My Personal Top 10 Sci-Fi Movies

You may have noticed that I wrote about a lot of sci-fi movies on this site, be it Blade Runner or Alita: Battle Angel. And that is because sci-fi in my favourite genre in all of cinema. From Cyberpunk dystopian cities of the future to space ship battles above alien planets, sci-fi is a genre of unlimited possibilities and a wild frontier for imagination to roam free with all inspiring stories, mysterious alien creatures, or a reflection on humanity, sci-fi is, in my opinion, the best and most interesting genre in films and televisions. And so today, I will be listed my top 10 most favourite sci-fi films ever… of all time.

10. District 9

When an extra-terrestrial race takes refuge on Earth in a terrible slum-like condition in South Africa, crimes and terrors spread throughout the city as many groups try to take advantage of the aliens that just wanted to go home. District 9 is an alien movie like you’d never expect with its focus on racial and cultural differences, the refugee crisis, and humanitarian efforts that cause more harm than good.

9. Edge of Tomorrow

Based on a Japanese manga “All You Need Is Kill”, this is a story about an alien invasion and humanity’s failing effort in stopping the onslaught. When one man gained the ability to rewind time and repeat the same day over and over, he needs to die repeatedly in order to find a way to beat the overwhelming odds.

8. The Thing

In this John Carpenter’s classic horror film, a research team in Antartica faces a terrifying horror abomination when they discovered an alien creature long asleep underneath the frozen ground that will become their tomb.

7. Inception

This famous Nolan film should be familiar to any sci-fi lovers. The concept of incepting an idea in someone’s mind through their dreams is very surreal and as our group of criminals go deeper and deeper into their dreams, things started to go wrong.

6. Alita: Battle Angel

This movie just came out not long ago but it already earned a spot in my top 10 list. I fell in love with the world and the character of this manga-based Cyberpunk film immediately, especially the adorable yet fearsome Alita. You seriously need to go watch this film! It’s really not getting as much attention as it deserved.

5. Star Wars – The Entire Thing

Anyone who knows me maybe thinking why Star Wars is only at number five? After all, I own more Star Wars merchandise than anything else, half my clothes are Star Wars and I know everything about this mystical sci-fi fantasy universe. But one thing about Star Wars is that it’s very basic and easy to understand. It’s a mainstream thing. Don’t get me wrong, I love Star Wars to death and you’ve probably never met anyone as crazy about Star Wars as me but the next “four” films are masterpieces of the sci-fi genre.

4. Interstellar

Another Nolan film on this list. Interstellar is a cinematic masterpiece. Its depiction of space travel on humanity’s journey to find a new home, leaving the dying Earth behind is unrivalled by any sci-fi film (save for one) in its realistic and scientific accuracy. Interstellar is an awesome ride from the beginning to the end that will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way through. Tears will be shed.

3. Alien

Alien, to this day, is still THE best sci-fi horror film ever of all time. With the creepy atmosphere of the Nostromo and the terrifying Xenomorph lurking through the shadows, this movie holds up surprisingly well in its horror elements, this movie is terrifying and will make you look over your shoulder as you watch Ripley tries to fight off this Alien monstrosity. The sequel, Aliens, is very good too. It’s so good that only two movies exist in this franchise. There’s no such this as Alien 3 or Alien Resurrection at all.

2. 2001: A Space Odyssey

A cult classic masterpiece and the movie that pioneered the entire genre. 2001 is a movie like no other. It’s more than a movie, it is art. It’s symbolism, the messages it tells. This is not only one of the great Stanley Kubrick greatest work. It’s one of the best films ever in any genre, not just sci-fi. Be warned though, you’ll be in on a strange, mind-boggling ride.

1. Blade Runner & Blade Runner 2049

I cheated a bit with this one but since it’s two movies in the same franchise with a connected story, it’d be a crime to have Blade Runner without its great sequel Blade Runner 2049. These two films are the pinnacle of the sci-fi genre. The dystopian world of Cyberpunk LA is unmatched in its beauty and detail and the films’ story asking the question of what it means to be human is never done better. Everything in these two films is perfection, from the soundtrack to the visual, the characters to the environment. There are no better sci-fi films than Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049

Avengers: Endgame Review – Contain SPOILERS!

“Avengers Assemble!”

And so the long-awaited conclusion to one of the longest and largest storylines in cinema history is now in theatre today. Avengers: Endgame is the last film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s “The Infinity Saga” that was more than ten years in the making, starting from the first Iron Man film in 2008. Normally, I’d do a spoiler-free review of movies but I feel that the sheer epicness and scale of this 3 hours long cinematic phenomenon deserved to be discussed appropriately. And so this review will contain some spoilers for any who haven’t watch Endgame yet but I’ll try to keep it at a minimal but I’m going to be talking about some important plot points of the film so you’re warned. From here on out is the uncharted territory, if you haven’t watched the movie yet, get out of here right now and go to your nearest theatre and hope to god that there are still seats left.

Act 1 – The Aftermath of Infinity War

Endgame opens up during the event of Infinity War with Clint Barton aka Hawkeye spending time with his family normally, completely unaware of the events that were happening in Wakanda and Titan. Then The Snap happened and in one turn of his head, Clint lost family as they turned to dust and wither away. This scene shows the shock and confusion, and sadness that happened immediately after the tragic end of Infinity War perfectly and it is a great and emotional start that would set the tone for much of the movie, going forward.

Fast forward 22 days later as the Avengers are reunited on Earth. Still overwhelmed with grieves, their failure affected our heroes in different ways but nonetheless, they still find the strength to take the fight back to Thanos, who has chosen to live a peaceful and quiet life, farming away on an unknown planet. After the Avengers confronted the Mad Titan and learned that the Infinity Stones were destroyed and there’s no way to bring back the fallen. In a mad rush of anger and frustration, Thor, who blamed himself for what happened, cut off Thanos head, killing the Titan so easily in what is quite possibly one of the most unexpected and shocking plot twists of all time. Not even 20 minutes into the 3 hours film and the main villain is already dead.

Act 2 – The Unexpected Hope

Five years later, the world and the universe is still in disarray as some people still mourn and struggle to recover from the great loss. Some people have moved on but some don’t. With all hope seemed lost, the Avengers are scattered, with each person trying to cope with their loss in different ways. Everything felt grim and dark. That is until Ant-Man return from the Quantum Realm, with the help of one heroic rat, and presents Captain America with a new hope that WAS my main gripe with the movie. Time travel. I can’t help but groan at this so overused trope of science fiction. Time travelling to me is a cheap and cliché plot point that makes everything laughable and yet confusing.

However, I’d later realised that Endgame is one of those rare movies that did time travel right, but that is for another time. Now let’s cue the nostalgia trip as our heroes travel back in time to events in their past to recover the Infinity Stones before they’re destroyed, in order bring back everybody who was snapped. Our heroes travelled to many events in the MCU timeline that would bring back good memory to many fans, all these moments are filled with jokes and joy that contrasts with the first act of the movie, but they do give off a sense of hope. Hope that this is going to work and that our hero will succeed. But the fun and joy fade away quite fast as sacrifices were made, and we realised that the threat of Thanos is far from dead.

Act 3 – The Endgame

The Avengers came back to present time, succeed in collecting the Infinity Stones, but like they say, nothing comes with a cost. They assembled a new Infinity Gauntlet and used it to bring back everyone who was dusted. A moment of happiness came after but it would be short-lived when they realised that something followed them to the present. Thanos from the past attacked the Avengers. In the desperate fight for survival, all hope seems lost as the Mad Titan overwhelm our heroes. But then the light shined on our heroes once more as the Avengers assembled for the one final fight against Thanos and the Black Order, in an epic Lord-of-the-Rings-like battle, that is one of the most intense and heart-pounding moments in film history. Seeing the Asgardians, the Wakandan warriors, and the Masters of the Mystic Arts fought alongside the fully assembled Avengers and Guardians of The Galaxy against Thanos, the Black Order and the Chitauri was one of, if not the most, jaw-dropping moments I’ve ever experienced. I, like my friends beside me, couldn’t do anything but say “Holy shit” quietly as feel watch the battle unfold in front of our eyes.

And then comes the end of the movie, which I will not talk about any further than that it is a warm and sweet end to this saga with both tears, joy, and a great conclusion to many stories that were told throughout the years of the MCU. It is a fitting end of an era and a great look toward the future. This is the end of The Infinity Saga and it was a great and long ride full of joy, laughter, and tears.

Shazam! – Spoiler Free Review

“Just say the word.”

So let’s get the important thing out of the way real quick. Shazam! is sooo good! David F. Sandberg hits it out of the park with this one and I don’t think it could have been done more perfectly. DC has been trying to break its curse of terrible superheroes film for a while and they definitely succeed with this one. The original Captain Marvel is finally on the silver screen and everything about it is just great. The story, the characters, the goofiness, this is what every fan of Shazam has been waiting for.

The Story

The story of Billy Batson, a 14 years-old orphan who suddenly receives a magical superpower from an ancient wizard may sound daft and stupid but this is what Shazam is and the film adapted the source material perfectly. Shazam!, unlike most other DCEU films that attempted and failed at telling dark and gritty stories, it embraced its root and style perfectly. Shazam! is funny, stupid, and lighthearted, and basically what I’ve wanted and expected from this big screen adaptation of one of the most beloved yet underrated characters from the comics.

The Characters

Billy Batson/Shazam is played Asher Angel as the young Billy Batson, and Zachary Levi as the charming superhero Shazam, and both of did great justice to their shared character and more. Asher IS Billy Batson, and Zachary is amazing as Shazam, he’s charismatic, he’s funny, and he perfectly embodied this strong, goofy superhero with a mind of a 14 years-old boy. Nobody could play Shazam as good as Asher Angel and Zachary Levi.

The villain, Dr.Thaddeus Sivana, played by Mark Strong, is also great. Being an archenemy of Shazam from the comic. Dr.Sivana is intimidating, scary, and overall a great challenge for Shazam, especially with his seven deadly sins demon buddies. Sure, he’s no Black Adam, but he’s definitely a great villain for Billy Batson’s first real fight.

The Verdict

Shazam! is a great fun time that I definitely recommend you go see in theatre right now. It’s funny, it’s charming and it’s everything the fans of Captain Marvel have been waiting for. Seriously, just go watch it. DCEU is definitely making a comeback with Wonder Woman and Aquaman, but Shazam! is the real deal and it’s what shows that there’s still hope for the future of the DC superheroes franchise going forward. This is what DC should’ve gone with from the start. A faithful comic book adaptation of beloved characters.

3 reasons why “Transformers: The Last Knight” is the best movie ever of all time.

1) The Amazing Cinematography

Cinematography

Transformer: The Last Knight is a masterpiece of cinematography. The people who complain that the movie gives them headaches and that the camera’s movement makes them dizzy cannot appreciate the artistic vision of the movie. Every shot, every scene, the strange low angle camera, the way the camera spin in front of the characters and shakes wildly during the action scenes is to convey the emotional feeling of the story and make the audience feel like they’re rolling around the battlefield, dodging alien robots give the feeling of realism that no movie can. It deserves an award for the cinematography alone.

2) The Cars

Everybody loves beautiful cars, right? And in this movie, there are so many gorgeous cars and bikes that every car lovers will sure to drool in front of their screens. From Optimus Prime to Bumblebee, you’d think that this movie made deals with car companies to feature their amazing vehicles in the movie, but no, nothing like that happened at all. Cars are great. This movie is great.

3) The Alternate History

Blenheim Palace.jpg — credit to atlasofwonders.com

Alternate history is one of the most interesting things a movie can do. So when Transformer: The Last King told its story that in the medieval age, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round tables fought alongside Alien Robots and that Dragons in the myth are actually Transformer, that when I know The Last Knight is the best movie ever of all time. But that’s not all, the movie also shows that Transformers and human actually fought alongside each other throughout history, and Bumblebee actually helped the Allied defeat the Nazis during World War 2, not contradicting what was said in the previous movies at all. Plus dressing up Blenheim Palace, Sir Winston Churchill’s home as a Nazi Headquarter with Swastikas draped over is a great way to pay respect to the late Prime Minister, right?

And these are the reasons why Transformer: The Last Knight is the best movie ever of all time. And it definitely deserves an Oscar in 10 different categories. 10/10.

Ending

If you can’t tell at this point, this is a joke. It’s April Fool’s Day. This really is one terrible movie and it’d take me hours to tell you how bad this piece of burning garbage is. I couldn’t even be bothered to come up with more than three reasons. This movie just isn’t worth your time.

Love, Death & Robots – A Netflix Animated Anthology

Banner — BEYOND THE AQUILA DRIFT, THREE ROBOTS, ALTERNATE HISTORIES, ZIMA BLUE

Love, Death & Robots is a collection of animated short stories that span various genres, whether it’d be Sci-Fi, Cyberpunk, Fantasy, Horror, or Comedy. This 18 episodes series with 18 different stories includes everything from funny robots, monster pitfights, Cyberpunk murder mystery, alternate history, and even sentient yogurt(?), it is a blast to binged through with every episodes making you wonder what will the next be like, it is without a doubt some of the best things to come out of Netflix in the last couple of years

With an array of beautiful animation styles and creative narratives, this experimental series is full of violent, comedic, and thought provoking themes that will sure to capture your attention. With strong action packed and frightening start of Sonnie’s Edge, and the comedic and lighthearted follow up in Three Robots, this series captured my attention immediately with it’s beautiful yet terrifying Cyberpunk world, and the desolate post apocalyptic world that’s become a tourist attraction for robots. This series kept me wanting more with each stories, and I’ve to admit that I binged watch all the episodes in one night and got lost in the different worlds it has to offer. But making me want more is shows both the pros and the cons of this animated collection.

Naturally with all kinds of short stories, sometimes these episodes struggle to wrap up everything in the short amount of time they’re given. And even some stories here are short and to the point, with a pretty good and satisfying ending. Some episodes end abruptly in a way that’s neither satisfying nor captivating. And some stronger episodes feel like missed opportunities because had they been a full length 50 mins to an hour animation, they would’ve been much better. Good Hunting is one of the best story in the collection and it can’t even escape this reality, with great theme and well-written character, I can’t help but wonder how great this story would be if it had been given more time to develop and fill in its incredible world of magic and technology. Much of the stories felt this way, but I guess that’s okay because in a way, this goes to show how good these stories are and how well written and beautifully animated the entire collection is. I just hope that with so much room to expand on the world of each episodes, Netflix won’t let these little gems go to waste. Overall, I highly recommend this animated anthology to anyone who are not afraid of a little violence, blood, and sexual themes, because this series is hilarious, terrifying, and very very thought provoking.

Alternate Histories — ALTERNATE HISTORIES

Stanley Kubrick – Industry Icon

Born in Manhattan, New York to Jewish immigrants in 1928, Stanley Kubrick’s path to becoming one of the most talented and recognise director in film history began when his father gave him a camera for his thirteenth birthday. Though intelligent, he never really do well in school, and his passion lying in photography, Kubrick would work as a photographer for Look magazine. In the next few years his interest turned to film and cinema as a voracious movie-goer. His first real work was when sank his life savings into making a documentary Day of the Fight in 1951, with many other commissioned documentaries to follow.

Early works

Though he did dabbled in films before, his career wouldn’t gain much traction until his two films Killer’s Kiss (1955) and The Killing (1956) got attention of Hollywood.

kinopoisk.ru

In 1957 he got a chance to work with the famous Kirk Douglas and directed the critically acclaimed yet controversial World War 1 drama Paths of Glory, one of his finest work. Later he was called upon to direct another Kirk Douglas film, Spartacus (1960),

Kubrick took complete control of the film and impose his ideas and high standard, upsetting the cruel his style of directing would become the reason why he is both loved and hated in the film industry.

Goodbye Hollywood

After the failed project with Marlon Brando in One-Eyed Jacks (1961), and another failed marriage, Kubrick grew tired of Hollywood and moved permanently to England, where he would make all his films to follow.

His first film after moving the the UK would be the controversial romantic drama Lolita (1962), based on a novel of the same name by Vladimir Nabokov. But Kubrick history of controversial and daring films is just beginning, as his next work would be his most risky yet as he made fun of the looming threat of nuclear war in his dark satire comedy film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). Originally wanting it to be drama, Stanley couldn’t help himself as his ideas were too funny to be taken seriously. The film’s success gave Kubrick the financial and artistic freedom to work on any project he desired.

To Jupiter And Beyond

In collaboration with the renowned sci-fi author Arthur C. Clark, his next work would shake the ground of the film industry as his most influential and well-known work 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) changed how people see sci-fi as a genre and how they see film as a medium forever. And instant classic that set the standards for many sci-fi films that follow, 2001 is undeniably one of his best works and one of the best sci-fi films ever. Of all time. Kubrick would however step into the light of controversy yet again when his ultra-violent dark comedy film A Clockwork Orange (1971) hit the theatres, shocking many movie-goers with its portrayal of sex, rape, violence, mental illness, and more. Thankfully, his next work took a little break from this with the painting like beauty of Barry Lyndon (1975). By this time his reputation of commitment and demands as a perfectionist to the cast and crew has become legendary. Requiring actors and actresses to perform dozens upon dozens of takes until he gets that one perfect scene is probably one of his most infamous and hated characteristics.

He would take his directing style ten steps further when he began his work on yet another classic starring Jack Nicholson and Shelly Duvall, The Shining (1980) which to this day is still considered one of the best horror film ever made. Based on the book of the same name by Stephen King, who has publicly stated more than once that he hated the film adaptation, The Shining is well-known not only for the horror on screen but also the horror on set when Shelly Duvall broke down in tears due to Kubrick’s rigorous and unending demands. Jack Nicholson would always say that this film was the hardest and most demanding film he ever worked on.

Kubrick would stepped into the genre of war films again with his Vietnam war drama, Full Metal Jacket (1987) that would continue his legacy of critical and commercial success, further solidifying his place as one of the best director the film industry ever known.

Later years

After the success of Full Metal Jacket, Stanley Kubrick would face many failures and obstacle as he worked on a new sci-fi film “Artificial Intelligence (AI)”, but the slow progress of its pre-production caused Kubrick to put the project aside as he decided to wait until the special effects technology was up to the standard the Kubrick wanted for what could have been his best work yet. His other projects would not fair better when his “Napoleon” died even before it’s pre-production and “Wartime Lies”, also known as “The Aryan Papers” was abandoned due to Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List (1993), which covered much of the same material.

His next complete work would arrived many years later with the yet again controversial Eyes Wide Shut (1999), starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Kubrick claimed that it was his best work yet.

After Eyes Wide Shut, Stanley Kubrick immediately began his work on his long awaited project Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001) but he would not see the film to its completion when he tragically suffered a fatal heart attack and passed away on March 7th, 1999.

After Stanley Kubrick’s death, Steven Spielberg, who had been a friend to Stanley, took over the project as the film’s director and completed the last first Kubrick ever worked on. His visions for the film and what he would think of the finished product will remain a mystery forever, but one thing that’s certain is that Stanley Kubrick has left his mark on the film industry and will also be one of the best director in history.

“A Clockwork Orange” Director Stanley Kubrick 1971 Warner

Written by Krongfah Mahankalarp, Writer At Day X Productions

Captain Marvel – No Spoiler Review

“Higher. Further. Faster.”

So the long await Captain Marvel, one of the most powerful heroes/heroines in the Marvel Universe, has arrived on screen at last. Many Marvel fans, including myself have been looking forward to this movie for a while, with curiosity and expectation on how they’d portray such a powerful character on the big screen. But unfortunately, after seeing the movie for myself, I have quite a bit of negative thoughts to share with you today, but fret not because this doesn’t mean the movie bad by any means.

So without further ado, here are my thoughts on Captain Marvel, starting with the story.

The Story

The formula of “superhero origin story” MCU uses worked well for them in the past with great movies like Iron Man, Guardians of The Galaxy, or Doctor Strange. However, Captain Marvel is one of the few movies that show that the formula doesn’t always work, and that sometimes the fans want more, especially for a hero this powerful, someone who could go toe-to-toe the mad titan Thanos in the comics, but this movie failed to deliver on a lot of things. Captain Marvel, to put it bluntly, is kinda boring. The story is not bad, the good parts are there and some elements is very interesting, but the way the story was told didn’t do it justice. There was so much story to tell jam-packed into 2 hours that the movie’s pacing feels all over the place, with little time for characters to develop and for plot points to form. This really makes it hard for me to care for a lot of the characters and makes the big twist not as impactful as it could be. I was just like “oh, okay” and that’s not how audience should response to a plot twist. Even after the end of the movie, I find it hard to really get invested with the characters, especially the protagonist. Some of the few saving grace of this for me is Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and the cat Goose, with a little sprinkle of funny Marvel moments here and there. Overall the story is nothing to write home about, it’s fun to look at for about an hour, and it may be very enjoyable to an average movie goers but for a big Marvel fan like me things are starting to get stale.

The Character

Carol Danvers, Vers, Captain Marvel, whatever you wanna call her, is probably one of the most boring superheroes in the MCU, maybe even more than Captain America, simply because throughout the movie, there are no character development for her whatsoever. Save for her regaining her memory, there’s no substantial character progression at all, she’s strong and smart from the start and it felt like she could do anything and nothing is ever a challenge to her. She’s simply overpowered, even more so at the end of the movie, which I won’t spoil. Carol Danvers’ character development is almost nonexistent, making one of the most interesting heroes from the comic looks boring, and Brie Larson’s acting doesn’t help one bit. Brie Larson is not a bad actor by any stretch of the imagination but her performance as Carol Danvers somehow felt very stiff and dull, almost lifeless in some scenes. The way she delivered her lines and the way she reacts to certain things felt very unnatural and artificial.

The Verdict

Captain Marvel is not a bad movie at all, and may very well be enjoyable to a lot of people, and that’s great. But it’s not for me. I could give a pass to the uninspiring story because at the end of the day, I did enjoy it a bit but the boring and overpowered character of Carol Danvers makes me unable to ignore the flaws of the movie. A lot of the things I said so far might look very negative and harsh, because it is, but these are just my thoughts on the movie. I really think a lot of people will enjoy this movie for what it is, because it still contain that fun and exciting Marvel DNA that never fail to make you laugh and grin. It’d still be in theatre for a while so definitely give it a watch, because even though I didn’t left the theatre with a smile, but I didn’t leave it with a frown either.

The Oscars 2019 – Highlights

The 91s Academy Awards just wrapped up mere hours ago, and for anyone who may have missed it, here are some of best the awards and winners this year, listed by category.

BEST PICTURE – Green Book

Comedy/Drama film directed by Peter Farrelly

BEST ACTOR – Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)

Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody

BEST ACTRESS – Olivia Colman (The Favourite)

Olivia Colman as Queen Anne in The Favourite

BEST DIRECTOR – Alfonso Cuarón (Roma)

Mexican film director Alfonso Cuarón for Roma

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR –

Mahershala Ali (Green Book)

Mahershala Ali as Don Shirley in Green Book

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS –

Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Regina King as Sharon Rivers in If Beale Street Could Talk

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM –

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

Animated Superhero film directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman

And these are just some of the highlights of the awards, 2018 brought us many amazing stories and performances with a lot of surprises along the way. All these awards are well deserve, and hopefully 2019 will bring as something that, if not as good, surpasses all these amazing films. Here’s to another great year of storytelling.

Written by Krongfah Mahankalarp, writer at Day X Productions

Alita: Battle Angel – Spoiler Free Movie Review

“An Angel Falls. A Warrior Rises.”

Alita: Battle Angel is an action cyberpunk film based on the 1990s Japanese manga series Gunnm (Battle Angel Alita) by Yukito Kishiro. It tells the story of a cyborg girl, Alita, after she wakes up with no memory of her past, in the future dystopian world of Iron City. Alita finds herself hunted as she discovers that she may be the last of a long lost advanced technology.

Directed by Robert Rodriguez

Written by James Cameron

Starring Rosa Salazar as Alita, Christoph Waltz as Dr.Dyson Ido, Mahershala Ali as Vector

This is a movie that I’ve been looking forward to for a while and I wasn’t disappointed, in fact it exceeds my expectations. In this blog, I will try to give you my opinion on this film as best I can without any spoilers. But keep in mind, the following is my personal opinion and my personal opinion only. But I’ll try to keep this professional and analyse it subjectively. Of course like always I’ll try to split this into parts, The Story, The Characters, and others. So without further ado, let’s start with the story.

The Story

The story of Alita is nothing special but that doesn’t mean it not good. It’s very enjoyable in fact. The theme of a protagonist with lost memory trying to find out who they are may be an overused cliché trope but Alita’s version put an interesting spin on it with great characters and an engaging world. To be honest, there isn’t a lot to say about the story without spoiling it. It’s great, it’s fun, it’s nothing new but it manage to still feel very fresh. And it exceeds my expectations, it’s definitely not your usual brainless fun action movie. The story is captivating and filled with many Cyberpunk tropes sci-fi fans know and love. The world building and character progression is great and done naturally as we, along with Alita, learn more about her past and the truth behind the beautiful Cyberpunk world of Iron City. The story is without flaws however, as the pacing could be a lot better. The story feels a bit too slow towards the beginning and wrapped up too fast towards the end. The story could definitely use another 10-20 mins which I don’t think would make it too long at all because I still want to see more of Alita. Another tiny bit of complain I have is the underdeveloped love story. I hate it when studios shoehorn stupid love story into an action movie. However the love story plot line in Alita is not shoehorned in at all. It’s actually very important to the overall growth of the characters, the thing is it’s very underdeveloped and doesn’t make a lot of sense in some parts. But overall, it’s a great action sci-fi film.

The Characters

Now we’re on to the best part of the film. The characters.

Alita (Rosa Salazar) is a great character with a lot of personality and motivation, she manages to be adorable and innocent but fearsome and strong at the same time and her character progression throughout the film is very natural as she discovers more about her past and her extraordinary abilities, how she fits in the world she doesn’t belong and how she learns to deal with people around her, but she’s still has a lot to learn. I really do fell in love with this character because of her adorable and complex personalities even though she’s a cyborg and isn’t a entirely human (she’s literally made of CGI), she feels very human. I think she’s a greatly written and I hope to see more of her.

Dr.Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz) is another great character and this is thanks to none other than the legendary Christoph Waltz himself. This man can play any role and disappear into it. To see him as the caring and protective father figure and mentor to the young Alita is heartwarming and serves as a little spark of light in the dark world of the Iron City as he tries to protect her from the danger lurking around the city, and watch Alita grow up to be something extraordinary.

The Action

The action is Alita is a great fun spectacle. Every punches, and kicks feel impactful and is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Again, there’s not a lot to say, actions is louder than words as they say so I this is something that you’d need to see for yourself. But as far as action movies go, this is definitely one of the better ones. There many not be a lot of action sequences in this film but that’s a good think because there is no throwaway fights. Every conflict serves a purpose, and provide growth to Alita as a character.

One last complaint I have with this film, like many other films recently, is the obvious setup for a sequel. What happened to doing a great one off original movie without a franchise in mind? That being said, I’m still excited and can’t wait to see more of Alita, because her story has just started.

Overall, this is a great film that sure to give fans of action and sci-fi a great time. But of course, that’s just my opinion. It’s still in theatre so I highly recommend you give it a watch.

My Top 10 Movies of 2018

2018 was a great year for the movie industry. With many big blockbusters, great animations, and heartwarming dramas, there are a lot of choices for “movie of the year” for everybody. Here’s my list for ten of my most favourite movies released last year.

10. Solo: A Star Wars Story

This spin-off movie is the story of the legendary Han Solo back when he is still getting started in the criminal business of the galaxy. Even though this spin-off is nothing special, it was a fun and very enjoyable side story that gave a breath of fresh air to the franchise. For a Star Wars fan, it may not be a “much watch” but I highly recommend it.

9. Deadpool 2

The merc-with-a-mouth is back in his sequel, and this time the time-travelling maniac Cable is coming after him. What can I say? It’s Deadpool so expect a lot of nasty swear words, tears of laughter. And blood. Lots of blood.

8. Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Tom Cruise is back in the sixth entry of the longrunning Mission: Impossible franchise as the badass Ethan Hunt. Of course, being a Mission: Impossible film, Hunt is once again tasked with saving the world but this time, he’s been betrayed. Like every other entries before, Fallout is another great action blockbuster film that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

7. Ready Player One

Based on a bestselling Sci-Fi novel by Ernest Cline, Ready Player One is a must watch for every geeks, gamers, and pop culture lovers. The amount of easter eggs and references in this movie is insane, and even if you don’t care much for the story (which isn’t half-bad btw) it is a lot of fun to just sit there and see how many references you can spot, and it’s sure to make you feel nostalgic. Plus, there’s something special for Stanley Kubrick fans.

6. First Man

A Biopic starring the charming Ryan Gosling as the legendary Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. This movie explores the sacrifices made by Neil during his journey on one of the most dangerous space mission in history

5. Avengers: Infinity War

The long awaited movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you’d have to be living under a rock at the bottom of the ocean to not know about this one. The heroes on the MCU joined forces together for the first time to battle the mad titan Thanos in an effort to stop his quest to remove half of all life from the galaxy. Iron Man, Spider-Man, Black Panther, The Hulk, The Guardians of The Galaxy, everyone (except two), appears on-screen together for the first time to fight for the survival of the universe, and *SPOILER- let me tell you, the ending will not make you feel so good.

4. The Incredibles 2

We’ve waited 14 years for this sequel, and it does not disappoint. Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl is back once again to fight new villains and uncover a plot to eliminate all superheroes, but this time, they need to do it as a family. With the help of their kids, Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack, The Incredibles must defeat the supervillains mastermind and gain people’s trust in Superheroes once again.

3. Isle of Dogs

Wes Anderson’s genius mind and big star casts is back at work once again for this beautiful stop-motion animation. This is the story of Atari, a Japanese boy in search of his lost dog on a Trash Island after all dogs been exiled there. Recruiting the help of five four-legged companions, Chief, Rex, King, Duke, and Boss. They must journey through the isle of dogs to find Spots, the first dog on the island.

2. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

This comic-styled animation is a masterpiece (I’m a big Spider-Man fanboy, so I may be biased.) Spider-Verse tells the story of the Mile Morales and his journey to become the next Spider-Man, after the tragic death of Peter Parker. With the help Spider-People from other Spider universes, namely Peter B. Parker, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Noir, Peni Parker, and Spider-Ham, Miles must learn to handle his new great powers and the great responsibility that comes with it, and help the Spider-People get back to there universe before it’s too late.

1. Bohemian Rhapsody

If there’s anything I’m a bigger fan of than Spider-Man, then it’s Queen. And it should be no surprise for the people that know me that this is my favourite movie of 2018. Bohemian Rhapsody tells the life story of the legendary Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the legendary band Queen, and their struggles and successes on their journey to become the number one band in the world. But also the darker side of the band and Freddie himself as he dealt with his sexual identity and his life after he contracted AIDS. And although there are some little inaccuracies to the real events, made in favor on the movie, because this heart warming, tears jerking, and hard rocking biopic is a spectacle, especially Rami Malek powerful performance as Freddie Mercury, with every mannerism and every movement, faithful to the man himself, this movie fulfils my long time regret of never being able to see Queen live on stage. Plus the more people listening to Queen, the better, in my book.

Written by Krongfah Mahankalarp, writer at Day X Productions