Nope

2022 Universal Pictures

Rated: R

Length: 2 hr 11min

Sci-Fi ~ Thriller

Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott, Brandon Perea, and Keith David.

“This dream you’re chasing, where you end up at the top of the mountain, all eyes on you… it’s the dream you never wake up from.”

FROM UNIVERSAL PICTURES:

Oscar®-winning filmmaker Jordan Peele reimagines the summer movie with Nope, an expansive pop epic of uncanny science fiction. Following their father’s shocking death, Hollywood animal wrangler OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer) begin observing unexplained phenomena on their vast Southern California ranch that leads them down an obsessive rabbit hole as they plot attempts to capture the mystery on camera. Along with a former child star turned family theme park ringmaster (Steven Yeun) who neighbors the siblings, the pair’s efforts to chase the spectacle soon bring terrifying consequences and unimaginable horror. The result is a complex social thriller that unpacks the seeds of violence, risk and opportunism that are inseparable from the romanticized history of the American West … and from show business itself.

Movie Backstories:

The Chimpanzee:

In the beginning of the movie, and later in the movie, there are scenes where a monkey has gone rogue on a sitcom TV set. Balloons released from a box on his birthday rise up and hit the stage lights and pop, sending the primate into a fit of uncontrollable violence. He focuses on the actress playing the mother in the sitcom, and violently attacks her. This scene is based on a real life incident that happened in 2009 in Stamford, Connecticut.

Travis the chimp was raised by Sandra and Jerome Herold after purchasing him at three days old. They raised him as a human, he accompanied them everywhere. He would ride in their vehicles, buckling himself in wearing a baseball t-shirt. He could open doors with keys, dress himself, log onto a computer and look at pictures, turn on TV and use the remote, and even brushed his teeth. But you can’t take the animal out of the animal no matter how much you humanize him.

On February 16, 2009 Travis attacked and mauled Sandra’s friend Charla Nash. Already agitated that day, he lost his mind when he saw Charla holding his favorite Elmo doll in an attempt to get him to come with her back into the house. He savagely ripped into her face and tore off her hands. She survived but has had a face transplant and numerous surgeries. Part of the movie’s message is dealing with our treatment and relationship to animals in captivity. And the creature in the sky is a metaphor for the animals we try to control and humanize.

The Film Industry:

When Oj and Em are introducing themselves to the cast and crew on the Hollywood sound stage, they reference their families proud Black Heritage within the Film Industries History. It was part of Jordan Peele’s intention in this movie to raise awareness of the history and exploitation of Black Actors in The Film Industry’s History. It also alludes to The Film Industry’s exploitation of spectacle over substance and safety.

NOPE:

NOPE is an acronym for Not Of Planet Earth. It is an acronym that has been used to describe the UFO Phenomenon. It is also a reference to an Eddie Murphy bit where he talks about the difference between White people and Black people in a Horror Movie. The White people are gonna say, “Well, let’s go take a look and investigate that mysterious phenomenon.” Whereas according to Eddie Murphy, Black people are going to say ‘”NOPE! Not Me!” and run the other way. I’m with the latter group as Daniel Kaluuya says twice in the movie given the choice to investigate further……NOPE!

COWBOYS AND ALIENS:

Reminds me of the 2011 Movie starring Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig and Olivia Wilde. They both are Western Sc-Fi’s with Cowboys and Aliens and that’s where the similarity ends but I loved that movie!

The Review:

I enjoyed every minute of this movie. It does what movies are supposed to do. It makes you squeamish, it thrills you, it keeps you on the edge of your seat, it makes you question things. It is a cinematic experience and journey unlike any other. I am not real familiar with Jordan Peele, although I do remember watching Get Out. I am going to have to watch his other two movies now after thoroughly enjoying this. I really like Daniel Kaluuya in this and I am a sucker for out of this world entertainment!

Highly Recommended.

Two Thumbs Up.

The Electric State

2025 Netflix

Rated: PG-13

Length: 2 hr 8min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Sci-Fi

Directed by: Anthony and Joe Russo

Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Jason Alexander, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Giancarlo Esposito and Stanley Tucci.

“Rage with the Machines.”

THE BOOK:

The Electric State A Graphic Novel by Simon Stålenhag 2018

In late 1997, a runaway teenager and her small yellow toy robot travel west through a strange American landscape where the ruins of gigantic battle drones litter the countryside, along with the discarded trash of a high-tech consumerist society addicted to a virtual-reality system. As they approach the edge of the continent, the world outside the car window seems to unravel at an ever faster pace, as if somewhere beyond the horizon, the hollow core of civilization has finally caved in.

THE MOVIE (Netflix Tudum):

In the world of The Electric State, the ’90s look a little different. Sure, plaid flannel shirts and grunge black eyeliner are still in, but a catastrophic war between humans and robots has left the world scarred and divided. With robots banished to a remote wasteland, an uneasy peace has been reached — but it may not last for long.

The Electric State tells the story of Michelle ( Millie Bobby Brown), a young woman traveling with a sweet but mysterious robot. The pair reluctantly team up with eccentric drifter Keats (Chris Pratt), and set out on a cross-country road trip to find Michelle’s younger brother. Along the way, they have to navigate an electrified, retro-futuristic US landscape with eerie similarities to our own time.

The Electric State is an explosive adaptation of Simon Stålenhag’s 2018 graphic novel of the same name about a young girl and her small yellow toy robot who travel west through a high-tech wasteland. The Russos’ version takes the story concept and runs with it, expanding the world while remaining true to the emotional threads Stålenhag weaved into his work.

“I’m blown away by the movie,” Stålenhag told Netflix. “It was an amazing experience watching things that I have drawn come to life this way. What resonated most with me was the emotional core of the movie, which is the need for family. Even though the movie has changed genre from the book a bit, that main core is still the same and has been expanded on beautifully.”

The Russos and writers Markus and McFeely were in communication with Stålenhag throughout the film’s development, and he was pleased to see the creative liberties they took to make the film stand on its own. “They asked me questions about the timeline and backstory, but it’s their work,” he said. “They’re the best in the world at what they do, and to see them work on a project that comes from me, it’s beyond satisfying, surreal. I am so positively surprised by the end result.”

THE REVIEW:

I didn’t know that the movie was based upon a book until after I watched the movie. I included a lot of information about that because I think I would have had a better appreciation of the movie if I had known that going in. After the fact, looking at the illustrations of the book, the movie does a great job of bringing those illustrations and the book to life. I love Millie Bobby Brown and I think she was good in this, but I don’t think the movie would have survived with another actress. Chris Pratt was good as well but I think the stars were Millie, Cosmo and Devyn Dalton. Devyn Dalton is the Motion Capture actress that played Cosmo.

I appreciated all the robot characters, they started to grow on me. Herman (Anthony Mackie), Mr. Peanut (Woody Harrelson), Popfly (Brian Cox) and Penny Pal (Jenny Slate) were my favorites, after Cosmo of course. Yes, they started to feel like human beings to me. They drew me in to their struggle to be accepted. Robots co-existing side by side with Humans. And to quote Millie in the end, “We are going to do it right this time.” I liked it, but if you don’t like Robots and Sci-Fi, you’re gonna think it was dumb.

Again, take a look at the book the movie was based on, you’ll appreciate it more.

Elevation

2024 Vertical Entertainment

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 31min

Action ~ Sci-Fi ~ Suspense

Directed by: George Nolfi

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Morena Baccarin, and Maddie Hasson.

“Don’t go down without a fight.”

The Synopsis from The Official Movie Website:

The world has changed. The only habitable place left for humanity is in the high mountains, above 8000 feet. Below 8000 feet dwell the creatures that killed 95% of the human population less than three years ago. To save the life of his young son, a father (Anthony Mackie) is forced to venture below “The Line” with a scientist (Morena Baccarin) he despises, but who just might hold the key to defeating the monsters, and a young woman (Maddie Hasson) determined to keep them both alive long enough to save the human race.

Thoughts and Questions:

A Quiet Place above 8000 feet:

It is very similar to the A Quiet Place Movies. In Elevation the creatures came up from below the ground. In A Quiet Place they came from the sky.

In A Quiet Place the creatures destroy anything that makes a sound and humans make all the noise. In Elevation the creatures destroy humans who seem to make all the noise. Later in the movie we see wild horses everywhere, why aren’t they destroyed by the creatures?

Nina (Morena Baccarin) the scientist explains, “The creatures have CO2 sensors and track humans. They never sleep, they never eat, it seems their sole purpose is to track humans and kill them. I think it is divine retribution for man’s evil ways.” Don’t the animals give off CO2 as well? Yes, but it seems again that this is Divine Retribution for Man’s Evil Ways and only Humans are targeted for extermination.

In A Quiet Place The Abbott family quietly venture into town for supplies and medicines they need and in Elevation Will, Nina and Katie venture down from the mountain for supplies and the medicine Will needs to keep his son alive.

In A Quiet Place the creatures were called Death Angels, in Elevation they are referred to as Reapers. Both sound like Divine Retribution names.

Why 8000 feet?

What happens between 7999 feet and 8000 feet that the creatures can’t cross the white rocks that were placed at the 8000 feet mark to mark the line the creatures can’t cross? As we see later in the movie the creatures are machines and not living creatures. Again, according to Nina the Scientist, “It is in their programming, they can’t cross into any altitude above 8000 feet. They were programmed to wipe out humanity. Divine Retribution for Man’s wicked ways.”

The Creature’s Weakness:

In the A Quiet Place Movies, the creatures weakness is found. Death by a high frequency that blows their eardrums and head apart. In Elevation Nina discovers that bullets coated with Cobalt trigger an electric charge that causes the Reapers to implode rather violently.

A Quiet Place: Day One Prequel?

I couldn’t find any information that alludes to Elevation being a prequel to A Quiet Place: Day One. But at the end of the movie right after the credits start rolling there is a scene where Will and Nina are looking up at the sky through a telescope and see something coming down from the sky, very similar to the beginning of A Quiet Place: Day One.

My Recommendation:

I liked it, although I don’t think I would watch it again. Just not that memorable. It was good enough to hold my interest, although at times it seemed a bit slow or forced. At an hour and a half it went really quick though. So yes it’s worth a watch, just a one-off though. More like a B Sci-Fi movie than the Blockbuster The A Quiet Place Movies were.

The Tomorrow War

2021 Amazon MGM Studios

Rated: PG-13

Length: 2 hr 18min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Sci-Fi

Directed by: Chris McKay

Starring: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J. K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson, Edwin Hodge, Jasmine Mathews, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, and Keith Powers.

“If I have to save the world to save my daughter, then I’m damn sure gonna do that.”

In the middle of the world televised 2021 Soccer World Cup games, time travelers arrive from 2051 to deliver an urgent message: 30 years in the future mankind is losing a war against a deadly alien species. The only hope for survival is for soldiers and civilians to be transported to the future and join the fight. Determined to save the world for his daughter, Dan Forester (Chris Pratt) teams up with a brilliant scientist (Yvonne Strahovski) and his estranged father (J. K. Simmons) to rewrite the planet’s fate.

That’s the synopsis from Amazon Prime’s site. Society and Governments decide after that little interruption that they need to have a worldwide draft, and help the future fight. Each service consists of a week in the future, counted down in hours by the electronic metal arm sleeve they attach. Dan Forester (Chris Pratt),one r, (inside movie joke) is drafted and leaves his wife and young daughter behind to serve his week in the future. There are two major story lines and two sub-plots here:

The invasion of a deadly alien species hell bent on humanities destruction and demise.
Time Travel between now and thirty years into the future.
The relationship between Dan and his daughter Muri (Yvonne Strahovski)
And Dan’s tumultuous relationship with his estranged father (J. K. Simmons).

I’ll be honest, I put off watching this one for awhile. I have seen the reviews and had it on my watchlist. Given the reviews I thought, “Ehh…I don’t know….I’ll save it for a rainy day or a cold winter day.” Last night was the end of a cold Winter’s day so…..I watched it last night. Sci-Fi can be tricky, it is either really good or it is at best a B-movie. It can be a fine line and The Tomorrow War straddled that line. The effects were outstanding. I loved the Alien creatures, stealthy killing machines that were fascinating to watch. Reminded me of The Creatures in the A Quiet Place Movies.

It also reminded me of Edge Of Tomorrow and Looper, because of the time travel scenario. Looper was kind of hard to follow time travel wise because of the implications of every action in the present affecting the outcome of the future. It was deep and you really had to pay attention. The Tomorrow War is not that deep, like the people that had to be transported 30 years into the future and fight, you don’t need to think about it. You just need to buckle up and experience the ride. I think the star power helped it’s cause, if there had been lesser known actors it would have fell into the B movie Sci-fi category.

I liked Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski and Sam Richardson in this. Sam had me chuckling at his character. I liked J.K. Simmons but his role wasn’t that deep or detailed. He didn’t really have much of a presence until the very end. And when the heck did J.K. Simmons get so buffed out? I remember seeing him in Red One and asking myself that question. I didn’t really find anything implausible with this movie’s time travel scenario or the movie itself, but then I wasn’t looking that hard. I went in thinking I’m just gonna turn the brain off and get lost in a movie. And I did exactly that, I got lost in it. The almost 2 and a half hours flew by

And that is exactly the kind of movie it is. You want to put down the notepad, quit analyzing, grab some popcorn and a beverage and lose yourself in the journey. That’s what this movie is, a good escape, an Action Adventure Sci-Fi thrill ride that takes you to another place and time. Dealing with things that are imaginary, outside the normal scope of our day to day.

There is a sequel in the works The 2morrow War and I would watch it to see where they take it.

It’s worth a watch on a rainy day or a cold Winter’s night.

A Quiet Place

A Quiet Place Part II

A Quiet Place: Day One

Edge Of Tomorrow

Red One

Passengers

M3GAN

2022 Universal Pictures

Rated: PG-13

Length: 1 hr 42min

Horror ~ Sci-Fi ~ Thriller

Directed by: Gerard Johnstone

Starring: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng, Jenna Davis and

Amie Donald.

“Model 3 Generative Android……….M3gan for short.

Allison Williams stars as Gemma, a Robotics Engineer working at The Funki Seattle Toy Company making high tech toys for kids. Instead of working on the next upgrade to the best selling Toy for the company, Gemma has been working on a child-size Robot toy for children. When her boss David (Ronny Chieng) stops by inquiring about the new upgrade she confesses to the new robot she’s been working on and gives him a demonstration. But the robot short circuits and David threatens her with termination unless she produces the upgrade in a week.

And to top that off….Gemma gets a call that her sister and brother-in-law were just killed in a vehicle crash with a snow plow truck. Gemma goes to get her nine year old niece Cady (Violet McGraw) since Gemma is now her guardian. After talking with Cady she realizes that Cady needs a companion and that the robot she was working on could have a different use than she thought. Gemma goes to her lab and reconstructs the robot with AI learning capabilities and creates it to look like a young girl. M3gan quickly surpasses Gemma’s expectations and she realizes that this could revolutionize the toy industry.

As Gemma sets up demonstrations to show her boss David and higher up executives, M3gan and Cady bond in unforeseen ways. M3gan quickly starts adapting to Cady and learning everything there is to know about Cady. M3gan also starts to rewrite her code to enable her to fully be Cady’s caretaker, to the point of protecting Cady at any cost. It is a thrilling horrific journey watching M3gan grow into Cady’s unrelenting protector. The part of M3gan was a combined effort. Amie Donald was the physical actor who played M3gan, Jenna Davis supplied M3gan’s voice and the rest was a combination of an animatronic doll and visual effects.

I had seen this when it first came out and I loved it. A friend asked me why in the heck I would have watched it, “Didn’t it freak you out?”. No, I thought it was great. I’ve always been a horror fan. I loved the Chucky movies, reminds me of Bride of Chucky….now there’ some scary kid’s dolls! So there’s a little of Chucky and The Bride in this, the whole A.I. Robot thing seems to be taking off, and this preceded Subservience which reminded me of an adult version of M3gan. Like it or not the A.I. Robots are coming and it won’t be long before we will have M3gans and Alices in our lives for real.

There is a sequel in the works with a release date of June 27, 2025. M3gan 2.0, with all the actors reprising their roles. There is also a spin-off movie in development titled SOULM8TE slated for release on January 2, 2026. Here’s the synopsis:

A man acquires an Artificially Intelligent android to cope with the loss of his recently deceased wife. In an attempt to create a truly sentient partner, he inadvertently turns a harmless lovebot into a deadly soulmate.

It Thrilled me, I even jumped a few times, and I loved it!

I am a M3GAN fan!

MORE! WE WANT MORE!

Two Thumbs Up!