Believe it or not, but there are still some people out there who haven’t seen Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2! I know this for a fact because my wife is desperate to see it and was thwarted in our attempt to go along to our local multiplex three weeks after our first son was born! She is however excited for this weekend, Potter mayhem strikes back as many cinemas across the UK are still showing it.

As a special treat, those of you who go and watch Potter 7.2 this weekend (Friday 30th September – Sunday 2nd October) will be entitled to come home with your very own limited edition animated poster. I’ve been sent one and I have to say it is rather awesome with the hologram flitting between Voldemort and Harry Potter.

I’ve placed a gif (remember those!) of the poster below and below that is a list of participating cinemas. You’ll be entitled to the poster while stocks last so make sure you get in there early.

As far as our Potter coverage goes, you can keep track of it all here and we have some very very exciting news which we’ll hopefully be able to share with you next week so keep your eyes peeled!

You can pre-order your DVD / Blu-ray box set here.

The following is a list of cinemas are participating (scroll down for more):

Entertainment Weekly have unveiled the trailer for animated action-comedy TV series The Governator.

Co-developed and produced by Stan Lee, The Governator stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular character.

The Governator will see Schwarzenegger’s character decide to become a crime fighter after leaving the governor’s office and subsequently battling the evil organisation Gangsters Imposters Racketeers Liars & Irredeemable Ex-cons (or G.I.R.L.I.E. Men)

The TV series, which is currently-in-development, will air late next year.

Watch the trailer below:

So, according to the IMP Awards, this is the eight poster for Gnomeo and Juliet, the animated 3-D retelling of the classic Shakespeare play.  Now, I’m not sure this is exactly what Shakespeare had in mind when he wondered how people would retell his story but I bet he would love it.

Like Jon, I can’t tell if I’m fascinated or if this is a horrible idea.  I’m almost hoping that it is watchable simply for the fact that the voices of Ozzy Osbourne, Hulk Hogan and Michael Caine are featured in it.

Below you will find the latest poster for the film which at least confirms one thing: the frog is on Juliet’s side.  Enjoy.

Gnomeo and Julietstarts hitting theaters on February 11, 2011

Who says you can’t start advertising a movie about Easter a week before Christmas? In a smart move, the folks at Universal found a way to incorporate both major holidays into one cheerful little poster for the upcoming film, HOP.

While it was news to me that the Easter Bunny loves rocking out on the drums, it no longer surprises me now that I know it’s “rockstar” Russell Brand that is voicing him.  Is anybody weirded out that he is voicing the Easter Bunny?  I just never envisioned as a child that the Bunny would have a mildly deep English accent.  Anyway I digress.

Below you’ll find the festive poster for HOP along with a synopsis of the film.  Check it out and let us know your thoughts on it.

The tale of Fred (James Marsden), an out-of-work slacker who accidentally injures the Easter Bunny (voiced by Russell Brand) and must take him in as he recovers. As Fred struggles with the world’s worst houseguest, both will learn what it takes to finally grow up.

This is the third Mini Movies that Universal have made for Despicable Me and it’s just as good as the other two! We’ve already had Banana where we get to see just how much The Minions love fruit, then it was all about the Home Makeover where Gru’s mansion is turned into a child friendly home and today is Orientation.

In this video, we get to see how the Minions learn to work in Gru’s factory but also discover what hazards they may have to overcome!

If you missed it, last week’s Banana videos is here and Home Makeover and can watched here. You’ll love them!

Last week, Jon put up the first Mini Movie from Despicable Me and thousands of you out there came to the site to watch it. Now, Universal have released another called Home Makeover where we get to see what happens when the Orphanage send someone round to make sure that Gru’s house is fit for Children! Don’t worry, there are plenty of Minions to enjoy!

If you missed it, last week’s video was called Banana and is excellent Click here to check it out but only after you click play on the video below. We think you’ll like!

Well, the IMP Awards have done it again.  Thanks to these lovely fellows we now have access to the fourth poster/banner for the new animated flick, Rio.

The new poster takes a far different approach from the first three in that it gives us rear view shot of Rio overlooking Rio de Janeiro at sunset, which, if you’ve been, is actually breathtaking.

Rio features the voices of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, George Lopez and Neil Patrick Harris.  It will be released on Easter day 2011.

Check out the poster below and get a little taste of Rio.

Keen to ride the wave of positive momentum from the release of their Steve Carell starring animation Despicable Me Universal have given us a sneak peek of a new Mini-Movie.

It all sounds like the Pixar shorts, and is set to be included on the forthcoming Blu-ray/DVD pack.

Titled Banana, this footage showcases the movie’s popular yellow tictac shaped minions, and in Gary’s review of the film he included a couple of clips Universal were keen to put out showing off their new creations. You can read the review and watch those clips here.

Here’s the clip,

Steve Carell gets animated in Despicable Me, out in cinemas this week and we’re giving you the chance to win a prize pack and a family pass (2 adults, 3 children) to your local Apollo Cinema to enjoy the film.

We reviewed the film here, and to check out all the trailers and posters for the film to get you in the mood click here.

More details of Apollo Cinema’s nationwide locations are available here: http://www.apollocinemas.com/ and here’s what you could win.

All you have to do is answer the following question using the form below

Which US TV Sitcom does Steve Carell star in?

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

The small print:

• This competition is open to the UK only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close on Thursday the 21st of October  at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

Despicable Me is the new animated movie from Universal Studios and the same producer who was behind the Ice age movies. It’s a film that has promised the same quality level set by Pixar and also to offer  some really interesting characters with the introduction of the ‘Minions’ that are no doubt going to be very popular with young and old.

In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences and  flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by a small army of Minions, we discover Gru (voiced by Steve Carell), planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon (Yes, the moon!) in Universal’s new 3-D CGI feature, Despicable Me. Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad.The world’s greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes

Despicable Me is an excellent film for both children and adults. I was thoroughly entertained with the story, the characters, the animation, the 3D and the humour and it is by far the closest any studio has come to matching the quality of Pixar films and if it wasn’t for Toy Story 3, Despicable Me would be my choice for best animated movie in 2010 and it’s a film that probably put some of the biggest smiles on my face this year.

The humor of Despicable Me ranges from silly, very funny, subtle and darkly adult orientated. All are going to love the Minions humour with their slapstick and banter they have with each other, kids are going to enjoy the sillier jokes and fart gags and adults are going to enjoy the adult themed quips like one aimed at the Lehman bank or background jokes which are not obvious but are incredibly funny whn noticed, it adds a real sense of humour to the story and added to my enjoyment of it.

The vocal casting is spot on with the talents of Steve Carrell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig and Danny McBride. All deliver wonderful lines from an entertaining script and it never felt like the stars were hired for their name rather than their ability.

Despicable has got it so right. Steve Carrell’s Gru is delivered with almost effortless deadpan humor and villainy, the young girls are voiced without annoyance, Gru’s nemesis and younger upcoming villain called Vector, voiced by Jason Segel, is wonderfully energetic, Russel Brand lends his voice to Gru’s invention creating partner Dr. Nefario perfectly and the brilliant Will Arnett voices Mr. Perkins whose the President of The Bank of Evil that funds anything to do with evil plans in the world. All the characters work well together and I found them all highly entertaining which really benefits the movie.

At the films heart is the three young girls who are taken in by Gru and their story is important to give an emotional anchor to balance out the films zany events of Gru trying to conquer the world as the greatest ever villain. The girls anguish of living in a horrid orphanage and trying to find a family who will take them in and give them love is emotionally charged and with Gru being the latest to adopt them for his own benefit it adds an enjoyable relationship story to the proceedings. Despite being clueless at parenting and having numerous dangerous objects littered around his house (as well as his vast hidden lair under his home!), the bond that grows between the unlikely family is touching and is well handled as Gru slowly learns that the girls mean more to him than succeeding as a villain and the conclusion will no doubt bring a tear to some eyes.

The thing everyone will love from Despicable Me is the Minions, they are some of the greatest character creations i’ve enjoyed in many years and you could probably watch another 90 minutes of the little yellow guys in a film on their own. They are likely to get a bigger role in the planned sequel coming in 2013 or get their own spin off, it’s inevitable. Despite saying very little they have more personality than the new labour leader and provide more laughs than most comedy films I’ve seen this year.

The 3D is used to perfection, I would say it showed some of the best examples of 3D I’ve seen this year with notable scenes being a roller-coaster ride that Gru and the girls take during their bonding session. It’s shown in first person perspective so you get the feeling your riding it and with the added effect of 3D it elevates the scene into something beautifully crafted and enthralling as scenery flashes past you as you dive into the screen and twist around upside down and it really works well. The 3D is used effectively throughout giving layers of depth and to every scene and adds another plus to the quality of the film. A scene showing the size of Gru’s secret lair is a great example of the layers of depth as the camera pans downward showing the journey of Gru traveling down in his lift, its that shows all the activity taking place around him with minions working in different sections and its a real show off of the technology and skill of the animators.

Another exceptional use of 3D was during the closing credits so make sure you stick around for them. The glorious Minions get their own moment as they play a little game of “Who can come furthest out of the screen”, with the aid of a measuring tape they take turns in using a variety of items to leap off the screen in 3D coming further and further out at you, it’s so incredibly effective and hilarious and worth the entrance fee alone and if there are any 3D doubters who have yet to be convinced, I think Despicable Me may well be the film that converts you as to what 3D can offer.

Overall it’s not perfect but it’s an excellent example of adult/child friendly animation that works very very well. Funny, enjoyable and an utter success.

Despicable Me is out on 15th October.

THE MINIONS!

Some great but then possibly some not so great news coming to us from the guys over at io9.com that the surprisingly good and very funny ‘Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs’ is getting a deserved sequel.

However the sequel is not being directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller this time round but they are working on the story that’s due to be based on the 2nd book of the series: Pickles to Pittsburgh, the book synopsis reads:-

“Kate and Henry pilot a plane, landing on a runway of crisp bacon strips next to a field of giant broccoli stalks and over-sized hamburgers. Passing through an orange-juice rain, they approach the town of Chewandswallow, which “used to be a very ordinary town, except that instead of weather, food rained down from the sky for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” Times have changed in Chewandswallow, and readers will love finding out how storms of gigantic food threatened normal life until eventually the Falling Food Company was created, sending food to hungry people around the world.”

It will however be more good news than bad as long if Sony can keep the same creative team that designed such a visually brilliant and incredibly funny experience of the first film which was easily one of the best animated films of last year and one that was sorely underrated.

Check out the first six minutes below to wet your appetite, It you get a chance to see the full film do so, you won’t be disappointed.

Over the last few years, animated family movies have begun to embrace increasingly adult themes and storylines. Led by Pixar, they began by including more grown-up jokes in movies aimed at children, attempting to increase box office figures by making movies that parents could get some enjoyment out of alongside their kids.
 
Then last year, Pixar picked it up a level with WALL-E. Dealing with themes of loneliness and gluttony, and taking a look at the way mankind has treated this planet, Adults arguably enjoyed it more than the younger audience. Then this years Up dealt with missed love and lost youth in a poignant story of an Septuagenarian making one last journey. Now, Shane Acker’s 9 has come along to further the trend of using animated film to explore adult ideas.
 
When i first read about 9, i felt like i should know the director. After all, when a director’s name is included with the title of the film, like John Carpenter’s The Thing, it immediately gives the film an illusion of a big event. 9, however, is Acker’s first feature, so why the name? The answer lies in the proliferation of nine titled movies this year, which include the film Nine based on the musical, and District 9.
 
This 9 started off as a short film, an animated film school project of Acker’s which took four years to complete. The quality of the animation and an exciting storyline meant the film was brought to the attention of producer Jim Lemley, who immediately fell in love with it, and showed his complete faith in Acker’s vision by commissioning a feature length version. Directors Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov jumped aboard as co-producers. And now, four years later, it hits the big screen.
 
Though it isn’t stated as such, 9 appears to be set on Earth after an alternative history World War II. I can state this with a reasonable amount of confidence based on the abandoned period weaponry, and the brilliantly put together war propaganda film clips we are shown in the middle of the movie. The titular 9 is a small robotic being, clothed in sackcloth who suddenly awakes in a derelict building. He picks up a strange object, then opens a huge window to survey his surroundings. What he sees is an apocalyptic wasteland, a large city with big buildings reduced to rubble.
 
The only sign of life he sees is another small robot of his ilk, who turns out to be number 2. He discovers there are another seven more like him, but before 2 can tell him more they are attacked, and his new-found friend is taken away by a robotic beast. 9 must seek the others 2 spoke of, so that together they can track down the metallic monster, and liberate their captured brethren. The feature-length 9 is very much an extension of the short. The structure and plot is very similar, a couple of scenes are almost an exact copy. The biggest difference is that there was no dialogue in the original short, with the characters communicating everything through their actions.
 
From the outset, the animation of the world of 9 is truly breathtaking. The graphic styling is wonderfully mature, and hugely distinctive. The numbered beings, far from being cute, have a fantastic steam punk look, with their mechanical parts and basic stitched coverings. These graphic images give a real sense of atmosphere, with great use of perspective for background and foreground settings. The post-apocalyptic world is beautifully realised, and chillingly authentic. The remains of the man versus machine war are clearly evident.
 
It’s a shame we don’t see more of the world that existed before mankind was wiped out. In just a few minutes of historical film footage, Acker has created a vision of the struggle between mankind and their own creations far more compelling than Terminator Salvation managed in two hours. The action sequences are one of the best things about 9. Good use is made of the oversize environment around the stitch punk protagonists. The action is fast, exciting and very well choreographed. Each of the Numbers uses their unique skills to great effect.
 
This isn’t a perfect film however. The storyline, and the characters are a little two-dimensional (excuse the pun). Each of them has their particular trait, the strong one, the wise one, the warrior, but not much more is explored other than that. As the story is effectively that of human created mechanical beings against each other, it’s a little hard to relate to the heroes of the story. With the human race wiped out, do we really care if a small group of mechanical beings wins or loses a post-apocalyptic battle against another group? These issues are addressed somewhat in the anti-climatic conclusion, but it would have been better to have been drip-fed more of this information earlier in the story, allowing us to empathise more with these characters.
 
Less forgivable is the thread of the main character, number 9 himself. The hero is supposed to be likeable, but 9 is the cause of a lot of the disasters that beset the little survivalists, and you can’t help but think at times that they were better off before he turned up. It also doesn’t help that he is voiced by the whiny sounds of Frodo Baggins, Elijah Wood. Better are the voice talent’s of John C. Reilly as 5, the loyal everyman with a big heart, and Christopher Plummer as the authoritive and cautious leader, 1. Support is provided by Jennifer Connelly, Martin Landau, Crispin Glover and Fred Tatasciore.
 
Overall, a good start from Shane Acker. Great animation, in a brilliantly designed world. I’m genuinely interested to see what comes next from Acker. A prequel maybe, charting the more interesting human against machine war? Personally, i’d love to see a Shane Acker animated adaptation of H G Wells War of the Worlds. Now that idea, i’d give a perfect 10.

9 is released this Friday 30th October.

Bazmann