We have had them all: vampires, zombies, witches, natural disasters, superheroes…we can’t seem to escape certain trends when it comes to recurrent themes in a single year of film. Casualty? Not at all, studios take definite advantage of this, yet some efforts definitively run supreme regarding critics consensus and box office numbers in periods of movie going Deja Vu. This year is no different with not two or three but six wide released films featuring walking, talking and thinking machines.
EX-MACHINA
A young programmer gets recruited to participate in an experiment where he’s set to interact with a beautiful and intriguing A.I. Named “Ava” (played magnificently by Alicia Vikander). The VFX in this film are mind blowing, the acting is superb and the plot has you on the edge of your seat from the get go. Hands down this is my favorite film of the year so far (I would call it “electrifying”, but I like it too much to make puns about it).
AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
Ultron is an A.I. whimsically voiced by David Spade, who plans to take down the Avengers for reasons that would make sense for a machine’s a self contained logic. Let’s just say that our “fear” of robots is well sustained, and this films makes its case loud and clear. By the way, the Avengers are pretty cool too.
CHAPPIE
What would you do if you could mold an A.I.’s outstanding abilities for your own purposes? (good or evil). I think the premise of this film is quite interesting (the special effects are also phenomenal, you never doubt the robot is there), yet I found its execution a little far from successful when it came to shape an otherwise pretty interesting concept. Also: Hugh Jackman wears a mullet in it.
TOMORROWLAND
Usually films about the future involve some kind of advanced technology and robots, and this one has both. Without spoiling anything, let’s just say director Brad Bird managed to combine those elements with incredibly fun action (and violence, even if cartoonish in tone) in the first optimistic view of our fate I’ve seen in a while. Also: George Clooney (no mullet though).
TERMINATOR GENISYS
This is one I’m personally anticipating if only for Emilia Clarke. I adore her in Game of Thrones and can’t wait to see her as a young Sarah Connor. I already have my game planned: “Drink anytime anyone says I/You/He/She/We/They ‘ll be Back”.
STAR WARS EPISODE VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS
There’s nothing else I can add here that hasn’t been said (or rumored) already. But probably one of my favorite things about it is an adorable one, that has had fans drooling since it showed up in the first teaser and again physically (I want one!) at the Star Wars Celebration panel: BB8.
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