Posts Tagged ‘Anthony Ramos’

CTV NEWS AT SIX: NEW MOVIES AND TV SHOWS TO CHECK OUT THIS WEEKEND!

I appear on “CTV News at 6” with anchor Andria Case to talk about the best movies and television to watch this weekend. This week I have a look at the rock ’em, sock ’em action of “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” the biopic “Daliland” and the documentary “Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis.”

Watch the whole thing HERE! (Starts at 36:37)

NEWSTALK TONIGHT WITH JIM RICHARDS: DOES RICHARD CROUSE LIKE THESE MOVIES?

I sit in for NewsTalk 1010 host Jim Richards on the coast-to-coast-to-coast late night “NewsTalk Tonight” to play the game “Did Richard Crouse Like This?” This week we talk about the rock ’em, sock ’em action of “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” the biopic “Daliland” and the documentary “Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis.”

Listen to the whole thing HERE!

RICHARD’S WEEKEND MOVIE REVIEWS FROM CP24! FRIDAY JUNE 09, 2023.

I joined CP24 to have a look at new movies coming to VOD, streaming services and theatres.  Today we talk about the rock ’em, sock ’em action of “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” the biopic “Daliland” and the documentary “Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis.”

Watch the whole thing HERE!

RICHARD’S CTV NEWSCHANNEL REVIEWS FOR JUNE 9 WITH MARCIA MACMILLAN.

I join CTV NewsChannel anchor Marcia MacMillan to talk about the rock ’em, sock ’em action of “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” the biopic “Daliland” and the documentary “Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis.”

Watch the whole thing HERE!

1290 CJBK IN LONDON: KEN & MARINA MORNING SHOW MOVIE REVIEWS!

I  join 1290 CJBK in London and host Ken Eastwood to talk the new movies coming to theatres including the rock ’em, sock ’em action of “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” the biopic “Daliland” and the documentary “Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis.”

Listen to the whole thing HERE!

CP24 BREAKFAST: WHAT TO WATCH IN THEATRES AND ON STREAMING THIS WEEKEND!

I join “CP24 Breakfast” to talk about what to see in theatres and on streaming service this weekend, including the rock ’em, sock ’em action of “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” the biopic “Daliland,” the Paramount+ true crime series “FBI True” and the Crave drama “Little Bird.”

Watch the whole thing HERE!

CFRA IN OTTAWA: THE BILL CARROLL MORNING SHOW MOVIE REVIEWS!

I sit in on the CFRA Ottawa morning show with host Bill Carroll to talk the new movies coming to theatres including the rock ’em, sock ’em action of “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” the biopic “Daliland” and the documentary “Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis.”

Listen to the whole thing HERE!

YOU TUBE: THREE MOVIES/THIRTY SECONDS! FAST REVIEWS FOR BUSY PEOPLE!

Watch as I reviews three movies in less time than it takes to refill your Prosecco! Have a look as I race against the clock to tell you about the rock ’em, sock ’em action of “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” the biopic “Daliland” and the documentary “Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis.”

Watch the whole thing HERE!

TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS: 3 ½ STARS. “generic but fun”

“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” the globe-trotting seventh installment in the “Transformers” live-action film series, is both a sequel and a prequel. Set in 1994, it wedges the story between the events of “Bumblebee,” set in 1987, and “Transformers,” which takes place in 2007.

Primarily based on Hasbro’s “Beast Wars” storyline, it reboots the franchise with a new cast and a new tribe of Transformers.

The story begins as Noah (Anthony Ramos), an unemployed Brooklyn-based electronics expert, desperate for cash to help his ailing little brother, steals a silver-blue Porsche 964 Carrera RS 3.8. What he doesn’t realize is that the car is actually a rebellious Autobot named Mirage (voice of Pete Davidson) with the ability turn invisible and create illusions.

Meanwhile, while working at a museum on Ellis Island, artifact researcher Elena (Dominique Fishback) discovers a bird sculpture with unusual markings and the symbol of the Maximals, the mostly peaceful descendants of the Autobots. More fuel-efficient than their ancestors, with a cry of “Maximals, MAXIMIZE,” they transform into animals like a western lowland gorilla (Ron Perlman), a peregrine falcon (Michelle Yeoh), a white rhinoceros (David Sobolov) or a cheetah (Tongayi Chirisa).

Inadvertently engaging a key for interdimensional space travel, Elena attracts the attention of the heroic Optimus Prime (voice of Peter Cullen), the Maximals, the dark, planet-destroying god Unicron (Colman Domingo) and an evil subgroup of the Decepticons called the Terrorcons.

“Once I have this key,” snarls Unicron, “I alone will reign supreme.”

If the planet is to be saved, the Autobots, Maximals, Noah and Elena must join forces, travel to a remote village in Peru and secure the all-powerful key. “This is about the fate of all living things,” says Optimus Primal (Perlman).

“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” delivers what fans expect from the franchise. The transformations from car-to-character are cool, the action scenes deliver the expected heavy metal punch, Optimus Prime is as stentorian as ever and the Maximals are underused, but pretty cool.

Director Steve Caple Jr. also adds in an appealing human element with the addition of Ramos and Fishback, and even the alien robots are imbued with a bit more soul—and in Mirage’s case, more personality—than usual.

It’s a shame then, that the simple story isn’t more interesting. The individual elements work well, in some cases better than in Michael Bay’s franchise instalments, but we’ve seen too many end-of-the-world scenarios in recent years. It may be Armageddon time, but familiarity breeds, well, maybe not contempt, but complacency. The stakes just don’t seem all that high because they’re hung on a predictable story with a generic superhero premise.

Having said all that, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” is a good time at the movies. Sure, it could use a little more air in the tires in the mid-section and there is way too much exposition as we reach the end game, but it delivers what matters to fans: rock ‘em, sock ‘em robot action writ large.