Back in the early 2000s, Roger Ebert dubbed Minority Report a “triumph” during a time, as he called it, “when movies think they have to choose between action and ideas.” And this was during a creative era for Spielberg, when the iconic director felt emboldened to explore new territory. UFOs may not be fresh material for the E.T. filmmaker, but Disclosure Day feels very
Read MoreMasters of the Universe is an adaptation that could only be made in 2026. In a different Hollywood system, the movie would be ripe for marketing towards the “meathead” action-based market. The first attempt with Dolph Lundgren, for example, was clearly a product of the old thinking. That somehow, macho, masculine behavior, and fantasy are box office-winning formulas. Filmmaker Travis Knight’s
Read MoreMortal Kombat II has everything a movie based on the video game should have. There are extended fight scenes with excessive gore, faithful character portrayals, and visual recreations of various game levels. Yet, for a movie that hasn’t even been released in theaters, it feels as dated as a Sega Genesis console. The sequel introduces new ideas. One of them is bringing
Read MoreStar Wars animation is one of the best bits of Star Wars out there. From the Clone Wars, to Rebels and The Bad Batch, each show has brought exciting art styles and directions as well as amazing new characters, some of which have since made their live-action debuts. Animated Star Wars is a way to tell different stories and have unlimited
Read MoreProject Hail Mary took audiences by storm last weekend. Adapted from the groundbreaking science fiction novel written by Andy Weir, the film achieved a record-breaking box office opening and is beloved by critics and audiences alike. I’d go so far as to call the novel near-perfect! Produced by and starring Ryan Gosling, the movie is a faithful adaptation in most respects
Read MoreIn the latest Cosmic Circus Reviews podcast, John & Vin discuss Project Hail Mary, the blockbuster new book-to-film adaptation from Amazon/MGM Studios based on the book by Andy Weir. They discuss what they liked about the film, where the film could have been better, and how it stacks up against the book. Listen to the end as John got to see
Read MoreProject Hail Mary has a lot of hype surrounding it. The film is led by one of the world’s biggest movie stars, based on a story by a top-tier sci-fi author, and adapted by some of the most talented filmmakers working today. Because of this, it’s easy to overhype the movie’s expectations. Luckily, most of the elements come together better than
Read MoreI was fully expecting to hate Patrick Hughes’ War Machine while watching it. Another Netflix piece of content that essentially amalgamates known films into one another and tries to pass it off as an “original film”? What could go wrong? For the first twenty minutes or so, a compact montage that distills the backstory of Staff Sergeant 81 (Alan Ritchson) as
Read MoreApple TV’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters returns with a monster-sized season 2, immediately picking up after the fantastic climax to the series’ first season. Series regulars Kurt Russell, Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Wyatt Russell, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett, and Takehiro Hira all return for the new season. Notable newcomers to the series are Prey star Amber Midthunder
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