Once you get yourself acclimatized to where Predacons Rising is coming from, it's a tightly-plotted, fast-paced action film that does a nice job of quickly amping up the tension and threat-level to Full-On Apocalyptic.
Of course there are booby-traps galore, tons of gore, and a strange guest-appearance by Alphas' Erin Way as the freaked-out Stockholm Syndrome victim Abby.
It all goes a bit off the rails as it steamrolls towards an action-packed conclusion involving more Nazi killing, a race against time, an impending nuclear strike, and some weird pseudo-science and occult madness.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a throwback to the action/adventure shows that I grew up with. Shows like Buck Rogers, the A-Team, The Six Million Dollar Man, or Knight Rider even.
I also found it refreshing that in a zombie film landscape that thrives on an atheistic nihilism, [REC] 3: Genesis expands on the idea of the previous films that the zombies are a demonic infestation.
I've been known to complain about the lack of good science fiction cinema these days, but I suppose there's rarely been a time when there were consistently good sci-fi films filling the theaters.
Everything about this film is operating on all cylinders. It's funny, it's dramatic, and it never loses sight of what the audience wants from a Marvel Studios movie.
Whenever the show shifts gears and focuses on two or three characters alone in a room interacting, you can trust in the skills of the performers to make it work.
And then we're off into our new totally sincere and cynicism-free adventure, taking Riddick back to the basics in what is an action-packed showcase for Diesel.
Maybe Fright Pack isn't nearly the wallet-gouging money-grab it seems to be at first glance. Maybe it’s a way to trim the fat from the show and just grab the highlights.
