After blaggarding Hollywood on the blog yesterday, I did go to the movies to get out of the heat.
Movie Reviews:
I went to the theater and saw the latest Star Trek film, Star Trek Beyond. It may be the last Star Trek that I go and see at the movies. Roddenberry’s Star Trek was visionary and popular when it came out. Then there was Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — all the while the original cast (re-imagined) shot feature films, generally nostalgic reflections of the original television series.
 |
| Star Trek Beyond |
Then they got too old for that and so —— there was some sort of time warp/alternate universe event that gave birth to the latest version of Star Trek. In this most recent version, there is a homosexual homage to Hikaru Sulu, a character in the Star Trek media franchise. (Originally known simply as ‘Sulu’, he was portrayed by George Takei in the original Star Trek series) Though there was never a hint that the character was homosexual before now, George Takei is a flamer (a very creepy guy in real life), and they translated that to the character in the film.
Getting to my point, I find it somewhat disturbing (as with the fifteenth re-make of Spiderman) that people in 2016 can’t come up with a more original film rather than the re-imagining of Star Trek for the umpteenth time. But I’m sure that so long as people keep going to Star Trek conventions wearing Spock ears, Hollywood will keep churning this stuff out.
My Score: Originality (while keeping with the franchise theme) 6.5; Overall Impression 6.5; Should you go see the film? Up to you, depends on your taste and how desperate you are to see a movie. It’s a B-.
The latest in the Jason Bourne series, titled “Jason Bourne”, was true to the franchise and the general plot that those of you who have seen one of these have come to expect (if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all). Hollywood didn’t turn the hero into a tranny or anything like that. Thank you Hollywood.
For those of you who have been to or lived in Greece, the sequences there (and on the Strip in Vegas) were a bit odd, because they didn’t show the ubiquitous traffic. Having been to riots in down town Athens by the parliament building (near the US Embassy) and over in Omonoia Square, I didn’t feel as if I was there in the film…it felt much more like Hollywood’s imagined riot at Omonoia Square. In my last riot in Omonoia Square, back in 2003, there were two Hellenic police officers killed by angry Muslims right down from where I was. It just felt wrong when they did it in the movie. That notwithstanding, I give the film a generous B.
I worked with the Hellenic Ministry of Public Order and the Hellenic Department of Defense on security related matters on the run-up to the 2004 Olympics in that time frame.
Surprisingly, I preferred the remake with Jeremy Renner over the original film franchise with Matt Damon. I think that there is another in the remake version of Bourne with Renner in the works.
I'm not a Bourne guy, saw the first one, it was all action: car chases, bombs blowing up things, bullets whizzing by, blah blah blah. Any moron can direct an action film. But hey, that's just me.
Star Trek: seen them all (so far). The big screen versions, that is. All had merit and adhered to Gene Roddenbury's vision. I will see this one, too, despite the B- it got. Once the franchise introduces a shark jumping component like a Jar Jar Binks, then I'm done. (saw all the Star Wars films up to and including that one, no more after that).
I would love to see Renner kill Damon – that would make a great plot twist. Oh, I enjoy the movies too…
The one good thing about George Takei (though there are probably more), is that he did say he was against making the new Sulu gay. It was not cannon. He wanted them to make a new character to be gay. The new producers ignored his requests.
And I suspect the real reason for the 'alternate universe' is to make things more fair, and liberal progressive, in the Star Trek universe, because obviously Gene Roddenberry didn't get it right the first time.
I don't like how they changed the ST cannon. Leonard Nimoy, reprising Spock, went on about how he and Kirk were great friends. But this being an alternate universe, meant that it might not be so. Ugh.
We will not see it at the theater (it will take a really good movie for us to spend that kind of money any more). We may watch it out of curiosity whenever it comes on TV; but nothing in the first movie, or these commercials for this new one, draw us into watching it.
How convenient for their alternate universe that they won't replace Checkov with another actor, now that Anton Yelchin – God rest his soul – has died.
Won't be watching the new TV series either, as some places in the country do not have unlimited internet, and we won't pay extra to watch CBS' special channel that they will be airing it on.
Haven't watched any of the Bourne movies anywhere and will need to be really bored to do so.
Be safe and have a blessed week!
Excellent points, Linda. What a mess. This may just be yet another example of JJ Abrams walking away from a project too soon as he moves on to yet another more lucrative one. (Star Wars)
You're so right about the dearth of imagination in Hollywood across the board. And when a decent story goes full-SJW retard, there's just no reason to watch any more.
Now I'd pay money to see that on the big screen.
Bourne: I liked Alicia Vikander in the film (played Heather Lee).
The Star Trek film was predictable, the Enterprise being destroyed again and rebuilt again (spoiler), and the B- had nothing to do with the special effects, which were cool.
I heard that George Takei wanted a gay Sulu. But frankly, I read that somewhere on-line before watching the film. I don't delve. Is there a new Star Trek TV series coming?
I'm not saying either film was bad. I gave them both a "B" rating. It's just that the blockbusters are old, rehashed plots and "reimagined" characters.
I like Alicia Vikander as well (Ex Machina). Still not a Bourne guy, though. Star Trek always excels at special effects. And no spoiler, really. The Enterprise always gets blown up, no biggie. How many times now? Three or four, at least, including all iterations of the genre.
NEVER go full-SJW-retard. Ghostbusters gotta learn the hard way. LOL
I sat next to a table that had just seen the latest Trek and I asked if it was a repeat of the last one, as the trailers seemed to make it.
They changed my mind so that I might big screen it. Now I don't know….
The effects were good, but the plot was really classic Star Trek, which means good for Trekkies, but I wish that they'd up their game a bit in terms of plot.
Jason Bourne isn't trans? Hunh.
No, but the next one may have Matt Damon in drag. Or do a guest appearance with Bruce Jenner as his girlfriend?
I'm afraid that I'd buy Alicia Vikander a condo and a corvette if she asked sweetly…
I know! I just assumed he was a tranny, too, LSP. I mean, the guy doesn't know who he is…
Since I'm not a Trekkie, I guess I'm SOL… And won't give a penny to Damon after his anti- rant…
Damon shot a lot of people in the movie with a handgun. In Star Trek, they used phasers and I haven't heard progs pushing to have them banned (from the films).
Thanks for the info. I'll skip it.
Hah! Does anybody know if the Ballbusters movie even satisfied the Bechtel Test? Even with 100% female cast, they may still have blown it if the dialog is all about stupid men or stupid male ghosts. To pass that incredibly hard social justice test for movies, the gals have to spend a certain number of minutes talking about something other than dude stuff. And "getting slimed" doesn't count. Everybody knows that a male thing. 😉
Supposedly in January. CBS is going to put it on their pay channel, whatever that is, whether on-line or cable, or? I don't know.
The only reason I went digging is because hubby told me about it first and told me Takei was upset. He did an interview with the Hollywood Reporter in July. He was okay with a gay character, just not Sulu.
An all female cast is exactly what did not amuse me, or the hubby.
cbs.com/shows/star-trek-series/
It might be good.
My wife wanted to ge see "ST: Beyond" so we went to the Saturday matinee.
It was an "OK" movie, nothing special.
The preview trailers showed were for remakes of "The Magnificent Seven", and "Ben Hur".
Yep…..NOTHING new in Hollyweird any more….
That was my take on the movie itself and the preview of coming re-makes as well.
Comments are closed.