Noria

Jun 8, 2023

No Comments Large, robot-like creatures from distant worlds that transform into trucks, sports cars, airplanes and tanks in an epic battle between good and evil: The Transformers have enjoyed cult status since the 1980s and are now also one of the really big cinema brands. Almost five billion dollars played by Michael Bay launched series already a. Five years after “Bumblebee”, the last part of the franchise so far, it’s cracking again. “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” – the next chapter in the eternal struggle between the good Autobots and the evil Decepticons? Not quite. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Optimus Prime is back in a central role, as is Bumblebee. This time, however, the big star is a Transformer, which until now has only been known from a rather niche 90s series (“Beast Wars”). A Transformer in the form of a gorilla adorns the posters and was also seen in the trailers, an impressive mixture of robot and King Kong: Optimus Primal. He is the leader of a prehistoric Transformers race that travels through time to protect life. These so-called Maximals, relatives of the Autobots, hid on Earth for a long time after the destruction of their home planet. Until 1994. That’s where the plot of “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” begins. The humans accidentally activate an ancient high-tech sigil, Alert the Transformers, some time later Autobots and Maximals face each other for the first time. Optimus Primal (original voice: Ron Perlman) explains to Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) that the world is in grave danger (“The Fate of All Living Things Is At War”). Here comes an ancient enemy, Unicron, and only together can you defeat him. If any. This oversized enemy, which even makes the Death Star from “Star Wars” look quite puny, “eats planets”. Now it’s the turn of the earth. Why sophisticated robo-aliens take the form of monkeys, rhinos, big cats and birds of prey – there are explanations, of course. However, there is not a lot of time to talk in this story, which director Steven Capable Jr. (“Creed II”) staged from the screenplay of a multi-headed team of authors (leader: Joby Harold). “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” is once again a bombastic special effects spectacle in which the action is the main focus. Autobots and Maximals battle sinister Terrorcons and Predacons. The megatons fly all over the place. An ex-military (Anthony Ramos) and an archaeologist (Dominique Fishback) flit between the giants, trying not to get crushed by the rubble. That’s great cinema, but ideally it’s also the beginning of something even bigger: As was announced some time ago, a new “Transformers” trilogy is to start with “Rise of the Beasts”. Memory of Water No life without water, every child knows that. At the same time, water scarcity is becoming an increasingly important issue, especially in the wake of climate change. Droughts, crop failures, the spread of diseases and serious social conflicts: Looking to the future, a scenario has often been outlined in which people fight each other to get water. A new feature film by director Take it out Saarela now paints this picture in great detail: “The Memory of Water”. The setting is Scandinavia, a place where water scarcity (unlike in Africa, for example) does not play such a big role today. This is different in this dystopia, which is based on Emmi Itäranta’s international bestseller “Memory of Water”. There is virtually no natural fresh water left, and what potable water is still there is controlled by a military regime in the “Scandinavian Union”. The soldiers regularly search private homes and conduct “water raids”. Trading in the vital resource is prohibited. In this darkly illustrated setting, “The Memory of Water” tells a heroine story, but it remains unclear for a long time whether there can really be a happy ending here. After the death of her father, Noria (Saga Sarkola) is the new “tea master” and thus responsible for protecting a small hidden spring. There are such “tea masters” and “tea masters” in many small villages. But Noria focuses on the big picture, wants to move and change something, even if she has to get her hands dirty in the process. “Water belongs to everyone” is the motto at one point in this mix of Okö thriller and science fiction, which also tells of other committed and courageous young people beyond Noria. Nice and good. But maybe it’s just too late to iron out the omissions of the past. In any case, a few H2O guerrillas alone will not be able to fix it. All Inclusive Four young people, one common goal: Participation in the Special Olympics World Games 2023. This year, the games will be held in Germany for the first time Berlin (June 17-25). 26 sports, 7,000 athletes from 190 countries. Timo (Germany), Toivo (Finland), Uyangaa (Mongolia) and Mary Stella (Kenya) are dying to be there. The documentary “All Inclusive” accompanies them part of the way. “Special”, what exactly does that mean? The Special Olympics have been held regularly since 1968, and this year’s event is advertised on the website as an “international, colorful festival of sports”. The focus is on athletes “with mental and multiple disabilities”. In addition to working together (rather than against each other), recognition and social participation are also important. Timo wants to swing a tennis racquet successfully in the Special Olympics, Toivo is a sailor, Uyangaa plays volleyball, and Mary Stella is a soccer goalkeeper. It quickly becomes clear that the four protagonists in “All Inclusive” are as different as these sports. “Special”, yes, but they all have their own individual challenges in life – and very different dreams that go far beyond winning medals. The filmmakers Thorsten Ernst, Tobias Lickes, Malte Nieschalk and Gordon Volk arranged four touching portraits for “All Inclusive”, which tell of ambition, determination and dedication, but also of frustration and setbacks, which are also part of sport. The film project is supported by a number of prominent voice actors (including Collien Ulmen-Fernandes, Kostja Ullmann, Arabella Kiesbauer Bürger Lars Dietrich, Florian Hambüchen), “All Inclusive” was rated “Particularly valuable” by the FBW film rating. 2023-06-07 16:10:12