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Jupiter Ascending (2015)
I do not understand all the hate for this movie.
Literally, just a few weeks before this movie was released, I had been thinking "Why haven't there been any fun space opera films recently? Well, one that isn't part of a Marvel franchise?" And then Jupiter Ascending opened - and lo and behold, the Wachowskis delivered.
I am old enough to remember having seen Flash Gordon and The Empire Strikes Back in the theaters. Space opera was very much an integral part of my childhood, and Jupiter Ascending is right there with some of the best I've seen.
Then I heard all the negative reviews, and was baffled. Did these reviewers see the same movie I had? What happened? Do they hate fun? Is Chris Pratt the only one allowed to have fun in Hollywood anymore? Is it the fact that Jupiter Ascending has a female protagonist and caters to a female gaze? Maybe it's not specifically aimed at the dudebros to whom the Hollywood business machine seems to be pandering mostly these days, but they can still enjoy it nevertheless? Did the Hollywood suits see the Wachowski's jab at the corporate oligarchy and feel personally threatened? Are they still bumhurt that the Matrix sequels didn't quite live up to the original? Did seeing shirtless Channing Tatum/shirtless Eddie Redmayne make them feel all funny inside? We may never know the answers to any of these questions, but one thing is clear; Jupiter Ascending is the fun space opera movie that you need in your life right now. Ignore the haters and see it!
Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010)
It's as if Panos Cosmatos actually came up and asked me what I wanted to see in a movie, then delivered.
So, my friends and I watched this Thursday night. The film's premise: in 1983,17-year old psychic Elena attempts to escape from the Arboria Institute where she is being held for study by the obsessed Dr. Barry Nyle. I don't understand the folks who didn't get it or who said it was incomprehensible. There is a plot to this movie, and I thought it was pretty obvious what was going on. Yeah, it's somewhat slow in some places, but the sets are gorgeous and that more than makes up for it IMHO.
To be fair, I'm obsessed with the late 1970s/early 1980s, and though this film came out in 2010, it was specifically made to look as if it could have been released around that time. It perfectly captures the trippy, paranoid vibe intrinsic to lot of the sci fi from that time. The Arboria Institute is set up in the beginning exposition as a medical/psychiatric facility based around new-age spiritual ideals with the goal of helping humanity achieve its full potential. Obviously, things don't go as planned.
Michael Rogers's performance as Dr. Nyle is fantastic, like a sinister version of Carl Sagan if he were portrayed by American Psycho-era Christian Bale. This is obviously a dude so far gone on the Arboria Institute's "benign pharmacology" and "energy sculpting" that he has lost his ability to relate to anyone else. Nearly all of his interactions with everyone positively drip with condescension and sarcasm, which is a glaringly pathetic cover for the crushing existential horror he must feel as a failed psychonaut. Though he is in charge, he is the Arboria Institute's greatest failure - and Elena is its greatest success.
Elena (portrayed by actress Eva Allan) plays like a late 20th century pre-River Tam. But does she wait around for Simon to come break her out? Hell no.
There is no way any review of mine could do this movie justice. If you're an aficionado of creepy psychological cold war-era sci-fi thrillers from the late 70s/early 80s like Scanners, Firestarter, Videodrome or Dreamscape, this film is right up your alley.
Baggage Claim (2013)
Why is this being slammed by critics?
As someone who has passed the 30 mark and who doesn't have a ring on my finger, I can certainly relate to the premise of this movie. A lot of times, it does feel like a race to the altar - especially when everyone else around you seems to be hooking up with someone. My friends and co- workers have not yet planned something as drastic as the character Montana Moore's friends do in the film - but as the clock keeps ticking and I am still single, I suspect it is only a matter of time.
What I don't understand is the critics' hate for this movie - Paula Patton is perfectly likable, sympathetic, and relatable as a leading lady and the film's protagonist. I liked this movie, and I say this as someone who does not often go in for romcoms. I did not find it too "formulaic." It was entertaining and heartfelt and very funny. I'd recommend it to anyone. 10/10.
Under the Cherry Moon (1986)
Wrecka Stowe.
***POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING.*** I first saw this film when I was around 13 or 14, during my Big Prince Fandom Phase (I still consider myself a fan, and I love his music, but I am nowhere near as obsessive about it as I used to be.) People have called this movie "surreal." I would say that this is an understatement, but in a *good* way. As much as Prince and Tricky's bantering, the black-and-white cinematography makes this film the truly unique viewing experience that it is. And as other comments have pointed out, some of the quotes have become catch-phrases amongst the folks who have seen this film ("WRECKA STOWE!") (Seriously, where *does* one obtain a Sam Cooke album?) **now for the spoiler** And yes, I did cry at the end. After the lighthearted comedy that encompasses most of the action, I was not at all expecting what ended up happening. Despite this, I feel that Under The Cherry Moon should be appreciated for what Prince was trying to do with it. This movie was not well-accepted or well-understood by the critics and the viewing public, and that's their loss.
Æon Flux (2005)
Not a bad sci-fi film, just not exactly Aeon Flux.
Yeah, I can understand why Peter Chung feels "violated" by this adaption. It isn't very faithful to the animated series. But it's fine for sci-fi fare, and very faithful to the *spirit* of Aeon Flux in many places. It would have been a great sci-fi film if they had just changed the names and filed off the serial numbers to protect the innocent. This is not an Aeon Flux film. It's a pretty decent science fiction film that is sort of inspired by Aeon Flux.
*SPOILERS*
I would have liked to see them tackle the issue of the "split city" that was the whole point of the original series on MTV. But the ending, with the wall coming down, was just great. :) And it was fun to see the subplot about the Relical, which featured in the Herotodus File book that came out around the same time as the Flux "talkies" in 1995. As a fan of the original silent shorts on Liquid TV, I was pleased that this was made into a film at all. I just wish they hadn't changed so much.