Star Trek Beyond Absolutely Is

I saw the premiere of Star Trek Beyond last night, which opens in theaters today, Friday 22.

The film is aptly titled, because it stretches this young version of the original Enterprise crew in every way.

In the first reboot, trekkers needed to see Chris Pine as a believable, but respectful, Jim Kirk.  He was, and continues to be, masterful, as are the rest of the cast.

From the beginning, too, we became aware that this new franchise would not follow the timeline set forth in TOS (the original series).

Straying from the time line bothered me then.  The X-Men have taught me to appreciate the limitless possibilities that flexibility can offer the imagination. The characters and their relationships remain, even as their backstories morph from episode to episode.

I’m not the only person who has a hard time with the reboot pushing beyond Gene Rodenberry’s vision. George Takei, the original Sulu and current gay rights activist, wasn’t thrilled that young Sulu (now played by John Cho) has a husband and daughter. Takei has been quoted as saying he was happy to see a gay character, and understood the tip of the hat as it was intended, but felt it unfortunate to stray from Rodenberry’s originally character.

While the timeline may change, and the character’s backstories may grow, a few things remain consistent. Star Trek stories have always reflected our societal struggles. TOS brought us the first interracial kiss on TV, for example.

In Star Trek Beyond, the crew faces a villain who believes that strength and identity come from conflict, and the unity created by the United Federation of Planets is dangerous. Doesn’t that sound like conversations heard around the world today, where some fear unity between countries will lead to a dangerous “world government”?

The special effects in Star Trek Beyond are dazzling, but almost so over the top that they distract from the story, making it hard to follow at times.

The death of Leonard Nimoy is paralleled in the story line.

It was a bit hard for me to enjoy Anton Yelchin’s brilliant portrayal of Chekov, knowing that the actor himself didn’t live to see the movie open.

What made this movie work for me wasn’t the story or the tech, it was the chemistry between the cast, and the way they developed their characters and relationships. For me, it felt like spending time with old friends, and learning new things about them.

An added dimension to the cast came from a surprising new female character whom we’ll expect to see in the next adventure.

This movie should not be missed by Trekkers, Trekkies, sci-fi geeks and people who enjoy watching the destruction of intricate spaceships, and explosions in space.

Edge of Tomorrow not on the Edge of my Seat

I’m not a fan of Tom Cruise, but he does get such great roles that sometimes when I see him on-screen I forget that I don’t like him.  Nonetheless, had his new “Edge of Tomorrow” flick not been available in the 3D IMAX format I would have seen X-Men instead and called it a day.

Alien invasion in 3D was just too tempting.

I enjoyed the experience, primarily because of the special effects. Maybe the glass of wine from the movie theatre bar was helpful, too.

I didn’t think “Edge of Tomorrow” was a great movie for two reasons. First, there was really nothing original. It felt like “Groundhog Day” meets “The Butterfly Effect” meets “Iron Man” meets Every-Alien-Invasion-Movie-Ever.

Second, there was no opportunity to develop an emotional bond with Tom Cruise’s lead character. I just didn’t care what happened to him, nor to his female lead played by Emily Blunt. Luckily the fate of the entire Earth was in question or I would have had no emotional stake in the plot whatsoever. The planet was the only character in the movie to whom I felt any connection.

On some level, “Edge of Tomorrow” is the shallow story of a shallow man facing his fears. It is a story of redemption, not only for the planet but for a single individual. It was just too bad that Cruise’s character was so wooden I really didn’t care.

What I did care about were CG spaceships, aliens, weapons and battles in 3D. The special effects alone were worth the price of admission, even if the script and acting were lackluster.

Movie Review: Olympus has Fallen

Rarely do I actually see a movie on its opening day, but somehow Olympus has Fallen seemed worth catching right away. The magnificent cast (Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Dylan McDermott, Aaron Eckhart, Ashley Judd) and the plot line appealed to me as an exciting story.

I was right.

Post 9/11 Hollywood has some interesting challenges. On one hand, we've already seen real terrorism up close. What fictional terrorism could shock us now? One the other hand, we now believe things are possible we wouldn't have believed before. Which one of us, on 9/10/2001, would have thought we would lose the Twin Towers to terrorism, let alone the White House, which is the premise of this movie?

Olympus has Fallen has a high body count, a lot of action and some terrifying scenes. It's also patriotic and redemptive. Our hero has an early Steven Segal quality to him as he fights against all odds to save the President.

This is an action movie at its best. When it's over you will think about the many reasons those things that had you on the edge of your seat couldn't actually happen. But while you are watching the movie those things will seem real, and will terrify you.

And, whether blue state or red state, Occupy or Tea Party, Olympus has Fallen will remind you why you are proud to be an American.