Displaying items by tag: Gerard Butler

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

US, 2025, 125 minutes, Colour.

Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler, Nick Frost, Julian Denison.

Directed by Dean DeBlois.

Once upon a time, there was a village in the Arctic, a Viking village, called Berk. Life was tough. And, there was continued threat of rampaging dragons. In the Viking tradition, the way to win was to conquer the dragons in battle – but, the Vikings were often thwarted, even with the staunch leadership of Stoick. Audiences were introduced to this adaptation of popular stories by Cressida Cowell in 2010. This was through the highly entertaining animated version of How to Train Your Dragon. And, so popular, there were two popular sequels.

In recent decades, there has been the Hollywood trend of making live-action versions of popular animated films. And with varying success and, sometimes, odious comparisons in favour of the animation In fact, the director of How to Train Your Dragon was a co-writer and co-director of the original Lilo & and Stitch as well as of the live-action remake, which broke box office records around the world only a month before the release of Dragon.

When it was suggested that there be this live-action remake of Dragon, Dean DeBlois decided  to direct it. And, while he brings the magic touch of his animated films, he has made the transition to a vigorous and enjoyable life-action. At times this film is quite spectacular, extraordinarily rugged cliffs and clifftops, surging sea. And, the director has been able to use, often scene by scene, the screenplay of his original film. It works well.

And, the casting is also strong. This time the young Hiccup, son of Stoick, expected to follow in his chieftain father’s warlike footsteps, is played by Mason Thames, an affable young man, the actor able to act and cavort with his favourite Dragon, Toothless, since Thames has ballet training and experience. The voice of Stoick in the animated films is that of Gerard Butler, here able to use his Scottish accent after all those action shows in the US, but is not just a cartoon character. He is a proud father, disappointed in his son, ultimately forced to acknowledge  the moral strength of his son as well as his courage and wisdom with the dragons.

The casting is also effective in choosing live-action actors who resemble cartoon characters! (And it is always a pleasure to see New Zealand’s Julian Denison, the Wilderpeople, here as one of the Dragon-fighting students.) Nico Parker proves that female Dragon fighters can be as good as, even better, than so many of the men!

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And training one’s Dragon? The moral of the story is the importance of brains over brawn. All kinds of training to fight the dragons, ships and weapons, shields against the Dragon flames. But, Hiccup Is intelligent, encounters a friendly Dragon, relates to Toothless, but has a scientific and engineering mind and imagination, finding ways of befriending and taming the dragons – able to achieve peace.

If you enjoyed the animated films, try this one because while both  fantasy, live-action actually creates the impression that this is what those Viking times were really like!

1.            The quality of the film?  Popularity?  Visuals?  Vocal?  Story?  Values?

2.            The live-action remake, the use of the same screenplay, the look of the characters, their voices, the sound effects? The action, the sense of realism compared with animation fantasy? The action sequences, the dragons, flight, the warfare? The human characters, seeing them and hearing them? More real? The score?

3.            The title and expectations? 

4.            The voice-over explanation, the traditional Viking life, the desolate island, the culture, eternally fighting the dragons? 

5.            The island, its peaks and forests, the surrounding sea?  The sheep and their expressions, the dragon attacks?  The fights?  The Viking way of life?  Life as a battle?

6.            The visualising of the dragons, the great range of appearances, the swooping, the fire, the stealing?

7.            Stoick the Vast?  The patriarch, leading the Vikings, the warrior, the loyalty of his men?  His disappointment with Hiccup?  His hard attitude, talking and not listening?  His friendship with Gobba?  The training, his dismay, wanting to disown his son? 

8.            Hiccup in himself, scrawny build, the Viking expectations, trying to life up to his father’s hopes?  At home?  Gobba and his work?  His being  mocked by the other kids?  Yet being inventive (and his fixing the artificial limb for Toothless)?  The attack of the dragons, his wounding Toothless?  Going through the forest to find him, Toothless unable to fly properly?  Hiccup and his reaching out, the trust of the dragon, supplying him with food – and the jokes about fish and eating, Toothless having to eat the fish?  Playing with Toothless, flying?  Hiccup and his talent for flying?

9.            Gobba, his work as a blacksmith, confidant of Stoick, his wooden leg and the story of his losing his limb?  Training the young kids?  Astrid, the boys and girls, their parody of American teenagers?  The variety of dragons, the various tests, the fears, the reaction to the dragons, running away?  Hiccup, learning the reactions of the dragons, their fears?  Able to tame them, put them back in their cages?  Everybody amazed?  Stoick amazed?  Hiccup’s changing reputation?

10.     The character of Astrid, warrior, tough, defying Hiccup? The training sequences, her collaboration?

11.   The training sessions, pickup and avoidance, his studying the dragons, his imagination, science, the equipment, with toothless, the success of his techniques? The other members of the training squad, the range of characters, cartoon characters, activities, their build, talk, finally joining in the final confrontation? The parents?

12.         Astrid, Hiccup’s attraction, her tough stances?  Going with Hiccup, discovering Toothless, kissing him, slapping him?  Flying and the bond between them? 

13.         Stoick and the decision for the expedition, Hiccup’s pleading that they not go?  The ships, the sea, the danger, the storms, the battles? 

14.         Hiccup and Astrid, flying, discovering the nest of the monstrous dragon?  Toothless and his abilities?  The return, the explanation? 

15.         Stoick, the defeat, Hiccup and his flying, being forced to listen?

16.         The Night Creature, monstrous, the dragons all supplying it with food, its emergence, the challenge, Hiccup and Astrid, Toothless and the destruction of the dragon? 

17.         The dragons and the Vikings, in peace?  The film’s themes about fathers and sons and reconciliation, expectations, listening?  Peace as more important than battles?  Friendship and society?

DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA

US, 2025, 130 minutes, Colour.

Gerard Butler, O'Shea Jackson Jr,Evin Ahmad, Salvatore Esposito.

Directed by Christian Gudegast.

In 2018 audiences enjoyed Den of Thieves, the pairing of O’Shea Jackson Jr (son of Ice Cube) and Gerard Butler, one criminal, one police, all kinds of intrigues and manoeuvres, involvement in elaborately planned robberies.

So, here is an opportunity to revisit, relive the enjoyment of the first film and more elaborate robberies and setups.

This time the focus is on Donnie, O’Shea Jackson Jr, not necessarily learning from the results of the first film, involved in quite an elaborate heist. And, quite some accomplices, especially the mastermind, Jovanna (Evin Ahmad), cool and controlling. Donnie is involved in all kinds of intrigues, especially on the French Riviera Coast, trying to do deals with the stolen diamonds. However, there is one special red diamond that is coveted by the Pantera capo.

Into the action comes Big Nick, Gerard Butler, who did battle with Donnie in the first film. But, here it seems some kind of collaboration, Nick being very easy-going, interested in the manoeuvres, getting involved in all kinds of action, but…

A very international atmosphere, especially on the French Riviera, Nice and the surrounding mountains, especially chases and ambushes on the mountain roads, action, betrayals, comeuppances…

More or less what the audience revisiting Den of Thieves was expecting.

1. The popularity of the original film? The title and tone, thieves and schemes, police and investigation? Tough action? A sequel, continuation with the characters, presupposing audience knowledge of the first film?
2. The title, the Italian Mafia, Pantera? Control, vengeance, gangs? And the finale with the capo?
3. The focus on Donnie, the initial raid, the robbery, the diamonds, the red diamond? Donnie and his personality, passing himself off as an expert, Nigerian? His American background? The participation in the robbery, in the schemes, moving from identity to identity?
4. Jovanna, the flight attendant disguise, the control, the technology, computers, surveillance? Her role with the game? Deals?
5. Donnie, in France, the coast, the expert, playing up to her, her expectations? Personality?
6. Nick, Gerard Butler, personality, the first film, interactions with Donnie, coming to Europe, becoming part of the gang, his credibility, in action, nonchalant, suspicious?
7. The complications, the betrayals, the Pantera, the Independent types, the Eastern Europeans? Meetings, betrayals, action?
8. Nick, shrewd, his activities, dangers, with Donnie, his manoeuvres?
9. The buildup, the confrontations, the chases through the mountains, the ambushes, the deaths?
10. Nick, undercover, leading the group on, informing the police in Nice, the link there, the arrests?
11. And Donnie going to the capo – embraced and the possibilities for further Den of Thieves action movies?

PLANE

UK/US, 2023, 107 minutes, Colour.

Gerard Butler, Mike Couter, Tony Goldwyn, Yosan An, Evan Dane Taylor, Paul Ben-Victor, Daniella Pineda.

Directed by Jean François Richet.

An extremely plain title! And Plane is what the film is all about.

Here, Gerard Butler is reclaiming his Scottish identity and accent. Audiences may have forgotten that he was The Phantom of the Opera on screen in 2004. However, his career, especially in the United States, has been in action films, something of a strong saviour figure in all kinds of desperate situations especially with films with “… has fallen ”In the title.

This film is lower key, especially in the first half. Gerard Butler plays a pilot based in Singapore, his wife dead for three years, his daughter studying in California, New Year’s Eve, his making contact to meet his daughter, a six hour flight to Tokyo, only 14 passengers. The weather forecast is somewhat dire but the authority figure decides that they will be able to ride through it.

They don’t. So, audiences can identify fairly quickly with the setup. However, there is one factor not told to the passengers, the sudden transporting of a criminal killer with an American agent, handcuffed, sitting at the back of the plane. (And audiences who have seen Wesley Snipes in Passenger 57 will be anticipating all kinds of mayhem on the flight – but this does not eventuate, far from it!)

The storm is severe, Butler and his pleasant co-pilot, Dele (New Zealand Chinese actor Yosan An) take the plane up to 40,000 feet, a strip are struck by lightning, lose power and connections, time their fuel supply and their searching for a possible landing spot – remote island in the Philippines, using a country road, safe landing, the casualties not due to violence but the crash.

The second part of the film has all the action violence. And not entirely implausible. They find they have landed on an island, abandoned by the Filipino government and military as too difficult, a home of rebels who take hostages and demand money.

Hence, a reasonable situation for an action film, the pilot trying to save the passengers, the threats of the terrorists, and a new role and interpretation of the criminal passenger.

In the meantime, the headquarters of the air company, the fixer coming in, press releases and conferences to cover all situations, the pilot using his wits and getting a message through via his daughter, an American squad landing, confrontations – and, of course, quite an exciting climax.

Perhaps we have seen all these ingredients before, not perhaps! But, the various situations, characters and issues are well put together for an enjoyable action show pastime.

1. The very plain title? The action living up to its name?
2. Drawing on inventions for plane disasters, storms, crash landings, survival – then the transition to terrorists, hostages, American intervention, the final drama of the takeoff and escape? Enjoyment for popular entertainment?
3. The setting, New Year’s Eve, Gerard Butler and his reputation in films, action, strong, saving situations? More ordinary here? Pilot, Singapore-based, UK experience, asserting his Scottish identity, the death of his wife, his daughter studying and contact with her? Flight, Singapore to Tokyo, only 14 aboard, his charm with the flight attendants, the information about the prisoner under guard? The co-pilot, from Hong Kong, his family, good relationship?
4. The warning about the weather, the decision to go through the storm, the later reprimand of the authority for that decision? The takeoff, the range of passengers, the 3 girls and the photo, the cantankerous passenger and his criticisms, the prisoner, his guard, the handcuffs?
5. The effect of the storm, the lightning strike, the pilot handling the situation, contact with flight control, the loss of contact, the turbulence, the guard trying to reach his phone and his death, the death of the flight attendant? Visual effects for audiences to share this experience? The pilots, using their wits, timing, getting through the storm, estimating where they work, the Philippines, making towards land, landing on the island, the road, the effect of landing, surviving, getting things out of the plane, the shelter, interactions?
6. Brodie Torrence, the decision to fight help, taking the prisoner, the conversation, his background, the accusation, his disappearance, the foreign Legion, his military skills? Finding the terrorists headquarters, Brodie and his fixing the phone, the headquarters and the condemnation of crank calls, phoning his daughter, her getting the message through? The terrorist, the fight, the prisoner and his intervention, the escape, the vehicle, back to the plane?
7. The information about terrorists in the Philippines, the lawlessness of the island, the discovery of the camera, the passports, the taking of hostages, demands, executions? The leader, his control, the violence, the locals, the range of thugs? Going to the plane, the attack, the girl running and her death, her friend and his being killed? Rounded up, into the bus, taken away?
8. Brodie, leaving the message on the pilot’s seat? Going back, the attack on the terrorist, Brodie deciding to hang himself over, getting the passengers out, back into the bus, the drive back to the plane? Brodie, the interrogation, the meetings?
9. The headquarters, the personnel, skills in negotiating, getting help, the technological information, press releases, keeping face, the phone calls, Brodie’s message getting through? The sending of the squad? The Filipino government reluctant to help?
10. The squad, the landing, the confrontation with the terrorists? Brodie, getting back to the plane, the prisoner, discovering the money, taking it, disappearing? But his continued help with the shooting?
11. The final situation, the squad keeping the terrorists at bay, Brodie and his injuries, fixing the break, the passengers inside, his getting into the plane, the squad on the plane, continued firing? The rocket, Brodie steering the plane at the vehicle and the gunmen? At headquarters, the reluctance to let the plane fly, the final encouragement? The drama of the takeoff, the co-pilot and his contribution during the situation? Finding the island, the landing?
12. Action entertainment ingredients, entertainingly put together?