The Duke's Sci-Fi Movie Reviews

'Alien: Resurrection' is a mixed experience - it often shows inventiveness and imagination (remarkable for a fourth in a movie series) and is certainly better than the stylish but empty 'Alien 3', but its attempts to go through the by-now staple series paces of aliens attacking fleeing humans is less successful (bar a standout scene in which the aliens gracefully swim through a flooded canteen in pursuit of our desperately-swimming group). It has neither the bone-chilling fear and clinical loneliness of Ridley Scott's 'Alien' or the relentness momentum of James Cameron's 'Aliens', and attempts to add one-liner humour to the mix definitely does not sit well.

However, the central triumph of the film by far is Sigourney Weaver's masterful and distinctly different portrayal of a much-changed Ripley. There is her impressive inhuman agility, her pessimism and distance, and her attraction to the biomechanoid aliens. Put simply, the recreated Ripley is more interesting than the old one. Predictably, the other smuggler characters in the band are dully two-dimensional. Visual FX are reasonably good, with the Tom (Alien 3) Woodruff aliens particularly slimy this time out, though a few more CGI creations wouldn't have gone amiss. On the downside, the climactic birth of an alien/human hybrid creature, with its curiously 'sad' eyes and sniffing nose, is disappointingly silly. Overall though, a worthy and watchable sequel, and where it fails is perhaps attributable to the worn-out concept of the franchise itself.

Despite its superficial similarity to 'Deep Impact', released the same summer, 'Armageddon' is an exciting action pic, rather than a drama; and it also contains a surprising amount of humour, unlike the largely downbeat 'Impact'. Director Michael Bay who scored highly with 'The Rock' pushes his hip, MTV-style fast editing to the max here and he is clearly a genius when it comes to delivering breathtaking action sequences.

The movie begins apace with the fiery asteroid fragments impacting on New York (featuring stunning visual FX) and never eases off. This doesn't allow much time for character depth, but the well-acted team of drillers led by (a sometimes unduly po-faced) Bruce Willis are drawn in clear, broad strokes. There are, however, plenty of laughs along the way. About an hour into the film, the space mission begins, and becomes a true edge-of-the-seat rollercoaster ride, from the disastrous Mir docking to the plunge into the hellish surroundings of the asteroid surface.

It's to the movie's credit that it manages to make the 'nuke drill' scenes exciting, unlike 'Deep Impact's' similar murky attempts. Events for the intrepid astronauts then rapidly deteriorate as the plot adheres to the tenet of Murphy's law (perhaps to the point of incredulity). The climax, in which Bruce sacrifices himself, is a bit unintentionally amusing (watching the tear spill down his stony face!) but the film does find room for some genuinely moving scenes. To sum up, what makes 'Armageddon' a clear success is the rapid-fire, stylistic direction; the impressive visual FX; and the enjoyable banter between Bruce's hapless team of characters. The most exciting movie of the summer of 98.

Lavish, epic, and painstakingly well researched examination at what mankind's reactions might be to the prospect of discovering that we are not alone, told with a firm focus on the character of Ellie Arroway, played to the emotional hilt by Jodie Foster. After an awe-inspiring opening sequence which transports you on a journey into deep space, the story has a leisurely-paced first hour which introduces the main characters Ellie, contemplative ex-priest Palmer Joss (McConaughey), unpopular Hammond (Skerritt) and Ellie's motley fellow teammembers.

The detailing of Ellie's childhood tragedies borders on the sentimental but aims for the touching. After the discovery of the Vega signal (an effectively mysterious and powerful scene), things really take off, with director Zemeckis calling upon techniques learned from previous project 'Forrest Gump' such as having the actors seated next to real-life President Clinton, and the use of huge crowd scenes and documentary-style news reports to give the highly convincing impression that this is really happening. The inclusion of John Hurt as a bald, eccentric Bond villain lookalike is a curiously amusing touch.

As the construction of the huge gyroscope-like alien transportation device begins, there is some real excitement to the movie, most tangible at the utterly believable 'launch' at Cape Canaveral. The use of visual FX to convey the device is unlike many recent blockbusters seamless to the story and convincing. Finally, the scenes which ensure 'Contact' inherits its classic status are the hair-raising climax, which has Ellie finally embarking where no woman has gone before.

A combination of superb acting from Foster and some beautiful and stomach-churning visual FX makes for a wild and awe-inspiring ride, even if the final meeting with the aliens is somewhat disappointing. Despite being a little slow at times, this is a gratifyingly intelligent science fiction epic with excellent performances and (where the story warrants it) wonderful special effects.

'Dark City' boasts an imaginative story (following the cliched 'amnesia' beginning), conceived with impressive originality by writer/director Alex Proyas. The atmosphere is one of bleakness and grimness, in this city of perpetual night, with echoes of Terry Gilliam's 'Brazil' and Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner'.

As the film progresses, the various elements of the mystery - why John Murdoch has lost his memory, why it is always night, who is the oddball Doctor (Sutherland) - are explained surprisingly well - perhaps even a little too well, leaving very few questions at the end. The surreal concept of the Strangers' power over the city is visually fascinating, conveyed with quite good visual effects. The standout performances come not from the adequate, wild-eyed Sewell, but from Kiefer Sutherland (with a distinctive staccato method of speaking and cowardly manner), Richard O'Brien (with a suitably cold and menacing performance) and Jennifer Connelly (giving a convincingly sensitive performance as Murdoch's wife).

Proyas' direction contains some wonderfully offbeat touches (such as switching camera angles abruptly during monologues, giving the effect that an actor is having a conversation with himself; and some Kubrickesque slow zooms). Another noteworthy aspect is the tense musical score by Terry Jones which puts one in mind of a ticking clock. The final revelation, too, is a startling one. On the downside, the style tends to dominate the substance - you don't particularly care about Murdoch or his friends, and there's very little humour to break up the bleakness which sometimes threatens to verge on the dull. And it's not very accessible to the average popcorn-munching cinemagoer, either, most of it probably going over their heads (he said patronisingly). On the whole, though, a movie to be savoured.

As is well known, in the summer of '98 there were a pair of 'celestial body about to destroy mankind' pics, with 'Deep Impact' the first to be released. Unlike the rollercoaster action of its competitor 'Armageddon', 'Impact' has its focus much more on largely downbeat human drama and sound characterisation, with the space mission just one of the three main plot arcs of the movie. What life might be like for humanity (or, rather, America…) prior to the end of the world is explored through the chilling discovery of scoop-hunting journalist Tea Leoni, stony President Morgan Freeman, wide-eyed Elijah Wood and aging astronaut Robert Duvall (with Leoni headlining).

The discovery of the impending destruction of Earth is come about in a very clever way: by Leoni's misinterpretation of your familiar White House scandal. All the regulars are quite convincing in their roles (though Freeman is becoming somewhat tiresome with his standard understated delivery). The space mission aboard modified shuttle 'Messiah' is depicted with suitable Apollo13 style realism, but unlike the more exciting 'Armageddon', the crew's attempt to drill explosives into the comet is portrayed in a rather murky way, with lots of steam and featureless rock making things look somewhat unconvincing.

As the end seems to be nigh families and friends are separated to touching effect, followed by the expected wall-to-wall awe of visual FX that have been bravely saved for a (mostly) uncompromising ending in which many of the characters do not survive. The spectacle of huge tidal waves destroying major landmarks and enveloping fleeing crowds is suitably eye-popping, though does smack somewhat of 'Independence Day's' similar method of obliteration (here with water substituted for fire). Overall, a mature, thoughtful and convincing take on a chilling end-of-the-world scenario.

A slickly produced haunted house movie in space, directed energetically by Paul Anderson who obviously knows how to handle the terrific special effects. Despite this, however, 'Event Horizon' has two central flaws: its thin plot, and its derivative nature. For example, one of the plot holes: why is Dr. Weir haunted by images of his dead wife before the Lewis & Clark reaches the derelict? Apparently half an hour of exposition was excised from the movie, which would probably have added some meat to the bones of the two-dimensional characters. And as for the influences: the characters are 'Alien' wannabes, though space/horror movies will inevitably draw comparison with the benchmark of them all; the impressively-designed 'techno medieval' sets also bear a familiarity to that movie. Peter Hyams' '2010' also featured an investigation into a derelict adrift in orbit, as did Disney's 'The Black Hole'. Kubrick's 'The Shining' is the source of a couple of images (an avalanche of blood, and the ghostly naked woman). Finally there are elements of 'Hellraiser' and 'Se7en' in the gruesome scenes of horror. However, for fans of those movies, as it was probably intended, 'Event Horizon' is at times an absolute riot. Lawrence Fishburne is appropriately strong and no-nonsense as Captain Miller, Sam Neill effectively makes you wonder at the sanity of Dr. Weir. There are some stunning effects sequences - such as the queasy camera-spin around the orbital space station at the beginning, the storm-enveloped Event Horizon vessel, the computer-generated floating debris, and the eerie gyroscope that is the gravity drive. OK, after the mystery and buildup of the first hour, the last act tends to disintegrate into various disconnected shock-value set pieces, but on the whole this is enjoyably creepy with outstanding production value.

'Godzilla' truly fizzled out after plenty of buzz and anticipation prior to its release in the summer of '98: how would moviemaking partnership Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin top the eye-popping fireworks and end-of-the-world angst of the phenomenally successful 'Independence Day'? Certainly not with this wet iguana of a movie. The theme of widespread chaos and spectacular mass destruction of landmarks is returned to, but this time not only are the human stories (toplined by a lacklustre Matthew Broderick) shockingly pale and uninteresting, but the towering mutated lizard itself simply doesn't work!

When the viewpoint is on the city streets, there's no scope to appreciate what Godzilla is doing. When it's on the gigantic lizard, the creature is often unconvincing, not to mention the worst FX sin: it doesn't look very cool. The other FX showpiece of the movie, when the regulars discover a baby lizard nest in a shopping mall, rips off Jurassic Park's raptor attacks without being half as effective as their source. Is there anything left to save the film? Well, there are two (count 'em) exciting scenes: the first in which Godzilla is chased by a swarm of attack choppers, and the second is the climactic chase of our heroes in their taxi cab. That's it.

Sadly, most of the performances are just awful (with the exception of Jean Reno), you don't care about the people (though Godzilla elicits some sympathy) and the humour definitely falls flat on its face. On top of all that, there's an unwanted slow-paced buildup to the story. Disappointingly, the movie fails on almost every count.

'Lost in Space' begins with a rousing Star Wars-style dogfight starring the cynical but heroic Major Don West (Matt LeBlanc in a solidly convincing performance of likeable gruffness), before engaging the main thrust of the plot which renders this cast of appealing characters into the depths of unknown space. The movie quickly impresses as a visual feast, with vividly colourful and imaginative portrayals of future Earth cities and spacecraft (in the style of, but later to be eclipsed by Star Wars Episode I). The 'digital sets' and stylish costuming are all wonderful eye-candy.

A well-chosen cast do justice to their roles (particularly a knowingly camp Gary Oldman, who gives his lines a much-needed boost of wit and authenticity) and elevate some cringeworthy scripted dialogue. So where does it all go wrong? Well, unfortunately, it's the plot that gets sabotaged along with the Robinson's Jupiter 2 following their arrival in uncharted territory. The people have been introduced, the stage set, and nothing really happens. There are no interesting mysteries to solve, no clear enemy to face (other than the ambiguous Dr. Smith).

Things just seem to dissolve into a meandering trip through various disconnected ideas - like an infestation of space spiders and the truly ill-conceived, and unnecessarily bleak time travel subplot (a section which is like a dead weight on the film). Scriptwriter Akiva Goldsman is surely to blame, for director Stephen Hopkins handles the plentiful FX skilfully. Things pick up for a thrilling rollercoaster ride through the core of an exploding planet, but by then it's too late and after the abrupt ending we are left with a shallow (if entertaining) film that struggles to elevate itself beyond FX-bimbo level.

It is crystal clear that the chief reason for the success of MIB is the talents of its stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The characters they portray are a perfect contrasting pair - the wisecracking trainee and the stony veteran - and with these two highly talented actors their interplay shines. The core comedy concept of the MIB is a great one, and the script is brimming with wit and memorable one-liners. On the downside, it's a fairly shallow experience and does not bear up to repeat viewing; but remains a fun experience first time around.

The ninth Star Trek movie and third for the Next Generation crew lacks the dramatic thrills of previous entry 'First Contact', but in crafting a film which is in many ways a polar opposite to that Borg-themed story, the latest is still a lighthearted and pleasantly enjoyable romp with no shortage of rousing, adventurous scenes. It's also very close in spirit and style to the TV series, though the main problem is the somewhat insufferable, hippie-like 'simple folk' Ba'ku. A group of people like this one is something of a Star Trek cliché and never helps make edge-of-the-seat drama. Though, it must be said, Donna Murphy (Anij) does bring warmth to some cringeworthy lines about living in the moment.

In a departure from the norm, the visual FX have been produced by Blue Sky/VIFX rather than ILM; and though unlike the dismal FX featured in 'Star Trek V: The Final Frontier' (which also opted for a different effects house) the visuals are still passably good, they are a distinct notch or two below 'Star Trek Generations' and 'First Contact'. Despite being all-CGI the ships at times look a bit too model-like, and the Enterprise-E does not behave as spectacularly as you might expect. The staple space battle, though, is passably exciting. Some of the sets, too, such as the So'na ship and the Collector, look rather hurriedly put together and spartan. The planetary setting, however, is wonderful to look at: the snow-covered mountains, lake, and impressively realised Ba'ku village makes for some beautiful scenery.

'Insurrection' does boast a lot of pacy scenes, particularly after the evacuation of the village; director Frakes takes advantage of the setting well; ugly villain Ru'afo is portrayed with nasty child-like rage by F. Murray Abraham; and the excellent musical score lifts some scenes above the average, such as the opening 'tour' of the village. Memorable scenes include the innovative shuttle chase/singalong between Picard, Worf and Data; the discovery of the holoship in the lake; the So'na drone shootout and the final confrontation between Picard and Ru'afo in the Collector. The other key element to the film, the humour, I think works wonderfully. The cast excel here, particularly Patrick Stewart, and even the potentially embarrassing Riker-Troi flirtation is surprisingly good. On the whole while the movie is not really about hard-edged drama, I found it a fun and charming adventure, and at least as good as 'Star Trek Generations'.

While it was near impossible to live up to the kind of incredible hype which has inevitably built up around the new Star Wars movie, The Phantom Menace does not disappoint largely due to truly breathtaking visuals and its ability to retain the Star Wars spirit and authenticity. All sorts of touches from the stunning Tattooine Podrace, to a range of amusing aliens, to snatches of dialogue and familiar technology, are used as continuity to the original trilogy. While the characters aren't as lively and memorable as those of the original movies, Liam Neeson injects some warmth and wisdom in Qui-Gon Jinn, Jake Lloyd is a real natural as the cute Anakin, and Natalie Portman has star quality as Queen Amidala. Of the main cast, surprisingly only Ewan McGregor does not quite convince, probably due to his character being underwritten and his adherence to a good imitation of the voice of Alec Guinness detracting from his performance. In fact Jinn and Kenobi do come across as somewhat too studious and humourless, though this of course is the behaviour of the Jedi.

The movie's real strength lies with its superbly imaginative and vivid worlds, from the beautiful bubble-city of the Gungans, to the city-world of Coruscant, to the palatial Naboo. They are bursting with so much detail it just demands several repeat viewings. The fully-CGI character of Jar Jar Binks also impresses, interacting seamlessly with the cast as if he were simply another actor (though Jar Jar's speaking manner and accident prone behaviour varies from the amusing to the somewhat irritating). In fact, the visual FX on display here are as revolutionary as Jurassic Park's in 1993, a fact which will probably be lost on many - rather than being dwelt on like a trophy, they are used only to further the story and as backdrops to create the scene.

There are problems - some will undoubtedly remain unsatisfied with the movie, perhaps citing the characters, relatively low-key beginning, speedy pace, Jar Jar Binks or abundance of kiddie appeal, but these should generally be viewed as flaws in what is otherwise an instant classic. Myself, I admit only to craving a decent space battle which was somewhat conspicuously absent.

The two sequences in the film which stand out so strongly are the dizzying Podrace through the canyons of Tattooine, and electrifying lightsaber battles between the wonderfully evil Darth Maul and the two heroic Jedi (which make the original trilogy's look wooden in comparison). Maul is in fact one of the most powerful assets of the movie and is criminally underused - together with his impressive satanic visage and double-bladed light sabre he is an imposing presence in the film and yet, he is used sparingly. The soundtrack by the ever-wonderful John Williams also deserves mention, as along with the reliable and still-inspiring Star Wars theme he delivers a new feel - particularly in the 'Duel of the Fates' compositions which back the lightsaber fights, where Williams calls upon a thunderous voice chorus. What is more subtly impressive about 'Episode 1' is how (even more so than the original trilogy) there is a sense that the story has been written to encompass three parts - seeds are sown throughout which will only flower in forthcoming episodes.

On the whole, then, an excellent addition to the Star Wars canon and a very effective new beginning.

'Starship Troopers' is a return to form for director Paul Verhoeven after the critically-mauled 'Showgirls', and though it does not quite match up to his previous sci-fi efforts 'Total Recall' and 'Robocop', it contains some of the most staggering visual FX ever created for film. These are the Klendathu alien insects, ingeniously designed to make up a range of species from the vicious and almost unstoppable warrior bugs to the gigantic fire-spewing tanker bugs. It is here where 'Troopers' succeeds - the scenes in which literally thousands of these fast-moving, utterly convincing creatures surge across canyons, slicing and dicing young infantrymen in the most horrifying of ways. Indeed, there is an excessive amount of gory violence, even more so than his previous violent films, though by its very over-the-top nature it becomes somewhat cartoonish. In addition, the huge, aircraft carrier and battleship-like starships are superbly realised, moving slowly and powerfully through the stars. So where does it fail? Well, the spanner in the works is the characters and the actors - even if viewed tongue-in-cheek, their Beverly Hills 90210-style soap-opera lives are very pale and uninteresting, and are woodenly acted by stars such as Casper Van Dien and Denise Richards. The first third of the movie, detailing their departure from school and entry into the war as footsoldiers and officers, is less than exciting. Michael Ironside and Clancy Brown however put in some enjoyably camp performances as war veterans.

'The Fifth Element' was admittedly not what I expected (a serious science fiction story). What I got was a haphazard, cartoonish, wildly imaginative semi-comedy. In fact, it reminded me in spirit and style of Douglas Adams' 'Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy' (or maybe 'Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers' meets 'Blade Runner'), The movie boasts outrageous and vividly colourful set pieces and superb Gaultier-designed costumes, and some variable sci-fi effects from Jim Cameron's Digital Domain FX company. It's not terribly gripping, but things move along at a wild pace keeping things quite enjoyable. The choice of Bruce Willis to play Korben Dallas (or rather, the trademarked Willis Movie Character) was a wise one, as he anchors events at a vaguely down-to-Earth level in the far-fetched storyline. The plot is childish nonsense and melodramatic, but the occasionally startling visuals and action, as well as some brilliant performances from Gary Oldman (with his dorky costume and Southern drawl) and the effeminate DJ Chris Tucker (with his hilariously squeaky speaking voice), elevate the film beyond the average. The best scenes take place in the superbly-realised New York of the 23rd Century, filled with layer upon layer of airborne traffic - on the big screen, I felt the vertigo; but sadly the movie never achieves that level of highly visual excitement elsewhere.

This second trip to Jurassic Park mayhem is a mixed bag; you don't particularly care about the (two-dimensional) characters, but the dinosaur effects are startlingly realistic, even more so than the first movie, and this is clearly what makes the film a successful one. It's also a simplistic story, but we're not tuning in for the script quality. There are some stylistic differences from the first: a generally more serious tone, exemplified by Goldblum's (somewhat disappointingly) more gloomy Ian Malcolm, and a slightly more gruesome edge to some of the deaths (such as Eddie Carr being torn apart by two T-Rex's and a hunting-team member getting his comeuppance by being pecked to death by birdlike dinosaurs!). The film is (somewhat surprisingly) slow to start, and indeed does not become gripping until about half way through, when the chase is most definitely on. Some of the more enthralling set-pieces include an intense and visually astounding sequence in which the principals are trapped in a caravan hanging off the edge of a cliff (one of the few sequences faithful to Michael Crichton's novel), a raptor-chase through a wheat field, and an ingeniously staged dinosaur hunt in jeeps. Not quite as strong as the original movie, but once it gets going, this is an enjoyable thrill ride.

'The Matrix' is a truly remarkable film, innovative, gripping and standard-setting. While the plot may sound superficially somewhat far-fetched and derivative, the Wachowski brothers have turned it into something visually mind-bending, often complex and full of ideas. Boiled down to essentials, it combines the notion of virtual reality, superheroes, martial arts and John Woo-styled gunplay to produce something that is a breath of fresh air in the sci-fi scene. Never before attempted filmic techniques such as 'bullet time' fights (in which characters engage in acts of inhuman agility to a backdrop of frozen and slowed time) are employed to stunning effect. There are also some amazing visuals of the human 'nesting farms' of the late 21st Century. Not only that, but the actors are amazingly well suited to their roles. Keanu Reeves lays to rest the ghost of the 'Johnny Mnemonic' fiasco with his convincing performance which calls upon him to act at turns bewildered, awed and ice-cool. Lawrence Fishburne imbues his guru rebel Morpheus with a sense of intelligence, faith and power (not least due to the most resonant deep voice since James Earl Jones). The delectably PVC-clad Carrie Ann Moss impresses with both her fighting skills and portrayal, initially reserved then giving way to warmth. Joe Pantoliano proves himself as the perfect slimeball. And deceptively feeble-looking Hugo Weaving as the mean face of the evil AIs puts in a simply wonderful understated performance of utter maliciousness. The only negative aspects of the movie is the fact that the future concept is superficially similar to 'The Terminator' duo and the Matrix is somewhat over-explained scriptwise, but on the whole, 'The Matrix' will undoubtedly be hailed as groundbreaking, classic SF.

Well, the premise sounded great - a big-budget movie based on the classic TV show (which I have never seen) which put a sci-fi spin on the traditional Western genre; reteam rising superstar Will Smith with his 'Men in Black' director Barry Sonnenfeld; add in CGI FX, spectacular stunts and large helpings of comedy. Sadly, however, the ingredients don't gel at all. The central problem is that the movie isn't half as funny as it could've, and should've been (apart from a couple of isolated belly laughs I had barely raised a smile by halfway), despite Smith trying hard with the material. On top of that the film lacks genuine sparks of excitement, Kevin Kline seems to phone in his role for the most part, and Salma Hayek's acting leaves a lot to be desired. For some reason, the second half of the film in which the conflict with Dr Loveless (a passably amusing turn from Kenneth Branagh) gets into full gear, the pacing, excitement and humour all seem to improve somewhat, saving it from becoming a complete disappointment. Predictably, on the production side, the movie cannot be faulted: the gigantic, Jules Vernesque metal tarantula is a remarkable and convincing visual; the costuming and the set design is intricate, colourful and imaginative. So unfortunately, without the talent of MIB scripter Ed Solomon, what we've got here is another decorative, high-concept, low-story and definitely low-on-laugh near miss. But at least it's better than Godzilla.

This big-screen version of the smart and scary TV show kicks off the inevitable franchise with a good degree of success, depicted as essentially a big-budget two-part 'mythology' episode. The series' key elements are captured well - namely the trademark Mulder-Scully banter, traditional horror movie shocks, and the (often somewhat murky and pace-sagging) alien conspiracy. With series creator Chris Carter at the writing helm we are assured an intelligent script with dramatic, mysterious dialogue. Ever-excellent Duchovny and Anderson are allowed more time to give their performances that extra sensitivity. The fabled 'near-kiss', too, is thankfully handled with convincing grace. Despite the odd concessional exposition to non-fans (such as Mulder's compressed drunken life story) the film isn't afraid to be densely plotted, though this does sometimes hold things back. The ice-cave prehistoric opening provides an atmospheric and pacy scare, following through to the very enjoyable hunt for the hidden bomb in Dallas, and the swarming bee attack on the two agents is enthrallingly staged. However, it's only toward the film's climactic scenes do things lean on the gripping side. Here Mulder must rescue Scully from a terrible fate in the murky and mysterious bowels of an alien nesting farm in the arctic - and the appearance of a UFO is definitely warranted! Deserving a mention, regular composer Mark Snow's music is refreshingly different from his synthesiser-based TV score, as it becomes a full-blown orchestral event. In all, as a summer blockbuster the movie would probably have benefitted from a less conspiracy-tied plot, but remains a solid first X-files picture which oozes quality.

Inevitably, not as good as its reputation suggests - it gets a little bit *too* bonkers at times, even if the emphasis is wisely toward comedy. Hot dogs for fingers? OK. But the imagination on display here is large in scope, taking in many parallel worlds, and the first half is the classic (and Matrix-like) 'ordinary person is called to enter an unfamiliar, fantasy world and must learn its rules'. Michelle Yeoh is on excellent form. Frenetic, bursting with energy and quite fun.

I enjoyed this, it's fun, moves fast, is at times imaginitively directed to sell the hyperattuned nature of the experiences, and yet I felt a seam of something missing throughout. It might be the dubious science; it might be that things seem a little too easy for down-and-out Eddie Morra despite the occasional run-in with criminal gangs. He perhaps lacks a certain humility. But Cooper is appealing, and the film keeps you engaged throughout.

Like the first film, this lacks charm and (who knew?) humanity, with characters that are hard to warm to even with LeBeouf's natural manic charisma. However, the action is big and spectacular, the robotic effects are flawless, and this retains your interest which only truly flags in an overlong Egyptian-set climax.

Original in some ways, clichéd in others, the plot is blatantly engineered for twists and a feeling of paranoia that, for the most part, works well – the brainwashing scene and the climactic elevator fight is memorable. There is an intriguing (with comic overtones) turn from Jeremy Northam as an uptight, almost British-seeming accountant type who apparently yearns for a fantasy life as a spy. The finale doesn’t entirely satisfy and while this second film from ‘Cube’ director Vincenzo Natali does not quite live up to the standards of his debut, it is still an interesting and suspenseful offering.

Sixties-made dystopian sci-fi movies can come across as kind of surreal, this one reminded me of A Clockwork Orange and The Prisoner in some ways, with its primary colours and contemporary/futuristic setting. Brings across some of the love of books, and has memorable scenes including the old woman who smilingly burns with her books, and the final escape of Montag and entry into the ‘book people’ camp of somewhat absurd, if romantic notion of people who memorise books and live as vagrants in the woods. As an aside, I wondered if the choice of casting a German as the hero in a fascistic role, who then discovers more of his humanity (a la 1984), was a deliberate choice. Could almost be a prequel to 1984, with its inclusion of wall screens and removal of history with books, almost the beginnings of that slave society.

Ludicrously bad! Utterly shameless in its ripping off of clear influences such as Evil Dead, Aliens, Exorcist et al, this crass British sci-fi/horror/comedy is chock full of embarrassing, amateurish acting, dreadful dialogue and plot, utterly unconvincing men-in-helmets aliens, and unfunny scenes. There are isolated fractions of moments that have potential (such as the hidden cave beneath the stone circle), and the CGI is passably good for a low-budget film; and you wouldn't call it utterly boring. Probably one of the worst films I've ever seen.

Cleverly crafted, mostly tense 'what if' thriller which sees a set of 'dirty bombs' go off in LA, and exploring the everyman reaction of a loving husband who finds if he will allow his wife to enter his house she may infect him and his neighbour. With sparing use of convincing FX (disturbingly familiar-looking plumes of noxious smoke and ash over LA skyline) this is mostly set in one house, evoking a 9/11 atmosphere of helplessness, confusion and paranoia through news reports and martial law. Pre 9/11 this would have been a Bruce Willis blockbuster, it's now a believable and worryingly plausible, almost documentary style film. While so much is packed into the first half hour the rest goes down a notch in tension, it's still stirring stuff.

I watched the remake first, and remember very little of that aside from an unusually good performance from George Clooney and some cool sets. "Solyaris", however, is a different beast, I think. It could be called the Russian 2001, as it has a similar eerie, haunting, mysterious feel, invoked partially by low-key synthesised background music, though it lacks that films grandeur and visual effects (though some of the sets are similar in style); conversely, its theme is the emotion of love and ties that bind. It is almost elegiac in atmosphere, and very.. Slowly.. Paced, at times incoherent, and with an ambiguous, twist ending, more traits it shares with 2001. I actually enjoyed this quite a bit.