Sci-fi nerds were greeted with a barrage of top quality movies at the end of last year. "Star Wars The Last Jedi" and "Justice League" were among the biggest movies to be released in December last year, but they were not alone when it came to big budget offerings from 2017.
In case you missed them, these movies are now available to rent or buy.
"Blade Runner 2049"
"Blade Runner 2049" is a direct sequel to the classic sci-fi movie "Blade Runner". This film arrived more than 30 years after the original and was not directed by the original director, Ridley Scott – but still managed to do justice to the original's legacy.
Directed by Denis Villeneuve ("Sicario" and "Arrival") the film manages to capture the essence of the original, while offering an entirely new and thoughtful sequel. Villeneuve has done an absolutely magnificent job with "Blade Runner 2049". His work here has cemented him as the next best modern director in the sci-fi genre.
Unfortunately, "Blade Runner 2049" was not a financial success, barely covering its expenses in box office sales. Reports suggest crowds were reluctant to see this movie because of its pure sci-fi nature and extended run time.
While the slow pacing was also considered an issue, you don't really mind, because every frame and scene is a visual treat. As a result, film critics have given the movie a very high rating (scoring 87 percent on Rotten Tomatoes). If you are into science-fiction and high quality cinema, then you will love ""Blade Runner 2049".
"Thor Ragnarok"
Thor is a tough character, but is here perfectly executed by Chris Hemsworth. He has been playing this character for close to 10 years now, and the Marvel scripts have done a great job humanising the god of thunder. It was therefore unsurprising that "Thor Ragnarok" was released to worldwide acclaim from both fans and critics.
Recognising the fact that he had remained unchanged for much of a decade, Marvel has given Thor and his universe a serious makeover. Apart from his new space themed haircut, his entire mythos was overhauled, creating a location that is on the verge of destruction brought about by Hela, the goddess of death. The result is a seamless blend of fantasy and science-fiction.
"Thor Ragnarok" seems to have borrowed heavily in style from the very successful "Guardians Of The Galaxy" franchise and adopted lessons learnt from it in gently blending two independent genres. It's a good thing, creating a number of thrilling high points. The spectacular battle between Thor, god of thunder, and The Incredible Hulk is worth the price of a ticket alone.