Tag: sci fi

DUNE (2021)

The granddaddy of modern sci-fi finally gets its (partial) due on the big screen.

Yep, it’s probably worth knowing going in that this is very much Part One of a gigantic epic. For all the political machinations and galactic prophesies, it only covers around half of the first book — pretty much right before things get weird.

This is prestige science fiction: incredibly shot, full of iconic design and a thundering soundtrack, political subterfuge, stacked cast. It’s slow and contemplative and absolutely dense with cryptic worldbuilding; there’s a lot to take in and someone unfamiliar with the classic could find themselves kind of lost.

There’s a depth and a complexity to the visual design and lighting that makes it feel both jaw-droppingly fantastical and tangibly, organically real. It feels like a totally realised world on a galactic scale — an immense achievement and a high-watermark for blockbusters.

So yes, it does feel incomplete, but it absolutely lays an amazing foundation for sequels. It will be an utter tragedy if Villeneuve doesn’t get to continue his vision because he’s knocked it out of the park yet again, and we’ve only just scratched the surface of what the books have to offer.

EDIT: Part Two was announced as greenlit between my original post and the following morning. Hooray!

Now that things are safe, go out there and see it big and loud. A true cinematic experience, even if it’s only half of the first part of an epic story so far.

Highly recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

THE SUICIDE SQUAD (2021)

Absurdly violent, ridiculously silly and very, very entertaining.

The smartest move was definitely to just ignore that they made one of these in 2016 and throw a whole pile of fresh C-list characters into the grinder.

Never once takes itself seriously, yet manages to take enough time to bring an emotional core to each of these assholes to make the stakes stick and the action meaningful.

Soundtrack’s great, characters are fun, story is appropriately bonkers. Most importantly, it’s a good time!

Easily the best DC film, requires zero comic knowledge to enjoy.

Definitely recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

THE STAND (2020)

Ironic that this released just as the world was dealing with a very real pandemic, so understandable that it was largely ignored or passed over given the circumstances.

Stephen King stories are best treated as limited series such as this, as it gives the characters plenty of room to exist and be human within the story.

As post-apocalyptic tales go, this is more mythical forces of good and evil acting through human conduits than say, your standard meditation on the nature of humanity in a world gone to hell.

Plus, the production quality really sells the end of the world and the casting is all excellent.

A solid and faithful adaptation of King’s epic, tweaked and modernised just enough to play to modern sensibilities.

Recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

LOKI (2021)

The best of the Disney+ Marvel shows so far.

Production design is outstanding, the cast is charismatic and strange. It’s a tight six episodes too, which is a real sweet spot for these series. Feels like the best parts of a Dr Who adventure mashed together with a big budget behind it.

There’s SO MUCH fan service drawing from the deepest, more ridiculous and obscure depths of Marvel Comics’ silliness.

Ultimately the story ends up servicing the next big phase of MCU projects, but it does so with style and the characters are fun. I mean, they weren’t exactly going to let Tom Hiddleston off the hook easily, were they?

Alligator Loki is MVP.

Recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

A QUIET PLACE: PART II (2021)

Solid follow up, keeps the tension high while adding some new variables to the mix.

Not much to say — if you enjoyed the first one you’ll find this a great extension of the story that grows the world just enough to fill in some questions lingering from the original without bloating.

Emily Blunt has less to do than trailers might suggest, but the switch to having the daughter shoulder narrative responsibilty is a good one.

Action’s fun, new wrinkles and characters work well together.

Recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

SWEET TOOTH s01

A tremendously sweet and strange tale about a human/deer hybrid boy traversing a post-apocalyptic world.

Each episode feels like a chapter from a storybook. The characters are endearing and the cast is great. The connection between the hybrids and The Sick which has ravaged the world is a solid, dark mystery.

Production values are excellent too — it was a good move to handle the hybrid elements with a mix of CGI and prosthetics/animatronics, as it really grounds the fantastical elements.

Deceptively sinister, but infectiously heartwarming.

Highly recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

THE MITCHELLS vs THE MACHINES (2021)

Sony Animation has really been knocking it out of the park lately!

Kinetic, hyperactive and full up with heart, this is the very definition of a modern family film run through a Gen Z TikTok filter and imbued with strong, colourful energy.

Hits all the usual beats of this sort of fare and does so with infectious enthusiasm and personality.

The animation style is brilliant, the voice cast is A-grade, the dog is hysterical.

Recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

FOR ALL MANKIND (s01/02)

An alternate history drama where the Russians landed on the moon first, kicking off a prolonged, multi-generational space race of one-upmanship sustained by the wounded pride of the United States.

It’s bloody great.

Moreover, it’s a fascinating exploration of human motivations to greatness and high ambition as well as being a very grounded look at the hardships of space travel and what might have been but only for a few key moments of our own history going slightly one way or another.

Highly recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

INVINCIBLE s01

It’s tough to really discuss what sets this apart from any other coming-of-age superpowered story without utterly spoiling the thing that sets it apart.

So more generally I can say that it has fun takes on a lot of well-worn tropes and has a couple of refreshing things to say on the way these sorts of stories play out.

The voice cast is incredible and the action is visceral, even if the animation outside of the grand set pieces can tend to sway on the cheaper side. Still, it didn’t detract.

You’ll know if you’re on board by the time the credits on the first episode finish rolling.

Absolutely not for kids.

Recommended.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Continue reading “INVINCIBLE s01”
by Thomas Scott Holland