While you’re at it, you should also check out our full Star Trek reviews from Dan Deevy — our fearless leader and a diehard Trekkie — and Ryan Hamelin, who wasn’t a fan of the franchise but loved the movie. I won’t burden you with three reviews by adding my own, but I will say that I loved the movie, too. I’d probably give it an A-, in between the B Dan gives it and the A Ryan gives it. There were some amusing logic gaps, a few too many second unit shots of people on spaceships falling over from their ship getting hit, and the good guys win a little too easily, but the good overpowers the bad to an absurd degree. I left the theater wishing the movie was twice as long. I already want to see the sequel.

Bottom line: it’s as good as we all wished the Star Wars prequels were.

With that said, today I ran across this video, which has got to be the funniest news report I’ve ever seen from The Onion:

The first showings start tonight, at 7:00pm. I’m sure there are already people lined up as we speak. To say this day has been hotly anticipated by every single Star Trek fan since the awful Nemisis debuted to $18.5 million back in 2002 is an understatement of epic proportions. This weekend we’ll get to see just how well J.J. Abrams’ new vision of Gene Roddenberry’s classic holds up under the scrutiny of die-hard trekkies and casual film-goers everywhere.

The movie is currently sitting at a glowing 95% on RottenTomatoes and looks like it could be the first big hit of the summer (I discount Wolverine mostly because everyone went to see it for Hugh Jackman and shiny claws). Is it better than Kahn? I’ll leave those comparisons up to you. Dan and I got the chance to see the movie last Thursday (don’t kill us, we’re just doing our jobs) and both had a really great time with it. Having seen it once since then, I can also guarantee that it holds up as well if not even better after a second viewing.

The purpose of this article was originally going to be to compare and contrast our viewpoints on the film. I was going into the screening pretty sure I was going to love the movie, and Dan was hell-bent on hating every big-budget minute of it. In the end we’re only a single letter grade apart, but given the already high amount of praise for the film thus far, that’s pretty much the range of reactions in a nutshell anyway. Without further ado, check out our two reviews below:

Star Trek

Review By: Dan Deevy
DanDeevy@TheCinemaSource.com

Movie Grade: B

OK before I begin this review let me just say that I still think The Next Generation cast had at least one more movie in them. If it hadn’t been for that hack imitating a director, Stuart Baird, Star Trek: Nemesis would have been an amazing success and would have led to one final adventure for Captain Picard and crew. But since that didn’t happen I was excited to see a brilliant movie blending the crews of Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager; kind of a best of the best all stars movie. But then that didn’t happen either. Pretty much the last thing I wanted to see was a whole new cast coming in pretending to be our beloved original seven. And of course, that’s what did finally end up happening.

Exhale an enormous sigh of relief fellow purists… it wasn’t that bad; in fact, a lot of it recaptured the charm and magic of the original series which I was thrilled about. However, the movie is far from perfect.

I went in to the film praying that the time travel nature of the story would make up for the fact that nothing looked right. The bridge looked like something out of Lost in Space or Galaxy Quest – nothing like the bridge we all know and love. The Enterprise itself had been drastically redesigned along with the crews’ uniforms and the overall look and feel of life in the 23rd century. Well, it turns out that all of that has happened because a bitter angry Romulan called Nero (Eric Bana) has gone back in time and changed history. The entire timeline from moments before Kirk’s birth to what the film presents as present day is totally different from what we all know as the true history of Star Trek. This was a brilliant move on the part of the creative team behind the film because now, they can do anything they want… change anything they want and it’s acceptable.

For me the plot of the film is almost irrelevant beyond the above points so I’m not going to go into any specifics about it. Suffice it to say when you sit down to watch this film, the plot will drag you in and you’ll be totally on board for the ride. The important things to talk about here are how wonderfully well these young actors stepped into the shoes of these legendary parts.

It was impossible for me to envision anyone else being Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy. The four supporting characters Scotty, Sulu, Uhura and Chekov were a little easier to imagine in different hands as their characters were never fully explored and realized. But the top three had such chemistry between them it seemed impossible to replicate. It was that whole lighting in a bottle phenomenon. While that statement is true, newcomers Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Karl Urban came so much closer to it than I ever imagined they could – I was blown away! Karl Urban in particular embodies McCoy in such an honest and true way that I really believed I was watching DeForest Kelley when he was younger playing Dr. McCoy. Zachary Quinto nails several true Spock moments that solidify the character and Chris Pine plays the sexiest Captain the galaxy has ever seen! He definitely wasn’t channeling Shatner but was still 100% Captain James T. Kirk.

The special effects and action sequences are where I have the most problems with this movie. Star Trek space battle scenes are very different from Star Wars space battles; at least they were until this movie. Starfleet ships use phasers, which are solid beams of light firing from a few main locations typically on the saucer section. Rebel and Imperial ships in Star Wars use blasters which are short bursts of energy from cannon type armaments on the ships. Unfortunately J.J. decided that crazy frenetic cannon style blasters looked cooler and so all of the battle sequences have a very distinct Star Wars episodes I, II & III feel which was really disappointing. You never get that build up and tension leading into a battle or during the fighting of it that you get from all other Star Trek movies. Here you are thrown into these massive battles and it takes a while to figure out what the hell is happening. Normally the dialogue in a Trek movie will be, “Lock weapons on this and fire. Then lock different weapons on this and fire. Bring us around to attack from a different angle… and fire!” But here all we get is, “FIRE EVERYTHING!” and then craziness ensues.

I feel like if they could have stayed a bit more true to the franchise in a technical effects sense this movie could have been a total home run, but as it stands it will always be the least Star Trek of any Star Trek film. Some will say that’s a good thing – but those people are stupid.

Don’t get me wrong it was incredible to be sitting in a movie theater watching new Star Trek again for the first time in years! I had a silly grin of pure joy on my face for a lot of it and had a few spontaneous uncontrollable bursts of mini clapping to myself which only happens when I’m so pleased that I just don’t know what to do with myself. So it was a great experience. I just wanna know when these people are gonna wise up and consult me BEFORE a movie is made because with my alterations they’d have near perfect, flawless Star Trek film. I may not be an expert on much, but when it comes to Star Trek I really can’t be beat. And I guess now that J.J. Abrams is involved that’s a cool thing? Right?

And now for the more open-minded, non-diehard, teenager review…

Star Trek

Review By: Ryan Hamelin
RyanHamelin@TheCinemaSource.com

Movie Grade: A

The last film that managed to exceed my abnormally high level of fan-boy expectation was The Dark Knight. That should give you some context when I can say, unequivocally, that J.J. Abrams Star Trek left all of my preconceptions in the dust. The movie is a phenomenally solid sci-fi epic that boasts an incredible cast, beautiful visuals, and one of the best scripts of any film to come out this year. I mean it, this film is the kind of event that Trek fans have been waiting for since Star Trek the Motion Picture, and it’s a movie which manages to be entirely respectful to its source material while simultaneously opening its arms to the entirety of the movie going public (Watchmen screenwriters take note).

What works? Just about everything. From the pitch-perfect opening sequence, easily the most emotionally charged opener of any of the films, to the final bars of the classic theme with Leonard Nimoy delivering the “Space, the final frontier” motto, this film maintains a level of quality in every facet of its production that continues to astound me hours after leaving the theater. The sets are wonderful, even the updated bridge took a grand total of three minutes before it became familiar and homely, and the U.S.S. Enterprise has never felt more real. The space battles have been kicked up through the roof, and though they’ve acquired a more visceral Star Wars aesthetic, I think it’s truly a good thing, because they are spectacular on a big screen.

Enough can’t be said about the cast of this film. Everybody nailed every line, every nuance, while managing to never look like they were imitating anybody. Karl Urban, in particular, is quite literally channeling DeForest Kelley the majority of the film and the interaction between him and Chris Pine’s Kirk along with Zachary Quinto’s Spock really shines through from the original series. I spent the majority of the movie grinning from ear to ear as each classic line flew out of the mouths of characters I knew and had grown to love throughout my childhood. The familiarity was so tangible and real that I’m amazed something didn’t happen to disturb the near endless stream of terrific moments by the halfway mark of this film.

What didn’t work? Well, I know Dan’s going to have quite a few more criticisms than I do, but given he went in prepared to hate the film and came out enjoying it, that shows you just how solid a piece of entertainment this project is. On occasion the action seems to lull a little bit, but that’s really only in comparison to the rapid-fire pace of the rest of the film. The writers also get really close to dangerous territory when it comes to one relationship in particular, but they never go too far, and having read interviews with Gene Roddenberry bemoaning the fact that he never had the time to develop this particular relationship in the series, I’m happy they did their best to explore the possibilities there without falling into cliché or gut-wrenchingly bad melodrama. As long as Chris Pine is in the scene to offer a quip that brings the focus back where it belongs, the tangents never seem forced or too disconnected.

Now it’s time to address what I gather is a really big question for all of the non-Trek fans out there. Will you like it without knowing anything about the series? I think the answer is a definite yes. There’s guns, space battles, drama, intrigue, humor, explosions, and heart… all painted on the canvas of one of the most well loved sci-fi universes ever created. It’s also a time-travel story, so it goes back and introduces all of the original crew as well as the major themes of the show and all the different technological gadgets that they have at their disposal. It really is quite accessible, and the lines that will draw appreciation of a deeper sort from fans will still produce the same laughs and smiles from people looking for a good story and who can appreciate characters that have all the weight and candor of real people.

Is it perfect? No. Do they pull it off? Hell yes. They also manage to create a film that both Trekkies and the uninitiated will love for years to come. This film will make Star Trek cool, it’s true, but not through destroying anything that was great about it before, just by opening it up and telling a story that will emotionally affect a greater number of people. This is the movie that will validate all those years of fans saying, “No really, you should check it out, it’s really cool” and replace that with “Yeah, I’m a real fan, not one of you bandwagoners.” I think that alone is worth the price of admission. Hats off to Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman for doing the seemingly impossible and rebooting the greatest sci-fi franchise of all time in spectacular fashion. I figure they’ve got at least two more fantastic movies left in them, and then we’ll see what happens. Will these be the continuing voyages of a new generation of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy? Who knows? All we can say for sure is that as the U.S.S. Enterprise warps off on its next voyage into the unknown, the future of this franchise looks bright indeed.

So, there you have it. Now you know everything you’d ever really want to know prior to seeing the film, and just for fun, here are the newest TV Spots to help you on your way out the door. Drop us a line when you get back from the film and tell us what you think below. Live Long and… well… you know.

TV Spot #12

TV Spot #13

TV Spot #14

“From the very first bars of Jay-Z’s “Heart of the City”, you know exactly what this movie is going to sound like. From the very first handheld shot, framed in a frill-less documentary style, you know exactly what this movie is going to look like. And when that first punch hits, that first gut wrenching fist on bone reverberation, you know exactly what this movie is going to feel like. What you don’t know, and what will have you on the edge of your seat until the last frame, is what’ll happen next.”

For the whole review, head on over here and check it out. Below is our embed of the official theatrical trailer as well as the movie’s poster.

With another Friday comes another slew of Hollywood products looking for happy customers.  While some of you are already off seeing Friday the 13th, I bring you reviews of two movies that are cashing in on neither the unlucky date nor Valentine’s Day: Gomorrah and The International.

Our critic Alysa Salzberg liked the critically acclaimed Italian film Gomorrah (or, alternately, Gomorra) quite  a bit:

Gomorra has a lot going for it: on the one hand, the storylines make for a great criminal flick, like a slightly less exuberant Tarantino or Ritchie film set in Italy. But for those of us not interested in the misadventures of quirky and would-be criminals alone, there’s also a sober, timely truth to the film that’s made it respected by critics in the US and abroad, given it the endorsement of Martin Scorsese, and earned it countless award nominations: The film’s unflinching look at the decaying landscape of slums, brothels, and other hideouts of the corrupt.

Click through to read Alysa’s full Gomorrah review.

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing about The International:

I don’t know whether or not the movie I just saw had a happy ending. Maybe that’s the point. Still, I think you’re supposed to draw some conclusion, beyond just wishing the movie would come with a crib sheet explaining various banking terms and what the heck the characters were even attempting to do in the last quarter of the movie.

And here’s my full International review.

First up is Rebecca Ford’s take on He’s Just Not That Into You.  She says:

Based on the book, I would expect this film to be a lot of really insecure women crying over their men, and making excuses for their bad behaviors. And, sure, there is some of that. But the movie surpasses the book on so many levels.; It’s funny, and real, and imaginative all at the same time. I’m not saying it’s going to change the world any time soon, but it is a valiant effort in examining the messy dating game, and the causalities it can leave behind…

Click here for the full He’s Just Not That Into You review.

Next up is my review of Coraline:

Coraline is at points funny, exciting, and terrifying, but it’s always inventive and magical. It’s the kind of movie that might give little kids nightmares, but in twenty years they’ll be saying “I wish they still made movies like Coraline.” It’s a new classic.

And here’s the full Coraline review.

Finally, I also weighed in on the telekinetic action flick Push:

The real star is [Dakota] Fanning, who gives this already energetic movie the exact jolt of energy it needs in order for it to feel entertaining and not merely busy. She’s such a good actress for her age that it’s becoming a little ridiculous.  Here she finally gets to play a contemporary teenager after lots of saintly little kid roles, and the scene in which she gets drunk is hilarious.

And here’s the rest of the Push review.

That’s it for this week.  We’re off exploring New York Comic-Con over the weekend, so be sure to check back early next week for our complete coverage.

All three of our senior critics — Dan Deevy, Andrea Tuccillo and myself — each made lists, and there’s surprisingly little crossover.  I share three movies with Andrea (Tropic Thunder, Doubt, and The Dark Knight) and only two with Dan (The Dark Knight and In Bruges), while Dan and Andrea also only share three (The Dark Knight, Pineapple Express, and Role Models).

Yep, if you were following that, that means The Dark Knight is the only film to make all three lists.  But that’s the only taste you’re getting — for the rest of the lists, our rankings, and our runners-up, click on the image below:

The News Blog has laid dormant over the holiday break, but we haven’t — a heck of a lot of movies were released (with the intention of making major bank when everybody was out of work/school for Christmas), and we had to write reviews for all of them.  (Well, almost all.  Sorry, Yes Man.)  Now that it’s finally 2009, things have simmered down, and you’re already sick of your brand new Nintendo Wii, I’ll take the opportunity to highlight what we’ve been working on so you can retroactively check them out:

Bedtime Stories review by Rocco Passafuime
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button review by Michael Dance
Defiance review by Michael Dance
Frost/Nixon review by Michael Dance
Marley & Me review by Dan Deevy
Milk review by Dan Deevy
Nothing Like the Holidays review by Michael Dance
Revolutionary Road review by Brian Otano
Seven Pounds review by Michael Dancce
The Spirit review by Michael Dance
Valkyrie review by Michael Dance
The Wrestler review by Brian Otano

Doubt and The Reader are both big, fat, juicy pieces of Oscar bait, and we’ve got new reviews of both of them.

The first is a period piece about a possibly pedophilic priest that stars Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams.  It was just nominated for five Golden Globes, but what did our writer Andrea Tuccillo think?

The final scene/showdown between Streep and Hoffman is crackling with intensity, and it’s probably the best scene in the movie. Repressed tensions boil to the surface, yet never quite spill over. And Viola Davis, as Donald’s mom, has a single, powerful scene in which she tells Sister Aloysius—as well as the audience—some unexpected things. Full Doubt Movie Review

The Reader, meanwhile, is about the Holocaust — or at least the generation of Germans that grew up in its shadow.  Dan Deevy says:

In most films the evil Nazi’s are easy to pinpoint. They were the ones wearing the uniforms and proudly displaying their swastikas and mercilessly killing without a hint of remorse. But what about the other Germans? The idea of German Guilt in my experience has never been fully explored on film. And The Reader does it brilliantly. Full The Reader Movie Review

Reviews of Frost/Nixon, Nothing Like the Holidays, and Milk are forthcoming.  Stay tuned.

So let me rewind for a moment and highlight our new movie reviews for most of this year’s crop of Thanksgiving movies:

From my Australia review:

Australia is long and boring.

That’s my verdict. As I left the theater — while dashing to the bathroom, because man is it a long movie — I tried to think of a better way to say that, one that might make me sound like a professional critic instead of a whiny little kid.

I couldn’t. “Long and boring” is what fits the movie best. Full Australia movie review

From my Transporter 3 review:

It makes no sense. Let me explain: the bad guy, “Johnson” (Robert Knepper), is forcing the Transporter, Frank Martin, to transport a girl named Valentina (Natalya Rudakova) from one country to another. Johnson is present when Martin leaves with the girl. Johnson is also present when Martin delivers the girl.

Why did Johnson need the Transporter in the first place? Full Transporter 3 movie review

From Rebecca Ford’s Special review:

Special comes out at a pivotal time. The film business has been recently saturated with a plethora of superhero movies: Iron Man’s kicking butt, and The Dark Knight is lighting up the streets. But this film lacks the blockbuster special effects of either recent film, and instead brings us into a real world of sorts—a hybrid of hero and loser. Full Special movie review

Still to come: Milk.  And this Friday, expect reviews of Punisher: War Zone and Cadillac Records.

I already posted the point/counterpoint reviews of Twilight on Friday, but we posted a few more goodies over the weekend as well:

• Our own Andrea Tuccillo landed an interview with Twilight’s Robert Pattinson. An excerpt:
  

  “I still haven’t really got my head around it,” he says of the Twilight craze, and the public’s sudden infatuation with him. “I’ve been to so many cities now where everybody screams and stuff and then you leave the room and no one knows who you are and it’s like most bizarre dichotomy of existence. It’s like I’m living two completely different lives. Full Robert Pattinson Interview

• I weigh in on this weekend’s other new release, Disney’s Bolt:
  

  Bolt isn’t a Shrek-type crossover that teens or anyone without kids will want to check out, but families will be pleased — at least until the DVD comes out, and your toddlers demand to watch it five times a day. Full Bolt Review

Next week’s Thanksgiving frame is, as tradition requires it, crowded.  Four Christmases, Transporter 3, Milk, and Australia all open, and we’ll have some big-time video interviews for you.  Stay tuned.