RIPD, reviewed by David vun Kannon

I saw RIPD last night because Wolverine had sold out by the time I got to the theater. There, I could probably stop the review with that sentence, because it completely encapsulates what a second rate movie RIPD is.

RIPD is this summer's attempt to recreate Men In Black. And Ghostbusters. And Hellboy. And even a bit of Constantine. Can you say 'derivative'? Watching any of those again would be time better spent than in the theater with this movie.

The big upside is for players of "6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon" because, yes, Kevin Bacon is in this movie. Yes my friends, _that_ is the big upside. Other upsides - a Boston based film without Ben Affleck in it. I know, I'm stretching.

I'm a robot with a laser in my head, and I'm here to help you

Boston Dynamics, maker of the Big Dog robot mule for the US Army, unveiled their latest creation - Atlas.

http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/humanoids/video-boston-dynamics-atlas-robot-revealed

Atlas shows why we build humaniform robots - we've already built a world for ourselves, and robots have to fit in. Atlas will be able to open a door, drive a car, and handle a fire hose, which is good, because it is being billed as replacing humans in high hazard areas such as nuclear power plant disasters.

If DARPA is funding Atlas development as a charitable act for the nuclear power industry, they should get on the same page, public relations-wise. I'm pretty sure there won't be any more nuclear accidents, right, industry spokespeople? And to be fair, they only happen once every 20 years, anyway.

And why else would DARPA fund a humaniform robot with a laser in its head?