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Awix (3310 KP) rated Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) in Movies
Feb 8, 2018
All very promising, if you like this sort of thing, but the director's clear desire to actually be making a Matrix sequel is a bit intrusive - there's a lot of human-on-human martial arts action which isn't what I personally turn up to a Godzilla movie for. The sheer knowing silliness of the film may also be off-putting for some viewers.
But set against all that, there's a bit where Mothra battles Gigan! There's a fight between proper Japanese Godzilla and the mutant iguana pretender from the Roland Emmerich version! You get to see Baby Godzilla sitting in the cab of a pick-up truck during an unexpected subplot about hitch-hiking! And much more. (Keith Emerson's soundtrack is very atypical for a Godzilla film, but actually pretty funky.) The sheer profusion of monsters - nearly every Toho beastie makes at least a cameo, the only big-name absentee being Mechagodzilla - and the cheerful craziness of the story make this, if not quite an entirely worthy tribute to Godzilla's first fifty years, then certainly a very hard film to completely dislike.
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Mike Wilder (20 KP) rated Starship Troopers (1997) in Movies
May 30, 2018
The cast is great. It is made up of great actors, many of who at the time were relatively unknown including Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Jake Busey and Denise Richards, mixed with established stars like Clancy Brown, Neil Patrick Harris and Michael Ironside, taking minor roles. The star of the movie is hard to choose between Dina Meyer, Casper Van Dien (both of who suffered injuries while making this, Casper broke a rib and Dina suffered a concussion) and the bugs! However I am going to have to say the bugs are the stars. The use of real and CGI in this film is great. The bugs are a formidable foe and a very creative one. They are numerous and relentless. Cleverly the use of different species of bugs makes for some great surprises.
The battles are epic and bloody. This is not a film for the squeamish, every battle is like a futuristic opening scene to Saving Private Ryan. People die in horrific ways, bodies and limbs are ripped apart and even main characters don't always survive, something I always appreciate in a film as it keeps the viewer guessing.
But it is not all about war, there is a good amount of comedy and even romance in this movie. It is a great film and in the category of action Sci-Fi one of the best.
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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Explorations: First Contact (Explorations #2) in Books
Nov 13, 2019
This collection is more than just a selection of tales from up and coming science fiction writers; all the stories are set in the same universe and are in some way on the theme of first contact. The introduction sets this up, with a damaged alien ship discovered on the moon. It is able to transmit details of nearby inhabited star systems - and a terrible warning about a dangerous foe - before it shuts down. Mankind learns all it can from the message and the wreckage before setting out for the stars.
Each story then follows the fate of the mission to one of the star systems. This is the point where any similarity in stories ends as each writer brings their own style and ideas for their contribution (although there are some neat nods to the other stories now and again). The result is a satisfying mix of different ideas but all within a consistant whole.
That's not to say that every story hit the spot for me, but that's inevitable given the range of authors here, but every story was interesting to read. There are also the occasional one that felt a little rushed, the idea either too big for a short story, or too many ideas vying for the limited word count. But these are minor niggles and the standard of all the stories is very high.
Overall a really good collection showcasing the talents of current science fiction writers. If you like interesting ideas and gripping stories about aliens and space exploration you won't be disappointed.
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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Alien (1979) in Movies
Nov 16, 2019
The plot is straightforward, and immediately gripping, as a merchant space vessel called The Nostromo, and it's crew, pick up an unidentified distress signal from a nearby moon.
Upon arrival, one of the Crue is attacked by an alien lifeform, and accidentally smuggles something back onto the ship with him, resulting in the infamous chest bursting scene, and a crew trapped floating through space, whilst being hunted one by one.
Said chest bursting scene is one of the single most disturbing scenes in horror, with genuine reactions of surprise by the cast, and horrific practical effects.
Once the plot kicks in, we're presented with a master class of tension. The shadowy setting hides the Xenomorph alien for most of the runtime, offering fleeting glimpses, and occasional bursts of violence.
H. R. Gigers design of the creature is of course iconic, abrasive, and terrifying.
Sigourney Weaver offers a strong female lead in Ellen Ripley, a character that remains a highlight, even throughout the later underwhelming sequels.
Even though Ripley is thrown front and centre in the aftermath of Alien, during this film, she is part of a crew that don't boast any heroes. Everyone aboard feels like real people, way out of their depth in what they're dealing with, and it just adds to the already unsettled surroundings.
Ridley Scott's directing and camera work in Alien manages to be claustrophobic, atmospheric and isolating all at, combining uneasy sound cues with amazing visuals to create a sci-fi horror like no other.
Alien is a film I never tire of watching. As far as this genre goes, it's near perfect.
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Weed Firm: RePlanted
Games and Stickers
App
Weed Firm: RePlanted. The Vicious and Lawless Career of Mr. Ted Growing The updated version of the...
![Dan Dare: Volume 1](/uploads/profile_image/bb9/ea72b75e-88b0-459f-b3dd-0d6eb53c8bb9.jpg?m=1522335660)
Dan Dare: Volume 1
Richard Kurti, Bev Doyle, James Swallow and Marc Platt
Book
Three audio adventures based on the Eagle comic strip "Dan Dare" created by Rev. Marcus Morris,...
![The Iron Giant (1999)](/uploads/profile_image/f16/79218be5-37ad-4211-bd08-657d8067df16.jpg?m=1522360430)
The Iron Giant (1999)
Movie Watch
The film takes place in October of 1957, when America had plenty to be worried about. Rock ānā...
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Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Men in Black International (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
Molly Wright (Tessa Thompson) witnesses her parents being neuralized by agents of Men in Black in Brooklyn 1996. Avoiding neuralization as her parents assumed that she was asleep, she helps an alien escape. Twenty-three years later, she manages to track Men in Black agents back to MiB headquarters in New York. Molly makes an impression on Agent O (Emma Thompson), despite being caught entering the building. She is assigned to the London branch on a probationary agent status as "Agent M".
This movie was very predictable. There really wasn't one part of the movie that surprised me plot wise. From the twists and turns that they try and throw at you to the big reveal at the end. A lot of critics said this movie was very forgettable with lackluster action and they are not wrong. However, the movie was quite enjoyable for myself and others. The chemistry between Thompson and Hemsworth was awesome and particularly the voice acting for Kumail Nanjiani's character. His character Pawney, stole the show and really made the movie good. He was the comic relief and center of any scene he was in. The special effects were great and they even threw in a couple of new aliens as they often do with the sequels of this series. The movie also didn't have near the emotional impact of the sequels. It was a decent movie but not as funny, surprising, or stupendous as the first film in the franchise. I give it a 7/10,
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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated AVP - Alien Vs. Predator (2004) in Movies
Jul 24, 2020
Why on earth is it PG-13, and why oh why was this historic meeting of two of cinemas most iconic aliens entrusted to Paul WS Anderson!?
I mean, in all honesty, both series had run out of gas at this point, so by the time AVP finally rolled around (14 years after the conflict had been teased at the end of Predator 2), it was never going to be much more than a gimmick, a shameless cash grab to get people in the cinema, hence the family friendly blockbuster nature of the film.
In terms of a big blockbuster, it's not terrible. There are some relatively entertaining moments here and there. The first clash between the titular monsters about 30 minutes in is undeniably surrounded by a sense of child like glee.
In terms of cast, it was a great touch to have Lance Henrikson involved, and Sanaa Lathan is a likeable enough badass-female lead, but everyone else is typical forgettable mercenary cannon fodder.
The effects work is pretty decent for the most part as well.
I can't help but feel that AVP is indeed a missed opportunity. The lack of tension, scares, or viscera just doesn't cut it when it comes to these franchises (although the piss poor sequel proved that more violence doesn't always improve a films quality), but I would have gladly accepted just one of the above mentioned features, but it lacks all of it.
There's a brief flashback which shows a handful of Predators fighting waves upon waves of xenomorphs, and whilst it's a great visual, it serves to remind you that there could have been a much better film produced.
I know that I sound like a miserable bastard and that's a fair enough assumption, and for what it's worth, AVP is watchable - easy Hollywood trash to digest, which is the exact opposite of what I feel an Alien film should be.
Expelling the Poor: Atlantic Seaboard States and the Nineteenth-Century Origins of American Immigration Policy
Book
Expelling the Poor examines the origins of immigration restriction in the United States, especially...