Men in Black 2 (2002)

The 2002 sequel to the 1997 film Men in Black sees K and J back together as they have to try and find the light of Zartha and save the world from Serleena played by Lara Flynn Boyle who is supported by two headed Johnny Knoxville, of Jackass fame. This film is very much in the same vain as the original ad brings back many of the characters including a bigger role for Frank the dog, voiced by Tim Blaney and Z played Rip Torn. The love interest for J this film is Rosario Dawson playing LAura Vasquez

As with any sequel it takes the basic concept of the original and replays it in many ways with the same characters and the same jokes coming up again. There are some new jokes and what sets this up as quite a good sequel is there a lot of expansion of the universe it is set in and some development of the lesser characters, there is a lot more comedic characters this time with Johnny Knoxville, Frank the Dog and the Worms all playing it for laughs.

If you enjoyed the original then you will appreciate and enjoy this film and it really makes a good compliment for it and I always find that I cannot watch the first without wanting to see the sequel and when I see them both I enjoy them, overall another 3 star film.

Men in Black (1997)

The Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones science fiction comedy film, it follows Will Smith as he chases a criminal down and this leads to Tommy Lee Jones hiring him to work for a shadowy organisation that tracks and watches all of the aliens currently on Earth. They have cool suits, shades and awesome cars and they have to track a giant bug.

This is a family fun filled romp and follows the experienced and all knowing K played by Tommy Lee Jones as he initiates J, the Will Smith character as they attempt to save the world. J falls for the morgue technician played by Linda Fiorentino as they attempt to save the galaxy. You have some great fun and some excellent effects as you discover the world at the same time as J and they use some wonderful real life examples to have a laugh.

This is a good family film and it has recently had its second sequel and I think that if that film is half as good as the original it will be very good. Overall this film is a strong 3 star recommend a good science fiction comedy and well worth seeing.

A.P.E.X. (1994)

Film of 2012 #28
Some Spoilers

This film has been listed as one of the worst films of all time by people I have heard speak on the internet and I have to say that I am in agreement. It is not the truly the worst film as the actual idea is very confusing and hard to follow. It is not like you think wow that sounds like a fantastic idea and when you see it they have made a total mess of it. Your basic concept is a time travel experiment that goes wrong. If any paradoxes are created then they send the A. P. E. X. the Advanced Prototype Exploration units back in time to clean the paradox, now this does not make any real sense as they talk about parallel dimensions and other realities and it is just a big mess right from the start.

The acting is nothing worse than I have seen in some Syfy originals or in some real low budget films and the effects are not the worst. The real issue just seems to be the confusion and the fact that at the end of the film I had very little to no idea what was actually supposed to have happened and it was like they had missed several chunks when it was edited together. 

Overall this is a one star film that should probably never be played again and is so not worth seeing, it is totally ridiculous and bad.

Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983)

Film of 2012 - #2
No Spoilers

Originally shown in 3D I watched this film on the TV so did not need the red and blue glasses that the 80's 3D technology required. I have to say that for a film that to me appeared to have it's tongue in it's cheek as it romped from set-piece to set-piece with Wolff and Nikki getting in and out of trouble with varying degrees of danger, to a conclusion that you can see coming a mile off it was a lot of fun.

The dodgy effects at the beginning make so much sense when you know the 3D origins but there were not as many obvious cliche 3D moments in the rest of the film but it would have been quite fun to have seen this in the theatre in it's time, I think that in today's effect and CGI driven movie industry it does not hold up but overall it is really worth a watch if you enjoy the 80's Sci-Fi classics.

If you enjoy the 80's fayre of dodgy acting, dodgy stories and dodgy effects then this film will work for you, if you do not go for cheesy story lines then you will probably not like it. A small note if you are a fan of Red Dwarf, there is an episode from an early season of this that I think rips this basic story off, it is episode "Kryton".

Sharktopus (2010)

This is a SyFy original starring Eric Roberts, I cannot believe that they actually paid money to make this, I watched it hoping it to be so bad it is good but it is not, this is a 1 star avoid at all costs, I cannot even be bothered to tell you why it is bad.

Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

Went to see the Western/Sci-Fi cross over film from John Faverou, starring Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig and Olivia Wilde. There were some good Cameo's from Sam Rockwell and Clancy Brown, two actors who always make any film better. Now I am not a fan of Westerns but I love the Sci-Fi genre so was watching this film with a bit of trepidation as half of the premise was not for my tastes. This is actually a Western film with a Sci-Fi element, normally when a film has any element of Sci-Fi the film automatically gets classed in that genre as it is the strongest genre there is, as the simple premise of Sci-Fi is usually unbelievable and can take you out of a setting.

So you have Daniel Craig wakes up in the desert with a bracelet on his wrist and no idea who he is or where he is. Harrison Ford plays essentially the bad guy of the piece. His son Percy is an arrogant show off that gets away with everything simply because his Father is the richest man in the locality. Daniel Craig is like the lone drifter that wanders into town, and then the Aliens turn up. Now from this point onwards this is teh Sci-Fi film that I wanted, the Western element was good by my standards it was basic and simple and did not get to carried away. The characters trying to bring you back to the Western theme was a bit clunky especially the scene when Daniel Craig is coming out of the water and what he says to Olivia Wilde it feels very, oops lets remind everyone that this is the 1800's.

Overall I enjoyed this film the Western element is small enough and the Sci-Fi is strong enough that it maintained my interest so overall I give this 3 stars, worth watching especially if you like the action Sci-Fi films.

The Thing (2011) Trailer

So the 1982 classic from John Carpenter is getting a somethingm from what I understand it is a prequel and is based in the Norwegian camp, so anyway we know how this will end up. Why on earth do we have to have a sequel to the classic, why not have an original idea to the original film (I know Carpernter's is a remake) but why not just leave the original and steal the idea and create a stand alone story that has nothing to do with the Thing but uses the same basic idea. The problem is that the film is tied to what is shown in the original also it is a group in the Antartic how different a film can it be without changing some of the rules.

Anywy the trailer does look good and I will probably see the film at the cinema as the original this is a prequal to is one of my all time favourite films. You have Mary Elizabeth Winsted invited to the antartic to investigate what the Norwegians have found and the creature comes through, I do wonder if they will actually finish where the John carpenter film starts with the helicopter, that would be fun to see.

So overall another film that is not needed at all but I will go and see it at the cinema.

UK Release date - 21st October 2011.

Super 8 (2011)

So the film from Steven Spielberg and J. J. Abrams is finally here and i went to see it at the cinema as all Steven Spielberg films should be seen there as I think that he is the quintessential film maker. I knew very little of this film going in and have to say that the hype worried me, how can a film from the master of subterfuge J. J. Abrams be that good when all of the advertising is so subtle.

Now I feel I gave this film a fair going but did make a throw away comment just before the film started that at the end I thought I just about nailed it with that one comment. The comment I made was "JJ is remaking E.T. with Mr Spielberg, lucky him." now it is not really a remake of E.T. but thinking about this film it is really a cross of  E.T. and Cloverfield and I cannot get this out of my head. I will say that the start of the film pulled me in there were enough questions going on that I was like oooh I wonder what that means and I wonder how it will all fit together. I have to say that the Train wreck was epic and immense and looked cool, but hey the car was untouched which was convenient.

I feel that this film is over hyped from the outset and the story is a mash up of 2 works from these directors and I feel cheated for some reason. I have no idea what I wanted but I don't think it was this. For that reason I am going to say 2 stars and the only reason it is not 1 star is the performances and effects are worth more than 1 star/ Ultimately I might be wrong about this and I will see it again on DVD but at the moment this is a failure for me.

Fortress (1992)

So I decided to revisit the 1992 Christopher Lambert science fiction thriller where it is against the law for couples to have more than one child and after the death of their first Christopher Lambert and his Wife played by Loryn Locklin are trying to get into either Mexico or Canada when they are rumbled. Shenanigans ensue when Christopher Lambert is caught and ensconced in the Fortress.

Kurtwood Smith is in charge in the futuristic highly technological prison and he is a bit wooden but it works so well and you will understand if you have seen this film or choose to watch it. A nice little twist and an interesting comment very near the end about where some of the people of the future may end up. This is an enjoyable look at the future of the world and the justice system and was par for the course in the late 80' early 90's. I am glad the future did not come out as dark as the predictions of those film makers but i am happy for their vision as it makes the films that much more entertaining.

I would say that this film is 3 stars it is very enjoyable and has a time in place but it looks a bit dated and the acting and effects are a bit ropey even by the standards of the time. There is the dark little look at the end of the film and I wonder if the film maker wanted to end it 2 minutes earlier would have made it a very dark situation.

Cowboys & Aliens (2011) Trailer

I have highly anticiapted this film since I heard about this film, Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig in a Western that has aliens in it what is there not to love about this film idea. In watching the trailer it would appear to be somewhere along the lines of Daniel Craig being abducted and returned to the wild west with some sort of weapon attached to his arm.

He has to team up with Harrison Ford who indicates that some people from the town including his son have been abducted. I am a bit worried having seen the trailer that I have basically seen the full plot of the film and I am wondering if there will be any twists that will keep us interested up to the end.

The trailer makes me want to see this film more and more and i hope that it lives up to the hyoe and expectations I have for it and I am not disappointed, will endeavor to see this film at the cinema when it comes out.

UK release Date - 17th August 2011

Paul (2010) Second Watch

I got a chance to watch this film on DVD just after it came out and it is still as funny the second time around, you can see my original thoughts on it here. I think that this is so far my film of the year and will take a lot of beating, the comedy and chemistry between Nick Frost, Simon Pegg and "Paul" is brilliant. The timing and the comedy is phenomenal and the sci-fi references within the film are just great I found more the second time I watched it. Apparently according to Mark Kermode the film was toned down for a more mainstream audience. If this is the case I hope that the shot extra footage that they could them make a "Directors Cut" to show the film how they wanted it.

I thought that the film had a lot of references in it and I am sure I missed a few and would like to see a definitive list put out by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost so that we can see what we have missed. I am comfortable getting most of them however there are a few that go so far over my head I do not even know where they come from at all.

This is a total recommend 5 stars of comedy gold and I think that even if you are not a sci-fi film fan then you will still get a lot from this film, I look forward to seeing it again and again in the next few years.

Outpost (2008)

So I actually watched this thinking it was going to be based on Mars for some reason, anyway it has nothing to do with Mars in is about a group of mercenaries that are hired in war torn Eastern Europe to go into an area that is still a high risk. And there are Nazi Zombies so you have to know that it is going to be a good film. The tension is excellent I have to say that I was worried and wondered how they were going to escape. One of the biggest flaws in this though was that I had no reason to care for the soldiers that we were following. 

Overall there were some interesting ideas that they needed to explore a bit better, they needed to simplify how the story ran and perhaps a bit more exposition whether it was through speculation or even found papers. The acting in this is okay, the writing and direction though is what lets this down  a and could have been stronger and made this a better overall film. 

I give this 2 stars, if you are into Nazi Zombies and desolate picture scapes then it will be worth a look for you, other than that you can avoid it. 

Battle:Los Angeles (2011)

March 2011

I was intrigued by this film and when I chose to see it I was looking forward to it, I like to think it appeals to the man in me that likes explosions and guns. I was not disappointed, it is the story of a group of soldiers defending LA against a horde of invading aliens. It put me in mind of Independance Day but on a smaller more localised scale, instead of it being all of America it was a major city.

This film is full of holes and lacks a realistic plot, however if you like big guns, camradarie and lots of explosions then you will enjoy the film. It does not try to pretend to be anything it is not and that is probably the problem, they could have done more with the film looking at the aliens and why they were on Earth but there was a predicability about the whole film and the biggest surprise was that it was not left obviously open for a sequel.

I would say 3 stars for the film, it does what you think it will do and if you switch your brain off at the door it is enjoyable.

Source Code (2011)

Cinema in Falkirk, 2nd April 2011.

Just saw the new film from Duncan Jones the man that made Moon (@manmademoon on twitter) and it was fricking awesome. I am a Sci-Fi and horror film fan so the trailers for this definitely pushed my Sci-Fi buttons and I was not disappointed.

Jake Gyllenhaall never disappoints me I have to say that he plays a character that you like and you are with him from the beginning as he learns things as you do. Now the story is not that original, however there were a few times that I was pleasantly surprised as you have two realities going on. You can guess what is going to happen at times but they deliver it in such a way that I looked forward to it, I think I saw some things coming as I have seen a lot of films.

I think will give this film the first 5 star rating I have given any under my new reviewing system, I really enjoyed the whole thing, there are a few things that could have been done differently on the whole I was thoroughly entertained and intrigued to see what would happen which is the point of films.

Limitless (2011)

Cinema in Texas, 21st March 2011.

The trailer for this film hooked me, it mis-directs and boom you have the film, go and see it, the Sci-Fi to me was pretty good with a few twists of WTF which is always good. The concept is interesting and enticing and to me it is a film that is worth seeing, just to see what they imagine with the powers they give Bradley Cooper.

I went to see this film in a Texas filmhouse that served beer and food while you watched the film, this to me was awesome and may have tinted my view of the film, however on reflection I do think that it was a good film and is well worth a watch. Anna Friel is great in it as is Bradley, 2 actors that I actually really like and hope that the succeed as I think they are nice people, strange how watching films can let you form oppionons about actors, isn't it?

I give this fim 4 out of 5 stars, does not get top marks as I fear that the experience in which I saw it has tainted my view, you never know if I get a chance to re-watch this film I may actually change a score that I hav given a film, we will see this could be a new dimension to how I deal with my blog.

If you read my blog please let me know, it would be good to know that somebody is reading whether you agree or disagree, thanks.

Daybreakers (2009)

Format - Cinema
Date - 15 January 2010

In the year 2019, a plague has transformed most every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save humankind.

Thanks to IMDb for the plot outline.

So your basic plot is that 95% of the world's population are now vampires, the streets are empty during the day and at night it is a thriving metropolis. You get some interesting visuals from the credit scene, where you see a no parking sign 2am to 3am. You have 5% of the population that are still human and are being hunted for food. The opening scene is brilliant and an early nomination for best opening scene and gives one side of the vampire's story.

I went into this film having seen the trailer and due to my love of films and specifically horror thought I might enjoy it. The concept is fantastic, the execution is a bit weak, I enjoyed the film but there were some gaping plot holes, they did not spoil the film as entertainment but you will have questions when you have seen it. The acting is solid, the main idea is really good, but it still just fails to work for me on the whole.

The acting is good, you get creepy from Sam Neil as Charles Bromley the Vampire in charge of Blood distribution and the company trying to find a viable blood replacement. You have nervous and jittery from Ethan Hawke the main scientist trying to and find the blood replacement source. You have good looking human lady in Claudia Karvan playing Audrey and finally Willem Dafoe as the mad, car driving human as Lionel 'Elvis' Cormac.

I would recommend this film to anybody that likes vampire films and good ideas, but if you would not like to be disappointed then possibly just go for a rental.

I would give this 3/5

Let me know if you have seen it and your thoughts on it.