Tag: science fiction

Flashback Friday: 11.22.63 (2016)

The question of time travel is filled with both potential and pitfalls. If you could go back in time, what would you do? Would it be to undo a personal mistake or change the course of history?

The Hulu mini-series, 11.22.63, premiered in 2016. Based on a book by Stephen King, Jake Epping (James Franco) is a teacher who goes back in time to stop the assassination of JFK. It is supposed (note the keyword) to be a straightforward mission. But as usual, it does not go as planned.

Having never read the book, I cannot say for certain how it compares to its small-screen counterpart. The idea of the story is extremely tempting. The problem is that I was just plain bored.

Do I recommend it? No.

11.22.63 is available for streaming on Netflix.

Getting Lost Documentary Review

Every few years, a television show comes around that brings millions of fans together and lasts long after the final credits roll.

The documentary Getting Lost (2024) premiered exactly twenty years after Lost initially aired on ABC. Interviewing the creators, writers, production team members, actors, fans, and journalists, the film explores how this once-in-a-generation phenomenon became a pop culture moment.

Getting Lost is not for the casual viewer. It is for the person who never missed an episode, obsessed over the many questions, and is still puzzled about the finale.

The best thing about it is that it allowed for all involved (the audience included) to look back and analyze with a perspective that did not exist when Lost was on the air.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Getting Lost is available for streaming on Tubi.

The Life of Chuck Movie Review

*This review is strictly based on the film and not on its literary predecessor.

Most, if not all, artists have at least one work that, in comparison to other pieces, is looked upon as less than or missing that something special.

The Life of Chuck premiered in 2024 in movie theaters and is currently available to stream on Hulu. Based on a story by Stephen King, the movie follows the titular Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) as he moves through life.

Having not read the text first, I did not realize that the tale is told backwards. Despite a prestige cast that also includes Mark Hamill, Mia Sara, Chiwetel Eijofor, Karen Gillan, and Jacob Tremblay, I found it to be incredibly boring. Though I appreciate King’s positive Jewish characters, not even that had the power to keep me watching.

Do I recommend it? No.

The Life of Chuck is available for streaming on Hulu.

Avatar: Fire and Ash Movie Review

In any IP, with every new chapter, the pressure from the audience grows.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third film in the Avatar franchise. It picks up soon after Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) ended. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) are facing a deeply personal tragedy that has the potential to tear their family and relationship apart.

As they grapple with their loss, enemies are on the horizon. Quaritch (Stephen Lang) would like nothing more than to finally take Sully down for good. The leader of another tribe, Varang (Oona Chaplin), is out for blood and discovers the power of human-made weapons.

As usual, the visuals are out of this world. The moral quandaries make the wheels turn, and the message about protecting the environment is as strong as ever. The problem is that the narrative is bloated. Director and writer James Cameron could have easily cut a good 45 minutes from the screenplay, and the movie would have been just fine.

The most interesting character is Varang. If Cameron does release numbers 4 and 5 at some point, I would be curious to see where he takes her.

At a total screen time of 3hours and 15 minutes, this one requires patience. If you are not so inclined to see it in theaters, I would wait for Avatar: Fire and Ash to be available on streaming and/or cable.

Do I recommend it? Sort of.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is currently in theaters.

The Austen Affair Book Review

I am forever amazed by the breadth and depth of fiction relating to Jane Austen’s life and work.

The Austen Affair is the debut novel by Madeline Bell. It was published in September. Tess Bright has had a literary love affair with Austen since she was a child, as the author was a favorite of her late mother’s. After being fired from her last TV series, she scored the dream role as Catherine Moreland in the latest adaptation of Northanger Abbey. Her Henry Tilney is Hugh Balfour, a classically trained performer and son of a respected acting family.

Tess thinks that Hugh has a stick up his behind. Hugh sees Tess as chaos incarnate. For him, it’s just another job. For her, it’s a lifeline to a career that is dangling off a point of no return cliff. Sent back in time two centuries by an accidental electrocution, Tess and Hugh have to rely on each other to survive and return to the present without messing up the historical timeline.

While pretending to be engaged, the feelings start to become real.

The Austen Affair is one of my favorite books of 2025. The author mixes classical Austen with Back to the Future and a drop of Outlander. As lead characters, Tess and Hugh have a perfect “will they or won’t they”. It is the perfect read and a wonderful addition to any Janeite’s personal collection.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely. The Austen Affair is not to be missed.

The Austen Affair is available wherever books are sold.

Lilo & Stitch Live Action Movie Review

We all want a best friend. We all want to fit in, to be respected and appreciated.

The live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch was released into theaters a few weeks ago. The titular Stitch (Chris Sanders, returning to his role from the animated film) is an alien with a wild streak. Escaping to Earth, he is taken in by six-year-old Lilo (Maia Kealoha). Nothing has been the same since her parents died. Her much older sister, Nani (Sydney Agudong), is doing her best to take care of both of them.

The strain of being both parent and sibling, on top of the early loss of their forebears, has taken a toll on both of them. Their social worker, Mrs. Kekoa (Tia Carrere, the original voice of Nani), is trying to keep the girls together.

Lilo and Stitch is so good. Kealoha is both adorable and compelling as Lilo. I felt for this little girl, going through so much at a young age. Agudong’s Nani would like nothing more than to pursue her dreams. But her responsibilities are more important.

It has all of the charm and heart of its predecessor and more. If this is Disney‘s future going forward, I am all for it.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Lilo & Stitch is presently in theaters.

Thoughts On the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Reboot

At first glance, a television reboot is a simple affair. All of the ingredients of the original program should result in a successful final product. But that does not always happen.

Earlier this week, Ryan Kiera Armstrong (of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew fame) will be the next slayer in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot.

With Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers herself) as part of the creative team, I trust that it will both honor the original series and move the narrative needle forward.

Flashback Friday: The Lake House (2006)

The reunion of two actors who are reuniting after working on a beloved film brings all sorts of expectations. We hope that the chemistry is still there. But what if it isn’t?

The 2006 film, The Lake House, reunites Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. Kate (Bullock) is a doctor who loves her work. But her personal life isn’t much to write home about. Alex (Reeves) is an architect, whose frustrations equal Kate’s. Unbeknownst to one another, they are renting the same lake house several years apart.

Despite the time difference, they start writing to one another and fall in love. But the only way to be together is to unravel the mystery of the forces that are keeping them apart.

I liked this movie. It is sweet and romantic without being over the top. Bullock and Reeves have the same chemistry that they had in Speed. I also loved the references to Persuasion. It made this romantic drama that much better.

P.S. Donald Sutherland passed away yesterday. Among his many roles was Mr. Bennet in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice. He could have played the character as a sarcastic smartass who riled up his family for shits and giggles. But there was a humanity and a heart under those one-liners. RIP.

Atlas Movie Review

A good science fiction film is more than the technology or the world that it is set in. It requires characters that are thoroughly human and dealing with the same stuff that we all go through.

Atlas premiered on Netflix on May 24. Atlas Shepherd (Jennifer Lopez) is a brilliant and jaded data analyst who prefers paper and pen to a screen. The daughter of the late scientist Val Shepherd (Lana Parilla), she bonded early with Harlan Shepherd (Simu Liu), her mother’s A.I. creation.

All of Val’s good intentions went out the window when Harlan turned into a killer. Leading an army of A.I. soldiers, millions have been slaughtered. After a mission to capture him does not go as planned, she must trust the technology to save what is left of humanity.

This is one of the smartest movies within the genre that I have seen in a long time. Atlas’s journey combined with fear of the futuristic Frankenstein made for one heck of a tale. It speaks to what may happen if we let our computerized creations get the best of us.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Atlas is currently streaming on Netflix.

Throwback Thursday: Lost (2004 to 2010)

For the most part, getting on a plane is a safe way to travel. But every now and again, something goes wrong.

From 2004 to 2010, Lost was must-see TV. The show followed a diverse group of survivors of a plane crash. Lost (get it? ;))on a previously unknown island, each had a past that was slowly revealed over time. As relationships were forged and molded over time, each individual was challenged in ways that were least expected.

Lost was a genre-busting phenomenon in every sense of the word. It was a drama, it had elements of science fiction, it had some amazing action scenes, etc. Though it’s been off the air for 13 years, the finale still garners conversation and controversy.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely. I was and still am a fangirl after nearly (yikes) 20 years.

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