Star Trek Into Darkness

People, where do I begin? How can I possibly articulate in a semi-coherent manner how much I ADORED Star Trek Into Darkness?!

If you're worried about spoilers, this is NOT the place to be. Consider yourself warned. 

I mean it. :)

Okay, here we go. :) Prior to Abrams' spectacularly entertaining re-boot of the Trek franchise in 2009, I wasn't a Trek fan in any way, shape, or form. I knew who Kirk and Spock were and that was about it. Any effort to engage with the film's source material previously had ended in apathy. But that film -- what Abrams and his cast and crew did for me then was introduce me to a vibrant cast of characters with a chemistry and an energy that reminded me of my personal science fiction favorite -- Star Wars. So the four year "drought" waiting for a follow-up has been absolute torture -- and to be quite frank, I was beginning to wonder if this movie would ever happen. And when it WOULD finally appear, could it possibly succeed in recapturing everything about the first film that I loved so much? COULD IT POSSIBLY LIVE UP TO THE HYPE??

Amazingly my answer to that question is YES. Yes, yes, and THEN SOME. Star Trek Into Darkness (do you have ANY IDEA how desperately I want to but a colon between "Trek" and "Into"?!) is a thoroughly entertaining, engaging sequel that continues to reinvent the tropes of this world while letting these new cast members, this perfect "Abrams-caught-lightning-in-a-bottle" ensemble make these characters their own.

Prior to this film's release I'd been reading rumors of the identity of villain, and the storyline's relation to what is (apparently?) considered one of the best classic Trek films -- The Wrath of Khan. So the night before I was due to meet friends to see Into Darkness I decided it was time to not just read about Khan online, but to watch the film -- and goodness am I ever glad I did, as I thought it thoroughly enriched my viewing experience and appreciation of everything Into Darkness works to accomplish on-screen.

So much of the success of Star Trek (both new and old) rests on the strength of the ensemble, and in particular New Trek is a positive gold mine of pitch-perfect, once-in-a-lifetime casting decisions and amazing group chemistry. But the relationships between various members of the crew (and I love them all) pales in comparison to the importance of the Spock/Kirk friendship, and here Abrams delves deeply into what friendship between two people who, on the surface at least, should have nothing in common to bind them together in friendship.

Now I can't speak in any great depth to how the classic Kirk and Spock friendship compares to the incarnation Abrams has given us in his re-boot, except to say that I feel New Trek is not only intent on examining how a human/Vulcan friendship works, but is perhaps more interested in how that friendship changes both men irrevocably. And for my money you could not ask for two better actors Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto to bring this legendary duo to life on-screen.

Pine's Kirk is cut very much from the Han Solo-hero mold -- good-looking, brash, and cocky, his Kirk would much rather act than reflect, sieze the day than think through the consequences. And his brash confidence has paid off in spades, bringing him success and command of the Enterprise -- but his success, his willingness to disregard the rules time and again has earned him not only the ire of Starfleet Command, but has arguably instilled in him a false sense of security in life and his ability to lead others.

Quinto's Spock absolutely fascinates me. Not only do we have Spock in a romantic relationship (more on that later), but Spock seems shaded with a touch more transparency, more hints of inner conflict rippling just below the logical Vulcan surface of his persona. And that conflict between his Vulcan and human halves, between the logical, unemotional side of his heritage and the part of him that genuinely wants to understand why he drives Kirk and Uhura insane just plays out brilliantly on-screen (when Kirk finds himself caught in the middle of what passes for a Spock/Uhura "fight" is one of the film's most hilarious scenes). When Kirk flouts convention and returns to save Spock from a volcano explosion at the beginning of the film, he genuinely does not understand why Kirk would be compelled to act so illogically or the potential consequences of his truthful reporting of the incident (which sees Kirk demoted). That gut reaction vs. a measured, intellectual response is the trigger that sets Spock on this inward journey to understand and relate to those around him throughout the film which culminates in a spectacular -- and very un-Vulcanlike -- emotional finale.

For his part, Kirk's character arc through the film not only neatly fits within the beats of Joseph Campbell's definition of the heroic journey, but the hothead must also learn the value of what someone of Spock's experience and perspective can bring to his life. Speaking to the heroic journey -- if the first film covered step one, the separation, than this second installment is Kirk's initiation and trial by fire. Disappointing his mentor, Admiral Pike (Bruce Greenwood -- okay let me just say, I get why this had to happen, but losing Pike was dang near as traumatic for me as the whole Coulson dying thing in The Avengers), and then seeing that surrogate father figure murdered sets Kirk on a path to revenge. This hearkens back to Kirk beating the Kobayashi Maru test in the 2009 film (also referenced in The Wrath of Khan) -- if the purpose of that test is facing a no-win scenario, of seeing how one would act in the face of sure death, having never accepted that as a possibility, Pike's death and the events that follow force Kirk to confront his fallibility. And in doing that, in recognizing that "how we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life" is a critical step in Kirk's heroic journey and maturation as a man and a leader.

In my rather random and sporadic watching of anything Classic Trek, while I always got the sense that Kirk and Spock were close friends what I LOVED about their relationship in this film is the glimpse we get into the DEPTH of that friendship. It is no stretch in my mind to say that the events of Into Darkness are a crucible through which the bond of friendship between them is solidified and strengthened. And we really see that played out in a powerful manner in how they push each other, how they change each other, and how through their friendship, through how they each take on the other's best qualities, each man is changed, arguably, for the better.

I understand that among some Trek purists Spock's relationship with Uhura (Zoe Saldana) is the subject of some controversy. Personally I think it is one of the best aspects of the new films, and I promise that isn't because I am a total romantic sap. *wink* I don't feel that Uhura fundamentally changes the logical, intellectual, supremely rational being that Spock is; rather she stretches and changes and challenges him in a way that is pure and simple an utter delight to watch on-screen. Quinto and Saldana play this atypical couple with more class and maturity than most film romances today in my opinion. Yes, Uhura gets frustrated with Spock -- but witness the looks she gives him before he's lowered into the volcano on Nibiru and after they survive the incursion into Klingon territory. It's love and acceptance pure and simple, and her ability to be so passionate about their relationship and ultimately so accepting of who he is (even though certain qualities occasionally drive her mad) just BAFFLES him. (And when he tells her that when he thought he was going to die he couldn't think about her because he feels TOO MUCH?! -- I DIE!) And watching Spock puzzle through the nuances of the relationships in his life, that will never get old, especially with an actor as fantastically expressive as Quinto in the role.

We all know I love Benedict Cumberbatch, right? :) Benedict did me proud here, and it was an absolute thrill to see him figure so prominently -- and so well -- in such a big-screen spectacle. In my experience following his career I've never seen him play such a villain. And being the superlative actor that he is, and stepping into a franchise that has grounded itself in the relationships between core characters, it's a testament to his considerable ability as an actor and the material that he was given to work with that his Khan is such a memorable, three-dimensional, terrifying villain. For while his actions -- blackmailing the Starfleet officer (hello Mickey from Doctor Who) into blowing up the archive, attacking Starfleet HQ -- are reprehensible, Cumberbatch never lets us forget that he is driven by a genuine love and fear for the safety of his crew, his family. There was a moment there when Kirk and Khan prepare to board the Reliant that I thought maybe, just maybe, "new" Khan was going to end more heroically -- Cumberbatch did a fantastic job playing painting Khan not in black and white, but shades of grey. And much like he will do anything to achieve his aim, so Kirk must also embrace what it means to be a true leader of his own crew, and come to terms with what he's willing to sacrifice for his family, the perhaps never-considered reciprocity of what he expects of them as their commander. While both men are driven by the same impulse, it's the choices each makes that ultimately defines who they are, for good or ill.

(Side note: Did Benedict perform in the fight scenes? Because that moment in Klingon territory when he saves Kirk, Spock, and Uhura is PURE DEADLY POETRY in motion.)

Where Kirk and Spock and Uhura and BENEDICT would be more than enough, Into Darkness goes above and beyond giving viewers a tremendous array of well-realized supporting characters that steal the show more often than not. *wink* I don't even think I can pick favorites, people, seriously -- I love them all. :) Off-hand I'd say Sulu's (John Cho) wins for most improved over his appearance in the 2009 film, as short but critical scenes give him the chance to test his own leadership potential when Kirk grants him the captain's chair. Please, can we have MORE of his character in the third film? Cho is a badass. ;-)

I absolutely LOVE Chekov (Anton Yelchin), and it was such a treat to see him get stressed out over assuming Scotty's position as chief engineer, when the latter resigns in protest over the presence of sketchy photon torpedoes on the Enterprise. I was seriously concerned about his safety when Kirk ordered him to don a red shirt, but thankfully that temporary transfer didn't blow up in his face (literally). And when he saves Kirk and Scotty I could barely contain my glee. :)

And Scotty! Could anyone else but Simon Pegg be so perfect for the role? I think not. I loved his professional outrage over the whole torpedo debacle, his insistence that he'd never help Kirk with anything EVER AGAIN, and then his own personal entering the Death Star moment when he discovers Admiral Marcus's secret warship Reliant (not to mention his solo heroics in the bowels of the oddly deserted ship). But more than all that, his indignant OUTRAGE at returning to the Enterprise after an absence of like a DAY only to discover she's falling apart around his ears. :)

I like Karl Urban a lot, and I like him as Bones...but maybe this is just a part of the original character that I don't get, but he seemed to spend an awful lot of time telling Kirk or Spock or whoever that he couldn't believe they were doing whatever it is they were going to do, instead of, you know, doing something. And while there's a lot of humor and warmth in his interactions with Kirk in particular, and he gets a moment with a TRIBBLE (!!), and those thirty seconds where he thinks he's going to get blown up by a torpedo, I am always left wanting. Like I just feel like there's more he should be doing than throwing around "dammit Jim's" and being hilariously neurotic. I LIKE it all, don't get me wrong, I just feel like he could play a bigger role vis-a-vis Kirk and Spock...I think that's what I'm getting at is I want more Bones being incredible. :)

While I don't know that I'd call Into Darkness a remake of The Wrath of Khan, exactly, it does borrow and adapt substantially from that film to fit certain story beats into the New Trek world -- and I love that. If the 2009 film established the two separate but similar timelines, this film takes that further by exploring how these new incarnations of the classic characters can take canonical story beats and experiences and make them their own. I think there must always be certain parallels, no? I find that it really enriches my appreciation of the Abrams films as I learn more about the source material.

That said, I LOVE LOVE LOVE how this film takes Spock's sacrifice in Wrath and turns it on its head. In this timeline, Kirk needed to come to the point where he was willing to sacrifice for a cause, for his family. And Spock -- with the insight offered from his counterpart Spock Prime (Leonard Nimoy) on New Vulcan, I truly believe he thought that defeating Khan would require him to make the ultimate sacrifice. So when his friend Kirk sacrifices his life to save the Enterprise he's absolutely gutted. Only then does he understand Kirk's drive to save him earlier in the film and how deep the bonds of friendship run between them, and how when evil threatens something near and dear to one's heart the gut response -- not the logical one -- oft-times demands action. (On a lesser level -- much less, since I didn't find Alice Eve as Carol terribly interesting -- I am looking forward to where the franchise goes with the canonical Kirk/Carol relationship given the characters' history in the show. I DO hope that the scripts up Carol's smarts in subsequent outings, as Eve was barely given enough to work with to raise her above my least favorite female scientist on film of all time, Denise Richards in The World is Not Enough -- that is NOT a mark you want to aspire to.)

So, wrapping things up, I basically think this film is pretty much pitch-perfect (just in case you couldn't tell). It's a fast-paced, energetic, engaging, and slickly-produced piece of summer entertainment with heart, thanks to memorable, well-drawn characters. Not only do you have the characters and special effects, but the film is just plain GORGEOUS. From the pops of vibrant yellows and reds on Nibiru to Abrams's apparent love of light halos illuminating the bridge of the Enterprise in space, every frame of this movie is a feast for the eyes. Finally, composer Michael Giacchino returned to score the film, and I think he outdid himself. From the action cues to gorgeous piano solos to his adaptation of the Classic Trek theme, every note of music complements the on-screen action perfectly. Very well done.

If you've seen the film I would (obviously) love to discuss! :) I can't wait to see where this crew takes us next, and I can only hope that the five year mission the Enterprise sets out on at the film's conclusion isn't some sort of sign that it is going to actually take FIVE YEARS for a sequel. Please, for the love Abrams, don't make me wait that long.

*Images copyright Paramount.

John Carter

Yesterday afternoon I went to see John Carter. I'm a sucker for big sci-fi epics, and was quite curious as to what this film was about, exactly, because I thought Disney did such a crap job marketing it. Seriously, the studio trailers told you nothing of substance which is a real shame because not only was the movie pretty good, but apparently this property is arguably the grandfather of modern science fiction (the Edgar Rice Burroughs series of Mars novels first appeared in 1912) -- and I can't be the only massive Star Wars fan that had never heard of this, right? The shoddy marketing campaign for this film -- inexplicably refusing to capitalize on the story's place in the canon of classic science fiction -- makes absolutely no sense. And I have to think that is where a large portion, if not most, of the blame lies for the movie's poor performance at the box office. Because John Carter was a pretty entertaining flick, which surprised me after the ho-hum promotional push.

All of that said, I'm not going to be able to resist making this review a little tongue-in-cheek, as I found some of the spectacle rather humorous. But I don't view that as a detraction -- it reinforced by overal favorable impression of the film as being fun...because after all I don't watch as many films as I do to think (all of the time, anyways, ha!).

As the movie opens it introduces us to a Mars that is apparently a wasteland, with only two proper cities on the entire planet. The first is led by some guy named Sab Than who looks remarkably like Dominic West (ha!), which led to my first "what the heck is doing in this movie?!" moment. Now for some inexplicable reason West has always rather creeped me out, which served him well in this role as Sab Than is CRAZY and power-mad. So Sab Than is picked to possess the magic blue electric energy weapon (seriously I have no clue what it was called) by the lead bald guy in a fluffy silver-blue robe called Matai Shang (Mark Strong). And this is the point where I start to bemoan Strong's career choices yet again, since this is a new version of the same villain he's played in at least seven films since 2007. Mark, you ARE BETTER THAN THIS! *sigh* Apparently Matai's character is something called a "Thern," which is some sort of legendary group that likes to go around facilitating the destruction of worlds (boo on them!).

So there you have the Mars (I just can't call Mars "Barsoom," sorry Burroughs) set-up, now cut to America where we meet John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is being followed by vacant-eyed men in suits and then ends up DEAD (or DOES HE??) after summoning his favorite nephew, Edgar Burroughs (Daryl Sabara, Spy Kids!), who turns out to be his heir. Edgar or Ned, as his uncle likes to call him, is given John's SUPER SECRET DIARY and this is where things start to get interesting. Carter was a Civil War veteran, very much a man without a country or cause because DANG IT, he's been burned by the world and his wife & kid are dead and WHY SHOULD HE CARE ABOUT PEOPLE ANYMORE?! (Side note: the Ned scenes in New York have something of a steam punk vibe to them after seeing the Martian technology...nice contrast.) Anyways, to make a long story short, John ends up in a cave full of gold which turns out to be some sort of alien way-station, because he kills one of those Thern peeps and then accidentally uses the pretty medallion the bald guy was carrying to transport himself to Mars.

Now I'm going to cut John a little bit of slack here, because when he is transported to Mars (only it takes him quite a while to realize he's on another friggin' PLANET...the four-armed green people weren't a big enough clue), he acquires the awesome super power of being able to LEAP TALL BUILDINGS IN A SINGLE BOUND. Wait...there are only two cities...scratch the tall buildings part. *wink* (In 1912 fantastic leaping may have been cutting edge, who am I to judge?) So he hooks up with Tharks (the aforementioned four-armed green aliens), whose king Tars Tarkas (voiced by Willem Defoe) takes a liking to him, sort of as in the vein of a royal pet (that doesn't go over well). Now there is all sorts of clan in-fighting as Tars is faced with insurrection, and that's on top of family issues as his unacknowledged daughter Sola (voiced by Samantha Morton) is a clan outcast for holding radical views like NICENESS.

So John jumps around a lot, makes friends with with the giant bobble-headed dog-like creature (who is hilarious, and surprisingly useful), and then he meets Dejah (Lynn Collins), the warrior/professor-type princess of Helium, the "other" city that has been trying to holdout against Sab-Dominic-West-Than, and SPARKS FLY! But before I can talk about SPARKS, I should probably mention that Dejah's father Tardos Mor (Ciaran Hinds -- really! it's hilarious!) wants to marry her off to Sabs, because he is dopey enough to buy into the idea that an arranged marriage will buy lasting peace. Tardos is followed around by Kantos Kan, who is none other than James Purefoy! My reaction: 1) James what the HECK are you doing in this movie? 2) Why isn't this movie ABOUT you? 3) Thank goodness he gets one scene where he can be adorably snarky as ONLY PUREFOY CAN.

Look! It's a Purefoy!

Back to SPARKS. I really liked Kitsch and Collins on-screen. Kitsch was an interesting factor...there's something about him that holds me back from being completely over-the-moon for him, but his voice -- gah!!! There are moments when it takes on this wonderful gravelly quality and I MELTED. And I liked this touch of gentleman-like charm Kitsch actually manages to convey occasionally...helped keep Carter somewhat grounded as a 19th-century hero. He even goes for the angst factor, which comes up during his transformation into a Martian hero, and while it isn't the best on-screen angst I've seen it certainly isn't the worst. One has to give Kitsh credit, he really seemed to throw himself whole-heartedly into this project. As for Dejah -- while I can't speak to how Collins's interpretation compares to the source material, she is very much in the vein of Princess Leia -- smart, sassy, and capable (and occasionally sporting a completely ridiculous wardrobe!).

Dejah is of course the impetus for Carter to START CARING ABOUT PEOPLE AGAIN...I mean MARTIANS...and DO something with his life, all in the best heroic journey/science fiction/adventure story tradition. I really liked the world-building here -- Mars is appropriately bleak and desolate, with pops of color in its cities and the inhabitants' clothing. I even rather liked the green Thark aliens. :) The costumes were this interesting hybrid of minimalist futuristic and ancient Roman soldier garb, which was rather interesting because because it was unexpected (Purefoy as an alien/Roman soldier? Yes, I'll take it.). Two of the three writers have Pixar work in their history, which perhaps explains the well-paced action and the overall feeling of energy that pervades the film. Yes, it has its cheesy moments, but at least it has fun with them. :) And I loved Michael Giacchino's score -- big, sweeping, at times romantic -- it was grand.

John Carter clocks in at a little over two hours, but director Andrew Stanton keeps the action moving at a brisk pace so there were no apparent lags in the forward momentum, for me at any rate. Knowing next to nothing about the specifics of the storyline, I was pleasantly surprised and entertained. It is unfortunate that those with no knowledge of the film's antecedents are probably going to feel like it is derivative (no thanks to the WORTHLESS MARKETING), but just knowing that this series of stories inspired countless writers and films made me appreciate Burroughs's influence in a way I'd never bothered to think of before. And the end of the film was absolute PERFECTION for a romantic sap like me. :) SPOILERS: Knowing that Carter spent over ten years desperately search for a way to return to Mars and his ONE TRUE LOVE just killed me. Kitsch sold me on Carter's single-minded quest. Gotta love a man who doesn't let a little thing like love separated by time and space hold him bac. *wink* All told, a lot more fun than I ever expected. :)

Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol

I suppose whether or not one likes the Mission: Impossible films depends largely on how one feels about Tom Cruise. While not an avid fan of the actor per se, I love this series of films and to Cruise's credit his penchant for gazing with steely-eyed intensity at the camera works really well for the role of IMF agent extraordinaire Ethan Hunt. The Mission movies feed my desire to see slick spy capers on the big screen, and after giving it some thought it is possible that Ghost Protocol is the best film in the series to date.

It has been five years since we last saw Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) walk off into the sunset with his new wife Julia (Michelle Monaghan), leaving the future of the film franchise in some doubt -- now that the hero had seemingly achieved some measure of happiness in his personal life, would he return to work? The answer, thankfully, is HECK YES. The film opens with IMF agent Jane Carter (Paula Patton) and newly-promoted field agent Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg, a carryover from the third film) breaking Hunt and his source, Bogdan (Miraj Grbic), out of a Moscow prison. The IMF want Hunt to help save Carter's previous mission which had gone horribly wrong, when her fellow agent and lover Trevor Hanaway (LOST's Josh Hollaway) was killed by Sabine Moreau (Lea Seydoux), who stole the nuclear launch codes he'd intercepted and plans to sell them to "Cobalt" (Michael Nyqvist), a nutcase. Hunt is viewed as something of a loose cannon by this new "team," since he was in prison for essentially going rogue and killing the Serbian hit squad responsible for the death of his wife (*sadface*).

I was so happy to see Benji return to the series -- Pegg is HILARIOUS and plays the computer geek thrilled to "see some action" in the field to perfection. I loved Benji's non-stop banter, in-the-field jitters, and Hunt's palpable exasperation with him -- the two play off each other quite well. Patton's Jane Carter is perhaps the best-realized female agent in the film series to date -- my favorite at any rate. She's fiesty, capable, and determined, and more than the equal of her male counterparts. Female spies in franchises like this can all too easily fall into the trap of being just a pretty face, rather empty-headed, but Carter avoids that trap by possessing an impressive drive and determination to succeed, thanks to Trevor's murder.

But by far my favorite cast addition is intelligence analyst William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), who falls in with the team quite by accident after the IMF is disavowed and blamed for a bombing at the Kremlin, and must go on the run to prove themselves innocent and stop the aforementioned Cobalt nutcase from starting a nuclear war. I've loved Renner since his work on the short-lived TV show The Unusuals, and 2012 promises to be a banner year for him with appearances in The Avengers and The Bourne Legacy. All is not as it seems with Brandt, who carries a terrible secret that could shatter his tenuous relationship with Hunt. Renner was just MADE for this type of role -- he's got the looks and physicality and also the humor, the snarkiness to make a character like Brandt appealing and quite frankly sheer fun to watch. If there's a fifth Mission: Impossible film -- and it seems likely, given the success of this installment -- if most or all of the team of Pegg, Patton, and Renner sign on to support Cruise I'm all for the idea (more on that in a moment).

I think a great deal of the credit for revitilizing the franchise in this manner has to go to director Brad Bird, who prior to this was known for directing films like The Incredibles. There's a sense of energy and pacing to Ghost Protocol that reminds me of the Pixar superhero family, and a family of sorts is indeed what this movie creates between the IMF team members. They quarrel and argue and question each other, but when push comes to shove they are there for each other. To paraphrase a line I read in an article somewhere about the film, Ghost isn't Tom Cruise vs. the world, this is a genuine TEAM effort. And getting invested in that team, and their relationships with each other, and enjoying the on-screen dynamic -- that is a large part of what makes this movie work so extraordinarily well.

Of course there are spectacular action sequences and cool spy gadgets -- it just wouldn't be a Mission: Impossible movie without those "amazing" (read: ridiculously convenient) masks the team creates to impersonate people (though in a good-natured jab at the previous films, the masks don't work, leaving the team to rely on cool bravado to sell their con), as well as a host of new technology -- my favorite being the contact lens that serves as a camera, that sends copies to a wireless printer in a special briefcase. Seriously, I WANT ONE. I have no idea WHY, I just do. *wink* 

In addition to the spy "toys," this film is chock-full of arguably some of the most spectacular action sequences in the franchise. After the team's attempt to retrieve a file on the elusive Cobalt from the Kremlin goes south and the building explodes, I thought that could possibly be the film's high-water mark -- and was I ever wrong. The trailers give you a glimpse of Cruise's high-wire act climbing the Burj Khalifa -- the world's tallest skyscraper -- in Dubai in his best Spiderman impression. The visuals in that scene are just spectacular, and the tension is superbly handled. I love that the team never gives you a sense during this or any other moment in the film that they are cocky and overly confident -- this time around there's a renewed sense of fallibility among Cruise & company -- as the audience we "know" how things are supposed to work out, so full credit to the script, cast, and director for maintaining tension and excitement throughout. Each member of this core team knows they are riding a high-wire act, each has experienced or witnessed the horrible cost of a mission gone wrong -- the stakes are high and the film keeps viewers invested and interested in the outcome. And I didn't even talk about Hunt's pursuit of Cobalt in the middle of a sandstorm... :)

Couple of quick notes -- it was terrific to see Tom Wilkinson make a brief appearance as the ill-fated IMF Secretary. It was also WONDERFUL to see longtime Hunt cohort Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) make a brief cameo at the film's conclusion -- if he can be persuaded to come back for a fifth film, that would pretty much make things perfect. Music-wise Michael Giacchino delivers perhaps an even better score than his first outing in the series for the third M:I film. Giacchino also has a history of working with director Bird on The Incredibles, and one wonders if this similar superhero/action-themed collaboration inspired the energy of his  newest offering.

In a way that's somewhat reminscent of the "realism" Daniel Craig brought to the character of James Bond in Casino Royale, Ghost Protocol reminds viewers that the IMF agents accomplishing these impossible feats are very human. I can't remember Ethan Hunt ever taking quite as much of a pounding as he does in this latest installment. And it isn't just the reminder that characters like Ethan aren't immune to physical harm -- this script adds layers of emotional resonance that in the end makes this particular grouping of IMF agents people you care about. This is perhaps best summed up at the movie's conclusion, when Hunt (SPOILER ALERT) admits to Brandt that his wife is, in fact, alive. There's two things at play here that made me love that moment -- one, Hunt recognizing himself in Brandt and realizing just how much it would mean to know the truth behind the failed mission in Croatia, and two, witnessing Hunt's faithfulness to his wife and seeing just how much he loves her. Yes, I know I am a total romantic sap but GAH!! -- that moment killed me it was so perfect.

For sheer escapist fun Ghost Protocol can't be beat. Kudos to the entire production team for refreshing a franchise that could've gotten stale if filmmakers had continued to insist on relying on Cruise's star power alone. This team works, and as the main thread that has run throughout the film franchise, Cruise plays off the newbies really well. :)

Star Trek

Since I've now seen Star Trek twice, I suppose it's about time I blog about it. I love this movie. Let me go back a bit and explain exactly why that fact is so extraordinary. I have never, ever been able to STAND anything Trek-related. I'd go so far as to say I ventured into hatred and loathing a time or two - my aversion to all things Trekkie runs deep and true (and it's not for lack opportunity to see the movies or watch any one of the ten million television episodes readily available). Several of my friends are Trekkies, and even my dad enjoys the show (but just to qualify that, my dad'll watch just about anything...just sayin'...).

But when I heard about this new film and started to see the previews, I couldn't help but be intrigued. Since it was touted as a reboot of the franchise, I figured it would be a good starting point for me given how ignorant I am of the intricacies of Star Trek lore. I saw this movie opening day with a group of friends, most of whom weren't die hard fans of the franchise either, and we all loved it. As I later discussed with one of them on Facebook, we still can't stand "old Star Trek" but we're wild fans of "new Star Trek." Sort of a B.C. versus A.D. moment...it's all changed now, people. Of course the biggest reason this movie works for me was because of how similar it felt to Star Wars: A New Hope, with Spock and Kirk echoing Luke and Han's journeys. These similarities are nicely encapsulated in this handy video:

Watch My Favorite Movie (Star Trek vs. Star Wars) and more funny videos on CollegeHumor

(If the video doesn't work click on the link above.)

I had no idea that this movie would be a literal reboot of the franchise that would run parallel to the established stories thanks to the convenience of a time-space tunnel, blah, blah, blah. The first time I saw this film I was so incredibly mad when old Spock appeared and ground time to a halt in order to explain the screw-up in the space-time continuum. Now I don't have anything against rifts in the fabric of time as a general rule - I'm a huge fan of Primeval and Doctor Who, both shows that gleefully disregard any respect for the sanctity of time. However, the first time I saw Star Trek, the whole time thing felt like a massive cheat. Upon further thought, the fact that the time cheat thing ticked me off so much is really a tribute to the filmmakers and actors - I was so completely absorbed by the story that I didn't want them to have to "go there," grinding the action to a halt in order for old Spock to explain the time mess to new Kirk. Happily after a few weeks and a second viewing, I've come to terms with the whole time thing and I understand better why it needed to happen (i.e., Hollywood is going to give me a sequel with the yummy Chris Pine reprising his role as Kirk! YES!!).

Which brings me to the cast - I thought they were superb, and as an ensemble they all "clicked" and gelled really well on-screen. My passing familiarity with old, pre-awesome Star Trek (*grin*) gave me enough of a knowledge of the characters to appreciate everyone's new take on the classic roles. The standout of course would be Zachary Quinto as Spock. He had enough of Leonard Nimoy's presence and mannerisms, but he brought a little more humanity and relatability to the role IMO. Simon Pegg was genius casting as Montgomery Scott - the man stole ever scene he was in. Bruce Greenwod was fabulous as Captain Pike (seriously the older he gets the better looking he becomes - just had to throw that out there!). Karl Urban as Bones was a little weird to me. I mean I love me some Karl Urban, but his acting seemed so forced and fake in comparison to the other characters. However, I will own that my lack of familiarity with the original Bones probably has a lot to do with how I viewed Urban's take on the character (particularly since I've read in several places online that Urban's Bones is probably the most faithful incarnation of the original character in the entire new film). All that aside, Bones had some excellent buddy chemistry with Chris Pine, the guy who's taken the role owned by William Shatner and livened things up with a nice dose of Han Solo-like hotness. Of everyone in the cast I predict this movie will be the making of Chris Pine's career. He absolutely nailed the brilliant, devil-may-care hero type with attitude to spare. My second favorite character would be Chekov, played by Anton Yelchin. He is too stinking cute! LOL! Absolutely loved his scenes - they were so much fun! I could mention the other main players in the cast, but I'm tired, and frankly don't care enough.

A few other notes...the pacing of the movie, except for that section taking place on a planet eeriliy reminscent of Hoth (HA!!), was fantastic, never letting up. The fight scenes were fantastic to behold - all of the special effects were, as to be expected of course (but still, it's worth noting IMO), veritable feasts for the eyes. The camerawork was on occasion WAY to jerky and closeup for my tastes. I sort of think that must be due to J.J. Abrams television background. The guy has got to learn that it's okay to pull back on the big screen every once in a while (please, for the sake of my stomach...LOL!). I also enjoyed Michael Giacchino's score for the film (though Kaye tells me many of the passages are nearly identical to the man's work in Lost - however, since I don't watch that show, that's nothing for me to quibble about). There were some really well done moments that used a softer, more orchestral score instead of a more typical, bombastic action cue, adding to the emotional impact of the scene (the first scene that comes to mind is when George Kirk sacrificies himself for the crew and passengers of the U.S.S. Kelvin).

So, all that to say, if you STILL haven't seen this movie by some freakish chance, it's worth checking out. I'm a diehard anti-Trekkie, and I am really, REALLY looking forward to the sequel.