Tag Archives: Sci-fi

War Machine – Movie Review

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TL;DR – A solid military/sci-fi action romp.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service to view this film.

A military car driving with explosions behind it.

War Machine Review Introduction –

Back in 2025, I didn’t get to see enough Australian films to put together a best of at the end of the year. As an Australian-based reviewer, that felt a little embarrassing, well, I am not going to let that happen in 2026, and today we start with our first entry with a military/sci-fi romp where many pine trees do not survive first contact.

So, to set the scene, we open with a convoy of Humvees leaving the protection of their home base in Kandahar, Afghanistan. They are off to provide support to another convoy broken down in a communications‑dead zone. Where a Staff Sergeant (Alan Ritchson) catches up with his younger brother (Jai Courtney) in the other convoy, it was all going well until an ambush takes them all out. Two years later, that same staff sergeant is in Colorado for Ranger training like he promised his brother. But here he has no name, just a number 81. Here it is time for eight weeks of the most gruelling training known, and this is his last chance before he ages out. But as they finish the end of their training with the famous ‘Death March’, the extra-solar asteroid RX-505-Polemas heading towards Earth makes its closest approach and starts breaking up for no reason.       

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Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – The Life of the Stars [S1E8] – TV Review

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TL;DR – A quiet, thoughtful meditation on the effects of grief and trauma from a number of perspectives.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service that airs this series.

The USS Athena docked at Starfleet Academy on Earth.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – The Life of the Stars –

As we get into the back half of the season, it is clear that Come, Let’s Away is the fulcrum that the whole season pivots on. That is interesting because last week’s attempt to explore the repercussions of the event, Ko’Zeine, fell flat on its face for me. But maybe the second time is the charm.   

So, to set the scene, as Tarima Sadal (Zoë Steiner) arrives back on Earth, she is no longer attending the War College because of the fear of permanent damage if she uses her powers again. This puts Tarima in an odd place, being so close to where she wants to be but missing out. It adds to the pain that has been bubbling up for a long time and is affecting the candidates’ ability to work as a team. Seeing the problem and knowing it could lead to irreparable damage, Chancellor Nahla (Holly Hunter) decides to bring in some reinforcements in the form of Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman). But for one of the cadets, it might be too little, too late. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Come, Let’s Away [S1E6] – TV Review

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TL;DR – While I am not normally a fan of bait-and-switch episodes, if you are going to pull it off, it helps when you have Holly Hunter, Paul Giamatti & Oded Fehr lighting up the screen. 

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service that airs this series.

Caleb and Tarima sitting on a bench looking at the Golden Gate Bridge.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Come, Let’s Away Review –

Ooo, this is an odd episode, in that it is tonally very different from anything else the show has done, and look, it goes places. Places I was not expecting this early in the series. However, as big swings go, you’d better have a cast ready to pull it off, and thankfully, it looks like Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has that.

So, to set the scene, after spending all season in several stages of flirtation, Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta) and Tarima Sadal (Zoë Steiner) have finally taken their relationship to the next level. But things hit a rock when Tarima’s accident captures something in Caleb’s mind, and he sees into his past. The USS Athena is on a joint mission between Starfleet Academy and the War College on the wreck of the USS Miyazaki. But when The Furies intercept the cadets and take them hostage, Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) might have to make a deal with a devil to get the cadets back. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Series Acclimation Mil [S1E5] – TV Review

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TL;DR – There were many things I was expecting when I sat down to watch this episode today, but I did not expect to find myself openly weeping, and I am just as surprised about that as you are, dear reader.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service that airs this series.

A doctored CBS Productions Logo.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Series Acclimation Mil Review –

Oh … wow … I was not ready for this episode when I pressed play. I was not prepared for it to show the strength of the Starfleet Academy premise with a sheer gumption that is commendable. I was also not ready for it to show such love to Deep Space Nine that it evoked an emotional response so profound that it caught me off guard. Well, with that in mind, let’s dive into the episode to see what it holds.  

So, to set the scene, Series Acclimation Mil or SAM (Kerrice Brooks) is the only photonic member of the Academy, as her home planet, Kasq, has sent her to learn about organic beings and potentially be a bridge between those two worlds, an emissary. When her Makers (Chiwetel Ejiofor) insisted she take the class “Confronting the Unexplainable” or they would remove her from the Academy, SAM was stuck. The professor, Illa (Tawny Newsome), would not let her join this late into the semester, but she will be taken away from everything she loves if she doesn’t get in, which is when SAM stumbles upon the legend of The Sisko (Avery Brooks). No one knows for sure what happened to him after the incident in the Fire Caves, but SAM will find out; she has to. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Vox in Excelso [S1E4] – TV Review

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TL;DR – Starfleet Academy finally fixes the issue of Klingons on multiple fronts and earns the classic Jerry Goldsmith theme.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service that airs this series.

The USS Athena.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Vox in Excelso Review –

Okay, today, before we dive into the review, I need to warn you that we are going to get deep into the lore and into some of the behind-the-scenes machinations of the series. I would not usually get as inside-baseball as this in the reviews; however, it is clear that this episode is very much based in that space.

So, to set the scene, the USS Athena has taken the Starfleet Academy out on their first away mission to chart a nebula. While it is meant to be a learning opportunity, it is to some extent. The trip is marked in tragedy when it is discovered that a refugee ship carrying remnants of the last 8 Klingon houses has crashed, and some of those onboard were Jay-Den’s (Karim Diané) family. Now he is thrust into a spotlight he does not want nor is appropriate, but he still has to navigate it anyway. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Kids These Days [S1E1] – TV Review

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TL;DR – This is a bit of a rough first episode, but underneath all the mess is a lot of promise.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service that airs this series.

The USS Athena.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Kids These Days Review –

Well, it is a new year, and also it is time for some new Star Trek, well, I say new Star Trek, but the idea of setting a show in Starfleet Academy has been kicking around since at least the 1980s. However, it might have taken forty-odd years to get it going; its time is now, and of course, we must take a look, even though I suspect it is a show that is not pitched to me. But then Star Trek Prodigy was also not pitched to me, and that turned out to be a real gem.  
So, to set the scene, at the end of Star Trek Discovery’s Fifth Season, we discovered that things had stabilised enough in the remnant of the Federation and Starfleet to restart the Starfleet Academy back on Earth. Admiral Vance (Oded Fehr) had the tough job of choosing a commandant for the Academy, but he settled on Captain Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter), who left Starfleet because it was not living up to its ideals. However, on its maiden flight from Bajor to Earth, the USS Athena detects an anomaly. She stops to examine this possible teaching opportunity that turns out to be more than they bargained for. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – New Life and New Civilizations [S3E10] & Season 3 – TV Review

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TL;DR – An odd end to a strange season of Star Trek.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ streaming service that viewed this episode. 

The USS Enterprise.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Introduction –

Well, we have gotten to the end of what has become a very odd season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. It rolled from one wild entry to the next, giving such tonal whiplash that you have to look back on it in awe. However, there was also a thematic throughline throughout the season. And. Well. Look. It’s not great. But let’s take a moment to dive in and see if they at least stuck the landing before we look back at the season as a whole.  

So, to set the scene, the USS Enterprise is getting ready to take Captain Batel (Melanie Scrofano) back to Earth so she can take up her position as the head of Starfleet JAG. Captain Pike (Anson Mount) is feeling a lot of emotions as he is happy to see Batel finding her place in the world, but it does mean that they have to go back to long-distance. But as they start giving the Enterprise a much-needed detail, Scottie (Martin Quinn) finds that someone has patched himself together in the medical transporter and escaped. But who would do such a thing? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode and season as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail [S3E6] – TV Review

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TL;DR – A fascinating exploration of leadership and command when time is running out and your back is against the wall.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ streaming service that viewed this episode. 

The USS Farragut in orbit of Helicon Gamma.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Introduction –

Today’s episode gets to the heart of the very premise of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. When you have a prequel so connected to the very origin of Star Trek, you always knew the direction the show was heading towards, the endpoint. But to get there, you need to lock some key features in, and today is just one such time.

So, to set the scene, the USS Farragut is off surveying an uninhabited planet called Helicon Gamma. It was a standard, almost dull mission for Second-In-Command Commander James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley). Until a gravitational beam tears the planet apart and heavily damages the ship. The USS Enterprise was able to arrive and help, only to discover the thing that was destroying the planet had returned and swallowed the Enterprise whole. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Through the Lens of Time [S3E5] – TV Review

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TL;DR – This is one of those episodes that, structurally, I should love, but is filled with these moments that pull you out of the narrative.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ streaming service that viewed this episode. 

The away team down on the planet.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Introduction –

Today, we are looking at a bit of a frustrating episode of Star Trek, because it is filled with incredible highs and, unfortunately, deep lows. It is one of those contrasts that can derail an episode, which is what happened here to an extent. It is filled to the brim with all these classical elements that make it shine, but which crash against serial elements that pull it all apart.  

So, to set the scene, the USS Enterprise have been invited by the M’Kroon to the planet Vadia IX. The M’Kroon are a very wary people and have politely declined Federation involvement in the past. But Roger Korby (Cillian O’Sullivan) has found a magnetic anomaly in one of their most sacred locations. After much work from Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) and Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), the M’Kroon have allowed a small landing party to explore the site. Only to discover there may be more to this place than meets the eye. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – A Space Adventure Hour [S3E4] – TV Review

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TL;DR – Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Adventure. Its episode-long mission: to make meta commentary; try and outdo Lower Decks with a Riker reference; and serve shade on William Shatner like never before!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ streaming service that viewed this episode. 

Post-Credit Scene – There is a mid-credit scene.

Maxwell Saint

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Review –

Today, I might have watched one of the profoundly odd episodes of Star Trek that has ever Star Treked across the universe. That is, on one hand, a deep love letter to the Original Series in all its camp glory. But it is also a strong critique of the era, while it skirted the edge of canon. It is an episode where you spend most of the runtime wondering: just what did I watch?

So, to set the scene, while the USS Enterprise is at station watching a pulsar starting to collapse, the admiralty thought that this would be the perfect time to test the new holodeck, because if ships are going to be away from base for more than five years, they will need more entertainment opportunities. Thinking of the best candidate to test the holodeck to the limits, there was only one candidate, La’An Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong). So, she decides to base it on the Amelia Moon novels that she loved as a child. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

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