Tag: Sci-Fi

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Movie Review

Flight of the Navigator (1986) Movie Review

Flight of the Navigator – Movie Review

Discover the thrilling adventure of Flight of the Navigator, a sci-fi film about a boy who travels into the future and befriends an alien ship.

ABC Film Challenge – Sci-Fi – F

Director: Randal Kleiser (Grease)

Writer: Michael Burton, Phil Joanou (Screenplay)

Writer: Mark H Baker (Story)

Cast

Plot: In 1978, a boy travels eight years into the future and has an adventure with an intelligent, wisecracking alien ship.

Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Flight of the Navigator starts when David (Cramer) is preparing for a typical 4th of July with his family. However, when he goes to find his younger brother, something unusual happens. While David doesn’t notice anything, he learns he disappeared 8 years ago.

His parents Bill (Young) and Helen (Cartwright) never gave up on finding him. However, scientists want to learn more about what happened. David finds himself going through a string of experiments until he learns why he was taken before and hopefully gets back to a normal life.

Verdict on Flight of the Navigator

Flight of the Navigator is an adventure sci-fi movie following a boy who gets abducted by an alien race. He returns 8 years in the future without ageing a day, but scientists want to make more out of his journey.

This iconic movie showed both the calm of potential alien visitors and the dangers. While they visited in peace, they did cause major disruption to the lives of the people involved. It highlights how scientists would do anything for answers causing greater pain to everyone too. There is a big meaning to what we see, leading to our character’s challenging decisions. It is an interesting idea and offers up a time travel conversation.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts –Flight of the Navigator is a wonderful journey through the unknown.

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Movie Review

Eye of the Beast (2007) Movie Review

Eye of the Beast – Movie Review

Discover a thrilling Sci-Fi movie review of Eye of the Beast. Join Dan and Katrina as they investigate the creature lurking beneath the water in a small fishing town.

ABC Film Challenge – Sci-Fi – E

Director: Gary Yates

Writer: Mark Mullin (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A young scientist arrives to a small fishing town to fight against the creature living under the water.

Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Eye of the Beast starts when Dan Leland (Van Der Beek) is sent to a small fishing town. He has been set to investigate the lower number of fish and the locals start going missing. Katrina Tomas (Castillo) must get Dan and local fisherman Gunnar (MacPherson) to work together to investigate what is going on.

When the bodies start getting discovered, Dan believes they are dealing with a squid attack and must figure out how to deal with the problem. It means putting together a team and taking on the creature to save the residents and their livelihoods.

Verdict on Eye of the Beast

Eye of the Beast is a sci-fi creature feature following a small fishing town which has come under attack by a giant squid. They must band together to defeat the creature if they are to keep their community alive.

When it comes to the creature feature world, we get plenty over the years. This works perfectly well within those movies and gives us a fun little creature. It has the dangers and most importantly a potential real threat, as nobody knows what is in the truth depths of the ocean. Parts of the movie can feel cheesy, but as long as it is fun, which it is, you can have a good time.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Eye of the Beast is a fun late night creature feature.

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Movie Review

Becoming (2020) Movie Review

Becoming – Movie Review

Becoming' starring Toby Kebbell, Penelope Mitchell, and Jeff Daniel Phillips. A woman discovers her fiance has become possessed.

ABC Film Challenge – Sci-Fi – B

Director: Omar Naim (The Final Cut)

Writer: Omar Naim (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A young woman learns her fiance has become possessed by an entity.

Runtime: 1 Hour 38 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Becoming starts when Alex (Kebbell) and Lisa (Mitchell) go on a cross-country trip. Along the way, Lisa arranges to meet a distant relative of Alex’s. However, the meeting with Glen (Phillips) and Annie (Bolona) turns out a lot stranger than she had hoped.

After the meeting, Lisa believes something is wrong with Alex and she looks to find out what. It sees her meet Kevin Lee (Patric) who offers a few answers, but he wants to fix things in a much more extreme manner.

Verdict on Becoming

Becoming is a sci-fi horror following a couple who travel across the country. However, along the way, one of them gets possessed by an evil spirit with a controlling personality. Lisa must figure out how to free her boyfriend before it is too late.

This is a nice spin on the possession movie, by having the subject travelling rather than being in one location. Add in the fact that the possession doesn’t go through the twisted transformation, they just change in person. However, it would have been interesting to see more of a deep dive into what caused it. That side of things felt skimmed over. In the end, the movie looks to create a possessive partner controlling their loved one, instead of a more sinister presence. Because of this, it seems to step out of the supernatural elements the movie created.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Becoming is a great spin on the possession movie.

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Movie Review

Osiris (2025) Movie Review

Osiris – Movie Review

Osiris is an action-packed sci-fi film about commandos battling aliens after being abducted, showcasing strong performances and interesting concepts.

First Reaction – Osiris fits the late-night action selection nicely.

Where to Watch

Osiris is available on Digital Platforms 28 July and on DVD & Blu-ray 1 September. Distributed by Signature Entertainment.

Director: William Kaufman

Writer: William Kaufman, Paul Reichelt (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Special Forces commandos are abducted mid-operation by a mysterious spacecraft and, upon awakening, find themselves prey to a relentless alien race in a fight for survival.

Runtime: 1 Hour 45 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Osiris starts when Kelly (Martini) and his special forces unit are abducted by aliens and experimented on. They wake in a mysterious spacecraft needing to fight a relentless alien race. In the battle they find Ravi (Hildebrand) who can help understand what they are against.

As the commandos navigate the spacecraft, they deal with bigger threats and must use their experience to survive. However, the battles are deadlier than they have either dealt with and the numbers are catching up with them.

Verdict on Osiris

Recap

The movie follows a group of commandoes who get abducted by aliens and forced to fight a relentless alien species. They must use their experience to battle against them to survive. However, there is a bigger mystery on the ship.

Best Parts

The concept is very interesting, it feels like it has built on the Predator lore, of wanting to fight the best to prove who is the best. When it comes to the commandoes, they work very well together and feel like a natural unit. Elsewhere, the performances are strong throughout.

Worst Parts

The movie feels like it wants to be something more like Aliens, with the constant empty feeling firing sequences. It doesn’t manage to standout from the already saturated alien abduction movie and feels more like a video game.

Final Thoughts – Osiris is a fun late night action movie.

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Movie Review

Risen (2021) Movie Review

Risen – Movie Review

Risen features a meteor disaster and military investigation but feels like a series pitch, lacking originality compared to similar films.

First Reaction – Risen feels more like a television series idea.

Watch Risen on Tubi.

ABC Film Challenge – Disaster Movies – R

Director: Eddie Arya

Writer: Eddie Arya (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Disaster unfolds when a meteor strikes a small town, turning the environment uninhabitable and killing everything in the surrounding area.

Runtime: 1 Hour 49 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Risen starts when a meteor strike causes a small town to die from a biological outbreak. Colonel Emmerich (Campbell) recruits Lauren Stone (Schalmo) and David Santiago (Trujillo) to investigate. However, a small number of residents return from the dead.

Lauren must battle her past addictions and nightmares to lead the investigation. However, the military wants this covered up quickly, becoming a battle for what is best for humankind.

Verdict on Risen

Recap

The movie follows military scientists investigating an event in a small town. It sees the residents killed, but some return to life with an alien force moving them. We follow a disgraced scientist trying to understand what happened before it spread too far.

Best Parts

The mystery about the event is interesting, and the difficult past makes Lauren’s journey interesting.

Worst Parts

It feels like a knock off Arrival without the best elements of that movie. This fills the normal military see it as a threat, scientist wants to learn more about battle. Nothing feels new, fresh or remotely different. If we are honest, this feels more like the beginning of a much more interesting television series, as it could have dived into more things throughout the storytelling process.

Final Thoughts –Risen struggles to escape the shadow of the superior Arrival.

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Movie Review

Rani Rani Rain (2024) Movie Review

Rani Rani Rani – Movie Review

Rani Rani Rani is a thought-provoking time travel film exploring a caretaker's life changes through scientific experimentation and personal choice.

First Reaction – Rani Rani Rani is a welcome addition to the time travel movies.

Where to Watch

On digital 2 June from Miracle Media.

Director: Rajaram Rejendran

Writer: Rajaram Rejendran (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Tannishtha Chatterjee (Anna Karenina)
  • Asif Basra
  • Danny Sura
  • Alexx O’Nell (RRR)
  • Abid Anwar (Flat No 4B)

Plot: A caretaker at an abandoned factory in India, who feels trapped in her everyday life as she struggles to survive her feckless husband and his family.

Runtime: 1 Hour 37 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Rani Rani Rani starts when a group of scientists Krishna (Anwar), John (O’Nell) and Chris (Sura) look to show off their new creation. They recruit a lonely wife and caretaker, Rani (Chatterjee) to take part.

She reluctantly takes the offer, hearing it doesn’t require too much work and the funds will support her children. However, once it begins, she finds herself caught in a loop with nobody to turn to.

Verdict on Rani Rani Rani

Recap

The movie follows a caretaker and a lonely housewife who are offered a chance to take part in a scientific experiment. However, she isn’t prepared to be sent through a time loop where she sees her life from different angles and must decide what is the best outcome for herself.

Best Parts

The movie brings the question of time travel to the table and how it can be used. It offers a big discussion about how you could use against how you want to use it. The performances and story are incredibly interesting and keep us wanting to know what will happen next. It is a welcome addition to the sci-fi time travel movies.

Worst Parts

Sometimes the movie can get caught between what the scientists want to do and what Rani can do with her other chances. There doesn’t seem to be enough point placed on one or the other.

Final Thoughts –Rani Rani Rani has a complex, engaging and interesting spin on time travel movies.

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Movie Review

Mickey 17 (2025) Movie Review

Mickey 17 – Movie Review

First Reaction – Mickey 17 is an enjoyable sci-fi comedy.

Director: Bong Joon Ho

Writer: Bong Hoon Ho (Screenplay)

Writer: Edward Ashton (Novel)

Cast

Plot: Mickey 17, known as an “expendable,” goes on a dangerous journey to colonize an ice planet.

Runtime: 2 Hours 19 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Mickey 17 starts when Mickey Barnes (Pattinson) agrees to become an Expendable on a space mission. He joins Kenneth Marshall’s (Ruffalo) crew who play to colonizes an alien planet. His job is to be a living test dummy who gets reprinted when he dies.

One day, Mickey doesn’t die on his mission, but a replacement is printed. They have broken the rules meaning they both must get killed and no more replacements. However, they hold the key to a much bigger threat the humans are facing.

Verdict on Mickey 17

Recap

The movie follows a man escape Earth by agreeing to be an Expendable on an intergalactic mission. However, he gets tired of being killed and when a replacement is made before he dies, he must face a new challenge to survive.

Best Parts

The idea behind the story is fantastic and shows how humans think they have the right to everything, anywhere they go. We get dark comedy, which elevates the movie, and Kenneth Marshall has a disturbing comparison to a current world leader. Robert Pattinson is fantastic with his duel performances as each Mickey has different characteristics. You can have a lot of fun watching it and it touches on a lot of political subjects too.

Worst Parts

Sometimes the movie jumps between time too much which can leave things feeling a little jarring. Also, one character random disappears for the final act, after having a big moment before it.

Final Thoughts – Mickey 17 is crazy, funny and wickedly entertaining.

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Movie Review

Aporia (2023) Movie Review

Aporia – Movie Review

Discover the captivating movie 'Aporia' and its intriguing storyline. Join Sophie as she navigates grief, love, and an impossible choice.

ABC Film Challenge – Favourites – A

Director: Jared Moshe

Writer: Jared Moshe (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Since losing her husband, Sophie has struggled to manage grief, a full-time job, and parenting her devastated daughter, but when a former physicist reveals a secret time-bending machine, Sophie will be faced with an impossible choice.

Runtime: 1 Hour 44 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Aporia starts when Sophie (Greer) struggles with her life after her husband Malcolm’s (Gathegi) death. Their daughter Riley (Herman) has changed too and she wants her old life back. Her friend Jabir (Maadi) has created a time-bending machine, which they use to kill the man who kills Malcolm.

However, the ripple effects take over and they start questioning everything they did. They start thinking about more moments they can change and their friendships get tested to new limits.

Verdict on Aporia

Aporia is a sci-fi thriller following a widowed mother who teams up with a friend to change time and bring back her husband. However, the side effects create a ripple effect they get caught wanting to fix. How far will they go to solve the problems they created?

This movie plays into the ideas of changing time and the consequences of those actions. It presents a different concept to many, where a suburban family deals with problems from the past, which lead to changes in the future. This uses changing who killed people and saving people’s lives. However, like most time travel movies, there are always consequences, which is what is important about this movie. If you ever want to see a time travel movie with a fresh twist, this is one of the very best ones.

Where to Watch

a
JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Aporia is an excellent spin on the time travel movie.

Categories
Movie Review

Renner (2025) Movie Review

Renner – Movie Review

First Reaction – Renner is an interesting look at isolation and loneliness.

Where to Watch

RENNER – In U.S. Theaters Friday, February 7th

Director: Robert Rippberger

Writer: Luke Medina, Martin Medina, David Largman Murray, Robert Rippberger (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A computer genius creates an AI life coach to help him find love, but realizes too late he accidentally programmed his manipulative mother into the code.

Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Renner starts when computer genius Renner (Muniz) uses his new AI Life Coach Salenus to help motivate him. He struggles through most days and wants to get to know his neighbour Jamie (Beane). The two strike up a relationship despite the differences between the pair.

When the pair move forward with a relationship, Renner introduces Jamie to Salenus. However, the programming starts to show a darker side, which puts everything Renner has been searching for in question.

Verdict on Renner

Recap

The movie follows a computer genius who befriends his new neighbour. They get involved in a relationship which leads to an unlikely series of events to maintain his work.

Best Parts

We get a great vision of the isolation created by a computer genius. It shows his obsession with germs and maintaining his work. We get to see Frankie Muniz back on the bring screen which is always good to see.

Worst Parts

This doesn’t seem to dive enough into the dangers of AI and puts more focus on human errors. It doesn’t do enough to show the bigger world or explain what is happening in the world where his AI has been created. The biggest question is why Renner doesn’t do more with his genius.

Final Thoughts –Renner doesn’t unleash enough of the potential in the story.