Arrival

Like the chyron, the film’s whiffs of invention don’t make it past whiffs — “The Tomorrow War” is fun, but abandons its hints of ingenuity.

The film begins in a lush soundscape of piano and strings, cosmic in scope and paired with a fantastical opening scene. A lone figure floats adrift.

Far from lulling his audience to slumber, Max Richter and the American Contemporary Music Ensemble’s Friday night performance at Zellerbach Hall, courtesy of Cal Performances, allowed for a visceral experience of Richter’s music.

“Star Wars” fans were always wary of a Han Solo spinoff, given the franchise’s considerable history with bungling backstories. But here we are.

“Blade Runner 2049” gradually crescendos from dark, quiet dystopian drama to an epic sci-fi phenomenon, and it provides a captivating experience for audiences along the way.

Sci-fi, through its pushing of the boundaries of how real and computer-generated imagery can be synthesized, has a responsibility to get it right.

While the Academy, as well as the industry as a whole, can be elitist and problematic, it’s hard to not have a little bit of fun celebrating movies.