"The Midnight Sky"
It’s the year 2049 and Earth is in terrible trouble. Multiple pandemics have yielded an Earth event so devastating that the reaches of outer space are the only saving grace. Scientist Augustine Lofthouse, played with a quiet humility by actor George Clooney, has discovered a moon near Jupiter than can restart and sustain mankind. Can it be reached?
Based mostly on the science fiction bestseller “Good Morning, Midnight” by author Lily Dalton, Clooney himself produces and directs this film, which doesn’t really resort to special effects or aliens in order to be entertaining. Instead, the great middle of this film is dedicated to humanity and how best to reach it. Part of Augustine’s moon plan includes the tiny crew of a lone spaceship dubbed the Aether. Heading up their mission is astronaut Dr. Sully Sullivan, acted out with exacting skill by popular British actress Felicity Jones. The wayward communication and constant attention Augustine projects towards Sullivan creates an almost father/daughter vibe that tells the audience the real heart of this film is about unyielding protection.
At times, this film reminded me of another weighty science fiction film, “Contact,” which was built upon such father/daughter relationships from outer space. “The Midnight Sky” is a top space flight brimming with de-escalation backdropped against the end of the world full of one man’s regrets. Deep, thoughtful, and complex, this film is one not to be missed.
"Wonder Woman 1984"
Everyone knows that the best sequels are those that serve as a direct continuation of the first film’s story and not a rehash. With superhero films, it’s a tad trickier to do so because the villains always perish at end, thus requiring an entirely new setup in a sequel. “Wonder Woman 1984” stands apart from both of these cinematic principles and is a story that could have been taken from any issue of the famed Wonder Woman comic book series, thus continuing her story. And that, my friends, is what makes this film great.
All the players from the first film are back, including writer and director Patty Jenkins, producer Zack Snyder, heartthrob supporting actor Chris Pine, and, of course, the totally alluring Amazonian Gal Gadot in the titular role of Diana Prince herself. The setting now is Washington D.C., 1984, complete with all the Reagan-esque splendor of the times. Diana is now chief anthropologist of the Smithsonian and has just employed a goofy nerd gemologist named Barbara Minerva, played by longtime SNL comedic actress Kristen Wiig.
A mysterious stone has come to the museum for evaluation after a botched robbery, and before long it’s revealed to Diana as the fabled Dreamstone, a rock so powerful it grants any wish. True to the capitalistic excess of the 1980s, a pithy businessman named Maxwell Lord learns of it and desires to control the world’s oil supply. As I reference above, what makes this film unique in sequel terms is its resemblance to a typical Wonder Woman comic book storyline that you’d read at any newsstand and not miss a beat.
With no retread of the original film’s plot, the film flowers into one of the many adventures of the great Wonder Woman canons. “Wonder Woman 1984” still retains the girl-power attitude from the first film, combined with a great adventure. If you’re looking to get your new superhero film fix, “WW84” (as it appears in social media tags) is one of the more entertaining superhero sequels in recent years.
It’s the year 2049 and Earth is in terrible trouble. Multiple pandemics have yielded an Earth event so devastating that the reaches of outer space are the only saving grace. Scientist Augustine Lofthouse, played with a quiet humility by actor George Clooney, has discovered a moon near Jupiter than can restart and sustain mankind. Can it be reached?
Based mostly on the science fiction bestseller “Good Morning, Midnight” by author Lily Dalton, Clooney himself produces and directs this film, which doesn’t really resort to special effects or aliens in order to be entertaining. Instead, the great middle of this film is dedicated to humanity and how best to reach it. Part of Augustine’s moon plan includes the tiny crew of a lone spaceship dubbed the Aether. Heading up their mission is astronaut Dr. Sully Sullivan, acted out with exacting skill by popular British actress Felicity Jones. The wayward communication and constant attention Augustine projects towards Sullivan creates an almost father/daughter vibe that tells the audience the real heart of this film is about unyielding protection.
At times, this film reminded me of another weighty science fiction film, “Contact,” which was built upon such father/daughter relationships from outer space. “The Midnight Sky” is a top space flight brimming with de-escalation backdropped against the end of the world full of one man’s regrets. Deep, thoughtful, and complex, this film is one not to be missed.
"Wonder Woman 1984"
Everyone knows that the best sequels are those that serve as a direct continuation of the first film’s story and not a rehash. With superhero films, it’s a tad trickier to do so because the villains always perish at end, thus requiring an entirely new setup in a sequel. “Wonder Woman 1984” stands apart from both of these cinematic principles and is a story that could have been taken from any issue of the famed Wonder Woman comic book series, thus continuing her story. And that, my friends, is what makes this film great.
All the players from the first film are back, including writer and director Patty Jenkins, producer Zack Snyder, heartthrob supporting actor Chris Pine, and, of course, the totally alluring Amazonian Gal Gadot in the titular role of Diana Prince herself. The setting now is Washington D.C., 1984, complete with all the Reagan-esque splendor of the times. Diana is now chief anthropologist of the Smithsonian and has just employed a goofy nerd gemologist named Barbara Minerva, played by longtime SNL comedic actress Kristen Wiig.
A mysterious stone has come to the museum for evaluation after a botched robbery, and before long it’s revealed to Diana as the fabled Dreamstone, a rock so powerful it grants any wish. True to the capitalistic excess of the 1980s, a pithy businessman named Maxwell Lord learns of it and desires to control the world’s oil supply. As I reference above, what makes this film unique in sequel terms is its resemblance to a typical Wonder Woman comic book storyline that you’d read at any newsstand and not miss a beat.
With no retread of the original film’s plot, the film flowers into one of the many adventures of the great Wonder Woman canons. “Wonder Woman 1984” still retains the girl-power attitude from the first film, combined with a great adventure. If you’re looking to get your new superhero film fix, “WW84” (as it appears in social media tags) is one of the more entertaining superhero sequels in recent years.