"Despicable Me 2" - Teaser

The first trailer for "Despicable Me" sequel was released, but it looks more like a teaser. Four lovely minions are singing some kind of a song, where the only understandable word is 'potato'. It is a hilarious video, and I'm so glad that those yellow creatures are back!

By the way, this animated film will be also in 3D (that circus fife, which tries to get out from the screen borders, is a huge hint). Its creators made it very impressive in the first film, so "Despicable Me 2" may be the only film I will watch in 3D this year.

18 Animated Movies for Oscar 2012

My first post related to the 84rd Academy Awards is about animated films. Official website released this long list of 18 movies, but just 5 of them will be nominated and one will be the owner of the golden statuette.

1."The Adventures of Tintin" ("Приключения Тинтина: Тайна Единорога")
2."Alois Nebel" ("Алоис Небель")
3."Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-wrecked" ("Элвин и бурундуки 3")
4."Arthur Christmas" ("Секретная служба Санта-Клауса")
5."Cars 2" ("Тачки 2")
6."A Cat in Paris" ("Кошачья жизнь")
7."Chico & Rita" ("Чико и Рита")
8."Gnomeo & Juliet" ("Гномео и Джульетта")
9."Happy Feet Two" ("Делай ноги 2")
10."Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil" ("Красная Шапка против зла")
11."Kung Fu Panda 2" ("Кунг-фу Панда 2")
12."Mars Needs Moms" ("Тайна красной планеты")
13."Puss in Boots" ("Кот в сапогах")
14."Rango" ("Ранго")
15."Rio" ("Рио")
16."The Smurfs" ("Смурфики")
17."Winnie the Pooh" ("Медвежонок Винни и его друзья")
18."Wrinkles"("Морщинки")

I haven't seen all of them (partly because some films will be out in cinemas later this year), but I can surely tell, which of them has no chance to become a nominee. I'm sorry for "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-wrecked" and "Cars 2". They aren't the first films of these stories, plus their prequels weren't nominated. On the other hand, "Happy Feet Two" and "Kung Fu Panda 2" could be nominated and even have a good chance to win, because their prequels have already been on the final list.

I doubt that "Arthur Christmas", "Gnomeo & Juliet", "The Smurfs" and "Mars Needs Moms" will make it to the final five, because they aren't critics' favourites.

"Wrinkles", "Chico & Rita", "Alois Nebel", "The Adventures of Tintin" along with "Winnie the Pooh" can be lucky this time, because of being dramatic, mature, directed by Steven Spielberg and for going back to Disney's classics.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012. And the big event will take place on Sunday, February 26, 2012.

Which film is your favourite among these 18? Which one deserves an Oscar?

"Arthur Christmas" (2011) - Third trailer

I was feeling a bit Christmassy these days, so this new trailer made me even more exited to watch this upcoming animated film. We've already seen at least two promo videos of "Arthur Christmas", but this one I like more. Why? Because of all those Christmas lights, red-and-green colours and Mission Impossible style.

Directed by Sarah Smith. And there will be voices of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton.

Release dates - November 11, 2011 (UK), November 23, 2011 (USA, France), December 8, 2011 (Russia), December 22, 2011 (Ukraine).

More about "Arthur Christmas" (2011)!

Trailer #3

"Brave" / "Храбрая сердцем" (2012) - Trailer

The new project of Disney and Pixar is going to be wonderful. The very first teaser impressed me so much. I like the main character, who has a beautiful red hair (after “Harry Potter” I just love red-headed). This story is called “Brave”.

Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. In “Brave”, a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition, destiny and the fiercest of beasts.

Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane). Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Witch (Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late. (Official movie site)  It's directed by Mark Andrews, who had made a couple of short movies and helped to create some animated movies.

Новый совместный проект студий Disney и Pixar будет замечательным. Первый тизер меня приятно удивил. Очень понравилась главная героиня с ярко-рыжими волосами (после «Гарри Поттера» я просто влюбилась в рыжеволосых). В русском прокате мультфильм будет называться «Храбрая сердцем».

С древних времен, истории эпических битв и мистических легенд передавались из поколения в поколение по всех таинственных горах Шотландии. В «Храброй сердцем», новая сказка соединяется с древними знаниями, когда мужественная Мерида (Келли Макдональд) противостоит традициям, судьбе и ожесточенным зверям.

Мериа является опытной лучницей и дочерью короля Фергюса (Билли Коннолли) и королевы Элиноры (Эмма Томпсон). Будучи преисполненной решимости найти свой путь в жизни, Мерида бросает вызов вековому обычаю и священным владыкам земли: могущественному Богу МакГуффину (Кевин Маккидд), угрюмому Богу Макинтошу (Крейг Фергюсон) и сварливому Боги Дингуоллу (Робби Колтрейн). Поступки Мериды порождают хаос в королевстве, и когда она обращается к эксцентричной старой ведьме (Джули Уолтерс) за помощью, то ей даруют злополучное желание. Мерида следует за этими опасными силами и открывает для себя настоящую храбрость, что бы отменить проклятие пока еще не поздно. Режиссером выступил Марк Эндрюс, который уже успел снять несколько короткометражек и помог создать несколько анимационных фильмов.

Release dates - June 22, 2012 (USA), August 17, 2012 (UK)

Official teaser -

Top-5 movies of the week - 23.06 - 30.06

I was very busy this week, but I still found the time to choose 5 movies of the week.

1. "Cars 2"
Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in "Cars 2" when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world's fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voice of Michael Caine) and the stunning spy-in-training Holley Shiftwell (voice of Emily Mortimer). Mater's action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world. The fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast, complete with menacing villains and international racing competitors. (Official movie site)

Trailer - http://elenastr.blogspot.com/2011/04/cars-2-2011-trailers_08.html

2. "Bad Teacher"
Some teachers just don't give an F. For example, there's Elizabeth (Cameron Diaz). She's foul-mouthed, ruthless, and inappropriate. She drinks, she gets high, and she can't wait to marry her meal ticket and get out of her bogus day job. When she's dumped by her fiancé, she sets her plan in motion to win over a rich, handsome substitute (Justin Timberlake) - competing for his affections with an overly energetic colleague, Amy (Lucy Punch). When Elizabeth also finds herself fighting off the advances of a sarcastic, irreverent gym teacher (Jason Segel), the consequences of her wild and outrageous schemes give her students, her coworkers, and even herself an education like no other. (Official movie site)

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VihlsPKMh4U

3. "A Better Life"
From the director of About a Boy comes A Better Life - a touching, poignant, multi-generational story about a father's love and the lengths a parent will go to give his child the opportunities he never had. (Rotten Tomatoes)

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaLSBdL-zCY

4. "If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front"
I think that it's very important not to forget what the humanity is doing to our planet. This new documentary by the filmmaker Marshall Curry explores the inner workings of the Earth Liberation Front, a revolutionary movement devoted to crippling facilities involved in deforestation, while simultaneously offering a profile of Oregon ELF member Daniel McGowan, who was brought up on terrorism charges for his involvement with the radical group. (Rotten Tomatoes)

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAGxy85R380

5. "Leap Year"
Laura is 25 years old. She's a journalist, she's single and lives in a small apartment in Mexico City. After a series of short-lived affairs, Laura meets Arturo. After the first time they make love, she is left deeply unsettled. They embark on an intense and passionate sexual relationship, in which pleasure, pain and love merge. As days go by which Laura conscientiously crosses out in a calendar, her secret past resurfaces, pushing Arturo to the limit. (Rotten Tomatoes )

"It's a gripping, mysterious use of no-budget cinema at its finest, and an intimate character study with surprising emotional power." - Andrew O'Hehir from Salon.com

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlN39kAMcY8

Top-5 movies of the week - 09.06 - 15.06

Good day, everyone! I hope that you are enjoying this summer as I do. If you'd like to go to the cinema, here is another top-5 movies, which can be interesting for you.

1. "Super 8"
Director J.J. Abrams presents his new sci-fi movie "Super 8" with actors Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Jessica Tuck, Joel McKinnon Miller, Ron Eldard and others. The plot: " In the summer of 1979, a group of young friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries ti uncover the truth - something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined."

Trailer - http://elenastr.blogspot.com/2011/06/super-8-2011-trailer.html

2. "Winnie the Pooh"
A funny bear returns to our big screens. Disney reunites old friends and makes a beautiful animated movie about their new adventures. This story is about the wonderful life in a woods. Main characters, including also Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo and Eeyore, are trying to live happily, but first of all, they have to find a proper tail for the most melancholic member of their crew. I was surprised that new Disney animation looks like painted not made by computers. It is very beautiful way to make movies more alive, colorful and not artificial.

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRT86ZggCEk

3. "TrollHunter"
After many movies about vampires and zombies, Norwegian filmmakers found another creature to make a horror movie about. Now everyone is screaming because of a trolls, which are discovered by a group of students. They wanted to capture real-life of this beasts on camera after learning their existence has been covered up for years by a government conspiracy. A thrilling and wildly entertaining film, this story delivers truly fantastic images of giant trolls wreaking havoc on the countryside, with darkly funny adherence to the original Norwegian folklore. (Official site)

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLEo7H9tqSM

4. "Manuale D'amore 3"
Italian director Giovanni Veronesi continues to tell us stories about how love can be complicated and simple at that moment. This movie consists of three romantic novels, where Robert DeNiro, Monica Bellucci, Riccardo Scamarcio,Valeria Solarino, Michele Placido and Laura Chiatti are playing passionately with love.

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-xtzzePWTQ

5. "One Lucky Elephant"
A touching documentary about elephant's life after retirement. Sixteen years have passed since circus producer David Balding adopted Flora, the orphaned baby African elephant. As Flora approaches adulthood, he realizes that she is not happy performing. And David must face the difficult truth that the circus is no place for Flora, she needs to be with other elephants. This road to Flora's retirement, however, is a difficult and emotional journey which tests their bond in unexpected ways. (Rotten Tomatoes)

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prAkIYOTiLA

Which movie are you going to see this week?

"The Lion King" - Diamond Edition Trailer

I'm sure that everybody knows this wonderful animated musical, which was made by one of the oldest movie studios Disney. "The Lion King" tells us the story about a lion cub’s journey to adulthood and acceptance of his royal destiny. Simba finds good friends like Timon and Pumbaa, enemies like Scar and the love of his life like Nala. It is very touching, kind and a bit dramatic, that is why some many kinds and adults still love it. Directors Rob Minkoff , Roger Allers and screenwriters Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts did a great job creating such magical animated movie in 1994. And today it got the second chance, because the Diamond Edition of "The Lion King" will be released on October 4, 2011. It will be the first time this movie will be released in high-definition on Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D.

Diamond Edition Blu-ray Trailer -

"Tangled" (2010)

Yesterday I needed to watch a fairy-tale and I've found one! A 50th beautiful animation movie made by Disney turns to be a funny story about a girl with long golden hair, a guy with thievish talent, a nice chameleon with big eyes, an evil witch, a brave horse and a destiny of a Kingdom. "Tangled" is an old good fairy-tale "Rapunzel", but is told for present viewers. Directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard created for us a magical world where everything begins with words "Guys, I wanna castle!" and finishes with "- And we were living happily ever after. - Yes we are."

"Tangled" Official Trailer
 



Tangled - "I See The Light"