There is no spoon

It’s relatively rare to see a sci-fi film of high quality in the cinema, but with over three decades of Alien mythology and a successful franchise to back it up, and with Ridley Scott the master of the original movie at the helm, you can understand why Prometheus got made.

Visually the film is stunning. I’m no advocate of 3D, but it has been used to great effect here. No gratuitous 3D for 3D’s sake, but careful use of the technology to draw the viewer into the story at key moments. In fact the overall design is meticulous and beautiful.

The writing is of high quality too. Damon Lindelof (co-creator and writer of Lost) and Jon Spaihts inject some real imagination into this story. Set some 30 years before the original Alien movie it stays true to the legacy, but without feeling like a re-hash of any of it’s predecessors. Yes there are plenty of similarities, and there are lots of nods/links to Alien and Aliens, however Prometheus manages to find it’s own place in the series. I rate the first two films higher, but this prequel (I don’t care what Scott says - it is a prequel) takes a solid third position.

Admittedly the plot does take a back seat a little during the middle part of the film as the characters (inevitably) start dying in horrific ways, but there are some stand out scenes there which had me staring wide-eyed and open mouthed at the screen!

Michael Fassbender is outstanding, with Noomi Rapace perfectly cast as a sort of precursor to Ellen Ripley. Support cast are all good too, with Charlize Theron and Idris Elba providing solid work. Guy Pearce pops up as an old fella, although I’m not sure why they used Guy in make-up rather than an actual older actor. Presumably Ridley thought Guy Pearce as a fake old man is better than any actor over 70. Not sure I agree.

Despite being beautiful and expertly made the nature of the film means that it can’t muster enough originality to truly carve itself a place in movie history as an iconic film of it’s time. It’s no Alien, but it’s science fiction of the highest quality and it’s enormous fun.

Michael Shannon delivers an excellent performance in quite possibly the best American indie film I have ever seen.

Shannon plays Curtis LaForche, a working class family man living with his wife and deaf daughter. He starts to question his own sanity when he begins to have visions that seem to suggest an apocalyptic storm is imminent. His dreams lay foundation for some odd behaviour and his premonitions start to infiltrate his waking life.

Torn between believing in his prophetic foresight and his growing concern he may be suffering from mental illness Curtis acts on both fears. Shannon manages to straddle this fascinating juxtaposition with extreme skill; we’re worried he’s cracking up as he begins to lose focus on the rest of his life, but he never takes the audience too far. Superbly supported by Jessica Chastain as his wife, Shannon should not be short of work after what is surely his best performance.

Wonderfully crafted by writer/director Jeff Nichols. Our screens are filled with the flat landscape and cinematic skies of Ohio. The brooding clouds and impending darkness serve as a wonderful parallel to Curtis. Take Shelter is a slow-burner, but riveting viewing and a work of great quality.

I urge you to watch it.

Let me start by saying that Drive is an excellent film. I’m telling you this now, because I want you to know the truth. From the gripping opening sequence, Drive manages to expertly maintain it’s intense power throughout. Almost every scene delivers a deep under current of tension and foreboding which sometimes spills over into outright violence.

On the face of it this is a simple crime thriller, but the film is greater than the sum of it’s parts. It really is a stunning piece of work. A huge slice of credit should go to Ryan Gosling who carries the film and is the very embodiment of the brooding danger and quiet confidence that characterises this movie.

Nicholas Winding Refn has created a stylish, engaging and at times an unflinchingly violent thriller. It’s cool, calm exterior draws you in, and it’s beating heart of determination tears you out of your cinema seat.

I was lost in it’s world from start to finish and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Go and see it.

First released in 1995 Ghost in the Shell was the first film adaptation of the manga by Shirow Masamune.

It’s a staggering piece of work in every respect. It presents a future where man and machine are entwined; where augmented humans can link directly with computers and each other. It’s a world with self aware A.I and where human minds can be ‘hacked’.

After watching The Matrix in 1999, I read that the Wachowski brothers were influenced by this film. I can safely say that was the understatement of the 90’s. Ghost in the Shell drips from every Matrix pour; from the green hue which makes up the very fabric of the film, to ‘jacking’ into computers, man vs machine, the concept of what is real, A.I rising up to seek it’s own place in the world. It’s all there. If Ghost in the Shell is a strawberry, then The Matrix is strawberry jam. One could not exist without the other.

When I first saw Ghost in the Shell in 2001, it’s very concept amazed me. The ideas created and brought to life were incredible. I marveled at the creative mind behind it and gawped at the animation. As a fan of sci-fi it ticked all the boxes and it’s still as good today.

Then in 2008 came Ghost in the Shell 2.0. Not a sequel, but an enhanced version of the same film. Much of the original animation has been cleaned up and sharpened, but inexpliacbly some short scenes throughout the movie have been replaced by CG animation. The scene is the same, but some of the colours have changed (losing the green) and it’s cut very obviously with the hand drawn scenes. At first it’s novel, but in the end it distracted me and I couldn’t understand what it added to the film.

It’s still a remarkable film, but I’ll stick to the original.

• Season 1 - A revelation. Original and utterly compelling. My new favourite show

• Season 2 - Amps up the tension and drama. Possibly my favourite season.

• Season 3 - Something missing this time round for me. Still Dexter, still good, but lacks the punch of the first two seasons.

• Season 4 - Up there with season 2. Taunt and dramatic with a killer ending!

• Season 5 - Not so great. Seemed to meander for a while before picking up in the back half. I’m keeping the faith for season 6 though.

• Season 6 - A fabulous return to form, well written, dramatic and shocking. Bring on season 7!

It will be late 2012 before we see Dexter back. In the meantime click here for all your Dexter needs.

I love J.J Abrams’s work. It’s prolific, and most importantly of high quality. A writer, director and producer extrodinaire.

On the small screen he gave us Alias, Lost and Fringe. He is also producing the upcoming and highly anticipated Alcatraz.

In the cinema, we’ve seen his multi-talented hands craft Armageddon (writer), Mission Impossible III (writer, director) and Star Trek (director, producer). Most recently, and with a little executive producing from the living legend himself - Steven Spielberg, J.J has written, directed and produced one of this year’s best family films.

Beautifully shot, it’s a film with surprising depth and some fine acting. Elle Fanning (younger sister of Dakota) is particularly good. The movie draws expertly on the innocence of youth to take the viewer on an adventure reminiscent of those films you remember from the early 80’s. I guess that was the aim, but it’s also the reason why at least in part, Super 8 lacks originality.

The visual references to the films Super 8 emulates pepper the screen and it can be a joy to indulge, but it’s only a wink and a nudge from duplication and makes you wonder whether this was directed by Abrams or some sort of Speilberg clone.

Abrams, or Speilberg-lite as I’m now calling him has managed to make a lovely film which I hope will do for the kids today what The Goonies, Stand by Me and E.T did for me when I was 10. It’s heartfelt, spirited and great fun.