"STAR TREK BEYOND" (2016) ReviewI might as well place all my cards on the table. I am not a fan of J.J. Abrams' reboot of the "STAR TREK" franchise. I heartily dislike the 2009 movie of the original title. And I also dislike - to a lesser degree, 2013's "STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS". So when I learned there was to be a third movie in this new franchise . . . needless to say I was not enthusiastic over the news.The second thing I learned about this third TREK film, "STAR TREK BEYOND", was that it was not directed by J.J. Abrams. Justin Lin, who had helmed the fourth, fifth and sixth "FAST AND FURIOUS" movies; served as director. And for once, Simon Pegg, who also co-starred as Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, and Doug Jung served as the movie's screenwriters; instead of Abrams' usual scribes - Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman. No disrespect to Abrams, Orci and Kurtzman, but I did not miss their presence in this production. If anything, I managed to enjoy the TREK reboot for the first time since it began in 2009."STAR TREK BEYOND" begins with the arrival of the U.S.S. Enterprise at the Federation Starbase Yorktown for new supplies and shore leave for the crew. Not long after its arrival at Yorktown, an escape pod drifts out of a nearby uncharted nebula. The survivor, Kalara, claims her ship is stranded on Altamid, a planet within the nebula. The rescue turns into an ambush when the Enterprise is quickly torn apart by a massive swarm of small ships. Krall and his crew board the ship, and unsuccessfully search for a relic called an Abronath that Kirk had obtained for a failed diplomatic mission. Krall captures and removes many crew members from the ship. Kirk then orders for the crew to abandon ship as the Enterprise's saucer section hurtles towards the planet. After more crew members are captured, including Lieutenant Nyota Uhura and Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, Kirk is forced to find those who have not been captured and find a way to stop Krall from carrying out his plans against the Federation.If I must be honest, "STAR TREK BEYOND" is not perfect. I believe that it has a major flaw and it centered around the main antagonist, Krall. How can I put this? I found both his true identity and the reason behind his main goal - the destruction of the Federation with the use of a bio weapon - a bit on the lame side. Apparently, Krall was a former Human captain from the pre-Federation era named Captain Balthazar Edison, whose ship had crashed on Altamid. Believing the newly formed Federation had abandoned him, Edison and his surviving crew had used the technology of the Altamid's natives to prolong their lives and mutate their physiology. I am sorry, but that seemed to reaching a bit. And the reason for Krall/Edison's desire to destroy the Federation - the belief that the latter had deliberately abandoned him and his crew - definitely seemed a bit lame to me.If the background of the film's main villain and his reason to destroy the Federation seemed a bit lame, then why did I like this film? Whatever weaknesses that "STAR TREK BEYOND" had, I can honestly say that it lacked the multiple plot holes that marred 2009's "STAR TREK" and that ridiculous final half hour from 2013's "STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS". The flaws for this film seemed minor in compare to the first two films. I also liked the fact that the characters seemed more mature and established in this movie. Even Krall seemed like an improvement over the first two villains. He did not engage in a convoluted plot that involved time travel. Nor was his character whitewashed and engaged in another ridiculously convoluted plot. Although Krall's reason to destroy the Federation seemed a bit thin, at least his actual plot - involving the creation of a bio weapon - seemed to be on solid. And for that, I have to thank screenwriters Simon Pegg and Donny Jung.I have to admit that when it comes to action sequences, the new STAR TREK movies never fail to deliver. There were a handful of sequences in "STAR TREK BEYOND" that definitely impressed me. First and foremost was the attack on the U.S.S. Enterprise by Krall's fleet and the crash landing on Altamid that followed. Honestly, I feel that director Justin Lin really outdid himself in that particular sequence. I found the minor scenes featuring the Enterprise crew's efforts to survive on Altamid very engrossing and once again, well handled by Lin. Now that I think about it, just about all of the movie's actions scenes impressed me - including Kirk and the other non-captured crew members' efforts to free those who had been captured, the Enterprise crew's efforts to prevent Krall/Edison from using his new weapon to destroy the Federation's massive space station, Starbase Yorktown; and Kirk's final confrontation with the main villain. I also liked the fact that the movie's two major female characters - Lieutenant Uhura and a castaway named Jaylah - also took part in many of the film's action sequences. And both seemed more than capable of taking care of themselves."STAR TREK BEYOND' marked a major improvement in the franchise's characterizations. For the first time, the main characters seemed to be truly comfortable with each other. And all of them seemed to be more mature and believable as Starfleet officers. This especially seemed to be the case for Chris Pine's performance as James T. Kirk. For the first time, I found it easy to see his Kirk as a worthy captain for the U.S.S. Enterprise. The prat boy from the 2009 and 2013 movies was gone. Zachary Quinto also seemed very comfortable in his role as the Enterprise's First Officer, Commander Spock. I also enjoyed how both he and Karl Urban, who portrayed Medical Officer Dr. Leonard McCoy, managed to establish a strong and rather funny screen chemistry - something that I do not recall from the two previous films. Quinto's Spock seemed even more comfortable than ever with Zoë Saldana's Nyota Uhura. First of all, both had the chance to enact a private drama between Spock and Uhura that did not come off as forced. I find it hard to believe that I had once found the idea of a romance between the two as unbelievable.The movie also featured solid performances from Idris Elba as the movie's main antagonist, Krall aka Balthazar Edison, who managed to thankfully convey his character's emotional nature without engaging in any histrionics. I also enjoyed one particular scene between Elba and Uhura that struck me as both tense and effective, thanks to the actors' performances. I also enjoyed the performances of John Cho, who always managed to give a cool, yet wry portrayal of Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu; Anton Yelchin, whose Pavel Chekov seemed more controlled and mature than he did in the previous films; Simon Pegg, whose portrayal of Lieutenant-Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott seemed a great deal more controlled and still funny; and Sofia Boutella gave an intense and skillful performance as an alien castaway/scavenger named Jaylah with a grudge against Krull.I understand that "STAR TREK BEYOND" had not performed well at the U.S. box office. Some critics claimed that the movie was not as good as the 2009 movie. When I heard that, I nearly coughed up a lung. Frankly, I think it is a lot better than the two previous films. I thought Justin Lin did a great job as the movie's director. And he was ably supported by Simon Pegg and Donny Jung's screenplay, along with a first-rate cast led by Chris Pine. As for why many moviegoers stayed away, I do not have the foggiest idea. What matters is my own personal opinion.
R.I.P. Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015)
R.I.P. Anton Yelchin (1989-2016)
Below is a list of my top five (5) favorite episodes from Season One (1998-1999) of "CHARMED". Developed for television by Constance Burge, the series starred Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano:
TOP FIVE FAVORITE EPISODES OF "CHARMED" - Season One (1998-1999)
1. (1.04) "Dead Man Dating" - In one of my favorite episodes of the series, the Charmed Ones help the ghost of a recently murdered young man, who needs their help to settle a score with the gangster that murdered him, before an ancient spirit can harvest his soul.
2. (1.12) "The Wendigo" - While changing a flat tire, Piper is attacked by a werewolf-like beast called the Wendigo and the sisters are forced to hunt it down before she becomes a full-fledged one herself.
3. (1.10) "Wicca Envy" - The warlock Rex Buckland uses astral projection to trick Prue into stealing a tiara from the Buckland auction house, in order to blackmail the sisters into giving up their powers. Sadly, this episode marked the last for warlocks Rex Buckland and Hannah Webster.
4. (1.15) "Is There a Woogy in the House?" - Despite the slightly disappointing ending, I really enjoyed this entertaining episode about Phoebe being possessed by a demon called "the woogeyman", trapped beneath the manor's basement.
5. (1.17) "That 70s Episode" - In this poignant episode, the Halliwell sisters go back in time to 1975 in order to prevent their mother from making a pact with a powerful warlock - a pact that involved their mother's protection in exchange for their powers.
"STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS" (2013) Review
Following the success of the 2009 movie, "STAR TREK", producer/director J.J. Abrams continued the saga of this alternate STAR TREK with a sequel called "STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS". This latest film not only continued the adventures of Starfleet Captain James T. Kirk and his crew, but also re-introduced a well-known villain from the franchise's past.
Written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof, "STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS" begins a year following the events of the 2009 movie. The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise has been ordered to observe the volcanic activities of Nibiru, a class "M" planet that serves as home for its primitive inhabitants. Unfortunately, Kirk and his crew violate the Federation's Prime Directive by using a cold fusion device to deactivate the volcano. Worse, in order to fetch Spoke from the volcano's depth, the Enterprise rises out of the planet's ocean and is seen by the Nibirians. Upon the starship's return to Earth, both Kirk and his first officer, Spock, are chewed out by Admiral Christopher Pike for violating the Prime Directive on Nibiru. Spock is reassigned to another starship and Kirk has lost command of the Enterprise and ordered to finish Starfleet Academy.
Meanwhile, a mysterious man offers a vial of blood to a Starfleet officer named Thomas Harewood in order to save the life of the latter's dying daughter. In exchange, Harewood used the mysterious ring to blow up the Kelvin Memorial Archives (a secret Section 31 facility) on the mysterious man's behalf. This new emergency leads Starfleet to assign Admiral Pike as commander of the Enterprise. Pike manages to convince Marcus to assign Kirk as his new First Officer. The bombing of the Kelvin Archives leads to a meeting of starship commanders ordered to hunt down the mysterious perpetrator, revealed as rogue Starfleet agent John Harrison. However, an attack upon the meeting by a jumpship piloted by Harrison leaves several Starfleet officers dead - including Pike. Admiral Marcus reinstates Kirk as commander of the Enterprise and orders the latter to hunt down Harrison to the Klingon homeworld, Kronos, and destroy the rogue agent's base with 72 prototype photon torpedoes placed aboard the Enterprise. However, the manhunt for Harrison ends up providing a good deal of surprises for Kirk and his crew - including the revelation of Harrison's true identity.
When I first saw "STAR TREK" four years ago, my initial response to J.J. Abrams' reboot of the franchise had been . . . somewhat positive, yet slightly uneasy. A second viewing of the movie made me realize that it was a piece of crap, thanks to a script riddled with plot holes. I still maintained hope that this new sequel would prove to be a improvement. And it did . . . to a certain extent. The plot for "STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS" did not strike me as particularly original. Rogue Starfleet officers have been used in the franchise before - especially in "STAR TREK DEEP SPACE NINE" and the 1991 film, "STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY". The John Harrison character proved to be none other than Khan Noonien Singh, originally portrayed by Ricardo Montalban in an episode of "STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES"and the 1982 movie, "STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN". In fact, the screenwriters not only used the Khan character, but also Dr. Carol Marcus and put a different spin on a famous scene from the 1982 movie. Khan/Harrison's attack on Admiral Marcus' meeting bore a strong resemblance to a scene from a "STAR TREK VOYAGER" episode called(2.14) "Alliances".
Despite the lack of originality that seemed to permeate the film, I must admit that I enjoyed a good deal of it. I found the conspiracy that surrounded Khan's connections to Admiral Marcus rather interesting. This was especially the case in the jumpship attack scene, the phaser fight on Kronos, Carol Marcus' rescue of Doctor McCoy from one of the photon torpedoes and finally Kirk and Khan's transportation to Admiral Marcus' ship U.S.S. Vengeance via a "space jump". These scene proved to be very exciting, thanks to Abrams' excellent direction. The chemistry between Zachary Quinto and Zoë Saldaña as lovers Spock and Nyota Uhura seemed to have vastly improved from the 2009 film. Perhaps the emotions between the two characters seemed more two-way and genuine the second time around. The chemistry between Quinto and Chris Pine's James Kirk seemed stronger than ever. Bruce Greenwood gave an intense and superb performance as Admirable Christopher Pike, even if I found the character's faith in Kirk rather questionable. On the other hand, I found Peter Weller's portrayal as the warmongering Admiral Marcus a bit hammy. And Simon Pegg's Scots accent became slightly more bearable in this film. But I do feel that Karl Urban, John Cho and Anton Yelchin had less to do in this film, than they did in "STAR TREK". Benedict Cumberbatch struck me as effectively ambiguous and sinister at the same time. However, if J.J. Abrams needed someone to portray the Indian-born Khan, why did he not consider another actor he had worked with in the past? Namely "LOST" alumni Naveen Andrews. He would have been perfect.
Do I consider "STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS" a vast improvement over "STAR TREK"? There are a good number of fans who view the first film as superior. I simply do not share this opinion. However, I would not exactly label "STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS" as one of the better movies for the summer of 2013. In fact, I view it slightly better than the first film . . . and nothing more.
However, this movie did have its share of problems. And one of them proved to be the film's opening sequence on Nibiru, which found Kirk and Dr. McCoy being chased through some kind of forest by some of the planet's inhabitants. Apparently, Kirk had stolen some sacred scroll to led the Nibirians away from the volcano. This tactic proved to be unnecessary, considering there were only two means to save the Nibirians - Spock's cold fusion device into the volcano's core, or the physical removal of the planet's inhabitants. In other words, this chase scene proved to be completely irrelevant. Another aspect of this sequence that proved to be irrelevant was Spock's protests against Kirk raising the Enterprise from the planet's ocean floor and exposing it to the Nibirians. One, what was the Enterprise doing below the ocean? Why not simply allow it to orbit the planet? And the Enterprise does not have the ability to land on the ocean floor, let alone on solid ground. It was never the 23rd century version of the U.S.S. Voyager. And why was Spock complaining about Kirk violating the Prime Directive in regard to the Enterprise's exposure, when he was violating it by saving the planet with the cold fusion device? I suspect his decision to save Nibiru may have been related to the loss of Vulcan in the first movie. But why did he even bother to protest against Kirk's actions, when he was just as guilty? And by the way, what happened to Earth's defense system? This movie is set in the mid 23rd century. There is a defense system for early 21st century Washington D.C. Why was there not one for mid 23rd century San Francisco, the main location for the Federation and Starfleet? Khan's ship could have been easily destroyed before it had a chance to enter Earth's atmosphere. I would go on about the photon torpedoes that harbored members of Khan's crew. But I found this scenario too confusing to discuss.
There were other problems. Why did Khan risk his hide to fire at the room of Starfleet captains and Admiral Marcus, when he could have easily achieved his goal with a bomb? What happened to the situation on Kronos? Marcus had sent the Enterprise to Kronos in order to hunt down Khan and start a war against the Klingons. Kirk, Spock, Uhura and Khan's encounter with the Klingons proved to be violent and especially deadly for the latter. But no war manifested after the incident on Kronos. In fact, the screenwriters and Abrams completely forgot about the Klingons once Admiral Marcus appeared aboard the Vengeance. Many critics complained about Alice Eve (who portrayed Carol Marcus) being shown in her underwear, accusing Abrams of exploiting the actress. Where were these same critics, four years ago, when both Zoë Saldaña (as Uhura) and an actress who portrayed Uhura's roommate stripped down to undies in "STAR TREK"? I found both Khan and Admiral Marcus' plans somewhat convoluted. But I was willing to . . . tolerate them. What I could not tolerate was the movie's last twenty to thirty minutes. Apparently, the screenwriters and Abrams decided it would be cool to pay some kind of "homage" to the famous Spock death scene in "STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN". I wish to God they had not. I really do. I found it embarrassing to watch Kirk and Spock switch roles with the former sacrificing his life to prevent the Enterprise from crashing upon Earth. Listening to some of the titters from other members of the audience did not help. And when Zachary Quinto channeled William Shatner's cry of "Khaaaannn!", my inner mind screamed "Whhhhyyyy?" I have never been so embarrassed for any actor as I was for Quinto at that moment. To make matters worse - if that was possible - McCoy brought Kirk back to life by using Khan's superpower blood. And all I can say is . . . "Whhhhyyyy?"
We come to the main problem of "STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS". James T. Kirk. I had no problem with Chris Pine's performance. But I am still wondering why his Kirk is in command of a top-of-the-grade starship. Why? He never finished Starfleet Academy. He never even finished his third year. Yet, Christopher Pike not only saw fit to give him command of the Enterprise at the end of "STAR TREK", but also prevent Kirk from being sent back to the Academy to finish it. Even after watching "STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS", it was plain to see that Kirk was not ready to be a starship commander. Yes, he sacrificed his life to save the Enterprise. Hell, anyone - crewman or officer - could have done this. It was Spock who discovered a way to damage the Vengeance . . . . and prevent it from destroying the Enterprise. He should be the one in command of the Enterprise, not Kirk. I wish I could say that Pike paid his decision to make Kirk a starship commander with his life. Unfortunately, Kirk's command skills had nothing to do with his death. Only bad writing.
What else can I say about "STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS"? I found it somewhat more bearable than 2009's "STAR TREK". I found the movie's photography and special effects rather impressive - except for the lens flares, which I despise. And the movie did feature some solid direction by J.J. Abrams and very solid performances from a cast led by Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto. But in the end, I was not that impressed by the movie. If I must be honest, the screenplay by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof nearly sunk it in the end. Better luck next time, fellas.
