When a seemingly unstoppable force from within the ranks of Starfleet threatens the future of the organization, Kirk leads a search for the terrorist in a forbidden war zone. Chris Pine reiterates the fact that he has nailed iconic Captain Kirk essentials without being imitative or gimmicky while simultaneously collaborating with J.J. Abrams to reinvent the central character. Zachary Qunito as Spock is equally effective and impressive. The two - Kirk and Spock - are on screen emotive polar opposites whose interactions often charge scenes with tension, humor and ambivalence as the layers of warfare and discovery unfold.
Other Enterprise crew are also well cast. Karl Urban as Bones (Dr. McCoy) captures the highly opinionated, fear of space, metaphor-recitation behavior uniquely ascribed to his character. John Cho as Sulu is focused, cool and tough with impeccable exactness. Simon Pegg is as hyper, smart, and funny as Scotty should be. Zoe Saldana as Uhura is the greatest stretch, but only on the surface, as her relationship with the hard-core-logic-driven Spock points to the character's romantic appeal.
Benedict Cumberbatch gives a formidable interpretation of villain John Harrison, whose reappearance is cleverly set up to become focal in the next episode. J.J. Abrams and Company have taken creative license with some popular Trek story elements, but have pulled it off so successfully in this case with a production that is action-packed, visually slick and interesting, tightly sequenced, and having a broad visual stamp that repeatedly, subtly, restates the Star Trek brand. In my humble opinion,
Star Trek: Into Darkness is an example of what good franchise filmmaking is supposed to be.
Grade: A
Even though I am not into Zombie flicks, and the horror genre is not among my favorites, I give a good grade to
World War Z. Brad Pitt delivers a solid performance as former United Nations troubleshooter Gerry Lane who has essentially retired to Philadelphia with his wife and two daughters when a global crisis erupts. Lane is recruited to assist by traveling the world in search of means to stop the Zombie pandemic. Directed by Marc Forster and based on the Max Brooks book
World War Z: An Oral History of The Zombie War (2006) in a screenplay by Matthew Michael Carnahan, the apocalyptic horror film fluctuates between shutter speed action, panoramic scenes of devastation, and candid narration by Lane, whose drive to save the world is only superseded by his desire to save his family. While each cast member delivers most appropriately in "Z, special note is due Daniella Kertesz who is unforgettable as Israeli soldier Segen. This faux-documentary can get into your head. It is suspenseful, disturbing, and intense with just enough comic relief to allow occasional moments of normal breathing. Not all questions raised are answered, and while a sequel is probably inevitable, there is much more to be told, explained, and resolved.
Grade: B+
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A funny thing happened on the way to the latest rendition of Superman...somebody tried too hard to humanize a character whose very definition and characteristics are underscored by the fact that he is from Krypton, not Earth. Somehow, the fact was overlooked that we have bought into the notion that he is "Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings In a Single Bound! This amazing stranger from the planet Krypton! The man of steel. "Look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!"...Sentimentalism is not needed here. Audiences of various types have bought into the basic concept since 1938.
The opening scenes setting up the story of
Man of Steel are too slow, the fight scenes in the film are dragged out too much, and the movie overall is too long. With 30 more minutes of careful editing it probably would be a much improved film. Russell Crowe is strong as the birth father. Warrior Crowe does his usual impressive thing when cast in such roles. He did all he could. Diane Lane is convincing as a loving mother figure. Kevin Costner plays Lane's husband and Superman's "earth" father. There are some glitches in the script, but the main issue, in my humble opinion, is with the Man of Steel himself...the storyline around Superman, not actor Henry Cavill, who is stoic enough at times, has the right physique, and seems to offer enough eye-candy for those who go to movies for such treats. With better action sequencing; more timely (and thus, convincing) conclusions to fight segments, and a toning down of
Batman, Hulk, Iron Man and Matrix rip-offs, and this maybe would have been a truly exciting comic-action movie (yes, everybody does it, but does Superman need it?).
Grade: C+
Take a fearless motorcycle stunt man who lives a day-to-day existence as a free spirit; stir in the emotional charge of him discovering he has a newborn son with his lover; add the decision to provide for both with the quick financial fix of carefully-planned bank robberies; mix in his clash with an ambitious young cop who seeks a meteoric rise in a department held underfoot by a corrupt detective, and you have a super-nutshell synopsis to a great film called
The Place Beyond The Pines.
Ryan Gosling delivers an on-target performance as the conflicted, gritty, loner bike rider Luke, who lives for the moment, makes questionable choices and takes extreme risks, but melts down to a soft-spoken, adoring daddy at the sight and touch of his infant son. Eva Mendes conveys with sharpness the uncertainty of a lover caught up in the range of emotions experienced when faced with a chance for relative security and comfort, contrasted with the equally powerful realization that she still loves someone (Luke) who is the perfect storm in her life. Bradley Cooper confirms he is equally capable of delivering a strong dramatic performance as he is a comedic role as he plays the rookie cop Avery whose fate is dramatically affected by a collision with Luke. Dane DeHaan is gripping as the quiet, introverted Jason, son of Luke as a teenager. DeHaan commands undivided viewer attention in every scene in which he appears. Emory Cohen also comes through with strength as Avery's troubled son, AJ, epitomizing the callous, insensitive well-to-do teen who seeks out, lures and manipulates the peer classmate with no friends - in this ironic case, Jason. Some of the more intense, enigmatic interactions occur between these two young actors, who are naturals on film as they strike all the necessary marks to bring believability to their roles. A quick mention must be made of the menacing portrayal of Ray Liotta as a bad cop. His impact is felt despite limited time on screen.
Derek Cianfrance should be proud of this independent film for his contribution as director and co-screenwriter along with Ben Coccio and Darius Marder.
The Place Beyond The Pines is worth seeing.
Grade: A
When a seemingly unstoppable force from within the ranks of Starfleet threatens the future of the organization, Kirk leads a search for the terrorist in a forbidden war zone. Chris Pine reiterates the fact that he has nailed iconic Captain Kirk essentials without being imitative or gimmicky while simultaneously collaborating with J.J. Abrams to reinvent the central character. Zachary Qunito as Spock is equally effective and impressive. The two - Kirk and Spock - are on screen emotive polar opposites whose interactions often charge scenes with tension, humor and ambivalence as the layers of warfare and discovery unfold.
Other Enterprise crew are also well cast. Karl Urban as Bones (Dr. McCoy) captures the highly opinionated, fear of space, metaphor-recitation behavior uniquely ascribed to his character. John Cho as Sulu is focused, cool and tough with impeccable exactness. Simon Pegg is as hyper, smart, and funny as Scotty should be. Zoe Saldana as Uhura is the greatest stretch, but only on the surface, as her relationship with the hard-core-logic-driven Spock points to the character's romantic appeal.
Benedict Cumberbatch gives a formidable interpretation of villain John Harrison, whose reappearance is cleverly set up to become focal in the next episode. J.J. Abrams and Company have taken creative license with some popular Trek story elements, but have pulled it off so successfully in this case with a production that is action-packed, visually slick and interesting, tightly sequenced, and having a broad visual stamp that repeatedly, subtly, restates the Star Trek brand. In my humble opinion, Star Trek: Into Darkness is an example of what good franchise filmmaking is supposed to be.
Grade: A
Even though I am not into Zombie flicks, and the horror genre is not among my favorites, I give a good grade to World War Z. Brad Pitt delivers a solid performance as former United Nations troubleshooter Gerry Lane who has essentially retired to Philadelphia with his wife and two daughters when a global crisis erupts. Lane is recruited to assist by traveling the world in search of means to stop the Zombie pandemic. Directed by Marc Forster and based on the Max Brooks book World War Z: An Oral History of The Zombie War (2006) in a screenplay by Matthew Michael Carnahan, the apocalyptic horror film fluctuates between shutter speed action, panoramic scenes of devastation, and candid narration by Lane, whose drive to save the world is only superseded by his desire to save his family. While each cast member delivers most appropriately in "Z, special note is due Daniella Kertesz who is unforgettable as Israeli soldier Segen. This faux-documentary can get into your head. It is suspenseful, disturbing, and intense with just enough comic relief to allow occasional moments of normal breathing. Not all questions raised are answered, and while a sequel is probably inevitable, there is much more to be told, explained, and resolved.
Grade: B+
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A funny thing happened on the way to the latest rendition of Superman...somebody tried too hard to humanize a character whose very definition and characteristics are underscored by the fact that he is from Krypton, not Earth. Somehow, the fact was overlooked that we have bought into the notion that he is "Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings In a Single Bound! This amazing stranger from the planet Krypton! The man of steel. "Look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!"...Sentimentalism is not needed here. Audiences of various types have bought into the basic concept since 1938.
The opening scenes setting up the story of Man of Steel are too slow, the fight scenes in the film are dragged out too much, and the movie overall is too long. With 30 more minutes of careful editing it probably would be a much improved film. Russell Crowe is strong as the birth father. Warrior Crowe does his usual impressive thing when cast in such roles. He did all he could. Diane Lane is convincing as a loving mother figure. Kevin Costner plays Lane's husband and Superman's "earth" father. There are some glitches in the script, but the main issue, in my humble opinion, is with the Man of Steel himself...the storyline around Superman, not actor Henry Cavill, who is stoic enough at times, has the right physique, and seems to offer enough eye-candy for those who go to movies for such treats. With better action sequencing; more timely (and thus, convincing) conclusions to fight segments, and a toning down of Batman, Hulk, Iron Man and Matrix rip-offs, and this maybe would have been a truly exciting comic-action movie (yes, everybody does it, but does Superman need it?).
Grade: C+
Take a fearless motorcycle stunt man who lives a day-to-day existence as a free spirit; stir in the emotional charge of him discovering he has a newborn son with his lover; add the decision to provide for both with the quick financial fix of carefully-planned bank robberies; mix in his clash with an ambitious young cop who seeks a meteoric rise in a department held underfoot by a corrupt detective, and you have a super-nutshell synopsis to a great film called The Place Beyond The Pines.
Ryan Gosling delivers an on-target performance as the conflicted, gritty, loner bike rider Luke, who lives for the moment, makes questionable choices and takes extreme risks, but melts down to a soft-spoken, adoring daddy at the sight and touch of his infant son. Eva Mendes conveys with sharpness the uncertainty of a lover caught up in the range of emotions experienced when faced with a chance for relative security and comfort, contrasted with the equally powerful realization that she still loves someone (Luke) who is the perfect storm in her life. Bradley Cooper confirms he is equally capable of delivering a strong dramatic performance as he is a comedic role as he plays the rookie cop Avery whose fate is dramatically affected by a collision with Luke. Dane DeHaan is gripping as the quiet, introverted Jason, son of Luke as a teenager. DeHaan commands undivided viewer attention in every scene in which he appears. Emory Cohen also comes through with strength as Avery's troubled son, AJ, epitomizing the callous, insensitive well-to-do teen who seeks out, lures and manipulates the peer classmate with no friends - in this ironic case, Jason. Some of the more intense, enigmatic interactions occur between these two young actors, who are naturals on film as they strike all the necessary marks to bring believability to their roles. A quick mention must be made of the menacing portrayal of Ray Liotta as a bad cop. His impact is felt despite limited time on screen.
Derek Cianfrance should be proud of this independent film for his contribution as director and co-screenwriter along with Ben Coccio and Darius Marder.
The Place Beyond The Pines is worth seeing.
Grade: A
