Science Fiction Archives | Page 20 Of 121

Shout! Factory Dialed up the Tokusatsu ♡ with 2 Complete Series this Month!

This month brings Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger and Kamen Rider Ryuki to home video, courtesy of Shout! Factory.

Tokusatsu Series Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger on home video! — Available to order on Amazon USA

Shout! Factory

Before Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, there was Super Sentai! This original presentation consists of many series only a superfan of the Tokusatsu genre can make sense of. Not only do we have the (fill in this blank) type ranger titles, but also there’s Kamen Rider and Cyborg 009. They’re all part of the megaverse, a term I’d rather use than meta.

What’s offered started hitting Japanese airwaves in the mid-70s, and to know where everything crosses over means really remembering all that’s been broadcasted since. Thanks to Shout! Factory for providing me with the releases lately, and they’re definitely shows I’m proud to play for my young nieces and nephews in hopes they’ll become fellow otakus.

First, I’ll look at what’s released this week and work backwards:

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Relax, I’m From the Future. So What Can Absolutely Go Wrong (or Get Right)?

Luke Higginson’s movie doesn’t borrow a lot from the well known flicks of yesteryears. Instead, Relax, I’m From the Future plays with the tropes differently.

Playing at the Victoria Film Festival
Odeon 2, Feb 8th, 8:30pm (limited tickets left at the door)

Casper (Rhys Darby) is from the future, and he’s out to change history just a little …. or a lot! However, in Luke Higginson‘s expanded version of his short film, Relax, I’m From the Future, what he’s altered has ramifications to more than the lives of those he met. It’s also about preventing that world he left from happening. For those curious as to where this movie will screen next, please visit the official Facebook page.

Many fans of this genre are aware these tales concern cause and effect. This time traveller is after Percy (Julian Richings), and it’s not because this down-and-out punk rock artist is ready to end his life. To interfere must mean something. Fans of this British-Canadian actor know him best as Death from The CW‘s Supernatural and depending on how well one knows his vast filmography, he’s a much loved character actor. I think seeing him in a non-enigmatic role is a huge sell.

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Robotics, Existentialism and Jung_E. So What’s The Glitch?

To truly understand Jung_E may well require a sequel. This android’s future is in question and when it has pictorial moments right out of Gunnm, a Japanese manga I love, the similiarites I’m finding demand it.

jung_e poster Available on Netflix

In the future, the planet Earth is no longer habitable, and humanity’s life in orbital colonies has become harder. A civil war broke out after some of them formed their own government. In the conflict Jung_yi (Kim Hyun-joo) the soldier, not Jung_E the android, become a legend. The movie explores a bit of her life and sadly, she’s no Joan of Arc. I would have appreciated that nod, but she is just another model in the production line.

This replicant whom analysts are studying has this woman’s memories, but it’s tough to figure out what made the woman tick. Her decoration is because she pulled a Hail Mary. Through flashbacks, we learn why she became a soldier. And although this story is solid, I was hoping for more about the current state of affairs between why the Allied Forces want to fully clone her and why this war against the Andrian Republic lasted this long.

At first, I thought this movie may be a take on Battle Angel Alita (Gunnm)’s complex themes of existentialism. To put a consciousness in another body has consequences. But here, it doesn’t go further than to understand Jung’s memories. She’s a skilled fighter and can lead an army. But to replicate all of that to other clones requires digitising those memory engrams that make her tick.

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Countdown to Launch and Sending Wandering Earth 2 the Stars

In the second movie, simply titled Wandering Earth 2, we see three tales unfold in this prequel.

Wandering Earth 2

Well Go USA
Now Playing in Theatres
(Please check local listings)

The prequel to Wandering Earth (movie review here) won’t be lost to everyone. In the second movie, simply titled Wandering Earth 2, we see three tales unfold in this prequel. One concerns the geo-political wrangling required to get the Moving Mountain Project going. The second is about who are the pilots of the upgraded International Space Station which will help guide the planet’s sojourn into deep space. And last, dealing with the detractors who are resisting the locations where the rockets are built.

What this story lacks are original names given to these projects. It’s a minor quibble since like today’s studios who hide the name of the production while filming, nobody is supposed to figure the final title of the project. I enjoyed the first movie because it reminded me of other rescue humanity features. Plus, the theme of any Lunar New Year movie is to be positive during a difficult time. To save a planet requires food for thought, which this film offers plenty of!

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Top 10 Winter-themed Movies To Chill With by the Fireplace

This list of top 10 winter-themed movies include some classic titles but the top three include foreign mixes worth noting!

As we are now mid-way into Winter, just whether people opt to go out to play depends on where they live–and if huge snow banks are a factor in deterring those from going out. Nobody wants to be snowed in. Thankfully, there are movies to view online to show we are not alone in that feeling of feeling trapped. What I offer is my list of top 10 winter-themed movies. Some are classic titles which I don’t go into detail on. Instead, I’ll explain why I consider three works are the best.

No, we’re not dealing with disaster films, even though they dominate these seasonal lists. Instead, the following considers films that deal with using the environment in the favour of either the protagonists or antagonists at some point. Besides the classics like The Shining, Alien vs Predator, 30 Days of Night, Dead Snow, and The Revenant, there’s no need to repeat what’s best known about these works. The two that don’t quite nail it but I enjoy (because I’m a Canadian) include Ice Planet and The Colony. Despite being made in my home country along with another international studio, you’d think there would be no trouble getting this concept right.

Instead, I’ll go into greater detail with my favourite three. Two of which were originally made in foreign territories!

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Upcoming Animated Series Worth Checking Out in 2023 (Part Two)

In part two to extol my love for cartoons, I offer my top ten picks of animated series worth checking out in 2023. With some of them headed to streaming services rather than network, finding them might get difficult this year. As long as you’re subscribed to the key providers, you ought to be okay.

Disclaimer: Not every series is dated, but they’re expected to debut sometime this year. Listed in alphabetical order are:

Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai

This series is exciting because it takes place before the movies. Here, the focus will be on a young boy, Sam Wing, becoming fast friends with Gizmo. I get the sense it’ll take on some tones from Stitch and Ai, and I’m okay with it! As these two venture through the Chinese countryside, dealing with the various creatures from local folklore, I’m already giddy with delight in what can be offered. As for how the mischievous version came into folklore, perhaps this series will tell all.

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