science fiction – Spinning Platters

Film Review: Passengers

Half male fantasy, half space actioner, all catastrophic.

Pratt and Lawrence fulfill their space fantasies.

Bro, imagine you have your own giant resort space ship and you can do whatever you want, right!? Now imagine you get this hot chick with you and then you both get to do whatever you want. WHATEVER. YOU. WANT! How sweet would that be?! Okay, so this stupid male fantasy is the basic premise for the blundering sci-fi actioner, Passengers. It’s all visuals and little substance, complete with mega plot holes and one silly occurrence after another. Passengers isn’t without its thought-provoking moments however (not to be confused with head-scratching moments), it just decides to pass them by and not look back, wasting the charisma of its two talented leads.

Continue reading “Film Review: Passengers“

Film Review: Arrival

Arrival arrives at just the right time to make us pause and think.

Amy Adams thinks about things, as we do, in ARRIVAL.

It feels like it’s been quite some time since a thought-provoking science-fiction film has come along — one that makes you really think. Now, before you come to the conclusion that “more thinking” equals “less entertaining”, think again! Arrival is a spectacular blend of drama, suspense, intelligence, and engaging visuals. Arrival also employs sound and music in an interesting way, aiding in the gradual fusion of the viewer experience with that of the characters. Once you emerge from the 118 minute cinematic trance you’ve been pulled into, you’ll realize that you’ve sat through one of the better films of the last year. And that realization, somehow, will be the same whether you loved the film or hated it.

Continue reading “Film Review: Arrival“

Film Review: Jupiter Ascending

A Jupiter-sized mess (and Jupiter is big).

Channing Tatum "surfing" around shooting and being shot at. — Channing Tatum “surfing” around shooting and being shot at.

There’s a line in Jupiter Ascending where a former alien soldier stationed on Earth tells a newly-discovered woman of royalty, “Bees don’t lie.” With or without context, you should get a sense of how ridiculous this sounds, because it is. Completely. Ridiculous. Jupiter Ascending, from the Wachowskis, whose credibility is descending rapidly, is a silly overwrought mess. Too much is packed into too complex a premise. The tone shifts back and forth between silly and serious, imaginative and derivative, from The Fifth Element to Dune (minus the intelligence). When a movie gets pushed from a summer tentpole position (May-July) to the cinema graveyard shift (January-February), it’s obvious that something is wrong. In the case of Jupiter Ascending, it has all the makings of a sci fi summer blockbuster, but fails to execute on all fronts aside from some nifty special effects that look quite pretty.

Continue reading “Film Review: Jupiter Ascending”

Film Review: Interstellar

A space opera. A sci-fi blockbuster. A heavy hitter. Just enjoy the ride.

Matthew McConaughey gives the thumbs up to space travel.

*NOTICE: Many people have tried tirelessly to avoid exposure to any spoilers or plot details (or anything, really) regarding Interstellar. I found it hard to write about Interstellar without mentioning ‘anything, really’, so be forewarned*

Continue reading “Film Review: Interstellar”

Film Review: Edge of Tomorrow

More like… ‘Edge of your seat’.

Saving Private Ryan meets Aliens — Groundhog D-Day

With films like The Bourne Identity and Mr. and Mrs. Smith under his belt (as well as Swingers and Go), director Doug Liman is no stranger to directing top notch action sequences that simultaneously contribute to clever storytelling. Edge of Tomorrow has some of the most gripping battle scenes in quite some time, but also clever humor, solid action, and a surprisingly engaging yet quasi-familiar plot. All the pieces work together. Tom Cruise, one of the last remaining movie stars (in the traditional sense of the term), is terrific as usual, but he doesn’t carry the film. Neither does a strong co-lead in Emily Blunt. Nor do the insanely gripping action sequences and phenomenal effects. No, Edge of Tomorrow is carried proudly on the shoulders of everyone involved. It’s a fast-paced A-grade blockbuster through and through, one that provides the intense action, clever plot twists, and smart sense of fun that most blockbusters fail to deliver.

Continue reading “Film Review: Edge of Tomorrow”

Film Review: Oblivion

Oblivion is this year’s first “summer blockbuster”, a term coined for Jaws back in 1975 that gets attached to any commercially successful tentpole action-adventure film released by a major studio between the months of April and August. Oblivion fits nicely into the blockbuster mold; it features action, romance, a great soundtrack and a PG-13 rating. It also showcases an eye for a unique visual style that writer/director Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy) continues to demonstrate in his work. Although it doesn’t break any new ground, Oblivion has just enough complexity within its mash-up of original content and popular sci-fi references to be a thoroughly entertaining sci-fi adventure. Yet it’s the film’s abundance of visual artistry that is most memorable.

Continue reading “Film Review: Oblivion”