War for the Planet of the Apes — A solid post apocalypse movie — 7*/10

For a flick with "War" in its title, there isn't much of it or action for that matter. However, like its two predecessors, in this reboot there is a strong sense of finality to it, strong emotional perspectives, as well as dirty, raw animosity, so you could say this is a proud continuation in the name of this franchise and I would agree.

The only thing I didn't like is that they introduced a comic relief element that clashes too strongly with this film and the two previous. Beyond that, great acting, solid special effects and powerful camera shots will entertain you without any issue.

Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn and Judy Greer.

Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3450958/

Into the Forest — A very different and personal look at the end of civilization — 9*/10

• Story: Captivating. Realistic emotional reactions and sequence of events. Sweet, with bits of intense drama that do not overwhelm the film. Several unusual turns. Always presenting differently what we see commonly.
• Setting: A tiny bit into the future. Not your average family.
• Style: It doesn't get stuck on any event or little things, it's about exploring a different way of experiencing that scenario.
• Pacing: Excellent mood building. Long term progression.
• Ending: Perfect. Just perfect.
• Epilogue: None. Not trying to buy into the masses.
• Dialogs: Great.
• Characters: Sound and extremely well developed. Great depth and some complexity.
• Acting: Amazing.
• Known actors: Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood.
• Visuals: Beautiful, breathtaking at times.
• Sound: Great soundscape.
• Synopsis & information:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2625810/
• Entertainment value: Great, if you like movies about the mood.
• Who is it for? A must see, but not a crowd pleaser.

Air — A novel and tense, if quiet, apocalyptic sci-fi — 7*/10

• Scenario: The story line is a bit predictable and there are a number of logical flaws in the scenario which make some actions non sensical. However, excellent settings, good tension, interesting intrigue, solid acting and great ideas build a very entertaining movie.
• Known actors: Norman Reedus, Djimon Hounsou and Sandrine Holt.
• Visual & sound: Great.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2091478/
• Who is it for? For those looking for a nice low key film with tension in an apocalyptic setting.

Better than its been rated by others.

Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse — Funny but could have been better — 6*/10

• Scenario: Very juvenile humour, silly situations with a number of logical flaws.
• Known actors: David Koechner and Cloris Leachman.
• Visual & sound: Acceptable.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727776/
• Who is it for? Those looking to turn their brains off for some fun or zombie fans.

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials — A sci-fi sequel that can satisfy — 7*/10

• Scenario: This sequel is, as far as I'm concerned, better than its predecessor (read my review of the first chapter here). That's rare in the film industry. I say this because the acting is better and the story more interesting. More over, the action is good and the entertainment value is nice. It is still full of stereotypes and predictable elements with a number of logical flaws that require to be overlooked, but it's getting somewhere. That being said, I anticipate a lousier third chapter.
• Known actors: Patricia Clarkson, Lili Taylor and Barry Pepper.
• Visual & sound: Solid.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4046784/
• Who is it for? Anyone looking for a sci-fi, zombie or apocalypse flick.

Turbo Kid — A gory B series movie you might like — 6*/10

• Scenario: Interesting concepts and setting, very gory at times with nice characters. The scenario is broken in a few places and it's a bit silly at time so it's difficult to size it up, but it's a nice entertainment, especially if you take the style into consideration. There's a surprise near the end that I really liked.
• Known actors: Michael Ironside.
• Visual & sound: Obviously low budget, but appreciable.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3672742/
• Who is it for? For those who want to see something different in the post-apocalyptic arena and don't mind low budget or gore.

Rapture-Palooza — Low budget goofy comedy for light entertainment — 6*/10

• Scenario: Crazy. The intro was particularly hilarious and the end was really funny with lots of goofy things in between. Even if the story itself was particularly light, the entertainment value was still there.
• Known actors: Anna Kendrick (she did what she could with what she had, but she has shown that she can be much better), Craig Robinson (they gave him a lot of crass things to say and it gets annoying after a while), Rob Corddry, Ana Gasteyer, John Michael Higgins (the little screen time he had was hilarious!), Thomas Lennon and Ken Jeong.
• Visual & sound: Very low budget and it showed a lot visually, even in the makeup.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1879032/
• Who is it for? Those looking for some end of the world goofy flick. Just don't take anything seriously or expect too much.

Mad Max: Fury Road — Fucking rocks! — 10*/10

• Scenario: A very simple story, but what makes it unforgettable and totally incredible is the amazing setting. A post apocalyptic society based on water, gasoline, and cars perfectly rendered. High octane action that starts right away and takes only a few short breather.
• Dialogs: Solid. Really transport you into their world.
• Characters: Simple, yet with an incredible depth, probably due to the performance of the actors.
• Actors: Perfect. Cast members include Charlize Theron, Tom Hardy and Nicholas Hoult.
• Photography: Mind blowing. It's so beautiful, and the 3D is extremely well done and thought out. Great camera work.
• Sound: Great music and score that's exactly right for the movie.
• Special effects: Simply astounding.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392190/
• Who is it for? Anyone should watch, unless you don't want to see action and violence.

It's a master piece by George Miller, the writer and director of the original Mad Max and its less successful sequels.

These Final Hours — The apocalypse done differently and personal — 7*/10

• Scenario: A realistic approach to the doomsday scenario. Nothing epic, but rather personal, with a number of novel if sometime boring anecdotes. The result is very thoughtful and entertaining on a certain level.
• Dialogs: Good and realistic.
• Characters: Well built, even though the main character is slightly difficult to pigeonhole, probably because he doesn't make a lot of sense. He feels like an awkward construct to move the story forward, but by the end, you do believe in him.
• Actors: Good work on the part of everyone.
• Photography: Solid.
• Sound: Good music and score.
• Special effects: I loved the last scene, up to the very few last seconds where they lost me.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2268458/
• Who is it for? Those who want to see an apocalypse scenario done differently.

Cloud Atlas — A beautiful exposé for those with enough patience — 8*/10

• Story: Needs a little bit of getting used to because of the way its told and all the disparate timeframes; it can get a bit confusing. Overall, it's very touching and pleasing. I loved the future ones, pre and post apocalyptic, but I'm biased toward those.
• Characters: The plethora of them is definitively a big bite to chew on, but after an hour, you get a solid enough grasp to enjoy their different depth.
• Dialogs: Interesting, slightly poetic, and pleasant. They will often tickle your brains, the contained philosophy.
• Scenario: You need to be able to enjoy slow developing scenarios to fully appreciate. Nonetheless, it is a mix of action, passion and contemplation that is totally satisfying.
• Actors: Quite an ensemble! Great work, although it was a bit difficult to process them in their different roles, especially when they switched between nice characters and reprehensible ones. Here's the list of notable ones: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, Keith David, James D'Arcy, and Jim Broadbent.
• Photography: Excellent, beautiful.
• Special effects: Perfect.
• Synopsis & information: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1371111/
• Who is it for? Those who don't mind long movies with some slowness to them. Those like to have a mixture of different story. Those who like as much scenarios that are in the past as well as in the future.

A great piece by the Wachowskis.

Dawn of the Dead — Your basic zombie epidemic — 7*/10

Dawn of the Dead is a good zombie movie and if that's what you're looking for you'll be entertained. Things happen fast, lots of action, not too gory, nice effects, and lots of thoughtful plot elements. However, it's a bit linear, predictable and it feels like there isn't much to chew on. It's nice, but only once.

For those hungry for a zombie flick.
7*/10

Dredd — Cheap entertainment, but good entertainment — 7*/10

Dredd, in its latest incarnation, is a simple flick and it doesn't try to do more than entertain. The story is linear without getting boring, it veers away from trying to tackle a larger issue, and is very single minded, much like the hero. Excellent settings, you can almost taste the futuristic crass, solid acting and nice action, with only a few dubious special effects that are easily overlooked. One thing though I just have to comment on, those motorcycles: ugly ass pieces of garbage.

For a good action fix.
7*/10

Interstellar — A sublime masterpiece that will transport you — 10*/10

Interstellar is much better than the previews make us believe. Christopher Nolan proved once again that he is a master of his art. The IMAX price is more than worth it. A science-fiction film to cherish.

GO SEE IT.
10*/10

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World — Just see it, it's really worth it — 9*/10

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is an incredibly underrated movie. It doesn't waste time with the intro, it's always very consistent with what's happening (except for food), lots of novel things to discover, great acting, captivating scenario, very interesting characters with great depth, and totally hilarious. Even the end is great.

For comedy and romance seeker.
9*/10

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes — The end of humanity has come and you can feel it — 8*/10

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the post-apocalyptic second part of the remake. Great settings, solid action, strong emotional strings, and a captivating story. There are a few logical flaws that mar this movie, but all in all, I can't deny its quality.

I must confess that I didn't like the first part. It was good, but not my kind of film. This is more to my liking.

For the fans of the series, those who like post-apocalyptic settings, and sci-fi aficionados.
8*/10

Terminator Salvation — Forgetting the third instalment with something really decent — 7*/10

Terminator Salvation, the 4th Terminator, is not the best of the series, but after the dismally horrid third part, it's a balm to a fan of the first two. I'd even say that it's pretty good. It has all the action and special effects you can ask for, plus the story is interesting, the dialogs are nicely done and the acting is solid. My gripe is with the almost inexistent defence of Skynet central, and the lousy last scene.

For great entertainment.
7*/10

It's a Disaster - On the fringe for better laughs - 7*/10

It's a Disaster starts as a standard relationship comedy, but as it progresses, oddities crop up pushing it further and further away from stereotypical character designs and story. It grows on you so slowly that you won't realize it and be totally engrossed by the end, which is just perfect.

For a good time and something different.
7*/10

This Is the End — Brain off, fun on — 7*/10

This Is the End is a slapstick comedy where fun is based on basest human behaviors.

The good. Incredible special effects. Constant ridicule for maximum laughter. Interesting story with an awesome end and some twists. Well paced scenario.

The actors. Although I like Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel a lot, I think James Franco here has the best performance.

The bad. Very simple and linear story. No smart jokes.

The ugly. Danny McBride as his character is incredibly annoying.

The result. Don't expect anything intelligent and you'll have fun.

7*/10

The Postman — After destroying itself how can society get back up on its feet — 7*/10

The Postman is a post-apocalypse survival movie geared toward society and what it means to be a society.

The good. The settings are well chosen and built. Great main characters with nicely developing personas. Interesting story. Good pace. The intro is solid and really puts us in the right mood.

The actors. Kevin Costner is a great fit for his role as a loner surviving on his wits. Olivia Williams is disarmingly charming as the sweet girl with a budding iron determination. Will Patton makes us hate his egocentric character right away. You can't help but get attached to Larenz Tate as the over eager young man looking for meaning to his life. Daniel von Bargen as the suspicious sheriff is just right. And finally, Giovanni Ribisi in the small role of an almost psychotic blind follower is astounding.

The bad. Just a few things. Galloping horses before the siege. Really? You needed to do that to build the tension before the attack? The cable ride. A horse would have been just as good.

The ugly. The 30 years later ending. Fuck that! It ruined the movie. Cut it out and it's an additional star, easy.

The result. The length of the movie is not for everybody, but it's good entertainment.

7*/10

Armageddon — The Earth is to be obliterated and the US save the world — 6*/10

Armageddon was a blockbuster and still is good entertainment.

The good. Lots of action, explosions, heroics, and a taut suspense. You get cool gadgets, astronauts, one cosmonaut, some bad russian accent, a crazy crew, and an excellent score.

The actors. Bruce Willis is still in his action hero phase, not having yet matured, but still good. Billy Bob Thornton is right on target. Ben Affleck as yet to reach his peak, yet delivers a solid performance. Liv Tyler easily tugs at our heart strings. Steve Buscemi and Michael Clarke Duncan are hilarious and perfect. And finally, you don't see enough of Owen Wilson in his small role.

The bad. The amount of testosterone contained in this film could put an 80s East German female swimmer to shame. Logic, laws of physics, and general scientific thinking seemed to have been set aside to build the scenario. Nothing holds up to even the barest of scrutiny.

The ugly. That's some ultra US-centric flick. It's gag worthy. More over, the word "god" is repeated so many times, you'd think it's a recruiting video.

The result. Excellent brain dead explosive entertainment for the whole family. Don't expect more and you'll love it.

6*/10