I am somewhat of a die hard Trekkie and I have either hoped that the series would be put to rest or reinstated, not reinvented. Unfortunately, reinvention seems to be unavoidable and it has made it hard for me to easily accept the changes that have come. I remember the first two movies of the OST crew and I was impressed but bored with the Motion Picture. I remain a fanatic for the Wrath Of Khan.
I started to see the Alpha of the Omega, in the Genesis of the Search for Spock. I got lost somewhere during the Voyage Home. I had hoped that the Final Frontier really would be the final movie, I was wrong. I found portions of the Undiscovered Country to be new territory, but not completely acceptable. Everyone may have thought that the ship and crew had been retired, nope.
I remember the early reports and look-and-feel of the Next Generation series – I wasn’t happy. I remember that the technology of the show was good, with the exception of the quite cheezy “Warp Effects”. Sets and equipment was good. Character creation and story lines were OK, at first. Then DS9 came along and ruined everything. I saw a glimmer of hope with Cpt. Janeway and the Voyager crew, but that was short lived in my opinion. Continue reading »
The other bit of greatness this film brings, is the realization of no matter how much times and circumstances change, there are still those few unalterable truths that can make you laugh, cry and ponder the similarities you see in your own little universe. The changes to the game, during that time of the mid to late 1920′s, were immense. The adoption of rules (not necessarily good for the sport) and the addition of a Commissioner were just the beginning of what American pro football is today.
I have been eagerly awaiting this new prequel to be released. Of course, Paramount has decided to push the release date back to May 8, 2009 to relieve the pressures of a holiday release. But until then, I have a teaser trailer here and a few choice notes and images of my favorite TOS character – Mr. Spock.
I have loved the Heroes TV series for both of its seasons. Albeit season two had a few bumps and a little confusion in spots, I still enjoyed the Sylar character as the villain and main focus of the series. Continue reading »
I have a new movie to write about! I have always loved kung-fu movies, but this one has more drama and less action. Most of the action doesn’t happen until the last third of the movie.
This has been recorded as the most expensive movie ever to come out of Beijing, with a $45 million production budget! Nothing is wasted when you see the elaborate sets, wardrobe and Chinese stars that are littered throughout this film. For those movie buffs like me, we always want to know how true a story is. This masterful retelling of a 1930′s chinese play is just that, a rewritten play. Continue reading »
PG-13 (for martial arts action, some violence) – 2hr. 35min.
I have just enjoyed watching the Forbidden Kingdom on the weekend, starring martial arts masters Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Many review sites, including Rotten Tomatoes, give the film mixed accolades as it was originally thought to be made as a serious Kung-Fu flick for adults. The truth is, it’s meant to be a family friendly fantasy.
A masterful retelling of the ancient Chinese folktale “Journey to the West” is not the goal of the Forbidden Kingdom, but it is the reproduction of a fanciful “dream” version the main character has of the old story. Of course who can blame the embellishments along the way, as is the norm from both Hollywood and Hong Kong story writers alike? This tall tale of the Monkey King is common among the yarns of the East and it is nearly as impressive as the fight sequences and the vast amounts of “Wire-Fu” that are common in Woo-ping Yuen films (i.e. Crouching Tiger, Matrix, Kill Bill).
But being westernized, the story smacks of a 1980′s “Neverending Story” remake, where a local boy (Michael Angarano) gets roughed up by bullies and forced to do things he wouldn’t normally do. Throw in the fact that he’s a lover of martial arts movies, with the dream of being anything more than the inept wannabe, and there is a new feel to an otherwise over-used main character story.
Of course the mundane becomes fantastic when he finds himself tossed head-long into one of the oldest eastern folktales, as the protagonist on his way to save the Monkey King, the Drunken Master and find his own enlightenment. He even learns his Kung-Fu along the way and finds a sweetheart to boot.
If you like Jackie and Jet, and don’t mind the nuances (or major flaws) of the main character, than you’ll enjoy the Forbidden Kingdom as much as I did and you won’t mind letting the kiddies watch either!
Well for those movie buffs, and more specifically Bond aficionados, the next installment in the James Bond franchise looks deeper and even more engaging then its predecessor. I have argued on other sites, not this one though, that Daniel Craig has brought renewed and much needed life back into the Broccoli storehouse. Let’s not get confused however, I am a minor Bond geek with strong ties to Sir Sean Connery’s portrayal of Ian Fleming’s daring super-spy.
I even enjoyed some of Sir Roger Moore’s and Pierce Brosnan’s films. I am a big fan of Timothy Dalton’s pair of movies as well as George Lazenby’s only stint in the Secret Service. Without spending any more time on Casino Royale and the rest, here’s the latest teaser of the upcoming smash hit due in November, the Quantum of Solace.
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