Sci Fi – Page 4 – cinemescope

100 Word Review – Source Code (2011)

May 21, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Sci FiTagged Duncan Jones, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sci Fi, time travel, Vera FarmigaLeave a comment

Duncan Jones second film after Moon, this is a fantastic exploration of what it is that makes us human, our body or our mind.

Colter Stevens wakes up in someone else’s body (Jake Gyllenhaal), tasked by a government agency (headed by Vera Farmiga) to find out who caused a train to explode before he is destroyed in the same explosion.

If you got your head around that sentence there is a good chance you will adore this film. Thought provoking and with as many explosions as you could ask for, this is a wonderful film that I’d recommend to anyone!

100 Word Review – Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

May 16, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., F-Rated, Sci FiTagged Action, animation, Anime, eco-friendly, eco-warrior, Hayao Miyazaki, IMDb, Japanese, Nausicaa, pokemon, politics, Sci Fi, Studio GhibliLeave a comment

From the makers of Howl’s Moving Castle, comes a fantastic piece of Japanese animation.

Following the eco-theme familiar to Studio Ghibli narratives, this film is about Nausicaä, a pacifist princess, who turns warrior in an attempt to save her planet.

It has Sci Fi for genre fans, including some wonderful creatures not dissimilar to Pokemon, and some epic battles and alien international politics.

As with all Miyazaki’s work, this is beautiful as well as being emotionally meaningful. It sits comfortably within the top 250 films on IMDb. Don’t let the fact you haven’t heard of it stop you from watching it.

100 Word Review – Robot & Frank (2012)

May 2, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Comedy, Drama, Sci FiTagged Comedy, Drama, Frank Langella, future, James Marsden, Liv Tyler, robot, Sci Fi, Susan SarandonLeave a comment

This film is the perfect Sci Fi for people who don’t generally like the genre.

Set in the not-so-distant future, Frank (Frank Langella) is a retired jewel thief whose son (James Marsden) gives him a robot designed to look after him.

Susan Sarandon and Liv Tyler also star in this brilliantly made film which is simultaneously funny and tragic in parts. Although the film is set in the future, assisted-living robots are not as futuristic as they seem, making this ultimately a very moving story about the importance of family, the passing of time and the human need for companionship.

100 Word Review – Safety Not Guaranteed

May 1, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Comedy, Romance, Sci FiTagged adventure, Aubrey Plaza, Comedy, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni, Mark Duplass, Romance, Sci Fi, time travelLeave a comment

Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke… You’ll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.

In 1997, this actually appeared in the classifieds section of an American magazine.

Three journalists (Aubrey Plaza, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni) attempt to find out the truth about Kenneth (Mark Duplass), the recluse who placed it.

There are wonderful characters, so prepare to be moved. Don’t expect explosions. It’s very human, with a grounded level of action and adventure, and a dash of deadpan humour.

100 Word Review – Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

April 29, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Sci FiTagged Action, adventure, Arnie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, computers, Edward Furlong, James Cameron, Robert Patrick, robot, Sci Fi, t-800, t1000, Terminator1 Comment

This might be my all time favourite film. Who wouldn’t love a film with scenes like this in it?

Arnie is back. But this time he’s the good guy.

The T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has been reprogrammed by John Connor in the future and sent back to defend his younger self (Edward Furlong) from the latest terminator, the T-1000 (Robert Patrick).

Linda Hamilton is back as Sarah Connor and, far from the shy waitress of the first film, she is kicking serious butt.

It won 4 Oscars in 1992 including Best Sound and Visual Effects and is unsurprisingly currently voted number 41 on IMDb.

100 Word Review – Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

April 27, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Sci FiTagged Action, adaptation, adventure, Age of Ultron, Avengers, Avengers Assemble, Black Widow, Captain America, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Comic, Hawkeye, Hulk, Iron Man, James Spader, Jeremy Renner, Joss Whedon, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Sci Fi, Stan Lee, Thor2 Comments

Everything that Joss Whedon makes is beautiful, and this is no exception.

Following on from The Avengers (2012), we catch up with the gang still coping with the fallout from Loki. Stark (Robert Downey Jr) more than most.

I won’t give away any more plot. The script is as full of humour, emotion, action and fully formed characters. There’s action, romance, family ties and a whole lot more besides.

The cast is wonderful, as always. Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner are all superb. James Spader is in his element as the ultimate artificial intelligence, Ultron.

100 Word Review – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2014)

April 26, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., F-Rated, Sci FiTagged Action, adaptation, Donald Sutherland, dystopian, Elizabeth Banks, future, Hunger Games, Jennifer Lawrence, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Sci Fi, Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson1 Comment

You’ve seen the first one and the second one.

You are ready to follow Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) into District 13, the heart of the resistance. What will Snow (Donald Sutherland) do to punish her betrayal? Does she really have the moral high ground? Is she fit to be Mockingjay?

Heavily built on the sturdy foundations of the previous films, don’t start with this one. However, it takes a good hard look at the intricacies of rebellion and the power of propaganda which is covered so well in the book (Read. The. Books.).

It’s the things we love most that destroy us.

100 Word Review – The Terminator (1984)

April 25, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., Action, Sci FiTagged 1980s, Action, Arnie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, computers, future, James Cameron, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, robots, Sci Fi2 Comments

One of the few examples of the first in film franchise not being the best.

Don’t let this put you off. It is a brilliant movie and a corner-stone of 1980s action Sci Fi.

An indestructible cyborg (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is set back from the future to murder Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), a waitress who’s unborn son will lead the humans in an war against the machines. Meanwhile a soldier from the future (Michael Biehn) is determined to protect her.

James Cameron’s casting is sublime. Arnie’s unsurprisingly realistic as the emotionless robot. Complete with stop-motion animation, this is an epic action.

100 Word Review – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

April 25, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., F-Rated, Sci FiTagged adaptation, Donald Sutherland, dystopian, Elizabeth Banks, future, Hunger Games, Jena Malone, Jennifer Lawrence, Panem, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Sci Fi, Stanley Tucci, Toby Jones, Woody Harrelson1 Comment

Sequel to The Hunger Games (2012), Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) has survived her first Hunger Games, but will she survive the scrutinising gaze of The Capitol and Panem’s terrifying leader, President Snow (Donald Sutherland).

With all the drama and almost as much of the politics as the books (read the books!), this opens up Panem in a way the first film couldn’t.

The cast is fantastic (Philip Seymour Hoffman, Stanley Tucci, Toby Jones, Jenna Malone) and the visuals are just as breath-taking. Prepare yourself for media spin, duplicity and rebellion.

Nobody ever wins the games. Period. There are survivors. There’s no winners.

100 Word Review – The Hunger Games (2012)

April 22, 2015March 6, 2016Posted in 100 Words..., F-Rated, Sci FiTagged adaptation, Battle Royale, dystopian, Elizabeth Banks, future, Jennifer Lawrence, Sci Fi, The Hunger Games, Woody Harrelson4 Comments

Read the books.

But, also, watch the film. It’s not as good, but still brilliant.

Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers her life in place of her sister’s when she is chosen to participate in The Hunger Games, a barbaric event designed to keep the masses in line in this dystopian future.

Yes, there are similarities, but it is more than an Americanised Battle Royale. Children are killing children to survive, but for the sport of the Capital. Battle Royale may be gruesome, but this is emotionally brutal.

Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson are both stunning in their supporting roles. It’s magnificent.