"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is a smashing sci-fi commentary that is in many ways full of good old-fashioned escapism. It is often full of well-paced action, fluid drama and subtle romance, as well as ornate costumes and seamless CG effects. It is every bit an intense and gripping piece of entertainment with no line or character getting wasted on screen. Cleverly helmed by Francis Lawrence, this follow-up to the 2012 blockbuster film takes the popular franchise into a deeper
Science Fiction
‘The Wolverine’ Film Review: The Contemplative Adamantium
"The Wolverine" is a fairly solid standalone offering that redeems itself from the significantly weaker "X-Men" spin-off "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." Somber and restrained, this film presents a refreshing noir reboot for the franchise. Compared to other "X-Men" blockbuster movies, it utilizes a contemplative tone and a deliberately slower pace, while clearly managing to keep the momentum for another brewing sequel. Interestingly, this dark and slow-moving character study doesn't feel much like a summer superhero movie, which isn't actually a bad thing.
‘Pacific Rim’ Film Review: Monstrously nostalgic metallic mayhem
"Pacific Rim" is epic action art for those who love robots and monsters. This monsterfest is a hybrid of just about every major cinematic genre. It showcases the grandest traditions in war, sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, alien, monster, and robot movies. Full of mechanized mayhem, it taps into that primal fondness of seeing two big things tearing each other apart. It may be a generic, familiar, and cliché-ridden piece with cardboard characters, but it still wins its target audience over through the visceral
Blu-ray Review: ‘The Atomic Kid’
Releasing on a single-disc Blu-ray package, the 1954 sci-fi comedy "The Atomic Kid" features a frenetic slapstick farce based on the story of filmmaker Blake Edwards. This film directed by Leslie H. Martinson revolves around a young uranium prospector's fate after surviving the radiation exposure in an atomic bomb testing site. It stars Mickey Rooney, Robert Strauss, and Elaine Devry. The story begins with a uranium search in a remote part of Nevada. Coincidentally, when a man gets caught up in
Blu-ray Review: ‘The Blob’ (1958)
The 1958 cult classic "The Blob" arrives on a single-disc Blu-ray package featuring an alien invasion story set in a small American town. Considered as one of the most successful monster-horror romps of the 1950s, this campy flick directed by Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr. transcended the schlock sci-fi, horror, and teen delinquency genres of the decade. Since then, it has endured as an iconic piece of American cinema. It stars Steve McQueen, Aneta Corsaut, Earl Rowe, Olin Howland, and Stephen
Blu-ray Review: ‘Westworld’ (1973)
The 1973 android disaster classic "Westworld" finally gets a Blu-ray treatment via a single-disc debut package. This film is the first directorial work of novelist and filmmaker Michael Crichton. It was released a good two decades earlier than the more familiar classic "Jurassic Park," which was originally written by the same man behind "Westworld." The said Steven Spielberg opus is actually an adaptation of Crichton's 1990 novel "Jurassic Park." The two movies "Westworld" and "Jurassic Park" clearly utilize a very similar
Blu-ray Review: ‘Men in Black 3’
This third installment to the "Men in Black" series shines as a fan-pleasing offering. A surprising success to a relatively aging franchise, it returns to the screen as a strong compliment to the sci-fi action and comedy brand. "Men in Black 3" comes out on a two-disc set consisting of a Blu-ray disc and a DVD. This home video release contains the film's HD, SD, and UV digital copies, as well as a handful of supplements. This highly entertaining sequel helmed by
‘District 9’ Film Review: Thinking man’s sci-fi
"District 9" is a hybrid of a film: a Hollywood material that looks like a successful anti-Hollywood venture and a brilliant social commentary. Produced by the people behind the “Lord of the Rings” (LOTR) franchise including its helmer Peter Jackson, this motion picture delivers its universal message about ethnic tolerance through the tale of a doomed extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth, mainly in a South African ghetto, until these beings suddenly find a kindred spirit in a
‘Star Trek’ (2009) Film Review: Warpspeed wow!
Something old reboots as a glorious new. Reinventing a classic sci-fi series is prone to becoming victimized by the blackhole of franchise re-openings, but what this new "Star Trek" presents is a flaring shine of a supernova from start to end. The plot may be preposterous, but the way the film is constructed provides a genuinely rollicking adventure - a fine escapist entertainment that has just validated the tagline, "Live long and prosper." From the first stunning visuals of a pre-Enterprise time
‘Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith’ Film Review: The force of tragedies
“Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” serves as the final chapter to the culturally historical galactic empire saga from the real master behind the force George Lucas, along with his dedicated behind-the-scene heroes from the "Star Wars" of the 1970s and 1980s ("Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" in 1977, "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" in 1980, and "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi" in 1983) to the prequels produced two decades after ("Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" in 1999 and