Tag Archives: Ben Kingsley

THE KING OF KINGS animated film review

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Surprisingly good! Masterful storytelling, stunning hand-drawn sequences, and emotional depth are at the heart of King of Kings. Delivering a rich tapestry of contemporary CGI-derived imagery fused with hand-drawn animation, the visual storytelling creates a distinctive style that feels both modern and timeless. King of Kings is a star-studded animated feature that follows Charles Dickens as he regales his son with the “greatest story ever told.” The scale and scope of this story is not typically one that can effectively fit into a runtime of just over an hour and a half; but in the vein of the critically acclaimed Prince of Egypt, the film’s narrative is lean yet never sacrifices diegetic nuance or quality. The impact of the film is aided by a stellar voice cast and characters that are relatable, vulnerable, and ultimately human. This compelling feature film brings history to life for audiences in one of the strongest and most engaging cinematic adaptations of the gospel.

Renowned writer Charles Dickens shares the story of Jesus Christ with his son, Walter. As his father narrates the stirring tale, Walter becomes captivated with the events of Jesus’ life.

King of Kings strikes a tone and pacing that defied any expectations I had for this film. From beginning to end, the film remains engaging. The film’s opening sequences establish the setting and stakes with efficiency, drawing viewers into its world without overwhelming exposition. The narrative unfolds at a steady rhythm, alternating between introspective character moments and energetic action sequences. The excellence in screenwriting and direction is witnessed in the effective oscillation between the serious or reverent and brief moments of levity or comedy. By punctuating scenes and sequences with humorous emotional resets allows for emotional beats to resonate whilst keeping the momentum alive. Despite the film’s epic scope, the story never lingers too long in one place. Key moments in the gospel story are given the space they need to land with full impact, without feeling rushed or drawn out. The climax builds with a gripping intensity even though the story and history are well-known. The film’s showdown culminated in a resolution that is both satisfying and emotionally powerful.

Among the cinematic elements that surprised me the most when I watched this film was the star-studded cast that includes Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley, Mark Hamill, and James Bond himself Pierce Brosnan. Additionally, the film’s original song is recorded by Broadway royalty Kristen Chenoweth. The compelling performative dimension elevates the film beyond its breathtaking animation. Each actor brings a distinct energy to their respective role, seamlessly blending emotion, gravitas, and authenticity to create a truly immersive cinematic experience. Whether delivered by a leading or supporting actor, each line of dialogue is delivered with conviction, making even the quietest moments resonate with emotional power. The collective efforts by the cast and director breathe a discernible heart and soul into the film.

There are many layers to the visual storytelling in King of Kings. Ostensibly, we have a story within a story because the film opens with Charles Dickens delivering a dramatic reading of his titular novella A Christmas Carol, later he tells his son the story of Jesus from birth to resurrection. Within this story, there are sequences that dramatically depict the exodus and Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Each layer of the film as a whole are delivered with their own distinctive aesthetic. And within this aesthetic, the characters feel like an extension of their respective worlds rather than merely an extension of the artists drawing and programming the movie. The character animations are fluid and expressive, capturing subtle facial movements and gestures that bring an incredible level of realism to the performances. Battle sequences explode with kinetic energy, yet remain clear and visually stunning, avoiding the chaotic clutter that plagues many action-heavy animated films. The combination of motion-capture technology with traditional animation techniques results in characters that move with breathtaking realism while retaining an artistic, almost mythic quality.

Just in time for Easter, King of Kings reminds us that we, in the words of Chenoweth’s song, want to “live like that.” In a world that often feels so cynical and self-centered, comes an adaptation that challenges us to examine our lives and grow in how we impact the community and world around us. Jesus challenged the pious, bureaucratic leaders that built religious empires and He also made a difference in the lives of the discarded and ignored individuals in His community. Whether you go into this film a Believer or not or whether you emerge a Believer or not, there is little doubt that the actions of Jesus will challenge you to be a better person to friends, neighbors, colleagues, and members of your community.

Ryan is the general manager for 90.7 WKGC Public Media in Panama City and host of the public radio show ReelTalk about all things cinema. Additionally, he is the author of the upcoming film studies book titled Monsters, Madness, and Mayhem: Why People Love Horror. After teaching film studies for over eight years at the University of Tampa, he transitioned from the classroom to public media. He is a member of the Critics Association of Central Florida and Indie Film Critics of America. If you like this article, check out the others and FOLLOW this blog! Follow him on Twitter: RLTerry1 and LetterBoxd: RLTerry

“The Jungle Book” (2016) movie review

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JungleBookDisney Nature meets beloved animated classic! Disney’s newest live-action remake of an animated classic surprisingly plays out very well. Unlike last year’s Cinderella, The Jungle Book strikes a perfect balance between creating a new more visceral experience of a familiar story and paying homage to the best of what the animated version had to offer–the essence of what made it “Disney.” As I was sitting in the theatre, I was amazed at how much the film truly felt like a classic Disney masterpiece that just happened to include beautiful cinematography, incredibly well engineered CG animals, and a plot; albeit, not a dynamic, thrilling, or deep plot, but a coherent plot nevertheless. That’s more than I can say about the original. Even though, I too like the classic. After the Cinderella cinematic schlock, I was not expecting much out of this film. But, I stand (or sit, rather) corrected. The Jungle Book is encouraging in that it proved to me that Disney can still tell a good story that is great for a wide audience and includes the core of the magic of an animated classic but successfully translates the narrative into a live-action movie.

Deep in the Indian jungles, an orphan human infant is found by a wise and caring panther named Bagheera (Ben Kingsley). Knowing he would die alone, Bagheera took him to a pack of wolves to be raised as one of their own. Being given the name Mowgli (Neel Sethi) spend his childhood as a wolf. When Shere Kahn (Idris Elba), a vengeful bengal tiger, threatens the wolf pack and the rest of the jungle, Mowgli decides to leave the pack and head for the man village–the jungle is no longer a place for a man cub. Guided and guarded by Bagheera, Mowgli must begin to adapt to his soon to be new life, but is having the most difficult of time. Throughout his journey through the misty jungles, Mowgli will encounter animals and beats he has never seen and even make some new friends along the way, including the lovable Baloo (Bill Murray). All the while, he must avoid an encounter with Shere Kahn while pressing on his journey of self-discovery and wild adventure.

Writer Justin Marks and director Jon Favreau demonstrate that a live-action remake of an animated Disney classic can be the best that a modern cinematic general audience movie can be and still hold onto the magic that has made it a story to stand the test of time. As I have not read the Rudyard Kipling work of literature upon which The Jungle Book is based, I’d like to imagine that this version of Mowgli, Bagheera, and Baloo’s adventures does the words of the English journalist and author justice. Unlike the original beloved movie devoid of any real coherent or conventionally structured plot, this remake tells a visual story supported by a simple but effective narrative complete with proper turning points, twists, and events. The pacing is also well-engineered, which creates a pleasant journey for the mind as well as the eyes. Using mostly on location jungle shots, supported with subtle sound stage sets gives this film a natural beauty that feels like something right out of a Disney Nature documentary. Contrary to how some CG animals can look, these creations were fantastically real–like you could reach out and stroke Bagheera’s ebony hair. Newcomer Neel Sethi is impressive to watch as Mowgli. He embodied the lovable characteristics of the animated version whilst adding in a modern twist. One of my favorite ways to evaluate an actor, in a genre such as this, is if he or she looks like they are having fun. And, Sethi definitely showed that he was having fun bringing this story to live-action cinema.

One of the reasons I was disappointed with the remake of Cinderella is that I missed the magic of the timeless music. Realizing that this was the first attempt to remake an animated classic (not a reimagination as is the case with Maleficent), it is entirely possible that Disney decided to make sure the next remake included the core of what made the animated version so beloved. And you will definitely find echoes of the original Jungle Book in this live action film. Most of the characters you remember from the original are also reprising their respective roles. Some of the roles are modified to either be more or less prominent, but it’s all very effective in building the story. One of the characters that is not as prominent in this version is the bola constrictor Kaa (Scarlet Johansson). But, in the relatively short amount of screen time, she delivers an exceptional performance, inclusive of the hypnotism, and through her interaction with Mowgli, Kaa reveals his backstory that adds to why Shere Kahn has vowed vengeance on his life. Just like in the original, King Luis (Christopher Walken) want to be just like Mowgli and possess the red flower.

There are certain elements of the original that are not included in the live-action version, but they are elements that did not fit in the world Favreau created for this film. Suffice it to say, I do not think that you will greatly miss those parts of the original because this Jungle Book holds onto the original magic and brings it into 21st century cinema. What about the talking animals??? Like with many movies, I did not read up on this one too much because I wanted to be surprised. Needless to say, I did not look up the voice actors so I was not prepared for the animals to speak. When Bagheera first began to speak, I was definitely caught off guard. However, I quickly accepted that the articulating mouths on the animals speaking perfectly good English in the jungles of India were as natural as the luscious green trees and crystal clear water or as natural as Mowgli’s ability to communicate with nearly every creature. The UN must have implanted Mowgli and his friends with those instant translator devices. But, because of the quality of the production, the adherence to the Disney magic that made the original memorable, and the solid writing, I was more than willing to engage in the suspension of disbelief in order to enjoy the movie to its fullest extent.

If you enjoyed the music, characters, and story in the original, then you are definitely going to enjoy this live-action remake. I am excited to see that the essence of the original animated classic is alive and well in this film. I hope this is what we are to expect from the next live-action adaptation of a Disney animated classic.

Self/less movie review

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Self LessBrilliant plot that suffers from traditional shoot-em-up tropes. Self/less promotes itself as a psychological thriller but pulls the ol’ bait ‘n switch by giving the audience a generic semi-thriller with a lot of superficial gun battles. This is one of those films that there was so much potential with moral/ethical dilemmas baked into the plot; but instead of delivering a well-crafted dynamic movie, the audience is left wanting so much more than was served. Ideally, casting British film royalty like Ben Kingsley should increase the appeal and class of a film; but it turns out that any generic older and distinguishing-looking actor could have been cast. Ryan Reynolds proves to live up to his reputation for playing similar roles, and you get lots of shots of his gorgeous face and body; however, his looks just aren’t enough to cary this weak film. Although this movie has been out for a little while, I decided to watch it because of the plot. I probably would have been better off watching Minions.

Self/less is about a well-respected and enormously successful developer in New York City named Damian Hale (Kingsley) who is struggling with rapidly growing cancer. He and his partner Martin (Victor Garber) go to lunch in New Orleans one afternoon, and Damian has a severe allergic reaction to something in the food or coffee and falls over dead–or so we think. Turns out that it was all a setup to get him to the secret neurological research lab of Dr. Albright (Matthew Goode) in order to take part in a new method called “shedding.” This is the process by which the mind of the living is transferred to the brain of another body. Not long after the successful procedure, Damian, now known as Edward (Reynolds), begins to receive flashes of a not-so-distant past that cause him mental pain. Thanks to drugs prescribed by Dr. Albright, the visions are supposed to slowly mitigate. Unknown to Albright, Edward begins to suspect there is something wrong and will stop at nothing to solve the mystery of the distant, vague memories.

Movies about man’s lust for immortality are nearly as old as the medium of cinema itself. But, there are definitely far superior examples of this plot. When the previews first came out for this movie, I was definitely intrigued to see it. I should have known something was up when the movie has been out and I heard no one talking about it. Between Inside Out and The Gallows I totally missed the release date of Self/less. This should have been my canary in the coal mine sign. Prior to watching the movie, I wasn’t expecting a dynamic riveting experience, because this similar plot was used in the film The Island (2005) directed by Michael Bay–perhaps our film in question would have benefitted from his skill for superficial visual storytelling–after all, that is pretty well what we got anyway. The Island is about wealthy or desperate donors who sponsor clones of themselves in order to harvest parts as theirs breakdown. Some of the same ethical and moral dilemmas exist in both films. However, Self/less has a much better platform for really diving into these topics and exploring all the possibilities. Unfortunately, it is basically a popcorn movie.

If you haven’t seen the movie yet….just wait for it to come out on Netflix. I am sure it won’t be too long before that happens. In the event you just like Ryan Reynolds, you may find enjoyment in this film, but all the acting is quite sub-par for even this hybrid sub-genre of action/psychological/thriller.