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Fred (860 KP) rated Alita: Battle Angel (2019) in Movies
May 10, 2019
Love it
Based on the manga "Gunnm", Alita: Battle Angel tells the story of a female cyborg. It takes place against a beautiful cyberpunk world called Iron City. It truly is a sight to see. But the true sight is Alita herself. She's beautifully animated & played excellently by Rosa Salazar. Chirstoph Walz was Christoph Walz. Actually, everyone was pretty good. The effects are phenomenal. The story is good as well, although there was no need for the love-story at all. It didn't move the story at all. I do hope there is a sequel made. Seeing this also makes me hopeful for a live-action version of Bubblegum Crisis in the future.
Danny Mulligan (31 KP) rated Altered Carbon in TV
Apr 12, 2020
Its different
More than 300 years in the future, society has been transformed by new technology, leading to human bodies being interchangeable and death no longer being permanent. Takeshi Kovacs is the only surviving soldier of a group of elite interstellar warriors who were defeated in an uprising against the new world order. His mind was imprisoned for centuries until impossibly wealthy businessman Laurens Bancroft offers him the chance to live again. Kovacs will have to do something for Bancroft, though, if he wants to be resurrected. Bancroft's request of Kovacs is to solve a murder -- Bancroft's. "Altered Carbon" is based on Richard K. Morgan's cyberpunk noir novel of the same name.
David McK (3222 KP) rated Mortal Engines (2018) in Movies
Sep 18, 2021
Cyberpunk sci-fi movie that should really have been a series, set in the far future centuries after the cataclysmic sixty-minute war and where there are now two main kinds of settlements: the 'traditional' (here, viewed - at least initially - by the main protaganist as barbaric) and mobile: giant cities (London is one) powered by some form of locomotion, who pursue a philosophy of Municipal Darwinism ie hunt down and consume smaller cities to provide supplies and materials.
The problem, however, is that this movie just tries to pack too much into its runtime; too much if the action from the source book on which it is based, with the result that the characters never really seem to develop all that much and, in some cases, are given short shrift (which is why I feel a series would have been better).
Good effect, though.
The problem, however, is that this movie just tries to pack too much into its runtime; too much if the action from the source book on which it is based, with the result that the characters never really seem to develop all that much and, in some cases, are given short shrift (which is why I feel a series would have been better).
Good effect, though.
Nick Friesen (96 KP) rated Blade Runner (1982) in Movies
Jul 13, 2017
Dark and gorgeous setting (4 more)
Harrison Ford
Thought-provoking premise
That moody Vangelis score
Rutger Hauer
Best in Class Cyberpunk Neo-Noir
Most Sci-Fi fans these days probably rank Blade Runner somewhere in their top five favorites. Its status and influence on Sci-Fi, especially in the Cyberpunk sub-genre, is undeniable. When it was first released in 1982, however, it was not so well appreciated. It was met with polarized reviews and underwhelming domestic box office figures. This was probably due to some misplaced expectations of the movie. The studio erroneously marketed Blade Runner as an action/adventure, and not to mention, Harrison Ford was riding the fame of another Sci-Fi franchise that was much more action-oriented. It's no surprise then, that audiences and critics alike were initially turned off by the slow-burn pacing of detective noir that Blade Runner pulled into a science fiction setting. Today, Blade Runner is a celebrated masterpiece of filmmaking and adored by fans around the world. However, with a sequel coming soon, those new to the franchise might be a little confused due to the existence of multiple versions of the film. Let's clear that up a bit.
Fast-forward ten years to 1992, when the world received the Director's Cut of the film. At the time, Blade Runner had picked up in popularity through video rental and the international market, and the studio was prompted to release an official Director's Cut after an unofficial version was being made available from a workprint. The Director's Cut was the first introduction to Blade Runner for a whole new generation, including myself.
Fast-forward fifteen more years to 2007, when Ridley Scott brought Blade Runner fans his definitive version of the movie, the Final Cut. Blade Runner: The Final Cut was digitally remastered and reworked by Ridley Scott with complete artistic freedom, whereas the Director's Cut was created by the studio without his involvement. This version fixes some technical problems that persisted from the theatrical version to the Director's Cut, and adds back a little story to better fulfill Ridley Scott's original vision for the film.
If you're looking to get into Blade Runner before Blade Runner 2049 hits theatres in October, the Final Cut is probably the best place to start. It offers the most cohesive viewing experience, complete with restored visuals. Believe me when I tell you there is no movie quite like Blade Runner. Watching Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) track down and "retire" replicants on the streets of a dystopian Los Angeles awash in neon signs never ceases to fill me with awe. Rutger Hauer's performance as the main antagonist, Roy Batty, is both chilling and thought-provoking, making viewers question what being human truly means.
Blade Runner is now widely considered to be not just the first example of Cyberpunk in film, but also the best. And for good reason, as every frame is a work of art, and the philosophical questions it first posed 35 years ago are still being debated today. Us die-hard fans can only pray the upcoming sequel doesn't completely obliterate the mystery and pathos of the replicant condition.
Fast-forward ten years to 1992, when the world received the Director's Cut of the film. At the time, Blade Runner had picked up in popularity through video rental and the international market, and the studio was prompted to release an official Director's Cut after an unofficial version was being made available from a workprint. The Director's Cut was the first introduction to Blade Runner for a whole new generation, including myself.
Fast-forward fifteen more years to 2007, when Ridley Scott brought Blade Runner fans his definitive version of the movie, the Final Cut. Blade Runner: The Final Cut was digitally remastered and reworked by Ridley Scott with complete artistic freedom, whereas the Director's Cut was created by the studio without his involvement. This version fixes some technical problems that persisted from the theatrical version to the Director's Cut, and adds back a little story to better fulfill Ridley Scott's original vision for the film.
If you're looking to get into Blade Runner before Blade Runner 2049 hits theatres in October, the Final Cut is probably the best place to start. It offers the most cohesive viewing experience, complete with restored visuals. Believe me when I tell you there is no movie quite like Blade Runner. Watching Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) track down and "retire" replicants on the streets of a dystopian Los Angeles awash in neon signs never ceases to fill me with awe. Rutger Hauer's performance as the main antagonist, Roy Batty, is both chilling and thought-provoking, making viewers question what being human truly means.
Blade Runner is now widely considered to be not just the first example of Cyberpunk in film, but also the best. And for good reason, as every frame is a work of art, and the philosophical questions it first posed 35 years ago are still being debated today. Us die-hard fans can only pray the upcoming sequel doesn't completely obliterate the mystery and pathos of the replicant condition.
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Ergo Proxy in TV
Jul 18, 2020
Ergo Proxy is a Japanese anime series of 23 Episodes.
Earth had become un-inhabitable and the remaining humans live in the Utopian domed city of Romdo aided in their lives by autoReiv's, androids that act as anything from butlers to children. However, things in Romdo are not as idyllic as they seem, the AutoReiv's are being infected with a virus that gives them emotions, the ruler is close to death and mysterious monster known as a proxy is on the loose . It falls to Re-l Mayer, a female detective and her friends, Vincent Law, an immigrant and Pino, an autoReiv child to go down to the the dead planet and find out the secrets of the Proxy's.
Ergo Proxy is a philosophical story that is almost always questioning what it is to be human, the story is very slow paced giving the characters time to reflect on what is happening.
There are a few times where the plot seems to contradict its self but these issues are solved by the final episode.
The characters are interesting and the story draws on inspiration from other works such as Pinocchio, the Wizard of Oz and Icarus all mixed together in a dystopian, cyberpunk future.
Earth had become un-inhabitable and the remaining humans live in the Utopian domed city of Romdo aided in their lives by autoReiv's, androids that act as anything from butlers to children. However, things in Romdo are not as idyllic as they seem, the AutoReiv's are being infected with a virus that gives them emotions, the ruler is close to death and mysterious monster known as a proxy is on the loose . It falls to Re-l Mayer, a female detective and her friends, Vincent Law, an immigrant and Pino, an autoReiv child to go down to the the dead planet and find out the secrets of the Proxy's.
Ergo Proxy is a philosophical story that is almost always questioning what it is to be human, the story is very slow paced giving the characters time to reflect on what is happening.
There are a few times where the plot seems to contradict its self but these issues are solved by the final episode.
The characters are interesting and the story draws on inspiration from other works such as Pinocchio, the Wizard of Oz and Icarus all mixed together in a dystopian, cyberpunk future.
Lou Grande (148 KP) rated Upgrade (2018) in Movies
Jun 15, 2018
The best William Gibson movie not written by William Gibson
My boyfriend and I saw this the other day, and I can't believe how poorly it's doing at the box office! This was a great movie. The feel of it was very cyberpunky, but not so in-your-face as the very awful Ghost in the Shell adaptation. Leigh Whannell directed and produced, so it has some of the same Saw graphic violence, which I think sits well with the cyberpunk genre. The entire concept is based around human and machine adaptation, and where the line should be drawn--or rather, the dangers of letting it go too far.
The atmosphere is really well developed: we see the poor parts of the city being grungy and dangerous, while the upper crust benefits from the best technology. Almost all humans have been modified in some way, except for our protagonist. In the beginning, anyway. Anyone who has watched the trailers knows that he becomes paralyzed, and then his spinal cord is "reattached" using Stem, a "widget" that allows his brain to communicate with his limbs. It also makes him a ninja.
But that's not really the core of the story. At its heart, Upgrade is a mystery wrapped in a cautionary tale. I'll take this over Johnny Mnemonic any day.
The atmosphere is really well developed: we see the poor parts of the city being grungy and dangerous, while the upper crust benefits from the best technology. Almost all humans have been modified in some way, except for our protagonist. In the beginning, anyway. Anyone who has watched the trailers knows that he becomes paralyzed, and then his spinal cord is "reattached" using Stem, a "widget" that allows his brain to communicate with his limbs. It also makes him a ninja.
But that's not really the core of the story. At its heart, Upgrade is a mystery wrapped in a cautionary tale. I'll take this over Johnny Mnemonic any day.
Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) rated ONI in Video Games
Aug 30, 2019
An overlooked bungie Gem that was too ahead of its time.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Oni is a third person action videogame developed by Bungie (west).
Released in 2001 it was Bungie wests ONLY game!?
The game focuses on shooting and hand to hand combat as you take on a reasonable amount of enemies, the gun controls are rather terrible and the combat controls are great providing you actually manage to land a strike.
ONI was originally planned to be released just for Mac, OS and Windows but was later ported to ps2 through Rockstar Canada.
The game was heavily inspired by Anime classics 'Ghost in a Shell' and 'Akira' which is very noticeable from the cover and beginning of the game (and also being set in a cyberpunk world).
Story:
Taking place in the year 2032, the world has become a dystopia due to pollution leaving very little of the planet habitable.
In order to solve the Global economic crisis, all nations formed under one banner....the world coalition government.
You play as agent Konoko (voiced by Amanda winn-Lee) a member of the TCTF (Technological Crimes Task Force), working against a crime organisation known as The Syndicate. Whilst blasting through enemies konoko begins to unravel secrets promoting more questions than answers.
Released in 2001 it was Bungie wests ONLY game!?
The game focuses on shooting and hand to hand combat as you take on a reasonable amount of enemies, the gun controls are rather terrible and the combat controls are great providing you actually manage to land a strike.
ONI was originally planned to be released just for Mac, OS and Windows but was later ported to ps2 through Rockstar Canada.
The game was heavily inspired by Anime classics 'Ghost in a Shell' and 'Akira' which is very noticeable from the cover and beginning of the game (and also being set in a cyberpunk world).
Story:
Taking place in the year 2032, the world has become a dystopia due to pollution leaving very little of the planet habitable.
In order to solve the Global economic crisis, all nations formed under one banner....the world coalition government.
You play as agent Konoko (voiced by Amanda winn-Lee) a member of the TCTF (Technological Crimes Task Force), working against a crime organisation known as The Syndicate. Whilst blasting through enemies konoko begins to unravel secrets promoting more questions than answers.
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated Walk in the Flesh in Books
Feb 21, 2018
***NOTE: I was provided a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review***
In Walk in the Flesh, Neil, an ex-soldier on the brink of death, is given the chance to live on and exact revenge on the people who killed his wife in a terrorist attack. The British government will use nanotechnology to insert his consciousness into host bodies, allowing him to carry out covert missions undetected. Now, besides becoming a perfect killing machine, Neil has also become a monster. Or perhaps he was one all alongย
The story has a very scary premise ย and one that technology might not be too far away from making a possibility. There is no shortage of action in this thriller, and I was caught up in it right away. The story moves quickly, but it takes a while to really understand what is happening with Neil. Eventually the reader knows more about him than he does himself. The most suspenseful bits come near the end when he has a young woman travelling with him, and youยre left guessing at his motivations.
There were a few editing issues. Once or twice I had to re-read a sentence due to a missing word, but the issues were infrequent or the story kept moving well enough for me not to notice too much.
If you enjoy military adventure novels, cyberpunk, or techno-thrillers, this one is worth a read.
In Walk in the Flesh, Neil, an ex-soldier on the brink of death, is given the chance to live on and exact revenge on the people who killed his wife in a terrorist attack. The British government will use nanotechnology to insert his consciousness into host bodies, allowing him to carry out covert missions undetected. Now, besides becoming a perfect killing machine, Neil has also become a monster. Or perhaps he was one all alongย
The story has a very scary premise ย and one that technology might not be too far away from making a possibility. There is no shortage of action in this thriller, and I was caught up in it right away. The story moves quickly, but it takes a while to really understand what is happening with Neil. Eventually the reader knows more about him than he does himself. The most suspenseful bits come near the end when he has a young woman travelling with him, and youยre left guessing at his motivations.
There were a few editing issues. Once or twice I had to re-read a sentence due to a missing word, but the issues were infrequent or the story kept moving well enough for me not to notice too much.
If you enjoy military adventure novels, cyberpunk, or techno-thrillers, this one is worth a read.
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Chappie (2015) in Movies
Sep 19, 2020 (Updated Sep 19, 2020)
"๐ ๐จ๐ถ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ด๐ค๐ช๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ด๐ต ๐จ๐ถ๐บ๐ด ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐.๐. ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ ๐จ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ค๐ข๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ณ๐จ๐บ ๐ข ๐ต๐ณ๐บ." - Trevor Moore, ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ด
Much better than ๐๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ช๐ค๐ต 9 even though it's essentially the same movie for the chief purpose that this is cleaner, more fun, and ditches the sloppy gimmick and failed heavy-handed metaphor. Those last 30 minutes are godly, just totally bananas trashy cyberpunk action glory - not only the best thing Blomkamp has ever done but some of the most fun a sci-fi movie has had in the 2010s. But otherwise a movie about robot cop Sharlto Copley hanging around Die Antwood who teach him how to be gangsta but he accidentally discovers consciousness while a deranged Hugh Jackman desperately wants to let his monster mech loose on the city should be a lot more entertaining than this was. Still sports impeccable graphics and design as always with Neill, and you know what this isn't deep on any level nor does it have a single talking point about the militarization of the police department or A.I. or big tech corporations - fine, whatever. But there's almost zero violence for the hour + twenty-five minute stretch in the middle of this where it becomes this trite, sickly sweet family drama? I mean you're practically poised to fashion this nuanced, ultraviolent story dissecting how A.I. reacts to trauma but instead they're reading bedtime stories to the thing? Still vibrant and ridiculous though, enjoyed the hell out of it - I ain't picky. Plus points for letting all these actors use their natural accents.
Much better than ๐๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ช๐ค๐ต 9 even though it's essentially the same movie for the chief purpose that this is cleaner, more fun, and ditches the sloppy gimmick and failed heavy-handed metaphor. Those last 30 minutes are godly, just totally bananas trashy cyberpunk action glory - not only the best thing Blomkamp has ever done but some of the most fun a sci-fi movie has had in the 2010s. But otherwise a movie about robot cop Sharlto Copley hanging around Die Antwood who teach him how to be gangsta but he accidentally discovers consciousness while a deranged Hugh Jackman desperately wants to let his monster mech loose on the city should be a lot more entertaining than this was. Still sports impeccable graphics and design as always with Neill, and you know what this isn't deep on any level nor does it have a single talking point about the militarization of the police department or A.I. or big tech corporations - fine, whatever. But there's almost zero violence for the hour + twenty-five minute stretch in the middle of this where it becomes this trite, sickly sweet family drama? I mean you're practically poised to fashion this nuanced, ultraviolent story dissecting how A.I. reacts to trauma but instead they're reading bedtime stories to the thing? Still vibrant and ridiculous though, enjoyed the hell out of it - I ain't picky. Plus points for letting all these actors use their natural accents.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Upgrade (2018) in Movies
May 14, 2019
Reboot
#upgrade #upgrademovie is insane & possibly the biggest surprise of the year. Its dark, dirty, gritty, raw & I absolutely #loved every second of it. Upgrade clearly wears its influences on its sleeve right from the start, there's elements of #Dredd, #Robocop, #TheMatrix & also #Terminator & its style is a straight #nostalgic mash up of #80s & #90s #scifi. What's so good about it however is amongst all this influence is an intricately woven style of its own. Its a low budget #film but you wouldn't know it as cgi is fantastic/minimal & works so well with some of the best #practicaleffects I've seen in ages. Gore is so realistic/#savage & shocking at one point I almost stood up out my seat in sheer shock. Cinematography is #beautiful/creative & at times wouldnt look out of place in a #bladerunner film. Environments look nasty, hostile & damn right grimy giving the film such a raw & depressing quality like it too is also a character. Ive always loved #loganmarshallgreen his physical acting here is next level. How he moves his body in this movie is out of this world impressive (especially when the system takes over his body). He plays the role perfect making his body act robotic while his face reacts with sheer fear & panic (its not only hilarious but terrible & utterly fascinating too). Camera work when he's moving is seriously impressive too moving in almost a robotic kind of way twisting, turning & jolting with every move #logan makes. With an unnerving/memorable score & an over all message of #technology enslaving us all/how no matter how much we hate machines we all eventually become reliant on them in some way Upgrade is a must see. Its not very often a small film like this comes along so we must all go see it to encourage directors to make more. One hell of a great time & a film I can't wait to own. #odeon #odeonlimitless #filmbuff #filmcritic #filmreview #saturdaynight #horror #gore #violent #cyberpunk #grindhouse