Science Fiction

Star Trek – Balance of Terror

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Star Trek – Balance of Terror
  • wiki: link

Star Trek - Balance of Terror television review

Today’s Throwback Thursday post takes us boldly back to where no man had gone before and the original five-year mission of the U.S.S. Enterprise. While vitally important for introducing the most underutilized of Star Trek‘s alien races, Balance of Terror is one of those episodes that isn’t helped by the passage of time as it creates some continuity problems that aren’t as easily resolved in the far more expanded current Star Trek universe. That said, taken by itself the episode works well (even if one bridge officer’s prejudices are handled with all the subtlety of a Michael Bay explosion). When attack along the Neutral Zone outposts are reported, the Enterprise is sent to investigate and the discover a cloaked Romulan ship with a wily captain who nearly out-maneuvers Kirk (William Shatner).

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Killjoys – Sporemaggedon

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Killjoys – Sporemaggedon
  • wiki: link

Killjoys - Sporemaggedon TV review

The Killjoys season finale finds Johnny (Aaron Ashmore), Dutch (Hannah John-Kamen), and D’avin (Luke Macfarlane) all entering the Green for a final battle against the Lady. There a few twists here as D’avin’s anti-Green powers prove not to be the answer to stopping the Lady, the Lady toying with Johnny allowing for a return of sorts for Pawter (Sarah Power), a sudden amnesia causing disease is released in Westerly, and the Lady has one final trick up her sleeve to escape the Green just when in looks like our heroes had saved the day, thus resetting the show for Season Five.

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Next Gen

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Next Gen
  • IMDb: link

Next Gen reviewIt’s almost impossible not to compare Next Gen to Big Hero 6 with a story about a troubled young protagonist finding friendship with a big and bulky, but obviously still cute, robot who helps the kid work through emotional baggage and save the day from an evil super-genius. Focusing on the emotional volatility of a troubled girl, there’s also a splash of Inside Out angst thrown in for good measure. If you own Big Hero 6 I’d suggest watching that instead, but, if you are looking for something new, Next Gen will help you pass the time.

The film from co-directors and writers Kevin R. Adams and Joe Ksander takes place in the technologically advanced near future where every family, and apparently lots of children, have their own personal robot. There are all sorts of logistical issues with dangerous household robots that would immeadiately lead to an insane amount of damage and lawsuits (including torturing and beating small children, no Law of Robotics here!). The film instead chooses to ignore such logic gaps (like any government oversight, I guess the Libertarians run the future?) and lead with its heart as much as possible.

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The Predator

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: The Predator
  • IMDb: link

The Predator movie review

John McTiernan‘s Predator is a sci-fi action flick that holds up three decades later. Unfortunately, you can’t say the same for its sequels. Writer/director Shane Black is the latest to try his hand at breathing some new life into the franchise. Set in present day, The Predator acknowledges the previous films and offers more than a handful of callbacks (including someone actually yelling to “Get to the chopper!”).

I think expectations are going to play a large role in audience reaction to the film. On one-hand it does work as a throwaway B-movie. On the other the film misses the mark with a convoluted script and an underwhelming ending. Despite enjoying Black’s work, I expected very little from the movie and ended up having an okay time (while I freely admit that the elements here could have been put to far better use).

The first Predator arrives on Earth causing havoc. The second, uber-Predator (and his Predator dogs), follows later. I won’t give away the relationship between the pair, or why they are on Earth, but it is far more complicated than simply hunting for sport (making a pretty large deviation from other Predator films).

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