Star Trek Into Darkness

ACTION/ADVENTURE, SCI-FI/FANTASY

Wrath

8.5 out of 10 | MOVIE, DVD

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Rated: PG-13  Intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence
Release Date: May 16, 2013
Runtime: 2 hours 12 minutes

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Director: J.J. Abrams
Writers: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, based on the characters and television series created by Gene Roddenberry
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachry Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood, Peter Weller, Alice Eve

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SYNOPSIS:  After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.

REVIEW: J.J. Abrams (Super 8) returns with his highly anticipated follow-up to his grand re-imagining of the Star Trek universe. With fans clamoring for the next installment, Roberto Orci (Cowboys and Aliens), Alex Kurtzman (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), and Damon Lindeloff (Prometheus) draft a retelling of, perhaps, the most beloved Star Trek big screen tale that doesn't involve whales.

James T Kirk (Chris Pine, Rise of the Guardians) is the captain of the USS enterprise. Ignoring Starfleet Federation prime directive, Kirk and McCoy (Karl Urban, Dredd 3D) steal a religious scroll in order to lure the planet's primitive inhabitants away from danger. When Spock (Zachery Quinto, What's Your Number?) gets into mortal danger, Kirk again ignores regulation to save his friend. With catastrophe adverted, Spock and Kirk face disciplinary action back on Earth, with Kirk losing command of the Enterprise and Spock being reassigned. Their demotions and reassignment are short lived when a terrorist within the Federation bombs a London technology archive and then targets the captains and commanders of all the local Starfleet ships. After the second attack, Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller, RoboCop) declares an all out a manhunt for the man named Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch, War Horse). Armed with a classified payload of photon torpedoes, Kirk is reinstated as captain of the Enterprise and sets off to the neutral zone in pursuit of Harrison. But when he and his crew arrive, their ship is disabled and Kirk's conscious get the better of him against the man who killed so many. Instead of bombing Harrison on the planet with the torpedoes, Kirk decides to arrest him and make him face the charges against him. But there is more than meets the eye as Harrison reveals that there is a bigger conspiracy within the Federation. Kirk and crew must decide whether to investigate Harrison's claims or ship him back to Earth for trial.

J.J. Abrams is a huge fan of the Star Trek universe and deserve the accolades of his reboot/prequel/sequel of the long-standing series. How do you take a 50-year-old franchise back to its roots in a satisfactory way? Abrams took all the time-warping story-twisting that Star Trek is known for to make a phenomenal reboot of the franchise. Many speculated that this second film of Abrams would be similar in scope to the second film of the original cast films with the story of Khan. I believe any fan of the universe will realize that Cumberbatch is the villain as soon as they see any of the trailers or commercials. Abrams must be an encyclopedia of Star Trek lore. He adds in details, Easter eggs, and nuances that may be evident to only the most diehard Trekkie fans. Sure, there are references that any casual fan will recognize, but there are also other references that would not be known unless a true die hard of the Star Trek mythos pointed them out. All add to the familiar, but new, trek universe that the director has created.

Pine, Urban, Saldana (Colombiana), Quinto, Pegg (Shaun of the Dead), Cho (Identity Thief), and Yelchin (Fright Night) fall into their old roles of Kirk, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty, Sulu, and Checkov, respectively, with ease, more natural in their takes of their characters than ever before. The brash young, seemingly infallible Kirk learns the hard way that luck, a cavalier attitude, and a blatant direspect for the rules will not always win the day. Uhura and Spock learn that logic and emotion are not mutually exclusive. McCoy continues to spout out mixed metaphors in the face of adversity. Sulu finds his voice and confidence, seemingly ready to become a star fleet captain himself one day. Scotty, always wary of the shenanigans of his superiors off the Enterprise, puts himself in several picarous situations when his mouth runs too long. And Checkov continues to be a jack of all trades, helping the bridge, running engineering, and figuring out complex formulas. Benedict Cumberbatch, as the infamous Khan, takes a classic original series villainous character and turns the new incarnation on its ear. Still a brilliant warrior with advanced genetics, Cumberbatch is even more savvy and charismatic than that played by Ricardo Montelban. Cumberbatch looks menacing, superior, and self-assured just standing at attention in the Enterprise's brig.

Abrams Delighted with his re-imagined Enterprise in the original Star Trek mythos. He follows up with the story that every fan wanted to see, giving the fans what they wanted in an familiar, but unexpected way. New fans will love this story that was put together, while older die hard fans of the original films may be bothered by the fact that one of their beloved antiheroes has changed so much.

The use of anamorphic photography continues from the first film, adding extra dimension to every frame of celluloid. The CG effects are astounding, the battle sequences are amazing, the story is strong, and the characters are just what you want them to be. For the franchise uninitiated or deeply devoted, Star Trek Into Darkness should be a fun warp ride into the unknown frontier.

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Identity Thief

COMEDY

She's Having the Time of His Life

★ ★ ★ out of 5 | DVD or Rental

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Rated: R Sexual content and language.
Release Date: February 8, 2013
Runtime: 1 hour 51 minutes

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Director: Seth Gordon
Writers: Craig Mazin, Jerry Eeten
Cast: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Jon Favreau, Amanda Peet, T.I., Genesis Rodriguez, Morris Chestnut, John Cho, Robert Patrick, Eric Stonestreet

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SYNOPSIS:  Mild-mannered businessman Sandy Patterson travels from Denver to Miami to confront the deceptively harmless-looking woman who has been living it up after stealing Sandy's identity.

REVIEW: Seth Gordon, director of big screen Horrible Bosses and Four Christmases and small screen Breaking In, takes another crack at slap-stick comedy with Identity Thief. Reteaming with Jason Bateman, Gordon takes a story by The Hangover Part II writer Craig Mazin and The Watchman writer Jerry Eeten to find out how far a man will go to reclaim his name.

Sandy Bigelow Patterson (Jason Bateman, Horrible Bosses) works for PFG as an internal accounts manager. When he mistakenly gives up his personal information to an identity thief posing as Sandy Bigelow Patterson (Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids), his world is turned upside down with sudden overdrawn credit cards, defaulted payments, and an arrest for a failure to appear in front of a judge in Florida. When the Denver PD detective Reilly (Morris Chestnut, Think Like a Man) shows Sandy a mugshot of the real female culprit, Sandy is still unable to clear his name in time to avert issues at home with his wife Trish (Amanda Peet, 2012) and a lucrative new job he hired on for with boss Daniel Casey (John Cho, Total Recall). Bent on clearing his name, Sandy travels to Florida with the plan to confront and transport the faux Sandy back to Denver to clear his name. But his plans go out the window when the fake sandy, aka Diana, becomes the target of disgruntled criminals Marisol (Genesis Rodrigeuz, The Last Stand) and Julian (Tip 'T.I' Harris, Takers) who were cheated with bad fake credit cards. Sandy talks Diana into traveling on the road with him over staring down the barrel of a gun meant to kill her. But every tank of gas and every swipe of a card get the duo into more danger and more dire situations. Can Sandy clear his name before he has to resort to Diana's criminal methods to get home?

Jason Bateman plays a role that he loves to play. His character Sandy is just trying to make ends meet and provide for his family. Like roles played by the put upon Ben Stiller, Jason Bateman is usually the put upon guy who just can't seem to rise to the occasion to make a better life for himself and his family. But as he tries to do the right thing to reclaim his life, Jason's Sandy is forced to face the fact that the way he's been brought up to provide is not necessarily the only way to deal with things. Couple Bateman's Sandy with the hurricane that is Melissa McCarthy's Diana and there really is no chance for Sandy to come away unscathed. Melissa McCarthy brings her own brand of kinetic and physical humor to her role as Diana as the thief just trying to get by in life in her own way.

But for as much friction Diana causes Sandy, it's not the only conflict with the film. Genesis Rodriguez's Marisol, T.I.'s Julian and Robert Patrick's (Gangster Squad) skiptracer bring even more angst to the already angst-ridden Sandy Bigelow Pattersons. With gun battles, car chases, police intervention and more, Sandy and Diana have much more to contend with than just each other.

The trailers make Identity Thief look like a simple goofball comedy. The laughs in the trailer and commercials aren't the only laughs, but there is more to it the story that just silly comedy. At the center of the story is a drama that goes deeper than just stealing tchotchkes under an assumed name. Melissa McCarthy surprises with her range as an actress, while Jason Bateman reinforces why he is one of the go to guys for stoic split-second comic timing.

Identity Thief is a silly comedy with a good mix of action, drama, and a touching moral theme. Bateman and McCarthy are a fine team, even if they tend to hit each other over the head with  an acoustic guitar or punch each other in the throat. You will chuckle, and maybe feel a little. Just keep a watch on your wallet.

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Total Recall (2012)

Bad Memory

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Rated: PG-13 Intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, some sexual content, brief nudity and language.
Release Date: August 3, 2012
Runtime:  1 hour 49 minutes

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Director: Len Wiseman
Writers: Kurt Wimmer, Mark Bomback, Ronald Shusett, Dan O'Bannon, Jon Povil, based on the short story 'We Can Remember It for You Wholesale' by Philip K. Dick
Cast:  Colin Ferrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel,Bryan Cranston, Bokeem Woodbine, Bill Nighy, John Cho

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SYNOPSIS: Factory work Douglas Quaid begins to question the reality of his life after a visit to memory inducing company ReKall goes awry and he finds himself on the road from both people he thought he knew and unknown shadowy government agents.

REVIEW: Underworld series writer and Underworld and Underworld: Evolution director Len Wiseman tries to remember what is real and what is illusion with a sci-fi remake of the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger Total Recall based on the short story 'We Can Remember It for You Wholesale' by cult sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick. Forsaking a trip to Mars for locales for terrestrial, Kurt Wimmer (Salt) and Matt Bomback (Unstoppable) write a screenplay based on the original screen story by Ronald Shusett and Dan O'Bannon (Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem), and Sliders series writer Jon Povil. Can Colin Ferrell erase the memory of the Arnold Schwarzenegger's movie vehicle and replace it with something completely different?

In a world of the late 21st Century, the planet has been ravaged by over population and global chemical warfare. Years later, the only inhabitable regions of the earth are on the opposite sides of the globe. The United Federation of Britain stands as the technological and economical center while the Colony (Australia) serves as the source for cheap labor for the UFB. Joining the two regions is a tunneled transport called The Fall, a massive subway rail that runs through the center of the earth itself. Douglas Quaid (Colin Ferrell, Horrible Bosses) lives with his wife Lori Quaid (Kate Beckinsale, Underworld: Awakening) in the Colony, Douglas taking the 17 minute Fall trip through the planet to work on the Synthetics assembly line with his friend Harry (Bokeem Woodbine, Devil) in the UFB. Working as hard as he can to get ahead on the job, Doug still finds that he is missing something. With nightmares of a hard fought escape with a beautiful woman, Doug is restless and unsure of himself. Doug takes a trip to ReKall, a business that can implant realistic memories of vacations, or life as a wealthy or powerful individual. But just as the technician McClane (John Cho, American Reunion) starts the ReKall implant process, something goes awry and armed law enforcement tactical team burst in to apprehend Douglas. Escaping the situation by using unknown combat skills against the soldiers, Doug finds that he is unsure of his true memories as his wife, friends, and government turns against him in a expansive plot of UFB government led by Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston, Rock of Ages) against the rebellion led by Matthias (Bill Nighy, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). Only the woman from his nightmares, Melina (Jessica Biel, New Year's Eve), seems to be the only one that Doug can trust. Or can he? 

Cool for its time, Arnold Schwarzenegger's Total Recall was a film I took in at a summer drive-in theater. But, to be honest, aside from the practical visual effects and the novelty of the story, I really did not love the original effort. I just couldn't come to grasp the ancient terraforming mechanics on the red surface of Mars. Why did the original Douglas Quaid's hand fit the alien technology? Maybe another viewing of the original is in order. Maybe not. All I found that the bulging eyes scene at the end of the film was more comical than anything else.

All that being said, we need to look at what Colin Ferrell and crew bring to this sci-fi remake. Many wonder - as with many remakes - is Total Recall (2012) a necessary film? I think that Wommer and Bomback do a fine job crafting a completely different tale based on the same memory wiping concept from Philip K. Dick and the original screenwriting team. Keeping the action firmly on Earth, instead of traveling to the Red Planet of Mars, this version creates a world on the brink of collapse with precious resources encapsulated in two overpopulated regions of the planet. Wommer, Bomback, and director The Colony is a bottom-feeding Asian Fusion society with a Blade Runner flair, while the UFB is a high-rising magnetic sky rail utopia more similar to I, Robot and Minority Report. The original film would never have thought to use as much touch technology as we are treated to in the remake. It is amazing what real  technology can do on the limits of science fiction technology. And with any good remake, it is important to pay homage to the original - spending one moment with a well-endowed working girl and another with a red-headed traveler.

The action is fierce and fast throughout. From the opening dream sequence where Doug and Melina shoot their way out of a soldier infested compound, to the epic Synthetics shootout at the end, Total Recall jams as much firepower and fist power into its 109 minutes. Colin Ferrell shows that he has the ability to be an action star if he wanted to be and Kate Beckinsale reinforces her status as a true femme fatale powerhouse. The fight choreography alone is worth the price of admission. Ferrell and Beckinsale's hand-to-hand close-quartered fights and rooftop chases are excellent. Add in magnetic roadway and claustrophobic cubed elevator pursuits with bullet ricochets and you have perfect popcorn entertainment.

Even though the story is varied enough to offer many brand new lot angles, the concept of false memories or loss of memories have become common place. From memory-shackled films like Memento, to amnesiac special agents in the form of The Bourne Identity, to the original Total Recall, moviegoers have become fairly savvy about affairs of the mind. The remake does lose a couple points because of the fact of familiarity with the premise, even though director Wiseman takes the film in a different direction.

Visually impressive, Total Recall makes great use of anamorphic camera lens work to add more life into each scene. J.J. Abrams did a great job with the same technique in the Star Trek reboot/prequel/sequel. The horizontal light trails, coupled with top-notched modeling, CGI, and matte work, paints a complete picture of the bleak post-global war society.

Total Recall is great popcorn entertainment, allowing you to simply enjoy the spectacle that is one possible future. If you are old enough to remember the original film, you will recall some of what will probably come about. Filled with sweet action and a decent story, you may forget all about that early 90s version of... what were we talking about again?

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WORTH: Matinee or DVD

A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas

Land of Misfit Haze

Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson

Writers: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Cast: Kal Penn, John Cho, Thomas Lennon, Amir Blumenfeld, Danny Trejo, Paula Garcés, Neil Patrick Harris, Elias Koteas, Jordan Hinson

SYNOPSIS: Six years after the escape from Guantanamo Bay, Harold is married and successful, while Kumar is alone and without a job. On Christmas Eve, when Harold's father-in-law's uber-meaningful home-grown Christmas tree goes up in smoke, Harold and Kumar begrudgedly re-team to find a replacement.

REVIEW: TV movie and video short director Todd Strauss-Schulson takes the directing reins for the third Harold and Kumar adventure, now revolving around the Christmas holidays. Written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, character creators and writers of the first two films, A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas takes a hint from Chevy Chase and the National Lampoon's Vacation franchise by targeting a holiday. Wait...dude... are the Harold and Kumar films a direct parallel to Vacation? First a film about a quest, then a trip out of the country, now a holiday event! It may be the second-hand buzz, but I think I have stumbled across a conspiracy of epic proportion!

The film opens on Kumar (Kal Penn) cutting the line to see the mall's Santa Claus. Then we see a successful Harold (John Cho) looking out over a mob of Wall Street protesters. The two have grown apart in their friendship, both dealing with their own lives and issues. When Harold's wife Maria's (Paula Garcés) father and her extended show up on Christmas Eve to stay for the holidays, Mr. Perez (Danny Trejo) brings with him a home-growth 8-year-old fir tree that holds special meaning for him and the Christmas holidays. When Kumar receives a package at his apartment addressed to Harold, he decides to deliver it to Harold, setting off a chain reaction that starts off with a house fire and ends up with a bullet-ridden Santa Claus.

What makes a crazy concept like Harold and Kumar work in any of their films is... you guessed it... conflict! Wait! What? No, it's not the endless joint smoking or bong hitting. No, it's not the gratuitous anatomical references and full on camera shots to their extremities. No, it's not about being immature or graphic. In A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas, while the aforementioned are certainly silly, funny and vulgar, its the conflict and pursuit of resolution that propels the story and makes you care about the characters. Kumar is dealing with the loss of his job and some unexpected news (No Spoilers Here). Harold is dealing with Maria's disapproving father and must take on the quest to replace Mr. Perez's sacred Christmas tree and have it decorated before the family returns from Midnight Mass in Manhattan. The impossible situations that Harold and Kumar put or find themselves in, ultimately, keeps the audience interested and engaged. All of the crazy antics and references are just the bonus decorations on the tree.

A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas also does something other than simply entertaining the potheads and fans of the franchise. Like Elf, it pays homage to so many of the other Christmas episodes and movies that exist in the canon of holiday cinema. Nods of the cap with a claymation sequence, the majesty of Manhattan at its beautiful best during November and December, an unexpected gift in an ornate hand carved and velvet lined box, the candy cane and tin soldier musical number, and more.

Older but not necessarily wiser, John Cho's Harold still needs to loosen up, and Kal Penn's Kumar still needs to grow up. Neil Patrick Harris's... er, Neil Patrick Harris sings, dances and reminds us why he is a cult and mainstream icon (just see an episode of How I Met Your Mother to see how legend... wait for it...dary! he is). Old friends and flames return to the third entry of the franchise, ever-changing and ever-entertaining. The 3D is good, especially when the coils of heavy smoke drifts into our faces or an egg from a member of an angry mob gets hurled at us.

A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas is fun for its fan base. But do not let the endearing title fool you. Keep the kids away unless you want to have to explain a few things to them after, or during, the film. So get your wrapping papers ready and enjoy the trip!

WORTH: Matinee or DVD (for franchise fans)