Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Moon Bloodgood, Bryce Dallas Howard and Helena Bonham Carter
Screenplay by John D. Brancatto & Michael Ferris
Directed by McG

Tom Hanks, Ewan MacGregor, Stellen Skarsgard, Armin Muehller-Stahl
Based on the Novel by Dan Brown
Screenplay by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman
Directed by Ron Howard 
 
Some of you may remember our review of The Da Vinci Code in 2006. It sparked a lot of debate on the message boards. Despite being fans of Ron Howard and Tom Hanks, we didn’t care for the film. In fact, we really didn't care for it. Not because we were book purists--we had not, and still have not, read anything by Dan Brown. We simply found Da Vinci to be a contrived, plodding bore that was weighted down with an absurd sense of self importance, and being treated as if it were a new book of scripture--rarely has any work of fiction been so insufferable and melodramatically treated with such exaggerated stature.

Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin,
Simon Pegg, Eric Bana and Leonard Nimoy
Screenplay by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci
Directed by J.J. Abrams
 
"Space. The Final Frontier." This familiar refrain has been thrilling sci fi geeks around the world since 1966, when Gene Roddenberry brought a modest little show that was pitched as "Wagon Train in space" to ABC. Ostensibly, "Star Trek" only lasted three seasons, but its legacy would live on forever.
 
That was, until it ran out of steam with the disastrous Star Trek: Nemesis, the fourth and final "Next Generation" movie. Even as die-hard fans, as much we wanted to love it, instead of provoking awe and excitement, Nemesis got a resounding "meh" from fans everywhere. This tired remake of Wrath of Khan was not without its redeeming qualities, but it was a sad demonstration of how far this titan of science fiction had fallen. In the age when Star Wars had returned, and The Lord of the Rings reigned supreme, Star Trek finally had lost its relevance.
 
After several years of hiatus, Paramount has boldly gone back where they have gone before, returning to the original crew, but bringing a cavalcade of fresh faces and breathing an exciting new life into the greatest and most enduring science fiction franchise of all time.
 
The story begins with the U.S.S. Kelvin, a Starfleet ship that is attacked by a mysterious vessel that emerges out of a black hole. When the Captain of the ship is killed, a young officer named Kirk is forced to take command, and save the lives of everyone on board, including his pregnant wife, who gives birth to their son in a shuttle craft, naming him James Tiberius Kirk. Sadly, the elder Kirk does not live to see his son. As any dedicated fan knows, this is not the past that we know Kirk lived. From the moment the mysterious vessel comes out of the black hole, an alternate timeline is triggered.
 
But when the grown up Kirk (played by Chris Pine) gets himself into a bar fight with some Starfleet Cadets while trying to impress a beautiful young woman who will only give him her last name--Uhura--he finds himself approached by a seasoned Starfleet Captain named Christopher Pike (the always reliable Bruce Greenwood). Pike challenges Kirk to enlist in Starfleet and live up to his genius potential. After some deliberation, young James accepts the challenge, and on the way to the Academy he meets a gruff doctor named McCoy who complains that his wife "took the whole damn planet in the divorce, leavin' me nothing but my Bones."
 
Three years later, Kirk is getting ready to graduate, and surprises everyone by becoming the first cadet ever to beat the no-win scenario Kobayashi Maru test, which catches the eye of a hardnosed superior by the name of Spock, who is convinced that Kirk must have cheated. All of these issues get pushed to the back burner when the fate of the Federation is threatened by a mysterious threat. So, Pike and his unseasoned young crew board the U.S.S Enterprise to get to the bottom of the situation.
 
The threat turns out to be a Romulan ship, Captained by a mysterious, tattooed Romulan by the name of Nero (played to the hilt by the great Eric Bana, who gives us the series's most memorable villain since, dare we say it . . . KHAN!!!).
 
To give away any more of the story would only spoil what is destined to be the most joyous, exciting and utterly engaging movie event of the summer, if not the year. Abrams, who has given us "Alias" and "Lost," as well as helming the underrated Mission: Impossible III is in top form here, handling what is by far the biggest Trek film yet with a decidedly deft hand; and the script by Abrams standard scribes, Kurtzman and Orci, is the perfect mixture of lovingly reverential to the original and accessible to movie goers who have never been to a Star Trek film. Abrams keeps the pacing at warp 7--this movie has more action than any other threeTrek films put together. But it does so without sacrificing the intelligence and philosophical depth that is at the heart of the best of Trek. This is a rare blockbuster that succeeds on every level.
 
Pine is a revelation as Kirk, figuratively stepping into William Shatner's girdle with much more ease and cool than we expected. This is a slightly different Kirk than we are used to, with a strong touch of Top Gun's "Maverick." It is essential to remember that this an alternate reality--it's not a reboot. Parallel universes have been a part of Treklore as long as sexy green alien babes and puddy ears, and while it may sound confusing, it all works beautifully on the screen. Even more satisfying than Pine is Zachary Quinto as Spock. His voice may be a bit high, but his performance is dead on, and the moment he raises his eyebrow is a moment that will stop the heart of any true Trekker.
 
But the most entertaining performances come from the supporting crew, including Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) as Montgomery Scott, and Karl Urban as Leonard "Bones" McCoy. Urban is a revelation--who would've thought former Lord of the Rings warrior and Bourne villain had the versatility to channel the late Deforrest Kelly to utter perfection and yet still make the character his own. This is a performance that, even if it is showered with praise, will still never get the attention it deserves, he is simply that good. And with a harrowing sword fight high above the surface of Vulcan, John Cho's Hikaru Sulu is finally the formidable, ultra cool character that Vonda N. MacIntire's novels tried so desperately to convince he was, and Zoe Saldana is a delightful Lt. Uhura. Last but certainly not least, however, is Anton Yelchin as a 17 year old cadet named Pavel Chekov (perhaps we should dub him "Anton Chekov" to avoid confusion). The moment Yelchin speaks, we found ourselves echoing the sentiments of "Futurama's" Phillip J. Fry: "Eeeeeeeeee! Now say 'Nuclear Wessels."
 
This is a glorious film, full of wonder, action, intrigue, suspense, and a sense of hope and optimism for the future in the fact of impossible odds. In other words, it's Star Trek in its purest form, and it is cause for rejoicing among fans and non-fans alike. After that speed bump that that was the summer's first big release, Wolverine, this is the movie that reminds us why we spend the bright, sunlit summer months in a darkened theater. Abrams helps the once floundering tent pole of Paramount encounter new life and new civilizations, and boldly go where no movie has gone before.
 
Live long and Prosper, Mr. Abrams.
 
Star Trek is rated PG-13 for violence, language and mild sexuality.

Another Marvel gone Movie directed by Gavin hood starring Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), Liev Shreiber (Sabertooth), and Danny Hustan (Striker).  The movie begins with the story of two young boys, Jimmy - later to be known as Logan and Wolverine - and his brother Victor - who would become Sabertooth.  After discovering a family secret, the brothers run from home and participate in nearly every major war in history, fighting at each other's sides.  

Voices of Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox, Luke Wilson, Justin Long, James Garner, David Cross, Danny Glover, Chris Evans and Dennis Quaid
Written by Evan Spilotopoulos
Story by Arisomenis Tsirbas 
 
A few years ago,  a short  film entitled "Survive," which featured brilliant performances from extraordinary acting talents such as Patrick Gibbs and Ethan "Skar" Skarstedt, and directed by Paul Gibbs, made an impact on the almost ten people who actually saw it. "Survive" told the story of a group of soldiers doing battle with aliens during an invasion. But as it turned out, these human soldiers were the alien invaders, and they were out to conquer another world. It was sort of a backyard, no budget "Twilight Zone" episode.
 
But now, the same premise has resurfaced in the animated adventure Battle For Terra, and as the writer of the previous film, I was fascinated to see how this take on my idea played out.
 
Mala and Senn (voiced by Evan Rachel Wood and Justin Long), two teenagers who happen to resemble salamanders, are having a glider race though the skies, without a care in the world--a world that is not earth. Their fun is interrupted by a thunderboom and the darkening of the sky as something emerges from the heavens, and before you can say "Independence Day," it becomes clear that we (or rather they) are not alone in the universe.
 
It seems that a long time ago, in a galaxy relatively far, far away, the inhabitants of Earth, having depleted their natural resources, colonized Mars and Venus (which is quite a feat--considering Venus' proximity to the sun, the global warming issues would be more than any number of dancing penguins could hope to endure, or any life, for that matter). Eventually, the three planets that made up the human race went to war with each other, and the result was that the survivors were forced to move to a fleet of ships and look for a planet capable of sustaining life. Now, several generations later, the colonies, known as "Earthforce," have found one. There is some debate about whether colonizing this planet is the best idea. President Chen (voiced by Danny Glover--you can tell it's the future because the president is black, this would never happen in real life) doesn't agree with plan. After all, Terra has its shortcomings; for example, there is no oxygen on the planet, but this doesn't stop the resourceful General Hemmer (voiced by Brian Cox), who plans to terraform this newfound home using a doomsday weapon/oxygen generator. Earthforce has even named their new-found home "Terra."
 
In the initial invasion, Mala's father (voiced by Dennis Quiad) is abducted. While chasing after the craft that has taken him, Mala manages to cause the crash of another alien fighter, piloted by Major Jim Stanton (Luke Wilson). Mala brings Stanton back to her home and takes care of him, with the help of Stanton's robot, Giddy (voiced by the great David Cross). Now, you'd think that any interaction between our heroine and hero would be impossible without the aid of a Native American Willow Tree, but fortunately, Giddy is able to upload the earth people's language into Mala's brain, "Matrix" style, so that when Stanton comes to, the can communicate. Stanton is grateful to be rescued, and finds that upon meeting these creatures, the invasion, which he already questioned, is not a plan that he can support.
 
Battle For Terra, which is playing is REAL D 3D, features some truly breathtaking animation and spectacular visuals. Admitedly, the animators fair much better with the Terrians than they do with the humans, who are dull and unexpressive. But the Terrians, Mala and Senn in particular, as well as Giddy the robot, are top notch and full of expression, lovability and Happy Meal Toy potential. The space sequences and the battles on Terra are extremely exciting and more than worth the price of an admission ticket. It's really nice to see a new space adventure epic with its own story, and this movie coasts wins a lot of points for visual skill and entertainment value. It's not a classic, by any means, but it's a very entertaining and even thoughtful thrill ride. It does get just a little heavy-handed at times, though it's not over-the-top political grandstanding, and while the hypersensitive might be a little offended, it's nothing to be get worked up over. This is ultimately just popcorn entertainment--a silly, big screen Saturday morning cartoon. And you know what? That's just fine with me. While far from being a PIXAR masterpiece, if you're like me, and a sci fi/space opera geek who is going through Clone Wars withdrawals, Battle For Terra may be just the ticket.
 
Battle For Terra is rated PG for violence, suspense, and mild profanity, and is not intended for very young children.