INDEPENDENCE DAY - Review

"WE WILL NOT GO QUIETLY INTO THE NIGHT! WE WILL NOT VANISH WITHOUT A FIGHT! WE'RE GOING TO LIVE ON! WE'RE GOING TO SURVIVE! TODAY WE CELEBRATE OUR INDEPENDENCE DAY!"

God Bless Americ....I mean the world.....Yeah, the world. Cause the movie President says its no longer exclusive to America. So the world.

The Plot

On July 2nd, gigantic spaceships surround the world, hovering over major cities. When a cable company analyst (Jeff Goldblum) discovers a hidden signal from their satellites that acts as a countdown of destruction, he contacts his estranged wife (Margaret Colin) who is aide to the President of the United States (Bill Pullman) to enact a large scale evacuation. But it is too late, as the aliens destroy every major city around the world. On July 3rd, the surviving military forces, including a cocky air pilot (Will Smith), launch an assault on the ships. Only to discover their weapons have no effect. But on July 4th, the aliens move to make their final strike on the planet, as humanity makes one last desperate attack on their invaders.

Review

What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than watching the most patriotic pro-American movie ever made.... but ironically directed by a German Director. Roland Emmerich is pretty much the disaster movie king, a title he earned by creating this very film. Jaws may have been the first blockbuster film, but when people look back at what defines a Summer Blockbuster, it will be this one. 

Independence Day is a type of High Concept Summer Blockbuster film that we don't get much in the post Superhero Age of Cinema. A film that pretty much solidified to studio execs what a blockbuster film should be like. Epic storytelling, epic visual effects, massive amounts of action, and relatable yet extremely heroic everyday characters who don't have to be developed too much. It may not have been the first of its kind, but it is heavily considered the best of its kind. Because this movie was the very definition of what cinematic spectacle is suppose to be. From the dogfights to the epic wide shots of  spaceships the size of cities hovering over a famous landmark, this film has everything that is now attributed with popcorn cinema. And I pretty much love it.

The film was created in 1996, post-Jurassic Park, which means that CGI still hasn't been refined to its fullest potential yet. This is where we see a true blending between our modern visual effects and the old school practical effects that have been around for decades prior. The inferno destruction of the major American cities due to the alien blast, still holds up after so many years. Mainly because the destruction of cities was done with miniatures that were built painstakingly detailed, only to be blown with real explosions. This gives it a very tangible feeling that has gotten lost with CGI films, mainly because no matter how much watching a CGI city getting destroyed may be more accurate, there is still that realm of knowing what you see isn't real. But in here, most of what is seen on the screen is completely real. Yes, there is CGI in the movie. But to create the appearance of massive spaceship and jet fighter armadas in the background, while real miniature models fly in the foreground. It is no wonder why this film won the Oscar for best visual effects, because no matter how old this movie gets I can guarantee it will still hold up.

But that's enough praise for the spectacle and the special effects. Because one of the weakest points of the film is its characters. Yes, Jeff Goldblum, Will Smith, Bill Pullman and Randy Quaid are pretty much the only memorable aspects of the film. And an argument can be made that Brent Spiner, the guy who plays the wacky Area 51 scientist, is also the other most memorable actor in the film. However the fact that I can't remember the names of their characters or any other characters for the matter, kind of tells you how important they really are. Because the film is pretty much all story, with the characters acting as drivers for the plot rather than participants. There is some character arc developments for Goldblum's and Quaid's characters, but the changes are so small that it doesn't really seem like so much of one. Everyone in the film is pretty much a capable and heroic version of what we hope we can be if we were ever put in that situation. And given that the only true bad guys of the film are aliens, performed by animatronic puppets, it is pretty clear that the movie is not going for the type of really in depth characters we demand so much in modern blockbusters. This is a film that brings back the simple notion that the first Star Wars movie was about: Good versus Evil. Simple and clean.

The only thing that would really date this movie though is that it is pretty obvious that it is a product of the 90s. Blockbuster films of that era are known to have an occasional over the top character as well as tech that would make youngsters of this generation cringe. In an age when Superhero movies offer good guys and bad guys with a lot depth, this one is just pure fun good versus evil shoot em up.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this movie is a product of a forgotten age of high concept blockbuster cinema. In the Superhero Age of Cinema, there are rarely any original high concept films like this anymore. The closest that we have to something like this is Pacific Rim, which pretty much has a similar story except we have giant robots to fight with against giant monsters, and San Andreas, a very dumb movie that is high popcorn entertainment. I wish we can return to a time when blockbusters were something worth seeing, and not sequels or reboots of existing properties. Which ironically enough is happening with this film in the form of Independence Day: Resurgence. Why can't we have more new ideas? Why? Oh well. Watch this movie to have fun, and that's all.

SCORE: 8.5/10 - AMERICA! F#CK YEAH!

Terminator Genisys - Review

"I'll be back."

We won't be waiting.

The Plot

In the future, humanity has achieved victory over the machines of Skynet thanks to the leadership of John Connor (Jason Clarke). But Skynet has put to use their secret weapon, a tactical time machine to send a Terminator back in time to kill John's mother, Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke), which would erase John from existence. To stop the machine, John sends back his most trusted soldier, Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back in time to save his mother. But when Kyle arrives in the past, he discovers Sarah is already battle trained and prepared for his arrival, as well as under the watchful eye of her own Terminator Guardian, Pops (Arnold Schwarzenegger). With the timeline drastically changed, Kyle must join forces with this new alternate timeline Sarah and her Guardian in order to combat an unexpected new threat to the past and future.

Review

Terminator Genisys was meant to be a rebirth of the very forced franchise churned out of the first two Terminator films. The method the writers of the film chose to go about this? Time Travel. It has become a device that is known for fixing problems in sci-fi movies that need a reboot. The two biggest, and probably only examples, are J.J. Abrams' Star Trek and X-Men: Days of Future Past. If I had to compare Genisys to one of those films, I'd say it is more in line with Days of Future Past. Both films use time travel as a plot device to wipe away the previous continuity in order to establish a new one by directly referencing events that occurred in previous films. However, Days of Future Past did this very seldom and was really focused on telling a story that requires time travel for an unseen point in time in the film's series chronology. While Genisys directly takes you back to the first Terminator film and does shot for shot scenes from it as well. This is where the biggest problem lies.

Genisys possesses a story that cannot stand on its own. A reboot's job is to completely start fresh, referencing the old, while making way for the new. This film however, almost requires you to have seen the first two Terminator films in order to fully understand what is truly at stake. Yes, there is enough to make it feel like a stand alone, but the first hour of the film just required too much homework of watching the previous films in order to fully understand it. Ironically though, the first half is the best part, which is a testament to how good the first two Terminator films are. It is the second half of the film where things really fall apart, because in the second half the heroes (the human ones) time travel to 2017 in order to combat a new threat. And this threat is a very familiar face.

If you've seen the trailer, then you know who the threat is. If you haven't, then I won't say here. It is a shame really, because the new threat the writers devised for this film is actually an intriguing premise that gets poorly handled. The very existence of this new threat, along with the new old threat that creates the new threat, is at the center of what is wrong with the movie. The story gets too convoluted in trying to explain this new threat, as well as tries too hard to bring the characters to our current present day for future installments. This was all really about getting the characters where the studio wants them to be so that they can do whatever they want with them without feeling like they're disrespecting the franchise. Unfortunately all this convoluted mess feels more as a disrespect rather than a respect. It just doesn't work and doesn't make that much sense if you were to think about it.

But how are the performances? They're below passable. The leads that is. Emilia Clarke is an incredible actress in Game of Thrones, and given that the director of this film is from Game of Thrones one would expect a great performance. Unfortunately, she is far from being the successor to Linda Hamilton. Plus, you'd think at this point since she's raised by a Terminator she'd be a lot more muscular like Hamilton in the second film. But here she looks like a normal girl, who can handle guns, but not the beast of a woman Sarah Connor is usually associated with. Then there's Jai Courtney. I'm pretty sure the guy is really nice, or has a good agent, because he's pretty much in every major Hollywood film. But he's just so wooden, that he'd be more perfect as a Terminator rather than the human hero.

The three big standout performances though come from Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, and J.K. Simmons. The three of them are easily the best parts of the movie. Schwarzenegger stills shows he's old but not obsolete as the Guardian Terminator, Jason Clarke proves to be an admirable and heroic John Connor, while Simmons plays a his role, that I won't specify, with such memorability, you'd wish he was in the film more. Their performances are the only saving grace of the film. Which is saying a lot since most of the action scenes in the movie are not bad, but not impressive either. Which doesn't help making this convoluted plot anymore watchable.

Final Thoughts

Despite being convoluted and confusing, while also blatantly setting up for sequels, the film itself is passable entertainment. But by passable, it actually suffers from being extremely boring. Which is a word that should never be associated with The Terminator. It is a forgettable film with competent direction, but a terrible misguided story that doesn't give its leads enough to work with. You won't remember watching this film, as I'm having a hard time remembering anything in the movie after seeing it a few hours ago from writing this. So in the end, it can be passable, but it is not memorable.

SCORE: 4/10 - The four is for Emilia Clarke, Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke and J.K. Simmons

Tomorrowland - Review

"You wanted to see Tomorrowland..."

Well.....here it comes....eventually...maybe....now.....or.....now....orrrrr.......NOW......okay now...

The Plot

When young dreamer and genius Casey Newton (Britt Robertson) gets hold of a mysterious pin, she glimpses a world beyond her imagination. A world where nothing is impossible. But when the visions of this world end, she seeks answers that leads her to cross paths with a mysterious girl, Athena (Raffey Cassidy). It is from there that the duo must join forces and find a man who came from that wondrous place. That man is Frank Walker (George Clooney), and he can take them to... Tomorrowland.

Review

The name Brad Bird is completely unknown to the general movie going audience. But to the filmmaking world, the name means perfection. A name that has The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol under his resume. Movies that are universally acclaimed and beloved by millions. He is also responsible for some of the greatest Simpsons episodes in the late 80s and early 90s. So it should come no surprise that expectations for his next film are extraordinarily high amongst the film lover community. But alas, not everyone is perfect. And this film shows even Brad Bird is not perfection.

Tomorrowland has a beautiful message. Optimism can lead to a brighter future and imagination can create wonderful things. It is a nice counter to the extreme amount of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic media that the audience is subjected to recently. We embrace the apocalyptic world as the future we are going to have instead of the bright future that people in the 60s used to dream of. And while that message is beautiful and very much needed for this generation, it comes off extremely heavy handed. There is not subtlety about this message, which comes as a surprise to many as Bird's films usually exhibits great subtext. Unfortunately, subtlety isn't the only thing missing from this film, but the weaving of a cohesive story also appears to be gone.

This seems to stem mostly from clashing ideologies between Bird and his co-writer of the film, Damon Lindelof. Whereas Bird is someone who loves to exhibit wonder, Lindelof is someone who likes to exhibit mystery. A habit that can be drawn from his involvement with the show LOST which required nothing but mystery and intrigue. It is where these two writing styles clash heavily, so much so that it is pretty obvious that two completely different movies could've been made. There is Bird's movie, which revolves around Clooney's character Frank as a child (Thomas Robinson) being accepted into Tomorrowland and his relationship with Athena. Then there is Lindelof's movie, which revolves around Casey discovering Tomorrowland exists and seeking out Frank in order to go there. It was a valiant effort by Bird to try and combine both of these films into one, but it just doesn't work. Which is a shame because the acting talent involved is wonderful.

Britt Robertson is a name that will probably be popping up a lot in the future. Her performance as Casey Newton is very much about a teenager who hasn't lost sight of what wonder is suppose to be. And it is refreshing seeing a teenage character who thinks about saving the wonders of science instead of succumbing to the problems of the world. It helps that she is so magnetic, as it takes a while before the film reaches George Clooney as the old and bitter Frank Walker. He is definitely embracing his age, as well as showcasing someone who has lost that spark of wonder, yet still holds on to a little bit of hope. But probably the biggest revelation of the film is Raffey Cassidy as Athena, who is the very definition of wonder and hope. She will be the one people remember from this film, for several reasons. Though one may be the wrong one, but that is a fault to the Lindelof side of the film's story.

What does come off as a prominent weakness no matter who it gets spun by is the villain of the film. Hugh Laurie plays David Nix, one of the leaders of Tomorrowland. While his performance as a cliche villain is very admirable while at the same time oddly not being too cliche, it doesn't prevent the fact that neither him nor his Secret Service of robot warriors presented a real conflict. Yes, they are robots that help sprinkle the film with great action scenes, mainly another area that Cassidy's Athena will shine, but their conflict with the protagonists never felt solid or had too much weight. And when that conflict is revealed, it is revealed so late that any weight that could've been built upon it is completely wasted.

Final Thoughts

Despite the numerous problems with the screenplay and plot, no one can deny that Bird is definitely a top tier director. It is a shame that this project will go down in history as "the film Brad Bird made instead of Star Wars: The Force Awakens," because he now finally has what can be considered a terrible film under his belt. I don't believe the film is terrible. Odd to say the least. Mainly because I do believe that there are two films fighting to be one. But in the end, the one we got was not the one that lives up to the Brad Bird name. A commendable effort to be different and original. Yes I know this movie is a reference to a Disney Theme Park, but it is still an original film. If only it were as good as many of us hoped.

SCORE: 6/10 - It is watchable, but you'll be begging for one part of the movie to be the entire movie, and not the rest of the movie.

Mad Max: FURY ROAD

"It is by my hand! You arise, from the ashes, of this world!"

That quote could've easily belonged to director George Miller as his rallying cry to action movie junkies craving the next big thing.

The Plot

His name is Max (Tom Hardy) and he lives in a world of fire and blood. The Road Warrior finds himself caught in the crossfire between Warlord Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) and Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) thanks to the machinations of an eager War Boy, Nux (Nicholas Hoult). This brings Max on the chase of his life across the vicious Fury Road as he decides to aide Furiosa with her cause in defiance against the monstrous Warlord. To deliver the Five Wives (Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Zoe Kravitz, Riley Keough, Abby Lee Kershaw and Courtney Eaton) to freedom in the Land of Mothers.

Review

Oh what a film! What a lovely film! MAD MAX FURY ROAD is hands down probably, and will be, the best action movie of 2015! Some are already considering putting it in the category of The Raid and The Raid 2 as some of the best new action movies of all time! Do I think it deserves to be up there? Hell yeah I do!

But okay, let's be serious though. I'm going to point out the two negatives of the film so that I can just go on and on about what makes this movie incredible. First off... the plot is pretty straight forward. It get from point A to point B because of reason X. Simple and not exactly that complex. Luckily the film is done with very little dialogue and forces great performances to show off character growth as well as propelling the story. Second... the second half of the movie feels like it slows down a little bit too much than the first half of the movie. This is mostly attributed to the more quieter scenes that set up the finale. But despite slowing down, the entire film is still one hell of a thrill ride!

This is the first action movie that George Miller has directed in 30 years, with the last one being Mel Gibson's last outing as Mad Max, Thunderdome. Pushing 70, you'd think that he would be too old to direct something as vicious and dangerous as this beast. But no, Miller is still completely capable of delivering the thrills the same way he did decades ago directing the first Mad Max movie. The man knows action has evolved, but he wants his old school techniques to evolve to meet the challenge. This is evident as 90% of the film is done with practical effects and very brave stunt men. It is this old school style of filmmaking that ramps up the intensity and makes the danger feel more real than ever. However even he knows that CGI can be a useful tool when utilized properly, and he uses it as a cleaner or to make subtle changes rather than rely on it. This is what will definitely set the film up there in the pantheon of Action Movie Greats. And it doesn't hurt that the cast he assembled to go on this mad adventure with him is filled with talent.

Tom Hardy takes over Gibson's legendary role as Mad Max. In here, he is still a broken man wandering the world with a very mythic quality to him. This is a character who has truly gone insane but is pretty much fighting to keep his sanity in tact. And driving beside him in the spotlight, Charlize Theron as Furiosa. Theron delivers a strong and subdued performance as the ferocious one armed Imperator driven by her singular mission of achieving redemption. Chasing after the duo, with his entire armada of muscle cars from Hell, Hugh Keays-Byrne as Immortan Joe. This isn't his first drive through the apocalypse as he was the original villain in the first Mad Max movie. But here, he plays a completely different animal who is both evil, yet extremely practical with crafting his society. But the true scene stealer of the film is Nicholas Hoult as Nux.

Hoult delivers probably the most human performance and most relatable character in the film. His Nux is pretty much a devoted disciple to Immortan Joe who will do anything to please him. While he could've easily fallen into the category of creepy mad henchman, he transcends it by actually going through a journey that changes his character drastically. This comes from his failures as well as his interaction with the Five Wives, the reason for Immortan Joe's pursuit of Furiosa.

Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Zoe Kravitz, Riley Keough, Abby Lee Kershaw and Courtney Eaton play the objects of Immortan Joe's desire: a healthy breeder for his heirs. While most of them were played by models, with the exception of Kravitz who is a legit actress, they all do a fine job as playing these determined young woman hoping for a better tomorrow. Whitely in particular delivers a performance that elevates her above the rest, mainly because of the position she is in, but proves that in the hands of a talented director, she can become a good actress. But all in all, they are all just fine. And that's okay. Because this entire picture is filled with crazy people already. It's good to have some people who still clench to sanity.

Final Thoughts

There are a couple of smaller details I could point out and one small plot twist that I wish I could talk about, but I'd rather the viewers experience this on their own. This is a film that has to be seen on the Big Screen. A MASSIVE SCREEN! The film is definitely special in a time where blockbusters are pretty much almost recycled by story and method of filmmaking. It is definitely a film that will go down as one of the greatest action films of all time. And it deserves to be. I can't imagine any other film this summer coming close to the amount of fun and insanity that this film delivers. GO SEE IT!

SCORE: 8.5/10 if you think about it, but 9/10 immediately after watching it!

Jupiter Ascending - Review

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

That's pretty much the funniest line in the movie. Besides the "I love dogs," line.

The Plot

In the Universal Business of Time and Youth, the three sibling heirs (Eddie Redmayne, Tuppence Middleton, and Douglas Booth) of the Abrasax Family compete to possess the Earth. The problem is, standing in their way is the sole heir to the planet Earth. Her name is Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis), who is the genetic reincarnation of the Abrasax siblings' mother, The Queen of the Universe. With bounty hunters hired by each sibling to capture her, Jupiter is thrusted into a world that goes beyond the planet Earth and into the large universe of industry. Her only protector is an albino werewolf soldier named Caine (Channing Tatum) whose allegiance may lie with one of the three siblings who desire her capture... or her death.

Review

If that plot synopsis confused you, then chances are this movie will. Well, it actually won't. The Wachowski Siblings are probably best known as the directors who gave the world The Matrix. It is arguably one of the greatest science fiction films of all time, as well as being one of the most influential action films for the post-modern age. Unfortunately, after that movie, the siblings have not created something that would be deemed successful, both critically and financially. I'm in the camp though that does love Cloud Atlas, an ambitious film that was also co-directed with Tom Tykwer. So one can say I was hoping that this film can at least recapture the magic of The Matrix by taking a much more lighter in tone route. And for the first hour, they succeed tremendously. But then after the first hour, that's when things become episodic. And not in the good way.

If The Matrix was about a character entering a universe within a computer, then Jupiter Ascending is pretty much the opposite by actually launching out into space. The film starts with the simplistic chosen one hero plot line, which works really well in the first hour of the film. Kunis's Jupiter is definitely someone down on their luck and has a tragic backstory that make you feel for her. Which is how it should be. We're ready to root for whatever curveball in life she gets thrown into. Unfortunately we only feel that way in the first hour. Kunis's Jupiter actually doesn't have a very well developed character arc. She does start the movie with one mood and ends the movie with another, but it didn't really feel like she's grown as a character. Her change didn't seem all that life changing, despite the fact she just discovered she's the Queen of Earth, which should've been a hell of a lot more life changing than what was given in this story. But it was fine.

Playing her protector on this journey and forced love interest is Channing Tatum as the albino defected werewolf, Caine Wise. Tatum has definitely grown into a solid actor, and this movie continues to prove it as he was easily the best part of the movie. Which is saying a lot given that there  is a potential Oscar winner in this movie playing a villain. But that potential Oscar winner is not being nominated for his performance in this movie. But on the subject of Tatum, his character is the one that has a more thought out and developed story compared to Jupiter's. And that is mostly attributed to the relationship between him and his mentor Stinger, played by Sean Bean. Unfortunately, their plot is the Z-Plot of the movie. And by Z-Plot, I mean that Kunis's Jupiter is involved with the A, B, C, and D plot.

The second hour of the film diverges into three different plots that don't really connect other than the fact that the three antagonistic forces in each plot are siblings. The first "pit stop" after the fantastic hour involves Kalique Abrasax, played by Tuppence Middleton. Although there is something untrustworthy about her, she doesn't delve too far into the villainous route that her brothers do. Her main purpose is to provide exposition. A lot of exposition. It's a wonder why she's even in the movie at all if she's only going to show up to give exposition and have no effect to the larger story. The second pit stop after Ms. Exposition is a wedding with Titus Abrasax, played by Douglas Booth. He gives a variation of the exposition that Kalique gives during the first pit stop, except he actually tries to do something. He wants to marry Jupiter, so that he can inherit the Earth. Which is sort of creepy given that Jupiter is the exact genetic replica of his mother. But just like Kalique's pit stop, if this part was removed from the movie, it would not make a difference. Then there's the final pit stop in the movie involving the eldest Abrasax sibling, Balem, played by Oscar Nominee Eddie Redmayne.

Redmayne is promoted as the central villain of the movie. And while his character Balem is definitely sprinkled throughout the movie, he doesn't appear to really do anything until after the first two unnecessary pit stops in Jupiter's journey across the universe. While he doesn't give exposition, he could've easily been given the exposition of his siblings AND be a more MENACING VILLAIN. But instead we have a crybaby who talks like an old man about to die. So he comes off as not being a genuine threat. His henchmen of Dragon Men do appear to be a genuine threat. But like Balem, they don't really do anything in the first hour and half of the movie to prove they are a threat. I strongly believe that Balem's story is far more important than the ones involving his brother and sister. In fact, his brother and sister could've been removed from the movie entirely, which would allow more time to develop him and his alien Dragon Men. But no, his initial menace that was hinted at in the fantastic first hour, does not carry over to the second.

That's not to say the movie is boring. It is a fun and entertaining film with incredible breathtaking visuals. The action is astounding and just keeps getting better as the movie progress. The problem is, there are so few action scenes because in between are long periods of talking about business and harvesting and politics. Which is why if the movie just focused on Balem as the central antagonist, this movie would've been so much better. It saddens me to say that, because Tuppence Middleton and Douglas Booth gave far better performances as antagonists than Eddie Redmayne. 

Final Thoughts

This is a genuinely entertaining movie. I was not bored while watching it. Like I said, the first hour, which takes place predominantly on Earth, is a fantastic way to begin a movie then send us off on a journey to space. Unfortunately, no matter how beautiful space is, the second hour just doesn't live up to the adventure promised in the first hour. When we're suppose to be feeling something for Kunis's Jupiter, we instead feel more for Tatum's Caine and Bean's Stinger. All in all, despite all that, I'd say it is a fun watch. It is after all an original film, so it is always good to see something new. Even though it falls apart in the final hour. At least it's not a complete disaster.

SCORE: 6.5/10 - An extraordinary first hr, but a disappointing yet still entertaining second hr

Interstellar - Analysis and Review

To boldly go where no one has gone before.... I had to say that

This is Christopher Nolan's second foray into science fiction. The first one being Inception, which in many ways was more of a love letter to the anime film Paprika and heist movies than actually dealing the legitimate science. This film on the other hand is meant to be more about the science, and how it can possibly save humanity from extinction.

The Plot

The world is dying. Militaries have been disbanded. All technology and education are dedicated to turning people into farmers. And the only food left on Earth, is corn. But when ex-pilot and aeronautical engineer Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) discovers a message produced by an anomaly in gravity, he discovers the location of a clandestine branch of NASA called Lazarus. There, he is recruited by Dr. Brand (Michael Caine) to lead an expedition through a wormhole that appeared within their solar system to find a new home for humanity. Cooper leaves behind his family in hopes of finding them a chance for survival. Humanity was born on Earth, it was never meant to die here.

Analysis

Christopher Nolan is right. We no longer appear to look up to the stars. Instead we are more concerned about what is happening here on Earth. 

The Space Age during the Cold War may have been an age of dreams clashing in a time of potential disaster, but it was still an age of dreams. After we made it to the Moon, it seemed like the world was ready to conquer the galaxy, and then maybe the universe. But instead we're still here. Still having ideas and fantasies, but never anything that can be reality. Of course there have been probes and satellites sent to Mars, but for some reason it didn't seem to inspire many as it did when we first landed on the Moon. Even the European Space Program, Ambition, sets out to catch a comet and succeeded. While it is a small triumph on the road to space travel, it feels like it doesn't matter.

What happened to us? What happened to the ideal of reaching the heavens? I believe it is because there is this feeling of, we've been there and done that. Reaching the Moon seemed to be the greatest thing this planet has achieved. But honestly, it made everything we've done after that seem pointless. If there is anything that I hope this film will do, I hope it does inspire some to travel and seek out new worlds. But till then. We will watch as satellites do the work for us, and forget about a major achievement as if it was nothing. At least not yet. But for now, it is nothing. And that is sad.

Review

This is the movie that people who are not fans of Nolan will use as their ammunition to unmask him to the world as a fraud. Because there is definitely plenty of things wrong with this film. This is also the movie that people who are enthralled and worship Nolan as the god of cinema will use as their torch to continue to ignite the flames of genius that he supposedly is. Because there is a lot of this film that is utterly breathtaking, with a message that is extremely powerful. So which side of this war between Nolanites and Nolan haters do I stand on? Somewhere in the middle.

This is Nolan's most ambitious film with the most ambitious ideas that have not been explored since 2001: A Space Odyssey and the original Star Trek series. The dream of space travel. The scientific theory of wormholes. The theories of what would happen to someone inside a singularity? All of these things are tied together by a simple and unscientific concept. The love of a father and his daughter. Matthew McConaughey continues his spree of being a force in acting as he delivers a powerful performance as our reluctant heroic astronaut. Mackenzie Foy plays his daughter, Murphy, and shows that she is definitely a young one to look out for in the future. Their relationship is what binds this movie together and it is one of the strongest points of the movie.

The other strong points of the film have to do with the space travel sequences, the new planets, and the surprisingly breakout characters that were not really promoted in the previews. One of the things I love about Nolan's take on film is how he uses old school techniques in modern filmmaking. All the spaceships in the movie are real. Whether it be models or gigantic moving sets that the actors can actually step inside of, they are tangible objects and not made out of computer generated imagery. I could easily tell this from the way the moving parts of the docking stations and the shuttles worked. In CGI there is a slight delay and an unintentional grace to movement, even if it meant to be a small one. With models it feels more alive and the eye knows that it is a real thing. The same goes for the creativity of the planets from the water planet to the ice planet to the desert planet. All of them were filmed in actual locations with some CGI in order to enhance the otherworldly feel. And who are the breakout characters that I am talking about? The robots! TARS and CASE, two rectangular robots that I was not aware would be in the movie, and I'm so glad they were. These two robots are pretty much where most of the humor comes from, in an ultra serious and dramatic film. They are a relief as well as a breath of fresh air in terms of design on how a robot would look like. They are pretty much a direct reference to the Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey, with the exception of being able to transform and are a lot more helpful.

Where this film falls apart though, mainly has to do with the need to beat science over our heads as well as the message of love being a transcending variable. Nolan took the ambitious idea of explaining all these scientific theories to an audience who would watch movies like Transformers and expect them to want to take in every second of information. The problem is, there is too much information. Now, some films have a lot of exposition in them. Look at David Fincher's films. But Nolan and his screenwriter brother, Jonah, put so much exposition that unless you are aware of the type of science being spoken (like I do) then it is very easy for the average movie goer to get lost in what all the science means. And it is a shame that the exposition is given to the supporting cast consisting of Anne Hatheway, Wes Bentley, and David Gyasi. While Hatheway's character, Amelia, gets to have more of an emotional character arc, she still winds up being just an exposition person along with the other astronauts. Their characters could've been handled better, as well as all the other characters in these films who are not the father and the daughter. 

There is even an appearance by a well known actor, who will be a welcoming surprise to audiences, but quickly devolves into a villain that ultimately seemed forced. But because of who it is, it was a nice character change for this actor. Still, it seemed unnecessary to give this movie a human villain.

While I was able to get by with the massive exposition and was fine with the appearance of a villain, what I didn't buy and nearly took me out of the film was the final 40 minutes of the movie. The build up of the film was built around real science and things that we do know. The final 40 minutes enters the realm of extremely weird science fiction that almost dissolves all the realism that this film is built around. While I understood it, it will definitely be a major turn off for the audience who will view it as too weird and too convenient. And I mean really convenient. In fact, anyone who is smart enough to see the massive foreshadowing in the beginning of the film will be disappointed by how convenient and weird the trigger for the foreshadowing is. It was just too much of a "WTF" moment that it really does not sit well for me.

Then there is the true resolution. It wasn't the way I wanted it to end, emotionally. That sounds like a pretentious thing to say, but if one were to think about the ending, everyone who watches knows there is a proper way to end the movie. And the way it does in this film is definitely the right one, but executed improperly.

Final Thoughts

This film could've removed a lot of characters and a journey to the water planet. It also could've gotten rid of half of the science talk and half of the "we need to be better" talk. If those were not in the film, this movie would've been a thousand times better. That's not to say that it isn't a thousand times better than other movies that have come out. Because it is, yet it isn't. This is an incredible film that reached too far and was incapable of doing all it set out to do. And that is fine for me. It is also fine for Nolan haters who see it as the living proof of him being a hack. It is also fine for the Nolan fans who admire the ambition. In the end it is still an incredible film that suffers with a horrible ending and too much exposition for its own good. This is the movie experience of the year, but not the greatest movie of the year. 

SCORE: 7.5/10 - This movie will become a classic, but in 30 years from now

High Moon - Analysis and Review

"Welcome to the Odd Side of the Moon"

Usually the phrase "Syfy Original Movie" often gets followed by the word, shark. However luckily this time, that is not the case. But to call this a Syfy Original Movie seems to be the wrong word. In reality it should be referred to as, "A Syfy Pilot for a Series that never got the full order." That sounds about right. And who created this 90 minutes Pilot... I mean TV Movie? Well, none other than the man notorious for creating wonderful shows that don't last past season 2 with the exception of NBC's Hannibal, Bryan Fuller.

The Plot

Return to a futuristic world as imagined by the 60s, where the Moon has become a resource mined by all the major nations of the world. And on this dead planet, a flower is found blooming. An impossible feat. But that is only the beginning of many strange occurrences on the Moon as political intrigue and signs of conspiracy begin to unravel in this quirky, zany, campy throwback sci-fi.

Analysis

Bryan Fuller is either one of the most creative geniuses in television, or the most unluckiest. Before his moderately successful yet critically acclaimed show Hannibal got renewed for a Third Season, there was a time when any show Bryan created would be doomed to end either on the pilot or if lucky the second season. I never realized I was a fan of his shows through the years, as when I saw them I wasn't interested in the people behind television shows. But I do clearly remember a weird show called Wonder Falls about a grad student who has unwanted conversations with inanimate objects who want to guide her through her life. I wasn't wowed by the show, probably because I was too young to understand how clever it was, yet for some reason I kept watching each week. However that only resulted into me watching for four weeks straight because it got canceled after four episodes. Luckily I would learn recently that the show had filmed its entire season with a definite ending and is now out on DVD for fans to experience without the fear of cancellation.

It would only be years later that another weird show would pop up called Pushing Daisies. The story about a pie maker who is cursed with the ability to kill those he touches but bring dead people back to life but only under a minute or else someone has to die to take the place of the resurrected. That sounds morbid, but it is actually funny. It was like watching a colorful Tim Burton show with a dash of Jean-Pierre Jeunet. The world was highly stylized and resembles more of an exaggerated children's storybook that just happens to be telling adult stories. That sounds like an unusual clash, but it worked out beautifully well. And luckily, this show managed to make it to Season 2. But once again, despite being critically praised and Emmy nominated, it was canceled. But luckily once again, Fuller and his writers were able to deliver a definite ending for all the stories told in Season 2.  

Apparently there was another show on cable that he created called Dead Like Me about a woman who becomes  a Grim Reaper. I haven't seen it personally, but as I predicted, it was canceled after Season 2. Starting to see a pattern with Fuller's work?

It is astonishing though that someone as imaginative and talented as him gets so much praise yet such little viewership concerning his shows. They are so out the box and very weird, that it really does take a specific audience to watch. However, as most critics are not the specific target audience and they love his work regardless, it shows just how brilliant this guy is. But again, his shows just don't have broad appeal. Even his reboot of the classic The Munsters series called Mockingbird Lane was not picked up for a full series, but NBC liked the pilot directed by Bryan Singer so much that they premiered it as a Halloween special. So I am glad that Fuller finally found true success with Hannibal, but I'm also disappointed that despite that success, he still can't get another show started. Which leads us to this little sci-fi gem.

Review

High Moon was not meant to be a movie. It was designed to be a TV Show adaptation of a Young Adult Novel called The Lotus Caves. And from this 80 minute film (90 minutes with commercials) it is obvious that this was always meant to be a Pilot. And with that being said, it would be an excellent crammed first episode, not a movie. 

The show is basically a mash up of several different sci-fi and Sean Connery James Bond films from the 60s during the Cold War. The plot focuses heavily on an American Convict, forced to become a miner on the Moon, discovering a red flower growing on the Moon's surface. This leads to a chain of events that has him labeled as a delusional terrorist who might be working for the Russians, who have been trying to steal from the American mining facilities on the Moon. This brings in the Convict's well connected government official Brother who goes there to discover the truth. Of course if finding a flower on the moon sounds weird, how about Indian assassins, gay Russian spy cyborgs, and gigantic robotic dinosaurs sound? Yeah, there is a lot going on in this "movie."

It should be commended however with how much this Pilot is able to stand on its own as a movie. It does have an ending that resolves the greater plot issues of the story being told, but the ending does leave the viewer wanting to know what happens next. After all a movie is suppose to have broad character arcs and development in order to be called a movie. A show operates on a different level in that the pilot is suppose to introduce you to the world and the characters where they currently stand with their personalities but giving hints of how they will develop later. In other words, there is mini character development in this "film." It is enough for viewers who believe this to be a film to be called efficient development, but it is never large development. However that doesn't mean none of the characters get any development.

Jonathan Tucker plays Stanislov, the aforementioned gay Russian spy cyborg who may or may not be working for the U.S. against the Russian Military stationed on the Moon. He is definitely not the main character, that title goes to the convict and his government brother, but seeing as how I can't remember the names of the other characters except for him and one other player, he definitely stood out the most. Stanislov is the very definition of what Bryan Fuller intended this show to be: James Bond in Space...but good. He is a spy, and being an amputee gives him robotic limbs that act like very James Bond like gadgets. He's Russian, and did I also mention he's gay? He is probably the most fascinating character in the show and the only memorable one. Which could kind of explain why this pilot become a TV movie, because if you can't remember the names of the main characters that does seem like a bad sign. That's not to say that the characters were badly done, because the government brother played by Chris Diamantopoulos actually has some really memorable lines. Particularly an ultra serious conversation about politics with a military general that is filled with breakfast metaphors. But again, none of the main characters are really memorable.

No it really is our gay Russian spy cyborg, Stan, and the sweetly cold Eve Smythe, played by Charity Wakefield, who come off as more memorable. Smythe is probably more memorable because her cold yet unnervingly sweet personality and look at me clothes heavily contrasts the other characters in the show. There is a Japanese character who makes an appearance as the operator of a gigantic robot T-Rex on the Moon, but she didn't have too much character as it is obvious they were planning on saving her for later episodes. So in all out honesty, this show fails in making us care about our main characters, but the story is definitely layered. 

What was being told in this episode is a very nice tale of political intrigue with a bit of sci-fi campiness to make for a strange entertaining flick. Again, while the story does keep developing and interesting ways (did I mention Gigantic Robotic T-Rex) with a very satisfying ending it does leave a level of dissatisfaction that we're only scratching the surface. Too many things happened in this film that could've easily been streamlined to three episodes had it been picked up as a series. I've seen this happened before with NBC's show, Revolution, which had a Pilot that crammed a story worth 5 episodes into a single one in order to get to the fun stuff more quickly. However, I have to reiterate again that while it is crammed, for some reason it still works. Even when we don't exactly remember character names, it still seems to work smoothly.

The throwbacks to the 60s era sci-fi movies and pulp comics are present in this "film," and it is a welcome change from the usual gritty science fiction that we have on TV. It is very whimsical with the right amount of campy and seriousness mixed into a strange tone that is definitely something created by Bryan Fuller. I love the world that was created, and I commend the production design team for bringing back this retro look to contrast with everything else. It is a welcome visual change and is the only visual style that would work for this type of show... I mean... TV movie.

Final Thoughts

Come on, you have to admit that this is F***ING COOL!

It really saddens me that Fuller once again can't get a show on the air. You'd think that with Hannibal's success, this wouldn't be a problem, but alas it was not meant to be. But it really is a strong testament to the power and talent that Fuller has. How often do pilots for unpicked shows get to be aired on television? Rarely. And he's done it twice now. So it saddens me that this "weird James Bond in Space" show will never happen. But I'm glad that the pilot reminds us of Fuller's roots as a writer on Star Trek Voyager and the first season of Heroes. I hope to see him back in the realm of Science Fiction again. But for now, I hope Hannibal can make it to Season Four and that his next show American Gods can at least make it to Season One. Till then, this was a nice reminder of a simpler sci-fi world when things can be fun, weird, political, and smart all at the same time. We'll just never see it again.

SCORE: 7/10 - A lot of potential for a series ultimately wasted as a TV movie

The Giver - Analysis and Review

Not another teen movie...

I had no idea this movie was being made. Or maybe I did, but I lost track of it in the scheme of things. But after seeing the first trailers, I kind of sighed at what they have done to this novel.

The Plot

In the distant future in a community where everyone is truly equal, young Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) discovers on his graduation day that he is given a special task. He is to be the Receiver of Memory, a special position that ensures order in the community, and have training under the current Receiver of Memory (Jeff Bridges) who becomes The Giver. Through him, Jonas discovers a world of color, emotions, history, and music that have been kept away from the community in order to ensure equality. But as Jonas begins to question if losing these traits make a better world, the community elder (Meryl Streep) grows suspicious that Jonas may bring down the order that they have strived for years to create and maintain.

Analysis

I've always wanted to see this turned into a movie ever since I was made to read it during my eighth grade English class. I knew of the book prior to being assigned to read it. That ominous black and white cover of a bearded old man looking past to some place beyond. Somehow I knew it had something to do with science fiction because the image reminded me of Galileo. And when I read it, I was exactly right. And it was my first exposure to a different kind of science fiction. The kind that really can get a child to question the world and start delving into how much free will is a part of our lives. And most importantly, it was about the relationship between a young boy and an elderly man.

It is a story that has been seen and told over and over again. But in this story, it is told with a literal passing of knowledge from the elder to the younger. A child created in a naive world learns the harsh realities of the real world from his elder. It is one of the prime stories and told excellently in novel form, becoming one of my favorites in the process. Which is why for this to finally come to the big screen, means I will have an extreme critical eye.

Review

This is a passion project for actor, Jeff Bridges. He's been wanting to adapt this book for almost two decades, yet only now can it finally be made. Why? Because of The Hunger Games. I'm being serious. The only reason why this movie can exist now, is because of the success of The Hunger Games. Which is a shame because other than a dystopian future setting, the novel that this film is based on is nothing like The Hunger Games. You can probably already tell where most of my criticism will stem from.

I usually don't mind if a movie deviates from the source material. I'm still waiting for the day a Superman movie will portray Superman as an alien monster instead of a handsome man. But for this adaptation, the changes don't seem to be in favor of the movie but rather to compete with other young adult movies. From the handsome and beautiful teenage protagonists, to the sleek futuristic technology, to the ominous presidential antagonist, even down to the color scheme and shots used to make this film mimic the look of all the other young adult movies since. It is a real shame, because this movie would've benefited by staying closer to the source material rather than changing it to fit the mold of all the other young adult movies. I would've been fine with changes, but the changes in this film are so obviously made to look like other young adult movies that it is almost insulting.

For someone who hasn't read the book, this will be a fairly good time with good performances from Brenton Thwaites and Jeff Bridges as Jonas and The Giver. Even newcomer Odeya Rush who plays Fiona does a fine job with the role she was given. Everyone else however is rather dull. The problem is, they're suppose to be dull. They're suppose to be soulless, as this is a world devoid of emotion. It is a standard dystopian future movie that shows the danger of true equality and sameness with a protagonist who breaks the mold. It is a movie about rebellion that is... (sigh)... similar to The Hunger Games, Divergent, and possibly The Maze Runner. Because of that, this movie will entertain, but will be forgotten the moment you walk out of the cinema. It isn't bad, its just you won't remember watching it. This is a bad thing to hear for someone who has read the book.

The film changes the book from a character study and interaction between a 12 year old boy (turned 16 or 18 years old in the film) and an Elderly Man into a movie about teenage romance and the need to rebel to destroy the governing society with an action packed third act. The fact that I said action packed third act should automatically tell readers that it has been changed to include some form of action. There is no intense action in the book. There is no teenage romance in the book. There is no overbearing antagonist in the book. There is no government conspiracy that keeps an eye on Jonas the entire time. All of those things are found in the movie to add more tension to a book that is really about a boy and an old man. Hell, Meryl Streep's character is never even seen in the book, only mentioned. In the movie she is an antagonistic force, while in the book no such antagonistic force exists. All these things added into the book do make for a more compelling movie had it been executed without the need to make it look like a young adult film. It could've been done better, and the changes could've enhanced it. But because of the way it looks and the forced teenage romance, it fails to be something memorable.

Final Thoughts

If you're a fan of the book, you'll be greatly disappointed that the relationship between Jonas and The Giver has been dwindled down to just a montage instead of a bulk of the film. If you're not and just an average movie goer, then this will be a nice watch but you won't remember it exists a few days after watching it. This should be a memorable film, but because of the way it looks and the changes made to give it the young adult stamp, it becomes a forgettable film. Not a bad film. Just forgettable.

SCORE: 5/10 - You'll like it, but you won't remember it.

Outlander - 1x01 Sassenach - Review

"It means outlander..."

There was a big fuss about this show being brought to life. From the romance novel fandom to those hoping for Ronald D. Moore's (showrunner of Battlestar Galactica) return at the helm of a new show, this series has been hyped as possibly the next Game of Thrones. However I would not call this series an equivalent of Game of Thrones. No, this is definitely something else. Part historical drama, part time travel enigma, yet the encompassing genre of this series can only be described as one genre: Romance.

Sassenach, the title for this episode deals with introducing viewers to the heroine who will find herself in two worlds. Her name is Claire Randall, a WWII nurse played by Irish actress Caitriona Balfe. She is on a second honeymoon trip with her husband Frank (Tobias Menzies) in Scotland not knowing that a flower called a forget me not would lead her to another time.

Let me just start right off the bat with my one single negative/annoyance about this episode: THE NARRATION! I completely understand that based on a book, this is probably how the story is told. If it is then I understand why it is there. But as someone who loves to watch a story unfold, the narration does seem to get in the way of my personal enjoyment. However it wasn't such an annoyance that I had to quit. In fact some of it was genuinely good, like when Claire was describing what time travel felt like. I hope this doesn't become a staple of the series, but if it is at least I know I can tolerate it.

Okay, now that's out of the way. Let's begin. Balfe who most mainstream audiences may remember (but most likely not) her as Joe's mother in Super 8. Don't remember the mother? It's okay. Regardless of that point, she does an excellent job in the Pilot as Claire. When a show rides on the believability and likeability of the lead, it definitely rides on her. Claire is a believable woman in every sense of the word. She's feisty, caring, knowledgeable, and has sexual needs. All of those traits are not overblown to turn her into a stereotype. She's very layered and would definitely remind you of one or several women you may know. Most likely that woman would be someone you admire. That is the best way to describe her.

The believable nature of her character comes from her interactions with her husband, Frank, played by Tobias Menzies. Frank is definitely a man of few words trying to speak more words for the sake of maintaining a loving marriage. Having been separated from each other for five years during WWII, Frank may come off as someone who is far more interested in retracing his genealogy in Scotland rather than a full blown Second Honeymoon with his wife, but whenever it seems that way, he pulls back to put her first before his hobbies. it really shows that these two still genuinely love each other despite the separation. Their intimate moments are beautiful and never forced. It is natural, the way you would see a married couple acting. Not some absurd lovey dovey thing that is overplayed in most romance or romantic comedies. It just works. Which becomes even more heartbreaking when the audience knows that just when these two are finally reconnecting... they get split apart.

As fate would have it, Claire is sent back in time to the 1700s. In there she encounters Blackjack John Randall, the ancestor of her husband Frank and also played by Menzies. A redcoat in charge of bringing down the Scottish rebellion, he doesn't buy Claire as some lost soul but rather someone he can rape. Lucky for her a Scottish rebel saves her life and brings them to their enclave. When confronted with whether or not she could be a valuable asset to them, she uses her skill and knowledge to keep her in their good graces. Her skills save the life of a young handsome Scottish rebel named Jaime played by Sam Heughan and her knowledge of history saves the Scotts from an ambush from the English. As this portion didn't really come to till the third act, the world of 16th century Scotland under British occupation is not entirely flushed out. We don't know the true politics of the time and the details of why things are happening are unclear. Especially the fated encounter of Claire and Jaime, which from the previews strongly suggest that her love for her future husband may be strained by an attraction to a man from the past. But luckily for now, no such attraction exists. But it is obvious that this is where the show is going to go.

While it is clear that this is mostly targeted for a female audience, especially the ones into romance novels, it is also clear that this show can appeal to anyone. Yes, there is a romance element in the show that encompasses it, but as I stated before, other genres inhabit it as well. There is definitely a lot of genres melding together into a romance one, but it definitely is not coming off as a sappy romance movie. It is a welcoming change compared to what Starz channel is more notoriously known for with Spartacus and Da Vinci's Demons. Yes, there is still graphic violence and fully nude sex scenes, but they are not overplayed yet used at the right moments. I could even argue that the one sex scene in this episode was not there for the sake of showing sex, but rather to show the beauty of a relationship. That is definitely an accomplishment from the guys who brought us Spartacus.

This is a slow burn story told at its most efficient. Guillermo Del Toro's The Strain is also a slow burn show, but this one doesn't leave me anxious in wanting something to happen. I'm glad for the slow build, because romance doesn't happen instantly. It takes time.

SCORE: 8.5/10 - A good start and great introduction to a new world... if only that pesky narration wasn't there it would've been a 9
STATUS: Continue to Watch

Review of Next Episode - CLICK HERE

Guardians of the Galaxy - Analysis and Review

Hooked on a feeling. I'm high on believing!

Marvel Studios has reached the point where they can do whatever the hell they want. And by getting James Gunn to be the guy for their "whatever the hell we want" project... I'm so glad they did.

The Plot

After being abducted by aliens at a young age, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) has now become a notorious rogue feared across the galaxy... according to him. But when his latest job to steal a mysterious object brings his weird world colliding into even weirder territory, he finds himself joining forces with an assassin (Zoe Saldana) sent to kill him; a pair of bounty hunters (Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel) who want to collect him; and a psychopath (Dave Bautista) who...is along for the ride for his own reasons. They will collide against a religious racist fanatic (Lee Pace) and a cyborg with daddy issues (Karen Gillan) featuring an appearance by Djimon Hounsou in order to save the galaxy.

Analysis

The fact that this is the ninth movie made by Marvel Studios and their biggest risk shows that they are fully confident with their properties. But the greatest showcase of that confidence was getting a talent like James Gunn on board. Rarely have I ever wanted to see a director succeed in the business more than Gunn. I was a huge fan of Slither and Super, so I knew right away that he'd be the ONLY guy who could pull off something this insane. Especially since this is not a big name property.

It's true. I may have a lot of knowledge about Marvel and be one of the few people to know who the Guardians of the Galaxy are, but I never read their comics. I know that there was a recent reboot a couple of years ago in order to gain interest in the property, which is how I learned about it. But from what I've been reading about it, it's not that interesting. Which is a shame because these are interesting characters. Yet apparently you have to be a really big supporter of Marvel in order to get into these characters. However, by interesting I mean there is something unique about them that makes them stand out from the cliche characters they are. But that doesn't mean none of them aren't unique. Namely Rocket Raccoon, the only reason people would take an interest in picking up the comics. Just to see a Raccoon wielding a gigantic gun. But other than him and maybe Groot, there really isn't much to do with them. 

The fact that they're not well known or well liked (aside from Rocket and Groot) becomes a major advantage for Gunn. The chance to do something crazy, while at the same time show that these characters can be interesting. Does he succeed?

Review

The characters in this movie are the reasons to watch this movie. Literally. With the dialogue of James Gunn's writing flowing through these characters, they become some of the most interesting Marvel characters to inhabit this Cinematic Universe in a long time. The fact that I stated they're not interesting in my Analysis section says a lot about how much they are definitely the soul of this movie.

You have Star Lord aka Peter Quill played by Chris Pratt. The once chubby guy on Parks and Rec is now on the road to becoming a huge movie star. His devil may care charm will remind many of Harrison Ford's two legendary roles as well as a remembrance of the magic that Robert Downey Jr. brought to the role of Tony Stark. He played the role brilliantly with a lot of wit and flair. Then there is the now official modern queen of sci-fi Zoe Saldana who takes on the role of Gamora, daughter of the Mad Titan. While her character may be the weakest of the bunch as she's more subdued as being a violent person who wants to be a better person, it does not take away from the fact that Saldana can convince you that she is a monster (a sexy one) who wants to change her ways. Then there's a surprisingly great and funny performance by wrestler Dave Bautista as the crazy literal Drax the Destroyer. He may not be as great of an actor as his fellow wrestler Dwayne Johnson, but in the role of Drax he delivers as a psychopath with a singular goal. But all out honesty, the real stand out performances of the film are its two CGI characters: Rocket and Groot.

Rocket and Groot were not motion capture like the way Andy Serkis has been rolling, but that doesn't exempt their respective actors Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel from delivering great vocal performances. Cooper does an amazing job as the angry sarcastic raccoon who doesn't know he's a raccoon. He was definitely the scene stealer of the movie, along with his house plant Groot. While I'll never understand why Vin Diesel was chosen to play a role that only required him to say three words, he still did a lot with his voice to make sure the innocent creature in a bad crowd comes to life. Though it does seem like a waste to have Vin Diesel and not exploit what he's good at, he still does a good job. Which brings me to another point: This movie is a waste of talent.

By talent I mean the actors and actresses playing the villains and background characters feel like wasted opportunities. First off you have Lee Pace, an incredibly underrated actor who auditioned to play Star Lord but instead plays the film's primary villain. Did not care about him. Did not buy his political views. Did not buy his racism. Did not even buy his radical religious views. All I saw was a really talented guy that Marvel felt sorry for not giving him the lead role but instead put him in the movie as a rather dumb evil villain for the sake of being evil. Wasted. Then there's Karen Gillan from Doctor Who fame playing Nebula, Gamora's sister. Again. Do not buy her motivations against Gamora. Do not buy her need to betray her father. I do buy her as evil and easy on the eyes despite being half robot. Wasted. Djimon Hounsou plays Korath. Shows up for the opening scene. Shows up for the middle important scene. Shows up for the end battle. Does nothing impressive. Wasted. Then you have background (I'd call them supporting but eh) characters. Glen Close as Nova Prime. Could've gotten any woman to play that role. Wouldn't have made a single difference. John C. Reily playing a Nova Corps. officer. Anyone could've played that role. He does something important, but then again an extra could've played that role. Benicio Del Toro as The Collector. The most interesting thing he did was not in this movie but in the post credits scene at the end of Thor: The Dark World. Was he good in here? No. Was he important? Yes. Was he still wasted? Definitely. It seemed really pointless having all these talented people in this movie only to have them do small stuff that wouldn't have made a difference to the movie if not cast. The Winter Soldier had Robert f***ing Redford in the movie and he's not a waste of talent. This just feels like a bunch of famous or talented people wanting to be in the movie just because its part of Marvel. While it makes sense career wise, this just seems dumb.

The only supporting character (see that I said supporting) played by a talented actor who is not wasted is Michael Rooker as Yondu. He was definitely one of the many surprises of the movie and he's in the movie a lot more than one might think. Which is why he doesn't feel wasted, because he's given a lot more to do.

And the story is nothing new. It is a standard Marvel story. If you watch it then you'll notice a huge pattern in Marvel movies now. However that doesn't prevent it from being fun. Because believe me, the movie is really fun.

Final Thoughts

Despite my qualms with the waste of a talented supporting cast, I have to once again bring the praise back to the main cast. Pratt, Saldana, Cooper, Diesel, and Bautista are the main reasons you should watch this movie. Even though Saldana and Cooper are proven powerful actors, it is incredible to watch them with a rising star and two genre actors who are giving it their all. Sure, the story is not great. Sure, the villains are not impressive. But watching a movie about the interactions of these characters is way more entertaining than watching the interactions of The Avengers. Yeah, they're that good. So watch for these incredible characters brought to life by these great actors.

SCORE: 8/10 - The best cast of characters ever assembled, versus dull wasted talent

PS: The after credits scene is of Howard The Duck. Just saying that because if you're expecting something awesome, there isn't anything awesome. It is just Howard the Duck. Funny, but only to people who know who Howard The Duck is. If you don't know who that is, don't stay for the post credits.

SAGA Deluxe Hardcover Vol 1 Coming this November!

One of the greatest original comic book series out right now

For comic book fans, the name Brian K. Vaughan means something. It means Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Mystique, and Runaways. For a TV audience he was a writer for a lot of episodes in Season 4 of Lost and is connected with the current CBS show, Under the Dome. But bringing us back to comic book fans, he's usually listed up there as one of the great ones such as Alan Moore, Warren Ellis, Neil Gaiman, and Frank Miller. And his ongoing comic book series Saga, which is co-created and drawn by artist Fiona Staples, has permanently cemented himself as one of the greatest visionaries in comics.

What is Saga?

Brian K. Vaughan described the series as "Star Wars for perverts." That was in a joking manner, as many people have referred to it more as, "Star Wars meets Game of Thrones." This could give you a clear vision of what people mean by that. The title suggest a large sweeping epic canvas that goes across the universe with multiple characters to follow in this large ensemble tale. But really in the end the story revolves around three people: Alana, Marko, and their infant daughter Hazel.

The drive of the story is really about a married couple, who should not be together, and how they deal with raising a child in a universe torn apart by war. Alana is from a race of fairy and angelic aliens who embrace technology. Marko is from a race of horned aliens who embrace magic. Science and magic don't mix well so they're at war. And so that is where the Romeo and Juliet story plays in the backstory of these two characters who fell in love despite being on opposite sides of the war. And in their union they created Hazel, a horned winged alien.

Now, one might think the drive of this story will be that because of this union she is the chosen one. However as Hazel points out in the narration, this story is narrated by her, she is not the chosen one of some prophecy. She's just a child, and her parents just want to raise her in a world that seems like it is falling apart.

There are definitely other characters I'd like to touch upon like Prince Robot IV or The Will and his partner Lying Cat. But really, you have to read this collection in order to understand how strange and how powerful this series is.

What is this Deluxe Hardcover about?

This deluxe hardcover collects the first three trade paperbacks of the series (issues 1-18). So if you already own those three paperbacks, then there really isn't a point in getting this volume other than having a nice book in your shelf. But for those who haven't, this is definitely a volume that must be bought immediately. It is a weird and powerful story that you won't find in any superhero comics these days. The last time something weird like this that was Superhero related was Joe Casey's Godland which was a direct reference to Jack Kirby's work at DC Comics. 

This price is $50 but it is well worth it. This is the definitive edition of Saga, and how it was intended to be read. If you're an Image Comic addict, like me, then one should've know that they would've collected this series into a hardcover eventually. Patience pays off, unlike DC and Marvel who don't seem to know when is the right time to release a hardcover edition of their best collections.

GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER DC AND MARVEL!

Lucy - Analysis and Review

The Dr. Manhattan movie starring Scarlett Johansson

If you know who Dr. Manhattan is, then you pretty much know where I'm going with this. If you don't then just read the review.

The Plot

When Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) gets tricked by her boyfriend to deliver a briefcase to some shady people, her life goes spiraling out of control. She is forced to become a drug mule for a new drug that gets sealed insider her stomach, along with three other strangers. However while in temporary captivity before she makes her drug run, her captors savagely beat her which causes the drugs to enter her system. This drug begins amplifying her brain capacity to a level far beyond what anyone can imagine. And a ruthless drug lord is unaware of what kind of goddess he created.

Analysis

The once widely accepted belief that humans only use 10% of their brain capacity has recently been proven false. At the time that Bradley Cooper's film Limitless tackled a similar idea it wasn't met with a lot of hostility as much as this film. I'm putting that out there because I know there are several film critics, youtubers, and various other individuals who call bull shit on this premise. They hate this "archaic" defunct belief so much that they automatically assume the movie is stupid for still holding on to a now false theory. But the thing about it is, even though I know this, it really serves the purpose of the story. I'm not going to defend its scientific inaccuracy mainly because stories require something to drive them, and that is what this movie needed. 

Review

When I think about this movie as a whole, I think of it as really cool ideas that never really figured out how to work properly. Yet at the same time while it may not mesh well together, that's not to say it isn't entertaining. It is weird though. From opening the film with a prehistoric woman to immediately jump cutting to modern times with very little idea of pacing or how to properly do so was very jarring. The editing of National Geographic footage in scenes in order to sell a metaphorical point was kind of weird. This movie is just weird. I like weird. Did I say this movie was weird?

This movie is like a weird mash up of the best sci-fi films (ex. 2001: A Space Odyssey) and the best sci-fi animes (ex. Akira) that don't really add up to much. We're not really sure what is the drive of the story because when one believes the plot will be one thing it might also be about another but turns out to be neither. 

When Johansson's Lucy gains her superhuman powers, she becomes emotionless and is driven solely by...... nothing. One would think that a woman who gets abused by the Korean mafia would seek out revenge, but that wasn't the case. Because she becomes emotionless, when the opportunity comes to kill the man responsible (played by Oldboy's Choi Min-sik) for her abuse, she doesn't kill him. Simply because she is no longer driven by anger. She does gain a mission of wanting to spread her newly acquired knowledge after talking to an expert in the field (played by Morgan Freeman) but that does not seem so urgent. It is not what propels the story forward. In fact she is so emotionless and so invincible that one may not be able to find anything relatable to her. 

There was one singular plot point that could've been the drive of the whole movie. Lucy wasn't the only one who had drugs sewn inside their bellies. And in a scene where she discovers that she is disintegrating and requires more of the drugs to keep her alive, we finally see some vulnerability to the invulnerable character. So one would think that she has to hunt down those other three drug mules in order to keep herself alive. No, she gets the police led by a French detective played by Amr Waked to do the hunt for her. It completely takes away something that could've been the central drive of the story, but then again seeing as how Lucy has evolved too emotionless and extremely efficient, she knows how to handle things more easily. 

To put it simply, you're watching this movie because you're fascinated by what Lucy is eventually going to become. You're not watching it because the story is so engaging, because it almost doesn't exist. And despite having Choi Min-sik playing the villain (who does an excellent job in I saw the Devil) he is not really given much to do other than shoot people that piss him off. So really, you're only interested in watching because you're more fascinated into what Lucy is turning into rather than whatever story they're trying to tell.

I'll give the supporting cast a unified decent performances all across the board. Waked was a good detective and...love interest? Choi Min-sik does mysterious evil well...mainly because there was nothing else about his character other than he's evil. Morgan Freeman was...Morgan Freeman. It is really Johansson who delivers a great performance. However the performance was so emotionless because she evolved to not feel emotions that it is hard for one to connect with her. So....it is great to watch but not a very compelling performance.

I should note that there are several special effects shots in this movie that look like they belong in a PS3 game rather than a movie. They're passable, but compared to other special effects films this year, this was weak in comparison. Given their low budget, it is indeed impressive that the effects are as polished as they are. But again, having been spoiled by films that cost five times the price of this movie, the effects just come off as weird. Which is fine because...this thing is weird.

Final Thoughts

Lucy is an enjoyable experience just to discover what the end result of the titular character's evolution will be. If you were expecting a revenge story in which a woman gains superpowers and abuses them on those who wronged her, this is not that movie. The villains in the movie think its that movie, but the main character has evolved far beyond the plot to even care what the villains think. It is a fun watch and nothing more.

SCORE: 6.5/10 - I'd definitely buy it, but if you think about it there really isn't much in it