Category: Film

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Wishing you a happy Christmas, from SciFiEmpire.net

Christmas is here and so the year is also nearly over. As the author of SciFiEmpire.net I have been wishing readers a happy Christmas for a few years now. The days before the holidays always make me think back to what has been going on in my life. When I wrote a similar Christmas post in 2015 I had just started a new job and I has just seen The Force Awakens at the cinema. Deep Learning job – finally! This year feels somewhat similar. I am beginning a new job at a startup in January specializing in Deep Learning....

Mortal Engines - London chasing a city

Film

Mortal Engines Review

For a few months now I have been watching the trailer for Mortal Engines. Unaware of the novel series it is based on there was just the trailer to get excited about. And the fact it is being produced by Peter Jackson, and that it stars Hugo Weaving. Mortal Engines is set in a future world where a post-apocalyptic society moves around in giant cities with tracks on them. That is where things get weird, but in this world cities hunt each other and each city has a strict hierarchy. So the strong prey on the weak – similar to...

Thanksgiving with candles

Computer Games / DVD / Film / Literature / TV-series

Happy Thanksgiving + some tips for Black Friday

Happy Thanksgiving I wanted to wish everybody a happy Thanksgiving. I am sure that after all the roast turkey, pastries, marshmallows and drinks you will be looking to do something else. Perhaps even browse the internet to see what is worth spending your money on Black Friday. Now I am not a major fan of Black Friday, standing in a queue and watch people rush to get a product. I don’t see the appeal. Thankfully you can spend your money sitting on your couch, and thank god Sears has gone bankrupt. So what should you eye to purchase? Last year my...

Happy Halloween landscape

Computer Games / DVD / Film / Literature / TV-series

Happy Halloween and schedule for the remainder of 2018

Happy Halloween Hello everybody, and a Happy Halloween. I am posting this today because tomorrow (October 31st) I won’t be in. After an absence of several months I have decided to again post articles for SciFiEmpire.net. I know that some readers will know that its my 3rd restart in as many years, but I don’t care or otherwise I would not be writing this. I suppose the summer period is always a bit of a drought, one that this year took longer to get over. But with the changing seasons – and my tendency to stay behind the computer longer –...

The-First-Purge-masks

Film

The First Purge Review – another government approved night of horror

The First Purge Review One movie I was not keen to see this weekend was The First Purge – the fourth and hopefully last movie in The Purge franchise. Well, I did go and see it and due to my low expectations I was not disappointed. It is by no means a good movie, but it is not bad either. The First Purge acts as a prequel to the franchise. The movie is about the first limited purge organized on Staten Island. A wink and nod to Escape from New York. As previous Purge movies have already explained – the United States...

Computer Games / DVD / Film / Literature / TV-series

SciFiEmpire.net celebrates it’s 7th anniversary! + Book Giveaway

SciFiEmpire.net celebrates it’s 7th anniversary! Today marks the day that seven years ago I started SciFiEmpire.net. In fact the website had been up running for a week or two back then but I was still choosing a layout. July 3rd 2011 I wrote my first post. Since then SciFiEmpire.net has gone through various incarnation until things settled down a few years ago. Seven years had brought a lot of change. My first review was on Deus Ex Human Revolution. Eureka was still on the air, as was Alphas. Since then I have provided coverage of Person of Interest, Revolution, Fringe...

Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom Review Owen and Claire hiding from Indoraptor

Film

Jurassic World The Fallen Kingdom Review – Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt return

Jurassic World The Fallen Kingdom Review I have been looking forward to Jurassic World The Fallen Kingdom ever since the franchise rebooted in 2015. That movie did not make a particularly lasting impression on me. It lacked the intimacy of the 1993 original Jurassic Park. Now as director is J. A. Bayona – whom I never heard of before. Yet it quickly becomes clear he has the vision for a worthy sequel that appears to tick nearly every box. Starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard Jurassic World The Fallen Kingdom had me entertained for the 2+ hours of running...

Solo A Star Wars Story Review poster

Film

Solo: A Star Wars Story Review – A good movie that sets the stage for a sequel

After more than year of constant news portraying Solo: A Star Wars Story as a troubled production you almost don’t want to see it. I certainly did go to the cinema yesterday with trepidation and anxiety. I left the cinema relieved, the movie wasn’t bad. In fact, I liked Solo, but I also recognize it is not per se a great movie. So what is Solo: A Star Wars Story all about? At its heart it is a heist movie. After escaping from Corellian poverty Han (Alden Ehrenreich) vows to go back to help his girlfriend Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke). To...

Deadpool 2 review - Domino Wade and Cable

Film

Deadpool 2 Review – not as good as the original but still brilliant

Deadpool 2 Review Deadpool quickly became a fan favorite after its theatrical release. The strong chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Morena Baccarin, the off-beat humor and the continuous fourth-wall breaking made Deadpool a delight to watch. In fact, it gave the X-Men movie franchise a shot in the arm it desperately needed. A sequel was quickly announced and despite Tim Miller not returning as director it appeared to offer everything a sequel should.  While the movie is very good, and very funny in an offensive way, it is not AS good as the original. Somehow, the sequel misses that particular mark....

Avengers Infinity War Review wallpaper

Film

Avengers: Infinity War Review – the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe fights Thanos

Avengers: Infinity War Review Finally the long wait is over. For years we have had to hear how Avengers Infinity War would be the ultimate experience the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to offer. Assembling Earth’s mightiest heroes and the Guardians of the Galaxy to fight the often talked about but rarely seen Thanos. Avengers Infinity War is a true accomplishment, as directors Anthony and Joe succeed to juggle the overload of characters and story points to create a multi-layered experience. This is my review of Avengers Infinity War. I should warn those who have yet to see the movie that...

Emily Blunt in A Quiet Place

Film

A Quiet Place Review starring Emily Blunt and John Krasinski

A Quiet Place Review A Quiet Place is a difficult movie to label with a genre. Directed by John Krasinski and starring Krasinski and his wife Emily Blunt, the movie straddles horror and science fiction. The latter genre feels deliberately underplayed in order not to frighten of and audience which is young and female. Nonetheless A Quiet Place circles back to science fiction with references to Predator, but I will discuss that later. A Quiet Place is set in a world overrun by an alien species that aggressively kills humans and hunt by sound. However, that is not how the movie...

Ready Player One Review - movie poster

Film

Ready Player One Review – Steven Spielberg’s adaptation shines, but only just!

Ready Player One Review I have just returned from viewing Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Ernest Cline’s novel Ready Player One. While it is better than I thought it would be – I fear it lacks the meaningful message it could have had. Ever since watching the first trailer I have been skeptical about the movie adaptation. I felt it looked like a silly CGI fest rather than a serious attempt at glorifying popular culture. Make no mistake – that is what the novel Ready Player One is – and that what made it so brilliant. Premise The premise for Ready Player One...

Pacific Rim Uprising - Jaegers

Film

Pacific Rim Uprising Review – John Boyega stars in a movie that isn’t bad

Pacific Rim Uprising Review Yesterday I made my way to the cinema to view Pacific Rim Uprising. I was nervous – I knew it wouldn’t be a great experience. I at least expected it to be a good popcorn movie that if for nothing else starred John Boyega. After an hour and fifty minutes I walked away feeling impressed with watching Jaegers and Kaiju beat each other to crap. That said – little of what I saw felt of consequence and in fact the movie does not take itself too serious. As directorial début of Steven S. DeKnight I congratulate...

Talia Storm at Ready Player One Premiere

Film

Ready Player One Premiere photos with Olivia Cooke and Hannah John-Kamen

Ready Player One Premiere Slowly the buzz surrounding Steven Spielberg’s new movie Ready Player One is growing. The adaptation of Ernest Cline’s novel was on SciFiEmpire’s ‘most anticipated’ list. Yet, the poor initial reception of the trailers made it feel as though Ready Player One would be quickly forgotten. Yet, with less than a week to go until the release in the cinema things appear to be coming together. The initial reviews form the consensus that the movie is not bad – even if it is not superb. Some criticism is levelled at the faithfulness of the adaptation. But that will...

Film

Tomb Raider Review – Alicia Vikander reboots the franchise with a firm punching

Tomb Raider Review After a 15 year absence Tomb Raider is back on the big screen. Unlike the previous iteration the spotlight is not on elevating an actress into the role of sex symbol – fun that though it was. Instead movie director Roar Uthaug has remained faithful to the rebooted game franchise of 2013. Lara Croft – now portrayed by Alicia Vikander (A Royal Affair and Jason Bourne) – is yet to become the titular character. This is Lara’s first adventure, one that will turn her into a hard-hitting adventure archeologist. The introduction firmly sets the stage. The viewer is introduced...

Black Panther movie

Film

Black Panther Review – Ryan Coogler succeeds with Afrofuturism

Black Panther Review Finally fans of Black Panther get the movie they always wanted. Personally I knew little about the character before his introduction into the MCU with Captain America Civil War. However, just like with Spider-Man it was a hugely successful introduction. Chadwick Boseman played the role of Crown Prince T’Challa (and then King) with charm, depth and elusiveness that endeared. Black Panther tells the story of what happened after the events of Civil War, after the death of T’Challa’s father – T’Chaka – at the hands of Helmut Zemo. Wakanda has been referenced before – notably in Age of Ultron as...