and predictable.

Prepare because Godzilla vs. King Kong is going to come large and in charge in 2020.

In the end - long live the king!

POKEMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU Brings Laughs

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres this Friday from director Rob Letterman and Warner Bros. Pictures is a little yellow fluff ball with a mind of his own known as POKEMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU.

Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) is a young man raised by his grandmother in a world of Pokémon’s and working at a life insurance company. All of that is about to change when he receives a telephone call from Lt. Hide Yoshida (Ken Watanabe) to inform him that his father Henry Goodman has died.

Meeting with Lt. Yoshida it is clear that Tim doesn’t want to hear about what happened asking for the keys to his father’s apartment. Arriving, Tim discovers that the room his father made for him remains exactly the same. Well, maybe not exactly the same as something is creeping around the room.

Shining a light Tim discovers Detective Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds), his father’s Pokémon and that he understands him! That’s when a story pours out of the yellow eared creature saying there is something wrong with his memory. Believing that something is amiss, Tim tells Pikachu about a vile of blue liquid that makes other Pokémon’s a little nut.

Wanting answers, Tim finds himself caught up in Pikachu’s investigation which leads them to Howard Clifford (Bill Nighy) who also believes that Tim’s father is still alive. Clifford also believes his son Roger (Chris Geere) has something to do with what is happening.

Wanna-be reporter Lucy Stevens (Kathryn Newton) steps in and wants to help because she believes there is a story in all of this. At a secret lab Tim, Pikachu and Lucy discover that this is more frightening than they could have imagined. Someone is trying to let loose a chemical that will change everything. Who is who will surprise them all.

That doesn’t mean Pikachu, Tim and Lucy aren’t going to go without a fight!

Smith as Tim is a young man who isn’t too thrilled with his life. He has a thing against Pokémon’s so discovering he has to work with Pikachu to get answers doesn’t exactly thrill him. As the story of his father unfolds, Tim finds himself more and more curious about the true story. Smith is moody and definitely needs Pikachu’s comic relief.

Newton as Lucy is on the ball, has a nose for news and doesn’t grasp the concept of the word ‘no’. She isn’t about to let a story like Tim’s go without investigating and she certainly gives it her all. Newton is spunky and funny in a quirky way. Watanabe as Yoshida has a small role but I’ll take any screen time he can get!

Nighy as Clifford is an inventor who believes Tim’s father isn’t gone but just missing. Wanting to help in any way he can also means keeping his son at bay. Geere as Clifford seems to be the bad guy in this scenario with his creepy smile and ability to take out anyone that gets in his way.

Now, let’s talk about Reynolds even though we really don’t need to as far as I’m concerned. Yes, his wit and timing are absolutely astounding and yes I love him as Deadpool which means I wasn’t certain how I’d feel about him taking on Pikachu. It was a fleeting thought because as Pikachu he gets to once again be silly and the audience loved every minute of it. That basically means Reynolds can do no wrong in pretty much everyone’s eyes.

Other cast include Suki Waterhouse as Ms. Norman, Josette Simon as Grams, Karan Soni as Jack, Diplo as DJ and Rita Ora as Dr. Ann Laurent.

POKEMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU is definitely a film that fans of Pokémon are going to enjoy. They are going to recognize characters from the Pokémon world and will be laughing at a lot of their antics. My kids who are now grownups are the ones I watched go through the Pokémon era so I know they are going to enjoy this film lot.

I recognized the characters and found myself giggling quite a few times. The film is fun, colorful, fast paced and did I mention fun? The CGI is pretty cool and the scene between Tim, Pikachu and their mime attests to that.

POKEMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU is charming and even delightful. There are a few twists and turns that I’m avoiding because I want everyone to enjoy it for themselves. So grab a bucket of popcorn with the kids and go have a good time this weekend!

In the end – the mystery is on!