District 9 and Joburg

District 9 is destined to be a classic and like many classics it had humble beginnings. Peter Jackson helped produce the movie but the real creative genius behind it is Neill Blomkamp. Back in 2005 Blomkamp directed a short, six minute film called "Alive in Joburg." Just like D9, "Alive in Joburg" is an exploration of apartheid from the perspective of alien refugees. The short film features the familiar stationary motherships, powerful alien body-armor, insect-like aliens, and the same documentary style. Sharlto Copley, the lead actor in D9, helped produce "Alive in Joburg" and played a minor role (quick aside: Copley actually grew up in Johannesburg). Having seen "Alive in Joburg" I find it hard not to see District 9 as nothing more than a more expensive and expansive version of Blomkamp's earlier six minute short. Now, I in no way think this should take away from District 9's success and popularity. On the contrary, Peter Jackson and Blomkamp did a wonderful job of infusing District 9 with a more futuristic sci-fi feel through amped up effects, adding the visceral transformation of the lead character, Wikus van der Merwe (I know, manly name, huh?), and through mankind's desire to harness the alien weaponry. As a social commentary I don't know how I feel about the movie, but if it's taken strictly as a first contact movie I like it a lot more. Do I think mankind would act so poorly in the face of our first extraterrestrial contact? Probably not. Do I think mankind would be aggravated by the aliens if they were nothing but a bunch of layabouts? Sure. Do I think mankind would want to harness alien weapons (particularly that mech-suit. I want one!)? Absolutely. Power is power and that's a universal motivator for greed and all those other fun aspects of human nature. I loved D9's reinvigoration of an often tired subject and I hope Blomkamp gets to take a shot at the Halo movie rumored to be on hiatus.

Oh, and according to Wikipedia (which, of course, is always right =P), Copley improvised all of his lines during the eviction scene in the beginning of D9.

Sci-fi:4
Pop:4
Action:4

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World War Z

World War Z, by Max Brooks (son of actress Anne Bancroft and the well known Mel Brooks just so's ya knows), is a look at the world after the great zombie invasion.

That's right, it's not a question of if, but when.

Brooks takes an interesting tact on the subject by writing the book in the form of a documentary. This means a couple of things: there isn't an identifiable plot-line (other than we win the zombie war or else there'd be no book), and there aren't any characters to follow throughout the duration of the book. Despite these limitations, though, the book never ceases to be a good read. This is because Brooks is excellent at crafting short stories and honing them around a specific psyche. While some of the characters sound a little interchangeable, there are a few that stand out loud and clear. There's Sharon: a fully grown woman who suffered trauma so great she's stuck with the psyche of a four years old; T. Sean Collins: a man who thrived on the violence of the war, indulging in the macabre and twisted irony of killing the living dead; Grover Carlson: an entrepreneur/con artist who sold a placebo called Phalanx as a cure for the great zombie plague; and that's only a few of Brooks' well crafted, albeit short windowed characters.

It's not just his characters, though. Brooks does a fantastic job evoking the visuals of his nightmarish, apocalyptic world. From the color of undead skin, to the landmark battles that helped turn the tide in favor of the living, to undersea hunts for the remaining Zacks (as zombies are nicknamed), Brooks is always able to keep your imagination in pace with his own, keeping you glued to the page. Going beyond the visuals he creates a palpable mood throughout the read. When my fiance was reading the book she admitted that she didn't actually like it. She said it was too disturbing but at the same time she couldn't put it down. And maybe it is a little disturbing, but that's what makes it good. Brooks doesn't just try to take the traditional blood and guts and action that most zombie books/movies take. He maintained a very realistic, almost pragmatic outlook, and manages to keep the human element alive throughout the whole undead nightmare.

Now I do not consider zombies sci-fi. They're just not. There's no science to them, and I know some people would object to that statement. Fact is, though, that's just no how shit works. Plain and simple. And with that said I'd consider this a good work of fiction, maybe even fantasy (although I think every work of fiction was obviously the writer's fantasy), but not science fiction.

In short, World War Z is a great read. It's populated by interesting characters and held together by Max's humorously unwavering stance on the zombie reality. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and read that book! If you don't, we'll all die when the zombies attack! Yeah, you'd feel pretty silly then wouldn't you?

Sci-fi: 2
Pop: 4
Quality: 4

Jump to Lulu.com to read my book, @Genesis.

Casshern (with a new asshole)

Okay, I let the movie go yesterday, but it's on today. Casshern is crap. It's a two hour long attempt to drag out a single, continuous dramatic moment. From the very beginning of this dungheap to its very end, the flick begs and pleads like a spoiled child for attention. Look at me, it whines, look at how cool I am. Look at how important I am. *Blegh*! Get over it!
But it's not the self-importance that's bugged me the most, it was the story line, because, frankly, there wasn't one. The author tried so hard to make his story all important and original that he forgot to write something coherent and even remotely good. There's little to no explanation for things central to the plot-line. Take the Neo-Sapiens and the Europans. Why or how did they occur? A freakin' lightning bolt? Was Zeus bored or something? Or if the Europans were beaten, why is their fortress still fully functional? Huh? Huh?! Ah!!!
And the characters. The main character, this Casshern bastard, why is nothing his fault? He spends half the movie complaining about how nothing is his fault, but it's ALL his fault. The story practically centers around that fact. And his father, his father runs around with the same expression on his face throughout the ENTIRE movie! Blank, dead, boring. I get it, he's obsessed with curing his wife. I can appreciate that, but expand a little. Go for more than 1 dimension. But no. No one in this movie can think in more than one train of thought, and they are never derailed. It's always the same, looooonnnngggg, dramatic moment with the same, tired complaints from all the characters throughout the movie.
Okay, so one thing that was very cool about the movie was the visuals. The fusion of classic cinematography, CG, and animation was excellent and was its only redeeming quality. There was very visceral and fantastic quality to the film that could have made the movie worth watching if there'd been an even remotely interesting story to watch. And the action. The action scenes could have completely redeemed this steaming wad of detritus, but no, the director couldn't make that happen. The action scenes were little more than chaotic blurs and only reminded me of crappy knockoffs of the old Dragon Ball Z action sequences. There was no good choreography, only half-assed attempts. They made Michael Bay's work look crisp and clean.
What saddens me the most is this really looked like it could have been a good movie but the execution got so bogged down in the obsession to be original that it completely forgot about execution. Had the director and the writer focused more on the parts that mattered (plot and characters and execution), the movie might have amounted to something worth watching. But no. It's not. So spare yourselves! Go watch AVPR. It was better! Seriously! And, god, you know I hate recommending that flick to anyone.

Sci-fi:0
Pop:0
Action:1

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Casshern

Let me put it this way: I'd watch AVPR over again. And over. And over. And it got a 6.3 on IMDB! *sigh* I've lost my faith in the poll system.

Sci-fi:0
Pop:0
Action:1

Jump to Lulu.com to read my book, @Genesis.

@Genesis

So I'm sure by now you've noticed the little Lulu tabs at the bottom of all my posts. I just recently put my book, @Genesis, through the final stages of editing, and I think it's ready for public consumption and criticism (how else can I grow as an author?). I've made it available in both paperback and for download. The latter is cheapest at only $1. The book centers around two sci-fi concepts: Sentient Artificial Intelligence (SI) and the Singularity. It follows the ordeals of Barret Cornlaw and his friends as they investigate the disappearance of a powerful SI. The further their investigation goes, the further it leads Barret to a different, more awful conclusion. They become unwitting accomplices in a scheme that promises to spark a civil war, and it's everything they can do to save the home they love. So, if you enjoy the science fiction genre stop by Lulu.com and grab yourself a copy. I hear rumor that every time someone buys a copy an angel gets its wings.

Jump to Lulu.com to read my book, @Genesis.

The Wrestler

Ever wanted to explore monomania? That's what director Darren Aronofsky (one of Hollywood's best. He did The Fountain, Pi, and Requiem for a Dream) and writer Robert D. Siegel (his original screenplay) did with the The Wrestler. The movie is host to excellent directing, brilliant acting, and authentic characters. It follows the struggles of a down and out ex-pro wrestler and an over-the-hill stripper. Mainly focused on Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke), the movie shows how one's passions and strengths can in many ways become our greatest weaknesses. Though once a legend in his prime, Randy can now barely handle the independent circuit, let alone make rent and hold a job. He tries to make things work with his estranged daughter and even gets lucky enough to spark a love interest with his favorite local stripper (Marisa Tomei). But no matter how hard he tries, no matter how much life tells him he needs to quit, he can't stop wrestling. It's all he's ever done, it's all he's ever known. It's his religion, his opiate. Without it life is meaningless but if he keeps it up it could kill him. I don't want to go into too much detail because I don't want to spoil it for you, unlike AVPR. I'll be glad to spoil that one for you: the predalien and the predator kill each other. There, saved you two hours of your life. You owe me. But back to The Wrestler. Siegel and Aronofsky do a great job of exploring the characters and bringing them to life. The movie is centrally a character piece, fits Aronofsky's directorial bill, and is well worth watching. So beware Darren's usual moral: monomania = bad things. Oh, and besides doing a great job acting, Marisa Tomei makes for one HOT stripper! Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Fiction: 4.5
Pop: 3
Action: 2

Jump to Lulu.com to read my book, @Genesis.

Ultraviolet

See? See?! Viruses again. Always with the viruses.
Anyway, Ultraviolet is an entertaining flick starring Mila Jovovich (5th Element) and Cameron Bright (Godsend) as a well-armed killer/hemophage. Some strange virus is invented by the military, some people get stronger because of it but they're cursed with a 12 year time limit. The story follows Ultraviolet as she steals a mysterious anti-hemophage weapon, finds out it's a boy, and then proceeds to try and protect him from his evil maker. The story isn't so much a sci-fi flick as it is an action flick. Neither the acting nor the plot are particularly good, but the action sequences are excellent. Mila goes up against hordes of bad guys and of course she takes them all out and looks good doing it. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's what this movie is all about: getting Mila to look good while she kills some peeps.

Oh, and considering how many people die in this movie it's amazing how little blood we see.

Sci-fi: 1
Pop: 2
Action: 4

Jump to Lulu.com to read my book, @Genesis.