Star Trek: Into Darkness - Thoughts

The 2009 reboot of Star Trek was incredibly well received, by both sci-fi fans, and general audiences. So the news of the sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, was music to the ears of many an avid moviegoer. The trailer was action packed, and unlike the origins theme of its predecessor, added a veil of mystery and made things look intense. In Into Darkness, the Enterprise crew, after a big shake up in the Starfleet ranks, set off to pursue a rogue officer, in unsafe Klingon space.

After a pretty long runtime by English movie standards, I’d say that if you sat through it, watched it, and enjoyed it, you’re probably a Star Trek junkie or a sci-fi aficionado. While the first movie was aimed at general audiences, and favored pop culture and entertainment, the second is clearly for the strongly sci-fi inclined. If you don’t believe me, the folks fast asleep in the theater when the credits rolled, with their 3D glassed still on, will need to serve as proof. Star Trek Into Darkness has a strong story, and requires for you to follow it fairly seriously. The plot has its share of twists, and knowledge of the 1982 Star Trek movie, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan adds to the overall story-line. Personally I have not seen it, so I don’t believe it’s mandatory. There’s a good deal of action, and the grey super starship that audiences are exposed to is pretty cool. Character development from the first movie is evident, and seems gradual and realistic. At over 2 hours, the movie is engaging as the plot unfolds, coupled with the action, but only if sci-fi is your thing.  As someone who enjoys Star Trek, I did, and I’m sure most others like me will; but if you don’t follow Star Trek and aren't into sci-fi, I fear that you will find Star Trek Into Darkness a tad boring. Overall story evolution is excellent though, with the movie ending on a note that sets the stage for the original Star Trek TV serial.

Pretty much the entire cast from the 2009 movie is back. They have all grown into their roles well, seeming like fitting modern day representations of their counterparts from a generation before. Chekov played by Anton Yelchin is one such example, and interestingly a not so key role, that was yet convincingly portrayed; the situational humor surrounding his character coming out well. All the actors, including Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana, have grown into the more developed characters well, coming across a lot more sure footed in their ways. It’s hard though to watch Zachary Quinto and not be reminded of the TV show Heroes. While he might make an okay Spock, much of the Star Trek audiences are partial to the legendary Leonard Nimoy. A notable addition to the cast is Peter Weller who stars as Marcus. Famous for his performance as RoboCop, it was interesting to see him in a senior and very human role.

Since I was keen to check this one out, I decided to hit the theater.  I was lucky to get a nice 3D and Dolby Atmos combo. Video was good, looking clear and stylized; in the sense that blueish whites were noticeably stronger, reminding us all that this was the future aboard a Starship. This was my second Atmos experience, and was very immersive. The sound truly felt like it was all around, and I didn't get the feeling that the sound was originating from any specific source; rather I felt enveloped in it. From 2 experiences so far, I personally feel that Dolby Atmos is not going to wow you, but it will give you an extremely immersive experience.

My Recommendation: Watch It (A fair progression to the Star Trek reboot)

The Incredible Hulk - Thoughts

As part of my run up to The Avengers, I figured I should quickly catch-up on the individual Marvel superhero movies I’d missed. While I’d seen the 2003 Hulk movie with Eric Bana, I was yet to see the 2008 The Incredible Hulk movie. From what I was told it did tie into The Avengers movie, but only very minimally. In this second iteration of the Hulk, which served as a reboot owing to the mixed reception of the 2003 edition, Bruce Banner is part of a military program; which goes wrong forcing him to flee the United States. In an attempt to cure himself he returns 5 years later, and is now forced to battle the demons he once fled.

The opening sequences of the movie where a good part of the back-story is explained using the opening credits, was quite unique and interesting. It related well to the comic origins of the Hulk character, and contributed to a charged beginning. The movie was relatively long, with plenty of slow story evolution and deep drama moments. That said there were multiple action sequences, where the sheer brute strength of the mammoth Hulk was at large and for the audiences to enjoy. Unlike many other superhero movies, Bruce Banner is clearly consumed by darkness and pain. Due to this The Incredible Hulk is nothing like the loud and wacky Iron Man franchise. Whether you’re a comic book freak or a die-hard action movie buff, The Incredible Hulk is worth the watch. Thanks to its strong narrative elements, it has more depth than most random action flicks. I personally felt that the final battle was weaker than what I’d have liked, but that might just be me. Truth be told, it did feel like a comic book ending. Though it isn't necessary to see this movie before other movies in the marvel series, it does tie in well into the overall story-line.

Edward Norton who played Bruce Banner and The Hulk was perfect, as the distraught man who had fled the US Army special project, and was living in hiding. He wasn't the typical superhero, and his portrayal of Bruce Banner did justice to the reality and hardship of a man cut off from his past, and living a lonely sad life. Liv Tyler played Betty Ross, Bruce’s love interest, and someone he had to let go of when he was forced to flee. She too did well as the caring, ever understanding companion, who had missed him dearly, and was ready to take him back and help him, even after the cut off for several years. Tim Roth plays Emil Blonsky, the special ops soldier who unlike most other soldiers develops a vendetta to battle the Hulk, and goes about it, round after round, mercilessly. His low on values, ruthless ways lent itself well towards the  general’s almost mercenary agenda.

Being unable to place my hands on a Region 1 US DVD, I was forced to acquire and sample an HD rip of the movie. The source for the rip was a Blueray, and the rip resolution was 720p. Colors were vivid, but the tone was a tad dark, especially in the non-daylight scenes. This was probably intentional and to do with the darker narrative elements of the Bruce / Hulk character. Sound was presented by means of a DTS 5.1 soundtrack, and was pretty on point. Action sequences were loud and had impact, while dialog was clear, and the general ambiance calm in places, in keeping with plot elements.

My Recommendation: Watch It (A dark retelling of the Hulk story)