my brief thoughts on.... 'Predators' (2010)

as long as the 'Predator' has existed on celluloid, the debate about 'Aliens' or 'Predators' has existed.... and me personally, i have always been an 'Aliens' guy.... but i've watched all of the 'Predator' movies and even both of the 'Alien vs. Predator' movies as well.... it's not that i hated the 'Predator'.... i dug all the movies.... (except 'Alien vs. Predator: Requiem'.... nobody liked that movie.).... but when i heard that Robert Rodriguez had finally got the green light for his version of the 'Predator' that he'd been pitching for years, i was excited.... even though he ended up only producing the movie and not actually writing or directing it, i was sure it would still have his stamp on it.... the cast kind of threw me a bit.... who's ever heard of Adrian Brody as a lead in an action movie....? i had my doubts.... despite all of my reservations about the movie and whether it might be good or not, i went into it with an open mind and a bit of excitement....

the nice thing about this movie was that right off the bat they were going for a new twist on an old theme.... it opened with our heros in freefall and just waking up from being knocked out.... once they've "landed" on the ground, the fun begins.... all of the people that survived the freefall begin to run into each other and eventually band together.... as they try to figure out where they are and why.... each of them has a weapon or two, but no memory of how they got there.... soon they realize that they're being hunted and a few other surprises and then the fun begins....
the end result of this re-boot or 3rd installment in the 'Predators' catalogue was a good one.... the plot is simple enough, but fills you up.... Adrian Brody stepped up and played the hero quite well.... he kind of channeled his inner Christian Bale ala 'Batman' persona.... the action was good.... the 'Predators' were well done and took me back to the first movie.... and that excitement i had watching this new lifeform hunt Aronld in the jungle.... i came to the conclusion that even with how much i enjoyed this little sci-fi/action romp, it still only added up to a 3 out of 5 star outing.... it was such a simple and straight forward story that could have expanded the 'Predator' universe a bit more, but instead just relyed on a steady diet of action and aliens.... you'll have to rent this movie if you want to see it.... but if you're already a fan of the 'Predator' or this is your first experience with them, it's a winner either way.... this is a nice little slice of bloody goey goodness.

if you like this, also watch: 'Predator' (1987), 'Alien vs. Predator', and 'Predator 2'

my brief thoughts on.... 'Aeon Flux'

i remember watching this cartoon on MTV and thinking WTF half the time.... granted, i enjoyed it.... but it was just so different from anything else out there.... so that when i heard that they were making a live action movie, i was skeptical.... some of the stuff that Aeon does in the cartoon goes WAY beyond anything a real person could do or be capable of.... therefore a live movie just seemed way to ambitious.... i think that's why i stayed away from this so long.... i figured at some point i'd give it a shot.... and once it hit the OnDemand section of Netflix, i figured now was as good as time as any.... not too mention, i saw Charlize come up on a list of badass action chicks.... and this is the only example of a movie she's been in where she was an ass kicker.... so all the more reason to watch this.... however, my expectations were really low....

its 400+ years in the future and mankind was wiped out.... only a few survived and were walled up in a utopian city where they can live and thrive in safety and peace.... meanwhile, outside the walls, nature has taken over the earth again.... man hasn't laid a finger on it since they were nearly made extinct.... strange things are happening and people are disappearing.... and there is a small renegade group of people aware of this and fighting against the problems with the system.... Aeon Flux is one of those people.... the movie unfolds in such a way that everything is explained slowly over the course of the movie.... intertwined with some sci-fi action and adventure....
overall, i wouldn't say it was a waste of my time.... i enjoyed it for the most part.... but i really think it could have been so much more.... there was such an in depth storyline that it could have been a bit longer and dealt more with all of the sub plots.... but it all seem pre-packaged to meet a certain time frame for the big wigs making the movie.... Charlize does a good job in the role.... and i enjoyed watching her kick some ass.... but again, a little more would have been better.... everything just seemed a little vague.... it's like a recipe that could have been the best food ever, but just wasn't seasoned right.... i gave it 3 out of 5 stars for a strong effort to convert such a difficult cartoon onto the big screen.... i think they managed pretty well overall.... for a straight sci-fi movie, it was worth the effort.... all in all.... a decent movie to spend a Friday night watching....

if you like this, check out: 'Equilibrium', 'The Matrix' and 'The Fifth Element'

my thoughts on.... 'Moon'

if you're into big shoot em' up sci-fi, this ain't it.... it's one some would clasify as 'hard-sci-fi'.... something a bit more cerebral.... and i would tend to agree.... there's no acid spitting aliens or giant smurfs riding dinosaurs.... it's all about atmosphere and a good story.... which is all you can really hope for in a good piece of filmaking.... nothing more, nothing less.... i've been hearing about this for a long time and i was excited to see it, as i'm a fan of Sam Rockwell.... the man just makes good movies.... case in point, 'Choke'.... go rent it if you haven't already.... (fron the writer of 'Fight Club'....)....

this isn't a movie that's probably going to make it too far into the mainstream.... it's minimalistic and sparse.... the story is fairly simple, but grows more complicated at the movie progresses.... and nothing is more telling of good storytelling is to not have everything given away all up front.... this builds tension and reveals things little by little so as to peak your interest and keep you intrigued.... it also is more about character development than big budget special effects and loud noises.... and that's on the of the things i love about this film.... the chance to enjoy a good storyline set in space.... not a movie in space with good special effects.... and no storyline....

i don't want to give up too much information about the story.... but we'll just say that Sam Rockwell is a man on the moon manning a base for a set number of years.... with the promise of returning home at the end of his tenure.... however, as things progress, we find out that things just aren't that simple.... and as they progress even farther.... things just get flat out complicated.... it's worth the investment of your time to enjoy all the twists and turns....

the effects are good, as minimal as they are.... the acting is great, as always.... the story is unique and original.... the director is David Bowies son.... i could go on and on, but the point is that you need to see this film.... it's time you won't regret spending.... but i will warn you to invest the time wisely.... pay attention and lose yourself in the story.... otherwise, it may just not have the same impact.....

all in all, a solid 4 out of 5 stars.... one of my favorite recent sci-fi films.... i was engrossed in it from beginning to end and felt satisfied after it ended.... it's worth the price of admission.... so run out and pick this one up.... it's available to rent just about everywhere and is for those of you who are tired of the old sci-fi standards.... granted it's not scary by any means.... it's not that kind of movie.... but it has it's tense moments and sad ones....

go get it and we'll talk about it later.... it raises a lot of questions and does it's best to answer them all, but i still found myself thinking about this movie long after it ended.... it's just that good.... enjoy....!

if you enjoy this movie, check out: '2001: A Space Odyssey', ' Even Horizon' and 'Sunshine'