Tag Archives: Zoe Saldana

Avatar 3D (Theaters)

Posted on by
9

It’s been 12 years since James Cameron set box office records and literally transformed filmmaking as we know today with Titanic.  It’s interesting to note every movie geek, critic and average joe/jane knows the name James Cameron despite only having a handful of films out.  Though he took a long break from directing, he had some other side projects producing and getting in touch with mother nature to keep him busy.  Oh and he’s also been working on a movie that he claims will change the way we watch movies…forever.  Pretty bold statement there Jim.  Whenever a movie is hyped so much, it’s rare you walk away dumbfounded and speechless after viewing it.  Does Avatar live up to the bold claims of Mr. Cameron?  Hell YES!!!

So let’s get the story (or lack thereof) out of the way.  The story is about Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a former marine who lost his legs during battle,  awakened from cryogenic sleep to replace his deceased twin brother who was involved in a highly prioritized  scientific expedition on planet Pandora.  Pandora is home to the Na’vi people, a blue skinned 20 ft. creature that resembles the characteristics of a Native American tribe.  Pandora’s natural resources are worth billions to humans and would love to get their hands on all that cheddar.  Unfortunately, the tribe of the Omaticaya are colonized right over a huge lump of it which poses a mining problem to the humans.  Using advanced technology, the humans created Avatars, or an embodiment of a life form, in this case a Na’vi which was created by human and Na’vi DNA. 

Humans will assume these Avatars through mind control and mingle with the Na’vi, hoping to gain their approval and cooperation.  Jake Sully volunteers for the mission to communicate with the Na’vi, gain their trust and convince them to move elsewhere.  Sounds familiar so far doesn’t it.  I won’t get into it too much but that’s basically the plotline of the film.  In spite of that, there are many underlying political themes throughout the film.  The basic plot of humans wanting a natural resource by any means reminds me of the Bush Administration seeking oil in Iraq.  There is also one scene where the man in charge says they will “fight terror with terror”…scary ain’t it.  But this isn’t about politics so I will get to the real reason why you should watch Avatar 3D.

Plotline aside, it is a visual feast!  I’ve seen some movies integrate 3D into their film but not like this.  I’ll be honest, the first 10-15 minutes was a little awkward for me.  I sat there thinking, this isn’t gonna work.  But slowly, you kind of forget what you’re seeing.  If I can put it into words, imagine yourself there but only 5-10 feet away from what’s going on.  In fact James Cameron said it best, it’s like looking at another world through a window, you can practically touch it if the pane of glass wasn’t there.  James Cameron manages to pull you in this fictional world that feels so real without you even knowing it.  Sooner or later, an hour has passed and you’re just sucked in to Pandora forgetting the lame plotline and knowing subconsciously how it will end.  The experience of watching this film just pulls you into the story and makes you feel what the characters are feeling like you’re really there.  Everything just works beautifully.  James Cameron once again set the tone for revolutionary filmmaking.  We were astonished when he sank the Titanic, and now words can’t describe what James Cameron has done once again. 

In conclusion, there is much to be desired in terms of plotline but I commend Mr. Cameron for taking a simple formula that everyone can follow and just making it his own.  I mean we can laugh now at how silly we were for watching Titanic more than once in the theaters but you gotta admit, at the time it was real good.  The same applies, we may have seen this story before but I have never experienced it quite like this.  Though the runtime was a bit long (about 160 mins) it didn’t affect me at all and I never felt it dragged.  All in all, if this is how movies are to be made, then we have a lot to look forward to!

Star Trek (Theaters)

Posted on by
17

Star Trek is perhaps one of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time.  After countless movies and tv series spinoffs, the franchise was in dire need of a reboot. Let me start off by saying that although I have seen ALL of the Star trek movies, I’m not much of a fan. To be honest, I’ll take Star Wars prequels over a Star Trek film any day.  However, once I saw the trailers for J.J. Abrams recreation of the Star Trek mythos, I was instantly hooked. I was lucky enough to catch a showing on opening night. We got there super late and I had to sit in the very front row. Despite the fact I’ll probably have to go see the chiropractor from looking up for so long, the experience was definitely worth it.

I won’t give anything away plot wise, but this is definitely NOT the Star Trek you remember. Perhaps my biggest problem with the older movies is the lack of action. Sure some of the films had interesting plots, but the culmination of the action amounted to not much more than a bunch of old men sitting in arm chairs pretending to be rocked by incoming torpedoes only to cut to some shot of an explosion taking place somewhere on the ship.  This remake is definitely the shot of adrenaline the franchise needed.  There is action, there is ass kicking, and above all there are the multi-layered complex character relationships the series is known for.

The movie starts off at a fairly medium pace as it has to set up the formality of giving back stories on the main characters. However, once all of that is out of the way, things really take off- no pun intended.  Although the characters are just being introduced in this film and their bonds are nowhere near as close as those seen with the original cast, you can’t help but expect big things from them.

James Tiberius Kirk is played excellently by Chris Pine. This isn’t the same price line negotiator Kirk that we’ve all known over the years. Pine’s Kirk is young, rebellious, and in many ways has more in common with Han Solo than with Shatner’s Captain. Despite these differences, Pine captures the immense likability of the character along with his natural leadership ability.  The new Kirk is far from perfect and doesn’t strive to be. This makes him seem all the more human and real than his predecessor.

Spock is played by Zachary Quinto who also does an excellent job. Where the original Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy)was constantly puzzled by the irrationality of human logic, the new Spock seems more accepting of it.  This is more fitting, seeing as Spock is half human and half vulcan. Quinto’s Spock is calm and calculating for the most part, yet far more human than Nimoy’s take. My only gripe with this is a few scenes where Spock is portrayed as a bit too human. I won’t give anything away but once you see his scenes with Lt. Uhura, you’ll know exactly what I mean.  Also, Quinto doesn’t have nearly as demanding a screen presence as Nimoy. This is evident towards the latter part of the film. Regardless, Quinto still gives an outstanding portrayal.

Karl Urban is also great as Dr. “Bones” Mccoy. He emulates the original Bones, while providing just enough of his own take to make it fresh.  Unfortunately, he is given relatively little screen time.  Eric Bana is perfect as the villainous Romulan Captain Nero. Like Bones, he is not given nearly enough screen time, which is a shame as he is such an interesting character with a great back story.  Still it is understandable as the focus is definitely on the Enterprise and her crew, as it rightfully should be.

The other cast members fill their original roles nicely. There wasn’t anyone who seemed to be out of place.  I was a bit concerned that some of the classic Star Trek lines would be painfully forced down our throats, yet they managed to work some of it in successfully without it seeming too contrived. ‘Set phazers to stun” “I’m giving her all she’s got Captain” being the two main culprits, however the way they were worked in was hardly noticeable and kept the cheese factor to a minimum.

If Wolverine didn’t fully kick off the summer blockbuster season last week, this movie definitely will. It’s got great action, special effects, and just enough humor to mix things up. I am not a trekkie or even close, but if this new movie is any indication of what the future of the franchise has in store, you can definitely consider me a fan. While it probably won’t be the best movie I’ll see this summer, I definitely wasn’t disappointed and will most likely check it out again.

Star Trek (Theaters)

Posted on by
11

Star Trek was an outstanding film. J.J. Abrams has absolutely outdone himself with this wonderfully cast and brilliantly directed film, mixing the old with the new, and pushing its limits without ever straying too far from original Trek universe. With one single stroke, J.J. has revitalized what was once a fading franchise.

Without giving too much away, I wanted to mention the well written screenplay. In all honesty, I had no idea what the story entailed, and was rather surprised with the direction Abrams took. Rather than it being a remake of original Star Trek, the film was actually a complete reboot of the franchise. At its core, the story centers around a youthful and rather eccentric James Tiberius Kirk, the relationships he developed with his future crew members, and his ultimate rise to captain of the USS Enterprise.

The casting for this film was top notch. Each character played off the other very well, and I was completely taken back at how closely they resembled their original counterparts. Chris Pine plays the ideal Kirk, and his mannerisms, intelligence, and brash decision making in the film nails the role of the Captain Kirk we all know so well. Zachary Quinto put on a brilliant performance as Spock, a man torn between his mixed heritage of Vulcan and Human. The balance of logic and emotion was done almost flawlessly, and we are able to witness the internal battle within himself to honor both sides of his ancestry.

Overall, I was very pleased with this film. Star Trek will definitely appeal to a very broad audience and besides being such a technical marvel, it combines a great storyline with an incredible cast which definitely makes it a worthwhile experience. If your a fan of Sci Fi features, I suggest you don’t wait for this on DVD. Get the full experience and see it on the silverscreen. Its definitely worth your time. “Live Long, and Prosper”.