NINJA KNIGHT THUNDER FOX (1988):

NINJA KNIGHT THUNDER FOX (1988):

“A private detective uses her considerable martial arts skills to seek revenge after an organized crime syndicate murders her beloved sister.”

Another kung fu B-Movie that's only good if you have a good sense of humor. There's clearly two movies spliced together here. That's why our main characters never meet. One character is a detective named Brad. He has his office decorated in Coca-Cola signs and Sylvester Stallone posters to give you the impression he's in America, and not Hong Kong. His mission is to collect evidence that Bonnie's sister was kidnapped.

Now, Bonnie just kicks butt. Her sister was kidnapped, and she goes out to a bar, beats up all the goons with huge meat-slapping effects, and finds out where their base is. She then takes a motorbike and a harpoon, and just tears up the place. She even wears a Rambo-type headband. Though she has a hilarious habit of choking bad guys right after she demands: “Answer my questions! Where is she?”

You'd think that Bonnie would be the one to get magic ninja powers with all her skills. But, you'd be wrong. They gave the ninja magic to Brad. Who's on a completely different mission. Twice he transforms himself into a ninja, and starts backflipping and catching bullets. It's good stuff, if they could ever decide what weapons Brad actually uses. Some shots he has a sword, then a gun, then nothing.

Overall, it's pretty good for a cut-and-paste kung fu film. If anything, it's unintentionally funny. Bonnie's scenes are legitimately action-packed. Brad scenes have Halloween store ninja costumes and magic. It's free on Tubi, so I recommend it. Give it a watch if you can.

Iron Mask (2020):

Iron Mask (2020):

“Early 1700: Cartographer Jonathan Green (Jason Flemyng) from Viy (2014) is back to map the Russian Far East. He's forced on to China, where he confronts the Dragon Master et al. The iron masked Russian Czar escapes the Tower of London to a Russian ship.”

So, there's basically two films going on here. One is a basic supernatural wushu (historical Chinese fairytale.) and the other is the action movie between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan that American audiences were sold. Well, they fight for five minutes. They aren't even the main characters.

In this world, tea is actually the healing tears of a mystical dragon. An evil witch kidnaps and replaces the Russian czar with an imposter, while Johnathan Green is trying to map China. Are you following? Good. Of all people, Arnold plays a British guard. There are some funny moments, but ultimately it pivots to being just another wushu film, with some line about how the lead actress is Jackie Chan's daughter, the rightful empress who has to fight the witch, and reclaim the throne.

By itself, it's an alright movie. I just feel it's a bit bait-and-switch. It feels like two movies. Arnold and Jackie come back to end the film. Jackie explains to Arnold that the dragon is everywhere. Usually, I like wushu films for their effects. But, I think here they just ran out of money to show the dragon again. I would recommend this film. But, just bear in mind, it's a little convoluted.

Lily C.A.T. (1987):

Lily C.A.T. (1987):

“The expendable crew of a corporate space vessel must stop a murderous shape-shifting alien organism that somehow got on board.”

“The corpses have disappeared, leaving everything - even their underwear – behind!” Dular says, after his crew members have been eaten by an alien virus. I mean, it is a good mystery, but probably ruined by early anime dubbing. All the dialogue sounds so choppy and fast as they struggle to sync their lip movements. Other than that, it's pretty much John Carpenter's The Thing mixed with the futuristic setting of Ridley Scott's Alien.

See, there's a cat brought on board by Nancy. Quickly, everyone around the cat dies, and there are reports of an alien virus getting through the air ducts. What's discovered later is that the virus was carried by the cat because humans are “expendable”. So, the Syncam Corporation (who owns the ship.) is probably just evil. Why else kill an experienced crew with a Computerized Animal-shaped Technological robot? (Cat, get it?)

Anyway, you should probably skip this one. But, but I did find it enjoyable in terms of action. The mystery is given away in the title. The choppy English dubbing is way too distracting, and the plot doesn't actually make much sense, other than they're trying to mix Alien and The Thing. Just enjoy the crew getting picked apart by the alien/C.A.T.

The 1980s were an ambitious time for Japanese anime, especially as it expanded overseas and took on American influences. It is at least enjoyable if you turn your brain off, and accept it as a relic of its own time. There are interesting ideas sci-fi discussed such as cryogenics, relativity, and how the crew only ages 1 year every 20 Earth years. But, these details never pan out to anything, and only a few members survive as it rushes to horrific ending.

DEATHSTROKE: KNIGHTS AND DRAGONS: THE MOVIE (2020)

DEATHSTROKE: KNIGHTS AND DRAGONS (2020):

“Assassin Slade Wilson leads two lives: a relentless killer known as Deathstroke and a family man. Can he atone for the sins of the past-or will his family pay the ultimate price?”

This one is a doozy! It's an adult animation (read: cussing, partial nudity, and violence.) featuring Deathstroke from DC comics. The story is about him trying to protect his family from learning that he's a super-powered assassin. But, that goes out the window when he's attacked at home by the HIVE, a mercenary group.

They steal his kid, Joseph, and re-name him Jericho, subjecting him to the same military experiments as Deathstroke. It's said that while Deathstroke is a handgun, so to speak, Joseph is a nuclear weapon. He has psychic abilities on top of his fathers superpowers and healing factor. The HIVE plans to use him to plot terrorist attacks, and control world leaders.

Meanwhile, Deathstroke uncovers that the HIVE leader is someone from his past. Joseph even sides with them for a while, before uncovering his abuse. A motif that's repeated via a bedtime story is that Deathstroke sees himself as a knight, protecting his family against dragons. In the end, Joseph believes he's still the knight, and fights beside his father against, among others, Lady Shiva.

It's pretty good for an adult animation in 2020. I'm not spoiling too much if I say I'm dissatisfied with how they defeat Lady Shiva. Overall, they cram a lot into 89 minutes, but it's a good and bloody story. It's an origin story, a betrayal, and a future story all at once. Give it a watch if you don't mind the violence!

JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (2017):

JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (2017):

“Four teenagers are sucked into a magical videogame, and the only way they can escape is to work together to finish the game.”

I'd like this movie a heck of a lot more if it stopped winking at me to tell me what videogames are. I get that there might be people in the audience who don't understand, but every action beat is interrupted by explaining what skills are, what characters have what skills, what lives are, etc. It's like playing Super Mario Bros and every time before you jump, you have to ask: “Wait...I can jump that high?” Well, no. But, your character can. We understand this.

That said, the actors do a great job with what they're given. Four high school students bodyswapped into highly charismatic videogame characters is a good comedy-action setup. Unfortunately, most the humor is based around them forgetting their special skills and abilities as characters. Conversely, most the action is based on them remembering their in-game skills and abilities.

I guess it worked in the original Jumanji (1995) because board games all have different rules, and you had to read what happens on every square. Videogames have established conventions. Which are explained here. (They have to return a jewel to a jaguar mountain, and say “Jumanji!”) But, every time the videogame characters explain something like who has what skills and weaknesses/strengths, it's like the actors are saying: “Hey! We're acting!”

Now, that said, this film is loaded with star power. That alone is half of what makes it fun to watch. I'll watch anything with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in it. It's just a shame that most the action boils down to “I can't do this, I'm an awkward teen! Oh, wait. Yes, I can! I'm in a videogame.” I mean, Jack Black and Kevin Hart are funny as popular teens turned into support characters, but that's just the reverse joke.

So, do I recommend watching it? No. It's a fun movie, but all the action beats and jokes are one-note. It's a movie that, in my opinion, thrives on star power. The movie's videogame design robs any action scene of tension, since we know they've got 3 lives and special skills for any confrontation. The comedy is so ham-fisted, if they cast anyone else in it, I wouldn't watch. But, because they did get Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Dwayne Johnson, and Karen Gillan, it suddenly becomes slightly enjoyable. That's a testament to their abilities and star power more than the movie itself.

ROBOCOP (1987):

ROBOCOP (1987):

“In a dystopic and crime-ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg haunted by submerged memories.”

When officer Alex Murphy gets his limbs blown off by drug dealers, OCP (Omni Consumer Products) rebuilds him in a robotic body. He takes his revenge against the criminals of Delta City a.k.a. Detroit. OCP buys the police force and attempts to persuade the public to let it take over the city. But, something is very wrong about this plan, and Robocop is on the case.

Murphy begins to rediscover his humanity after his righteous rampage, and catchy one-liners. (“Your move, creep.”) He soon discovers the drug dealers might not be all they appear to be, as he accesses more of his OCP directives. His directives are: 1.) Serve The Public Trust, 2.) Protect The Innocent, 3.) Uphold The Law, and a 4th forbidden directive.

Wonderful action, good mystery, and a theme of what it means to be human and use technology. This film is an absolute classic. I'd recommend it to anyone who isn't squeamish. It is ultra-violent. But, I feel like the violence here serves a greater purpose. Definitely give it a watch if you can. It's free on Tubi!

If PG-13 is more your style, check out my post on Robocop 3 here: https://bit.ly/3lULR7c.

Harley Quinn and Batman (2017):

Harley Quinn and Batman (2017):

“Batman and Nightwing are forced to team with the Joker's sometimes-girlfriend Harley Quinn to stop a global threat brought about by Poison Ivy and Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man.”

Harley Quinn and Batman team up to stop Poison Ivy. Batman's former sidekick Nightwing finds Harley working as a waitress in a cosplay-based restaurant, and figures she knows where Ivy is. Harley says she wants to just live a normal life. Eventually they tickle each other, and decide to work together.

Now, usually the DC movie universe doesn't like to make fun of itself. But, this is a Harley Quinn comedy. So, it's much more slapstick and fart jokes than the usual Batman fare. I kind of liked it. They have fun. They sing karaoke before they find out where Ivy is, thanks to a tip.

Turns out, Ivy is in Louisiana working with Floronic Man to turn all life into plants. Harley pleads with Ivy, and is able to convince her to stop. But, she can't stop Floronic Man. She tells Batman that if he's just made of plants, they should be able to just burn him. (In comically whispered dialogue.) Nightwing and Batman kiss her cheek, and that's all folks.

It's pretty good for a DC animated movie. Especially for a DC comedy. You definitely have to be in the mood for this one. I don't know. Watch it with some snacks. Be prepared for fart jokes. If you like Harley Quinn, and have a good sense of humor, you should enjoy.

War of The God Monsters (1985):

WAR OF THE GOD MONSTERS (1985):

“A young reporter is writing a story about the theories of scientist who believes dinosaurs still exist. When monsters suddenly appear and cause destruction, the doctor and journalist must find a way to save the world.”

A scientist, Dr. Kim, is convinced that prehistoric monsters exist and are coming to punish mankind for their sins. A lot of the film is just a woman reporter showing up at the doctor's house to try to get a look at his research. Then, his daughter has a “dream” that monsters attack, Then, they actually do!

There's some good puppet work here, and a good variety of monsters. There's a triceratops monster that makes monkey noises! A fire-breathing robot dragon with laser claws! A flying chicken-headed godzilla thing! A giant starfish bat! Then, there's a horned monitor lizard, and finally, an Eastern dragon that swims.

In one of the strangest climaxes I've ever seen...the monsters just kind of...go away? They fight, stuff blows up, then the military comes in while the main family hides. The daughter says things like she's sorry, and finally the father says he was correct in his theories. It's not exactly the best writing.

That said, all that makes sense when you find out that this is actually two movies stuck together. It's footage from an original Korean movie, stuck together with scenes from Ultraman. Several shots are reused or flipped around. It's not a bad movie, if you can stomach an hour of a Korean family drama. The second half of the movie, monsters attack and stuff blows up. Watch it on Tubi, if you like B-Movie monster action.

TURBO KID (2015):

TURBO KID (2015):

"In a post-apocalyptic wasteland in 1997, a comic book fan adopts the persona of his favourite hero to save his enthusiastic friend and fight a tyrannical overlord.”

I wanted to like Turbo Kid a lot more than I did. It's a deliberate parody/homage to apocalyptic sci-fi of the 1980s like Mad Max. With water being scarce and sucked out of humans by an evil corporation, it's even got heavy shades of Tank Girl. The problem is that none of the characters feel developed, despite a great 1980s atmosphere.

The main character, The Kid, feels bland and unmotivated. They give you an origin story right in the middle of the movie after he meets the big villain Zeus. There they explain that Zeus killed The Kid's mother. They should have led with that, and had it fuel his character, instead of introducing us to him as a shy comic book geek obsessed with Turbo Rider comics.

The only interesting character here is Apple. She wants to be Turbo Kid's friend, and teaches him how to fight and be a friend. They begin to care for each other. She's the heart of this movie. Literally, if they didn't have Apple, I would have no reason to care for this movie, because the main character is such a depressed geek loner.

That's the problem with this movie. It tries so hard to make you identify with Turbo Kid, that it forgets what kind of 1980s homage it's trying to be. Sweet romance scenes are immediately followed by splatterhouse gore. Action moments that should feel big, are only sold short because the same beats keep happening. Without spoiling, I'll say scenes with any heart are robbed of importance because they keep mishandling Apple: 4 times.

It'd maybe be different if Turbo Kid led with its apocalyptic revenge story. As it is, the movie tries to sell you on the idea that he's a comic book nerd who incidentally finds a laser-shooting glove. I get it, but the one who really carries the movie is Apple. She makes him go out, and make friends and adventure, instead of living life as a lone scavenger...and he never really grows out of that, except for when they show his origin story in the middle of the movie.

I love homage movies to the 1980s. The sets are cool, and invoke the time period. But, the action is too mixed, and I didn't really connect with any characters besides Apple, because she is the only one who values friendship, heart, and battle skills. The only thing Turbo Kid has is a laser glove, and a comic book obsession...which might be cool if that's what you like, but it doesn't drive the plot.

As much as I wanted to like the atmosphere, I just couldn't get over how mixed the movie was in message and tone. Is it a horror movie? A coming-of-age flick? An apocalyptic action movie? An adventure? Beyond saying “Here's an alternate 1980s!” the film doesn't really seem to care what it is, or what happens in it. It's free on Tubi, but I have to say skip this one.

DEATH RACE 2050 (2017):

DEATH RACE 2050 (2017):

"Five long decades after Death Race 2000 (1975), in the overpopulated United Corporations of America, the annual Death Race is about to begin. This time, Frankenstein is up against no-nonsense challengers. How many points will he score?"

This is more or less a soft reboot of Death Race 2000 with a new cast of racers. It keeps the original overpopulation/game show setup. The new racers are Jed Perfectus, a genetically-engineered racer, Minerva, who is a rapper, an AI named Abe, and stepping in for the Nazi gimmick of the original (Matilda The Hun in 1975.) we have Tammy The Terrorist.

It's pretty much the same film. The good news is, if you liked the old one, you'll like this. However, for some reason, some of the characters just don't stick out for me. The rapper is a one-note joke. As is Dr. Creamer/ABE (the ole “Girl has sex with robots joke”.) It's a schlocky B-Movie action comedy. Jed Perfectus is no substitute for young Sylvester Stallone.

I recommend it for being a modern take on the classic movie. Malcolm McDowell is in it as The President. Give it a watch if you have time. Turn your brain off and enjoy the stylized game show hyper-violence. A good tribute, but the original was still better.

DREDD (2012):

DREDD (2012):

“In a violent, futuristic city where the police have the authority to act as judge, jury and executioner, a cop teams with a trainee to take down a gang that deals the reality-altering drug, SLO-MO.”

Well, this one starts off strong with a chase scene. But, Karl Urban needs to work on hiding his New Zealand accent. He still pronounces “America” as “Ameriker” in the first scene. Karl Urban plays Judge Dredd this time. He does okay. The Judges are executioner cops in the post-apocalyptic Mega-city. They have cool weapons, and don't hesitate to use them. One of the first guy's heads explodes with an explosive shot.

After that, we find out one of the guys was on a futuristic drug called slo-mo. Slo-mo is distributed by Mama (Played by Lena Headey.) Because she owns this part of the Mega-city, she covers it in metal, and no one can get out. A bounty is put on Dredd and his psychic partner's head.

Luckily, the psychic partner can find out where Mama is. The rest of the movie is a story of betrayal (But, not by the partner.) and a bloody shootout. There's a surprise for Mama. It's an ok movie. Especially a good intro with the chase scene. But, it did just make me want to watch the original 1995 movie. I'd say give this one a watch if you have time.

THE KARATE KID (1984):

THE KARATE KID (1984):

“A martial arts master agrees to teach karate to a bullied teenager.”

So, I guess because of the success of Cobra Kai, Netflix re-released The Karate Kid movies. I haven't watched it since I was a youngster...and I'm pretty sure that was a rental. So, I thought...what the heck? Let's see if this holds up. I liked Cobra Kai, and like karate movies.

But, the first thing I noticed about the movie was, it's mostly a family movie. Which is ok, but it means the karate doesn't start until Miyagi defends Daniel. Miyagi's scenes are really good, and his “training” (a.k.a. doing chores.) Daniel for the tournament mostly demonstrates the philosophy of karate vs. punches and kicks. Something which is lost in the Cobra Kai series later, but the show makes fun of anyway.

Johnny Lawrence on the other hand, has good punches and kicks. We don't really see him train with Kreese; Johnny only leads a dojo session once. But we know Cobra Kai's philosophy (“Strike first, strike hard, no mercy!”) and that makes him a bully. He tries to control his girlfriend, and get his gang to beat up Daniel. It's Miyagi who decides the the karate tournament is the best way to win Cobra Kai's respect.

If Daniel wins at the tournament, then he won't have to fight, because he'll have earned respect. So, we enter the tournament. A couple things. Daniel enters the tournament as a black belt, because Miyagi says he is. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't happen today. Second, you have to love the 1980s ending to this movie. Daniel wins after the power ballad. Roll credits.

All in all, it is a great movie. But, I definitely see it differently as an adult than as a kid. Which I guess is the point. It's a family movie. It really made me think about how necessary the sequels were, and the Cobra Kai series. As a kid, I just thought “Wow, karate!” As an adult, I just thought “Wow, Kreese and Miyagi are pretty messed up.”

I mean, sure Johnny's a bully, but he's a kid. He's just acting cool. Kreese is crazy. Miyagi, as kind as he is, has no problem bending rules for Daniel and struggles with implied alcoholism and PTSD. Pat Morita was a great actor, and he really added a lot of heart to this movie, I won't argue that. But it does make me realize how flawed even he was, which is I guess why the Cobra Kai series works.

So, would I recommend watching it? It depends how much you like family movies. It was good to watch with fresh eyes again. But as it is, I think Cobra Kai gives you enough clips to catch up, and is more emotionally complex. Basically, Cobra Kai is for adults, but Karate Kid is great...if you're a kid.

THE TERMINATOR (1984):

THE TERMINATOR (1984):

“A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.”

The Terminator is one of the greatest sci-fi action films of all time, mostly thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger as the killer robot. Kyle Reese is sent to protect Sarah Connor from his rampage. And the cyborg doesn't spare anybody. He shoots up punks, anyone named Sarah Connor, cops, and even tracks Sarah down to a hotel where she thinks she can be safe. But, she's not, because the Terminator will never stop until she's gone.

Time travel shenanigans ensue though here. You see, if Kyle Reese wasn't sent back from 2029, then the leader of his resistance wouldn't be born. It doesn't really work out. But, oh well, the action is good. Plus, it gave us the greatest sequel of all time, Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The cyborg comes back to protect John Connor, who will lead the resistance against the robots.

If there's one thing that dates this film, it's not just the robot puppets, it's the fear of machines and computers. I wonder if a film like Terminator would be as effective today. But, Arnold Schwarzenegger makes such a good monster killing machine that it's hard to look away. Definitely watch it, but for the great action scenes. Everything else is kind of stuck in time. But, I like that.

Kung Fury (2015):

Kung Fury (2015):

"In 1985, Kung Fury, the toughest martial artist cop in Miami, goes back in time to kill the worst criminal of all time - Kung Führer, a.k.a. Adolf Hitler."

In this action comedy set in the 1980s, a martial arts expert named Kung Fury/cop time travels to kill Hitler. He resurrected himself with kung fu and shot up a police station through a phone. With the help of his friend Hackerman (played by Swedish musician Mitch Murder), he hacks through time to stop Hitler from becoming a supreme kung fu expert.

But, first he travels to far back in time, and meets Thor. The Norse God and his Valkyries join the fight against the kung fu Nazis. This is a fun little tribute/parody to the scifi action films of the 1980s. Pure fun action. It's the ultimate Good vs Evil battle! It's not too long. Give it a watch when you have time.

SUPERMAN: RED SON (2020):

SUPERMAN: RED SON (2020):

“What if baby Kal-El's rocket landed, not in Kansas, but in the Soviet Union? That is the premise of this Elseworld's tale from DC Comics.”

There's a lot going on here. This is an alternate world based on the 2003 comic by Mark Millar where Superman was raised in the USSR. He kills Stalin after he finds out about the gulags. He beats back capitalist Bizzaro created by the US with Lex Luthor. He defeats the Green Lanterns as they are recruited in the Cold War, and single-handedly wins the Korean War for the Communists.

So, in this world, Kal-El is still the same person. He still cares about helping people, only he believes the Soviet system is the way to do so. Even with his vast power, and big heart, he finds that he can't control people the way he'd like to in the name of equality. He fights Batman over this. In this version, Batman survives the gulag.

To add to the list of heroes making a cameo, he courts Wonder Woman on a diplomacy mission. Eventually, she withdraws when she finds out that with the help of Brainiac, he's been turning people into robots to make them more agreeable. Superman discovers that the villain soon can't be trusted. This leads to a showdown between Brainiac and US President Lex Luthor.

All-in-all, this is a fantastic showcase for a DC what-if scenario. The comic is a bit more detailed, but I highly recommend this one for a watch, however you can. It really shows the ability of comics and animation to transport us to other worlds. Plus, I like Jason Isaac's faux Russian accent. In Soviet Russia, Superman cartoon watches you!



READ MY SUPERMAN:RED SON COMIC REVIEW HERE: https://bit.ly/2XmZ4xg

FREE FIRE (2016):

FREE FIRE (2016):

“Set in Boston in 1978, a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two gangs turns into a shootout and a game of survival.”

When an arms deal goes wrong, the movie turns into a shootout. It doesn't slow down. One of the gang members realizes another gang member beat him up the day before, and that the gangs supplied the wrong weapons. From there, all hell breaks loose, and they start shooting. Chris is one group leader. Ord is the other guy, played by Armie Hammer.

Brie Larson plays Justine, an intermediary between both groups, and Chris's girlfriend. But, she holds her own too in the shootout. The entire movie is a giant shoot out in the warehouse. Everyone has their own team to protect. Nearly each character has a secret backstory or agenda. Who will survive?

Pretty exciting action movie stuff. It has a nicely contained '70s crime plot, plenty of guns, and lots of stylish violence. If you're in the mood for a shoot-em-up with a good runtime, I'd say check it out. Great mystery too. It's free on Netflix.

Willow (1988):

WILLOW (1988):

"A young farmer is chosen to undertake a perilous journey in order to protect a special baby from an evil queen."

This 1988 fantasy adventure classic follows a dwarf (Nelwyn) who must take a human (dakini) baby into a dark castle and defeat the evil queen Bavmorda using magic. It's a great adventure story with great special effects and characters. Willow has to learn to have faith in himself to become a great sorcerer. And his companions have to learn to fight for things bigger than themselves.

It is both unusual and familiar at the same time. Familiar in that it's a 1980s Campbellian hero quest, with shades of Tolkien, Conan The Barbarian, and Star Wars. Unusual in that the way they used effects and world-building to show shapeshifting and different monsters and characters, is completely unique and mostly practical.

Yes, it is good vs. evil. Faith vs. doubt. If you're into edgy, this isn't it. Some of the monsters might be scary to kids, but that's about it. It may be a simple hero's journey, but I find fantasy like that very captivating. Plus, Val Kilmer's great. He plays Madmartigan, the warrior. A lot of people remember Val Kilmer as Batman. To me, he's Madmartigan. Anyway, a good fantasy flick with some unique twists. Check it out!

The Killer Robots! Crash and Burn (2016):

The Killer Robots! Crash and Burn (2016):

“Robot mercenaries are sent on a mission to activate a machine that will bring about a new age of enlightenment.”

This movie is about 4 robot arena fighters who will be freed if they upload a punchcard freeing all other robots from the control of the vicious Lord Mot. One thing I will say about this movie, it doesn't have the best special effects. Most are basic green screen and puppet work. Most the robots are just guys in silver facepaint.

If you can get used to the low-budget look, it's pretty fun. They've got robots blowing up all over the place, and saving the universe. At one point, it just cuts to a live-action man playing guitar with a chicken. It's definitely odd. But, if you're in the mood for cheesy sci-fi, grab some snacks and watch it. Free on Tubi.

Mantera (2012):

Mantera (2012):

"About a boy, Azman, who stumbles upon a nano-tech glove which can transform his motorbike into body armor."

A clueless nerd from Malaysia trains with an ancient organization after he's accidentally mailed cyborg technology. It's ok. Some of the CGI is jerky and unusual. It kind of looks like an early 00s FMV videogame that doesn't make me nostalgic. The good guys are the Alliance of Light, giving them the unfortunate acronym AOL. I mean, it's like Last Starfighter combined with half-baked Transformers. It's free on Tubi, but you can skip it.

PASSENGERS (2016):

PASSENGERS (2016):

“A malfunction in a sleeping pod on a spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet wakes one passenger 90 years early.”

Jim (Chris Pratt) is on a luxury colony spaceship when it wakes him up 90 years too early. At first, he has fun, lives off the ship's supplies and plays basketball, but after a while, his loneliness becomes too much. After discussion with a robotic bartender, he decides to wake up one passenger.

Considering others, he ultimately selects Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence). He lies to her and tells her that the malfunction woke them both up. They begin a romance, but Aurora eventually finds out the truth. And that the malfunction is sending them hurtling towards the sun!

From here, it becomes an ordinary space thriller. I do appreciate the movie investigating old school sci-fi ideas like isolation, but that's all it addresses. Aurora's character development is cut short in favor of a big action-packed climax. There was some controversy about this, so whether or not you enjoy the movie will depend on whether you want an old school sci-fi adventure, or need closure on ethical problems presented in the film.

For my part, I was just glad to see a good space adventure. You just have to accept that it's more about what isolation does to people in space than if Jim should've told Aurora the truth. Their romance is almost incidental: a consequence of isolation.

I will grant though, that the disaster plot seems out of left field. Perhaps if Jim's big lie were really taken to task, we could almost have a different, more interesting movie. But, as it is, I still liked it as a space thriller. Watch it if you can.

Lawnmower Man (1992):

Lawnmower Man (1992):

"A simple man is turned into a genius through the application of computer science."

An intellectually disabled man has his intelligence boosted through VR technology. He soon takes revenge against those who bullied him. He gains telekinesis and telepathy. Eventually, he plots world domination through the computer world.

It sort of takes a hard turn turns scifi horror when Jobe gains his powers. VR looks dated now, but the ideas are still relevant. Like how much bullying someone can take, and how the tables are turned when Jobe has power. I liked it. Check it out. It's free on Tubi.

WORDS BUBBLE UP LIKE SODA POP (2020):

WORDS BUBBLE UP LIKE SODA POP (2020):

"A meeting and romance starts between two people with communication issues - a boy who wears headphones and uses haiku poems, and a shy girl who wears a mask and only does online videos."

This movie is about Cherry, a haiku poet with social anxiety, and his social influencer love interest Smile. Smile has buck teeth (“yamazakura”) and is shy. Cherry is a good poet, but is shy because of his voice. He prefers to write. They're brought together by an old man, who wants to hear a long lost record one last time.

Overall, it's just a cute romance anime about teens with bright animation. The word cute (kawaii) is thrown around a lot. It's pretty good for a Netflix anime, if you want something light-hearted. They overcome their challenges to help an old friend. There's only one part I didn't like, but I won't nitpick. It's on Netflix, if you have time.

Stroszek (1977):

Stroszek (1977):

"In Berlin, an alcoholic man, recently released from prison, joins his elderly friend and a prostitute in a determined dream to leave Germany and seek a better life in Wisconsin."

Stroszek is part morality tale and part absurdist comedy. It's tragedy lies in that we want these misfit characters to succeed. But, after an agent confiscates his pet chicken, Stroszek and his band of misfits confront the darkness of the criminal underworld and American life. A Werner Herzog classic! If you can stomach the suffering and madness that is his trademark, give it a watch. It's actually darkly humorous. Free on Tubi.

METALSTORM: THE DESTRUCTION OF JARED-SYN (1983):

METALSTORM: THE DESTRUCTION OF JARED-SYN (1983):

"On a desert planet, warlord Jared-Syn is trying to convince a tribe of mutants that he's their messiah and gain unlimited power hidden in a crystal. Ranger Dogen and explorer Dhyana, who's father was murdered by Syn, must stop him."

Mad Max meets Star Wars! It has everything. A magical space ranger! An electrical ghost! An armored car! A cyborg! A cyclops! In 3D! Total B-movie schlock, but worth a watch for all the recycled sci-fi action tropes. So bad it's good, all mixed together. Give it a watch.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004):

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004):

"When their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories."

After a breakup, Joel and Clementine have a medical procedure that erases them from each other's memory. They soon find that the memories keep popping up, and regret their decision. They try to hide their happy memories in repressed childhood experiences, and soon find that their meeting is inevitable.

Surreal visuals, and heartfelt drama. Definitely a strange film. It raises questions about fate, love, the purpose of pain, and heartbreak. And also proved Jim Carrey can do more than comedy! Directed by Michel Gondry. Watch it if you can.

The Dark Crystal (1982):

The Dark Crystal (1982):

"On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal, and to restore order to his world."

Definitely worth a watch, if you like fantasy-adventure. It has a dark feeling to it, with some weird creature designs. Excellent puppet work from Jim Henson and co.! Plus, the bad guys (Skeksis) are really evil, and suck the souls out of Gelflings. Stakes that high make for a good adventure. Give it a watch!