The best part about sci-fi is that socially and politically sensitive subjects can be freely discussed and commented on, and in the process, the issues can be re-framed so we can look it from another point of view. (more…)
As opposed to the 1990 European film about a Jewish boy hiding his lineage while posing as a Nazi, Europa Report is a taut found-footage/sci-fi/thriller feature directed by Ecuadorian Sebastian Cordero (more…)
The above quote is from a fellow visual effect pro, in regards to his viewing of Pacific Rim with his Australian actress wife who took issue with the two Aussie characters being played by non-Aussies. I took issue with them too, but for other reasons. I do agree with him, however, that if you hate Pacific Rim, your inner child is dead — or you are too young to have an inner child because you are perhaps…still a child. (more…)
I would like to preface this review with the statement that there is a lot of talent behind this film. A LOT! And this is what makes me so sad. I WANTED Man of Steel to be a good film, and promote sequels that will keep people busy. It’s just (more…)
Well, maybe that’s going too far.
Word War Z isn’t necessarily a GREAT movie. But its pretty darn decent. At least in comparison to what I went in expecting. (more…)
Its difficult to say why this film didn’t work. It could have been too many cooks in the kitchen. The release date was pushed by nearly a year for re-shoots, and re-doing visual effects – much to the chagrin of all the hundreds of artists working at predominantly Digital Domain and MPC who were on 15-hr days, 7 days a week trying to make the FIRST deadline, only to have the studio say, “Oh, sorry, you know that finish line? We’ve moved it… BUT KEEP RUNNING!” So, I can only guess that the studio didn’t like the first cut, or it tested poorly, so they asked for changes. This process, when done improperly and haphazardly, causes the majority of watered down movies that are so worried about catering to the largest demographic that they end up being (more…)
This kind of reminds me of Couples Retreat in the way that it feels like a bunch of actor/filmmaker friends got together and said “Let’s make a movie”. Now, in the case of Couples Retreat, I think it was more like “It would be fun to go to Fiji. Let’s make a movie there so it becomes a business expense” In This Is The End, I somehow don’t think the Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg said “It would be fun to go to Louisiana. Let’s make a movie there so it becomes a business expense, but we’ll use visual effects to make it look like Hollywood” In fact, I THOUGHT it may have been, “James Franco just bought a new house, we can shoot a movie there.” (more…)
Life is like a box of chocolates… the government will take half of them.
If you enjoy a dearth of plot, incoherent fight sequences, implausible setups, and London being arbitrarily destroyed without comment, then you may enjoy this next venture into the world of toys made into movies. (more…)
My biggest issue with Oblivion, outside of two hours that seem like four and a film score that sounds like a hybrid of Legend and Ladyhawke, is that it doesn’t seem to really know what it is. It is a sci-fi flick, that’s for certain. But is it post-apocalyptic? Is it an alien invasion story? A space travel movie? A last-man-on Earth story? A clone movie? Robots versus man? And the “All of that AND MORE” answer doesn’t do it for me. It shows indecision and an inability to hone and focus the story. (more…)