May 14 2009

Movie for This Week

Angels and Demons
Tom Hanks returns to reprise his role as Dr. Robert Langdon (The Davinci Code), the wildly talented symbologist, and historian. Based on the popular thriller novel by Dan Brown, Dr. Langdon is called in to assist the Catholic church. On the eve of conclave with all the cardinals assembled to choose a new pope an ancient secret society, the Illuminati, resurfaces to wage war and destroy the catholic church. But can the efforts of Dr. Langdon put an end to the Illuminati’s plot, or will the Vatican be obliterated in a blast of antimatter?
Sounds suspenseful, and it is….sort of; unfortunately, what reads well and seems intelligent in book form comes across as annoying and just too far fetched when put to film. Strained efforts to compact and edit the novel make the dialogue feel rushed leaving little room for character development, yet the overall film feels about 30 minutes too long. Meanwhile the cinematography early on leaves something to be desired. And, while the acting wasn’t poor, nothing here really jumps off the screen. The end result is a film that plays marginally better than it’s predecessor, The Davinci Code, but again fans of the novel will probably be disappointed. Maybe worth a matinee but more likely rental material. Angels and Demons is rated PG-13.


May 7 2009

Movie For This Week

Star Trek
When a mysterious and menacing alien ship appears in an interstellar cloud of lighting, the future history of space travel is altered forever. A future that could keep a young James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) from ever meeting,
a future that could destroy the very foundation of Star Trek as we’ve known it for the last 43 years, or could it? To answer this question would be easy, but then I think I’d already be spoiling too much of this delicious plot. What I can tell you is that director J.J. Abrams once again has proven his ability to entertain, enthrall and captivate our imagination—all the while keeping true to the traditions and expectations of Star Trek fans new and old. Meanwhile a clever well written story twists and turns, delivering a satisfying introduction to all of the characters we’ve known for years. Decent acting, and just enough levity of the subject matter also work to keep the film accessible to a large audience. An appearance from Leonard Nimoy also brings a smile to the face. Definitely worth seeing on the big screen (viewing in IMAX is available in some theatres); and, poised to set records at the box office this weekend, Star Trek is rated PG-13.