star trek

i have never been a huge 'star trek' fan. not that i don't like it, i've just never gotten into it. i've always been more of a 'star wars' guy. that being said, the trailer for the new 'star trek' movie got me really excited.

this movie is good; it is really good. probably the best movie i have watched this year, and a great summer blockbuster. it it instantly accessible for anyone who hasn't watched any 'star trek' in the past (i hadn't).

j.j. abrams crafts the perfect combination of action, humour, and plot. the story isn't far fetched like most epic sci-fi movies tend to be, and is a major strong suit of the film. there really are no weak suits to this movie. this being a largely esemble piece, the acting is outstanding from all the crew members of the USS Enterprise. simon pegg is hilarious and probably my favorite performance, though they all are note worthy. i can see this film being the catalyst for a lot of these young actors to go on and do great things in future projects. what is interesting is that i did not realize that it was eric bana of 'munich' and 'incredible hulk' fame that was the bald tattooed villian.

i recommend this film to all people: people who like good movies, casual fans who like action packed funny blockbusters, and for families. contrary to some belief this is not just for 'trekkie nerds.' while i do think they'll be happy with this film, i would consider abram's version to be a reboot of the franchise, where my generation can enjoy it.

if the sequel(s) are just as good as this one, which i imagine will be the case, i would say that this film is on trek (get it...) to be my generation's 'star wars.' i honestly feel the first installment in on par with those films.

do not wait for it to come to dvd, it is so good on the big screen!

gomorrah

gomorrah is a italian mafia movie set in naples and the surrounding area where the huge crime organization the comorra operates. this is not your glamorized hollywood mafia movie with tons of action. it is shot in a documentary style and is one of the most realistic movies i have watched in quite some time. i felt like i was learning about italian culture and the crime that emcompasses the area, as i watched it.

the trade off with an extremely realistic movie was the lack of action, which i absolutely have no problem with. however, i could see an average movie goer losing some interest in the middle. despite this, i felt the story was fantastic. from the exciting first scene, the movie then built to it's shocking conclusion. likewise, everything in between was fantastic.

the direction was superb as was the acting. the two mischievious kid characters were a bit old for the parts they were playing and it was noticable in the underwear weapon firing scenes. this may have slightly affected any sympathy that viewers may have for them, though i found the fact that they were extremely annoying as my justification for not feeling bad for the trouble they frequently get in.

on the other hand, the story of the other two very young boys who join up with opposing factions of the criminal underworld was very eye opening. those scenes had me reminsce of 'city of god.' this film is like 'city of god,' only more refined, more realistic, and more realized. it's not that this film is any better than 'city of god,' it just goes in a different direction.

watching this film you get the idea that the director truly knows of all the dark dealings that occur in naples, and walking out of the theater was almost like getting a history channel lesson and a good story all at the same time. likewise, the story included enough twists and turns and shocking moments to keep me entertained. not enough can be said about this movie; it is truly a masterpiece that will be definitely hold up to the test of time and be watched for years to come.

adventureland

this movie was directed by greg mottola, who directed 'superbad' and from the trailers you could tell that it was being advertised as the next superbad/judd apatow style comedy. thankfully, however, this movie was much different and deeper than those films.

it was still very funny and made me laugh quite a bit, but a large portion of the movie was serious and dealt with the lead character, played by jesse eisenberg, and his questions on what happens in life after college. since it was largely an autobiographical story of director mottola's life as he worked in the adventureland park after he graduated college, i felt there was a certain sincerity that existed in the film that made it seem very authentic and enjoyable to watch.

jesse eisenberg is a great actor. some may consider him a copy-cat of the other successful awkward actor, michael cera (who was in 'superbad'). eisenberg seems to choose better projects however, as 'the squid and the whale' and 'roger doger' were both great indie films that he starred in. he is definitely an actor that whenever he stars in a film, it instantly has my attention, and i make a point to watch it.

being set in a amusement park, this was largely an esemble piece film and the acting from the different workers was all around solid. bill hader and kristen wiig were especially funny, and kristen stewart was cute as eisenberg's love interest. ryan reynolds seems to excel at always playing a jerk. i absolutely loved the show 'freaks and geeks' and it was cool to see martin starr in this movie.

another cool tidbit about this movie which i personally found exciting, was that it was filmed in 'kennywood amusement park' in pittsburgh, pa, which is close to where i live in pennsylvania. i've been to kennywood on countless occasions and it is nice to think that a big movie has now been shot there.

this is a good film, which i recommend to anyone, especially college-aged students. it is much deeper than the ads and trailers billed it as being, and i can imagine a lot of kids being disapointed by how much focus on plot existed over cheap laughs. that being said, i still felt that many funny moments prevent it from being the least bit boring. i really enjoyed this movie.