2009 SCI-FI 2: WITH A VENGEANCE! (PANDORUM AND GAMER)

So, the Saints will be marching in to the Superbowl against the Mr. Manning and the Colts in two weeks. Whatever, I'm just excited about everybody else's excitement and the exorbitant amount of beer and munchies that will be available for my unbridled consumption. Huck it, chuck it, football!

And in movie news, apparently 2009 was even more fruitful in terms of sci-fi than I stated prior. Here are two more new releases (on DVD/Blu-ray Jan 19) with cool sci-fi elements.

PANDORUM (09)

Claustrophobic paranoid sci-fi thriller that I would liken to a hybridization of Event Horizon and The Descent: a.k.a. Event Descent. This movie is a mindf*ck (and that’s an understatement). It is confusing and disorienting, but I think that’s kind of the point.

I started to feel like I was one of the characters in the movie and began to wonder if I had developed a debilitating case of the crazies or if it was just them…or maybe none of us did…or some of us. Yeah, it’s nutty like that: it’ll dig its way into your skull and gnaw at your thoughts like an evil brain-eating gopher.

I don’t want to divulge too much in the way of plot, but essentially this is about two men (Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster) who wake up aboard a space ship with severe amnesia (no, this isn’t The Hangover 2: Space Headache). They are in the dark (literally and figuratively) along with the audience, which makes the mystery that much greater.

The sci-fi and horror elements mesh magnificently. There is bona fide terror and ample suspense and the revelations about the ship, its purpose, and how things got to this point are masterfully conceptualized and realized. It’s a slow, creepy buildup that gets progressively more insane and horrific throughout and challenges the audience by constantly toying with perceptions of reality.

So get prepped for a headtrip and watch this awesome dark sci-fi with a cool plot, decent acting, excellent cinematography, and an eerie, nerve-wracking musical score. Another great addition to the long list of good sci-fi flicks that dominated 2009.

7.7/10

GAMER (09):

Underrated action flick set in a psychedelic dystopian future where humans control other humans in multi-player online gaming environments. I expected a decent but throwaway action movie, but got slightly more. The intriguing sci-fi element and the thought-provoking and timely social commentary were a pleasant surprise. It reminded me of Wall-E in the sense that people have socially isolated themselves and experience life primarily through technology.

Gerard Butler is the unwilling avatar who just wants to live long enough to break free and see his family, and as usual, Mr. 300 is quite believable as a determined warrior with a mission. Dexter (Michael C. Hall) is a bit over the top as the villainous puppet master bent on global domination. But, his performance fits, because much of the movie is comic-bookish and flippant in tone.

This is from the duo that brought us the Crank movies, and anyone that has seen either of those darkly humorous, hyperkinetic action flicks has a good idea of what to expect with Gamer. The pacing isn’t perfect. To be blunt, the fast-paced slapdash editing bred confusion at times, and certain story aspects and particular scenes were rushed, but the movie still captivates and that’s the bottom line.

Video game aficionados will have a better appreciation for the premise, “game play,” and notions about the future of gaming. While I am no “gamer,” most of my friends would fall under this category/label, and I have observed the evolution of gaming and pondered its implications on social life and perceptions of reality. As far as I can tell, we’re not too far off from a potential future much like the one depicted in this film: one where gaming has dominated pop culture and people live (vicariously through avatars) in a Sim City-like online society and play Grand Theft Auto (with human avatars) for fun.

The level of pleasure and satisfaction you derive from this film, and invariably all others, depends largely upon your expectations. Do yourself a favor and set your expecs low or take the movie at face value as an exercise in mindless entertainment and gratuitous violence and be euphorically surprised with a provocative premise and trippy visuals (watch out hippies, this one might cause acid flashbacks). The film has no pretensions and as long as you leave yours at the door you’ll have a fun time with this action romp.

7.1/10