“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” on IMDB
Sci-Fi/Comedy, 109 Minutes, 2005
Today is the 12th annual Towel Day, a celebration of all things Douglas Adams. In celebration (and since the kids happen to be home from school) we decided to grab our towels and cuddle up on the couch and watch this.
Action Adventure, 143 Minutes, 2012
Was there really any chance this would be a bad film? All of the prequel films (with the arguable exception of “The Incredible Hulk” [IMDB] which I personally felt was an unneeded remake) were top-notch. The studio enlisted geek God Joss Whedon to write and direct. The marketing machine has been running non-stop for months. Of course the best laid plans always have a chance to explode in one’s face but this was as much of a lock as I’ve ever seen.
Sci-fi, 114 Minutes, 2008
A friend of mine suggested this one and I have no idea how I missed it. Apparently it was in theaters and everything! Good actors and a significant budget carry it a long way. Some interesting ideas carry it further but a few unfortunate missteps keep it from real greatness.
Sci-fi, 103 Minutes, 2011
I’m a huge fan of John Carpenter’s 1982 classic “The Thing” [IMDB]. Thirty years later the ground-breaking practical effects are still just as creepily effective. The performances are some of the best ever seen in horror and the pacing and staging has rarely been topped.
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” on IMDB
Sci-fi/Action, 157 Minutes, 2011:
Did you see the first two movies? If so, you know that you are in for at least two things. Firstly, you’ll get some mind-blowing special effects. Jaw-droppingly intricate effects. Effects that will make you want to cheer. Secondly, you’ll get an almost completely incomprehensible story. A bloated, hackneyed tumor of a story.
Sci-fi/Horror, 88 Minutes, 2011
FINALLY an alien movie with something a little different! No grey-skinned, multi-limbed, claw-handed, slit-eyed generic E.T.s here! (OKay… there is one – kinda – but it’s small and gets killed almost immediately.) The aliens here are jet-black, hairy, indistinct beasts with row upon row of luminescent teeth. While this relatively simple effect may have been chosen for budget reasons it was used beautifully and to repeatedly great effect.
“The First Men in the Moon” on IMDB
Sci-fi, 88 Minutes, 2010
[This is the second review for this edition of my semi-regular “my-wife-and-kids-are-visiting-relatives-so-I’m-watching-loads-of-crappy-movies” film festival.]
Action/Sci-fi, 118 Minutes, 2011
I enjoyed this quite a bit but I can see good reasons why some people may not. It was slow getting going – downright lethargic in places. There was also a little silliness with Olivia Wilde’s character, but nothing too distracting.
Sci-Fi/Thriller, 112 Minutes, 2011
If you were thinking from the promos that this was going to “Goonies: the Next Generation” well, you’re partly right. The group of kids is appropriately precocious and charming but the film has a deep undercurrent of darkness that tempers the enjoyment just a bit. There are complex issues at play in these lives and, unfortunately, the film does little to truly explore them beyond a token resolution.
Action, 114 Minutes, 2011
I deeply, truly enjoyed this. Basically it seems that every few years Simon Pegg and Nick Frost give us a classic comedy. Of course “Sean of the Dead” is still (and will probably always remain) the pinnacle of their work, but “Paul” definitely shoves “Hot Fuzz” to the bottom of the heap.
