May 14, 2009

• Movies I've seen recently...

  
  Star Trek (2009)  A-

  Trying to "reboot" a well known franchise is the big trend to do nowadays. In the case of "Star Trek" as directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, it is a welcome reboot to a franchise that has honestly gotten stale. What works surprisingly well with "Star Trek" is that it caters to the fans and to the regular uninitiated viewers. The story is also typical to what is usually associated with Star Trek, but the way it's told as an action adventure with some comedic flair makes the movie very accessible and enjoyable to everybody. To top off what's good about the movie is the main cast which takes these iconic roles and makes them their own. Besides Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto as the titular James T. Kirk and Spock respectively, it's Karl Urban as Dr. "Bones" McCoy and Simon Pegg as Scotty that stole the movie for me. It's not without it's flaws though as the movie relies too much on coincidences, conveniences, and a leap of faith on how the main cast finds themselves in their familiar roles on the bridge of the star ship Enterprise. In the end "Star Trek" succeeds in what all "new" franchises try to achieve, it makes you want to see more right away.

  
  G.I. Joe : Resolute (2009)  C+

  If you remember watching the G.I.Joe cartoons of the 1980's, then you will be in for a treat when you see "G.I.Joe : Resolute." This is an animated movie that spiritually continues what is familiar with the old 80's series, but makes it feel like a Japanese anime that is not afraid to actually show violence and even the deaths of some main well known characters. Making things "more serious" seems to be the main goal of this movie, by making Cobra more like an actual terrorist group and G.I.Joe being more as a whole military organization as opposed to just focusing on the characters with the colorful code names. Some fans might complain about the short length of time (under 1 hour), the rather simple plot, as well as some liberties the movie takes on the mythology of the franchise. Over all though this is a promising and welcome take on G.I.Joe and only makes me want to see more.

  
  Journey To The Center Of The Earth (2008)  C

  As a fantasy adventure tale, "Journey to the center of the earth" is quite enjoyable. Sure it's not that inspiring, it's rather a simple kid friendly story, and the special effects are just enjoyable enough to watch, but it's still an entertaining movie. The main cast in Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, and Anita Briem are also good for their roles. It's really important to have a suspension of disbelief when watching this movie, because there's a ton of logical flaws in this and are meant to just be ignored to move the plot along. Despite the "leave your brain at the door" suggestion, the movie surprisingly has a lot of educational scientific information from volcanoes to paleontology, that is included in the dialogue. I never did get a chance to see "Journey to the center of the earth"  with it's 3D effects, but the movie itself is a nice diversion to watch.

  
  What Happens In Vegas (2008)  C

  It's easy to dismiss "What Happens in Vegas" as an uninspired, cliche filled, not as funny as it should be kind of movie, and you wouldn't be blamed for doing so. The film really is nothing special with plot points that you can see coming a mile away. However if you are looking for a simple movie, some humorous situations, with a nice message at the end, and a relatively appealing couple as played by Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz, then go ahead and see "What happens in Vegas." It's harmless enough for what it is suppose to be, and it's at the least worth a viewing as a TV movie. Just lower your standards when watching this.

  • 9:48 am
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