As both a fan of the film, an overall Star Trek fan – a Trekkie if you like – and for a brief time a filmmaker myself, there are several different ways I view Star Trek Into Darkness. Firstly, in address to the reviews slamming the film, I will not say I do not agree with anything that’s being said. There are times when the film doesn’t feel as fleshed out as it could have been, and some of the Wrath of Khan moments felt a bit thrown in for the sake of it among a few other bits and pieces that were a bit problematic to me. However, as a blog for general movie goers and lovers everywhere, I try to keep my critiques as focused on the views of the general public as a whole. To that end, most of what’s being said, to us as general movie-goers, doesn’t matter when it comes to Into Darkness.

Lets begin with some of the main flaws of Into Darkness.

Some of the plot points weren’t strong enough to be an integral part of the film:

The reasoning behind Admiral Marcus’ need to unfreeze Khan, leading to the building and use of the Vengeance – his huge starship – was very loosely constructed and strung together.

The whole premise is that Marcus wanted an extra edge to start a war with the Klingons, as there was such a war in the original Star Trek universe. However, in Into Darkness, the Enterprise’s warp core was disabled by sabotage to keep them just on the edge of Klingon space when they followed Khan to Kronos. The puzzling bit is that without Khan escaping to Kronos, Marcus’ catalyst for war was not explained, therefore making his reasoning behind his motives confusing and maybe even nonexistent.

The biggest problem I had with the film was the ending defeat of Khan. It was a bit too simple for who Khan is. He is a genetically superior being, and he was defeated within the space of 10 minutes. There was a bit too much time spent on feeling sorry for him and empathizing with his situation, making a bigger enemy out of Marcus. Khan should have been made the greatest threat in the film, and he was captured and frozen again far too easily. If there had been more thought into make him the main villain, like Nero was in the first film, the overall feel of Khan would have been much better.

Uhura’s role:

Uhura’s entire role was completely diminished from where it stood in the original film. She was transformed from a brilliant, strong, resourceful communications officer to a woman who is more worried about her relationship with Spock most of the time, and almost always acting upon that relationship. It reduced her to a whining girl with the ability to speak Klingon.

Scotty and Chekov’s roles:

Scotty and Chekov’s roles were reduced as well, and they were barely seen, Scotty even being kicked off the ship by Kirk for a reason that seems completely unlike Kirk. Scotty does have that great scene on board the Vengeance bringing Kirk and Khan on board through an external door, but there wasn’t much else to say about his part in the film. Even little can be said about Chekov, who was stuck down in engineering basically tearing the place to pieces with his inexperience. Unfortunate.

Even with these problems, however, the good things about Star Trek Into Darkness as an action, sci-fi film outweigh the flaws, especially for those simply looking for a fun movie-going experience. Here are now the things I loved about Into Darkness, both as a general audience member and as a Trekkie, broken down into those categories.

As a General Audience Member

The Fast Pace:

The pace of the film was perfect for what JJ Abrams’ was intending. He moved the film along quickly, but keeping the energy and moral code behind Star Trek intact. Though it did cause the script and plot to be a bit erratic, the film moving as fast as it did brought Star Trek up to speed with general, modern audiences in 2009, and Abrams did it again with Into Darkness. The fast pace works to keep action loving audiences engaged with the story.

Humor:

The humorous banter between Kirk, Spock and McCoy was very reminiscent of the same camaraderie and friendship between the three in the original series and the films. The way they played off each other and the terminology they used was a great way to keep humor in the forefront of the film. It did get to a point when McCoy’s puns became a bit too much, however.

Khan:

Khan was a great villain choice for the film, since most everyone knows who he is either through seeing The Wrath of Khan or simply from all the jokes and jabs surrounding Shatner’s famous scream. There’s been a bit said about using a recycled villain for a Star Trek that takes place in a new timeline. My stance is that maybe we’re forgetting what a disjointed and strange attempt Nero was as an original villain. It’s been tried, and Nero just didn’t hit the right marks, not in terms of creation or Eric Bana’s performance. Khan was a great choice, and they chose a brilliant actor to portray him. Even though he’s not the same type of villain seen in the original series and films, he’s not meant to be. Some of his motivations may not be quite straightforward, and yes there may have been a bit of character sabotage in spending so much time making us feel empathy for him, but when Khan does become truly evil on the bridge of the Vengeance, Benedict Cumberbatch plays the part brilliantly.

Klingons:

Lastly, the Klingons were introduced to Abrams’ Star Trek universe. For a general audience who has at least some interest in the original series and films, the Klingons are a prominent villainous figure that has become iconic. Abrams, taking the original design and idea for the Klingons and not only adapting them into his new universe but also making them Klingons that we’ve never seen before was a great intro for them. Having them look and seem more primitive (if that’s possible) than the Klingons of the series’ and films makes the molding of their future both as the Klingon Empire and allies of the Federation more interesting that previously explored. Though they were a small piece to the overall film, the primitive Klingons made an impact.

As a Trekkie

I know, there has been a lot of laughing at the expense of the uber sci-fi geeks and nerds, but the reality is that it’s becoming, if not already, cool to be a nerd. So, as a self-confessed nerd and a semi-Trekkie to boot, here are all of my giggle-worthy reasons I loved Star Trek Into Darkness.

Kirk’s Journey:

It’s become something of a norm nowadays to see our favorite characters recreated before our eyes on screen, and Captain Kirk got that treatment in 2009 through Chris Pine taking on the rash, danger seeking Kirk that William Shatner played in the first series of the original show. However, Into Darkness allows him to take the character and his journey further, creating a greater camaraderie with his crew, especially Spock, and to explore the side of Kirk who is afraid of death, but will risk it to save those he cares for. Putting him on the other side of the door and dying of radiation brings him back to where we found him in Generations character-wise. It’s a great journey that the character needs to take, and putting him on the opposite side of the Wrath of Khan reversal, which will be discussed later, was a great way to bring it about.

Spock:

Most of the great aspects about Spock in Into Darkness are down to Zachary Quinto’s fantastic performance. He was able to take Spock’s character to places we haven’t really seen before, even in Leonard Nimoy’s iconic portrayal. Quinto was able to explore Spock’s humanity even more than he did in Abrams’ first film. The main reason for having Spock’s humanity be an aspect in the 2009′s Star Trek was to give Kirk an edge to gain control of the Enterprise. Into Darkness brought forth Spock’s human feelings towards his crew, his captain, his friends and death, culminating in his ending duel with Khan, seeking vengeance. This glimpse into his human side wouldn’t have been possible without the reversal and Kirk’s death, and Quinto’s performance made Spock the pivotal character of the film, and one of the most interesting to watch. I love Spock in this film!

McCoy:

There is very little to say other than Karl Urban has nailed just about every aspect of DeForest Kelley’s performance and the character aspects of Dr. McCoy. He is opinionated, obstinate, and a genius. His comment about his “legendary hands” to Carol Marcus was brilliant and made me giggle simply because of Urban’s attitude and attention to the original character while putting his own, young flair to the good doctor. Again, a great performance creating funny, enjoyable geek moments.

Sulu sitting The Chair:

Those who have seen Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country will have clapped at the moment John Cho’s Sulu sat in the Enterprise captain’s chair, flashing forward (technically back) to Captain Sulu on the bridge of the Excelsior providing back up to the Enterprise. What ends up happening that I love about Sulu’s character in Into Darkness when he gets to take the con is that he becomes the confident character the brilliant George Takei played in both the series and the films, especially his warning to Khan on the surface of Kronos prompting McCoy to “remind me never to piss you off”. Though his role was a bit more minimalist than in the first film, his part wasn’t as diminished or simplified as much as some of the other main characters (Uhura, Scotty and Chekov), which was a great choice on Abrams’ part.

Carol Marcus:

Having Carol Marcus in the film was quite a good move in my view, as it introduces the thought that perhaps Khan is the villain – her only onscreen appearance being in The Wrath of Khan - as well as creating a bit of movement on the part of Kirk’s character. Though her role is about the same size as Sulu’s in terms of what she offered to the story and her screentime, introducing Carol to the womanizing Kirk, the woman who in the original film marries him and gives him a son before divorcing him, could possibly lead somewhere.

The Wrath of Khan Reversal:

This is the one aspect of the film that has my feelings in conflict.

A lot has been said, most of it unfavorable, about the reversal done by Into Darkness of the climax and resolution at the end of The Wrath of Khan, with Kirk sacrificing himself to save his ship and Spock being on the opposite side of the door as his friend died. However, as a Trekkie and an action lover, the aspects of each character that came from the reversal outweighed the obviousness of the situation presented.

From the moment Khan was introduced as the villain of the film, it became obvious that some form of the hands against the glass would happen. Unlike the original situation in the original film, in reversing the places of our two main characters, Into Darkness created deeper access and movement to their characters. It completed Kirk’s journey toward the still young but wiser captain he was heading towards, and it also allowed Spock to face his feelings about death and begin understanding emotions towards death both in relation to himself and his friend. The whole scene was obvious, yes, but it was carried out well, and the performances by both Pine and Quinto kept it from being too silly, though a small element of it still existed. Just seeing it played out with the opposite being true and watching the repercussions of what happens to our favorite characters in this new timeline was a great twist to the original story and the original characters.

Coming at the scene as filmmaker rather than an action lover or a Trekkie, the Wrath of Khan reversal did have elements of silly to it, less so because I knew the original story well enough to expect every aspect they showed, down to Kirk’s opening line of asking if the ship was out of danger. As a Trekkie I’d expect those lines to be paraphrased and rebuilt for the current story, and as an action lover, Kirk’s death and Spock bearing witness fit within the genre of an action film. The only bits of humor that I really felt were within the scene were precipitated by the fact that the scene belonged in another Star Trek film, and Abrams’, I think, is endeavoring to make Star Trek relevant to more than just Trekkies. It felt almost thrown in there because of Khan’s villainous return to the universe, though it brought about some great character opportunities. My feelings about this scene are torn in two, but I’m glad it was put into the film.

The best thing that I can say overall about Star Trek Into Darkness is that it may have some flaws that have been nitpicked and pointed out to death by other reviewers and filmgoers, but as a reviewer with the mind of a general filmgoer and lover myself, the flaws don’t outweigh how I felt watching the film not once but twice. It is a fun film and a great time out. As a Trekkie, admittedly it relies heavily on knowledge of the Star Trek universe, but as an action lover and general audience member turned critic, I’m determined not to become too critical of films like Into Darkness. It is films like it that have kept me coming back to the movies continuously, because I want to be entertained, and as a film it was extremely entertaining and fun.

(Photos copyright Paramount Pictures)

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The film follows Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who has a few obsessions in life, primarily girls and porn. However when he meets Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) he decides to change his life and be less selfish after learning about the realities of love from her.

Check out the trailer and full synopsis below:

Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a strong, handsome, good old-fashioned guy. His buddies call him Don Jon due to his ability to “pull” a different woman every weekend, but even the finest fling doesn’t compare to the bliss he finds alone in front of the computer watching pornography. Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) is a bright, beautiful, good old-fashioned girl. Raised on romantic Hollywood movies, she’s determined to find her Prince Charming and ride off into the sunset. Wrestling with good old-fashioned expectations of the opposite sex, Jon and Barbara struggle against a media culture full of false fantasies to try and find true intimacy in this unexpected comedy written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Don Jon is being released on October 18 in the USA and November 15 in the UK.

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Check out the trailer and synopsis below:

The synopsis for We’re the Millers follows:

David Burke (Jason Sudeikis) is a small-time pot dealer whose clientele includes chefs and soccer moms, but no kids—after all, he has his scruples. So what could go wrong? Plenty. Preferring to keep a low profile for obvious reasons, he learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished when he tries to help out some local teens and winds up getting jumped by a trio of gutter punks. Stealing his stash and his cash, they leave him in major debt to his supplier, Brad (Ed Helms). In order to wipe the slate clean—and maintain a clean bill of health—David must now become a big-time drug smuggler by bringing Brad’s latest shipment in from Mexico. Twisting the arms of his neighbors, cynical stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston) and wannabe customer Kenny (Will Poulter), and the tatted-and-pierced streetwise teen Casey (Emma Roberts), he devises a foolproof plan. One fake wife, two pretend kids and a huge, shiny RV later, the “Millers” are headed south of the border for a Fourth of July weekend that is sure to end with a bang.

We’re the Millers is out August 9 in the USA and August 23 in the UK.

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With new trailers hitting all the time, Guillermo del Toro has decided that some explanation as to how some of the tech in Pacific Rim works might be helpful. As a result the following featurette called “Drift Space” explains why two pilots are needed to control a robot (Jaeger) and how the process works.

Check it out:

The synopsis for Pacific Rim, incase you didn’t already know it, is below:

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end.  To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge.  But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju.  On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past.  Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

Pacific Rim is out on July 12.

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Synopsis for Ender’s Game is as follows:

In the near future, a hostile alien race (called the Formics) have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander, Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would have been lost. In preparation for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military are training only the best young children to find the future Mazer. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy, but strategically brilliant boy is pulled out of his school to join the elite.

Arriving at Battle School, Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult war games, distinguishing himself and winning respect amongst his peers. Ender is soon ordained by Graff as the military’s next great hope, resulting in his promotion to Command School. Once there, he’s trained by Mazer Rackham, himself, to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race.

Ender’s Game is out on October 25 in the UK and November 1st in the USA.

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The film follows 5 childhood friend reunite after 20 years to complete an infamous pub crawl that finishes at The World’s End.

Check out the trailer and full synopsis below:

20 years after attempting an epic pub crawl, five childhood friends reunite when one of them becomes hell bent on trying the drinking marathon again. They are convinced to stage an encore by mate Gary King, a 40-year old man trapped at the cigarette end of his teens, who drags his reluctant pals to their home town and once again attempts to reach the fabled pub, The World’s End. As they attempt to reconcile the past and present, they realize the real struggle is for the future, not just theirs but humankind’s. Reaching The World’s End is the least of their worries.

The World’s End is due to be released on July 19 in the UK and August 23 in the USA.

The post New The World’s End Trailer appeared first on Reel35.

Synopsis for Man of Steel follows:

In the pantheon of superheroes, Superman is the most recognized and revered character of all time. Clark Kent/Kal-El (Cavill) is a young twentysomething journalist who feels alienated by powers beyond anyone’s imagination. Transported to Earth years ago from Krypton, an advanced alien planet, Clark struggles with the ultimate question – Why am I here? Shaped by the values of his adoptive parents Martha (Lane) and Jonathan Kent (Costner), Clark soon discovers that having super abilities means making very difficult decisions. But when the world needs stability the most, it comes under attack. Will his abilities be used to maintain peace or ultimately used to divide and conquer? Clark must become the hero known as “Superman,” not only to shine as the world’s last beacon of hope but to protect the ones he loves.

Superman flies into theatres on June 14.

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Based on the celebrated comic book arc, this epic action-adventure takes Wolverine, the most iconic character of the X-Men universe, to modern day Japan. Out of his depth in an unknown world he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before.

The trailer seems to be reiterating everything we already know about the film, Wolverine’s trek through Japan and his quest to become normal. However, there are inherent problems with the premise. Firstly, a cure for mutations was found in X-Men: The Last Stand, demonstrated by the curing of Rogue. Secondly, Wolverine’s immortality and his ability to heal himself is his mutation, which is not something anyone gave or did to him. If they were taking about getting rid of his adamantium bone structure, that’s a whole different issue, as the metal was able to be grafted into his body because of his mutation. Take away his mutation and the metal is supposed to kill him. However, ridding Wolverine of his metal bones takes away most of what makes him Wolverine, which the film cannot do.

The idea behind it without seeing the film doesn’t quite sit right, and it will be interesting how Mangold deals with the already existing plot developments of the original X-Men series.

The Wolverine also stars Will Yun Lee, Hiroyuki Sanada, Brian Tee, Rila Fukushima, Tao Okamoto, and Svetlana Khodchenkova and opens in theatres July 26th.

Let us know what you think about The Wolverine and the latest trailer in the comments below!

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A whole slew of images from the set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles directed by Jonathan Liebeseman and produced by Michael Bay have been released, including our first look at the motion capture technology being used to create the turtles. The costumes look a bit cumbersome, but it’s all in the name of helping the actors portray walking around with shells on their backs and only three fingers. With each turtle’s individualized colour worn on arm bands and the helmets of costumes, Noel Fisher, Jeremy Howard and Pete Plozsek are easy to identify as Michaelangelo, Donatelo and Leonardo respectively. But why are they in chains?

We also get a continued look at Megan Fox as April O’Neil as well as our first look at Will Arnett as an unknown character, but from the looks of the interaction he’s having with April, he could be a possible unrequited love interest within Channel 6 News.

The latest release of images yesterday shows interaction between Alan Ritchson’s cool but rude Raphael and April, as it appears she has stolen his signature sais. At least she’s holding them correctly. Raphael looks to be having a hard time convincing the stubborn, strong willed reporter to give them back to him. Maybe she wants information for a story, and the teenage ninja is just unwilling to give up the goods? Interesting, as it was kind of suggested in the early 90′s cartoons that April and Leonardo were interested in each other. If only one of them wasn’t a giant turtle! Check out the massive collection of images below.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles also stars Danny Woodburn as Splinter and William Fichtner in an unnamed role (maybe Shredder???) and will be released in theatres May 16th 2014 in the UK and June 6th in the USA.

Let us know what you think of the images as well as your opinions about how this reboot of the famous turtles is turning out in the comments below!

The post Turtles, April O’Neil and Will Arnett in New Images ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Set appeared first on Reel35.