Tag: Science Fiction
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Chappie.
The best thing about Chappie is Chappie himself. The first A.I with consciousness – he begins life like a human baby; learning rapidly about the world around him. Chappie is a part of the mechanised police force that patrol the streets of Johannesburg in Neill Blomkamp’s muddled, futuristic action-thriller. Crime rates are down and Johannesburg…
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Ex Machina.
What begins as the trip of a lifetime soon becomes a twisted, creepy exploration into human capability for young computer programmer Caleb. When he wins first prize in a company competition he is taken swiftly, by helicopter, to meet a mysterious man; a software genius who founded the company Caleb works for. In the film’s…
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Big Hero 6.
A new year is upon us and I’m back reviewing movies here at Reel Insights. It feels nice to return – particularly to review such an exceptional movie as Disney’s Big Hero 6. Taking its source material from Marvel, whom they own, Disney have captured not only a sense of current popular culture’s fascination with…
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They Eat Culture: Tron – A Reflection.
It is a unique thing to be able to attend an event as both a guest and an employee. For the last month I have been volunteering with They Eat Culture, a community cinema business working in Lancashire. I’ve been involved in the preparation, and promotion of their final event in their BFI Days of…
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Interstellar.
After concluding his Batman trilogy two years ago, Christopher Nolan now returns to our cinemas as director of his ninth feature film. The world seems to be in agreement that there is so much to admire about Interstellar – but as we all try to fully digest the three hour experience of watching this astonishing movie,…
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Guardians of the Galaxy.
With its deliciously smooth soundtrack and a consistent balance of cool and comical, Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the best blockbusters of the year so far. It’s loud, dramatic and predictable but as are all the best comic book movies. In recent years we’ve seen a new type of comic book film emerge. Comic…
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Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
Thanks to Tim Burton’s questionable take on the franchise, Rise of the Planet of the Apes was initially something to be wary of. Successfully reinventing a classic takes astute direction and vision, something Burton’s re-imagining lacked. Luckily, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a reboot rather than a remake. This is a new story that pays great tribute to…
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Coherence.
I finished off my time at Edinburgh International Film Festival with Coherence. A creepy science fiction chiller that begins at a friendly dinner party and turns into something much more unnerving, Coherence was a great way to finish what has been a remarkable festival. The film uses shaky cameras and hand-held equipment to create a similar appearance to…
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The Infinite Man.
Time travel is always a problematic and ambitious subject to attempt. So often these films resort to either glossing over the unexplainable, or embrace them whole-heartedly. The Infinite Man does neither. It balances the complexities with the acceptance of its own confusion in a way that keeps the audience enthralled whilst they ponder the situation for themselves.…
Hannah McHaffie 