Cin’s Movie Critiques

The Time Machine

Guy Pearce. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence. 2002, Science Fiction/Drama. Cin’s Critique:

Based on the book by H.G. Wells, The Time Machine is about a man in the 1800’s who invents a time machine to try and alter the past. When he realizes that is not possible, he travels to the future instead. First to the year 2030 when the human race is trying to colonize the moon, and then 800,000 years into the future where humans have evolved into two separate races.

Guy was excellent as a nerdy mathematician, Alexander Hartdegen. I loved the romantic and tragic beginning to the movie, which led him on a quest to save the woman he loved. The special effects were pretty good too, especially the time forwarding sequences.

I have heard from those who read the book that they hated the movie, so apparently, there were some changes. I enjoyed this one very much, obviously because my “Guy” was in it, but also because it was a great story and an entertaining movie.

Transformers

Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, brief sexual humor, and language. 2007, Action/Science Fiction. Cin’s Critique:

So, I took my kids to see this one and all three of us loved it! Very entertaining from beginning to end. I really wasn’t expecting a great movie, but it actually had a very good story line. And the actual transforming was very cool! I’m sure Santa will bring it to us this Christmas.

Synopsis: Alien robots come to Earth to protect the human race from the evil strain of their species. Loved the action, didn’t like the almost swearing and sexual references, for being a movie that will be watched by the entire family there were a few lines that made me frown.

I know a few of you have seen this one, let me know what you thought of it.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Daines. Rated R for strong sci-fi violence and action, and for language and brief nudity. 2003, Science Fiction/Action. Cin’s Critique:

John Connor is in his twenties now, and although Judgement Day was prevented in the last movie, he is still leery and lives life as a drifter in order to stay “off the grid”. Since the terminator sent back through time cannot find him, she (yes…she…big mistake if you ask me…) targets all of his military officers instead.

John coincidentally meets up with his future wife just as she is about to be killed, Arnold shows up to save the day, and they all figure out that Skynet has still come to pass through different means. The rest of the movie they again try to prevent Judgement Day from occurring.

This was my least favorite of the trio, but that is not to say that is wasn’t a good movie, I liked it. It just had a different mood than the other two, not so science fiction feeling, and, a much different ending. If you haven’t seen this one, I’d highly recommend watching it, as it nicely finishes off the ongoing story, just don’t expect the same ambiance as the first two movies.

So, thanks to Rocky for requesting a review of the Terminator movies. I really enjoyed watching all three in a row, give it a try sometime!

Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong. Rated R for strong sci-fi action and violence, and for language. 1991, Science Fiction/Action. Cin’s Critique:

“Three billion human lives ended on August 29th, 1997. The survivors of the nuclear fire called the war Judgment Day. They lived only to face a new nightmare: the war against the machines. The computer which controlled the machines, Skynet, sent two Terminators back through time. Their mission: to destroy the leader of the human resistance, John Connor. The first Terminator was programmed to strike in the year 1984, before John was born. It failed. The second was set to strike at John himself when he was still a child. As before, the resistance was able to send a lone warrior, a protector for John. It was just a question of which one of them would reach him first.”

The movie begins with this narrative, and with two terminators traveling through time, one to kill John, and one reprogrammed by the resistance to protect him. This time around, Arnold is the good guy, and is hilarious as young John Connor tries to teach him to be cool. The famous line invoked here: “Hasta La Vista, Baby”.

Terminator 2 is filled with bigger, better explosions, a little more humor, and a much more hindering feeling of inevitable doom. The terminator sent to kill John is more adaptable, being made out of liquid metal, and thus, much harder to destroy. Sarah Connor is a bit more buff in this movie, crossing the line from helpless girl running for her life, to hardened rigid woman, training her son to become a military leader. The story line is more developed, and we cheer for our heroes to accomplish their goal of preventing Judgement Day from ever happening.

My favorite of the trilogy, Terminator 2 won four Oscars and was nominated for tons of other awards. I first saw this one in high school, and I actually mean, during class. Our substitute teacher was a rebel, and let us watch an R rated movie at school, how cool is that??

The Terminator

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn. Rated R for language, action violence, and brief nudity. 1984, Science Fiction/Action. Cin’s Critique:

“I’ll be back.” One of the most famous lines in movie history! And certainly The Terminator is one of the most famous movies ever made. Hard to believe this was made way back in 1984, since it actually bearable, even enjoyable to watch, unlike most movies made so long ago.

A machine is sent from the future to “terminate” Sarah Connor. Her unborn child will be John Connor, the future’s military leader that heads the resistance to the war on the machines. Also sent from the future is Kyle Reese, sent to protect her, to keep her alive and ensure the existence of John Connor.

By far the best character in the movie is the Terminator itself, a robot covered with living tissue. Relentless and unfeeling, he pursues his target. Sarah Connor, a normal woman suddenly running for her life, learning her destiny from a seemingly crazy (although incredibly good looking) man. And Kyle Reese, traveling through time to protect her. Ah, it’s a love story too…

An amazing science fiction movie, with many glimpses of the future, after nuclear war has all but obliterated the human race, and the machines are trying to exterminate what is left of us. Surely you’ve seen this one, leave me a comment! (Especially Rocky, who requested the review of the Terminator movies, I watched all three just for you!)

The hot days of summer have arrived, temps lately have been close to 100 here in the Salt Lake Valley. We have spent a lot of time at the swimming pool in our apartment complex. It has been many years since I’ve sat around in a lounge chair, soaking up sunrays, and I have to admit, I’m lovin’ every minute of it!

Also very entertaining are the games we play in the pool. Splashing each other with that cool, clear water; throwing the beach ball back and forth; doing underwater handstands; seeing who can make the biggest splash; and seeing who can hold their breath the longest.

It was during one of these breath-holding contests that I remembered a particular movie that really is NOT about a swimming pool, but I pondered it nonetheless. Do you remember the part in Minority Report where Tom Cruise is holding his breath underwater and someone kidnaps his son? Creepy.

Minority Report

Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell. Rated PG-13 for violence, brief language, some sexuality and drug content. 2002, Science Fiction/Action. Cin’s Critique:

I haven’t seen this movie since it came out five years ago. I had forgotten how futuristic it was. I also forgot that Colin Farrell was in it, this is one of the first movies that helped him climb the ladder to fame. In fact, except the very basic concept of the film, I had forgotten most everything.

In the year 2054, murder has been eliminated in the Washington DC area thanks to an elite law enforcement unit called Precrime. It is a system involving three beings that foresee murders that haven’t occurred yet, and stops the crime before it is actually committed. However, when the chief officer, John Anderton, sees that in 36 hours he will murder a man he has never met, he questions the system, and sets out to prove his innocence, all the while running from the law.

The extremes to which Anderton must go to hide from his pursuers and to prove to himself that he is not a murderer take the viewer for a wild ride in the future. Based on the short story by Philip K. Dick, Minority Report is a must see!

The Final Countdown

Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen. Rated PG for language. 1980, Drama/Science Fiction. Cin’s Critique: 3 *

This is yet another movie I remember my older brothers watching when I was very young. I was very surprised to be able to rent it from Blockbuster Online, and on DVD no less, for as old as it is. (Another good deed done to me by Blockbuster by the way, you really should check them out!)

The Final Countdown is about an aircraft carrier is caught in a time warp and sent back in time to December 6, 1941, the day before Pearl Harbor was attacked. Once the crew realizes and accepts what has happened, they are faced with the difficult decision of whether or not to interfere with history. Their knowledge and technology would be a powerful weapon to prevent the attack and defeat the enemy.

Wow, Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen are just young pups in this movie! For a minute there I thought I was watching Charlie Sheen, not Martin. This was a novel idea for a time travel movie with decent special effects for being almost thirty years old.

The thing that I didn’t like about this movie, which only earned it an “okay” in my rating system is this: even though the plot and dialogue were very engaging, I was disappointed in how the moral to the story was dealt with. Yes, all questions were answered, all conflicts were resolved, but I just didn’t feel satisfied after all was said and done. I needed a little more “umph” as to the why things ended up the way they did.

The Thirteenth Floor

Craig Bierko, Gretchen Mol. Rated R for violence and language. 1999, Science Fiction. Cin’s Critique: 3 ½ *

I’ve seen this movie four times now. I like it every time I watch it. What amazes me is that I can never remember it. Is that a bad sign? That it can’t even stick with me? Or a good sign, meaning the plot was so intricate and twisted my own mind cannot remember the details? Hmmm…anyway, after recently watching and still remembering, I recommend this one to the science fiction crowd. (And the computer software crowd.)

The Thirteenth Floor questions the famous philosophy I think, therefore I am. A software developer finds himself with a bit of amnesia and the suspect of a murder. Trying to find answers he delves into the computer simulated world he and his now dead partner created. Did he kill his friend, or did a character from the world somehow creep into consciousness and reality, and commit the grisly crime?

This movie has parts that feel like Tron and The Matrix, but it’s just the feel, the story lines are completely different. I especially liked the computer-simulated world being set in 1937 Los Angeles. It gave the movie a unique setting for science fiction: the past. A well thought out plot gives the audience answers along the way and still manages a twisty surprise ending.

Here is another attempt to answer Rusty’s request for a classic sci-fi movie. This is probably as classic as you can get, being that Alien has become an icon for science fiction movies.

Alien

Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt. Rated R for sci-fi violence/gore and language. 1979, Science Fiction/Horror. Cin’s Critique: 2 ½ *

Well, I have to say I was a little disappointed in this movie. Now I know that it was made a long time ago, and was ground breaking at the time. I know that it was the scariest movie of the day, but I just didn’t think it was all that great.

I did like the eerie silence throughout the film, it let the viewer feel the vast nothingness that surrounded the spaceship. I liked the story line, from the point where “mother” awakens the crewmembers, through all their banter with each other, through the realization that something awful is on board. I liked the alien itself, very creepy and nightmare invoking.

What I didn’t like was how unrealistically they reacted to the threat. This is the case in most horror movies, which is why I’m not a huge fan of the genre. Really, who is going to go out looking for a killing creature one by one? (In their panties no less?) No. In reality, we’d lock ourselves safely together and come up with a more logical plan, but then there would be no movie. And how is it in the end (spoiler alert!!) that one person manages to get away? She actually walks back and forth in front of the alien, doing some of the same things that got other members of the crew killed, yet, it somehow doesn’t notice her. Hmmm…

So anyway, I went in with an open mind, and decided for myself that this one was just so-so. If you would like to read some rave reviews of the movie, look it up online, there are many out there that think it’s the only perfect movie ever made…

I was so excited to receive my first review request! I acted right away and rented The Abyss in response to Rusty’s request for a classic science fiction movie. This is the first science fiction movie I ever saw, so it seemed old enough to be a classic to me! However, after watching it, I think I missed the mark a little, so I will try again another time to watch and review something a little more classic and a little more science fiction for you Rust.

The Abyss

Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. Rated PG-13 for language and some scenes of action. 1989, Science Fiction/Adventure/Thriller. Cin’s Critique: 3 ½ *

I would have been 13 when this came out, I remember my older brothers watching it and telling me to leave the room when there was a scary part. That seems funny now, because my 3 and 5 year olds watched it with me today, and I never had them leave once! (They’re brave you know…) So, this is the first time I’ve watched it since I was young, and I was delighted with it. It was suspenseful and mysterious.

The Abyss is about a team that goes under the ocean to look for a lost nuclear submarine, and also discover what they think is an alien species living underwater. Needless to say, things are a little scary below the surface, it’s dark and dreary and cold. Not only are these people fighting the fear in their own minds of just being down there alone, they are afraid of whatever is out there in the water.

This was a great movie. A thriller, without being too scary. Science fiction, without being too far out there. Action/adventure without big explosions and special effects. With a great ending! Those of you that have watched this one, leave a comment and let me know how you liked it. (I’m especially wondering how those older brothers remember it.)