Written by: Tim Luisi
In the spring of 1999, a massive amount of Star Wars fans were eagerly awaiting the arrival of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, which signaled the start of a new trilogy. This film had all the potential in the world, and to put it simply, George Lucas who had created the characters that Star Wars fans had come to love, botched his reboot in every way possible. Suddenly, instead of relying on the heart and feeling of adventure that had been the staple of the original trilogy, the film seemed fixated on the special effects, leaving character development to the side. To state it another way, The Phantom Menace never felt like anything more than an attempt on Lucas’ part to cash-in on his previous success.
It should be thrilling news to every fan of the sci-fi genre then, that Star Trek, a film being released this weekend, succeeds in every way that the prequel trilogy failed. Instead of a pondering space melodrama, here is a film that grabs the audience from the very first moment and never lets go, as the action roars along from one crazy set piece to the next. In the midst of all that chaos, however, it never feels like the story or characters have been compromised. No, indeed, there is almost a perfect blend of characterization mixed in with the sensational action sequences.
Before this review goes any further, let it be known that I am not nor have I ever been a Trekkie. As such, any expectations I had for the film were extremely low. Add to that disinterest that there were no accomplished actors in the film and the failures of previous Star Trek films, and it seems like there is no way that this film should have turned out as great as it did. Well, all of that is true, except for one key component, JJ Abrams, the innovative mind behind Alias and LOST, who now very well could turn out to be the next Steven Spielberg.
With Star Trek, Abrams has created a world full of cinematic potential and one that is completely different than the original series due to a plot twist that I won’t spoil here. But, even more thrilling than the potential that is there, is the fact that he harnessed it so greatly his first time out.
The film begins with great intensity, as the audience sees the USS Enterprise under attack from the enemy Captain Nero. Because the fight is too dire the crew is forced to eject from the ship, especially the pregnant wife of George Kirk who is in labor with her son, who will end up becoming James Tiberius Kirk. Unbeknownst to the audience, this sequence sets up perfectly all of the events to come in the film and also gives us its first major thrill-ride. This exhilarating sequence would have been one of the best in most films, but in Star Trek it was just a small example of things to come.
As the film moves along Abrams gives us snippets of both Kirk’s and Spock’s early lives, detailing how they came to join Starfleet and in what seems like no time at all, they are both onboard the new Starship Enterprise, which once again faces destruction from Captain Nero. There is much more that I could say about the plot, but because it is so intricately detailed and would be easy to spoil, I will stop right there.
Besides the awesome story that unfolds throughout the film, there are other elements that are just as worthy of praise. The ensemble cast, though full of unproven names, turned out to sterling across the board. Chris Pine who plays the infamous James Kirk, for instance, fills the character with great swagger and bravado, easily passing as one of the great swashbuckling heroes of the sci-fi genre. His spiritual contrast in the film, Spock, played by Zacharay Quinto also excels in his role mixing in both human emotions and Vulcan logic with ease. And while these two stand at the forefront of this epic tale, Abrams still makes room for several other great characters, such as McCoy hilariously portrayed by Karl Urban (and who might be in my lineup for best supporting actor at year’s end) and Scotty which once again gives Simon Pegg (one of the great comedians of this decade) a chance to shine. It should also be noted that Eric Bana does all that he can with perhaps the weakest written role in the film, the merciless Captain Nero.
In addition to the impressive work put in by the ensemble, the tech work is leaps and bounds better than any film yet released this year, and in some respects ever. The sound design is perfectly crisp, the visual effects gorgeous, and the score by Michael Giaccino beautiful.
Even with all of these elements, however, the star of this film was undoubtedly director JJ Abrams. He has shown the potential to unleash a great film before, but never on this scale. With this film he has unmistakably jumped off of the television platform and has firmly landed on Hollywood’s biggest stage. He is a motion picture director now, and that is where he deserves to stay. Let’s just say that I, for one, will be eagerly expecting anything he does from here on out and am ready for big things. Just like Jaws was Spielberg’s breakout film, I believe that this will be his.
Final Comment: If this film is not in my top five by the end of the year, then it will have been a great year indeed.
Rating: 10/10 (What flaws there might have been are easily excused due to the joy that permeates this film. Sitting here, I cannot think of one thing that I would have changed in it. And that is how I know that it deserves this rating.)
In the spring of 1999, a massive amount of Star Wars fans were eagerly awaiting the arrival of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, which signaled the start of a new trilogy. This film had all the potential in the world, and to put it simply, George Lucas who had created the characters that Star Wars fans had come to love, botched his reboot in every way possible. Suddenly, instead of relying on the heart and feeling of adventure that had been the staple of the original trilogy, the film seemed fixated on the special effects, leaving character development to the side. To state it another way, The Phantom Menace never felt like anything more than an attempt on Lucas’ part to cash-in on his previous success.
It should be thrilling news to every fan of the sci-fi genre then, that Star Trek, a film being released this weekend, succeeds in every way that the prequel trilogy failed. Instead of a pondering space melodrama, here is a film that grabs the audience from the very first moment and never lets go, as the action roars along from one crazy set piece to the next. In the midst of all that chaos, however, it never feels like the story or characters have been compromised. No, indeed, there is almost a perfect blend of characterization mixed in with the sensational action sequences.
Before this review goes any further, let it be known that I am not nor have I ever been a Trekkie. As such, any expectations I had for the film were extremely low. Add to that disinterest that there were no accomplished actors in the film and the failures of previous Star Trek films, and it seems like there is no way that this film should have turned out as great as it did. Well, all of that is true, except for one key component, JJ Abrams, the innovative mind behind Alias and LOST, who now very well could turn out to be the next Steven Spielberg.
With Star Trek, Abrams has created a world full of cinematic potential and one that is completely different than the original series due to a plot twist that I won’t spoil here. But, even more thrilling than the potential that is there, is the fact that he harnessed it so greatly his first time out.
The film begins with great intensity, as the audience sees the USS Enterprise under attack from the enemy Captain Nero. Because the fight is too dire the crew is forced to eject from the ship, especially the pregnant wife of George Kirk who is in labor with her son, who will end up becoming James Tiberius Kirk. Unbeknownst to the audience, this sequence sets up perfectly all of the events to come in the film and also gives us its first major thrill-ride. This exhilarating sequence would have been one of the best in most films, but in Star Trek it was just a small example of things to come.
As the film moves along Abrams gives us snippets of both Kirk’s and Spock’s early lives, detailing how they came to join Starfleet and in what seems like no time at all, they are both onboard the new Starship Enterprise, which once again faces destruction from Captain Nero. There is much more that I could say about the plot, but because it is so intricately detailed and would be easy to spoil, I will stop right there.
Besides the awesome story that unfolds throughout the film, there are other elements that are just as worthy of praise. The ensemble cast, though full of unproven names, turned out to sterling across the board. Chris Pine who plays the infamous James Kirk, for instance, fills the character with great swagger and bravado, easily passing as one of the great swashbuckling heroes of the sci-fi genre. His spiritual contrast in the film, Spock, played by Zacharay Quinto also excels in his role mixing in both human emotions and Vulcan logic with ease. And while these two stand at the forefront of this epic tale, Abrams still makes room for several other great characters, such as McCoy hilariously portrayed by Karl Urban (and who might be in my lineup for best supporting actor at year’s end) and Scotty which once again gives Simon Pegg (one of the great comedians of this decade) a chance to shine. It should also be noted that Eric Bana does all that he can with perhaps the weakest written role in the film, the merciless Captain Nero.
In addition to the impressive work put in by the ensemble, the tech work is leaps and bounds better than any film yet released this year, and in some respects ever. The sound design is perfectly crisp, the visual effects gorgeous, and the score by Michael Giaccino beautiful.
Even with all of these elements, however, the star of this film was undoubtedly director JJ Abrams. He has shown the potential to unleash a great film before, but never on this scale. With this film he has unmistakably jumped off of the television platform and has firmly landed on Hollywood’s biggest stage. He is a motion picture director now, and that is where he deserves to stay. Let’s just say that I, for one, will be eagerly expecting anything he does from here on out and am ready for big things. Just like Jaws was Spielberg’s breakout film, I believe that this will be his.
Final Comment: If this film is not in my top five by the end of the year, then it will have been a great year indeed.
Rating: 10/10 (What flaws there might have been are easily excused due to the joy that permeates this film. Sitting here, I cannot think of one thing that I would have changed in it. And that is how I know that it deserves this rating.)
Written by: Corey Wackel
At least once a year, there’s one film which seems to be held up too high by critics and audiences alike. Last year, that film was The Dark Knight for me. Sure, the film’s good, but it’s not great. You take out Heath Ledger’s stunning performance and you have very little left. If you would have had a different villain, Christian Bale’s acting would have ruined the movie entirely.
Well, much on the same page, Star Trek is the movie of 2009 that seems to be the first which is overly-praised. I think it’s actually better than The Dark Knight in some small aspects, but a “must-see” tag doesn’t need to be applied to the summer re-boot of the Trek franchise.
To be fair on the newest film, I will say that it did surprise me on many levels. In the classic battle of Star Wars vs. Star Trek, I’ve always sided with Star Wars and before Star Trek I had only seen one of the other feature length Star Trek movies. So it’s safe to say that I am not at all familiar with the series, and I was extremely satisfied to learn that this movie was telling everything from the beginning. I can only assume that it adheres to the story set forth by previous projects.
The mastermind behind the film is, of course, J.J. Abrams. The man behind TV hits like Lost and Alias has never really been a favorite of mine. I did enjoy the directing efforts he put behind Mission Impossible: III, but I find his other projects to be anywhere from vastly overrated to somewhat overrated. Abrams isn’t the worst choice for director, and I can honestly say that I have very few problems with the way he executed this project. He should have just called up George Lucas and let him know that he was planning on ripping off some of Lucas’ special effects. Lucas’ own company Industrial Light and Magic did do the special effects on Star Trek so some similarities can be excused, but it seems that the new Star Trek has benefited far too much for the Star Wars prequel films. There’s really no new special effects which elicit a sense of awe from the audience, save for one eye-popping sequence that involves a free fall to disable a drill above the surface of Vulcan.
The plot and script also suffer, but I don’t see how that could be helped. There’s no doubt that the scripts written by George Lucas for the Star Wars prequel films were beyond hollow. Star Trek’s script does succeed in creating more concrete character relationships, and it does deserve points there. There are also some older Star Trek references that fit nicely into the new film, but much of the dialogue is predictable and clichéd. The plot…I don’t even know where to begin. I’ve had a conversation about the plot with nearly everybody that I know who has seen the film, and I always seem to be on the wrong side of argument. For me, though, the whole future-present thing is beyond anything I’ve seen in any recent film. I understand that the idea of bending the time-space continuum is very ‘Star Trek,’ but I also acknowledge the fact that the makers of Star Trek could have kept it much simpler for those of us who don’t care for those kind of sci-fi themes. The cameo by Star Trek vet Leonard Nimoy was great (possibly the best part of the movie) but why couldn’t he just have played Spock’s dad? There’s no reason this idea of future and present Spock had to be used, and for me it comes off as ridiculous. The idea of a Spock romance was also distracting, and seemed just out place.
With every element of the film nearly covered, there seems to be only one left, and it so happens that I felt this one element worked best in the new film. That of course is the cast. I originally saw the cast and laughed at many of the choice, but the truth is that the ensemble actually works rather well. Chris Pine is a good James Kirk and Zachary Quinto is an inspired choice for Spock. Their relationship drives much of the film, and it succeeds as it does because of the talent of these two actors. There’s also some great supporting work from Karl Urban and Simon Pegg, both of which provide much needed moments of comic relief.
All in all, the film is good, but not great by any stretch. There will be the predictable sequel, and we can only hope that it improves and becomes a better film.
Final Comment: A notable beginning to the summer movie season, Star Trek proves to be a worthwhile trip to the cinema. The film isn’t great, but good by all accounts.
Rating: 6/10
At least once a year, there’s one film which seems to be held up too high by critics and audiences alike. Last year, that film was The Dark Knight for me. Sure, the film’s good, but it’s not great. You take out Heath Ledger’s stunning performance and you have very little left. If you would have had a different villain, Christian Bale’s acting would have ruined the movie entirely.
Well, much on the same page, Star Trek is the movie of 2009 that seems to be the first which is overly-praised. I think it’s actually better than The Dark Knight in some small aspects, but a “must-see” tag doesn’t need to be applied to the summer re-boot of the Trek franchise.
To be fair on the newest film, I will say that it did surprise me on many levels. In the classic battle of Star Wars vs. Star Trek, I’ve always sided with Star Wars and before Star Trek I had only seen one of the other feature length Star Trek movies. So it’s safe to say that I am not at all familiar with the series, and I was extremely satisfied to learn that this movie was telling everything from the beginning. I can only assume that it adheres to the story set forth by previous projects.
The mastermind behind the film is, of course, J.J. Abrams. The man behind TV hits like Lost and Alias has never really been a favorite of mine. I did enjoy the directing efforts he put behind Mission Impossible: III, but I find his other projects to be anywhere from vastly overrated to somewhat overrated. Abrams isn’t the worst choice for director, and I can honestly say that I have very few problems with the way he executed this project. He should have just called up George Lucas and let him know that he was planning on ripping off some of Lucas’ special effects. Lucas’ own company Industrial Light and Magic did do the special effects on Star Trek so some similarities can be excused, but it seems that the new Star Trek has benefited far too much for the Star Wars prequel films. There’s really no new special effects which elicit a sense of awe from the audience, save for one eye-popping sequence that involves a free fall to disable a drill above the surface of Vulcan.
The plot and script also suffer, but I don’t see how that could be helped. There’s no doubt that the scripts written by George Lucas for the Star Wars prequel films were beyond hollow. Star Trek’s script does succeed in creating more concrete character relationships, and it does deserve points there. There are also some older Star Trek references that fit nicely into the new film, but much of the dialogue is predictable and clichéd. The plot…I don’t even know where to begin. I’ve had a conversation about the plot with nearly everybody that I know who has seen the film, and I always seem to be on the wrong side of argument. For me, though, the whole future-present thing is beyond anything I’ve seen in any recent film. I understand that the idea of bending the time-space continuum is very ‘Star Trek,’ but I also acknowledge the fact that the makers of Star Trek could have kept it much simpler for those of us who don’t care for those kind of sci-fi themes. The cameo by Star Trek vet Leonard Nimoy was great (possibly the best part of the movie) but why couldn’t he just have played Spock’s dad? There’s no reason this idea of future and present Spock had to be used, and for me it comes off as ridiculous. The idea of a Spock romance was also distracting, and seemed just out place.
With every element of the film nearly covered, there seems to be only one left, and it so happens that I felt this one element worked best in the new film. That of course is the cast. I originally saw the cast and laughed at many of the choice, but the truth is that the ensemble actually works rather well. Chris Pine is a good James Kirk and Zachary Quinto is an inspired choice for Spock. Their relationship drives much of the film, and it succeeds as it does because of the talent of these two actors. There’s also some great supporting work from Karl Urban and Simon Pegg, both of which provide much needed moments of comic relief.
All in all, the film is good, but not great by any stretch. There will be the predictable sequel, and we can only hope that it improves and becomes a better film.
Final Comment: A notable beginning to the summer movie season, Star Trek proves to be a worthwhile trip to the cinema. The film isn’t great, but good by all accounts.
Rating: 6/10