Inception

2010, Rated PG-13, 148 minutes, Written and Directed by Christopher Nolan, Produced by Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas, Cinematography by Wally Pfister, Original Music by Hans Zimmer

With: Leonardo DiCaprio (Cobb), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Arthur), Ellen Page (Ariadne), Tom Hardy (Eames), Ken Watanabe (Saito), Dileep Rao (Yusuf), Cillian Murphy (Robert Fischer Jr.), Tom Berenger (Browning), Marion Cotillard (Mal)

My head was still reeling with excitement and wonderment as I exited the theater.  It had been a long time since I had so much tense energy built up  after a movie. I almost could not contain myself (I will say I was talking quiet loudly on the way out of the theater). Inception takes place in a world that we quite literally only dream of. Christopher Nolan finally got his chance to build a dream world onscreen and his tight direction and storytelling soared amidst the chaotic world of the dreaming human mind.

Knight and Day

2010, Rated PG-13, 109 minutes, Directed by James Mangold, Written by Patrick O’Neill, Produced by Arnon Milchan, Cinematography by Phedon Papmichael, Original Music by John Powell

With: Tom Cruise (Roy Miller), Cameron Diaz (June Havens), Peter Sarsgaard (Fitzgerald), Jordi Molla (Antonio), Viola Davis (Director George), Simon Feck (Paul Dano)

We’re in the heat (figuratively and literally) of summer blockbuster season and Knight and Day fits quite well amidst the competition. It is a true action comedy flick that has a decent balance between the two genres. While the plot could have been much more hashed out and better developed, as opposed its jumpy scene changes that span half of the northern, and perhaps some of the southern, hemisphere, it makes up for this with the wonderful acting and chemistry between Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. It is an engaging film that, although it does not stand out as a cinematic masterpiece is a fun movie that provides a welcome respite from the heat of the summer.

Predators

2010, Rated R, 106 minutes, Directed by Nimrod Antal, Written by Alex Litvak and Michael Finch, Produced by Robert Rodriguez, Cinematography by Gyula Pados, Original Music by John Debney

With: Adrien Brody (Royce), Topher Grace (Edwin), Alice Braga (Isabelle), Walton Goggins (Stans), Oleg Taktarov (Nikolai), Laurence Fishbourne (Noland), Danny Trejo (Cuchillo), Louis Changchien (Hanzo), Mahershalalhashbaz Ali (Mombasa)

At the end of a particular battle scene in Predators, I felt like the triumphant Predator was screaming at his audience “Are you not entertained!” This was the tone of the entire movie as it jumped right into the action and did not slow down until the closing credits. It was an excellent action piece that harkened back to the days when the movie schedule was packed to the gills with pure, unadulterated action flicks.  The film was good because it made no pretense at being a complex and cerebral film, but focused instead on gripping action and suspense.

Toy Story 3

2010, Rated G, 103 minutes, Directed by Lee Unkirch, Written by Micheal Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkirch, Produced by Darla Anderson, Original Music by Randy Newman

With: Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear), Joan Cusack (Jessie), Ned Beatty (Lotso), Don Rickels (Mr. Potato Head), Michael Keaton (Ken), Wallace Shawn (Rex), John Ratzenberger (Hamm), Estelle Harris (Mrs. Potato Head), John Morris (Andy), Jodi Benson (Barbie), Timothy Dalton (Mr. Pricklepants)

Thirteen years after Pixar launched the animation world into a new era with Toy Story, we once again enter into the world of Andy’s toys, Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the gang. And the great part is, the 13 years that elapsed in real time, is the same amount of time that has elapsed in the Toy Story world. Toy Story 3 has a great premise, stunning visuals, and pure nostalgia that will excite any viewer. While the plot is slightly, dare I say, old hat, watching they toys come to grips with their future roles after Andy leaves for college is yet another great adventure into the world of Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang.

Splice

2010, Rated R, 104 minutes, Directed by Vincenzo Natali, Written by Vincenzon Natali, Antoinette Terry Bryand & Doug Taylor, Produced by Steven Hoban, Cinematography by Tetsuo Nagata, Original Music by Cyrille Aufort

With: Adrien Brody (Clive Nicoli), Sarah Polley (Elsa Kast), Delphine Chaneac (Dren), Brandon McGibbon (Gavin Nicoli), Simona Maicanescu (Joan Chorot), David Hewlett (William Barlow), Abigail Chu (Child Dren)

I believe that we are seeing a great resurgence of the science fiction genre. In 2009 we had many great sci-fi films: Star Trek, Moon, and District 9. The genre continues to be redefined by many of these movies. Splice is another wonderful addition to the genre and demonstrates continuing strength and originality. Splice manages to address issues of morality, science, family and commitment in a deep and intense way, and at the same time is an shockingly entertaining film.

28 Days Later

2003, Rated R, 113 minutes, Directed by Danny Boyle, Produced by Andrew Macdonald Written by Alex Garland, Cinematography by Anthony Mantle, Original Music by John Murphy

With: Cillian Murphy (Jim), Naomie Harris (Selena), Noah Huntley (Mark), Brendan Gleeson (Frank), Megan Burns (Hannah), Christopher Eccleston (Major Henry West),

What do chimpanzees in cages have to do with anything? A whole lot it turns out. When animal activists break into a lab animal testing compound to free them, they find out they are infected with an ebola like virus that turns those infected into rage filled menaces that attack whatever they can get their hands on. And so the stage is set for Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, a horror, zombie film with deep emotion and an intimate look at the characters involved.

Extract

2009, Rated R, 92 minutes, Directed by Mike Judge, Written by Mike Judge, Produced by John Altshculer & Michael Rotenberg, Cinematography by Tim Suhrstedt, Original Music by George Clinton

With: Jason Bateman (Joel), Mila Kunis (Cindy), Kristen Wiig (Suzie), Ben Affleck (Dean), J.K. Simmons (Brian), Dustin Milligan (Brad), Beth Grant (Mary), Gene Simmons (Joe Adler), David Koechner (Nathan)

Mike Judge brought us the comedy classic Office Space about the lives of cubicle workers. He created a cast of characters that amusingly tried to get through their days at the office despite everything  that was hitting them. Fast forward 10 years and Judge  brings us a film about the management side of a company: Extract. While the idea of Judge examining the other side of the work coin was an exciting idea for me, the movie itself was just an average comedy with sporadic moments of humor.

Body of Lies

2008, Rated R, 128 minutes, Directed by Ridley Scott, Produced by Ridley Scott, Written by William Monahan, based on the novel by David Ignatius, Cinematography by Alexander Witt, Original Music by Marc Streinfeld

With: Leonardo DiCaprio (Roger Ferris), Russell Crowe (Ed Hoffman), Mark Strong (Hani) Golshifteh Farahani (Aisha), Oscar Isaac (Bassam)

Many, myself included, will always be interested in the inner workings of the CIA and its operatives. We have so many questions that can never be officially answered and so we are left to answer them with our imagination and of course Hollywood. Body of Lies dives deep into a post 9/11 world and explores the working relationship between an operative on the ground in the Middle East and his figurative and literal overseer glued to giant screens at home. Ridley Scott does an excellent job of creating a grand scale spy thriller with an intensity that keeps you glued up to the credits.

Robin Hood

2010, Rated PG-13, 140 minutes Directed by Ridley Scott, Written by Brian Helgeland, Produced by Ridley Scott, Cinematography by John Mathieson, Original Music by Marc Streitenfeld

With: Russell Crowe (Robin Longstride), Cate Blanchett (Marion Loxley), Max von Sydow (Sir Walter Loxley), William Hurg (William Marshal), Mark Strong (Godfrey), Oscaar Isaac (Prince John), Danny Huston (King Richard the Lionheart), Mark Addy (Friar Tuck), Matthew Macfaydyen (Sheriff of Nottingham), Kevin Durand (Little John), Scott Grimes (Will Scarlet)

The Robin Hood Project at the University of Rochester compiled a list in 2003 of 50 different feature films about Robin Hood. Ridley Scott’s aptly titled Robin Hood is yet another addition in an already extensive filmography. Based on my own viewing of various Robin Hood films (which is a fraction of the movies on the list), Scott does manage to stake a claim on new territory in the story. He answers the question, how did Robin Hood become Robin Hood, the notorious outlaw who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. While Scott does contribute a unique origin story, the movie itself is average fare with less original cinematic qualities.

Sunshine

2007, Rated R, 107 minutes, Directed by Danny Boyle, Written by Alex Garland, Produced by Andrew Macdonald, Cinematography by Alwin Kuchler, Original Music by John Murphy

With: Cliff Curtis (Searle), Chip Chung (Icarus), Cillian Murphy (Capa), Michelle Yeoh (Corazon), Hiroyuki Sanada (Kaneda), Rose Byrne (Cassie), Benedict Wong (Trey), Chris Evans (Mace), Troy Garity (Harvey), Mark Strong (Pinbacker)

Sunshine most likely passed by your summer blockbuster radar in 2007 as it was a limited release (461 theaters at its peak) and only made $3.6 million domestically (boxofficmojo.com). I came across this film while I was watching trailers. The trailer for this film is one of my favorite trailers of all time and got me really excited about the film (you can check out the trailer yourself at apple.com/trailers) Danny Boyle is upfront about the nature of his 2007 film Sunshine: “There’s two branches. There’s fantasy, Star Wars and Star Trek, where you can do anything you want. This is the other branch, it’s based on realism, that man goes into space in a steel tube.” (comingsoon.net) Boyle creates a wonderfully done claustrophobic science fiction thriller that pays homage to the classic realistic science fiction films and also advances the genre forward. This is a film for the science fiction fan; those who dabble in the genre on the fantasy side may not enjoy the film as much as it is has psychological action and a claustrophobic theme. For those who enjoy the genre, it is an excellent film that stays true to realistic science fiction as it delves more on the psyche than the action, and addresses hard hitting issues like addiction, the existence of God, and the effect of isolation.