Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies: Part 4

After taking a quick detour to the Wild West, we are ready to go "Back to the Future!" with more of the best Sci-Fi films!

13: Edge of Tomorrow: Live Die Repeat

Oddly retitled Live Die Repeat, Edge of Tomorrow is a film that takes the basic concept of Groundhog Day and utilizes it in a fashion that makes the film unlike any other. Edge of Tomorrow is based on a Japanese light novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, titled “All You Need Is Kill,” which was adapted into a manga (comic book) in 2014, and then into the film.

Tom Cruise plays a character that departs from his usual cool, calm, and collected protagonist with Major William Cage, who knows very little of actual combat, thus he progresses in both skill and character as the loop repeats continually. However, the film does falter towards end with the final Act being lackluster in comparison. What puzzles me is why has this concept not already been used before!? It is ingenious for a sci-fi action flick! 

12: Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

In many ways Cowboy Bebop is the original Firefly/Serenity, as it contains certain story elements that Whedon uses in Firefly. The series is an animated television series, which had a spinoff film produced. Since the movie takes place within the series continuity and not afterwards, it can serve as an entertaining introduction to the Cowboy Bebop universe for newcomers, although watching the series first is preferable.

The film retains the style and memorable characters of the Cowboy Bebop series except with a movie scale plot, improved animation, and even better action sequences than the series. If you want to watch some stylized action and well developed characters, Cowboy Bebop is most definitely worth checking out.

11: Interstellar

Interstellar exemplifies one of my favorite aspects of science fiction: the exploration of scientific concepts in ambitious and thought-provoking ways. Christopher Nolan explores the outer reaches of space by utilizing real scientific hypotheses about time relativity, wormholes, and a variety of other ideas and concepts. Nolan's use of practical effects provided the film with a sense of realism reminiscent of the classics such as Star Wars and Alien that is often lost in contemporary science fiction in favor of CGI. Unfortunately, Nolan failed to execute characters and script writing nearly as well. Despite this, Interstellar's ambition is what makes it among the best of science fiction in my mind. If you want to know more about Interstellar, click here to read my full review.

I apologist for this extra short section of the Top 25 list, but I wanted to dedicate two posts to the Top 10 Sci-Fi films, which you can read about more soon! So, what do you think of these three picks? Please comment below and let me know!

Previous Parts:

• Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies: Part 3
• Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies: Part 2
• Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies: Part 1

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6 Unconventional Westerns

Westerns do not have to be set in the mid-to-late 1800s America. Sometimes, a story set in the distant future or other lands can still contain elements of a classic western. Those are the type of movies and TV shows that I highlight today. Also, this is not a list, but rather a collection of fiction that portrays a different take on the western genre.

Firefly / Serenity

Firefly and Serenity are an obvious pick for an unconventional western. Taking place in the distant future where humanity has spread across the stars, space is like a wild frontier with outlaws and smugglers. Everyone knows Firefly as the TV show that ended well before its time. While its short run is unfortunate, we will always have Joss Whedon and company's brilliant first season of television and the feature film, Serenity.

Back to the Future Part III

The third and final part of the madcap time-travel classic, Back to the Future Part III is a fun adventure through the old west with Doc Brown and Marty McFly. It might not be a stellar film by any stretch of the imagination, but it is full of classic western references and witty humor.

The Good, the Bad, the Weird

A South Korean film set in 1800s Korea, The Good, the Bad, the Weird is inspired by Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Western, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Much like the original film, it features a memorable cast of cool and zany characters, with Song Kang-ho as the "Weird" being the standout. This South Korean take adds an eastern action flare with lengthy action sequences with practical stunts and superb direction. If you enjoy westerns, foreign films, or entertaining action comedy, give this one a watch!

Trigun

Yes, I know what you are thinking: "An anime? Who would watch that weird Japanese stuff?" But hear me out. Trigun is a sci-fi action comedy set on a new plant that humanity colonizes, and it is a barren wasteland, just like the Wild West. The series follows Vash the Stampede, a man with a 60 billion "double dollar" bounty on his head. What makes Trigun unique is that it starts out as an action comedy with wacky characters and fun action, and then shifts gears to a serious series with complex themes of heroism. Interestingly, the writer of the original comic (manga) that the anime was based on is a Christian, which is evident by the themes expressed. It explores the consequences of a hero that refuses to kill, like Batman, and how that can lead to even more deaths of innocents.

Cowboy Bebop

Another anime, Cowboy Bebop, a classic that everyone should have at least heard of by now, is set in the future where humanity is spread across the stars where bounty hunters, referred to as "Cowboys," roam the galaxy in search of their targets. That's the premise of Cowboy Bebop, but that is only the beginning. The series is heavily influenced by American filmmakers, and the soundtrack varies from smooth jazz to classic rock with each episode being titled after a style of music. Once you get past the slow start, Cowboy Bebop is an unforgettable classic that should be watched by all; I even own the Blu-Ray set! If you are not sold on it after episode 1, skip to Episode 5; that should sell the show to you.

Rango

An animated film starring Johnny Depp, Rango is one of the funniest animated films of the last few years. The plot is a fun twist on classic western stories with animals and shockingly detailed 3D animation.

What are some of your favorite Unconventional Westerns? Have you seen any of the films on this list? Please let me know in the comments, and do not forget to check out my Top 10 Westerns list in the following links: Part 1 & Part 2.

Unless I think of one final post tomorrow for Emma, Plain and Tall's Legends of Western Cinema week on A Lantern in Her Hand & Meanwhile, in the River...., this is the end of my western posts. Thanks everyone for reading, and I hope you have found a few new westerns to watch. My Top 25 Sci-Fi Movies list continues next week, so be sure to check back for that!

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

Top 10 Fictional Pirates

Ahoy again you scurvy bilge rats! I have created a list of the Top 10 Fictional scallywags to ever sail the Seven Seas in our favorite movies, TV shows, books, and video games. My list will not include the usual pirates like Blackbeard or Captain Kidd, but only the fictional. I am not limiting my list to pirates that sail the oceans, but also the ones that pillage and plunder the vast abyss of space, and even modern pirates. 

Honorable Mention: Han Solo, Malcolm Reynolds, and Star Lord

As much as I wanted to include my three favorite galactic scoundrels, Han and Mal are more smugglers than pirates, and Star Lord is more of a thief, therefore, they will not be making the list.

At Number 10: Davy Jones

Honestly, Davy Jones is not a particularly compelling character to me in the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels. However, he looks cool, and Davy Jones is a very popular character. Plus, if I did not include him on the list, I might end up in Davy Jones' Locker!

At Number 9: Captain Hook

Captain Hook from the old Peter Pan book and movies is a classic pirate that almost everyone has seen in some form or another. Sure, he is not exactly menacing, and I have not seen an incarnation of the characters in years (except for that Neverland miniseries), but the original Peter Pan animated movie was one that I watched several times as a child. Hook has been played by many different actors throughout the years including, Rhys Ifans, Hans Conried, Tom Hiddleston, and next year, Garrett Hedlund will play a young version of the character in the new live-action reimagining of the story titled, Pan.

At Number 8: Captain Harlock

Captain Harlock is the fearless captain of the spaceship Arcadia, and he is the titular character in the TV series Space Pirate Captain Harlock, as well as the recent feature film, which I reviewed yesterday. He comes from the mind of the popular Japanese anime creator Leiji Matsumoto, and grew popular in the 70s and 80s thanks to the anime TV series. While there have been various versions of the character, he remains a stoic figure that fights for no one except for what he, himself, believes is right.

At Number 7: Edward Kenway

Apparently, not all of Desmond Miles' ancestors were noble assassins with Edward Kenway being just as much a pirate as he is an assassin. In the popular Ubisoft video game, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, you play as Edward Kenway, a privateer-turned-pirate, as he battles the Templars and plunders the high seas, alongside some of history's most infamous pirates like Blackbeard and Captain Kidd. 

At Number 6: Hondo Ohnaka

Most notable for his various appearances in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Hondo Ohnaka can be an antagonist or reluctant anti-hero depending on who pays the most. He is the leader of the Weequay pirate group, and he has often clashed with Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in various episodes of The Clone Wars series. Apparently, Hondo has also had a romantic relationship with bounty hunter vixen Aurra Sing.

At Number 5: Captain Barbossa

After Jack, Captain Barbossa is the best character of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, hands down. In some ways, he is an even cooler character than Jack, and his lack of presence in the second film of the franchise is glaringly noticeable. Sure, he does not have a ton of depth, but Geoffrey Rush gives a fun performance in every film.

At Number 4: Spike Spiegel (Cowboy Bebop)

More of a Space Cowboy/Bounty Hunter than pirate, Spike Spiegel is the main character of the classic anime Cowboy Bebop. Since he is not exactly a pirate by some definitions, Spike is not number one on the list, but he and the crew of the spaceship the Bebop fly around space trying to track down bounties across the known galaxy, which is kind of like a pirate. While he kind of sucks at his job, Spike is one of the most complex and compelling characters of any media. 

At Number 3: Westley/Dread Pirate Roberts

The most feared pirate of the seven seas, who is known for taking no prisoners, Dread Pirate Roberts, aka Westley, is not really that bad of a guy when you get to know him. In the extremely popular satirical fantasy adventure, The Princess Bride, Westley tries to save his beloved Princess Buttercup from the clutches of evil. If, for whatever reason, you have not seen the Princess Bride, just go watch it; the movie is a classic!

At Number 2: Revy (Black Lagoon)

A modern pirate/mercenary, Revy is possibly the coolest and most buttkicing female protagonist in any TV series or movie, and she is one of the main characters in the anime Black Lagoon. Definitely more of an anti-hero than hero, who often cares more about money and killing than anything else, Revy, along with Rock, Dutch, and Benny, are a part of Lagoon Company, a band of pirate mercenaries that are hired to do odd jobs ranging from VIP protection to ship plundering. Revy is also known for being a little (more like a lot) psychopathic at times, and throughout the series her dark past is explored. 

At Number 1: Captain Jack Sparrow

Honestly, who else could be number one other than Captain Jack Sparrow? Johnny Depp, in easily his most famous role, has almost single handedly made pirates the pop culture phenomenon that they are today with his Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise. Depp was even nominated for Best Actor for his performance in Curse of the Black Pearl! Sure, the sequels range from mediocre to forgettably entertaining, but the first film and Depp's performance in it, more than makes him the best fictional pirate of all-time.

Who are your favorite fictional pirates? What do you think of my list? Please comment below and let me know.

Update Note: Well, it seems that I have made a massive mistake because Talk like a Pirate day is actually September 19, not August....

Honorable Mention: Long John Silver,

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Cowboy Bebop Review.

You voted for it, so here is the review for Cowboy Bebop, the only series that fills the void left by Firefly. Also, this is a continuation of my western reviews that started with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly yesterday.

Cowboy Bebop is often considered to be one of, if not, the best anime series ever created, does deserve such praise?

Cowboy Bebop follows a group of space bounty hunters, known as "Cowboys," in the future where humanity has expanded across the galaxy and terraformed planets to make them habitable. The ship that they travel on is called the Bebop, and it is similar to Serenity in Firefly in that it is often the focal point of the series. There are no aliens, and the future has not progressed a lot since modern day in terms of weapons, except for spaceships' laser weapons. As for the quality of the series, when Cowboy Bebop is good, it is positively brilliant, one of the best series ever; however, the series had a slow start and a few episodes where noticeably subpar. 

About two years ago I tried watching the series because my favorite YouTube critic, Chris Stuckmann, recommended it, and after watching about four episodes I gave up the show because, at the time, anime was not my thing at the time. However, after watching Death Note, I decide to give Bebop another chance and it was more than worth it. Much of this review was written directly after watching the Cowboy Bebop series and since it was only the second anime series that I had ever watched to completion, my knowledge of the genre was very limited. Therefore, to update this review, I re-watched a few episodes with my substantially greater knowledge of the genre to correct some previous mistakes and add new insight to my original review. 

The Good: Likable characters, Flawless finale, Usually superb animation, A few shocking moments, Top notch English dub cast, Unique soundtrack, Often a ton of fun, Space Western, Original visual style and setting, Several nearly perfect episodes, Great humor in most episodes, Catchy opening theme, Awesome action scenes, Re-watchable, 

The Bad: A few noticeably weak episodes,

Plot 9.5/10- Except for a few episodes that contain important backstory to the characters or the episodes that introduce the audience to a new member of the crew, Cowboy Bebop is a relatively non-serialized series. Most episodes have no bearing on the previous one, which, as I know now, is kind of odd for an anime. For American audiences familiar with the overused crime drama genre, this format should be familiar, and while I typically prefer my anime to be serialized, Bebop benefits from being episodic because each episode can bring something new. Some episodes are all kinds of absurd fun, while others are deep and reliant on character development. Due to the episodic nature of the series, several episodes are not very good. They are not terrible, but the first 4 and a few others like “Jupiter Jazz” and "Bohemian Rhapsody" do not hit the mark. On the other hand, “Cowboy Funk” and "Mushroom Samba" are a blast of fun, and "Hard Luck Woman" and "The Real Folk Blues" are freaking masterpieces! If watch the first several episodes and begin to lose interest, skip to the fifth episode, "Ballad of Fallen Angels," and if you dislike that, then Bebop may not be for you. Also, the series is light on romance with only some very minor aspects woven into the plot.

Characterization: 9.7/10- Cowboy Bebop has one of the most iconic cast of main characters in anime history. Some of the other side characters and villains are also fantastic. However, some of the very minor side characters are kind of dull and occasionally annoying, but other than those, the characters and characterization is nearly flawless. Now I will analyze each of the main characters.

Spike Spiegel: In a way, Spike is the star of the series because many of the main plot points revolve around the character. His background is mysterious and is revealed as the series continues. Spike has a fun cocky attitude and a humorous sarcastic wit, almost like Han Solo is a few respects. 

Jet Black: Jet is the captain and the owner of the Bebop (the spaceship), and he is a former police officer. Although I do like Jet as a character, he often seemed to be the least interesting of the crew.

Faye Valentine: Faye is introduced in the third episode and eventually becomes part of the crew. She is a "femme fatale" type character and uses her assets to trick men to catch her targets. She is sassy and an all around fun character with a mystery past that is satisfying revealed throughout the series. It is a tossup between Faye and Spike for my favorite character in the series. Her character and what is revealed about her past is a key element of the series. Many of the episodes focusing on her are among the best.

Edward: Ed is an odd character. She is a kid and master hacker. Also she is an orphan, which is why she does not know her name and is named Edward after her hacker name. At first, I thought she was going to be the worst part of the franchise due to her crazy over-the-top character, and her ability to ignore physics. However, her character started to grow on me, and she actually ended up being one of my favorite characters in the series. She was the star of several of the best episodes.

Action: 9.4/10- Cowboy Bebop contain some of the better animated action on television, especially for the time. Many of the episodes feature a fun final battle. The action ranges from spaceship battles, to gunfights, to hand-to-hand combat, and all of which are choreographed excellently.

This gif is actually from the movie, which you should definitely watch!

Art Style: 9.5/10- At first I did not like the animation style; it was a little too dated for my taste. However, I eventually did not mind it and actually liked it a lot. The entire style of the series is so unique and fun, it never ceases to impress me. Comparing the style to other 90s anime, there are really no equals. Also, the entire style of Bebop is amazing and uniquely noir that is entirely different than any other anime. 

Voice Acting: 9.9/10- Cowboy Bebop’s dub is one of three series that you have to watch dubbed, even f you prefer subbed anime. It was a turning point in the medium of anime dubbing due to the fact that the actors actually took their roles seriously. While there had been some good dubs before and around the time of Bebop like Trigun, Bebop’s dub stands out among the rest. Legendary voice actor, Steven Blum, is a standout as Spike, giving the character great depth. While every actor of the main cast are virtually flawless, many of the background characters’ voices are mediocre and a few borderline bad, which is why the dub rating is not a 10/10.  On a side note, Bebop does have some fan-service here and there, mostly from Faye, but I liken the possible fan-service more to the typical content that you would see in a serious American drama on AMC or other similar networks rather than fan-service for the sake of fan-service.

Soundtrack: 9.9/10- Yoko Kanno's score has to be one of the most unique and varied soundtrack of anything for any work of fiction. Most episodes have a unique score all its own, which can range from jazz, funk, and even "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" western type themes. Since I am not a fan of jazz or blues, the soundtrack is not always the best to listen to it on its own, how the music was used in the series is entirely unique and often perfect. On a few rare occasions the music can be a little distracting, but other than that, the use of music is perfect.

Opening and Ending: 10/10- "I think it's time we blow this scene, get everybody and the stuff together... Okay, three, two, one, let's jam!" *cue theme music* In short, Cowboy Bebop’s opening theme is quite possibly the best opening theme ever; listen to it below! Baccano’s opening is probably my personal favorite; Bebop is an extremely close second and one that I listen to often. The ending theme is perfectly fitting for the series with a nice blues song named “The Real Folk Blues.” Just skip the first 13 seconds of the video below to watch the amazing classic opening.

Humor: 9.1/10- Many episodes contained some hilarious moments, and other episodes are virtually comedies, and effective ones at that. "Cowboy Funk" and "Mushroom Samba" are among the funniest episodes of the series with their absurd craziness. On the other hand, some episodes are intense and serious dramas without humor.

Overall: 9.5/10- Despite a slow start, Cowboy Bebop is the shining example of how tons of style and “the rule of cool” combined with unforgettable characters and stories can create a legendary series that has defined a generation of Otakus. Also, there is a fantastic Cowboy Bebop movie that I will be reviewing in the future.

Closing Comments: While not entirely perfect, Cowboy Bebop is the type of series that is far too important and influential not to watch if you are an anime fan. Seriously, if you watch one classic anime in your lifetime, Cowboy Bebop should be your first pick. As much as I enjoyed Evangelion, it is not for everyone, but Bebop most certainly is for everyone. There has to be at least one episode that you will enjoy due to the sheer variety that the series contains. For non-anime fans, Cowboy Bebop is not a bad place to start, since it was my second anime series, and while, at the time, I found some of it weird and occasionally off-putting, when Bebop is at its best, few shows can top it. In short, go watch Cowboy Bebop!

Recommended For *Mature*: Sci-fi fans, Anime fans, Animation fans, Action fans, Western fans,

To read more of my anime reviews, you can click here.

Below is the entire first episode in English dub.

For another review, you can read Arvin Saints' review Cowboy Bebop by clicking here. For yet another opinion, watch the review of the series by my favorite movie critic, Christ Stuckmann. It was this review that made me interested in watching Bebop in the first place. Also, ignore the thumbnail; that picture is never in the series and is just there to collect easy views.

"See you Space Cowboy..."

If you want to contact us or have any question please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.