Star Wars: Episode IX -The Rise of Skywalker

Spoiler-free!

Thank the Midichlorians it's over! When it was announced that J.J. Abrams was chosen as the director of the closing film for the Sequel Trilogy, I predicted that he'd attempt to please both fans and non-fans of The Last Jedi at the same time. A noble intention, that in retrospect, was doomed to fail. In his desperate endeavors to be as pleasing as possible, he was as safe as possible. But because of the groundwork laid down by his predecessor, even the safe answer was a risk; not so easy as a simple Copy/Paste of the classics. He had to tell the story as he saw fit, while moving forward with the story and characters from a starting point that probably intimidated him. Is it possible to tie together such a disjointed trilogy into a conclusion that holds together? Yes. Is it possible to please everyone? No.

Time for Rey to find her place in all this. Whether you like it or not!

In the end, I'd rather watch two hours of fanservice than be insulted for two hours (though neither are ideal) so The Rise of Skywalker comes out on the positive side, but not without the additional odor of Retcon. None of the films in this franchise respect each other, and the flow between them is understandably rough. Abrams spends half the film clawing his way back to a vision he can work with -- essentially making two films worth of content fit into the run time of one. It's rushed and messy; shaved of every second it could spare, and never given a moment to rest. But then he finds the place in which he wants to work, and around the third act everything settles into a compelling story again. Only one thread hangs on, fraying but intact, to tie the three films together; and that is the arcs of our heroine Rey, and her villain, Kylo Ren.

If I had my pick of any one thing to keep consistent between the films, that would be it, with no second place. That's what Abrams nailed down in the end, and though it's not exactly the way I would have written it, it works within the frame of both the movie and the last two movies' baggage -- and is genuinely good storytelling from a character perspective. Despite holes in the plot, I respect that. Rey (Daisy Ridley) will still be called a Mary Sue, I'm sure, but Abrams provides a reason for her exemplary untrained skills, and completes her arc with care and dedication. Kylo Ren remains the best written character of the sequel trilogy. Adam Driver doesn't have a pages of dialogue here, and even spends extended amounts of time in silence when you wouldn't expect it. With the solid foundation of the character, and Driver's talent for expression, Ren thrives under the treatment. He is the film's boldest choices, and its greatest payoff.

Rey and Kylo are the heart and soul of the film, which is the most important thing. Also, this movie has more than one lightsaber duels, and that's very important too. 

As for my used-to-be personal favorite, I was glad to see Poe (Oscar Isaac, who actually drew a short straw when he won a part in Star Wars) fulfill the role he was originally written for; "the Han Solo type." He keeps the temper Rian Johnson gave him while piloting the Millennium Falcon, flirting and quipping, and finally feels realized. And yes, he and Rey interact. Finally. I almost didn't even notice, and that's exactly how it should have been from the start. John Boyega's Finn unfortunately takes more of a backseat, having done all his growing in The Force Awakens. You can sense that there's no clear vision for the character, but he isn't in the way either; a welcome presence. While feeding the fans lines to placate them once, Abrams said that Rose was the thing Johnson did that he was most grateful for; watching the movie, that's clearly not true.

What I would guess Abrams is really most grateful for, is the establishing of Force Skype Calls -- or the connection between Rey and Kylo that allows them to interact at distances. Abrams takes it a step further in a neat way -- one of the movie's most creative ideas -- and useful to the plot, too. In fact, it seems most of Abram's creative choices here stemmed from working through choices that Johnson made. Sometimes it leads to the fulfillment of themes that I found impressively intuitive and subtle considering the action beats coming across like a cartoon hammer to the skull -- and sometimes it results in blatant retconning. Sometimes both at once! The movie is a mess because of it, but also not as milquetoast as it might have been had Abrams been allowed to merely execute a soft remake of Return of the Jedi. A fascinating trade-off, and something for which I'll gladly thank Johnson.

This movie elevates TLJ, but also wouldn't have happened without TLJ, so I guess really, they elevate each other -- and through that counterintuitive route, that means they succeed in doing what trilogy parts were meant to. 

We could spend hours in Whatifland, but I'll forgo it. This trilogy could have been many different things, but this is what it is: Abrams'. He has staked claim and it belongs to him. He did what he thought was best, and if it wasn't, I'm far too tired to devise how. Given the circumstances, this film is closer to a best-case scenario than I ever dared hope it'd be. The whole trilogy was a long series of stumbles, insecurities, misunderstanding of fans, and conflicting ideas, but, almost miraculously, the ending doesn't fall apart. It gets to where it was going. It makes it to a real end. I could mention that the end it finds is more than decent; far from dull, and at least in the ballpark of a resonating and moving story. (At most I got misty-eyed yesterday just thinking about it.) But all that's a mere bonus at this point. For most films, making it to the end of the story is a given; but given the disastrous road this one has endured, I cannot think of a better recommendation than to point out the end that this giant, turbulent, space adventure possesses, and say, "They did it."

10 Cloverfield Lane

How to enjoy 10 Cloverfield Lane -- a step by step guide:

1. Have a preexisting inclination towards mysterious/psychological/horror/thriller movies -- however slight. 
2. Do not find out anything more than necessary about the plot beforehand. Don't even watch the trailer. Don't even read this review.

That's it. Simple. But just in case, I'll still keep this review Spoiler-free.

Director Dan Trachtenberg jumps straight to level "expert" with his first feature film. And credit to the writers for a detailed and smart story and script.

10 Cloverfield Lane was surprised upon fans with a trailer (and consequential announcement of its existence) a mere two months before the film's release. It is not a sequel of another J.J. Abrams -produced monster-thriller Cloverfield, but it does share a similar flavor and the same universe. Abrams called it a "spiritual successor." I saw and enjoyed the 2008 Cloverfield before watching this one, but it didn't have any effect either way on my understanding or enjoyment of this one.

10 Cloverfield Lane benefits greatly from being such a well-kept secret. The less you know going in the better effect it has, I promise. I knew next to nothing -- and almost wish I had known even less. The movie stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman and John Gallagher Jr. as three people who hide in an underground bunker from an undisclosed attack that has left the air toxic; but Michelle's only proof of this is the word of the two men with her, and she doesn't know if she can trust them or not.

If this movie was an evil villain's master plan for world domination instead of a film, it would be unstoppable.

The story uses mystery to its full advantage. Even before you get to the theater the questions and mind games have begun. Then it starts with a palpable sense of dreadful mystery, and the plot is continually building on top of itself from there. Everything -- literally everything -- is constantly increasing. Increasing tension, building urgency, deepening characters, adding question after question while giving out just the right amount of answers to keep you engaged and devouring the next thrilling moment, eyes glued to the screen, wracking your brain for answers but knowing full well you'll never figure it out before you're supposed to. Yet you're never left out of the loop, and every plot point is thought through with careful neatness, so everything makes perfect sense. 

The story is so clean, so simplistic, and every element has a purpose. Every single element both serves to develop character and themes, and is necessary to the plot, all fitting together in the end with the satisfaction of a completed jigsaw puzzle. It's on such a small scale, spending practically all the film in one place, with three characters, and sometimes it edges closer to a drama than a horror/thriller flick. But it establishes itself so well, worming its way deep and permanently into our minds and even eventually our hearts (in true high-quality horror-hero fashion) that by the end it reaches a level of grand magnificence that cannot be topped even by the biggest, loudest superhero blockbuster.

It thrilled me to my core.

Speaking of loud, I loved the way volume was used to startle you out of the usually quiet tension. There was also an unexpected amount of comedy. Black comedy certainly, but genuinely funny. Good thing too -- without the release created by the humor I may have crumpled up into a tiny ball from suspense and the increasing tension. I also want to express my gratitude over this film's clean rating. It could have easily stepped into R-territory, but instead remained PG-13. And you can tell the only things that made it into the movie where things that enhanced the story and furthered the plot. Even violence was shown just enough to get the idea across. The singular dedication to this story is quite impressive, and paid off unarguably well.

The most commonly mentioned critique is that the last stage feels "tacked on" and doesn't fit with the rest of the movie. I feel the complete opposite. For me the endgame was the powerhouse play -- the moments where the impossibly extreme suspense actually pays off to its fullest potential, and the impactful conclusion is delivered with a deafening bang.

I'm giving this film five stars -- it earned every point of each one -- but it's interesting; this is a rare one-and-done five star movie. Most of thrill is held only it the first viewing. Once you see it there's no immediate need to go back in order to understand or pick up on a few more things that you originally missed. Soaking in every last drop the first time is practically guaranteed. But, even though I'm not currently planning my next viewing, it's only been a couple hours since I saw it as I write, and I'm feeling more and more that eventually I won't be able to resist trying to relive the awe-inducing experience of this movie's gripping and exhilarating ending again -- though I doubt it'll be as thoroughly affecting as it was the first time.

I have seriously never, ever seen a film like this before. It's really sticking with me... Yeah, I'm gonna have to see it again.

The performances by all three of the cast members were beautifully nuanced and fantastic. John Goodman was totally brilliant -- he's always good but reached a whole new level here -- and Mary Elizabeth Winstead impressed and won me over exactly as was planned with her resourceful and smart young heroine. Her character journey, to the story's pacing, to tone and technical aspects, right down to the smallest detail was perfect. Yes, truly perfect. Complete and flawless in its storytelling, it totally captivated me, and there isn't one thing I can think of to nit-pick. No tiny plot hole, or irking detail that I'd be happy to ignore. 10 Cloverfield Lane is immaculate, and magnificent. It thrills; it chills; and it confidently fulfills every last one of the mysteriously vague promises it has so cleverly implied are lurking within its dark, windowless walls.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens

The Spoilers are strong with this post.

Helmed by J.J. Abrams and featuring all the expected classics like returning characters and that distinct nostalgic Star Wars feel, while simultaneously brimming with the best our modern day can offer in the way of special effects, thrilling excitement, and epic geekiness, ten years later, the Force has awoken!

Awakened? Awoken. Whatever -- it's awake, and it's awesome.

The plot is very Episode IV: a droid, escaping while it's master is captured, holds important information that both the good (the Resistance) and the bad (the First Order) sides want, and winds up on a desert planet (Jakku this time) where it befriends a native, whose life is about to change forever.

But in this case, two people have their lives changed forever. One is the native, a girl who fends for herself while she waits for her family to come for her, Rey (Daisy Ridley). The other is a stormtrooper, who's out on his first mission when he decides to defect from the First Order. Finn (John Boyega) is just FN-2187 until he helps the Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) escape the Order, and the good natured rebel gives him a new name -- just before they crash land and are separated. Finn then teams up with Rey and BB-8, and a certain circular ship, to finish the presumed-dead Poe's mission and bring the secret information back to the Resistance. But they meet with more trouble along the way, in the form of an aging Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and lovable, big-walking-carpet, who want the Falcon back, and an intimidating Sith, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) who wants the information stored in BB-8 -- the last piece of a map that leads to the long-missing last Jedi, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).

Tip for the baddies: never overlook the droid. It's probably very important.

Along with Han and Luke, Leia (Carrie Fisher) is also back, and the leader of the Resistance. These returning characters together are the biggest reserve I ever had about this movie. I figured their inclusion would be necessary, and it certainly was, and definitely worth it, but as I fell in love with the new characters, I cared less and less to reminisce with the old ones. Han in particular is very prominent in the plot as his story line is wrapped up. And I like what they did with it; I just didn't like that it meant I'd have to wait for Episode VIII to get to know the new characters more.

The title of hero belongs to our personable stormtrooper, Finn. What I love most about Finn is that since he was brainwashed and sheltered by the Order since childhood, he's very naive, yet in spite of the brainwashing, is a first class gentleman, is super friendly, and has a great sense of humor. And honest -- I adore how honest he is. He always goes to Rey's aid, and even though every time she takes care of the problem before he can help, he still always tries again the next time. It doesn't make him clueless; it makes him a good guy, and great character. In the whole movie he has one, short-lived delusion of selfishness. His naivete along with his high energy makes him hilarious -- certainly the character with the best laugh-lines -- and engaging, but it doesn't take away from the depth of his serious moments. He is the film's tone personified, and he is what ties the movie together, and John Boyega does an outstanding job with it all.

Who knew? A faceless stormtrooper becomes a Star Wars hero!

Rey, however, is the film's main character -- along with being the heroine. It's a close call, but because she is the one destined to be a Jedi (contrary to what the trailers and posters had us believe -- nice one, J.J.), it skews in her favor that way. Really these two together are what makes it all work; almost like they are one character together. What one may be missing the other naturally fills, and they complement each other winningly. Daisy Ridley's Rey is a perfect "strong female" character because she doesn't make a show of the fact that she can take care of herself. In fact, she doesn't make a show of anything she does, and never tells anyone when she just saved their life, or how she escaped, or that she just beat a Sith Lord -- or whatever the case may be. On top of that, she's drop-dead gorgeous, but has a welcoming, down-to-earth quality to her that makes her very relatable. Ridley is a true talent and owns her character with quiet grace and British charm.

"Oh, and do drop your gun!" This girl knows how to Jedi.

I knew from the moment Oscar Isaac was cast that he'd be my favorite character, and I knew from the moment he was revealed to be a pilot that he'd be stuck in a cockpit most of the film. I was right on both counts. Poe Dameron owns the movie's opening, but once he appears later he's more in the background in favor of those previously mentioned, and, yes, spends a considerable amount of time flying an X-wing. Awesomely, of course. Oscar Isaac makes the most of every second though, leaving a great impression, and continuing to amaze me with his spot-on character acting. Every one of his characters is so unique; it's like playing that one character is his specialty. His Poe is an effortlessly cool; a loyal rogue, smart-mouthed, and laughs in the face of danger, but is friendly and easy-going with those he trusts. If he doesn't get even more time in Episode VIII, someone will have made a very wrong decision.

It Star Wars! You gotta have a good trio. Obviously that's what he's meant for, but he got a little left out...

The biggest surprise turned out to be Kylo Ren. This is rather crazy, because he was already everyone's favorite character and the designated coolest character even before anyone had seen the film. His costume, his mask, his voice, and don't forget that controversial lightsaber -- all made him stand out from the very beginning. But the film doesn't rely on that only; they give him tons to chew on, and more built-in depth than the previous three heroes put together simply by making him Han's son. Adam Driver hits a beautifully complicated conflict of thrillingly cool evilness masking an unstable storm of fear and anger. A true Sith. I love that he idolizes Darth Vader, not knowing that he turned to the Light side before dying. (Side note: why didn't Luke tell him?) I loved his temper tantrums, and I like that his neat lightsaber is useful for stabbing people during a clash -- that's just the kind of evil he is.

Andy Serkis is again playing a CGI character, the Supreme Leader of the First Order, Snoke. Who, we were all glad to discover, is not actually a giant. But it still very intimidating and promising. Domhnall Gleeson is third baddie, Hux, a First Order General. His character was fun, and played off with Kylo in some very interesting and entertaining ways. Gwendoline Christie's silver stormtrooper, Captain Phasma got next to nothing to do besides look and talk cool. I was sad the Simon Pegg's character didn't look like him, and neither did Lupita Nyong'o's, but they both still gave good stuff. Recognizable cameos and bit-parts were everywhere, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster wins for being most unexpected.

Star Wars villains really know how to dress!

There were some throwbacks to the original trilogy, but it was done in good taste and with reserve. There wasn't nearly as much as there could have been, nor, in fact, as much as I expected there to be. Believe it or not, this movie seeks to separate itself from the Star Wars we already know, just with maintaining the general principles of the tone. Almost the first thing we knew about The Force Awakens was that J.J. was bringing back the practical effects. In fact, his goal was to bring back that feeling of awe and wonder he had watching the original trilogy as a kid. With that goal in mind, he put effort into creating the film practically, and with detail. And every bit of it worked together into a beautiful success. The wonder and the exhilarating thrill of watching Star Wars -- something I was only barely able to remember when recently re-watching them -- has been restored.

I feel like this story is just now finally beginning to live up to its full potential, but it's not fully there yet. In separating itself from episode six, and breaking off into its own new direction, a lot of time was spent cutting ties, making clean ends, and moving on. They did a great job with it -- it couldn't have been done better, but taking that time for the old meant giving up time from the new, and sometimes the unexplored territory seemed to sit there just out of reach, tempting. When it was being explored it was brilliant. I can hardly wait to see more new creatures and planets, and new additions and developments on the powers of the Force and the way the Jedi and the Sith use them. Everything promises to be fully thought-through and fleshed-out and awesome.

Think about it -- hilt-guards are for protection; these are for attack -- which sounds more Sith?

The script is probably the only thing that could use more improvement. Things like plot or the individual lines that characters say is one of the least important things about Star Wars, and this one was still light years ahead of the campiness of previous films, but there's still room to grow. I don't care that this movie pretty much copies episode four's whole plot outline because it was awesome and worth redoing, and I didn't mind that there were only a handful of fantastic lines, and just a lot of filler besides; but neither do I think that a smart script and a complex and unique plot would at all detract from the fun that was done to such perfection first try. The next director is Rian Johnson, and I hope he brings his signature full armory of smarts and wit and adds it to the full blast of sci-fi geeky delight.

This movie is not perfect. Honestly it couldn't have been even if a perfect movie is a possibility. It had too much baggage and too much responsibility. But it was, I believe, the best it possibly could have been, which, considering the huge amount of hype and the pressure from such a legacy, really is fantastically high praise. Also, I may think it's just shy of a perfect movie, but as far as the movie-loving little kid inside me who guides my movie-enjoyment is concerned, it was perfect, and the best movie ever. Whenever I wasn't so involved and drawn into the world that I wasn't even aware that I was actually sitting in a theater, it was only for brief moments, which I used to revel in my giddy excitement that I was once again watching a Star Wars movie for the very first time.

Overwhelmed, I was. Handle it, I could not.

Filled with absolutely incredible characters portrayed by an amazing cast, and a deep respect for its roots, balanced with an explosive sense of gleefully gripping entertainment, The Force Awakens gets it exactly right. It feels warm and familiar while surprising you with plot twists that make perfect sense, and blowing you away with breathtaking visuals that could only exist with the combination of the world of a long time ago and the movie magic of today. By the fans and for the fans, the iconic saga that is Star Wars reawakens, ushering in a whole new era of thrilling tales of adventure from a galaxy far, far away...

9 New Nerdy SDCC Trailers

The massive entertainment event called the San Diego Comic Con spurred the (in one case unwilling) release of many new trailers videos for upcoming, highly anticipated films and TV shows. I shared the first one I saw, the Doctor Who Series 9 trailer in a separate post, but then they started coming so fast they overwhelmed me so that I could barely form a coherent thought about one before the next showed up! But now the Comic Con is over and things are settling down, so now I'm just going to share all the trailers I found interesting all together, right here, right now:

Doctor Who
Click here for my original post on this, but the gist of it is this: I love Doctor Who. I didn't love the last season. I'm still hoping to love this one. This trailer does nothing to weaken that hope. Peter Capaldi's hair finally remembered that it's the hair of a Doctor and has acted accordingly.



Sherlock
This is less a trailer and more a first-look clip. And as long as the setting of the late 1800's is explained reasonably, it doesn't seem like this Sherlock one-off special will be any less awesome than the past three seasons have been. They certainly are taking full advantage of the setting by having Cumberbatch's characterization match the Sherlock Holmes of the books exactly. And he delivers that first line just as brilliantly as he ever has delivered a line. John's mustache is fantastic, and Mrs. Hudson is the land-lady, and not a plot device. Everything appears to be in order, and the game is on! Or, should I say "afoot"?




Con-Man
I don't know if I'll ever see this, but I love the idea of it so, SO much. Alan Tudyk writes directs and stars along with Nathan Fillion, and the rest of the Firefly cast have cameos. It's about a man who starred on a tragically cancelled sci-fi series (sound familiar?) and since hasn't been able to do anything better, but just goes to sci-fi conventions, signs autographs, and bemoans his terrible fate. I don't know how appropriate the Vimo web-series will be, but it looks pretty funny at least, and I love that it's not even subtle about it's Firefly references. Language Warning for the trailer:




The Man in the High Castle
This is an Amazon series. It's an adaptation of a Philip K. Dick 1962 science fiction novel about what would have happened if America had lost the second World War. Philip K. Dick is the author of the stories that were adapted into Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, The Adjustment Bureau, and several more, and that is a huge appeal to me. The trailer is extremely dark though, and it may end up proving to be too much, but I really really want to give it a shot, and the pilot episode is available for streaming right now...




Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Or as I fondly refer to it: Bateman v Superbman: Down of Justice. This is probably the trailer that had the biggest impact on the general crowd of movie fans. And it had a pretty big impact on me too; I've never experienced the sensation of feeling anger towards a movie trailer before. Now I'm trying to decide if I should attempt to explain all the ways it angered me or not... oh, why not -- rant time!

First of all, Superman's character is still being cruelly whittled away into a sad pile of distorted and discarded goodness. He's still the man who let thousands of people die by hesitating to kill one evil man, but now he doesn't even seem to know what he should do anymore -- he won't even defend himself from masses of people who worship him as a god! The best thing to do about the Man of Steel casualty count was to ignore it, not exploit it, but I guess that's the only way they could figure to rile up the Bat. Batman is slightly better. When people he knows die from Supes indecision problem, he comes out of retirement for revenge. And if one single person dies from the resulting battle, he'll be a complete hypocrite.

The joyless, "real-life" serious tone set promises to bore with unending relentless and forced lifelessness masquerading as drama. And speaking of "relentless", the battle sequences promise that too. I love the stylized look of those scenes with the dark endless piles of rubble lit with random little fires that fill the screen with floating embers and will undoubtedly look epic in 3D... a clue: no. (I've been watching BBC's Robin Hood.) I'm trying to figure why people say that this is the best trailer they've ever seen, and I think it boils down to one thing: the magnificent music. ... Never mind, I'm not going to comment on that. I think I'm done. I'll just add that if you like this trailer, or even think it's the best you've ever seen, I'm not trying to dissuade you or say you're wrong. Opinions; to each their own!




Suicide Squad
Now THIS is how to do a inviting DC movie trailer! I know next to nothing about these characters and this story, but this trailer make me want to watch the movie it advertizes. Very much. Everything about this trailer just oozes with a slick and unforced darkly cool style. It has twice the required dosage of DC darkness but still feels unmistakeably fun. And I wonder if it will even go so far as to get an R rating? I wouldn't be surprised, but I would be disappointed if the content reached a level that I wouldn't want to see, because right now I really want to see this. This seems like DC's best chance at a "Guardians of the Galaxy" -- that seems like high praise I know, but that's just in comparison with DC's rebooted film record so far: Man of Steel and the trailer I just finished bashing. Almost anything would be an improvement.




The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
And HERE is a Henry Cavill movie I can actually get excited about! This trailer is 5 minutes of snappy snazzy slick vintage fun, and I am left with no doubt that the film it advertizes will be exactly the same. Need I say more? I think not. Don't believe me? Just watch:




Fantastic Four
On the side of Marvel Superheroes, things continue to be solid, and this new F4 trailer that features Reed Richards as a kid stays firmly in that vein. This movie is looking very solid. I was interested in it the moment I saw Jamie Bell and Miles Teller in the cast, but beyond that, it really is looking like a well-done reboot, steering away from the cheesiness of the last effort, but still remembering to be exciting and fun. Definitely looking forward to this one's upcoming release.




Star Wars
And this isn't a trailer, but a behind-the-scenes featurette for the making of The Force Awakens, the main point of which, I believe is just to reassure fans once again that this franchise is in good and loving hands. And it does a great job being convincing of that fact. All the people involved in this love this world as much as any of us, and are obviously invested in making it as great as they possibly can. And they seem to be having a blast doing it. I have every confidence in this film, and can't wait to see the finished product!

New Trailer - Star Wars: The Force Awakens Teaser #2

More teasing awesomeness from J.J. Abrams and the Star Wars episode 7 team. Including our first look at Han and Chewie! Also featuring some of the beautiful, classic score, lots of action, downright amazing scenery at the beginning, (I mean, wow!) and a very familiar sounding voice-over...



I'm not a big fan of winter, but this is gonna help so much... is it Christmas yet?

What do you think of the new teaser?

Star Trek Into Darkness

Ah, space. The final frontier. Four years after the original reboot, J.J. Abrams and co. are back continuing to boldly breathe new life into the beloved franchise. Not exactly going where no one has gone before, but certainly presenting it like we've never seen it before.

So I don't give away anything that might be taken for spoilers, I'll not try and sum up the plot, but just say this: the stakes are high, as are the emotions, and Kirk and his crew set out to make everything right, pitted against the stupendous Benedict Cumberbatch as the terrorist John Harrison. Epic, action-adventure stuff ensues. Big time.

Kirk, Uhura and Spock loose the colored shirts and go full-fledged-leather-and-guns-action-hero-y on us.

The cast, if you can believe it, has actually improved from last time. Not just in additions, like the fore mentioned stupendous Cumberbatch and other newcomer Alice Eve as science officer Carol Marcus, but the returning cast shows improvements as well, and considering how impressive they were at first, that's really something. The actors found their footing in the loved characters very quickly and gave solid, wonderfully nostalgic performances in Star Trek; now, they've really settled in. Now, they own their characters, and have slightly re-molded them to fit perfectly, so the character complements the actor, who in turn complements the character, with heightened results.

I was especially impressed with Spock (Zachary Quinto) in this case. Spock's struggle with emotions is pretty much the only struggle he ever has, and therefore it can easily be overdone and I imagine could get annoying very easily. I have to imagine, because Spock's character this time around is one of those improvements I was talking about. I have never liked him more than I did in this movie, and Quinto's performance was at times, breath-taking.

"Epic Spock" is in a volcano.

The only performance more powerful than his, was that of Benedict Cumberbatch in the role of the villain. He continues to blow me away everywhere I see him. You would think I would get used to it, but no, he gets me every time. Even scene after scene he only gets more and more impressive. And I can't even begin to describe my excitement at seeing and hearing him being casually mentioned almost everywhere. I feel like a total hipster -- "I was a fan of the Cumberbatch before he landed starring roles..."

"You being all mysterious with your... cheekbones. And turning your coat collar up so you look cool." "I don't do that." "Yes you do." Oh Watson, you have no idea.

Chris Pine has found the right balance between Kirk's heroic, leading side and his more skirt-chasing, rule-breaking side. Kirk will never be a perfect, Captain America type hero, but seriously, who would like him if he was? Pine's Kirk is a great flawed hero, and a great leader for his crew and the franchise, and is another name to my list of great performances in this film. He is also undeniably amazing at getting beat up, and hanging over very long, deadly falls.

See? I love this pic. Also, this whole sequence.

Scotty (Simon Pegg) made up for not being introduced until halfway through the first movie by having a rather big role this time, and adding some seriousness to the character as well... not too much though -- he still gets the funniest bit of the movie, just as he should.

Zoe Saldana's Uhura is now officially one of the boys, er, as close as she can get. Uhura is quite the action star now, and by my reckoning has moved up a couple notches in terms of character importance. I don't want to seem like I'm complaining, because I like her, and she adds wonderfully to the film in every way -- action, humor, emotion...

But, I really wish Bones (Karl Urban) had a big a role as Uhura this time around. When there are so many characters, and only about two hours of film to put them in, it's hard for anyone (except Joss Whedon) to give everyone the time and development they deserve. Unfortunately, Karl Urban and Bones didn't get as much as I thought they deserved. His character was overshadowed by Harrison, Uhura and even Scotty a little, and was limited too much to punch lines for my taste, but maybe I'm a bit too biased; he is my favorite character currently. Still, whenever he was there, he was as good as he could be, and I was happy.

What's he doing here? Being awesome of course.

Chekov (Anton Yelchin) got the same treatment, though I suppose I really shouldn't have expected his character to get any more important. He had his moments, fleeting as they were, and I relished them. The same mostly goes John Cho and Sulu too, though I don't care as much for the character, so I didn't mind as much. He got his moment too, and boy, was it a good one.

I'm actually really surprised I found a nice promo photo of just him!

Well. That's a lot about the characters. In the end, they are absolutely my favorite feature in this movie, even though my two favorite characters never got all the screen time I was hoping they'd receive. Still, I should probably touch on a few more topics before I wrap up.

What would a Star Trek movie be, after all, without some knockout visuals? If you saw the '09 Star Trek you know what to expect, but you'll still probably get blown away by some really stunning moments. Some, they show in the trailer, but they can't show them all early; there's way too many. I was a little afraid going in that it's self-proclaimed "non-stop action" would be too relentless, but it's well-paced at one step below "overwhelmingly fast" with tons of energy distributed evenly throughout, even into the slower moments, just under the surface.

Bones: "I hate this!" Kirk: "I know you do!" Yeah, but we love it.

I may have a complaint now, or at least something that comes close to the category; this movie is a near exact replica of it predecessor. Of course it's not if you look at the details, and of course the plot is way different, but in a broad sense, many things needlessly reflect the last movie, like the opening format, the closing format, and at least one all but re-used moment. Nevertheless, it was a great opening, the ending made me smile, and before I noticed that re-used moment was re-used, it took my breath away. So really, how could I complain? It's the principle of the thing that slightly bothers me, and I can't help but enjoy the product simultaneously.

So I guess you could say J.J. Abrams has done it again (Literally). It took four years, but the wait was absolutely worth it. Star Trek Into Darkness has "summer blockbuster" written all over it; it's thrilling and stunning and smart, laugh-out-loud funny, powerful and moving, all wrapped up together in an explosive package. A dazzling contribution to what will hopefully continue along this path to be a very long-running reboot/parallel universe of a really great franchise.

Star Trek

Whenever I don't want to watch a movie because it sounds stupid to me, my dad always suggests that I watch the first ten minutes before passing judgment. But usually, ten minutes quickly turns to thirty before I have a decent idea of whether I'd like it, at which point it's not too inconvenient to watch the rest even if I don't like it in the end. I blame my dad for my amazing ability to sit through the most awful movies and not only not die, but actually enjoy them... if only in the smallest degree. At any rate, his "ten minute" trick either works great, or not at all depending on your viewpoint. If you're like me you'll be sucked in anyway, but very few films can convince an unwilling viewer to change their mind within the first ten minutes.

I can only think one movie where the first ten minutes are a perfect preview to the rest, and if you're not hooked by then you can safely assume it's not a movie for you. The tone is set, and your attention captured with excitement, drama and mystery, and impressive visuals, then the beautiful theme music swells to a mighty crescendo as the title, "Star Trek" fills the screen, and seals your fate for the next two hours.

Yes, I defy anyone to watch this Star Trek's opening scene, and then not have a hard time turning it off. Director J.J. Abrams pulled off a whopper of a beginning, and set a very high standard for the rest of his movie. Then he promptly lived up to it in every possible way.

Thanks to Eric Bana as the villainous Romulan Nero, and an aged Spock, time is slightly altered for James Tiberius Kirk (as good as ever in the hands of Chris Pine) when his father (then-newcomer Chris Hemsworth) is killed the same day Jim is born. Still, he joins Star Fleet after some encouragement from Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood!) and time as we know it is set more or less right. He forms a fast friendship with Bones (Karl Urban, brilliant... perfection... all I can say) flirts with many women and ends up on a ship called Enterprise with a group of younger, but familiar faces, and the fate of the Earth in the balance.

Welcome back, Spock and Kirk!

I must admit, meeting these rebooted classic characters is my favorite part of this movie. I cannot get over Karl Urban's McCoy, and his first scene. Simon Pegg as Scotty is a scene stealer (that would be why the character shows up later in the film) and Anton Yelchin as Chekov is --yo-mayo!-- now one of my favorite characters. I can find no real complaint about any of the characters; I only wish the film had been longer in order to give them all as much time as they could possibly use to develop, play off each other, and show off their individuality. For this reason my anticipation of the next installment is probably a bit too much for my good considering it's pretty far off right now.

May 2013 they'll be back, and with the addition of Benedict Cumberbatch!

There really isn't much more to say. The ensemble cast with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto at the lead is a pleasure to watch, and every moment is brimming with energy. The plot is easy to follow with a little attention, yet complicated enough so that the second viewing produces moments and intricacies unnoticed the first time. I have nothing but praise for every aspect of this full-throttle adventure. Truly entertaining comedy, drama and action blended together with the skilled eye and hand of J.J. Abrams. He is respectful of everything that came before him, and has brought so much new life to the franchise with so much care and love; he is obviously passionate about what he is doing, and I firmly believe that if he continues to be so, so will his Star Trek movies continue to be in a class all of their own -- boldly going where no one has gone before.

Ah... words fail me.

- 5/5 stars

Super 8

J. J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg team up as director and producer, and create a very traditional Spielberg-like movie that also has an unmistakable Abrams-like modern feel, and is set in the seventies. How does this mash-up work? Let's just say that quality filmmaking which comes from a love of the craft is something that will always be in style.

It’s 1979; Joe Lamb is a thirteen year-old, pretty average sort of kid. But his mom recently died in a work accident, and things between him and his dad are strained and distant as they try to muddle through on their own. Time continues almost lifelessly. He hangs out with his buddies, riding bikes, joking around and making super 8 zombie movies. Things slowly settle into a normal. One midnight, filming secretly at a train station, the group of friends witness a mysterious train crash, and are caught in the middle of a dangerous event that none of them will ever forget – it’s like something straight out of a movie!

The plot is pretty straight-forward with no big twists, but through a unique attention to the deep characters and relationships, it’s compelling and entertaining, even without the sci-fi element. And I love that the monster, though fully created and fully capable of dominating the screen was hidden from us as long as it was hidden from our heroes. It’s a classic trick learned accidentally by Spielberg, and used here brilliantly by Abrams. In fact if I had to describe Super 8 in one word it would be classic. Not saying it’s “a classic” but that it is classic; totally, unabashedly classic. And sometimes that’s exactly what we need; a popcorn flick that can be called neither a mind-bender or mindless, but just a happy medium, well made, and ready for you to lose yourself in it.

Typically, film heroes are slightly older than the target audience, but even though this movie is about a bunch of kids, it’s not really a kid’s movie. It’s a nostalgic movie, and relating to younger characters helps that effect pleasantly. The kids really do make this movie. Reminiscent of The Goonies, they goof off, tease each other, and freak out with hilarious realism. And the actors playing them were equally amazing. Outstanding are Joel Courtney, playing the lead in his very first movie, but you would never know it by watching his superb performance, and Elle Fanning, playing Alice, the newcomer to the group of boys, is the most talented young actress I’ve seen. The other boys are more supporting cast, and their performances are lesser, but mostly only in terms of screen time. Obviously a lot of attention went to casting the kids, and the result was rewarding. Kyle Chandler as Joe’s dad and deputy of the town is also worth mentioning, but this movie really belongs to the kids.

It seems like it’s too easy to make a “successful” movie these days. Just throw together a script that involves saving the world, cast a bunch of pretty actors, and then drown everything in special effects. And people will throw down money watch it. No doubt a few movies fitting that description just popped into your head… like Transformers, perhaps? But not everyone goes that lazy way, some people thankfully still give their films all the attention they need, and are rewarded with something you could actually call art; a real, good movie. Abrams is one of those people, and with this movie, he creates a lovely homage to classic filmmaking, then goes a step further, adding in elements that make modern movies great as well. 

Sure, it has its share of flaws, but they’re easily ignorable in favor of the involving story and characters. Super 8 encourages us to be nostalgic, get lost, and feel at home in its brilliant, modern blast from the past, even if we never happened to have lived there. A sweet, thrilling and compelling ride, it reminds us yet again that well-made, thoughtful movies with heart can also be visually exciting, and full of fun, and laugh-out-loud moments. It’s the sort of movie that threatens to extinguish those half-hearted, factory line films, and though I doubt they will go extinct anytime soon, I will always look forward to when – every once in a while – a remarkable movie like this one jumps out and surprises us, then entertains and involves us through a contagious love for the cinema.

- 4.5/5 stars

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

The remarkable franchise that is Mission: Impossible is quite the long-burning fuse. Starting as a television series in 1966, it runs for 7 years, then bides it's time for another 23 until adopted by a Mr. Tom Cruise. Cruise handled with care, consistently releasing mostly solid outings (MI2 is the weak link here by far) every five or so years since 96. So it really shouldn't have been a surprise to me, or anyone else, when 5 years after the third, and best MI yet, Cruise and friends did it again. And oh boy, they have definitely done it.

This time around we find the much aged, but still on-his-game Ethan Hunt (Cruise, but you should know that) in a Russian prison, but not for very long. Agents Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) who has finally graduated to field agent, and newcomer Jane Carter (Paula Patton) break him out to help them try and patch up a failed mission. I won't go into details, but they fail in that too, and the Kremlin blows up. Now things are really bad. The Russians think Ethan's team is behind the bombing, and the entire IMF is disavowed. The Secretary gives Ethan one final mission before being promptly shot in the head by angry Russians. Ethan escapes, along with the high-strung chief analyst William Brandt, (Jeremy Renner, taking over Hollywood one franchise at a time) making a group of four that is the unknowing world's last hope. Their mission? Prevent nuclear war. But, as usual, things are easier said than done, and this Ethan's most impossible mission yet.

If this movie is lacking in anything, it would perhaps be in intensity, or emotional investment. I never felt as involved emotionally as I did in numbers one and three (I seriously did not like two at all) but, I honestly didn't mind. In fact, I've decided it's good, because bits do involve you, but never so much to make you lose the sense of fun and style you're watching. So, take from that whatever you will...
The characters feel real and rounded, with subplots slowly cluing you in on their individual baggage. Including the mysterious absence of Ethan's wife, Carter's recent tragic loss, and the past haunting the secretive Brandt. None of their problems feel terribly important though, because, comparatively, they're not. Even the characters themselves try to put aside their differences and problems until the world is saved.
My brother would probably tell you the plot and it's devices are thin, or just an excuse for a neat stunt. And I suppose it's true, but if you had a choice of watching Ethan riding the elevator, or have to climb up the outside of the tallest building in the world, (yes, that was real!) what would you choose? Even if you had to write a little excuse to make it happen? Yeah, me too, and that is what this movie is all about.
The film's bad guys felt the same way. Never truly hate-able, or complicated, and no good guys surprise you with a betraying turn to the dark side, but again, that's just not the main focus this time around. And though I do wonder if it could have been better if they had spread the focus out more, I really can't say for sure. It might have just made a mess.
As it is, this is rather reminiscent of Director Brad Bird's animated features, like The Incredibles. More mature, sure, but lighthearted, with sparkling scenes that move in a brisk, stylish pace. Bird made the jump to live action with this picture, and he gives it such a fresh feel, you forget it's also totally classic. I say job very well done to him. J.J. Abrams and Tom Cruise also deserve some of that praise, as they shared the producers chair, and obviously work very well together, as previously evidenced by MI3. If they stick together for number five, I'm sure It'll turn out too.

From the very beginning, when Ethan says "light the fuse" and the theme starts in all it's glory, I was grinning from ear to ear, and I can't be sure if I ever stopped. So, take a seat, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the ride! Mission 4 is a consistently solid, upbeat, and packed with quality action; an impossibly good time. Mission... accomplished!

4-and-a-half/5 stars