Movie Review And Short Summer Preview: Star Trek - Into Darkness

To Boldly Go To Roseville IMAX

At a post about the Super Bowl, while more-or-less live-blogging, I mentioned that I had seen the first trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness, and that it gave me a geekrection. Today was the day, and the brother-in-law and I went to see it in IMAX 3D.

Before teh verdict, I have to say that video and sound quality increases exponentially every time I see a new movie - the experience was amazing. Now, on to the movie, and no spoilers if I can help it!

Verdict: Very Good.

It was a mixture of summer action, stunts, and things going splodey; and a surprising number of shout-outs, subtle canon jokes, and fan-boi stuff. I am an SF fan, I don't segregate myself into a particular camp (except the camp which declares Jar-Jar Binks should be eviscerated and then go splodey whilst surrounded by fucking Ewoks. Star Trek, Star Wars, Firefly, Farscape, Doctor Who, Independence Day, Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies, Battle Beyond The Stars for gods-sake.) 
The show moved right along, not much thought needed, both a  good and a bad thing, I know they want to attract more people than, say, me, but a little introspection or exposition well done is a good thing. The aforementioned shout-outs and in-jokes were appreciated, but some could have been set up a bit instead of just dropped. 

Again, I liked it quite a bit, I advise you see it, and advise you splurge a bit for the IMAX thingy, but I have to do a Good/Bad/Ugly widget here.
The Good: The cast was amazing, the actors playing the main characters really do well, Zachary Quinto as Spock really does well, playing Spock as a less controlled, awkward young Vulcan. Alice Eve (spoilers)? Her part is small, and another in-joke, but she does well, and mrowrrr. Simon Pegg needs an Oscar or a Nobel Prize (of course, I have loved him since Spaced and Shaun Of The Dead. Some impressive and surprising actors playing supporting characters. The sense of humor, snarky as current trends in humor tend to be, was snappy, well-timed, and in character.
The Bad: As I said, while I loved the references and in-jokes, in most cases they could have been set up better to really punch 'em home. Some 'splosions were needed, summer film, but the sense of scale needed a sense of scale - you'll see. 
The Ugly: A pretty savage deus ex machina in conjunction with a cameo, very badly unnecessary, pissed me off quite a bit. Any script editor approving that scene should have looked at his diploma from film school, burned it, and got a job holding sandwich-boards advertising one-hour cheep tax returns/massage parlors on street corners, something honest.


Summer Preview

World War Z: Looks good, but since the end of 12 Monkeys/A River Runs Through It era, I have a fear of Brad Pitt. While not nearly as evil as some, no one that popular can be be worth the oxygen they consume. Sorry, TMZ readers.

Elysium: WILL SEE! NERD-ON!!!

Thor: I'll go with teh brother-in-law, looks okay to me. The guy playing Loki, at least in the previews has an appropriate mien of madness that could be fun.

Superman - Man Of Steel: No way in hell. a.) Not a Supe fan, particularly, too, umm something. Baddish. Fuck him. b.) Zack Goddamn Snyder, maker of the patriotic porno 300. Fuck him as well.

This has been another test of the Emergency Broadcast System.