Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
{4/5} “I’m sorry, you’re a great driver. You’re the best driver in the entire universe.” Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, released in 2017 Valerian and Laureline are special operatives who undertake dangerous missions in the far reaches of the galaxy. They return to Alpha, a huge space colony, after another successful mission. […]
Science fiction is good for you
Here are a couple of different perspectives on this topic. First, Rebecca J. Rosen on The Atlantic reports on research that suggests that reading SF can give inventors new ideas — and also anticipate the consequences of new technologies. A quotation from Dan Novy: “Fiction allows you to live more lives in the space-time of […]
Looper
{5/5} “I don’t want to talk about time travel because if we start talking about it then we’re going to be here all day talking about it, making diagrams with straws.” Looper, released in 2012 Joe is a looper. He works for the mob, killing people they send from the future at a specific time […]
Blade Runner 2049
{4.5/5} “I know what’s real.” Blade Runner 2049, released in 2017 It’s been 30 years since Deckard and Rachel left Los Angeles. K, a blade runner who knows he’s a replicant, is still hunting down illegal replicants. But then he finds out that a replicant has had a child — and everyone is very interested […]
OtherLife
{4/5} “As far as the brain is concerned, fantasy and reality are chemically identical.” OtherLife, released in 2017 Ren is a co-founder and programmer at OtherLife, a company that’s developing software that gives you a new memory — of a perfect day. She’s also testing it on herself, and it doesn’t always work right. They’re […]
James Bond
Here’s an updated version of this list. I’ve seen Quantum of Solace and No Time to Die once and all the other James Bond movies at least twice. Many of them I would have given a higher rating to the first time I saw them (+). As for the spoof Casino Royale from 1967 I […]
Spectre
{4.5/5} “I won’t be long.” — Bond, to a woman he never returns to Spectre, released in 2015 James Bond receives a message from his previous boss, M, who died. She wants him to track down a man and kill him, and he won’t let anything stop him. Because of a bit of a fiasco […]
Skyfall
{4.5/5} “One can never be too careful when handsome men in tuxedos carry Walthers.” Skyfall, released in 2012 James Bond is chasing someone who’s stolen a list of undercover agents. He’s shot, and takes some time to recover. Because of the loss of the list, M is being forced to resign in 2 months. Eventually […]
Quantum of Solace
{4.5/5} “When someone says ‘We’ve got people everywhere’ you expect it to be hyperbole.” Quantum of Solace, released in 2008 M and Bond are just starting to interrogate Mr. White when one of M’s bodyguards reveals himself to be a member of the same organization and starts shooting. Bond chases him and kills him, and […]
Casino Royale
{5/5} “Bond, this may be too much for a blunt instrument to understand, but arrogance and self-awareness seldom go hand in hand.” Casino Royale, released in 2006 James Bond has just been promoted to double-oh status. His mission is to uncover how a terrorist network is being funded. When Bond is caught on camera killing […]