2012 Movie Recall
By Daniel Denehy
2012 Movie Recall
Without a doubt, 2012 was one of the best years of movies in a long time, particularly if you're a fan of sci-fi and fantasy. We saw the end of franchises, the start of new ones, and even the catalyst for an entire new way of telling stories on the big screen. Unfortunately, what was a fantastic year had to come to a close, and though there are a good deal of promising movies coming out in 2013, here in the first few months we are left in the film industry's slow season. There aren't too many quality films in theaters right now, and we here at SciFi Vision thought it would be a good idea to bring up some movies from this past year that didn't get reviewed. We wish to encourage you to go back, and enjoy some movies that you may have missed or were unsure about. Of course, some of these may be on DVD now, but at least a couple are still in theaters for those of you who enjoy the movie-going experience. Now sit back, grab some munchies, and remember the following six movies, they may save you from boredom in these trying times.
Beautiful Creatures: Great Film, No So Great Adaptation
Note from the author: This time I did something much different with the review. I wanted to include the changes in the film from the book since parts of it were so different.Although I discuss some of these changes in the review I decided to include the major plot changes after the main part of the article so that fans of the book can read the differences, yet moviegoers won't be spoiled if they don't want to be, nor bored reading about things that only happened in the book. The section is marked after the review.
Valentine's Day marks the opening of a few different films this year, including Beautiful Creatures, which technically opened with a 10pm showing last night across the country as opposed to midnight. Knowing from trailers that I really wanted to see the film, I opted to get the book that the film was based on, written by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, before I saw it (and loved it, I'm on the last book in the series now). Doing that can sometimes give you different expectations.
As a film, it was well crafted and I definitely enjoyed it, though I admit spent a large portion of the movie comparing it to the book and questioning why some parts were changed – a lot (see below).
The overall story was the same: a Mortal (Ethan Wate, played by Alden Ehrenreich) and Caster (i.e. witch) fall in love but can't be together because of their circumstances. The girl, Lena (Alice Englert), is about to turn 16 and will be Claimed for either the Light or the Dark, regardless of choice.
Dredd 3D: More Sparkles than a Strip Club
By Daniel Denehy
Many people didn’t care for the 1995 comic book adaptation, Judge Dredd, starring Sylvester Stallone, but I for one did. It was the perfect partner piece to Stallone’s other “future cop” movie, Demolition Man. As such, when I heard of the new adaptation, Dredd 3D, I knew I was going to have to see how this new one stacked up. As a brief disclaimer, I only got to see the film in 2D, since I’ve never been a fan of the 3D fad. That being said, I will recommend that anyone going to see the film do so in its intended 3D, otherwise a lot of flying splatter will only be half enjoyed. Also, if that didn’t tip you off, this movie is very much rated R.
Many people didn’t care for the 1995 comic book adaptation, Judge Dredd, starring Sylvester Stallone, but I for one did. It was the perfect partner piece to Stallone’s other “future cop” movie, Demolition Man. As such, when I heard of the new adaptation, Dredd 3D, I knew I was going to have to see how this new one stacked up. As a brief disclaimer, I only got to see the film in 2D, since I’ve never been a fan of the 3D fad. That being said, I will recommend that anyone going to see the film do so in its intended 3D, otherwise a lot of flying splatter will only be half enjoyed. Also, if that didn’t tip you off, this movie is very much rated R.Total Recall: Missing Mars
It is impossible to talk about a remake without talking about the movie that it came from. For those unfamiliar, Total Recall was an Arnold Schwarzenegger action flick from the 90’s about a man who goes through a recreational mind-altering procedure and supposedly discovers that he’s really a spy. The original film left a question mark on that summary, never definitively stating what was reality. It was a good action flick for the time, had some creative ideas and thoughtful themes behind an otherwise 90’s action flick. If you liked Arnold’s other movies of the time, it was a must watch.
The Dark Knight Rises: Yes
Yes. There's the answer that you're looking for. Go see it. If you liked the previous movies in the Dark Knight Trilogy you'll enjoy this, if you haven't seen them, it's still a good movie. Oh, you wanted more than that? Alright, I can elaborate a little, but I'll warn you now, anyone who hasn't already seen Dark Knight Rises yet may want to wait to read the rest of this review. I will stick by my policy of giving no spoilers, but a clever/perceptive reader may be able to infer one from my comments. You have been warned.
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!