Tag: Science Fiction

Little is Big Fun

Picture of Marsai Martin and Issa Rae stars of Little

Little

Directed by Tina Gordon
Written by Tracy Oliver, Tina Gordon

The review:

Holy cow, does the one-two-three punch of Regina Hall, Issa Rae,* and Marsai Martin charm the heck out of this movie. Marsai Martin is particularly good,** channeling a very grown, very mean Regina Hall with uncanny accuracy. Though it slumps a bit in the third act, this movie is fun, funny, and well worth your time.***

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $1.80 via Redbox
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*A bright spot of 2020 is that this is the year of me catching up with Issa Rae.
**She was entirely new to me, and I’m blown away by her performance. Fingers crossed for a smooth transition from adolescence to adulthood.
***Another thing I liked was that the rest of the cast looked like real people, not body-perfect actors trying to make it in Hollywood.

Questions:

  • What’s your favorite age-swap movie?
  • How would you fare if you were thrown back to your 13-year-old self?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Marsai Martin not only pitched the movie but was also one of the executive producers.

Other reviews of Little:

Text says: So you ate her? Is that what happened? Cook her in your Easy Bake Oven? —Little. Read the three sentence movie review: 3SMReviews.com

The delivery of this line. I can’t even. Issa Rae is a comic genius.

Interstellar is Engaging, Confusing

Interstellar

Interstellar

Directed by Christopher Nolan
Written by Jonathan & Christopher Nolan

The review:

Matthew McConaughey, in his I’m-a-serious-actor period, travels through Nolan’s take on space (and time) in a film that is engrossing, and yet left me with many questions.* It’s interesting how the first big moment of action/tension comes more than an hour into the film, yet the story up until that point is more than enough to hold my interest.** As mentioned in the previous review, I still wasn’t a fan of Cooper’s manly I-make-the-decisions move, but this time was too busy enjoying the performances of Mackenzie Foy, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain to let it bug me.***

The verdict: Good

Cost: $2.99 via Google Play
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*This seems to be a theme of Nolan’s more recent films. [Vague spoilers ahead] I’m thoroughly engrossed, but what exactly did that data programmed into the watch do? Where did that tesseract thing come from? Why did Murph have to go to a different station, couldn’t Cooper have gone to her? How, exactly is Cooper getting to Brand in just that little ship? [End vague spoilers.]
**I would be curious to see a well-written drama that was a prequel of sorts. Just how did the world get to be anti-science and farmers-only?
***Plus, Wes Bently! What do I have to do to get more Wes Bentley? [Checks IMDB] Apparently, I must watch movies that I have not watched that don’t exactly appeal to me.

Questions:

  • See above questions
  • Has Matthew McConaughey’s I’m-a-serious-actor phase ended? What movies do you think that phase spanned?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The giant dust clouds were created on location, using large fans to blow cellulose-based synthetic dust through the air.

Also:

The documentary-style interviews of older survivors shown at the beginning of this movie and again on the television playing in the farmhouse toward the end of the movie are from Ken Burns The Dust Bowl (2012). They are real survivors, not actors, of that natural disaster.

Other reviews of Interstellar:

Interstellar

See You Yesterday is a Balance

See You Yesterday

See You Yesterday

Directed by Stefon Bristol
Written by Fredrica Bailey & Stefon Bristol

The review:

It’s a delicate balancing act, this movie, what with trying to have a fun caper (two teenagers build time machines!) and also addressing police shootings (they are trying to save a family member).* It succeeds at this task, managing to balance the wonder of time travel with the horrors unnecessary death.** Plus, it’s always good to see a determined girl who loves science on screen.***

The verdict: Good

Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*This week has been an heightened one for watching depictions of police interactions on screen.
**While watching, I was cataloging the number of swears, because this would be a good film to show in school. The level of swearing sunk that, but in hindsight, I’m guessing most schools wouldn’t show a movie depicting police shooting and unarmed man, no matter how much fun the science stuff is.
***There’s a fun cameo in this film too!

Questions:

  • How would you end this film?
  • What did you think of the clothing choices of C.J. and Sebastian?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

In the school scene, Mr. Lockhart is reading Kindred by Octavia Butler, a book about an African-American woman who travels back in time to pre-Civil War America and has to deal with the injustice and oppression of slavery.

I have read Kindred and it’s great! Highly recommended!

Other reviews of See You Yesterday:

See You Yesterday

Inception Goes a Few Levels Too Deep

Inception

The review:

Christopher Nolan’s Inception is a movie with a highly original concept that makes the choice to go just a few levels too deep.* It remains as visually stunning as it was in 2010,** and I enjoy the commitment everyone has to their sometimes bananas dialog.*** It did wear on me that Ellen Paige’s character existed only to ask questions so the audience could be informed, but this was balanced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s focused work in zero gravity.****

The verdict: Good

Cost: Neflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*I enjoy puzzling through things while watching movies, but the layers after the snowbound assault are too much. Though props for finding a way to include a James Bond-esque action sequence that reminds me why I don’t watch James Bond movies. How in the world am I supposed to tell who is who when they are all wearing the same outfit?
**It was more of a marvel then—I mean, we’ve all seen Thanos snap his fingers and have half of the universe’s population blow away—but it still looks good ten years on.
***Example: You’re waiting for a train. A train that’ll take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you. But you can’t know for sure. Yet it doesn’t matter. Now, tell me why?
****If there is one thing I’ve learned from my Nolan oeuvre-view, it’s that I need more JGL in my movie-going life. That voiceover work he did for Knives Out didn’t cut it.

Questions:

  • What do you think the ending means?
  • Who is your favorite extractor?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, writer, producer, and director Christopher Nolan explained that he based roles of the Inception team on filmmaking roles. Cobb is the director, Arthur is the producer, Ariadne is the production designer, Eames is the actor, Saito is the studio, and Fischer is the audience. “In trying to write a team-based creative process, I wrote the one I know,” said Nolan.

Other reviews of Inception:

Inception

One and Two is a Story Missing a Story

One and Two

The review:

While Andrew Droz Palermo’s work as a cinematographer for A Ghost Story should be celebrated, the same cannot be said of the directing skills on display in One and Two which is a movie so boring that I couldn’t even find anything to hate about it.* This is a film that shouldn’t be bothered with as the unexplained stuff is never explained, or even hinted at,** the time period is unclear for much of the film, and the ending doesn’t give any clues about the future. The only possible reason to watch this film is to see what Kiernan Shipka and Timothée Chalamet make of their roles.***

The verdict: Skip

Cost: $3.99 via Google Play
Where watched: at home

Consider watching instead:

Further sentences:

*I don’t remember the last time I’ve been so bored by a movie.
**We know the kids have powers, we know their father fears these powers, we don’t know where the powers come from, what causes the father to fear, how or if the mother’s illness is connected to the powers, or how that massive wall got built.
***Chalamet gets to emote a lot, which I think he enjoys. Shipka brings her ability to puzzle through and push against things. I quite like this vibe, which was present when she played Sally Draper in Mad Men and I’m curious if this is her thing, or if she does other things in other roles. Perhaps I will check out the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Questions:

  • Is it worth it to you to watch the movie just for the performances? Why or why not?
  • How do you think that wall got built?
  • How useful do you think the siblings’ powers would be?

Other reviews:

One and Two

The Lobster Wasn’t a Good Dinner For Me

The Lobster

The review:

Yorgos Lanthimos created an interesting world in The Lobster,* but it’s a world I didn’t want to spend much time in, which made this movie a long slog. That said, there are a great many amusing scenes in this film** and it’s quite funny. I especially liked the deadpan nature of all the characters, especially Olivia Colman as the Hotel Manager and Ariane Labed as the Maid.

The verdict: Skip

Cost: Free from Kanopy, the library’s streaming service
Where watched: at home

Consider watching instead:

Fun fact: when I googled “movies like the Lobster” one of the recommendations was Definitely, Maybe #algorithmfail

Further sentences:

*It’s kind of like a dark Wes Anderson world.
**And a more than a few disturbing ones.

Questions:

  • What do you think happened after the final scene?
  • How do you think this particular society evolved?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The production worked almost entirely with natural light and without makeup. Lighting was only used for some night scenes.

Other reviews:

The Lobster

Starman is Fun to Watch 36 Years Later

Starman

The review:

Jeff Bridges is a revelation in John Carpenter’s Starman—full of ticks and a dawning sense of his human self.* Karen Allen is also key to this film because her varying facial expressions lead the audience to accept the alien. The film includes a great combo of early digital and practical effects and was a good choice for a Valentine’s Day viewing.**

The verdict: Good

Cost: $2.99 via Google Play
Where watched: at home with the boyfriend

Consider also watching:

Further sentences

*I forget how amazing he is as an actor, because I feel like he’s been playing shades of the Dude for years.
**I was thinking what a lovely little love story this was until the boyfriend (who also counsels domestic violence offenders) started pointing out all the controlling behaviors: “How come when I kidnap someone at gunpoint and make them drive me to a different state it’s a felony? Etc. Etc. Etc. It cracked me up.

Questions:

  • What’s your favorite human/alien movie?
  • Kidnapping. When is it okay?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Actor Jeff Bridges studied ornithology and the behavior of birds to prepare for his role as an alien in human form for this movie. Bridges particularly used the sudden jerky head movements, among other nuances and mannerisms, of birds for his Starman character.

Other reviews:

Starman

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a Fine Conclusion to This Trilogy

The review:

Coming off of Rian Johnson’s excellent The Last Jedi it is now time for J.J. Abrams to wrap up our third trilogy with (the official title is so very long!) Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. And Abrams does wrap things up in a competent way that shows us the many Star Wars things we’ve come to love.* I think the strength of this trilogy is the Rey-Kylo Ren connection,** and that carries through to this film, which I did liked, but did not love.***

The verdict: Good

Cost: $9.50
Where watched: Baghdad Theater with Matt, Laurie and Burt.

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Witty banter, dashing adventure, situations that always seem hopeless, plus a fun new droid to add to the canon.
**Their fight scenes added a lot to this film.
*** I am three for three for falling asleep. I missed the “here’s the plan” part.

Questions:

  • What movies that you first watched as a kid still hold up today?
  • Do you want more of the Star Wars world? If so, what would you like more of?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Disney’s sequel trilogy is the first trilogy in the Star Wars saga in which all three movies were released in the same decade.

Other reviews:

Yesterday Won Me Over Completely

The review:

I’d forgotten what a romantic Danny Boyle is, and his love of the absurd,* and those two things, combined with an interesting premise, elevated Yesterday far beyond my expectations. Himesh Patel’s varying levels of despair—even as he was gaining fame by “writing” songs by the Beatles—was fun to watch, as was Kate McKinnon as Debra Hammer—a money hungry manager. I also found myself surprised by the turns in the story, which always makes for a good film; as does good music, which the Beatles produced in quantity.**

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $4.00
Where watched: Academy Theater—nearly a full house.

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*The movie Millions has a special place in my heart
**There’s a moving turn near the end I didn’t see coming, which was also delightful.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Though it was not in the original script, director Danny Boyle was so taken with the discovery of a recording studio by a railway track that he had the text altered to incorporate the trains and utilize the location as Gavin’s studio.

Spider-Man: Far From Home is a Properly Adolescent Superhero Movie

The review:

John Watt’s Spider-Man: Far From Home brims with hard choices for one very reluctant superhero.* Tom Holland continues to prove he’s the best Spider-Man ever as he makes plans to spend a summer getting away from his neighborhood and the big superhero shoes he’s stepped into since the events of Avengers: Endgame.** But that wouldn’t make for a very entertaining movie for us, now would it?***

The Verdict: Recommended

Cost: $10.00
Where watched: Baghdad Theater

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*He is, after all, sixteen.
**He just wants to see Europe with his friends and maybe tell MJ (a delightfully frowny Zendaya) how he feels. The teen romance was totally on point in this film.
***Not to fear. Things go wrong. Spider-Man has to save the day. There are funny and clever parts.

Faviorte IMDB trivia item:

In the film, Spider-Man mentions Captain Marvel, which marks the first time a MCU character referred to Carol Danvers by that name.