Month: December 2022

Today’s quick review: F.R.E.D.I. Dr. Andi Palmer (Kelly Hu) is the creator of F.R.E.D.I. (Candace Cameron Bure), an advanced robot designed to protect humans. But when her boss Grant (Angus Macfayden) sells her work to the military, Dr. Palmer steals the robot and hides it in the woods nearby, where it is found by James Nash (Lucius Hoyos) and his friend Danny (Reid Miller), a pair of local high school students.

F.R.E.D.I. is a family sci-fi adventure about a boy who discovers a helpful robot. The movie is cut from the same cloth as any number of other films in the genre: James and his friends must protect F.R.E.D.I. from Grant and his bumbling goons, all while having their lives changed for the better by their extraordinary friend. F.R.E.D.I. is a relatively competent execution of this formula, but it doesn’t bring anything new to the table.

F.R.E.D.I.’s main failure is one of imagination. The title character is meant to be a source of delight and wonder. Instead, it is a bland robot that can perform a few minor tricks and has little personality of its own. Its relationship with James is only as deep as the social status it earns him. As such, instead of taking the audience on an emotional journey, F.R.E.D.I. merely goes through the motions of one.

The rest of the movie is unexceptional. James and his friends are credible teens but not particularly interesting characters. His relationship with his divorced father Randy (Tyler Christopher) holds promise, but the movie never explores it in depth. F.R.E.D.I. also struggles to establish dramatic tension, resulting in a low-stakes plot. As for the action, it’s limited to a few chase scenes where the robot’s abilities never really matter.

F.R.E.D.I. will still have some appeal for younger audiences, but it lacks the depth, the heart, and even the excitement of better entries into the genre. It copies the formula without adding to it, resulting in a movie that never fully captures the audience’s interest. Fans of the genre will find that they can do better elsewhere.

For a family-oriented sci-fi movie with a similar premise and a more interesting companion, try A.X.L. or Monster Trucks. For a more imaginative story about a boy who discovers a robot, try Iron Giant or Big Hero Six. For a more endearing story about a helper robot, try WALL-E or Robot & Frank.

5.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 5.5 for a bland but passable story.

Today’s quick review: Monster Trucks. Tripp (Lucas Till), a high school student who works at a junkyard, makes an unlikely friend when he meets Creech, a subterranean creature unearthed at an oil drilling site. Hiding Creech in Tripp’s truck, Tripp and his classmate Meredith (Jane Levy) look for a way to return the creature to its home. But first they must outwit Reece Tenneson (Rob Lowe), an oil executive who wants to get rid of Creech entirely.

Monster Trucks is a family sci-fi adventure about a teenager who befriends an intelligent creature with tentacles and a thirst for oil. Monster Trucks’ main appeal comes from its premise. With Creech taking the place of his engine, Tripp pulls off some creative feats with his truck, which he uses to stay one step ahead of Tenneson’s thugs. Apart from this one gimmick, however, the movie is quite shallow, making for a pleasant but insubstantial watch.

Monster Trucks doesn’t have much bite to it, even by the standards of its genre. Tripp makes for a lukewarm protagonist except for the rare occasions where he gets to show off his passion and ingenuity. The story follows the same template as other family adventures, with Tripp and Meredith trying to protect Creech from a sinister cover-up. The movie also has a habit of abandoning its subplots, with a few promising threads that are never finished.

For all of these faults, Monster Trucks never makes any significant missteps. The story is serviceable, the characters are likable enough, and the action, while tame compared to some movies, has some charm to it. Monster Trucks is a fine pick when you’re in the mood for something light, safe, and family-friendly. Anyone looking for hard-hitting action, surprises, or a substantive plot will want to steer clear.

For another sci-fi movie about a teenager who makes friends with a strange creature, try A.X.L., Max Steel, or E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. For a more entertaining sci-fi adventure in the same vein, try Sonic the Hedgehog.

5.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for a shallow but pleasant family adventure.

“Sting like a bee.” —Bumblebee

Today’s quick review: Transformers: The Last Knight. Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) travels to Cybertron to confront Quintessa (Gemma Chan), the creator of the Transformers, only to fall under her control. Meanwhile, Sir Edmund Burton (Anthony Hopkins), the last member of an ancient order, tells Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg), a fugitive fighting for the Autobots, that he holds the key to defeating Quintessa and preventing the end of the world.

Transformers: The Last Knight is a sci-fi action adventure and the fifth film in the Transformers series. The movie expands the Transformers universe by introducing Quintessa, a being who wishes to wipe out the Transformers and rebuild Cybertron by absorbing Earth’s energy. The Last Knight returns to the classic Transformers formula of goofy humor and large-scale action. However, its busy plot and poor sense of continuity undermine its efforts.

To its credit, The Last Knight walks back the excessively dark tone seen in Age of Extinction. Even though its events are similarly cataclysmic, the Autobots face them with optimism and a sense of humor, resulting in a much more palatable watch. Otherwise, The Last Knight has the same high stakes and over-the-top action as Age of Extinction. It also benefits from an expansive cast of Transformers, including a couple of creative new designs.

However, The Last Knight suffers greatly from its lack of consistency, both in terms of the big picture and from moment to moment. The changes it makes to the Transformers universe are hard to reconcile with the previous films, and the plot does not hang together very well. The film drops plot threads, forgets important details, and ignores characters entirely whenever they become inconvenient, making it a shallow watch that doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

The result is a peculiar movie that’s hard to pin down. The Last Knight has the tone of the first three Transformers films, the scale of the fourth, and a host of new ideas that never quite pay off for it. Fans of the series who are willing to forgive the film’s many lapses in logic will find it to be a chaotic but enjoyable popcorn action flick. Steer clear if you are hoping for artful storytelling or a coherent plot.

5.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for strong action and a fun tone saddled with jumbled and inconsistent storytelling.

“It’s a bad idea, but I’m all about bad ideas.” —Hound

Today’s quick review: Transformers: Age of Extinction. Five years after the Decepticons’ attack on Chicago, a CIA black ops team commanded by Director Harold Attinger (Kelsey Grammer) is hunting down Autobots and Decepticons alike. Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg), a mechanic from Texas, and his daughter Tessa (Nicola Peltz) get caught in the fight when they find Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), the injured leader of the Autobots, and help repair him.

Transformers: Age of Extinction is a sci-fi action adventure from director Michael Bay. The fourth movie in the series breaks with the previous three, scrapping most of the cast and status quo in favor of a darker storyline. Age of Extinction features a staggering amount of destructive action, as well as a sprawling story with plenty of twists along the way. However, its unruly plot and serious tone make it a harder watch than its predecessors.

Age of Extinction maintains the heavier tone seen in Dark of the Moon. The movie is a grim struggle that pushes the Autobots to their limits and casts humanity in a more villainous role. Heroism and bits of comedy help offset the bleakness, but the movie’s high body count and relative lack of humor take an emotional toll. The upshots of this decision include higher stakes and less of the goofy humor found in previous films.

The other notable change in Age of Extinction is its plot. Even with its lengthy run time, Age of Extinction has a hard time fitting in everything it wants to. Important plot threads include Cade and Tessa’s story, the CIA’s alliance with Lockdown (Mark Ryan) to hunt down the Autobots, visionary CEO Joshua Joyce’s (Stanley Tucci) attempts to create artificial Decepticons, and the apocalyptic device that killed the dinosaurs.

These threads are all interesting on their own, but they are too much for one movie to handle. Age of Extinction has to swap awkwardly between them to keep the plot moving forward, with the result that no single idea gets its due. More significantly for an action movie, this wreaks havoc with the pacing. Instead of being an action-packed thrill ride, Age of Extinction is a bloated movie that mismanages its story and overstays its welcome.

Transformers: Age of Extinction still holds some appeal as a popcorn action movie. Viewers in the mood for something flashy and destructive will find that it fits the bill, with large-scale fights and the budget to back them up. But the combination of less humor, a longer run time, and an unfocused story makes Age of Extinction a clear step down from its predecessors. Transformers fans should approach with caution.

For gritty sci-fi action in roughly the same vein, try Terminator: Dark Fate. For sci-fi action in a similar style, try Pacific Rim: Uprising. For an alien invasion with more heart, try Independence Day.

5.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for solid action attached to an unfocused and overly bleak story.

“Who would you be without me, Prime?” —Megatron

Today’s quick review: Transformers: Dark of the Moon. While on the hunt for a job, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) stumbles onto a government conspiracy covering up the existence of an Autobot ship that crashed on the Moon. Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) rescues Sentinel Prime (Leonard Nimoy), the former leader of the Autobots, from stasis on the disabled ship. But it’s not long before the Decepticons try to steal the powerful weapon Sentinel controls.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is a sci-fi action adventure from director Michael Bay. The third film in the Transformers series chronicles the next phase of the Autobots’ sojourn on Earth, a time of escalating tensions between the Autobots and their human allies. Meanwhile, the Decepticons scheme from the shadows and prepare their largest attack yet. Impressive action and a large-scale plot are hurt by loose storytelling and some odd decisions.

Dark of the Moon’s greatest success is the way it scales up the action. From the early skirmishes with the Decepticons to the cataclysmic finale, the movie delivers plenty of sci-fi action, backed by flashy set pieces and a hefty special effects budget. The action scenes have the same sense of chaos as the previous films, but they are somewhat easier to follow. The fight choreography is also more violent, which helps to raise the stakes.

Dark of the Moon suffers from some of the same flaws as the previous movies, only amplified. The plot hangs together loosely at the best of times, a series of twists and revelations that have little of the dramatic weight the movie intends them to. The goofy humor centered around Sam and some of the Autobots never quite hits its stride. The tone also takes a dramatic turn halfway through the movie, splitting it into two distinct parts.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is a solid pick for anyone looking for a popcorn action movie that emphasizes special effects and destruction. Fans of the series may not like Dark of the Moon’s status quo changes and tonal shift, while general audiences will be critical of its story logic. But for anyone willing to overlook these issues, Dark of the Moon offers sci-fi action of a kind that few other movies can match.

For a superhero movie with similarly cataclysmic stakes, try Man of Steel or The Avengers. For a smaller-scale story about a heroic robot, try Iron Giant. For a sci-fi action movie with somewhat similar action, check out Rampage.

6.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for flashy action held back by an uneven script.

“Even in death, there is no command but mine.” —Megatron

Today’s quick review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Now bound for college, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) wants to put the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons behind him so he can focus on his classes, his social life, and his relationship with Mikaela (Megan Fox). But Sam gets dragged back into the fight when he touches a shard of the Allspark, imprinting his mind with an Energon source that could turn the tide of the war.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a sci-fi action adventure from director Michael Bay. The second movie in the Transformers franchise picks up two years after the first. Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), Bumblebee, and the other Autobots once again enlist Sam Witwicky to save the world from Megatron (Hugo Weaving). Revenge of the Fallen delivers the same big-budget action and goofy humor as the first, but wrapped around an even more outlandish plot.

Revenge of the Fallen makes a few improvements over the original with its action and character designs. The sequel gets off to a faster start, with large-scale action from the very beginning. The Autobots and their human allies have a host of new Decepticons to fight, including some bold designs that go beyond the military vehicles of the last film. Even visual touches like more daytime scenes and a brighter color palette are welcome.

Revenge of the Fallen is on shakier ground with its story. It aims for the same mixture of sci-fi adventure and lowbrow comedy as the first film, with mixed success. On the one hand, the story is larger in scope and delves deeper into the lore of the Transformers universe. On the other hand, the plot feels slapdash, with loose logic and a tendency to make things up as it goes along. Overall, it makes for a fun but not especially artful adventure.

How much you get out of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen will depend on what you are looking for. If you just want splashy action and don’t care too much about the plot, Revenge of the Fallen is a fun and imaginative popcorn watch. If you are looking for a cohesive movie that puts a lot of thought into its setting, you may want to approach with caution. Steer clear if you disliked the original.

6.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for strong action hurt somewhat by its story and sense of humor.

“Autobots, roll out!” —Optimus Prime

Today’s quick review: Transformers. High-school junior Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) gets the chance to impress Mikaela (Megan Fox) when his parents let him buy a used Camaro for his first car. But the car turns out to be Bumblebee, a robotic alien who came to Earth to recover a powerful energy source called the Allspark. Now Sam must work with Bumblebee and the other Autobots to locate the Allspark before the Decepticons can claim it for themselves.

Transformers is a sci-fi action movie from director Michael Bay. Adapted from the Transformers toy line, the movie chronicles the battle between two factions of robotic aliens, the Autobots and the Decepticons, as they search for an artifact that could conquer the planet. True to Michael Bay’s other movies, Transformers features larger-than-life action and impressive special effects. However, its odd tone and haphazard plot hold it back.

Transformers’ greatest appeal is its action. The premise involves giant robots that can transform into everyday vehicles, and the action scenes make full use of this capability. The fights are flashy and destructive, with plenty of slow-motion and robotic violence. One slight drawback is that the action scenes tend to rely on the same tricks over and over again, but they make up for it with the variety of Transformer designs and settings.

Still, Transformers has a few issues that make it an uneven watch. The movie leans heavily on lowbrow comedy that ranges from amusing to awkward. The story is prone to long tangents that don’t actually advance the story, and the cast is larger than it needs to be given how little they accomplish. Visually, the complicated designs of the Transformers make the action hard to track, putting a damper on otherwise enjoyable fight scenes.

Transformers is a fun pick when you’re in the mood for some popcorn action. It makes a few missteps with its plot, its humor, and some of its visuals, but none of these are enough to ruin its entertaining premise and high-octane action. Anyone willing to roll with its eccentricities will find it to be a shallow but enjoyable watch. Those looking for a more coherent story or more artful visuals may want to approach with caution.

For an updated take on roughly the same premise, check out Bumblebee. For a sci-fi action movie featuring battles with giant robots, try Pacific Rim. For another all-out action movie from Michael Bay, try Armageddon.

7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for large-scale popcorn action and uneven execution.

Today’s quick review: Prospect. Far in the future, prospectors scour the Rim for aurelac, a valuable substance that grows in the body of an underground organism. Hoping to strike it rich, Damon (Jay Duplass) and his daughter Cee (Sophie Thatcher) travel to a remote moon, where an enormous deposit of aurelac awaits them. But their expedition gets thrown off track after a violent encounter with Ezra (Pedro Pascal), a crafty bandit.

Prospect is a science fiction Western about a prospector, his daughter, and their ill-fated journey to make the score of a lifetime. Damon and Cee must brave the hostile forests of an alien moon, harvest the aurelac, and make it back to their ship before they are stranded forever. Prospect combines the beats of a frontier story with a richly detailed science fiction world. The movie’s attention to detail will make it a hidden gem for fans of the genre.

Prospect does an excellent job of building up its setting. The props and sets are a perfect fit for a frontier planet where life is rough and a single air filter could be the difference between life and death. Prospect’s world feels lived in in a way that few other science fiction movies can match. Every piece of technology has a clear purpose, and just watching the characters interact with it is enough to piece together the way it works.

Prospect goes the extra mile with its world-building as well. Although the story only takes place on a single moon, the characters talk about other places like they’ve actually been there. The dialogue features slang and technical terms that help sell the setting without being hard to understand. The movie even shows snippets of an alien language and accompanying music, again hitting the sweet spot between exotic and familiar.

The one area where Prospect falls short of its potential is its story. Prospect has the perfect setup for a father-daughter story, but it never places much emphasis on its emotional arc. Damon, Cee, and Ezra are clearly defined characters and a great fit for the story, but they don’t grow the way they need to. Paradoxically, the same self-reliance that makes the characters so effective in-story undercuts their emotional appeal for the audience.

Prospect is a solid pick for fans of bread-and-butter science fiction. The setting alone makes it well worth a watch, and while its story is not as resonant as it could have been, it’s still a captivating tale of resourcefulness and survival. Prospect does not offer the flashy thrills or special effects of other sci-fi movies, but it achieves a much subtler form of success: a vision of the future that actually feels real.

Anyone interested in grounded sci-fi settings and tales of survival in space should check out Interstellar or The Martian. Science fiction fans looking for another movie that makes good use of a limited budget should try Moon or I Am Mother. For a non-science fiction story about the hunt for riches, try The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. For a Western with similar character dynamics and better execution, check out 3:10 to Yuma.

6.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for a decent story set in an excellent world.

Today’s quick review: After Earth. Over a millennium after humanity was forced to abandon Earth, the United Ranger Corps protects the resettled humans from the Ursa, alien hunters that can sense fear. Cypher Raige (Will Smith), a legendary Ranger, is traveling with his son Kitai (Jaden Smith), a Ranger cadet, when their ship crashes on the now-inhospitable Earth. Guided by his father, Kitai must brave the wilderness to go call for help.

After Earth is a science fiction movie from director M. Night Shyamalan. The movie explores the relationship between a stern father and his sensitive son as they try to survive on the wild, dangerous Earth of the distant future. After Earth has a powerful story at its core but has a hard time expressing it. What should be a moving father-son journey in a futuristic setting instead is a mishmash of interesting ideas that never quite click.

After Earth places too much emphasis on novelty and not enough on cohesion. The set and prop design are packed with subtle choices that set the movie apart from other science fiction. The characters’ unfamiliar names and accents emphasize the far-future setting. Creative camera work, an alien hunter on the loose, and a mysterious backstory give the film a sense of intrigue. But taken together, these are too much for the viewer to easily track.

Underneath all the trappings, After Earth is a movie about two things: the relationship between Kitai and his father, and Kitai’s journey to a rescue beacon to get them both off Earth. Both sides of the story are adequate, but neither one is particularly impressive. The personal side of the story is a little clunky; Cypher only warms up to his son in fits and starts. The journey to the beacon is a solid survival tale with no real surprises.

After Earth has the makings of a strong science fiction film, but it lacks a clear vision. Its world-building and storytelling crowd each other out, and as a result, its best ideas are underdeveloped. After Earth will hold modest appeal for fans of the genre, those who can appreciate the details of its setting and who are interested in the story for its own sake. But those looking for a polished science fiction adventure may want to look elsewhere.

For richer science fiction set in a post-Earth future, try Harlock: Space Pirate or Titan A.E. For science fiction with a similar aesthetic, try Oblivion or Edge of Tomorrow. For science fiction drama about the relationship between a man and his child, check out Interstellar or Ad Astra. For a darker survival thriller about an alien hunter, try Pitch Black, Predator, or A Quiet Place.

4.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 for a promising setup with jumbled execution.

“Come on. Have some breakfast, then you can run away.” —Bella

Today’s quick review: Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison), a troublesome foster child, finally finds a loving home when he is adopted by Bella Faulkner (Rima Te Wiata), a kind woman who lives on a farm with her gruff husband Hector (Sam Neill). Everything is going well until Bella dies unexpectedly, leaving Ricky and Hector on their own. Unwilling to return to Child Services, Ricky escapes into the wilderness with Hector.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a comedy adventure written and directed by Taika Waititi. The movie follows a reclusive man and his foster child on a trip through the New Zealand bush. Along the way, Ricky learns to survive in the wild, grows closer to Hector, and evades a manhunt led by Child Services worker Paula Hall (Rachel House). The result is an endearing comedy with warm characters, a simple but heartfelt story, and a charming script.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople’s greatest strength is its characters. Ricky is a troublemaker with delusions of being a gangster, but his loyalty and inquisitiveness make him a joy to spend time with. Hector is a gruff loner who only takes care of Ricky out of necessity, at least at first. Over the course of their adventures, they develop a rapport that forms the heart of the film. It is a simple setup, but an utterly effective one.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is an excellent pick when you’re in the mood for a feel-good watch. The characters are easy to like, the jokes are quirky without feeling artificial, and the story has a distinct flavor of its own. Hunt for the Wilderpeople is not as overtly comedic as some movies nor as emotional as others, but it strikes a nearly perfect balance between the two, making it a light and rewarding watch.

For a similarly quirky comedy about the hunt for a runaway boy, try Moonrise Kingdom. For an animated adventure about a grumpy old man and the boy he learns to care for, try up. For another understated comedy about a man and his surrogate child, try Paper Moon. For a superhero comedy about a foster child finding a family of his own, try Shazam!.

7.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for endearing characters, a well-crafted story, and fun comedy.