Star Trek Review

Rated PG-13 (Sci-Fi Action and Violence, and Brief Sexual Content)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 6 Minutes

Cast:

Chris Pine-Captain James T. Kirk

Zachary Quinto-Commander Spock

Karl Urban-Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy

Zoe Saldana-Lieutenant Nyota Uhura

John Cho-Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu

Simon Pegg-Chief Engineer Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott

Anton Yelchin-Ensign Pavel Chekov

Eric Bana-Nero

Bruce Greenwood-Captain Christopher Pike

Winona Ryder-Amanda Grayson

Ben Cross-Ambassador Sarek

Jennifer Morrison-Winona Kirk

Chris Hemsworth-Commander George Kirk

Leonard Nimoy-Future Spock

Directed by J.J. Abrams

Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto  boldly goes where no man has gone before in J.J. Abrams' reboot of "Star Trek."  

Captain’s Log, Stardate 2009.07.05: Today, the much anticipated “Star Trek” has beamed into theaters and your favorite movie reviewer was there at an advance screening! The eleventh film in one of the most iconic science fiction franchises ever, Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry in 1966, was deemed by many critics and fans to have worn out its welcome after the disastrous box office take of 2002’s “Star Trek Nemesis,” earning a mere $43 million domestic ($67 million worldwide) and serving as a swan song to “The Next Generation” cast. Making matters worse was the declining viewership of UPN’s “Star Trek Enterprise,” leading to a truncated fourth season, being canceled in May, 2005. Many thought this to be the death knell of Star Trek but a few months later, Paramount Pictures announced that pre-production had begun for the eleventh film and it was to be a prequel that dealt with James Kirk and Spock fresh out of Starfleet Academy. The internet forums were abuzz, with many questioning why another film was being made and whether it was necessary to prolong a dying franchise. After all, “Star Wars” stopped with six films. “Transformers” writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, with “Lost” producer Damon Lindelof decided that a clean reboot would be unwise but that the new film should acknowledge what came before while also creating an opportunity to write a new set of adventures that was accessible to our generation. J.J. Abrams, creator of “Alias,” “Lost,” and “Fringe” came onboard to lend a helping hand but once he read the script, he remarked, ‘I would be so agonizingly envious of whoever stepped in and directed the movie,’ and accepted Paramount’s offer to direct in February, 2007. So, with “Star Trek” opening in wide release tomorrow, the big question would be whether the movie achieved its goals of pleasing us ‘Trekkies’ and creating a new legion of fans. I answer with a resounding YES! “Star Trek” successfully reinvigorates a franchise that was in its death throes and offers an amazing story, a perfect cast and astonishing visual effects that make “Star Wars” looks like a 1950’s film. In short, the film is a masterpiece of the best of what science fiction has to offer and is definitely a must-see summer film, whether you’re a hardcore or casual fan or just completely new to the franchise!

SOME SPOILERS FOLLOW! The film doesn’t waste any time, opening with a brutal space battle between the Federation starship USS Kelvin and a massive, heavily-armed Romulan vessel, the Narada, which emerges from a black hole. Led by the Romulan rogue Nero (Eric Bana), he demands the surrender of the Kelvin’s captain in an attempt to learn the whereabouts of a certain Ambassador Spock. First officer George Kirk takes command and begins immediate evacuation of the ship as he prevents to hold off the Narada while the survivors escape. His wife, Winona (Jennifer Morrison) gives birth to James T. Kirk onboard a shuttlecraft but his father sacrifices himself by setting the Kelvin on a collision course with the Narada. Twenty two years later, James (Chris Pine) grows to be a young, intelligent adolescent with a reckless streak. While at a bar in Iowa, he meets Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldaña), a Starfleet cadet studying in the field of communications and alien languages. He is goaded into a fight with a group of bullying cadets and would surely have been beaten to death if it were not for the timely intervention of Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood). Pike reminds James of the sacrifice that his father made and urges him to join Starfleet Academy, and with some reluctance, he relents. Along the way the he meets the eccentric Dr. Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy (Karl Urban), who becomes his closest friend during his three years at the Academy. At the end of the semester, Kirk takes the Kobayashi Maru, an ‘unwinnable test’ designed by half-human, half-Vulcan Spock (Zachary Quinto) but is caught cheating. Before he can be reprimanded, the Academy learns of a distress signal on nearby Vulcan and all the cadets are quickly assigned to their ships. McCoy smuggles Kirk onboard the USS Enterprise, led by Captain Pike and includes Uhura, Spock, Hikaru Sulu (John Cho) and Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin). Kirk realizes that the situation is highly similar to the event that caused his father’s death 25 years ago and convinces Pike that they are walking into a trap. When they disengage from warp, the Enterprise finds itself in the midst of a battle involving the Narada, who are in the process of drilling into Vulcan’s core. The crew learns that Nero is from the future and has time-traveled to the past from the black hole to exact his revenge for the destruction of his homeworld, Romulus. Kirk must lead this untested crew against Nero and battle to protect their future, boldly going where no man has gone before!

Trekkies can relax their phasers, as the story in “Star Trek” is an adrenaline rush from start to finish. While it does use the worn concept of time-travel, which has already been explored in “Star Trek First Contact” in great detail, Orci and Kurtzman uses it to acknowledge the previous mythology while allowing future films to tell new, fresh adventures without being burdened by so much back-story. It does an amazing job of re-introducing all of the old characters, taking all of the familiar character traits from the original series but never outright imitating them, instead the actors/actresses provide their own unique perspective that will still be instantly recognizable by fans. One of the primary goals was to make “Star Trek” accessible to people who were unfamiliar or have shunned the franchise, and the way the writers have done it is by stripping away much of the confusing ‘Treknobabble,’ but still letting the dialogue feel distinctly Star Trek. Although the new film is definitely faster and more intense, J.J. Abrams takes the time to inject some emotion too, as we’re treated to a heartbreaking scene where Kirk’s father hears his newborn son crying through the communicator and then mere seconds after sacrifices himself.

While the entire supporting cast is given scenes to shine, the focus of “Star Trek” is always on Kirk and Spock and how they become rivals with differing ideologies to becoming best friends who are inseparable. This is in no small part thanks to the perfect casting and everyone brings their A-game in playing these iconic characters. Chris Pine is often hilarious as young Kirk but he displays a kind of determination that is often at odds with authority yet follows what he knows in his heart is right. He’s cocky and confident but is also the type of person who won’t leave any man behind. The one cast member that really goes above and beyond is Zachary Quinto as Spock and his performance is just perfect. Ever since he was a child, Spock has been an outcast due to his half-human heritage and Abrams even injects a bit of a racism issue when the council at the Vulcan Science Academy is surprised at Spock’s achievements despite his ‘disadvantage.’ You really feel in the inner turmoil that rages on Spock; on one hand he has been taught to think logically by the Vulcans but at times, cannot help but let his emotions takeover. He’s the heart and soul of the film, more so then Kirk, especially with the plot involving Romulans attempting to wipe out his entire race. All the other cast members have great scenes such as John Cho’s Sulu getting down with an old-fashioned sword fight with a group of Romulan grunts, Karl Urban’s Dr. McCoy needlessly poking and jabbing Kirk with injections and Anton Yelchin’s Chekov saving the day using math! There’s also the right amount of humor injected into the film that keeps everything from being too serious yet doesn’t go into cheesy territory. One of them is when McCoy sneaks Kirk aboard the USS Enterprise and as the situation spirals out of control, he gets an allergic reaction to an injection! There’s also a funny moment between Chekov and the voice recognition computer, plus the endless rejections between Kirk and Uhura. When Kirk sees that Uhura loves Spock, he gets this dumbfounded look that echoes just what the audience is thinking! If there was one cast member that didn’t get his due, it would be Eric Bana as the vengeance-hungry Romulan Nero. His character is not on-screen very much and I think the writers should’ve spent some more time with him so we get a better handle of his pain and seeing the loss of his homeworld. Nonetheless, Bana’s performance is fine and he looks particularly badass with all his tattoos!

The visual effects by Industrial Light & Magic are nothing short of breathtaking. All the Federation starships feature incredible detail and you can see every individual phaser on the ship moving. Sometimes it’s a little hard to tell what is going on with the use of ‘shaky cam’ and the extreme close-ups but once the camera is pulled back, prepare for a new definition of space battle that rivals even those of Star Wars! The design of the Narada impressed me the most, with its claw-like design that recalls its initial origins of being a mere mining ship, not a military vessel. The USS Enterprise maintains the basic shape of the original series but is given a much sleeker, modernized look inspired by the Enterprise-E from “Star Trek First Contact.” There’s also a “Cloverfield” reference when Kirk becomes stranded on the ice planet Delta Vega. I can only imagine just how impressive the film would look on IMAX, as I was unable to obtain tickets due to being sold out early. There is one annoying issue and that’s the overuse of lens flare in every scene. Sometimes it creates a blinding effect that might irk some people. The score from Michael Giacchino is also a joy to listen to and he delays using the familiar Star Trek until the end, signifying that the crew has finally come together.

Upon its release, no one could’ve predicted the overwhelming positive response to the film, and “Star Trek” currently stands at a whopping 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and is currently the best-reviewed movie of 2009! For anyone that still thinks Star Trek is silly and that people should ‘get a life,’ just stop, because you really shouldn’t judge until after you’ve seen the film and I have no doubt all of you naysayers will be equally impressed. I am worried about what the opening box office gross will be since the advance screening I was at had relatively few people, with almost half of the theater empty. One fan showed his dedication by coming in wearing a full Starfleet uniform! Hopefully positive word-of-mouth spreads and makes “Star Trek” become a rousing box office success. Consider the irony of this statement when someone asked Roddenberry what would become of Star Trek in the future and he answered that he ‘hoped that someday some bright young thing would come along and do it again, bigger and better than he had ever done it. And he wished them well.’ Too right, mate, too right! Be it hardcore, casual, or just plain new to the franchise, “Star Trek” is an amazing film that will have you on the edge of your seat as you prepare to BOLDLY GO WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE!

Final Rating: 5 out of 5

"Space: the final frontier. These are the continuing voyages of the starship Enterprise. Her ongoing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life-forms and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before!"

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X-Men Origins: Wolverine Review

Rated PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Action and Violence, and Some Partial Nudity)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 48 Minutes

Cast:

Hugh Jackman-James Howlett/Logan/Wolverine

Liev Schreiber-Victor Creed/Sabretooth

Danny Huston-Colonel William Stryker

Lynn Collins-Kayla Silverfox

William Adams-John Wraith

Ryan Reynolds-Wade Wilson/Deadpool

Kevin Durand-Frederick J. Dukes/The Blob

Dominic Monaghan-Christopher Bradley/Bolt

Daniel Henney-David North/Agent Zero

Taylor Kitsch-Remy LeBeau/Gambit

Scott Adkins-Weapon XI

Tim Pocock-Scott Summers/Cyclops

Tahyna Tozzi-Emma Frost

Directed by Gavin Hood

Hugh Jackman, you're awesome. This film, not so much.

SNIKT!!! Summer officially begins with the release of the much-anticipated Marvel Comics film, “X-Men Origins Wolverine.” Most of you have probably already seen it due to leaked workprint that has been floating around on the Internet for the past month but I’ll discuss that later. I’ve read a lot of the negative buzz surrounding the film, especially the changes with fan-favorite Deadpool but personally, it wasn’t the disaster most people made it out to be. Sure, it’s definitely no “Dark Knight” or “Watchmen” but “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” is still an action-packed, enjoyable film that’s bogged down by a somewhat weak story, clunky dialogue and an overall generic feel.

SOME SPOILERS FOLLOW! In Canada, 1845, young James Howlett lies bedridden due to an unknown condition but is suddenly awoken by the sound of a shotgun. To his shock, he discovers his father shot by the groundskeeper, Thomas Logan. Enraged, his hands sprout razor-sharp bone claws and James kills Logan in an act of vengeance, who, with his dying breath, reveals that he is his true father. James runs away with his brother, Victor Creed, and throughout their adult years, participate in many historical wars such as the American Civil War, World War I and II, and eventually the Vietnam War. Victor (Liev Schreiber) revels in his animalistic and savage nature, and he attempts to rape a young Vietnamese girl until stopped by his superior officer, whom he kills. James, now called Logan (Hugh Jackman) comes to his defense and the two are sentenced to death by firing squad, though their unique regenerative abilities keep them alive. Colonel William Stryker (Danny Huston) visits the two in prison and makes them an offer to join a special black ops team called ‘Team X,’ which also includes Fred J. Dukes/The Blob (Kevin Durand), John Wraith (William Adams), Christopher Bradley/Bolt (Dominic Monaghan), David North/Agent Zero (Daniel Henney) and Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds). During a mission in Africa, Logan becomes disgusted at the group’s willingness to kill innocents and leaves Team X. Six year's later, Logan works as a logger in his native Canada and lives his girlfriend, schoolteacher Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins). Meanwhile, someone has been murdering former members of Team X and Stryker asks for Logan’s help but is refused. The killer turns out to be none other than Victor, who murders Silverfox in cold blood. Swearing vengeance, Logan agrees to Stryker’s offer, who laces his skeleton with an indestructible metal called Adamantium, and becomes…WOLVERINE.

Adapting a comic book character whose history spans over 35 years was no easy task, and writers David Benioff and Skip Woods succeed for the most part, merging elements of the mini-series ‘Wolverine: Origin’ with the Weapon X storyline from ‘Marvel Comics Presents’ #72 to 84. The problem is that it feels very generic and rushed, sacrificing character development in favor of focusing on loud action sequences. We never really care about Wolverine’s anguish because not enough time is spent on them. It’s marginally better than “X-Men: The Last Stand” but that’s not saying much, since the film falls into the same trap of trying to shoehorn every character from the comics. This is frustrating because while you’re happy that your favorite character is in the film, the result is unsatisfying because it just boils down to a glorified cameo. Prime examples would be Remy LeBeau/Gambit (Taylor Kitsch) and Deadpool. Gambit literally is on-screen for 15 minutes and we never really learn his motivations because one minute he’s fighting Wolverine and becomes his sidekick the next. Perhaps what will make comic book fans reach for their pitchforks is the complete bastardization of Deadpool. We see him as a member of Team X and his depiction is largely fine there thanks to Reynold’s portrayal of the ‘Merc with a Mouth.’ Unfortunately, he just disappears until the end, where he comes back as Weapon XI with an appearance that bears no resemblance to his comic book counterpart and wielding an amalgamation of other mutant’s powers. Sad, because director Gavin Hood really had the potential to do the character justice but I guess the rumored studio interference from 20th Century Fox and the reported reshoots did more damage than I had originally foreseen. Also problematic is the way Logan loses his memory due to 'Adamantium bullets,' which just seems crude and not well thought-out.

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” is really Hugh Jackman’s show and it is his performance that saves the film from complete mediocrity. After playing the character that made him a household name nine years ago, I don’t expect anything less but like I mentioned before, not enough time is spent on analyzing the personal tragedies he suffers in favor of slicing and dicing helicopters. Hood won an Oscar for his 2005 foreign language film, “Tsotsi” and it makes one wonder how different "Wolverine" would've turn out if he had focused his effort into making a more dramatic film, rather than fulfilling the demands of studio. After Jackman, Liev Schreiber shines the most as Victor Creed/Sabretooth, who displays the right amount of menace that looks like he could explode into a berserk rage at any second. His tumultuous relationship with his brother is the centerpiece of the film and is an example of the good that comes from a storyline if given the proper time to develop. The only other actor with the most screen-time is Danny Huston as Colonel William Stryker. He is essentially channeling Brian Cox’s performance from “X2: X-Men United” and it works for the most part but he lacks the charisma of Cox. The rest of the supporting cast play bit parts that don’t really serve the story and could’ve been replaced by any other X-Men character without making a difference. The relationship between Wolverine and Silverfox doesn’t resonate partly because Lynn Collins is not on-screen much, thus robbing much of the film’s emotional impact. Reynolds is hilarious as Deadpool and after he kills an entire group of gunmen with twin katanas he yells, ‘Ok! People are dead!’ This just makes it more disappointing due to his limited screen-time and if the rumors about the reshoots were to expand his role, then originally he must’ve only had a fleeting cameo.

The action scenes are generally exciting but occasionally bogged down by bad visual effects, a prime example being the plane sequence during the beginning of the film. Wolverine and Sabretooth engage in a few titanic claw fights; other memorable action scenes include Agent Zero dishing out punishment with his pistols and Deadpool swinging his katanas so fast to deflect bullets. However, the violence is just too toned down for such a vicious character and it is surprising to see that the game adaptation revels in blood and gore with Wolverine frequently disemboweling enemies. In the film, there's nary a drop of blood! Comic book fans will notice some smart nods to the previous X-Men films, including a cameo by Scott Summers/Cyclops (Tim Pocock) and Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), though his digital de-aging didn’t really look that great and had the appearance of a wax figure.

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” was released to largely negative reviews from professional critics, with a 37% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is incredibly low for such a high-budget summer release. While Jackman was singled out for his performance, critics said that not even he can ‘overcome a cliché-ridden script and familiar narrative.’ It could’ve been worse considering that there are certainly some god-awful comic book films such as “Elektra” and “Ghost Rider.” It will no doubt be #1 at the box office this weekend but most certainly be demolished by “Star Trek” next week, which has been receiving positive buzz all across the board. General audiences that aren’t too familiar with the comics will probably enjoy it as evidenced by the whooping and applause when I saw the film. Now, as for the people that watched the workprint, I urge you to experience it in the movie theater because what you saw was an unfinished film, akin to playing a beta of a video game. “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” is certainly worth the price of admission largely thanks to Hugh Jackman’s performance and some awesome action set-pieces but it’s bogged down by a run-of-the-mill story that doesn’t push the limits of what comic book movies can do such as “The Dark Knight.” At the end of the day, it feels like every other loud summer blockbuster, which is a shame considering how Marvel started off last summer with a bang thanks to "Iron Man." Make sure to stay during the credits for a special epilogue, which is different depending on what movie theater you’re in.

Final Rating: 3 out of 5

"I'm the best there is at what I do, and what I do best isn't very nice."

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