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Alien: Covenant (2017)
Alien: Covenant (2017)
2017 | Horror, Sci-Fi
Ridley Scott has followed “Prometheus” with the film that eschews the is it or isn’t it a prequel question by firmly establishing its ties to his landmark film “Alien”. The title of the film “Alien Covenant” leaves little doubt as to what franchise this film is connected to and does a very solid job of connecting elements of the franchise without being as nebulous, divisive, and confusing as its predecessor.

The film follows a colony ship named Covenant which is on an extended mission of colonization approximately 7 years away from their destination. A crew of 15 watches over approximately 2000 colonist and frozen embryos as they attempt to build a new life on a distant world. When an unexpected event jeopardizes the ship the crew was revived and forced into action to deal with the unexpected consequences that have arisen. The ship synthetic lifeform named Walter (Michael Fassbender), and crew quickly assess the damage and plot a course to repair the ship and continue on their journey.

During the course of the repairs a garbled transmission is discovered by the ship’s pilot Tennessee “Danny McBride”. What appears to be a human transmission only a relatively short distance away from the ship is too enticing to pass up for Captain Oram (Billy Crudup), even though ship’s officer Daniels (Katherine Waterston), believes that it is simply too good to be true and questions how a planet that seems to meet all of their needs alluded their initial scans. Undaunted, the ship set up to explore the mysterious planet and find a beautiful world that seems to be an ideal fit for colonization. Things take an unexpected change when a dangerous situation arises and before long the crew finds themselves facing an unexpected series of dangers of horrors and unable to evacuate thanks to a violent storm in the area.

They are eventually taken in by the android David (Michael Fassbender), who relays that he has been stranded on planet 10 years following the events of the Prometheus mission. David bonds with his “brother” Walter will the crew try to make sense of the situation as they believe there is much more to the story than they have been told.

When much larger dangers arise the crew must rally to survive against a nightmare situation that has the potential to threaten not only their ship and crew but perhaps all of humanity.
This time out director Ridley Scott has not shied away from giving fans deadly creatures and action that many felt was sadly missing from “Prometheus”. While the film certainly isn’t in the same caliber as “Alien” and “Aliens”, I did find it more enjoyable than the two subsequent films that followed and significantly more enjoyable than “Prometheus”. Yes there are still some nebulous elements to the story that will hopefully be addressed in the subsequent films and one could argue that a good portion of this film was basically a set up for the next film that his planned follow-up. However very strong performances by Fassbender, McBride, and Waterston, as well as the incredible visual effects and highly detailed sets really make this a fun and exciting adventure. While most of the cast does exist is little more than fodder for the various dangers in the film there is effort given to at least give them a little bit of back story and relate ability so you have some sympathy towards their outcome. The mixing of new and familiar creatures bodes very well for the future the franchise and the film was gripping from start to finish and certainly provided plenty of entertainment.

I really love the look of the ship and was intrigued by the potential that the film established as toward the direction of the series. While it does tread on some of the thematic elements of the previous films such as the whole nature of creation and existence, it is not as heavy handed and cerebral and finds a much better balance between horror, action, science fiction, and metaphysical questions.

From a fans perspective this is much more of the film that I was expecting when “Prometheus” was first announced and hopefully this is a very good omen for the direction that future films will follow since the intention has been established of linking the new films to the events of the original movie. If you are fan of the series you will definitely want to check this out as it has been my favorite film of the summer to date and I look forward to seeing it again soon.

http://sknr.net/2017/05/16/alien-covenant/
  
The Tourist (2010)
The Tourist (2010)
2010 | Action, Mystery, Romance
8
5.7 (10 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Frank Tupelo, played by Johnny Depp, is a math teacher from Wisconsin who decides to take a vacation in Italy, in hopes of mending his broken heart. While traveling on a train bound for Venice, he befriends an interesting and mysterious woman who sits next to him. Elise Clifton-Ward, played by Angelina Jolie, has been on the run from the mob and the British police for the past couple of years because her lover, Alexander Pearce, embezzled over $2 billion from a mobster. The British police want their cut for taxes owed, but without really knowing what Alexander looks like, the police are essentially just waiting for Elise to make contact with him.

Elise picks Frank to play a part in her plans of steering the mob and the British police in a different direction. After arriving in Venice, they both go their separate ways, but still end up finding each other later while Frank is sightseeing. Elise invites him on her boat and then takes him back to her hotel. They share a few passionate moments as Elise attempts to make the police who are spying on them believe that Frank is really Alexander. When Frank awakens the next day, he realizes that Elise is gone. This is where the action begins. Not only are the police after Frank, so are the mobsters from whom Alexander stole, making for a messy situationi for Frank. With a lot of great twists and turns in this movie as well as smart dialogue, The Tourist succeeds in putting a smile on your face while keeping you on the edge of your seat.

Angelina Jolie’s Elise Ward knows the power of her beauty and uses it to her great advantage. The strong supporting cast includes the likes of Paul Bettany, Timothy Dalton and Steven Berkoff. Unlike most of Johnny Depp’s other movies where he exudes confidence, he is like a lost puppy being chased for something he is unaware of doing. I do have to say that I am always able to see some of Depp’s most famous character, Captain Jack Sparrow, shine through in his current roles. If you watch closely during a chase scene, he starts to run away from the mob exactly as Captain Jack would. Or maybe that’s just how Johnny Depp runs.

Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, who makes great use of spectacular views and locales, The Tourist is a great action-adventure with storyline that keeps you interested. Sharp, witty dialog and two of the hottest stars playing the leads make The Tourist a movie worth watching.
  
Source Code (2011)
Source Code (2011)
2011 | Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi
8
7.4 (13 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Following upon his breakout success with the film Moon director Duncan Jones has returned with Source Code and has proven that he is not a one-hit wonder but also a talent on the rise.

The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Colter Stevens who, after waking up on a train, finds himself disoriented and unable to identify his travel companion, the attractive Christina Warren (Michelle Monaghan), who sits across from him eagerly discussing things they appear to have spoken about previously.

Taking a quick survey of his surroundings, Colter finds out that he is on a train heading to Chicago and that he cannot explain how he ended up where he currently is. Colter is not given much time to ponder his situation as the train is suddenly rocked by a massive explosion and he finds himself engulfed in a wall of flame. Shortly thereafter Colter awakens and finds himself upside down and strapped into what appears to be a cockpit of some sort.

A voice soon fills the cockpit, followed by the face of the woman he can’t identify on a video monitor. Unable to ascertain what is going on, a frantic Colter only recalls that he was a helicopter pilot on mission in Afghanistan. The mystery woman (Vera Farmiga) tells him that he is now part of a top-secret project that is attempting to unravel the mystery behind the bombing of the train.

Before he can ask too many questions, Colter once again finds himself back on the train with Christina and the same sequence of events occur before the train is engulfed by devastating fireball. When he once again awakens in his cockpit, Colter learns that the project he’s involved with can send him back in time 8 minutes into the body of someone on the train. He will be sent back time and time again to relive those final 8 min. in an effort to determine who is responsible for the bombing.

Despite his protests, Colter relives the events each time looking for new clues and each time ending up engulfed in the fireball and awakening in his cockpit. Eventually after numerous trips to the past Colter becomes obsessed with not only getting to the bottom of the mystery but with saving Christina to whom he is becoming attached through their numerous 8 minute interactions. Colter is also desperate to determine his exact situation as he has no memory of how he ended up in the program and finds himself not only trying to solve the mystery of the bombing, save Christina, but also fill in the gaps in his memory.

What follows is a fast-paced, character-driven adventure film that relies on the interaction’s between the two leads rather than special effects to carry the film. Gyllenhaal and Monaghan have good chemistry with each other and the film has some nice twists and turns that will keep the audience engrossed even if the concepts of time travel and temporal mechanics escape them.

Jones keeps the film moving at a brisk pace and it does not drag or overstay its welcome. Like Moon, Jones has based the film around a leading man who is facing isolation and questioning his mental state. With what could’ve been a dumbed-down action film, Jones has exceeded expectations and produced a smart and innovative action thriller with a touch of science fiction and romance thrown in, a winning combination that makes for a very enjoyable film.
  
Dick Wilde 2
Dick Wilde 2
Shooter
When I hear people talk about V.R. being just a fad and saying that they do not see the reason for it, I often tell them while it is not for everyone; there are some very good games and experiences out there and the technology continues to improve and become more and more affordable.

For those who own a PSVR gaming system; there are numerous quality V.R. games available as the system has a number of great exclusives as well as some that are available for other V.R. platforms as well.

Dick Wilde 2 is a fun, challenging, and action filled adventure that casts players as the title character as you travel on your raft down rivers and waterways. Of course the areas are inhabited by all sorts of debris and mutated creatures so players have to shoot first and fast in order to survive.

Should a player make it to the end of the level; then they can by health, armor, new weapons, and more to help them better survive the challenges ahead. Using the Playstation Move Controller in a guns akimbo style; players start with dual pistols and can add shotguns, machine guns, and other weapons to the mix to use in pairs or to alternate. The shotguns for example do great damage; but are slow to fire. The machine guns spew bullets at an amazing rate but are not the most accurate of choices which for moving targets and incoming projectiles makes things a challenge.

The country themed humor and abundance of enemies and locales makes the game lots of fun and it is great to look around your V.R. raft and see the detailed amount of decorations that are along for the ride.

Players will also get the option to select which path to take during levels and can also opt to play the game in a multiplayer setting with another player.

One of the best endorsements I can give for the game is that my wife took a turn playing it and played through several sessions of the game. This is unique in while she does play games; she had not played a V.R. game since doing a demo before the PSVR was released at PAX as she found it gave her a headache. The new system updates have alleviated that and she played several other titles as well that evening.

The cartoon style graphics work well within the setting of the game and it is tons of fun to play as well as a real challenge at times.

If you own a V.R. system, I highly suggest Dick Wilde 2 as it is great shooter and lots of fun.

http://sknr.net/2019/03/17/dick-wilde-2-psvr/
  
Lightyear (2022)
Lightyear (2022)
2022 | Action, Adventure, Animation
9
7.3 (12 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The digital magicians at Pixar have returned with an origin story of one of their most famous characters. “Lightyear” opens with an explanation that Andy from “A Toy Story” was given a toy based on his favorite movie in 1995 and that this is the movie upon which the toy was based.

With that explanation out of the way, the film centers on a giant ship deep in space that encounters a planet and awakens Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear (Chris Evans) to investigate. Along with a fellow ranger and a recruit, Buzz scopes out the planet only to discover it is hostile and makes a hasty exit from the planet. Unfortunately, in doing so their ship is damaged and they are left stranded on the planet and forced to establish a colony.

Years later Buzz is about to undergo a test flight based on a new fuel that the colony hopes will replicate their previous source and will allow them to travel at the insane velocities needed to cover millions of light-years.

Things seem to go as planned until a critical failure and Buzz learns that his four-minute flight actually covered several years on the planet. Undaunted Buzz tries again and again and returns to find his friends aging, having children, and passing away with only his robotic cat Sox (Peter Sohn) to keep him connected to his past and assist him.

While this would make for an interesting enough film it is actually just the setup to the larger story which involves a hostile Robot army and an evil menace named Zurg who threatens Buzz and his hastily assembled team of volunteers to save the day.

The film has amazing animation and all the humor and charm that one associates with the best Pixar films and is not above giving the audience an emotional tug here and there along the way as I can remember more than a few Pixar films that caused audiences to tear up.

Since this is the first of the last three Pixar films to make a cinematic release it would be easy to say that it is a return to form for Disney/Pixar but I would say that is an understatement as the film mixes humor, action, and interesting characters to form a very enjoyable and engaging adventure which is one of the most satisfying Pixar films in recent memory and one every bit worthy of their name.

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for this crew as I would very much like to see Buzz and his crew return for new adventures soon as “Lightyear” is a new Pixar classic that the entire family will love.

4.5 stars out of 5
  
    Grandma's Kitchen

    Grandma's Kitchen

    Education and Games

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    Cook up fun and learning in Grandma's Kitchen! Bake together some compound words, snatch healthy...

Into the Fire
Into the Fire
Gregg Hurwitz | 2020 | Thriller
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Evan Heads Into the Fire for His Latest Client
As this book opens, Evan is planning to retire. He is going to take on one last case to help someone in trouble, but then he is out. Now, it’s just a matter of waiting for a phone call from his new client. That phone call comes from Max Merriweather. Max’s cousin Grant was just brutally killed, but he left Max with a mysterious envelop that should only be opened if Grant has died. The problem is, someone else knows that Max has the envelope, and now they are after Max. Evan uses his usual tricks to find out who is after Max, but will his final case be that simple?

Every time I open one of these books I am in awe once again at how well drawn the characters are. Evan and the people who populate his world come vividly to life and continue to grow, which includes Max and the people he brings into this story. But the book never forgets it is a thriller with plenty of action scenes and twists that kept me reading as quickly as I could. Everything comes together for a satisfying climax while setting up Evan’s next adventure. Yes, the book does include more language and violence than I typically read, but I expected that going in. I was surprised at some of the lighter scenes involving Evan’s neighbors. These scenes always break the tension of the story while helping us get to know Evan better, but we got some of the funniest scenes with the neighbors yet. If you aren’t already reading Gregg Hurwitz, you need to fix that. This book is nothing short of superb.
  
    MoBu - Adventure Begins

    MoBu - Adventure Begins

    Games and Entertainment

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    Meet MoBu, the laziest ape in the jungle, who has the appetite of 5 elephants. One day MoBu meets a...

    Atom Run

    Atom Run

    Games and Entertainment

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    "In 2264, an unprecedented disaster put an end to all living things. Only the robots survived - but...

In Our Stars (The Doomed Earth #1)
In Our Stars (The Doomed Earth #1)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
If you were to ask me to name a Jack Campbell series of books, or main character in said series, I probably would have said somebody like 'Black Jack' Geary, the main protagonist of his 'Lost Fleet' series and it's spin-offs ("Beyond the Frontier" and "Outlands", with guest appearances in "The Lost Stars" or following his ancestors in "The Genesis Fleet").

Which mad it all the more surprising, to me, that there is absolutely no mention (yet) of him or his ancestors in this, the first in the latest series by the author.

What we have, instead, is a sci-fi (natch) time travel romance action-adventure, following the 'Alloy' (Human with non-Human DNA) Genji who is somehow thrust back in time following her witnessing of the destruction of Earth, and is now on a self-imposed mission to change the circumstances leading to said destruction.

In the 'present day' (our future) of the novel, she meets semi-disgraced officer Kayl Owen of the space fleet the Earth Guard, who - unlike his superiors - is not concerned about the non-human DNA in her make-up.

Surviving numerous assassination attempts and growing closer along the way, the two characters are attempting to change the future (I was getting shades of The Terminator here, with "The future is not set ... There is no fate but what we make..."), uncertain if even doing so will lead to Genji no longer even existing.

I'll be following this series with interest.