In a summer filled largely with mediocre movies, I’ve discovered that the fall is when the best movies start to come out. And in a further twist, I am now seeing a pattern in recent Hollywood flicks where the sinful nature of humans is acknowledged and even used as part of a central theme! Pandorum is a futuristic horror movie about a small group of people who wake up in a deep space vessel on an unknown mission. Due to prolonged hyper-sleep, the memory of the two main characters is damaged and recovers only as the plot progresses. It may sound like a cheap writer’s tool, but it works to great effect in this movie. The ship is dark and running on almost no power, and humanoid monsters are hunting humans for food throughout the ship. As the crew scrambles to survive and make sense of what is happening, the mysterious plot unfolds. The strength of this film for most of the ride is what it doesn’t tell you. Enough details are given to avoid frustration and d...

This movie nearly slipped under my radar for its lack of trailers in theaters or on tv in my area, but I'm so glad I saw it! In the future world of "Surrogates" everyone is able to live day-to-day life through virtual reality controlled robots called surrogates. While plugged into a control unit at home, users can let themselves physically go to waste while they live out life in either idealized versions of their own bodies, or completely different custom made surrogate bodies. They can see, hear and feel just as if they were in their own bodies, with the exception of pain, which they are protected from at all times. Until recently, it has been impossible to suffer harm through use of a surrogate, but when several surrogate users start turning up dead, Agent Greer (Bruce Willis) is sent in to investigate. What follows is a great ride with plot twists and super-heroic action that is all too short, presented in just under 90 minutes. Willis once again delivers a...

Clocking in at a mere 79 minutes, this movie is no epic, but still creatively ambitious. Marketed as "not your little brother's animated movie", just who is this movie for? The story takes place on post-apocalyptic earth. Mankind has destroyed itself and only machines and 9 mysteriously animated rag dolls remain. The dolls, named 1-9, struggle to survive as an evil, monstrous machine aims to hunt them down and kill them. The movie is not graphic, but death is a common reality in this film. The advertising campaign and the PG-13 rating ought to be enough warning, but just in case I'll let you know that this movie probably isn't for most young kids. Though tweens and early teen boys will likely enjoy it a lot. The visual look certainly contains some hallmarks of producer Tim Burton's early work, though not excessively. Both grim and child-like, the design of this world is captivating. Cast with celebrity voices like Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Jennif...

Gerard Butler stars in this movie about a death row criminal who attempts to reduce his sentence by allowing himself to be controlled by an online video game player in a series of death matches with other prisoners and their controlling players. With a 95 minute run-time, the movie starts with action and keeps the pace moving pretty well throughout. The combat is gritty and violent and I felt moderately invested in the safety of the main character. Effects are used well and the world feels well developed, visually. Performances are pretty standard, but the script doesn't give much to work with, dramatically. It gives lip service to dramatic moments (Butler is trying to be reunited with his family) but it's not that kind of movie and this part of the story is not as compelling as it could be. What the movie does do well is action. Plenty of explosions, cool weapons, technology and danger. Imaginative while grounded in reality. It also delivers a concept-driven plot ...