Tag: Movies

Star Trek Into Darkness is easily the best movie I’ve seen in theaters this year. Granted, the other films I’ve seen for review were Iron Man 3, Pain & Gain, Oblivion, and GI Joe: Retaliation (hardly a cinematic murderers’ row). I loved the movie and can’t wait to see it again, but I understand why certain people have issues with it. As a summer blockbuster, it has everything you could want — thrilling action, fantastic special effects, witty dialogue, and half-naked Alice Eve. If you’re looking for high-budget filmic fun then it doesn’t get any better than this.

That said, there are two types of moviegoers will have problems with this film. First are the hardcore Trekkers that hate the changes JJ Abrams introduced in Star Trek. They’ll have even more to hate in the new film. Additionally, the movie has several nods, references, and parallels to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. While they’re meant as a tribute to that great movie, some fans feel that Abrams was trying to be too clever at best and flat-out copying at worst. While I’ve enjoyed numerous Star Trek movies and TV shows, I’m not a stringent Trekker and I’ve enjoyed Abrams’ take on the franchise, but understand why some fans dislike it.

Then there are people looking for great sci-fi. Star Trek Into Darkness is more space-action-opera than science-fiction. The heady science that can be found in numerous Star Trek movies and episodes isn’t in this movie. Instead, there are several instances of fictionalized science that don’t make much sense. This criticism I understand more than obstinate Trekkers refusing to enjoy something new, but it’s sadly what Hollywood has become and what the majority of moviegoers want.

Like I said, I’m not a Star Trek or sci-fi purist. With that in mind, I loved this movie’s action, effects, writing, and half-naked Alice Eve. Here are some random thoughts on Star Trek Into Darkness. Spoiler shields on!

The Crew: As expected, the movie focuses on the Kirk/Spock bromance, but the other crew members get some time to shine. Scotty and Bones had a bit more time than the others, and they made the most out of it. Scotty had a few scenes that completely owned, while Bones had several lines that killed. Sulu had one bad-ass scene that almost made me forget that he was the uptight stoner from Harold and Kumar. His scenes also foreshadowed his eventual captaincy. Uhura’s moments were slightly disappointing; some of her scenes made her seem like Spock’s emotional accessory, while one action sequence required the boys to bail her out. As far as I can tell, Chekhov exists to frantically run around while frazzled and to mispronounce the letter V.

Khan II: As many of you have learned, Khan Noonien Singh is this movie’s baddy. I thought that Benjamin Cumberbatch did a great job as Khan and was a fantastic villain — much better than Eric Bana’s Nero from the first film. To me, Cumberbatch was smart and intimidating. I felt a sense of danger every time he was onscreen. The character’s weakness had more to do with the writing than the performance. I know that Khan is supposed to kick all kinds of ass, but those unfamiliar with the character probably didn’t get the full sense of his badassery due to limited backstory.

The Pace: The movie’s runtime is 132 minutes, but it’s likely the zippiest 132-minute movie you’ll ever see. The vast majority of the movie is fast. Conversations, space chases, foot chases, and fight sequences happen at a mercurial pace. Many moviegoers will love the constant edge-of-your-seat excitement, but I understand people that feel that the movie could have used a few more breathers. There is such a thing as action fatigue and the movie could have used a bit more backstory for newcomers.

The Effects: This movie has so much eye candy. The special effects are glorious. I was particularly fond of the new warp sequence. I loved how the shape of the ship distorts prior to warp. I loved the new “warp line” effects. I loved the trail of star dust (at least, that’s what I think it is) left by ships post-warp. The sequence happened a few times in the movie and I marked out every time. The set pieces were phenomenal and the aliens looked fantastic. The 3D was good, but not great. From what I understand, Abrams wanted to shoot in anamorphic, which doesn’t allow 3D filming, so the 3D effects were tacked on in post production.

The Writing: As many of you know, I gravitate towards writers of comics, TV shows, and movies. I enjoyed what Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman did with the script from the first movie. The two, along with Damon Lindelof, did a stellar job with the dialogue in Star Trek Into Darkness. I really love the new versions of the classic Star Trek characters these guys created and especially love how they interact with each other. The conversations are fast, funny, and full of heart. When I think of fast-paced dialogue with heart, Aaron Sorkin and Kevin Smith come to mind. The former is probably the best known writer of this style, while the latter has been called a dumber and raunchier version of Sorkin. I guess Orci and Kurtzman combine to form Nerd Sorkin. That totally works for me.

Alice Eve: Honestly, Alice Eve’s character didn’t do much in this movie, but she had a scene that will definitely be one of the most remembered because she’s half naked! I’ve always adored this woman. Obviously she’s extremely attractive on a physical level. More importantly, she’s crazy smart (Oxford educated). Most importantly, she has heterochromia iridium, which is incredibly sexy (see Yuna). Any movie that features a gorgeous half-naked women with heterochromia iridium and a St. Catz education should win an award. Dozens really.

Bottom Line: This movie is super-nerd fun, as long as you’re not on the extreme fringes of nerdom. Normals will love the action, special effects, and half-naked Alice Eve. Light to moderate nerds will love all of those things too, as well as the dialogue. The people that are bashing the movie are hardcore Star Trek and sci-fi fans, and while I understand their issues, I think they’re preventing themselves from enjoying one of the most entertaining films released in 2013.

The maestro extraordinaire of big, dumb movies, Michael Bay, is with Pain & Gain. While it’s certainly not his biggest movie (hard to top space rocks and transforming robots), it’s definitely his dumbest…but in a good way. For a large portion of the flick, Bay’s manic directing style, hilarious performances, and sharp writing come together marvelously. The only problem is if you know about the real-life story Pain & Gain it based on. If you do, then having a blast with Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson can be uncomfortable and morally questionable. Here are some spoiler-free thoughts on the movie.

Celebrating Villains: For those of you not familiar with Pain & Gain’s plot, it’s based on a true story about a group of criminal bodybuilders in Florida. From what I’ve read about the “Sun Gym Gang,” some of the facts in the movie are accurate, many situations are embellished, and most of the characterizations are way off. In the movie, they’re portrayed as bumbling idiots. While they were somewhat inept in real life, a lot of what they did was cleverly sinister.

The problem some people have with this movie is that the Sun Gym Gang murdered, tortured, extorted, and more. The movie can be lots of fun when you forget that it’s based on actual people and events, but when you remember, it’s hard not to feel guilty and/or uncomfortable. An action-comedy based on people that killed and performed grisly acts can be tough to enjoy.

A Perfect Blend…For a While: The first half of Pain & Gain works so well. Bay’s style is what it is — a frenetic pace that can be exasperating. This time around, it’s complemented (covered up?) by witty writing by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. I loved the job those guys did with Captain America: The First Avenger and I’m looking forward to their work in the upcoming Cap/Thor movies. The three leads — Wahlberg, The Rock, and Anthony Mackie (Papa Doc from 8 Mile!) — handle the dialogue and Bay’s breakneck pace skillfully (more on them later).

After the villains’ first successful caper, the movie stalls out. When the tone gets more serious, the movie becomes less fun and somewhat tedious. It’s a strange case of the writing changing the feel of the movie. Throughout it all, the visual style is the same — lots of motion, dramatic cuts, fast pace, etc. When the writing focuses on comedy, like much of the first half, the flow is wonderful. When the second act develops and serious events happen later in the film, the blend isn’t as smooth.

Charming Idiots: The lead actors are so charming in their stupidity, but they’re also diverse in their idiocy. The Rock is particularly excellent as the moron that’s sensitive and religious…and also fond of snow (the snorting kind). The role was perfect form him; he got to show off his athletic and comedic chops, while showing a somewhat effeminate soft side. The character was in his wheelhouse and he knocked it out of the park.

I’ve been a fan of Mackie’s ever since 8 Mile and it was fun to watch him excel in this movie. The smartest idiot of the group, this character is loyal to his friends, has a predilection for plus-size women, and is suffering from…performance issues.

On paper, Wahlberg’s character is supposed to be the least likable, but Marky Mark’s boyish charm is tough to resist. His character is the idiot that doesn’t realize the full extent of his stupidity. There are times when Wahlberg is so charming that you find yourself rooting for him…and then you remember that he’s a murderous conman…and you feel guilty for rooting for him.

The Rock, Wahlberg, and Mackie were wonderfully entertaining idiots in this movie. It would have been easy to have them simply be a gang of fools, but thanks to good writing and great performances, each character displays a distinct form of idiocy.

Hey, Remember the ’90s?: I loved all the ’90s music and clothing used in the movie. It was a marvelously ridiculous decade and it’s no wonder that these marvelously ridiculous events happened back then. The Zubaz pants, Stryper references, and “Blaze of Glory” soundtrack brought me back that glorious time. Hmmmm, I wonder if Zubaz are ready an ironic comeback. That would be cool.

Bottom Line: I absolutely loved the first half of Pain & Gain. It was funny and thrilling. All three leads rocked, while Ken Jeong, Rebel Wilson, and Ed Harris were great in their smaller roles. Tony Shalhoub was fantastic as the unlikable victim. Bar Paly, I could stare at for hours (bonus photo below!). It all comes together so well…

…until the writing starts to flatten out and the tone becomes more serious. What starts out as a super-entertaining action-comedy becomes a mediocre and macabre movie in the second half. I definitely enjoyed Pain & Gain and it’s something I will definitely watch on cable. I’m certain that I’ll see it dozens of times on TV and I’m also certain that I’ll fall asleep or change the channel during the second half of the movie for the majority of those viewings.