Sci-Fi Returner

Kevin

Code Monkey
Staff member
I had a chance to catch Returner on TV the other night and enjoyed it. In the year 2084 an alien invasion is on the verge of wiping about humanity and a young woman is sent back in time with the mission of changing the future. In 2002 Tokyo a hitman seeks to avenge the death of his boyhood friend by killing the Yakuza gangster who killed him. Their chance encounter will change both of their fates.

As far as the actual quality of the movie... well, let's just say that it is a good thing that I am a fan of B-movies. The acting & special effects are on par with what you could expect from a SyFy movie-of-the-week. It is still a pretty good 'popcorn movie' though.

I like watching some Asian market movies because I have no expectations of them. Without the barrage of marketing leading up to watching the movie, or even knowing who any of the actors are, it is a bit like picking up a random book to read from an author you aren't familiar with. Combined with the sub-titles it has an effect of pulling you into the story being told.

Sci-Fi purists need to be warned however: the time travel elements will make your head spin, especially the paradoxes at the end. If you are the type who goes nuts at inconsistencies then you'll be annoyed. Just sit back, grab a snack, crank the speakers up, and relax for a bit. :P

The villain of the movie is done by one of those actors that portrays the character in such as a way that at times you don't know if you should feel pity for him or not. Sure, he is evil and seems to enjoy evil things for enjoyment alone, it doesn't mean that his own background isn't a bit sad a well.

All in all, I thought Returner was a fairly decent sci-fi action movie that kept me entertained.
 
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