There comes a point in the history of every great film franchise, where the saga begins to slide into decline. It could be due to the fact that the treasure trove of creative ideas that once sustained its stories are beginning to run out, or it could be related to fatigue from audiences everywhere. But one way or another, that darkest day arrives where the magic comes to an end and the series begins to change for the worse and what’s equally more incredible, is that you can pretty much pinpoint the moment when this unfortunate slide begins.
​
Which quite frankly, makes the movie related to said decline incredibly tough to watch in subsequent viewings because you can see all the glaring holes that turned audiences away from a franchise they once happily embraced, and in 2012, that dark moment arrived for the Men in Black franchise. For after enjoying two incredible and awe-inspiring adventures with Kay and Jay, the third film in their wacky adventures more or less started a downward trend for the saga and while that should not have been the case, since both Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones returned for Men in Black 3, the end result is indeed a shaky one and it’s surprisingly easy to pinpoint what went wrong.

For starters, this is a movie that offers nothing new storytelling wise. In fact, it feels stagnant in many ways, thanks to the fact that once again, it recycles one big notion that the franchise loves to rely upon; saving the Earth from a grave alien threat. Granted, the adding of a revenge twist definitely helps keeps the nature of this threat interesting, as does the whole element of Kay’s life hanging in the balance, but the fact of the matter is, it’s the same old, same old from this franchise. There’s no growth to be found here, for either the characters or the story and sadly, the problems with this film don’t end with its slow and unengaging plot.

Because in reality, the biggest issue here, is the sheer fact that the magic present in the other two films, just isn’t present here. No longer do you stare in awe at the screen and enjoy incredible wonders, because you’ve seen everything here before, and by having the aliens become commonplace, you’re just watching another sci-fi flick, and that’s compounded further by the time travel twist since that’s something we’ve seen a jillion times before as well. And while the finale is pretty big in its own right, and there’s some heartwarming moments to be found, in the end, this motion picture just doesn’t feel special and that makes it forgettable in its own right.

Which really is a shame when all is said and done, because Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin and everyone else in this movie really do provide some meaningful and strong performances, but they are lost in a sea of the familiar and while this movie did great business at the box office, it’s obvious that it didn’t resonate with audiences. For the buzz and the joy, simply weren’t there and the fact that Sony didn’t properly announce a sequel until years later, speaks volumes to how this franchise lost its way and sadly, even a new chapter would not be enough to save this saga from the damage and the fallout that this motion picture brought about. 

One thing that I’ve always found fascinating when it comes to motion pictures, is the sheer fact that every studio out there is obsessed with replicating the success of an unexpectedly popular film. You know exactly what I’m talking about, something new or unique hits theaters one summer and it does gangbusters business and garners all kinds of magnificent reviews and the next thing you know, it’s suddenly turned into a franchise, or other studios are trying to make some kind of variant of that story and while sometimes lightning does indeed strike twice in the real world, it’s a rare occurrence in Hollywood.
​
Because when a particular motion picture truly resonates with an audience, there’s just no way to replicate that kind of magic. But despite seeing sequels bomb and franchises die because fans tell studios that what they’re trying to do isn’t working, Hollywood keeps at it anyways. But, once in a while, the formula of the original is tweaked just enough for a particular sequel so that it seems brand new, and the original cast returns, enticing the audience to give part two another try and while these films do great business at the box office, they simply don’t hold up as well as expected as time marches on and one such sequel that meets this fascinating criteria is Men in Black II.

Because…let’s be honest, this is a movie that in many ways, follows the first one’s plot to a tee. After all, it involves an alien coming down to Earth to get their hands on something supremely precious and important for nefarious purposes, and there’s a love interest for Jay that knows nothing about the world of aliens that surround her and of course, it’s up to Jay and Kay to save the day by way of a massive and epic showdown where the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance. Yet, while that should seem like a plot where you roll your eyes and shout at the screen for giving you the same stuff over again, you don’t, thanks to the perfect tweaks that I made mention of a moment ago, that make the movie seem like brand new.

After all, we come to learn that Laura Vasquez is the actual precious artifact in question and if she decides to stay on Earth, disaster will follow, adding a touch of emotional depth to her and Jay’s journey. Plus, the new characters present here, help to mix things up as well comedically, since Scrad/Charlie keep things light by way of Johnny Knoxville’s performance and let’s be honest, Frank the Pug steals the show in every single scene he’s in. And by having Jay rescue Kay and try to remind him of what he was a part of not that long ago, is what’s designed to recreate the sense of wonder that was present in the original film since Kay gets to see the world of aliens all over again.

However, while all of these elements do work on screen, and while they definitely entertain, they don’t work as seamlessly as time goes on, and subsequent re-watches of this movie, help the magic we all enjoyed when we first watched it, fade away. But despite the fact that its issues are on full display now, this movie was a critical and commercial darling back in the day, but sadly, this would be the end of the road when it comes to the creative tweaks that could recreate the magic and wonder for the fans. Because big changes were waiting on the horizon, the kind that would divide the fanbase and irrevocably change the course of this storied franchise…  

There are, a great many questions and mysteries that man has asked and worked to explore that remain unanswered and hidden, and of the greatest ones that plagues our scientific community, is whether or not we are alone in the universe. Because there seems to be a consensus out there that discovering life on other planets would benefit mankind in limitless fashion since it could revolutionize science as we know it and change our perspective about our place in the universe. But alas, despite our best efforts to find life on other planets in our solar system or communicate with another intelligent species out there in the void, we’ve simply come up short.
​
But that still doesn’t stop the human mind from playing ‘what if?’ when it comes to the possibility of discovering life from other worlds and its definitely fueled the creative community to explore that notion in great depth and the end result of such explorations are some truly iconic science fiction stories that have outright taken our breath away. In fact, stories involving aliens are so popular in this day and age that they’ve almost become an outright commodity in the modern era, making it difficult sometimes to find stories that truly leave us in awe. But back in 1997, a new motion picture hit the big screen that found a way to ignite that sense of wonder we crave when it comes to tales in this vein in, Men in Black.

Now this is a motion picture that quite frankly, we all know the plot to, because let’s be honest, everyone saw this sucker when it came out back in the day. So, that means there’s no need to revisit the plot in detail. Instead, it’s best we talk about what made this motion picture so great and really, the best place to start is to discuss the structure of the story because that’s really what draws the audience in. I mean come on, taking the mysterious myth of the men in black and building an entire world within our world revolving around them is a stroke of genius because you instantly want to know about the MIB and how they function, and being able to able to explore their world and their reach is just fascinating and it truly draws you into the story.

But while world building is important, let’s be honest, the true draw of this film, is how it takes our breath away and really, that’s accomplished by way of two key elements, the first one being Jay’s journey. Because Will Smith’s performance and how Jay is introduced to a world where aliens walk among us is handled in magnificent fashion since it allows for the viewer to feel as though they’re seeing aliens for the first time ever, and that allows for that sense of wonder to wash over us. Which brings us to the other factor in how this movie leaves us in awe; Rick Baker’s special effects work in this motion picture. Because he more or less did the impossible and was able to build creatures that truly look alien in every sense of the word and being lost in those visuals is nothing short of true movie magic.

Yet, while those elements are special in their own right, the overall story has merit as well. Because the plot is supremely compelling since you can never go wrong with a plot where the fate of the world hangs in the balance, and it’s also important to note that Tommy Lee Jones and Vincent D’Onofrio are delightful in their respective roles as well since they too add depth to an already fascinating story and really, when all is said and done, what makes this move so remarkable, is that it’s all about the fun. For this one put a smile on our faces, one that didn’t disappear until long after we left the theater and when a movie can accomplish that particular feat, it really is something special. But alas, while this movie really is something unique, its magic was difficult to recreate, but that most certainly didn’t stop the studio from trying to recapture it, time and time again…

There is nothing wrong with depending on technology since it has made our lives much easier, but do you think that you could live without it altogether? I know many people that would figuratively die if they did not have their smart phones to text or check social media. Seeing technology grow when I had to read encyclopedias to get information since the internet has not always been around, I am sure I would be ok with a break from it all, I mean I learned to type on an old school typewriter. Just because some things might seem outdated, it does not mean that they are bad and if or when the system fails, will you be able to survive losing everything it gave you?

Matthew and Annie have been a very happy couple for years and with a baby girl thrown into the mix, nothing has changed. Even though Annie has a darkened past, Matthew actually likes that a bit more then he should but does not want it to continue moving forward in their relationship. On Friday night after their weekly date night, the power goes out, not only in their house, but the entire city. Thinking that it will come back on in the morning, the couple is shocked to find out that it has not. Needing to get medication for his daughter, Matthew makes his way to the local grocery store only to see that it has turned into survival of the fittest.

Not being able to get the medication that he needs for his daughter, Matthew decides that he will steal it instead. Only wanting to take care of his family, he believes that it is the right thing to do, but when the story gets passed along to his good friend Joe, Matthew is beginning to have second thoughts. As Joe is staying with the couple, he is creating a barrier between Matthew and Annie, even though he only wants to help. Hearing stories about looting all over the city, Joe thinks that it would be a good idea for the family to get a gun to protect themselves while the power is still out. After the house is broken into and the intruder is shot in the middle of the street, Matthew, Annie and Joe decide that it is time to leave the neighborhood and find somewhere safe to stay. But they are not the only ones as they quickly find out that people are willing to kill to get what they want, especially on the road.

This movie only cycles over three days and seeing the madness that takes place with the power off for that short of a time, well damn. It goes to show what could happen if something as basic as electricity is taken out of the equation and how people may react. The Trigger Effect was released in 1996 and we have so many more items that run off of electricity now, I would hate to see what the reaction is today. As most people are losing their minds in this movie and going back to their primal instincts of survival, there are still a few out there that are willing to help in someone’s time of need. At least all humanity is not lost, but even if someone appears to mean well, they may have an alternative motive that you will not find out until it is too late. Happy Viewing.

One thing I’ve always loved about cinema in general, is the fact that silver screen stories find new ways to challenge us since they can examine the toughest parts of mankind in a safe and fascinating environment. It’s why we’ve seen powerful films that address racism, consumerism and everything we see on the news and while some of the motion pictures in that vein have moved us and said some incredible things about our world and how perhaps we should address some of our greatest problems, there are some films out there that get cold feet as they dive into their respective topic. It could be due to a producer that felt the topic in question was too much for audiences to handle, or the writer and director or cast for that matter simply let their important point slip to the side, but it’s something I see happen often in film and recently, I had the opportunity to watch a movie that meets that unfortunate criteria in 2016’s Passengers.
​
Now, for those unfamiliar with this film, it takes us far into the future where space travel is the norm, and in the depths of the void, a vessel known as the Avalon is in the middle of its journey toward a colony known as Homestead II. But after having a close call with a massive asteroid, a supposedly fail-safe hibernation pod opens, awakening a man named Jim Preston some 90 years too early and well, the revelation that he is going to age on this ship and die alone is more than Jim can handle, prompting him to open another pod, one belonging to a brilliant writer named Aurora Lane in order to keep him company and well, let’s be honest, that’s quite the dark plot when all is said and done. And it really seems that early on, this movie was going to be a grand exploration of what it means to be alone and how hard it would be to face a predetermined fate, and that makes the first half of this movie, downright brilliant.

Much of the credit for selling that darker plot goes to actor Chris Pratt since his skills immerse us in the long and painful downward spiral of Jim Preston as he slowly comes to realize that isolation and loneliness are going to surround him for the rest of his life, and while some parts of this are addressed in up tempo and lighthearted fashion since Jim makes the most of having every luxury on the Avalon at his fingertips, things take a turn for the worse when he comes to realize that he doesn’t want to spend the next 90 years in solitude and he contemplates taking his own life, and that...is really a bold move storytelling wise. For suicide is a taboo topic in film and seeing someone attempt it on the big screen is a rarity in its own right, and while the script deserves some serious praise for going there, this is also exactly where the story begins to wobble and falter.

Because while what comes next is equally as powerful, since Jim decides to open up Aurora’s hibernation pod and in essence, condemn her to a similar fate, rather than truly explore the fallout of that decision, which would have moved this motion picture into unique territory, it takes the cliché way out. Because now, love is what saves both Jim and Aurora, detracting from the strength that her character is presented with from the get-go, and even when there is an opportunity to go back and do this right when Jim’s transgression is revealed, the movie still refuses to take the right storytelling path and instead separates the couple until there’s trouble on the ship that only they can solve and then of course, it’s off to a sappy ending where everything works out okay and well, that’s really disappointing when all is said done.

If anything, I simply cannot wrap my head around why this film would choose to change gears and go from brilliant character study to fluffy romance (with just a hint of stalker) because damnit, it really did start off right. But alas, here we are and clearly, whomever made the call to change things up, was out of touch. For science fiction is at its best when it explores the power of humanity, and our connection to one another, and I personally believe, that a plot involving Jim being brought back from the brink after spending years in isolation would have been a far more intriguing story than the puff piece this turned out to be, and well, I’m torn on whether or not to give this one a thumbs up. Because the performances are great, and the first half of the flick is amazing, but that back half is truly irritating. So, if anything, I would say that if you watch this one, pretend that it’s a summer popcorn flick and nothing more, since that will help to wipe away some of the frustrations that take place with this movie’s uneven plot.

​Where will you be when the world finally starts to crumble? I would hope to be in a nice warm location with drinks that have little umbrellas in them, but hey, that is just me. Knowing that everyone will not die when the bombs start falling, there will be the toughest of the toughest on the road looking for any way to survive, even if that means killing an innocent to do so. It is a hard thing to imagine, thank goodness for movies to show the views of writers and directors on what they think will happen so you can see what the best and worst of what humanity can offer when the darkest day finally comes.

On his long walk west, Eli has to fulfill his plan of making it to the coast with what he has in his possession. But it is a long walk and he has to keep his eyes open for anything of value along his path so he will be able to work out trades with other drifters. Not everyone is looking for what he has and armed with his shotgun and a large knife, Eli knows that there is trouble around every corner. Finding a woman on the side of the road who needs help with her basket that turned over, Eli knows that he is in store for a battle with hijackers that are looking for an easy score. Killing everyone that gets in his way, Eli continues his trek but then sees a young couple get killed by a band of bikers that are looking for something as well.  Believing he has a higher purpose, Eli sits idly by and watches since it is not his fight and wants to continue on his path.

Arriving at a small town, Eli finds the engineer shop and wants to get his iPod charged up since he loves his music. While waiting to get his music player back, Eli decides that he needs some water and hits up the bar only to find that the riders he previously saw are in the same place. Trouble finds the old drifter as he is called out for knocking one of the rider’s cats off of the bar. Dispatching the riders with ease, Eli is invited up to the town leader’s quarters and when Carnegie lays his eyes on Eli, he wants the old man to take over his search for a book that can save the world.  Eli declines but is forced to stay the night and is given the gift of companionship from young Solara who is supposed to convince him to stay the only way she knows how. But there is something different about the old drifter and he does not want to partake in her offers of flesh, he only wants to be on his way.

Carnegie does not allow Eli to leave town without a fight and when his number one man is not able to gun down the old man, he sees that there is something different happening around him. With Solara by his side, Eli escapes and tries to continue his trip to the coast since he has the book that can help bring the world back from the blast that took it away thirty years ago, but this is the book Carnegie wants as well. Hiding off of the main roads, Eli starts to teach Solara what messages are hidden in the pages in the book and being like nothing she has ever heard before, she embraces all of her new knowledge. Knowing that they cannot outrun Carnegie without rest, the two hold up in an old house that seems like a page out of the book, but when they find out that the owners are looking forward to eating them, Eli and Solara try to escape, but Carnegie is right outside waiting for them. On his last leg, Carnegie will not allow himself to be stopped in his search for the book and when he finally acquires it, he is shocked by what the pages hold.

This is a great post-apocalyptic look at what the world can become if everyone from the old world is not killed off in the first wave of destruction. It shows how much people depend on faith and without the proper tools, they may not be able to pass it on to the future generations. This is one of my favorite movies that deals with the subject and even though it is not shown straight out, there are plenty of undertones that lead you to believe that Eli is something special. If I had to choose a favorite character out of this movie besides Eli, it would have to be Solara since she learns so much about trust, life and belief in such a short time, and what's important is that she is willing to soak all these lessons up. Carnegie has grown on me and is the perfect villain for the storyline, and although he gets what he wants when he finds out that he can do nothing with it, well the look on his face is priceless. Happy Viewing.

They say that a man looking for revenge should dig two graves, one for his enemy and one for himself. There could be a couple ways at looking at this, but if you do it right, you only need the one grave. But being driven by revenge is not a way to live life, especially if you are trying to come back from what has been done to you. Settling a score may seem like a good quest to have, but when you accomplish it, what else do you have to live for? I understand that there are things that you can never let go of, but when you let that run your life, you will be missing out on so much more.

Seeing his family burned alive before his very eyes, Jonah Hex has been branded by his old General who is looking for revenge of his own. With his son dead by the hand of Hex, Quentin Turnbull wants him to walk the earth for the rest of his days remembering who took everything that he loved away from him. Next to death, Hex is brought back from the brink by a group of Indians, but it has given Hex a curse while walking the earth, he can talk with the dead. With one foot in reality and one foot in the afterlife, Hex is prepared to find and kill Turnbull for what he has done, but hearing that his old General died in a fire, Hex is forced to find a new path and the life of a bounty hunter suits him just fine.

Moving from town to town, Hex is able to kill the wicked for a reward, but when the lawman in a small town refuses to pay up and threatens to turn him in, things get ugly. Destroying the town, Hex is on his own once again and with only one person willing to take him in, he knows that things will work out as they always do. But his time away from civilization is short lived when he hears that Quentin Turnbull is alive and the government needs his help in hunting down the General down before he is able to destroy the United States of America on the Fourth of July.  Just hearing the name of his old General eats at Hex’s soul and even though he is not looking to save the nation, killing his old foe would be payment enough.

As military trains and depots are knocked off, the government believes that Turnbull is behind all of the action. With a secret weapon in development, but never completed, Turnbull is going to build it and take out the nation on its anniversary. Being able to get away with murder during the war, Turnbull is ready to take it to the next level and being able to build the weapon that can flatten cities with a single shelling, he could not be happier. With a test run complete, Turnbull has set his sights on Washington D.C. to prove his power over the nation, but when he finds out that Hex is on his trail, his plans are forced to accelerate. As the two men want nothing more than to watch each other die, one of their dreams is destined to come true.

It might have been a bit before its time to come to the big screen and might have been better received alongside the other superhero movies out right now, but this is a darn good story.  One of the things that I liked most about Jonah Hex is his internal battle between right and wrong.  Even though he does not always do the right thing, he makes it work for him and if anyone dares get in his way, he is not afraid to mow them down. The term anti-hero is used for Hex and for good reason, since heroes have one moral code to live by, Hex does not and will do anything to get the job done. Now, I did not watch this movie when it came out in theaters and have been trying to watch it off and on for the past three years since it has found its way into my collection.  I can see the dislike for this movie, and especially since it came out when the superhero movies were starting to hit their stride, but Hex is far from your conventional hero and lives by only one code, his own.

​Trying to keep power in the hands of people that will do good with it is next to impossible. People that seem to amass power are the ones that want more and will stop at nothing to get it. Being able to gain followers with their riches, these people can be the most dangerous that you will ever face and with next to no way to stop them, it is an uphill battle. Trying to do the right thing will be more difficult than imagined, especially if you do not have friends of your own that believe what you are fighting for is right. 

Xander Drax is looking to be the most powerful man in the world and with help from his friends, he is well on his way. Having people all over the world, Drax is trying to locate the Skulls of Touganda that grant the person that holds them more power than any army. After locating one of these skulls, Drax’s man Quill is on his way back to the plane only to see that The Phantom is hot on his trail. Killing this masked man before, Quill starts to believe the lore of the jungle since the Ghost that Walks is still chasing him after all this time.  As Quill is able to escape, he has one of the pieces to the puzzle that Drax is looking for, but he will need to help his boss find two more skulls and hope that The Phantom does not catch on.

Diana Palmer has returned home only to find out that her uncle is getting his hands into something that may cost him his business. Investigating Drax, Dave Palmer has found some connections to the mob and world domination that he is ready to report on and needs to travel to Bengalla to get a few more facts. Knowing that she is better in the field, Diana takes her uncle’s place, only to find out that she is a target of Drax and his minions. Being kidnapped by Sala and her team, Diana is on the bench for a short time as a man dressed in a purple suit rescues her. Getting her back to New York and out of harm’s way is the masked man’s plan, but little does he know that New York is the center of the problem. 

Arriving in the Big Apple after being gone for six years, Kit Walker is trying to find out how close Drax is to finding all of the Skulls of Touganda. Finding out that one of the skulls is in the local history museum, Kit tries to steal it before Drax finds out, but he is too late. As his two skulls meet, they point out the location to the third and now Kit and Diana have to find a way to stop the power hungry Drax from finding it and utilizing its power for evil. As The Phantom hitches a ride on Drax’s plane, he is once again put into a situation that he has been trained for all of his life. Having to battle the forces of evil, The Phantom is on his own for this fight and even though people believe he is immortal, he is just flesh and blood like a normal man. 

This was just a fun superhero movie that I never thought I would see again.  With The Phantom being a normal man, he utilizes all of his friendships to help him accomplish his goals. With normal people coming together for a common goal, he might not be the hero you want to see, but he is the one we deserve. There is plenty of action, a little love story and instant friendships that take over the screen, along with a villain who is willing to change her ways to impress the hero. It is just good-hearted fun and if your superhero movies are getting too dark, this is the perfect one to loosen up and have a laugh or two. Happy Viewing.

​Betraying someone’s trust is never good, but most of the time when it happens you are just told to leave them alone. But there are some people that value their trust more than anything and when challenging them, you will find out that there is so much more that they will try and do to you. It is not only about you during this time, your family and friends can also receive the wrath of these people, so you need to make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. With so many people going off of the deep end, it is easy to see why they would try to attack you in one way or another, you just need to be prepared for the ramifications. 
​
While debating to kill herself or not, Everly listens to the men looming outside of the bathroom, waiting to have their way with her. Thinking twice, Everly takes matters into her own hands and comes out shooting, killing all of her owner’s men in a fit of rage. While searching around the apartment, Everly hears all of the men’s phones going off and while it is driving her crazy, she finally answers one. Taiko is watching his former love and now that she has betrayed his wishes, he will follow through on the promise he made four years ago and send his men out to kill her mother and daughter. 

Before Everly is able to think, the apartment is rushed by the other working girls on the floor who have been promised a large payout for killing the deadly vixen. As they are all looking for their own payday, all alliances are off and they wind up killing each other before getting a shot at Everly.  Pulling out the stash of money Taiko has stored in the apartment, Everly needs to find a way to get it to her mother so she can leave the city and get her daughter to safety.  When talking to the lone survivor in the apartment, Everly finds out that it may be next to impossible to leave the building alive, but she has to try for her family’s sake. Getting thrown back into the apartment by the police, Everly knows that the only way to get her mother the money is to have the old woman come down to the apartment. 

While talking to Dead Man, Everly finds out that he is not one of the bad guys that Taiko has on the payroll and tries to make him as comfortable as possible. After cleaning the apartment of all of the bodies, Everly’s mother and daughter make their way in with minimal trouble, but that does not last long.  After Dead Man dies on the couch while talking to his shooter's daughter, the power goes off and Everly knows that something worse is coming for her. Hiding her mother and daughter in a friend’s apartment, Everly is introduced to The Sadist who has plans for the woman. With threats of unadulterated pain, Everly is saved by her mother, if only for a moment before Taiko kills the old woman and is ready to handle his unfinished business.  Not expecting Everly to put up much of a fight, Taiko is in for a life changing experience.

That is just a brief description of what happens in the movie, what I did not add was all of the action and blood that took over the apartment. After the first round of shooting, I expected that it would be it for the rest of the movie, but boy was I wrong. I must admit that I laughed a little bit more than I should have during some parts, but when a grenade is thrown into an elevator and all you see is the blood coming out of it, this movie really hit a sweet spot for me. I liked the story as the movie played on, but I am still in the dark to what Everly did to deserve the punishment she suffers in the first place, which is okay, but she really must have done something terrible to Taiko to break his heart. The entire movie takes place in the apartment and I cannot believe the destruction that took place throughout and how the building was still able to stand on its own after the movie ended. If you are looking for a movie that is purely action driven with a strong female lead, this might be the movie you need to check out.

Sometimes I really need to hand it to reporters when their investigations take them places they did not even expect to go. When following up on tips that get them some basic information that eventually takes them to the top of the food chain, they could easily be persuaded to give up the hunt. While some do, others follow the story to the bitter end and while it can put them in the line of fire, the drive to get the truth out to the masses is so powerful in them, they will do anything to make sure that their story sees the light of day. In this time of massive cover-ups and fear looming around every corner, it is good to see that some people may want to make the world a better place by bringing the truth out, even if it's for a basic news story.

While working on her column Polly Perkins gets a new tip that she needs to follow up on. Getting an invite to meet with someone that has first-hand knowledge about the scientists that have recently gone missing, Polly is face to face with Dr. Jennings who fears that he will be the next one to go. Trying to pass on the information about what is happening around the world, Dr. Jennings leaves a blueprint on the floor of a giant robot design. Thinking little of this, Polly sees firsthand what these robots look like when they come flying into New York and attack the city.

While the local defenses can do little to stop these robots from running amuck, they put a call into Sky Captain who can be their savior. While his normal tactics are not able to take down the robots, being able to disable one of them causes the others to retreat for the time being. As the robots seemed to be after the power generators in the city, Sky Captain Joe must find out who is controlling the robots and why they have taken their attacks to more civilized areas. When Polly shows up in his hanger, Joe does not want to discuss what he knows, but Polly has information and a name of the man who may behind the attacks. Doctor Totenkopf is the mind behind these massive robots, but he is just a name and nobody is able to find his last known location since he went off the grid many years ago.

When going to talk to Dr. Jennings with her old friend, Polly finds the old man close to death in his laboratory. But the Doctor has held on long enough to pass on a message, along with two vials of something that will keep the world from being destroyed. Before being able to pass on the information to Joe, the city is attacked by another string of robots, this group all flyers that target the same power generators in the middle of the city. Getting back to the hanger, Joe finds that his hideout has been attacked by another group of robots, but this time they have taken his right-hand man with them. Dex was able to pinpoint the origin of the signal that is controlling the robots and now that Joe has it, he is ready to assault it head on, but even the greatest fighter pilot in the land knows that he will need help from his fiends if he is going to be successful in bringing Totenkopf down.

Just a good old shoot ‘em up movie with plenty of action, but this one has some thinking behind it. When this movie first came out, I was not sure that I wanted to waste my time in seeing it, since it was filmed to look much older than it actually was. It is a different feeling when watching it, that is for sure, but not a bad one after seeing how they made it work. The storyline is solid, and the cast was fantastic. I really liked the tension between Joe and Polly, even in their oddest situations, they want to know what they did to each other in the past to break them up. Dex was a surprise for me, I did not expect him to be much of a part of the story, but he was featured the right way for a science guy and was able to steal most of his scenes. A light hearted movie that anyone can sit down and watch as there is plenty of banter between the characters, but also plenty of action to keep you glued to the screen.