Science Fiction

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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Star Wars #53

/ / Comics

Star Wars #53 comic reviewGuilt can be a powerful motivator. Betrayed by Queen Trios of Shu-Torun and led into an Imperial trap, the scrappy Rebels continue to fight to survive against the Imperial Fleet led by Darth Vader. Thanks to intelligence provided by Han Solo in the previous issue, and some nifty flying by Luke here, the Rebel Fleet is finally able to deploy their fighters and make a counterattack against the Empire.

However, to save what’s left of the fleet, and get their capital ships up and running, Leia will need the codes to break Trois betrayal – codes which are currently on Vader’s Star Destroyer. And so her worshipfulness hatches a plan.

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Samurai Jack – Episode XII: Jack and the Gangsters

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Samurai Jack – Episode XII: Jack and the Gangsters
  • wiki: link

Samurai Jack - Episode XII: Jack and the Gangsters television review

Throwback Thursday takes us back to the adventures of the time-displaced samurai and his quest to make his way home. “Episode XII” is an odd episode, even for Samurai Jack. Stumbling into a den of low-level gangsters working for Aku (Mako), Jack (Phil LaMarr) decides to join the group in hopes of being taken his enemy. Prior to getting there, the samurai will get an old school gangster makeover and will have to battle three elemental warriors for control of a gem that offers the user control over water. While not one of the shows’ most memorable episodes, “Episode XII” does offer enjoyable action sequences, the odd styling of Jack dressed in a pinstripe suit, and it’s the closest Jack gets to defeating Aku up until the show’s finale. Only the “help” of his new friends prevents Jack from destroying the evil that is Aku and thus forcing his quest to continue.

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