2013 is the year of the old action heroes coming back in solo projects (i.e. not THE EXPENDABLES) to hang on to their past action hero careers that are starting to slip away. Arnie has THE LAST STAND, Stallone has BULLET TO THE HEAD and Bruce Willis has A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD and this film, LOOPER

LOOPER is a Sci-fi thriller which follows Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt – DARK KNIGHT RISES), A man who is part of a small group of hit men, called Loopers, assassins who kill people in the future through illegal time travel. The one small condition of being a Looper is that once your contract is up you have 30 years until you have to give up your life to their past self’s. Joe’s time is up when he comes face to face with his future self (Bruce Willis – DIE HARD, FIFTH ELEMENT). With future Joe on the run, Joe is forced to hunt himself in an attempt to call of a hit on him for falling to kill future Joe.

I won’t go into the plot to much; I don’t want to create any spoilers for you. We are given an odd one here, with a below par performance from Willis. Gordon-Levitt did well as Joe, with the make-up department doing a great job to make him look like Willis. I am not saying this is a terrible film, it is a one-time watch in my opinion; however I just find that Willis is picking the wrong roles. The storyline also drags a little mid-way through taking away the futuristic feel that the first half had which doesn’t do the film any favors.

If you want an easy evening film then give this a go, but I warn you to not go in with big expectations.

Release Date: OUT NOW

Rating: 15

Format: DVD & Blu-Ray

Before I begin this review, let’s all be honest with ourselves for a moment – if someone were to send you a film entitled ‘The Arrival of Wang’, you’d be likely to make a few assumptions before you’ve even seen the cover art. But while there may be a few awkward questions if someone spots this title sat in your DVD collection, a simple viewing will show that this is not a second rate porno but a solid, low budget Sci-Fi film that does more right than wrong.

When translator Gaia is contacted by a previous employer, he seems to be offering her nothing more than a simple job. Two thousand Euros for a day’s work seems like a pretty good deal, but when the mysterious Curti insists she wear a blindfold to travel to their destination the suspicion sets in that this may be a little more than a simple translation gig. I shan’t say anymore for fear of spoiling things, but my advice would be that if you intend to watch this film you avoid as much detail as possible. In fact, I’d advise you just stop reading and go watch the film now. For those of you who need a little more convincing then please read on, but you have been warned.

While clearly a low budget picture, The Arrival of Wang is never the less a good example of how less can sometimes be more. This is most evident in the first two thirds of the film, where most of the action takes place in one room. Providing us with a disturbing glimpse into how we as a race are inclined to treat things that we do not understand, the film does a great job of contrasting Gaia’s horror and compassion with Curti’s distrust of, and hatred for, alien prisoner Wang, who has been discovered on the streets of Rome. Lead actress Francesca Cuttica does a great job as Gaia throughout, and her dread of what Curti is going to do as Wang continues to plead his innocence is palatable at points. Many have compared this film to the likes of The Twilight Zone and The X Files, but for me it has more in common with Neil Blomkamp’s excellent alien flick District 9, playing on those same themes of fear and distrust for those who appear different.

Of course, that’s not to say this film is on the same level as that South African classic. The creature effects are passable when the alien is seated (and we are provided with some real expressions of fear and pain when he is under interrogation) but tend to fall apart when he is in motion. The direction is decent without ever being great, and the story feels a little rushed in place, crying out for a little more build up between the big reveal and more time to let the tension increase before the admittedly lacklustre last 15 minutes.

Buoyed along by some good performances, a good script and some uncomfortable reminders of what probably awaits for ET should he ever decide to set foot on our little rock, The Arrival of Wang is a decent example of low budget Sci Fi done right. For fans of the genre, and anyone who likes their science fiction a little more ambiguous, it’s definitely worth checking out. 

In the year 2084 Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger – TERMINATOR, COMMANDO) is just a normal everyday construction worker living a happy life with his wife Lori (Sharon Stone – CASINO, BASIC INSTINCT), well that was until a simple mind holiday with the company Rekall awakens memories of his real life. When he awakens in a taxi, Quaid still thinks he was dreaming of his espionage life but his confusion is made worse when not only does a work friend try and kill him but his own wife tries to kill him. On the run Quaid is approached by a mysterious man with a brief case which holds a key to the truth. Told to go to Mars by his past self to uncover the truth, Quaid travels to Mars where along with an old flame, Melena (Rachel Ticotin – CON AIR, MAN ON FIRE) and a taxi driver named Benny (Mel Johnson – HIDEOUS, INTIMATE STRANGER) Quaid is on a race against time to uncover the truth that will topple a government.

I do love a good 90’s and 80’s sci-fi film, and I remember many years ago watching Total Recall back in the days of VHS. Now I will admit i don’t remember this film at all so it was a nice treat to be able to watch it so I will be able to compare it against the upcoming remake starring Colin Farrell. I will start with the negatives; this film really hasn’t aged well compared to other films released during this time. The set looks cheap and tacky and the red mountains of Mars look like Styrofoam against the unrealistic background of this futuristic land, but if you can look past all of that you have a more or less your typical Arnie film packed full of humorous put downs i.e “consider that out divorce”.

Once you get into the film the tackiness tends to float away from your brain and you are left with a pretty cool film. Arnie is on top form in his era of cinema and we have a young Sharon Stone and the very talented 80’s legend Ronney Cox (ROBOCOP, BEVERLY HILLS COP) as our villains.

To be honest if you are buying this for your collection it will be for nostalgia purposes however I hope it brings in a few of the younger sci-fi fans to the for front of an era of cinema that Hollywood are looking to remake. Classic film with a midget, robots driving taxis and a three breasted lady.

Release date:  16th July 2012
Format:   Blu-Ray Triple Play
Certificate: 18
R.R.P: (Blu-Ray Triple Play) £24.99

Anyone expecting another Xenomorph-fest imagined by Ridley Scott will be disappointed by the lack of alien on man action as there isn’t one in sight, mostly. This is more of thought process regarding faith and how we come to be, with a typical space exploration gone wrong body count added on for good measure.

Prometheus feels more like a distant cousin of the 1979 trendsetter than a prequel. We have familiar traits which somehow fall short in what fans would have expected from another addition to the alien franchise. Noomi Rapace does her best to imitate the quiet, calculating role played by Sigourney Weaver in the original, but her Shaw is no Ripley as much as Scott wants us to root for her. She reveals that she can’t have kids, five minutes later she discovers she pregnant, five minutes after that she is ready to abort. Scott moves too quickly for us to care enough. Rapace’s on screen partner Holloway (played by Logan Marshall Green) suffers a similar lack of apathy as his character suddenly turns from a carefree scientist full of vigour into a dour boozehound in a matter of scenes. Again little explanation is given for his shift in character.

Charlize Theron tries her best to chill as the cold-blooded company woman, but being as attractive as she is, I never believed her to be a ice cold reptilian corporate screw. Although Scott does reverse her character in some way when she demands that no alien should be brought aboard her ship (have you ever heard a Weyland employee act like that before?)

Michael Fassbender does an impressive turn as the Peter O’Toole obsessed Android, David even if his intentions are somewhat convoluted by the end. Is his good, is he bad? I didn’t care. Scott knows that we as an audience know that sometimes Androids, more often than not, go doolally flip. But it’s become a tired formula in the Alien universe. How about we just have one as a productive member of the crew instead of exploring their artificial soul again, eh?

Idris Elba pops up to take his turn as the burly black guy we’ve already seen several times already in the franchise. ‘I’m black, I chew a cigar, but I’m also lovably gruff’ (not actual quote). For a quality talent such as his, he seems to be left on the bench a little during the action. This seems to be common occurrence throughout the film; too many characters to follow, and not enough depth to care.

Rafe Spall and Sean Green have a promising start as a goofy biologist and a punk geologist, and it would have worked well with them sparring off as a comedy double act to bring a little light relief, but Scott, for some strange reason offs his two most interesting characters straight away, leaving us to suffer with identikit clones of characters we already know.

Good things about Prometheus would be its look. The ship itself is beautiful, everything about it says opulence, with no expense spared, and the real life sets make a difference giving it a little more warmth and reality. But it by the end it all seems a bit redundant. I feel that the movie would have worked better if it wasn’t set in the Alien universe, if it had been independent of the entire franchise. I did expect at one point that the Predators would suddenly turn up and offer a cleanup of the entire mess.

Whilst the original was a grimy pot-boiler with minimal characters and one alien set in essentially what was a vast, dark basement, Aliens upped the ante had many characters against many creatures engaged in corridor wars. Alien 3 harked back to the original somewhat with claustrophobic conditions but less of an arsenal in which to fight the extra-terrestrial enemy. Don’t even get me started on Resurrection . . . The best way forward with the alien franchise would be an all out war. All new characters, just stick with the trusted formula of Colonial Marine against a massive hive of Xenomorphs. A Saving Private Ryan sort of movie, but with face huggers instead of land mines and alien queens instead of tanks. The only way forward with the story would to go epic, not sideward glances at other possible happenings.

Even though it all seems a pet project of Scott’s, it’s still nice to see another effort in the Alien franchise, even if it is a galactic sidestep away from everything we already know. Whilst it brings us a few answers regarding the origin of our favourite Xenomorphs, it seems dig up more questions regarding their makers. All in all, Prometheus comes across as discovering a previously unseen photo of an old friend, on a day you wasn’t around to enjoy what was going on.

Reviewed by Nathan Robinson

Now before we start this review I need to remind you dear readers that I’m not really a huge of the sci-fi/aliens attack the earth kind of genre, I find them boring and over the top at best. So when I was offered to watch THE DARKEST HOUR is was skeptical to say the least. 

A group of friends have to fight for their lives when an alien force, in the form of an invisible electrical beings, land in Moscow, Russia.  Taking refuge in the basement of a club, the group decide to look for survivors, travelling at night so they can spot the menace in the electrical lighting. Finding solace with an electrical expert and another survivor, the group arm themselves with weapons that will hopefully stop the creatures in their tracks.

I was expecting very little from this film if I am honest. There are so many films in the sci-fi genre which have been major flops but what I didn’t realise is that THE DARKEST HOUR is actually a pretty original film, something that I really like. But then what do you expect from the director of the fantastic RIGHT AT YOUR DOOR, a film I have alot of love for. The great thing about THE DARKEST HOUR is the aliens. It is rare to have an original concept as is shown is the film. The invisible electric aliens does it for me!

The acting is really good and the direction is top class so if you like your sci-fi films this is the film choice for you.

Release date:  Out Now
Format:  DVD & Blu - Ray
Certificate: 12
Amazon Price:  (DVD) £9.97 (Blu-Ray) £14.99

Half human, half Arid Hirokin is a reluctant hero cursed by the memories of his past and a man torn from his family is rescued by the Arid people after escaping death at the hands of the Evil Viceroy Griffin.  Taken in by Moss, the leader of the arid people, Hirokin is dragged into the middle of a revolution that will see the rise of the Arid people, a revolution that will see Hirokin come face to face with the man who murdered his wife.

Now I’m not a huge fan of sc-fi fantasy films, generally I find them samey and boring, and if I am honest I was expecting that from HIROKIN. After looking up online for other reviews, something I do as a horror fan, it was clear to see that HIROKIN was getting a bashing. I don’t see why, personally I actually enjoyed this and with the feel of GLADIATOR meets DUNE I was drawn into a story which could have easily placed this film in the line for a TV mini series, which is actually what this should have been. Like I said I did enjoy HIROKIN but I felt like a mini series would have worked better. The story has been used in some way and enough before with a few moments feeling like they had been taken from a futuristic version of GLADITOR, but for a low budget DVD release it is something you can put to the back of your mind.

Originally this film was set for a 2008 release but, due to the success of HUGER GAMES, Wes Bentley is hot property at the moment. The acting wasn’t bad (remember I have to watch a lot of VERY low budget horror so I know a thing or two about bad acting) but it wasn’t award winning.

In general HIROKIN is a fun little film, it isn’t painfully slow or over the top so that is always a plus. It is a worthy watch for a Sunday afternoon or a lazy weekday.

Release date:  Out Now
Format:  DVD & Blu-Ray
Certificate: 15
Amazon Price:  (DVD) £8.20 (Blu-Ray) £10.97