News: To watch - June 2013

With a number of blockbuster movies heading to local shores this month, there is no shortage of good movies to watch.

After Earth

7 June 2013

After Earth should answer two questions – does Will Smith still have the pulling power to rake in the eyeballs, and can director M. Night Shyamalan redeem himself in the wake of such nonsense as The Last Airbender and The Happening?

A thousand years after Earth was evacuated, a father and son (Smith and his son Jaden) make a crash landing on the now transformed planet. The two soon realise that due to some interesting evolution, humans are definitely not top of the food chain anymore.

Star Trek Into Darkness

7 June 2013

Whether Star Trek Into Darkness stays true to the creator of the franchise Gene Roddenberry’s original vision can be debated, but at least it looks like a good sci-fi romp. The accomplished J.J. Abrams is again at the helm, with Into Darkness also starring two of our favourite British actors – Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead), returning as Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott and Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) playing main antagonist Khan.

Khan is set to not only destroy the starship Enterprise, but, as a good bad guy should, also life as we know it. Can Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and his intrepid crew phase him out of existence?

To the Wonder

21 June 2013

Terence Malik-directed movies do not come along that often, so it’s good to see the auteur back so soon after 2011’s Tree of Life. As with all Malik’s films, it’s very difficult to précis the plot, but for your ticket price you receive Oscar winner Ben Affleck as love interest to Bond-girl Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace).

Also starring is the excellent Javier Bardem (the Bond villain in Skyfall) as a man of the cloth who’s experiencing a lapse of faith. Expect the usual breathtaking cinematography and an otherworldly cinematic experience.

Man of Steel

28 June 2013

After the poppycock that was Superman Returns, we did not hold our breath for the franchise, thinking that the 1978 Christopher Reeve portrayal might well have been the high watermark for Kal-El. That was until we saw the new trailer. Man of Steel will be directed by Zack Snyder, who in our opinion did a sterling job on Watchmen, 300 and, yes even Sucker Punch.

The relatively unknown Henry Cavill (The Tudors, The Cold Light of Day) plays the title role; and the movie also features Kevin Costner and Russell Crowe, who had to promise he would not break out in song a la Les Misérables before he got the part.

Article first appeared in TechSmart 117, June 2013.

To watch - June 2013

Related Articles

Most Read Articles

Have Your Say