Adele has released her theme song for the new James Bond movie, Skyfall. The sound very much returns back to the roots of Bond movies past. Hopefully the new movie will be as great an entry into the franchise as Adele’s new song is.
Category Archives: Movies and Animation
Anything to do with movies and animation.
Bringing the science into science fiction
Space warfare in science fiction is often analogous with naval warfare (image source: Wikimedia)
Michael Peck at Foreign Policy has a great interview with naval analyst Chris Weuve about space warfare. Chris talks about warfare operating mediums (physical environment) that different military machinery operate within and covers notions such as “history, hiding and hydrodynamics”, among other very intersting things. If you like your sci-fi television shows, movies or books, this interview is a must read!
FILM REVIEW: Looper
Take a trip in time with Looper (image source: Looper Trailer via Youtube)
(Warning: I’ve kept this review a little vague so as not to accidentally reveal any spoilers)
It all pretty much starts with a blunderbuss, a modern anachronism drawn from the past and placed into the hands of a hit-man (Joe) who kills people sent back to his time from the future. It’s 2044, and for all intents and purposes, the world is similar to now, but grittier and much harder. Featuring action stalwart Bruce Willis (old Joe), rising good-guy Joseph Gordon-Levitt (young Joe), and the gorgeous Emily Blunt, Looper is a refreshing take on the well trod time-travel science-fiction genre which also manages to deal with adult themes in a thoughtful manner.
These days intelligent sci-fi and big budget have become a bit of an oxymoron in Hollywood, and I must admit after seeing Promethues, I instinctively lowered my expectations for Looper, which has all the hallmarks of a big production. In reality though, it’s a low-budget film weighing in at a relatively mild US$60 million. In every way that Prometheus disappointed (script), Looper impresses, and in every area that Promethus impressed (cinematography/effects), Looper does enough to hold its own, never leaving you wanting for more.
Looper is a smart science-fiction action-thriller piece that doesn’t obsess with completely reinventing the future, and happily places technology quietly into the background, instead focusing on characters and plot. The film’s central roster of characters are well developed, and refreshingly, not completely predictable. The supporting cast does a good job of coming across as ‘real’ people, as opposed to complete cardboard cutouts. Jeff Daniels plays a superb everyman crime boss while Piper Perabo fills her limited role adequately. There is also a child in the movie I am happy to say he does a great job and doesn’t detract from the film at all.
Be prepared for some gore and thought in this one.
GOOD:
Well considered story and plausible sci-fi that keeps technology in the background. This is a solid self-contained film that is the best sci-fi film I have seen since Moon or District 9. This movie will cement Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s rise in Hollywood.
BAD:
There’s not much to criticise, but if you don’t appreciate violence, then this movie is definitely not for you.
MOVIE SIBLINGS:
12 Monkeys and Inception
SCORE:
8.8/10
Star Wars made cool again
So, if you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve probably not seen the amazing star wars anime clip made by OtaKing77077 that was recently posted on Youtube. When I was a teenager, I couldn’t get enough of Star Wars, reading the tonnes of crappy novels that were pumped out and I played great games like Tie Fighter, but after the release of the Star Wars I film, it died for me. Maybe I grew up, or it regressed and became harder to keep in touch with, but nonetheless, the boy romance was over… until a week or so ago. This anime clip is so cool that I’m a little excited by the Star Wars universe again, as long as it is far out of reach of a certain director.
Some images from the Youtube clip below (great art!):
SHELF COMPANY X 
