Sci Fi – cinemescope

100 Word Review – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

May 8, 2017May 6, 2017Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Comedy, Sci Fi, UncategorizedTagged Action, adventure, Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, family, Fantasy, humour, James Gunn, Karen Gillan, Kurt Russell, Michael Rooker, Sci Fi, Sylvester Stallone, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana1 Comment

Quill (Chris Pratt) and the team are back, battered and bruised and better than ever.

Continuing from Guardians of the Galaxy, Rocket (Bradley Cooper) gets the gang into hot water with the Sovereign, forcing the Guardians to cross paths with Quill’s long lost father, Ego (Kurt Russell).

With the same great cast and skill-full direction of the first film, the soundtrack may not be quite as epic, but it is still the fun, fantastical journey you might hope for. Suitable for older children, it’s already been voted number 229 in IMDb Top 250, in it’s first week of release.

Don’t miss it.

100 Word Review – Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

May 6, 2017May 6, 2017Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Comedy, Sci FiTagged 1980s, adaptation, adventure, Benicio Del Toro, Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Comedy, Comic, Dave Bautista, family, film, Glenn Close, humour, James Gunn, John C. Reilly, Karen Gillan, Lee Pace, Marvel, Michael Rooker, Peter Serafinowicz, Sci Fi, soundtrack, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana1 Comment

Cosmic criminals, comedy, combat and a killer 80s soundtrack, what more could you want from this Marvel comic adaptation?

Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is taken from Earth after the death of his mum, with only an epic mixtape to keep him company. 25 years later he calls himself Star Lord, and is an intergalactic thief, caught up in a bid to save the galaxy.

Writer/director James Gunn (Scooby-Doo) does a fantastic job of creating a three-dimensional ensemble cast that includes a talking tree (Vin Diesel), a wise-cracking racoon (Bradley Cooper) and a whole lot more. It’s an absolute joy to watch.

100 Word Review – Absolutely Anything (2015)

May 3, 2016May 3, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, Sci FiTagged British, Comedy, Eddie Izzard, Eric Idle, Gavin Scott, Joanna Lumley, John Cleese, Kate Beckinsale, Meera Syal, Michael Palin, Robin Williams, Romance, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Sci Fi, Simon Pegg, Terry Gilliam, Terry JonesLeave a comment

Written and directed by Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame) with the help of skilled screenwriter Gavin Scott (Small Soldiers, The Borrowers), this is a weird and wonderful concoction.

Neil (Simon Pegg) is a teacher and aspiring writer when he is given the powers to do absolutely anything by a group of all-powerful aliens (voiced by the Python crew). The fate of the world rests on whether he uses his powers for good or evil.

With Kate Beckinsale and Robin Williams supporting, this film is brilliantly put together and very funny. It’s also extremely silly, in the best possible way.

100 Word Review – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

April 23, 2016April 22, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Drama, Fantasy, Sci FiTagged Charlie Kaufman, Comedy, dark, Drama, Fantasy, IMDb, Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Michel Gondry, Oscars, Romance, Sci Fi1 Comment

It’s not often you see Jim Carrey in a serious film, and I’m not sure why because he’s brilliant in this.

At the end of their relationship, Joel (Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) undergo a procedure to have each other removed from their memories.

As would be expected with a film written by Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) and directed by Michel Gondry (Be Kind Rewind, The Science of Sleep), it’s equal parts wacky and beautiful.

The film is far from linear and takes you on an extraordinary journey filled with romance, laughter as well as darkness and despair.

100 Word Review – 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

April 21, 2016April 15, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, Drama, Sci Fi, ThrillerTagged aliens, apocalypse, Comedy, Damien Chazelle, Drama, John Gallagher Jr, John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, post apocalyptic, Sci Fi, ThrillerLeave a comment

Not quite sure what, if anything, this film has to do with Cloverfield, but it is worth watching for at least one thing; John Goodman.

After being involved in a car crash, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up to find herself locked in a fallout shelter being told by Howard (Goodman) and Emmett (John Gallagher Jr) that outside the world is ending.

Damien Chazelle (Whiplash) is among the screenwriters on this very strange film that sits somewhere in the thriller / comedy / Sci Fi / drama genre. Goodman is equal parts wonderful, hilarious and terrifying.

It also has a truly brilliant trailer:

100 Word Review – Midnight Special (2016)

April 19, 2016April 15, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Sci FiTagged Action, Adam Driver, Jaeden Lieberher, Jeff Nichols, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Michael Shannon, Sci FiLeave a comment

There is something strange about Alton (Jaeden Lieberher). The Ranch think he’s their saviour, the FBI think he’s a weapon. His father, Roy (Michael Shannon) just wants to protect him.

Written and directed by Jeff Nichols (Mud, Take Shelter), this is a dramatic yet realistic Sci Fi that will have you asking more questions than it answers in the best possible way. Co-starring Kirsten Dunst (the only woman with more than two lines in the whole film!), Joel Edgerton and the always wonderful Adam Driver (pictured below), the acting is strong held together by a stella performance from young Lieberher.

100 Word Review – Cloud Atlas

April 9, 2016April 7, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Sci Fi, UncategorizedTagged Action, adaptation, adventure, Ben Whishaw, British, David Mitchell, Doona Bae, Drama, dystopian, Fantasy, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving, James D'Arcy, Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess, Romance, Sci Fi, Susan Sarandon, Tom Hanks, Tom Tykwer, Wachowski Brothers, WachowskisLeave a comment

Adapted from David Mitchell’s novel and directed by Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run, Perfume:The Story of a Murderer) and the Wachowskis (The Matrix, V for Vendetta), this film is extraordinary.

There is no describing the plot. It crosses time and space in seconds, covering both the past, present and future as well as alternate worlds.

The cast is fantastic (Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant, Doona Bae, Jim Broadbent, Susan Sarandon) and the cinematography is exquisite. There is simply too much to see to take it in with one viewing. This film is Romantic with a capital R.

100 Word Review – Deadpool (2016)

February 21, 2016March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, Romance, Sci FiTagged Action, adaptation, Brianna Hildebrand, Comedy, comic book, dark, Ed Skrein, IMDb, Morena Baccarin, Romance, Ryan Reynolds, Sci Fi, Tim MillerLeave a comment

This may be the perfect comic book movie.

Set in the X-Men universe, this is an origin story film for the funniest mutant around, Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds).

It’s the first feature for director Tim Miller, who was involved in the visual effects for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and it was written by the team behind Zombieland. It’s stylised, it’s got a dry and dark sense of humour, and it shows a tongue-in-cheek self-awareness which is missing from the more run-of-the-mill comic book movies.

Even the opening credits are hysterical. It’s not suitable for children, but definitely for everyone else!

100 Word Review – Ghostbusters (1984)

February 13, 2016March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, Fantasy, Sci FiTagged Comedy, Dan Ackroyd, Fantasy, ghost, Ghostbusters, Harold Ramis, pseudo-science, Rick Moranis, Sci Fi, Sigourney Weaver1 Comment

Written by and starring Dan Ackroyd, Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis, this should be compulsory viewing for everyone over the age of 10. If you haven’t seen it (like Callum), then watch it!

Peter (Bill Murray), Ray (Ackroyd) and Egon (Ramis) stumble upon a method for trapping ghosts and set out to save New York from the spectral fiends who are bombarding the city.

A brilliantly 80s film, with as many daft one-liners as you can shake a stick at and wonderful soundtrack. It’s funny, perhaps scary for younger children, but also downright wonderful. Sigourney Weaver is simply sublime, as always.

100 Word Review – Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)

February 6, 2016March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Drama, Sci FiTagged Action, Adam Driver, adventure, Andy Serkis, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Drama, Harrison Ford, IMDb, J.J. Abrams, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Oscar Isaac, Oscars, Sci Fi, Star WarsLeave a comment

Someone told me that if I’d seen the original trilogy and enjoyed it, I would like this film and in a way had already seen it. Having now seen it, I would agree.

The original cast is back for the continuation of the story thirty years after the Empire was destroyed by the rebels. Expect plenty of references to the original trilogy and director J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Super 8, Lost) does a wonderful job of combining the old and the new in a way that makes me very excited to see what comes next. Currently number 78 on IMDb’s top 250 films.