Time Hoppers: The Silk Road review – plucky kids’ time travel yarn takes in medieval Baghdad

Four children zip around to meet historical characters such as 9th-century mathematician Al-Khwarizmi, but there’s more educational value than entertainment value There are not many children’s animated adventures that include 9th-century Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age among their settings, or which can boast the historical figure Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi as a featured character. Who he? As one of a plucky quartet of gifted children explains, “That’s the father of mathematics! … he’s why we have algorithms!” This interesting backdrop is one of several – as the title suggests, the kids hop to different timelines – which is among the film’s strengths. Another boon are some pretty good Christmas-cracker style jokes, usually made in passing by background characters such as these two guards trading witticisms: “Why should you never race a Muslim during Ramadan? Because they fast.” Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/jEt57FX via IFTTT

James Earl Jones Withdraws His “Star Wars” Voice Role

The 91-year-old actor has given his blessing for his voice to be used in digital recreations of the renowned villain he has played for over 40 years by Lucasfilm and Disney. It was reported in an article by Vanity Fair that a Ukrainian start-up company called Respeecher has been working with Lucasfilm for years to generate the distinctive voice Jones used 45 years ago. However, age has had a noticeable effect on the actor's voice, and he no longer plays the role of Darth Vader as frequently as he once did. Since the debut of the first Star Wars movie in 1977, which was later given the subtitle A New Hope, Jones has provided the voice for the powerful Darth Vader. Although he has never worn the outfit, helmet, or cape, he has offered memorable words to characters like Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker, such as the reveal in the sequel that "I am your father." Respeecher can generate fresh discourse by employing the voices of performers from the past by utilizing archive recordings and an artificial intelligence system. According to Matthew Wood of Skywalker Sound, who Vanity Fair interviewed, Jones has been recorded "dozens of times." Wood reported that he had mentioned that he was considering how to conclude the story involving this particular character. Consequently, what should our next step be? Jones has given his approval on the technology. Still, he has continued to oversee the acts utilized in current Star Wars offerings, the most recent of which is the series Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+. Wood considers Jones to be a kind of godfather figure in his life. Jones's representatives did not immediately react to a request for comment from PEOPLE seeking clarification as to whether the actor will be leaving the role fully or continuing in this advisory position.

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