Year: 2005
Genre: Adventure
Director: Jon Favreau
Plot: Two brothers play a mysterious board game that transports them into outer space, and the only way they can return home is to finish the game.
The gist: This story is written by the writer of Jumanji, hence the many similarities between the two. Two young siblings play the game and get in trouble, lots of things start coming out of it, including another player from long ago, and they have to finish the game to return everything to normal. Same old same old.
However, unlike Jumanji, Zathura just isn't as fun as the former. It's obviously written more for the younger viewers, and because of that the threats they face don't seem that huge. It also doesn't help that the two kids are annoying as heck, thanks to the way they were written here. It takes a long time before the two finally decide to work together and stop arguing, and what a wait it is.
The good: The CGI is actually quite good, from the robot to the alien lizards and the space views.
The bad: The dumbed down script, the unfortunate likeness of it to Jumanji, the predictability overall. It could have been handled better, is all I'll say.
Verdict: It's an average film for the older viewers. Kids will love it though. (6/10)
Year: 2013
Genre: Comedy
Director: Edgar Wright
Plot: Five friends attempt to outdo their pub crawl from years ago, only to discover an alien invasion taking place in their hometown.
The gist: It's British comedy, which for me is hard to like, and I thought I was gonna hate it after about 20 minutes. But as it turns out, it got better and better.
Simon Pegg plays Gary, an alcoholic who yearns to finish the twelve pub crawl he attempted years ago with his friends. After some persuasion, he gets his old buddies to join him, even though they don't seem as enthusiastic.
The fun begins when the guys stumble upon an alien invasion, and a battle ensues, in very comedic fashion. Edgar Wright keeps things simple and doesn't bother much with the story, but he keeps things fast paced and as a result, there's not a dull moment to be found here.
The good: The action sequences, though being played more for laughs, is spot on. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are as sharp as ever, playing best friends who still have issues with each other.
The bad: It takes a while before you warm up to Pegg's character, as he's obviously a jerk who hasn't grown up since the old days, but once the aliens come into the picture, it gets better. The main gripe is the other actors not getting enough screen time, which is a pity since they're just as talented.
Verdict: Worth for more than a handful of laughs. It's a surprise, and good surprises are most welcome. (7/10)
Year: 2012
Genre: Drama
Director: Jake Schreier
Plot: An aging jewel thief befriends a robot butler given to him by his son, and together they plan a heist.
The gist: Robot & Frank tells the story of a friendship between a human and a robot. Frank is a former jewel thief with a rapidly increasing memory problem, who is assigned a robot butler by his son, so that he can be taken care of instead of being sent to a nursing home.
At first, the old man dislikes the idea of having the robot there, but the machine grows on him after a while, becoming his loyal friend and even assisting him in planning a heist somewhere nearby.
The entire story is simple enough, as it focuses on their friendship and how a machine can learn to care for its owner despite not having any emotions of its own.
The good: Frank Langella is solid in the role of Frank, who makes his character likable despite being rather grumpy most of the time. Peter Sarsgaard does a good job voicing the robot, giving him a human like quality even though he sounds very much like a machine. There's a minor twist in the third act which was nice, even though it doesn't quite affect the story too much.
The bad: Even at a short 89 minutes, the film does feel draggy at times. I would also have preferred the robot to have more presence in the film than it got, as Frank gets more character development overall.
Verdict: It's a decent story about friendship, and worth checking out. (3/5)
