[7] Dogs and cats have been wiped out in a plague and apes have replaced them as pets. More like slaves, actually. Conquest is the least feasible scenario in the original Apes saga, but if you can swallow the setup, the movie turns out to be another solid sci-fi flick. Roddy McDowall returns, not as Cornelius (who died in the last movie), but as his …
[5] This live-action Disney flick starts off interesting, with a 12-year old boy suddenly finding himself eight years in the future without having aged a day. Turns out he was the target of an alien abduction, and his abductor now needs his help to get home. The last half of the movie sees the boy flying around in a space craft with an incredibly annoying …
[5] The last film in the original Apes franchise is also the most disappointing. Roddy McDowall returns as Caesar, trying to lead apes and humans in peaceful coexistence. It’s interesting to see how the movie ties into all the previous installments, but it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. It also looks and feels cheap. Budget cuts make the final battle look like a …
[7] SPOILER REVIEW: The original Blade Runner is one of the finest motion pictures ever made, so the thought of Hollywood making a sequel 35 years later made my skin crawl. But color me surprised. While it pales in comparison, the sequel is actually far better than I would ever have imagined or hoped it could be. Ryan Gosling stars as an android Blade Runner, …
[5] Hardware is a stylish, low-budget British sci-fi film about a man, a woman, and a deadly robot. It’s hard to shake memories of The Terminator, even though the tone of the piece is quite different. There are some interesting sexual overtones at play. Before the droid goes on the rampage, it watches the human couple (Dylan McDermott and Stacey Travis) making love. Later, when …
[8] Contact is a message-driven movie that may be too esoteric for a lot of mainstream moviegoers. It’s a character-driven drama with only a few moments of your typical blockbuster spectacle — but I applaud the movie for daring to tangle in an exploration of science vs theology. Jodie Foster gives an impassioned performance as Ellie Arroway, an astronomer (and atheist) who discovers a message …
[6] This first Planet of the Apes sequel is a mixed bag, but the second half wins me over. The first half of the movie is an uninspired retread of the first film, with James Franciscus replacing Charlton Heston as the main character. I like Franciscus. He manages to convey bewilderment and horror without overacting the way Heston does. The movie starts to distinguish itself …
[6] As the sequel to an almost perfect film, Back to the Future: Part II naturally comes up short. While it lacks the heart and coherence of the first film, it’s wild with ideas and invention, both on screen and behind the scenes. The plot is twisted, thrusting Doc Brown and Marty into the year 2015, then to an apocalyptic alter-1985, and finally back to …
[7] The Box is weird, anachronistic, and indulgent, but I’d be lying to say I didn’t dig it. This is the third film from writer/director Richard Kelly, who created a cult phenomenon with Donnie Darko, but then flopped big time with the scatter-brained Southland Tales. The Box is intrinsically retro, based on an episode of the original Twilight Zone TV series (“Button, Button”, written by …
[6] Terminator: Salvation is passable summer entertainment held together by a sliver of thematic sci-fi integrity and a strong supporting performance by Sam Worthington (Avatar). Why Christian Bale opted into this movie is beyond me — it’s a thankless role. He’s easily outshined by Worthington, whose character carries all the dramatic weight of the story. Anton Yelchin, as a young Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn’s character …
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