Long Distance

Looked this up after seeing a well-timed review column about it on a gaming/media news site when I needed some afternoon amusement.

If you go in expecting 90 minutes of relatively lighthearted, brain off but not insulting popcorn sci fi that doesn't overreach, you'll be entertained for said 90 minutes and leave satisfied. I'd equate it to comfort food at a chain restaurant.

Tropes? Sure, but not egregious. A few pop culture references sprinkled in? Yup, but not clubbing you over the head with them repeatedly. Just mildly wholesome B+ grade space opera with characters that didn't make me hate them, which so many productions seem to have these days in the interest of being "deep".

Honestly left me wishing it was a setup for yet another space survival crafting game, though we all know how movie tie-in games turn out. So I'll be content that it was definitely worth streaming on a quiet "what do I do with the next few hours" afternoon.

The movie has a decent pace, keeps you in suspense and has a surprisingly light atmosphere, for a movie about monsters. There is even a bit of a family atmosphere and romance (5%), but it is mainly a movie about buddies (male-female relationships), with sharp language (sometimes funny) with horror elements, but the scenes are designed in such a way that even people who don't like horror movies can watch it. It is scary, but not too much, because the main characters support and motivate each other, often in a comical way. The plot is of a high standard, special effects too, there are some logical gaps, but they are either explained at the end of the movie or are not that important. Generally, I recommend it as an interesting, calming movie with horror elements :-)

While in the Netherlands I had the pleasure of catching this movie, and after watching it I was surprised it has not gotten a broader release. I looked online and learned it had only a minimal release as of the time I wrote this review and unfortunately, Universal Pictures doesn't have it on its release schedule. It's sad because it was a breath of fresh air and well worth a watch if you can find it.

It started with a great opening that hooked me right away. I really enjoyed the "AI" or computer interaction with the main character from the very beginning. It had a sort of detached caring combined with a lack of empathy, which made for a hilarious combo. I think it may be the fastest I've ever laughed after starting a movie. The sarcasm was epic and I loved it.

The movie progressed nicely and held my interest throughout. It's not breaking any new ground with regard to the general plot line, but the execution was funny and had enough action to maintain a good pace. I would like to see more movies like this. If you like sci-fi comedy with action, you should enjoy this one enough.

Distant or Long Distance (I still don't get why you would call a movie with two different titles) is an entertaining sci-fi movie, not the best, for sure not, but good enough to watch once. The cinematography wasn't bad at all. The main reason I started watching this one was to see Zachary Quinto, but he turned out to be just the voice of a computer, so that was a bit disappointing. The rest of the very small cast did well though, not Oscar winning performances but good enough to look professional. In short it's worth a watch, just don't expect too much comedy as it's also categorized. I laughed once and that's it.

In short, it is a simple Sci-Fi flick with nothing extraordinary to offer. Don't expect anything on a grand or high scale; instead, keep your expectations at a bare average or medium level.

Typically, movies in this genre either feature intense scary elements or cutting-edge, next-level science fiction. However, this particular movie portrays space, uncharted territories, aliens, monsters, and futuristic gizmos on a moderate scale.

While the movie is entertaining, it's more of a onetime watch. It's certainly not something you'd revisit and is best suited for times when there's nothing else worth watching.