movies, reviews, science fiction
Sci-fi summer movie catch-up: What to see, what to skip
Posted on August 22, 2017 by earthtoshawna
I haven't posted in a while, but I've been watching movies. If you haven't, and want to know which ones to watch and which ones to skip, you're in the right place. Here's your spoiler-free guide. (Movies rated on a five-star system.)
Rated R; available on DVD
"Colossal" is a quirky movie about a young woman (Anne Hathaway) who discovers she has a strange connection to a kaiju in South Korea. If that doesn't sound intriguing to you, then you probably won't like it as much as I did. Four stars.
PG-13; playing in select theaters; DVD release date Sept. 19
Amazon warrior Princess Diana of Themyscira finally gets her own movie! This was the best film of the year so far, in my opinion. Gal Gadot is amazing as Wonder Woman, and Chris Pine is the perfect Steve Trevor. It's breathtaking and powerful, and it has humor and heart. I honestly can't think of one thing I didn't like about this film. It exceeded my expectations. Five stars.
The sixth film in the franchise follows our new crew to an earth-like planet and the usual "Oh shit!" insanity ensues. I love Michael Fassbender, and the rest of the cast was great too, but horror isn't really my bag. If you're an Alien fan, you've probably already seen this one. And if you're not a fan, you're not missing much. Two stars.
TV-MA (Mature Audiences); Netflix
This movie with a message, directed by Bong Joon-ho, is about a "super pig" bred by a corporation headed by Tilda Swinton's character. I was a little concerned that I would be scarred for life, after seeing Bong's 2014 film "Snowpiercer," and I will admit "Okja" was pretty intense too. But I loved it. Four stars.
PG-13; in theaters
Tom Holland plays Peter Parker in the newest installation of this comic book superhero flick. There's nothing groundbreaking going on here; it's everything you expect from Spider-Man. It was fun, but it didn't blow me away. It's a popcorn movie. Three stars.
PG-13; available on DVD
I had high hopes for this one, in no small part because I like Tom Hiddleston. I will admit it was suspenseful and entertaining and the special effects were awesome, but I would have liked it a lot more if the plot or characters had a little more depth. Three stars.
I didn't think this would be as good as the first one because origin stories are always the best, but I loved this sequel. Just like the first one, there was plenty of wacky outer-space adventure, lots of laughs, groovy '70s tunes, and some touching moments about what it means to be a family. I could watch this a dozen times, and I probably will. Five stars.
I really, really wanted to like this. Luc Besson's "The Fifth Element" is one of my all-time favorite movies, and "Valerian" does succeed in creating a visually impressive universe, but it lacks the heart of its predecessor. The characters were flat and uninteresting, for the most part, and the plot could have been better. Two stars.
Photos: Wonder Woman, Warner Bros. Pictures; Okja, Netflix; Guardians of the Galaxy, STX Entertainment.
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Alien: Covenant Colossal DVD Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Kong: Skull Island movies Okja science fiction Spider-Man Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Wonder Woman
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