There’s probably a good, or at least a passable story somewhere amongst the mutants, Singer as a director has done some nice work with Marvel’s X-Men franchise in the past, but this time, it just feels like too much flash, and no substance. To say the visual effects super-saturate this film is an understatement….
Tag: visual effects
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) – Matt Reeves
It’s back to the Apes saga as I dive into the most recent sequel as I continue my way through the Sci-Fi Chronicles. Set a decade or two after the previous film, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and Caesar (mo-capped by Andy Serkis) is leading a growing nation of evolved apes. But…
The Canadian Screen Awards 2016: The Mind Reels on the Red Carpet
Sue and I were absolutely delighted this year, when we were notified by Touchwood PR (an amazing group of smart and dedicated people who continue to help us be the best we can be) that not only would we be attending the Canadian Screen Award Galas, and Broadcast, but that we would have a…
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) – J.J. Abrams
Sure, the film has only been open for one weekend, but at this point, there is absolutely nothing new for me to add to the discussion of the film. I’m still processing it so much of it, I mean after 30 years we get to see what really happened to our favorite characters, and…
District 9 (2009) – Neill Blomkamp
So the Neill Blomkamp is next up in the Sci-Fi Chronicles book (I am loving this thing) with his first feature film, District 9, that was produced by Peter Jackson. As a commentary on race, apartheid, and just how badly we as a species can exploit and hurt others, District 9 may be more…
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) – Guillermo del Toro
Not sure why this one ended up in the family genre section of the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book, but I guess, it ties in with the Wizard of Oz in terms of a fantasy world, and a young girl. Doesn’t matter, because I love sitting down and watching this one!…
Inception (2010) – Christopher Nolan
A heist film wrapped with multiple dreams, so many in fact, that there has been much debate if the top-level, the main reality of the film itself, is a dream. To support this there is much discussion of the character’s totems, an individual item they carry around with them that is uniquely theirs, one…
The Martian (2015) – Ridley Scott
A fantastic book, a top-notch actor, and one of the best technical directors working, what wasn’t to like about The Martian? Clocking in at 141 minutes, my only real issue with the film was that despite the fact that it gave you the number of sols Mark Watney (Matt Damon) spent alone on Mars…
The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) – Scott Derrickson
The next title up for my perusal in the Sci-Fi Chronicles book is The Day The Earth Stood Still, I’d previously reviewed the 1951 classic here, so now it was time to take on the remake. And sadly, the updated version would rather focus on visual effects rather than the characters or story or…
Niagara Integrated Film Festival 2015
Against the backdrop of wine country with the dull thrum of the falls imaginable at the farthest edge of earshot, members of the film and wine industry gather to make connections, share experiences and celebrate the finer things in life – film and a good vino. And I was fortunate enough to be invited…
The Mind Reels 