Ex Machina Gives Us A Deeper Sci-Fi Film

A.I. Artificial Intelligence.  I think we can all agree after seeing all the movies about machines turning against humanity that we will eventually build our own destruction.  But yet, scientist and inventors are still looking at ways to make machines that think for themselves.  However, if a robot can be more human, it may not be such a good thing.

In Ex Machina Domhnall Gleeson plays Caleb, a computer coder who works for the world's biggest search engine; Blue Book.  Caleb is randomly selected to take part in a project that the Blue Book founder, and billionaire inventor, has been working on; artificial intelligence.  Caleb meets every day with a robot named Ava, played by Alicia Vikander, to determine if her creator as truly created A.I. that thinks for itself.  But as the days go on Caleb grows fonder of Ava, and begins to suspect that it/she may not be the one who is being tested.

This movie on the surface seems sci-fi.   It's about a robot that seems human, but not so deep underneath it all is a really smart psychological thriller.  There are only five actors in the whole film, and one of them is the helicopter pilot you see for only a minute.  The rest of the time is spent in an isolated house with the other characters interacting with each.  With a film about creating consciousness you have to assume going it that it will go into theories about what is actual free will, and how the human brain really functions and makes decisions.  So again, while this film is about a robot, I didn't walk out thinking I just saw a science fiction movie.

This is actually Alex Garland's first directing job, but he's been working for years as a writer and producer on some films I've enjoyed like Dredd, Sunshine, and The Beach.  Yes, I enjoyed the Leonardo Dicaprio film that everyone else craps on.  Garland is also rumored to be writing and directing the Halo film, but given how many names have been attached to Halo over the years I won't hold my breath on that one.

With such a small cast their interactions with each other are probably the most crucial part in the movie.  Gleeson and Vikander have a nice rapport, but it's Gleeson and Oscar Isaac who really sell it.  As the film goes on the tension between the two builds and follows them all the way to the climax.  I'm interested to see if the two actors will be in more scenes together in the upcoming Star Wars film, and also interested to see if Vinkander lands bigger roles now since she was so good in this film.

 A part of me feels like I want to see a sequel to this film, but I throughly enjoyed the ending of the it, so I'm not sure if I would want to take the chance of ruining this small, personal, sci-fi thriller. It's not a big, epic, action movie with man fighting machines, but a real look at human psychosis.  I'm not sure if some of the technology that goes into making Ava has a sense of reality (but this is fantasy movie), and I would really not recommend this film for everyone, but I enjoyed it enough to wonder what everyone involved in this film will do next in their career.

RATING: B

'The Force Awakens' Excitement for Star Wars: Episode VII

If you thought that the biggest thing that happened today was Black Friday shopping then you can just go ahead and un-friend me on the various social networks because I will no longer be talking to you. To any Star Wars fan it was like Christmas came early as we waited patiently this morning for our post-Turkey Day present.  The teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was not only put online today, but is also being show in select theaters throughout the country this weekend.  The overwhelming reception of this trailer has been great with only a few gripes about the 88 seconds we all saw.  

However, there is still no official synopsis released as to the plot of the film.  With this footage speculation is only going to grow as December 2015 can't get here quick enough.  When the cast was first announced for Episode VII I made an entry has to who I thought each character type the actors will play.  The trailer has debunked a few of my theories and replaced them with a whole new batch.  And it only takes four screenshots for me to explain them.

DISCLAIMER: THESE ARE JUST THEORIES I MADE UP.  I HAVE NO INSIDE KNOWLEDGE, NOR DO I KNOW ANYONE HAVING ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS FILM. IF I KNEW ANYONE AT DISNEY OR LUCASFILM SURELY I'D HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO WITH MY TIME THAN WRITE THIS SILLY BLOG.

Most dedicated fans have theorized that Attack the Block star, John Boyega, was going to be the main character in this new trilogy.  I now no longer believe this. In the opening shot of the teaser we see Boyega in a stormtrooper outfit.  He looks scared.  Perhaps he is running from something?  Perhaps he doesn't remember something?  Perhaps he realizes he is in the middle of the f$cking desert?  I think he's either an Alliance spy who has been caught, or a stormtrooper who is trying to defect, and he figures Tatooine is a good place to hide where nothing ever happens.  Guess again.

Enter Daisy Ridley.  This actress was a complete unknown before being put in one of the most anticipated films of the century.  In my casting theories I thought she could be the daughter of Han and Leia, but now, I no longer believe this.  I think Daisy Ridley is the center of this new trilogy.  It's a great change-up to make the main character a female.  

I'm thinking Ridley is a Tatooine native who runs into Boyega trying to hide, and maybe runs into Luke Skywalker as well.  Much like Luke found R2-D2, C-3PO, and then Ben Kenobi.  My other thought bubble is that she is Luke's apprentice.  There have been rumors that Luke never started the new Jedi Order, but instead went into hiding.  Much like Obi-Wan did. What if Ridley has natural Jedi skills and Luke is training her to become a Jedi?  Maybe even starts training Boyega as well.

 Oscar Isaac is starting to make a name for himself in Hollywood by being in films like Sucker Punch and Inside Llewyn Davis, and also he was just cast as the villain in the upcoming film; X-Men:Apocalypse.  Based on his previous work I saw Isaac as the new Han Solo type, with even more of an anti-hero vibe.  Maybe even a bounty hunter.  I no longer believe this.  It looks like he may be a part of Rogue Squadron.  I see him as the X-Wing hot shot who may be like Maverick from Top Gun.  He's the best of the best, but hard to work with.  

The thing I loved and hated about this teaser trailer is that even though we saw X-Wings, Tie Fighters, and the Millennium Falcon we didn't see Luke, Han, or Leia.  They showed us all the new characters/actors.  And I think they focused on these three because they are the main characters in this new trilogy.  

At the beginning of the teaser there was a voice over saying something had "awakened."  Which means something had been sleeping, probably for a long time.  I'm guessing that sleeping beauty is pictured above.  The Sith seem to be all dead after Episode VI.  But what about Sith followers/groupies?  Asajj Ventress was never officially a Sith, but wanted to be one.  Perhaps the wannabe's "awakend" something old, bad, and powerful to take down the Alliance.  Aren't people saying Lupita Nyong'O looks like she would play a good Ventress?  Hmmm.

Whoever this dude is, look at his/her lightsaber.  When the side blades come out it reminds me of a medieval broadsword.  It looks primative.  It's not stylish like the Jedi sabers from the prequel films.  It looks more like the drawings of lightsabers in the Dark Horse comics, Tales of the Jedi.  The various miniseries chronicled the rise and fall of the Sith Empire thousands of years before Luke or Anakin Skywalker were born.

 I was showing this trailer to people all day at work and they were all getting excited.  Even though the film is still over a year from be released it shows the power of The Force.  People want to believe in Star Wars because we've all got happy memories of the original trilogy. Director J.J. Abrams has already promised a call back to what we all love. This was the man who was able to take the nerdiest things ever, Star Trek, and make it cool.  I believe he is going to lead Star Wars out of it's dark days and bring us all a new hope.

P.S. If this movie sucks I'm asking for a lobotomy for Christmas next year.