Star Date: Last Monday, Afternoonish
I am not a Trekkie, I don't care about Klingons and shit, but this was a fun. Yeah, it's flawed, but all in all they found a good balance between pleasing the hardcore Trekkies & keeping the general masses entertained.
>>> SPECIFICS & SPOILERS AHEAD <<<
Thank God I saw this twice because after the first time I had no idea what the 'Back 2 The Future' alternate future plot was all about. It's still kinda blurry but I get the gist of it. It's also totally Top Gun-ish cuz Kirk is this bad boy maverick pilot who breaks all the rules and gets all the ladies (even the green ones); Joyriding, drinking, Beastie Boys, motorcycles, barroom brawls, leather jackets, etc. I like that they made Spock a total badass too, and he has a thang for chocolate sistas, but I could not get past the fact that he would have a smooth, cherub alien baby face in one shot, then total grizzly 5 o'clock shadow in the next! Either vulcan's have crazy hormones or Zach Quinto is a total otter (gay term for slim hairy dudes, like 'bear' but skinny).
Kirk & Spock form a lifelong bromance here, so do Kirk & Bones, so do Kirk & the original Enterprise captain he saves, and maybe Eric Bana's alien character secretly loves Kirk too...lots of m4m action goin on, but hey, what happens in an alternate future black hole, STAYS in an alternate future black hole.
Speaking of alternate future black holes...Tyler Perry cameo? NOT in zany-old-black-lady drag??? Most people didn't recognize him but I sure as hell did cuz I see all his movies. Along with alternate future grandma Winona Ryder? Big ups to J.J. Abrams for the random casting, but he also loses points for Simon Pegg and his nubby-eyed alien sidekick. British people are NOT funny! Simon Pegg, Ricky Gervais, Russell Brand, Monty Python? Y'all are being duped! You need some real American comedy like Larry the Cable Guy, Lisa Lampenelli and Jeff Foxworthy. Git-R-Done!
Mad props to the Starfleet Federation for being an equal opportunity employer. There have been many races (fictional and real) represented throughout the franchise, from Whoopi Goldberg to Lavar Burton. Unfortunately, the new school Uhura, played by Zoe Saldana from 'Center Stage' and 'Crossroads', gets upstaged by her Tyra-esque ponytail weave in almost every scene, being whipped around like a magical dragon tail! Sidebar: I loved how Kirk gets exiled to an arctic planet, climbs out of an ice crater in a blizzard, and just stands there wearing some destressed jeans and a fitted sweater looking like a Diesel ad.
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ANGELS & DEMONS = 3 HAIL MARYS
This was like the film equivalent of Kurt Warner throwing a last minute hail mary pass to win the Super Bowl: FAIL! I haven't read the books but I thought The Da Vinci Code was way better. Angels & Demons has a cool premise but rushes to a retarded ending that is so rediculous you can't help but laugh and not care who wins. Nobody told me Ewan McGregor was in it, so I was already annoyed as soon as his soulless lizard-man eyes appeared on screen (not a fan). I love Illuminati conspiracy theories, but this story goes beyond 'what if' into a magical fantasy land with scenes where you can feel the audience collectively roll their eyes and give up. It's not like Jesus himself shows up and walks on water and shoots lasers out of his eyes, but it's enough to make you forget the 'Se7en' kinda journey and leave a bad taste in your mouth. Don't even get me started on the absurd CGI interior Vatican scenes that look so fake I would be less shocked to see Gollum waiting in line at Starbucks.
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