Posted on 17 April 2009
The stories of the studio butchering Babylon A.D. are well publicized, and the finished film confirms them. While Europeans were given the full, uncut 160-minute version, the US is stuck with a 90 minute and 100 minute cut, chopping obviously essential parts of the story right out of the movie. While it almost makes sense [...]
Posted on 11 April 2009
Will Smith should be covered. He’s been to the past (Ali), and alternate present day (Men in Black), went to a futuristic past (Wild Wild West), went into the future (I Am Legend). I, Robot was Smith’s first future trip, a typical summer blockbuster, filled with all sorts of fancy effects and one-liners. It’s entertaining [...]
Posted on 11 April 2009
Some time in 1980, the USS Nimitz experiences an electrical storm which sends it (and its crew) back to December 6th, 1941 just off the coast of Hawaii. Led by Capt. Matthew Yelland, the Nimitz crew must decide whether or not to engage the Japanese fleet or let history take its course.
That candid discussion is [...]
Posted on 08 April 2009
You can’t do a time travel story unless you’re willing to take the time to explain the rules clearly. In the fast paced sci-fi thriller, Déjà Vu, Tony Scott speeds though the explanation to get to a rousing car chase sequence and eventual villain showdown. However, as convoluted as the time travel issues are, there’s a [...]
Posted on 07 April 2009
Tarnishing classic films for a quick buck happens too often in Hollywood. It’s hard for remakes to succeed, but if they didn’t, studios wouldn’t keep pumping them out. If there’s one film that could possibly have the power to change the industry’s feelings towards them, it’s the utter debacle The Day the Earth Stood Still. [...]
Posted on 06 April 2009
Danny Boyle’s Sunshine nearly becomes one of the best “save the world from inevitable destruction” movies ever made. Its visuals are breathtaking, its story gripping, and the performances are perfect. Then, inexplicably, the story shifts into a ridiculous and unbelievable slasher movie with no merit or excitement to carry it to the finish.
Sunshine tosses aside [...]
Posted on 30 March 2009
Gattaca is the rare futuristic sci-fi movie that doesn’t over do it with flashy effects, locales, or flying cars. Instead, it’s a dramatic, thrilling ride that develops itself wonderfully through complex characters in a world that seems utterly plausible. Gattaca is fantastic sci-fi.
Ethan Hawke is a “God Baby,” a child born of a natural birth. [...]
Posted on 30 March 2009
Time travel is such a tough subject for movies. No matter how much you think through it, there’s a problem somewhere you didn’t consider and the film instantly loses credibility. Terminator 2, even with some of the usual issues, remains strong with brilliantly designed action sequences and great continuity from the original film.
Even without some [...]
Posted on 29 March 2009
Imagine this. You’ve just finished making Piranha 2, an abysmal sequel to the Roger Corman cult classic. You lay down one night soon after and you have a vision of a giant metal man walking through a pillar of fire. Later, you land $6 million dollars from a major studio to turn it into a [...]
Posted on 23 March 2009
What makes a ‘50s giant-monster movie more than a ‘50s giant-monster movie? Ray Harryhausen. Stop-motion expert extraordinaire Harryhausen gave life to numerous film icons, and one of them is the Ymir. 20 Million Miles to Earth carries many of the expected genre plot points, but the stunning stop-motion Ymir is too impressive a sight to [...]