Movie Trailer Monday

I spent a lot of my free time today watching movies trailers.

Here's some of the highlights that I viewed...

Sherlock Holmes



Nine



The Road

Star Trek "Movie Review"

This week we take a look at one of the first big movies of the summer season, Star Trek (PG-13). J.J. Abrams directs this retooling of the classic franchise, giving an origin story for the crew of the Enterprise. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto lead an ensemble cast.

Ryan: Cinematic reboots have become the “in” thing to do in Hollywood. When they are done right, audiences are rewarded with a Batman Begins or Casino Royale. Much like those other two films, Star Trek is an immensely successful rebooting of a once dormant franchise. The movie has mainstream appeal without losing too much of the allure of the Star Trek universe. For a summer popcorn flick, it has just the right mixture of action, humor and drama. It touches all the right chords that one would expect from a summer tent pole release.

Andy: There is no question that Star Trek is a success. The movie plays out like a summer action flick should. It has plenty of action, a plot that is interesting enough to keep the mind entertained, and it adequately pays homage to the Star Trek films of the past. This is a difficult task for any movie to pull off, particularly one that has legions of fans with high expectations. J.J. Abrams has come through with a movie that easily could have been a flop.

Ryan: I give J.J. Abrams a lot of credit. He's simultaneously revamped the franchise for a new audience while still paying respect to the rich history of the Star Trek universe. As an origin story the audience sees how Star Trek universe develops and moviegoers see how the iconography unfolds. Complimenting the story is a superb cast that not only reinvents the characters for a new crowd but also an audience that is familiar with the protagonists. It is no easy trick to appeal to a rabid fan base while also attempting to bring in a new (and larger) audience but Abrams and his crew prove successful with the endeavor.

Andy: Abrams has had success in most everything he’s done for the past five years, and his forays into movies have been largely successful as well. Star Trek will be a rather large feather in his director’s cap, as it is likely to please most who see it. It is by no means perfect, but it checks most of the boxes that you need for a successful and entertaining summer movie, and it does so without seeming overly contrived.

Ryan: I'm not a Trekkie (or Trekker) so I'm not going to presume if they will appreciate the movie. But while I'm not a Star Trek geek I was a fan of the original series and of The Next Generation. So I do think that one issue fans might have with the new movie is it's lack of depth. Star Trek is known more as cerebral sci-fi than action-adventure sci-fi. For example, the original TV series—while set in the future—nonetheless had stories that explored themes that were relevant for its time. While the new movie is set to become a pop culture landmark it doesn't transcend its straight forwardness.

Andy: For all the entertaining elements of the film, there are missteps. At the risk of revealing a bit a spoiler here, there is an appearance of an original cast member in the movie. I found these segments to be awkward and a bit forced. It is an understandable device, attempting to bridge the gap between the original and the new, but it just didn’t work. Fortunately, the rest of the movie stands up well enough to overcome these few shortcomings.

Star Trek is able to successfully reintroduce the characters to new audiences while properly paying respects to the series’ history. Final grade: B+.

More "Between Two Ferns"...

...this time with my girl Natalie Portman.

Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis from Between Two Ferns

Motherlover

Justin Timberlake was the guest on SNL this past week.

Below is the sequel to the "D--- in a Box" musical video.

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" Movie Review

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (PG-13) slashed its way into theatres this past weekend, thus ushering in the summer movie season. Set as a prequel to the X-Men trilogy, X-Men Origins details the genesis of Wolverine becomingWolverine. Hugh Jackman is back as Logan and is surrounded by a recognizable cast including Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Will i Am and Ryan Reynolds.

Andy: Many people feel that Wolverine is the most interesting character in the entire Marvel Comics Universe. While I’ll leave that debate to people who are more informed on the subject, I think it is safe to say that he is the most popular member of the X-Men. Jackman has a reasonable amount of star-power as well, so there was at least potential for this movie to be pretty good. Unfortunately, that potential was left unfulfilled.

Ryan: Those hoping that “Origins” would ease the medicore taste that X-Men 3 left for a lot of moviegoers are going to again be disappointed. Like X-Men 3, X-Men Origins: Wolverine fails to live up to the stature of the first two X-Men flicks. The movie is watchable and there aren't many dull moments, but there's nothing to get excited about either and that's the main problem with the film. For a big summer spectacle, X-Men Origins: Wolverine lacks punch that one would expect.

Andy: Perhaps the biggest obstacle for the Wolverine movie is the writing. The dialogue is frequently laughable, hindering otherwise quality actors. I’m generally a fan of Live Shreiber, but when your lines include clichés like “Look what the cat dragged in,” it take some serious chops to make the words seem vibrant. I know the argument could be made that dialogue isn’t actually all that important in a summer action film, but the action sequences seemed a little stale as well.

Ryan: Part of the problem with the movie is how it sanitizes the character of Wolverine. Fans of Wolverine want to see him be Wolverine. Basically—and this is putting it bluntly-- they want to see him kick butt—a lot of it. To me, the Wolverine/Logan character doesn't open itself up to the same sort of inner conflict analysis as say a Spider-Man or Batman so it doesn't make sense to me to try to spin the movie that way. The lack of action in the movie greatly surprised me. There's no memorable action moment where one sits back and thinks that was cool.

Andy: At this point, the superhero movie has become something we expect a healthy dose of every summer. To avoid seeming mediocre, a good superhero needs to either excel tremendously in one of the stereotypical areas (action, gadgets, characters), or bring something new to the genre. Wolverine does not even attempt to do either of these, and it feels much like a stale retread for it.

Ryan: The saving grace of the movie is Jackman. The rest of the movie pales in comparison to his portrayal of Wolverine. I'm not going to fault the guy for giving it everything he's got to make the movie successful. The bottom line is that the rest of the movie doesn't measure up to Jackman's performance. That is unfortunate because a Wolverine film with Jackman in the lead really seemed like a can't miss idea. Now we know that is not the case.

X Men Origins: Wolverine is not a terrible movie, but it doesn’t do anything to make itself seem very good either. Final grade: C-.

Cubs retire the number 31

On Sunday Stuckey and I ventured up to Chicago to catch not only the game but the retiring of the number 31 in Cubs history. For those that aren't aware both Fergeson Jenkins and Greg Maddux wore the number 31 for the Cubs. There was a ceremony before the game to honor these two pitchers--Jenkins is already in the Hall of Fame...Maddux will be in five years.

It was very cool. It was a picture perfect day and one could tell that both players were very humbled by the much deserved honor. Maddux didn't have his "best" seasons with the Cubs but he started his career there...won one Cy Young award...and when he came back he accomplished two major career milestones--his 3,000th strikeout...and winning his 300th game. As Len Kasper stated at the onset of the ceremony, Jenkins and Maddux are two of the best pitchers ever to wear a Chicago Cubs jersey--and there's no debating that.

Here's some snapshots from the ceremony...

"But He Talks Like a Gentlmen"

Hearing "When You Were Young" live by The Killers at one of their shows is one of the best feeling one can have. That's how good the song is...and how good The Killers perform it.

Jenny and I attended The Killers concert last night at The Murat and we're treated to another outstanding show (we saw them a year and a half ago at Columbus, OH)...but nonetheless...the show was tremendous. I know The Killers--with their going off in different directions with each album--isn't always everyone cup of tea but they do put on a great show. Their frontman, Brandon Flowers, is always a hit especially with the ladies as Jenny has labeled him Mr. Dramatic for all his "enthusiasm" on stage. (Although he wasn't wearing a feather jacket).

Here's the set list for those interested...

Human
This is Your Life
Somebody Told Me
For Reasons Unknown
Joy Ride
I Can't Stay
Bling (Confessions of a King)
Shadowplay (Joy Division Cover)
Smile Like You Mean It
Spaceman
Neon Tiger
A Dustland Fairytale
Sam's Town
Read My Mind
Mr. Brightside
All These Things That I Have Done

Encore:

Bones
Jenny was a Friend of Mind
When You Were Young