Moon Movie Review …

Sam Rockwell plays Sam Bell, a man who is on the home straight of his contract harvesting Helium 3 on the moon. Helium 3 is now the fuel of choice on earth but mining it requires Sam’s presence and his alone on a remote lunar station thousands of miles from home. Here begins the story of Sam and his loneliness, with only a computer called GERTY (played by the voice of Kevin Spacey) for company and the promise of returning to earth to see his wife and infant daughter to keep him going.

Moon was created back in the days before we watched Ryan Reynolds in a six by two coffin for ninety minutes, when the idea of one actor keeping an entire movie afloat was still a pipe dream. However, Sam Rockwell keeps us entertained through the good and bad as the loneliness makes him lose his tentative grip on his sanity after an accident knocks him unconscious and things aren’t the same when he wakes up.

To make it clear, the only face that you see in Moon that doesn’t have Sam Rockwell’s scruffy charm is that of his daughter (Kaya Scodelario), and the only voice is Kevin Spacey’s monotonous voice as the super-intelligent computer GERTY. Rockwell plays Sam and various other characters as his mind starts to play tricks with him. Some actors can’t pull off the trick of playing several characters in the same film (actually, some barely seem to be able to play more than one character in different films), but Rockwell manages to bring out several versions of one personality in different characters. He even does it without the audience getting confused about which is which, through the attention to detail he gives each performance.

Moon is one of those films which is all the better if you know absolutely nothing about it. The direction is fantastic, managing to bring a feeling of dread that makes for an unsettling watch, and Kevin Spacey’s voice had me suspicious of GERTY and its emotionless courtesy right from the start. Apparently due to the writer strike that was in its peak while Moon was being filmed, the director claimed that he had the choice of some of the best special effects artists and technicians available because there was so little work out there, and it certainly shows. Moon contains some desolate empty scenes that are almost beautiful.

It’s rare to find a film where attention has been paid to the most important and essential parts of any movie first: the acting and, the story and the script. Everything else has been built from there, rather than the film being structured around special effects and drama like too many other movies. Moon is one of the few science fiction films without aliens, space battle and lasers that can still keep you completely immersed, and gives you much more to think about than Star Wars ever did.

There are similarities to the movie Blade Runner and frequent nods to other science fiction greats, but when it was screened in front of audience it received praise from critics and sci-fi fans alike, proving that no genre has been exhausted even after so many years making movies.
Sam Rockwell has a long line of movies to his name including Green Mile and Matchstick Men, but after watching his performance in Moon I’m starting to wonder if his talents are underrated. The movie definitely is, because Moon’s release in cinemas completely passed most people by, despite that it’s probably one of the best movies of the entire year.

Moon is a great and involving movie and a great watch for absolutely anyone. If you think that you’ll be bored by an entire films worth of one man you’re mistaken, because with Sam Rockwell’s performance you might as well be watching a cast of twenty. Most importantly, Moon manages to take an entirely new look at the oversaturated genre of science fiction without upsetting pre-existing fans. However, if you’ve no opinion on space flight and moon boots, Moon has much more to it, and the emotional performances, psychological mystery and startling twists of the film will be more than enough to keep you happy.

Moon Movie Trailer

District 9 Movie Review …

District 9 is one of those rare movies which possess the power to make the viewer go ‘wow’ after watching it; the movie is so different and unique to any other movie which makes it stand alone in its own right as an amazing movie. The concept of District 9 is simple enough but the way the story is executed is outstanding and quite chilling.

The opening to District 9 shows numerous interviews and news reports basically telling the story of how one day out of the blue an alien craft sat hovering over Johannesburg in South Africa. There is no movement and absolutely no sign of life for approximately 3 months and the public become alarmed but also curious.

District 9 displays the natural reaction of people perfectly, initially they are surprised, bemused which then turns into curiosity and eventually leads them to the conclusion that they need to enter the craft. They do this by cutting their way in and what confronts them is pretty grim, they discover copious amounts of an alien race which all look to be sickening from something and are all malnourished.

As District 9 continues we learn that the public have ascertained that the discovered aliens are indeed ‘workers’ and their leader, or leaders, seem to have vanished. It is guessed that there may have been some sort of plague and this actually destroyed the alien’s leadership members.

The initial footage of the craft appearing in the sky is re-played and a section of the craft is clearly visible falling from it down to earth, it is assumed that it is some type of command module and this is why the craft cannot be moved as part of it is missing. Various searches are carried out but to no avail and the piece is not located.

District 9 shows that the human race can show compassion as the public permit the aliens to stay on earth as long as they are contained away from the general public. Throughout the whole of District 9 the alien’s true identity is never revealed, they have no real name. The people have come up with the term ‘prawns’ for them due to their resemblance to the sea dwelling creature.

The region rapidly turns into a disgusting slum as it is so overcrowded and the area is known as District 9, man being man and never one to miss an opportunity begins trading on the black market with the prawns. It is discovered that they adore tinned cat food and this is exchanged for the alien’s weapons, there is also prostitution between the races. The main traders or gangsters are Nigerian.

So after we are brought up to the present time the year is now 2010 and the main star of District 9 is Sharlto Copley playing the role of Wikus Van De Merwe who is a field operative worker for the Multi-National United (MNU). The public are fast losing their patience with the alien race and the area District 9 is becoming out of control so the task of taking charge of the aliens falls down to MNU, now the members of MNU do not have a lot of time for the so called prawns and very little regard, if any for their general welfare. The one and only thing MNU are interested in within District 9 is the weaponry purely because it is so advanced to theirs.

The weapons can only be used by the aliens themselves though due to their biological make up being integrated with the firearms, therefore rendering the weapons useless to the humans. Wikus is presented with the massive task of relocating 1.8 million aliens to a new site called District 10, this is better for the residents of Johannesburg as District 10 is located approximately 240kms away.

With the assistance of security forces who are working privately for the MNU Wikus begins serving eviction notices and letting the aliens know, if they can actually comprehend him, that they have to leave District 9. Wikus is searching an alien residence when he is squirted with a dark substance from a mysterious looking device, he instantaneously becomes sick and he takes the device as evidence. What follows is scary stuff to watch and District 9 does not pull any punches as Wikus begins to transform into an alien, his left arm and hand become a claw and he collapses during a surprise party thrown for him at home.

He is whisked away to hospital where a doctor soon observes his arm and he is then put into custody. Wikus undergoes numerous tests and it is learnt that he can operate the alien weaponry, discovered by forcing him to kill an alien.

During the rest of District 9 we see Wikus befriend Christopher, an alien, and his son. They form an alliance as Christopher maintains he can assist Wikus in reversing the transformation if he can help them leave. District 9 is thought provoking material and is superbly acted especially by Sharlto Copley. You can check out a trailer below.

District 9 Movie Trailer

Monsters Movie Review…

Six years ago NASA discovered the possibility of alien life within our solar system. A probe was launched to collect samples, but crashed upon re-entry over Central America. Soon after, new life forms began to appear and grow. In an effort to stem the destruction that resulted, half of Mexico was quarantined as an infected zone. Today, the American and Mexican military still struggle to contain the massive creatures that resemble monsters from our greatest nightmares.

Monsters begins when a jaded US journalist Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy) begrudgingly agrees to find his boss’ daughter, a shaken American tourist Sam Wynden (Whitney Able) and escort her through the infected zone to the safety of the US border Gareth Edwards’ groundbreaking new film Monsters is as much a emotional contemporary romance as it is an epic science fiction adventure.

Shot with just a five person crew and a cast of two, Gareth Edwards’ team traveled through Guatemala, Belize and Mexico, finding and utilizing their locations and supporting actors as they went. For a film that cost little more the 15 000 to create, the result is a film as cutting edge as it is classically composed, as emotionally satisfying as it is visually stunning, and the bold announcement of a major new talent as this is Edward’s first film that he wrote and directed. This is a movie that is unlike almost anything you have ever seen before, and it is a film you will never forget.

The closest resemblance this film has to anything else is perhaps the 2009 film District 9, but is perhaps smaller in scope and greater in emotion. For those who love the horror genre, this is a fantastic film for those who like a Zen like quality to horror flicks, but blood and gore junkies will have to look elsewhere.

The great success of this film lies in the films unique setting throughout Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico. Since nothing was filmed on a sound stage, everything has a strong authentic feel to it because, to put it bluntly, it is all authentic. By utilizing his desolate village and remote jungle locations, Edwards is able to create a genuine feeling of lonely paranoia. One such scene occurs near the beginning of the film features “something” lurking below a slow moving riverbed in such a masterfully way the tone would think it was Spielberg directing the film, think the approaching footsteps of the T Rex in Jurassic Park or the lurking Great White in Jaws. Even when there is no immediate pay off, Edwards is successful in growing the tension of the film slowly to the point where every shadow spells peril.

The problem that Monsters is bound to have with its audiences is that it has a title like “Monsters”, but for the most part, the entire film is monsterless. Not that it is a bad thing as it sets up a nice social metaphor that horror films like to often do, but when a film is called something as blunt as “monsters”, you expect to be swarming in the creatures. As the film progresses, you get a very three dimensional look at the relationship that develops between the two leads Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able, who both give Oscar worthy performances, but sooner or later the audience is going to get frustrated on the lack of monsters. For many people, this will simply be too frustrating to deal with, but for those caught up in the growing tension of the film, will be greatly awarded when the tentacles finally come out.

Monsters really is a great indie flick that everyone should check out, but for those who need constant action to enjoy a movie, you really have to be patient with this film and it will eventually payoff. When you finally get to see the aliens in all their glory, Edwards has a Guillermo del Toro like approach to the monsters; He finds a way to show sympathy for the monsters that are threatening taking over North America. The suggestion is that the creatures are just trying to adapt to their new home and make the best of it, which draws parallels to the human race that must now needs to adapt to the new life forms. The scenes with the aliens are almost poetic as Andrew and Samantha find themselves watching the creatures interact with each other with awe rather than responding with fear, which wholeheartedly translates to the audience. Due to its limited release, it is a more difficult film to find screenings off, but if you get a chance to see it, it is a must see.

Monsters Movie Trailer

If you’re still reading, I suppose that the trailer hasn’t convinced you and you want a little more information. There are some films which are only vaguely and mysteriously advertised without really explaining what’s going on (Inception was a good example of how the audience benefitted from knowing very little about it before they sat down and got out the popcorn), and I Am Legend is one of those because you know there’s a Big Bad Evil Thing lurking somewhere, but you don’t know what. I Am Legend keeps you in suspense for a most of the first half, by giving you the information that a man-made cure for cancer went horribly wrong after distribution and showing you clips of a chaotic crowd trying desperately to escape New York City. Then you’re taken forward a couple of years to the odd life of Doctor Robert Neville, who lives alone (almost literally) in the city with just an Alsatian and his immunity to the vaccination to keep him company as he wanders the empty streets and hunts for deer in Central Park.

I Am Legend is a zombie film that isn’t really a zombie film. The infected have the ability to transfer their infection to anyone they transfer bodily fluids to, and their hairless and mutated bodies certainly hint at zombies, but if you’re going to think of them like that, you might as well forget everything you know about zombies. They can’t endure the burn of daylight, which brings a vampiric element to their existence, and while their infection leaves them violent and blood thirsty, there’s none of the ambling stupidity of your average undead. In fact, this leads us to one of my two favorite parts of the film I Am Legend. You don’t see a lot of the infected in their natural habitat, and towards the beginning the suspense just builds and builds as you hear the sounds of them but the film keeps you from catching a glimpse for as long as possible. This makes it all the more frightening when they make themselves visible and they’re much faster and much viciously cleverer than you expect.

The other area in which I feel I Am Legend really shines is its depiction of the New York City of Robert Neville’s world. In Vanilla Sky, we saw an eerie scene where Tom Cruise wandered into Times Square to find it deserted and it sent an unexpected shiver down our spines. In I Am Legend, New York is not only abandoned, but husks of cars lie rusting and stripped of metal amongst grassy streets and in a particularly inspired scene we see Neville driving a GT500 at high speed straight down the grids of the city. In fact Will Smith publicly apologized to the citizens of New York saying: “There were a couple of streets we had to close off during the filming of ‘I Am Legend’. I am very sorry. People were kind of upset with me.” But I think most would agree that it was probably worth it, and it’s hard to stay angry at Will Smith anyway. As ever, his performance is captivating and moving, you instantly warm to him and the way he has adapted from noted scientist to hunter in a matter of months, and his portrayal of the loss of his family is heart-rending. There’s a lot of pressure on Smith in I Am Legend, purely because for the majority of the movie he shares the screen with a particularly lovable dog. However, I found that I bonded with him so quickly that it was almost disappointing to find new characters entering the storyline. I Am Legend could actually have spent a little more time exploring Neville’s life in New York if anything, but they probably decided that they’d disrupted the citizens of New York enough by then.

Essentially, I Am Legend is a sci-fi thriller that takes its scary moments from the psychological fear of the unknown, the sense of being completely alone and the terrifying speed of the enemy. You could consider it as a new take on the zombie film genre, but I think that undervalues a film that’s more psychological than horror.

I am Legend interview with Will Smith

It’s quite rare that a movie like Splice comes along and goes pretty much unnoticed when it is in the movie theater. The reasons behind this is perhaps many, but I think the overall premise of the film really threw people off what it is actually about. I have to admit that when I first saw the previews for this film I immediately thought cute alien goes rogue and kills a bunch of people. The reason I thought this, and I’m going to assume a lot of other people would agree with me, is because Splice looked nearly identical to the 1995 film Species, which was nothing more than sexy female alien killing people. The strange thing about Splice is that the entire movie desperately fights to try not to be the movie you think it is going to be, but in the end, it is that exact movie you thought it was.

The thing that sets Splice apart from films like Species is that it is a very science driven film rather than an alien or made scientist film. The film grounds itself in reality by spending the first quarter of the film establishing the work of Clive (Adrien Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley) who are famous Superstar genetic engineers that have made huge scientific leaps and bounds by spice different types of animal DNA together to create new life forms. When they come to the point where they have to decide to incorporate human DNA into the equation, the theme of morality is introduced and runs the full length of the film. By this of course I mean the decision to do something just because you can despite the risks that may be associated with the action. Like I already mentioned, this theme runs through the entire length of the film, it dictates how the characters act, and it drives the plot of the entire film. For this reason, Splice becomes a film much deeper than other “sexy-alien-kills-everyone” movies because it is actually about something more than just sex and violence.

Splice would be nothing without the acting talents of Adrien Brody, best known for his Oscar winning performance in the Pianist, and Sarah Polley, best known for The Sweet Hereafter. Not only are their characters brought to life before our eyes, but the characters are legitimately fascinating because they are incredibly flawed. Not only are they struggling with the morality of creating a new life form, but they are also struggling with each other because despite the fact that they live together, their work is constantly driving them apart because they are both so submersed into it. Even Polley’s childhood is woven into the plot, which creates an interesting background into her compulsion to create Dren.

Speaking of Dren, what would a scientific/horror film like Splice be without the creation; the monster; the Frankenstein? Thinking about comparing the adorable Dren to Frankenstein is quite astute because despite the fact that Dren is not made up of random body parts, she is made up with random parts of DNA. The character of Dren is played masterfully by Delphine Chanéac with her curious birdlike movements and childlike innocence, but as the film progresses, there is an underline complexity that is only briefly hinted at by Dren’s boredom in her learning abilities and hidden artwork. Splice’s scientific creation is definitely a memorable experience both in terms of Dren’s visually stunning appearance to the emotional power flows from the movie screen like the dance scene that Dren shares with Clive in the barn, which is perhaps the best scene of the entire movie.

Splice is a film that is impossible for me not to recommend. I find it completely absurd that it only made 17 million dollars in the box office, which is nearly nothing when one takes into account the a list actors involved with the film and the fantastic special effects used in the making of Splice. By no stretch of the imagination is this a film that is perfect, but the good aspects greatly outweigh the bad aspects of the film. For some reason, director Vincenzo Natali hasn’t had a very long or successful track record with movie success, but for some reason or another, this movie really clicks and works on all the levels he was working on. I simply can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this film, and the sooner you see it, the better.

The year is 2009, you remember it, and Dr. Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) takes a trip to India to visit an astrophysicist that warns him the temperature of the earth in rapidly increasing. Helmsley promptly informs the who’s who at the White House about the series of natural disasters promised to ocme.

What does the White House do? Exactly what you’d expect, of course. They begin a series of hardcore work on a collecting precious artifacts from around the world to ensure the survival of the human race when the disasters strike. The international community chooses 400,000 people to board the “arks” awaiting in the Himalayas and funded the project by selling tickets to the rich at $1 billion per person!

With one year until 2012 it seems that the world’s leaders have thought of everything to protect the future.

Then there’s Jackson Curtis (Cusack), a sci-fi writer/limo driver for a Russian billionaire, who has no idea what’s going on yet, except that he’s promised his kids Noah and Lily a camping trip in Yellowstone. Having a jolly ol’ time at Yellowstone, Jackson’s trip is cut short by an unexpected visit by armed military officers. At the military base, Jackson crosses paths with Dr. Helmsley, who has actually read his book.

Inside Yellowstone is where Jackson meets Charlie Frost (Harrelson), a conspiracy theorist with a radio show that broadcasts from the park. Charlie suggests that the long count calendar predicts the events of 2012. Charlie has a map of the arks along with evidence that scientists who discovered the ark project have been murdered.

On the way home, Jackson and kids have to deal with multiple earthquakes navigating through California. He decides to rent a plane and get his wife and her boyfriend, amateur pilot Gordon. Jackson and the rest of his extended modern family escape Los Angeles by the skin of their teeth as the city slowly falls into the Pacific Ocean.

Jackson takes a trip back to Yellowstone to get Charlie’s map of the 2012 arks, where fireballs begin to strike the earth. Charlie continues broadcasting to the end of the world…literally.

Next, Jackson and crew head for Las Vegas where they stumble upon Jackson’s boss, Yuri along with his kids and pilot. Yuri is one of the billionaires that has purchased billion dollar tickets, and he’s secured an Antonov 500 plane to get them to China and the arks.

At the same time, Air Force One departs D.C. without the President (Glover) who has chosen to stay behind and address the citizens of the United States one time before the megatsunami hits. With the Vice President dead, the Speaker of the House missing and the President choosing to stay behind, Carl Anheuser the President’s chief of staff assumes the role as President.

In China, Yuri and his twin boys are hurried to the arks where spots await them, while Jackson and the rest of the group hitch a ride with a Buddhist monk. A humongous tsunami hits while all the eager citizens of the world wait to board the arks, causing more trouble than the 2012 predictions coming true.

Aboard the arks as stowaways, Jackson and his son prevent disaster by removing the cord stuck that prevents the door of the ark from closing. The loose ark comes just inches from crashing into Mount Everest and an ever bigger mess. The arks sail to South Africa, the only continent still standing in 2012.

As far as big budget disaster films go, I had mixed emotions about 2012. I’m a huge John Cusack fan and him in the role of a hero was actually pretty awesome. It was nice to see an average-looking guy actually stepping forward and doing the so-called “man thing”.

I don’t really buy into the 2012 buzz that’s out there, but that doesn’t mean that this wasn’t a good time at the movies. Multiple tornadoes ripping through Los Angeles, world icons crumbling to the ground, and flying a plane as the earth is literally crumbing unto itself is what I call an action-packed night at the movies.

Cusack and Harrelson are the highlights. Woody’s Frost character is a perfect blend of do-gooder, conspiracy theorist, and the walking insane. Harrleson adds a dose of comedy in a film about the end of the world…what’s more comforting than that?

The real problem I had with this film was the length. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those people with the attention span of a fruit fly, but at more than 2 hours for a disaster movie did test my patience a little. There are periods of great excitement throughout 2012, but there are also periods of time that could’ve been left on the cutting room floor.

All in all, you should consider this a mostly positive review of 2012. With an all-star cast that includes the deliciously evil Oliver Platt, it’s difficult to say anything too bad about this film. And although there isn’t really anything “new and exciting” about the alleged 2012 phenomenon, it does lend itself to amazing special effects that are visually stunning and provide the appropriate level of panic throughout the film.

There was just enough conspiracy in 2012 for it to work effectively without forcing audience members to dissect why said theory couldn’t work. 2012 is mostly a simple movie that’s fun to watch. If you need more than that in a disaster film. 2012 is not the movie for you.

Will Smith

It’s a simple straightforward movie: there’s an alien “problem”, a very “serious – no smile on my face – I mean business – and dress in black suits” government agent named K (Tommy Lee Jones) and a “just came from da hood – know noth’ about this sh..t” NYC cop named J (Will Smith).

They’ve got big guns and at least one’s got an attitude.

We can’t really speak of a plot, it’s all pretty simple: the intergalactic alien terrorist Edgar (Vincent D’Onofrio) is trying to incite an interstellar war that would destroy humanity and the agents have got to deal with the threat.

As any important mission, this one is also top-secret and involves a lot of running / shooting / special effects. The aliens are not too smart at all, but at least the big villain is a difficult opponent.

The witty dialogues and funny scenes, together with some pretty decent special effects (the movie did have a serious budget) make the entire blockbuster an enjoyable one. We’ve also got the “femme fatale” brought to life by Linda Fiorentino.

For those interested in some New York City sightseeing, you can admire the interiors in Guggenheim and see the Shea Stadium).

Don’t expect a life-changing movie or philosophies, it’s a simple “comedy-action” movie with a Sci-Fi twist that can entertain you for 2 hours.