It's a beautiful idea really. Twin planets, caught in each others gravity, orbiting a sun together as one unit. So close that skyscrapers can be built between them which connect them, and yet for the people living on the two planets, so very far away. This is the problem which faces the young lovers in the unique movie Upside Down. The twin nature of the planets causes them to have opposite gravity of each other, meaning anything from one planet, when brought to the other, will go flying away back to the other unless it is held down somehow. Besides this is also the social and economic differences between the two.
Up Above, as the one is referred to, is where all of the wealth and power is, while Down Below, is impoverished and desolate. People between the two worlds are not supposed to associate other than in certain working conditions, and certainly aren't supposed to have any type of relationship with anyone from the opposite planet. This combined with the gravitational issues, create what seem to be an impossible problem for the young lovers, Adam (Jim Sturgess), and Eden (Kirsten Dunst). However, Adam is a dreamer and believes that love is even stronger than gravity and he will go to any lengths to make it so.
This was a movie that I couldn't pass up once I read a plot description to it. Add to that some good actors and it's no wonder that it moved to the top of my watch list. That being said, I am very glad I made that decision. The plot was fantastically unique, with some great conflict for the characters to overcome and enough intensity at times to drive it forward. There was also opportunity for some wonderful artistic shots of the two planets and the connections between them.
While it certainly isn't your typical romance, that is what makes Upside Down so special. It is a great movie, full of amazing ideas that are original and fun. I watched this movie expecting to enjoy it, but came away loving it more than I predicted. Certainly worth a watch whether you are a fan of sci-fi and fantasy or not. I know I'll have to add this to my film collection soon.
-Lynx
Showing posts with label sci-fi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sci-fi. Show all posts
Friday, July 19, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
The Host
Not being a fan of the Twilight movies I wasn't sure about another film based on one of Stephanie Meyer's novels. However, I have read The Host (book) and actually enjoyed it quite a bit so I thought I would give the movie a chance once it came out to rent.
Initially I wasn't sure how I felt about the movie. When it started it seemed like something that wasn't going to translate very well into film. Certain books just aren't meant to be movies as far as I'm concerned.
The real concern came with all of the internal dialogue which is an integral part of the plot of this story. The Host (preview) tells the story of a parasitic alien life form which has been placed inside the body of a young Earth woman, who is one of the few humans left unoccupied. However, the woman, Melanie, is still in her mind and fights against the alien, Wanderer. This leads to a lot of internal dialogue between the two of them which is difficult to convey in a movie without it seeming a little bit odd. While they did a reasonable job of portraying this, it still took me awhile to get used to it.
As I got more into the movie though I began to really enjoy it. The characters are intriguing and the plot is unique. While it certainly wouldn't be on a list of my all time favorite movies I definitely had fun watching it and was glad that I did. The movie also followed the book fairly closely and was probably the best translation of the book into film that it could be considering parts always have to be cut and changed for movies. My one concern would be that the movie might have a few elements which would be a little confusing to someone who hasn't read the novel. Overall though, I feel like everything was explained fairly well and it would probably be understandable even if one hadn't.
It is certainly a film worth watching if you have read and enjoyed the novel it's based on. Also anyone who hasn't read the novel, but is intrigued by the unique plot would probably enjoy this movie and have limited confusion about what was going on. Hope this helps to anyone wondering if they should see the movie or not.
-Lynx
Initially I wasn't sure how I felt about the movie. When it started it seemed like something that wasn't going to translate very well into film. Certain books just aren't meant to be movies as far as I'm concerned.
The real concern came with all of the internal dialogue which is an integral part of the plot of this story. The Host (preview) tells the story of a parasitic alien life form which has been placed inside the body of a young Earth woman, who is one of the few humans left unoccupied. However, the woman, Melanie, is still in her mind and fights against the alien, Wanderer. This leads to a lot of internal dialogue between the two of them which is difficult to convey in a movie without it seeming a little bit odd. While they did a reasonable job of portraying this, it still took me awhile to get used to it.
As I got more into the movie though I began to really enjoy it. The characters are intriguing and the plot is unique. While it certainly wouldn't be on a list of my all time favorite movies I definitely had fun watching it and was glad that I did. The movie also followed the book fairly closely and was probably the best translation of the book into film that it could be considering parts always have to be cut and changed for movies. My one concern would be that the movie might have a few elements which would be a little confusing to someone who hasn't read the novel. Overall though, I feel like everything was explained fairly well and it would probably be understandable even if one hadn't.
It is certainly a film worth watching if you have read and enjoyed the novel it's based on. Also anyone who hasn't read the novel, but is intrigued by the unique plot would probably enjoy this movie and have limited confusion about what was going on. Hope this helps to anyone wondering if they should see the movie or not.
-Lynx
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