Review: Star Trek

The new Star Trek follows Kirk, Spock, and the other "Original Series" crew on their first mission together. The newly created crew faces off against a Romulan threat that knows more than they could imagine.

First thing first, this is easily one of the greatest cast movies of all time. It's hard to choose just one actor because they all did so well, but Kirk and Spock are the obvious foreground characters. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto handled their characters with the perfect balance of nostalgic homage and unique individualism.

It is nice to see a reboot that is still light-hearted. Between Batman and Bond, "better" and "more realistic" seem to be defined as "dark" and "gritty." Stat Trek definitely brings a certain level of humor and excitement without the cheese-factor. It is also nice to see a reboot thats not essentially a reboot. I'm not going to spoil to much, but I will say that the classic series and other movies are not rendered moot by this movie.

Remember when they said M. Night was the next Spielberg. So much for that. I am confident to say, and I may be the first (I haven't seen it elsewhere), but Abrams is definitely the new Spielberg. He definitely makes the light-hearted summer blockbuster genre his bitch.

Unlike the new Batman and Bond, Star Trek seemed reltaively less ambitious. The techno-babble is kept to a minimum, and the villain had a minimal screen time with a straightforward agenda. The movie spends more time showing off his visuals and spotlighting characters. Although, this lack of complexity is almost completely ignorable because the cast and visuals are so good. FYI, bring sunglasses because there are solar flares on everything.

I am not a Trekkie. The only Star Trek that I have been privvy too is the movie First Contact, which I thought was a pretty good flick. Needless to say, I had a blast at this movie. I recognized the catchphrases, all of which sounded very organic and never forced, because they are so popular, but the phrase "the first Star Trek for everyone" is spot on. It seems to pander to both fanboys, plenty of references to Star Trek even the expanded universe as I have learned from my reading about the movie, and keeps itself simple and entertaining enough to please the general audience. After the dissapointing Wolverine movie, this movie is the first TRUE summer movie of this season.

9/10 A must see.

Casting Call: Good Omens

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

Probably one of my favorite books, Terry Gilliam, one of the more inventive directors out there, has been desperately trying to find the funds in order to make this. He even lined up (on good faith) Johnny Depp and Robin Williams in the lead roles. Here is who I would put in the roles


Aziraphale- Paul Bettany
I love Bettany's comedic timing. It's very subtle in way that reminds me of Fawlty Towers, and British com in general. He's also got that angelic look to him. Tall, lanky, pale skin, blonde hair, blue eyes. I can visualize him stomping around a dusty bookstore quipping with Crowley


Crowley- Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg is hot shit right now. He's definitely one of the funniest people to emerge in the industry in years. Through his mutliple partnerships with Edgar Wright he has been able to show off his best, and their earliest work, the Brit TV show Spaced, had him playing a punk rock, slacker fanboy. Theres no question in my mind that he could handle the attitude and in-your-face wit (as opposed to Az's more subtle wit).


Anathema Device- Kelly MacDonald
She's not smokin' hot, but she is very attractive. She's got that loveable, adorable girl next door vibe. A very specific look for a likeable spinster like Anathema. She's full of potential as a dramatic actor, and while not naturally witty, she held her own against comedic types in both Choke and Intermission.


Newton Pulsifier- Elijah Wood
About as uninspired casting as you can get, but when you need someone who can be both timidly nerdy, but still command (for lack of a better word) the screen and not dissappear into the background, Wood is the way to go.


Witchhunter Shadwell- Bill Nighy
Nighy's timing rivals that of John Cleese. His voice is commanding and sounds heroic, but with the right delivery comes off perfectly spoofish, even to the point to sound like a crazy or clueless hero. Nighy's subtle, scatterbrain delivery (specifically Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) leaves me with the impression that he would absolutely excel in the role.


Agner Nutter- Tracy Ullman
Why? Just Because! She is a goddess among comediennes. To play a British witch who sets the entire laugh-riot story on its way.