Nemesis 3: Time Lapse (1996) Movie Review

Nemesis 3: Time Lapse (also known as Prey Harder) is a 1996 action sci-fi movie written and directed by Albert Pyun. This is the third entry in Pyun's Nemesis movie series which started in 1992. Part two, Nebula, changed the protagonist from Alex Rain to buff lady Alex Sinclair played by Sue Price, who would go on to reprise her role in part three, four and five. This third entry was shot back-to-back with part two, using the same locations in Arizona and some of the same cast with a few additions like Tim Thomerson, Jon H. Epstein, Ursula Sarcev, Norbert Weisser, Sharon Bruneau and Debbie Muggli.

The film continues right where the second one left off with Alex waking up and putting together all the things from the previous movie (there are some stock footage flashbacks). She realizes she has a half-sister named Ramie, actually she has about 20 half-sisters, but Alex is important because she has the ability to procreate and give birth to a new race of superhumans. She is also being chased by Nebula and the twins Lock and Ditko.

A lot of the same virtues present in the last films are repeated here but there are some considerable flaws that make it a step down from Nebula 2. Consider for example the somewhat extensive use of flashbacks with footage from the other film as a recap, showing you stuff that you already saw anyways. The atmosphere still feels desolated and empty in the environments but the side characters add some action and crowd the locations enough, making things more normal and rounded but less ethereal and unreal like in the second film.

The twists and pieces of new information are a mixed bag but they are really only added to extend the plot and come up with a new excuse to make the film longer. Most of the new characters are very dull and one-dimensional types who only play a small role and clutter the film by derailing the plot, the focus leaving Alex for a considerable amount of time and locking onto uninteresting side characters. However, the very best new characters are the ditzy twins that hunt Alex, Lock and Ditko (played by bodybuilders Sharon Bruneau and Debbie Muggli respectively), these silly muscle girls are hilarious and a very welcome addition to an otherwise by-the-numbers movie.

Things are getting slightly stale by this third movie, but when the film hits bullseye and works, it really works, arriving at some of the highlights of the series. Things are repeated and recycled, same places and faces for the most part, you pretty much have to take this film as one of those low budget entries in a series that were shot back-to-back and share the same attributes (Puppet Master and Trancers come to mind), if you pretty much accept that idea then you can enjoy this third film.

Inferior to the previous sequel but still entertaining to a balanced degree, Nemesis 3 has some sparks of brilliance under a derivative and barebones storyline. Some B-movie sci-fi schlock but without the most imaginative aspects or the serious plots of the best of its kind.

Gall Force 3: Stardust War (1988) Anime OVA Review

Gall Force 3: Stardust War is a 1988 science fiction anime OVA directed by Katsuhito Akiyama and written by Hideki Kakinuma, featuring the voices of Hiromi Tsuru, Naoko Watanabe, Yûko Mizutani, Waka Kanda and Chieko Honda. It’s a sequel to Gall Force Eternal Story (1986) and Gall Force 2: Destruction (1987), the third and final entry in the Gall Force original trilogy, made by a lot of the same creative team.

In Gall Force 2, the annihilation of Terra, Earth, was stopped by Lufy and her new team. However, both factions, the Solnoids and the Paranoids, now plan to use their Planet Destroyers in order to secure the total destruction of both races and end the war once and for all. Lufy and her fellow soldiers plan a last chance to avert complete devastation.

While most of the positive aspects of the previous OVA's are still present here, I think Stardust War feels incredibly different and discordant in tone and atmosphere compared to the previous one. We once again follow Lufy and the survivors of the last fight from the climax of Destruction, but this time we have a lot more emphasis on the worldbuilding and backstory of the creation and development of this all-female intergalactic race. There are lengthy explanations about the origin of the species and its creators, as well as what could possibly happen in the future. These exposition scenes are very well executed as they are engaging and interesting since they do give answers to a lot of questions you might have had regarding the mere concept of the franchise.

There's a sense of dread and doom throughout Startdust War, the title itself refers to the fact that by the time the final battle is done the only thing left might just be stardust, so that sets up the stakes of this mission. There's zero comedic relief, or at least it's minimized as much as possible. Most of the OVA has a serious feeling and a lot of it carries a great amount of weight. Lufy's decision to have a moment of redemption or at least to set things right and make her companions' struggle not be in vain is quite moving. The despair is real and the actual conclusion might leave some people with a bittersweet feeling because of the ending but the film handles these complex emotions very well.

Some people might be disappointed because this entry doesn't feature a high amount of action set-pieces, probably because the budget was lower, but even if the quantity goes down the heaviness and intensity of the battles make up for that. It's all meaningful and everyone plays a very important part, so this pretty much continues with the important themes of the franchise like collective action in order to achieve a better future, putting the necessities of the group above your own independent needs and the fight or search for a better world in the horizon without losing hope.

Another very solid OVA, this one has a satisfying conclusion to the original Gall Force trilogy without feeling overly long or stuck while also explaining things in a logical way that makes sense and doesn't break what we have seen before.

Nemesis 2: Nebula (1995) Movie Review

Nemesis 2: Nebula is a 1995 sci-fi action film written and directed by Albert Pyun. It's the second installment in the Nemesis film series and introduces the character of Alex Sinclair to the franchise, who will take the leading role from Alex Rain. She is played by bodybuilder and actress Sue Price, who would go on to reprise her role in the three following movies. In fact, this film and Nemesis 3 were shot back-to-back.

In a future overruned by mechanical overlords, the robots are about to kill a rebel woman who is with the human resistance, she sends a genetically-enhanced baby back to the 20th century. The child, named Alex Sinclair, ends up in an African village and grows up to become the best warrior around, impressing the chief of the tribe and defeating her fellow warriors in combat. A monstrous robotic entity known as Nebula hunts the now adult and fully formed Alex throughout the desert landscape. 

What I really love about this movie is probably how it becomes a very personal odyssey and achieves a very surreal and dream-like tone by having a fractured narrative that allows the film to either slow down on the ritualistic and contemplative moments of discovery and journey for the protagonist while also functioning as a very slick and well-crafted action movie on a very low budget. The typical drawbacks of a small production are present, like the fact that the film feels very empty due to the lack of locations and extras, making things seem very desolate. At first I thought it was a post-apocalyptic movie because of it but that's really only in the first scenes, the rest takes place in our era. However, this works in the film's favor as it accentuates the dream-like quality, abstracting time and place from normal and average real life, entering into a different realm it can play around in. 

The action is fast and with all of its perfectly cut and assembled sequences there's very little room for fat while making things still very legible. The places Pyun shoots in are very well handled and look very rich visually, specially with those old-school practical effects that reached a high point in the nineties even in poor productions. The stunts are also very professional and quite well executed, every fight has weight and every shootout has a very strong sense of place and rhythm. The visual effects such as slow motion and image manipulation to achieve the unreal visuals and movement are decently implemented and make the film more peculiar. It is expected for Pyun to be good at action, but I also liked how he worked with the actors, especially Sue Price, who gives us a very nice performance even if obviously most of her work has to rely on her physicality and body language, something she still accomplishes with more than just efficiency.

The sci-fi plot is rather thin and somewhat simplistic, but that also works in its favor since it helps to keep things streamlined and allows the film to move at a brisk pace without wasting much time on anything that isn't part of its thematic exploration or just the joy of constructing inventive action or using some great lighting and neat textures due to its splendid cinematography. This really does feel like someone with a B-movie budget trying to make the most out of it and making it work.

While these low budget science fiction B-movies are kind of an acquired taste, I gotta say that I do recommend this one to anyone who enjoys their nineties direct to video flicks and for those who enjoy beefy action heroines and wanna see more of them in media, which we should.