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“Star Trek Into Darkness” – Review
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Tag Archives: science fiction
“Cloud Atlas” – Review
Directors & Writers: Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski. Based on the 2004 novel by David Mitchell
Cast: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, James D’Arcy, Zhou Xun, Keith David, David Gyasi, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant - all playing multiple roles
Rated R
Running time: 2 hours 43 minutes
IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1371111/
Plot: Six interconnected tales reveal the connectedness of life and the consequences of even the smallest actions.
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There must be some mass existential crisis going on in Hollywood. From The Tree of Life to Melancholia to Prometheus, aging directors are contemplating the mysteries of existence at a record pace.
Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis are a bit younger than the makers of those films, but that didn’t stop them from tackling a nearly 3-hour philosophical fantasy, with six distinctive stories and actors playing multiple roles (of varying ages, races and even genders), based on a book that many people consider unfilmable. Cloud Atlas doesn’t always work, but it doesn’t always have to. It pulls you along through the sheer force of its mad ambition.
“Looper” – Review
Posted on Fri, Sep. 28, 2012
‘Looper’: Time-travel thriller ramps up the action | 3 stars
By LOEY LOCKERBY
Special to The Star
When it comes to time-travel stories, it’s best not to get hung up on details. As Joe (Bruce Willis) reminds his younger self (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in the trippy sci-fi Looper, you’ll just end up sitting in a diner for hours, drawing “diagrams with straws.”
DVD Reviews – “The Hunger Games” & “A Separation”
Published at KCActive.com on September 7, 2012
The Hunger Games
When they started casting the movie version of Suzanne Collins’ dystopian YA novels, I was in the middle of a weeklong Hunger Games marathon. As the cast took shape, I began to hear the voices of those actors in my head as I was reading. That’s when I knew the people of Panem were in good hands.
“The Dark Knight Rises” – Review
Despite some eye-popping action, muddy final installment can’t match the previous ‘Knight.’
By LOEY LOCKERBY
Special to The Star
★ ★ 1/2 out of 4
Rated PG-13 | Time: 2:44
When it comes to superhero movies, the third time is never the charm.
From Superman III to X-Men: The Last Stand, they hit a creative pothole after the second installment. If anyone could change that, it would be Christopher Nolan, whose Batman adaptations have ranked among the best genre films of all time.
But while The Dark Knight Rises is much better than most third entries, it’s still flabby and convoluted.
“Prometheus” – Review
‘Prometheus’: Ridley Scott’s astro knot | 2½ stars
By LOEY LOCKERBY
Special to The Star
‘PROMETHEUS’
* * 1/2 out of ****
Rated R | Time: 2:04
If you happen to be among the first humans to visit an alien planet, here’s a useful piece of advice: The sentient goo creatures are not pets.
Don’t go poking around and trying to make friends with them. Those things will eat your face.
“Marvel’s The Avengers” – Review
Director & Writer: Joss Whedon; based on a whole bunch of Marvel comic books
Cast: Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Cobie Smulders as Agent Hill, Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson, Stellan Skarsgard as Dr. Selvig
Rated PG-13
Running time: 2 hours 22 minutes
IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0848228/
Plot: Thor’s brother, Loki, steals an artifact that could power the world – and destroy it. In response, Nick Fury assembles a team of squabbling superheroes to prevent Armageddon.
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Yes, we’re supposed to call it Marvel’s The Avengers, presumably so no one expects Uma Thurman to show up in a catsuit. That job is for Scarlett Johansson and Cobie Smulders, who strut around in skintight outfits while the hunky men show off their muscles.
That’s not the only eye candy, either. The 3-D on this thing is stunning – clear and properly lit, with realistic depth. On a massive IMAX screen, it’s even more impressive. I don’t usually recommend paying extra for those perks, but it’s completely worth it with here.
Another Earth – 2011 Review
Kansas City Star, The (MO) – Friday, August 12, 2011
In Another Earth, a planet identical to our own suddenly appears in the sky, looming like a reflection in an enormous mirror. The philosophical impact of this is expressed in a moving, intimate story of loss and second chances.
Real Steel – 2011 Review
Kansas City Star, The (MO) – Thursday, October 6, 2011Author: LOEY LOCKERBY , Special to The Star
A deadbeat dad tries to bond with his precocious offspring while fighting for success in an unpredictable profession.
There are financial troubles, lots of setbacks and a pretty girl, and everything is resolved by a last-act confrontation with cartoonish bad guys.
You probably just thought of at least three or four movies like that. Real Steel is indistinguishable from any of them, with one exception: It has awesome robot fights.
Attack the Block – 2011 Review
Kansas City Star, The (MO) – Friday, September 2, 2011Author: LOEY LOCKERBY , Special to The Star
Have we had enough alien-invasion movies for one year? After Battle Los Angeles, Super 8 and Cowboys & Aliens, it’s hard to muster much excitement for yet another tale of extraterrestrial nasties. Call it E.T. Fatigue.
Don’t write off the genre just yet, though. While it lacks originality, Attack the Block zooms along with energy and deadpan humor.
Evangelion 2.0 – 2011 Review
Kansas City Star, The (MO) – Friday, January 21, 2011Author: LOEY LOCKERBY , Special to The Star
Japanese anime films can be tough going for the uninitiated, but Hideaki Anno’s 2007 reboot of his Neon Genesis Evangelion series was relatively straightforward.
