Film: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel FCast: Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, Kevin Bacon, Paul Reiser, Judge Reinhold, John AshtonDirector: Mark MolloyRating: 3/5Runtime: 118 min The 1984 release, Beverly Hills Cop was a landmark film because it helped establish Eddie Murphy as a bankable star, had a peppy pop song-laden soundtrack, and still has the power to draw you into its narrative exploits. This fourth film in the Beverly Hills Cop series starring Eddie Murphy, comes 40 years after his first outing. The third sequel was released in 1994 so it was about time for the series to be resurrected. Most of the characters from the original movie are back in action. And of course they are aged and much slower on the action but that hasn’t stopped them from doing what they do best. Taggart, Rosewood, an unrecognizable Jeffrey and Serge are all there. atOptions = { 'key' : 'd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7', 'format' : 'iframe', 'height' : 90, 'width' : 728, 'params' : {} }; Axel F is a continuation of sorts to the third movie. The style is the same and the remixed music including songs like ‘The Heat is on’, ‘Hot in the city’, ‘Neutron dance’,’family affair’, ‘Oh here we go,’ ‘ Shakedown’, playing in the background gets you tripping on sheer nostalgia. Composer Lorne Balfe manages to get the tone and tenor of the past in tune with the present. Her musical nod to Harold Faltermeyer (the original’s composer) is faultless. This one is not entirely an action film either, there’s plenty of humor in it. And Eddie Murphy hasn’t lost any of his glib-talking, voluble charm. This film indulges in nostalgic callbacks, has several scenes encapsulating the spirit of the original and yet has something new to offer. It’s a fluid attempt to adapt to the expectations of a contemporary audience and is therefore quite creditable. Axel Foley (Murphy), a seasoned Detroit cop with no respect for Public property, indulges in a high-octane chase through the city streets, smashing vehicles, barricades and everything else that stands in his way. He is older, maybe wiser even, but hasn’t let go of his hell-raising, bend-the-rules, tear-up-the-streets, ways. His single focus is to catch the criminals by hook or by crook. And he is the bane of every Police Chief he has worked under. His boss, former partner Jeffrey Friedman (Paul Reiser), who has risen from the ranks to that of Deputy Chief, is clearly at a loss as to how to deal with him. He also has family issues. He hasn’t communicated with his estranged daughter, a Defence attorney, Jane Saunders(Taylour Paige)who lives in Beverly Hills, in the last 5 years. The writers obviously have invented a reunion between the two - but for that to happen Axel has to get together with former colleagues and ‘out’ the ‘rotten apple’ from the police force. So, the narrative transports us back to Beverly Hills, where Jane finds herself in peril due to her involvement in a case concerning corrupt cops. Axel also renews his friendships with Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton). Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Kevin Bacon, add freshness to that nostalgia reviving dynamic. The narrative also includes some interesting moments having Axel get in touch with a High-profile friend to help run a check on the drug cartels hideout, and a terrific scene with Luis Guzman stirring up menace, as the uncle of the prisoner that Jane is representing. Murphy’s scenes with Taylour Paige also add depth to the narrative. We get to see an Axel who has paid a heavy personal price for his professional single-mindedness. The action sequences are well-executed, and the minimal use of CGI here is quite refreshing. Director Mark Molloy shores up his winning formula by allowing Murphy plenty of room for improvisation. Murphy as Axel F shows off his magical craft during and in between shootouts and chases. This is not just a legacy franchise entrant it's also an entertaining film and a testament to Murphy’s prowess as an actor!
06 July,2024 06:50 PM IST | Mumbai | Johnson ThomasPop star Justin Bieber made Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's sangeet ceremony extra special with his energetic performance. He set the stage ablaze as he performed his popular chart-topping songs. On Saturday morning, Bieber was spotted leaving the city and jetting back home to the US. As per reports, Bieber was paid a whopping amount of 10 million USD, which comes to around Rs 83 crore for a couple of hours to perform at the sangeet. atOptions = { 'key' : 'd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7', 'format' : 'iframe', 'height' : 90, 'width' : 728, 'params' : {} }; View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) Anant and Radhika's sangeet ceremony turned out to be a star-studded affair. From Salman Khan to Madhuri Dixit Nene and Hardik Pandya, several celebrities marked their presence at the function of Anant and Radhika at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai on Friday. Ambanis arranged a special musical night for their guests with the performance of none other than Justin Bieber. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) In the viral videos, Justin can be seen wearing a jacket with a white vest and loose pants with his signature style cap for the occasion. He interacted with the guests at the event while performing on the stage. He made guests groove on songs such as 'Baby', 'Never Let You Go', 'Love Yourself', 'Peaches', 'Boyfriend', 'Sorry' and 'Where Are U Now'. Videos from inside the bash have taken over the internet. Beiber's first concert in India was held in 2017. He was supposed to return to the country in 2022 but the tour was cancelled due to the singer's bad health. On July 3, the Ambanis organised a spectacular Mameru ceremony- a Gujarati wedding tradition where the maternal side of the bride visits her with sweets and gifts. Anant and Radhika’s wedding festivities are meticulously planned, adhering to traditional Hindu Vedic customs. The main ceremonies will commence on Friday, July 12, with the auspicious Shubh Vivah, or wedding function and according to sources, guests are encouraged to embrace the spirit of the occasion by dressing in traditional Indian attire. The celebrations will continue on Saturday, July 13, with Shubh Aashirwad. The final event, Mangal Utsav, or the wedding reception, is scheduled for Sunday, July 14. atOptions = { 'key' : 'd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7', 'format' : 'iframe', 'height' : 90, 'width' : 728, 'params' : {} }; Earlier this year, the couple hosted a series of pre-wedding festivities in Jamnagar, which saw a star-studded guest list from around the globe. (With inputs from ANI)
06 July,2024 12:37 PM IST | MumbaiActor Vanessa Hudgens, who is known for Tick, Tick... Boom (2021), has confirmed the arrival of her first child. The High School Musical alum, 35, shared her first message since welcoming her baby with her MLB player-husband, Cole Tucker. In an Instagram story, Hudgens expressed her disappointment that she wasn’t the first to share the news. TMZ was the first to report the birth. The actor wrote in the caption: “We’re disappointed that our family’s privacy was disrespected and exploited during this very special time due to the greed of a long lens camera feeding the media. Despite all of that, mom, dad, and baby are happy and healthy.” The child’s birthdate, sex, and name have not been disclosed. According to reports, Hudgens and Tucker were seen leaving a Santa Monica hospital on July 3, which also happened to be Tucker’s 28th birthday. The actor shared a birthday wish for husband the day prior, posting a carousel of cute photos with the baseball player, whom she married in December. Hudgens wrote: “Happy birthday to my slice of heaven @cotuck. You make the world a brighter place just by being you.” During her pregnancy, the actor juggled various work responsibilities, including finishing filming of Bad Boys: Ride or Die. Her co-star Will Smith praised her as a “hard worker.” In an interview, he said, “It was really [about] trying to figure out how to shoot around [the bump]. You’ll always be able to tell your child that they were in this scene with you.” This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 July,2024 07:03 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesRapper Kendrick Lamar, who recently filmed in his native Compton and performed the song, Not Like Us, six times back-to-back at his The Pop Out concert last month, has released the video for the song, which is the biggest hit from his ongoing feud with Drake. The clip, directed by Dave Free and Lamar, celebrates the West Coast while taking a few digs at Drake and his OVO crew. The video begins with Tommy the Clown letting Lamar into a metallic room before the rapper does push-ups on cinder blocks—a nod to Drake’s track, Push ups after Drake referenced a photo of Lamar doing the exercise as part of its rollout. Soon, Lamar is seen hitting an owl pinata, a reference to Drake’s OVO owl, with a disclaimer at the bottom of the screen reading, “No OVHo** were harmed during the making of this video.” The video serves as a victory lap for Lamar, who arguably emerged the victor in the beef that ignited earlier this year with Drake. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 July,2024 06:59 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesOn: Amazon Prime VideoDir: Liz W GarciaCast: Emma Roberts, Tom Hopper, Poppy Liu, Gabrielle UnionRating: **1/2 Space Cadet is a film not meant to be taken seriously. It’s a light, absurd screwball comedy that happens to be fairly entertaining. Tiffany “Rex” Simpson (Emma Roberts) dreamed of going to space from the time she was a little girl. Then her mother contracted cancer and she, despite being the most enterprising among her peers, had to drop out of school. After being reminded of her ambition by bestie Nadine (Poppy Liu), she checks the NASA website for opportunities and finds out they are recruiting astronauts for a mission into space. She believes she can prepare a standout resume to give herself some chance, but her friend doctors the same and sends it off. So Rex manages to get into NASA’s ultra-competitive astronaut training programme through fraudulent means and finds herself in over her head. The Florida girl relies on her quick wits, moxie and determination to get through some of the training, before she gets found out. The narrative is not inventive nor does it try for high stakes. The simplistic approach though is the charm here. Writer-director Liz W Garcia gets us involved in a story that has a bartender becoming an astronaut, but only after submitting a fraudulent application, which conveniently goes unchecked. Rex survives several rounds of The ASCANS (Astronaut Candidate) programme so we all know where she is headed, even after being found out. You also get a budding romance between Rex and Senior Astronaut Logan O Leary (Tom Hopper). Obviously, we are not expected to take any of the shenanigans here seriously. This is a well-meaning exercise in self-esteem and motivation building. Rex is intelligent and enterprising, but circumstances lead her to adapt to reality. It may not be what she wanted for herself, but she still managed to make a mark in whatever she was doing. The cast works up enough chemistry to make things interesting. But the characters are not really fleshed out. Everything seems so flighty and chancy that its difficult to get a hold on. Space Cadet is ultimately a mildly rousing story of a pretty blonde making it in a tough environment. The film exists in an alt-fantasy universe. Garcia’s script may not be intelligent, but it does have the astuteness to make us smile at Rex’s antics. This film is not grounded in reality, but it has enough smarts to take your mind off yours. The movie itself is funny and sweet; and Emma Roberts makes Rex fairly convincing. *YUCK **WHATEVER ***GOOD ****SUPER *****AWESOME
06 July,2024 06:11 AM IST | Mumbai | Johnson ThomasU: Animation, comedyDir: Chris RenaudCast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell, Sofia VergaraRating: **1/2 Gru, the reformed bad guy who was introduced in the 2010 Illumination Studio’s popular original, is back as a family man being severely tempted into villainy in Despicable Me 4. Scripted by Mike White and Ken Daurio, and directed by Chris Renaud (who also directed the first two movies), the narrative pits Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) a snooty Frenchman who attended Lycée Pas Bon, Gru’s alma mater, against Gru (Steve Carell). If you will recall, Lycée Pas Bon is essentially a sort of training school for super-villains. Old hurts bloom here. Maxime blames Gru for an age-old humiliation at the school talent show, and has been stewing over how he can avenge that. Their meeting is fraught with tensions, awkward exchanges and open challenges. The class reunion reawakens Maxine’s evil competitive spirit and he, backed by his girlfriend Valentina (Sofia Vergara), seeks vengeance by transforming himself into a genetically engineered cockroach man. Unfortunately, he gets arrested and confined to a super-villain prison. Eventually, he breaks out, re-teams with Valentina and his cockroach army, and kidnaps Gru’s newest family addition, Gru Junior. No prizes for guessing where this is headed. The humour is largely plebeian, nothing more than seeing the young father goofing around making a fool of himself. There’s a bit of fun to be had seeing a wealthy victim of Gru’s wife, Lucy’s (Kristen Wiig) destructive hair care and chasing her through a supermarket. There’s not much of that kind of broad humour here though. Gru buffoons through his childcare routines, fails to protect his family, but eventually gets the job done with a lot of assistance from his batch of super minions and family. When Gru accidentally jabs himself in the leg with a hypodermic needle full of sedatives, and then rides a minion, it’s not funny. The minion army basically adds slapstick routines to the already beleaguered narrative. The rescue ops is ridiculously lame, but the introduction of a flying car and other getaway vehicles lends it a post-modern touch. The adding of characters like the teenage girl-next-door, Poppy Prescott (Joey King), who wants to be a super-villain and drags Gru into a half-baked scheme to steal a mascot from his former school, fails to make it funnier. In fact, that subplot waylays the main thread and increases the tedium. Despicable Me 4 is overrun by over-zealous misdemeanours acts that fail to connect into a wonderful whole. The caricaturing is excellent but the writing and direction are wayward. Even though the narrative ends in a brisk 95 minutes, it feels tedious and unfulfilling. The main thread is never developed fully enough to come good. So what we get is a distracted narrative clutching at straws. The minions, most of the time, look as though they are a side show to the main story. Fortunately, the cast delivers engaging voice performances and the overall animation is impressively detailed. The gorgeous animation though fails to save it from being repetitive and boring for most of its short runtime.
06 July,2024 06:08 AM IST | Mumbai | Johnson ThomasThe hilarious and much-anticipated duo of Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds are set to premiere in Deadpool & Wolverine on 26th July, an eagerly awaited superhero film from Marvel Studios. In a delightful and unexpected crossover of pop culture and sports, Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds recently engaged in an interview where they shared their enthusiasm for cricket. The actors were asked about their favourite cricketers from Team India. Hugh Jackman, known for his passionate support of Australian cricket, surprised many by naming Rohit Sharma as his favourite. “HE WAS A BEAST!” - Wolverine aka Hugh Jackman said revealing his obsession for Cricket and calling Indian Cricket Captain Rohit Sharma his favourite cricketer! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Marvel India (@marvel_india) Jackman praised Sharma, calling him ‘a beast’ and lauding his exceptional skills and leadership that helped bring the cup back to India. This interaction not only showcased the actors' diverse interests but also highlighted the universal appeal of cricket, transcending geographical boundaries and resonating with fans around the world. The fan craze for the action entertainer of the year Deadpool & Wolverine is at an unprecedented peak! Hugh Jackman on his love for Marvel head Hollywood star Hugh Jackman has reminisced about how kindly Marvel head Kevin Feige treated him after his “underwhelming” audition for the superhero Wolverine. Jackman told Entertainment Weekly that he was utterly convinced he had blown his audition for the role in 2000’s X-Men film. The Marvel Studios head honcho Feige was then a producer’s assistant. He invited Jackman to dinner with him and the screenwriter, and drove Jackman to the airport after.“I said, Kevin, we all know I’m not getting the part. You don’t have to do dinner. But no, he sat in there and had a steak dinner with me and then drove me to the airport. I’ll never forget it. That was the nicest thing. I thought, I’ll never see him again.” Jackman ended up as Wolverine, playing the character nine times ahead of the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine. The Hollywood star gained the spotlight as Wolverine in the X-Men film series, which got him a Guinness World Record for “longest career as a live-action Marvel character” until 2022. Deadpool & Wolverine brings Jackman alongside Ryan Reynolds in Disney’s first R-rated film and is tracking to open to $165 million over its July 26-28 weekend. (With inputs from Agencies)
05 July,2024 08:11 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentJustin Bieber has landed in Mumbai ahead of Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani's big fat wedding. It has been 7 years since Justin last visited the city, and now the first pictures of the singer are here. It is said that Justin has arrived in Mumbai to perform at the sangeet ceremony of Mukesh Ambani’s son Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, which will be held on Friday, July 5. It has been several years since Justin has made a public appearance or performed in a concert. Yesterday, a fake video circulated on social media showing Justin Bieber’s convoy with heavy security making its way on Thursday morning. After the video went viral, the paparazzi account issued a clarification note and apologized for the misinformation. Reportedly, the pop star is charging Rs 83 crore, which amounts to $9,940,851.90 USD. There is no official confirmation of this yet. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) Bieber, who was supposed to perform in India in October 2022, called off his concert due to health issues. The gig would have marked Bieber’s second visit to India. In 2017, Bieber performed in Mumbai as part of his Purpose World Tour. He was set to perform live at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi. As of 2024, the ‘Baby’ hitmaker will be setting the stage ablaze in Mumbai with his electrifying performance thanks to the Ambanis. Latest update on Anant and Radhika's wedding: The much-awaited wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant is set to take place on July 12 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai. The wedding festivities are meticulously planned, adhering to traditional Hindu Vedic customs. On Wednesday, the Ambanis held the mameru or mausalu ceremony. It is a Gujarati wedding tradition where the maternal side of the bride visits her with sweets and gifts. The main ceremonies will commence on Friday, July 12, with the auspicious Shubh Vivah, or wedding function. According to sources, guests are encouraged to embrace the spirit of the occasion by dressing in traditional Indian attire. Earlier Ambani family hosted a series of pre-wedding festivities in Jamnagar, followed by a European cruise, which saw a star-studded guest list from around the globe. The two events also witnessed performances by Rihanna, Diljit Dosanjh, Katy Perry, and the Backstreet Boys.
05 July,2024 08:36 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentOn July 21, Kevin Spacey will be honoured with Italy’s Nations Award for Lifetime Achievement at a special gala in the historic southern Sicilian town of Taormina. Spacey is also set to give an onstage performance at Taormina’s historic Greek Theatre. “Kevin Spacey is a timeless monument in film and theatre history, who unquestionably deserves the chance to get his career back,” said award organisers Michel Curatolo and Marco Fallanca. The Hollywood Reporter reveals that the honour comes as The Usual Suspects (1995) and American Beauty (1999) actor continues to battle multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against him. Spacey has denied all criminal charges. He was found not guilty in sexual assault trials in the US and the UK but still faces a new civil trial in Britain, set for next year, brought by a man who claims the actor assaulted him. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 July,2024 07:30 AM IST | Los Angeles | AgenciesHollywood star Hugh Jackman has reminisced about how kindly Marvel head Kevin Feige treated him after his “underwhelming” audition for the superhero Wolverine. Jackman told Entertainment Weekly that he was utterly convinced he had blown his audition for the role in 2000’s X-Men film. The Marvel Studios head honcho Feige was then a producer’s assistant. He invited Jackman to dinner with him and the screenwriter, and drove Jackman to the airport after.“I said, Kevin, we all know I’m not getting the part. You don’t have to do dinner. But no, he sat in there and had a steak dinner with me and then drove me to the airport. I’ll never forget it. That was the nicest thing. I thought, I’ll never see him again.” Jackman ended up as Wolverine, playing the character nine times ahead of the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine. The Hollywood star gained the spotlight as Wolverine in the X-Men film series, which got him a Guinness World Record for “longest career as a live-action Marvel character” until 2022. Deadpool & Wolverine brings Jackman alongside Ryan Reynolds in Disney’s first R-rated film, and is tracking to open to $165 million over its July 26-28 weekend. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 July,2024 07:03 AM IST | Los Angeles | AgenciesHollywood actor Alec Baldwin has resumed filming for 'Rust' in Montana, following a tragic incident in 2021 where he accidentally shot the film's cinematographer while preparing for a scene at a New Mexico ranch. The producers have taken extra precautions to ensure safety on set, banning the use of any functional firearms and hiring two veteran safety officers, according to Variety. One of these officers, Paul Jordan, will testify against Baldwin in his upcoming manslaughter trial in Santa Fe. Jordan has claimed that Baldwin ignored advice not to ride a horse at full gallop. "There was a little bit of yelling at times, insisting he could do certain things that everyone else felt he couldn't do," Jordan said in a pre-trial interview. Prosecutors aim to use Jordan's testimony to show a pattern of recklessness, arguing that the accidental shooting was one of several instances of Baldwin's carelessness on set. They also plan to present videos of Baldwin cursing and rushing the crew in New Mexico. However, Jordan was not present during the New Mexico incident, and Baldwin's defense argues that his testimony about events in Montana is irrelevant. "Nothing that took place in Montana, more than a year after the accident occurred, is relevant to any issue in this case," the defense stated in a motion to exclude his testimony. Baldwin has mentioned he has a bad hip, making it difficult to mount a horse. Jordan noted in his interview that Baldwin needed three or four people to help him get on and off the horse, but once mounted, he wanted to ride quickly over uneven terrain. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
05 July,2024 06:09 AM IST | Washington | ANIADVERTISEMENT
