Genre: Action, Sci-Fi

Year: 2013

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Ben Kingsley

Director: Gavin Hood

My Review: Ender’s Game - 2013 (Action, sci-fi) Based upon a book with the same name (by Orson Scott Card), screen play and direction by Gavin Hood (Tsotsi, Rendition, X-Men Origins: Wolverine). The movie stars several teen/pre-teen actors (Asa Butterfield as Ender Wiggin, Hailee Seinfeld as Petra Arkansan), and a few veterans (Harrison Ford as Colonel Graff, Ben Kingsley as Mazer Rackham). The acting was a mixed bag, some of the younger actors weren’t very good actors, the veterans knew how to temper their acting in this regard, but some of the other young actors were quite good - Overall the acting suffered from this mixed bag of talent. The story (based on the book) pits Humans (trained from a very young age) against the alien ‘Formics’, aka ‘Buggers’, aka bugs; an alien insectoid race bent on the destruction of mankind. It sure sounds a lot like ‘Starship Troopers’ at this point. I don’t think we ever see the aliens (did we?). They’re just faceless opponents in enemy spaceships, and I started to wonder whether the enemy was real… Anyway the plot seemed a bit of a backdrop to character interaction, as this movie seemed to focus entirely on the characters and their social interaction with each other as they train for eventual war. The visual effects were great, but that seems to be the only redeeming feature available. I thought the story had something to do with sci-fi, aliens, a war, possibly space battles. I was a bit disappointed by all the touchy-feely character development. The editing and production work was quite well done. In the end I enjoyed the movie, but I doubt I would watch it again. 3 out of 5. I watched the movie a second time (a few days later), with the director’s commentary soundtrack. Unfortunately, that didn’t really improve the movie, but it did make for a better explanation of some of the things that I didn’t understand.

Summary: The Earth was ravaged by the Formics, an alien race seemingly determined to destroy humanity. Fifty years later, the people of Earth remain banded together to prevent their own annihilation from this technologically superior alien species. Ender Wiggin, a quiet but brilliant boy, may become the savior of the human race. He is separated from his beloved sister and his terrifying brother and brought to battle school in orbit around earth. He will be tested and honed into an empathetic killer who begins to despise what he does as he learns to fight in hopes of saving Earth and his family.

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Year: 2010

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand

Director: Paul Weitz

My Review: Little Fockers - 2010 (Comedy, romance) Starring Ben Stiller (as Greg Focker), Robert DeNiro (as Jack Byrnes), Barbara Streisand (as Roz Focker), Dustin Hoffman (as Bernie Focker), Owen Wilson (as Kevin Rawley) and Teri Polo (as Pam Fockar). Of course there were others, including two young actors (Daisy Tahan and Colin Baiocchi) as the ‘Little Fockers’ (Samantha and Henry). This movie is all about the cast. It’s the third movie in a concept that has definitely run it’s course. There really are no surprises in this script/movie, and I hope there won’t be any more of these movies. The concept / story - If you can call it that - Greg Focker (the male nurse) is something of a ‘loser’. His overbearing former CIA agent father-in-law doesn’t really like him. The whole clan is back together again to celebrate the twins (one boy one girl) birthday party. Throw in the supporting cast and mix in a bunch of poop jokes and you’ve got a ‘Fockers’ movie. Why! Why do I torture myself so? Despite the title, the kids have nothing to do with this movie. It’s a re-run on all the old ‘Meet The’ themes. Tension between new parents, raising twins, and the ‘in-laws’ There were a few funny ‘Ha-Ha’ moments, but nothing to bust a gut to. More cringing that out loud laughing. The acting by Jessica Alba and Barbara Streisand was terrible, and the writing abysmal. Despite the presence of some big names, I didn’t like this movie. 2 out of 5.

Summary: It has taken 10 years, two little Fockers with wife Pam, and countless hurdles for Greg to finally get in with his tightly wound father-in-law, Jack. After the cash-strapped dad takes a job moonlighting for a drug company, however, Jack's suspicions about his favorite male nurse come roaring back. When Greg and Pam's entire clan--including Pam's lovelorn ex, Kevin (Owen Wilson)--descends for the twins' birthday party, Greg must prove to the skeptical Jack that he's fully capable as the man of the house. But with all the misunderstandings, spying, and covert missions, will Greg pass Jack's final test and become the family's next patriarch, or will the circle of trust be broken for good?

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Year: 2013

Country: USA, UK, Australia, Japan

Rating:

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Svetlana Khodchenkova

Director: James Mangold

My Review: The Wolverine - 2013 (Action, adventure, sci-fi) The Wolverine is a character development story. It’s not exactly the origins of Wolverine, but it does touch on his origins. It’s a development story - an interlude a personal journey for the comic book character. I like the Marvel comics characters. I was a geek/nerd growing up in suburban U.S.A. I read comic books - And despite the teachers who felt that comic books were rubbish, trash, poison - They taught me a lot about society, grammar, the English language and art. Comic books were my ‘gateway drug’ to literature. Now the comic books are so mainstream that they’re a large segment of the movie industry. An undeniable force and incredibly powerful source of profits for the entertainment industry. Unfortunately, in that industry - Garish, robot battles and cgi action sells better than dramatic character development. In this film we see some of both, but the dichotomy between the two causes dissonance in the viewer. Is this a character development story? A tale of Wolverine’s capacity for love, his struggle with his mortality, his ability to be a part of the human race? Or, is this a movie about the Wolverine vs a giant Japanese robot and sword wielding samurai? The two movie are mashed together in a way that leaves you wondering what was going on with the script. I liked some of the darker scenes that pushed against the seams of the Wolverine character. Making him vulnerable in a way that doesn’t test his ‘metal’. I also liked the combat and action scenes. What I didn’t care for was the way they were merged. I think that the producers missed an opportunity to strengthen the franchise by enhancing the character. Instead they chose the easy way to profits by emphasizing the cgi and combat scenes with the Viper character. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Summary: In modern day Japan, Wolverine is out of his depth in an unknown world as he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before.

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi

Year: 1953

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne, Robert Cornthwaite, Sandro Giglio

Director: Byron Haskin

My Review: The War of the Worlds - 1953 (Action, sci-fi, drama, horror) H.G. Well’s classic novel adapted for film. Directed by Byron Haskin (Treasure Island (1950), The Naked Jungle (1954), Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)), starring Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne and others. Here is a classic in the sci-fi genre. The color in this film was magical. The costumes, sets, props and effects brought this movie to life. The excellent editing and direction were instrumental in crafting an movie that tells a story with perfect pacing, suspense and horror. Despite the era in which this movie was made, it still stands the test of time. Keeping you enthralled as the story unfolds. On a quiet summer night, a meteor crashes in the countryside, the aliens have arrived and an invasion is soon underway. The human characters struggle to survive, but it doesn’t look good for the human race. This movie was filled with overtones of cold-war invasion by the Soviets. The technical achievements were matched only by the outstanding pacing, editing and direction. This classic still makes my skin crawl. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Summary: H.G. Well's classic novel is brought to life is this tale of alien invasion. The residents of a small town in California are excited when a flaming meteor lands in the hills. Their joy is tempered somewhat when they discover that it has passengers who are not very friendly. The movie itself is understood better when you consider that it was made at the height of the Cold War--just replace Martian with Russian....