After 10 years, it is no surprise that the film series which has perfected the “cartosterone” sub-genre of action flick is back for a celebratory fifth instalment, but in honour of its love of number-play, here are Five Things that did surprise me about Fast Five. Casting Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the nemesis was…
Category: Reviews
Movie #26: Another Earth
I didn’t know what to expect from this movie, but I’m a sucker for indie sci-fi movies. I think sci-fi concepts open up a huge realm of storytelling — it’s a great way to explore dramatic and philosophical questions. Anyway, in this case, Another Earth is mostly a human drama about a teenage girl, Rhoda,…
Movie #25: Cowboys & Aliens
I’ve never been a fan of westerns (they are my second-least favourite genre, next to mob movies). However, when I heard about this western-sci-fi mash-up, I was intrigued. When I learned that Daniel Craig was going to star as the mysterious lead character, I was downright excited. Like many westerns (not that I’m any kind…
Safety Not Guaranteed – Movie Review
I had not heard anything about Safety Not Guaranteed before stumbling upon it in the theatre listings. It got great ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, and I love discovering indie-movie gems (especially when they have a sci-fi twist). When the following ad appears in the local classifieds, some writers from Seattle Magazine are intrigued enough to…
Movie #24: Conan the Barbarian
In light of all the “reboot” controversies over the last couple of years, it’s interesting that no one seems to care about Conan the Barbarian coming back to theatres. This time, the title character is played by Jason Momoa. It’s kind of odd casting, since he was quite memorable in a very similar role as…
Movie #23: The Expendables
I’m not quite sure why I watched this movie. Even though I was not really a fan of those old testosterone-fueled movies from the 80s and 90s, I guess there’s something intriguing about gathering together Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Steve Austin into a single movie. Add to that minor roles for…
Movie #22: Skyline
Skyline really brings home the idea of alien invasion, since it’s set entirely within a high-rise condo — Hey, that’s how I live! Unfortunately, I don’t live in a super-deluxe modern condo in L.A. with sleek modern styling and automated blinds — but then again, those blinds didn’t save these residents from being sucked away…
Movie #21: Friends With Benefits
Every time I watch a rom-com, I wonder why. It’s not that I don’t like them (I used to claim that), but more because they’re so formulaic that it’s almost like watching the same movie again. From the start, I knew that Friends With Benefits would follow the formula. Even though young, successful, big-city hotties…
Movie #20: Trollhunter
At first I was growing tired of the “found footage” sub-genre of movies, but recent TV series like the now-cancelled The River, movies like Chronicle and now this movie continue to expand possibilities. The title of this Norwegian film, Trollhunter (Trolljegeren), sounds like a cheesy Syfy channel B-movie, but actually it’s pulled off with a…
