Star's Talk

Star Trek

"Live long, and Prosper."

A chronicle of the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members.

REVIEW
Abrams and crew went above and beyond my expectations and completely blew me away with fascinating visual effects, top notch music and high grade acting. Just like what Nolan did to Batman, JJ Abrams breathed new life to a dormant franchise and one can assume that this is where things will kickstart for Captain Kirk and his Enterprise crew. Having seen this one, I am all for a Star Trek 12 and I might even buy the classic series and the preceding movies. JJ Abrams, also the director of underrated action piece Mission Impossible 3, definitely has an eye for action and escapist storytelling and this movie might just be his hot ticket to greater movie projects.

I've had my reservations with Chris Pine playing Kirk because to be honest, no one really knew him and the fans were worried if the new Captain Kirk will work or not. Well, fortunately all is good and well with Chris Pine as he fills in the shoes of William Shatner. Pine's approach to Kirk brings justice to Shatner's unique portrayal while making a distinct personality that caters the new generation. Not to be outdone, Zachary Quinto of Heroes fame brings the assertiveness and gusto of Spock to a whole new level. Both of them meld perfectly on screen and the chemistry has a certain spark and charm that will be remembered by fans and non-fans alike. Tip of the hat also to Karl Urban who plays Bones McCoy, Simon Pegg as disgraced engineer Scotty, Zoe Saldana as feisty Uhura and a kickass John Cho as Enterprise pilot Hikari Sulu. Eric Bana channels some of his "Chopper
characteristics playing main baddie, Nero and for all intents and purposes, his turn as a villain was effective and three dimensional.

Mind blowing visual effects and an ear piercing and stunning score by Michael Giacchino bookends this visual treat of a movie that is turning to be an early 2009 favorite among fans and critics. A must see for the summer movie season.

Madame Satã

Even if you do not like the characters, this is a REAL movie with REAL people and it is an Oscar worthy film. I submitted this one to Flixster after watching late one night. I was amazed at the marvelous acting. You must see this one!

Miami Vice

At first viewing, this is confusing and fast paced. The dialogue can be hard to decipher. On a second and third look, it is amazing. You see things you didn't even catch the first time around! I was not thrilled at all with Collin Farrell as Sonny at first. He surprised me. Gong Li is amazing as she always is. I loved the little "head nod" thing she and Sonny had going throughout the movie. The soundtrack is awesome!!!!!!

The only disappointment I had was with the role of Castillo. Although I knew the cast was not supposed to be exactly like the TV series, they could have done a much better job of choosing an actor to fill those shoes. I'm not saying Barry Shabaka Henley is not a good actor, just not in this role. I watched this movie for the 5th time last night...this time in HD, and I must say it is awesome! The scenery, the characters, the site locations (very good commentary about this in the extended director's cut DVD) all come together, if you PAY ATTENTION, to bring you a most satisfying and rewarding experience. I want a sequel.

Crank 2: High Voltage

"He was dead...But he got better"

Chelios faces a Chinese mobster who has stolen his nearly indestructible heart and replaced it with a battery-powered ticker that requires regular jolts of electricity to keep working.

REVIEW
This movie has warped my fragile little mind. Bullets, booze, tits and mayhem times two, Crank 2 is like going bungee jumping, but without a cord. If you thought Crank was messed up, then you're gonna have to see this one to prove yourself wrong and be blown away by its awesomeness. Crank was violent, the sequel took it up a notch and, I mean this in the literal sense, bloods were spraying like geysers and body counts were piling up faster than a genocide. Also tons of nudity to be had, one more side boob and it would have turned into full on pornography. Hyper-real and ultra-violent, Crank 2 is a fun, fun ride from start to finish. Calling it 'energetic' is an understatement.

I'm not saying its better than its predecessor, I still prefer the original over this and this shouldn't have been made in the first place but what the heck, the dynamic duo Neveldine & Taylor pulled it off so I got no problems with it. Jason Statham pulled out all the stops with this sequel proving yet again why he's one of Hollywood's future in the action genre. Amy Smart plays lovable, feisty and kooky like a mood ring as she portrays Statham's girlfriend Eve. With all the out of this world craziness happening in the movie, the blood & guts spilled, its good to know that you have Amy Smart dancing in a stripper pole as an anchor. Appearances from David Carradine, Clifton Collins to Bai Ling were a nice touch to the kinetic franchise.

Crank 3? I'm already there. A must.

Unfaithful

The Astronaut's Wife

The Haunting in Connecticut

A friend saw this and told me it was very scary and he almost walked out of the movie. So, I definitely want to see this one.

Ok, I saw it. I am a jaded horror connoisseur but I did enjoy this. I didn't feel like walking out of the movie though. Rated PG-13 but there was enough adult content to make horror fans happy.

I believe if they had been true to the actual back-story, (rape and sodomy from the ghosts) it would have garnered an R for certain. I haven't seen the Discovery Channel episode but I will look for it now.

I always enjoy Elias Koteas and Virginia Madsen and I definitely would recommend this.

Black Book (Zwartboek)

A great spy thriller with betrayal, murder, compassion, sex, evil, and revenge all rolled into one engrossing film. In a few years Rachel lived an entire lifetime.

I was happily surprised to see Derek De Lint (Gerben Kuipers) from "Poltergeist: The Legacy, (Derek Rayne, Ph.D-on the series). That was one of my favorite shows. I think he is underrated as an actor. An amazing film that should have garnered Best Foreign Film.

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight

Knowing

Knowing

The Eye

Knowing

"Knowing is Everything..."

A teacher opens a time capsule that has been dug up at his son's elementary school; in it are some chilling predictions -- some that have already occurred and others that are about to -- that lead him to believe his family plays a role in the events that are about to unfold.

REVIEW
After a not so hot streak of low end, trashy movies, Nicolas Cage has come back from the dead starring in this high powered apocalyptic horror/sci-fi breed from director Alex Proyas. I've always been a big fan of Cage, but not so much lately when he starred in what seemed to be a slew of uninspired movies that can be compared to garbage eaten by rats. But alas, guided by the right hands of a man with a vision and free reign, Cage returns to form and carries the whole movie all the way through. What's more is that he didn't need to don an ugly looking hairstyle, just a normal one and no killer bees, motorcycles on fire and Thai prostitutes either so my faith in him has been restored. I've heard news that he plans to retire soon, I say no.

The man clearly has more to offer and to some, the stench of the havoc caused by Wicker Man, Ghost Rider and Bangkok Dangerous is still there. Maybe take another jab at the Oscar gold too. Nicolas Cage aside, I can't figure out what the movie really tries to be. There's the part where it passes off as a horror movie and there are parts where the vibe is just pure science fiction. But I call a mix between the two because there's just enough to make it horrific and just the right amount to call it sci-fi. Alex Proyas, the man behind such great films like Dark City and The Crow may have made his best one yet with this movie. Peppered with great CG effects, just the right amount of dialogue for a movie like this and a couple of mind melting scenes that will cause your brain to leak out your ears. I saw it in a theater and I was on my toes the whole time probably because of the effective mood the director has toned it with and the astounding and ear shattering music score by Marco Beltrami.

I wouldn't wanna spoil the ending but I can vouch for its uniqueness. Definitely not your typical Hollywood ending one expects it to be, I like how the director probably just pissed all over the Roman Catholic church with the way the ending turned out and still, leaving a mark and a message that will make an impact to the audience and they won't even see it coming.

One of the best films I've seen since 2009 kicked things off. It is just refreshing to see this one atop the box office and not some low rent, B-grade studio movie. Highly recommended.