Men in Black 3

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(2012)

Genre: Action/Comedy/Sci-Fi

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

Writers: Etan Cohen, Lowell Cunningham

Producers: G. Mac Brown, Joyce Cox, Paul A. Levin, Laurie MacDonald, Walter F. Parkes, Steven Spielberg

Synopsis: In Men in Black 3, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back...in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K's life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him -- secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind. -- (Written by Sony Pictures)

Cast:

• Will Smith
• Tommy Lee Jones
• Josh Brolin
• Jermaine Clement
• Emma Thompson
• Bill Hader

IMDb - Men in Black 3

This Is the End

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(2013)

Genre: Comedy/Sci-Fi

Director: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen

Writers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Jason Stone

Producers: Jay Baruchel, Nicole Brown, Evan Goldberg, Barbara A. Hall, Kyle Hunter, Nathan Kahane, Matthew F. Leonetti Jr., Seth Rogen, Ariel Shaffir, Jason Stone, James Weaver

Synopsis: The comedy This Is The End follows six friends trapped in a house after a series of strange and catastrophic events devastate Los Angeles. As the world unravels outside, dwindling supplies and cabin fever threaten to tear apart the friendships inside. Eventually, they are forced to leave the house, facing their fate and the true meaning of friendship and redemption. -- (Written by Sony Pictures)

Cast:

• James Franco
• Jonah Hill
• Seth Rogen
• Jay Baruchel
• Danny McBride
• Craig Robinson
• Michael Cera
• Emma Watson
• Mindy Kaling
• Christopher Mintz-Plasse
• Paul Rudd
• Channing Tatum
• Kevin Hart
• Aziz Ansari

IMDb - This Is the End

Elysium

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(2013)

Genre: Action/Sci-Fi

Director: Neill Blomkamp

Writer: Neill Blomkamp

Producers: Sue Baden-Powell, Bill Block, Neill Blomkamp, Victoria Burkhart, Simon Kinberg, Stacy Perskie

Synopsis: In the year 2154, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. The people of Earth are desperate to escape the planet's crime and poverty, and they critically need the state-of-the-art medical care available on Elysium - but some in Elysium will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve their citizens' luxurious lifestyle. The only man with the chance bring equality to these worlds is Max (Matt Damon), an ordinary guy in desperate need to get to Elysium. With his life hanging in the balance, he reluctantly takes on a dangerous mission - one that pits him against Elysium's Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) and her hard-line forces - but if he succeeds, he could save not only his own life, but millions of people on Earth as well. -- (Written by Sony Pictures)

Cast:

• Matt Damon
• Jodie Foster
• Sharlto Copley
• Alice Braga
• Diego Luna

IMDb - Elysium

Oblivion

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(2013)

Genre: Action/Sci-Fi

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Writers: Karl Gajdusek, Michael Arndt, Joseph Kosinski

Producers: Jesse Burger, Peter Chernin, Emily Cheung, Dylan Clark, Bruce Franklin, Steve Gaub, Duncan Henderson, Joseph Kosinski, Mike Larocca, Barry Levine, R.J. Mino, Dave Morrison, Justin Springer, Ryan Kavanaugh

Synopsis: Tom Cruise stars in Oblivion, an original and groundbreaking cinematic event from the visionary director of TRON: Legacy and producers of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. On a spectacular future Earth that has evolved beyond recognition, one man's confrontation with the past will lead him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind. -- (Written by Universal Pictures)

Cast:

• Tom Cruise
• Morgan Freeman
• Andrea Riseborough
• Olga Kurylenko
• Melissa Leo

IMDb - Oblivion

Gattaca

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(1997)

Genre: Sci-Fi/Drama

Director: Andrew Niccol

Writer: Andrew Niccol

Producers: Danny DeVito, Georgia Kacandes, Joshua Levinson, Gail Lyon, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher

Synopsis: A genetically inferior man assumes the identity of a superior one in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel. -- (Written by IMDb Editors)

Cast:

• Ethan Hawke
• Jude Law
• Uma Thurman

IMDb - Gattaca

Battle Royale

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(2000)

Language: Japanese

Genre: Action/Sci-Fi/Thriller

Director: Kinji Fukasaku

Writers: Koushun Takami, Kenta Fukasaku

Producers: Kenta Fukasaku, Kinji Fukasaku, Kimio Kataoka, Chie Kobayashi, Toshio Nabeshima, Masumi Okada

Synopsis: A long-unavailable underground hit that anticipated The Hunger Games novels by eight years, veteran director Fukasaku's epically violent, still-controversial and deeply influential genre masterpiece takes place in a dystopian alternate universe. In the near future, the economy has collapsed, unemployment has soared and juvenile crime has exploded. Fearful of its nation's youth, the Japanese government passes The BR Law: Each year, a 9th grade class is sent to a remote island where they will be locked into exploding neck collars, given a random weapon, and forced to hunt and kill each other until there is only one survivor left. Battle Royale follows one such class, with an ice-cold performance from Takeski Kitano as the group's teacher. -- (Written by Anchor Bay Entertainment)

Cast:

• Tatsuya Fujiwara
• Aki Maeda

IMDb - Battle Royale

Cloud Atlas

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(2012)

Genre: Drama/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Comedy/Thriller

Directors: Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski

Writers: David Mitchell, Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski

Producers: Stefan Arndt, Alex Boden, David Brown, José Luis Escolar, Grant Hill, Philip Lee, Marcus Loges, Roberto Malerba, Gigi Oeri, Alexander Rodnyansky, Uwe Schott, Pearry Reginald Teo, Tom Tykwer, Alexander van Duelmen, Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski

Nominee

Synopsis: Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave dramatically through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future. Each member of the ensemble appears in multiple roles as the stories move through time. -- (Written by Warner Bros. Pictures)

Cast:

• Tom Hanks
• Halle Berry
• Jim Broadbent
• Hugo Weaving
• Jim Sturgess
• Doona Bae
• Ben Whishaw
• Keith David
• James D'Arcy
• Xun Zhou
• Susan Sarandon
• Hugh Grant

**Note: An interesting fact - each of the above cast members play approximately 6 different roles throughout the film. Spanning different times, races and even genders. This was achieved through incredible makeup, prosthetics, wardrobe and tight production times to switch actors between units. I found this so incredibly interesting, and was one of the main reasons why I wanted to see this film.

IMDb - Cloud Atlas

The Watch

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(2012)

Genre: Comedy/Sci-Fi

Director: Akiva Schaffer

Writers: Jared Stern, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg

Producers: Blondel Aidoo, Monica Levinson, Shawn Levy, Tom McNulty, Billy Rosenberg

Synopsis: Four everyday suburban guys come together as an excuse to escape their humdrum lives one night a week. But when they accidentally discover that their town has become overrun with aliens posing as ordinary suburbanites, they have no choice but to save their neighborhood -- and the world -- from total extermination. -- (Written by 20th Century Fox)

Cast:

• Ben Stiller
• Vince Vaughn
• Jonah Hill
• Richard Ayoade
• Rosemarie DeWitt

IMDb - The Watch

Total Recall

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(2012) (Remake)

Genre: Action/Sci-Fi

Director: Len Wiseman

Writers: Kurt Wimmer, Mark Bomback, Ronald Shusett, Dan O'Bannon, Jon Povill, Philip K. Dick

Producers: Toby Jaffe, Ric Kidney, Paula Kucharski, Neal H. Moritz, Len Wiseman

Synopsis: Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he's got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life - real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police - controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), the leader of the free world - Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy) and stop Cohaagen. -- (Written by Sony Pictures)

Cast:

• Colin Farrell
• Kate Beckinsale
• Jessica Biel
• Bryan Cranston
• Bill Nighy

IMDb - Total Recall

Looper

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(2012)

Genre: Action/Sci-Fi

Director: Rian Johnson

Writer: Rian Johnson

Producers: Ram Bergman, Christopher C. Chen, Ningning Fu, Julie Goldstein, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Douglas Hansen, Dan Mintz, Eleanor Nett, David Pomier, Peter Schlessel, Lucas Smith, James D. Stern, Bing Wu, Wen-ge Xiao

Synopsis: In the futuristic action thriller Looper, time travel will be invented - but it will be illegal and only available on the black market. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target 30 years into the past, where a "looper" - a hired gun, like Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) - is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good... until the day the mob decides to "close the loop," sending back Joe's future self (Bruce Willis) for assassination. -- (Written by Sony Pictures)

Cast:

• Joseph Gordon-Levitt
• Bruce Willis
• Emily Blunt
• Paul Dano
• Jeff Daniels

IMDb - Looper

Prometheus (jhunterfilmreview)

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(2012)

Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller/Adventure

Director: Ridley Scott

Writers: Jon Spaihts, Damon Lindelof

Producers: Michael Costigan, Michael Ellenberg, David Giler, Walter Hill, Mark Huffam, Teresa Kelly, Nikolas Korda, Damon Lindelof, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott

 

Nominee

Synopsis: Ridley Scott, director of Alien and Blade Runner, returns to the genre he helped define. With Prometheus, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race. -- (Written by 20th Century Fox)

Cast:

• Noomi Rapace
• Michael Fassbender
• Charlize Theron
• Guy Pearce
• Idris Elba
• Logan Marshall-Green

IMDB - Prometheus

jhunterfilmreview: Upon hearing that a new Ridley Scott sci-fi film was imminent, I immediately found it difficult to control my excitement. I am a huge fan of the Alien saga - particularly Alien, Aliens and Alien: Resurrection. Then I saw the cast, and I instantly knew this would be one of, if not the most anticipated film for me this year. After conducting a little research on this exciting new motion picture, I discovered that Prometheus was to be a sci-fi/thriller and a sort of 'quasi-prequel' to the Alien saga. Furthermore, the film was to boast an amazing cast including two of my favourite female actors; Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Babycall), and Charlize Theron (Monster, Æon Flux, Young Adult). 

The film is set in the year 2089, where the protagonist Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and a team of scientists discover ancient cave paintings which match other artefacts from several unconnected ancient cultures. They interpret the pattern as a map and sort of invitation from humanity's forerunners, the 'Engineers'. Peter Weyland's (Guy Pearce - Memento, L.A. Confidential, The Hurt Locker) Weyland corporation funds the creation of the scientific vessel 'Prometheus', and the expedition to follow the map to distant moon LV-223. While the ship's crew travels in stasis, an android named David (Michael Fassbender - Shame, A Dangerous Method, Inglourious Basterds) monitors their voyage. Arriving in 2093, the crew are informed of their mission - to find the Engineers, but to avoid making contact without the permission of mission directer, Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron).

Prometheus is an extremely ambitious project which I feel may have suffered from the pulling of (and often relying on) the strings of anticipation a bit too much. Not only this, but the film's main weakness is its screenplay. Written by John Spaihts and David Lindelof, it somewhat fails to develop some key characters and aspects of the narrative, leaving a lot of its big questions unanswered.

Ok so the film is not perfect…but there are SO many amazing and jaw-dropping aspects which make it a thoroughly entertaining sci-fi flick. For one, the production design and visual effects are beyond stunning. Production designer Arthur Max led the film's design crew. His team were tasked with deconstructing the art direction and visuals of Alien, and reverse-designing them for the chronologically earlier setting of Prometheus. The film was shot using 3D cameras throughout, almost entirely on practical sets, and on location in England, Iceland, Spain and Scotland. The out-of-this-world (pun intended) 1,300 digital visual effects shots are the works of a combination of different effects studios, including Moving Picture Company and Weta Digital. Prometheus also features a number of compelling performances from its cast. Particularly Michael Fassbender as the scrupulous Weyland android, David.

If I had to pick my favourite scene, it would be without a doubt the intense surgery scene featuring Rapace. The emotional intensity that she brought to what is intentionally an absurd sci-fi scenario, felt real, gritty, grounded and horrifying. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this highly ambitious and visually stunning film. Due to its occasional scripting hiccup however, I recommend it only to those who aren't opposed to a little 'Why?' in their sci-fi.

I give this film 8 stars.

The Avengers

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(2012)

Genre: Action/Sci-Fi

Director: Joss Whedon

Writers: Joss Whedon, Zak Penn, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

Producers: Victoria Alonso, Louis D'Esposito, Jon Favreau, Kevin Feige, Alan Fine, Jeremy Latcham, Stan Lee, Patricia Whitcher

Synopsis: Marvel Studios presents Marvel's The Avengers-the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. -- (Written by Marvel)

Cast:

• Robert Downey Jr.
• Chris Evans
• Mark Ruffalo
• Chris Hemsworth
• Scarlett Johansson
• Jeremy Renner
• Tom Hiddleston
• Clark Gregg
• Stellan Skarsgård
• Samuel L. Jackson
• Gwyneth Paltrow

IMDb - The Avengers

The Hunger Games

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(2012)

Genre: Action/Drama/Sci-Fi

Director: Gary Ross

Writers: Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins, Billy Ray

Producers: Diana Alvarez, Robin Bissell, Suzanne Collins, Chantal Feghali, Nina Jacobson, Jon Kilik, Aldric La'auli Porter, Louise Rosner, Bryan Unkeless

Synopsis: Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she's ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. -- (Written by Lionsgate)

Cast:

• Jennifer Lawrence
• Josh Hutcherson
• Liam Hemsworth
• Stanley Tucci
• Wes Bentley
• Elizabeth Banks
• Woody Harrelson
• Lenny Kravitz
• Donald Sutherland

IMDb - The Hunger Games

Cowboys and Aliens

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(2011)

Genre: Action/Western/Sci-Fi

Director: Jon Favreau

Writer: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Steve Oedekerk, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg

Producers: Bobby Cohen, Johnny Dodge, Jon Favreau, Daniel Forcey, Karen Gilchrist, Brian Grazer, Randy Greenberg, K.C. Hodenfield, Ron Howard, Ryan Kavanaugh, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Roberto Orci, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Steven Spielberg, Denis L. Stewart, Chris Wade

Nominee

Synopsis: The Old West.. where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world. 1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It's a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been... (Written by Universal Pictures)

Cast:

• Daniel Craig
• Harrison Ford
• Olivia Wilde
• Sam Rockwell
• Adam Beach
• Noah Ringer
• Paul Dano

IMDb - Cowboys & Aliens

Short Review: The genre mashing of this film seemed strange to me at first, and as a result I expected something average…I was pretty much right. Not even the first-rate cast could save this forgettable film.

Attack the Block

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(2011)

Genre: Comedy/Sci-Fi

Director: Joe Cornish

Writer: Joe Cornish

Producers: James Biddle, Jenny Borgars, Will Clarke, Olivier Courson, Matthew Justice, Lucy Pardee, Nira Park, Tessa Ross, James Wilson, Edgar Wright

Nominee

Synopsis: A teen gang in South London defend their block from an alien invasion. (Written by IMDb Editors)

Cast:

• John Boyega
• Jodie Whittaker
• Alex Esmail
• Nick Frost

IMDb - Attack the Block