"Of all the arts, movies are the most powerful aid to empathy, and good ones make us better people."
-- Roger Ebert, The Great Movies

Monday, December 17, 2012

Stripes


  • Title:  Stripes
  • Director:  Ivan Reitman
  • Date:  1981
  • Studio:  Columbia Pictures
  • Genre:  Comedy
  • Cast:  Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, John Larroquette, Judge Reinhold, John Candy, Lance LeGault
  • Format:  Color, Widescreen
  • DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"You don't say 'sir' to me, I'm a sergeant I work for a living."  -- Sgt. Hulka (Warren Oates)

"I'm talking about something important, like disclipline and duty and honor and courage.  And you ain't got none of it."  -- Sgt. Hulka

"We're Americans - with a capital 'A'.  Do you know what that means?  Do you?  It means our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world.  We are the wretched refuse.  We're underdog.  We're mutts. ... But there's no animal that's more faithful, that's more loyal, more lovable that the mutt. [pause] Who saw Old Yeller?  Who cried when Old Yeller got shot at the end?  Nobody cried when Old Yeller got shot [raises his hand] I'm sure.  I cried my eyes out." -- John (Bill Murray)

"We're all very, very different, but there is one thing we all have in common.  We were all stupid enough to enlist in the army."  -- John 

In the 1970s, in a "bad economy" much like today, two guys who are down on their luck and out of options join the US Army.  John loses his job, car, girlfriend, and apartment all in the same day.  His friend, Russell (Ramis) has discovered his easy five-week job to teach English involves people who only know a few swear words and that's it.  They decide to join the Army.

At boot camp, John, Russell and the rest of the guys in their platoon have their hair buzzed (it's the 70s - most have long hair or even "afros") and receive basic green uniforms.  Sgt. Hulka introduces himself and has each of the men in his platoon introduce themselves and explain why they decided to join the army.  It becomes obvious that the entire platoon is, to be frank, a group of screw-ups with few other options.

There is a montage of training scenes, inter cut with scenes of John doing push-ups.  A perpetual clown and comedian, he gets on Sgt. Hulka's nerves immediately.  Also at the army training camp is Capt. Stillman (John Larroquette) who enjoys peeking at female officers taking showers, and never listening to anyone.  It's Stillman who orders one of his men to fire a mortar round on the weapons practice field without any co-ordinates.  It flies way off course and takes out the climbing test structure and Sgt. Hulka who is sitting on top of it.

Hulka's men go into town to celebrate their new-found freedom at a mud wrestling expo in a strip bar.  They are caught and dragged back to the camp by the MPs.  However, John and Russell escape immediate punishment when they are rescued by two female MPs they have been chatting-up throughout the film.

Upon returning to the army training camp, they discover they have three hours to get ready for the parade in front of General Barnicke or the entire platoon will be forced to re-take basic training.  Russell convinces everyone they can cram for the test and pass it.  He starts training the others, but disagreements break out.  John delivers his rousing "Old Yeller" speech and gets everyone working together.  They then over-sleep.

When the group reaches the parade grounds, however, John leads them in an unconventional but greatly appreciated drill routine.  They earn applause, whistles, and approval from the gathered crowd.  The general finds out they finished their training on their own after Sgt. Hulka was injured.  He asks for the platoon to be assigned to his secret "EM-50" project.  The EM-50 is an "Urban Assault Vehicle" or more obviously, a Winnebago that's been turned into a tank.  The platoon is supposed to be on a good-will tour in Italy.

However, John and Russell get bored while on guard duty.  They decide to visit the two female MPs they've been chasing throughout the film -- even though the girls are in Germany.  It might have worked, but Capt. Stillman takes his new girlfriend to see the EM-50, finds it missing and panics.  He gets the platoon together to find it, and ignores Sgt. Hulka when he tries to warn him that they've gone the wrong way and they end-up heading into Czechoslovakia, where they are captured by the Russians.  Sgt. Hulka, who's realized there was going to be a problem, escapes capture and sends a signal to the EM-50.  John, Russell, and the two girls pick up the signal, and they manage to find the platoon, and Sgt. Hulka, and rescue them, returning safely to Germany.

The film concludes with everyone arriving safely at home, and magazine and newspaper headlines are used to do a "where are they now / what happened to..." segment very quickly.

Stripes has a couple of very memorable scenes, notably Murray earnestly giving the "Old Yeller" speech to his fellow enlistees, and the well-choreographed parade ground scene.  The Winnebago tank is also funny.  The film screams 70s in everything from the clothes and cars to the attitudes, especially towards women.  Although it doesn't currently work as well as some films from the 1970s, and parts of the film are really dated (like the fact that they invade a country that no longer exists) some parts do still work.  Both Murray and Ramis are very funny, and the cast is filled it with other very funny actors.  Overall it's now a mediocre film, but it wasn't quite as painful to watch as I feared it might be.

Recommendation:  It's OK.
Rating:  3 out of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Sunset Boulevard

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle


  • Title:  The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
  • Director:  H. C. Potter
  • Date:  1939
  • Studio:  RKO Radio Pictures
  • Genre:  Biography, Drama, Musical
  • Cast:  Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edna May Oliver
  • Format:  B/W, Standard
  • DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"Well, we've got our health, we're young, we're in Paris, we're on our honeymoon, what more can we want."  -- Vernon

"Hey, dance with me."  -- Vernon
"All the people downstairs?" -- Irene
"Look, we can do it quietly, like this, just as if we're walking on air."  -- Vernon

"War is a man's business, women only do what they're told."  -- Maggie

The Story of  Vernon and Irene Castle is the last musical that Astaire and Rogers did for RKO and it's notable for several reasons.  It's one of only two films where Astaire and Rogers played a married couple (the other is The Barkleys of Broadway).  It's the only biography the two did, so the only time they played real people.  It's the only one of their musicals that's more of a drama than a comedy.  And it's the only one with a definite downbeat ending (Vernon Castle (Astaire's character) dies).  The film is different from other Astaire and Rogers musicals and that may be why it is not as well known as their other films.

The film opens in 1911, Fred Astaire is Vernon Castle, who at the time is barely working as a vaudeville comedian.  He's not even the star of  the show he's in, but the second banana who takes all the prat falls and on-stage abuse from the star.  He tries to get the show's leading lady interested in him, but to no avail.  However, while at the seaside, he meets Irene Foote (Ginger Rogers) when they both jump into the drink to rescue a small dog.  She, it turns out, is an aspiring actress/performer and she performs "The Yama Yama Man" as an audition for Castle.

After the lackluster audition, the two go to the train station, where a group of "bachelors" and their dates are on an excursion.  When one of  the guys gets up and dances - Vernon shows off  his tap dancing skills. On their later dates, Irene suggests that Vernon should give up comedy and become a dancer.  Vernon actually agrees with her and the two approach his boss with the idea of  being a dance team.  But his boss is having none of it.  However, two French theatre owners approach Vernon and offer him a job in Paris.

Now married, Vernon and Irene go to Paris... but discover that the job they thought started immediately won't start for six weeks.  Irene convinces the theatre owners to give Vernon an advance on his salary so they will have something to live on for six weeks.  After the six weeks of waiting goes by, Vernon returns to the theatre -- only to discover he's to play his comedy role again.  As he explains to his wife, "Well, I refused... I know you don't want me to do, and I didn't want to do it... but he brought up the money we owe him..."  Irene accepts this trying to make him feel better by saying, "Well, at least it's a job, maybe not the job you want, but it's a job."  To console her, Vernon dances with her, quietly.

Fate intervenes in the person of Maggie, an entrepreneur and agent who walks into their apartment at that moment and sees them dancing.  She gets them dinner and an audition at the Cafe de Paris.  The audition is a smash success, and other couples imitate the Castles.  They are hired by the nightclub as professional dancers.  Before long they are back in New York, introducing The Tango to New York. The Castles sell books, records, and dancing lessons.  Irene becomes a fashion icon.  Their merchandising continues with ladies hats, bon bons, and face cream.  Vernon's name goes on cigars and dancing shoes.  They introduce the Fox Trot, and the Castle Polka.  With both scenes of the Castles introducing their ballroom dances, the shot of  the couple dancing is double exposed with sparkles and lights - giving it a dreamy quality.  Irene bobs her hair, which causes a sensation and starts a trend.  The Castles introduce the Moxie, another dance, at a seaside resort.  They then tour nationally.  (We see the couple dancing across a map of  the US and each place they stop - additional dancers appear).  As they return home, Irene and Vernon tell their manager, Maggie, they are tired and want to buy a house and raise a family.  However, as they pull into one little town, there's a fuss outside the train -- Germany's declared war.

At first, the Castles do retire to their new home, and Vernon agrees with Irene that he won't enlist.  But when he's asked to work at a benefit... he sees all the Canadian solders and decides to enlist in the Royal Flying Corps.   He manages to live through the war, but when he returns home he's sent to Fort Worth at the last minute as one of  the pilots in an airshow for a Brigadier General.  An inexperienced pilot takes off and flies into his airspace -- given the choice of  hitting the other plane or trying to avoid the crash he pulls straight up and the plane stalls.  Vernon Castle is killed in the plane crash... the young inexperienced pilot in the plane with him survives, in part because Vernon took the seat in front rather than letting the young pilot do it since he knew that the front was the more dangerous seat.  After her uncle and Vernon's close friend tells Irene the news she walks into the garden of  the hotel her husband had  set-up for her and imagines the two of them dancing together in the garden.

Again, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle is very unusual for an Astaire and Rogers film.  It has a downbeat ending, and even the dances are mostly not complete dances ... they are excerpts as the story unfolds.  Astaire performs well as Vernon Castle... really getting into the role which is quite meaty.  Rogers has less to do, mostly following her husband around, and worrying constantly about him after he goes to war.  But the film is meant to be a historical film, taking place between 1911 and 1918, when women didn't even have the right to vote, so Irene's somewhat shadowed appearance can be understood if not condoned.  And it is obvious that this couple loves each other, and Vernon, at least, allows his wife to not only have a say in their decisions but to lead in them (It's Irene who insists he's better than physical comedy; it's Irene who wants them to retire from touring; and it's Irene who at first insists that Vernon not go to war).  In a sense, though Vernon dies at the end, the film is not only romantic, but it's a more realistic romance than most movie romances.

The story for the script was written by Irene Castle, based on her autobiographical book about her husband, and she acted as an advisor on the film, especially in terms of  Rogers clothes.

This was not your typical Astaire and Rogers musical, I'd say it's for diehards only, or if you want  to see a different type of film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.  The rating is based on the film not being what you expect out of a musical -- for example, there are very few full dances in the film.

Recommendation:  Depends.
Rating:  Three and a half out of five stars.
Next film:  Stripes

Sunday, December 2, 2012

The Sting


  • Title:  The Sting
  • Director:  George Roy Hill
  • Date:  1973
  • Studio:  Universal
  • Genre:  Drama
  • Cast:  Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning, Ray Walston, Eileen Brennan, Harold Gould, Dana Elcar
  • Format:  Widescreen, color
  • DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"I'll get him anyway."  -- Johnny Hooker
"Why?"  -- Henry Gondorff
" 'Cause I don't know enough about killing to kill him."  -- Johnny

"What was I supposed to do?  Call him for cheating better than me in front of  the others?"  -- Doyle

The Sting is the original caper film.  Without The Sting, there is no Ocean's 11 or it's sequels either the original or the new ones, and there's no White Collar, Leverage, or Hustle either.  But it's a classic that stands on its own two feet as well, not simply as the film that establishes a sub-genre all by itself.  The film begins with Luther and Johnny, two con artists, working street cons.  As the film opens in Joliet, Illinois in 1936, the two con artists pull a switch, but unknown to them they've picked the wrong victim - a numbers runner for the Chicago Irish mob.  Initially, they are thrilled to pull a $11,000 con... but then one of the con artists, Luther, is killed, and Johnny knows that if  he gets caught, the mob will kill him too.

Johnny travels up to Chicago and meets Henry Gondorff an old friend of  Luther's.  Gondoroff gathers a group of con artists together and they decide to pull a con on the mobster they blame for Luther's death.  Luther's so well-known in the con artist underground that everyone wants to help to stick it to his killer where it hurts -- in the wallet.

The film is set-up in sections:  The Set-Up, The Hook, The Tale, The Wire, The Shut Out, and The Sting -- each with a beautifully designed title card.  And each section of the film is exactly what it says, as the con artists rope in and set-up their victim.  However, What makes The Sting a great and memorable film is the surprise ending... which I'm not going to spoil here.  If you've seen the film, you know exactly what I'm talking about -- and if you haven't, it's just not fair to spoil the surprise ending.  There are hints throughout the film, but it does come as a surprise the first time you see it and it really makes the movie.

This film also features a great partnership between the older, nearly washed-up con artist (Paul Newman) master of  the Big Con, and his new, young, apprentice (Robert Redford).  A number of  excellent character actors round out the cast.  Also, the film is set in the 1930s, which means great suits and hats but on the negative side -- some very rough, inappropriate language.

Overall, a great film, especially if you are a fan of  the caper film as a genre.  I recommend it.

Recommendation:  See it!
Rating:  4 out of 5 Stars
Next Film:  The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Star Wars Return of the Jedi


  • Title:  Star Wars Return of the Jedi
  • Director:  Richard Marquand
  • Date:  1983
  • Studio:  20th Century Fox
  • Genre:  SF, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
  • Cast:  Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Frank Oz, Alec Guinness
  • Format:  Color, Widescreen
  • DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"Nevertheless, I'm taking Captain Solo and his friends you can either profit by this or be destroyed.  It's your choice but I warn you not to underestimate my powers."  -- Luke

"When 900 years old you reach, look as good you will not."  -- Yoda

"Twilight is upon me and soon night must fall, that is the way of  things, the way of the Force."  -- Yoda

"Anger, fear, oppression, the Dark Side are they.  Once you start down the dark path forever will it dominate your destiny."  -- Yoda

"Your father was seduced by the Dark Side of  the Force.  He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Dark Vader.  When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed.  So what I told you was true... from a certain point of view."  -- Obi-Wan Kenobi

Return of the Jedi again starts with a crawl updating the audience to the plot, and reminiscent of very old movie serials.  There is an impressive opening shot of a very large and long ship approaching a partially constructed Death Star.  The sequence has several impressive model shots as well, including:  two star destroyers, shuttles, and the moon with the Death Star itself.

On Tatooine, R2-D2 and C3PO are in the desert, they approach Jabba's palace.  Inside, R2-D2 plays a message from Luke Skywalker.  He wishes to bargain for Han Solo's life, and gives Jabba R2-D2 and C3PO as gifts (don't worry it's all part of the plan).  The droids are indoctrinated into Jabba's workforce in a scene which includes shots of droids being tortured (one is having it's feet burned with red-hot horseshoes, another is being pulled apart at the arm and hip sockets).  Jabba's palace has an 1001 Nights aspect to it, and it's full of music, aliens, and dancing girls.  Jabba kills his slave girl, dropping her into a pit.  A bounty hunter comes in with Chewbacca, haggling with Jabba (via C3PO's translations) to get a higher price.  Lando is also hiding in Jabba's palace in disguise.  Later that night, the "bounty hunter" rescues Han.  He's frozen in Carbonite and she de-freezes him.  She's Princess Leia.  Han is basically OK, though temporarily blind.  Jabba quickly captures Han again.  Leia is brought to be Jabba's slave girl, and Han is imprisoned with Chewbacca.  Luke, dressed in black and cloaked, arrives.  Luke uses his Jedi mind tricks on one of  Jabba's guards, but they don't work on Jabba.  Luke threatens Jabba for Han and Leia's lives, but Jabba is over-confident and drops Luke in the Bantha pit.  Luke kills the Bantha monster and the Bantha Keeper is devastated.  However, Luke in unable to rescue Han at the time and the entire group is taken to Jabba's sail barge to be taken to the desert where they will be executed by another monster - Jabba thinks.

On the barge, Luke will be forced to walk the plank - but instead he performs some very impressive gymnastics and grabs his light-sabre that R2-D2 has sent sailing into the air.  The Star Wars theme swells.  Luke fights Jabba's creatures and rescues Han and Chewbacca, then heads to rescue Lando.  Leia tries to free herself and also kills  Jabba.  Leia also rescues R2-D2.  She points the huge gun on the sail barge at the deck, set to blow.  Luke and Leia swing to safety on a smaller desert hover boat where Han, Chewbacca, and Lando await.  The two droids dive into the desert sand, and are picked up by the smaller boat.  The sail barge is destroyed.

Luke heads off to Dagobah with R2-D2.  The rest are on the Millennium Falcon heading for the alliance fleet.

Meanwhile, Darth Vader and an extremely impressive parade of troops great the Emperor.  The Emperor urges Vader to wait for Luke to seek him out and together they will turn Luke to the Dark Side.

Meanwhile, Luke visits Yoda on Dagobah.  Yoda is dying.  Luke is devastated to lose his mentor, but handles it without the anger of  his younger days.  Yoda also avoids Luke's questions, but mentions a mysterious "other".  After Yoda's demise, the ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi appears.  He confirms what Luke knows - Vader is his father ... and also tells him Leia is his sister (Luke half  figures this out himself).  Luke now knows he must confront Vader -- but he's convinced there is still good in his father.

Meanwhile the Alliance, including Han Solo, Lando, Chewbacca, Leia, and in the background, Wedge, as well as a full room of others goes over their plans.  A female general/diplomat reviews information received from "Bonthan spies", then turns the meeting over to Admiral Ackbar to explain the details of the attack.  Lando will lead the fighter strike team in the Millennium Falcon which Han gives him.  Han, Leia, Chewbacca, C3PO, and R2-D2 will go to Endor to knock out the Shield Generator.  Luke arrives just as the plans and teams are being finalized and joins Han and Leia.

On Endor, Han and Luke encounter a pair of Storm Troopers and the speeder bike chase ensues.  Leia falls off her bike.  Luke returns to Han and company.  Meanwhile, Leia meets and befriends an Ewok - a sort of primitive walking teddy bear.  Leia is nearly captured by a pair of storm-troopers but she manages to defeat them herself.

Meanwhile, on the Emperor's ship, Vader reports that a Rebel force has landed on Endor, including Luke.  The Emperor orders Vader to Endor.  Luke will come to Vader who will bring him to the Emperor.

Meanwhile, Luke, Han, and company are looking for Leia -- they don't find her, but get caught in a trap.  Though they get themselves free, they are captured by Ewoks.  The Ewoks worship C3PO.

They are taken to the Ewok village.  Leia appears.  Luke uses the Force to raise C3PO's chair and the group is set free.  Leia kisses Han.  At the feast that evening, C3PO tells the gathered Ewoks the story so far complete with sound effects.  The Ewoks look on in stunned amazement.  Luke, Han, and everyone are inducted into the Tribe.

Luke and Leia speak to each other.  First, Luke asks Leia about her mother.  He then tells her, Darth Vader is his father.  Then he tells Leia she truly is the last hope of  the alliance, she's his sister and has the power of the Force too.  He wanders off, because he's a danger to the main Alliance mission.  Han arrives.  Han gets a bit angry that Leia's honest with Luke but won't tell him what's wrong.  Of course, Han has no idea what Luke's just told Leia.

Luke turns himself  in to Vader.  Despite Luke insisting there's good in Anakin Skywalker, Vader turns him over to the Emperor.

Han and his team check out the shield generator on Endor.

Lando and his space fleet make the jump to hyperspace under Ackbar's orders.

The Ewoks lead Han and his team to the back door of the bunker.  An Ewok steals a speeder bike and draws off some of  the troops.  Unforunately when they walk into the bunker...

Vader brings Luke to the Emperor.  The Emperor gloats that Luke's friends are walking into a trap.  The space battle attack on the death star has to break off and a space battle ensues.

Han, Leia, and Chewbacca face a legion of storm troopers.  C3PO baits the storm troopers into a trap and the Ewoks attack.  Before long an all-out battle occurs between storm troopers and Ewoks.  The Ewoks do well but many are also killed.

The Ewok battle on Endor is intercut with the battle in space between Lando's group and the Emperor's fighters.

The Emperor, again, gloating has the Death Star attack and destroy a rebel ship.

On Endor, R2-D2 gets hit by laser fire.  Han tries to hot wire the bunker door.  More Ewoks are killed.  Lando continues to lead the fight.

The Emperor continues to goad Luke.  Luke grabs his light-sabre but Vader blocks his attack on the Emperor.

The Ewoks begin to succeed again in their battle with the Emperor's troops.

Leia is injured as she tries to cover Han at the door.  Chewbacca commandeers an Imperial Walker.

Luke fights Vader, then stops.  Vader strikes out at Luke and Luke counters him.  Vader throws his light-sabre at Luke,

The space battle continues.

Han and Chewbacca pull one over on the Imperial troops.

Luke plays cat-and-mouse with Vader and insists he won't fight him.  When Vader realizes Leia is Luke's sister and says he will convert her to the Dark Side.  Luke fights back, hard, now angry.  The Emperor arrives, and Luke, looking at his own mechanical hand, and Vader's wrist where he's cut off his hand, stops, and tells the Emperor he'll never turn to the Dark Side.  Luke throws aside his light-sabre.

Back on Endor, the bunker is destroyed.  In space, the attack on the Death Star commences.

The Emperor attacks Luke with lightening bolts.  Luke pleas to his father for help.  Vader grabs the Emperor and throws him into the well of  a power reactor, saving Luke, but getting electrocuted in the process.

During the space battle a rebel ship hits a star destroyer and it sinks, crashing into the planet.  Luke drags Vader to an escape craft.  Vader asks Luke to remove his mask so he can look at Luke with his own eyes.

Luke escapes in the shuttle.  The Death Star is destroyed.  Han  assures Leia that Luke wasn't on the Death Star when it blew.  Leia quietly responds that she knows.  Han offers to not get in the way when Luke returns.  Leia explains Luke is her brother, then kisses Han.

Luke burns his father's body.

Everyone reunites at the Ewok celebration.  Luke wanders off and he's the ghosts of  his father, Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi before Leia brings him back to the party.

The conclusion to the Star Wars trilogy is actually quite good and satisfying.  It's best in it's quiet moments - Luke's conversations with Yoda and Ben (Obi-Wan); Luke's explaining his background to Leia; even Leia explaining to Han that Luke's actually her brother and she's in love with Han.  The film also uses short set pieces and in the last half-hour/forty-five minutes a lot of inter-cutting.  This stops the film from bogging down.  Yes, the film is the Hero's Journey but it's well executed, especially as at the time true fantasy heroes journey's were seldom the subject of  popular entertainment films.  Luke is much more mature here, so much so, that I wondered just how long Han was stuck in Carbonite, since Luke has finished his training.  Leia also seems a bit older, and more ready to take on responsibility, though her character doesn't grow as much as Luke or even Han.

Return of  the Jedi also has a lot of great lines.  Like all of  the Star Wars trilogy the writing is very quotable, which makes the film fun to watch.  All the leads also do a good job.  Mark Hamill is no longer playing the "whiny farm boy" but has grown and matured. Han Solo has discovered the importance of caring for people instead of just himself and Chewie.  Only Leia, though always strong, seems to have not changed much... though she does more or less propose to Han.

Recommendation:  See it, a true classic.
Rating:  5 out of 5 Stars
Next Film:  The Sting

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back


  • Title:  Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back
  • Director:  Irvin Kershner
  • Date:  1980
  • Studio:  20th Century Fox
  • Genre:  SF, Adventure, Action
  • Cast:  Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Frank Oz, Julian Glover, Michael Sheard, John Razenberger
  • Format:  Color, Widescreen
  • DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"Wars not make one great."  -- Yoda

"Do or do not.  There is no try." -- Yoda

"Size matters not.  Look at me - judge me by my size do you?  Hum?  And well you should not.  For my ally is the Force.  And a powerful ally it is.  Life creates it, makes it grow, it's energy surrounds us and binds us." -- Yoda

"I love you." -- Leia
"I know."  -- Han

"Luke, we can destroy the Emperor, he has foreseen this.  It is your destiny.  Join me and together we can rule the Galaxy as father and son!"  -- Darth Vader

Like Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back opens with a crawl, describing what's going on and remarking that it's "a dark time for the Rebellion" despite the success of destroying the Death Star.  This proves true, as Empire can be arguably seen as the darkest of  the three original trilogy Star Wars movies.  The movie itself opens with the Empire launching robotic probes to find Luke Skywalker and the rebels he leads.   One such probe lands on a glacier.

This is the ice planet Hoth, where Luke, Han, Leia, and a group of  rebels, part of  the Alliance, are hiding.  Han and Luke are on patrol, riding a cold-weather animal called a Taun Taun, something like a furry cross between a camel and a kangaroo.  They are finishing up their patrol, and Han tells Luke he's headed back to the Rebel base.  Luke agrees, but mentions he wants to check out a meteor.  They agree to meet back at camp.  Han returns to the camp and tells the general that he really must leave, he has a price on his head and it won't be lifted until he pays off  Jabba the Hutt.  The general, though upset to lose Han, agrees to his leaving.  Chewbacca and C3PO work on fixing the Millennium Falcon.  Leia confronts Han about his leaving.  They still spark and fight, as in Star Wars, but it's evident that the two have some affection for each other beneath their arguing.

Luke was attacked by an Abominable Snowman-like creature and taken to an ice cave.  He manages to escape, in part by using the force to pull his light sabre to his hand.  He wanders out into the snow, where he has a vision of  Obi-Wan Kenobi, who urges him to go to the Dagobah System to complete his Jedi training under Yoda, a great Jedi master and teacher.  Luke then collapses from the cold.

Meanwhile, the rebels have realised that Luke is missing.  Though the general thinks it's too late to go looking for Luke (the extreme cold makes it dangerous to be outside late at night or during blizzards) Han insists on looking for Luke anyway.  He takes his Taun Taun to search for Luke.  He finds Luke, and cuts open his own now dead Taun Taun to place Luke inside while he builds a thermal shelter.

At the rebel alliance base, the search parties have been recalled.  At the general's insistence, Leia orders the shield doors be closed for the night.  Chewbacca cries out in mourning when the door is shut, because Han hasn't returned.  The next day, speeder patrols are sent out to find the two.  They do find both Luke and Han and bring them to base.  Han is OK, Luke is treated for exposure and frostbite but basically he's OK too.

Han and Chewbacca find an Imperial Probe Droid.  The rebel general decides to evacuate.

Vader orders an attack on Hoth.

Leia addresses the fighters who will escort the transports off  the planet.  She ends with "good luck" and from the sound of things, they'll need it.

The rebel speeders attack the Imperial walkers invading Hoth.  The walkers are like metal combat elephants.  Very quickly during the battle, Luke realizes their blasters can't penetrate the armor, and advises using harpoons and tow cables around the legs of the walkers, causing them to collapse.  This does work.

The battle between the Rebel snow speeders and the Imperial walkers, though it takes place on a snowy field, is also on a very bright sunny day!

Getting back to the battle, after losing his gunner, and one successful pass leading a harpoon ship, Luke is hit and crashes into the snow.

Han rushes to the command center to check on Leia, urging her to leave.  She issues the evacuation order.  Although the rebels had some success against the walkers, over all it's a rout.  As Han is leading Leia away, the tunnel ahead of  them collapses.  He tells the rebels he'll get her out on the Falcon, and they head back the other way.  Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and C3PO end up on the Millennium Falcon.

Vader enters the nearly empty rebel base.  The Millennium Falcon escapes.  Luke and R2-D2 get to an X-wing, but Luke heads for Dagobah, not the Alliance rendezvous.

Three star destroyers and TIE fighters chase the  Millennium Falcon.  One star destroyer actually manages to physically hit another one, leaving one to go after the Falcon.  When the hyper-drive fails, Han knows he's in trouble.  Han and Chewbacca try to fix the ship while in flight, when they encounter an asteroid field.  Han flies into the field, because he knows the Imperial ships won't follow him.  He impressively loops the Falcon and lands in a cave on an asteroid.

Meanwhile, Luke splash-lands on Dagobah.  R2-D2 falls into the swamp, is attacked by a creature, and is spit out.  Luke gets his camping gear together and tries to figure out what to do.  He meets Yoda, whom, at first, he doesn't recognize -- and he thinks is actually somewhat annoying.  But when Yoda takes him to his home, and has a conversation with the dead Obi Wan Kenobi - Luke realizes this is the Jedi Master he seeks.  Yoda is hesitant, but agrees to teach the young Jedi.

Meanwhile, Vader's ships fail to find the Millennium Falcon.  Vader kneels before the Emperor for a holographic conversation.  Vader suggests "the son of  Skywalker be turned".

Han, Chewbacca, and C3PO work on fixing the Millennium Falcon, and even Leia helps.  But something attacks the ship while they are in the cave.  They go out to investigate, and find Mymocks, some type of  bat-like creatures with suckers stuck on the ship.  Han suddenly realises he's made a big mistake -- they all get back in his ship and barely escape.  They weren't in a cave, but a giant space worm with teeth!  Han lands the Falcon on one of  the Star Destroyers, which gives an incredible sense of  scale.  He manually detaches and floats away with the rest of  the garbage the Empire dumps before going to hyper-space.  They float away and then head for Bespin and Lando Calrissian.

Yoda starts training Luke -- physical training, and exercises in using the Force.  He also tries to explain what the Force really is and how it supplies power to a Jedi.  And he warns Luke about the Dark Side of  the Force.  Yoda tells Luke, "When you are calm, at peace, passive... a Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense.  Never for attack."  They arrive at a cave, where Luke feels cold.  Yoda tells him the cave is strong with the Dark Side, and urges Luke to go in.  Luke starts to strap on his weapons, but Yoda says he won't need them.  Luke takes them anyway.  Inside the cave, Luke sees Vader... he draws his light sabre and attacks, but when he cuts off  Vader's head he sees his own face in the helmet.  Yoda continues Luke's training, but he gets distracted by R2-D2.  Yoda then raises Luke's ship out of  the swamp, something Luke was unable to do because he did not believe he could do it.

Vader, meanwhile has hired bounty hunters, including Boba Fett, to find Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon.

Yoda continues to train Luke, and urges that Luke learn control.  Luke sees a city in the clouds, and sees his friends in trouble, sensing that they are in pain.  Yoda says Luke has seen the future.  Luke asks if  his friends will die.  Yoda says he doesn't know.  Yoda also urges caution, but Luke wants to go to his friends to help them.  Yoda admits that if  he goes he could help them, but if  he goes he will also endanger everything his friends stand for.  Ben urges patience, and Yoda urges that Luke wait.  Patience is not Luke's strong suit.  Luke leaves Dagobah but promises to return to finish his training.  Ben says "that boy was our last hope" but Yoda says "there is another".

Han Solo has landed in Bespin, a mining colony in the clouds.  Lando says he's independent, with no Imperial oversight and not part of  the mining guild.  But he turns them over to Vader... saying Imperial troops arrived first and he has no choice.  Chewbacca is tortured with sound.  Han is tortured with burning heat.  When Han and Leia are reunited in a cell, Han remarks that they didn't even ask any questions, and he can't understand that.  Lando enters the cell, and explains they are after Skywalker.

Vader decided to test the carbon freeze unit with Captain Solo.  Chewbacca fights for Han, but Han calms him down, tells him to care for the princess (Leia).  Han and Leia kiss and for the first time, Leia tells Han she loves him.  His response is, "I know".  Han is put in carbon freeze but survives.  Han is now a monolith in perfect hibernation.

Vader asks that the princess and the wookie (Chewbacca) be taken to his ship.  Lando's starting to catch on that he can't trust Vader, as his "deal" is getting worse by the second.

Luke arrives.  He and Vader clash in an epic light sabre battle.  The battle has three major set-pieces and is inter-woven with other parts of  the plot.

First Luke and Vader crash in the carbon-freeze room, and Luke extracts himself  from the freezing unit before Vader can use it on him.

Lando and his men arrest the Imperial stormtroopers.  They free Leia, Chewbacca and C3PO.  Boba Fett has frozen Han placed in his cargo hold.  C3PO meets up with R2-D2.  They try to catch up to Han Solo but see Boba Fett's ship leave.

The film returns to Vader and Luke's light sabre battle.  Vader encourages Luke to turn to the dark side path.  Luke is sucked out a Cloud City window.

Lando urges a city-wide evacuation, telling people they are on their own.  Lando, Leia, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C3PO make it to the Millennium Falcon despite being caught in a running laser blaster battle.  The Falcon takes off.

Luke rescues himself and for the third time fights Vader.  Vader cuts off  Luke's hand and he loses his light sabre.  Vader tells Luke he's his father.  At first, Luke doesn't believe it, then doesn't want to believe it.  Vader tries to convince Luke to join him, to defeat the Emperor, and to rule as father and son.  Luke escapes down a tunnel and lands on an antenna at the bottom of  Bespin.  Luke calls for Ben for help.  Then he calls for Leia.  She senses him.  Leia sees Luke, the Falcon rescues him.  The hyper-drive on the Falcon re-engages thanks to R2-D2.  Chewbacca and Lando take the Millennium Falcon to search for Han.  Luke gets an artificial hand.  Luke, Leia, C3PO and R2-D2 look out a window at a galaxy and the Falcon leaving.

The Empire Strikes Back is darker than Star Wars.  Rather than a fairy tale or fantasy film like Star Wars, this film focuses on the Rebel Alliance which is in trouble, and develops the characters who learn and grow.  Luke is well on his way to truly becoming a Jedi Knight.  Han, though he still talks about leaving, is showing his loyalty to Luke and to Leia.  And Leia herself, the most experienced person of  the three in terms of  leading the rebellion, is starting to feel something for Han.  There's also the hint of  something between her and Luke.  But yes, the Empire does strike back, and our heroes are in trouble even though they escape definite capture by the end of  the film, all that is except Han Solo.

Rather than the harsh white/black/grey color palette of the first film, Empire is more colorful... from the greens of  Dagobah's swamp to the blues of  the carbon freeze room at Bespin.  This contrasts with the darker plot of  the film.

A second thing to notice about both Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, is the use of  language... specifically accents to denote groups.  The Imperial admirals, generals, and lieutenants generally all speak with British accents (and very precise ones at that).  The Rebels are generally American.  Notable exceptions are James Earl Jones as Vader's voice, though David Prowse was in the costume, and Alec Guinness as Obi Wan Kenobi.  Although this doesn't consciously affect the viewer, subconsciously it sets the two groups apart.  However, it was most probably an accident not a deliberate choice:  much of  the Star Wars films were filmed at English studios and many British character actors (including Peter Cushing, Julian Glover, Michael Sheard, and even Alec Guinness) were hired on site.  Of course, the film was an American film and main casting took place in the US.  Lucas (executive producer on Empire) hired people he had worked with before or that were young and new.  But I still thing the obvious class differences between the Empire and the Rebels add to the film.

Highly, highly recommended, a must see!

Recommendation:  See it!
Rating:  5 out of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Star Wars  Return of  the Jedi

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Star Wars


  • Title:  Star Wars (aka Star Wars IV:  A New Hope)
  • Director:  George Lucas
  • Date:  1977
  • Studio:  20th Century Fox
  • Genre:  SF, Fantasy, Adventure
  • Cast:  Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing
  • Format:  Color, Widescreen
  • DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"Your father's light sabre.  This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight.  Not as clumsy or random as a blaster.  An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age."  -- Obi-Wan Kenobi

"The force is what gives a Jedi his power.  It's an energy field created by all living things,  it surrounds us and penetrates us, it binds the Galaxy together."  -- Obi-Wan Kenobi

"I want to come with you to Alderaan.  There's nothing for me here now.  I want to learn the ways of  the force and become a Jedi like my father."  -- Luke

"I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you!"  -- Luke

Hands down one of my favorite movies, ever!  Star Wars is the classic science fantasy film, mixing the cultural mysticism of  Old Japan, with the classic tale of  farm boy who wants adventure, then he becomes very important.

The film opens with a scroll revealing this is "Episode IV" like the old movie serials from the 1930s. This catches up on the plot for a "pre-quel" that in 1977 didn't exist, but it explains the background for what's going on.  We see an impressive, but small ship being chased and shot at -- then a shot of a much, much larger ship chasing it.  The ship seems to go on forever.  It's blasting lasers at the smaller ship.

Inside the ship we meet two 'Droids (or androids), R2-D2 and C3PO.  R2-D2 communicates only in whistles and beeps (meant to suggest machine language) though we have an idea what he's saying from C3PO's responses.  C3PO, a "protocol" droid and translator, seems a bit like a bad butler.  The entire ship is swallowed by the larger one.  Imperial Storm Troopers in metallic white armor burst in. Vader strangles one of  the rebels, and Princess Leia is stunned.

R2-D2 and C3PO leave the ship in an escape pod.  Because the pod registers no life signs, the Imperial troops let it get away.  They land on a dessert planet.  Jawas, dessert scavengers, pick up the two droids.
The Storm Troopers arrive, thinking the "plans" are hidden in the pod, then find evidence of droids and tracks.

Meanwhile, the Jawas arrange their droids to sell.  Luke and his Uncle Owen take first C3PO and then R2-D2 from the Jawas and bring them back to their farm.

Luke stumbles on to part of  Leia's message while cleaning R2-D2.  He claims he's the property of Obi-Wan Kenobi.  Luke discusses going to "the Academy" with Uncle Owen, but Owen wants him to stay and help with the harvest.  R2-D2 goes off on his own in search of  Kenobi.

The next morning, Luke and C3PO search for R2-D2 and find him.  They're attacked by Sand People.  Obi-Wan Kenobi rescues Luke, and the droids.  Obi-Wan fills Luke in on some of  his father's history, and gives him a light sabre.  He starts to teach Luke about the Force, and they listen to Leia's full message hologram.  Kenobi asks Luke to help go to Alderaan.  Luke says he can't.  Then they find the Jawas attacked and destroyed, it's meant to look like Sand People were responsible, but Obi-Wan realizes Imperial Storm Troopers were responsible.

On Vader's ship they discuss the disappearance of  the plans, and Vadar strangles a man using the Force.

Luke rushes home, but the farm's been destroyed and his Aunt and Uncle burned to death.  He returns to the Jawa site, meets with Kenobi, and vows to go with him, learn the ways of  the Force, and become a Jedi Knight like his father.  They head for Mos Eisley spaceport, the famous "hive of scum and villainy".  There they meet Chewbacca and Han Solo and book passage on the Millennium Falcon.  Luke sells his speeder to get cash.

Imperial troopers show up at the space port and there's a brief  laser gun fight.  The Millennium Falcon escapes the Imperial cruisers by making the jump to light speed and cruising into hyperspace.  During the brief trip, Obi-Wan Kenobi begins to train Luke in the use of  a light sabre.  When they arrive at Alderaan, it's in the middle of  a meteor shower.  And the planet isn't there.

We'd seen Vader coldly and calmly use the Death Star to destroy the entire planet, Leia's home, and one she insists is peaceful with no weapons.  Obi-Wan Kenobi had felt the tremor in the force, the millions of  lives silenced, and nearly collapsed, while aboard the Falcon, in hyper-space.

Back on the Falcon, they see a small moon near Alderaan, or what was, Alderaan.  Quickly, Luke, Han, and Obi-Wan realize it's a space station and they better get out of  there.  But they are pulled into a tractor beam.  When the ship lands, the Imperial Troopers think no one's on board, as they had all hidden in Han's smuggling compartments.

Obi-Wan Kenobi will take care of  the tractor beam.  The rest are to check for info, but stay put.  However, R2-D2 plugs into a Imperial computer port, downloads data, and finds Leia and that she's scheduled for execution.  Luke convinces Han to rescue Leia.  Han reluctantly agrees.  They rescue Leia, get caught by troopers trying to escape, and Leia blows a hole in the wall with a blaster rifle and they end up in the garbage compactor.  Luke calls C3PO for help and they barely escape.

Getting back to the Falcon isn't so easy, with more blaster battles.  Everyone gets to the Falcon, but Kenobi is fighting Vader.  Luke sees this on the other side of  the hanger deck.  Vader kills Kenobi, and Luke angrily fires at any Imperial storm trooper he can.  The Falcon escapes, after a space battle against TIE fighters, but Leia insists "they let us escape".

She's right, the Death Star follows them to the rebel base at Yavin, on a nearby moon. The rebels study the plans and come up with a plan.  Small, one-man fighters (X-wings), will fly through a trench and send photon torpedoes through a 2-meter thermal vent.  If placed directly, and perfectly on target, the torpedo will reach the center of  the moon's reactor, blow it up and cause a chain reaction to blow up the entire Death Star.

Luke, Wedge, and two squadrons of rebel pilots, head for the Death Star to make their attack run.  Meanwhile, Leia and the rebels watch battle screens and listen.  They watch as the Death Star comes closer and closer, knowing that when or if  it clears the planet, they are all dead.  And they listen as the rebel pilots, one by one, die -- either in collisions in the trench, blown up by Imperial TIE fighters, or destroyed by anti-aircraft batteries on the Death Star.  Finally, it's down to Wedge and Luke.  Wedge gets a bit cooked and has to pull out (but he survives).  Han Solo arrives in the Falcon, and destroys two TIE fighters, and clips Vader's fighter so it rolls off  into space.  Luke disables his targeting computer, and let's the force guide him to make the shot.  He succeeds.

Later he and Han reunite with Leia and are congratulated.  Both receive awards at a huge ceremony.  Chewbacca is also honored and  R2-D2 and C3PO are present at the ceremony.

Star Wars is a fun movie - but it has a lot to say too.

The color palette is bright white, black, and grey.  There's occasional pops of blue, orange, and brown.  But mostly it's white, black and grey - which gives the film an almost monochromatic look, even though it's a color film.  And, the sharp whites and blacks add to the feel of  being in space.  Despite the obvious fantasy elements of  the film, the star fields, uni-directional lighting and such, feel like space.  Even when R2-D2 is in the back of  Luke's X-Wing fighter, his normally blue markings look black because there's no light in space to see the blue.

The plot, about an orphan who discovers he is meant for greater things also isn't that different - after all Frodo Baggins and Harry Potter are also orphans.  The farm boy who longs for adventure, and finds it is an old idea, a classic idea.  And in part, Star Wars, is a classic fantasy tale - with a princess to be rescued and plenty of  sword play and (blaster) gun battles.  We even have the old mentor, Merlin-like, teaching the young boy.

But far from being derivative - Star Wars brings all these elements together and cooks them up into something no one had seen in 1977, and the film is still popular, even legendary today.  Because of  the futuristic fantasy setting, it doesn't feel "old", unlike many science fiction films (or even buddy cop films or musicals or other genre films).  And that is because the film was made with so much care and precision and the young cast is brilliant.  The script is also brilliant - as the many famous quotes from it bare out.  After all, who doesn't know what "These aren't the droids you're looking for?" means or where "May the Force be with you" comes from?  It's just a brilliant, brilliant film.

The film, like Raiders of  the Lost Ark (1981), is actually split into relatively short sections (again, inspired by movie serials), which allow for a more complicated plot and prevent any boredom from setting to setting.  Star Wars moves at a break-neck speed, and with surprising amounts of  humor, although the overall tone is that of sheer fun adventure.

I saw Star Wars when it came out in 1977 - I was eight years old, and the perfect age to fall in love with this movie.  It, like the Indiana Jones films, inspired a life-long love of  film.  It also inspired my interest in not only watching science fiction, but reading it.  And reading fantasy also.  A couple of  years ago I had the privilege of  showing Empire and Jedi to my at-the-time eight-year-old niece and nephew (they'd seen Star Wars) and it was fun to see the films as new through their eyes.  Because I must admit, I've seen these three films so many times I've memorize whole sections of  dialog from them.

Recommendation:  A must see!
Rating:  5 out of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Star Wars:  The Empire Strikes Back

Friday, September 28, 2012

Star Trek IV The Voyage Home


  • Title:  Star Trek IV  The Voyage Home
  • Director:  Leonard Nimoy
  • Date:  1986
  • Studio:  Paramount Pictures
  • Genre:  SF, Action
  • Cast:  William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Mark Lenard, Jane Wyatt, Catherine Hicks, Robin Curtis
  • Format:  Color, Widescreen
  • DVD Format: R1, NTSC
"Give me one more day, sir, damage control is easy.  Reading Klingon... that's hard."  -- Scotty

"Our own world is waiting for us to save it, if we can."  -- Kirk

"To hunt a species to extinction is not logical."  -- Spock

"No, I'm from Iowa.  I only work in outer space."  -- Kirk

At Star Fleet, a Klingon reports to the council twisting everything that happened at the Genesis Planet in the last two films, calling Kirk a terrorist who killed a Klingon crew and stole a Klingon ship, but worst of  all saying that it was Kirk who developed the planet-killer weapon, "Genesis".  Sarek arrives to attempt to defend Kirk and explain what really happened.  Kirk is found, in absentia, in violation of  Star Fleet regulations.

Meanwhile, Kirk and his crew are on Vulcan.  Scotty is repairing the Klingon Bird of  Prey, now re-named HMS Bounty.  The crew votes that they will return to Earth to face the music.  Spock has been in recovery, re-training his mind in a multi-tasking environment of  three computers all asking questions at the same time.  He is stumped by, "How do you feel?", which prompts a conversation with Amanda, his human mother.

Meanwhile, the USS Saratoga encounters a strange probe.  Before long, its signals are draining/attacking the ship and it is left with no power.  As this probe encounters other ships, both Klingon and Federation, it either destroys them or disables them - through these power drains.  The probe heads to Earth.

Kirk and company, with Spock, leave Vulcan and return to Earth.  Saavik is left on Vulcan.  But as they approach Earth, they receive a planetary distress call.  The call describes the mysterious probe, but also the storms and power outages on Earth.  Space dock itself  has no power, and neither do orbiting ships or any ships near Earth.  The probe's unusual transmissions are even attacking Star Fleet itself  in San Francisco.  The message orders that no one approach Earth.  Kirk has Uhura and Spock analyze the signal -- the two soon realize it's whale song, specifically humpback whale song.  Kirk points out that because humpbacks are extinct - the signal cannot be answered.  Kirk asks Spock and Scotty about the possibility of  time travel and transporting a couple of  humpbacks to the future (Kirk's time).  Although it's very risky, they decide to give it a try.

The Bird of  Prey HMS Bounty slingshots around the sun, arriving on mid-1980s Earth.  They land the cloaked ship in San Francisco Bay Park.  However, the ship is damaged and the dilithium crystals drained.  Kirk splits his small crew into three teams:  one will obtain radiation photons from a nuclear reactor aboard a naval vessel, one will find the whales, and one will find the materials to build a tank to hold the whales on the space ship until they can be released.

In "Old" San Francisco, Kirk sells his eyeglasses at an antique shop, they distributes the money to his crew as they go about on their assigned tasks.  He and Spock wonder about wondering where they will find a pair of whales in a city.  But Kirk spots a bus advertisement for "George and Gracie" the humpbacks on display at the Cetacean Institute.  After a slight difficulty in obtaining transportation, they reach the Institute and join a sight-seeing tour lead by Gillian, a marine biologist with a specialty in whales.  The two listen to her lecture, but Spock jumps into the tank to meld with one of  the whales - Gillian is incensed.

Later she meets the two as they are walking back to San Francisco from Sausalito,  she drops Spock in the park and has dinner with Kirk.  She informs him that the whales are to be released in the open ocean, because Gracie is pregnant - and no calf  born in captivity has survived.  Yet, if  the whales are released in open ocean, they will be at risk from illegal and legal whaling.  However, Kirk isn't able to convince her that he needs to safely transport the whales to the future.  She drops Kirk in the park where she dropped off Spock.

The next day, Gillian goes to the Institute - only to discover the whales are gone.  She returns to the park, and sees a helicopter lowering something into an empty space - where it disappears.  She literally runs into the invisible spaceship.

Meanwhile, the rest of  the crew hasn't been idle.  Scotty and McCoy find a plexiglass manufacturer.  In return for Scotty's formula for transparent aluminium, they receive the plexiglass they need to make a whale tank.  Sulu transports it by helicopter.

Chekov and Uhura find the Naval base, and locate the "nuclear wessel", the USS Enterprise.  They get on board and Chekov starts collecting photons/radiation.  In takes awhile, however, and their presence trips an alarm.  Uhura is beamed up in time, but Chekov is not.  He runs off, is captured, escapes, runs off  again, and falls.  He's sent to a local hospital under police guard in critical condition.

Uhura finds Chekov through the emergency calls.  Kirk, McCoy, and Gillian rescue Chekov.  McCoy causes some havoc, giving a woman waiting for dialysis a pill to re-grow her kidney.  Also, upon being confronted with doctors who plan on exploratory surgery to fix Chekov's cranial fracture - he locks them in a closet and puts a doo-dad on Chekov's head which cures Chekov quickly.  They escape the hospital and return to the ship.  Kirk attempts to say goodbye to Gillian, but she throws herself  into his transport beam.

The Bird of Prey  HMS Bounty takes off and pursues the whales following the radio transmitter code Gillian gives them.  They place the ship between a whaler and the whales and successfully beam them aboard.  The ship then attempts to return to the twenty-third century.  It's a bumpy ride, and upon returning power is an issue, because the probe is still there.  The Bounty crash-lands into the ocean.  Kirk has everyone abandon ship and orders Spock to protect the crew.  He goes to the hold, which is filling with water.  He orders Gillian and Scotty to also abandon ship.  Gillian points out he has to get the whales out or they will drown (being mammals).  Kirk sets about manually opening the hold, and succeeds in getting the whales out.  He also gets out himself and joins his shipmates on the barely floating, slowing sinking space ship.

The whales frolic, and eventually answer the probe's whale song.  The probe stops its attack of  communication waves, and leaves.  Calm and power returns to Earth.

Kirk and company return to the Federation council chamber, now dry and dressed, to face judgement.  When Spock is asked why he's there, he responds that he stands with his shipmates.  The charges are read out, but dismissed in light of  the crew saving the planet and the Federation.  One change remains - that of disobeying orders, levied solely at Admiral Kirk.  He pleads guilty.  For this he is busted back to Captain and given command of a new Enterprise.  The crew goes with him.  Kirk points out that they have "come home".  Gillian joins a science vessel.  Spock has a conversation with his father and tells him to tell Amanda that he "feels fine".

I really enjoyed Star Trek IV when it came out, but I feel it hasn't really aged well.  There are strange anachronisms (such as Kirk's huge Klingon communicator, much larger than a cell phone), and the constant swearing - amusing when the film came out, somewhat annoying now.  A great deal of  the humor just doesn't work as well.  There are also some major gaps of  logic and intelligence.  For example, Kirk, Spock, and Uhura almost instantly figure out the probe's communications are whale song, aimed at humpback whales.  Yet no one on Earth or in Star fleet could figure this out?  Why?  Second, of all the people send to the nuclear naval vessels - Kirk picks Chekov - someone likely to bring suspicion on himself simply by being there.  Though he does have the second highest level of science training after Spock.  They did explain Scotty's giving away the transparent aluminium formula (how do you know he didn't invent it?) though it is a non-invention paradox.  When Spock notes to Kirk that the glasses he sells were a gift from Dr. McCoy, Kirk responses, "And they will be again, that's the beauty of  it," meaning this to is a paradox (where did the glasses come from if  they are now trapped in a time loop?)  The capture of  leaking radiation to somehow re-charge the ship's dilithium crystals also made no sense - If  the reactor was leaking, wouldn't the sailors be in danger?  McCoy also wrecks a lot of  havoc in the hospital, though his motives are clearly humanitarian.  Finally, Kirk's "sentence" is one of  the biggest examples of  throwing Br'er Rabbit into the brier bush I've ever seen.  In other words, it's a "punishment" that gives Kirk exactly what he wants - to be a captain again, rather than an admiral - and captain of  a new Enterprise to boot.  They film also doesn't showcase the friendship of  Kirk, Spock and McCoy as the previous two films.  On the other hand, all of  the bridge crew members have significant things to do - so there's less of  a feeling of people just standing or sitting around doing nothing - or disappearing entirely for long sections of  the film, but the film's style still there's no personal threat to any of  our main characters (until Chekov is injured - and McCoy fixes him up quickly).  The threat, of  course, is to all of  planet Earth - and involves an important issue, so that does work.

Recommendation:  See it!
Rating:  4 out of 5 Stars
Next Film:  Star Wars

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Star Trek III The Search for Spock


  • Title:  Star Trek III The Search for Spock
  • Director:  Leonard Nimoy
  • Date:  1984
  • Studio:  Paramount Pictures
  • Genre:  SF
  • Cast:  William Shatner, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Mark Lenard, Robin Curtis (Introducing credit), Christopher Lloyd, Leonard Nimoy, James B. Sikking, John Larroquette
  • Format:  Color, Widescreen
  • DVD Format:  R1, NTSC
"Mr. Scott, Have you always multiplied your repair estimates by a factor of  four?"  -- Kirk
"Certainly, sir.  How else can I keep my reputation as a miracle worker?"  -- Scotty

"Sir, your son meant more to me than you can know.  I'd have given my life if  it would have saved his.  Believe me when I tell you -- he made no request of me."  -- Kirk (to Sarek)

"The word is no.  I am therefore going anyway."  -- Kirk

The film opens with a re-cap of  the end of  Star Trek II, including the death of  Spock, his funeral, and the coffin landing on the Genesis Planet.  It then moves to the Enterprise bridge, a short time after the incidents in Wrath of Khan.  The trainee crew has been off-loaded on a Star Base, Saavik and Dr. David Marcus, are on a science vessel to explore the Genesis Planet, and Kirk and his crew are heading back to space dock at Star Fleet Command to have the ship refitted and repaired.  But Kirk feels haunted, and is mourning his friend.

Meanwhile, a Klingon named Kluge has purchased the Genesis data.  He destroys the vessel that brought it to him, even though he is in love with the female commander and vice versa.

Enterprise returns to space dock, and stands in awe of  Excelsior, the command vessel of  the next generation of  trans-warp ships.  Then there's a security alert from Spock's quarters.  Kirk hears Spock's voice, but finds McCoy instead.  McCoy is a mess.

When the crew disembarks at the space dock, they find they are all given commendations and extended leave.  Enterprise, now twenty years old, is to be de-commissioned.  Only Scotty is given an immediate new assignment, Captain of  Engineering of  the Excelsior.  The crew is also told that Genesis has become a political firestorm, so it is Verboten, hush-hush, top secret.  They are to tell no one, anything about it.

Kluge watches Kirk's tape about Genesis -- it's the same as Dr. Carol Marcus's from the previous film, but shorter and with narration by Kirk. The Klingon then plans to take his ship to the Genesis planet.

Meanwhile, the USS Grissom, a science vessel, begins scanning the Genesis planet.  The Commander points out something metallic is on the surface.

On Earth, Kirk, Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura drink to absent friends.  Sarek arrives and the others leave.  Sarek is upset not only by the loss of  his son, but that Kirk left him there, on Genesis.  Kirk is confused.  Sarek explains about the Katra, the Vulcan soul, which can be placed inside another at the time of  death.  Kirk knows nothing about this - but  explains about the glass wall between he and Spock.  Sarek and Kirk review (at great pain to Kirk) the video logs of  Spock's death in the engine room.  This gives us one alternate take, from Spock's pov looking out at Kirk, rather than Kirk's pov looking at Spock in the chamber, and a fast-forward in reverse of  the relevant scenes in Star Trek II.  Kirk spots Spock mind-melding with McCoy.  Sarek agrees that Spock probably placed his Katra in McCoy, which also explains his weird behavior.

Kirk attempts to get permission from Star Fleet to go to the Genesis planet.  McCoy, separately, tries to book passage on a civilian freighter or ship bound for Genesis.  McCoy is arrested for his trouble and placed in a Star Fleet lunatic asylum.  Kirk's told, "no, absolutely not", even when he explains he holds Spock's soul in his hands.  Kirk, with help from Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov, rescue McCoy.  Then, with Scotty's help they steal the Enterprise, leaving the sabotaged Excelsior in the dust.

Kirk and his skeleton crew make for the Genesis planet. Meanwhile, Saavik and Dr. Marcus find a Vulcan child on the planet. He screams in pain, and cannot speak in either English (Federation Standard) or Vulcan. Dr. David Marcus quickly realizes the planet is unstable, it's aging rapidly, and it will soon rip itself apart. Saavik realizes that Spock is aging with the planet.

The Grissom attempts to contact Star Fleet to obtain further instructions about what to do about Spock and the planet. However, the Klingon Bird of Prey spaceship arrives and completely destroys the Grissom. The Klingon Commander, Kluge, wanted the ship disabled not destroyed and he kills the gunner who made the "lucky" shot.

Some Klingons beam to the planet, they find Spock's coffin with it's evolved microbes.  Kirk, meanwhile, overhears Star Fleet's futile attempts to raise the Grissom. He has Chekov attempt to contact the vessel itself  but he's unsuccessful. He arrives at the Genesis Planet, but the Grissom is no longer there (since it was destroyed) and the Bird of Prey is cloaked. The Klingons on the planet's surface find David, Saavik, and Spock and take them hostage. Kirk again tries to contact Grissom and of course gets nowhere.

Kirk fires as the Bird of Prey decloaks. However, because Enterprise is running with a skeleton crew, largely on automatic control, and has yet to have been fully repaired, it has no shields. Soon, Kirk has no real control over his own ship. Kluge then mentions his prisoners on the planet. Kirk talks to Saavik and David. Saavik lets him know Spock "is not himself but he lives". A Klingon attacks David (Kirk's son) and kills him. Kirk collapses in grief.

Kirk, Scotty, and Chekov activate the destruct sequence on Enterprise. Kirk and company beam to the planet, while the Klingon boarding party beams to the Enterprise. The Enterprise is destroyed, while Kirk watches. Kirk and company reach Saavik and Spock. Kirk goes to David's body. Saavik tells Kirk, David died to save them. Kluge beams down to confront Kirk. Sulu, Chekhov, McCoy, Saavik, and Scotty are beamed up to the Bird of Prey. Only Kirk and Spock are left with the Klingons on the unstable planet's surface. Kirk fights Kluge as the planet breaks up around them. In the end, Kirk kills Kluge, he goes to Spock and they are beamed up.

Kirk and his crew take the few remaining Klingons on the Bird of Prey prisoner then head to Vulcan. When they arrive, they are met by Sarek and Uhura. Sarek asks that his son's Katra be re-fused into his body, since Spock lives. McCoy agrees to have this done, despite the danger. McCoy survives the procedure and Sarek more or less tells Kirk Spock will be alright. Kirk sees Spock, Spock looks questioningly at his crew mates, as if he doesn't quite recognize them. However, he stops in front of Kirk and says, "Your name is Jim." It's implied Spock may have a long recovery ahead of him, but he will be alright.

Despite the loss of  Spock at the end of the previous film, The Search for Spock, actually starts much lighter than the previous film did. There's a certain amount of  humor in many of the lines, and the secondary characters actually have things to do (if briefly) and get good lines as well. As it becomes apparent that the Enterprise is to be decommissioned, and that due to Vulcan spiritual beliefs and telepathic abilities, as well as the power of the Genesis Planet, Spock's new body and his soul can be re-united the tone of the film becomes more serious. However, there are several great character moments after this change in tone. Kirk twice declares his loyalty to Spock and that he would even give his life for his first officer and friend. McCoy also admits that he misses Spock and that he can't lose Spock for a second time. So, again the film emphasizes the characters and their relationships.

Again, a villain from the original series, the Klingons, is brought back. Christopher Lloyd is a superb as Kluge. John Larroquette, completely unrecognizable under his Klingon make-up, is also excellent as Maltz, Kluge's right-hand man, even though most of his lines are in Klingon. And, yes, this is the film that introduces Klingon as a functioning spoken language (this would be refines in Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country). Unfortunately, Kristie Alley is replaced with Robin Curtis as Saavik. Nothing against Robin Curtis – but I prefer Kristie Alley in the role. I have no idea why the production crew switched actresses, I'd have to do some research to find out, which I'm not going to do, but years after the fact – I wish they had kept Alley. Curtis is very bland, while Alley had a special something in the role.

Overall, I enjoy this film too. It's the "middle" piece of a trilogy, but I still think it's really very good. And it's very much Star Trek, in that it's about the sacrifices a close-knit group of people are willing to make for each other.

Recommendation: See It
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Next Film: Star Trek IV The Voyage Home

Monday, September 24, 2012

Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan


  • Title:  Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan
  • Director: Nicholas Meyer
  • Date:  1982
  • Studio:  Paramount Pictures
  • Genre:  SF, Action, Drama
  • Cast:  William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Kristie Alley, Ricardo Montalban
  • Format:  Color, Widescreen
  • DVD Format:  R1, NTSC
"Jim, I'm your doctor and I'm your friend, get back your command.  Get it back before you turn into part of this collection [of antiques], before you really do grow old."  -- McCoy

"You are my superior officer, you are also my friend.  I have been and always shall be yours. -- Spock

"As a matter of cosmic history, it has always been easier to destroy, than to create."  -- Spock

This is the film Star Trek fans wanted and deserved instead of  Star Trek The Motion Picture (1979).  The film focuses on the main characters of  Kirk, Spock and McCoy, includes the bridge crew as well (including Scotty) and brings back a villain from the original series.  The film opens with a female Vulcan named Saavik in command of a Starship.  Behind her, Spock walks around, observing.  She's on a "routine" training mission, when she receives a distress call from the freighter Korbayashi Maru.  To help the freighter, she will have to cross into the Romulan Neutral Zone, a violation of  treaty.  She does so anyway, and is immediately attacked by three Klingon fighters, a deadly attack that kills off  the entire bridge crew.  But then lights come up, and Kirk steps out of the smoke and lights, to "grade" her performance.  It had been a simulation – the infamous "no-win scenario" character test that all potential command candidates must take at Star Fleet Academy.  McCoy informs Saavik that Kirk took the Korbayashi Maru test three times.  Later, when Saavik asks what Kirk did, he tells her that he re-programmed the computers to allow a winning result.  Saavik then points out this means Kirk has never faced death.  Kirk counters he doesn't believe in no-win scenarios.  But the no-win scenario, and facing true death will be a theme of the entire film.

On Earth, Kirk is facing his birthday, without  the  joy  such  an  occasion usually brings.  He receives gifts from Spock and McCoy, but Spock  is soon off  to his command of  Enterprise and her trainee crew before McCoy even arrives.  McCoy, noticing Kirk's attitude, urges him to stop flying a desk and get back to active duty.  Kirk considers this.

Meanwhile, Chekov and Capt. Terrell are looking for a suitable life-less planet to test the Genesis Device, a new scientific breakthrough  if  it  works.  They find a dessert world with anomalous readings and go down to take a look.  On the planet, Chekov finds a wrecked Botany Bay and freaks.  But it's too late, they are captured by Khan and his men.  Khan takes the young of  Ceti eel and places it in the two men's helmets, which he then screws onto their spacesuits.  The eels go into their ears, allowing Khan to control the two men and get classified information from them.  He takes control of  their ship, the Reliant, then travels to the research lab in charge of  the Genesis project.  Dr. Carol Marcus, and her son, David, are in control of  the project.

Kirk boards the Enterprise, with Spock as Captain, Saavik as trainee first officer, and the crew we know from the series:  McCoy, Scotty, Uhura and Sulu.  They head out of space dock in an impressive and beautiful sequence, for a routine training mission.  But soon they get a garbled message from the Genesis Project research lab.  Kirk is concerned because he was close to Dr. Carol Marcus once, and we will learn, David is his son from his relationship with Carol, though the two men have had no relationship at her insistence.  Kirk takes McCoy and Spock into his office to show them the highly classified Genesis research tape.  Genesis, or new life from lifeless matter, is a type of  terraforming that can create an entire planet, sun, and ecosystem.

Spock gives command to Kirk, who orders the Enterprise make best speed for the research lab. They are attacked by the Reliant.  With shields down, Enterprise was helpless, and Scotty's nephew, Peter, was killed in the engagement.  Other trainees are killed as well, and Kirk and McCoy are visually and understandably upset by this.

Kirk manages to escape the Reliant, makes his way to the research lab, and he, Saavik, and McCoy beam over.  On the lab, they discover most of  the scientists dead.  Carol and David, however, are alright.  They soon discover Chekov and Capt. Terrell as well.  Chekov fills them in a bit about Khan, but not all the details.  They beam down to the Genesis Project Cave in the interior of  the planetoid that the lab orbits.

Once in the Genesis Project cave, Terrell and Chekov reveal they are still under Khan's control.  But Terrell commits suicide rather than kill Kirk as he is ordered.  Chekov simply collapses in pain and distress, and the eel oozes out of  his ear.  Khan beams up the Genesis Device to the Reliant.   McCoy begins treating Chekov, who slowly recovers now that the eel is out of  his ear and brain stem.

Carol takes the group to see the Genesis cave, a lush forest that even has a sun-like light source.  Saavik and Kirk discuss no-win scenarios.  Kirk then whips out his communicator and contacts Spock and they are all beamed aboard Enterprise.

What follows is really a sub-hunt between Kirk and Khan; Kirk on the Enterprise and Khan on the Reliant.  They hide and chase each other in a nebula, because Kirk still doesn't have scanners or shields and he wants Reliant to have the same disadvantages.  During the engagement, Spock points out that Khan's fighting style suggests two-dimensional thinking.  Kirk nods, then drops the Enterprise, before coming up behind her, and finishing her off.  Knowing he's beaten and dying, Khan ignores the "prepare to be boarded" order and ignites the Genesis Device.

The Enterprise had been moving and fighting with impulse power only, and now they need to get out of there quickly.  For, if they are caught in the Genesis Wave, the ship will be destroyed and everyone will die.  Kirk calls down to engineering for more power, and more speed, but engineering's been hit.  Then he notices Spock has left the bridge.

Spock meanwhile, has arrived in engineering.  Scotty's injured, McCoy is trying to help, and the engineering core is leaking radiation.  Spock goes to enter the core area to fix it, but McCoy stops him.  Spock distracts the doctor, then knocks him out with a Vulcan neck pinch.  He begins to quickly try to repair the warp core, in a glass chamber, surrounded by deadly radiation.

Kirk arrives, sees Spock slumped over, and has to be held back by McCoy and Scotty, before he enters the chamber and floods the room with radiation.  Spock, slowly, goes to the door.  He reminds Kirk, "The needs of  the many..." and Kirk answers "...outweigh the needs of  the few or the one."  But Kirk, as happy as he is that his ship and crew have now survived, mourns the one he has lost.  Spock then reminds Kirk, "I have been and always shall be your friend," gives him the Vulcan salute, and tells him, "Live long and Prosper".  Kirk places his hand on the glass, their hands meet, and Kirk slumps with Spock to the floor, though they can't physically touch.

Spock, also, when McCoy was knocked out, said to him, "Remember".  Kirk breaks up while eulogizing Spock at his funeral, then the body is ejected into space, but the torpedo coffin lands on the Genesis planet.  Kirk and Carol look at the planet from the Enterprise bridge, amazed at the beauty.

Star Trek II in many ways might be the best of  the Star Trek films.  With the death of  Spock, it certainly is the most emotional.  But it also deals with emotions and feelings... revenge, fear of growing old and useless, fear of  death, fear of  losing those close to us, friendship, and confronting failure.  These are all universal feelings.  The film is really good.  Yes, many of  the familiar catch phrases are there, but they aren't used to simply be cute.  Rather, Spock's sayings, especially become the centerpiece of  the film.  It's a film about friendship first, and the setting is just that -- window dressing.  Similar issues could be addressed in any historical setting, such as an early 19th Century British Royal Navy vessel.

Recommendation:  See it!
Rating:  5 out of  5 Stars
Next Film:  Star Trek III The Search for Spock

Friday, September 21, 2012

Star Trek (2009)


  • Title:  Star Trek (2009)
  • Director:  J.J. Abrams
  • Date:  2009
  • Studio:  Paramount Pictures
  • Genre:  SF, Action
  • Cast:  John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Ben Cross, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Eric Bana, Leonard Nimoy, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Morrison
  • Format:  Color, Widescreen
  • DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"Emotions run deep within our race - in many ways more deeply than in humans.  Logic offers a serenity humans seldom experience, the control of  feelings, so that they do not control you."  -- Sarek

"Your aptitude tests are off  the charts so what is it?  You like being the only genius-level repeat offender in the Midwest?  ....  But you feel like you were meant for something better.  Something special.  Enlist in Star Fleet."  -- Christopher Pike

"Damn it, man, I'm a doctor, not a physicist.  Are you actually suggesting they're from the future?"  -- McCoy
"If  you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." -- Spock, quoting Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Abrams' re-boot of  the Star Trek franchise re-casts everyone with a very, very young command crew.  However, this crew, barely graduated from Star Fleet Academy, earns their stripes in the midst of disaster and war, so one can forgive how young and inexperienced they really are.  Moreover, the film emphasizes the immediate connection between Kirk and McCoy and the somewhat more difficult road to friendship between Kirk and Spock.

The film opens with a bang, when George Kirk's ship is attacked by the Romulan, Nero.  George manages to evacuate the ship and protect the unarmed and unshielded shuttles by fending off  Nero's attack, but he loses his life in the process.  However, his wife survives the attack and James Kirk is born.  Yet, we don't see Kirk's mother again.  A few years later, young James Kirk is a hellion - borrowing a car before he can really drive, driving fast and hard, and then destroying the car and nearly himself.  Meanwhile, Spock undergoes typical Vulcan training - a enriched media multi-tasking experience where students are tested in individual pods.  However, he is also taunted by his school mates.

We next meet Kirk as a young 20-something (probably between the ages of 18 and 24), a townie who goes to a bar near Star Fleet's recruitment center to pick up women.  This doesn't go well when a couple of bruisers from security beat him to a pulp.  But he does meet Christopher Pike who gives him a different view of  his father's death.  Kirk decides to join Star Fleet.

Spock also, is at a turning point.  He's accepted into the Vulcan Science Academy, but when the  acceptance committee remarks that it's "amazing" how well he's done despite his "handicap" of being half-human, Spock turns down the position and instead joins Star Fleet.

Back at the academy, Kirk is preparing to take the Kobayashi Maru test for the third time.  The "no-win scenario" test is built as a test of character.  Kirk manages to win by changing the parameters of  the test.  He's brought up on charges of  cheating.  But before anyone can do anything, an emergency distress call is received from Vulcan.  All cadets are sent out on ships to assist.  Kirk, McCoy, Uhura, Spock, Chekov, and Sulu all end-up on the newly-built Enterprise, under Capt. Pike.

Arriving near Vulcan, the Enterprise encounters Nero.  As before with the USS Kelvin, Nero attacks, then invites the Captain onto his ship.  Pike, who did his dissertation on the loss of  the Kelvin, knows he's walking into a trap, but also knows there's nothing else to do.  But he has Kirk, Sulu, and an Australian space jump to a drilling platform the Romulans have placed on Vulcan that is also blocking transporters and communications.  The Australian dies, but Kirk and Sulu manage to shut off  the transporter/communications blocking and stop the drill itself.  They are rescued, but it's too late for Vulcan - the Romulans have injected Red Matter which will turn the planet into a Black Hole.

When Spock realizes this he beams down to Vulcan to rescue the Elders of  his planet, including his parents. He rescues Sarek and a hand full of others, but Amanda is killed.

After this tragedy, Spock is understandably a little off-balance, and he falls back on calm logic -- ordering that the Enterprise rendezvous with the  rest of  the fleet in order to plot their next move.  Kirk argues vehemently that they must do something to stop Nero, that they have no time to return to the fleet per standing orders.  Spock over-rules him, and then kicks him off  the ship via a life-pod.

Kirk lands on a frozen planet and encounters an unconvincing CGI monster (the only sequence in the entire film I didn't like) then takes shelter in a cave. There he meets Spock Prime and learns the plot.  Far in the future, Spock had been tasked with using Red Matter to turn a Supernova into a Black Hole and thus saving the planet Romulus.  But, he was two late and Romulus was destroyed.  Nero saw the destruction, went berserk and decided to make Spock suffer by destroying Vulcan.  He time-traveled back to the past, destroyed the USS Kelvin, and twenty-five years later Spock arrived, having followed him through the Black hole.

But what shocks Spock more than anything else is that Kirk can't stand Spock's younger self and that Spock can't stand Kirk.  Spock gives a hint of  what their friendship means through his mind-meld with Kirk (while also explaining what's going on).  They leave the cave and hike through the snow to a Star Fleet outpost and encounter Scotty.  Spock gives Montgomery Scott the equation of  Transwarp Beaming, which Scott discovered, thus creating a non-invention paradox.  (EG -- If  Scott discovered it but hasn't yet, and Spock gave him the info to discover, which he then discovered - then where did the equation come from?)

Kirk and Scott beam onto the Enterprise, and Kirk provokes Spock into an emotional reaction to take him out of command.  He then orders a direct warp to Earth.  At Earth, Nero is using the drill to attack near San Francisco (home of  Star Fleet) and destroy Earth with Red Matter.  Kirk and crew stop him and rescue an injured Pike.

Upon returning to the Academy, Kirk is given command of  the Enterprise, and Pike retires.  Kirk's crew will include Spock as first officer who is convinced to do so by Spock Prime and Scotty.

I loved this film when I first saw it, and I still love it now.  Karl Urban is a wonderful, angsty Bones McCoy, still smarting from his divorce, though they changed the origin of  Kirk's nick-name for him.  Chris Pine mimics Shatner's body language, but gives us an edgier Kirk, still smarting from the loss of  his father.  Quinto's Spock is much more emotional, especially after the loss of  his mother, a parent he was quite close to.  It's interesting that in Abrams' re-imagining of  Star Trek - both the principles have lost a parent.  When I saw this film in 2009 I wanted a sequel, and it looks like one might be coming in 2013, we'll see.

This film also has some wonderful special effects sequences in space - the space dock, the launch of  the Enterprise and other ships, even the destruction of  Vulcan are all realized well.  And I liked all the classic characters:  Sulu and Chekov are both great, the classic trio of  McCoy, Kirk, and Spock, though young and new at their jobs are already showing the hints of  great friendship, and Scotty is amusing and promising.  Uhura has been updated to be confident, bright, and an expert in xeno-linguistics.  She's also having an affair with Spock, but you can't have everything.

Recommendation:  See it!  Highly Recommended.
Rating:  Five out of  Five Stars
Next Film:  Star Trek II The Wrath of  Khan