TRASH IN MY EYE Reviews: sci-fi

Showing posts with label sci-fi. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Review: "GHOST IN THE SHELL" is Still a Stunning Feat

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 147 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Kokaku kidotai (1995) – anime

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Japan

Ghost in the Shell (1996) – U.S. English dub release

Running time: 83 minutes (1 hour, 23 minutes)

MPAA – R

DIRECTOR: Mamoru Oshii

WRITER: Kazunori Ito, based upon the graphic novel by Masamune Shirow

PRODUCERS: Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, Ken Iyadomi, Ken Matsumoto, and Yoshimasa Mizuo

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Hisao Shirai (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Shuichi Kakesu

COMPOSER: Kenji Kawai

ANIME/SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring: (English dub voices) Mimi Wood, Richard Epcar, Christopher Joyce, William Frederick, Ben Isaacson, Abe Lasser, and Hank Smith

Kokaku kidotai is a 1995 sci-fi, cyberpunk, and action-thriller anime film from director Mamoru Oshii. It is best known by its English title, Ghost in the Shell. This animated film is based on the manga, Ghost in the Shell, from creator, Masamune Shirow. Ghost in the Shell the film follows a cyborg policewoman and her partner as they hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called “the Puppet Master.”

Some aficionados consider the film, Ghost in the Shell, to be the second greatest anime (Japanese animation) film of all time behind the venerable Akira. However, at the time of its release, Ghost in the Shell so stunned audiences with its futuristic look and dazzling blend of traditional and computer animation that some people considered it to be the future of anime and also the top achievement in the history of anime.

Ghost in the Shell opens in the year 2029. A female cyborg cop, Major Motoko (Mimi Woods), and her partner, Batou (Richard Epcar), hunt a mysterious and powerful computer hacker called “The Puppet Master” (Abe Lasser). In the year 2029, society is information driven, and humans are connected on a mass basis to an omnipresent interactive information network.

Sophisticated criminals are hacking into the network, so the government forms “Section 9,” which is led by powerfully advanced cyborgs like Motoko, who hunt the hackers. But in order to discover the secrets of the Puppet Master, Motoko will have to unravel the secrets of “Project 2501.”

Ghost in the Shell's story can get a little confusing at times. The writer of the manga upon which this movie is based put a lot of thought and research into his project. The “ghost” of the title is a soul or psyche, and the “shell” of the title is the body of the cyborg. I would suggest, dear readers, that you pay close attention and follow the dense social, political, and philosophical ideas of the film. In fact, this Ghost in the Shell anime was one of the smarter, science fiction movies of its time, granted that it does occasionally get ahead of itself and spews too many ideas.

As good as the story and script are, the grand achievement of this film is its animation. Anime filmmakers have been ahead of everyone else in animating the human figure in a dramatic context. No one really approaches the grace and the artistry of movement in the animated humans in Disney film, but Japanese animators have done excellent work in creating animated figures that move with fantastic bursts of energy during action sequences that depict sword duels, gunfights, martial arts and hand to hand combat, and wielding great arcs of eldritch and magical energy.

The quality of Ghost in the Shell’s car chases and gunfights rival those found in big, budget live action films, which makes this film feel bracing and invigorating. The beauty of both the hand rendered animation and computer animation totally captures the power of action and movement. Ghost in the Shell is explosive eye candy; imagine the artistry of Disney matched with the intensity of a James Cameron action flick.

Fans of anime and of science fiction love this film, but it is something special, So it should be enjoyed by people who love film and spectacular cinematic achievement.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

EDITED: Wednesday, April 1, 2026

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Sunday, March 22, 2026

Review: Netflix's "WAR MACHINE" is an Action Movie Thrill Machine

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 6 of 2026 (No. 2054) by Leroy Douresseaux

War Machine (2026)

Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 56 minutes)

Rating: MPAA – R for strong violence, grisly images, and language

DIRECTOR: Patrick Hughes

WRITERS: Patrick Hughes and James Beaufort; from a story by Patrick Hughes

PRODUCERS: Patrick Hughes, Rich Cook, Todd Lieberman, Greg McLean, and Alexander Young

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Aaron Morton (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Andy Canny

COMPOSER: Dmitri Golovko

SCI-FI/ACTION/THRILLER

Starring: Alan Ritchson, Stephan James, Blake Richardson, Jai Courtney, Alex King, Keiynan Lonsdale, Jack Patten, James Beaufort, Joshua Diaz, Esai Morales, and Dennis Quaid

SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

War Machine is a pulp sci-fi all gussied up as an intense military thriller slash melodrama, and it works quite well

War Machine is an awesome action movie spectacle and virtually every minute of it is entertaining in some way

Alan Ritchson makes the most of this film, which is really an Alan Ritchson vehicle, and Ritchson gives it his all, meaning he would be lucky to have other vehicles as absolutely entertaining as War Machine is

War Machine is a 2026 science fiction film and action thriller from director Patrick Hughes. A co-production of the United States and Australia, the film was released in Australia before it began streaming on Netflix on March 6, 2026. War Machine follows an unnamed Army staff sergeant who becomes an Army Rangers recruit just in time to battle a mysterious and deadly machine.

War Machine opens in Kandahar, Afghanistan sometime during the prolonged conflict known as the “War in Afghanistan” (2001-21). An unnamed Staff Sergeant (Alan Ritchson) has just arrived t help his brother's broken down convoy. Then, tragedy strikes, leaving the unnamed Staff Sergeant wounded and broken. He is awarded the Silver Star for his actions, but leaves Afghanistan broken and feeling that he failed.

Two years later, the Sergeant attends the "Ranger Assessment and Selection Program" (RASP) in the hopes of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger with the 75th Ranger Regiment. He is given the candidate number “81,” but refuses the request of two officers, Sergeant Major Sheridan (Dennis Quaid) and First Sergeant Torres (Esai Morales), that he take on the role of team leader with the new recruits. Eventually, the final RASP exercise requires 81 and the remaining recruits to enter a nearby forest for a simulated mission.

During the mission, 81 and his team find a mysterious object that they mistake for their target. After they try to destroy the object, it transforms into a giant walking machine, and the killing and destruction begin. Now, 81 will have to be what he no longer wants to be, and that is both a leader and a savior of his his servicemen and servicewomen.

War Machine is one of those pure, old-fashioned science fiction film that is not afraid to be a rollicking, good-time alien-invasion movie. War Machine give me (and also you, dear readers) what I want; it pits a brave human hero battling his inner demons while simultaneously battling an alien baddie for his life. War Machine is Predator (1987) meets Transformers (2007), except that the Transformers here are homicidal, relentless killing machines. The result is a movie that is an absolutely thrilling and entertaining film, which I enjoyed from start to finish.

War Machine's director, Patrick Hughes, has experience delivering muscular action movies, as seen in his work directing The Expendables 3 (2014). Hughes shines up this pulpy sci-fi scenario and delivers an action film that seems as if it could have a timeless appeal (which I can also say about the preposterous Adam Driver sci-fi monster movie, 2023's 65).

I heartily recommend War Machine because I really enjoyed it. Alan Ritchson shows that he certainly has the acting chops to carry a movie as the lead. Ritchson just does his thang because he is both an actor and an entertainer. He shows that in War Machine.

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Sunday, March 22, 2026

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Saturday, March 7, 2026

Review: "WEREWOLVES" is a Crazy Good Monster Movie

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 5 of 2026 (No. 2053) by Leroy Douresseaux

Werewolves (2024)

Running time: 93 minutes (1 hour, 33 minutes)

Rating: MPA – R for violence, some gore, and language

DIRECTOR: Steven C. Miller

WRITER: Matthew Kennedy

PRODUCERS: Jim Cardwell, Craig Chapman, Sevier Crespo, James Michael Cummings, Steven C. Miller, Myles Nestel, and Luillo Ruiz

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Brandon Cox

EDITOR: Greg MacLennan

COMPOSERS: James Burkholder and The Newton Brothers

SCI-FI/HORROR/ACTION

Starring: Frank Grillo, Katrina Law, Ilfenesh Hadera, Kamdynn Gary, James Michael Cummings, Lou Diamond Phillips, Lydia Styslinger, Daniel Fernandez, Yessenia Medina, Omalik J. Rosado, Travis Johnny Ware, and James Kyson

Werewolves is a 2024 American science fiction, horror, and action film from director Steven C. Miller. Werewolves is set on the day a lunar event that changed the world the previous year is about to happen again, while a small group of scientists attempts an experiment to save humanity.

Werewolves opens as the world prepares for the return of a devastating incident. One year earlier there was a “supermoon” event, but it was unlike any other known supermoon event. Over one billion humans that were exposed to the light from the supermoon were transformed into werewolves after the moonlight triggered a rapid DNA mutation in them.

A year later, Dr. James Aranda (Lou Diamond Phillips) and his Aranda Corp. believe that they have created a cure for the mutation in the form of chemical spray called “Moonscreen.” The spray creates a barrier (of sorts) between moonlight and human DNA. At Aranda's side is Dr. Wesley “Wes” Marshall (Frank Grillo), Aranda's lead molecular biologist and the head of the “Global Rapid Response” team.

As the day winds down, the world prepares for the return of the supermoon, Wes helps his late brother's widow, Lucy Marshall (Ilfenesh Hadera), and daughter, Emma (Kamdynn Gary), fortify their home. Will the home hold? And is “Moonscreen” the salvation that Dr. Aranda hopes? The answer may be behind the howling that will begin as soon as the moon rises.

Artist and illustrator, Carter Allen, my collaborator on the graphic novel, The Wrath of Karapace, likes to say that all movies cannot be hits, which is certainly true. However, director Steven C. Miller's hair-raising, 2024 film, Werewolves, deserved better than it got at the box office.

Werewolves is a true science fiction and horror action movie. It has more in common with sci-fi monster movies like Alien: Romulus (2024) and Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) than it does with most werewolf movies. Miller delivers werewolf action with the same kind of cap-popping audacity and flesh-rending madness as Underworld (2003) and its howling progeny.

With its persistent score, virtuoso editing, and sterling werewolf costumes, make-up, and effects, Werewolves delivers monster madness with the confidence of a major studio big budget event pic while also proudly waving its indie creature feature flag. And I say that as someone who is hella persnickety about werewolf visual effects. Also, I like how this film's script gives the werewolves character and personality. They're shrewd and conniving and move with intelligent purpose like Jurassic Park (1993) and its sequels. It is refreshing that Miller and his collaborators realized that seeing the whole werewolf is cool, but that they could also thrill the audience by focusing on various body parts. They make especially good use of the snout, creating an effect that reminded me of the keen close-ups of the raptors in the original Jurassic Park trilogy.

Werewolves' cast, led by Frank Grillo, Katrina Law, and Ilfenesh Hadera, are all-professional all the time. The cast made me believe that time was indeed running out, that Hell is hot, and that werewolves have brought their hearty appetites to this party.

I have previously stated that 2006's Skinwalkers and 2014's Wolves would have been better off as television series. I think we would be better off with at least a sequel to Werewolves. When it comes to werewolf films, I recommend it without reservation.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Saturday, March 7, 2026

Dear readers, you can stream "WEREWOLVES" on Hulu via the Disney+ app. You can also stream it on Amazon Prime Video via rental or purchase.

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Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).

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Sunday, November 23, 2025

Review: "JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH" Hugs Up on "Jurassic Park"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 41 of 2025 (No. 2047) by Leroy Douresseaux

Jurassic World Rebirth (2025)

Running time: 133 minutes (2 hours, 13 minutes)

Rating: MPA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence/action, bloody images, some suggestive references, language and a drug reference

DIRECTOR: Gareth Edwards

WRITER: David Koepp (based on characters created by Michael Crichton)

PRODUCERS: Patrick Crowley and Frank Marshall

CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Mathieson (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Jabez Olssen

COMPOSER: Alexandre Desplat

SCI-FI/ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, Audrina Miranda, Philippine Velge, Bechir Sylvain, and Ed Skrein

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

-- Spiritually, “Jurassic World Rebirth” is closer to the original, 1993 “Jurassic Park” film than it is to any other “Jurassic World” film

-- Writer David Koepp humanizes the characters giving us their hopes, dreams, conflicts, and grief that helps us connect us with the characters. Director Gareth Edwards uses this to deliver an monster movie that is as dramatic as it is adventurous

-- I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoyed any “Jurassic World” film and especially to anyone who hasn't approached this franchise since the original trilogy

Jurassic World Rebirth is a 2025 American science fiction, action-adventure, and dinosaur film from director Gareth Edwards. It is the fourth film in the Jurassic World movie franchise and is a standalone sequel to Jurassic World Dominion (2022). This film is also the seventh entry overall in the Jurassic Park franchise. Rebirth focuses on a group of people stranded on a former island research facility where three types of massive dinosaurs and their monstrous mutant brethren reside.

Jurassic World Rebirth finds formerly extinct dinosaurs in trouble. By 2025, most of Earth's climate is unsuitable for them, and most of the new dinosaurs have died. The remaining animals survive in a tropical band around the equator that is similar to the climates in which dinosaurs lived tens of millions ago. The governments of the world have turned these areas into “exclusion zones,” to which humans are forbidden to travel. Thus, the “Neo-Jurassic Age” has begun. However, there are always people who want their way...

The pharmaceutical company, ParkerGenix, wants to collect blood samples from three colossus dinosaur specimens: the Mosasaurus, the Titanosaurus, and the Quetzalcoatlus, in order to develop a revolutionary new cardiovascular disease treatment for humans. These animals can be found on the Atlantic Ocean island of Ile Saint Hubert, which is 260 miles from French Guiana (South America).

One of the company's executive, Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend), enlists Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), former black ops who specializes in retrieval missions and “situational security and reaction.” Zora will accompany Krebs and paleontologist, Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), in order to collect the samples from the dinosaurs. Zora recruits longtime associate, Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), to lead the expedition with the aid of a group of security experts and mercenaries.

As the mission gets underway, there is a complication. A civilian father, Reuben Delgado (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), is sailing in nearby waters with his daughters, Teresa (Luna Blaise) and Isabella (Audrina Miranda), and Teresa's boyfriend, Xavier Dobbs (David Iacono), whom Reuben openly disdains. Fate will find both groups shipwrecked on an island of mutants and monsters. First, they must survive. Then, they must escape.

I didn't expect much from Jurassic World Rebirth, especially as it arrived only three years after the final film in the original Jurassic World film trilogy, Jurassic World Dominion. I assumed that it would be a few more years before we'd see a new film in the series. However, Universal Pictures and executive producer Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment hired the right people. First, this film's screenwriter is David Koepp, who co-wrote Jurassic Park (1993) with author Michael Crichton, whose 1990 book, Jurassic Park, was the basis for the film. Koepp's screenwriting in Rebirth recalls the tone of the first Jurassic Park trilogy by focusing on the characters and delving into the underlying desires and doubt of the characters. In the case of Rebirth, it makes it easier to embrace the characters and actually see them as people rather than as character types waiting to be dinosaur food.

Gareth Edwards is also a great choice as the director for a dinosaur movie that emphasizes the personality of the human characters. His 2010 film, Monsters, and his 2014 film, Godzilla (the opening salvo in the Legendary Entertainment's “Monsterverse”), showed his deft touch with enticing characters and breathtaking monster movie action. Edwards helms hot dinosaur action in the scenes involving the Mosasaurus, the Titanosaurus, and the Quetzalcoatlus, and especially so in the breathtaking scenes featuring a romantic Titanosuarus couple. Also, race-with-the-devil scenes featuring the mutant dinosaurs froze me to my seat.

This film's cast genuinely conveys the interpersonal relationships of these characters, but Scarlett Johansson as Zora and Mahershala Ali as Duncan are the stars here. They make a great team, so I hope to see them doing the Jurassic thing again. I don't think that I've supported Jurassic lead actors this much since Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), and Jurassic Park III (2001).

Jurassic World Rebirth made me appreciate what the original Jurassic Park films brought to the world of cinema more than I have in a long time. As a standalone film, Rebirth stands on its own very strongly. I found myself thrilled and chilled and appreciative of each character's arc (at least the ones that lived). If Gareth Edwards and David Koepp don't return for the next film, I hope that the newcomers can capture Edwards and Koepp's lighting in a bottle that is Jurassic World Rebirth, which is a true rebirth of the best elements of this film franchise.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Sunday, November 23, 2025

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Thursday, November 13, 2025

Review: "THE RUNNING MAN" is Still Running Like it's 1987

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 40 of 2025 (No. 2046) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Running Man (1987)

Running time: 101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)

Rating: MPAA – R

DIRECTOR: Paul Michael Glaser

WRITER: Steven E. de Souza (based on the novel by Richard Bachman)

PRODUCERS: George Linder and Tim Zinnemann

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Thomas Del Ruth (D.o.P.)

EDITORS: Mark Roy Warner, Edward A. Warschilka, and John Wright

COMPOSER: Harold Faltermeyer

SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Richard Dawson, Maria Conchita Alonso, Yaphet Kotto, Jim Brown, Jesse Venura, Erland van Lidth, Marvin J. McIntyre, Mick Fleetwood, Professor Toru Tanaka, Dweezil Zappa, and Sven-Ole Thorsen

The Running Man is a 1987 American dystopian science fiction-action film and black comedy directed by Paul Michael Glaser and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film is based on the 1982 novel, The Running Man, from author Richard Bachman (a pen name of Stephen King). The Running Man the movie focuses on a wrongfully convicted policeman who gets a shot a freedom if he participates in television game show where he must avoid death at the hands of professional killers.

The Running Man is set in a world where the United States has become a totalitarian police state following a worldwide economic collapse in the year 2017. The U.S. government now maintains control of the population through state television propaganda and through sanctioned entertainment such as the TV show, “The Running Man,” the nation's most popular show. Hosted by the slick-talking Damon Killian (Richard Dawson), “the Running Man” features convicted criminals who are “runners” and who must avoid death at the hands of lethal professional killers known as the “stalkers.”

One of the latest runners is Benjamin A “Ben” Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger). He was a police officer, and he was wrongfully accused and convicted for an incident called the “Bakersfield Massacre,” in which Ben allegedly killed 60 men, women, and children during a “food riot.”

Now known as “the Bakersfield Butcher,” Ben is joined by two comrades, Laughlin (Yaphet Kotto) and Weiss (Marvin J. McIntyre), and the trio has three hours to escape to freedom by running through four quadrants. Standing in their way are such stalkers as “Professor Subzero” (Professor Toru Tanaka), “Dynamo” (Erland van Lidth), and “Fireball” (Jim Brown). And the stalkers have weapons, while Ben and his fellow “running men” don't.

I remember not liking whatever amount of The Running Man I had seen in the past. I decided to watch it in its entirety in anticipation of the director Edgar Wright's remake, The Running Man (2025), starring Glen Powell. I was shocked to find out how much I really enjoyed watching the 1987 film. Truthfully, The Running Man can still pop its 80s action movie coochie, and it's still running strong. Also, the extent to which the authoritarian U.S. government in the world of this film goes to maintain control is comical. In its bid to watch and to control everything and everyone, They inevitably miss something and some people – with comical results. The Running Man is genuinely a funny black comedy.

There are also a number of things that make The Running Man charming and likable. Before she became a right wing harpie, actress Maria Conchita Alonso, who plays Ben's sidekick (more or less), “Amber Mendez,” hit her peak in the mid to late 1980s. I find her to be a delight in The Running Man, and her star quality, though short-lived as it turned out to be, is obvious.

The late, great film and television actor, Yaphet Kotto (1939-2021), gave the films and TV series in which he appeared a little more credibility, which he also does in The Running Man as “Laughlin.” However, actors and pop culture figures, Jesse Ventura and the late NFL legend, Jim Brown (1936-2023), make appearances in this film, in which they are woefully underutilized.

The late actor Richard Dawson (1932 to 2012) was best known for two things. First, there was his role as con man, safe cracker, and thief, “Corporal Peter Newkirk” in the former CBS sitcom, “Hogan's Heroes” (1965-71). Next, was his stint hosting the American game show, “Family Feud,” from 1976 to 1981 and again from 1994 to 1995. Dawson brings the best of those two performances to his role as the host of “The Running Man,” Damon Killian. It is standout performance mixing the charming rogue that was Corporal Newkirk with the roguish charm Dawson showed on “Family Feud.”

Despite mouthing a basket of deplorable one-liners and quips, Arnold Schwarzenegger is still Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Running Man. What can I say? He truly is a real Hollywood movie star and is really a true cinematic icon. I believe there are other actors who could have played Ben Richards in a contextually different version of The Running Man. However, in The Running Man that we did get in 1987, only Arnold Schwarzenegger could have saved this film from becoming straight-to-cable, late night trash. Only Arnold could have made it an 80s action movie that won't go away.

6 of 10

★★★ out of 4 stars

Thursday, November 13, 2025

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Thursday, August 21, 2025

Review: "THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP" is a Pure "Looney Tunes" Movie

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 36 of 2025 (No. 2042) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (2025) – animated

Running time: 91 minutes (1 hour, 31 minutes)

Rated: MPA – PG for cartoon violence/action and rude/suggestive humor

DIRECTOR: Pete Browngardt

WRITERS: Darrick Bachman, Pete Browngardt, Kevin Costello, Andrew Dickman, David Gemmill, Alex Kirwan, Ryan Kramer, Jason Reicher, Michael Ruocco, Johnny Ryan, and Eddie Trigueros

PRODUCERS: Michael Baum (line); Alex Kirwan (supervising)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Sam Register and Pete Browngardt

EDITOR: Nick Simotas

COMPOSER: Joshua Moshier

ANIMATION/SCI-FI and COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring: (voices) Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, Peter MacNicol, Fred Tatasciore, Carlos Alazraqui, Kimberly Brooks, Laraine Newman, and Wayne Knight

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

-- Fans of traditional, hand-drawn animation and fans of the “Looney Tunes” will want to give “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” a try for the simple fact that it is a traditional, hand-drawn, Looney Tunes animated film

-- However, it is good, not great, but it goes down like nostalgia-infused hot cocoa.

-- Eric Bauza's voice performances as both Porky Pig and Daffy Duck are so pitch perfect that I would swear that Looney Tunes voice legend, Mel Blanc, had performed the roles

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is a 2025 American animated science fiction comedy from director Peter Browngardt. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Ketchup Entertainment, the film stars two classic “Looney Tunes” characters, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. In The Day the Earth Blew Up, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig try to save the Earth from an alien invasion involving a creepy new flavor of chewing gum.

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie opens in the town of Grandview. There, The Scientist (Fred Tatasciore) discovers an asteroid heading towards Earth, and then, he discovers a UFO hurtling alongside the asteroid. When the UFO crashes onto Earth, The Scientist goes to investigate the crash site, where he vanishes.

The story moves to Daffy Duck (Eric Bauza) and Porky Pig (Eric Bauza), and the story of how they were raised by Farmer Jim (Fred Tatasciore). When Daffy and Porky become adults, Farmer Jim leaves everything to the duo under the promise that they would learn the power of responsibility through relying on each other. Now, however, Daffy and Porky are in danger of losing the home Farmer Jim left them because they fail a city home inspection.

In need of cash for home repairs, the duo gets a job at the “Goodie Gum” factory, where they meet Petunia Pig (Candi Milo), a Goodie Gum scientist who is trying to develop the perfect chewing gum flavor. Porky falls in love with Petunia, while Daffy keeps causing disasters. That is all interrupted when the trio discovers that their is an alien conspiracy, initiated by “The Invader” (Peter MacNicol), and assisted by The Scientist, who is now possessed. The Invader seemingly wants to control the world, using the launch of Goodie Gum's new flavor, “Super Strongberry.” Are Daffy, Porky, and their new pal, Petunia, up to the challenge of saving the Earth from being... blown up?

There have been Looney Tunes films for several decades. Those include The Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie (1981), Daffy Ducks Quackbusters (1988), and the live-action animation hybrid, Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003). However, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is the first fully animated and theatrically released Looney Tunes film that consists of entirely original material. I hope that it is not the last, but The Day the Earth Blew Up isn't a great film.

Don't get me wrong. It is entertaining, visually inventive, full of clever sight gags, and energetic. The voice performances are exceptional, and Canadian voice actor, Eric Bauza, matches the sound and spirit of classic Looney Tunes voice actor, the late Mel Blanc (1908-89). Two of Bauza's three Emmy Award wins are for his Looney Tunes work, and he should win some awards for his work in this film.

The Day the Earth Blew Up is charming and also respectful of its Warner Bros. animation roots and cartoon legacy. For all its energy (mostly in the second half) and novel story elements, this film feels a bit too long. Too much of the movie feels forced, and I get why Warner Bros. Pictures passed on distributing this movie itself. The Day the Earth Blew Up is niche entertainment, and its limited box office appeal probably wasn't worth the time and costs of distributing it theatrically.

Luckily, Ketchup Entertainment didn't feel that way, and it gave this film a theatrical release, both domestically and internationally. The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie deserved that, because despite my reservations, I believe it can start something. Maybe, Looney Tunes can again be a really big thing with the youngest generations the way it once was with the oldest generations.

6 of 10

★★★ out of 4 stars

"THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP" is available on Blu-ray and DVD at Amazon.

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Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Review: "THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS" Focuses on Family

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 32 of 2025 (No. 2038) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

Running time: 115 minutes (1 hour, 55 minutes)

Rating: MPA – PG-13 for action/violence and some language

DIRECTOR: Matt Shakman

WRITERS: Josh Friedman, Eric Person, and Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer; from a story by Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer, and Kat Wood (based on the Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)

PRODUCER: Kevin Feige

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jess Hall (D.o.P.)

EDITORS: Nona Khodai and Tim Roche

COMPOSER: Michael Giacchino

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION and FANTASY/DRAMA

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, and Matthew Wood (voice)

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

-- I found the lead characters, “The Fantastic Four” to be a bit too mild-mannered, and things do seem to come too easily for them. However, this quartet is quite lovable and adorable, and when he comes along, the baby starts to steal the show.

-- “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” has two great villains in Galactus and the Silver Surfer, with the Surfer dominating most scenes in which she appears. In fact, the action scenes are hyper-intense and breathtaking. I was riveted to the screen while watching them.

-- Overall, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is by far the best “Fantastic Four” movie to date, and I put it ahead of the recent “Superman” and “Thunderbolts*”

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a 2025 American superhero movie and science fiction film from director Matt Shakman and Marvel Studios. The film is based on Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four, which was created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee and first appeared in the comic book, The Fantastic Four #1 (cover dated: November 1961). It is also the 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the second reboot of the Fantastic Four film franchise. In First Steps, the Fantastic Four is forced to balance their family life and their superhero life as never before when a god-like space being and his enigmatic herald arrive and mark Earth for destruction.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens on Earth-828 in the year 1960. It introduces “The Fantastic Four,” a quartet of astronauts turned superheroes. First is the highly intelligent scientist, Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), who as “Mr. Fantastic” can stretch any part of his body to great lengths. Next is Reed's wife, Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), the founder of the “Future Foundation,” a global demilitarization and world peace organization. As the “Invisible Woman” Sue can generate force fields and turn invisible. Then, there is the brilliant pilot, former astronaut, and Reed's best friend, Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), a.k.a. “The Thing,” whose skin has been transformed into a layer of orange rock, which grants him super-human strength and durability. Finally, there is Sue's younger brother, Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), who as the “Human Torch,” can engulf his body in flames, control fire, and fly.

The world honors The Fantastic Four for what they have given humanity, so when Reed and Sue reveal that they are expecting a child, the world celebrates and prepares for the new arrival, while also wondering if the child will also have super-powers. However, the celebrating is short-lived. A metallic-skinned, seemingly-female alien arrives from space, riding a surfboard. This “Silver Surfer” (Julia Garner) is the herald of Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a planet-devouring cosmic being, and he is coming to devour Earth. Now, the members of The Fantastic Four face their toughest test ever, and the price they must pay to save the Earth may be too high for even them to pay.

I actually enjoyed Tim Story's two Fantastic Four films the aughts, Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). Director Josh Trank's 2015 reboot of the franchise, Fantastic Four, had a lot of good ideas, but alleged studio interference turned the film into a wreck. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is not at all a wreck. Its intense action sequences had me gripping the armrests of my seat at the local movie theater. The villains are great. Galactus is awesome and even scarier than the gargantuan “Celestials” of Marvel Studios' 2021 epic, Eternals; he seemed unbeatable. Julia Garner's Silver Surfer is 10 times the herald the one in Rise of the Silver Surfer is. This Silver Surfer, whose original name was “Shalla Bal,” is like a velociraptor on a surfboard. She chases our heroes with the unrelenting hellish fury of the “Headless Horseman” that chases Ichabod Crane in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” segment of Disney's The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949).

On the other hand, the heroes of The Fantastic Four: First Steps come across as too mild-mannered. They are so accomplished that everything seems to come too easy for them. Even when they are angry with one another, that anger lacks passion. In fact, I'd call the cast and characters dispassionate. It is as if the film's director, Matt Shakman, who does an excellent job overall, wants his leads to be inoffensive. I like the casting of the leads, but they need to breath a little more fire.

In the end, I like that Disney and Marvel Studios finally take the opportunity to honor the late Jack Kirby (1917-1994), the comic book writer-artist who created the Fantastic Four with the late Stan Lee (1922-2018). There are several nods to Kirby, and this is long overdue. That makes me love First Steps even more. It is almost a great film, and its special effects and inventive and imaginative retro-futuristic elements endlessly fascinate me. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is hugely entertaining, and these are the right first steps to bring the Fantastic Four into the cinematic prominence they deserve.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

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Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Review: "MICKEY 17" is Wacky, Withering and Awesome

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 24 of 2025 (No. 2030) by Leroy Douresseaux

Mickey 17 (2025)

Running time: 137 minutes (2 hours, 17 minutes)

MPA – R for violent content, language throughout, sexual content and drug material

DIRECTOR: Bong Joon Ho

WRITER: Bong Joon Ho (based on the novel by Edward Ashton)

PRODUCERS: Bong Joon Ho, Dooho Choi, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Darius Khondji (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Jinmo Yang

COMPOSER: Jung Jae-il

SCI-FI/DRAMA/COMEDY

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, Steven Yeun, Daniel Henshall, Anamaria Vartolomei, Ellen Robertson, Michael Monroe, Patsy Ferran, Cameron Britton, Ian Hanmore, Jude Mack, and Stephen Park

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

-- Mickey 17 is an imaginative science fiction film and futuristic drama that is also a savage social critique of modern times. It is one of the best films of 2025

-- The film has the aesthetics of the European science fiction films of French director, Luc Besson, and of the work of the late French comic book author, Jean “Moebius” Giraud, but it movies like an American political comedy

-- The film has some standout performances from Naomie Ackie, Mark Ruffalo, and Toni Collette, but in a dual role, Robert Pattinson, in some ways, turns Mickey 17 into his own star vehicle

Mickey 17 is a 2025 satirical science fiction drama film from director Bong Joon Ho. The film is a U.

S. and South Korean production. It is based on the 2022 novel, Mickey7, written by author Edward Ashton. Mickey 17 follows a man who joins a space colony as a “disposable worker,” which means that he is reprinted every time he dies or is killed.

Mickey 17 opens in the year 2054 AD. Down on his luck young businessman, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson), and his partner, Timo (Steven Yeun), borrow money from Darius Blank (Ian Hanmore), a murderous loan shark. Unable to pay back the loan and needing to get away, Mickey and Timo join a spaceship crew headed to Plant Niflheim as space colonists. Mickey gets the worse of the deal when he signs on an “Expendable.” It is a job filled with extremely dangerous tasks that often lead to death.

Every time Mickey dies or is killed, his body is thrown into a fiery pit. Various biological meat matter is run through a “cycler,” and Mickey is essentially cloned in a process called “Bodyprinting.” Mickey's memories, having been digitized, are inserted into the newly reprinted Mickey. During the voyage, Mickey falls in love with Nasha Barridge (Naomie Ackie), an all-in-one elite security agent on the ship. Each time, one Mickey is killed, Nasha loyally loves the next Mickey.

After arriving on Niflheim, more experimentation leads to more dead Mickey's until there is “Mickey 17.” During some reconnaissance, there is an accident, and Mickey 17 is believed to be dead. However, he is miraculously rescued in the most unexpected way. Now, returning to the ship, Mickey must face off with Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo), the head of the expedition, who has sinister designs on Niflheim, and his boorish wife, Ilfa (Toni Collette). He must also solve the mystery of the planet's inhabitants, which the humans call “creepers.” Oh, and Mickey 17 has to deal with a surprising yet familiar newcomer.

I thought director Bong Joon Ho's 2013 South Korean film, Snowpiercer, was one of the best films released in the U.S. in 2014. I have yet to see his Oscar-winning film, Parasite (2019), but I was determined to see Mickey 17. Like Snowpiercer, Mickey 17 is a black comedy, but make no mistake. Mikey 17 is also a withering social critique of our modern world. From a society of have-nothings and have-everythings to a technocracy that uses people as disposable commodities, Mickey 17 skewers the current plutocracy and oligarchies. Mickey 17 holds a mirror to our modern world in which people are dehumanized on the alter of the material and technological pursuits of the powerful.

Mickey 17 reminds me of the European science fiction films of French director, Luc Besson (1997's The Fifth Element), and of the art of the late French comic book artist, Jean “Moebius” Giraud. Still, its breezy character drama and witty comedy feel like American entertainment, especially the way it skewers the film's villain, the thoroughly American Kenneth Marshall. As Marshall, Mark Ruffalo delivers a scathing send-up of whom else – our lumbering, drug-addled, egomaniac President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. I don't know if Bong Joon Ho wanted Ruffalo to play the character that way, but Ruffalo portrayal of a power-mad, racist, religious fake is both breathtaking and also a testament to his skills as an actor.

I don't want to skimp on praising the film's other stars. Naomie Ackie is a ball of energy as Nasha, and she grabs her time in the spotlight. Toni Collette is an acting treasure, and she delivers another great character performance – of course.

Still, let's be honest. Robert Pattinson – handsome Robert Pattinson – is a very talented actor, and he is a true movie star. The more I watched this film, the more I realized that Mickey 17 is essentially a Robert Pattinson star vehicle. There is nothing wrong with that, but Pattinson also delivers a performance that defines the film's themes of identity, independence, and empathy, as well as bring the story along as it delves into the nature of self and consciousness.

I can see why Mickey 17 did not perform well with theatrical audiences and with some critics. The film requires the viewer to wait almost an hour as it establishes its characters and settings before delivering the hook in the plot that reels the viewer into the heart of this daring and sometimes absurd film. Its mix of social sci-fi, black comedy, and satire is another example of Bong Joon Ho showing how he deftly blends genres and sub-genres into incomparable cinematic art. Mickey 17 is one of 2025's best films, and it rewards audience patience without an outstanding entertainment experience.

9 of 10

A+

★★★★+ out of 4 stars

Tuesday, June 3, 2025

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Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Review: "ULTRAVIOLET" is Mostly Misspent Potential

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 164 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Ultraviolet (2006)

Running time: 88 minutes (1 hour, 28 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of violent action throughout, partial nudity, and language

WRITER/DIRECTOR: Kurt Wimmer

PRODUCERS: John Badecchi and Lucas Foster

CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Arthur Wong Ngok Tai and Jimmy Wong

EDITOR: William Yeh

COMPOSER: Klaus Badelt

SCI-FI/ACTION and MARTIAL ARTS/MYSTERY

Starring: Milla Jovovich, Cameron Bright, Nick Chinlund, Sebastien Andrieu, Ida Martin, and William Fichtner

Ultraviolet is a 2006 American science fiction action film from writer-director Kurt Wimmer. The film focuses on a woman infected with a virus that gives her superhuman and vampire-like powers who has to protect a boy thought to carry antigens that would destroy others like her.

Ultraviolet opens in the late 21st century. The Hemoglophagic Virus has infected the human population – a disease causing symptoms that many associate with vampires. Those afflicted gain enhanced intelligence, fantastic stamina, and lightning-fast speed (like the vampires in Blade). The world is divided into those who don’t have it (normal humans), and those who do (called “hemophages”).

The government, led by the powerful scientist, Vicecardinum Ferdinand Daxus (Nick Chinlund), hunts hemophages in hopes of wiping them out. One woman, a highly-skilled hemophage warrior named Violet Song jat Shariff (Milla Jovovich), infiltrates a governmental research station. Violet steals a case containing a secret weapon that will reportedly wipe out the infected. However, Violet finds herself on the run and protecting a mysterious child, called “Six” (Cameron Bright), who may or may not be infected with a virus dangerous to hemophages. Now, Daxus and his entire military force is out to get her and the child.

From writer/director Kurt Wimmer (Equilibrium), Ultraviolet is non-interactive entertainment (a movie) trying to act like interactive entertainment (a videogame). Awash in bright colors (computer-generated neon), the film looks like a comic book, especially when Milla Jovovich poses – standing still and trying to look badass before she begins a fight sequence. It’s the only time her performance can be said to be anything near good. Most of the time, she is so dreadful that it’s impossible to believe that she’s been acting for nearly two decades.

Ultraviolet has a lot of potential, but ultimately it’s just a poorly developed and disastrously executed movie that a computer made all gooey with color and the filmmakers filled with an electronics expo full of fancy gadgets.

3 of 10

C-

★½ out of 4 stars

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Edited: Monday, March 24, 2025

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Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Review: First "HELLBOY" Film Still Dances with the Devil

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 45 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Hellboy (2004)

Running time: 122 minutes (2 hours, 2 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and frightening images

DIRECTOR: Guillermo del Toro

WRITERS: Guillermo del Toro; from screen story by Peter Briggs & Guillermo del Toro (based upon the comic book by Mike Mignola)

PRODUCERS: Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin, and Mike Richardson

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Guillermo Navarro

EDITOR: Peter Amundson

COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami

HORROR/ACTION/ADVENTURE and SCI/FANTASY

Starring: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor, Karel Roden, Rupert Evans, John Hurt, Corey Johnson, Doug Jones, Brian Caspe, James Babson, Biddy Hodson, Jim Howick, Kevin Trainor, and (voice) David Hyde Pierce

Hellboy is a 2004 American superhero and horror-fantasy film from director Guillermo del Toro. The film is based upon the Hellboy comic book franchise and character created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. Hellboy the movie focuses on a demon who becomes a defender against the forces of darkness after being conjured by the Nazis as an infant.

Mike Mignola’s titular character of his wonderful Hellboy comic books comes to life in director Guillermo del Toro’s colorful and well-dressed B-movie, Hellboy. This horror/action flick is dry, slow, and even the action is deadpan, although there are a few funny and genuinely scary moments. Now, I can describe a plethora of movies as having “a few good moments,” but this movie does have quite a few.

The film begins late in World War II. A young scientist, Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm (Kevin Trainor) and a squad of Allied soldiers come upon a group of Nazi kooks. The kooks include the Russian mystic, Grigori Rasputin (Karel Roden), in the midst of a ritual to summon a group of big bow wow evil gods. The Allies stop the evil that is coming “from the other side,” but something does slip through – a little demon kid they name Hellboy.

Sixty years later, Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is now an adult, having been raised by Trevor Bruttenholm (John Hurt). Hellboy is the main man/strongman for "The Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense," which is a group fighting the good fight against all manner of bogeymen and boogens. Our entry into this dark world of supernatural special operations is an FBI newbie, John Myers (Rupert Evans). Myers comes just in time, as Rasputin and his gang of uglies are back to finish what they started six decades earlier.

Hellboy is a pleasant diversion, and it certainly is pretty to look at, featuring colorful art direction, set decoration, and makeup. Hellboy looks a lot like Guillermo del Toro’s last film, Blade II, but whereas the latter had a dark atmosphere and a convincing, unbroken line of suspense, Hellboy is flat and too long to be as flat as it is. Perlman is, at times, almost D.O.A. as the title character, and then, quite lively at other times. I don’t think Perlman's interpretation of Hellboy really fits the comic book original version of the character. The four color Hellboy is more humble and earthy, whereas Perlman’s creation often comes across as a cocky, uncouth roughneck.

Hellboy has excellent production values. It is a great looking film, from its set and environments to its costumes and hair and make-up that transform actors into a menagerie of inventive and imaginative characters. Still,I don't think audiences have to see Hellboy in a theater; they can save it for a rental.

5 of 10

B-

★★½ out of 4 stars

EDITED: Saturday, March 1, 2025

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Monday, February 3, 2025

Review: Christian Film, "PARALLEL - THE TRIAD," Keeps it Real

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 8 of 2025 (No. 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Parallel – The Triad (2024)

Running time: 86 minutes (1 hour, 26 minutes)

MPA – no rated

WRITER/DIRECTOR: Jason Aleman

PRODUCER: Jason Aleman

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mike Wilson

EDITOR: Jason Aleman

COMPOSER: Robin Hannibal

FAITH/SCI-FI/DRAMA

Starring: Chad Garrett, Lizzie Camp, Terry Weaver, Marley Aleman, Troy Garza, Sharen Andrea White, Liam Robert Noack, Josh Thigpen, Marcus Luttrell, V.R. Norbert Maduzia, Michael T. Adams, Kieth Noack, and Jason Aleman

SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

Parallel – The Triad is a faith-based film with some intriguing science fiction ideas about the war between good and evil

The film is far from perfect and is clunky at times, but its message and motivations seem genuine.

Parallel – The Triad is 2024 Christian science fiction film and faith-based drama from director Jason Aleman. The film follows a mechanic who joins three souls sent to Earth by God to fulfill His plan.

Parallel – The Triad introduces Cyrus Dooley (Chad Garrett), a hot-rod mechanic and automobile restoration expert. Cyrus has been grieving the loss of his father nearly a year earlier in an accident for which he blames himself. So lost in his grief is Cyrus that he does not notice that one of his employees, T.J. (Lizzie Camp), has fallen under the spell of Abimelech (Terry Weaver), a scheming businessman who becomes a servant of “the evil spirits that sway humans.”

God sends three souls: Briella (Marley Aleman), Urie (Troy Garza), and Sarie (Sharen Andrea White) to Earth from “the Parallel” on a mission to fulfill His plans. That means that they have to help Cyrus after more tragedy befalls him and he continues to lose his way in life. Can “The Triad” help Cyrus understand that he must “trust God's plan?”

I certainly do not belong to any of the target audiences for Parallel – The Triad, but I discovered the film's existence via social media. Although I have reviewed a few films that depict Jesus Christ, the only faith-based, Christian drama, or evangelical film that I have reviewed to date is 2014's Son of God, a really good movie which hails from Roma Downey and Mark Burnett's empire of Christian schmaltz, Lightworkers Media.

Something about Parallel – The Triad piqued my interest. Structurally, in terms of narrative and character, Parallel – The Triad has some major problems. I don't know if the dialogue is really as bad as it seems or if it is good and cast is simply not professional. The special effects are at least three decades behind current standards. The film's robotic villains, the “demon droids,” look like they were created for the original Mortal Kombat (1995) film.

However, Parallel – The Triad, for all its faults, seems genuine in what it has to say. This movie does not seem like corporate movie product meant to sell merchandise and ancillary products, as much as it sells tickets. Parallel – The Triad wants to spread the good news about God's plan and about trusting God's plan. The film does not shy away from portraying the high costs of the wages of sin and about how hard it is to get away from the “evil one” the more a person has invested in evil. I do find that the film's emphasis on technology, media, and “pharmacology” as spreaders of negative energy to be cringe-inducing, although there may be some truth to that notion.

I like “Cyrus Dooley” as the lead character; actor Chad Garrett really sells Cyrus' grief and guilt. Also, Lizzie Camp gives a tight performance as T.J., allowing her to have a nice character arc. These two characters steady the occasional rickety nature of the film's structure.

My criticisms aside, I found myself fascinated by Parallel – The Triad, and I think fans of faith-based films will find this movie's character drama to be every bit as intriguing as its sci-fi “Holy War” side. I'd like to see a sequel to Parallel – The Triad, hopefully one with a bigger VFX budget. If this concept had the CGI budget of even a small scale Hollywood film, it would rock the heavens... or the Parallel.

B-

5 of 10

★★½ out of 4 stars

Monday, February 3, 2025

"Parallel - The Triad" is available for rent or purchase at Amazon Prime Video. And yes, this blog does participate in Amazon's "affiliate advertising program," so I will get paid a small fee if you click on this link and actually rent it or purchase something from Amazon.

https://www.youtube.com/@ParallelFilmsStudio

https://bsky.app/profile/parallel-films.bsky.social

https://www.facebook.com/parallel.films.studio

https://x.com/ParallelTriad

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Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Review: "AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM" is Water-Logged Entertainment

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 of 2025 (No. 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

Running time: 124 minutes (2 hours, 4 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for sci-fi violence and some language

DIRECTOR: James Wan

WRITERS: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick; from a story by James Wan and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick & Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa'a Sibbett (based on the character created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger and appearing in DC Comics)

PRODUCERS: James Wan, Rob Cowan, and Peter Safran

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Don Burgess

EDITOR: Kirk M. Morri

COMPOSER: Rupert Gregson-Williams

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/SCI-FI and ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring: Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Amber Heard, Dolph Lundgren, Temuera Morrison, Randall Park, Jani Zhao, Indya Moore, and Nicole Kidman with the voices of Martin Short, John Rhys-Davies, and Pilou Asbaek

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a 2023 superhero, action-adventure and science fiction-fantasy film from director James Wan. It is a direct sequel to the 2018 film, Aquaman, and it is also the 15th and final installment of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film is based on the DC Comics character, Aquaman, that was created by artist Paul Norris and editor Mort Weisinger and first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 (cover dated: November 1941). In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Black Manta forges a deal with a mysterious evil from Atlantis' past, forcing Aquaman to forge an alliance with his imprisoned brother in order to save Atlantis.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens four years after Aquaman/Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) became King of Atlantis and married Mera (Amber Heard). They are now parents to a son, Arthur Jr. Aquaman splits his life between land and sea, strengthening his bond with his father, Thomas Curry (Temuera Morrison), and getting wise advice about being a father from him. However, splitting time between his life on land and his life as the ruler of Atlantis has led to clashes with the High Council of the Seven Kingdoms.

Meanwhile, David Kane/Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen) continues to seek revenge against Aquaman for the death of his father (as seen in Aquaman). With the help of marine biologist, Stephen Shin (Randall Park), Kane finds a mysterious artifact, “the Black Trident.” As soon Kane touches the trident, it possesses him and connects his mind to the mysterious Kordax, the undead king of the lost undersea kingdom of Necrus. Soon, Kane, at Kordax's command, is poisoning the surface world with an element known as “Orichalcum.”

Aquaman's mother, Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), the former queen of Atlantis, implores him to seek the help of his imprisoned brother, Orm Marius (Patrick Wilson), the deposed King of Atlantis in order to stop Kane. But can Aquaman trust Orm, who tried to kill him and whom he removed from the throne of Atlantis?

While watching the original film, Aquaman, I could not help but notice that many of its story points and plot elements were glaringly similar to those found in Marvel Studios' Black Panther, which debuted earlier in the same year, 2018, that Aquaman hit theaters. I also find Black Panther elements in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, but none as pronounced as in the first film. I also believe that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is strongly influenced by the Star Wars “prequel” films, especially Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

That said, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is like the first film – a grand, old-fashioned, action-adventure fantasy film. The sequel is quite entertaining, but not as solidly entertaining as the first film.

The plot, narrative, and character drama in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom seem forced when they are not being over-the-top, and are lacking in genuine emotion and feeling when they not being forced and over-the-top. Director James Wan and his co-writers emphasize sound and fury. It is as if they believe that the more CGI, action scenes, explosions, subplots, and weird-looking things they throw on the screen the less likely that the audience will realize how ungainly this film is. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom isn't cinematic art; it's merely corporate entertainment product, and unlike the first time, Warner Bros. Pictures didn't as lucky with the sequel.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom treads water just not to be mediocre. I will admit that its production values and special visual effects all look quite good. Visually, the film is sumptuous even if the drama is rickety. And as I write this, I am just remembering that I like the film score, although I am sure that I have heard parts of it in another film.

Also, I admire that Jason Momoa throws himself into this film, doing his best to make it seem like the most fun he and the audience could ever have in a superhero movie. Unfortunately, it was the Aquaman movie before Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom that was really fun.

B-

5 of 10

★★½ out of 4 stars

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

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Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Review: "PRINCE OF DARKNESS" Still Scares the Green Liquid Outta Me (Celebrating John Carpenter)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 9 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness (1987)

Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)

MPAA – R

DIRECTOR: John Carpenter

WRITER: Martin Quatermass (John Carpenter)

PRODUCER: Larry J. Franco

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Gary B. Kippe

EDITOR: Steve Mikovich

COMPOSERS: John Carpenter and Alan Howarth

HORROR/SCI-FI

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Jameson Parker, Victor Wong, Lisa Blount, Dennis Dun, Susan Blanchard, Anne Marie Howard, Ann Yen, Dirk Blocker, Jessie Lawrence Ferguson, Peter Jason, Robert Grasmere, Thom Bray, and Alice Cooper

Prince of Darkness is a 1987 American supernatural horror film from writer-director John Carpenter. The film focuses on a Catholic priest, quantum physics university professor, and his graduate students as they investigate an ancient cylinder full of swirling liquid, which may be the embodiment of the “Prince of Darkness.”

Prince of Darkness introduces Father Loomis (Donald Pleasence), a high-ranking priest. He has come across a long-hidden secret, one kept even from the Vatican. A priestly order, “The Brotherhood of Sleep,” has possessed a canister that apparently contains the liquefied remains of the “Prince of Darkness.” When the last of the order dies, Loomis seeks out a prestigious professor of physics, Prof. Howard Birack (Victor Wong), to help him understand the discoveries he’s made at the Brotherhood’s church.

Birack enlists the aid of a group of fellow scientists and students to study ancient texts and to learn the truth about the thing that may hold the “Prince of Darkness.” However, whatever the liquid is, it is awakening, and it is beginning to possess some members of the investigation team, turning them into killer zombies. Worse still, Father Loomis, Birack, and the students discover that the Prince of Darkness intends to bring his even more evil father back from the dark side to our world.

Prince of Darkness is one of my favorite John Carpenter films. It is the second installment in what Carpenter calls his “Apocalypse Trilogy,” which began with his 1982 film, The Thing (1982), and concluded with his 1994 film, In the Mouth of Madness (1994). Prince of Darkness is quite scary and suspenseful, and Carpenter’s screenplay is filled with many wonderful and eccentric ideas about the nature of time, existence, and religion. Perhaps, the most frightening thing about the film is its atmosphere of the unknown. A lot of the ideas and philosophy within the film are half-explained or unexplained, but there’s just enough to make you curious and feel that your safety and that of the film’s characters are on the line if someone doesn’t solve the riddles behind the dark conspiracy. This is also one of the better examples of Carpenter’s ability to create a narrative flow that maintains a sense of dread or a sense of impending horror from start to finish.

The actors confine their performances to doing what’s necessary to serve a horror film, so there is some stiffness to the acting, as well as some occasionally unnecessary histrionics. Still, they are integral in making this one of the better end-of-world movies. Prince of Darkness also fits in well with that sub-genre in horror in which a small band of humans stand alone against forces bent on destroying or conquering the world – the last line of defense for a humanity that doesn’t know about the secret war to save it. Prince of Darkness, in that sense, works and is a truly underrated and excellent film, especially for fans who love a good mixture of horror and science fiction.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

EDITED: Wednesday, January 15, 2025

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Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Review: "STARMAN" Retains Its Charms (Celebrating John Carpenter)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 88 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

John Carpenter’s Starman (1984)

Running time: 115 minutes (1 hour, 55 minutes)

MPAA – PG

DIRECTOR: John Carpenter

WRITERS: Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon

PRODUCER: Larry J. Franco

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Donald M. Morgan (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Marion Rothman

COMPOSER: Jack Nitzsche

Academy Award nominee

SCI-FI/DRAMA/ROMANCE

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen, Charles Martin Smith, Richard Jaeckel, Robert Phalen, and Tony Edwards

Starman is a 1984 American science fiction drama and romantic film from director John Carpenter. The original screenplay was written by Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon, with Dean Riesner committing re-writes for which he did not received a screen credit. Although the film was not a box office success, it inspired the short-lived “Starman” television series (ABC, 1986-87). Starman the movie focuses on a young Wisconsin widow; the alien who takes the form of her late husband; and their cross-country drive to help the alien make a rendezvous with the space ship that will take him home.

Starman begins with an alien being who finds his space probe shot down by the U.S. Air Force, causing the probe to crash land in Wisconsin. A pulsating, levitating blue orb, the alien enters the home of widow, Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen), where he jury-rigs or clones a body from the remains of Jenny’s late husband, Scott (Jeff Bridges). After much confusion and fear, Jenny helps the alien Scott travel to Arizona where he is to rendezvous with the mother ship in 3 days or die. Meanwhile, Mark Shermin (Charles Martin Smith), a SETI scientist who works for the government, and George Fox (Richard Jaeckel), a military officer, hotly pursue the peculiar pair of Scott and Jenny.

Jeff Bridges earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as an alien who crash lands on earth and assumes the form of young woman’s recently deceased husband. Starman is also in the fine tradition of road pictures that feature a mismatched couple learning about one another before discovering love. Bridges is superb as the awkward, not-quite-childlike alien visitor. He completely sells the idea that the alien is struggling to learn and to understand this world. Everything about him: the way he walks and stands, his speech pattern, the way he answers questions (or doesn’t), and the way he dresses is peculiar and calls attention to him. Having the alien Scott dress in red flannel shirt and wear a red cap makes him stand out in a film in which the photography emphasizes earth tones and the nights are murky.

Karen Allen is also good as the grieving widow; she reveals in her facial expressions the big lump of pain still in Jenny Hayden. Director John Carpenter does well to simply allow his leads to build their characters and nurture their screen chemistry so that by the end of the film, this otherworldly romance resonates.

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Saturday, April 22, 2006

EDITED: Tuesday, January 14, 2025

NOTES:

1985 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Jeff Bridges)

1985 Golden Globes: 2 nominations: “Best Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama (Jeff Bridges) and “Best Original Score-Motion Picture” (Jack Nitzsche)

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Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Review: Netflix's "ATLAS" Has Too Many Ideas, Not Enough Booty

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 54 of 2024 (No. 1998) by Leroy Douresseaux

Atlas (2024)

Running time: 118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for strong sci-fi violence, action, bloody images and strong language

DIRECTOR: Brad Peyton

WRITERS: Leo Sardarian and Aron Eli Coleite

PRODUCERS: Greg Berlanti, Jeff Fierson, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Joby Harold, Brad Peyton, Sarah Schechter, Tory Tunnell, Benny Medina, and Jennifer Lopez

CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Schwartzman (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Bob Ducsay

COMPOSER: Andrew Lockington

SCI-FI/ACTION/THRILLER

Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Simu Liu, Sterling K. Brown, Abraham Popoola, Lana Parrilla, Mark Strong, Briella Guiza, Adia Smith-Eriksson, and Gregory James Cohan (voice)

SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

--Atlas is a Jennifer Lopez movie, but science fiction does not fit her

--The movie is average and filled with ridiculous ideas, but the action-violence of the last act is good enough to somewhat justify the time you spent watching this, dear readers

Atlas is a 2024 American action-thriller and science fiction film from director Brad Peyton. Atlas is a “Netflix Original” and debuted on the Netflix streaming service May 24, 2024. Atlas pits a counter-terrorism analyst against a rogue artificial intelligence (“A.I.” or “AI”) which believes that the only way to save the Earth and humanity is to destroy most of humanity.

Atlas opens on October 2, 2043. AI humanoid robots are at war with humanity, and they are led by the AI terrorist, Harlan (Simu Liu). By the end of the conflict, three million people are dead. This leads human military forces to create the International Coalition of Nations (ICN). After a string of ICN victories, Harlan and his AI robots are forced to flee into outer space.

Twenty-eight years later, renewed AI-led terrorist attacks force the ICN to begin searching for Harlan's whereabouts. The ICN has created a fleet of mecha known as “ARCs.” These are giant robotic suits of armor worn by humans who “sync” with the AI that operate the ARCs. The ICN seeks help from Atlas Maru Shepherd (Jennifer Lopez), a woman whose mother, Val Shepherd (Lana Parrilla), designed Harlan. Atlas has a deep distrust of all artificial intelligence. In a confrontation with Casca Vix (Andrew Popoola), one of Harlan's lieutenants, Atlas learns that Harlan has a base on GR-39, a planet in the Andromeda Galaxy.

The ICN sends a battalion of ARCs, the Fourth Rangers Battalion, which is led by the taciturn Colonel Elias Banks (Sterling K. Brown), on a mission to GR-39, aboard the space ship “ the Dhiib.” Atlas insists on accompanying the mission because she says no one knows Harlan better than her. The mission is to capture Harlan and to bring him back to Earth. However, what neither Atlas nor the ICN knows is just exactly what Harlan knows about the mission and about Atlas. Now, to save humanity, Atlas must rely on the thing that she hates most, an AI, one named “Smith” (Gregory James Cohan).

Leo Sardarian and Aron Eli Coleite's screenplay for Atlas is a hodge-podge of ideas that are similar to what audiences will find in such films as The Terminator (1984), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), I, Robot (2004), and Pacific Rim (2013). If properly developed, these ideas could have made a fine film instead of the mediocre film, which Atlas is.

The problem with Atlas is Jennifer Lopez. Atlas is a science fiction film, and it is also a Jennifer Lopez vehicle, although she is woefully miscast here. Science fiction is not her genre, and she really doesn't seem to have an understanding of what a character like Atlas Maru Shepherd could be. That may be the fault of director Brad Peyton, who specializes in mediocre to average sci-fi/fantasy genre films like 2018's Rampage. Lopez plays Atlas as petulant and as way too narrow minded to be some kind of expert on science and technological matters. Truthfully, Atlas would be grieving and guilt-ridden, which I think would make her introspective. Lopez plays Atlas as a brat who really needs the guidance of others, even the AI she hates so much.

Atlas is saved by the action-violence of its last act, and by the appearance of Harlan, played by actor Simu Liu. Best known for playing the title character in Disney/Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, here, Liu is deliciously cold-blooded and ruthless as Harlan, and I wish there were more of him in this film. But, alas, we get what we get. Atlas is average entertainment, and you, dear readers, can be entertained if you ignore its improbable scenario. If you are patient enough, Jennifer Lopez's fine, round posterior even makes a cameo, perfectly bound in a pair of tights. If Atlas has a “cherry on top,” it's that fine bee-hind.

5 of 10

C+

★★½ out of 4 stars

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

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