A near-future fascistic USA is focused on an annual cross-continent murderous road race. Scattershot but sprightly, this exploitation effort (a Rollerball mockbuster) juggles media satire, cartoony splatter, 1984 riff, and car-chase comedy. Full of ideas, though, and hugely influential. A remake – spawning several DTV sequels – followed.
Here’s the trailer.
Dearing and Grady enlist Grant and Sadler to rescue a girl holding the secret to preventing ecological collapse. A loosely-plotted series of chases, escapes, and fan service this time out. Fun while it’s on but doesn’t cohere, lifting bits from across the franchise as well as from Damien: Omen II and sundry Bond flicks.
Here’s the trailer.
A computer games designer discovers he’s in a simulation. Meta belated sequel with some fun ideas about reboots, too much clumsy cod philosophy, and plenty of decent performances. However, poor action staging, awkward recasting of key roles, and weak storytelling undo good intentions.
Here’s the trailer.
A conspiracist discovers the moon is on a collision course with Earth. Cheerfully shambolic SF disaster flick, cribbing from across the genre from Contact to The Core as well as from the director’s back catalogue. A sturdy cast of B-listers helps, with John Bradley being especially good value.
Here’s the trailer.
A desert planet with a fabled resource is given new custodians: a messiah figure may be among them. Impressive if slightly po-faced partial adaptation (Part Two is to come) of the Frank Herbert allegorical SF classic. Takes its time: the pacing is televisual rather than cinematic. However, it looks great, and a good cast plays to their strengths.
Here’s the trailer. And here’s another view.
A memory technician becomes obsessed with a nightclub singer. Somewhat laboured SF noir, indebted to Blade Runner, Chinatown, and – er – Who Framed Roger Rabbit, saddled with po-faced script and narration. Some visual stuff works (there’s one genuine moment of wonder) but the central mystery and its importance is bungled.
Here’s the trailer.
A bullied 12-year-old is visited by his older self, now a time fugitive. Cheerful if overstuffed SF comedy, brazen in its lifts from everything 80s from ET to Firefox via Return of the Jedi. A decent cast play to their strengths and the movie gets by on its own through having its heart more or less on its sleeve throughout.
Here’s the trailer.
A professor and friends seek to trek to the Earth’s core via a volcano. Tatty Spanish-made version of the Jules Verne classic, with a slumming Kenneth More and a few threadbare puppet/man-in-suit monsters. Livens up later when the creatures show up, but this is talky, penny-pinching stuff throughout.
Here’s the trailer.
A woman comes to believe that her murderous comatose estranged mother is the victim of possession. Lacklustre SF horror with some okay if secondhand ideas (flicks like The Lawnmower Man, Brainstorm, and Dreamscape are touchstones). However it’s awkwardly plotted, silly rather than scary, and with a daft-looking demon.
Here’s the trailer.
A socially-awkward boy gets a robot companion, except it’s malfunctioning. Generally straightforward (there’s some interesting darker edges and jokes) CG animation E.T. variant, that’s well-made if not really distinctive enough to set it apart from the likes of Big Hero 6 or The Mitchells Vs The Machines.
Here’s the trailer.
![Where Time Began [AKA Journey to the Centre of the Earth] (1978, dir. Juan Piquer Simon)](https://255review.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/where-time-began-poster.jpg?w=300)
255 Review 