Review of Returner

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! Since previous comments already sum up my feelings well on the story and actors, let me flesh out the special effects and action bits a bit more instead. Or just string a lot of random observations together, as who has time for structured discourse anymore? First, the derivatives: like the alien mother ship, for example. ID4 on steroids replete with low angle dolly reveal, which means it also looks like the classic establishing shot from Alien revealing the refinery in all it's industrial splendor. The cute little aliens look like the ID4 aliens as well, except for the day-glo neon aspects, and are generally well composited. The bullet time stuff is groovy, but also by now internationally known territory, well done but nothing new. Now the Clockstoppers wrist watch device had some fun effects, like the fact that firing a pistol while in hyper speed means the bullets punch through mercenary armor like tiny freight trains while an orbiting camera circles the action to ensure every resulting fountain of red mist erupts past the camera POV. And the alien death ray seems a nice nod to the laser gag in Real Genius. And the girl from the future's costume seems a nod to the genre famous red shawl from Zeiram (sadly, no edible alien shrink wrapped cockroaches in this flick). And the frequent shift of the cinematography to nearly monochromatic amber tones feels a lot like Avalon, a cinematic masterpiece from the director of Ghost in the Shell, which further derives inspiration from the Matrix. On other fronts, the film's multicultural aspects leave me feeling warm and fuzzy. For example, Italians may delight over the recurrent discourse about al dente pasta preparation. Free Tibet supporters will rejoice over discovering that Nepal is man's last refuge from alien invasion. Told you Battlefield Earth had it all wrong (that among many other things, like being made in the first place). The Chinese will be thrilled to learn that the Triad is apparently currently more feared than the Yakuza in Japan, and further, have access to the inside scoop in top secret military & aeronautical research facilities. The Chinese may be less heartened to learn that the super Triad is apparently financed by the dissection of orphans to sell their pint size organs on the black market. Harvesting organs from Vancouver panhandlers and heroin addicts might have been more politically correct. The Chinese can then stake solace in the lead male's boss, an elderly woman who seems to be a chip of Sandra Ng's block while smoking a cigar and blowing baddies up on the interstate. She's incredible, especially her ability to multitask, surfing the web for signs of aliens, Triad misdeeds and likely Morpheus as well (it's the question that drives her) while simultaneously refitting cell phones for the ever demanding fickle needs of the jet set Bounce-Ko Gal baggy sock school girl set. Most impressive. Now the aspects that make this film worth seeing: TRANSFORMERS. Ever wanted to see what Starscream might actually look like in a CGI / real life setting? Look no further, at least until someone makes a worthwhile live action Transformers movie. The Harrier jet and Boeing 747 jet transformations are breathtaking. I only wish the film had had more of this. Also, the nail bomb and alien armor suits are exemplary CGI work, including the compositing. Excellent stuff. And for the gore hounds: the future soldiers explode in tasty chunks. Although the film could have stood to have had more of this to counter-balance the periodic slip into massive exposition, the visceral aspects like the exploding bodies, head shots, slow motion chest fountains and excellent sky rocketing while exploding car are delightful.