There are plenty of blockbuster films released, or set to release, in 2013. Some of the year’s best are in the science fiction genre. Here are the top three.
Cloud Atlas
Based on the novel also named the same, Cloud Atlas is an intriguing adventure. One look at the movie trailer and you will understand the intrigue. The film shows how ordinary individual lives can have an impact on others in the past, in present, and in the future. Cloud Atlas is really six stories rolled into one. The story flows chronologically beginning in 1849 with Adam Ewing, played by Jim Sturgess, sailing to the Chatham Islands. Ewing, an American lawyer, meets Dr. Henry Goose, played by Tom Hanks. Goose slowly poisons Ewing in an effort to steal Ewing’s valuables. Hanks, Sturgess, and the rest of the cast each play six different roles as the stories intertwine. Characters change – Hanks goes from villain to hero, for example – as the stories do, yet each story is connected in some fashion. Cloud Atlas is definitely different, but it is uniquely entertaining.
World War Z
Another film based on a book, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, that is post-apocalyptic action at its finest. The movie trailer starts slowly introducing the main character, Gerry Lane, who is played by actor Brad Pitt, and his family but heats up as the entire world comes under attack by, you guessed it, zombies. Lane then travels the world searching for and interviewing survivors. His hope is to find a way to stop all the zombie armies and collapsing governments. Pay attention during this one; a sequel is in the works.
The Host
Yet again, another film based on a novel. For fans of Stephenie Meyer and the Twilight series, The Host brings some romance to the science fiction genre. Saoirse Ronan, a rising star, plays the lead role as Melanie Stryder, one of the few humans remaining on Earth. Humanity has been overtaken by extraterrestrial parasites called “souls.” Melanie is overtaken by the Seeker (Diane Kruger) but yearns for control of her human body. Prior to being overtaken, Melanie meets Jared Howe, played by Max Irons, who becomes her boyfriend. The story revolves around Melanie fighting to regain control of her body and Jared trying to regain his lost love.