Category: Movies

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Movies

Looking Forward to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

I should probably not admit that I’m not a huge fan of the Marvel Universe. But I’m not going to lie about it. I’m really not.

I get annoyed that I can’t always figure out what’s going on, because the movies delve deep into the comic lore, and sometimes I feel like those of us who just like a good science fiction or fantasy film have been left in a galaxy far, far away by Marvel.

Give me Star Wars, or Star Trek, or Stargate, and I won’t have any trouble figuring out who matters, who doesn’t, and who that cameo is.

But Marvel? I’m in the dark.

However, their Guardians of the Galaxy arc is a different story so far. I’ve enjoyed them all, and I have high hopes for what appears to be the last one.

Although there are a few lackluster reviews for the movie, the majority seem promising. :)

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Movies Tie-in Merchandise

These Star Wars calendars bring back memories

I was young when Star Wars first came to the screen. Very young. I ran across these very vintage looking 2022 calendars today and the images brought back memories of sitting in the dark on the sofa, marathoning VHS tapes of the first three Star Wars movies with my family.

It’s hard to believe it’s been so long, and that the Star Wars universe has expanded so much in the years since.

Although The Empire Strikes Back is considered the best of the first three, the original Star Wars (A New Hope) will always be my favorite. :)

It’s not yet too late to grab a 2022 calendar if you’re interested in memorabilia.

Links:

The one with C-3PO: Star Wars Exclusive 2022 Mini Wall Calendar

The one with Luke Skywalker: Star Wars Exclusive 2022 Wall Calendar with Collectors Print

Other Star Wars Calendars, Games, Toys and Gifts at Calendars.com

These are affiliate links! If you don’t know what that means, read my advertising notice.

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Movies

Quick Sci-fi Movie Review: Edge of Tomorrow (aka Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow)

Edge of Tomorrow MovieI almost missed this one, even though I’ve wanted to watch it since it came out in theaters. The problem was that I thought Edge of Tomorrow was the name of the movie. I still wonder if someone changed the name as some point for some reason, because I really don’t remember the whole “Live. Die. Repeat.” being part of the title when I first saw the trailers for this film. (Ah. A quick hop to Wikipedia explains this as some kind of re-branding attempt. The movie was in fact titled Edge of Tomorrow but some retailers have it listed as Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow, and that’s exactly what Amazon has done.)

First off, let me say that I LOVED this movie. I’m a bit of a fangirl for time travel. I like it in movies, books, and television shows. Quantum Leap was one of my first fandoms and I loved the time travel aspects of that show more than anything. My favorite episodes in Stargate and Star Trek franchises tend to be the time travel episodes—and God how I love time loops. Groundhog Day is still one of my favorite movies of all time.

So, yeah, this movie was perfect for me.

Also, I don’t like what I know of Tom Cruise—I kind of think he’s an ass, although I admit to that being a complete and total gut reaction to every interview I’ve seen him do, but for some reason, I can’t deny that he’s one of the best actors around. I can totally forget that I don’t like him just because he’s so damn good at his job as an actor. I loved Oblivion and Jack Reacher. Cruise is just an all around great actor.

Edge of Tomorrow is a straight up sci-fi thriller, full of great visuals and great acting, and I haven’t watched a sci-fi movie with a better ending in years.

If you haven’t heard of this one, take a look. Edge of Tomorrow is a great movie.

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Books Movies Reviews Science Fiction

Quick Sci-fi Movie Review: The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner Movie Poster

I saw The Maze Runner movie yesterday and the movie was better than I expected for the first in a planned series (I hear the sequel is already being planned/filmed). Although there’s the requisite non-ending that leaves us hanging a bit, the movie actually felt pretty complete—certainly more complete than a few spoilers on the web had led me to believe it would be.

The Maze Runner movie appears to be part of the dystopian sci-fi genre, although without listing out spoilers to explain why I think that, I can’t really say definitely that it’s anything more than a science fiction film.

The Maze Runner Movie
Teen Wolf isn’t the only place where Dylan O’Brien shines as a performer.

I left the theater satisfied that I’d watched a full movie and not just a piece of one. That said, I’m thinking I’m going to read The Maze Runner books because I really don’t want to wait a year and more just to find out what’s really going on. Some people say the movie had significant changes from the book; some say the changes were minor to the overall plot. I guess I’ll find out for myself.

The acting was good, the maze was clever, and the movie moved really fast, especially considering I expected it to drag in places like so many other movies based on YA books. I was surprised that the nearly two hours went by super quick.

Dylan O’Brien is a great actor. Of course, I’ve known that for a while, because I’m a huge fan of his role on Teen Wolf. But this movie really just emphasized that he has skill.

Several of the other actors stood out, but I’m not certain of their names so I’ll just use their character names: Alby, Minho, Gally. Newt was kind of bland, but the actor playing the role seemed competent—I’d watch him in something else.

Anyway, this is just my quick review of the movie, and if you’ve been on the fence about watching, like I was, go ahead. The cliffhanger is nothing to be scared of and the rest of the movie is great!

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Fantasy Movies

The Odd Thomas Movie

So I watched Odd Thomas yesterday and really enjoyed it! I’m a fan of the book, and I was happily surprised at how well the movie adhered to the story and how fun the movie was. The director, Stephen Sommers, directed The Mummy, another favorite of mine. Sommers did a great job, and I loved “the mummy” cameo outside the tire store.

Odd Thomas - Movie Poster

If you enjoy movies with paranormal and urban fantasy elements, Odd Thomas might be a fit, and you certainly don’t have to be a fan of the books to enjoy the movie.

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Movies Science Fiction Television

Is The Last Airbender a Trilogy?

Apparently so. The Last Airbender, the live-action movie based on the Avatar: The Last Airbender animated TV series, is supposed to be part of a trilogy.

The first movie is in theaters now, while the next two installments are to be filmed one at a time. According to the article, "Last Airbender Trilogy Not Being Filmed Back-to-back, May Take Over 6 Years to Complete," on slashfilm.com from July last year, M. Night Shyamalan was still working on the script for the second film. This seems to support the idea that The Last Airbender is the first of a trilogy.

Finally, if you see the plot summary taken from the official movie website for The Last Airbender quoted further down this page, you’ll see that "‘The Last Airbender’ is the opening chapter in Aang’s struggle to survive."

So, yes, The Last Airbender is a trilogy.

The Last Airbender Image Some people made the assumption that The Last Airbender would be a trilogy based on the fact that the series was made up of three "books," Water, Earth and Fire.

More recently, critics have knocked the film heavily, giving it bad marks for any number of issues.

TV series viewers have done the same, but I always discount those kinds of reviews, simply because I know I don’t enjoy a movie as much if I go into it with expectations set by a book or television series I’ve loved.

The Last Airbender Movie Poster [Coming Soon] The Last Airbender Movie Poster [July 2]

I have family very interested in seeing this film. As someone who has watched bits and pieces of the television series, but not enough of it to have expectations about the style or content of the movie, I would also like to see this one. The Last Airbender looks quite appealing!

The Last Airbender Plot Summary

Air, Water, Earth, Fire. Four nations tied by destiny when the Fire Nation launches a brutal war against the others. A century has passed with no hope in sight to change the path of this destruction. Caught between combat and courage, Aang discovers he is the lone Avatar with the power to manipulate all four elements. Aang teams with Katara, a Waterbender, and her brother, Sokka, to restore balance to their war-torn world.

Based on the hugely successful Nickelodeon animated TV series, the live-action feature film "The Last Airbender" is the opening cahpter in Aang’s struggle to survive.

The Last Airbender Theatrical Trailer

 

The Last Airbender Cast

Aang – Noah Ringer

Prince Zuko – Dev Patel

Katara – Nicola Peltz

Sokka – Jackson Rathbone

Uncle Iroh – Shaun Toub

Commander Zhao- Aasif Mandvi

Fire Lord Ozai – Cliff Curtis

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Movies

2012 Movie, science fiction—or fantasy?

Ah, 2012. 2012 the movie I will admit I’ve watched more than an ordinary number of specials on the History Channel and the Discovery Channel of late about the scientific plausibility of 2012 actually meaning anything other than a date two years hence.

That said, I have always had and will probably always have a soft spot for disaster movies. I loved The Day After Tomorrow and I watch it whenever I’m in the mood to see the world changed forever.

The thing is though, after having watched all those TV specials about 2012 and the Mayan calendar ending and the upcoming galactic alignment of the sun with the center of the Milky Way, I still don’t think it all really means anything.

What will be will be and all that.

However, I also learned enough to know that 2012 the movie is more like a wonderfully wrought piece of fantasy than science fiction. Science fiction is fiction based on science. 2012 was exciting, touching, gorgeous, and devastating, but it wasn’t based on any science I’ve ever learned.

I once read a document put out by one of the Geological Society of London’s working groups called Super-eruptions: global effects and future threats. It was my understanding of what I read that 27 days wouldn’t be near the time needed to clear the air of the effects from a Yellowstone eruption, and that’s just one of the many disasters that struck the world in the 2012 movie and changed it—forever, but of which had less than realistic looking  long-term consequences.

The movie was great, nonetheless, but it certainly wasn’t based on science. Is science fantasy a genre? Because that’s where 2012 squarely fits.

If you’re a fan of Mega Disasters and similar TV programs, you’ll probably like 2012. I did. :)

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Movies

Hints of an I Am Legend prequel

I read an article at Scifi Wire today that talked about a possible prequel to I Am Legend. I’m not sure how I feel about that since I didn’t really like I Am Legend, and yes, you can blame that entirely on the last 15 minutes of the movie.

For me to enjoy it, any prequel would have to include other characters I could like because I am not interested in investing myself anymore in Neville (Smith’s character).

What do you think of a prequel? Do you like prequels as sequels to films, or you just wish the writers/producers would move on to something fresh?

Read the story at Scifi Wire for more details.

Smith’s Legend Prequel Hints

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Movies Science Fiction Television

From tv series to movie; anxious for Stargate Continuum

So, last week I officially preordered Stargate Continuum from Amazon. I will be adding the show to the site soon, and of course, the moment I watch, I’ll be writing and posting a review.

Of all the television shows that could have made it in movie form, I think Stargate has been perfect in that format. I’m anxious to see this new one though since it’s clearly going to be more able to stand alone than the last (which was an excellent wrap up of the Ori story).

Continue reading “From tv series to movie; anxious for Stargate Continuum”
Sci-fi fantasies