Her (2013)

Genre: Science-fiction / Romance / Drama
Directed by: Spike Jonze
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams
Time: 126 minutes

 

In a Los Angeles of a not-so-distant future, Theodore Twombly is a lonely man working for a company where he writes personal letters for people who cannot express themselves to their loved ones. Still reeling from his divorce from his high school sweetheart, Theodore purchases an operating system as a virtual personal assistant. He chooses a female voice for his OS, who then chose the name Samantha for herself. Theodore ends up falling in love and starting a relationship with his operating system.

The science-fiction element of this story is very light. A little over ten years later, this film is more actual than ever, with technology and AI taking more and more space in our daily lives. This film offers a compelling look at the complexity of human relationships in a modern era.

The acting here was solid from everyone. I was pulled into this story and was hooked all the way through. Loved it.

Rating: «««««

Oblivion (2013)

Genre: Science-fiction
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Cast: Ton Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko
Time: 124 minutes

 

In 2077, Earth has long been destroyed by an alien war. Jack Harper has had his memory erased and given a mission, in a life set up for him, as a repair technician. When someone from his past appears again in his life, it starts jogging his memory and forces him to question the truth about the war.

While Tom Cruise offers a good performance here and the film is visually impressive, the story feels so thinly scripted that it was hard to get emotionally involved in it. Business picked up somewhat close to the end, but it faded fast. In the end, a very disappointing movie.

Rating: ««

Pacific Rim Uprising

Genre: Science-fiction
Directed by: Steven S. DeKnight
Cast: John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny
Time: 111 minutes

 

Ten years after the events of the original film, Jake Pentecost is given one more chance to give up his life of crime and to live up to his father’s heroic legacy by joining the fight against another Kaiju attack aimed at the destroying the world.

In this second installment, the characters were not as strong, and the story felt a little too convoluted for my tastes. While it is impressive visually speaking, Pacific Rim Uprising felt very much inferior to its predecessor.

Rating: ««

After Earth (2013)

Genre: Science-fiction / Action
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: Will Smith, Jaden Smith
Time: 100 minutes

 

Around 1,000 years into the future, humans have evacuated Earth following a massive catastrophe. Father and son Cypher and Kitai Raige go on a mission together and end up crashing to Earth with their crew. The young son must go on a dangerous trek to find what is needed to save his gravely injured father. 

What a horrible movie. I imagine that getting slapped publicly in the face cannot feel as bad as watching this. A pointless and boring story that plods along aimlessly, with absolutely wooden acting. I tuned this one out in no time.

Rating: «

Pacific Rim (2013)

Genre: Science-fiction
Directed by: Guillermo Del Toro
Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi
Time: 132 minutes

 

In a futuristic version of 2013, giant alien monsters called Kaiju are coming from under the Pacific Ocean to attack coastal cities. A group of humans are banding together to operate massive robots called Jaegers built to fight these evil forces.

Even though science-fiction is usually not my thing, this movie had a plot filled with humanity through all the mumbo-jumbos. The acting was also pretty good. As for the visuals, they were amazing. So, while this is not usually my cup of tea, I was entertained.

Rating: «««

Escape From New York (1981)

Genre: Action / Science-fiction
Directed by: John Carpenter
Cast: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasance, Isaac Hayes
Time: 99 minutes

 

In the dystopian world of a fictional 1997, Manhattan has been turned into a huge walled maximum-security prison, due to the steep increase in crime. Former special forces soldier, Snake Plissken has been arrested and he’s due to be locked up. He is offered a pardon if he can manage to retrieve US president John Harker, who has been taken hostage by a group of terrorists who overtook and crashed Air Force One on its way to peace summit in Hartford.

I cannot believe I had never seen this one before in my life. Snake Plissken is such a badass antihero character, and Kurt Russell was the right guy for the role. Boy, did he ever bring Snake to life? There is also a talented cast surrounding Russell, and John Carpenter showed his great talent in the direction. There is some hokiness here and there, but it such a fun science-fiction film, which is quite something, since I usually do not care much for that genre.

Rating: ««««

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)

Genre: Science-fiction / Comedy
Directed by: Pete Hewitt
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, William Sadler, George Carlin
Running time: 93 minutes

 

Best friends Bill Preston and Ted Logan must defeat death and fight their way back to life, through hell and heaven, to stop two evil robots impersonating them to damage their legacy for good.

This is a fun film. Many moments throughout made me laugh out loud. I would have taken more of George Carlin, as Rufus, but it was still a treat to see him in there. Quite entertaining overall.

Rating: ««««

Upside Down (2012)

Genre: Romance / Science-fiction
Directed by: Juan Diego Salanas
Cast: Jim Sturgess, Kirsten Dunst
Time: 108 minutes

 

Adam Kirk and Eden Moore are lovers living in two separate sections of a two-planet world with dual gravity. They try to get together but mixing between planets is forbidden and they are torn apart. A decade later, their paths crosses again, and Adam tries to win back the love of Eden, who suffers from partial amnesia.

The visuals here are absolutely unbelievable. The parallels with our world and the matter of classes and differences, while not subtle, are compelling. The fact remains that this kind of film is not really my thing. It was fine entertainment for what it was.

Rating: «««

Dark Skies (2013)

Genre: Science-fiction / Horror
Directed by: Scott Stewart
Starring: Keri Russell, Justin Hamilton, Dakota Goyo
Running time: 97 minutes

 

Daniel and Lacy Barrett are living a quiet life in an American suburb with their two sons, Jesse and Sammy. After noticing multiple strange occurrences in the house, they start wondering if some strange and malevolent presence has taken over their family.

 The actors do a good job, the premise showed a lot of promise and the directing was quite efficient, but something got lost in the storytelling along the way. It all gets confused and muddled. By the end, I was disappointed, though some moments here and there made me react quite strongly, like a good horror movie should.

Rating: «««

The Box (2009)

Genre: Science-fiction / Thriller
Directed by: Richard Kelly
Starring: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella
Running time: 115 minutes

 

Based on the 1971 short story Button, Button, by Richard Matheson, The Box tells the story of NASA engineer, Arthur Lewis, and his teacher wife, Norma. They have a son called Walter and they are having financial issues. Early one morning, a package is left on their doorstep containing a wooden box with a button on top. Later that day, Norma is visited at her home by a mysterious disfigured man called Arlington Steward, who tells them they have 24-hours to decide if they want to push the button on the box they received. If they do, they will receive 1 million dollars in cash, but someone they do not know will die. Their decision will set off a chain of events they could not predict.

The premise deals with an interesting moral dilemma. If that was offered, would you take it? As for the film itself, the acting performances were decent enough for the most part. The story offered some moments of good thrills, but there seemed to lack something to tie the whole thing together. It dragged along at times and felt discombobulated in certain moments. But, in the end, there is a nice little message about society and taking shortcuts here.

Rating: «««

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Genre: Science-fiction /Action
Directed by: Tim Miller
Starring: Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mackenzie Davis
Running time: 107 minutes

 

Set 25 years after the events of Terminator 2, this film tells the story of another Terminator being sent through time to eliminate Dani Reyes, whose fate is tied to the future. An augmented soldier called Grace team up with Sarah Connor and Snynet’s T-800 Terminator to protect Reyes.

While definitely better than the previous installments that followed the classic that was Terminator 2, I think it is definitely time to put this one to rest. Seeing Linda Hamilton and Arnold together on screen again was cool, and the story had its moments, but it still lacked the magic from back then.

Rating: «««

Terminator Genisys (2015)

Genre: Science-fiction /Action
Directed by: Alan Taylor
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, J.K. Simmons
Running time: 126 minutes

 

Kyle Reese, a soldier involved in John Connor’s post-apocalyptic war against Skynet, is sent back from 2029 to 1984 to save Sarah Connor, John’s mother, from death. As he arrives in 1984, he finds a world whose timeline was majorly changed by Skynet.

Arnold reprises his role as the original Terminator, who is now sort of a father figure to Sarah Connor. It’s a big stretch. At least, he had a few moments that made me smile or chuckle. The Kyle Reese character just looks so inapt, and Jason Clarke was not memorable in the role. Emilia Clarke was a weird choice to play Sarah Connor, after witnessing how badass Linda Hamilton was in the role originally. She feels like a child playing a woman you are supposed to fear a little. As it was, you cannot help but wonder how this trio can prevail in its mission.

The story of this fifth installment in the Terminator franchise just feels like a silly rehash in an attempt to revitalize something long dead and gone. It’s recycling bits and pieces of various things to try and make something worthwhile. Not very successful.

Rating: ««

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

Genre: Science-fiction / Comedy
Directed by: Stephen Herek
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin
Running time: 159 minutes

 

With the help of a mysterious man named Rufus, dim-witted high school students and aspiring musicians from San Dinas, California, Bill and Ted, travel through time to gather various major historical figures for a presentation to their history class.

While the special effects do look very dated, this is still a fun film. The two main cast members are so perfect for their roles, and it is always cool to see George Carlin in anything. Some little details were overlooked, like the fact that the guy playing Napoleon, is clearly not French. In spite of that, I love this movie, with the many good jokes and the various cultural references.

Rating: ««««

Terminator Salvation (2009)

Genre: Science-fiction /Action
Directed by: McG.
Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin
Running time: 115 minutes

 

Set in a post-apocalyptic 2018, this new installment in the Terminator franchise tells the story of the unification of world’s militaries against Skynet and the Machines. John Connor, a Resistance fighter, and Marcus Wright, a cyborg, team together to protect and young Kyle Reese.

While the special effects of this film are cool, the story feels very convoluted and there is a lot of silly overacting. Christian Bale still has that Batman voice. This film just lacks the heart of the previous installments in the franchise. It feels like a big video game.

Rating: ««

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

Genre: Science-fiction /Action
Directed by: Jonathan Mostow
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, Kristanna Loken
Running time: 108 minutes

 

Artificial intelligence network Skynet sends back in time yet another advanced Terminator — a woman this time — to insure the rise of the machines and kill the future leader of the resistance, John Connor, and his future wife, Katharine Brewster. A reprogrammed less-advanced Terminator is also sent back by the resistance to protect John and Katherine.

While a lot of the magic from the second Terminator film was gone here, it still offers an entertaining film. The story is compelling enough and the acting is good. Some of the material given to the cast did not feel so fresh anymore, but, overall, not a bad offering at all. Still visually impressive.

Rating: «««

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Genre: Science-fiction /Action
Directed by: James Cameron
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick
Running time: 127 minutes

 

Artificial intelligence network Skynet sends back in time a highly advanced Terminator to kill the future leader of the human resistance, John Connor, when he was a teenage boy. The resistance sends back a repackaged and less advanced cyborg to protect John. With the help of the boy’s mother, Sarah Connor, who escapes from the facility where she was kept after the events of the first film, he will do his best to keep the killing machine away from John.

While the original Terminator was quite good, this one goes on all cylinders. Arnold Schwarzenegger is at his peak here, as the good guy this time. Everything was done to make his character memorable, and he pulled it off. Linda Hamilton was also truly badass in her role. Robert Patrick was never better. Even the kid was good. While this is not usually my type of movie, I cannot help absolutely loving this flick. The story is compelling, the acting was great and the director did a solid job too. And the special effects were amazing.

Rating: «««««

The Terminator (1984)

Genre: Science-fiction /Action
Directed by: James Cameron
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton
Running time: 107 minutes

 

Two beings travel through time from 2029 to 1984. One is a cyborg assassin called The Terminator, whose mission is to kill a woman named Sarah Connor. The other is a human soldier named Kyle Reese who is sent to protect Sarah from The Terminator.

While not as flashy as the sequel that would follow, The Terminator offers a compelling story with some good action and a good pace to it. The film maximized Arnold Schwarzenegger’s acting chops, with lots of looking menacing and very few lines. While I am not usually a fan of the genre, this film was lots of fun. Some solid light entertainment that keeps you hooked while it lasts.

Rating: ««««

Robot & Frank (2012)

Genre: Science-fiction / Comedy / Drama
Directed by: Jake Schreier
Cast: Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, Peter Sarsgaard
Time: 89 minutes

 

In this story set in the near future, Frank is an aging former jewel thief with memory issues that is living alone. Worried about him, his son Hunter buys him a robot servant programmed to help him stay healthy. Resistant at first, Frank warms up to his robotic friend when he realized that it can help him get back to his days of burglary.

This movie is a very sweet and touching reflection on the issue of aging. There are little touches of comedy and science-fiction, but it is all woven together so successfully. There is no confusion in genre here. The acting was solid, and the story kept me hooked all the way through. There was even a few little surprises at the end I did not see coming. I loved this one.

Rating: «««««

RoboCop 3 (1993)

Genre: Science-Fiction / Action
Directed by: Fred Dekker
Cast: Robert Burke, Nancy Allen, Rip Torn
Time: 104 minutes

 

Business conglomerate OCP is back at it trying to bankrupt the city of Detroit completely so it can build its planned new Delta City. With the financial backing of a major Japanese corporation, they are pushing families out of their homes to take over the land. RoboCop, looking to avenge the death of his fallen partner, joins force with the rebels trying to stop OCP.

As much as I disliked the first sequel, I hated this second one. Peter Weller was not back as RoboCop, as he had other commitments. They made an effort to make the new actor portraying the cyborg look like Weller without the face shield, but the voice was just so bad. And the acting was putrid. Even Nancy Allen, who was not so bad in the previous two films, came off really wooden and uninspired. A veteran such as Rip Torn was laughable, in a bad way, in his performance. The story was just dumb and silly. All things considered, this film never should have been made.

Rating: «

RoboCop 2 (1990)

Genre: Science-Fiction / Action
Directed by: Irvin Kershner
Cast: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Daniel O’Herlihy
Time: 102 minutes

 

In a dystopian Detroit, most police officers are on strike and crime is taking over the city, along with a powerful drug called Nuke. OCP, the organization hired to manage the police force, are trying to bankrupt the city so as to better take over, with a second, more dangerous, RoboCop in production. The original cyborg police officer will have to spring into action to fight this dangerous battle.

This sequel to the 1987 original suffers deeply from a clear lack of focus. The filmmakers went in all directions, trying to find some action and some interesting twists, but nothing ever led anywhere. The acting is also mostly bad, and some of the dialogues are absolutely horrible. There are a few bright spots here and there, where you get a glimmer of hope, but it soon fades away.

Rating: ««