STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS

Paramount

Rated PG-13

Running time: 132 Minutes



Click below to watch the Star Trek Into Darkness movie trailer.



In Paramount Pictures Star Trek Into Darkness, a terrorist has attacked facilities at Starfleet and Captain Kirk, Chris Pine, is determined to go after him.

Directed by J.J. Abrams, this Star Trek sequel has a rule-breaking Kirk/Pine - brought home to Earth for his transgressions - going after a revenge bearing Starfleet agent Benedict Cumberbatch, famous for his role in the TV series Sherlock, who is targeting Starfleet. Despite the fact that Admiral Chris Pike, Bruce Greenwood, admonishes Kirk for his recklessness - Pike/Greenwood continues to take Kirk/Pine under his wing.

While I had enjoyed this film as an action film with Star Trek elements, I would have preferred a more original story for a Star Trek reboot - even though I liked this story better than the first Star Trek film, possible because the writers studied science fiction novels written by Arthur C. Clarke and Larry Niven. I know a lot of Trekkers are not happy with J.J. Abrams treatment of the series, and I will admit that there were scenes where I was groaning "don't do that." Either way, Cumberbatch was very good in his role. One of the early plot points foreshadowed what would happen in the rest of the movie. It is curious that one of the themes of this movie is about family, which plays as a motivator around most of the characters.

After the Boston Marathon bombing, the terrorist attacks in the movie had more immediacy to me than what would be in a normal movie. Stills of the terrorist attacks being used in the movie reminded me very much of the news media videos of the Boston Marathon and foreshadowed what was to come.

It is curious that Starfleet has always had a schizophrenic identity - both scientific and military. Even Chief Engineer Scotty/Simon Pegg was wondering about that. After the terrorist attacks, Admiral Peter Weller - who represents the military aspects of Starfleet - naturally wants to get Cumberbatch and sends Kirk/Pine on a manhunt after Cumberbatch.

There is a controversial exploitative bikini scene of Dr. Carol Marcus, Alice Eve, in the movie which made no sense - aside from being exploitative - as the scene was badly written. The scene would have been more acceptable if it were written better. As it is, there is a certain relationship developing between Marcus/Eve and Kirk/Pine that could be developed in the next Star Trek movie as per Star Trek lore. Sulu's, John Cho's, characterization also could be further developed in the next Star Trek movie as per Star Trek lore. The relationship between Spock/Zachary Quinto and Uhura/Zoe Saldana has also gotten deeper and more complicated in this movie.

While there was a credit for George Kirk/Chris Hemsworth at the end of the movie, I do not recall seeing him in the movie. The principal characters however did reprise their roles from the previous film.

This is the first time that a movie was filmed in IMAX format, then converted to 3D in post production.

At the end of the film is a dedication to post 9/11 veterans. It is cool that four veterans from the organization The Mission Continues are folding the United Federation of Planets Flag during the Memorial ceremony. It seems appropriate that I saw this movie during Memorial Day weekend.

Rated PG-13 for violence and sexual situations. Running time: 132 Minutes.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Pancho's Movie Reviews

IRON MAN 3

Paramount Pictures

Rated PG-13

Running time: 130 Minutes



Click below to watch the Iron Man 3 movie trailer.



In Paramount Pictures, in association with Walt Disney Pictures, Iron Man 3 - Tony Stark/Robert Downey, Jr. goes up against the terrorist the Mandarin/Ben Kingsley and the scientific conglomerate Advanced Idea Mechanics - A.I.M.

Written and Directed by Shane Black, this sequel is more like a dramatic thriller version of Iron Man than the others, although once the kid Ty Simpkins showed up, the movie started to get a little cute and cartoony. Letting Black direct allowed Iron Man Director/Star/Executive Producer Jon Favreau to concentrate on acting and have more screen time. I have been a fan of Black since Lethal Weapon, especially since I shot an interview with his writer brother Terry Black.

After a New Years Eve party in 1999 with botanist Rebecca Hall, billionaire, playboy, genius Stark/Downey, Jr. meets A.I.M. scientist Aldrich Killian/Guy Pearce in a hotel who enthusiastically wants to work and form a partnership with Stark/Downey, Jr. who promptly blows off the innocent Killian/Pearce.

Years later, as a restless Stark/Downey, Jr. constructs dozens of Iron Man suits - including the ability to mentally control them, a series of bombings by the terrorist the Mandarin/Ben Kingsley leaves Stark Industries former Stark/Downey, Jr. bodyguard, now security chief Happy Hogan/Jon Favreau seriously injured during one such encounter with the Mandarin's/Kingsley's henchman James Badge Dale. Stark/Downey, Jr. declares on the news revenge on the Mandarin/Kingsley.

I liked the fact that there was a much deeper relationship with Pepper Potts/Gweneth Paltrow and Stark/Downey, Jr. despite the love triangle with Stark's/Downey Jr.'s obsession with the Iron Man suits. I also liked the appearance of Rescue. Mark Ruffalo's uncredited appearance was cute.

I had mixed feelings about the Mandarin/Kingsley. I thought Kingsley's acting was good, I just had mixed feelings about what they did with the character of the Mandarin, who in the comics is Iron Man's oldest enemy. Although I did not really mind the Mandarin not really being Chinese, I did not like what they did to the character. Also there are basically three villains in the movie. I personally feel that there should only be one villain in a movie, although I might accept a henchman in a movie if he was not as strong as the villain. I do, however, like that all the concepts in the movie are from the comics, especially from the "Extremis" story arc by Warren Ellis. I will admit that there was a lot of the story that was not made clear to me, until I had read the plot on Wikipedia. 

There are references to the movie The Avengers - but nothing blatant and not really relevant to the plot of the Iron Man 3 movie, so you do not have to have seen The Avengers in order to enjoy the movie. Although Stark's/Downey, Jr.'s near death experience in The Avengers was affecting him in Iron Man 3.

I have always felt the name War Machine for Stark's/Downey, Jr.'s best friend James Rhodes/Don Cheadle was too dark and militaristic for me and I much preferred the red, white and blue Iron Patriot name that was given to Rhodes/Cheadle as the government's "American hero." It is a shame that William Sadler did not have much of a presence, let alone much of a part, as the President of the United States of America as Sadler normally does have a presence. Miguel Ferrer is appropriate as the Vice President and had more characterization with having a daughter. While I liked the fact that A.I.M - Advanced Idea Mechanics - was in the movie, A.I.M. is really an organization of scientists which I missed as an evil organization instead of the organization being a company run by Aldrich Killian/Guy Pearce. I also never got the sense that he was physically disabled. I only really learned of that from reading the Wikipedia article.

For Stan Lee fans - so you can concentrate on watching the movie, instead of looking for him - Lee will appear in a scene where he is a beauty contestant judge.

At the end of the movie, after the end credits, there is a scene with Stark/Downey, Jr. that actually ties in with the opening scenes of the movie.

The film scored the second highest opening weekend of all time as of May, 2013 - behind The Avengers.

Rated PG-13 for violence. Running time: 130 Minutes.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

 Pancho's Movie Review

42

Warner Bros.

Rated PG-13

Running time: 128 Minutes



Click below to watch the 42 trailer.



In Warner Bros. 42, World War II is over and America's baseball players return home from the war to the game of baseball. Brooklyn Dodgers team executive Branch Rickey/Harrison Ford wants to increase attendance - by bringing in a black player, Jackie Robinson/Chadwick Boseman.

Based on the true story of Jackie Robinson and the part he played in American history, and written and directed by Brian Helgeland, this biographical movie basically showed Robinson's/Boseman's 1946 season with the Montreal Royals in Panama and Robinson's/Boseman's first season as a Brooklyn Dodger in 1947. I am rather surprised that this is only the second theatrical biography of Jackie Robinson - with the previous one, The Jackie Robinson Story in 1950 which stared Robinson as himself. Although some of the material was created for dramatic purposes, such as Pee Wee Reese's line about the Dodgers someday wearing the number 42 - which in reality was actually said by Dodgers outfielder Gene Hermanski in 1951 - I felt that I got to know Jackie Robinson and got a glimpse of what his life was about. It was incredible to see what an all around great player Robinson/Boseman was, and Boseman went through weeks of baseball training to prepare for being such a great player. With Birmingham, Alabama's Rickwood Field - the oldest surviving professional baseball field in the U.S. - being used in the movie, the baseball stadiums felt very authentic for the time period. It was great to hear about and see such famous names of Dodger baseball, such as Leo Durocher/Christopher Meloni and Pee Wee Reese/Lucas Black in the movie.

Because there was a huge crowd for the Negro League Baseball players, Rickey/Ford wanted to bring that crowd to Major League Baseball. Granted, Rickey/Ford had a great respect for the talent of the Negro players and really wanted to bring that talent to the game and breaking the baseball color barrier instead of being that interested in the money. To see Robinson/Boseman signing the contract to be a Brooklyn Dodger was a great moment to see for me.

The prejudice at that point of time after WWII was intense. You can kill for them, but you can't play for them. Certainly the Dodgers did not want Robinson/Boseman playing for them, let alone the entire baseball league. The most graphic display of the Major League's prejudice was the Philadelphia Phillies manager Ben Chapman/Alan Tudyk's treatment of Robinson/Boseman. I had never knew that the Dodgers had a petition going that they would not play with Robinson/Boseman. Considering Robinson's/Boseman's supposed temper, which was why he got court-martialed while he was in the Army, I was expecting to see Robinson/Boseman to be seething most of the time while playing baseball and trying to hold in his temper. I felt that Robinson/Boseman was too laid back in the movie while everyone was insulting him. Actually, I felt that there was more tension shown with Robinson/Boseman in the trailer than what there was shown proprotionately in the movie. Robinson's/Boseman's court-martial was only just mentioned in the movie and they did not go into it. The story of Robinson's racist court-martial is more covered in the TV movie The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson.

Seeing Robinson's/Boseman's wife Rachel Robinson/Nicole Beharie encounter a White's Only restroom for the first time emphasized the difference between their California home and the rest of the country. It reminded me of my Asian Filipino cousin's travels in the Southeast with her white American husband.

What got to me was how much of a hero Robinson/Boseman was to the black kids, which was incredible - while the prejudice of a white kid in the stands was disturbing to me and my boss, who saw the film before I did. Actually, the movie made me think of the red tagged You're Black, They're White segment in the raunchy film Movie 43 that in a sense represents blacks in all sports. As black sportswriter Wendell Smith/Andre Holland has told Robinson/Boseman, "you are not the only one with something at stake here."

I must admit when I first heard of 42, I was thinking that the movie was the answer to the ultimate question from Douglas Adam's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. While I knew of Jackie Robinson and is a hero of mine, I never knew his number. Now, I can not forget Robinson's jersey number - even though Adam's number 42 has no connection to Robinson's number 42.

It was great Jackie Robinson Day at the end of the movie and to hear during the end credits Count Basie's song Did You See Jackie Robertson Hit That Ball from 1949 which reached number 13 on the music charts.

Click below to watch another trailer of 42.



Click below to watch behind the scenes of 42.



Pancho
All people smile in the same language.