In Riddick, writer/director David Twohy and star Vin Diesel return to the formula that made Diesel’s first outing as the anti-hero Richard B. Riddick, Pitch Black, a surprise success: scary planet, scary aliens, Riddick being a badass.
Thinly-written, poorly acted, and featuring action sequences that utilize shaky-cam far, far too much, Elysium is easily the most disappointing of this summer’s big-budget sci-fi action films.
Aside from being an on-screen reunion for father and son Will and Jaden Smith, After Earth is also a true return to form for director M. Night Shyamalan, whose extraordinary talents for blending sophisticated, cerebral, character-driven storytelling with chilling suspense are on full display.
While not as satisfying a cinematic experience as its predecessor, Star Trek Into Darkness is still a wildly entertaining ride that continues to keep the Star Trek franchise hurtling to new heights of fun and excitement, while still honoring its classic characters and iconic moments.
As far as eye-candy goes, there’s plenty to enjoy in “Oblivion”; almost enough, in fact, to fully distract you from how derivative and predictable the film’s plot turns out to be. Almost.
As a film, “Cloud Atlas” is as ambitious as any you’ll ever see. Thoughtful, meticulously detailed, and full of memorable cast-against-type performances, it’s also dauntingly long and frustratingly difficult to follow.