Category: Sci-Fi
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Ex Machina (***) – Where there’s a will…
Ex Machina – 2015 Written and Directed by Alex Garland Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, Sonoya Mizuno Ex Machina scratched an itch I’ve had since seeing that Gleeson and Isaac were added to the ever-expanding list of new actors entering the Star Wars universe. There has been a pretty good track record of actors added to the burgeoning…
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Jupiter Ascending (**): Plateaus quickly, then sinks under its own insignificance
Jupiter Ascending – 2015 Written and Directed by The Wachowskis Starring Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Tuppence Middleton, Maria Boyle Kennedy, James D’Arcy, Gugu Mbatha-Raw Jupiter Jones (Kunis) is the daughter of a broken young Russian couple. When her father is killed while she is in the womb, her mother journeys with the rest of the family…
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The Giver (***) begat Pleasantville
The Giver – 2014 Director Phillip Noyce Starring Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Brenton Thwaites, Cameron Monaghan, Odeya Rush, Alexander Skarsgård, Katie Holmes, Taylor Swift Screenplay Michael Mitnick, Robert B. Weide based on the book by Lois Lowry The Giver is one of the original modern teen dystopian tales, where a society has been created from the ruins of the old one. This time,…
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The Maze Runner (****) stays on a true course
The Maze Runner – 2014 Director Wes Ball Starring Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Will Poulter, Ki Hong Lee Screenplay Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers, T.S. Nowlin based on the book by James Dashner Never having read The Maze Runner, word has it that the series is one of the better in the immense wave of dystopian stories that have consumed mass…
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Interstellar (****) is cautiously ambitious, and laden with love
Interstellar – 2014 Director Christopher Nolan Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, Michael Caine, Josh Stewart, Wes Bentley, David Gyasi Written Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan There are lots of interesting ideas presented with Interstellar. Of all things, the film starts with a future that echoes our perilous past. Crops are set afire, the air filled with swirling…
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Big Hero 6 is better than its individual parts
Big Hero 6 – 2014 Director Don Hall, Chris Williams Starring Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Daniel Henney, T. J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans, Jr., Génesis Rodríguez, James Cromwell Screenplay by Robert L. Baird, Dan Gerson and Jordan Roberts A Marvel property produced entirely by Disney, Big Hero 6 is a treasure in the cinematic universe for both companies. Using a completely original concept…
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Edge Of Tomorrow (***1/2): Try, try again…
Edge of Tomorrow – 2014 Director Doug Liman Starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Noah Taylor Screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth based on All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka First thing’s first. Edge of Tomorrow is a likable film. Tom Cruise puts everything into it, just like usual. Cruise’s Major William Cage is a mouthpiece…
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Guardians of the Galaxy (*****): Super Awesome Mix, Vol.1
Guardians of the Galaxy – 2014 Director James Gunn Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio del Toro, Peter Serafinowicz Screenplay Gunn & Nicole Perman I just saw the movie event of the summer. And I waited until I saw it…
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Transcendence: We, Frankenstein
Transcendence – 2014 Director Wally Pfister Starring Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Cole Hauser, Clifton Collins, Jr. Screenplay Jack Paglen Transcendence is the kind of film that tries to answer the question about man’s want to supersede the limitations of human frailty. The path taken is a transfer of consciousness of Dr. Will Caster…
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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Haven’t they already Risen?
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – 2014 Director Matt Reeves Starring Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee Screenplay Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a contemplative work that changes everything about the original while giving a stronger set of characters.…
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 