The movie category, in Hugo Award language, is “Dramatic Presentation, Long Form.” Some years there are great science fiction movies to pick from, some years not so much. This year five movies received nominations, each noteworthy in its own way. For me, the two that stood out above them all were Edge of Tomorrow and Guardians of the Galaxy. Edge of Tomorrow was serious and action packed, with a touch of humor and a plot that held together real well given its basic time-travel premise. Guardians of the Galaxy was hilarious and action packed, with a touch of serious plot that held together well enough to support the romp.
The others deserve their nominations. (Well, I didn’t see The Lego Movie, so it wouldn’t be fair for me to really comment on that, except to say that those that did see it, including adults, had good things to say about it.) I don’t think Interstellar came close to meeting the hype that was used to sell it. Probably no movie could. You can find serious criticisms of it at other internet sites. But I actually enjoyed it despite what I considered to be plot holes and a very liberal license with respect to the possibility of navigating anywhere near the event horizon of a black hole. It also had great acting, some stunning scenery, and should be lauded for presenting a serious science fiction to such a large, blockbuster audience. I also enjoyed Captain America: The Winter Soldier, like I’ve enjoyed most of the Marvel franchise of movies. Those, to me, are a combination of fantasy and science fiction. They are action packed, and the momentum of the entire body of movies is impressive. But as a standalone, I wouldn’t put it, or Interstellar, over Edge of Tomorrow or Guardians of the Galaxy.
Still, what a great lineup. Here, for us all to enjoy and consider, are links to the YouTube movie trailers for each Hugo nominated “Long Form” dramatic presentation:
- Edge of Tomorrow, screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butterworth, directed by Doug Liman (Village Roadshow, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, 3 Arts Entertainment; Viz Productions)
- Guardians of the Galaxy, written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman, directed by James Gunn (Marvel Studios, Moving Picture Company)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier, screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, concept and story by Ed Brubaker, directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo (Marvel Entertainment, Perception, Sony Pictures Imageworks)
- Interstellar, screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, directed by Christopher Nolan (Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures, Lynda Obst Productions, Syncopy)
- The Lego Movie, written by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, story by Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman, Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, LEGO System A/S, Vertigo Entertainment, Lin Pictures, Warner Bros. Animation (as Warner Animation Group))
J. C. Conway 
Really enjoyed, ‘Edge of Tomorrow’. I don’t think it got the credit or respect in the theaters it deserved.”Guardians of the Galaxy, while enjoyable, fun, and over the top, didn’t pull me in as much. I hear there’ll be a second one!
Yes. When I cast my vote, it will probably have “Edge” on top. Really well done for lots of reasons. One that my mind keeps replaying with a grin is Bill Paxton’s Master Sergeant Farell. Ha. What a fun character!
And yes, looking forward to the second “Guardians,” too.
Such a fantastic role for Mr. Paxton! He really nailed it. Emily Blunt did her thing as well. I think she surprised lots of people being able to take on a role like that and shine…
Definitely. Both Ms. Blunt and Mr. Cruise handled their roles wonderfully. And it was a great opportunity for her to show strong, diverse acting skills. She really did nail that character perfectly.
Absolutely! Here’s hoping Tom Cruise’s new ‘Mission Impossible’ film is also up to snuff!