Science Fiction

Bacurau

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Bacurau
  • IMDb: link

Bacurau Blu-ray reviewSet in the near future, the small Brazilian village of Bacurau suddenly disappears from maps, satellites, and cell towers not long after the death of the community’s matriarch and the return of another member of their community (Bárbara Colen). Far off the beaten path, no one outside the village seems to notice.

While already dealing with a water crisis caused by a crooked politician (Thardelly Lima), tensions begin to rise. As the community slowly becomes aware something is wrong, there is also an odd appearance by a UFO and attacks on both a water truck and at a nearby farm.

Without giving too much away, Bacurau centers around two groups – those in the village and a second group who is slowly revealed to be the cause of Bacurau’s recent problems. While the town looks to local heroes (Thomas Aquino and Silvero Pereira) to protect them, we learn about what the other group led by Udo Kier is after, ultimately leading to a climactic conflict in the village.

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Star Trek: Discovery – Scavengers

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Star Trek: Discovery – Scavengers
  • wiki: link

I’m growing weary of “Michael breaks the rules” episodes. In “Scavengers,” Michael (Sonequa Martin-Green) ignores her orders and goes off in search of Book (David Ajala) who was captured while searching for another black box, on a salvage planet (sadly not named Junkion). The facility makes use of The Running Man prisoner-control technology, and may have another box with information about the Burn. Michael and Philippa (Michelle Yeoh) are able to retrieve Book and the intel, while also rescuing other enslaved workers. However, the conflict makes Michael aware of Philippa’s condition and also has lasting ramifications on her role on the ship as she finds herself demoted for ignoring Saru‘s (Doug Jones) orders and threatening the Federation’s acceptance of Discovery. The only subplots, as the mission Michael missed isn’t shown on-screen, are the ship’s upgrades and the show setting up a friendship between Nhan (Rachael Ancheril) and Stamets (Anthony Rapp).

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The Mandalorian – The Rescue

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: The Mandalorian – The Rescue (Chapter 16)
  • wiki: link

The Mandalorian - The Rescue television review

Although Pedro Pascal will return for a Third Season, “The Rescue” is the culmination of The Mandalorian‘s two-year arc. Since his discovery of Grogu everything has led Mandalorian (Pascal) to this moment. And, once again, the show brings back a number of familiar faces to help Din Djarin in his attempts to rescue Grogu from the clutches of Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). With the help of Cara Dune (Gina Carano), Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison), Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen, Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), and Koska Reeves (Sasha Banks), Din leads a rescue doomed to failure. Despite the Valkyries at his back, the group is no match for Gideon’s Dark Troopers leading to the show’s final surprise appearance and farewell to another fan favorite character. Spoilers begin here.

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TENET

/ / Home Video
  • Title: TENET
  • IMDb: link

TENET Blu-ray reviewI miss blockbusters. Although far from Christopher Nolan‘s best work, TENET doesn’t skimp on spectacle. Tackling perception as he did in Inception, this time around Nolan plays around with the idea of time travel and inversion. The concept is far more clunky than planting an idea within someone’s mind. In fact, TENET eventually devolves into little more than super-spy pitting his skills against a villain out to destroy the world. Basically, TENET is Christopher Nolan’s version of a Bond film.

The story involves an unnamed spy (John David Washington) introduced into a secret war involving those using entropy to travel backwards in time and alter events in their favor. The science is mostly gobbledygook, but the set-up does allow for some interesting sequences involving characters moving backwards through events a second time. Kenneth Branagh is fine as the evil mastermind, although his evil Russian act isn’t as much fun as it was in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.

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Star Trek: Discovery – Die Trying

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Star Trek: Discovery – Die Trying
  • wiki: link

“It was raining Starfleet officers.”

Star Trek: Discovery - Die Trying television review

“Die Trying” offers the crew of the USS Discovery the opportunity to prove their worth Fleet Admiral Charles Vance (Oded Fehr), the current head of Starfleet, who is reluctant to trust a group of time travelers from the distant past. Despite the initial frosty reception, Discovery is given a mission with Michael (Sonequa Martin-Green) in command that shows off the usefulness of the ship’s Spore Drive and offer a strong argument for the ship’s crew to remain together rather than be dispersed across other ships of Starfleet. It seems the crew has found a new home, as something as a mascot for Starfleet, but it also offers foreshadowing concerning Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) playing well with others in their new surroundings.

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