Jupiter Ascends To New Heights Of Messy Storytelling

Posted: February 7, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Rant-a-palooza | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

article-2521166-19FE90DD00000578-223_634x326Not gonna lie: I’m hugely disappointed. The Wachowskis have historically shown themselves to be hugely talented in crafting action sequences, and incredibly forward-thinking when it comes to storytelling dynamics. And yet with Jupiter Ascending, they somehow lose their feel for both of these disciplines, and in the process squander all of the beautiful imagery and intriguing worldbuilding that the film contains. With the year only a month old, I’m sad to report that Jupiter Ascending is an early contender for my biggest disappointment of the year, and continues last year’s trend of my favorite filmmakers leaving me underwhelmed. Spoilers follow, not that many of you will see the movie anyway.

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Among the Stars, A Return to My Geek Heaven

Posted: February 19, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Rant-a-palooza | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I’ve always been a big fan of science fiction, going back to my childhood. The last few years have seen a great influx of original scifi properties, and even though many of them were not as successful as I might like it’s still been very gratifying to see the increasingly regimented production environment open up enough for the likes of District 9, Moon, Looper, and Her. However, in spite of all of this it still feels like there’s a void to fill when it comes to my original passion: space opera. After Star Wars defined my childhood and Firefly informed my teenage years, my excitement for fun, swashbuckling space adventure has largely gone unfulfilled (JJ Abrams’ first Star Trek is the major exception there). But it looks like this year might be the best opportunity in a while to solve this issue, with two movies coming out within a few weeks of each other: Jupiter Ascending and Guardians of the Galaxy.

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