The Scientific, Fictional 00's

The Best Sci-fi Films of the 2000s - Part II of a series

The coming of a new millennium did bring with it a wave of science fiction. What we've got is a shortage of any deeper, thought-provoking sci-fi movies. Avatar sure didn't bring THAT back. They tend to be more or less like the case of I, Robot: Taking a deep subject material and making a moronic action movie where the world must be saved out of it. Thus, we had to swallow some big disappointments such as the Star Wars prequels and the Matrix sequels. I would go on to argue that the best sci-fi of the naughties has been made for the small screen in the form of great sci-fi TV shows like Battlestar Galactica and Firefly. But yet, there has been quite a few of nice movies out of the subject as well.

Here's my top 15:

A.I. – Artificial Intelligence



Ah, Stanley Kubrick. So much I love you that I'll like any movie you made, even though it might've been directed by someone else entirely. This certainly shares the cold, depressing athmosphere of most Kubrick's movies. If you just ignore the ending, that is total Spielberg, this is quite a good one.

Battle Royale



I trust the japanese to have the craziest social commentary/satire movies. In surface, this is just an ultra-violent flick of teenagers murdering each other. But peel away the layers and it reveals something crucial about the nihilistic modern day. In that, it is similar to Fight Club and American Psycho. And like those movies, it was a little ahead of its time. A cult classic probably mostly because of the violence, it's sad that this was Kinji Fukasaku's last film. One wonders what he could've accomplished.

Children of Men



Films about the future are pretty much actually films about the time they were made. This seems pretty like a possible future for mankind at this point. Just like a good sci-fi movie should. There will not be flying cars and visits to space, but everyday terrorism, a Big Brother society, and death camps for foreigners. Oh, and new children will no longer be born. This shakes our view up a bit, huh. It is tempting to compare this with up to Blade Runner and Brazil. I love how the action utilizes different levels, in a true 3D way. Also the hand held long action shots are certainly worth their salt.

District 9



Where Avatar was hammering down a noble message and was annoyingly preaching, District 9 has an anti-racist message that works, even though it's not exactly subtle. If the audience sympathized with ugly space prawns, perhaps it can then accept different people too, after leaving the theater. And the film is funny and has kick-ass action as well. The computer effects never look too videogamy. The only problem with the film is its documentary style which comes off as off-putting and annoying after the set-up at the beginning. Fortunately, it faded in the background, but should be cut off completely after a point. Anyway, quite a good story about how the racists get a taste of their own medicine.

Donnie Darko



This worked for me in a very personal level. I see much of my own teenage self in Donnie. Feeling angry and isolated, at least I didn't go to therapy, see creepy bunnies and set fire to houses while sleepwalking. The psychological aspects and lynchian mindfucks work very well in this one - no part of the story feels futile or weird for just weirdness's sake. It also has great dialogue (one of the best scripts of the decade) and the last notable role of Patrick Swayze, RIP. Try to see the original cut rather than director's - it's well worth it.

Eternal Sunshine on the Spotless Mind



I actually am not such a big fan of the movie as many others are. This ultimately is too long and has futile subplots. But the main theme of treasuring memories is still apt and deep. Charlie Kaufman also keeps the main plot going refreshingly straight-forward, even if he has his usual gimmicks he likes to play with. One of the strongest points is the casting, which feature's Jim Carrey's best role and one of Kate Winslet's best as well.

Howl's Moving Castle




It's not one of Miyazaki's greatest, but he is such a wonderful director that even his lesser work is ten times better than what most directors can achieve with their best work. The attention to detail is stunning, as is the whole animation in this one. It also doesn't follow the usual pattern of animated movies (which even Pixar succumbs to), but is more of a spiritual and psychological journey through the mind of the main character, aged beyond her years. Funny, exciting, thrilling and beautiful. I love the cute grandmas Miyazaki treats us with.

Metropolis



This century's Metropolis doesn't really compare to the original. What does? But despite the fact that the story revolves around a robotic girl, it doesn't actually have much similar, either. I saw this as a teenager just about to get into anime. This and the Final Fantasy games worked as a gateway. I stayed somewhat sane with that thing, but I'd like to see this again after a long while. I should also see FFVII: Advent Children I guess.

Minority Report




This also isn't good all the way through (the only Spielberg movie that was this decade was Munich). It's certainly no Blade Runner, but it presents some interesting sci-fi ideas pretty good. After all, it is based on Philip K. Dick's novel. The view of the future is reasonable, and doesn't feel to be as depressing as it's usually portrayed. But beneath the surface, the greedy, the ruthless and the plain-out evil still rule and prevent us from ever reaching utopia. I want a magnetic car, dammit!

Moon



This is more like the intellegent sci-fi I would like to see tahn anything other this decade. It is slow, quiet and character-centred, which may be off-putting for many. I'm surprised that many don't even like the ending, which I feels aptly belongs to this story. It's either that or ripping off the trippines of 2001: A Space Odyssey, which would damage the earlier film as well. Let's hope there's more goodness coming from Duncan Jones.

The Prestige



This is too a sci-fi movie. But I won't spoil how come. This is literally movie magic. By over-analysing this ultimately does not seem to have any more content than the basic magician's trick, but who cares when it's so entertaining. Good actors, a fascinating story, really strange events, and of course the mystery, which, like magic, pales when it is revealed at the end. It's not as good the second time around, but still intriguing.

Serenity



To be fair, I only remember basic plot points from this movie. But after seeing this, I watched Firefly the TV-series and appreciated the movie a lot more. If Han Solo's further adventures in the Old Space-West isn't your cup of tea, you're dead inside to me. I should see the film again, but I am a lazy bastard.

Timecrimes




One of the freakiest time-travel movies I've seen. And that includes Back to the Future II. This spanish thriller reminds me a little of Memento, in that it seems to add up to a neat little package in the end, but the more you think about it, the more weirdness you find. Totally mind-blowing, man. I hope there won't be a Hollywood remake ever. The spaniards sure have good genre-movies nowadays.

V for Vendetta



I still think this is the best movie based on comic genius Alan Moore's work. It follows the comic faithfully, but takeing a few turns out here and there which makes it feel refreshing. Although the Wachowski brothers do make it very clunky at parts (V:s introduction, anyone?), it sure works most of the time. It's great to see that it isn't an action movie (aside some cool knife tricks) but still focuses mostly on characters. And has a dystopian future, too.

WALL-E



Somehow, I could symphatize with a lonely robot doomed to an eternal cleaning job better than any other film character this decade. Movies this sad and heart-warming, romances this beautiful, handsomer animations and smarter sci-fi movies are very rare. And yet they do not have it all at the same time. I'm not the only fan - Terry Gilliam loves it too. This is not quite flawless film - a few noisy spacecraft scenes seem to be added to the movie just to maintain the hyper-active child viewers' interest. I would be happy to watch only the two robots on the deserted Earth for hours. I also love the satirical picture of the future of mankind. Wall-E in ten minutes is a lot smarter and sends a more powerful (eco) message, as the entire Day the Earth Stood Still remake. I watch the DVD quite often. And every time I blubber like little baby. One of my very favorites this decade and for animation, ever.

The Funny 00's

The Best Comedies of the 2000s - Part I of a series

Howdy ho, true believers!

I didn't let go of this blog this easily. Instead, it gives me the perfect platform to publish a list I originally made for Episodi magazine. It concerns the best comedies of the Naughties. All of these have been selected because thay made me laugh. Some may be better movies than others by having more content to them than just goofy belly-laughs. But to be looked at a comedy, the main point to me at least is the fact whether the movie is funny or not.

The list at Unreality (a site for which I have tons of respect) may not be the most agreeable, but at least it gave me a good point: There's no need to argue why anything is funny. You just find it so or you don't. That's why I'll only post one of my favorite quotes or an appropriate YouTube clip next to each entry. These are in alphabetical order. Enjoy!

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Director: Adam McKay

"Discovered by the Germans in 1904, they named it San Diego, which of course in German means a whale's vagina."

Bad Santa (2003)
Director: Terry Zwigoff

"Wish in one hand, shit in the other."

Be Kind Rewind (2008)
Director: Michel Gondry

"Anything you say can and will be held against you...in the court of Robocop."

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
Director: Larry Charles

"Why you call police? The retard escape?"

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
Director: Don Coscarelli

"Even a big bitch cockroach like you should know... never, but never, fuck with the King. "

Burn After Reading (2008)
Directors: Joel & Ethan Coen

"Yeah, I tell ya. I saw an ad for this in a gentlemen's magazine. Twelve hundred bucks. I'm lookin' at this thing and I think, 'You gotta be kiddin' me.' I'm a hobbyist. Thing's basically nothing but speed rails. I figure I'd go down to Home Depot and whip this up myself for... a hundred bucks."

Clerks II (2006)
Director: Kevin Smith

"We were just killing time with those classes! One semester we took Criminology, for Christ's sakes. What the fuck were we training to be, Batmen?"

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber



The Hangover (2009)
Director: Todd Phillips

"It's where I keep all my things. Get a lot of compliments on this. Plus it's not a purse, it's called a satchel. Indiana Jones wears one."

Hot Fuzz (2007)
Director: Edgar Wright


In the Loop (2009)
Director: Armando Iannucci



Jackass: The Movie (2002)
Director: Jeff Tremaine



The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Director: Wes anderson

"Anybody interested in grabbing a couple of burgers and hittin' the cemetery?"

Sideways (2005)
Director: Alexander Payne

"It tastes like the back of a fucking L.A. school bus. Now they probably didn't de-stem, hoping for some semblance of concentration, crushed it up with leaves and mice, and then wound up with this rancid tar and turpentine bullshit. Fuckin' Raid."

The Simpsons Movie (2007)
Director: David Silverman

"Okay, epiphany, epiphany... oh I know! Bananas are an excellent source of potassium!- Ow! Uh, America will never embrace soccer. - Ow! More than two shakes and it's playing with yourself?"

Shrek (2001)
Director: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson



South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (2000)
Director: Trey Parker



Superbad (2007)
Director: Greg Mottola

"You just cock-blocked McLovin!"

Team America: World Police (2004)
Director: Trey Parker

"We're dicks! We're reckless, arrogant, stupid dicks. And the Film Actors Guild are pussies. And Kim Jong Il is an asshole. Pussies don't like dicks, because pussies get fucked by dicks. But dicks also fuck assholes: assholes that just want to shit on everything. Pussies may think they can deal with assholes their way. But the only thing that can fuck an asshole is a dick, with some balls. The problem with dicks is: they fuck too much or fuck when it isn't appropriate - and it takes a pussy to show them that. But sometimes, pussies can be so full of shit that they become assholes themselves... because pussies are an inch and half away from ass holes. I don't know much about this crazy, crazy world, but I do know this: If you don't let us fuck this asshole, we're going to have our dicks and pussies all covered in shit!"

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
Director: Jake Kasdan

What I've been watching lately

As you may know, I recently moved to Switzerland to become a exchange student. I would've guessed I wouldn't have time to watch as many movies at this busy time. However, I have had some boring days with nothing to do except watch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia or DuckTales from my computer. Here's a selection of films I've seen recently.

First the Last film I saw in Finland:

Troll
Directed by: John Carl Buechler
Starring: Noah Hathaway, Michael Moriarty, Shelley Hack
This prequel of Troll 2 (of sorts) should deserve a cult status of its own. I think it has some sort of light-hearted attempts at a satire, but it comes out just plain weird. The scene where unspeakably silly troll dolls sing in the bushes is one for the records. It's still not Troll 2, but hey, what is? A must-see for bad movie lovers.
* or *****

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Directed by: Jake Kasdan
Starring: John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Tim Meadows, Raymond J. Barry
The only parody worth anything in recent memory. This pokes fun at Hollywood's musician biographies, while it doesn't shy away from spoofing also it's fair share of rock institutions. I laughed hard at many points, but overall, there really isn't anything justifying why a goofy comedy should be over 90 minutes long. The version I saw was two hours and it drags a lot at certain points. Still, well worth checking out.
***1/2

Semi-Pro
Directed by: Kent Alterman
Starring: Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin
Will Ferrell stepped over the line with one too many sports comedies with this one. It's a wonder why even a cast which features Will Arnett and Andy Richter can't bring any posture into it. Dodgeball this certainly ain't. It has a few amusing scenes, but as is the case with these kind of bad comedies, they can be seen on the movie's trailer. I dig the "Love Me Sexy Song", still.
**

The Man from London
Directed by: Bela Tarr
Starring: Miroslav Krobot, János Derszi, Tilda Swinton
The first movie I saw at the local arthouse cinema, Kino Xenix in Zurich. Tarr is notorious for being a slow moviemaker. This also moves at glacier-speed, which usually is not my cup of tea, but the plot is intriguing enough to keep even someone as ADD as me going. An athmosphere of peril and mystery is well-realized, but the family drama parts falters at parts. The end result doesn't feel as larger-than life as it should. A sad little arthouse film.
***1/2

RockNRolla
Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Mark Strong, Tom Wilkinson, Gerard Butler, Thandie Newton
Nice of Guy Ritchie to finally complete his gangster trilogy. I just can't help but wonder where's Statham. This one keeps it simple, with a plot that's easier to follow than Snatch or LS&2SB. However, that itself does not make this on par with them (well, not with Snatch at least). There's little new ideas except the titular RockNRolla and it just doesn't seem as funny. Nice for a saturday night's film, however.
***