Under Paris (2024)

Director: Xavier Gens

Starring: Bérénice Bejo, Nassim Lyes, Léa Léviant

Sophia, a brilliant scientist, comes to know that a large shark is swimming deep in the river.

We just can’t seem to get enough of shark movies, do we? There have been some really bad shark movies lately, and a few good ones. ‘Under Paris’ is one of the better ones. It is not trying to be like any other shark movie, and also doesn’t have the usual clichés.

Three years ago Sophia’s crew died in a shark attack while they were searching for a shark they tagged, and named it Lilith. Now working in an aquarium, Sophia still blames herself. She is approached by Mika from SOS – an ocean conservation group, who claims they managed to track Lilith. Lost and trying to survive, the shark adapted and made its way to the freshwater Seine.

With a big upcoming triathlon, time is of the essence and the Mayor insists the event will proceed, stating too much (money) is at stake, as well as her reputation. It is now up to Sophia and the River Police – lead by Adil – to take care of the shark, but Mika has other plans. The situation is aggravated when they discover Lilith is giving birth.

The final act is action all the way with a good climax. The shark effects were also well done. Oh, and you gotta love that cliffhanger ending, which leaves so much room for a sequel! The film also sends out a powerful message of conservation.

In French.

Would I watch it again? Yes.

Atlas (2024)

Director: Brad Peyton

Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Simu Liu, Sterling K. Brown

In a bleak-sounding future, an A.I. soldier has determined that the only way to end war is to end humanity.

With rapid evolving technology there’s been a lot of talk about A.I. lately, and we see it quite a bit in movies, as well. ‘Atlas’ is yet another film exploring the A.I. gone wrong premise.

Artificial Intelligence (or A.I.) is designed to help humanity. Robots have been used for years in the manufacture industry and on assembly lines. Giving robots a human appearance and making them able to ‘think’ is simply the next step. The best early example of this was the computer HAL in ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’.

‘Atlas’ takes it a step further, with Harlan becoming the world’s first AI terrorist. After wreaking havoc, Harlan left Earth 28 years ago with a message that he will return to finish what he started. Analyst Atlas Shepherd (Jennifer Lopez) was just a child back then, and during the course of the film her involvement with Harlan is explained, and the reason why she blames herself for the death of over a million people. She therefore has a personal vendetta against Harlan.

When Harlan’s location is discovered in the Andromeda Galaxy, Atlas insists on going with on a mission to capture him. Unfortunately things does not go according to plan, and when they get shot down, she’s on a new mission: survival – her own and that of humanity.

We learn a lot from Atlas’ back story through her interaction with a robot named Smith, with whom she reluctantly synced. I rather enjoyed this set-up between her and Smith.

There’s plenty of action and adventure as they go on a mission to capture Harlan. A Secondary antagonist, Casca, is on their trail as well, on his own mission to destroy them. This visual effects laden fantasy adventure is entertaining with some thrilling sequences. The visual effects are really good. And who would have thought a goddamn robot could create an emotional moment!!!

I actually really enjoyed this movie, which was not well received by critics.

Would I watch it again? Yes.

The Tiger’s Apprentice (2024)

Directors: Raman Hui, Yong Duk Jhun, Paul Watling

Tom Lee, a Chinese-American boy, after the death of his grandmother, has to be apprenticed to the talking tiger Mr. Hu and learn ancient magic to become the new guardian of an ancient phoenix.

Tom is being bullied at school for being a freak. From the beginning it is clear he is no ordinary teenager. Off course, there was the opening of his grandmother fighting fantastical creatures, so yeah, it was pretty obvious.

And then one day Hu turns up at his Grandmother’s, and soon after all hell breaks loose as they are being attacked by the same creatures we saw in the opening. Tom’s grandmother is once again fighting off the creatures with all she’s got, while Hu turns into a tiger.

Turns out Loo, the main antagonist, is after a Phoenix the grandmother wears around her neck. When the grandmother gave the Phoenix to Tom to guard and protect, I couldn’t understand why she believed him to be capable of the task, especially since he had no knowledge of the stone or his past before this task was bestowed upon him.

Apparently the Phoenix was used to create humanity, and now Loo wants it to destroy humanity. Nothing is told of the origins of the Phoenix and the story itself wasn’t all that well explained or justified. Loo came across as a villain purely for the sake of being a villain. I also didn’t find Tom all too believable as the protagonist. Hu, on the other hand, would have been a far better prospect to protect the Phoenix. Only, I found him inconsistent. At times he was a great fighter, and at times he wasn’t. He also seemed to randomly shapeshift into a tiger, for whatever reason. It made me wonder whether he was actually able to control his abilities.

We meet some of the other family members, who are all mystical or magical – dare I say – creatures, each with their own abilities. Together they fight the war against Loo and her army of creatures.

‘The Tiger’s Apprentice’ is like an animated film on steroids. I mean this film bombards the viewer with so much going on at once that it was hard to follow the action. I found it overdone. Being an animated film, the intended demographic is kids no doubt, but I’m just wondering if kids will be able to understand this story?

This is a beautifully animated movie and worth seeing, but I doubt very much I will bother watching it again.

Orion and the Dark (2024)

Director: Sean Charmatz

A boy with an active imagination faces his fears on an unforgettable journey through the night with his new friend: a giant, smiling creature named Dark.

Orion is an eleven year old boy with many fears. He obsesses about every negative thing that could possibly happen. He is also being bullied at school by a kid named Richie. And he is most afraid of the dark. Which young kids aren’t? Ok, but because Orion is so extreme in his fears, darkness mutates into a figure one evening and pays him a visit. Although perceived as scary, Dark is a gentle giant with a big smile – and he has feelings.

Hoping Orion will overcome his fear of the dark, Dark invites Orion to join him for one night to see what a night is like for Dark. Reluctant at first, Orion agrees. Although he soon regrets his decision, his outing takes him on a wonderful journey of discovery.

Orion meets the other night entities as well: Sleep, Insomnia, Sweet Dreams, Quiet, and Unexplained Noises. Although a young audience might not entirely understand these characters, the film tells its story in such a unique manner that it will appeal to youngsters even if they don’t fully understand what it is about. The characters are funny and likeable. In a way it felt like ‘Inside Out’ meets ‘Rise of the Guardians’.

The animation is fantastic. No wait, it’s better than fantastic; it’s outstanding!! The voice over work is also excellent. I know it’s still very early in the year, but already I’m hoping ‘Orion and the Dark’ will be a contender for Best Animated Feature at 2025’s Oscars. This film is just absolutely brilliant on every level, and there is so much we can learn from it. It also depicts the cycle of life, which I somehow found sad in a way, but very relevant and thought-provoking. I absolutely LOVED this film! It will no doubt go down as one of my all-time favourite animated films of all time! Yup, that’s how much I liked it!

Would I watch it again? Yes, definitely!