May 8th, 2009
It's Here!!
It's Here!!
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All right, let me explain something right up
front. This is going to be a very hard review for me to write. Oh, I have
the words and the skill. I know what I want to say. I just wish I didn’t
have to say it. You see, the new "Star Trek" film was produced and directed
by J.J. Abrahms. I don’t think much of his work. In fact, after the utterly
wretched "Cloverfield," I hoped to never have to sit through anything he
was connected with ever again. But, he made the new "Star Trek." As well
as being the author of "The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Movies," and
thus obligated to see it, I’m a fan. Have been since I watched the original
series in black and white on our crummy old television back in my callow
youth. But, after seeing the various trailers for the film, witnessing
his imagining of the young James T. Kirk as a snot-nosed punk, coupled
with all the swirling rumors of massive changes to the established continuity,
I was not looking forward to the experience of the finished product.
All that was said mainly so those reading this who felt the same way I
did as this film approached will understand the depth of my emotions as
I say, this film is an incredible accomplishment, staggering in its deference
to both the source material and the fans who love it, evocative, dazzling
and the film every other studio in town is going to have to work hard to
beat.
The story: Two fellows, one named Kirk and one named Spock, grow up on their respective planets. Each has a great deal of baggage they have to drag along with them as they mature. Both of them, taking wildly different routes, end up in Star Fleet. And, both of them take on an immediate and distinct dislike for one another. Before they can get too involved with their personal contempt for one another, however, as so often happens in big Trek events, suddenly the fate of the Earth is in their hands. Not only their hands, but the entire fledgling classic Trek crew. There’s trouble with some Romulans who seem to have some awfully incredible weapons. In fact, it’s almost as if they’re from the future. Could be, since they’re trying to hunt down someone called Ambassador Spock, someone nobody else seems to know. |
I haven’t talked about performances or special
effects or the soundtrack, blahblahblah, because there isn’t any need.
This isn’t that kind of film. There’s enough time for that later. Right
now, this is all you need to know.
If you don’t like Star Trek, stay home. There
probably isn’t that much here that will win you over. If, however, you
do like, love, enjoy Trek, then you must go. Find the money. Trust me on
this one. This new cast--some chosen for their resemblance to the original
cast, some for the uncanny way they can capture those original voices--all
of them do a tremendous job of not only recreating classic Trek, but of
making it theirs and theirs alone. Yes, Spock is having an affair
with an earthling. Yes, people die here that didn’t before. Yes, there
are changes and if I told you what they were you would just get upset so
I’m not going to say anything else except, live long and prosper.
And get your ass to the theater to see the "Star Trek" you most likely
never thought possible.
Our final word: 5 stars out of 5.
The Players: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Ben Cross, -Bruce Greenwood, Anton Yelchin , John Cho and Leonard Nimoy
The Filmmakers:
Directed by J.J. Abrams
Screenplay by Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman
Released by Paramount Pictures
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The new “STAR TREK” motion picture has arrived . .
. a prequel showing how Kirk, Spock, and the gang first evolved and set
out from Starfleet Academy and other places, when very young, to find themselves
and their roles in “the saving of mankind,” and “to go where no man has
gone before” ( now changed to “no one” to be politically correct). It’s
uncanny how the new young cast strikes such a resemblance to the actors
we remember from the now classic original TV series. Incidentally, the
original Spock ( Leonard Nimoy) shows up in this one in an interesting
part of the plot, a Spock meets Spock so to speak, with the young and the
elderly together. Nimoy is the only original cast member to get a cameo
in this film for some reason. The good guys and the bad guys are at it
in outer space as that grand old ship, NCC-1701, the USS Enterprise, gets
involved in the machinations that occur when our brave crew encounters
obstacles galore in order to save mankind.
The villain of the piece is a renegade Romulan, Captain Nero, who seeks revenge for his home planet Romulus being destroyed, and he blames Spock who worked hard to save it but couldn’t. Caught in a black hole generated by mysterious 'red matter' Nero, his ship and crew are propelled into the past when Spock is a young man just out of the Academy on his first assignment. Nero feels that destroying all of the Federation planets especially Vulcan and Earth will not only satisfy his revenge, but change future history as well....and he has captured the ultimate weapon and spacecraft to do it. “STAR TREK” logically shows how our favorites got together to form that marvelous crew. Actually, the film opens with James Kirk’s father George taking over as captain of the starship that will be destroyed by Nero. His wife gives birth to Jim as she is being evacuated and her husband dies; she and the baby escaping. He had been captain of the ship for just twelve minutes but managed to save 800 lives by his sacrifice. |
Star Trek also parallels Spock’s upbringing and the
prejudice he put up with because his mother Amanda ( Winona Ryder ) was
not Vulcan but human. All falls into place with some surprises that do
make sense, a story line that will not disappoint the die hard fans of
the series. Visuals are stunning as well as outer space battles,
explosions, and magnificent special effects. Holding interest throughout,
the film’s direction by J.J. Abrams is right on the mark, a task not that
easy when dealing with these sci-fi icons of the series. The new
actors do well in conveying the characters that have long been previously
established. To tell you more about the film would spoil this truly wonderful
cinematic experience. Is this one of the blockbuster films for the
season? You bet it is!
It should make tons of money at the box office.
The Filmmakers:
Directed by J.J. Abrams
Written by Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman
Director of Photography: Dan Mindel
Music by Michael Giacchino
A Paramount Picture
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Tilda Swinton gives the performance of a lifetime
and bids for a second Oscar nomination for sure as Julia, a middle-aged
alcoholic who totters around nightclubs on spike heels, and gets by on
low paying jobs between many rounds of vodka and one-night stands where
she wakes up not knowing where she is or what she has done. Eventually,
this behavior costs her her last dead end job. But, Julia is manipulative,
unreliable and a compulsive liar and her only support comes from a former
alky, her sort-of-boyfriend Mitch ( Saul Rubinek ) who tries to keep her
going to the AA meetings, which in this case is a bad idea. One day,
at one of the AA meets, an opportunity presents itself for Julia to make
a substantial amount of money. Recovering (?) alcoholic Elena ( Kate del
Castillo ) offers Julia $50,000 to regain custody of her kidnapped son
Tom (Aidan Gould ) so she can return to Mexico with her. She wants to protect
Tom from his rich, over-protective grandfather. Julia jumps at the chance
to have money and the freedomit will supposedly give her, and commits a
desperate act by kidnapping the boy herself and wondering if the grandfather
would ransom his grandson for a lot more than fifty g's. As the repercussions
spiral beyond her control, she is forced to make a choice between sacrifice
and redemption.
Complications set in when Julia ends up running from the law and accidentally drives a stolen car through a fence and winds up in Mexico where things get worse - much worse. Ultimately, Julia has to face off some really bad men, killers, drug runners and real kidnappers and the stakes go up to $2 million at a time when she has a life or death decision to make and maybe emerge fromthis nightmare as a heroine of sorts..maybe if she survives. This offers not only a magnificent performance, but top drawer direction and cinematography with colorful if not desireable locations make this a sleeper pick for awards galore. Don't miss it. |
"In a way it's black humor,"says Swinton of her character," because Julia has no idea what a child is for one thing. She sees them as sort of a step up from pets..you feed them and they sleep and sometimes they talk to you. But that's the quirkines sof this marvellous character. I have always wanted to play an alcoholic because most of my friends are alcoholics and I can't drink at all. One glass of wine and I'm asleep for hours. Julia is amoral, and half the time doesn't think even on step ahead with the result that the consequences of her actions quickly envelop her. It was very rearding to investigate the adventures of a tragic person such as Julia who seems to have a talent for gettingin deeper and deeper no matter what path she chooses. I've always been attracted to characters with compollicated sexual identities."
"We shot the bulk of the film in Mexico City and it was very physically demanding because of the heat and the cuts in the budget meant shooting 17 hour days. However, I was lucky in that I was working with a consummate profesisonal actor, Aidan Gould who is remarkably precocious for his age. he knew what to say and where to hit his marks and all this was amazing for a 9 year-old. I came out of this shoot with a new perspective and this was before we shot ''Michael Clayton'' and I had the Oscar, too."
"I spend a lot of time working
with my foundation - The 81/2 Foundation" which makes it possible for children
who are underpriviledged to get movie tickets." Readers who
care can find Ms. Swinton's foundation on the Internet.
The Players: Tilda Swinton, Saul Rubinek, Kate del Castillo, Aidan Gould, and Jude Ciccolella
The Filmmakers:
Directed by Erick Zonca
Screenplay by Michael Collins and Camille Natta
Release by Magnolia Pictures
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