A mission to Mars always sounds fun, but it’s not something that I would want to do. Those voyages take way too long and space isn’t my thing. Still, the plot has is intriguing since space films can always add aliens and it’s hinted at in the plot. Was this film a success or did it turn out like most other space films? Let’s find out!

I’ve always been a big fan of alien/creature films. They’re always fun to watch and the films always have potential to be great. I usually end up dishing out low scores to those films because they make a lot of mistakes, but I always get my hopes up when a new one comes out. Unfortunately, this film may disappoint you if you’re looking for some solid aliens!

The plot involves a group of characters as they head off to Mars. The only one that you need to remember is Luke, as the rest of the crew is quickly destroyed by what seems to be a Kaiju. Luke quickly radios for help, but then the channel is cut. On Earth, they know that it’ll take a long time to get to Mars and Luke may already be dead. That’s definitely not going to stop our heroes! Jim, Terri, and Phil are some of the members who are a part of the new crew. They know the risks and while they are not prepared for any hostile encounter, they have determination on their side! Let’s just say that they’re in for a surprise when they finally make it to Mars!

Well, that’s the general plot and it’s a decent way to start a film. We got a party scene at the beginning, which is supposed to help us relate to the characters and maybe even sympathize with them. That part wasn’t bad and it was definitely an explosive beginning when the monster appeared. Unfortunately, nothing really happens after that. The rest of the film is basically set up for something that doesn’t even get to happen. A little on the sad side eh?

There are aliens in this film, but they have a very generic design. I have to say that they were also some of the worst aliens that we’ve seen in a while. On one hand, they seem to have almost limitless power as they hint that they are the ones who created humanity, or at least the ones who made the animals. They started the evolutionary process. You may be trying to suppress a laugh during the big scene that showcases this, but you may as well let it out. These “all powerful” aliens are quickly forced to retreat when an asteroid shower takes out their planet. So much for their technology and powers!

One part of the film that may annoy most people is the decision that Jim makes. It basically means ditching his whole race and also trusting the word of a being that he’s never truly met. That doesn’t seem like a smart move and it makes Jim unlikable. It’s impossible to agree with this choice, at least for me. That’s why I was glad that the other characters didn’t choose the same path.

I also noticed that this film was PG. I think that a PG rating doesn’t really suffice. The scene where the Kaiju murders the team is pretty intense and PG-13 worthy. Some films do skirt that edge nowadays and Prince Caspian is a good example of that. Still, this film isn’t very violent and that is really the only scene that gets intense. The rest of the film plays it safe and we don’t get any real action scenes. There are some emotional moments in the film, like one guy (not literally) self destructing so that someone else wouldn’t die in a rescue attempt. Still, watch that first Kaiju battle and tell me that the film should be PG!

This film is essentially why I’m not a fan of space movies that do not involve aliens or creatures. Being in space is like being underwater of in the dessert. Those scenes just aren’t interesting in movies and that’s the case here. The scenes could have been worse and they were decent, but they just didn’t mean anything in the end. The film was very misleading and maybe the score would have been better if we didn’t get the Kaiju scene.

See, the Kaiju scene was very intense and it hinted that there were creatures on Mars. I won’t spoil the “epic” twist, but there is no life on Mars. That scene was just meant to trick the audience and keep people watching. There were so many ways that they could have achieved that part in a better way. It was pretty sad when the twist happened and I’m sure that many viewers were not pleased.

Aside from being very uneventful and disappointing, Mission to Mars did have some things going for it. For one thing, there are no really big negatives to the film. It didn’t fall into any of the usual holes like Animal Violence. The film may not have achieved a lot of success in its pros, but the fact that it doesn’t really have any cons, helps it to get such a rating. A 4 isn’t exactly Oscar worthy, but it’s not bad considering the genre and lack of action. Comparing it to some of my recent reviews, this would technically be one of the higher rated ones.

The characters were decent for the most part, but many of them went south. Luke essentially cracked after the Kaiju attack and Jim didn’t make a great move. Self-Destructing isn’t going to help anyone in my books and the other characters were just around. I suppose that I liked the commander who allowed the mission to proceed, but he didn’t get a whole lot of screentime. Maybe he’ll get some more next time!

Overall, this is not a space film that I would recommend. I guess it would be like watching Apollo 11 or Gravity. Space isn’t a great backdrop for me unless there is a lot of action. I like seeing people inside of spaceships or objects in space, but not space itself. A Metroid setting would do very well, but we also need the sci-fi that accompanies that. Adding in aliens just helped to confuse the audience, since it never really amounted to anything. Most of the drama and suspense comes from ship malfunctions and other disasters. They’re sad, but I don’t think anyone paid 20 dollars to go and see people plug the leaks of a space ship. We came for aliens and explosions! If you like realistic space films, then I’m sure that you would like this film. It’s just not my cup of tea. If you want to see a really epic space film, check out DBZ: Broly The Legendary Super Saiyan!

Overall 4/10

Daylight is a movie that you probably haven’t heard of. I definitely had not heard of the film until I ended up watching it the other day. This movie is about a pretty tricky situation that some people get involved in and now they’ve got to get out. There’s plenty of drama and action, but is it the good kind?

The movie starts out in classic 90’s style as we are introduced to the main characters. We’ve got the Hollywood big shot, the old folks, the tough crowd, the Policeman, and others. It’s actually a pretty large crowd and they have one big thing in common…they’re going through the Holland Tunnel! Unfortunately, some members of the mafia (Or just a random gang) quickly go into their top speed and there are some pretty dangerous substances around. One thing leads to another and a large wave of fire engulfs them all. There are many casualties, but around a dozen people survive. The two ends of the tunnel are sealed so it seems like their doom is certain. Meanwhile, Latura decides to head in to rescue them all, but he’ll have to go through a very tough path which may lead to his doom. Latura may make it through the path, but how can he possibly save them!?

The plot is pretty simple and the only problem is that the people need to escape. Unfortunately for them, escaping a sealed off tunnel is a lot harder than it looks. The Hollywood star is pretty brave and he’s probably one of the best characters in the film. He didn’t back down and he never felt fear throughout the whole film. Nobody wanted to stand up to this guy and he was a natural born leader. His climax is pretty intense and you’re not going to want to miss it.

Latura knows his way around the tunnels and he’s definitely the most experienced characters from the main cast. He isn’t about to back down and he’s ready for whatever is about to happen. He’s constantly thinking of new plans on the spot and he doesn’t believe in letting anyone fall behind. (Although he did hesitate about the dog) Latura was a decent main character, but I liked him best during the beginning when he was with the cab.

The rest of the characters were mostly just there. None of them really stood out for the most part although the crook who robbed the bank was a pretty awful character. The parents of the little girl in the film were also pretty bad as they did their best to make things really hard for Latura and friends. I only gave Latura and the Hollywood guy a lot of screen time because they stood out from the other characters. I never cared for the others and they really just fill in the stereotypes. The Government looks pretty bad as per usual and they make their move which involves destroying innocent lives! That is definitely the Government for you.

The film had a very dangerous moment when something happened to the dog. It nearly destroyed the film instantly and would have made the whole review a lot more negative. Luckily the film didn’t fall into that hole, but it definitely did like to test fate with the rat scene also being included. The important thing is that the film avoided the usual death in the animal family and kept its honor.

Overall, this is a decent film. It definitely does drag on a bit since the film is very long and they’re all stuck in the tunnel for the whole time. Also, the replay value for the film is shot since this is the type of film that you won’t really enjoy as much when watching it for a second time. There is a lot of tragedy and drama so if you don’t like when sad things happen, then I would not recommend this film to you. On the other hand, the lines are typically pretty good and I liked the intros for the various main characters. The fire may have been a little too intense, (They shouldn’t have survived it) but it definitely looked pretty cool. The film feels like a 90s film in many aspects and that’s definitely a good thing. If you want a true tragedy story, go and watch Naruto!

Overall 4/10

Dark Waters is a horror film that features water in a scary way. The title may have tipped you off to that part, but I hope that you’re not afraid of the substance. This film isn’t incredibly long and it’s not immensely popular, but those things don’t matter that much when you’re watching the film. The important part is whether the film was good and scary, or bad and funny!

Well, the film is about Dahlia and her daughter as they move to a new place. This home looks very shady and broken down, not to mention that the girl has a bad feeling about the place. She changes her mind after seeing the backpack. (Or getting possessed) The main character decides to move in, but her ex husband says that he’s going to sue her. He has moved to another place as well and he wants their daughter to be closer to his place. The main character plays it cool and gets her lawyer at the ready. Legal battles will become the least of her worries as the house proves to be a challenge. The residents of the floor above her are gone, but she hears strange sounds during the night.

There is always water that keeps on falling through the ceiling and damaging her apartment and the water has a tendency to come out dirty. Things get even worse when her daughter thinks up an imaginary friend, but she claims that the person is not imaginary! Is their really a ghost haunting them? Why would someone want to haunt the main character!? It looks like we’re going to find out!

Dahlia is a decent main character although she makes a lot of classic horror movie mistakes. She doesn’t really take most of the obstacles in stride, but she’s made to be an average person, not an ultimately brave hero I guess…she doesn’t look that great in the ending. She basically threw in the towel and stopped fighting for what was right. The main character definitely annoyed me in that scene and was a pretty sad way to end the film.

Her ex husband is pretty bad. We never get any proof that he’s an awful person, but there are hints through the film. The main character certainly believes this and she wouldn’t be mistaken…right? We’ve also got the lawyer who started out as a sub par character, but he ended up being a pretty good character. He’s actually pretty skilled at his trade and he doesn’t back down from a fight. He may not be a hero, but he’s as heroic as they get in this film!

The other characters are pretty unmemorable. We have the daughter who tries to fight the supernatural forces that are upon her, but it is just too much. We have the main villain, who is a casual reality warper. Unfortunately, the humans are unable to cope with this level of ability. The main villain isn’t very likable and the ending doesn’t exactly make her look good. The owner of the building is pretty tricky and he gets people to sign the lease before they can really stop themselves. I wouldn’t underestimate such a crafty fellow. He was a pretty good character, but his door man wasn’t as good. A pretty suspicious character and he makes things hard on the heroes. There are other characters up and about, but we don’t need to worry about them.

Overall, this was a decent film if you ignore the whole horror element. It barely felt like a horror film at several points and the threats were not scary. The main character had a tragic life, but it didn’t really have anything to do with the film. The horror moments couldn’t really hold up against other horror films like the Grudge or the Ring. This film definitely has a lot of drama to it and fans of the genre should like it. There isn’t really any excessive violence or scary moments that will make you want to turn away. That being said, the ending is pretty awful and does help to crush the film. If you want a legendary horror, I’d turn to Godzilla the GMK movie.

Overall 4/10

Disclaimer, this is a review of the edited version so that it does not receive an R rating. These thoughts are specifically from that version and the score will likely differ from uncut and cut versions.

You may remember my review of the first Alien film as it was only a few months ago. It was a pretty decent Alien film and while it may not be as amazing as all of the hype, it was solid. If not for the small aliens that blow people up, the score may have been even higher. Can the sequel surpass the original classic? Let’s find out!

First, I will say that the premise is excellent! “This time it’s War” is a great tagline and it does get you hyped for the film. Unfortunately, it may raise the bar a little too high for the actual film to reach. The main problem is that the film doesn’t feel like it is a war. The scientists are skeptical so once again, an unprepared team is sent out to fight the creatures. Aw man……

The plot involves Ripley as she makes it back home in one piece. Her cat appears briefly, but that’s a good thing. This film manages to avoid one crucial fact…no animals are destroyed! Awesome eh? Ripley tries to warn everyone that there are Aliens out there, but “they” (The big shots) don’t believe her. After all, a lot of families are living on the planet, so it sounds like it’s all good right? (Where were they in the first film? Well, the main character was asleep for 50 years, but even so…)

Unfortunately, they lose contact with the planet. This could only mean one thing….obviously there are no such things as aliens, so the government seems to think that it’s another country. At least, that’s the vibe that I was picking up. They convince Ripley to go along with a group of….Trained Professionals! Obviously, they’re prepared to deal with what comes up. Unfortunately, they joke around a lot and are very unlikable. “Game Over Man!” is probably the best line that’s uttered in the film.

There are quite a lot of fighters at first, but after the first major Alien scene, let’s just say that the cast is whittled down to size. Will the survivors make it off the planet or will they be the next skeletons on the planet? Ripley doesn’t plan on dying here, but things sometimes take a turn for the worst. Ripley is all right at best, but I’m not a fan of the character. She’s better than the kid, but that’s not saying much. It’s really hard to root for the gunmen and even the android isn’t a great character. The Aliens are definitely a lot more charismatic.

Were the Aliens exceptionally cool? Well, there were a lot of them, but it’s definitely quantity over quality. The Aliens go down pretty quickly when met with gunfire and dozens of them lose to one warrior. The Alien Queen is definitely a smart opponent, but I wouldn’t say that she’s much stronger than the average alien. You seemed to be having some trouble with an outdated mecha that was lying around. Still, the Aliens do have a pretty neat design for the most part.

All in all, this film was much better than the first film. One would expect a higher rating if that’s the case right? Well, sometimes things aren’t so straightforward and the ratings can get sketchy. Still, for the record, Aliens is better than Alien. The film still has it’s share of negatives including some language scattered about, the Aliens who blow people up, (I’ll never like those guys. It’s just too…graphically intense!) and a pretty Awful character roster. With all of the gross out moments that happen in the film, you’ll also want to make sure that you haven’t had lunch in a while. There’s also not much of a soundtrack to get behind, but that’s the case with most films. There were significant moments where a lot of plot hax was used, but it’s to be expected in the long run. If you liked the first film, then you’ll probably like this one. I lightly recommend it to those who want a nice adventure with aliens and “Hardcore” characters, but I wouldn’t recommend it to those who don’t like violence. If you want a true alien adventure, check out Superman vs Doomsday!

Overall 4/10

Wait Until Dark is a pretty inspiring title. You will probably think that it’s a horror film upon first glance right? Well, this one is more of a thriller than a horror, but I suppose that you can think of it either way. This film came out decades ago, but I saw the technicolor version so it’s in color. Can this film hold up to today’s standards?

The film starts out with a guy fixing a doll and then giving it to a woman. She heads for a plane and upon getting off, she gives it to Sam. Sam takes it home and promptly loses the doll. The woman who had given him the doll is murdered and then two villains break into the Sam’s home. Another villain follows them and they make a partnership. Mike and Carlino are the two villains who team up with Harry Roat.

The plan is to find the doll because it’s got to still be in the house right? That’s what they figure, but things may get difficult. They trick Sam into leaving for the day, but they’ve still got to deal with his blind wife, Susy, and Gloria, the little kid. Instead of bumping them off the old fashioned way, they decide to take advantage of Susy’s blindness and trick her into giving them the doll. They’ve just overlooked one thing…she doesn’t know where the doll is! Will Suzy find the doll and stop the fiends?

Well, Susy is the main character and since Sam isn’t one of the greatest characters out there, she’s really on her own. Gloria is around for moral support, but to quote a smart man in Megaman Axess, “What can you kids do?” I believe that the man put it in the best phrasing of words possible. He may have been proven wrong seconds later, but at least he talked a good game. Susy is a decent character I suppose, but the terror of the moment does pretty much consume her several times.

Gloria is a pretty annoying character and her first moment brought her down the ranks. She just couldn’t recover from such a sad display of emotion and lack of control. Sam…..he’s not a good character either. I had my suspicions during his first few appearances, but they were confirmed towards the climax. After realizing that his wide is in trouble, he tries to slow down the police from entering the building. “Take it easy!” he says to them, which was definitely odd considering the circumstances. Sam never even got to take on the villains and wasn’t impressive.

Mike was easily the best character from the three villains. He was pretty smart and he was able to take on Harry Roat during the beginning. He definitely felt like he was the most professional and he was pretty epic towards the ending. He and Carlino thought of a pretty Brilliant plan to take someone out, but we never learn exactly how they were going to do it. Carlino definitely wasn’t as good, but he’s all right I suppose. He’s a little overweight, not very smart, and comic relief, so there’s definitely a few stereotypes in there. We’ve also got Harry Roat, who was a decent villain. The only problem is that he loses sight of his objectives and he takes too long to finish the job. He does seem to be pretty smart, but I don’t think that he could take on Mike in a fair fight. His weapon of choice was interesting…but wouldn’t have made it against stronger opponents.

Overall, this is a decent thriller film. It’s not my favorite since it doesn’t hold up quite as well as some of the other old movies. I believe that Susy had a hard time carrying her own film and that probably hurt the overall strength of the film a little. When a person is blind, there will always be a lot of belief suspension needed to believe that she can actually fight/outsmart the villains. Mike was the most entertaining character and especially during the beginning piece, but the others were only okay. So, I’m sure that you’ll like it if you want to see a retro thriller film, but if you want to feel true terror…..Check out Final Fantasy The Spirits Within!

Overall 4/10

Rear Window is a film by Alfred Hitchcock that came out in 1954. This is pretty big since I’m sure you all know of the big kaiju film that came out at the time. The film has an interesting premise since the main character is in a wheelchair and he won’t be able to go and stop the villain(s?) by force. He’s going to need his wit in order to win this round.

The film begins with Jeff in a wheelchair. We learned that he would take any risks for a good shot and that he wouldn’t be able to walk again for a week. Jeff is definitely not the most heroic of characters and he resorts to staring at people through the window. Somehow, they never seem to notice him. Several people try to stop Jeff from looking out of the window, but he’ll have none of that. Eventually, he notices some suspicious behavior and thinks that someone may have been murdered!

You have to admire the fact that Jeff could piece together such loose evidence and then turn it into a murder. I’m not sure that many people of today’s world would come to the same conclusion so quickly, but since Jeff had nothing to do, but stare out of the window, it was easier for him to notice. A subplot is that Jeff is unhappy with the perfect dinners that his friend always brings him. The subplot is not necessarily about the dinners, but that stuck out the most. How do you not like a “perfect” dinner? I couldn’t really sympathize with the fellow in that regard.

Getting a little more into the character, Jeff is an awful protagonist. You really can’t help, but root against him during the film. Jeff is not a hero and he’s really just trying to help to pass the time…maybe even to get a scoop. Staring at your neighbors is hardly polite and Jeff never learns his lesson. Having such a main character can definitely take away from the experience. Of course, I didn’t really like any of the other characters…….

One thing that takes serious points away from the film is the dog scene. It was definitely unneeded and they should have just switched it for a “Paper lands on flowers and someone crumples it” scene. It would accomplish the same purpose and we could avoid the animal violence. The ending is also not great in that regard.

One solid part of the film is the fact that it actually has a climax. Can Jeff defeat his assailant without being able to walk? He definitely gives it his all, but he definitely doesn’t seem like he will be the next Terminator! Of course, he was basically asking for that to happen when he left his door unlocked.

This film was pretty enjoyable, but it did have its flaws. There is some romance in the film, which gets old fast. The dog scene didn’t help and the main character was pretty awful. I did think the police were pretty good at the end. One of them even took out his gun and he looked like he was going to use it! Hopefully the police check out the owner of the building since he seemed a little shady in the film. If not for the romance and the dog scene, the film would definitely have a higher score. As it is, you’ll probably enjoy it if you like the classic mysteries. If you want a really intense mystery, check out Goku’s fight against Frieza in DBZ, The Namek Saga, which only lasts 5 minutes…..

Overall 4/10

I’m sure that just about everyone has watched The Wizard of Oz. It’s a living legend that everyone always hails as one of the all time classics. I can’t say that the original was that great (No real action and I’d only give it a 2-2.5/5) but it is definitely a film that I won’t forget. Making a prequel to that movie is pretty ambitious, but was the risk worth it?

Well, the film starts out as Oz is conning people with his magic tricks. He loves his work and people give him a couple of coins. He’s not a great magician and he is quickly discovered to be a fake. He’s a pretty awful protagonist and proceeds to flirt with as many people as he can. Someone tries to beat him up, so Oz makes a break for the balloon and gets in. You’re actually left wishing that they had knocked him out and taken him to jail, but maybe he’ll still get defeated once he’s in the land of Oz.

Once he makes it to Oz, he meets one of the Witches, Theodora. He tricks her into thinking that he’s the magician of legend and eagerly awaits his gold. They travel for a while and he keeps on saving the day by accident. Oz also suckers Finley into becoming his slave for life. Once Oz makes it to the castle, they tell him that he will need to slay Glinda, The Wicked Witch of the South. Oz doesn’t want to do it since the danger is high, but he’ll do anything for gold. He heads on his way and is ready to slay the witch!

Well, Oz is definitely one of the worst main characters in a while. He’s like a junior Captain Kirk or James Bond. He never really gets what’s coming to him and the film tries to portray him a hero by the end. I really hope that nobody fell for this trap. He hasn’t changed at all and will keep on acting the same way, only now he is rich as well. He’s a character that makes you wince whenever he’s on screen.

Glinda, Theodora, and Evanora are the three witches of the film. All of them are played for fools by Oz and it’s a bit embarrassing. They have actual powers, but once Oz summons up a little light and magic, one of them makes a hasty retreat, while the other one flies off into the distance. I guess Oz is a very fearsome individual eh?

The film doesn’t really have much of a soundtrack, but most live action films are lacking one as well. The fight scene at the end was decently good, (Even if the movement was a little fake) but having one fight scene can’t save an entire film. It was a decent film and I’d recommend it if you have always wanted to see a movie about Oz, but it wrecks his character from the original. If you want to see a classic reborn into the modern world, check out Yugioh Bonds Beyond Time!

Overall 4/10

Disclaimer, this is a review of the edited version so that it does not receive an R rating. These thoughts are specifically from that version and the score will likely differ from uncut and cut versions.

Alien is a very popular film and it’s known as possibly being the greatest horror film of all time. This film gives Jaws a run for its money in popularity and there have been many rides and spin off media from the film. This is definitely what got aliens so popular, but does the film live up to this day?

The film starts with a crew of 7 in a spaceship. They are on their way back to earth, but they are awakened from their cryogenic sleep a little early. The ship informs them that a distress signal is being sent out from another ship. They go to investigate, but an alien latches itself onto one of the crew. Is the alien hostile!? It doesn’t look so tough, but big things tend to come in small packages. The alien is pretty nimble and there are many places to hide. Can the crew possibly stop him!?

The main cast of characters is pretty underwhelming for the most part. I can’t really say that there were any characters that stood out. Lambert is terrified of the alien creature and never gets past her fears. Her end is a pretty uncool way to go down and I doubt that she has many fans. Ash is the smart guy of the group and he doesn’t always obey orders. He definitely acts a little shady the whole time. Can they trust this guy!? Dallas is the captain of the crew, but he gets a really small role. I’m not sure what his point in the film really was in the end. Parker was the only member of the crew who seemed like he could fight with the alien, but his crew turned out to be a liability and they held him back. Ripley is the main character of the film, but it’s a little hard to guess that. While she does get most of the scenes at the end, she doesn’t get that much screen time for the first half. She ditched her cat at one point which takes points away from her.

The Cat was pretty cool and I’m glad that he didn’t end up dying. Alien must be one of the only horror films that avoided the obligatory animal death which earns the film some points. The Xenomorph is definitely deadly, but I preferred his portrayal in Aliens vs Predator. He’s still a pretty dangerous creature and was definitely the best character of the film.

Overall, Alien is a film that all horror fans will want to check out. There is a lot of tension throughout the film and it also goes into a lot of detail. The opening minutes are all for showing off the ship and the schematics. The ship is also advanced and has an A.I. named “Mother” Unfortunately it never seems to have enough data to make a decision. Alien lives up well as an alien classic, but I think we could have used some more alien action.

Overall 4/10