Category: Sci-Fi

The Fantastic Four: First Steps in IMAX

The Fantastic Four: First Steps in IMAX

It’s been 10 years since the last attempt to bring the Fantastic Four to the big screen. You know the saying “Third Times a Charm”. Well, this is the third time since 2005 that there has been a Fantastic Four movie and YES!! This one is a Charm.

The movie back drop is set in the early 1960’s. It’s very retro-futuristic and cool. 

This installment introduces the “The First Family” Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and The Thing. The team finds themselves trying to balance family, life and also protecting Earth. They are called upon to save the Planet from a Ravenous Space God known as Galactus and his enigmatic Herald the Silver Surfer. If Galactus’s plan to gobble up the entire planet and everyone on it isn’t enough, it suddenly gets very personal. The story unfolds from there…

The movie contains tons of action, suspense, intrigue and fantastic cinematography. There is also a fair amount of special effects, but they are tastefully executed. The IMAX Aspects are on Point!!

There are very few dead spots. The movie will keep you engaged.

I love the chemistry between the cast. I look forward to another installment. I hope it does not take another 10 years before there is another one.

Fantastic Four First Steps is worth a look!!

This is a 4 Star Movie!!

Jurassic World Rebirth in IMAX

Jurassic World Rebirth in IMAX

The Dinosaurs are back once again! It’s been 3 years since the last installment “Jurassic World Dominion” which was supposed to be the Epic conclusion, but here we are 3 years later with “Rebirth”. 

A team of Scientists who are Dinosaur Enthusiasts decide they should travel to a forbidden island near the Equator and try to retrieve DNA samples. It is believed that the Dinosaur DNA may hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind. Their trip starts out perfectly fine, but once they get closer to the forbidden island near the Equator the reasons they should not go rise up literally.

From that point on its every person for him or herself. The Dinosaurs do not like humans and they have good reasons not to because 18 years prior there was a complete facility on the forbidden island that was performing experiments with DNA testing and incubating new “Designer Breeds” of Dinosaurs.

There are Dinosaurs that can swim, fly, walk, crawl, dive and they are highly intelligent making it extremely difficult for the humans who are invading their territory. The story unfolds from there…

There are a few interesting scenes and I found myself to be rooting for the Dinosaurs briefly as I wanted one of the Scientist to meet his demise. I was not disappointed in that regard…

There is great cinematography and lots of suspense, but beyond that, the movie is dry and a bit boring. I found myself checking my watch several times. That is not a good sign. The IMAX aspects are NON-Existent…

If you have seen any of the previous installments, you will notice that in this installment there is an attempt to get back to its roots, but it falls a bit short. The Jurassic World installments that have come after the 2018 installment Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom miss the mark that the 1993, 1997 and 2001 Jurassic Park installments bring to the table. I have seen all of the installments and beyond the 2015 Jurassic World my ratings have not been any higher than 2 1/2 stars.

The trailers for this movie are great and that’s the best part. 

If you are a fan of the Jurassic Franchise, then Jurassic World Rebirth is a must see, otherwise wait to stream it

This is a 2 ½ Star Movie!!

Transformers One in AMC Dolby

Transformers One in AMC Dolby

Have you ever wondered how Optimus Prime came to be? Or what about Bumblebee and Megatron? Well…Transformers One is the Back Story on how the “Auto Bots” were born and Optimus Prime and Megatron became sworn enemies. Granted its 17 years late, but you know what they say… “Better Late Than Never!!”

The movie is executed very well. Lots of information, the story flows and you get the full picture. There is plenty of action, tons of special effects and really nice cinematography. The movie dramatically satisfies any curiosity regarding the history of the Transformers and Auto Bots. This is a fully animated installment which is interesting since none of the other installments were. I love the fact that there was a great cast lending their voices to this project.

If you are a Transformers Fan, “Transformers One” should not be missed.

This is a 5 Star Movie!!

Alien: Romulus in AMC Dolby

Alien: Romulus in AMC Dolby

When I learned in April 2024 that there was another Alien installment coming from that Franchise, I balked. The last Real Alien installment was in 1997. From 1979 to 1997 the Alien Franchise ruled supreme as it was awesome with star actress Sigourney Weaver at the helm. This latest installment does not include Sigourney Weaver so I had not planned to see it. My theory for this installment was maybe an egg got away back when Sigourney Weaver’s character and her team destroyed what they believed was the nest. At a later date an egg hatched and the Alien waited all these years to avenge the death of it’s Mama.


On August 14th I read a few columns and learned that “Alien: Romulus” is a MUST SEE because it is new and fresh. So off I went to see it on Aug 18th. 

This new installment starts off in a far distant planet from Earth where people are working in a Colony. A crew of young space workers from the Colony noticed on one of their monitors what appears to be an abandoned Space Station/Craft floating along in space, so they decide to go check it out.

While scavenging the deep ends of the abandoned space station, the group of young space colonizers locate wreckage and body parts, soon they come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe. The story unfolds from there…

Yes, I would agree that “Alien: Romulus” is new and somewhat fresh. There are a few surprises, some I hope that do not breed a new franchise.

The movie is extremely suspenseful, intriguing and entertaining. It is executed very well. The AMC Dolby aspects are very good. You will feel like you are riding on the various space crafts.

As a foot note: This is a Ridley Scott Production. Ridley Scott movies are generally pretty awesome. 

If you are a fan of the Alien Franchise “Alien: Romulus” is a must see!

If you are looking for a Space Adventure with a little Horror, check out “Alien: Romulus”.

This is a 4 Star Movie!!

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire in AMC Dolby

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire in AMC Dolby

In this installment a new colossal threat to mankind is lurking below the surface…Kong actually protects a part of the world while Godzilla watches over another part of the world. When the unknown danger starts to make its presence known and challenges Kong. Kong must go to Godzilla and via any means necessary get the monster to join forces along with some additional help to stop this colossal threat at any cost. The story unfolds from there…

Godzilla x Kong is a Loud Monster Mash Spectacle. It pretty much does not offer anything else. There are some decent special effects, good cinematography and even some gory scenes, but beyond that, when the dust finally settles there is nothing left. The previous installments of this Franchise were much better.

Stream it or Watch it on Cable.

This is a 2 ½ Star Movie!!

Dune Part 2 In IMAX

Dune Part 2 In IMAX

Dune Part 2 explores the mythic journey of Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) as he unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Paul soon faces a choice of the love of his life or the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can see. The story unfolds from there…

“EPIC” is the word for Dune Part 2.  The movie was shot in IMAX and its best seen in IMAX. You will definitely feel every ride, storm, Combat, monsters etc…, throughout the movie. The World of Dune remains complex and you will see that throughout the movie. This is definitely a Blockbuster. It’s been a while since we have had one of those. The visuals are outstanding. It’s NOT CGI Heavy, but does get the job done. The action is suspenseful as expected. This is one of those rare times when the Sequel is a bit better than the first Installment.

Sci-Fi Fans you should RUN, not Walk to see Dune Part 2 in IMAX.

This is a 5 Star Movie!!

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts in 3D

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts in 3D

It’s 1994 and a new faction of Transformers, The Maximals join the Autobots as Allies in the battle for earth.

An Ancient artifact arrives in a museum in New York. One of the Curators is extremely fascinated to uncover its origin. The Curator works late into the evening and by mistake she removes the covering that was shielding the artifact. Doing this causes a signal to be sent by the artifact up in the sky bringing unwanted enemies to earth who had been looking for the artifact. The story unfolds from there…

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is a 90’s thrill ride. Tons of action, special effects, intrique and cinematography make this move enjoyable. It’s wholesome fun and just about anyone who is a Transformers fan will enjoy the movie. What keeps this from being a 4- or 5-star movie is that it gets off to a slow start and there are a few dead spots.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!

The Matrix Resurrections in AMC Dolby

The Matrix Resurrections in AMC Dolby

It’s been 18 years since the Matrix Franchise graced us with an installment. I thought they were gone for good since everyone is aging, but alas the franchise has pushed out a new installment.

This Matrix installment is nothing like the installments that came before it. It lacks the fluidness and style of the Matrix Trilogy. Although it does revisit the Franchise with zeal.

In this installment we find Neo aka Mr. Anderson trying to determine if his reality is a physical or mental construction. To determine this Neo will have to follow the white rabbit once again. Once again, choice is an illusion and is still the only way out of or into the Matrix. This time though, The Matrix is stronger, more secure and more dangerous than ever before. The saga unfolds from there…

This reboot is a good one, although there are a few lulls in the story. The special effects at times are breathtakingly cool and at other times scary. There is tons of non-stop action, intrigue and suspense. Just what you expect from Sci-Fi. I was also impressed by the cinematography and camera angles. 

If you are a fan of the Matrix Franchise, “The Matrix Resurrections” should not be missed.

“The Matrix Resurrections” is in Theaters and streaming on HBO MAX.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!

Dune

Dune

In this first of two installments of “Dune” we learn of a young man who is born into a destiny not of his choosing but is forced to do whatever is necessary to save the future of his family and his planet. In order to do this, he must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe and fight while overcoming his own fears to survive. The story unfolds from there…

 Wow! What a visual. The movie is a bit cumbersome in some areas, but that does not take away from the story. The execution of the saga is on point and the casting is AWESOME! Some of the desert scenes reminded me of the 2015 Blockbuster “Mad Max: Fury Road”, “Desert Dirt Flying…”. This is the first of 2 Dune movies and I am excited for the conclusion.

“Dune” is in Theaters and Streaming on HBO MAX until Nov 21st.

It’s best seen on the big screen!

This is a 4 Star Movie!!

Godzilla vs Kong in Real 3D Dolby

Godzilla vs Kong in Real 3D Dolby

Just what we need right now, a “Block-Buster Monster Movie” 

Do legends ever die…? Apparently not as two Mythic Monster Legends Godzilla and Kong meet up for an ultimate battle. 

The state of the world hangs in the balance while Kong and his protectors are out on a journey in search of his true home, along with them is an orphan little deaf girl named, Jia. Jia and Kong have formed a powerful bond as she signs him, he understands her.  During this journey Kong encounters Godzilla. The story unfolds from there…

There are 2 things that come to mind while watching this movie, 1. Part of the movie reminded me of one of the earlier installments of Jurassic Park (Scientists tampering with the Dinosaurs) There was something similar in this movie. 2. Godzilla and Kong reminded me of 2 Prize Fighters going at it. Each retreating at the end of an imaginary Round. The Boxing Ring is the World. Who comes out on top? You will have to see the movie to find out.

The Cinematography was awesome. The Special Effects were on point!! I was leery when I first learned of this movie back in early 2019, but there is some “Freshness” to this installment and it was surprisingly well done. The time went fast and the movie was over before I knew it. 

If you feel comfortable it’s best seen on the big screen. The movie is streaming on HBO MAX, but I have heard the sound isn’t that great. If you see the movie in IMAX or a Dolby Cinema you will feel like you are along for the ride!!

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!