Other Blogs

This summer, also take time to check out my other blogs, including my music blog.  There is also a polygamy blog, and a blog that details my writing project.

Have a great summer!

Moroni's Review of "Star Trek Into Darkness"

"Star Trek" has been a part of my life since I was a child.  My dad loved the TV show, and some of my first memories are watching re-runs on Saturday with him.  (I was really scared of the white ape with the horn.) Over the years, I have been a dedicated fan - the motion pictures, the newer TV shows.  I was even a fan when the franchise became ridiculous (Star Trek V, anyone?)  or cheap.  (They used the same footage of the Klingon ship blowing up in "Star Trek: Generations" as they did in "Star Trek VI".)

That said, I have been waiting for this movie (the sequel to the 2009 reboot) for many, many months.  But this is a difficult review to write.  How do you write about a movie that centers around a huge secret plot surprise?  Sure, it's all over the internet, but I am opting not to give away any spoilers.

"Star Trek Into Darkness" returns with the crew of the Enterprise shortly after we left them.  Captain Kirk (played to the "T" for Tiberius by Chris Pine) gets reprimanded for his rogue behavior, but this is short-lived when a terrorist attack occurs in a futuristic London, perpetrated by a Star Fleet operative gone bad named John Harrison (played by Benedict Cumberbatch - say that three times really fast.)  The Enterprise travels to the edge of the Neutral Zone with the Klingon Empire where Kirk and the others are plunged into a conspiracy that may cost them their lives and peace in the entire Federation.

First of all, J.J. Abrams proves that he is the man to successfully reboot this franchise.  The thing I like about his vision is that he gives the movie the same feel that the original series possessed - the drama, the spectacular fist fights, something that previous movies or TV shows greatly lacked.  This is the Star Trek of my childhood - but with much cooler special effects.  The movie is fast-paced and exciting from start to finish.  If he can do for "Star Wars" what he did for "Star Trek", then I am happily awaiting the year 2015.

I am a huge fan of Benedict Cumberbatch in the BBC show "Sherlock".  So I was pleased to learn that he would be playing the villain.  He steals the show in every sense of the word, burying himself into his villainous role every bit as much as Ricardo Montalban.  (Can I say that?)

Zachary Quinto is once again perfect in his reprisal of Spock, and Zoe Baldana is a kick-ass Uhuru.  Simon Pegg gives comic relief as Scotty.  But the other characters (Karl Urban as Bones, John Cho as Sulu, and Anton Yelchin as Chekov) were curiously lacking, like backdrops, rather than characters.  The beautiful Alice Eve takes on the role of Dr. Carol Marcus, the role made famous in 1982 by Bibi Bisch.  It was nice to see Peter Weller in the role of Admiral Marcus.  I just recently watched "Buckaroo Banzai" online and was wondering what ever happened to him.

And if the original "Star Trek" was a little cheesy, well, there is a very cheesy scene where they practically recreate a scene right out of "Star Trek II", complete with a character shouting out another character's name.  But you soon forget the cheese, because, all in all, this movie is a very fun ride.

Seriously, though, that's all that I khan tell you...

Moroni's Review of "Oblivion"

It's been a while since I have reviewed a movie, and that's because it's been a long time since I have been to the  movies.  It's tough in this economy.  So my wife and I took a long-deserved date night and went to see "Oblivion", starring the megastar, Tom Cruise.

I went into this movie knowing absolutely nothing about it, and as a result, I absolutely loved it.  This is one of those movies that - like any M. Night Shyamala movie - depends on the element of surprise to sustain its plot.  Based on a graphic novel by Joseph Kosinski (who also wrote, produced, and directed the film), this is a sweeping, post-apocalyptic epic that will hold you glued to your seat.  About the best thing I can say about this film is that it is reminiscent of a Philip K. Dick story.

It is set several decades in the future after a devastating alien invasion by an alien race called the Scavs.  We won the war, but at a terrible cost. The earth is so badly damaged that it can no longer sustain life. Most of the human population has relocated to a moon over Saturn, and a small contingent of humans are left on Earth to "clean up", as an element of the Scavs remain on the planet floor.

The best aspect of this film was the visuals - and not just the special effects, which were extraordinary.  But the landscapes.  Never would one imagine that a post-apocalyptic earth would retain such stark beauty.

The performances were excellent.  Tom Cruise was Tom Cruise, just as Morgan Freeman was Morgan Freeman.  They are both established character actors.  Andrea Riseborough gives a striking performance as Tom Cruise's jealous wife, and Ukranian actress Olga Kurylenko plays the mysterious girl who haunts his dreams.

The  movie is action packed and does exactly what a movie is supposed to do - give one a couple of hours of escape.  It is rare to experience a riveting science fiction epic, and this movie is certainly not one to be missed.