Subconscious (2015)

As a former Navy Chief, I am drawn to Sci-Fi movies that involve the best service branch in the world. In fact, because I have moments where I miss the camaraderie and the duties, I often jump at a chance to pick these up when I see them. That was the case with my next review, 2015s Subconscious.  

Plot/ An investigation into a retired WWII sub plunges a research team into a supernatural journey across the dark abyss of time - with history hanging in the balance.

This was an uneven film to review, and it actually went in a different direction than I imagined when I picked it up at Family Video. Yes, it is not a traditional WWII based Sci-Fi flick, which could turn some people off, it does have an interesting storyline that was unexpected. As a low budget flick, it does have it share of flaws; but, as is the case those are somewhat expected. In this one, the storyline was a touch unbelievable, but it worked, the setting was amazing, and it did have an interesting twist at the end. Of course, there were some uneven performances, the lighting was all over the place, and there were a ton of preposterous ideas being thrown around, but again, as a low budget flick, those flaws are to be expected. In the end, this is not a perfect movie and will have to find its niche audience, but it does have some entertaining moments. If you love the stuff from the SyFy Channel, you will likely enjoy it; give it a shot.

Inception (2010)

Today was graduation day at the institute and the final members of my first real class graduated. While the ceremony was nice, and I am sure that the five that are heading out will do great things, it is a bit sad that they will not be around, as they were definitely a joy to have in the classroom. Moving on, if you have read my blog over the past three years, you would know that I am not the biggest fan of the blockbuster flick, and honestly prefer the indie movement. Yes, I do watch a blockbuster from time-to-time, but I usually do not enjoy them. Today, as the last day of the quarter wound down, I allowed my class to pick a movie for the afternoon since all of their grades were published; their selection, the action-adventure-science fiction blockbuster Inception.  

Plot/ In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job to date: Inception.

Sometimes films come along that truly define a genre, and now, after watching this one, I believe that Inception will define this genre for generations. When a movie tries to peer into the subconscious, they are always interesting, and to an extent, surreal. Somehow, this one took the cues from movies past, amplified it, and created its own dimension on the screen. The storyline is tremendous, extremely complicated but interesting, one that will draw you in, the acting is solid, there are some top-notch performances, and the cinematography and production are outstanding with the action sequences and soundtrack mirroring the mood of the film perfectly. On top of that, the special effects are amazing, and crafted well within the layers of the film. On the downside, this is definitely a hard film to understand fully in one viewing, and with such a long run-time, it may be hard to watch multiple times to discover all of the intricacies that I am sure exists within this world. In the end, some more character development would have made the film perfect, but when that is the major flaw, what more can one ask for. This may be one of the best action or science fiction films to be released in sometime and must be seen to be believed. If you have not seen it yet, you must see it. Honestly, I wish I would have watched it earlier.