I Am Legend : DVD
Based on a book by Robert Matheson, who author Stephen King is quoted referring to as an "inspiration" on the back cover of the 1995 paperback edition by TOR/ORB books. It may be a challenge not to jump in your seat from a sudden scare while watching this film in IMAX for the first time. Will Smith's character has adventures that may remind viewers of Night Of The Living Dead (1968), Mad Max (1979), 12
Monkeys (1995), Cast Away (2000), and Vanilla Sky (2001).
Casino Royale : DVD
Acrobatic stunts in the opening chase scene result in a first class action sequence. Daniel Craig portrays a violent and driven James Bond who gambles for car keys and apparently enjoys sleeping with married women. The screenplay uses some of people's worst fears to excite audiences with sights of dizzying heights, drowning, a near plane crash, a snake, and more. The varied settings, foreshadowing, plot twists, and character development contribute to a strong adaptation. Mads Mikkelsen portrays the villain, with Eva Green as the love interest, and supporting roles by Judi Dench and Giancarlo Giannini.
Transformers (2007) : DVD
Transformers is similar to another summer blockbuster special effects heavy aliens-attack-earth-so-humans-must-unite movie: Independence Day ("ID4", 1996). Parts of it may also remind audiences of The Hulk (2003), Men In Black ("MIB", 1997), and Maximum Overdrive (1986). The object in the film called the "all-spark" is reminiscent of Star Trek's Borg ships in its style and function of spreading robotic humanoid technology. The "all-spark" can also be compared to the monolith in 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984) in the way that it grows exponentially with geometric symmetry. This action science fiction film has top-tier special effects and some funny moments involving the lead character enacted by Shia LaBeouf. The scene where the robot walks out of the pool stands out as the introduction of the leader of the benevolent Autobots in his original robot form. The design and special effects graphics in that scene achieve a level of visual realism which rivals the pristine looking "CGI-obvious" forms that most of the Transformers take on later in the film.