This article originally appeared onDen of Geek UK.
Spoilers lie ahead for each of the films mentioned.
Theyre always painfully dull and unrewarding.
I know I do.
Both roles if both is an appropriate concept are played by Jake Gyllenhaal.
I think we can understandEnemyto be rather like many other, more obvious sci-fi parables.
Secondly, theres the evocation of a world plagued with AIDS.
There was even a sharp ramp up in homophobia.
What particularly interests me are the changes made in adapting the show for a film.
In a sense, Rapunzel gets the best new deal.
In the film, she lives, riding off towards a tidy resolution with her Prince Charming.
Roll it out flat, however, and the metaphor is thin and full of holes.
What STD is cured by passing it on?
Thats a mind-bogglingly silly idea.
Once again, this all falls apart because the curse can be passed on.
All he wanted was some kind of scary bogeyman, a wringer to put his characters through.
The Signal
On screen, anything and everything can look equally real.
This phenomenon gives William Eubanks ambitious, technically impressive sci-fi shaggy dog storyThe Signalits greatest worth.
Then theres a bright light in the sky… Should we listen to our instincts?
Should we be guided by love?
In Greek mythology thats the name of the ferryman who takes souls across the river to their eternal damnation.
In both cases, its only when the guard dog is dead is the path into hell open.
Tomorrowland
Tomorrowlandis a very political film in my view.
Meanwhile theGlobeAndMailidentify strains of Ayn Rand-ian Objectivism in the picture, and say Brad Bird doesnt care about you.
Arguably though, the message is forever foregrounded at the expense of dramaturgy, comedy and even spectacle.
Jurassic World
Jurassic Worldis staggeringly self-conscious, almost on a par with an episode ofThe Simpsons.
Jurassic World, the park within the film, is a good stand-in for the film itself.
The original park, as microcosm for the original film, even has a fan within the story.
Even the references inJurassic Worldto militarising raptors for use as ferocious soldiers is tied into series history.
Amongst the most heavily criticised elements ofJurassic Worldare the absurdly impractical high-heeled shoes worn by our protagonist, Claire.
At least thats if you consider the shoes in the most practical sense.
I think we should expect to see Claire be somewhat different next time around.
These characters are designed as reflections of his wife and children.
Rather than taking an Uber as planned, Genesis and Bel stay to seduce Evan.
After intercourse, Evan again acts like he expects the young women to leave, but they dont.
As is usual, the kaleidoscopic fragments finally line up in the films closing scenes.
Surely only Evan would be motivated to do these things?
The film is the story of a man, hell bent and on a collision course with perdition.
