Jeff Bridges, Allison Janney and Jesse Eisenberg will voice characters in ‘Minions & Monsters’.
It’s the latest ‘Despicable Me’ spin-off featuring the chattering creatures.
The movie will arrive on July 1.
There’s no keeping those Minions down. The chattering characters from the ‘Despicable Me’ franchise who have had a few of their own spin-off movies are back later this year for another new entry, ‘Minions & Monsters’.
A prequel to 2010’s ‘Despicable Me’ and sequel to 2022’s ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru,’ the newest adventure is set in the world of 1920s Hollywood as the yellow underlings work to find the lead of their monster movie.
Described as “rambunctious, ridiculous and totally true,” the story follows how the Minions conquered the entertainment industry and became movie stars… only to lose everything and unleash monsters onto the world before they banded together to save the planet from their mayhem.
When will ‘Monsters & Minions’ be in theaters?
Universal has confirmed a July 1 release date for the new animated outing.
(Left) Donald Glover attends the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 8, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images. (Right) Yoshi in Nintendo and Illumination’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
Preview:
Donald Glover is voicing Yoshi in ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.’
Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy and Charlie Day all return to their roles.
The new movie lands on April 1.
Having seen big box office success with 2023’s ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie,’ studio Universal and animation powerhouse Illumination have naturally come up with a sequel, this one drawing from the ‘Super Mario Galaxy’ game.
And at a recent Nintendo event, Illumination boss Chris Meledandri announced that ‘Atlanta’ star Donald Glover would be voicing dino favorite sidekick Yoshi in the movie.
What’s the story of ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’?
(L to R) Luigi, Yoshi, Mario and Toad in Nintendo and Illumination’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
After defeating Bowser (Jack Black) in the original movie, Mario (Chris Pratt), Luigi (Charlie Day) and Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) are back for another adventure and must face off against the evil Koopa King and his son, Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie).
They’re also transported to outer space and explore various planets, like a fiery volcano world, an underwater planet and a techno-land with neon, gravity-defying obstacles. In the new trailer, the Mushroom Kingdom heroes team up with Rosalina (Brie Larson) and Yoshi (Glover), the egg-laying dinosaur (who’s normally silent except for the occasional “Yoshi!”).
When will ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ be on screens?
‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ lands in theaters on April 1.
L to R: Yoshi, Baby Luigi, Toad and Baby Mario in Nintendo and Illumination’s THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
Other Movies Similar to ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie:’
Pixar has had a rough go of it for a few years, with the legendary Disney-owned animation studio not only still suffering from the box office aftermath of COVID but also dealing with some quality control issues. Yet the new Pixar original feature, ‘Hoppers,’ feels like the most fun the studio has had in a long time.
Dizzyingly paced (sometimes too much so), full of heart and warmth, often laugh-out-loud funny, and gorgeous to look at, ‘Hoppers’ doesn’t always work and is a little too long and frenetic, but it’s still a joyful entry from this fabled company and a visual treat. It feels in a way like Pixar getting a little weirder and crazier, but still retaining its signature style.
Mabel Tanaka (Piper Curda) is a 19-year-old animal lover who is constantly getting in trouble for freeing animals from her college, Beaverton University. She’s also trying to get signatures on a petition to stop the construction of a new freeway spearheaded by Beaverton mayor Jerry Generazzo. The final portion of the beltway is slated to plow right through a serene, peaceful, wildlife-filled glade and pond where Mabel has gone for years – until recently with her late grandmother – to find calm and tranquility as the world fills her with rage and despair.
When Mabel learns that her college professor (Kathy Najimy) has created a technology that allows human minds to ‘hop’ into robotic animals, she seizes the opportunity by hopping into a robot beaver and heading for the glade, where she is able to communicate with the other animals – including the well-meaning but naïve beaver ruler, King George (Bobby Moynihan) and rally them to fight back against the mayor and his plan. But even as Mabel and George learn to trust each other, other species of animals are plotting a far more ruthless way to deal with the human threat to their habitat.
‘Hoppers’ packs a lot into its 105-minute runtime – almost too much at some points. Its moments of quiet reflection and beauty (most of them in flashbacks to Mabel and her grandmother sitting in the glade) are often left in the dust by the frenetic, busy-busy style of modern animation that seemingly dominates even a stylistic giant like Pixar. But much of it is also quite hilarious as well – particularly in Mabel’s interactions with the other animals and the dynamics between the various species – and that hectic pace also helps the film move along at a steady clip that rarely drags.
It’s also, in the end, quite poignant. There is an obvious environmental message here, but more importantly, there is a running theme of intelligent, empathetic beings of all kinds – whether they’re humans or animals – learning to have faith in and cooperate with each other, even if their goals are vastly different at first. Mayor Jerry is not necessarily the bad guy here (although to be sure, there is also a megalomaniacal villain who amounts to little more than a brat throwing a major tantrum), anymore than Mabel is a perfect heroine. Seeing things through other’s eyes, suggests ‘Hoppers,’ allows us to better understand each other and find ways to work together.
All this is set amidst top-shelf Pixar designs and animation, which bring the animals (real and robotic), the humans, and the setting to three-dimensional, textured, wonderfully detailed life. Yes, the film can be overstuffed (particularly during the third act, which throws a lot at the viewer), but this is a world that viewers of all ages will enjoy spending time in.
Director Daniel Chong balances lesser-known voices and comedic actors here with the presence of luminaries like Meryl Streep and Jon Hamm. Streep’s work amounts to not much more than an extended cameo, while Hamm does his slick best as the ambitious yet not entirely heartless mayor of Beaverton. Also notable are Dave Franco as Titus, the future (and bad-tempered) Insect King, and Kathy Najimy as the kindly Dr. Sam.
Yet it’s Piper Curda and Bobby Moynihan who carry most of the film as Mabel and King George, respectively, and their voices display charisma, comic timing, and plenty of warmth. As a character, Mabel is perhaps unevenly drawn (no pun intended), not quite negotiating her traits of compassion and anger, but Curda still gives her personality, energy and empathy. Moynihan does the same with George, as the beaver evolves from somewhat of a guileless figurehead into a staunch, courageous defender of his world.
As ‘Hoppers’ races toward its conclusion, there’s that sense we mentioned that the filmmakers are throwing everything they can think of into the story – almost losing control of it in the process. But luckily it all comes together in an ending that’s sweet, relevant, and important. And what comes in the previous 95 minutes or so offers a lot to relish as well.
Most importantly, ‘Hoppers’ shows that Pixar itself is still capable of generating new, original animated stories – especially in an era where corporations like Disney are more and more reliant on revisiting proven IP (Pixar’s next release, after all, is ‘Toy Story 5’). Whatever its flaws, ‘Hoppers’ is wildly imaginative, emotionally rich, and thematically powerful – and we’re glad that Pixar can still deliver that.
Animal lover Mabel uses a new technology to ‘hop’ her consciousness into a life-like robotic beaver and communicate directly with animals. Once in the animal world, Mabel rallies species of all kinds to face smooth-talking local mayor Jerry Generazzo, whose planned freeway may destroy their habitat.
‘Flow’ opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on November 22nd.
Arriving on limited release in theaters on November 22nd, ‘Flow’ is that rare cinematic oddity; a movie that could appear to be frustratingly experimental yet turns out to be charming, beautiful and punchy all at once.
Featuring zero dialogue and looking more like a nature documentary than a traditional feature film, it’s nevertheless full of drama and heart as its animal cast confront one challenge after another.
‘Flow’ opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on November 22nd.
In a year where we’ve seen a handful of truly fun, and sometimes groundbreaking animated titles (Disney/Pixar scored big with ‘Inside Out 2,’ DreamWorks saw success with ‘The Wild Robot,’ a rare step outside its ‘Shrek’ and other franchise driven work, while ‘Robot Dreams’ proved to be a quirky charmer), ‘Flow’ finds itself closer to the latter movie, bringing its story to life with vibrant animation and truly expressive characters.
This is also an astonishing technical achievement, its look unique (leaning towards the watercolor stylings of ‘Wild Robot’ but pushing further) and its overall work really impressive, especially its soundscape, aided by the score from director Gints Zilbalodis and Rihards Zalupe.
Script and Direction
‘Flow’ opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on November 22nd.
It’s Gints Zilbalodis who is truly the driving force behind the movie –– he serves as director, co-writer, co-composer, art director, cinematographer, editor and producer, and here proves that previous work such as 2019’s ‘Away’ was no fluke.
‘Flow’ bears some of his quickly-developing hallmarks: appealing animated stylistics (in other hands, this could look like video game cutscenes stretched to feature length, but it never does), a grasp of what makes characters tick even when there isn’t the crutch of true dialogue to hang onto.
Here, he’s led his team to new heights, bringing to life a world devastated by huge, earth-swamping floods so spectacular and powerful that you half expect ‘Waterworld’s Kevin Costner to come paddling by.
This is a world, though, whose human characters have vanished, seemingly swallowed up by the environmental catastrophe, and the focus is on a group of animals left trying to survive in its wake.
Everything blends together so well and at 85 minutes, the movie never outstays its welcome. At its core is the utterly convincing gathering of creatures, who all act as they would in the wild, yet also start to show subtle signs of intelligence beyond their nature, especially the way the likes of our curious, courageous central feline and an enthusiastic, friendly Labrador work together.
And while this should compel kids just as much as adults (there are no real pratfalls or pop culture references to be found, but the characters are enough to hold anyone’s attention), there are also moments of heartbreaking (but never gruesome violence), especially in a clash between two birds.
Performances
It’s tough to even fill this category since the animals only “speak” in meows, barks or whatever sound they might normally make. But don’t be mistaken: the performances are still rich and layered all the same.
Cat
‘Flow’ opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on November 22nd.
Initially introduced as a loner who lives in the house it once shared with its cat-obsessed human, the main focus of the film is a big-eyed, clever feline that quickly adapts to the situation around it. Cat owners and those who love them will easily recognize some very familiar behaviors, yet as the bond between the various animals who find shelter from the rising tides on a boat begin to grow closer, the subtle interactions really work.
Labrador
‘Flow’ opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on November 22nd.
Once part of a pack of dogs who give chase to our feline hero, the Labrador soon establishes itself as a trustworthy companion for the adventure that is to follow. And it doesn’t hurt that its boundless energy and slightly goofy nature make it a great counterpart for the cat.
Bird
‘Flow’ opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on November 22nd.
The Secretary Bird here is one of the wiser characters, but goes through its own arc, including a violent encounter with one of its own species that leads it needing help.
Capybara
‘Flow’ opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on November 22nd.
One of the more fully humorous characters, this sleepy, snoring beast is also a true companion for the others when needed.
Lemur
‘Flow’ opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on November 22nd.
A troublemaking treasure hunter, this curious fellow is also guarded and quick to take offense. Yet, like the Capybara, it is also ready to help in moments of crisis.
Supporting cast
‘Flow’ opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on November 22nd.
Around our central group are a few other critters who bring vibrant life to this haunted, watery world. The Labrador’s pack make a couple of other meaningful appearances, while there are also the giant aquatic, seemingly prehistoric beasts that roam the rising oceans. One of these latter leviathans proves crucial in helping the cat at one point and you’d be hard-pressed not to shed a tear given the fate of one of them later on.
Final Thoughts
‘Flow’ opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on November 22nd.
Dreamlike and visually stunning, ‘Flow’ surely deserves to be in the conversation for Best Animated Feature this year; criminally it may well get overlooked in favor of a release from one of the big companies.
Still, this is a film to seek out in theaters so as to enjoy its meticulously created world and amusing, heartwarming characters. If there is one minor issue, it’s leaning on the Cat character being flung overboard and plunged into watery peril perhaps one too many times, but that’s all I’d have to criticize about this delightful movie.
‘Flow’ receives 9 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘Flow’?
‘Flow’ follows a courageous cat after his home is devastated by a great flood.
Teaming up with a capybara, a lemur, a bird, and a dog to navigate a boat in search of dry land, they must rely on trust, courage, and wits to survive the perils of a newly aquatic planet.
Who stars in ‘Flow’?
In a rare move, the film features no voice cast, since the characters are all animals that eschew the anthropomorphism common to the likes of Disney, DreamWorks and others.
‘Flow’ opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on November 22nd.
(Left) Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch in ‘Bosch: Legacy.’ Photo: Tyler Golden. Copyright: Amazon Freevee. (Center) Katee Sackhoff attends the studio showcase panel at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California on May 26, 2022. Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney. (Right) Matthew Rhys in ‘The Americans’. Photo: FX Productions.
Preview:
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen has been adapted into an animated movie.
Titus Welliver, Katee Sackhoff and Matthew Rhys are leading the cast.
J. Michael Straczynski wrote the two-part adaptation.
‘Watchmen’ still stands as one of the most influential graphic novels of all time and has been a big challenge to adapt.
It doesn’t help that original co-creator Alan Moore (who crafted the book with artist Dave Gibbons) is no fan of anyone trying to convert his work into a new medium.
We can only imagine, then, that he’s busy conjuring a damning spell to thwart the latest effort, but he’s too late –– after being announced at last year’s Comic-Con, an animated, two-part movie called ‘Watchman: Chapter I’, based on the graphic novel is on the way (and has been in the works since at least 2021), with Matthew Rhys, Katee Sackhoff and Titus Welliver in the lead roles.
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What’s the story of the ‘Watchmen’ animated movie?
Doctor Manhattan in ‘Watchmen: Chapter 1’. Photo: DC Studios.
The movie will once again bring to screens Moore and Gibbons’ story, published in 1986 and set in an alternative world in which costumed vigilantes are real. Inspired by Moore being unable to use some of DC’s big name characters, he created his own alternates and challenged the nature and morality of superhero storytelling.
Rhys will voice Dan Dreiberg (aka Nite Owl), Sackhoff will voice Laurie Juspeczyk (aka Silk Spectre), while Welliver will voice Walter Kovacs (aka Rorschach).
Troy Baker will voice Adrian Veidt (aka Ozymandias), while Michael Ceveris will voice Jonathan Osterman (aka Dr. Manhattan).
Who else is in the new ‘Watchmen’ movie?
The Comedian in ‘Watchmen: Chapter 1’. Photo: DC Studios.
Rorschach in ‘Watchmen: Chapter 1’. Photo: DC Studios.
Both parts of the movie have been adapted by ‘Babylon 5’ creator J. Michael Straczynski, though he has confirmed on social media that he’s not made huge changes to the scripts:
I can now talk about it as the news is breaking. I adapted WATCHMEN for Warners animation. By “adapted” I mean strictly configuring the structure to work in a movie. I saw no need to write more material or change what works in the book. It’s pure Moore. https://t.co/iy4Q0yqW61
— J. Michael Straczynski (@straczynski) July 10, 2024
Warner Animation veteran Brandon Vietti is in the director’s chair for both chapters.
Zack Snyder finally succeeded, with his (mostly) faithful live-action adaptation debuting in 2009 to mixed reviews and $185.3 million worldwide. It was supported by its own animation, a take on the graphic novel’s story-within-the-story ‘Tales of the Black Freighter’.
Damon Lindelof won praise for his 2019 HBO series, which continues the story 30 years after the events of the graphic novel, drawing from the canon history but also going off in interesting new directions.
When will ‘Watchmen: Chapter I’ be on screens?
Rorschach in ‘Watchmen: Chapter 1’. Photo: DC Studios.
The first Chapter will debut on August 13th for digital purchase and on August 27th on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. ‘Watchmen Chapter II’ will be released in late 2024.
Find the trailer for Chapter I below:
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Doctor Manhattan in ‘Watchmen: Chapter 1’. Photo: DC Studios.
