Marvel brings their first family into the MCU with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. It’s charming, and has some solid casting, but it never really has the impact that this iconic team deserves. And that may be due to superhero fatigue. Marvel and Disney have upped the audience of dosage of superheroes that everything feels…
Tag: vfx
Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) – Gareth Edwards
It’s lost some of its magic. There is too much green screen and visual effects, and almost no practical work when it comes to the dinosaurs, and it’s glaringly obvious. There’s no majesty when we see the dinosaurs now, because they don’t look real anymore. You can tell they are all done by VFX artists….
Predator: Badlands (2025) – Dan Trachtenberg
I loved Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey. It was amazing. It took an IP that continues to endure and intrigue and shake it up in a new way. So when I heard he was cranking out another one, I was ready to see what he did next. Predator: Badlands ends up being a middle-of-the-road entry, one that…
Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) – Colin Trevorrow
Jurassic World: Dominion is the sixth film in the Jurassic franchise, and it seemed very intent on wrapping up lots of plot threads that ran through, or surfaced in the series. I’ve watched it twice now, and I will say this, enjoyed it much more the second go round. I will also say this. We’re…
Stargate: Atlantis (2006) – No Man’s Land, and Misbegotten
Season three of Stargate: Atlantis got underway on 14 July, 2006. It was written by Martin Gero and picks up exactly where the season two finale ended. The Daedalus is still engaged with the Wraith hiveship, Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) is leading a squad of 302s against Darts and we get a huge space battle. And…
Stargate: Atlantis (2005) – The Siege: Part 1, and Part 2
Martin Gero launches the first part of the season finale, The Siege: Part 1, which was first broadcast on 18 March, 2005. The Wraith hiveships and darts are drawing close now, and everyone is aware that they are the line between the attackers and the Wraith’s new goal, reaching Earth, which would be a new…
Gladiator II (2024) – Ridley Scott
I greatly enjoy Ridley Scott films, he’s an incredible technical director, even when his films aren’t as emotionally captivating as I would like, there’s always something masterful about his creations. Gladiator II is no different. The first film resonated and struck a chord with filmgoers everywhere. It’s no surprise that the idea of a sequel…
Dreamcatcher (2003) – Lawrence Kasdan
I don’t know why this one didn’t work so well twenty years ago. Lawrence Kasdan (!) directs from a script he wrote with William Goldman (!), based on a novel by Stephen King (!) , a score by James Newton Howard (!) and a top-notch cast; Damian Lewis, Thomas Jane, Jason Lee, Timothy Olyphant, Morgan…
Eraser (1996) – Chuck Russell
Arnold Schwarzenegger fights to save Vanessa Williams and stop an arms deal with terrorists in Eraser. The big guy is John Kruger, a U.S. Marshal who specializes in working the Witness Relocation Program. The opening sequence sets up his abilities and the aspects of the job which see him erasing Johnny C (Robert Pastorelli) to…
Alien: Romulus (2024) – Fede Alvarez
The Alien franchise has had its ups and downs, but the original two films, 1979’s Alien, and 1986’s Aliens, are undeniable classics that have held up and continue to entertain. The universe the films have been set in is seemingly ruled over by the tyrannical Weyland-Yutani corporation that seems to own everything or is in…
The Mind Reels 