Edge of Tomorrow

"Live, Die, Repeat"

One of the world's favorite movie genres is science-fiction. It's my favorite genre, too. The Edge of Tomorrow is just that. It's got the aliens, futuristic technology, action, a hard-to-believe story line and the fighting. It's got everything. For Edge of Tomorrow, they've thrown in the concept of time as well.

An alien species called the 'Mimics' has hit Earth and invaded most of mainland Europe. When Major William Cage is unceremoniously thrown into combat, he inexplicably finds himself in a time-loop, forcing him to live the same day and fighting the same war again and again and again. But when he meets Rita Vratski, one of the most decorated soldiers fighting the war, they figure out ways to take the fight back to the Mimics and with each 'resurrection', they get closer and closer to defeating the terrible enemy. 

I guess I could say that Edge of Tomorrow was your typical science fiction movie. The storyline was good, but the 'Live, Die, Repeat' slogan was a spoiler. Living, dying and repeating was the only thing going on the movie. The movie's budget was $175 million, which in terms of movie budgets, is quite small. It is like this for one reason only- there was barely any filming. Since Cage was killed and resurrected so many times, I'm pretty sure that they just used the same footage over and over again to save money. The film was way too repetitive, as you may have have gathered. However, I liked the story and Tom Cruise was amazing as usual with all of the action. Overall, the movie was good, but the endless repeating of the day got a little boring.

• Genre- Action and sci-fi
• Starring- Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt
• Director- Doug Liman
• Producer- Erwin Stoff, Tom Lassally, Jeffrey Silver, Gregory Jacobs and Jason Hoffs 
• Screenplay- Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth

My rating

4/5

Godzilla (2014)

"The world ends, Godzilla begins"

Godzilla: a remake of the previous one that released all the way back in 1998 with a few changes in the plot. If you've watched any of the previous ones, you'll know the basic plot; a huge monster is created because of an accident in a laboratory, it goes under the ocean and later surfaces at some major city in the US where the monster proceeds to destroy buildings, kill people and basically looking as if it has serious anger management issues. At the same time, soldiers are deployed and plans are made to kill the monster by an air strike or detonating a bomb. At the end, Godzilla is killed and everyone lives happily ever after.

In the latest Godzilla movie, the storyline is different. Instead of focusing mainly on Godzilla himself, the movie revolves around two other monsters called MUTOs as well as Godzilla. The two MUTOs try to reach each other to mate, and what's a better place to mate than at San Francisco? But the MUTOs and Godzilla are natural enemies, and when they meet, it ain't gonna be pretty. The human race has to depend on it's most destructive ally, I should say, to defeat the MUTOs.

So far, there have been about 25-odd movies starring Godzilla. Most of these focus on Godzilla himself, and the actors in these ones were horrendous. However, in this year's remake, there was actually some acting, something that was lacking in the other movies. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen have a bright future ahead of them in Hollywood. Let's get to the subject of the great Godzilla. From the role of a main character, Godzilla's role has shrunken to that of a supporting character. They focused more on the MUTOs and well, I'd paid to watch Godzilla fight, not the MUTOs. One more thing: Godzilla was fat. I mean, did you see that pot belly hanging down towards the ground? Huge! He must have been gorging himself underwater. On a whole, I quite liked the movie, especially the end when Godzilla becomes the good guy. However, I did feel that Godzilla could have been a bit more violent, though his atomic breath was a nice touch.

• Genre- Action and sci-fi
• Director- Gareth Edwards
• Producers- Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent and Brian Rogers
• Starring- Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston and Ken Watanabe 
• Screenplay- Max Borenstein 

My rating

4/5

Transcendence

"Dr. Will Caster is dying to keep a secret"

Want to know what may happen to the world in the next decade or so? Watch Transcendence. Starring Johnny Depp, this film is about what would technology could do if it were given a mind of it's own. Dr Will Caster (Johnny Depp) is one of the top researchers in the field of Artificial Intelligence. He wants to create a computer with a full range of human emotions, which will create, in his words, 'Transcendence'. 

When a group of terrorists shoot Caster with a radioactive bullet in an attempt to destroy him, it only becomes an impetus for Caster to succeed in his endeavor- to be a part of his own transcendence. His wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) and best friend Max (Paul Bettany) begin to wonder if what they are doing is right or not. Their worst fears come to light when Will's simple thirst for knowledge turns to an infinite journey for power. 

The plot and story for this film was fantastic. You don't usually see movies with a plot and story as good as Transcendence. The acting was alright too. I would say that only Paul Bettany (Max) did a great job as portraying Will and Evelyn's friend. The visual effects department did their job! The special effects in the movie were amazing. However, I felt that there could have been a little more development of a few things, like the terrorist group, RIFT. There was a lot of potential in this movie, but it's development and delivery was lackluster. Otherwise, it's plot was great, and if you love sci-fi, you'll like this movie. 

• Genre- Sci-fi and fantasy
• Director- Wally Pfister
• Producers- Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosorve, Kate Cohen, Marisa Polvino, Annie Marter, David Valdes and Aaron Ryder
• Starring- Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany and Kate Mara 
• Writer- Jack Paglen 

My rating

3/5 

Divergent

"What Makes You Different, Makes You Dangerous"

Based on the book by Veronica Roth, Divergent is set in a post-apocalyptic world in which society is divides into factions based on positive human traits: Abnegation (selflessness), Dauntless (bravery), Erudite (knowledge), Amity (peace) and Candor (truth). Every year at the age of 16, boys and girls undergo a test, which suggest which faction they would fit into. After the test, Tris (Shailene Woodley) learns that she is Divergent, and will never fit in any faction.

After a hard time at her new faction, Tris learns about a sinister plot to overthrow the government and destroy Divergents because of their way of thinking independently. Tris and her trainer-turned-friend Four (Theo James) must find out why Divergents are dangerous and a way to stop the toppling of the government.

To be honest with you guys, I found Divergent quite boring. First of all, I thought that it was like the Hunger Games. I mean, kids being divided into factions and then being put together for training? Come on, Veronica Roth! One more thing, if you haven't read the book, you're going to find the movie a little hard to follow. Some of the scenes didn't really have any relevance, like the zip-line scene in the middle. The next negative point I have is that there was barely any character development throughout the movie. If I had to describe the movie in one word, I would say BORING! I almost went to sleep, and believe me, I'm not one to sleep during a movie.

• Genre- Adventure, action and sci-fi
• Director- Neil Burger 
• Producers- Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher and Pouya Shabazian
• Starring- Shailene Woodley, Theo James and Jai Courtney 
• Screenplay- Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor 

My rating

2.5/5 

World War Z

"Remember Philly!"

The apocalypse. That's one topic most people today talk about. How will the world end? Will there be a huge tsunami that drowns everyone? Or a nuclear war that renders the world as dangerous and hazardous? In World war Z, as the name may suggest, is about a zombie apocalypse, something that may sound weird, but there a few scientific reasons that say a zombie apocalypse could actually happen.

World War Z is about a former UN investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt). When his home city of Philadelphia is attacked by zombies, he escapes with his family. Everyone who gets bitten by a zombie turns into a zombie as well. Later, it is discovered that there is a vaccine for this epidemic. While Gerry's family is in danger of being thrown out of a safe-house, Gerry reluctantly agrees to embark on a journey to find a cure for the epidemic to save humanity, which will take him from South Korea all the way to Jerusalem. However, even though a vaccine is developed, Gerry admits that the war is not over.

World War Z, in my opinion, is up there with all the top zombie movies. The action never lost momentum throughout the movie and Brad Pitt did an excellent job of portraying a father who embarked on a journey to save his loved ones from the apocalypse. The zombies actually looked like real zombies, not random extras with green paint on their faces. The only negative point I have about the movie is that the plot did not stick to the plot of the book by Max Brooks. Otherwise, the movie is a must-watch. The background music matched with whatever was going on at the time and the music itself was quite nice.  If you haven't watch it, I would encourage you to add it to your must-see lists.

Watch out for zombies!

• Genre- Apocalyptic, horror, action, adventure
• Director- Marc Foster
• Producer(s)- Brad Pitt, Dede Gardener, Jeremy Kleiner and Ian Bryce 
• Starring- Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale and Matthew Fox 
• Screenplay-Matthew Michael Carnahan, Drew Goddard and Damon Lindelof

My rating

4.5/5

The LEGO Movie

"The story of a nobody who saved everybody"

Welcome to my first review of an animated movie! All of you know the famous Lego toys, with their trademark bricks and minifigures. The LEGO Movie is the first full-length Lego movie to hit cinemas and it took the world by storm. Starring Chris Pratt as Emmet Brickowski, Will Ferrel as President Business, Elizabeth Banks as Wyldstyle, Will Arnett as Batman and Morgan Freeman as Vitruvius, the movie is about an ordinary construction worker who mistakenly gets thrown into a mission to save the Lego universe.

A normal citizen in the city, Emmet, is mistaken to be a Master Builder who can save the Lego universe from the evil President Business. With help from Wyldstyle, Vitruvius and Batman, Emmet sets out on the adventure of a lifetime through different Lego worlds to put a stop to President Business's tyranny and to save the Lego universe from being glued together. 

This movie is the best animated film I've seen in my life. The animation was perfect and the detail on each Lego brick was impeccable. If you ever feel a need to laugh, just watch the LEGO Movie. Its humor will keep you roaring with laughter. Though one of the first of its kind, the LEGO Movie, in my opinion, was a big hit with most audiences. I could not find even one bad point about the movie. Everything from the animation to the soundtrack was awesome, especially the famous "Everything is Awesome!". This movie is a must-see for all Lego fans. If there is one thing you could learn from this movie, it is that creativity is NOT bad.

Remember, Everything is awesome! Everything is cool when you're part of a team!

• Genre- Animation, comedy, action, adventure
• Director(s)- Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
• Producer(s)- Dan Lin and Roy Lee
• Starring- Chris Pratt, Will Ferrel, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett and Morgan Freeman
• Screenplay- Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

My rating 

4.5/5 

Please comment your thoughts!

The Hunger Games

"May the Odds be Ever in your Favor"

Based on the bestselling book by Suzanne Collins, the Hunger Games is set in post-apocalyptic North America in a country known as Panem. Panem is divided into 12 districts and 1 ruling city known as the Capitol. As punishment for a rebellion in the past, each district must choose one boy and one girl by lottery to participate in the Hunger Games, where 24 boys and girls will fight to the death in an arena, with one sole survivor who is rewarded.

When Katniss Everdeen's (Jennifer Lawrence) younger sister Prim is chosen, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Her companion is Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), a boy who she has emotional history with. When Katniss volunteers for the Games, she believes that she has no chance at all. However, Katniss is a great hunter and archer and for her, survival is basically second nature.

Most of the movie is fast-paced and thrilling. If you have not read the book, I guarantee that you'll be at the edge of your seat, waiting to see what's next. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson portray Katniss and Peeta superbly and overall, the movie was great. One more thing that I quite liked was that all important events in the book were included in the movie. Director Gary Ross did an agreeable job in making the Hunger Games from a book into a movie. Despite this, I do have one negative comment about the film. The soundtrack was boring. It did not match to what was going on in the movie at the time. Otherwise, the Hunger Games was a fine film.

And may the odds be ever in your favour!

• Genre- Thriller, sci-fi, action
• Director(s)- Gary Ross
• Producer(s)- Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik 
• Starring- Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson
• Screenplay by- Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray  

My rating

4.3/5