scifi – NZ Film Freak

Tenet

Tenet movie poster 2020

Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Christopher Nolan
Released: September 2020
Starring: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine and Kenneth Branagh
—

Well, right off the bat this movie screams IT’S THE SAME DIRECTOR AS INCEPTION. The familiar cast members, the editing, colour-scheme and the over-complicated storyline were just a few of the tell-tale Nolan signs.

However, as I am a massive Inception fan, I was not upset about this. In fact, I was hoping to see more of the same cast (where’s Leo at?).

This classically Nolan premiss is difficult for me to explain, so I’ve found the synopsis for you: Tenet is about a secret agent who embarks on a dangerous, time-bending mission to prevent the start of World War III.

(The word ‘Tenet’ is a palindrome, meaning that it’s spelt the same way forwards as it is backwards; a nod to the time-travelling theme of the movie.)

If you think you recognise the protagonist (John David Washington), you don’t, because Tenet was pretty much his debut on the big screen. He is the son of Denzel Washington though.

John David Washington Tenet

Also, if you recognise the super tall, elegant woman in the movie (Elizabeth Debicki), she’s from The Great Gatsby.

Elizabeth Debicki in Tenet

Robert Pattinson wasn’t as bad as I expected but he does pout his lips a lot, which is quite distracting. I’m pleased he was given the opportunity to do an action role and avoided being trapped as the heavy drama/romance actor. (I must point out that I think he was a very poor choice as our new Batman though.)

If I learnt anything about keeping up with complicated movies, it’s that you have to listen carefully to the dialogue as that’s where the storyline is explained, and Tenet is no different. The conversations between characters last across multiple locations within a scene, with lots of details being explained.

Tenet

The complexity of the film is not to be shied away from, however. Considering the cinemas have been shut for MONTHS, Tenet was a welcome debut! It’s full of action and drama, which was a perfect balance for my husband and I to enjoy.

If you’re a time travel nut like I am, you’ll thoroughly enjoy the car chase scene, as well as all the little bits and pieces where they talk about travelling through time and debunking any holes in the science to ensure your suspension of disbelief remains firmly intact.

You may walk away from the movie feeling a bit confused over the details of the plot, but it’ll only leave you wanting to see it again to fully enjoy it the second time around. So strap on that mask and head to the cinema to see Tenet – it’s well worth it!

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

PS. If you’re seeing this in the theatres while heavily pregnant like I did, bear in mind that your baby will probably not like the scenes with all the guns and explosions. (Get ready to be kicked in the ribs a lot.)

Godzilla (2014)

Godzilla 2014 film poster Director: Gareth Edwards
Writers: Story: David Callaham Screenplay: Max Borenstein
Released: May 2014
Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Sally Hawkins, David Strathairn, Bryan Cranston
—

I thoroughly enjoyed Godzilla. I thought it would be just another King Kong movie: looooooong, with a damsel in distress and a brutal ending highlighting the selfishness of mankind.

Godzilla 2014 film - Breaking Bad actor However, this was more like a monster sci-fi movie. Giving a nod to Jurassic Park, Space Odyssey (music), War of the Worlds, Captain America… You name it.

A movie that plays on our fears of nuclear and natural disasters… And, giant lizards. It’s fantastic. My favourite part is when they talk about why the nuclear testing occurred in the 1950s. Very. Scandalous.

The director definitely teases us. Every time we think we’re about to see Godzilla, he cuts away. Just as a massive fight is about to happen, he cuts away. Right until the bitter end! Certainly keeps you interested though.

The sound design is flawless. Absolutely incredible. Don’t waste it by watching it on a laptop or something. Invest in some decent speakers or headphones, because you don’t want to miss the sound effects of some of these monsters!

Godzilla film 2014 - Olsen sister Yes, you may have noticed I’m using a plural: monsters. IT’S SO AWESOME!

I think the makers may have spent all their money on making the monsters look realistic, and on the spine chilling sound, because the smoke and landscapes in some scenes look quite unrealistic. But I’m not complaining! Something had to give.

Better than Kong (2005). This is scary, exciting, and untypical of the genre! Must see!

Godzilla 2 is, of course, on its way.

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

Back to the Future’s Prediction of 2015

Flux capacitor in Back to the Future movie 2015 My fellow time travellers and time travel enthusiasts! ’tis 2015 – the year that Back to the Future 2 predicted and depicted!

Before I begin, I would like to make it clear, in the defence of Back to the Future‘s creators, that the 2015 shown is merely a possible future. In the same film, we see how easily it can be changed. Therefore, perhaps their prediction is totally accurate, just not the reality that came to be.

Now, I know there are many angry fans who are aware of the lack of hover boards and flying cars. But don’t get fangry. I’m sure we’ll get what we were promised. One day.

In the movie, they showed October 21st, 2015. So we do still have some time up our sleeves to make all our dreams come true. But let’s see how accurate they have been so far…

They got these right:

Phones in our glasses
We have Google Glass.

Self-service
Just as Marty ordered a Pepsi at the cafe via a screen, we have self-service check-outs in many of our supermarkets.
(Axing minimum wage jobs for your convenience.)

Voice-activated devices
We have voice activated phones and Xboxes.

Thumb print plates
They exist. No jokes. I wouldn’t be surprised if they catch on to residential use soon.

Video calling
We have Skype. Also, I noticed that, like Facebook, the video call showed details of the caller including their likes and dislikes.

Drones
I’m not sure what they are called in the movie, but they are seen documenting Griff’s hover board crash. Today the police force use drones, at least in the US.

Home automation systems
They are actually here. You can link the system to your smart tablet, meaning you can adjust the temperature and turn on devices remotely – even from work. Voice controlled systems are also available.

3d holographic adverts
Now, this one is on the fence for me. We have been able to create Michael Jackson as a hologram on stage, but what about an almost interactive one in broad daylight… What do you reckon?

Although, I feel like we’ll still be waiting a few more years for these developments:

Hover boards
Man, I am so bummed-out about this. I have seen a spoof featuring Tony Hawk, despite fooling many (including me), it is in fact fake. Hover boards do not exist, bar a magnetic one that hovers a few inches for 7 minutes, but obviously confined to metal floors.

Flying cars
I reckon the Google driverless cars will replace the automobile of today before we even begin to think about making them fly. Like in I, Robot.

Gardens in the kitchen
Smart idea! Keeping fruit and vegies ripe by growing them in a machine above the dinner table.

Auto-serving Pepsi
Beverages rising from the centre of the table on command. I’m not sure if I really see this coming any time soon… What’s the benefit?

Cycling while eating
We’re way too lazy to be doing this sort of shenanigans.

Hydrating pizza machine
In goes the small, dehydrated pizza, and within seconds, out comes a big, juicy hydrated one. I know everyone is praying for this to arrive. One day, folks. One day. Although, we are 3d printing food. So, perhaps we’re not far off at all.

Weather service
Controllable weather. Despite theories that a US army funded project, HAARP, was capable of moifying weather patterns, this is not something that is openly a part of 2015.

Lawyers are abolished
A corrupt government that removed power and justice from the people? Or getting rid of one of the least trusted occupations?

Self-walking dog leads
This has to be a thing one day. Most people want a dog, not everyone wants to exercise them in all weather. In fact, it’s probably a drone. So you could say this has basically been invented..?

Moving rubbish bins
A handy invention!

Some things have accurately remained the same:

Newspapers
Despite most of us reading news online, and despite the physical paper’s decrease in thickness, newspapers still exist. Specifically USA Today, which was shown in the film.

Fax machines
We certainly don’t rely on fax machines as much as the film thought we would. But they are still in operation, nevertheless.

Dogs
Owning pets. We haven’t been put off by the cost, stained carpets or aggravation they bring..

As a side-note, here are the fashion trends in the film that will probably only ever be replicated at sci-fi themed dress-up parties:

Inside-out pants
Self-adjusting jackets
Self-drying vests
Self-lacing shoes
I lie! Nike is developing these shoes as I type! Transparent ties
Weird hats
Vests that make sound effects
Wearing two ties at once

However, wearing colourful, high-waisted skirts with cropped tops are in, as predicted.

Despite this over-analysis and nit-picking, I love Back to the Future. It is my favourite trilogy. I hope more time-travel themed movies continue to be made, to ensure the continuation of fangry sci-fi fans, and blog posts like this one.

Let me know your thoughts!

Jodie.

Invert – Origin Of The Telepathic Hero

Invert - Origin Of The Telepathic Hero This is a sci-fi, action, superhero film that is looking for funding.

This movie is about a neuroscientist whose experiment backfired, and equipped him with the ability to manipulate minds.

An action-packed feature with Inception-esk scores. I have now noticed that the director/writer, Joseph Mbah, is a fan of Christopher Nolan which explains that similarity.

I’m impressed to see how young the director is – only 24!!

Invert - Origin Of The Telepathic Hero In order for the feature film to be completed, they need $250,000USD. Depending on how much an individual donates, depends on what prize you get – and some of the prizes are pretty decent!

I think the quality of this film is up there, and it could be a strong movie with the financial support.

I’m a superhero nut too, so I’m keen to see how this one turns out.

If you want to donate to the making of their film on Indiegogo, click here. Check out the footage they’ve got so far in their promo here.

Jodie.

Lucy

It was a great concept, but it was just so weird! It was simply bizarre.

Scarlet Johansson plays the protagonist, Lucy, who is kidnapped and used as a drug mule. The new drug seeps into her system, which enables her to use more and more and more of her brain.

She is able to manipulate everything from pain tolerence to technology. She even pulls some solid Matrix moves.

It would have been a great as a short film… It’s almost as though it should have been an arty film festival film. The mere fact it ha Johansson and Freeman in it threw it into the Hollywood sphere. I don’t think it belongs there though. It attracts the kind of audience who want an awesome sci-fi film, when it should attract the deep-and-meaningful film analysts.

Some parts of the script were super cool, particularly in regards to how people have evolved, how we think and behave.

Other parts were plain odd.

Basically, this movie isn’t what you think it will be like. The trailer advertises a Hollywood action sci-fi, when in fact it’s mind-bender with a screwed up ending.

Jodie’s rating: 4/10

Elysium

Director: Neill Blomkamp
Writer: Neill Blomkamp
Released: August 2013
Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Diego Luna, Wagner Moura and William Fichtner
—

What a concoction! An action sci-fi film with epic fight scenes, storyline, characters and sets.

Elysium (a term from Greek mythology referring to where the blessed dwell after death) is based in the year 2154 where Earth is polluted, diseased and overpopulated by the poor and dying.

On an artificial planet/space station not far from Earth is ‘Elysium’. This is a place populated by the wealthy, where robots and machines take care of all the work and security of the station. They have access to machines that can cure anything from cancer to old age.

We follow the struggle of Max Da Costa (Matt Damon), as his fight to get to Elysium is littered with obstacles and unexpected twists and turns, loss and conflict.

What I like about this film is how it’s not a cold-hearted sci-fi. Every development is paralleled by an emotional character change too. It is clear how Max’s perspectives and values shift as he grows through his traumatic experiences.

The fight scenes are extremely well choreographed and shot! Wow, I got chills when the camera was mounted on the gun, as it moved around – almost first person. The jerky/shaky camera work was effectively used, without giving anybody motion sickness. This technique certainly accentuates the gory scenes! Prepare yourselves for exploding people…

Because Earth was no longer divided by countries, it was a huge boiling pot of accents. A bit of French, Spanish, American, Afrikaans and English accents/dialects were all spoken, but subtly mixed.

The characters were wicked! Jodie Foster’s character verbally bitch-slapped anybody who stood in her way. She began speaking French, and then spoke with a posh English accent with an American twang here and there. I thought her English accent was an epic fail, but considering my previous paragraph, perhaps her accent is accurate of the era.

Matt Damon kicked ass! He’s a talented actor because he plays the emotive dramas (Good Will Hunting) convincingly, with the ability to do actions (Bourne trilogy…) well. These two strengths were perfect for the character.

You’ll all know him as Wikus (the “sveetie man”) in District 9, but Sharlto Copley was far from sweet in this film. He played a vicious character, Agent Kruger, very well indeed. I think he’s one of my favourite actors, up there with good ol’ Christoph Waltz.

The ‘sveetie’ man of District 9

My favourite character, however, was Spider (Wagner Moura). He was not a stereotypical ‘geek’, but an intelligent and complex person. His intentions are confusing at first, which makes his character strong and respectable.

The bad: There were a few dull scenes and minor plot annoyances, such as certain occurrences being a little too lucky. The motives of the villain – Agent Krugar – are relatively unknown/unconvincing. There were a few dull spots where my mind wandered a tad, and the final fight could have been more memorable.

If I had to illustrate what this movie is like, I would explain it by using the following recipe:

Ingredients:

A bunch of futuristic flying machines, that reminded me of Star Wars,
A few chase scenes and the adventure of Total Recall,
A pinch of In Time – the future representations are similar at times
The DIY surgical scenes of Looper
Shares some themes and familiar characters of I Am Legend
Chuck in some untrustworthy robot servants from I, Robot
Mix in the social divide of The Hunger Games,
And for the icing, spread on a DOLLOP of District 9. The set design, attitudes and props are similar. (Due to sharing the same writer and director)

Method:
Mix everything together. Add the neglected love interest, and a sprinkle of violent fire arms. Beat into submission and heat at magma level to make the hottest sci-fi film of 2013.

Jodie’s rating: 7/10

Back to the Future II

Back to the FUture II

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writers: Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale
Released: 1989
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Thomas F. Wilson
—

Well, we went to the recent past of 1985 in the last movie so it’s only logical to go to the future of 1985 in the sequel! We go to 2015 where the cars are flying and instead of skateboards, we have hover boards… Doesn’t seem quite so realistic now that 2015 is just around the corner! You scientist better get on to it. We’re going to be disappointed if we don’t have our flying cars and hover boards by 2015…

back_to_the_future_part_2_1989_685x385 “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads….” We go to the future with Marty (Micheal J. Fox), Doc (Christopher Lloyd) and Marty’s girlfriend Jennifer (Elizabeth Shue) because Doc is concerned that their son will be framed by the grandson of Biff (Thomas F. Wilson), Marty’s high school bully.

back-to-the-future-2_b — Recognise a certain somebody from *Titanic*? Billy Zane’s (front left) first job was playing one of the bullies in *Back to the Future*!

Whilst there, Marty buys a magazine that recorded the results of every major sport of 1985 making betting a breeze. Unfortunately, he leaves it laying around for it to land in the wrong hands – Biff’s – who steals the time machine and creates an alternate 2015! So Doc and Marty have to save the McFlys as well as going back to 1955 to prevent Biff giving the magazine to his younger self who would create the evil alternate era!! Pheph! This is a much more scary and shocking film than the more lighthearted last, but still very exciting.

BTTF2 This dark film exposes the full extent of the dangers of time travel as Marty finds his father’s grave and his mother married to Biff in the alternate 1985. There’s a lot of gun action and accurately predicts the rise of corporations ruling the world (Biff’s company owning the police force) and everybody’s infatuation with money. It’s a massive flip-side to the innocent times of the previous film which is unexpected.

I preferred the colourful times of 1955 of Back to the Future I. However, this is still a very enjoyable film! Particularly the epic music by Alan Silvestri – equally as great as the previous film.

Jodie’s rating: 7.5/10
Check out my review of the sequels: Back to the Future I and Back to the Future III