Freejack (1992)

In the distant future wealthy citizens are able to reach immortality by hijacking the bodies of past victims moments before their actual deaths. Race car driver Alex Furlong (Emilio Estevez) becomes involved in an on course accident in the year 1991. From there he is brought to the future by the evil Vacendak (Mick Jagger), who has been hired to "freejack" a body for his client. Alex Furlong soon escapes his rock-n-roll captor and has to learn his way through the futuristic dystopian world he has been brought to. The year? 2009. Somehow I think I missed that one.

Starring Emilio Estevez, Mick Jagger, Rene Russo, and Anthony Hopkins, Freejack is so bad that at times it is good. Check it out.

THE VERDICT: THUMB UP

Starman (1984)

Starman (Jeff Bridges) is shot down and crash lands in rural Wisconsin. Upon landing, he makes his way to the house of the recently widowed Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen). Inside of a picture book, Starman finds a lock of her husband's hair and clones himself from the DNA found within the strands. Before our eyes Starman grows from being a mere infant into an exact replica of Jenny Hayden's dead husband. From there on the two are forced to evade the federal government as Starman attempts to find his way back home. On the way, Jeff Bridges performs crafty alien tricks by handling his balls. Err... metallic alien balls.

Like most great science fiction, Starman reveals themes concerning every day human life through the eyes of an outsider who does not understand much (if anything) about the culture they are forced to be part of. Starman is forced to witness acts of love, greed, and injustice, allowing the viewer to gain greater understanding of our own society through the eyes of the most unlikely foreigner.

Directed by the legendary John Carpenter, Starman is a film that science fiction fans should not miss.


THE VERDICT: THUMB UP

The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009)

Following a decade long hiatus, the MacManus brothers are back. Was the long wait worth the time spent watching this film? Simple answer, no.

The storyline begins with the beloved priest of the MacManus brothers being assassinated in a Boston church. After putting two bullets through the back of his skull, the assassin replicates the brothers' calling card by placing two pennies over the eyes of the priest. Word gets back to the MacManus brothers, who have been hiding in rural Ireland since the end of the last film, and soon the boys are on a return trip to Boston. Ready to shoot down bad guys.

The reason this film suffered was because of the writing. During the first film we were treated to a well structured script that, for the most part, allowed the action to be revealed by stories within the larger story. Often these stories were played out through the opinions of the detectives that were investigating the murder cases. While writer and director Troy Duffy attempts to use this same technique in Boondock Saints II, the story loses its charm due to poor dialogue. At times lines feel forced, with a lack of wit and humor.

Though, the film is not a complete bust. Fans of the Boondock Saints will be happy to see the back story of a certain character revealed. This almost makes up for the poor dialogue in the film... Almost.



The Verdict: Thumb Down