Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

I have been looking forward to this film (which is often a recipe for disaster) based on one preview. It looked good. And I do like Luc Besson and his aesthetic. But wow. The story is pretty average: a couple of galactic cops get involved in a conspiracy/coverup that could cause a species to go extinct. Spoiler alert: they save the day. But with this average story, a visual feast is served up that is at once extravagant and stunning while at the same time being appropriate. That is, sometimes extravagant can pull you straight out of the story and cause you to look at the film. Here, the colors and aliens and scenes and technology all fits directly into the story and becomes an essential part drawing you into the story and what you are watching. So much so that you probably need to watch it a few times to truly grasp the scope of what is being presented. I loved this. Best sci-fi I have seen in quite a long time. By far the best film so far this summer.

In the "I have to mention it" category: Why do storytellers make silly and completely unnecessary scientific mistakes? Here, the Alpha space station is too big to continue orbiting earth and is sent on its way to become an independent entity. This story picks up several hundred years later, when the Alpha station is in the middle of nowhere, having travelled --and I quote "700 million miles". Ugh! 700 million miles puts the thing about 10AU, or around Saturn's orbit. Not out in some interstellar space. Completely unnecessary... and lazy...

5 stars (out of 5)

The Assignment

Sigourney Weaver is a crazy doctor. Seems like she wanted to be Hannibal. But she doesn't even come close. Instead, she comes across as if she is reading a monologue from a teleprompter. Michelle Rodriquez is an assassin. She has been changed by said crazy doctor and now wants to find out what is going on, and get revenge of course. In spite of some clever ideas, this was an awful implementation. I can see how someone read the script and said "Cool". Skip it.
2 stars (out of 5)

They call me Jeeg

Italian superhero movie very much in the vein of the Danish Antboy from a few years ago. A regular guy -- in this case Enzo, a small time criminal -- gets chased by the cops and to escape, ducks under a barge. In the process, he submerges himself in some radioactive material and discovers over the next few days that he has super strength. Meanwhile, he meets a slightly crazy, cartoon obsessed woman who is sure he is a superhero, even though she knows nothing about his power. We get to watch the development of Enzo's morality, and the evolution of his character's character. And throughout, I felt like I was really watching the discovery of something new. No special effects, low budget, and a true superhero film. Loved it.
4 stars (out of 5)

Glow (Serial)

Set in the 80's, a misfit group of women show up for a casting call for a women's wrestling show. Well, they show up for a casting call... they don't really know what it is for. So obviously it is a group of 2nd tier, desperate for work types. The director is "famous" for his high concept, political satire, horror films, and is just doing this to get his next film funded. Each of the women has her own story and much of the fun of this series is the reveal of that story through interactions both in and out of the ring. When the women realize that wrestling is the same (really) as soap operas, they get into the character development and story line of the show they are developing. The feel (early 80's) is spot on, without going over the top on the hair spray or blaxploitation. But everything is there. Nice little series.
4 stars (out of 5)

Smoke and Mirrors

Spanish language film based on true events of espionage and theft in the 90's. A police chief in Madrid has been embezzling money (a lot of money) and needs help laundering and hiding his cash as well as with avoiding capture. A former intelligence agent who has been disgraced works (for a fee) to help the chief solve his problems. The story is told by The Pilot, who is an assistant to the intelligence officer. A fascinating story, and plenty of plot twists and turns as money moves and people hide. A rather slow developing story, which gives it a definite European storytelling feel, but engaging and fun, nonetheless.

3 stars (out of 5)

War for the Planet of the Apes

Caesar is back, and trying to show his humanity. He wants to end the war with the humans and just be left alone. He emphasizes this in the opening scene by letting a few soldiers go, asking for truce. Obviously this doesn't work. The apes are hunted down while they are trying to escape to the desert and held prisoner by Woody Harrelson. So Caesar and his crew need to figure out a way to escape and protect the apes. What I found most disturbing: the slaughter of apes during warfare. Strange that I had a visceral reaction to this, but felt nothing about the same depiction of human soldiers dying in battle. What I found most annoying: obviously bad military tactics by supposed military tacticians. An entire convoy being followed by "the enemy" by only 100 yards, but not being spotted, or standing tall in a backlit area to "spy" on enemy encampments. Seems not too difficult to fix in script. What I found most enjoyable: Bad Ape. My first reaction was Jar-Jar Binks, but his was a good implementation of silly/clever humor. Excellent finish to the trilogy.

4 stars (out of 5)

Bad Guys (Serial)

A one season Korean version of The Breakout Kings. Tough cop Gu Tak Oh is brought out of suspension to lead a special investigative team consisting of three criminals, a gangster, an assassin and a serial killer. Each has his specialty, and each has his own demons to exorcise. This is a well made series and does a better job at using the individual talents of the criminals that the US version did. Also has a season long story arc that includes hidden history and tension between the team members. Love the action, the look, the grittiness. I also love that this series is not afraid to have its characters explore deep ideas about justice. These are police and criminals, and they are openly questioning and thinking about the nature of justice, the role of violence in their "careers" and the possible fallacy of violence as justice. Well done.

4 stars (out of 5)