Axiom's Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy

It’s the last weekend of the Summer Blockbuster season and the studios are dumping off what’s left including the somewhat grim Last Exorcism, one that seemingly would have been a better choice for a Halloween release.  In any case, critics have given it a passable reception thus far with a 66% Fresh Rating on the Rotten Tomatoes site as of its opening day.  Following is the consensus opinion of the movie:

It doesn’t fully deliver on the chilly promise of its Blair Witch-style premise, but The Last Exorcism offers a surprising number of clever thrills.

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone seemed reasonably impressed with the film saying in his review: “It’s not just the hand-held camera that will shake you up. The Last Exorcism gives you good reason to be very afraid of the dark”.  Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel took a more negative view of the film calling it in his review: “A modestly chilling, drawn out affair in which the characters and possible “scientific explanations” are more interesting than its predictable final destination”.  You can read more of the critics’ opinions at the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page and you can see the trailer for the movie at its official website.

Also today, James Cameron’s Avatar returns to the theaters for an encore run in 3-D and on the IMAX 3-D screens.  This will be an extended version of the film with nine extra minutes of CGI footage (including a sex scene just to assure that people return to the theaters one more time, but don’t get too excited because the movie is still PG-13).   This is a limited re-release, so buy your tickets soon if you want to be sure and catch it on its second go around.

Also, check out our Preview of the upcoming Fall/Winter Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Movies at this link

The remake to Roger Corman’s low-budget 1978 drive-in cult favorite Piranha hits theaters today, though apparently it received little in the way of advance screenings for the critics as the Rotten Tomatoes site does not have a consensus opinion on the film as of noon EST on its opening day.  The few critics who’s reviews have been recorded by the site seem to think favorably of it so far as it as achieved an 81% Fresh Rating across 21 reviews as of this writing.  Apparently most of these reviewers have recognized the film for what it is, a cheesy, exploitative creature flick, and have approached their reviews with that in mind.  One of the top critics for the site, Michael Rechtshaffen from The Hollywood Reporter, had this to say in his review:  “A bloody entertaining blast of a flesh-eating fish-out-of-water story.”  Following are a few more nuggets from the critics in the same vein:

Dave White of Movies.com:  “The Citizen Kane of killer piranha movies.”

Chuck the Movieguy of Dark Horizons: “Cheesy disgusting nerve-wracking fun! Boobs in 3D.”

Robbie Collin of News of the World: “If you’re thinking about seeing a film called Piranha 3D, chances are you’ll be delighted with it.”

Oddly enough, the detractors of the film say basically the same thing as the supporters, just from a negative point of view, i.e., Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel: “Piranha 3D goes for the jugular. And generally misses, but generally in an amusing way.”  You can read more of the critics’ opinions at the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page and you can see the trailer for the movie at its official website.

And for those interested, the tooth-spoof Vampires Suck sneaked into theaters this past Wednesday and has thus far garnered an even lower Fresh Rating than this Summer’s much reviled (not by us though) The Last Airbender having only received 3% in positive reviews so far based on what the Rotten Tomatoes site tracks.  Following is the consensus opinion on the movie, for what it is worth:

Witlessly broad and utterly devoid of laughs, Vampires Suck represents a slight step forward for the Friedberg-Seltzer team.

If you have absolutely nothing better to do, you can read more of the critics’ opinions at the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page and you can see the trailer for the movie at its official website.

Also, you can check out our Preview of the upcoming Fall/Winter Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Movies at this link

Many fans have been anticipating the release of the comic-book based Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and today it finally arrives in the theaters.  Critics have had mostly favorable opinions of the movie so far giving it a79% Fresh Rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website as of its opening day.  Following is the consensus opinion of the movie:

Its script may not be as dazzling as its eye-popping visuals, but Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is fast, funny, and inventive.

Willie Waffle of WaffleMovies.com found the movie quite entertaining, calling it in his review “Visually cool, excellently quirky and exhilarating from start to finish with a frenetic pace that never stops.”   Peter Sobczynski of eFilmCritic.com was not as enthused about the film, describing it in his review as “A joyless and grating stab at creating a contemporary cult classic that is just as annoying and insufferable as the characters contained within and about as edgy as a trip to the auto department at Sears.”  You can read more of the critics’ opinions at the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page and you can see the trailer for the movie at its official website.

Also opening today of interest to genre fans is The Expendables which hearkens back to the 80′s actions flicks and teams up several big names from that decade such as Sylvester Stalone, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Dolph Lundgren, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger.  The critics have not shown much excitement for this film, though, giving it only a 43% Fresh Rating as of its opening day.  Following is the consensus opinion of the film:

It makes good on the old-school action it promises, but given all the talent on display, The Expendables should hit harder.

Whether you take it as praise or derision, Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post had this to say in her review: “Bullets, knives and bare hands fly in an incomprehensible vortex as arms and heads and body parts get thrown into the melee.”  Lou Lumenick of the New York Post was a bit more blunt in his review, calling it “The brain-dead male equivalent of Sex and the City 2.”  You can read more of the critics’ opinions at the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page and you can see the trailer for the movie at its official website.

Action film diva Angelina Jolie returns to the big screen with her spy movie thriller Salt which opens today.  Critics, though, have only given the film a lukewarm reception so far as it has only achieved a 56% Fresh Rating on the Rotten Tomatoes site as of its opening day.  Following is the consensus opinion:

Angelina Jolie gives it her all in the title role, and her seasoned performance is almost enough to save Salt from its predictable and ludicrous plot.

Christopher Long of DVDTown.com notes in his review that “Salt changes from super-spy to cartoon-spy, and good implausible becomes bad implausible in a hurry.”  Shawn Levy of the Oregonian was a bit more positive in his review saying that “In a season that’s meant to deliver mind-numbing jollies and has thus far failed, in the main, to do so, Salt deserves some credit for fulfilling its mandate.” You can read more of the critics’ opinions at the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page and you can see the trailer for the movie at its official website.

Check Out Our Summer 2010 Science Fiction and Fantasy Movie Preview at this Link

Two more much anticipated Summer movies drop today as Christopher Nolan’s Inception debuts along with The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.  The thriller Inception, Nolan’s first film since Dark Knight, has so far received high marks from critics with an 84% Fresh Rating as of its opening day on the Rotten Tomatoes site.  Following is the consensus opinion on the film:

Smart, innovative, and thrilling, Inception is that rare summer blockbuster that succeeds viscerally as well as intellectually.

In his review, James O’Brien of the Daily Mirror notes that “In a decade dominated by the three dreaded Rs of remakes, reimaginings and reboots comes a truly original blockbuster.”  Robert Levin of Critic’s Notebook was a little less enamored with the film, saying in his review that “Wrapped up in the logistics of various dreamscapes and the technical details of dream sharing and inception, the picture all but abandons its most essential thread.”  You can read more of the critics’ opinions at the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page and you can see the trailer for the movie at its official website.

Also opening today is The Sorcer’s Apprentice which gives us an update of sort of the Mickey Mouse animated short from Fantasia.  This film has not received high marks thus far, with a 40% Fresh Rating as of its opening day.  Following is the consensus opinion on the movie:

It has a likable cast and loads of CGI spectacle, but for all but the least demanding viewers, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice will be less than spellbinding.

Nick Mamatas of Blastr (formerly Sci Fi Wire) seemed to enjoy it a bit, saying in his review that “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was a horrible movie that I just happened to like.  It’s stupid and childish, but also utterly charming.”  Jason Heck of the Kansas City Star was less kind in his review: “Ever wonder what the Harry Potter films would be like without an ounce of wit, grace or subtlety? Wonder no more.”  You can read more of the critics’ opinions at the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page and you can see the trailer for the movie at its official website.

The Predator film franchise gets a restart of sorts with the release of Predators today as it goes back to its roots (and to a script penned in the 90′s) and delivers a humans vs. Predators story with no aliens from other film franchises in sight.  And the critics have been favorable toward the new movie so far as it has garnered a 72% Fresh Rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website as of its opening day.  Following is the consensus opinion on the movie:

After a string of subpar sequels, this bloody, action-packed reboot takes the Predator franchise back to its testosterone-fueled roots.

Michael O’Sullivan of the Washington Post said in his review that “Predators is good if gory grindhouse fun. It tweaks the conventions of the summer monster movie, even as it observes them.”  Peter Sobczynski of eFilmCritic.com was a bit less enamored with the film, saying in his review that “While it may be better than Predator 2, the difference in quality between the two is almost too negligible to notice.”  You can read more of the critics’ opinions at the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page and you can see the trailer for the movie at its official website.

Also hitting theaters today is the animated comedy Despicable Me with The Office‘s Steve Carell voicing the lead character who is a super villain that finds himself thrust into a father role.  The critics have thought quite highly of this one so far, giving it an 82% Fresh Rating as of its opening day.  Following is the consensus opinion of the movie:

Borrowing heavily (and intelligently) from Pixar and Looney Tunes, Despicable Me is a surprisingly thoughtful, family-friendly treat with a few surprises of its own.

Susan Granger of the SSG Syndicate says in her review that “A film is only as good as its villain – which is why this succeeds so well – and be sure to stay for the amusing end credits.”  Erik Childress of eFilmCritic.com was not quite as enthusiastic about the movie in his review: “Inoffensive and safe without being particularly funny or exciting, Despicable Me would likely earn that description even if some villain went back in time and made sure Pixar never existed.”  You can read more of the critics’ opinions at the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page and you can see the trailer for the movie at its official website.

M. Night Shyamalan may have hoped to reboot his career with the potential franchise starter The Last Airbender which represents a course change from his previous films, but critics are definitely not drinking the koolaid.  The film, based on the Nickelodeon cartoon series has only scrapped up a 5% Fresh Rating on the Rotten Tomatoes site as of its opening day.  Following is the consensus opinion on the movie:

Despite flashy special effects, The Last Airbender squanders the potential of its popular source material on an incomprehensible plot, laughable dialogue, and a joyless sense of detachment.

Nick Mamatas of Sci Fi Wire had this to say of the movie in his review: “Shyamalan was clearly trying to make a franchise along the lines of The Lord of the Rings or Star Wars, but instead he made The Golden Compass—an incoherent and boring spectacle, so full of nothing that almost everything good about the source material had to be left out.”  Trying to give at least somewhat of a positive spin on the movie, Colin Covert of the Minneapolis Star Tribune said in his review that “The Last Airbender is one of the most visually luscious and exhilarating entertainments I have seen this year, full of giddy fireworks and kinetic pleasure.”  Our own Johnny Jay liked the movie as well, telling theater goers to not “buy into all of the Shyamalan-bashing” as he thought it was a decent film.  You can read more of the critics’ opinions at the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page and you can see the trailer for the movie at its official website.

Getting an early release yesterday was the third movie in the Twilight saga Eclipse which did not appear to have much bite for critics.  The film has garnered a 52% Fresh Rating thus far with the following consensus opinion:

Stuffed with characters and overly reliant on uninspired dialogue, Eclipse won’t win The Twilight Saga many new converts, despite an improved blend of romance and action fantasy.

Tricia Olszewski of Washington City Paper thought favorably of the movie having this to say in her review: “Step aside, you creepy cougars: Finally, there’s a Twilight suitable even for normal grown-ups.”  Thomas Caldwell of Cinema Autopsy was less than impressed, though, saying this in his review: “The core problems with the Twilight films are still very much present in this new installment including the plodding pace, the trite dialogue and the very regressive subtext.”  You can read more of the critics’ opinions at the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page and you can see the trailer for the movie at its official website.

Check Out Our Summer 2010 Science Fiction and Fantasy Movie Preview at this Link

Two more entries in this Summer’s blockbuster party hit the theaters today as the third installment in the Toy Story franchise makes its bow along with the big screen adaptation of the DC Comics macabre western hero Jonah Hex.  Critics have absolutely loved Toy Story 3 so far as it has received an unprecedented 100% Fresh Rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website as of its opening day.  Following is the consensus opinion on the move from that site:

Deftly blending comedy, adventure, and honest emotion, Toy Story 3 is a rare second sequel that really works.

In his review of the film, Brandon Fibbs notes that “A Pixar film is the closest thing you have to a guarantee in Hollywood. Name even one other cinematic enterprise in which you can take your seat, brazenly certain of complete fulfillment.”  Kevin McCarthy of Big Daddy Kev’s Reviews ups the praise in his review: “Dare I say that Toy Story 3 is a perfect film? Pixar, yet again, delivers a brilliant film that will make you laugh, cheer and even shed a few tears. Bravo!”  You can read more of the critics’ opinions at the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page and you can see the trailer for the movie at its official website.

The much anticipated Jonah Hex has not found the same favor with critics as Toy Story 3, though, as that movie has only scraped up a measly 10% Fresh Rating from Rotten Tomatoes as of its opening day.  Following is the consensus opinion:

Josh Brolin gives it his best shot, but he can’t keep the short, unfocused Jonah Hex from collapsing on the screen.

Kevin McCarthy had little good to say about the movie in his review as he notes that “The issues that happened behind the camera, including the original directors leaving the project, are extremely obvious in the final product. The film is a complete disaster.”  What little praise the film could garner reflected what Peter Sobczynski of eFilmCritic.com had to say in his review: “You could do worse than this and if you have been going to the movies this summer with any regularity, you most likely already have.”  You can read more of the critics’ opinions at the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page and you can see the trailer for the movie at its official website.

Check Out Our Summer 2010 Science Fiction and Fantasy Movie Preview at this Link

10 Cent Movie Tickets in June!! In honor of their anniversary, Fandango will be giving away 10¢ tickets on their Twitter and Facebook pages weekly for the month of June! Click here to find out more!

Yeah, we know it’s not really a Science Fiction/Fantasy film, but The A-Team, based on the 80′s action series of the same name, will definitely attract many genre fans to the theaters.  The critics have not been attracted to the movie’s over-the-top violence thus far, though, as the film has only amassed a Fresh Rating of 51% from the Rotten Tomatoes site as of its opening day.  Following is the consensus opinion on the movie:

For better and for worse, Joe Carnahan’s big-screen version of The A-Team captures the superficial, noisy spirit of the TV series.

In his review, Ted Fry Seattle Times says “Fans of explosions, machine guns, brutal fisticuffs and elaborate set pieces that fuse digital effects with impressive practical stunts will get their fill as the A-Team, class of ’10, accomplishes its mission — and exactly according to plan.”  Claudia Puig of USA Today is less enthused by the movie, saying in her review that “Despite a talented cast, this nearly two-hour inane frenzy of action and violence is rarely more than bloated and boring.”  An even harsher critic of the movie is the original B.A. Baracas, Mr. T himself, who derides it for its violence and says that “People die in the film and there’s plenty of sex but when we did it, no one got hurt and it was all played for fun and family entertainment.”You can read more of the critics’ opinions at the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page and you can see the trailer for the movie at its official website.

Check Out Our Summer 2010 Science Fiction and Fantasy Movie Preview at this Link

10 Cent Movie Tickets in June!! In honor of their anniversary, Fandango will be giving away 10¢ tickets on their Twitter and Facebook pages weekly for the month of June! Click here to find out more!

For the first weekend of June in this Summer Blockbuster season, we get a Science Fiction/Horror movie that is not quite the normal fare for this time of year.  Splice opens today about two scientists who create a new life form that they lose control of.  And while the movie has not received rave reviews from the critics, they appear overly favorable toward it as of its opening day giving it a Fresh Rating of 68% on the Rotten Tomatoes website:  Following is the consensus opinion on the movie:

It doesn’t take its terrific premise quite as far as it should, but Splice is a smart, well-acted treat for horror fans.

In his review of the movie, Peter Travers of Rolling Stone says that “Before the film devolves into cliché, director and co-writer Vincenzo Natali creates a potent and provocative thriller about gender politics and human impulses that can’t be reduced to a science.”  Dustin Putman adds in his review that “Besides its absorbing ghoulishness, Splice is terrifically smart, rife with topics to debate and discuss. How many studio-released horror pictures of the last several years can attest to that?”  You can read more of the critics’ opinions at the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes page and you can see the trailer for the movie at its official website.

Check Out Our Summer 2010 Science Fiction and Fantasy Movie Preview at this Link

10 Cent Movie Tickets in June!! In honor of their anniversary, Fandango will be giving away 10¢ tickets on their Twitter and Facebook pages weekly for the month of June!  Click here to find out more!