Star Trek

Category: Film
Genre: Sci-Fi / Action / Reboot
Directed By: J. J. Abrams
Running Time: 126 min.

Heading into Star Trek there were two apprehensions on my mind.  First the law of evens, which is a tongue in cheek reference to the Odd numbered Star Trek movies being sub-par, and this was number eleven.  Second, it’s a reboot of a classic property with a director from outside the genre’s core.  As it turns out, I really needn’t have worried, Star Trek is a very worthy film, largely living up to the buzz and assuaging most of the doubts I’d had going into it.

Breaking from the expected “how the gang all got together at Starfleet” origin story line, Abrams manages to weave and dodge a bit to keep the audience guessing, even though in the broad strokes we know the final destinations of each of these characters.  The casting for the entire crew was spot on in this film, with the best choices being Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy, and Zachary Quinto as a slightly reinterpreted Spock.  Quinto’s success at this task was even more of a challenge as he acts against Leonard Nimoy himself as an older Spock, and both performances hold up very well.

My main concerns had been with Chris Pine as Kirk, Simon Pegg as Scotty, and Eric Bana as Nero.  Let me start by saying that Chris Pine is not Shatner.  And he shouldn’t be; the new interpretation provided by the new depth of the Kirk character fits nicely with Pine’s performance, especially given the greater level of humor woven into the story.  While given much less screen time than the rest of the cast, Simon Pegg as Scotty simply shines.  A more cheeky performance than James Doohan’s, the new Scotty in instantly likeable and helps draw the story together with his insertion into the main cast in act three.  Eric Bana as the Romulan villain Nero walks a very thin line down a tricky path for an actor.  Romulans have always been over the top or saddled with flat performances in the past (with a few exceptions).  Bana strikes the right balance because the audience understands his motivations, the character is made accessible and therefore believable.

The plot will likely provide a few bones of contention for extreme hardcore fans, but that is to be expected.  In terms of what was considered a reboot, this film does extremely well in terms of continuity, both in literal and emotive terms.  I give Abrams a lot of credit for not shying away from big plot decisions that drive the story forward and provide the impact necessary for the audience to emote with the story.  Less so a reboot, this does well as the eleventh film in the series, and a new, deeper take on the character for a modern audience.

If you watch with a little attention, there are plenty of treats for the fans as well,  each of the main actors gets an iconic line for their character, for example Bones’ “Are you out of your Vulcan mind?” drew a great response from the crowd at the IMAX showing I attended.  The movie is laced with additional nuances and Easter eggs, but I will leave that for the inevitable wiki contributions and cheat sheets that are no doubt already being written by the geek elite.  Suffice to say it’s a Star Trek for both fans and new audiences.

In terms of special effects, one really honestly forgets that there are effects in the film.  The spaceships look like space ships should, and work thanks to intricate CG camera moves. The phasers and transporters all look extremely nifty and are blended seamlessly.  Style wise some scenes were just a tad heavy on lens flares and over lighting, but it can be ignored pretty easily and by no means does it ruin the experience. The new score is excellent and manages to incorporate the original theme, as well as new cues that are beautifully crafted.  Again, the music, outside of the opening and closing titles, is a seamless element; the rest of the movie has far too great of a grip on ones attention to be consciously aware of it unless you make a special effort.

Overall I am exceptionally pleased with the new Star Trek effort, both for its keeping to the spirit of its roots and for making brave choices on new directions, and keeping those two contractions in balance to create an eminently enjoyable film.

Rating: 8.5/10

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Category: Film
Genre: Drama / Romance / Sci-Fi
Directed By: David Fincher
Running Time: 159 min.

This is one of those rare instances of fine storytelling brought to the screen in just the right way. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button does one of the most interesting things that can be done in fiction. It explores the human condition by changing just one of the major rules of our existence, and watching that path unfold against the backdrop of a life.

In this case the simple but major rule that changes is aging. The chronological age of Button’s character is juxtaposed in reverse with his physical age. This fundamentally changes how he experiences the world and how the world views him, providing grist for insight and new perspective.

This work is sure to be mentioned in the same breath as Forrest Gump, and for a number of reasons. Primary, though not necessarily the most readily apparent, is this is a story without an antagonist, built purely on character development and driven by the same.   Both films use similar protagonist types, the embedded outsider if you will;  by showing the world through their eyes the audience is allowed to examine it anew. This is also a film bound to time, though the creators take a different, softer approach to the portrayal of time here; in Gump time and pop culture events were nearly a character themselves in the story telling.

The layered narrative works well as the key device for advancing the story, allowing access when and where needed. Anchoring the diary and the events of its reading in 2005 by linking them (tangentially) to the events preceding hurricane Katrina also serves the story well.

While this will be called a romance by many, the success of the treatment comes from the organic way the romance fits into the story, rather than it feeling heavy or artificial. It weaves and flows through the story, instead of being written as a cumbersome foundation to the characters and plot.

Casting in this picture was excellent, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett carry the lead roles in a way that, along with the supporting cast, garner nearly total buy-in to the story. The effects in this film are nearly transparent, serving the story telling and not announcing themselves unduly. The aging makeup work is believable and allows the viewer to accept each stage of the characters’ development. This is an important point, as once you buy into the nature of Button’s existence, it holds a mirror up to all the elements of life around it. There were many places there the creators could have copped out and opted for a happier treatment, but instead took what I feel was the brave and honest approach to the material, following it from start to finish with all the emotional repercussions that entails.

I truly enjoyed this film, in both its concept and its execution. As I said it is one of those rare examples of well crafted storytelling from start to finish.

Rating: 8.5/10