John Hansen

‘The 5th Wave’ tells an alien invasion yarn for the Disney Channel set (Movie review)

Later this week, “Independence Day: Resurgence” will likely deliver the biggest alien invasion spectacle in what is turning out to be the year of the alien. In addition to the return of “The X-Files,” we also got “The 5th Wave,” which is perhaps a simpler and smaller tale than we’ll get from “IDR,” although it also has […]

Engrossing ‘10 Cloverfield Lane’ shows a different way to build a franchise (Movie review)

“10 Cloverfield Lane” — now available at Redbox — is one of those Mystery Mine Ride movies that are all too rare: a film that gives you a small taste of what to expect, but could go in just about any direction. The first movie in the franchise, 2008’s “Cloverfield,” also fit the bill. There was […]

‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘Dark Nest III: The Swarm War’ (2006) (Book review)

Troy Denning wraps up his bridge trilogy between “The New Jedi Order” and “Legacy of the Force” in mostly satisfying fashion with “Dark Nest III: The Swarm War” (2006). But the reader doesn’t get a sense of completeness; threads such as Jacen’s interest in power and the fates of Alema Rar and Jag Fel are deferred to […]

X-Files 2016

All 6 episodes of ‘The X-Files’ 2016 miniseries, ranked

TV review: Eight years after the last film, “The X-Files” returns to TV for six episodes that are much more than a nostalgia trip.

‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen’ (2005) (Book review)

While the first volume set the groundwork and featured philosophizing about the Jedi Order’s relationship to the Galactic Alliance, “Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen” (2005) puts its ideas into action in an uncharacteristically tight 333-page novel from Troy Denning. While it seemed the Dark Nest was defeated and peace prevailed in “Dark Nest I: The Joiner […]

‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘Dark Nest I: The Joiner King’ (2005) (Book review)

Call him the Stephen King of “Star Wars” authors. No other scribe has a bigger gap between his lows and highs than Troy Denning. I recently criticized his debut effort, “Star by Star” (2001), in my “New Jedi Order” re-read, but “Tatooine Ghost” (2003) was better and “Dark Nest I: The Joiner King” (2005) – the first […]

‘The Witch’ is a masterful blend of history and horror (Movie review)

“The Witch” — now available from Redbox – is a masterful, artistic blend of history and horror. While it seems like most genre films are of the haunted house/ancient curse variety, as with “The Conjuring 2,” a couple of outside-the-box horror pictures find their way into the mainstream every year. Last year, it was “It Follows” […]

‘Deadpool’ is not your typical ‘X-Men’ film – but that’s OK

Movie review: The “X-Men” universe takes a drastic tonal turn with “Deadpool.”

‘Star Wars’ flashback: ‘The New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force’ (2003) (Book review)

The “New Jedi Order” closes out its 19-book run with James Luceno’s epic “The Unifying Force”(2003), which feels every bit of its 527 pages and must be read over several sittings. In the end, it’s a respectable conclusion to the saga, sometimes trying too hard to be “big” – like when Jacen fights the enemy by […]

‘Terminator’ flashback: ‘The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ Season 2 (2008-09) (TV review)

“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” Season 2 (2008-09) is a decompressed stretch of low-key epic storytelling that continues to chronicle central “Terminator” ideas. John and Sarah ferret out organizations that might be the proto-Skynet, and resistance fighters and Terminators pop up in time bubbles on specific missions relating to Skynet or the Connors.