What Movies Have You Seen Lately?

I've read 2 good reviews on the new Planet of the Apes movie. Opening this weekend. Still less than 50% chance I will go see it in the theater.

I saw Edge of Tomorrow last weekend. The movie is Groundhog Day meets War of the Worlds. Aliens are trying to conquer the earth with the ability to start each day over from scratch. However, this ability transfers to Tom Cruise's character in battle and now he can do it. So, against huge odds, he keeps repeating the same day over and over, learning from his mistakes each time, with the goal of winning the war in a day.

I'd say it gets a little slow at the end and is a bit anti-climactic but I was on the edge of my seat most of the time. My rating is a solid 7 on the 0 to 10 scale.

If anyone is interested, I'd like to discuss the ending in spoiler tags. It didn't make complete sense to me.

Quote: Wizard

I saw Edge of Tomorrow last weekend. The movie is Groundhog Day meets War of the Worlds. Aliens are trying to conquer the earth with the ability to start each day over from scratch.

The time loop has to be one of the most over-used ideas in SF. There were two in Star Trek, two in SG-1, innumerable short stories and the by know iconical Groundhog Day. Granted some of these involve people trapped in simulations, but the effect is the same.

Tom Cruise is also kind of overused. I liked him as Lestat, though.

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..with the goal of winning the war in a day.

That's an even older science fiction cliche: to win in one stroke. Star Wars (at least three times), almost every episode of Star Trek with any combat in it (except the Dominion War arc in DS9), SG-1 (twice; or was it three times?).

Even Babylon 5, which took its own sweet time developing the plot, managed to do a climactic Final Battle(TM) to end the war. But in all fairness, the aftermaths of the war, inclduing lesser wars related to it, were shown in excruciating detail. And I mean this as high praise, BTW. Almost no one ever thinks to show what happens after the Final Battle(TM).

Come to think of it, though Timothy Zahn has a final battle in The Last Command, it's not set up as such as the victory is not as conclussive. Good job!

Quote: Nareed

The time loop has to be one of the most over-used ideas in SF. There were two in Star Trek, two in SG-1, innumerable short stories and the by know iconical Groundhog Day. Granted some of these involve people trapped in simulations, but the effect is the same.

Its good I haven't been exposed to as much science fiction as you, as this is the first movie I've seen with this plot device, other than Groundhog Day.

Also, one could argue there isn't time travel in this movie but information travel.

Quote: Wizard

Its good I haven't been exposed to as much science fiction as you, as this is the first movie I've seen with this plot device, other than Groundhog Day.

There are repeating time loops and plain time loops. The whole original planet of the apes movies were a big time loop. So was "12 Monkeys." They dont' repeat, but that's what theya re. In Asimov's The End of Eternity the loop repeats "offstage," and a character mentions it. Hell, one character realizes that "It will end up in the right year because it did end up in the right year." And that was a HUGE spoiler, BTW.

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Also, one could argue there isn't time travel in this movie but information travel.

Same difference.

Quote: Wizard

I saw Edge of Tomorrow last weekend....
If anyone is interested, I'd like to discuss the ending in spoiler tags. It didn't make complete sense to me.

Here's a lengthy in-depth discussion on the plot and ending I think you'll find interesting. I saw it opening weekend and this helped me figure it out.

The same day theme has been used dozens
of times in TV shows over the years, let alone
movies. It's a common desire to live yesterday
all over again.

We saw Edge of Tomorrow yesterday. The time thing is very creatively used in this film, and is much better as a setting for the actions and emotions of the characters than you would expect. And while the action is formulaic, the timing and cinematography, and skillful use of CGI, keep it fresh.

So why didn't I like it? I'll tell you tomorrow.

Quote: Nareed

There are repeating time loops and plain time loops

I think there are a lot of time travel stories, but the repeating time loop is not as common. It is more used in TV shows than in movies to use a repeating time loop.

Probably the first one:
Christmas every day By William Dean Howells 1892

But just because a basic idea is fairly old, doesn't mean you can't come up with fresh take on the concept. Jake Gyllenhaal 's Source Code was a very good film.

Finally watched Legends of the Fall tonight.
Damn, what a gorgeous movie. Fine acting
all around. The cinematography stole the
thing, though. It's pure Americana all the
way, there's no way this could have been
made in any other country. Brilliant
intertwining of the old west, WWI, and
prohibition. It was an era where a man
really could go off and have the adventures
of a lifetime.