Loonatic's Favorite Raypunk Films: Evolutions
Fifth Element (1997)
On the edge of the galaxy, an ancient evil awakens. And though a primitive Earth once kept the keys to defeating it, for hundreds of years the alien Mondoshawans have safeguarded the Elements and the Supreme Being. Since then Earth had changed considerably, an interplanetary player among the universe many sentients. When something goes wrong with the journey to Earth, all that prevents the destruction of life are two obscure priests, a cantankerous ex-soldier, and a woman engineered to be the perfect being. In this race against time, how will the heroes prevail against the forces of evil?
Raypunk? Maybe not. Space opera? Yes. I mean come on there's an actual scene in which a fancy blue alien sings opera with a planetscape behind her. In this decade it pretty much came down to this and the original Stargate movie, but I think this one checks more of my ever-shifting criteria boxes. Interstellar travel, nifty aliens, classic good/evil struggles, and a mixture of slam-bang action, humor, and drama. Bruce Willis is kinda just doing Die Hard again, but it actually kind of works (Movies with Mikey explains it pretty well).
Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
The scattered civilizations across the stars dwell in the shadow of the crusading Necromongers, an army bent on converting or killing every human on their way to the Underverse. At last the cultured beacon of Helion Prime is at risk, and in such desperate times a holy man decides to dredge up an old ally, the man known as Riddick. With skillsets as a criminal, warrior, escape artist, and pilot, Riddick is a formidable and relentless foe with a fondness for blades and eyes that see better in the dark. And though he turns down the challenge, his path is irretrievably entwined with the fate of the Necromongers and their warlord the Lord Marshal.
As a sequel to survival horror Pitch Black, this movie was a disappointment to those fans. But since I saw these films out of order anyway, I tend to separate these out and try to judge them on their own merits. Chronicles of Riddick may have some characters in common with the Pitch Black, but they are totally different in plot, feel, and scope. It's a bit muddled in focus, but has an interesting space opera backdrop and excellent action. Although the Riddick-is-a-chosen-one seems forced, the Necromongers are fantastically designed bad guys and the glimpses of Helion Prime, Elementals, and Furyans leave me wondering what else could have been mined from this rough-cut gem. Other films I was closely considering for this spot were Titan A.E. and Serenity.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
With the death of their father Odin, Thor and Loki are embroiled in a conflict over the fate of their home-world Asgard. An exiled older sister Hela has returned to claim the throne, with the violence visited on the realm only a precursor for what Hela plans for the universe. Cast out by Hela and marooned on an obscure planet made up of garbage and gladiators. Stripped of his powers and at odds with his brother, can Thor rise to depose Hela, or will the peace and beauty of Asgard become a bitter memory?
I had a surprisingly difficult time trying to find a good space opera in this decade. There were certainly some flashy examples, but they largely seem soulless. John Carter and Jupiter Ascending look great but don't quite hit the mark. Maybe I had too high hopes for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Valerian's comic book origins are right up there with Flash Gordon in terms of flash-bang visuals and zany space- and time-hopping adventures. I really wanted to put this one as the preeminent example, but though I love the art and aesthetic the characters are dead boring. But if you pull Thor:Ragnarok or Guardians of Galaxy apart from the Marvel Universe you can see a helluva lot of kernels of space opera. Thor: Ragnarok sets itself apart in that it is visually on point and ALSO a great movie. Plot, script, character development, editing, sound, music, you name it are all working on overdrive. It's a fun space-faring romp that looks fantastic. It might take place in the superhero canon, but congrats it's a raypunk space opera!
On the edge of the galaxy, an ancient evil awakens. And though a primitive Earth once kept the keys to defeating it, for hundreds of years the alien Mondoshawans have safeguarded the Elements and the Supreme Being. Since then Earth had changed considerably, an interplanetary player among the universe many sentients. When something goes wrong with the journey to Earth, all that prevents the destruction of life are two obscure priests, a cantankerous ex-soldier, and a woman engineered to be the perfect being. In this race against time, how will the heroes prevail against the forces of evil?
Raypunk? Maybe not. Space opera? Yes. I mean come on there's an actual scene in which a fancy blue alien sings opera with a planetscape behind her. In this decade it pretty much came down to this and the original Stargate movie, but I think this one checks more of my ever-shifting criteria boxes. Interstellar travel, nifty aliens, classic good/evil struggles, and a mixture of slam-bang action, humor, and drama. Bruce Willis is kinda just doing Die Hard again, but it actually kind of works (Movies with Mikey explains it pretty well).
Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
The scattered civilizations across the stars dwell in the shadow of the crusading Necromongers, an army bent on converting or killing every human on their way to the Underverse. At last the cultured beacon of Helion Prime is at risk, and in such desperate times a holy man decides to dredge up an old ally, the man known as Riddick. With skillsets as a criminal, warrior, escape artist, and pilot, Riddick is a formidable and relentless foe with a fondness for blades and eyes that see better in the dark. And though he turns down the challenge, his path is irretrievably entwined with the fate of the Necromongers and their warlord the Lord Marshal.
As a sequel to survival horror Pitch Black, this movie was a disappointment to those fans. But since I saw these films out of order anyway, I tend to separate these out and try to judge them on their own merits. Chronicles of Riddick may have some characters in common with the Pitch Black, but they are totally different in plot, feel, and scope. It's a bit muddled in focus, but has an interesting space opera backdrop and excellent action. Although the Riddick-is-a-chosen-one seems forced, the Necromongers are fantastically designed bad guys and the glimpses of Helion Prime, Elementals, and Furyans leave me wondering what else could have been mined from this rough-cut gem. Other films I was closely considering for this spot were Titan A.E. and Serenity.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
With the death of their father Odin, Thor and Loki are embroiled in a conflict over the fate of their home-world Asgard. An exiled older sister Hela has returned to claim the throne, with the violence visited on the realm only a precursor for what Hela plans for the universe. Cast out by Hela and marooned on an obscure planet made up of garbage and gladiators. Stripped of his powers and at odds with his brother, can Thor rise to depose Hela, or will the peace and beauty of Asgard become a bitter memory?
I had a surprisingly difficult time trying to find a good space opera in this decade. There were certainly some flashy examples, but they largely seem soulless. John Carter and Jupiter Ascending look great but don't quite hit the mark. Maybe I had too high hopes for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Valerian's comic book origins are right up there with Flash Gordon in terms of flash-bang visuals and zany space- and time-hopping adventures. I really wanted to put this one as the preeminent example, but though I love the art and aesthetic the characters are dead boring. But if you pull Thor:Ragnarok or Guardians of Galaxy apart from the Marvel Universe you can see a helluva lot of kernels of space opera. Thor: Ragnarok sets itself apart in that it is visually on point and ALSO a great movie. Plot, script, character development, editing, sound, music, you name it are all working on overdrive. It's a fun space-faring romp that looks fantastic. It might take place in the superhero canon, but congrats it's a raypunk space opera!
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