Tag: Sci-fi
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Star Trek Into Darkness (2013 review)
5 outta 5 Some may pontificate as to what exactly constitutes Star Trek, this is right, that is not, but any and all genres can and do exist in Star Trek. What J.J. Abrams and his “Bad Robot” production company have done is take Star Trek and reinvent it as a chase movie, but there…
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Star Trek (2009 review)
5 outta 5 Director J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek is a grand summer action flick that re-introduces Star Trek’s iconic characters to the world. It shows origins of the original Trek series, but changes thing around just enough so you won’t see what’s coming. That aside, the movie is a ridiculous amount of fun. With the…
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Transformers One
4 outta 5 After several “live action” installments of the Transformers franchise, the series returns to its animated roots with Transformers One. However, there was so much CGI animation in the series’ previous films, that it’s hard to make much of a distinction between live action and animation by now. Which isn’t a bad thing.…
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Uglies
2 outta 5 Uglies is a YA novel adaptation that really doesn’t offer anything particularly good. It feels cobbled together from other sci-fi dystopian franchises and that bubble burst a few years ago. The central hook, that people in a dystopian future society undergo mandatory, mind-controlling cosmetic surgery, feels basic. Even the action, such as…
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Alien: Romulus
4 outta 5 Alien: Romulus is a crackerjack entry in the Alien franchise that flips between knowing homages, splicing in bits of continuity, flat-out ripping off others and repeating some bits exactly. It can be sort of a “greatest hits” version of a few Alien movies all combined into one, and its willingness to take…
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Alien: Covenant (2017 review)
4 outta 5 Director Ridley Scott straight up made a sci-fi horror masterpiece with 1979’s Alien. After staying away from the series for a few decades, his return in 2012 with Prometheus was a heady, sideways, horror-infused look at the fringes of the mythology surrounding the series. It’s an interesting take on the Alien storyline…
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Atlas
3 outta 5 Atlas is a film that owes so much to James Cameron’s sci-fi films of Aliens, Avatar and Terminator that he should have probably gotten a “Based On” credit. Star Jennifer Lopez has a resume that is particularly heavy on romantic films, where the isolated lead has to learn to connect with their…
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Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver
3 outta 5 Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver continues writer/director Zack Snyder’s quasi-Star Wars sci-fi epic. It’s not a conclusion because the closing minutes lay out mandatory sequel bait for yet another installment. As often happens in Snyder’s movies, there are bundles of exposition as characters state their backstory and their exact current…
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Dune: Part Two
5 outta 5 Dune: Part Two is an incredible sequel to an already incredible film. As the (very large) book was split into two (as opposed to the 1984 single film speedrun version) setup was contained in the first part so this is more visceral. The visuals look amazing and there are stirring moments of…
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
5 outta 5 After two movies (and a couple of guest-starring efforts in other Marvel Cinematic Universe films) the superhero space heroes return in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. This is an emotional finale for the Guardians crew, with awesome stylistic flourishes courtesy of writer and director James Gunn. It’s a bit darker than…
BigAl Reviews 