Friday, May 08, 2009
Movie Review: Star Trek
This incarnation of Star Trek as written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and director J.J. Abrams introduces us to how the most beloved characters, Captain Kirk and Spock, came to be. When Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) recruits the restless James Tiberius Kirk (Chris Pine) to enter Starfleet Academy, he butts heads with Spock (Zachary Quinto) over a routine final exam for which he is accused of cheating. This is only the beginning of their fued and there are many. But when the fate of the galaxy is threatened by the evil Nero (Eric Bana), they have to find a way to work together to save both humans and Vulcans.
Recommendation: A
Although Chris Pine, who resembles a young Brad Pitt, is absolutely charming as Captain Kirk, Zachary Quinto steals the spotlight as Spock. Of course that should be no surprise since he also does so weekly on Heroes. Whether you’re a Trekkie or have never seen an episode you’ll be drawn to the characters and the story so much so that you just may find yourself yearning to know more about the original series. Don’t wait, run to the nearest IMAX theater to watch all the action come alive!
Read detailed interviews with the cast here.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Monsters vs. Aliens
One minute, Susan Murphy (Reese Witherspoon) is a regular girl about to marry the man of her dreams. Or so she thought. A few minutes before her wedding, Susan is hit by a meteorite filled with a powerful substance that makes her grow 50 feet tall. No longer considered normal, the military captures Susan and holds her in a private compound where she is renamed Ginormica. Here, she befriends four other ‘monsters’ who have been held in captivity for nearly fifty years. The monster entourage includes Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie), the insect-headed brilliant mad scientist; the ultra masculine half-ape, half-fish named The Missing Link (Will Arnett); the gelatinous and brainless B.O.B. (Seth Rogen); and the 350-foot Insectosaurus. Together, they save mankind from a mysterious alien robot who tries to take over the planet.
Reese Witherspoon really connected to her character Susan because she could relate to her. “I like that she is a regular girl who learns to value herself. I think that is a journey that a lot of people can relate to. Susan is a great character, and it’s fun to see somebody become a superhero– to suddenly have that kind of super strength. Don’t we all sort of dream about those things?”
Monsters vs. Aliens is an animated action comedy by DreamWorks SKG. It opens nationwide on Friday, March 26, 2009. See it at IMAX theaters with 3D glasses.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Knowing
Growing up as the son of a preacher, John Koestler (Nicolas Cage) was raised to believe in God and religion. But after losing his wife in a hotel fire, John struggles to make sense of his faith and very own existence. When John investigates numerical codes from a fifty-year-old letter buried in a time capsule at his son’s elementary school, he discovers that the numbers are accurate predictions of catastrophic events around the word. Now with only three more predictions left, John races against time to change these prophecies and save his son, Caleb.
Knowing also stars Rose Byrne as Diana Whelan, the daughter of the woman who wrote the cryptic letter as a child. In regards to the film’s apocalyptic theme, she says, “It’s a constant human desire to want to understand as much as we can about how long we’re going to be around. People have been trying to figure it out forever. And whether it’s Mayans or Muslims or Hindus, everyone has a theory on what’s going to happen.”
According to Cage, Knowing is a movie that has the ability to change people’s minds. “The end of the world is on people’s minds,” he says. “We have the power to do it ourselves. The question is, what do you do with that responsibilty?”
Knowing opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, March 20, 2009.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Race to Witch Mountain
If you’re looking for a family sci-fi adventure, then you have to see Race to Witch Mountain. Kids today will be too young to remember the 1975 Disney film, Escape to Witch Mountain, which is based on the book with the same name by author Alexander Key and the 1978 film sequel, Return from Witch Mountain.
In Disney’s Race to Witch Mountain, Las Vegas cab driver Jack Bruno (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) and two teen passengers with supernatural powers realize they have to save the world by unraveling the secrets of Witch Mountain, a secret place in the middle of the Nevada desert where unexplained phenomena and strange sightings occur. And from there, the race begins to save mankind.
