Video Game Review: inFamous: Second Son

After two great games (and one interesting add-on), the inFamous series closed off the saga of Cole MacGrath in a truly grand and epic manner.  For the PS3 era, it was not only an addictively fun saga, but also a thoughtful story and a well-developed universe that reflect heavily on human nature and morality.

The PS4 era commenced with this new tangent of the inFamous universe, introducing a new character in a new city with a new range of superpowers.  This time, you play a kid named Deslin Rowe, who's a bit of an arrogant punk, but with his heart in the right place.  Experiencing an accident by chance that endangers his loved ones, Deslin gains powers and has to use them against an armed force that's occupied Seattle to fight "bio-terrorism." Through this setup, the game inhabits the same style and manner of gameplay as its predecessors; you're given free-reign over the city, unlocking more districts and more of the story as you fight the powers of oppression.  As before, you have the power to fly, to perform strong melee attacks, to zap things and thunder-drop on bad guys, and so on.  But while Cole used purely electric powers, Deslin starts off with smoke powers, giving him the ability to throw cinders, to dissolve and fly through vents, and to incapacitate enemies with vapor.  But that's not all; as the story goes on, Deslin can absorb other mediums of power; you're eventually made to use neon powers (allowing you to shoot lasers, send our powerful energy blasts, and turn to light and run really fast), video powers (allowing you to turn invisible, swing and shoot holographic swords, and fly with glowing wings), and concrete powers (allowing you to shoot rubble).  With four different sources of power, the possibilities are expanded, and taking out bad guys is not as repetitive or straightforward as before; you're given more flexibility and power than ever before.  And it is necessary, because the game throws a lot more challenges at you; enemies are tough, numerous, and more well-armed than before.  The game excels at giving you power and allowing you to run free with it.

As before, you're given the choice to be good or evil; you can save or heal citizens, or you can hurt them.  Certain story decisions can also contribute to your karma, and your path will inevitably alter the direction of the story and characters.  The themes of good and evil are played with in interesting ways towards the story's end.  It's not quite as sublime or mind-blowing of a story as the first game, and some gamers may find it flat and disappointing.  Side quests can be rather repetitive for many (although I found it perfectly addictive playing those missions to free up the city little by little).  The game does have its strong moments though; I think Deslin has way more personality than Cole did, making him a more appealing character with plenty of room for growth.  Deslin learns much as he goes on, making sacrifices and suffering to the point where he matures into a proper hero or villain.  He comes to learn that other characters (including the main villain, whom I think is pretty well-developed) go through the same.  It may not be a fresh story, but it is still a strong one.  If there's anything to really complain about, it's that the game is short (it must have taken me 20 hours or more to finish), and they could have easily included more to the main story that would allow you to use those concrete powers.

The game's greatest strength is that it is masterfully-crafted.  It makes full use of the PS4's hardware to render extremely smooth, clean, colorful, and highly-detailed graphics.  Seattle may not resemble the real-life city much, but it is well-rendered with impressive textures, effects, particles, and lighting.  It's also much more realistically-proportioned than before, giving you a better idea of the city's size (whereas the older games made the cities seem really small in comparison to its people).  Characters look phenomenally realistic, thanks to quality texturing and animation.  Sounds are good, voice-acting is great, and the music is fantastic.  The game has okay writing, and the designs for all the settings, props, costumes, creatures, and everything else is decent.

Second Son is only disappointing in that it's short and its story/gameplay doesn't offer that much new to the table, but it is still a blast thanks to its beautiful graphics, its plethora of superpowers, and a colorful main character.  Casual PS4 owners may be impressed by the technical qualities of the game, but may be put off by the repetitiveness of the missions.  If you're a fan of the series, this game is a no-brainer.  As for me, I think this might be my favorite of the lot, and can't wait to see if more will be made down the line.

If you get the Collector's Edition of this game, you'll have a few bonus missions that help connect this game with inFamous 1 and 2.  They're alright.  This edition also gives you a couple of free in-game costumes, which are neat, but don't really affect gameplay.  The CE is really best if you want the swag (the hat, buttons, patches, and stickers, which are neat).  A free DLC is available - the inFamous Paper Trail mission - which offers a really neat detective story sidequest that can reward you with more karma.

5/5 (Entertainment:  Perfect | Story:  Good | Game:  Perfect)

Manga Review: FLCL (Hajime Ueda)

What the F is FLCL? If you've seen the 6-episode anime series, you still may not know or care, other than it's one incredibly weird, wild, and trippy series where a kid sprouts robots from his head and keeps getting run over by a girl on a Vespa.  Yep, strange stuff indeed.

I picked up this manga volume believing that it would be the basis for the anime, but now I see that it's the other way around.  And it's a bit of a relief, because I was perplexed to find that I loved the anime way more than this manga.  As weird and convoluted as the anime got, it actually made sense after so many viewings.  I could watch the series and identify how each piece fits; with the manga, not so much.  It's like a massive remix of everything, and it just made it all confusing.

To be fair, it is a very easy thing to read.  The pages breeze by, thanks to the simple, to-the-point writing.  Artwork is stylishly crude and simple.  It's far from detailed or elegant, but that's also the beauty of it; it's like a form of minimalist pop art, and I can't help but to stop and stare at the weird, blocky, featureless faces on each page, because they look cool as they are.  However, the book misses a lot of the manic energy that made the anime so great, and the action scenes in the manga tend to be very blurred and confusing.

The story is where the book loses me completely, because as far as I can tell the story makes no sense at all.  Having seen the anime a few good times, to the point where I can understand it on a deeper level, I can tell that the manga hits up a lot of the same major events.  All the main characters are represented, and generally fulfill the same roles.  The minor characters receive more attention.  The problem I see is that there's no clear direction for the plot; it just wanders from one random scene to the other.  The characters have no evident motivation, so there's no natural progression from one scene to the next.  I think the worst thing is that all the elements I could draw connections with in the anime are flipped around so much that I can't figure them out in the book.  In the end, I was just confused.

As mentioned above, the manga is drawn with a heck of a style.  All the characters look really slick, and the world they inhabit is pretty well-rendered.  Writing is okay, but it doesn't explain much at all of the plot or characters, and it seems very simplistic overall.

The FLCL comic has a lot of craziness, but unlike the anime, there's no real semblance of method to make the madness palatable.  It could just be that I didn't "get it," and it might take more readings to fully appreciate.  Right now though, I just like the pretty pictures, and still value the anime version for having a stronger narrative, more compelling characters, and a batty style.

3/5 (Entertainment:  Pretty Good | Story:  Poor | Manga:  Pretty Good)

Film Review: Noah (2014)

We all know the tale; it's been told, parodied, and stereotyped to the point where the original context can get lost in the flood of pop culture. In this modern telling of the story of Noah's Ark, the film definitely emphasizes the mythic aspects to deliver a larger-than-life spectacle. As expected, you will see fantastic visions of creation and death, hoards of animals entering the Ark, the the deluge sweeping over the Earth. What you may not expect is that the film also includes a massive army of barbaric hoards clashing with fallen angels, flashes of magic and mysticism, twists in morality that challenges Noah's heroics, and an overall tone that's grim, brutal, and somber. And yet, despite so many liberties, it still captures the essence of the story in its own unique way.

The film is somewhat split in half. The first half contains all the big-scale setpieces, containing plenty of special effects and scenes of war. Once the flood commences and the big battle ends, the film settles down and becomes a brooding drama.  Pacing becomes herky-jerky because of this; audiences wanting action might enjoy the first half and get bored by the end, while others may feel the opposite.  The overall tone is very grim, and the film doesn't shy away from showing the raw brutality of the world of sinners and the struggle for survival.  Parts of it will work, parts of it might not; ultimately this movie will be different from person to person, and it will likely be one of the biggest love-it-or-hate-it films of 2014.  It will depend on your disposition on the storytelling.

This story takes a lot of liberties from the Bible; if it's a word-for-word accurate account you want, the film will disappoint.  Some of the changes are purely cosmetic, to give the film a kind of high-fantasy aesthetic (such as the inclusion of The Watchers, which are fallen angels; the Bible mentions Nephilim, but not these weird rock giants).  Some changes are made to make the plot more convenient (such as using a seed from the Garden of Eden to sprout a forest, so the Ark can be built).  The biggest alterations involve the addition of the descendants of Cain, providing human antagonists for Noah to fight in a big battle, and one central villain to draw out even more drama.  One other big change that might upset purists is what's done to Noah and his family; the film contrives a huge drama out of their legacy, going so far as pushing them to odd and amoral directions that truly challenge our notion of what could have happened in this ancient story.

All that being said, I felt the liberties with the story were warranted, because the film methodically creates many long threads of conflict and entwines them into one big braid of a plot that gives it momentum and drives the characters to their most logical directions.  Without all this drama, the characters really wouldn't have much to do, before or after the big flood.  As it is, the film fills itself up with so much conflict that it gives the characters life and minds of their own, and their actions generate some very complex dynamics that ultimately contribute to deeper thematic depth.

I think the film's greatest strength is the subtext:  the film is loaded with ideas and themes concerning creation, mankind's sin, judgment, mercy, and morality. Most of these ideas are conveyed sublimely through the use of powerful images and punctual dialogue. In the end, we're made to understand on a deeper level exactly why the flood happened, why Noah acts the way he does, why things play out the way they do, and what the implications are.  Most of the film's conflicts revolve around the sanctity of creation; the film shows a lot of brutality as the descendants of Cain defile creation, in contrast to Noah who tries his best to preserve it.  As the film goes on, themes of environmentalism, industrialization, and resource depletion become very blatant, offering a frightening reflection not only of the past, but also of what could come in the future.  The final message, however, is an uplifting one that I always found most elegant: the idea that the end is also the beginning. This is a rather bleak apocalyptic tale, but the film radiates hope by its end (and the key emotion that the director seems to convey overall is love).

The film is well-crafted with some very incredible photography and editing. There are a number of scenes in the film that are appropriately powerful and moving, thanks to the way it unites key imagery and symbolism with the narrative. Russel Crowe is as good as usual, and does have some great standout scenes.  Jennifer Connelly is perfectly compelling in her role, and I was surprised that Emma Watson put on a great performance as well. Everybody else does alright. Writing gets the job done well, but most of the dialogue seemed pretty blunt. This production spares no expense on the real-looking sets, props, and  costumes.  Some special effects are okay, some were made to look a bit archaic on purpose (namely the Watchers, who are animated in some kind of  stop-motion style reminiscent of something like The Dark Crystal), and some effects are incredibly brilliant.  Clint Mansell's music score is as elegant as ever.

The film will not sit well with everybody.  Some folks will be bored.  Others might be upset that it's not 100% true to the Bible.  However, Noah is a film experience I personally valued a lot; its issues didn't really affect me that much, and I grew to admire the story and all it meant on a deeper level.  With its blend of action, visual splendor, and compelling storytelling, I felt it was a fairly moving picture.

However, this is not an easy movie to casually recommend.  You might love it.  You might hate it.  It'll all depend on your views of the Bible, of director Darren Aronofsky, and of Hollywood and its embellishments.  The best I can say is give the movie a try, because this really is a one-of-a-kind epic.

4.5/5 (Experience: Very Good | Content: Very Good | Film: Very Good)

Ouroboros Book III: Demon-Blood, Excerpt, Chapter 17

Somehow, I've become inspired to resume writing and try to finish the many projects I've started. One of the biggest things I have to do is to continue on with book 3 of my epic fantasy series: Ouroboros. Each book is intended to be its own tale, but together they represent the alternating push and pull of good and evil forces, which could lead up to the end of the world.

In the third book, titled Demon-Blood, the story tracks a woman named Vykara, who becomes victimized by her husband, and resorts to the power of a demon named Loki (yes, the Norse god, but nowhere near the same as the dude in the Thor movies) to take revenge. From then on, she becomes a fugitive to the kingdom, and finds her way to the forest of the dark elves (the Svartálfar), who are threatened by the kingdom's ever-growing townships. She decided to rally the elves and wage war against the kingdom, plundering the towns until she has enough resources to besiege and capture the city of Lunaheim. After a lengthy siege, the city falls into her control, and all of the nation of Narsing with it. However, the war is far from over. In these scenes, the next stage of the conflict is revealed.

This story is a particularly dark and bleak tale of violence and sadism, meant to chronicle the genesis of evil and tyranny on a personal, political, and spiritual level. Even though she is the main character, Vykara is the villain of the story. The world she inhabits is comprised of multiple pieces of myth from around the world, but most of this story draws upon the lore and culture of the ancient Norse. This is a very wicked story I'm working on, but I hope to find a solid balance to keep the character's pathos compelling (by making her a villain we can root for) and the story overall engaging. I hope this except will give you a small but captivating taste of what this book will be like.

[Warning: contains graphic violence]
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          At one end [of the great hall], a company of men awaited; four of them were thegns clad in ornate leather armor, and one was the emissary wearing a rich, elaborate silk robe.
          Standing at my throne, I regarded the visitors sharply. One of the guards announced, “My lady, the emissary from Farsil wishes to have an audience with you.”
          I wore a smile, to mask my own feelings of contempt and loathing, and greeted sweetly, “Fellow countrymen, welcome to Lunaheim. To what do I owe the pleasure of your illustrious company?”
          “Forgive us if we do not kneel before your presence, Lady Vykara Guntersdottir,” the emissary scowled. “You may look and act as a queen, but you have no such true power. You are a usurper! A thief to the throne of Narsing! Even as we speak, King Hogarth has claimed sanctuary in Gildenheim, and together with King Forgswulf, he is raising an army to take back Narsing and return its throne to its rightful owner!”
          “Well, you’re straight to the point, aren’t you?” I remarked.
          Raising a hand, the emissary continued, “However, if you surrender now, evacuate your elfin kin from this city, and give yourself up to the authorities, we will spare everyone of unnecessary war and bloodshed. Your fate will be lenient, and the Svartálfar will be free to return to their forests without harassment.”
          “Well, since you’ve been so blunt with me, I shall be blunt with you. I have no intention of surrendering, no matter how lenient your king will be.”
          “Please be reasonable. Can you really expect to besiege this fair city, steal its throne, and massacre so many people, without retribution? It is by Odin’s will that we will exact justice upon you!”
          “Justice?” I shouted. “Where was my justice when my husband beat me? Where was the elves’ justice when their homes were threatened? Where was justice when your thegns attack and pillage foreign kingdoms? Do not talk to me of justice, when it is you and your f!&king kingdom that’s dispensing all this misery! No, it is I who will exact justice upon you!”
          All around the hall, my guards drew their weapons and stepped closer to the emissary. Their menacing presence made the men agitated. The emissary begged, “My lady, I am just the messenger. These are the terms my lord has given me. I am in no position to discuss terms with you. But I hope you consider these terms carefully. The army of the two kings will be in the tens of thousands. They have superior arms and superior supply lines. If it comes to war, there is no way you can win.”
          “Tell your kings this: I want nothing more than to be left alone. But if my country is attacked, I will defend it. If it comes to war, it will be by your hand, not mine. If your kings do decide to declare war, they better be ready, because we will show no mercy or remorse.”
           “Are you certain about your response? You know damn well that King Hogarth will not accept these terms. He will declare war on you.”
          “Good. Let him bring war. I want war. My Svartálfar brethren want war. Give us a reason to wage war, so that we can burn your cities, slaughter your kin, plunder your farmlands, and subjugate your women! Give us a reason to torment your nations; I want to see them all crumble and burn, until the entire Kingdom of Nordsten exists no more!”
          “Are you mad, woman?” the emissary gasped. “You speak as if you’re the harbinger of the Ragnarök!”
          “Maybe I am. If so, then mankind’s twilight is falling fast, and I will be there to see it through to the end. And I will be laughing at mankind’s folly, as it dies a slow and agonizing death! And if your kings’ war will help usher in this new dark age, then perhaps we should give them an incentive.”
          All at once, my guards closed in on the emissary’s escorts and attacked. One of the human guards was instantly killed, as an elfin blade sliced through his neck and lopped off his head. Blood spurted from the wound, coating the emissary and the others in crimson.
          The other men pulled out their swords in time to defend against the elves. They put up a strong defense, but the elves matched their skill with brutality and terror. One of the elves gnashed his teeth against a guard’s ear, ripping the flesh off and making the man scream in agony. The other two guards were beat down with elfin blades, until their bodies were mutilated piles of gore on the floor.
          Disgusted, the emissary crumpled to his knees in a trembling fit. The elves gathered the heads of the man’s guards and held them out by their hair. I told the emissary, “Take these heads. Present them to your kings, along with my words. I will be waiting on the battlefield for their response!”
          The emissary was in a state of shock, unable to move. The elves had to pry open his hands and force him to carry the severed heads. As he was escorted out, I rested on the throne; in the silence that followed, the rage inside of my subsided, and doubt started to creep over my mind once again.
          The question came out of my subconscious, taking me by surprise: what was it that I was doing? I had come so far, conquering Lunaheim and all of Narsing, with a host of elves at my side. But the terror I was inflicting, out of so much brash impulse and aggression, didn’t feel like my own actions. It felt as though I was going through the motions of a living nightmare; I saw myself hurting Aonia, threatening other kingdoms, watching blood being spilled in my name, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop the spreading misery. I should have been content to end my quest here and now, to hold my position in Narsing. I didn’t need more conquest. And yet, I had antagonized a neighboring kingdom, and invited war into my life once again.
          My eyes settled on the blood on the floor, left from the slain guards. The thought of war made me feel excited again; the familiar addiction to murder drowned out my conscience. The path was set, and I could not alter it.

Copyright 2014, all rights reserved.

Film Review: Conan the Barbarian (1982)

"Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of. And unto this, Conan, destined to wear the jeweled crown of Aquilonia upon a troubled brow. It is I, his chronicler, who alone can tell thee of his saga. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!" - Mako

Fantasy films are rarely bold in spirit. Most of them offer colorful, vivid spectacles in wonderful places, but when drawing on ancient myth and legend, very few truly recognize that our history is full of darkness and savagery. In the 1930s, Robert E. Howard created a legend of his own, channeling all the primal brutality and bloodshed of the ancient times into one savage hero: Conan, the Cimmerian who would become a warrior, a pirate, a conqueror, and eventually a king. Conan's adventures in literature took him across all corners of the ancient Earth, to battle countless enemies, vicious monsters, and the darkest magic. Films with this same rawness seem to only come once in a great while.

1982's cinematic debut of Conan is a welcome break from the typical sugar-coated fantasy fare; the film doesn't hold back on showing brutal warfare, liberal bloodshed, rampant sex, and savage landscapes. Right from the beginning, the savagery is palpable. At the same time, the film is not all that trashy about it; is uses only as much blood and gore as it needs to to tell the story. Using only a light amount of excess, the film progresses through a lengthy adventure full of cool battles and memorable scenes, with the right pacing and an appropriate tone that's not too bleak but not too lightweight. As it is, this incarnation of Conan is fun and awesome to watch, and even after a sequel, remake, and video game, it hasn't been matched since.

The original stories can get a bit derivative: Conan usually appears somewhere to slay some bad guys, get the girl, get the treasure, defeat evil, blah blah blah. This film ventures into the same formulaic territory, but before doing so, it lays the groundwork by chronicling Conan's origins, in a tragic opening sequence that's so fundamental in nature that it's been seen before. From then on, the film maintains a solid pathos that allows us to follow and root for Conan on his sprawling quest of vengeance. Conan is a fundamental hero to the core, and the film expresses all his characteristics - his strength, his beliefs, his motivations - aptly. The side characters he picks up are lovable, and their enemies are bad guys we love to hate. The plot is pieced together using some scenes inspired by the original stories, but it all flows really well, thanks mostly to the characters and their chemistry. It's all set in a world that looks primal, but not quite as dark or magical as the original stories.

This film boasts some good-looking photography. It can be pretty murky and drab at times, but the camera angles are great and the imagery overall is solid. Editing has a few weak parts, but is still mostly good. Acting can be a bit silly, but Arnold Schwarzenegger fits Conan both in body and spirit. I love Sandahl Bergman's performance as Valeria. James Earl Jones is literally hypnotic as the main villain, and everybody else does okay. Writing has a few weak spots, but there are still quite a few good lines. This production uses some limited, but very real-looking and detailed sets, props, and costumes. Basil Poledoris' music score is epic, grand, and a thing of beauty in itself.

Conan the Barbarian is one of the very few epic/fantasy films that's so raw and brutal, but it's still a fine adventure with lovable characters and solid plotting. Some may call this film overly violent or stupid, especially in the way it revels in savagery. But I've always valued the beauty of savagery, for I believe there is something compelling about the primal nature of this character. If you enjoy stuff like this - like the 300 series, the Berserk manga, the God of War video games - then Conan should be a must-see.

On home video, the unrated cut of the movie includes a few bonus scenes that elaborate a bit more on the characters, but aren't really all that necessary for the plot.

4.5/5 (Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Good)

Book Review: Conan the Barbarian: The Stories That Inspired the Movie (Robert E Howard)

"'Let me live deep while I live; let me know the rich juices of red meat and stinging wine on my palate, the hot embrace of white arms, the mad exultation of battle when the blue blades flame and crimson, and I am content.  Let teachers and priests and philosophers brood over questions of reality and illusion.  I know this:  if life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me.  I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content'." - Robert E. Howard, Queen of the Black Coast

Conan:  the very name suggests raw, primal savagery.  This Cimmerian warrior fulfills the fundamental archetype of a hero who wants nothing more than to slay enemies, conquer kingdoms, confront beasts, and enjoy the pleasures of women.  The stories capture the mysticism and allure of a place and time beyond all history, venturing into dark and deeply imaginative and territory.  Thus, the adventures of Conan the Barbarian are a graphic, uncompromising, hardcore type of pulp fantasy fiction that's rarely seen in the mainstream.

Reading these stories can be a bit dry.  Robert E. Howard tends to be wordy and flamboyant, much in contrast to what's seen in Conan's other appearances in media (the films, comics, video games).  However, the stories don't disappoint in the level of savage action and imagination; just about every tale pits the titular hero against foreign armies and wicked sorcery.  Each story offers an imaginative fantasy landscape that takes Conan from one end of the Earth to the other, from deserts to mountains to lost cities and the high seas.  Even if there is a little drag, the stories are truly larger than life.

This edition specifically features five popular stories:  The Phoenix on the Sword, The People of the Black Circle, The Tower of the Elephant, Queen of the Black Coast, Red Nails, and Rogues in the House.  They all cover similar ground:  in each story, Conan appears to resolve some issue using sheer brawn and brutal cunning.  He usually finds an ally, fights hoards of enemies, fights some source of evil (usually a monster, god, evil magic, something), and then he moves on.  Despite being formulaic, some stories succeed more than others.  Red Nails is probably the biggest standout, which unites Conan with an ally named Valeria and takes them into the depths of a lost city torn apart by tribal feuding.  Queen of the Black Coast has its neat moments, as a pirate-themed tale on the high seas.  The Tower of the Elephant is a pretty simple and easy story to digest.  I thought that the others were alright.  Character building never seems to be a priority in these stories; most side characters and villains tend to be one-sided.  It's hard not to love Conan though, for even though little is revealed about his background, the stories underscore his motivations and desires enough to reveal him as a simple man with simple pleasures.  Even with all the bloodshed and brutality, Conan is a brute we can root for, because he is so easy to understand, and embodies pure characteristics that everybody (or at least all dudes) can relate to.

Robert E. Howard's writing style is quite elegant; the man flexed some impressive writing muscle with his vocabulary and sentence structure skills.  He did a great job of conjuring up vivid and highly-detailed imagery, without going too far overboard.  Dialogue is not too bad either.  Best of all, he fleshed out an entire world and mythology that feels as real as it is primal; it's a universe full of weird-sounding nations and ancient beasts, but always with attention to geography and myth, and it embodies elements from all different parts of the world.

The Conan stories are well-written, pretty exciting, and the character is a seminal hero.  I did find the stories a bit dry and formulaic, but they have their moments, with Red Nails being the biggest must-read of the lot.  If you want a type of fantasy fiction that's blood-soaked and brutal, it doesn't get much classier than this.

4/5 (Entertainment:  Pretty Good | Stories:  Pretty Good | Book:  Very Good)

Film: Al's Top Sci-Fi Films Honorable Mentions

For anybody who's read my list of Top 100 Sci-Fi films, you may notice that it's not really an all-inclusive list.  I've tried my best to include all the important classics, my favorites, and the ones I felt were most enlightening, but there are still a good bunch that I find enjoyable or noteworthy.  There simply wasn't enough room to include everything, so I cut out a lot of the genre cross-overs (sci-fi horror, sci-fi comedies, sci-fi fantasy), certain cult favorites, and many common blockbusters.  It was still a pretty hard thing to do, for there are still quite a lot of sci-fi films outside of the top 100 list that I thoroughly loved.

Therefore, I thought it would be proper to compile this list of honorable mentions.  Below are a bunch of sci-fi films that are still worth seeing, but for some reason or another couldn't quite make it on my final list.  I think other sci-fi fans should get a kick out of these, and would encourage you to give many of them a try.
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Alien:  The film boasts some phenomenal style and designs, and it is fairly realistic in its space travel.  It is a great horror movie, so I ranked it high on my Top 100 Horror movies list.  For sci-fi, I favored the sequel more.

Appleseed Series:  Consists of a short cell-animated film from 1988, and two CGI-animated films from the 00's.  The original 1988 film is pretty neat, but the 2003 film and Appleseed:  Ex Machina are fairly cool.  There is plenty style and action, but also some neat portrayals of utopic society and robotics. 
 
Armageddon: A phenomenally-entertaining disaster movie with impressive pyrotechnics, amusing comedy, and a lot of heart.  The science isn't really all that solid (because, let's face it, planting a nuke on an asteroid will only make things worse), but it is a fine piece of blockbuster escapism.

Back to the Future Trilogy:  An imaginative and hip spin on time travel.  Makes for a fun comedy experience and a sublime storytelling experience.  Just a bit too light on the science to make it on the big list.

The Blob (1958):  It's a rather cheesy monster movie, but a classic of the genre.  I would rank it pretty high on my list of monster movies, but for sci-fi specifically, it didn't quite make the cut.

The Blob (1988):  This updated version of the classic monster movie is pretty intense and gnarly.  It makes for a pretty fun horror flick, but still falls short a little as sci-fi.

A Boy and His Dog:  I came pretty close to putting this one on the Top 100 list, because it is a very unique and different type of post-apocalyptic sci-fi.  It's funny at times, thrilling, sensual, quirky...really, the only reason this one didn't make it on the list is because it is a bit of a cheap film, and I personally favored many other apocalypse movies (like The Road Warrior and Book of Eli) over this one.

The Chronicles of Riddick:   I really enjoyed this more than the original Pitch Black, for I think they expanded on the Riddick universe in bold and extravagant directions that makes it more akin to movies like Star Wars or Dune.  In the end though, I had to give more props to PB for introducing the character in the first place, and for being less fantasy-like.  The Riddick sequels all seem to be guilty pleasures of mine anyway.
 
The Cowboy Bebop:  The Movie:  I really love this film and franchise; it is a phenomenally stylish and entertaining blend of sci-fi, film noir, and westerns.  It's exciting, funny, light-hearted stuff.  The characters are great.  The worldbuilding is great.  But in the grand scheme of things, the movie is not quite as deep or invoking as the TV series.  Besides, I put Serenity in the Top 100; isn't that enough?

Death Race (2008):  A really bloody, adrenaline-inducing dystopian movie that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with The Running Man or Rollerball.  I think Paul WS Anderson's take on the Death Race story is pretty awesome.  However, it is a guilty pleasure to the end (to the point of ranking very high on my Top 100 Guilty Pleasures list), so it felt inappropriate to place it on the Top 100 Sci-Fi.
 
Deep Impact:  This came out right at the same time as Armageddon, so comparisons are inevitable.  While Armageddon was a pure popcorn flick with massive special effects, Deep Impact has only one disaster scene (it is a pretty incredible one though), and the rest of it is a more heartfelt drama.  I always felt this one was a bit sappy, but it is still worth seeing for sci-fi enthusiasts.

Demolition Man:  Pretty exciting and often hilarious, this sci-fi action flick takes place in a crazy satirical utopia where curse words are forbidden, every restaurant is Taco Bell, every radio tune is a commercial jingle, and so on.  When you plop a 20th century brute in the middle of it all, you get a fairly entertaining thrill ride.  Just not quite enough for the Top 100.

E.T.: A seminal childhood tale of alien encounters, so full of heart and style.  It is a well-made classic with iconic scenes.  The only problem is, I've always felt it was a bit on the sappy side, and its replay value is questionable.  Still a film that's worth seeing at least once in a lifetime.

Evangelion Saga:  From Japan, Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the best and most popular anime shows made.  It is an epic saga that combines huge battles, coming-of-age drama, theology, science, politics, and the actual apocalypse in a package that's consistently captivating.  The original show ended with in a rather weird way, so the End of Evangelion film was made to provide a more satisfactory ending.  That film is an incredibly hard-hitting experience, so full of epic action, but also some of the most startling and awe-inspiring end-of-the-world imagery ever committed to film.  It is by far the one and only film that shows the rapture as it could happen in science fiction.  But wait, that's not all! The series has recently been rebooted, starting with Evangelion 1.10:  You Are (Not) Alone, which replicates the original show's first five episodes with fresher animation quality.  Then there's Evangelion 2.0:  You Can (Not) Advance, which takes off in an incredibly awesome direction with new characters, new plot twists, and some incredible action.  Evangelion 3.0:  You Can (Not) Redo is available already in Asia, but has yet to be released in North America.  The fourth and final film is still in production and is set to be released in 2015.  As it is, the whole franchise is a fantastic experience, and all the films I've seen should be worthy of my Top 100 list.  I omitted them purposefully, because they are already represented in my Top 100 Asian films list, and I wanted to free up space for other stuff.

Event Horizon:   The film has a few cool ideas regarding the use of a black hole to travel through space.  However, it is a horror movie first and foremost, shoving all the science aside to favor paranormal encounters and a heck of a style.  This film ranks high on my Top 100 Horror movies list, and that's where it belongs.

Fantastic Planet:  Pretty bizarre French animated film that has giant aliens treating tiny human beings as pets.  The film is stylish and incredibly unique, even if its plot is a little dry.
 
Galaxy Quest:  A brilliant play on reality and fantasy that lampoons off of the Star Trek franchise to delivery equal amounts of laughter and thrills.  Galaxy Quest makes for a great comedy.  As far as sci-fi goes, it's a little far-fetched (although that's probably the point).

Ghostbusters:   A phenomenally classic hybrid of comedy and horror, but it all wouldn't really work without a few sci-fi tropes, such as the idea of a proton pack or containment unit.  A few good sci-fi ideas make the story workable, but it is a comedy to the core, with a little too much paranormal activity to really make this great on the sci-fi scale.

Gojirra:  In its original 1954 incarnation, Godzilla is one of the most original monster movies.  The titular monster has starred in more than 20 films since, always representing the danger and terror of the abuse of nuclear power.  It's a classic of the genre, but in the sci-fi perspective, it comes up a little dry.
 
Heavy Metal:  What's not to like? It's got hot babes, blood and gore, aliens on drugs, erotic robots, zombies, spaceships, weird glowing orbs, and more! It is a bit of a gaudy, trashy, juvenile film, but enjoyable for young dudes like myself.  It (and its follow-up, Heavy Metal 2000) made it on my guilty pleasures list, and I think it's the stuff pulp sci-fi and fantasy is made of.  But really, the original magazines are better yet.
 
The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games:  Catching Fire:  These films, based on Suzanne Collins' novels, represent the source material pretty well, and Jennifer Lawrence brings the main character to life phenomenally.  The films tap into the same dystopian ideas that make Battle Royale and The Running Man so hard-hitting, but for younger audiences.  The first film gets a lot of flack, mostly because the plot and characters won't make much sense to anybody who's not familiar with the books, and it's been accused of watering down the violence too much.  Catching Fire improves on most of these shortcomings, and is a consistently pleasing picture.  I think the franchise is a fine bit of sci-fi, but I'm kinda holding out to see how the Mockingjay films will turn out.

In Time:  I thought this film has a pretty unique idea (using actual life expectancy as currency), and it explored the implications pretty well.  But, I seem to be in the minority; the film has gotten mostly negative reviews.
 
The Incredible Hulk:  It's sci-fi in the sense that there's a bit of mad science involved.  The lore of the Hulk has always harkened back to the classic tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, for these are both stories where man and monster inhabit the same body and are at odds with each other.  The Incredible Hulk is a superhero movie first and foremost though; the science aspects as there, but it gets smashed up once the Hulk starts his rampage.

Invaders From Mars (1953):  This old-school thriller channels the same fears and paranoia of the McCarthy age, much in the same way movies like Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Day the Earth Stood Still did.  This film tells its tale through the perspective of a little boy, making the events all the more freaky.  It is a classic, but it is also a bit cheap.
 
Iron Man:  I've heard that the military are already experimenting with creating suits of armor just like what we see in the Iron Man movies.  It is a concept that's been around for a while though; mechanical suits can be seen in video games, anime, and plenty of other movies.  Iron Man specifically takes the time to explore the suit's genesis and implications.  But once the suit's complete and Tony Stark takes off to the wild blue yonder, it becomes a classic superhero film to the core.  In sci-fi terms, it's a bit fluffy.

Lost in Space:  The film has lots of flash and style, but is brought down quite a bit by its overall campiness and silliness.  The film digs up an interesting time-twisting plot with some intriguing implications.  This one made it on my guilty pleasures list, but it's just a little too silly for the sci-fi list.
 
Man of Steel:  I love this movie.  Not only is it a rip-roaring onslaught of mass destruction, but it also depicts how the world could react to the presence of superpowered extraterrestrials.  In the end, it comes close to a War of the Worlds type of alien invasion.  I came close to posting this film on the sci-fi list, but in the end, its qualities as a superhero film totally eclipse the sci-fi aspects.

The Mist:  It's sci-fi in the sense that it's premise hinges on the idea that a military experiment went awry, and creatures from another dimension start invading.  It's HP Lovecraft influences are pretty blatant (in both the movie and novella).  However, I do believe it's best as a horror movie first and foremost, and it is my #3 pick in my Top 100 Horror movies list.  

NeoTokyo:   A pretty slick collection of anime shorts, two of which are definite sci-fi features that are well worth watching.  As cool as it is to see a futuristic death-race and a guy trying to convince a robot to stop building things, the feature overall falls just a little short of making it on the final list.
 
Omega Man:  The second adaptation of I Am Legend, featuring the ever-cool Charlton Hesten.  I've always enjoyed this film, watching the guy roaming around and confronting The Family, but it is a heavily-dated film, and the Will Smith film has taken over as the most earnest version of the tale.  Omega Man is better described as one of my guilty pleasures.
  
Robinson Crusoe on Mars:  A fundamental survivalist story on Mars.  Considering the time the film was made, it actually boasts some surprisingly realistic settings, to emphasize the harsh desolation that scientists of the time would have positively identified.  It still gets a bit far-out though.

A Scanner Darkly:  Probably the straightest adaptation of a PKD novel to date; it is pretty much scene-by-scene the same as the original book.  It is a funny tale at times with plenty to contemplate, but understanding the source material may help in appreciating the film, for it is a bit dry and weird.

Signs:  One of the better films by M. Night Shyamalan, Signs presents a more unique alien invasion story that focuses on the mystery of crop circles.  It's quite a slick and emotional thriller, but I didn't feel it had enough strength as a sci-fi film to make it on the list.

Solaris (2002):  I didn't actually like Steven Soderbergh's remake at first, but after seeing the original Russian film, I had to admit that the 2002 remake was tighter, slicker, and a different experience that's worthwhile in its own right.  While the Russian film focuses on more intellectual issues, this version handles the emotion and romance much better.  I think both films are worth seeing for their own merits; this one was just edged off the list by everything else.
 
Sphere:  A pretty straightforward adaptation of Michael Crichton's novel, which is a pretty neat story.  It is one of the very very few movies that takes place at the bottom of the ocean, and Sphere offers a fairly solid experience as a sci-fi thriller.  It just falls a little short of the Top 100; The Abyss is better yet.

Starman:  A fine and dandy tale of alien encounter, with earnest character-building and plenty of amusing comedy.  Unfortunately, I've always felt this film dragged a bit, and can get a bit sappy.

Star Wars Episodes I, II, III, V, and VI:  I love Star Wars like a fiend, but I had to make the hard decision as to whether or not I can really consider the Star Wars franchise be be sci-fi in its purest form.  Really, it's a fantasy series with a sci-fi aesthetic; all the characters fulfill fantasy archetypes, the Force is a fantasy trope with no real science behind it (not counting the midichlorian thing that fans really hated), and the main focus of Star Wars is more on the overarching character developments and the good-vs-evil struggle...which has nothing to do with science.  Star Wars is great fantasy and very soft sci-fi; if I had to list one, I picked #4 because it was more original, it had the Death Star, and its vision was the most groundbreaking.  I felt it would be frivolous to include all six movies, regardless of how much I love them.
 
Super 8:  Pretty much the same caliber film and same type of child-like innocence as E.T., and it is an evenly-entertaining picture.  As much fun as the film is, it's not one that's stuck with me personally; I find its replay value limited, and I don't think the film offered much new to the genre.  I came close to posting it on the Top 100 list, but it fell just a little short.

Superman: The Movie:  The 1978 incarnation of Superman is an incredibly epic film.  Most of it is superhero fare, which is what held me back the most from posting it on the Top 100 list.  I do think the opening half-hour or so is great sci-fi stuff though, showing planet Krypton in its final days.  It is worth seeing, but the film is pretty dated and campy, and I found it hard to justify the entire film for a Top 100 Sci-Fi list specifically.

The Thing From Another World:  A solidly-made classic thriller with a chilling premise.  However, I always felt it was a little slow and dry.  I found John Carpenter's remake to be the best version of the tale, and I was compelled to favor that film for the Top 100 list (in addition to making it really high on my Top 100 Horror list).  Can't say that I'm as big of a fan of this original film though.
 
Things to Come:  A pretty unique snapshot of what futurists like HG Welles would have thought of human progress back in the 1930s.  The film boasts some unique images futurist visions, but it is rather dated with a generic story.  Would be worth a look for really die-hard sci-fi fans, but I don't think I'd call it essential.

Transformers:  All these films totally rock! But let's be real:  it's all style over substance, with incredibly weak science involved, and the plotlines are pretty weak.  These films are best seen for their nonstop action and 'splosions, but many of the most intelligent viewers are not so easily swayed by all this visual trickery.  I rightfully can't insult anyone's intelligence by including these shallow films on the Top 100 Sci-Fi list.  Would be more fitting on a Top 100 popcorn movies list of some kind.
 
A Trip to the Moon:  This is it:  the very first sci-fi film ever made, from way back in 1916.  It's extremely old-school, but the film dishes out some impressive images for its time, which harkens to the classic view of space travel before we really knew anything about space or the moon.  It's a fine, short piece of speculative fantasy, and an integral piece of cinema history.  

Upstream Color:  A very abstract film, with ideas that are somewhat sci-fi-ish, but still a bit dubious.  Too dubious to make it in my Top 100 list.  But it is a well-crafted film with extraordinary images and emotional power.  It's hard to tell what the film's trying to say, given its bizarre plot, but some online articles I've read indicate that there may be a science-vs-faith argument buried in there.  If nothing else though, it is a unique tale of brainwashing.

Vampire Hunter D:  Bloodlust:  This anime flick is easily one of the most entertaining films ever made, and it is one heck of an adventure.  It's an imaginative post-apocalyptic world full of strange creatures.  The setting may be sci-fi in nature, but this is still mostly a horror franchise.  I ranked this film high on my list of Top 100 Asian films, but it got edged out of the Top 100 Sci-Fi.

Westworld:  You know, I meant to put this one on the Top 100 list, but totally forgot to.  Do'h! It is a neat, original concept, and the film definitely has its moments.  But in the end, it is a bit of a dry picture, so I don't feel that bad about not listing it.  I think Jurassic Park took Crichton's original ideas and expanded on them in a more sublime manner.

World on a Wire:  An extremely long made-for-TV film from Germany, which includes some very sharp and smart ideas concerning information technology that would become an influence on the cyberpunk genre in general.  The film is quite a bit ahead of its time and it digs up some impressive in-depth ideas.  Unfortunately, I also found it to be a bit of a bore.

Film Review: 300: Rise of an Empire

The battle of Thermopylae was a glorious last stand, in which 300 Spartans and a small number of allies fended off an insurmountable enemy for three whole days.  As significant as the battle was, it was just one small piece of the Greco-Persian Wars; while the battle raged on, General Themistocles led the Athenian navy against the Persians at the straits of Artemisium.  The Persian fleet had the advantage with a whole vast number of bigger and better ships; just as the 300 Spartans had to face vast numbers of enemies for three whole days, so did 280 small Athenian vessels.  The history nerd in me was always interested to see how the naval battles of Artemisium and Salamis would look on the big screen.

300:  Rise of an Empire simultaneously follows up on, precedes, and runs along side with the events of the film 300, using these naval battles as the focal point.  In a way, the film is merely more of the same, using the same plot structure, character archetypes, and execution in a different set of battles.  It is definitely a blast though:  the battle scenes are as stylish and intense as ever.  There are bucketloads of blood drenching the screen with nearly every swipe of the sword.  There is massive mayhem when the ships collide and armies clash on the broken decks.  The film still uses the same tone and style as its predecessor, providing a vividly mythic account of these historic events.

The story elaborates on some of the things that were left hanging in the first film, such as showing how Xerxes became the "god king," and what every kingdom's reaction is to Leonidas' death.  The bulk of the story focuses on General Themistocles, who is never really given much depth or presence, and his nemesis Artemisia, who steals the show repeatedly thanks to her wickedly-invoking backstory and a wickedly-invoking performance by Eva Green.  Really, Artemisia alone made the events captivating; without her, it would have been a much duller tale.  The plot breezes through the battles and backstories before abruptly ending right at the climax of the Battle of Salamis; it's a bit jarring that there's no falling action before the credits, but there's still just enough closure to make the film satisfying.

There are historical liberties, of course.  Some of the exaggerations of the first film remain (people still don't wear body armor, choosing to show off their abs instead; Ephialtes is still a hunchback; Persians still have elephants and monsters in battle, and they also deploy an ironclad ship at one point).  Many of the basic events are solid, but with a few discrepancies (both Xerxes and Darius were never at the Battle of Marathon; Artemisia was absent during the Battle of Salamis).  However, some of the artistic choices that made the first 300 so imaginative are sorely missed in the sequel.  There is nothing really new added to the lore that's already established.  Since Frank Miller's graphic novel Xerxes is not yet published, I have no idea how the film compares to it.

As expected, this film is loaded with numerous slow-motion shots and scenes with CGI backdrops.  Just like the first movie, this one looks like a live-action graphic novel, and is generally interesting to watch.  I think a lot of scenes look great.  Editing is alright.  Acting is okay; Sullivan Stapleton tries his best, but never quite matches the machismo and presence that Gerard Butler had in the first movie.  Eva Green is effectively perfect as Artemisia.  I enjoyed everybody else's performances too.  Writing is not too bad.  This production uses some slick-looking sets, props, and costumes.  Special effects can be good in some scenes, bad in others, and most of the CGI blood doesn't look very convincing.  I thought JXL's music score was a bit dry to listen to on its own, but when married with the movie, it was awesome.

This film entwines itself with 300 pretty well, and provides enough blood-soaked action to appease fans.  It's not without its faults, and the first film is still the best and most original.  I still thought that Rise of an Empire totally rocked.

4/5 (Entertainment:  Very Good | Story:  Pretty Good | Film:  Good)

Al's Top 100 Sci-Fi Films Part 5

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
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20: Inception

What If: There are thieves out there who steal ideas in people's dreams. Then, one day, they stage a daring operation to do the opposite: plant an idea in a person, via their dreams.

The Film: Some viewers have griped that this film is nothing more than a 2 hour slideshow, since it takes its time to introduce all its concepts and ideas with exposition. They are pretty slick ideas though, and they come together to rush the characters through a surreal labyrinth of multi-leveled dreamscapes. Each level has its own set of rules, which makes for a visually awesome spectacle. The story may not entice everybody, but the film is very slick, and it explores some fascinating implications of what it would be like to control and live through dreams.

My score: 5/5
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19: Brazil

What If: Some dude goes after the woman of his dreams, but after a series of bureaucratic mishaps and a sad twist of fate, he winds up being chased by the government.

The Film: This is a vision of the future that's simultaneously weird, crazy, funny, and sad. It's a world where bureaucracy runs everything, and even the slightest misspelling could mean life or death for a hapless citizen. Technology is just off-the-wall, with tubes, wires, and screens ordaining every cramped office space. The film does have a lot of bold vision, especially with the fantastic dream sequences, which contrast so much with everything else that it becomes clear that the future is an industrialist nightmare. The ending gives the film a lot more oomph as well (thank goodness Terry Gilliam fought to keep that ending intact).

The Love Conquers All version of the film can be seen on the Criterion Collection DVD and Blu-Ray editions, which cuts out nearly an hour of material, to represent what the studios would have originally wanted to release.  It's extremely skimpy, and it'll make you appreciate the director's struggle to keep his original vision intact in the theatrical cut.  Various other cuts are also available, varying in length.

My score: 4.5/5
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18: The Abyss

What If: Aliens are alive and well at the bottom of the ocean.

The Film:  For whatever reason, tons of space movies have been made, but there have only been a few set in the deep ocean. The Abyss is the most definitive of the lot, for director James Cameron went through great lengths to give the film depth, texture, and realism. The film uses real underwater sets and diving scenes, filmed in an abandoned nuclear reactor; the entire cast and crew were strung-out and exhausted during the filming. More importantly though, the film offers a unique story full of excitement, suspense, wonder, and palpable tension. It has top-notch special effects (including some of the first-ever CGI effects). It tells a good story, with strong themes of humanity's destructive nature.

The director's cut of this film includes loads of additional footage, including an expanded ending that really ties up the film's themes and storyline in an invoking fashion. The film was great as it was, but this edition is better yet.

My score: 4.5/5
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17: Total Recall (1990)

What If: A man gets a virtual vacation implanted in his head, only to find that the implant awakens latent memories of a forgotten past. Or is it?

The Film: What an adventure; Total Recall is jam-packed with explosive action, bloody fights, imaginative SFX, and tight storytelling. The plot wanders from one thing to another fast and furiously, always dishing out a plethora of interesting and far-out ideas - everything from memory implants to mutants on Mars to instantly-changing fingernail polish to triple-breasted ladies, and more! The film has aged a bit, but thanks to its vision, its fast pacing, and a remarkable twist ending that'll make you double-guess the entire film, the film is pulp sci-fi adventure at its finest.

My score: 5/5
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16: Ghost in the Shell

What If: An elite cyberterrorist team hunts down a hacker with the ability to enter other people's minds and alter them.

The Film:  This is not a film that particularly makes sense; the technobabble, the politics, and the brooding pacing makes it a pretty tough watch. However, it is a visually cool and intellectually-interesting piece of cyberpunk sci-fi, the likes of which has been influential in the Matrix trilogy. GITS has cool action and visuals, but in between, it gets into some deep philosophical questions regarding existence and the human spirit, especially in the context of cybernetic bodies and minds. The ultimate conclusion presents a pretty trippy element of death and rebirth.

Version 2.0 of this film features some updated animation and graphics. Purists may hate the changes, especially regarding the altered color scheme, but I thought it was pretty neat.

My score: 4.5/5
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15: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

What If: A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, an evil Galactic Empire is at war with the Rebel Alliance, and have built a moon-sized superweapon capable of destroying entire planets.

The Film: Back in 1977, an adventure like this hadn't been seen in a while, and a film like this had never been seen before. With phenomenal special effects and a lot of imaginative worldbuilding, Lucas' film set a new standard for filmmaking, and captivated thousands of people in an exhilarating world of fast spaceships, whimsical aliens, cool-looking robots, and a deeply mystical mythology. The story's been done before, but never with as many lovable characters or as much heart, and these aspects cemented this series as a perennial favorite of many to this day. In sci-fi terms, the film won't offer a whole lot of insight, but it is phenomenal for its overall vision.

Over the years, the film has been modified to include new footage and new SFX. Such changes have caused outrage among many fans; I personally was never bothered that much by them.

My score: 5/5
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14: 2001: A Space Odyssey

What If: In the future, we send a deep space mission to Jupiter to check out some weird monolith thing. Then the computer goes nuts, and the film goes nuts along with it.

The Film: It's a long and slow-burning odyssey, but it is still a sight to behold. It's still one of the most realistic space movies available, paying close attention to how gravity, life support, and basic propulsion would actually work in space. The film uses some of the most beautiful model-work and photography, and the effects toward the end are extremely surreal and off-the-chain. It gets a little hard to understand what's going on with the film's finale (leading many viewers to formulate such far-out theories such as the "space zoo" idea). At the very least though, the film tracks human progress from the stone age to the space age, and suggests that the human odyssey through space and time is only just beginning...

My score: 4/5
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13: Cloud Atlas

What If: You have six different people from six different eras doing six different things, but everything is connected...

The Film: Adapted pretty closely from David Mitchell's sprawling novel, the Cloud Atlas film takes a really random, seemingly unfilmable story, and brings it to life phenomenally. It is presented as a mosaic of multiple time spans and characters (as opposed to a nested structure; the random nature of the movie has not sat well with many viewers). Some of these stories are set in the past, some in the present, and some in the future. The most fantastic scenes show a dystopian era in cloned people serve a class of consumers. Some time later, after an apocalyptic cataclysm, the film focuses on a native and his chance meeting with space-faring settlers. Those are the most sci-fi driven aspects of the whole thing, but the film also explores a modern-day investigation on a power-plant conspiracy, an old fart getting incarcerated in a retirement home by accident, a dude hanging out with a famous composer, and a man on a voyage to find a cure for a parasite. It all seems random, but with the themes of past lives (reinforced cleverly by having the entire cast play multiple parts, crossing lines of race and gender even), the film maintains solid connections. It all serves to show a world that's simultaneously compassionate and brutal; it's a high-flying narrative that shows the best and worst of the human race.

My score: 5/5
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12: District 9

What If: An alien craft appears, full of refugees, and humans conveniently contain them in a place called District 9.

The Film: Filmed with a lot of mock interviews and faux stock footage, District 9 purposefully looks as real as it can, and it is a pretty ugly picture. The film explores a harsh slum full of filth, poverty, corruption, and violence. The inhumanity and social decay shown on-screen is a very hard-hitting parallel to other slums and shantytowns around the world. To see this thinly-veiled as a story about aliens, however, is something refreshingly original and invoking.

My score: 5/5
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11: Planet of the Apes (1968)

What If: Astronauts land on a crazy planet where apes are the dominant intelligent species, and humans are stupid.

The Film: It's a ridiculous and absurd idea, but with Rod Sterling's sharp script, it's actually one of the smartest films in sci-fi history. Most of the film serves as a platform to underscore key themes on civil rights, as Taylor struggles to convince his captors that he's not just some dumb animal. The ending, however, is most iconic, and puts an invoking spin on the entire story. Despite the crazy camera work and some cheesiness, the film is as classic as they come.

My score: 4.5/5
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10: A.I.: Artificial Intelligence

What If: Scientists build a robot child with real human emotions.

The Film: A rather weird experience. This was originally a Kubrick idea, but adapted by Spielberg after the man's death, so there are elements of both directors in this film, and it makes for a rather bittersweet experience. Split into three acts, the film strikes a proper emotional tone in the first hour or so, showing the robot child trying to hard to bond with his parents. The second act becomes a Pinocchio-inspired journey, full of visual-effects wizardry and a dark sense of whimsey. The final act is just so far out-there, I thought it was brilliant. A.I. is a lengthy and meaty piece of sci-fi with lots to think about and a lot of feeling.

My score: 4/5
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9: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

What If: A UFO lands in Washington DC, and there's an intense standoff between it and the Army.

The Film: In the midst of Cold War paranoia, this film presents the chillingly apocalyptic scenario in which trigger-happy human beings may inadvertently tick off the wrong aliens. Fear and paranoia permeate the whole picture, as Klaatu explores and discovers the best and worst of human society. Ultimately, the film makes a compelling plea for all people to disarm themselves and give peace a chance.

My score: 4.5/5
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8: Metropolis (1927)

What If: In a futuristic metropolis, a woman is replaced by a robotic doppelganger, which instigates a revolution.

The Film: Fritz Lang's film is not only an engrossing, visionary, epic piece of early sci-fi, it's also the one silent film I've enjoyed the most. It is pretty incredible to see how far things have come; what people envisioned for the future in 1927 is a pretty far cry from what we can envision now, in 2013 (where's all the biplanes and art deco buildings, come on!). The sets are huge and the action is ambitious, but what really makes Metropolis timeless is its impressionist visuals, which sublimely connect timeless ideas and emotions to the narrative. It is especially neat how it incorporates the passages of the Bible in the main plot. With great-looking visuals and an intriguing story, Metropolis is an essential classic.

Over the years, parts of the film have been lost. Be sure to find the releases that boast the Complete Edition, which includes as much footage as is currently available. In the 80s, the Giorgio Moroder version was also released, which includes color tinting and a bunch of Queen music, but is about an hour shorter; it's worth a look for fans.

My score: 5/5
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7: Minority Report

What If: People can be arrested for crimes before they happen.

The Film: A moody and stylish flick with a ton of great action and thrills. There are a lot of neat futuristic cars and gadgets on display (including the ever-cool computer displays controlled by hand movements, which are in use in some places today). It is also a pretty clever story that digs up some fundamental themes regarding free will and predetermination. There are some interesting themes of perception, and the film hints at some pretty ugly truths behind a seemingly-utopic society.

My score: 5/5
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6: Wall-E

What If: A lonely trash-digging robot hooks up with a robot from space, and they go on an adventure.

The Film: The film has a few somber parts; it is pretty sad to see the Earth left behind as a massive trash heap, with only Wall-E to clean up the mess. Some viewers have even taken offense to the film's portrayal of people as fat lazy blobs on hovering chairs. Unlike every other sci-fi picture, however, this one has that certain Pixar magic working for it, and it makes the film incredibly endearing. The comedy is phenomenal, the romance is super-cute without being sappy, and the characters succeed at being endearing (even when they can't speak much). It does get pretty far out, showing humanity's fate as weak space-faring consumerists who have lost touch with the Earth. Above all, the film presents a certain compassion, especially in the robot characters, which serve as tools that could save us all.

Pixar also produced the short film Burn-E, which is bloody hilarious.

My score: 5/5
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5: The Terminator

What If: A cyborg is sent back in time to assassinate the mother of the leader of the future rebellion.

The Film: The first and most original feature by James Cameron (not counting Piranha 2), The Terminator is a fresh and original story with a very simple but effective execution. The film is very sublimely directed and full of thrills. It is a thoughtful story though, playing around with time in interesting ways, and underscoring the terror of confronting an unstoppable machine. It is truly one of the most original and interesting sci-fi pictures ever made.

My score: 4.5/5
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4: Children of Men

What If: The human race becomes infertile.

The Film: This is still one of the most depressing pictures I've seen. The film has some pretty strong violence, some extremely mean characters, and loads of incredible action scenes (most of which are shot with incredibly long takes). Beneath it all, though, the film has a somber undertone, as the entire world lives, fights, and dies for the seemingly last time. At the same time, the film is all about hope, and it does reach a satisfying climax. The experience overall is hard-hitting and bleak, and it's highly effective at immersing the audience in a world caught in a downward spiral.

My score: 5/5
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3: Blade Runner

"'More human than human' is our motto."

What If: Bounties are dished out for androids.

The Film: A very liberal adaptation of Philip K Dick's novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which still stands as my top favorite book. Even the title begs the important question concerning artificial life. Do they dream? Do they feel? Do they fear death?

"That was my profession. Ex-cop. Ex-blade runner. Ex-killer."

Blade Runner strips away a lot of things from the book (no mention is made of the extinction of animals, Deckard never invests in a robot sheep, he doesn't have a wife, and the weird stuff about Mercer is nowhere to be seen). Regardless, the film still delivers a fantastic vision of the future. From the opening shots onward, it is a dark, bleak future, with massive monolithic buildings, and crowded seedy streets. There are a ton of weird details to behold, as Deckard traverses above and below the dystopian sprawl. The really scary thing is, the future could really look like this; there are supposedly places in Asia that look just like this film.

"All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die."

This is a pretty slow film, and the plot never really takes precedence, but there is still enough to deduce some deeper feelings and thoughts regarding the film's world and the notion of androids running amok. It may even go so far as digging deep into the human soul and questioning what makes us human, and what defines our reality. Blade Runner is a stylish and somber film-noir hybrid that evokes intriguing questions and deep empathy.

My score: 4.5/5
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2: A Clockwork Orange

"It's funny how the colors of the real world only seem
really real when you viddy them on the screen."

What If: A violent hoodlum is subjected to an experimental procedure that brainwashes him and makes it so that he can never be violent.

The Film: Based pretty closely on Anthony Burgess' novel, Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange is one messed-up experience. As a film, it's extremely bold in its compositions, its extreme acting, and its visual extravagance. It's the story that's compelling though; the film has a pretty interesting and scary premise, and it illustrates the potential implications of brainwashing. In the end, you can't bottle up human impulses; the whole point of the story, and the meaning of the title, is that you can't go against one's own nature. The book goes on to explain that God reaps the juices from all of us, the oranges, but then what happens when He comes across an artificial orange? That is what Alex becomes: a person unable to function or defend himself in society, because he is nothing but a clockwork orange.

"It'll be your own torture. I hope to God it'll torture you to madness"

The film is pretty ugly with its violence and rape scenes (sadly, it's still not the worst I've ever seen). It is necessary to underscore the violence of young men, if not all human beings in general, before subjecting the character to the Ludovico procedure. Even though Alex is a scumbag throughout the picture, I couldn't help but to pity him as he's relentlessly brutalized and rendered unable to fight back; he got what was coming to him, and then some. But what really makes this whole situation messed up is that nothing really worked. The Ludovico procedure is reversed by the film's end, and Alex simply goes back to his old ways, gleefully and mockingly crying "I was cured alright!" The book, with its final chapter reinstated, takes it a step further by having Alex mature naturally on his own. The film, which omits that part, still asserts that natural growth is ideal, because no amount of artificial conditioning can really change a person on the inside.

"A man who cannot chose ceases to be a man."

The really sad thing about this is that Alex's problems could have been prevented through better parenting, but his parents are shown to be daft pushovers. Instead, Alex became a problem of society, and society took care of him in the most inhumane way possible. If values and discipline plummet even more than they already have, it wouldn't surprise me if things get this bad in the future.

My score: 5/5
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1: The Matrix

"Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real?
What if you were unable to wake from that dream?
How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?"

What If: The world as you know it is a lie. What if we're all really living in a virtual reality being pumped directly into our brains, while a race of sentient machines feed off of our natural bodily energies? What's to stop us from bending, or breaking, the natural rules of physics? How would we know what's real and what isn't? Is this air we're breathing? Whoa.

The Film: It took a few viewings, but I learned to appreciate the finer nuances of The Matrix, and it has since found its place as my third-favorite franchise, and my top pick for favorite sci-fi film. If for no other reason than every viewing seems to dig up something fresh and new to observe and contemplate. Naturally, it will always be the action that'll draw me in; the special effects were really ground-breaking and inspiring at the time, the gunfights are explosive and incredible, and the kung-fu fighting is extremely well-choreographed.

"Like everyone else you were born into bondage. Into a prison that you
cannot taste or see or touch. A prison for your mind."

Beneath the surface level, however, The Matrix layers on numerous mysteries, some of which are solved, and others are purposefully left open. The big reveal half-way through the picture explains a lot of the crazy events that occur beforehand, and sets up the crazy action afterward, but the implications are pretty deep. Surely, if we are plugged into a virtual reality, with electric signals constantly streaming to our nervous systems, then how can we know we aren't living in a simulated world as we speak? Surely, this could account for all the weird mysteries of life (The Matrix Reloaded did explain that rogue programs account for such supernatural phenomenon as ghosts, aliens, werewolves, vampires, and other strange creatures). Above all, the film asserts that the mind transcends the body; only in believing in oneself and rejecting the constraints of the matrix did Neo learn to do the impossible over and over again.

"The body cannot live without the mind."

With this clever concept, the Watchowskis developed a fresh, original, and really cool universe full of hovercrafts, squid-like robots, and they put a menacing spin on the Men in Black mythos. They also inputted some clever rules and dynamics that not only made for an impressive spectacle, but helped make the concept creditable in the context of computer programming. Yes, if everything is a computer program, surely you can fly. Surely, you can hack into the world and summon weapons and objects at a whim. Or even, the machine could hack into you. The sequels would go on to have actual "back doors" and viruses in the matrix.

On top of all that, the film poses some staggering philosophical implications. Drawing from multiple disciplines, the film challenges the perception of reality (remember the line, "It is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself"). It even draws a certain theological parallels, with its strong themes of death and rebirth, which morphs the main character from an average automaton office worker into "The One," a savoir to humanity. This prophecy comes full circle by the series' third film, in a rather unexpected fashion.

"Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is.
You have to see it for yourself."

At the time of its release, I remember everybody was blown away by the notions of The Matrix, for they were all pondering as to whether it is creditable that we could all be living in a virtual simulation. Scientists have actually given the theory credence. The film does a first-rate job of stimulating the senses with its epic action scenes and quality visuals, but it also stimulates the mind with its deep ideas and themes.

Watch the films. Question everything.

Free your mind...

Matrix Score: 5/5
Matrix Reloaded Score: 4.5/5
Matrix Revolutions Score: 4.5/5
Animatrix Score: 5/5
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But wait, that's not all! Allow me to present my list of Sci-Fi honorable mentions, and I'll show you how deep the rabbit hole goes...