Movie Review

#SciFi Worth Watching: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 #MovieReview

Movie Review, Science Fiction Movie / /

popular science fiction movie

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 takes us back into the vibrant and eclectic world of Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, Groot, and their galactic friends. With this latest installment, another exhilarating space adventure is delivered but the story also delves deeper into the emotional cores of our beloved misfit heroes, especially Rocket.

The film strikes an engrossing balance between heart and humor, weaving an intricate narrative that explores family, sacrifice, and redemption. While the stakes are undeniably high in their intergalactic quest, it’s the characters’ personal journeys that anchor the storyline, inviting us into a compelling odyssey.

Visually stunning and narratively ambitious, Vol. 3 dazzles with its mesmerizing CGI and breathtaking cosmic landscapes. Gunn’s distinct directorial style infuses the movie with a vibrant energy, seamlessly blending action-packed sequences with poignant character-driven moments.

The chemistry among the cast continues to shine, with each actor bringing depth and nuance to their respective roles. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper (voicing Rocket), and Vin Diesel (voicing Groot) breathe life into their characters, allowing us to laugh, cry, and root for this ragtag team as they navigate personal struggles and the chaos of the cosmos.

Moreover, the film’s soundtrack, a hallmark of the Guardians series, once again proves to be an integral part of the storytelling, transporting audiences through time and space with its eclectic mix of nostalgic tunes. While the movie delivers on the expected thrills and humor, it also surprises with moments of genuine poignancy.

Beer while watching is optional to enjoy the film but not required.

 

 

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Dune (2021): #SciFi #MovieReview #sciencefiction

Movie Review, Science Fiction Movie / /

 

Swept away to another world…

science fiction movie

Of all the attempts to make Dune into a movie, this is the best one. Narrowing the scope of the story had to be done, and this one did a good job of paring down the story into something understandable and exciting. Dune remains one of my all-time favorites. I read every book written by Frank and spent years lost in his epic, vast universe. It’s not an easy story to whittle down small enough for a movie, so I give those who wrote the screenplay credit for doing a good job of it.

It’s a stunning movie that is beautiful to look at and very well acted. There’s a good amount of action and tension. We spend some time with the bad guys and get a taste of the politics at work in the galaxy. The politics drive the story and what happens. Honestly, I was prepared to dislike this movie, because the scope of the novel is so vast, but I didn’t hate it. I quite liked it. A lot. Color me surprised.

In this installment, the Atreides are assigned to take over Arrakis and the spice production. Spice is integral to interstellar travel. The previous manager of Arrrakis, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, wants the planet and spice trade back. His ruthlessness and plots drive the story into the desert of Arrakis where Paul Atreides will discover his destiny.

The movie shows Fremen riding sandworms. Very cool. In the desert is where the story really comes to life.

More sand worms! I look forward to part two in March. Dune can only be done correctly in parts, IMO.

This movie earns the coveted ‘beer is optional’ rating.

 

 

 

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RoboVampire: #SciFi #MovieReview

Movie Review, Science Fiction Movie / /

So much went on in this movie and it didn’t all seem to belong in the same movie. It begins in the basement of a drug gang and they’re putting drugs in coffins. Oh, wait no, there’s a scene before that, but it doesn’t matter. We’ll start in the basement. A bunch of beings stand around like with their arms sticking straight out.

They start to wake up and attack the bumbling drug stockboys.  Because!! The drugs are not drugs, it’s rice powder, which pisses off the vampires. Fighting ensues involving bottle rockets shooting out of the vampires’ arms, bunny hopping – yes, the vampires bunny hop, which cracked me up every time – and some martial arts.

Never fear! The wizard saves the day by sticking bits of paper on the vampires’ heads. He controls the vampires with a sword, theatric arm gestures, and bits of paper. The vampires work with the drug gang.

Cue a subplot – the ghost and the vampire. This vampire looked like an ape.

His true love is a ghost. Husband Unit said her see-through top was the only plus in the whole movie. Later she goes completely topless. Ooo! Anyway, she makes a deal to work with the wizard to be with her vampire love again. The deal doesn’t last long and I have no idea why. If you want this movie to make sense, you’ll miss out on all the fun. The ghost and vampire have sex in a ghost/vampire way. I guess that’s what it was. All the same, it made me laugh.

Another drug gang is in the movie. I wasn’t sure how they fit in exactly. Don’t think too hard about it, though. You’ll just wind up with a headache. Anyway, the bad guys capture some drug agents. One gets killed and is turned into Robocop. Another dude is hired to rescue the captured drug agents.

I know this sounds disconnected, but so was the movie. The Robocop really had nothing to do with the rest of the plot. I think the plot was about Tommy rescuing the captured drug agents, but I can’t be certain.

To sum up: I was uber entertained by the bunny hopping vampires shooting fireworks out of their arms. Boobs were the only redeeming highlight in husband unit’s opinion. He said this movie required four beers. I said three. So we settle out at 3.5.

 

If you’re so inclined, you can watch it for free on YouTube:

YouTube player

 

 

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The Black Demon: Monster #MovieReview

Movie Review, Science Fiction Movie / /

I love my shark movies, and I love some bad movies. One of my favorites is Sharknado.

The Black Demon is no Sharknado. It didn’t have enough shark or a high enough body count. On the plus side, it was a really, really huge shark. Actually, it was a megalodon. There have been three movies in recent times featuring this giant shark, and they have all failed to truly take advantage of the size of the shark. If you’re going to have a giant shark as a monster, well, have it do things only a giant shark can do. Otherwise, why bother having a giant shark?

The premise of the movie is interesting. Environmental changes in the area brought on by the oil rig just off the coast, cause the ancient gods to awaken and the giant shark. The acting wasn’t great – the emotional reactions were way over the top, there were shifts in the logic of the story that didn’t make sense, and there were scenes just stuck in there for the sake of a message. Honestly, I don’t mind those things because they were funny, and a decent bad movie should make you laugh. There was a speech that reminded me of Jurassic Park and another that reminded me of Armageddon. Both excellent disaster/monster movies, by the way. I give the moviemakers bonus points for invoking thoughts of better movies.

I knew from the narrated explanation at the beginning of the movie (like they did in many old sci-fi movies) that this fell into the B movie category. Only B movies do that sort of thing, so I had hopes for this one falling into the bad but fun category.

However, there is no saving the fact that the shark has hardly any screen time and not very many people get eaten. The body parts in the water suggest there was a feast at some point, but we don’t get to see it. There is a fair amount of tension and drama. But because we don’t get to see the shark very often, I have to give this a 2.5 beer rating. I would go lower, but the movie is watchable for the most part and kind of fun if you don’t expect too much. The lack of shark is just disappointing.

It’s currently streaming on Amazon.

Here’s the trailer:

YouTube player

 

 

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Rampage was a Spectacular Thrill Ride #Scifi #MovieReview

Movie Review, Science Fiction Movie / /

I found this gem on Hulu. How did I not know of Rampage before it was streaming? It has giant creatures. I love giant creature movies.

Rampage, starring the charismatic Dwayne Johnson, is a thrilling creature feature that delivers exactly what fans of giant monster movies crave. Packed with jaw-dropping action, impressive visual effects, and a touch of humor, Rampage embarks on a high-stakes battle between a gigantic gorilla, a gigantic wolf, and a gigantic… (I’ll leave that a surprise like the movie did) and humanity.

Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson), a primatologist has a remarkable bond with a gentle albino gorilla named George. When a genetic experiment goes awry, George, along with other animals, is transformed into something enormous and highly destructive. Yay! Although, I felt a bit bad for George. Davis, teaming up with a brilliant genetic engineer named Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris), races against time to save George and prevent the catastrophic consequences of these rampaging beasts.

Destruction and mayhem, and the creatures did many surprising and fun things. Yay! No singing or dancing, but there were jokes and heartfelt moments. Lots of things eaten and ruined by the beasts. Yay!

If you love this genre, treat yourself to this movie. I highly recommend it, and beer is optional to enjoy it.

 

Here’s the trailer:

YouTube player

 

 

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Ad Astra: #MovieReview #scifi #sciencefiction

Movie Review, Science Fiction Movie / /

 

 

Ad Astra has stunning cinematography and strong performances from Brad Pitt and the supporting cast. The world-building and attention to detail in the space setting is also impressive.

However, the plot of the film can be confusing at times, with certain elements feeling underdeveloped or not fully explored. For example, the scene with the monkeys on the space station felt out of place and disconnected from the main storyline. It had nothing to do with the rest of the story. So, it shouldn’t have been there, or it should have connected to the later plot. It was probably just added for some excitement in an otherwise rather slow plot.

While the film had some compelling moments, the overall story felt somewhat lacking in terms of depth and complexity. Ad Astra has received mixed reactions from critics and audiences. Some criticized it for being overly contemplative and slow-paced, with a story that lacks coherence and depth. I’m with that camp of opinions. But I did like spending time in space with Brad Pitt. That’s not too shabby.

In the end, Ad Astra may be worth a watch for those interested in space films or those who appreciate impressive visual effects. However, it may not be the most satisfying viewing experience for those looking for a strong and cohesive storyline. So for that failing, and it’s a big one, I give it a 2 beer rating. 2 beers will make it more fun. I actually bought this DVD a few years ago. Took us a while to watch. Now I know why we weren’t too excited.

 

Here’s the trailer:

YouTube player

 

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