Spectral movie review

CategoriesMovies, ReviewPosted on

Grade: C-

In the Netflix movie Spectral, Delta Force soldiers from Seal Team Six using DARPA weapons confront frightening and menacing creatures on the urban battlefields of Eastern Europe. These things look like people but are actually monsters made of energy who can kill with a touch. Or something, I was never quite clear as to what exactly was all going on in Spectral.

Borrowing elements from a lot of other movies like Aliens; little kids in danger, soldiers inside an APC running away from the creatures, a commanding officer who watches events unfold from the APC, Predator; soldiers being hunted by an invisible foe, Black Hawk Down; special forces soldiers in combat in a ruined urban environment and more, Spectral is a bit of a mishmash of concepts and styles. Which can be a good thing, lord knows that sometimes all I want out of a sci-fi movie is a mishmash of things from other movies. But I think where Spectral fails is that it never really sticks with any one concept long enough before dashing onto the next borrowed idea.

If the first half of Spectral is this slightly sci-fi story about special forces soldiers in the near-future fighting these weird energy creatures, then the end turns into this big sci-fi movie about these same special forces soldiers trading in their modern looking combat gear for futuristic power-suits and their machine-guns for energy weapons. It’s almost like if the first half is of Spectral is Black Hawk Down and the second half suddenly shifts to Starship Troopers where the first half is part I of the movie franchise and the second part II.

I think that if the creators of this movie would’ve stuck to a few ideas rather than many and made the story of the first half of Spectral the entire movie it would have made for a much more satisfying experience.

Direct Beam Comms #53

CategoriesDirect Beam Comms, Feature, TVPosted on

TV

Westworld season 1 – Grade: B+

“Cease all motor functions!”

I am afraid of Westworld. So many times in the past I’ve fallen for shows like Westworld that have these deep, intricate character-driven storylines only to be disappointed in the end. In my heart of hearts I know that with TV series like Westworld the journey is more important than the destination, but I’m always hoping that the series ending will be as good as the road it took to get there. And so far at least, one season in, Westworld has taken one fine, interesting road and has quickly become my favorite thing on TV in the last few months.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect with Westworld but whatever I was thinking the show might be like isn’t anything as to what it actually was like. Much of the story is told via three groups of characters. The first group is of people like Dr. Ford (Anthony Hopkins) and Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) who are trying to keep this massive park running while at the same time making improvements while acting in a sort of god-like way even if some of their changes have started causing glitches in the robots of the park known as the “hosts.” These robots don’t know that they’re robots and awaken each day anew not realizing that they’re all in a story loop and essentially play the same day over and over again. With this robot group are characters like Maeve (Thandie Newton) who’s starting to have memories she shouldn’t have and Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) who’s beginning to question the nature of her reality. And then there’s the human visitors of the park like William (Jimmi Simpson) and “The Man in Black” (Ed Harris) who are experiencing the park in very different ways. Harris’ character is convinced that there’s a core story beneath the veneer of Westworld that the rest of the guests experience and wants to uncover this truth, even if it means he has spend 30 years there and cause pain, death and destruction to the hosts to do so. And William, brand new to the park, wants to help Doloris in her quest for self realization but isn’t sure what all is required to do so or the ramifications of.

I think that what works best about Westworld are all the questions that the series creators ask. Like if Dr. Ford is creating these robots, and these robots are self-aware, feel pain and have emotions, has he created life? Even if that life can be changed, controlled and obliterated at the flick of a switch. And for the “hosts” of the show who, if they’re somewhat self-aware now, what happens in the future when they become fully self-aware and want to control their own destinies and futures and not be controlled and tied to the Westworld park as they are now? And what will they do when they realize the people who’ve created them have spent decades abusing them over and over again with no consequences?

I’m also fascinated with how Westworld ties into modern day video games. In those games players come up against characters in the game who they can do what they will with. Though there might be consequences in the game if the players harm these characters, there are no real world consequences if they decide to do so. And this is the same for Westworld where the visitors can do whatever they want to the hosts be it hurt them, rape them or kill them. There’s no consequences since technically you can’t hurt, rape or kill a robot. But what if someday the robots started remembering these terrible things done to them and what if they wanted to fight back?

It’s interesting to imagine just where Westworld will go in future seasons? In my head I’ve got it all mapped out down perfectly to the series sixth season. But if I’m lucky the creators of Westworld will continue to do their own thing and keep creating a surprising show that asks a lot of bit questions about what it’s like to live in the times that we do without providing a lot of easy answers.

Legion TV Spot

“The human race is beginning to evolve.”

The Expanse TV Spot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06EIAuYRRTw

“In this world that we live in you have to pick a side.”

Movies

Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer

“This is my chance to prove myself.”

War for the Planet of the Apes trailer

“All of human history has lead to this moment.”

The Mummy (2017) trailer

World War Z + Suicide Squad = The Mummy

The Reading & Watch List

This week in pop-culture history

  • 1917: Arthur C. Clarke, author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Rendezvous with Rama and Childhood’s End to name a few is born
  • 1941: The Wolf Man opens in theaters
  • 1976: King Kong debuts
  • 1978: Superman opens in theaters
  • 1984: Dune premiers
  • 1984: Runaway debuts
  • 1984: Starman opens
  • 1996: Mars Attacks! premiers
  • 1998: Star Trek: Insurrection opens in theaters
  • 2002: Star Trek: Nemesis premiers
  • 2005: King Kong opens in theaters
  • 2010: Tron: Legacy debuts