STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS: Live long and make more sequels

Director: J.J. Abrams

Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoey Saldana

Music: Michael Giacchino

Running time: 132 minutes

Warning: Spoiler Alert. This article exposes content crucial to the plot of the film.

It is never too late to write a review. Unfortunately I was too late to catch this movie on the big screen, which I regret very much. The theater screening was successful but brief; like when one gets a strong whiff of fast food in a momentary breeze.

Star Trek into Darkness was a superb sequel. The movie had the very familiar atmosphere and vibe that I experienced while watching the first movie and had my eyes glued to the screen. Michael Giacchino did a good job with the score. The music blended well with the story even though it does not stand out very much like most Zimmer tracks. Chris Pine returns as the stubborn and dependable James Kirk and calmly delivers throughout the movie including a few uncommon yet successful emotional scenes. Zachary Quinto fulfilled his role as the level headed and rational Spock although his cry of anguish after Kirk’s “death” didn't really do it for me. For his first ever open display of emotion, the half human side of Spock could’ve been a little more persuasive. And last and definitely not least, Benedict Cumberbatch did a spectacular job as the cold and ruthless Khan. The skull-crushing, punch-taking, stun resistant superhuman was relentless and inspiring till the very end. A general shout-out to the crew of the ship: Bones, Chekov, Scotty and a very badass Zulu who were all perfect for the roles. 

                                                Of course i have an important role!

The best aspect of the storyline for me is that they give you an episode sort of feel all the way. The story is pacey and very linear, preventing you from even gazing down at you popcorn, very much like the first movie. There is no definitive beginning or ending to each part which is why making sequels for this series is a great idea. There were of course some parts that didn't really gel with the story. I was expecting Carol Marcus to be a more significant character but it felt as though Kirk just needed a female counterpart. I was not too happy about Spock asking Spock-Prime how he defeated Khan. The Spock-Uhura tiff also seemed a little unwanted but eventually led to a memorable dialogue by Spock about “refusing to feel”. The death of captain Pike wasn't as ‘sudden’ as I felt during the movie but it was definitely an emotional moment. I usually shun stories involving the “resurrection” of characters but Kirk’s return from the grave seemed perfectly fine with me. I even pumped my fist as it happened. At first I thought the classic “This is the starship Enterprise” ending would be rather redundant but at the end it seemed like nothing would be more appropriate.

                                   I am going to walk over your corpses and look awesome doing it

But the one thing I was looking out for was the man behind the camera. J.J. Abrams, who has been entrusted with the camera for the upcoming Star Wars episode has not failed to impress. His dynamic action sequences which were once again similar to the first movie gave the story-line a brilliant drive. The scene where Kirk and Khan are launched from the Enterprise to Marcus’s ship through the field of debris was excellent. The vigorous action scenes are separated by beautiful tracking shots through the chambers of the Enterprise. Of these the one that really got my attention was when the camera follows Kirk and Spock into the elevator and the doors close, immediately after which they open again but on a different level (All in one continuous shot).

Star Trek into Darkness was definitely worth a watch in theaters or even a 1080p download whenever that will be available. Abrams has cemented my belief in his abilities and I will definitely be in front of the big screen if another installment is on its way.

4/5

Quotes: 

Khan: "Intellect alone is useless in a fight Mr. Spock. You can't even break a rule - how can you be expected to break bone?"

Kirk: "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do! I only know what i CAN do!"

World War Z: Pitt v/s Zombies

Director: Marc Forster
Screenplay: Matthew Michael Carnahan, Drew Goddard, Damon Lindelof
Story: Matthew Michael Carnahan, J. Michael Straczynski (based on "World War Z" by Max Brooks)
Cast: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, Matthew Fox
Running Time: 116 minutes
Music: Marco Beltrami

World War Z is a whole lotta fun, with a good mix of thrills and action. It's a Brad Pitt driven zombie flick which is essentially on hyper-drive mode throughout most of it's running time. The film endured it's fair share of production hassles, including a couple of script re-writes and addition shoots. It's based on a book of the same name but apparently shares very little other than the name itself (I haven't read the book, so will not comment on it's likeness). World War Z is certainly not without it's flaws, but the positive seems to outweigh the negative, making this a solid entry into the post-apocalyptic as well as zombie film genres.

Z-z-z-zombies !

World War Z is the story of Gerry Lane (Pitt), a retired United Nations employee living with his wife and two kids in Philadelphia, who has to travel the world to try to find out the origin and possible cure for a zombie-like pandemic which has spread across the world. What instantly strikes you about the movie is its pace, wasting no time to dive right into the action. There are some stunning scenes in a traffic laden Philly suburb which kick things off with a bang.

Zombies re-enacting scenes from Holi

The high octane intro results in (conveniently) less time dedicated to background stories or explanations. As a positive consequence, there is no muddled scientific jargon, and leaves the audience with as much information as the movie characters. However, there is also hardly any character depth or development, and you would be forgiven if you didn't really care about them much. However, Forster smartly sidesteps these complications with the break-neck and gripping speed of the film.

Now this is a PG-13 film. Yes, a PG-13 Zombie horror film. Which means there is hardly any blood/gore in World War Z. This was obviously done with a view to make up the hefty $190 million budget, but it tends to diminish the overall zombie effect. While it is admirable that the movie did provide it's fair share of thrills and chills without too much blood and gore, it wouldn't have been out of place.

I can haz blood?

You can generally go two ways with zombies, either they are the slow walking, dumbasses, or the fast-moving killing machines and Forster successfully chooses the later. The zombies are pretty damn scary and relentless. They know they are already dead, and put their bodies on the line to get that next bite. Most of the movie's strongest scenes involve them and that is a big positive in World War Z. 

The acting (Brad Pitt) is pretty top notch. I've been a pretty big Brad Pitt fan, and he tends to diversify his roles and never really fails to deliver (even if the film sometime does); and this trend continues. Pitt as Gerry Lane delivers an assured performance, whether it is as a consoling father, or in a Mission Impossible-esque stealth mode. The rest of the cast have relatively smaller roles and feature unknown faces. Daniella Kertesz does a solid job as a Israeli soldier Segen.

Yep, its cool for guys to say he's hot and not have their sexuality questioned

The film cannot help itself on occasion and falls into the action movie cliche category, with the "one-man-against-the-world" feel. Situations conveniently arise and sufficient lucky breaks help our hero in his quest. Ironically, in one scene, a researcher reminds Lane he's not the only one with a family in this ongoing tragedy, but the film tends to treat him like he is. The ending is pretty smart, but feels a bit underwhelming as opposed to the beginning. (with lots of indications of possible sequel)

Thats right, they climbed an inverted truck and hijacked a chopper

Overall, World War Z is an enjoyable watch. It packs enough punch for an action flick, and has enough spooks for a thriller. While it does seem light on the drama, the sci-fi aspect or the "believability" of the story line, the film embraces its limitations and does well on the back of a solid Brad Pitt.

4/5

Cool Quotes:

1. Gerry Lane: If you can fight, fight. Be prepared for anything. Our war has just begun.
2. Andrew Fassbach: Mother Nature is a serial killer. She wants to get caught, she leaves bread crumbs, she leaves clues... Mother nature knows how to disguise her weakness as strength.

Now You See Me : You may wish you didn't

Director : Louis Leterrier
Screenplay : Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt
Cast :  Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Mélanie Laurent, Morgan Freeman & Michael Caine (OMG!)
Run Time : 115 min

Magic! Ever since the times of Houdini, many seek to entertain the world with magic but only a few succeed. This is what Now You See Me is all about. The trailer showed glimpses of phenomenal tricks, illusions beyond comprehension and with a cast that includes Sir Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman it promised to be a movie that will you keep you on the edge of the seat, guessing how the rabbit came out of the hat.

 First rule of magic:  Always be the smartest guy in the room.

It starts off well, describing the lives of 4 magicians : Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), a young, talented street magician who excels at card tricks and charming young women into his bed. Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson),  a "has-been" mentalist who now earns money by hypnotizing wives and threatening to expose infidel husbands. Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), an escape artist who is perfect for the role of the magician's assistant. Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), a wannabe magician who isn't very good at magic, but is brilliant at picking both locks and pockets. These 4 seemingly unconnected individuals are all invited to a single location by an anonymous caller that represents a secret society known only as The Eye who are said to be the guardians of  True Magic through the ages. Here, they see blueprints of a scheme so elegant, and so comprehensive that they are lost in its depths. They then embark on a journey to perform magic on the big stages all around America, starting with Las Vegas courtesy of their generous sponsor Arthur Tressler (Sir Michael Caine). It is here that they take on the name "The Four Horsemen". The movie picks up speed at a phenomenal pace going from simple street magic to Bank Robbery in a matter of minutes.

Shit. They can do magic.

As they travel, following orders from The Eye, evading the law and impressing the common people. Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman) follows them around explaining their tricks. It is here that the movie seems to lose the plot. By definition Magic becomes that much less Magical when you explain it. After picking up pace so fluidly in the first half, the movie seems to saturate becoming nothing more than a compilation of fancy light shows.

Both Arthur Tressler and Thaddeus Bradley are outmaneuvered completely as the movie progresses and made to look incompetent. It takes courage to cast Sir Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman and then demolish both their characters completely and this is exactly what Louis has done. Cheers to him, but it seems like a complete waste of their talents. These two are giants in the world of cinema and are capable of incredible versatility and the director seems to have forgotten this fact entirely. When you buy a Ferrari, you expect to drive it at 200 mph, you deserve that much at least. Louis though, decided to leave both his Ferraris in the garage. Somehow, they salvage the movie with a brilliant plot twist that leaves you in shock and awe. The final sequence is grand to say the least and

Bruce, I am God.

looks fantastic  in 3-D.

"Now You See Me" has a really good story-line and sublime special effects. It will impress the casual movie-goer but if you have watched movies like "The Prestige", you will be disappointed.
In the end, it is hard to pin point what went wrong in the movie. It was made beautifully, and had all the ingredients to become a truly great movie but it lost its way somewhere along the way. This, my friends is the difference between a movie about magic and a movie that is Magic.






Quotes :

J. Daniel Atlas: The closer you think you are, the less you'll actually see.

J. Daniel Atlas:   You have what we in the business like to call nothing up your sleeve.  Because if you did it means that you and the FBI and your friends at Interpol actually believe in magic.
Dylan Hobbs:   Can you explain to me how you went from Las Vegas to Paris in three seconds?
J. Daniel Atlas:   What do the kids call it these days ? Oh, magic.

Man Of Steel: Certainly Not Stainless

Director: Zack Snyder

Screenplay: David S. Goyer

Story: David S. Goyer & Christopher Nolan

Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Russell Crowe, Antje Traue, Laurence Fishburne

Running Time: 143 Minutes

Music: Hans Zimmer

Zack Snyder's "Man Of Steel" is your quintessential big budget Summer superhero block buster film. That is not necessarily a bad thing, "The Avengers" showed us that. But where "The Avengers" managed to succeed, by overcoming the typical block buster excesses and cliches, "Man Of Steel" cannot. Sure, the movie has its moments, but they only prove to be a glimpse of 'what could have been' as it plods on during its 143 minute run-time.

First in line of a new reboot series, (which is to include a sequel and a Justice League film) "Man Of Steel" is essentially an origin story, which most may already be familiar with. The film opens in a desolate planet Krypton with Jor-El (Crowe), Krypton's leading scientist, and General Zod (Shannon), Krypton's military commander, at logger-heads about the fate of the doomed planet and the future of their race. Jor-El and wife Lara send their new born son, the planet's first natural birth in ages, Kal-El off to planet Earth, not before imprinting a genetic codex into his cells. Zod is furious, murders Jor-El and vows to hunt Kal-El, as he is banished to the Phantom Zone for his attempted coup before the planet explodes. 

The film then shows how Clark Kent is raised in Smallville, Kansas and learns of his superpowers and alien origins from his adopted parents, Jonathan and Martha (Costner and Lane); how as an adult Kent's (Cavill) paths with reporter Lois Lane (Adams) cross; his ultimate aim and reason for existence from his hologram-ised birth father; and his ultimate showdown with General Zod & Buddies on Earth.

Shit just got serious in Krypton

The first half is certainly the strongest, as the film alternates between timelines. We see a young Clark Kent, struggling to come to terms with his superhuman abilities with the help of parents; and an adult Kent, constantly avoiding drawing attention to his superhuman abilities in a nomadic existence. The influence of Christopher Nolan is particularly apparent here, the movie has a somber tone and a dark mood. This makes for some of the movie's best scenes, like how Kent uses restraint and deals with an ass-hole customer at the bar he works in; or a young Kent averting disaster after his school bus topples over.

School bus? No Biggie....

The film, however, quickly begins to move into over-the-top and cheesy territory. From long, drawn out, introspective and sentimental conversations between Clarke and Jonathon, to loud explosions and chaos, "Man Of Steel" begins to lose all the initial sheen. There's some random sci-fi mumbo-jumbo thrown in that doesn't really make sense and a constant theme of "Is the world ready for Superman?" present for good measure. 

"Yep. I've nailed that goatee"

The film's lack of humour is very apparent, especially considering how light-hearted the Christopher Reeve era Superman films were. While the filmmakers obviously look to portray a more realistic superhero for a newer audience (the original released in 1978), the essence of Superman has always been that of a fun, happy superhero. Having said that, the filmmakers cannot portray an edgy or dark Superman either. Unlike Batman, a more realistic superhero with a 'darker' side, Superman has always been straight-up, clean guy and Snyder struggles to find the balance.

Lets cover that body up with a Superman costume...

The acting is a bit of a mixed bag. Little known Henry Cavill is physically impressive, although a bit underwhelming in his delivery, while pretty Amy Adams does a fair job at best of playing reporter Lois Lane. The best actors are probably Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, who do a great job as Clark's adopted parents, and ever-dependable Russel Crowe as Jor-El. Michael Shannon as General Zod spews out his bad-guy dialogues with venom; but the most miscast role has to be the Daily Planet boss Perry White, played by Laurence Fishburne, producing a number of inadvertent lulz.

"I knew I should've taken the blue pill..."

True to form, the action sequences are pretty stunning (ensure you get to a good 3-D theater) and the high-budget is apparent. From planet Krypton (not unlike the 'real world' from "The Matrix") to Antarctica, the cinematography is pretty cool, too! The explosions and fight sequences look impressive, but are pretty overdone and chaotic at times.

A special word on Hans Zimmer's brilliant soundtrack (which you can illegally procure here). The veteran composer doesn't fail to deliver with a rich soundscape, and in a completely different feel to the original, iconic "Superman March" theme by John Williams.

"Man Of Steel" is certainly nowhere to being a great film. It keeps reverting to block buster cliches and mediocrity, and it's long running time doesn't help. However, there are some really good moments and visual delights to make it a fun theater watch (wallet withstanding of course).

2.5/5

Cool Quotes:

1. Jonathan Kent: You have to keep this side of yourself a secret.
   Clark Kent at 13: What was I supposed to do? Let them die?
   [brief pause]
   Jonathan Kent: Maybe...
   
   
2. Lois Lane: What's the S stand for?
   
   
3. Jor-El: Goodbye, my son. Our hopes and dreams travel with you.
   Lara Lor-Van: He will be an outcast. They'll kill him.
   Jor-El: How? He'll be a god to them.