Review: Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo

Budget 250 million Box office 1.153 billion 

Starring

Chris Evans - Steve Rogers / Captain America

Robert Downey Jr. - Tony Stark / Iron Man

Scarlett Johansson - Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow

Sebastian Stan  - as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier

Anthony Mackie - Sam Wilson / Falcon:

Don Cheadle - James "Rhodey" Rhodes / War Machine

Jeremy Renner -  Clint Barton / Hawkeye

Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa / Black Panther

When I first had this film (dvd) I wondered if it would hold well in comparison with the previous Captain America movies.  But then there it was and I as pleasantly surprised.  It foremost added some debth to the characters.  This took the shape of out and out anamosity between members.  Stark continues to be abrasive as always which goes quite far towards alienating other members.  

The conflicts and the motivation are not to believe. Downey reprises his role as Tony Stark / Iron Man as does Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America, Scarlett Johansson - Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, Stan  - as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier, Mackie - Sam Wilson / Falcon, Cheadle - James "Rhodey" Rhodes / War Machine, Renner -  Clint Barton / Hawkeye

Boseman as T'Challa / Black Panther as well as others.

This lends itself to a much more three dimentional character.  Overall I give the film an 8.  The returning heroes add a confort level that I had not been aware of in earlier.  Fans of Cap will not be disapointed. 

Review: Gravity

Gravity starring

Sandra Bullock
George Clooney

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón

In  Gravity, Sandra Bullock portrays a mission specialist aboard sts 157, George Clooney a veteran astronaut and mission commander.  

During an EVA to repair the Hubble Space Telescope Bullock and Clooney's characters are informed

that a Russian missile strike on a defunct Russian satellite has create a huge cloud of high speed junk that strikes the shuttle, ISS as well as other craft on the same orbit. 

The balance of the film depicts Bullock's character working to return to Earth.

I was really surprised to find this film on cable tv, but there it was.  The film is mildly technical but brings a boatload of excitement.  There is the obligatory dead body floating into view, plus a variety of HUH? scenes, but for the realistic spaceflight (not as real as Apollo 13 but home-work was done) will thoroughly enjoy Gravity. Both Bullock and Clooney put in excellent efforts. 

I would rate the movie an 8.  Acting was good.  Plus the high moments throughout the film keeps your interest.    

Review: Inside Out

Starring the voice talents of 

Amy Poehler as Joy

Phyllis Smith as Sadness

Bill Hader as Fear

Lewis Black as Anger

Mindy Kaling as Disgust

Richard Kind as Bing Bong

Kaitlyn Dias as Riley Andersen

Diane Lane as Riley's Mother

Kyle MacLachlan as Riley's Father

Paula Poundstone as Forgetter Paula

Bobby Moynihan as Forgetter Bobby

I had heard some good things about the animated feature Inside Out, so I finally got a watchable retail dvd to see what all the excitement was about when the movie first hit general release. I wasn't disappointed.

A Pixar / Disney collaboration (is that the proper word? Since they are part of the same company.) That seemed to take the best of both.

I thought with Disney, I was going to get a straight on children's film and in a lot of respects, that is what I got. Oddball characters and even stranger plots. Not disappointed on either front with Inside Out.

But once the main characters are introduced, the plot-line takes a turn towards the dark. The whole plot device being that the major emotions are taken up by identifiable archetypes and we view the majority of the movie from these archetypes view point with occasional forays into the exterior world to observe the interplay between external and internal worlds.

There are several places in the film where each of the characters are highlighted and how they make up the whole. And this is why I have reservation on very young children watching this film. The emotions are strong and intense, so much so that even as an adult I was uncomfortable and uneasy, so I would lean towards older children with more experience with stronger emotions

Review: Ant Man

Paul Rudd as Scott Lang - Ant-Man
Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne
Corey Stoll as Darren Cross - Yellowjacket
Bobby Cannavale as Paxton
Michael Peña as Luis
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson - Falcon

run time     117 minutes

Budget     $130 million
Box office $518.6 million

After research covering years of investigation, scientist uncover how to close gap between atoms.  Enclosed in an armored suit, it gives the wearer the very selfsame abilities. One to shrink to invisibility and second to return to normal size.  

Along the way, our hero has also garnered the proportional strength of the ant as well as the ability to speak to them fluently.

These plot devices are hung as you would xmas bulbs on a tree and in this case, a workman  plot line. 

Our scientist starts a company to study and utilizes this new discovery.  The business   partner proves to be ruthless and evil, with a healthy dose of greed mixed in.  Others in the cast are shuffled back and forth between   both extremes.   

If you havn't guessed yet, science, mostly physics are tossed almost immediately.   But mass and energy are added and subtracted on a whim.  I don't even want to allude to the instances in question.  Rent Ant Man and lets see if you see what I saw.  I can remember thinking "Oh No!  the can not be going to go there!  But they do.  

The plot is fair, The fight sceans as well as the action moments are at best workman. But it is the science that really left me cold. 

The backgrounds are nice, the CGI is grandly overdone and the acting from those like Michael Douglas was workman or better. 

So if you are looking for a comic book adaption then this film is just the ticket but as a stand alone movie it isn't working.  I would have gone a 6 if it was clear they were not tied to their junk science, but when it became clear that they were vested in it that I could not in good conscience go above 4or 5. 

It would make a neat rental and as a kids movie but I would not want friends to know I had this in my stash. 

Check out the Wiki for more info

Review: American Ultra

 American Ultra

Budget $28 million  Box Office 14.4 million  So as you can see it was a box office failure.

Run Time
96 minutes

Here is a very short list  of cast members

Jesse Eisenberg as Mike Howell
Kristen Stewart as Phoebe Larson
John Leguizamo as Rose
Bill Pullman as Raymond Krueger

I just got a chance to view the film American Ultra.  I was under the impression that it was some kind of stoner movie and my movie guy Mark thought it was a spy thriller.  While there are these as element in the film, it is instead a Sci-Fi through and through.  That however is far from a saving grace,

Mike and Phoebe are stoners.  Mike works in a convenience store and even though Mike has major phobias, all seems well, until that is a woman shows up at the store and starts spouting gibberish at

Mike.  From there it gets weirder and weirder.  Think of Chuck on acid. 

I would like to call it a  fun romp as Chuck was but it isn't.  American Ultra is at times violent, bloody and a goodly helping of gore.

All play well into the plot but like I said, there are goodly amounts of all mentioned which can be off-putting.   I would rate the film a 7.   You however might rate it higher, but I think 7 is fair. 

For more information go to the  Wikipedia link HERE

REVIEW: Terminator - Genisis

Well, I got a chance to watch the newest incarnation (maybe the last?)  of the Terminator series Terminator Genisis.  This film was, I suspect, meant to tie up
loose ends. However according to the Wikipedia, Genisis is the first of three.

I don't want to give too much away as some may not have seen the film. (if you have see the film, check out Genisis on the Wikipedia site for info, you may
have missed.

I really liked the masterful use of Terminator 1 and 2, but you have got to see how they missed the mark on the time line.  If you are going to set the timeline
in 1, continue it in 2 with 3 and 4 playing around the edges of the time-line  (all though 4, took some liberties that left me wanting) only to have Genesis pretty much throw it all out.....and ageing?  really?!

I like the idea of bringing back Arnold, he really owns the Terminator 850.  I
could say more about Sarah, John and Reese but again, I am getting too close to
a spoiler.......

The movie isn't bad but isn't stunningly good either.  I would give it a 7.

Review: Pixels

I got a chance to watch Pixels on DVD recently on recommendation of a friend.  The recommendation was 

based on the movie having some science fiction elements. Which I will concede that it had in spades. 

What I wasn't told was that the film was banal, derivative and redundant. 

What is wrong with Adam Sandler? Him and his dream production team of Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe 

and others certainly got the job done, but should this turd even been attempted. First how far are 

we suppose to buy into Kevin James as President of the United States?!!  And how many times are we to

be subjected to the worn thin plot device of Aliens receiving age old tv shows and take them as a 

declaration of war?

Elements of Science Fiction? Yeah, ok.  But more like 100% brown stinker. 

If you want 106 minutes of totally mindless diversion, this might do the trick. Otherwise, put the 

movie down and back away slowly you can watch the trailer online which is all the best parts anyway.

 

David Scholes just sent me a note concerning his newest book. He wrote:

The paperback version of my new book “Human Hunter and Other Science Fiction Stories” is now available on Amazon for $7.95: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1514245272

The e-book will be available shortly for the introductory price of $1.99. 

The book contains 20 varied, fast moving, and action packed science fiction and science fantasy short stories. These are: “There Will Not Be Time” ,“Grey Power – Consolidation”, “The Time House”, “Unexpected Visitor”,  “The Benefactor” ,“Bad Dreams” , “The Immortal  Equalizer”, “Interruption”,  “Deep Web”, “Living on Compressed Time”, “Even a Non Corporeal Can Get Lonely”, “The Facility”, “Social Experiment”, “Good Intentions”, “(In) Vulnerable World”, “New Generation”, “The Foreseer Scrolls”, “The Empress Voluvita” , “Dystopian Transcontinental Journey,” and my complete “Human Hunter” story arc.

Review: Jupiter Ascending

 Cast

Mila Kuni as Jupiter Jones

Channing Tatum as Caine 

Sean Bean as Stinger 

Apini Douglas Booth as Titus Abrasax 

Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Famulus 

Terry Gilliam as the Seal and Signet Minister 

Charlotte Beaumont as Kiza 

Tim Pigott-Smith as Malidictes 

Edward Hogg as Chicanery 

Night Nikki 

Amuka-Bird as Diomika Tsing 

Vanessa Kirby as Katharine Dunlevy 

Maria Doyle Kennedy as Aleksa 

Christina Cole as Gemma Chatterjee 

The main plot revolves around Mila Kuni in the guise of Jupiter Jones, a cleaning woman who is disenchanted with her lot in life.  At least that is what I could glean from the first third of the film.  The plot seems to jump forwards and back in time, while characters come and go and change. 

It seems there is a worm hole in Jupiter's atmosphere  that is used by the "owner of Earth" to come and go as he pleases.  

I would love to tell you how much I loved this movie.  The CGI is great, costumes make sense and the special effects are mind bending.  But it is all attached to  an extraordinarily confusing screenplay. I really can not, in good conscience,  recommend Jupiter Ascending, its confusing, hard to follow and the end results are an unwatchable film. 

In best out of 10, I can only give it a five for visuals.  Maybe rent it if you are still curious, otherwise, just walk away.....


Additional comments by Kallimus

Have to agree. 99 cent movie rental at best. Don't waste even 2.99 on this one. Wait for it to show up for free, or a very cheap rental. Right on every count there. It should have been a great movie, and maybe would have been, if they had done it in two parts or so. A fair comparison I think would be trying to shove all three lord of the rings into one movie, and try to understand it then. Agree 110% on this one. 

Review: Dark Fury

Vin Diesel            as Richard B. Riddick
Rhiana Griffith    as Jack
Keith David         as Imam Abu al-Walid
Roger L. Jackson as Junner

as well as others

Question:  Are you a fan of the Riddick universe timeline?  Well if so then you are painfully aware that there is a a hole big enough to walk through in the Riddick universe time - line.

Right after Pitch Black is The Chronicles of Riddick which leaves a five year span of time that The Chronicles of Riddick makes no attempt at back filling.  To that end  Dark Fury (a straight to dvd, animated feature) attempts to fill in the first part of the five year lapse.

Accompanying Riddick  is the Imam and 'Jack'.

Without giving away too much, Riddick is taken prisoner by another mercenary / bounty hunter spacecraft.  The bounty hunter plans on freezing Riddick and turning him in for a sizable bounty.   Riddick of course has different ideas. 

I could elaborate but I risk giving away way to much of the plot.  I will say for an animated feature the plot line is damn  good.  I think that if you are looking for a good plot, well acted voice work (Vin is an accomplished voice actor) and excellent 3d animation and art, then you will not be disappointed with Dark Fury.

Unfortunately Dark Fury is tightly targeted to it's audience.  If you are not familiar with the Riddick universe or a Riddick, the chances are good that you will find the film a bit on the confusing side.  But if you are a fan, you will surely have a fun time.

It is for these reservations that I can only give the film a 7.  Fans will love it but a Riddick noob will be left a bit cold.

review:Earth to Echo

Review: Earth to Echo

Directed by Dave Green

Starring

Teo Halm as Alex Nichols
Brian "Astro" Bradley as Tuck Simms
Reese Hartwig as Reginald "Munch" Barrett
Ella Wahlestedt as Emma

Review: The Maze Runner

The Lord of the Flies Meets Peter Pan meets the Island of Dr. Moreau.  Where the island/maze is the Roman Colosseum, oh and throw Central Park in for good measure.  Oh wait....do I hear echos of the Hunger Games?  and OMG yes "The Prisoner" but maybe to older version.  You will get the meaning of these oblique references as the movie progresses.  Honest

Directed by     Wes Ball

Starring

    Dylan O'Brien as Thomas 
    Kaya Scodelario as Teresa
    Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Newt
    Will Poulter as Gally
    Ki Hong Lee as Minho
    Aml Ameen as Alby
    Blake Cooper as Chuck
    Randall D. Cunningham as Clint
    Joe Adler as Zart


Thomas wakes from a troubled sleep to discover he is inside what appears to be an ancient freight elevator traveling up at a fair rate.  

When the car halts Thomas is lifted unceremoniously out to discover that not only does he not have a memory  (No one has any memory of the past)  but he now is in the hands of rag tag group of young males living in a small "Glade"  which is surrounded by impossibly high walls, punctuated by equally high "gates".

Each morning a gate/door opens to a "maze" then closes at night.  During the day "Runners " are dispatched into the maze hopefully to return before nightfall and the closing of the Maze gates.  Because at night horrific sounds can be heard from a beast never seen but called Grievers.

The plot, substantially, appears to be the "Gladers" finding a way out, through the Maze.  Towards the climax of the film, it is revealed that all is not as it seems and the boys are in fact subjects.   Which now mean the balance of the movie is escape.

 
Maze Runner you would think would be edge of the seat excitement.  But that is not entirely the case.  This movie has got to be one of the most derivative movies I have ever seen!   The pacing is woefully slow for a film that really needs to blast along at supersonic speeds.     This was movie making by construction set.  All the director's and writer's fav scenes stitched together. 

My movie guy says he would give it 6 out of 10, I thought that harsh until I watched it....  I mean it isn't a bad film, but there was a reason it went to DVD so fast, it is just mindless entertainment.  Heavy on the mindless, bit lighter on entertainment.

Review: Elfin Lied

Elfin Lied is based on a Japanese manga series  originally serialized Weekly from June 2002 to August 2005, with the 107 chapters collected into twelve tankōbon volumes. 

Elfen Lied focuses on the "Diclonius" who's appearance is similar to humans, but with several key differencese, namely horn-like protrusions on the forehead and telekinetic  arms called "Vectors". One such Diclonius, Lucy, is the main character of the series: Initially held in a facility built for experimentation, located off the coast of Kamakura, she manages to escape and wreak havoc, but is injured in the process, an event which causes her to develop a secondary, childlike personality known as Nyu.

Lucy is found by two locals, Kohta, who studies at the local university, and his cousin Yuka. They take her in, and become involved with the numerous, often brutal, attempts to recapture her by a Special Assault Team and a number of other Diclonius, who shift frequently from oblivious to murderous.

It is obvious even with this short description, that Elfin Lied has a great deal going for it.  An engaging tale with characters that are both interesting and easy to identify with.  

However the very things that make this series work also work against it.  Taking 107 chapters and making 13 episodes should set off the warning bells quickly.  The main character goes from a quiet introvert to one that exudes confidence and does so in a very short order.   Nyu is a wonderful foil but it is never quite believable that Nyu is the blood drenched "Diclonius" Lucy.   Episode 13 comes quickly, so much so that one is very confused because it does not seem to have a contiguous timeline.

Don't get me wrong, Elfin Lied was far and away one of the better series I have watched to date.  I really think that generally this series will be found entertaining.  However the flaws will be evident early on.  So out of a possible 10 I would list it a 7.

review: kite (live action)

Kite  Based on Kite by Yasuomi Umetsu
Staring

India Eisley           as Sawa
Callan McAuliffe  as Oburi
Samuel L. Jackson as Karl Aker

Kite takes place in a post-financial collapse corrupt society, follows Sawa who tries to track down her parents killer with help from his ex  police partner. 

Those in the know recognize the main theme as the Kite of anime series and the anime movie.  (though the anime movie Liberator is probably the least "kite like" than any of the others)

As a general reference all three versions share talking points, but it is the live action that diverges the most.  Yes we have a female protagonist that has a sketchy memory at best.  She is a contract killer seemingly under control of a father figure, benevolent or not. The earrings are the reinforcement item and so on.  

What it comes down to is a comparison between the anime series and live action movie.   Having seen the series first I am inclined to consider it to be the benchmark.  Others may consider the movie so.  The truth is though that most found the movie to be very confusing.  Fast paced yes but many found it difficult to follow.  

Having watched the series first, I was able to follow the film for the most part.  That however did not make it a better film.  

The film IS confusing and IS difficult to follow under the best of conditions.

Editing left what I would consider important plot lines on the floor. 

So it is very very difficult to score this outing in the "Kite" series any higher than a 7.  Lots of action, which means lots of killing.......But continuity has be thrown out the window.

 

 

Review: Future Diary Anime Series

 Review by Ninthgate_Show

So you're an antisocial, nonathletic, Japanese wallflower with really no ambition besides writing inconsequential sightings in your cell phone diary. No? Well, if you were, you would likely be Yukiteru Amano, the main protagonist in the anime Future Diary/ Mirai Nikki, one of most intense and disturbing sci-fi series in the last couple years.

Review: The Machine

The Machine is a British SF thriller.  There are many plot lines running through this film, however for me the main theme is Vincent McCarthy is a scientist who's main motivation would seem to be doing research on brain implants to help brain damaged patients to function.

It soon becomes clear that his aim is to help his daughter who is severely brain damaged.

The only place where McCarthy seems to be able to do his research is in a super secret military facility where he is tasked to develop implants that will help damaged soldiers able to think and function.

McCarthy does succeed in combining implants and human into a reasonably stable cyborg, but it soon becomes clear that the computing needs to go to a much higher level.

Researcher Ava is recruited after demonstrating her work in AI. Ava however is killed after voicing her suspicions that the men she is working with are being treated inhumanly.   McCarthy then uses scans of her brain in a cyborg that resembles Ava.  He soon discovers that Machine may be self aware.

Of course this is only half of the movie, but by this time you are fully vested in Machine, McCarthy and his daughter's fates.  The action soon becomes non stop as Machine is trained in various deadly
martial arts.  But the downside for me was so many of the plot lines just seem to fall away or are not developed clearly.  The bad guys are singularly evil where Machine is supposed to be part of the "good" guys but manages to do most of the killing in the movie.

By this point the movie has fallen into well worn tracks of evil government, questionable science and completely predictable ending.

The sets and locals really lend to the menace of the film. The photography and writing are different enough to hold your interest.

Caity Lotz is certainly beguiling as both Ava and The Machine.

However all the good parts don't hold together well enough to sustain the movie.

I would give the film a 6 or maybe a 7 out of 10.  The menace is there and the action is great, but together they do not hold the movie together.

Review: The Amazing Spiderman 2

 

 Spiderman2  Ok, first I have to bitch... First off, I just finished watching the DVD of The Amazing Spiderman2.  Now, someone wishing to sow confusion would ask why I waited so long when 3 has been out for so long?  Really? When did 3 appear? Why 2007!  How can that be, 2 just came out in 2014! Ahh you see, it's all about the Amazing! If you were part of the not Amazing Spiderman 2 you were released in 2004.  Now if you WERE Amazing you were released in 2014.  What does this all mean?  Well they had to be paying attention, but it sure led to confusion, at least on my part.  Maybe we can call them Toby and non-Toby Spidermans.  Well, they could have done better.  Stan draggin his feet maybe?   Oh and speaking of dragging, didn't his Hitchcock moment drag on!

Ok, on to the movie.  Two hour and twenty two minutes is the runtime of TASM2 but there is so MUCH action that it is the fastest 2 1/2 hours your going to experience.   The movie STARTS with a brutal fight and plane crash and then segues into some of the best Spiderman web slinging that I have ever seen.  I am serious!  There are flips, twirls, and dives that would make flying suit enthusiasts green.  Plus, Spiderman IS Spiderman!  The moves, the wisecracking really are spot on.  The crew for this movie have again set the visual effects bar, award winningly high.  

But I have to say, the characters took a back seat.  Parker again suffers angst on choosing between his two loves as does Mary Jane.  Oh and Sally Fields needs to slap someone.  Hey kids, this woman is character in the finest sense of the word.  How about we learn to write for actors with talent huh?

The plot is a bit confusing just because there seems to be too much of it.  Subplots abound.  Now in a comic, that is fine,  but a movie that is frenetic in the extreme, well, it is damn hard to follow at times. 

I have got to give credit where credit is due.  I have seen so many of these movies take the cheap shot tear jerker route, just to eat up time.  TASM2 by contrast kept this to a minimum.  I think it made for a better movie. 

Overall I would say that there is much more to recommend in this movie than to pass on.  It is a definite watch for spidey fans, where ever you are.

Here is the wikipedia article for those who are interested  HERE

Review: Daughter of the High Lords ***UPDATED***

Those of you that have been with the program for some time should recognize the name Dave Scholes.  Dave is a prolific writer and has been very generous with a lot of his stories.

So it should not come as any surprise that Dave has collected a few of those stories, such as many of the Trathh short stories, some of even his most recent in the "Human Hunter" vein and even some really good new stories. 

Check out some of the story descriptions from Amazon:

• “Daughter of the High Lords”, pits the High Lord race and the Brell super power empire against the Coordinator of All Realities as Garthhe an enigmatic entity from an equally enigmatic race seeks to rescue, Raechelle, daughter of the High Lords. 
• “The Search for Humanity” the far flung human race disappears without explanation from the upper reaches of time.
• “Reality Check” alternate reality travelers coming home must make sure they are returning to the right reality. 

 And I know it's cliche but there really is a whole lot more.  If you would like more info on the book you can check out the Paperback version HERE

***UPDATE***
Dave just sent me a new update on the EBOOK of Daughter of the High Lords:

• Just to let you know that my new book is now also available as an e-book:  HERE
• also I'm making it available as a free download from Amazon for the 2 days from 12.01am 12 July to 11.59pm 13 July (US Pacific Time).
• Cheers 
• Dave 

Thanks for the update Dave

Review: Robocop (2014)

Robocop  starring:

    Joel Kinnaman as Alex Murphy

    Gary Oldman as Dr. Dennett Norton,
    Michael Keaton as Raymond Sellars, 

    Samuel L. Jackson as Patrick "Pat" Novak, host of The Novak Element 

If you have seen the original Robocop movie starring Peter Weller then you know the basic premise of this robocop.   Of course there are minor differences in say how Murphy is injured and used in the robocop program.  Also some interesting differences on how Murphy reacts to the suit.   Even the environment is a subtle (well maybe not to subtle) changes.  

Murphy is played much more human.   Even the "body" armor is less threatening, (except maybe for one short interlude)  Even the "corporate bad guys" seem much more rounded than in previous incarnations.  The one character that stands out as two dimensional was the great character actor Samuel L. Jackson.  His Pat Novack television   commenter is almost humorous in it vile spewing right wing(if you could truly call it that) commenter is fairly obviously a compilation of  several radio and television  personalities.  

It is also obvious what a budget 10 times as much as the original and almost 3 decades of film making magic can do to even a less complex theme as Robocop.  The CGI is stunningly good in its execution and integration, to the point that you wonder at times is Kinnaman wearing an appliance or is it cgi.   I have a feeling that most of the "suit" effects are cgi.....

There are moment that the movie tries to pluck at your heart strings, honestly they fail miserably.  I don't think it is for lack of trying, because the original Robocop, for all intents, tried the same thing with the same results.  It fails because of a really simple idiom - You can't have your cake and eat it too.  Both camps worked very hard to get us to invest in Murphy as a "robot" and wrest it away with some ill conceived and awkwardly executed "human moments"  just didn't work for me.

But the action scenes.... Because Murphy is a bit retro, in that there are already humaniform  robot officers who already patrol the streets of other countries and it is the training sessions and later breaking up drug and arms dealers that is more than enough for the action junkies.  (though if we are going to be honest, these were generic as well. ) 

Overall I think the 2014 version rises to the challenge of the original 1987 version.   If you have seen that version and liked it....you will be ecstatic with this offering, even if you hadn't seen the original, if you like running gun battles, high speed motorcycle chases and iconic one - liners, then this film is tailor-made for you. 

To be honest, I would rate Robocop a 7.  Nothing really new here and throwing 10 times the budget at this product didn't really net 10 times the movie.  The star power wasted on this film is what disturbed me.   Oldman, Jackson and Keaton are very recognizable names and more than likely drew a hefty paycheck.  To then under utilize (I guess, except Jackson) them is difficult to understand.  Keaton of course is miss-cast, Oldman would have been a better choice (though the researcher was a much more interesting character....so....hell, I don't know what I am talking about)

And so,  If I were reviewing for the big screen, I could not in good conscience tell you to blow the best part of a $20,  but as a $5 or less rental...yeah, break out the popcorn and turn on the surround sound.   

BMU #409 Is Now Online

 

For an opening to this week's program I start with Mushi - shi opening song "The Sore Feet Song" by Ally Kerr.  For fans, there is a follow on season now available.

This week from the blog, the canceled boost glide tech used in the Boeing X20 Dyna Soar that originated in the 50s and canceled by the end of the decade.  The weird thing? Maybe it wasn't all that canceled?

Next I review the movie "On The Beach" based on the Nevil Shute novel of the same name.

There may be more proof that the Moon WAS created by a giant impactor.

Again the Hubble Space Telescope has taken ground breaking deep field photos that will change a lot of what we know about the formation of the early universe.

Finally Phil Temple sends in "The Little Thief" by Phil Temple