The Story of FINCH

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently streaming on Apple TV+ and director Miguel Sapochnik is the story of a world surviving the destruction and a man named FINCH.

Ten years in and Finch Weinberg (Tom Hanks), and dog Goodyear, are living in a world that has been destroyed by a solar flare. Temperatures have turned the Earth into a hot box making it extremely hazardous for human beings. He cannot even go outside without a suit and a warning system that lets him know when radiation becomes too much for him to be outside.

Out looking for food with robot Dewey, he is also looking for parts for another project he has set in motion. Creating a robot, Finch also takes books scanning them into a program for his robot with an emphasis on training and taking care of a dog.

Once his robot comes to life, Finch begins to teach him what he thinks will help when his creation discovers that a dangerous storm is approaching. It also tells Finch that the storm will last forty days. He gathers up everything in a Winnebago, along with Goodyear, Dewey and they head for a place on a post card - San Francisco.

Along the way, Finch tries to teach the newly named robot Jeff (Caleb Landry Jones) about how to survive in a world where there is very little trust. Trying to explain things to Jeff can be taxing at times. Jeff tries to take initiative and it gets them into situations that are difficult and with heavy consequence3s.

But the journey is everything!

Hanks as Finch is, well, just a national treasure and cannot do a wrong roll if he tried. The film does have a bit of a WALLY and THE MARTIAN (except Finch is still on Earth) and I personally love both of those films so there's that! Hanks gives us compassion, frustration, love and teaching moments as he always seems to do. He is a man on a mission, but it is one of love that comes through.

Jones as the voice of Jeff is so sweet and innocent that my heart just melted. Even when he does his happy dance of "initiative" I cheered with him. The lessons Jeff has to learn are harsh at times but in order to survive it is understandable that Finch pushes so hard. He wants something special for Jeff and it has to happen under such intense circumstances. Jones does a wonderful job lending his voice.

Shout out to Goodyear, good puppy and good friend who has to learn the same as Finch and Jeff - that trust can be hard to come by but give it time.

Other cast include: Oscar Avila as the Truck Driver, Lora Martinez-Cunningham as Mother, Maria Wagernman as the Daughter.

Apple TV+ is a streaming service featuring Apple Originals, award-winning series, compelling dramas, groundbreaking documentaries, kids’ entertainment, comedies, and more with new Apple Originals added every month. To see more of what they have to offer please visit www.appletvplus.com.

FINCH is a tender and harsh film all rolled into the performances of Hanks and Jones. It is a world of survival and the day-to-day danger of food, water and a safe place to be. Hanks' performance as Finch is just so beautiful to watch, his tenderness with Dewey and Jeff are there from beginning to end (even if there are moments Jeff pushes his nerves).

Filmed in the harshest environments imaginable, director Sapochnik gives us a heavy dose of what our world could look like under those circumstances. Having Hanks and Jones on the creative journey with him allows us to embrace the story, the set and the characters as they take us on their adventure.

In the end – their friendship was more real than they could have imagined!

FINAL FANTASY: The Spirits Within Arrives on 4K Ultra HD

 

Jeri Jacquin

Arriving on 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from director Hironobu Sakaguchi and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is FINAL FANTASY: The Spirits Within.

Earth is being taken over by aliens called Phantoms who are killing the Gaia spirit of those living due to an infection. Now cities have to be protected with barriers to keep the Phantoms out. Unexpectedly, Dr. Aki Ross (Ming-Na) has become infected along with Dr. Sid (Donald Sutherland) and they are working to find a get rid of them.

Bringing together eight spirits they can get energy patterns of lifeforms. Out to find these spirits, Aki is in New York City and has to be rescued by Captain Edwards (Alec Baldwin). Bringing his Deep Eyes Squad including Whittaker (Ving Rhames), Fleming (Steve Buscemi) and Corporal Proudfoot (Peri Gilpin), they all return to their barrier city.

Having to meet with General Hein (James Woods), they learn he wants to use the Zeus to take out the Phantoms. Dr. Sid protests knowing it might be possible that the Earth Gaia would be in danger. Buying time, Aki tells everyone she has been infected and its only the spirits keeping her alive, but Hein thinks she is under the Phantoms control.

Using his powers of persuasion, Hein manages to open the barrier and, of course, the Phantoms come pouring in but not before he escapes leaving the rest to fight. Aboard the space station, Hein does the one thing that destroys and puts the Phantom Gaia in the open. What he never counted on is the contact between the Phantoms and Aki and the potential of helping everyone.

Ming-Na as Aki lends her voice to a very strong character who quickly sees what she is up against. Wanting to help everyone, she must take on the dangerous few who think no one will stop them. Sutherland as Sid lends support to Aki as well as making the dangers known of using the cannon in such a delicate climate. Hearing such a memorable voice is fantastic in this animated film.

Baldwin, Rhames, Buscemi and Gilpin are the Deep Eyes Squad, and they are not afraid to get in the deep. The Phantoms are not making their life easy but that’s what they do, take on the tough assignments while trying to keep those in power from making it any more difficult.

Woods as Hein gets to be as nasty as he wants to be with the power to make their lives difficult because of what he wanted to do. Aiming the Zeus cannon is his power play, and he will do what is necessary to make his play. Woods makes a good bad guy as well!

Sony Pictures Animation produces a variety of animated entertainment for audiences around the world. The visually groundbreaking and critically acclaimed SPIDER-MAN: Into the Spider-Verse is the studio’s latest release, and the winner of the 2019 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Other amazing films include THE SMURFS, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS and HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.sonypicturesanimation.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

The Bluray Special Features include Two Feature-Length Commentaries, Co-Director Moto Sakakibara, Sequence Supervisor Hiroyuki Hayashida, Set & Props Lead Artist Tatsuro Maruyama, Phantom Supervisor Takao Noguchi, Animation Director Andy Jones, Editor Christopher Capp, and Staging Director Tani Kunitake.

Also, Joke Outtakes, Matte Art Explorations, Original Opening, The Gray Project, Interactive Documentary: The Making of Final Fantasy, Theatrical Trailer and More!

Coming from a 1987 role playing video game, the Final Fantasy Franchise has made its way through such technology transformations and incarnations. I remember my sons being very excited every time something new was added and I became more involved seeing the first animated film.

Created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, it is an amazing mixture of fantasy, science and uses different mythologies to create the worlds. Starting with Nintendo, then to Playstation and Xbox, Square Enix expanded into CGI with films. There is also cards, novels and manga to feed into the love of Final Fantasy.

FINAL FANTASY: The Spirit Within is a stunning film with his concept and animation that give the story a richness that fans will love. What brings all of that together is the vocal talents of Ming-Na, Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames, Peri Gilpin, James Woods and Donald Sutherland. That is important when bringing such a rich story to ‘life’.

FINAL FANTASY: The Spirit Within gives fans one hundred and six minutes of high intensity and stunning CGI. Gather up and prepare to see how saving the Earth is done!

In the end – they are on a mission to save Earth!

 

 

He Wants to Reach ELYSIUM

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from writer/director Neill Blomkamp and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the thriller to get to ELYSIUM.

Max Da Costa (Matt Damon) lives in the year 2154 Los Angeles in utter poverty. Above them is a spaceship called Elysium where the rich live. Elysium has a cure for almost anything that could be imagined but, only the powerful living on the ship get it.

Those barely surviving on Earth want what Elysium has and that includes Max who was hurt working for Armadyne, a factory that makes weaponry and robots policing Earth. CEO Carylyle (William Fichtner) refuses to help Max so he is taking matters into his own hands deciding to find Spider (Wagner Moura), a human smuggler that can get he and Julio (Diego Luna) to Elysium.

The Defense Secretary on Elysium, Delacourt (Jodie Foster) finds out about ships smuggling humans and shoots them down. President Patel (Faran Tahir) is furious but that does not stop Delacourt from making a deal with Carylyle for more weapons. Spider finds out about it and says he can get Max to Elysium if he stills the information Carylyle has.

Max agrees and when he gets his hands on the program, Deacourt is furious and brings in Agent Kruger (Sharlto Copley) to retrieve it. Now the rush is on to stay alive and fight their way to Elysium first!

Damon as Max is a man who has lived the best he can under the circumstances. When the CEO of the company he worked for treats him badly, Damon gives his character of Max a reason to go on – and that is to get to Elysium. He had not intended to help others, but Max is given the chance to do so and puts himself front and center when Kruger is on the hunt. I enjoyed Damon in this role because it is different and a dip into the sci-fi world.

Foster as Delacourt, well, what can I say but I actually adore Foster when she has the chance to play the bad gal. She does it so damn well that I find myself wickedly laughing when her character pulls stunts. As Delacourt, she has no use for the people living on Earth and her only concern is keeping the rich and powerful clean and healthy.

Copley as Kruger has some idea of how to go about playing this role because he was on the other end in the 2009 film DISTRICT 9 (another of my personal favs). Here he gets to be under the thumb of Delacourt but there is something about this character that does not seem to mind a good chase. Copley came on the film scene fast and has made his mark. Secretly I was hoping to see a District 10 and perhaps I still am hoping.

Other cast include Alice Braga as Frey Santiago, Brandon Auret as Drake, Josh Blacker as Crowe, Emma Tremblay as Matila Santiago, Jose Cantillo as Sandro, Adrian Holmes as Manuel, and Jared Keeso as Rico.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment encompasses motion picture production for television, digital content and theater releases. The studios include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films and Sony Picture Classics. To see what is coming to theaters and to home entertainment please visit www.sonypictures.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

The 4K Ultra HD gives this film an epic look and since my kids were nice enough to get me a 70” 4K television for Christmas, trust me when I saw seeing this film again is awesome in scope, color, cinematography and action.

ELYSIUM is a thrill ride of a sci-fi film with the good guy who isn’t about to let a little the rich living in the sky stop him from doing what must be done for every guy (and gal). This is an futuristic underdog story that Damon takes on full force.

Also, in this film is those much less fortunate taking on those who believe they are above, literally, the rest of the world. That is where the story really gets interesting so buckle up for the Blomkamp ride because no one is holding back!

In the end – rebel against!

LOST IN SPACE: The Complete First Season Spins in on Bluray

Jeri Jacquin

This week on Bluray from 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment comes the iconic Robinson family who are LOST IN SPACE.

The Robinson Family are about to go on a journey that they would never have thought possible. On board the Resolute ship to colonize space is Commander Maureen Robinson (Molly Parker), former Navy Seal John Robinson (Toby Stephens), doctor Judy (Taylor Russell), mechanic Penny (Mina Sundwall) and 11 year old Will Robinson (Maxwell Jenkins). Also aboard is the Don West (Ignacio Serricchio) and Dr. Smith (Parker Posey).

When their ship is attacked and the Robinson family race to board Jupiter 2 and are hurled through space landing on ice but begins to feel it sinking. Judy tries to get the power back up on the ship as Penny races to try and save their mother who is injured. Will wanders outside only to fall down a deep hole that turns up a space ship and a robot that is out of whack. Being the tinkerer he is there is a new member to the gang.

Don West and Smith also survived the Resolute attack and after landing begin looking for survivors. Back with the Robinsons, the Robot is helping the family not only with the ice surrounding their ship but creates a mental connection with young Will. In that connection they all discover what happened to the Resolute. Outside a storm is brewing and a flare brings Dr. Smith to the ship.

The story of how Dr. Smith came to be on the ship in the first place and the question is whether the Robinson family are in danger because of it. Still working to get the ship working, it is Robot who takes it upon himself to fix the issues and get it off the ice. That is when a communication comes through of other survivors as they all try to connect for rescue.

Moving the ship from the ice to a more stable place, Will and Smith have a conversation about Robot. What the young man doesn’t know is that Smith has plans for trying to get the robot away from Will. Another problem is that creatures are consuming the ships fuel which is making a getaway impossible. Vijay Dhar (Ajay Friese) comes from another survivors group and Penny is taken with him.

Maureen discovers a black hole that is close to the sun making life for them more difficult once again. Vijay’s father and Don get to their ship in the desert and discover there are no creatures taking fuel but Don finds out who Dr. Smith really is and shares that with Judy but not before chaos is created and John is injured.

When confronted about John’s injury, Dr. Smith believes that Vijay’s father Victor is to blame. John and Maureen take out the rover but a tar pit sends them to the bottom and they have time to talk about family issues. In the meantime Don and Victor are trying to salvage the fuel after an accident with the tanker. With all that is going on, Dr. Smith has a plan in motion.

Victor wants to get off the planet because of its instability but Maureen and John know the launch needs more done for it to be successful. They receive a message from the Resolute that time is crucial and Don realizes he must pilot the ship if they are all to survive. Of course Dr. Smith has other plans!

When things go wrong Will is not going to believe it is impossible to make things right, especially when he discovers that the rocks he’s found are an answer. Maureen is in the middle of realizing that Dr. Smith can’t be trusted and when she can’t be found, Judy sets out to find both of them. There is also a reason for the attack on the Resolute and the Robot’s role become clearer and far more dangerous than the Robinson’s realize.

The Resolute has been sent a message that the survivors are about to launch off the planet. What they know now about Robot and the story of it all comes to a head when Will is saved from the grips of Dr. Smith and in a flash the engine aboard Jupiter 2 pushes them away from the Resolute to somewhere only Will recognizes.

Danger Will Robinson!

Parker as Maureen Robinson wants to be part of the colony and have her family part of the journey. She has her hands full once everything goes crazy because now there are others that have also survived and in the same predicament. Stephens as John Robinson goes along with Maureen to leave their home. There are issues with them and they aren’t about to get any better under these circumstances.

Russell as Judy is smart and very aware of what is happening and how it affects them all. Trying to keep everyone medically safe is almost as much a challenge as just keeping them plainly safe.  Sundwall as Penny is definitely a Robinson and knows what she is doing. Serricchio as Don doesn’t start out with the Robinsons but all too soon

Jenkins as 11-year-old Will Robinson is amazing and brings the human emotion to the series that sometimes gets lost in the action and adventure of it all. His relationship with Robot scares everyone but Will. Posey as Dr. Smith is about as manipulative and destructive as any character can be without getting her hands dirty. Clearly this gal has issues and she’s going to make sure everyone else pays for those issues.

Other cast include Amelia Burstyn as Diane, Raza Jaffrey as Victor Dhar, Sibongile Mlambo as Angela, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Hiroki, Kiki Sukezane as Aiko, Yukari Komatsu as Naoko, Adam Reid as Peter Beckert, Shaun Parkes as Captain Radic, Douglas Hodge as Hastings and Brian Steele as The Robot.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.fox.com.

The Bluray Special Features include “No Place to Hide” – Colorized Unaired Pilot from the Original Series, Deleted Scenes, Bill and Max: Lost and Found in Space, Bill Mumy Visits the Jupiter 2, Designing the Robot and Lost in Space Sizzle.

Episodes include: Impact, Diamonds in the Sky, Infestation, The Robinsons Were Here, Transmission, Eulogy, Pressurized, Trajectory, Resurrection, Danger Will Robinson.

LOST IN SPACE takes on the baton from the 1965 original television series. The special effects give this new re-telling a chance to bring the adventures in space a wider berth. The family story is complex and strained in moments but still the story of a family. The relationship between Will and the Robot are, as I am sure it is for many, truly something to see.

I grew up watching the original LOST IN SPACE and it was Will and the Robot that captured my attention in the beginning. Then it became like a science fiction soap opera that was a weekly addiction in our home. Although the characters have had some revision from the original, the idea and the family complexity is still there.

It is a wide universe and LOST IN SPACE: The Complete First Season makes sure we are all aware of it.

In the end – danger will find them!