kirkintha26

Star Trek has been deconstructed and reconstructed into a new future that allows - finally - the franchise to boldly go where it has not been before.

For the un-trekkers: This movie is a mixture of stunning cinematography and fun "don't take me so seriously" plot that reboots the previous tired and dated musings of a franchise trapped in it's own zeitgeist. I'll get in trouble for saying this, but it's everything that the prequels to Star Wars wished it could have been. It's fresh, It's fun, It's visually spectacular, and a must see for anyone who likes action and adventure! If you like Star Trek, Star Wars, Star Gate, Starship Troopers, you are going to love this movie. It's just... cool! Way to go JJ!

For those fans who are already Trek (however you identify yourself): JJ Abrams has started a religious war. This movie is the Reformed Church of Star Trek - and I can see how many an Old School fan would see this as breaking too many rules.

I personally had a problem with some of the effects, especially the transporter (hated it) and I have no clue what they were intending for engineering, but it's not the engineering I know.

I have problems with plot holes - saw a ton of them, but hey I am a Star Trek Fan and dissect everything to the nth degree.

My suggestion for all fans Trek: go into this with an open mind and you will not be disappointed. For the first time in 10, no 15 years I have seen something special with the name Star Trek attached to it.

Watch this movie - it's amazing!

I can see how many Bond fans want to see the same formulaic Bond (for the last half century almost), but personally I was done with it all a long time ago, until Daniel Craig became Bond, and they re-vamped the franchise.

I'm glad they took out the fluff. The whole 10 min intro to seeing M and Moneypenny for 10 minutes to seeing Q for 10 minutes, add 15 minutes of sex scenes, and 15 minutes of bad guys, 20 minutes of action and then 30 minutes of actual plot and you have the formula.

This does it more subtly and IMHO more deftly. I enjoyed the cinematography immensely, some of the action shots are just spectacular.

This is what I think people are missing.

The Gadgets: I do miss Q, but did you see all the cool gadgets? They are every where. From cell phones to touch plasma screens, these gadgets are now a reality. I'm glad they don't have gadgets just to push the plot along. In our world of high technology, the only place to go is to sci-fi gadgetry and I hope they never do that.

No quips: Good. I was tired of quipping after "Live or let die" came out.

No Moneypenny. Hey, how do we know that they don't have something in store for us with that? Remember this is a reboot.

A colder Bond - GOOD! I was tired of Bond being the pompously classy booze hound who screws every woman he comes into contact with. Movies have made fun of the "Bond saves the day" routine, hello Austin Powers. I think they have taken away the black and white cold war propaganda and moved it into the grayer realm of globalization.

Re: the directing and plot. My only problem is this really did feel like a sequel, and that it could not a stand on its own. Without the context of Casino Royale, this movie tends to be like other modern action flicks. However, with "Casino" to complement it, these are two really great movies to rebuild the character of James Bond into a 3 dimensional character, who can actually grow from more of "a blunt instrument" to the refined and experienced Bond we all know.

I definitely recommend this film, 8 out of 10 due to the fact that it was chopped up a little too much, and didn't quite give you enough characterization and answers to be satisfying. Other than that, it was really cool to watch! Can't wait for another one.

Oh, And lastly...

Thank god there was not an "Oh, James" in this movie. You can take that phrase and bury it in peat.

I really have a split decision on this movie. Sometimes I felt there was a lack of back story to help bring key plot devices home and sometimes the pacing was a little awkward and mis-timed. Sometimes, I wanted a little more from the camera angels, a little more flow to the scenes. The camera was very minimal in this movie and sometimes it takes away from the scene.

BUT! Mostly I think this is a mesmerizing tale of boy (Oskar) meets Nosferatu (Eli) and falls under the spell of it's vampiric charms.

What I liked about this movie is that it intentionally did not do the "trying to scare you" bit - you know, the quick cuts and the loud music that makes you jump out of your seat. That bores me to death anymore - I'm so desensitized to the Hollywood process of smash and gore, that I think it is why I respect the film making so much. If you want smash and gore, the "Saw" series is a better choice.

This movie is simply not an Ann Rice novel clone - this is not supposed to be Interview with the vampire 2, or Blade 4, or Underworld 4, or other films that toe the "par for the course" vampire movie of erotic sex and ultra-violence. I do like a good vamp flick, but I have been looking for something that just does it differently in the vampire genre: and this movie is it.

This movie is incredibly internal - and since I saw a sub-titled movie - I really can't comment on anything other than the plot. I think the acting is good, Oskar and Eli especially. But, I don't understand Swede, so I can't tell you if the acting worked.

What I can say about this movie is this: most vampire movies have to fall back on the T&A factor (beautiful men and women covered in blood, screaming) to over compensate for a simplistic plot - and this movie takes a simplistic plot and adds many subtle layers for you to decipher. This movie is not for children and early teens, it is meant for adults who are tired of the same old vampire shtick.