Uninvolved onlookers probably found it hard to distinguish between “Ultraviolet” and “Æon Flux;” both were action pictures with a beautiful, tough and sleek heroine as the lead character; both were set in oppressive futures; both were wide screen and color; both were filled with effects; both took advantage of real buildings in the cities where they were shot. And neither was much good, though “Æon Flux” is somewhat better than “Ultraviolet.” But that shouldn’t be taken as high praise. “Æon Flux” is based on a series of short cartoons created by Peter Chung, telecast on MTV. The cartoons are tough and wry; the movie takes a tough stance but never really reaches that point—and it’s anything but wry. Chung’s little cartoons were not intended to be taken very seriously, but the movie definitely wants to be regarded as a serious work, to the point where it’s totally avoid of humor. At least “Ultraviolet,” which ...

  Seven years after the original, modestly budgeted “The Terminator,” director James Cameron and co-screenwriter William Wisher returned to continue the story, this time with an enormous budget and cutting-edge special effects capable of realizing their ideas. Two robotic Terminators are sent from the future—the new T-1000 model (Robert Patrick) to kill John Connor, the other, the familiar T-800 model (Arnold Schwarzenegger), to protect him. The new Terminator can change its shape. On the run with the T-800, John (Edward Furlong) must rescue his mother Sarah (Linda Hamilton, from the first film) from a mental hospital, where she’s been put by Dr. Silverman (Earl Boen, also from the first film). Determined to stop the Cyberdyne company before they create the Skynet program, which will trigger the apocalypse, Sarah seeks Dr. Miles Dyson (Joe Morton) and the Cyberdyne lab itself. At the same time, they must avoid the implacably pursuing chameleon-like Terminator determined to stop ...

  On face-value, “Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow” should have worked. It reached back into the same 1930s to 1940s Saturday morning serial storytelling that proved so successful for the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” franchises that George Lucas and Steven Spielberg re-invented as Hollywood blockbusters. Those movies used to be broken down into ten- or fifteen-minute segments that were aired every week before the main movie. That way moviegoers had more reason to come back week after week to see the new releases. The serials were known for their quick pacing, heroic characters, and escapism that stopped – most of the time – just short of total disbelief. That was the style Kerry Conran, the director and writer, was reaching for. On many levels, Conran succeeded. However, the movie simply didn’t find as large an audience as it needed. Filled with over-the-top action sequences that never completely stall out between the other ...

  It’s been 22 years since “The Terminator” launched James Cameron’s directorial career in earnest. Cameron’s first effort, “Piranha II: the Spawning” showed little of the original vision that was to come, but it did indicate his preference for blue lighting, which was to become his hallmark. His work as a production designer/model maker and multi-tasking crew member on “Battle Beyond the Stars” and “Galaxy of Terror” for Roger Corman’s New World Pictures revealed a talent for dirty, futuristic industrial design and an ability to visualize ambitious ideas on the cheap. In 1984 Cameron was provided a moderate to low budget and used every trick in the book to create “The Terminator,” which he wrote with William Wisher, Jr. It’s a great high-concept idea (somewhat similar to the Harlan Ellison teleplay, “Demon with a Glass Hand.” Ellison sued for credit on this film, which appears in the end titles), paced at an occasionally breathless clip. ...

  Because “Stargate” looks terrific and plunged boldly ahead into its improbable story of instantaneous travel between galaxies, and because it features an appealing star performance by James Spader (though Kurt Russell is dull), it initially received better review than it was really entitled to. Watched on video, especially in this special edition, seven minutes longer than in theatrical release, “Stargate” gradually wears the viewer down. It feels as though someone is stacking increasingly heavy weights on your chest, and you can’t get up, you can’t get relief. Fortunately, this Blu-Ray disc, in high definition, is a real dazzler, visually. The special effects are good but not outstanding, but they’re also amazing to look at. The picture on your high-def set seems immediate and real, even when moderately incredible things are going on. (The movie is not especially spectacular, and is woefully unimaginative.) On the unnamed planet our stalwart heroes reach, you can practically feel the ...