Movie Review - Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek Beyond

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoë Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Idris Elba, Sofia Boutella, Joe Taslim, Lydia Wilson, and more.

Directed by: Justin Lin Written by: Simon Pegg and Doug Jung Based on the series by: Gene Roddenberry Cinematography by: Stephen F. Windon Music by: Michael Giacchino

Premise: Three years into their five year mission, Kirk is wondering if he doesn't need a change. While visiting the new Yorktown space station, the Enterprise gets an unexpected mission. They are tasked to go rescue a stranded crew in an uncharted nebula. But the mission turns out to be something else entirely. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: The gang is back! And Karl Urban is too awesome. lol. I do love me some Dr. McCoy and he is so good at it! lol. Chris Pine does a nice job showing Kirk's drifting as he internally loses his way. Zachary Quinto continues to deliver those great flat line punche. And also we get some surprises from him as well. Anton Yelchin truly puts his stamp as Chekov this time around, which will make us miss him all the more. Sofia Boutella adds a nice extra layer as Jaylah. 

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Some amazing stuff this time around with the special effects. Yorktown is super cool. Though I wish they'd slowed down the fast panning when we get our first look - it went way too fast. Which is a pity since it was so awesome! Let us enjoy your work! 

Kudos on making the bad guys' blasters/energy discharges look different. The energy had a funky shape, which was neat. The buildings and machinery of the ancient dwellings were rather neat. They definitely spoke of it being a different culture.

Though they were all still humanoid, we did get to see a whole range of new species in the film, which was awesome. I could not take my eyes off of Tyvanna and her cauliflower like layered head.

The swarm ships were rather nifty and looked cool. They way they were employed was rather brilliant. The Federation needs to get ahold of this metal!

If you see the film in 3D, the credits are a super treat as they show different planets, nebulas, and other gas fields. (Keep your eyes peeled for the giant green hand! I kid you not! lol) Lots of lovely work throughout the film.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: I've pretty much given up on the science making sense in this franchise anymore, so I don't even try. So if you can turn that part of your brain off, the film can be quite enjoyable. 

This is the film that bridges the old with the new. It's like we are at the cusp of them being at the point where we first meet them in the original series. They merge the new theme music with the old theme music even more than in the past. Snippets and lines get thrown in that are well known and even in-jokes allude to the old series. And at the end they wrap it up with those words we all know so well.

Kirk and Spock finds themselves at a cross-roads. It is for different reasons, yet the decisions they are poised to make can change everything. Kirk's ends up resonating as a recurring theme for several characters and even the main plot. There are some unexpected layers to why things are happening. So some things will seem odd until the explanations finally reveal what is not yet known. 

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of phaser combat on the ship and on the planet. Explosions, gravity shifts, and more get people thrown all over the place. Nice job!

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: As I mentioned earlier, they took the pan views of Yorktown way too fast. For the rest of the shots, however, you get some great views of the areas. The shots in space of the hive, the station, and the general mayhem in the first attack were fabulous.

Conclusion: Star Trek Beyond ties the old and new together. They still have issues with bad science. But if you can ignoring those, the film moves well and has plenty for audiences to enjoy. Some lovely in-jokes too!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again)

Movie Review - Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Harrison Ford, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong'o, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Joonas Suotamo, Simon Pegg, and many more.

Directed by: J.J. Abrams Written by: Lawrence Kasdan, J.J. Abrams, and Michael Arndt Based on Characters Created by: George Lucas Cinematography by: Daniel Mindel Music by: John Williams

Premise: Despite the death of the Emperor, years later, the Empire still exists, now called the First Order and led by Supreme Leader Snoke. The Republic has grown and secretly funds/helps the Resistance, who continue their fight against the Empire. Luke Skywalker has disappeared and the Empire wants him found and slaughtered so the extinction of the Jedi can be complete. An old colleague gives the Rebels a piece of a map showing Luke's whereabouts. But the Rebel is caught before he can escape with the information, so he leaves the map with his droid, BB-8. BB-8, a scavenger, and an AWOL stormtrooper will become embroiled in matters bigger than they ever imagined. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Daisey Ridley as Rey and John Boyega as Finn end up doing a very nice job as the extremely reluctant heroes for the film. Harrison Ford shows he's still got it as he reprises his role as Han Solo. Andy Serkis makes for a rather creepy Supreme Leader Snoke. Adam Driver did a fine job as the mercurial Kylo Ren.

It was a ton of fun seeing so many of our old friends again. :)

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: While we always expect larger than life special effects in the Star Wars films, this one wasn't as grandiose, but was filled with a lot of subtle, and no less impressive, effects. They fit so well, it makes them easy to miss. One super cool one was after Rey gets her quarter rations and sprinkles the content of one of the packets into a small bowl of water - and then before our eyes, the powdered dough coagulates and turns into a small loaf of bread she grabs and bites into.

There are several new creatures that get introduced as part of the scenery and the plot. There's a neat bird with an anvil like beak, tentacled monsters in the freighter, and a giant hog like creature drinking water at a trough in Jakku. The bar was also chock full of familiar and new aliens types to look at.

The ships haven't changed much, but we do see a few new ones both in the air and on the ground. Kylo Ren's shuttle is even more intimidating and grandiose than Darth Vader's, almost like he's trying to compensate for something. (*joke*)

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: This story was better than Episode III Revenge of the Clones! Yay! Not that it would take much to be better than Episode III, but I was just happy it was. :P

The film is enjoyable overall and uses our fond memories of the original trilogy to rope us in - though they do get carried away a bit in that respect. (If you cry at movies, make sure to take a hankey with you!) The plot is basically Episode IV with some changes thrown in. Bits get pulled from some of the other films as well, especially Episode V.

The change about how clones are no longer being used for stormtroopers, but rather use newborns taken from their homes and trained from childhood, as well as brainwash them, is stated so quickly, you might miss it. Yet the information is actually an important point with regards to the plot and Finn. Also not stating the fact this was Finn's first mission until late in the film was a mistake - his reactions made no sense during the raid because the audience didn't know he'd never been on one of these missions before. They had other issues with little things like that - inconsistencies or items that didn't add up right or should have been mentioned for clarity. For example: if you're part of the sanitation crew of a large military installation, why would you also get sent out as a stormtrooper to subjugate a town? The First Order didn't look that short handed. And if your giant military installation has to move from sun to sun to get fuel, how do you have trees alive on the surface of it? Several other weird bits ran along the same vein.

They also somewhat spoiled the dramatic scene where Kylo Ren and his father meet up, mostly due to the fact they'd already had Ren take his helmet off when he was with Rey. Boo! And why, oh why, did they decide to make Kylo Ren so super powerful? There was really no need to have him be that ramped up. And  to make it worse, they then seem to forget his uber power later. Not once did he try to do to Rey what he'd done in the forest once before, and had worked so well. Boo! Though I did very much enjoy how it is Ren's own words that reminded Rey she's not alone and thus could get help to defeat her foe.

4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: All the locations we see during the film were excellent. As usual, the integration of real places to those that are painted or computer generated were flawless. The cinematography combined with IMAX and 3D made the vistas lovely to look upon. Though with a desert planet, jungle planet, sort of snow planet, it almost seemed like they were trying too hard to tie back to the previous films though these were new worlds. :P They were still beautiful to look at though!

5) Music - Total Thumbs Up: John Williams is king! Was thrilled to see he did the work on the film score. A lot of the old favorites as well as new tracks! Yay!

Conclusion: Star Wars: The Force Awakens is an enjoyable return to the Star Wars universe. It'll bring back the feelings and emotions evoked on us by the first three original films. It was better than Episode III, so that's something! Heh heh. There are no extra bits at the end or previews for Episode VIII, which is due out in 2017.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

Mind Sieve 9/21/15

Yo!
This will probably be short. For some reason all heck's breaking loose today. No idea what the heck is goin on! Argh!

The Last Witch Hunter Official Trailer #3 - looking better and better! Woot!

The Divergent Series: Allegiant Teaser Trailer - I don't want to get my hopes up. lol.

AIR Official Trailer 1 - looks interesting. 

Hopefully the emergencies of DOOM will stop! What a day!

Mind Sieve 9/7/15 - The It's a Holiday and Slept Late Edition. :P

Yep, this will be a quick one.
It's weird how holiday weekends can be so busy! Heh heh

The 5th Wave Official Trailer #1 - ooooh!  Looks fun! 

Ultraman Official Trailer - woot! 

Kong Official Teaser Trailer - looks interesting! King Kong as an elemental?

Dragon Blade Official Trailer - this one is out as of this weekend at select US locations!

Okay, I think I will leave you with these. Bwahahaha!

Mind Sieve 8/31/15

Something of a hectic weekend. So I am running behind! Doh!

Listening Official Trailer - looks like it might be fascinating!

The Martian Official Trailer #2 - oh yeah!

Deadpool Official Trailer #1 - This is going to be so weird! lol.

Have a great one!

Movie Review: Terminator Genisys

Terminator Genisys 

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, J. K. Simmons, Byung-hun Lee, Dayo Okeniyi, Matt Smith, Courtney B. Vance, Michael Gladis, Wayne Bastrup, and more.

Directed by: Alan Taylor Written by: Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier Based on Characters Created by: James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd Cinematography by: Kramer Morgenthau Music by: Lorne Balfe

Premise: Kyle Reese volunteers to go back in time to save John Connor's mother. She is being targeted by Skynet to stop John Connor from being born and leading the resistance after Judgement Day. Reese thinks he knows what he's walking into, but from the moment he appears in 1984, nothing goes as planned, and Sarah Connor might not actually need his help at all. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Arnold Schwarzenegger reprises his role as model T-800. Arnold looks like he had a ton of fun doing it, too. Fun that translates rather well for the audience, thus increasing our enjoyment. Emilia Clarke was great as Sarah Connor - tough as nails and then some. (The fan geek in me thinks it is somewhat cool that she and Lena Headey are both in Game of Thrones - especially since Lena Headey has also played Sarah Connor!) Jason Clarke did some great bits as John Connor. Jai Courtney was fun to watch as Kyle, as the latter realizes everything he believes is not turning out to be quite like he expected. The fact he has to share Sarah with Pops doesn't go over well either. lol. J.K. Simmons added a nice bit of flavor as O'Brien as well as adding a layer to the time travel bits.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of cool tech both in the future and in 2017. We see Judgement Day happen at the opening recap. Skynet's takeover in those first moments and the view of San Francisco taking a hit looked fantastic. (Have you noticed how poor San Francisco has been the site for all sorts of disasters lately? Is San Francisco taking over the role of "Tokyo"? :P)

The terminator units look as good as ever and then some. Great seeing a bunch of them walking around at once. :) There's a new terminator type we're introduced to during the film, which is very cool. Heck, we even see the best way to actually get rid of a T-1000! All the hardware was fabulous.

Explosions, gun fire from a ton of different types of weapons, shotgun blasts, car chases, helicopter chases (that's new!), crashes, and more. The scene with the bus flipping makes total sense once put in context (seems the cause has actually made one do so in real life). And I have to say that when it is hanging on the edge, they took that old ploy in a somewhat different presentation and it worked great.

They also did a good job recreating several scenes from the original "Terminator" - though they didn't keep anyone with eighties hairstyles. Heh heh.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: While the commercials gave some bits away, there are plenty of other fun surprises that weren't revealed in the previews. Yay!

They start us out with the story as we've always known it, then it takes a twist. (I cannot help myself here. I didn't realize/remember that Matt Smith was in this film. So when I saw him standing there right as they send Kyle Reese back in time all I could think of was "The Doctor has come to watch a major nexus in space/time!" Bwahahaha.)

The main thing most of the Terminator films have in common is playing with time travel. In several ways, what they're trying to do here mirrors plot lines somewhat explored in the "Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles" - artificial intelligence developing outside of Skynet and possibly emotions as well, the ties that bind family, fate, and more.

The only major plot issue I found had to do with the countdown to the release of Genisys (was so glad to find out it wasn't just a typo but a brand!). Normal marketing people would not put out a count down to a release for something that wasn't actually working yet. So that suffered a little, especially when they use it as a 'now running out of time' excuse but it won't intrude until way down the film - so try to ignore it.

Reese gets hit by a car (or it could have been Sarah - hard to tell) but neither seemed to suffer much from it. I'd expect that from a T-800 (and he does!), but not a human. The souped up CAT scan machine was also a surprise, but I could have missed something about that one during the insane chaos at the hospital.

There were a ton of small, funny moments throughout the film - most of them centering on Pops. They were a ton of fun! The silent amo loading testosterone filled throwdown was too funny! I also loved the subtle cues that Pops AI had been developing some skills of its own in the emotion department.

Lots of other subtle touches for Sarah and Reese with regards to combat. Her destruction of plans on her way out, Reese grabbing the bag of guns during the bus escape, little details the two kept track of and they were there if we looked. Nice.

(As an aside - I am betting the person responsible for the deleted files in Pops is Pops Mark II - you'll understand when you get there. Heh heh)

Make sure to sit through part of the credits!!!!  

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Awesome T-800 and T-1000 FU! Need I say more? The whole hospital sequence is a total blast once things get going there. Lots of action, action, action!

5) Music - Total Thumbs Up: Lorne Balfe does a good job of inserting bits of the original Terminator theme and other bits (by Brad Fiedel) while also adding in his own background music. The music department also did a nice job of using music appropriate for the time periods of 1984 and 2017.

Conclusion: If you've enjoyed the other works in the "Terminator" franchise, you should love this new addition. Lots of great robot/android action! Make sure to stay for an extra scene during the credits. The cycle is always a changing, but it does not end. Heh heh

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

Movie Review - Ex Machina

Ex Machina

Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, Corey Johnson, Sonoya Mizuno, Claire Selby, Symara A. Templeman, Gana Bayarsaikhan, Tiffany Pisani, Elina Alminas, and more.

Directed by: Alex Garland Written by: Alex Garland Music by: Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury Cinematography by: Rob Hardy

Premise: Winning a vacation prize at work, Caleb gets to travel to spend a week with the company's founder, recluse, and programming genius, Nathan, at his private estate. But when Caleb gets there, he's told he's there for something else as well. He is to be the tester of Nathan's latest creation. He will be helping to prove, one way or the other, if Nathan has created a true Artificial Intelligence. (Rated R)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Domhnall Gleeson made the perfect foil for Nathan and his test. The character Caleb is like an eager puppy, and Domhnall portrayed that, and some of the later changes, beautifully. Oscar Isaac also did some great work - he was totally creepy and hard to read as the recluse Nathan. Sonoya Mizuno was fab as Kyoko - the longer you watched her the more subtext she conveyed - nice. But it'll be Alicia Vikander that'll steal your heart and soul. She's fantastic as Ava. Tons of lovely facial expressions and nuances. Especially during her transformations - very nice.

(And both Domhnall and Oscar are going to be in the new Star Wars film! Sweet!)

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects in the film are not grandiose or flashy, but this just makes them ever so much more effective. The blending of Alicia and the CGI for Ava's body was fantastic. Much like Chappie in the movie "Chappie", Ava looks real in every way, and you believe she is an android, her body slimmer than a real girl's would be since it is missing a 1/2 layer of skin.

Ava's glowing innards and all the shiny metal and parts were just too darn cool. Loved the small peek we got into the fabrication area, too. The partially liquid brains were awesome!


3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: The film is more of a thought provoking thriller than an action film. Hubby thought from the previews it would be more action packed than it was (as it had minimal action) so it might be something to keep in consideration when deciding if it is for you.

Between the unusual setting, Ava, and all the weird vibes the audience will get from Nathan, the film moves along nicely and will snag the audiences' interest. Several roads of posibilities are presented, and you're never quite sure which one is the real one. So that was nicely played. There were a couple of good twists as well.

Unfortunately, right at the end, they bailed. Hubby and I stared at each other after the credits finished, our minds rolling in confusion. A trick is used by one of the characters. Yet five minutes later, this trick is totally forgotten about and leaves one of them in a situation that really did not exist. There's also a choice made by Ava that clashes with what she shows seconds later. She had no audience, so no reason to fabricate what we see unless it was real. Yet, if it was real, she would not have made the previous choice. So it left a bad after taste and gave us the impression the ending had been tweaked - and not well. Dark endings are fine, but they should also have substance...

It was also really weird that the reclusive owner of a vast empire and creator of this magnificient technology only cooked, spied, drunk, danced, and exercised the whole week. It was bizarre never once seeing him do anything actually techie. o.O

4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The countryside encompassed by Nathan's vast estate was gorgeous. A lof of the house was filmed in different areas of the Juvet Landscape Hotel - and they couldn't have picked a cooler venue. The main room alone, inside a sandstone hollow and covered in glass, was utterly amazing. (Reminded me of one of my homes in Minecraft. :P) Add in the waterfalls, woods, and other lovely views in the protected land area, and the perfect place for science and nature to meet was brought to the screen.

Conclusion: Ex Machina is a disturbing little psychological thriller with some amazing CGI work. The ending doesn't entirely jive, but the film is worth watching for the fun cat and mouse game between the pricipals as well as the location, acting, and CGI.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full of Admission)

Movie Review - Interstellar

Interstellar

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Mackenzie Foy, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, John Lithgow, Anne Hathaway, Bill Irwin, Timothée Chalamet, Wes Bentley, David Gyasi, Matt Damon, and more.

Directed by: Christopher Nolan Written by: Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan Cinematography by: Hoyte Van Hoytema Music by: Hans Zimmer

Premise: Earth has been devastated by a blight that is slowly destroying different types of crops. It's turned much of the world into a dust bowl. With his dreams of space flight reduced to the high tech farming of corn, Cooper gets an unexpected opportunity when chasing down a weird anomaly in his daughter's bedroom. The coordinates from the anomaly lead him to a secret base, one where NASA is being pursuing two different plans to try to save the human race from extinction. And an old colleague has need of Cooper's unusual skill set, but it will mean leaving his family and no guarantee that he will ever see them again in his lifetime. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Matthew McConaughey knocks it out of the park with his portrayal of Cooper, an ex astronaut turned farmer. His deep emotions when watching the videos from his kids are heartwrenching. Mackenzie Foy as young Murph makes the audience connect with her and Cooper, captivating our hearts for the ride ahead. Jessica Chastain as an older Murph ties it all together. Anne Hathaway did a great job as Brand and an even better ying and yang to Brand's father, played by Michael Caine. John Lithgow was endearing and quite amusing as Cooper's father-in-law, Donald.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Most of the effects are quite subtle in nature, with very little flare except in a few spots. But it doesn't make the efforts any less grand. They even use actual real footage of space and weave it in with created content. The look and feel of the spaceships make the film feel like something that could happen tomorrow. The dust storm effects were very well done. And worked excellently with how the dust was used in Murph's room.

The worlds we see are cool in their contrast, even as they end up very much on the same par. The use of the blockish (and quite versatile!) artificial intelligences gave the film a very future feel, even as the AI's themselves grew more human by the moment.

There are several scenes that spin about for realism, but luckily they don't last too long and do give the film a fun and more realistic feel as they largely fit our current modes of space travel.

The wormhole and blackhole were nicely done - some lovely light refractions - but again are done in an understated way. They permeate everything yet aren't blaring. Everything felt very real. And wait until you see the special tunnel towards the end... Nicely done!

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: Science Fiction is about social matters, emotion, and human change as well as science. "Interstellar" definitely fits the definition and even brings the heavy science into play without losing the audience. They bring in things like time dilation, the laws of relativity, and more. The film also explores family, the ties of love, loneliness, keeping or discarding our humanity, and plain human stubbornness - at times one of our best and worst traits.

There's not a lot of information on the Blight aside from quick bits fed to the audience throughout the film. Using interviews from those who lived through the real Dust Bowl was a nice touch and gave a bit of homage to those who experienced those hard times. Gave the whole film a higher level of authenticity.

Most, if not all, of the science was solid and explored a lot of fun bits having to do with quantum physics, gravity, and time. Several big unexpected surprises and lots of hard, emotional moments. If you've ever have gotten tearyeyed at a film, I strongly suggest bringing some tissues.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Mad driving through cornfields, being battered around in space ships, some hand-to-hand fighting, the stunt department was not left without fun things to do.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: In this too there was a lot of subtlety, but still made from some grandiose or beautifully spanning fields of view. The chase of the glider through the cornfields and the view bringing us close and also fanned out visually increased the excitement of the sequence.

Great open shots on each of the planets, making the small areas filmed look like huge open spaces that might never end. The views of the black hole as they neared the system proved again and again the epic scope of their mission. At other times the shots would focus on small details, like the clamps opening and closing as they're unable to lock in place, visual portents of what is soon to come.

Amazing job in setting the different moods as well. Hear, hear!

Conclusion: "Interstellar" has strong science elements going hand in hand with the emotions that drive us, Good and subtle effects make everything seem all the more viable. If you ever get teary eyed at movies, bring tissues! You'll need them! The film is 3 hours or so long, so no giant drinks. :)

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Would Pay Full Price To See Again)

Mind Sieve 9/29/14

Running super late~!

Kingsman: The Secret Service Trailer 2 - I am so looking forward to this one! 

Predestination International Trailer 2 - Had not heard of this one. Looks fun!

John Wick Trailer - do not mess with a man's ride or his dog.  You never know who they might belong to. Hee hee!

Hope to be back in the groove next week!

Movie Review - Lucy

Lucy 

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Min-sik Choi, Amr Waked, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Pilou Asbæk, Analeigh Tipton, and more.

Directed by: Luc Besson Written by: Luc Besson Cinematography by: Thierry Arbogast Music by: Eric Serra

Premise: Studying and partying overseas, Lucy gets forced by her new boyfriend to deliver undisclosed goods in a briefcase to a client. Then her boyfriend is killed before her eyes and Mr. Jang, Richard's client, abducts her. A new product is about to hit the market and Mr. Jang is making sure nothing goes wrong. So Lucy, with three others, is forced to have surgery so they can act as mules for delivering the new drug  into four other countries. When she slaps one of her captors for taking advantage, he stupidly beats her and ruptures the bag inside her. Rather than die of an overdose, Lucy's mind opens, using more of its potential. But the very drug that has opened her world is killing her, so the race to reach 100% brain use before she dies is on. Mr. Jang, however, is not to be thwarted so easily. (Rated R)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Scarlett Johansson should get an Oscar for her work on the first fifteen minutes or so of the film. There is never any doubt that she is a woman utterly terrified by the predicament she finds herself in. She literally shook with her character's fear. A truly amazing piece of acting on her part.

Later in the film, her awesome work in the beginning creates a masterful contrast to the calm, almost detached manner as her character changes. Min-Sik Choi gave me goose bumps. And in a fun turn, he's super calm and cold at the beginning, but by the end of the film he's a frothing madman. Amr Waked was fun as the French police captain caught in the whirlwind that is Lucy 2.0. Morgan Freeman was Morgan Freeman - need I say more?

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects teams did a great job on this film. From the cool cell subdivision sequences to the bubbling organic computer, there were lots of great visuals going on. They also did a great job playing with time and locations as the audience follows Lucy during different sections of her expanding mind. The disassembly of the buildings as time flowed backwards was a very nice sequence. Lucy losing cohesion in the plane was another great bit of CGI.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: Mr. Besson plays a lot with contrasts and contradictions in the film. As I touched on earlier, there's a swapping dichotomy between the character of Lucy and Mr. Jang. You can even see some the same play between Mr. Jang and Captain Pierre, as one can't accept and rebels against the current reality, while the other adapts. There's even a nice loop effect is woven in with regards to Lucy's name.

Some interesting themes get explored - life, death, how to measure worth, what helps keep us human. Yet all the deep talk and themes are wrapped in so much action there's never time to breathe, let alone get bored.

One gimmick employed in the film, especially at the beginning, was the shift of topics without them actually being a real shift. As Lucy argues with her boyfriend about not wanting to do him a favor, then Morgan Freeman lectures about theories with regards to the brain's potential, moving shots or nature, and back again to shifting between each other again - at first the action seems random, but it all slowly coalesces into a tightly related whole. And while this has been tried before and not always to good effect, the use of it in this film was pulled off well and to good effect.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: "Lucy" is filled with stunts. Murder, shoot outs, car chases, airport chases, full out gun battles in hospital hallways and places of learning. They even fire off a bazooka indoors!

Then we have Lucy - with stabbings, beatings, pinning people to ceilings, throwing them across the room, crashing cars, and more stunt inducing fun. Oh, yeah.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: From the streets of Taipei to the streets of Paris, the film had a great variety of locations and flavors. Some good panoramic shots really enhanced the experiences shared with us as Lucy continued on her mental voyage.

Conclusion: "Lucy" is a non-stop thrill ride. Some nice thought provoking science mixed with ugly reality wrapped around a ton of action. The R rating should be taken seriously where kids are concerned. There were enough stunts and flying lead to fill any action film buff's cravings and more.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

Movie Review - Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy

Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio Del Toro, Laura Haddock, and more.

Directed by: James Gunn Written by: James Gunn and Nicole Perlman Based on the Comics by: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning Cinematography by: Ben Davis Music by: Tyler Bates

Premise: Kidnapped from Earth as a boy, a grown Peter Quill decides to scoop a big score and leave the Ravagers behind. But the price on his head and the object he's stolen brings him in contact with a cast of outcasts that will now have to cooperate with one another to escape prison. As the group find themselves in the middle of a game for an object that can destroy worlds, they must decide whether to run or stay and try to make a difference. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Though you'd not normally expect this from a SF movie, this is one of those films where there truly are no small parts - because every line or look is delivered so naturally, even when it's an awkward moment, that they make the scenes pull that much harder at the audience. Kudos.

Chris Pratt played the charming scoundrel expertly. Zoe Saldana was too fun as Gamora and kicked all sorts of booty. Dave Bautista had several lovely one liners, which he delivered beautifully. Bradley Cooper did a great job as Rocket, but he got outdone by Vin Diesel as the second half of this comedy pair. "I am Groot" was served to us in a myriad of ways - the meanings and inflections changing as the movie went on and served nicely by to us by Vin Diesel. Nice job!

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: A fabulous job on all the special effects. I am so in love with Quill's ship! The Ravagers might not be a nice bunch of guys, but they have good taste in small fighters - that sucker hovers and turns like a dream. The main Kree ship was fabulous inside and out - loved the bizarre control system. The mining colony inside the floating giant head was very cool. (Though the concept of them mining flesh and fluids from it was disturbing!) Nova had a lovely capital city. Their one man fighters were also cool, especially when you see how they're used for planetary defense.

Besides ships and cities, the special effects team did wonders with Rocket, and even more so with Groot. Groot was constantly changing, which must have given the special effects peeps fits, but he looked so utterly amazing. Thanos also looked fabulous, especially lording it over Ronan from his throne. The communications screen on the Kree ship was super unusual.

The special effects teams also did a lot of stuff with prosthetics and enhancements which came across very well. The effects of exposure to space looked really amazing, and were a different take from the norm. Oh and Yondu's flying knife? Awesome!

The ruins sequence close to the beginning was awesome on several levels - not only because of the special effects, but also from general creativity, and more besides.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: First they get you with an emotional scene, then a surprising one. Jump to years later and this was one of the most unusual yet fabulous introductions into a story ever! It did wonders to set the mood for the rest of the film and made something expected totally new by adding a little twist.

Corny as some of the lines were, in the right environment and said just right, they'll bring tears. I had to wiped at my eyes in several spots, so they got me 'hook, line, and sinker'.  It's some of the real, life like, clunky relationships and edges between the group that somehow only served to endear them all the more.

The story progresses in the general direction you'd expect, but with some some swipes sideways, which will keep you wondering what the heck they'll get into next.

There are several themes running through the film - some more subtle than others, yet all are part of the fabric that allowed the universe to use such an unusual bunch of heroes to save the day.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of hand to hand combat, gun fights, and knife fights. Even some 'Limb Fu'. CGI stunts here and there, but they were integrated nicely together with the real physical action. Great work overall.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Space is wide and vast and the cinematographer and the special effects teams took full advantage. There were several spots were large things took up the upfront view, and these were layered on even more awesome backdrops. The film makers made full use of the IMAX capabilities for some great jaw dropping scenery.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: The makeup teams really deserve some applause. It's hard to compete against CGI, but they definitely held their own. From the various skin tones (pink, green, blue) to the gorgeous, beveled tattoo overlay on Drax and his bright eyes, they didn't stint on quality. Ronan's off colored skin and dried goo was as captivating as his CGI enhanced purple eyes.

7) Music - Total Thumbs Up: From all the 80's music to the orchestral additions by Tyler Bates, the music and its integration to the plot shows how much attention was paid in what to play, how, and when. Every piece of music served a purpose and added a definite extra level to whatever was going on. It was even weirdly nostalgic.

Conclusion: Guardians of the Galaxy is a fun, action filled SF romp across the universe. Seeing little Groot dance in the credits? Priceless. And make sure to sit through to the end for a special appearance you will never expect. Heh heh.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price to See Again)

MInd Sieve 7/21/14

Greetings, all!

Fan Fun

Campaign for raising funds to make a long Simon's Cat Cartoon at Indiegogo. Should be so cute!!!!

Syfy is doing a TV version of 12 Monkeys! Could be fun!

Sharknado 2 The Second One - official trailer. HAH! Didn't see the 1st one but this one looks fun. lol.

Appleseed Alpha Official Trailer 1 - CGI of the anime/manga series - sweet!

Crimson Skies Official Trailer - Woot! Dragon apocalypse!!!!

The Prince Official Trailer - Oooh!

Writing Advice

From Jami Gold - Building a Character ARC Starts From the End. Great stuff!

Why You Should Act As Your Own Author-Publisher (At Least Once) from Chuck (NSFW) Wendig. Pay close attention to #6 though! There really are no shortcuts. If you're new to writing, you must never assume you actually have a clue - because in the beginning, most of us really don't! :P

Out of time. Stay healthy!

Movie Review - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Starring: Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Toby Kebbell, Keri Russell, Gary Oldman, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kirk Acevedo, Nick Thurston, Terry Notary, Karin Konoval, Judy Greer, Jon Eyez, Enrique Murciano, Larramie Doc Shaw, and more.

Directed by: Matt Reeves Written by: Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver Based on Characters Created by: Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver Based on the Novel by: Pierre Boulle Cinematography by: Michael Seresin Music by: Michael Giacchino

Premise: Ten years after the events depicted in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", Ceasar and the other simians have created a home for themselves in the forest, while humanity has been under siege by a deadly virus strain. Thinking the humans possibly all gone, two apes have an encounter in the forest as a group of humans travelled the woods from a nearby dam. Despite being allowed to return to the city and told not to ever return, Malcolm goes back into the forest to ask permission from Ceasar to fix the dam. What little fuel the humans in the city have is about gone and they're desperate not to slide back into chaos. But though Ceasar is willing for the two factions to get along, there are others who disagree. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1)  Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Andy Serkis did a phenomenal job as Ceasar. Toby Kebbell was brilliant, his switch from hatefilled ape to comical monkey will totally catch you unawares. Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, Kodi Smit-McPhee and others, really sold the wonder, the fear, and the amazement as they spend time with the apes.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The CGI in this film is phenomenal. You forget the apes aren't real. The amount of detail and expressiveness of their features is amazing. They way the apes move, how they land on tree limbs, even making the limb rock from their weight, how they walk and climb, it all looks natural and real. And wait until you see the baby. Wow.

The combat scenes with the humans are as jaw dropping as they were horrifying. The image of Koba on the horse with the rifles and the fire will stick with me for a long time. Really well done. And wait until you see them take the fight above ground.

Tons of gun play and explosions once things go bad. The bus scene was great. The big tower fight sequence was also very good. And the home the apes made for themselves on the cliff looked very cool and seemed an amalgamation of both ancient Medieval castles and ape habitats.

Totally loved the jungled look of the city as well. The view from Ceasar's home toward the city looked fabulous.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: The quick intro did much to set the mood and flashed enough information for the audience that they could get to the actual story quickly and with a good grasp of what's been going on. That they started us with the apes was a good call, letting the audience get a feel for the developing simian culture and the dynamics in play.

A lot of near misses as the two cultures clash, multiple attempt to reach understanding, and sabotage by those clinging to fear and hatred. Then they build it as high as it can go, only to bring it all crashing down and not in the way you'd expect.

Family - both simian and human - are central themes in the film and get explored from several angles. So are fear and hatred for its own sake. Koba shows all that apes are more human than they ever suspected. Well done!

A lot of homage is sneaked in too, harking back to the original films - the apes riding horses, and later toting firearms, humans (and apes!) in cages and other iconic images. The fact Ceasar's son is called Blue Eyes, the name Zira gave the character George Taylor in the 1968 film. So lots of fan fodder to be found.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Apes riding horses, humans and apes shooting, cars exploding, simian and human violence. The CGI and real people were meshed seamlessly making the action and stunts even more awesome.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Some very nice work with the cinematography. From the neat shots of the apes swinging in the trees, to the long shots of the streets filled with simians, humans packed together in a cage of their own making and later one made by apes, even the wide shots of both the human and simian homes - yummy food for the eyes. The moving 360 shot during the heat of combat in the city? Priceless.

Conclusion: "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" not only pays homage to the original films of the 60's but carves out it's own permanent wedge in the franchise. Great effects and solid plot totally entertained.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price to See Again)

Movie Review - Edge of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow

Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Paxton, Jonas Armstrong, Tony Way, Kick Gurry, Franz Drameh, Dragomir Mrsic, Charlotte Riley, Masayoshi Haneda, Terence Maynard, Noah Taylor, and more.

Directed by: Doug Liman Screenplay by: Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butterworth Based on the Novel "All You Need Is Kill" by: Hiroshi Sakurazaka Cinematography by: Dion Beebe Music by: Christophe Beck

Premise: The Earth is being attacked by an alien race that sprang from a meteor that fell from the sky. After a long struggle, Humanity has had its first victory and is amassing all the firepower possible to go on a large, decisive offensive. Major Cage, an ad executive before the war, is told he will be at the offensive so he can report on the progress. Cage balks at going, even trying to blackmail the general into not sending him. This only gets Cage knocked out and sent directly into a misfit group who'll be hitting the beach at the front lines. Surviving for a few minutes longer than many of his compatriots, and getting a lucky kill on an Alpha, Cage then wakes back up almost a full day before his death. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Tom Cruise plays outside his normal zone as Major Cage. The fear and wheedling cowardice of the character, and the way he even tries to act brave only because it might get him out of things, was very well done. Emily Blunt was a lot of fun as Rita. Her unhappiness at having lost the power then her surging hope when she finds out Cage has it, as well as all the awesome expressions of disappointment as she tries to train him all added a lot of flavor. Bill Paxton as Master Sergeant Farrell, along with Terence Maynard were great foils as Cage repeated time. The two men were like mirrors of the changes as Cage replayed the days over and over, their ordered world and expectations kicked out from under them as Cage matured.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up:  Lots of cool special effects in the film - the soldier transport, the exo-suits,  the exercise room, the aliens. The aliens were especially fascinating. They still gave them mouths and two eyes, strangely humanizing them, but this might have been intentional. If they'd not given them obvious eyes, it would have made them ten times more creepy and alien and since the film is rated PG-13, perhaps they didn't want to creep young viewers too much. Still, they way the aliens moved, their octopus like arms, all were awesome work.

Most impressive is the scene where Cage and his troop reach the battle. The chaos was intense, with creatures and men are fighting everywhere. The mini helicopter incident also came out really well. The minivan section, even more so.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: There are a ton of things that I loved about the plot. They even took some movie fallacies and actually gave them reasons for happening and then did things to surprise you on top of it. The hero, for example: Cage is a total coward. Only self preservation propels him once the weirdness kicks in, and if you watch closely, he still tries to weasel out of everything despite the progress he makes. It's a hard won battle for him to finally get past it - it wasn't instantaneous and the signs are there that he's still trying not to be involved. Loved, loved, loved this.

The other aspect that would seem suspect but which they pulled off brilliantly was the aliens having one central main intelligence/hive mind that if defeated humans would win everything. No easy victory here. Despite the fact that one decisive blow could end it all, the creature is aware of this and has taken steps. Major and surprising steps! Even multiples steps! And the humans have to pay a high price to pay to even get a shot at trying to succeed.

Another major point I loved, though it was super understated, was how Cage found out information on those around him to use later. We only see one instance of this, but that one time basically sets the stage for all the others, and explains why he knows things these people would never tell another soul - death side confessions. A lot of them. Gave me chills just thinking about how many times he had to watch them die over and over to get all the info he did.

Time travel is tricky, and while they explain some things, they don't explain all. Again, they give you just enough information to figure things out if you think about them. Hubby and I had a fun discussion afterwards. The altered DNA brought Cage and his memories back each time, but also seemed to bring back his body slightly changed, yet repaired. So muscle memory and other physical skills always came back with him. At the end, a seeming incongruity actually makes sense when you think of the stolen level of power achieved.

Little comedic moments, and just watching how Cage changing changed those around him as he'd come back for yet another round, kept the repetition intensely interesting.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: There were a ton of stunts and a ton of stunt people in most of the 'gags'. Between the explosions, crashing vehicles, and the spinning aliens, there were people running, flying, getting bashed about and more on a pretty constant basis. Like I mentioned earlier, the attack area was chaos personified. It definitely had the feel of the landing at Normandy back during World War II, but even more intense and with aliens,. Great work by everyone.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Filmed mostly in the UK, there were a lot of lovely spots used for the film. Once Cage and Rita realize where they truly need to go, we got some nice sweeps of the French countryside. The Louvre scenes also were nicely done, though in truth, it did give the feel of a sound stage despite the size of the area.

Conclusion: "Edge of Tomorrow" is a great piece of science fiction. Lots of action, stunts, and special effects, dressed around a good solid plot. They even take a couple of bad movie habits and make them work! If you can manage it, definitely see it in IMAX 3D or regular 3D.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price to See Again)

Movie Review - Transcendence

Transcendence

Starring: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Cillian Murphy, Kate Mara, Morgan Freeman, Cole Hauser, Clifton Collins Jr., Cory Hardrict, and more.

Directed by: Wally Pfister Written by: Jack Paglen Cinematography by: Jess Hall Music by: Mychael Danna

Premise: A terrorist group executes simultaneous terrorist acts on scientific labs and scientists working on artificial intelligence. Recent breakthroughs by one of the killed men, however, gives hope to Evelyn Caster as her own husband lays dying from a bullet laced with radioactive material. But the terrorists are still out there and want to stop them, no matter the cost. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: It was a lot of fun watching Johnny Depp as the brainy scientist later turned computer. Rebecca Hall did well as his passionate wife and scientist in her own right, despite the bad writing which pretty much left her with nothing in the second half. Paul Bettany's emotions on both sides of the issues presented were definite bright spots - well done. Kate Mara was very convincing, and even creepy, as the young terrorist leader.

2) Special Effects - Thumbs Up: Special effects were very good, though sadly most of them were nothing we've not seen before. Really nice job with the explosions and the nano repair sequences. The lab scene where we see what Will has been working on came out nicely. Best work though was with the repair work done on Martin. The little machine tubes on the med table moving about on their own was cool and creepy all at once.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Down: Sadly, as my husband put it, the plot of the film was "Beautifully Bad". The movie's premise was interesting, but the bad science and the shortcuts, as well as the turning of Evelyn's character into a passive lump, blackened what good was in there.

Some science fallacy is usually expected in movies, but the glaring holes in this one were too large to ignore. A virus made to destroy specific code infecting most systems might bring the internet and other systems down when it first hits, but reloading the original untainted software and rebooting/repairing other systems would allow us to have technology again - not send us into a new dark age. But sadly, this is the status of the world at the point where they begin the film and eventually circle back to.

With the computing power they claim Will has, and which he continues to exponentially increase, there's no way the terrorists would have figured out where they'd gone, as he could clean up/erase transaction trails even as he made them. And since Will put the FBI onto where many of the terrorists were located so they could be apprehended, he would have known, and taken steps, to help out his friend Max. Yet he never even knew his friend had been taken.

If a bullet is so radioactive it can poison someone to death from just a graze (I'd thought from the commercials he'd taken it in the gut) half the people there with him, and especially the cops handling evidence, would have died too.

The biggest error in my opinion, however, was the character assassination of Evelyn. She was the dreamer, the one who wanted to change the world - but after Will is transferred and comes back, she soon becomes an emotionless lump. When she first discovers what else was done to Martin, all she does is say she can't deal with it. Never once mentions to Will the fact (as the woman with the determination and intelligence we were introduced to would have) that he's bypassing people's freewill. There should have been raging arguments over this alone. But sadly, much like was done to Amidala from the "Star Wars" films - a strong willed woman is presented and then turned into a turnip because her strength and intelligence was no longer convenient to the plot.

And let's not forget the fact the terrorists pretty much brought their own fears to life due to their actions - a fact no one mentions or seem to notice. As Will said, the irony that they would take life to achieve their goals of stopping the creation of artificial life was quite ironic. The fact the main instigator never paid for her crimes? Even more so.


4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Some quick fights as well as explosions dot the film, so some adrenaline gets pumped into the audience here and there. Car flipping and even machine throwing thanks to the nanites livened up a few other scenes as well.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Thumbs Up: There are several gorgeous shots of nature, rivers, mountains, and some lovely CGI representations as well. The town Will picks to 'lay low' at definitely looked to need saving. But though Evelyn spoke of Will buying most of the property of the town, and the amount of work they brought to the place, I was surprised at the lack of improvement of the impoverished town. Worse, the town itself became a sore point in the bad plot when those opposed to the machine decide that's a good place to set up operations. As if Will wouldn't have put surveillance equipment on his properties? (It's even worse due to other reasons I'll leave you to discover on your own.)

Conclusion: Cool premise, horrible execution. Between the bad science and miraculous intelligence gathering efforts of the terrorists after they've ditched their electronic equipment, there sadly wasn't much to love.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Catch it on Cable)

Movie Review - RoboCop

RoboCop

Starring: Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley, Michael K Williams, K C Collins, Samuel L Jackson, Marianna Jean-Baptiste, Aimee Garcia, John Paul Ruttan, Zach Grenier, Patrick Garrow, Jennifer Ehle, Jay Baruchel, and more.

Directed by: José Padilha Screenplay by: Joshua Zetumer Based on the Original 1987 Screenplay by: Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner Cinematography by: Lula Carvalho Music by: Pedro Bromfman

Premise: Getting too close to criminal Antoine Vallon and the cops covering up his crimes, Alex Murphy inadvertently puts himself in the line of fire and is almost killed by a bomb. Omni Corp is trying to find a product that will appeal to the American public and help them bypass the current laws forbidding the sale of robots to law enforment, so they decide to try to make a cyborg, so all parties will get what they want. All they need is a worthy candidate, and Alex Murphy is the perfect candidate for their project. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: There were so many unexpected but wonderful actors in this film. Joel Kinnaman was well cast as Alex Murphy/RoboCop; he showed great range in his emotions as Alex struggled to reconcile himself to his new way of life. Abbie Cornish did some marvelous work as Clara Murphy. Her distress, sorrow, and anger as she attempts to deal with what has happened to her husband were palpable. Gary Oldman as Dr. Dennett Norton was fun to watch as the philanthropist got dragged down the moral ladder due to pride. Michael Keaton was a blast as Raymond Sellars. (I especially enjoyed the in-joke reference to Batman with his preference of black.)

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects work on the film was great. And they stayed faithful to the 1987 film giving homage throughout. The first time Murphy gets up and does the signature turn with the matching sound effects, I almost squealed in delight. Even keeping the big OCP ED 209 robots and making them look close to the originals. Yet it's the image of Alex Murphy when they strip away all the parts of his exoskeleton that will stay with you - a horrifying and yet totally fascinating sight. The little touches with the lungs but especially the throat make it very believable.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: Based on the original script of the 1987 film, in many ways they definitely improved it, but in others they didn't do as well. A lot of what made the first film were the little things in the background, the advertisements, the news commentary--they more than anything spoke of the decline of society and the type of world Murphy lived in. Not a lot of this is seen in the remake, though they did use the character of Pat Novak to get a lot of the same ideas across, even using it to poke at some of what we see right now in our own lives.

Plot wise though, there were many improvements. The seduction of Dr. Norton to the 'dark side' was one of them. Letting us see more of what Clara and David went through was another. Watching Sellars and his dream team wiggle around putting out fires or coming up with ideas was fun, too. The only cheap shot on the plot was the way they set up to have to drop Alex's humanity. Who in their right mind would decide it's a good idea to dump terabytes of information and video into someones brain five minutes before a televised conference? Especially since it's never been done before? But aside from that, I very enjoyed how they changed the script.

I also give them extra kuddos for daring to have someone change their minds and yet not stupidly say so to the bad guy's face and thus avoid painting a giant target on their chest.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: I'm not a fan of shaky cam, but at least they kept its use to a minimum. I'm happy to say it never became an issue. The stunt work looked good regardless, which is always a plus.

5) Music - Total Thumbs Up: Special thanks to the music department and Pedro Bromfman for using the original RoboCop theme and weaving it in and out of the film's score. Just as eclectic as the original soundtrack, this one has a lot to love about it.

Conclusion: RoboCop is worth watching by both fans of the original films and those new to the franchise. Plenty of nostalgia is sprinkled throughout the film for those who saw the 1987 version. Lots of good mental fodder to ponder afterwards. Also check out Omni Corp's website. Loved the Keynote.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again.)

Movie Review - her

her

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Chris Pratt, Matt Letscher, Olivia Wilde, Artt Butler, May Lindstrom, and more.

Directed by: Spike Jonze Written by: Spike Jonze Cinematography by: Hoye Van Hoytema Music by: Arcade Fire Additional Music by: Owen Pallett

Premise: Still suffering after the unexpected end of his marriage, Theodore is depressed and in denial. When he sees an ad for a new artificial intelligence OS, he buys it in the hopes of gaining a companion, even if only a programmed one. 'Samantha' however, ends up becoming more than he ever expected. (Rated R)

Review:

1)  Acting - Thumbs Up: Joaquim Phoenix did a good job as the emotionally stunted and unhappy Theodore, and an even better one projecting against a tiny, portable electronic device. Scarlett Johnasson was fabulous as the voice of Samantha, her voice came across so filled with emotion it didn't matter that she wasn't physically there.

2) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: The story of Theodore and his growing relationship with Samantha is very much an introspective on what makes relationships, but also the definitions of what make us human. This film definitely won't be for everyone, as it is very subjective, and much is left for the audience to decide or envision.

The pace was slow, though I didn't find it inordinately so. The science was a little 'iffy', but again not overtly so. There were many moments filled with humor, and several scenes where something normal was made surreal.

Theodore's job was mind boggling - getting paid to write (with minimal information) other people's letters to family, spouses, and friends. Some of them had been hiring the firm for so long, Theodore helped build the back story to details or affectations they looked back at fondly years later.

Oddly, while incredibly expressive in these letters, in his own life, Theodore is unable to express himself well at all.

Various themes run solidly through the story, most circling around relationships. The next biggest one is not obvious right away, but takes center stage by the end of the film - personal growth.

One of the most endearing characters in the film was voiced by Spike Jonze himself - a little alien boy from Theodore's 3D game. Watching Theodore, the alien boy, and Samantha all interact together was an unexpected treat.

3) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Set in the near future, the choices for locations for the different scenes were excellent. Theodore's apartment has a fantastic view, as if he can see the world but is protected from it by the glass around him. His furniture and decor were half hazard, as if it too suffered from his malaise.

There are vistas from Shanghai and California, and many of them taken from outstanding vantage points. What was around Theodore whenever he ventured out was as entertaining, and sometimes more so, than what was going on.

4) Music - Total Thumbs Up: I totally loved how they integrated the music accompanying the film into the story itself. They did this by making them selections Theodore made, or music created by Samantha to preserve poignant moments. It all fit very well.

Conclusion: "her" is a deep introspective on relationships and personal growth. It's also an odd film. Some will find it worthwhile, but others wont. Either way though, it was definitely thought provoking.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Better for Matinee)  

Movie Review - The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Willow Shields, Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Banks, Sam Claflin, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, Philip Seymor Hoffman, Lynn Cohen, Jeffrey Wright, Amanda Plummer, and more.

Directed by: Francis Lawrence Screenplay by: Simon Beaufoy and Michael Arndt Based on the Novel by: Suzanne Collins Cinematography by: Jo Willems Music by: James Newton Howard

Premise: Close to a year after the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen is still trying to deal with the horror of those death filled days. And President Snow doesn't like how the districts have taken her defiance during the games to heart and have hope again. Under threats to her family and friends, Katniss picks up her fake romance with Peeta to please the president. But every move she makes only displeases him all the more. He wants her removed permanently. Yet it is the new head of the games who comes up with the plan on how she could best meet her end - by using a little known clause of the games and make the 75th Hunger Games one which picks its contestants only from previous winners of the games. And Katniss is the sole, living female winner from District 12, so she has no way out. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: For "Catching Fire" there were several returning characters as well as a bunch of new ones. Jennifer Lawrence totally sold the PTSD's, grief, and other whirlwind emotions flowing through Katniss Everdeen. Josh Hutcherson's Peetah Mellark was earnest, even while battling the bitterness at Katniss's lack of affection for him. Donald Sutherland was delightfully evil as President Snow. Elizabeth Banks was great at showing how Effie Trinket finally realizes that the system they live under might be flawed.

I thought Lynn Cohen gave an amazing performance as Mags - and she never uttered one word. Sam Claflin was also very entertaining, as he kept the audience guessing throughout on just what kind of person he was.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is full of lovely, visual special effects. The 3D map in the game control and the shield dome were but two of many. Others special effect efforts were even more impressive because they didn't even seem like special effects - the crawling fog, the lightning, the waves, and even the baboons all seemed like natural, integral parts of the environment rather than an added element for our entertainment.

The only spot that seemed to have difficulty was not one you'd expect. Katniss is at the top of a tree, looking out at her surroundings. And though she really is in a tree, the forest around her was not. Yet when the images were merged, they didn't blend well at all, and failed in their purpose. It was quite surprising.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: Since I'd not read "Catching Fire" before seeing the film, I'd wondered how they were going to deal with matters as left in "The Hunger Games." I couldn't have been more pleased. Though almost a full year had passed, Katniss is actually shown still trying to deal with what she'd done in the previous games. Suffering from PTSD's, trying desperately to cling to the life she'd hoped to make with Gale, cowed by the enormity of what she is being told is her fault just for trying to survive and save those around her - realistic reactions to the events thrust upon her, and one which most films would not have ventured to show.

The escalation of events, the 'games' Katniss is not aware of which are happening all around her and beyond. The horrible sense of guilt and helplessness as things are given meaning beyond anything she'd imagined and unable to do anything about any of it.

There wasn't much rehashing of things which had gone before, so no slowing of events for those who watched the first film. I think enough is glimpsed in the beginning to at least give new viewers a general idea of what's going on, so they'd be able to enjoy it.

Even the film's title operates on several levels, which was delicious fun. There are even several surprises in store.

4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: In "Catching Fire" we get a glimpse of several of the other districts, each with their own look and feel. The location of O'ahu, Hawaii allowed for a totally different arena than the one used for the first film and looked great. The cinematography took full advantage of the new venue, giving us some really spectacular shots at various points.

5) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: As with the first film, strange clothes and makeup abound. Effie Trinket has more costume changes than lines. Her butterfly dress was utterly amazing. Taking the concept to extremes, even to butterfly eyelashes. I loved the contrast between people like her, and other normal citizens of the Capital vs. the more restrained tastes of those more confident of their status or power.

Conclusion: "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" outdoes "The Hunger Games" with regards to story, intensity, and logic. Lots of power plays and plenty of great visuals to kept us thoroughly enthralled. Sadly, no previews or extra bits in the credits for the next one.

Rating: 4.5 out 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price to See Again) (Been a great season for good movies!)