Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

The Star Trek movies haven't aged so well. The special effects are really lame. Consider that by 1982, the world had already seen Star Wars while Star Trek was still using 60s-era VFX which I'm sure were really cool when Star Trek first premiered on TV. I quite like Star Trek otherwise, but I admit I fell asleep watching this one on the plane. The plot is much simpler than the sci-fi movies we're used to nowadays. Ricardo Montalban's Khan is devilishly good. I was surprised to see Kirstie Alley, who I did not realize had ever done Star Trek. Did Spock have to die? There have been so many incarnations of Spock that he doesn't really feel dead anyways, but I assume that packed a big punch at the time.

The Wandering Earth (2019)

Make no mistake, this film is a landmark, China's first foray into science fiction. And it is a film of great ambition and imagination. Based on a book by the highly regarded author of the Three Body Problem, The Wandering Earth is hard science fiction. I really quite liked it. It is a little wanting in the execution--the dialogue is sort of cheesy in an action movie kind of way, and the style is distinctly Chinese. You can be sure that the film is made for a Chinese audience, that's where the money is, expected to make a billion dollars in China alone. It won't necessarily resonate with Western audiences accustomed to the Hollywood polish, but if you can get past that and enjoy the high concept science fiction, it's a good time.

Annihilation (2018)

I was freaking out while watching this movie, but I feel like I appreciate it so much more in retrospect. It is a trippy science fiction instant classic. Alex Garland has proven himself as a new master of unsettling sci-fi. The ending of this movie is open ended, but I'm somehow unconvinced of the open-endedness. Can we trust the Natalie Portman's biased account of what happened in the shimmer? Can we trust what we saw on screen? I don't know and it troubles me.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Magnificent. It is an epic three hour artistic feast. It is a visually stunning movie, surely to win the long overdue master Roger Deakins an Oscar. The colors! The futuristic production design that borrows from and yet somehow also modernizes the original. The epicness of each frame is enough to take your breath away. If you can't tell, I loved the look of the movie.

But of course, the strength and beauty of Blade Runner (perhaps of science fiction generally) is its ability to ask the tough questions. What does it mean to be human? In my opinion, this movie is a very natural sequel to the original. It builds off the established themes and pushes the boundary to the next logical steps. The character, less obviously but very effectively, advances this question of humanity. She is a computer program, pure software. She obeys orders. She is made to order. But does her capacity to love make her human? Does the capacity to love make a replicant more human? Does the ability to reproduce make you human? Is there a more abstract idea of a soul that makes us human? It asks the tough philosophical questions.

Denis Villeneuve has proven himself a phenomenal director of science fiction following Arrival. And in the same style, he has a way with reveals that shocks the audience. I won't give that bit away, but the reveal allows the viewer to discover another theme, and that is insignificance. We may find ourselves very important, but is it possible that our stories are insignificant in the arc of history? It's this willingness to tackle grandiose ideas that makes this sweeping movie a pure epic.

Donnie Darko (2001)

I saw the Director's Cut at a screening at the MoMA. Donnie Darko is weird--that's a compliment. It's a very fitting quote pulled straight from the movie, but in reference to Donnie himself. Weird is perhaps even an understatement. I can't imagine how anyone could possibly have interpreted the ambiguity of the original version. I know there have been criticisms about the Director's Cut engaging in too much hand holding in providing the director's interpretation. But I think I otherwise would have been quite lost. Cause it's just so darn strange.

I think there is an excellent use of music throughout the use of the movie. It really places it in the time period and it is quite stylish. Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal  acting together as siblings is kind of neat. I never realized it before, but I think Jake has kind of gotten typecast-ed as a weirdo (a la Nightcrawler). The plot is kind of brilliant. There is a fantastic combination of comedy and darkness and science fiction alternate universe's and philosophy about religion. It's trippy. 

War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

The Planet of the Apes trilogy has actually been surprisingly strong. This film has continued the streak of good visual effects, the best motion capture technology and acting in Andy Serkis, and a morally complex and emotional story. The moral dilemma is always slightly different. But always interesting. There are some really brilliant moments in this movie. However, I don't think the last death in the movie was really necessary. There was a very satisfying end that they then messed up. The power of the story comes from the perspective of the apes. We are put in their point of view. We come to root against the humans. The soundtrack by Michael Giacchino is also spot on. 

Passengers (2016)

I was overall unimpressed by this movie. The coolest thing is the production design. There is a stunning anti-gravity scene in an infinity pool in space. The design of the bedrooms and the whole ship are imaginatively futuristic. The story is extremely unrealistic, even for a science fiction film. It is not believable at all. I know the tag line is "they woke up for a reason" but the reason is actually just not very compelling. The most interesting plot point is Chris Pratt's ethical dilemma. Though it does not actually fit into the "they woke up for a reason" motive of the film. This gap in the plot is inexcusable. This is not Jennifer Lawrence's best work. 

Arrival (2016)

I have been wanting to see Arrival, but I actually didn't intend on seeing it tonight. I went to see La La Land at Cinema Lumiere, where they show films in their original language. And it turns out the Italians don't want to watch La La Land in Italian either, so the screening sold out and I went to see Arrival instead. I was really bummed out because I've been looking forward to La La Land but I was really impressed by Arrival. My mind is totally blown and now I can't sleep thinking about how much I loved this movie. There is a Christopher Nolan-esque twist that I did not see coming, and I think the twist was better executed than Interstellar's, for example.

This is not an average science fiction film. Science fiction often falls victim to a strong start but a weak finish. They usually have trouble tying the loose ends. Arrival faces no such problem. The film comes full circle thematically, narratively, musically (great use of Max Richter) and visually. All my questions were answered. In such a movie with such complex themes, that is a real accomplishment. It requires a lot of thinking. In fact, I think it was dumbed down from the brilliant and creative short story (which gets more into the nitty gritty of the linguistics and science) written by Ted Chiang "Story of Your Life." Arrival is a much worse title if you ask me. Chiang's original title conveys meaning and depth while Arrival sounds like your typical sci-fi fare, which is severely underselling the movie. But Denis Villeneuve thought his movie was so far removed from the original story that the original title wasn't appropriate anymore. I disagree.

Villeneuve's style is evident. He proves himself to be one of the most talented young filmmakers today, following Prisoners and Sicario. This film uses a similarly dull smoky color palate, save for the orange hazmat suits which pop on the screen. He has such restraint, letting the film move at a slow pace, allowing for the viewer to really take it all in and process the complex plot. It is never showy. He brings depth and emotion to the sci-fi genre. When most would brings guns to the alien show, he brings brains and restraint. Amy Adams is fantastic. Her first encounter with the aliens requires the most acting from her, showing fear and apprehension. But as she becomes more comfortable, that apprehension subsides to just fear. But it is never a loud fear, rather restrained subdued fear.

The movie also very astutely predicted our own world's media demise. Living in a world of fake news and alternative facts, we see all too well the consequences of sensationalist media. In the film, the military men watch too much sensationalist TV news and listen to radical radio hosts the way we do in real life. And our own stupidity is a danger to our society.

Then really quickly, the sound and production work is really well done. I always like to see different conceptions of aliens and the designers created unique aliens, scripted language, spoken language, and alien sounds. The thinking work was done by Ted Chiang, but it was made visible by the production design.

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

It was not as mind-blowing as the two previous installments of the reboot, but this is still a very good effort. JJ Abrams can do no wrong. The writing was excellent. It was quite humorous (thanks to Simon Pegg) and also really complex. Being a student of international relations, I have been taking Theories of International Relations. And the plot of this film is essentially the classical debate between realism and liberalism. Of course, the Federation is an interplanetary institution meant to reduce conflict between planets. They are the liberals. That interplanetary organization (and the intricate leadership structure of each starship) is my favorite part of Star Trek. And Idris Elba is the realist. He believes that power is everything. The Federation doesn't work. What's more realist than that?  Spoiler alert: the liberal galactic order wins.

Midnight Special (2016)

This movie has a Steven Spielberg feel to it. It is his brand of science fiction. It is a little bit Close Encounters and a little bit Super 8--all very prominently feature the night. It is about a young boy with mysterious powers who needs to get to the right place at the right time for something. It is all shrouded in mystery. There are three parties who have competing stakes. One party is the FBI, joined by Adam Driver from the NSA. Adam Driver is a little subdued, he kind of under acts. It is the same bland delivery of lines as in Paterson and Star Wars. Sure, I guess it fits the role but it's always the same with him. Another party is a religious cult that reads prophecies from the boy's powers. And the third party is made up of Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst, and Joel Edgerton. All three of them are excellent. I particularly liked Shannon's intense performance as a concerned father. The movie is engaging and mysterious, not to mention visually striking. 

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

The ice planet Hoth is a pure white expanse that engulfs the viewer in this other world like the deserts of Tatooine.  The ensuing battle features imaginative AT-AT Walkers, which I vaguely recall in Lego form.   This also marks the first appearance of Yoda and his topic-comment speech.  He is really funny looking not being computer generated.  He kind of reminds me of Kermit, looking very puppet-like.  It is a far cry from the computer generated image we see in the prequel trilogy.  This movie is a pivotal one for Luke as he is tempted by the Dark Side and Darth Vader. This is probably the best of the Star Wars films story wise, with the big, well-known, oft quoted revelation at the end.  

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)

Getting ready for the new Star Wars Episode VII, I am reminded what made the original a classic.  I always loved the description of Star Wars as a space opera.  It is truly a soap opera playing out in the wonders of outer space.  George Lucas created his own universe where aliens and droids mingle with humans, where there is a dying religion based on The Force, and where you could travel at light speed.  This year, Lucas received a Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime achievement and an enormous contribution to the pantheon of American culture.  Consider just the sheer number of iconic characters that have emerged from this film: Darth Vader, R2D2, C3PO, Chewbacca, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, all well known to all American households.  This film produced iconic visuals: the two moons of Tatooine, the X-Wing Fighter flying in the Death Star, the Millennium Falcon reaching light speed, the Mos Eisly Cantina.  This is a film so ingrained in American culture that it has become an American rite of passage.

My favorite part of Star Wars is John Williams's legendary score.  It is immediately identifiable, readily hummable, and utterly unforgettable from the moment you see the opening titles scrolling up the screen.  Star Wars was a pioneer in special effects, culminating in the explosion of the Death Star. The visual effects were unprecedented for their time and I expect the new Star Wars sequel trilogy to continue extend the bounds of what we know as special effects.  And this new trilogy will introduce Star Wars to the next generation--after all, isn't that why we wait so long between trilogies?

Ex Machina (2015)

This is a thriller that achieves its thrilling aspect without action sequences.  This is a more psychological thriller.  It does not slack on an intellectual level at all, embracing the "science" in science fiction--explaining the computer science behind Ava and the complexities of a Turing test.  The movie is one long thought experiment that waxes philosophical provokes the audience into contemplating artificial intelligence.  How can it be achieved? What will it look like? What will it be capable of? How will we know when it becomes self aware? Can we distinguish between artificial intelligence and natural intelligence? Where is technology going?

The story takes place in a secluded estate in the middle of the woods in an environment that resembles Fallingwater.  This is a state-of-the-art facility with security cameras everywhere, ominous lighting and an ultra-modern stylish design to match a stylish movie. The twist at the end is somewhat expected, but extremely well executed and highly satisfying.

The acting is all superb.  Oscar Isaac plays the rich and eccentric Nathan, the CEO of a large search engine, who lives far away from civilization alone with his maid.  Isaac leaves the audience questioning his motives throughout the movie.  Domhnall Gleeson, too, is excellent as an inquisitive, curious Turing test administrator.  But Alicia Vikander steals the show as Ava, Nathan's AI creation. She is simultaneously robotic and human, blurring the already thin line between technology and humanity.

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Edge of Tomorrow avoids the trap that so many science fiction films fall into.  The concept is refreshingly different and makes you think and thankfully, the plot is not so insane that you can't follow the story.  That comes down to good execution.  The audience doesn't know exactly what's going on until Tom Cruise's character finds out for himself, at which point it is described in thorough detail to make sure we all get it.  My one complaint on the plot is a minor glitch in the timeline that is either not explained well enough or an overlooked mistake.  

The movie resembles a video game, in which death only means starting again from the last checkpoint.  If you get it wrong the first time, you can go back and try again.  What we take for granted in video games is used in the movie as military strategy in a battle that resembles an alien D-Day.  Each day plays the same way, much like a computer program written to do very specific things in a game. Continuing the theme, the imaginative design of the movie is reminiscent of video games, complete with full-battle suits and robotic aliens.