Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Comedy, Drama

Year: 1986

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei

Director: Leonard Nimoy

My Review: Produced nearly twenty years after the end of the original series, the Star Trek franchise seems unstoppable. Now embedded in our social conscience as a part of the American experience. The franchise was created by Gene Roddenberry, and it lives on in the many books, movies, and fans (myself included) that carry it with them all day, every day. This movie features a story by Leonard Nimoy, and screenplay credit to six or so people. Directed by Leonard Nimoy (also directed The Search for Spock), this movie starred the usual Star Trek cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, and others. Here Leonard Nimoy's talent shines in a Sci-Fi film that successfully blends comedy and sci-fi drama. The film is set in the 23rd century, but the crew of the Enterprise quickly travel back in time (to 1986) in order to prevent the extermination of all life on earth. They must rescue the last Humpback Whales from extinction or its curtains for mankind. The 'Save the Whales' movie is clearly aimed at a liberal 'eco-friendly' audience, but the 'Save the Whales' theme doesn't detract too much from character based inter-play of our very familiar cast. The movie brings back a lot of fond memories of the 80s and earlier times (The Original Star Trek series having aired in the 60s). This particular Star Trek movie isn't one of the best, and I can only must a wry smile and a 3 out of 5 rating for this leisurely stroll down memory lane.

Summary: The most acclaimed Star Trek adventure of all time with an important message. It is the 23rd century, and a mysterious alien probe is threatening Earth by evaporating the oceans and destroying the atmosphere. In their frantic attempt to save mankind, Admiral Kirk and his crew must time travel back to 1986 San Francisco where they find a world of punk, pizza and exact-change buses that are as alien to them as anything they have ever encountered in the far-off reaches of the galaxy. William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy return as Kirk and Spock, along with the entire Star Trek crew.

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Mystery

Year: 2012

Country: USA, UK

Rating:

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, Fred Dalton Thompson, James Ransone, Michael Hall D'Addario

Director: Scott Derrickson

My Review: Screenplay by Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill. Directed by Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Day the Earth Stood Still (remake 2008), Doctor Strange). Starring Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, James Ransone and others. A horror story in the tradition of the Exorcist. Ethan Hawke plays Ellison Oswalt, a struggling 'true-crime' writer who's just relocated his family (due to declining revenues and compounding debt as he struggles to write something new). With a stroke of 'good luck' he discovers a box of home movies in the attic of a crime scene. The house belongs to a family that suffered a murderous end and the boxes contain evidence of a serial murderer. The movie highlights jump edits and camera tricks as a way to accentuate the gruesome imagery featured in the movie. Some of these techniques have become cliched to the point of tiring (Yes it's another found footage film). As the writer and father of two struggles to unravel the mystery of a true-crime, he becomes the protagonist of a sinister tru-crime turned horrific real-life horror story. The movie is full of jump scares, strong imagery, and moody music, but it lacks character development. The ending and the antagonist character aren't believable. Gets marks for film style and technique, loses points for characters and weak plot points towards the very end. 3 out of 5.

Summary: True-crime writer Ellison Oswalt moves himself and his family into a house where a horrific crime took place earlier, but his family doesn't know. He begins researching the crime so that he can write a new book about it to help his flailing career. He uses some "snuff" film footage he finds in the house to help him in his research, but he soon finds more than he bargained for. There is a figure in each of the films but who or what is it? As a result, his family start to suffer (as does he) and things take a turn for the worst. Will they survive?

Genre: Science Fiction, Action, Adventure, Thriller

Year: 1991

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig

Director: Nicholas Meyer

My Review: Story by Leonard Nimoy, and Screenplay credit to numerous people (6 credits?). The movie was written (in part) and directed by Nicholas Meyer (Time After Time, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn). Starring the usual Star Trek cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, and others. This time around Leonard Nimoy's story brings us a traditional Star Trek theme, wrapped in a new coat - The movie feels very much like 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn', which was directed by Nicholas Meyer the first time around. Here's another Star Trek with an 'environmental' theme - The Klingons are all going to die because the ozone on their planet is being depleted (These contrived 'environmental conscience' plots are really getting annoying). Only Kirk and crew can handle the delicate negotiations intended to save the Klingon race and put an end to 70 years of warfare. As usual, the best of plans are upset by sabotage - The Enterprise fires on the defenseless Klingon ship ferrying the Klingon High Chancellor to peace talks - Kirk and McCoy are charged with the assassination of the Klingon High Chancellor and sent to a Klingon prison planet. What? Now the crew of the Enterprise has to defy orders and break them out. There's a conspiracy afoot, and the crew of the Enterprise need Kirk and McCoy in order to thwart this plot which seeks to upset the balance of power in our universe. An exciting premise and plot, worn weary with cliched film tropes and Shatner's typical overacting. The Original Series lasted three years (1967-1969), and the movies extended the cultural phenomenon out into six films on the big screen. This film marks the end of a 24 year carreer in Star Fleet for the crew of the Enterprise. Christopher Plummer (as Klingon General Chang) and William Shatner seem made for each other as they face off in this epic battle which closes this chapter on the franchise - Long live the crew of NCC-1701A. While this should have been a crowning achievement in the franchise's history, it simply serves to remind us of the hubris which marked Kirk and crew. The smug self-righteousness of their cause is front and center in this movie. The crew often exhibits gaffs you'd expect only from raw recruits (should we raise shields?), the story has holes that make no sense (why no gravity boots?), the props are clunky and inexplicably primitive (that giant clunky thing is a 'miniaturized' tracking device?), and many more ridiculous and unexplainable inconsistencies dragged the rating down. 3 out of 5.

Summary: After an explosion on their moon, the Klingons have an estimated 50 years before their ozone layer is completely depleted, and they all die. They have only one choice - to make peace with the Federation, which will mean an end to 70 years of conflict. Captain James T. Kirk and crew are called upon to help in the negotiations because of their experience with the Klingons. Peace talks don't quite proceed, and Kirk and McCoy are convicted of assassinating the Klingon High Chancellor, and imprisoned on Rura Penthe, a snowy hard-labor prison camp. Will they manage to escape? And will there ever be peace with the Klingons?

Genre: Drama, History, Thriller, Mystery

Year: 2013

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Ed Harris, David Duchovny, William Fichtner, Lance Henriksen, Johnathon Schaech

Director: Todd Robinson

My Review: Written and directed by Todd Robinson (better known for writing than directing). The movie stars Ed Harris, Julian Adams, David Duchovny and others. This movie is loosely based upon the historical events surrounding the sinking of the Soviet era (1968) submarine K-129. K-129 was a Golf-II diesel-electric strategic ballistic missile submarine attached to the 15th Submarine Squadron based at Rybachiy Naval Base, Kamchatka, Russia. The submarine (carrying hull number 722) was under the command of Captain First Rank V.I. Kobzar when it was sunk on the 8th of Mar, 1968. The Soviet Navy deployed an immense flotilla of ships in an attempt to locate the boat, but they never found the wreck. While very little is actually known about the facts surrounding the sinking of K-129, this movie purports to show us what was 'really going on' aboard that ill-fated boat. The movie portrays a Soviet Captain who is forced to leave his family behind when he leads a covert mission into waters near Hawaii. Is this sub on a mission to initiate a nuclear attack on the U.S. Pacific fleet? Is the final battle for world domination about to begin? The sets and costumes were excellent. The acting by Ed Harris outstanding, the acting by David Duchovny - not so much. The story is mysterious, tense and thrilling. With just enough historical background to make the story intriguing, I was quickly sucked in. I just wish the movie had been produced in Russia - Native dialog would have made the movie much more believable. Considering the fact that this was an independent production, with a small budget (only 18 million), I'm very impressed by the results. I give the movie a 4 out of 5.

Summary: The Cold War has cast an ominous chill over the entire globe, and when a Soviet submarine targets the U.S. Navy's Pacific fleet for nuclear attack, it appears that the final battle has begun. But Captain Dmitri Zubov has a choice - one that could pull the world back from the brink of annihilation. Meanwhile, it begins to seem as if other forces are at work on Captain Zubov's submarine. Now, in the depths of the South Pacific, Captain Zubov will fight to reconcile his past in order to ensure that there will be a future. Not just for him, but for every man, woman, and child on the planet..

Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller

Year: 2014

Country: USA, Russia

Rating:

Starring: Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner, Kenneth Branagh, Lenn Kudrjawizki

Director: Kenneth Branagh

My Review: The Jack Ryan character is a creation of Tom Clancy (who died in 2013 at age 66 of an undisclosed illness). With several original novels (by Tom Clancy and others) and five actors (since 2018) portraying the character, we're more than familiar with the covert C.I.A. operational agent who started out as an analyst. I've read many of the Tom Clancy novels (See my books page: <https://www.robsworld.org/books/Tom%20Clancy/index.html> The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Red Rabbit, The Cardinal of the Kremlin, Clear and Present Danger, The Sum of all Fears, Debt of Honor, Executive Orders, The Bear and the Dragon), and I've seen most of the movies featuring the character (The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, The Sum of All Fears, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit). This movie is a re-boot for the character. Starting over with a new actor (Previous actors: Alec Baldwin in The Hunt for Red October, Harrison Ford in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger, and Ben Afleck in The Sum of All Fears), Chris Pine makes an engaging and vibrant Jack Ryan. Unfortunately, I don't think he's going to have much time to devote to this series, and I don't know whether the producers & studios will be able to continue such 'Jack Ryan' movies at a pace that will allow for much in the way of character development. In this movie, Jack Ryan is a young C.I.A. Analyst who's thrust into a covert operational role when he uncovers a terrorist plot to destroy the U.S. economy. Screenplay by Adam Cozad and David Koepp, the movie is directed by Kenneth Branagh (Henry V (1989), Dead Again, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Hamlet (1996), Thor, Macbeth (2013)). Starring Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Keira Knightley and others, including Kenneth Branagh as the protagonist (Viktor Cherevin). The direction and acting were fine, but the story suffered from cliches and the audience's familiarity and previous experiences with multiple Jack Ryan characters. This is the second reboot of the character, changing the nature of the character slightly. Less naiveté and more no-nonsense action oriented. Unfortunately, this movie requires that the audience ignore all previous characters, novels, timelines, books, in order to accept this new Jack Ryan. It's quite a tall-order and a heavy handicap to overcome. The movie contains a lot of action, explosions and car chases, neglecting character development and subtleties that might attach us to the franchise in an emotional way. It could have been better - 3 out of 5.

Summary: This new version of the saga of C.I.A. analyst Jack Ryan begins as Jack attends the London School of Economics. 9/11 happens. He subsequently enlists in the Marines, sustaining severe injuries when the chopper deploying him to Afghanistan is shot down. While in intense rehab, he grabs the attention of Harper, a man who works for the C.I.A., and who would like Jack to finish his studies, get a job on Wall Street, and seek out terrorist plots through their financial transactions. Ten years pass. Jack finds anomalies in the accounts of a Russian named Cherevin, and thinks he should go to Russia to check out what's going on. He's told not to tell anyone who he is, including his girlfriend Cathy, which makes her doubt him when she catches him in some lies. In Russia, Cherevin assigns someone to assist Jack, but when the two are alone, the man tries to kill Jack instead, so Jack kills him. Obviously, Cherevin is hiding something. Jack goes to meet him and says he'll bring his fiancée along,...

Genre: Drama, History, War, Action

Year: 2000

Country: USA, Germany

Rating:

Starring: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs, Chris Cooper

Director: Roland Emmerich

My Review: I own a copy of this movie. It's one of my favorites. Writen by Robert Rodat. Directed by Roland Emmerich (Stargate, Independence Day, Godzilla (1998), The Day after Tomorrow). Starring Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson and others. Here is a historical drama, based upon the events of the American Revolution. Mel Gibson plays former farmer turned Commander in the continental Army. Benjamin Martin the farmer tries to stay neutral and uninvolved, but a sadistic British officer burns down the farmstead and murders Ben's young son. Benjamin soon finds himself embroiled in the struggle of this rebellion, fighting against the loyalists and British forces. The action is primarily focused on South Carolina, and I consider that a bonus. Limiting the scope and focusing our attention on the regional and local aspects to enhance the character development. While Mel Gibson isn't the greatest actor of all time, he is clearly dedicated to his role in this movie and the movie was well served by the entire cast. The locations, set work and costumes were very well done. There were very few instances where I felt the 21st century encroaching on this historical drama. It's not a documentary, but it felt very real in its depiction. I doubt that such 'Patriotism' or depictions of children with guns would even be allowed in today's political climate. I for one am proud to call myself a Patriot, and I applaud those who still recognize the sacrifices made by the ordinary families of revolutionary America. I give this movie a 5 out of 5.

Summary: It is 1776 in colonial South Carolina. Benjamin Martin, a French-Indian war hero who is haunted by his past, now wants nothing more than to live peacefully on his small plantation, and wants no part of a war with the most powerful nation in the world, Great Britain. Meanwhile, his two eldest sons, Gabriel and Thomas, can't wait to enlist in the newly formed "Continental Army." When South Carolina decides to join the rebellion against England, Gabriel immediately signs up to fight...without his father's permission. But when Colonel William Tavington, British dragoon, infamous for his brutal tactics, comes and burns the Martin Plantation to the ground, tragedy strikes. Benjamin quickly finds himself torn between protecting his family, and seeking revenge along with being a part of the birth of a new, young, and ambitious nation.

Genre: Drama, History

Year: 2011

Country: France

Rating:

Starring: Tahar Rahim, Michael Lonsdale, Mahmud Shalaby, Lubna Azabal, Christopher Buchholz

Director: Ismaël Ferroukhi

My Review: Screenplay by Ismael Ferroukhi and Alain-Michel Blanc. Directed by Ismael Ferroukhi (The Great Journey / Le grand voyage). Starring Tahar Rahim, Michael Lonsdale, Mahmud Shalaby, and others. This historical drama takes place in occupied Paris, during WWII (1942). Here an uneducated Algerian man (Tahar Rahim playing Younes Ben Daoud) lives amongst the fascists, while he watches them round up the Jews. He's caught smuggling black-market goods, and he's presented with an ultimatum. Spy on his neighbors, infiltrate the Paris mosque and inform for the Nazis. He agrees and then fails to perform as an adequate spy. While infiltrating the mosque this non-practicing Muslim becomes sympathetic to the plight of the Jews. He develops feelings for people who are different from himself, different from his perceived agnostic, secular Parisian identity. The protagonist eventually joins the resistance, helping to defend those who would be eliminated by the Nazis. Here we are exposed to ideas and truths that evade us yet to this day. Muslims protecting Jews? How can this be? A very thought provoking movie that shows the contrast of humanity and cruelty when mankind is confronted with the truths of good vs evil. Superbly directed, expertly paced and surprisingly well acted. I give this movie a 5 out of 5.

Summary: Paris, occupied France, 1942. Younes, an uneducated Algerian immigrant, ekes out a very modest living on the black market. When the police catches him they set him free provided he infiltrates the Paris Mosque and spies on the rector. Si Kaddour Ben Ghabrit is indeed suspected not only of providing false papers to Jews but of harboring some of them as well. Once within the precincts of the Mosque, Younes proves a poor secret agent, which displeases the police inspector in charge of him. In fact, at the mosque, Younes becomes every day more alert to the great tragedy in progress because of the Nazis. He also develops a deep friendship with a singer named Salim Halali. To his amazement, he discovers that Salim is both Jewish and homosexual...

Genre: Thriller, Action, Crime

Year: 2014

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Harbour, Haley Bennett

Director: Antoine Fuqua

My Review: Directed by Antoine Fuqua (The Replacement Killers, Training Day, Brooklyn's Finest). Starring Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloe Grace Moretz and others. The Equalizer tells a tired and worn story about a former 'Black Ops Commando' who's gone off the grid because he didn't like what he was being forced to do by his government. Living anonymously under the wire in Boston, Robert McCall (played by Denzel Washington) pretends to be a typical wage earner, holding down a barely living wage. When he's confronted with injustice - in the form of an abused prostitute and an armed robbery at his place of employment - he's forced to become a vigilante for justice. You know because the criminals are free to do whatever they want. The bad guys are a gang of Russian mobster types. It leverages the national obsession with justice, perceived injustice everywhere, and the increasingly dangerous view that we need vigilante's to right the wrongs of social inequality, and it's o.k. to take the law into your own hands. This movie has many Bourne style action elements and a criminal as a hero. The writers worked long and hard to make every scene as dark and stormy as possible - Apparently, Boston is Gotham City. In another twist, they managed to make Denzel Washington look like a physical, martial arts, action star. He approaches situations slowly and methodically, but when you look closely (super close ups with lots of blur and artificial slo-mo) he's executing Jackie Chan style moves. There's lots of mood, atmosphere and excellent music, but the story is very thin - If you've seen the trailer(s) you've seen the entire movie. The violence is so gruesome that several scenes had to be removed in order for the film to be aired in the U.K. Superb production and Denzel's an excellent actor - 3 out of 5.

Summary: The Equalizer stars Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, a former Black Ops commando who faked his own death in hopes of living out a quiet life in Boston. However, when he comes out of his self-imposed retirement to save a young girl named Teri "Chloë Grace Moretz", he finds his thirst for justice reawakened after coming face-to-face with a syndicate of brutal Russian gangsters. Afterwards, McCall becomes the go-to man when the helpless require the kind of vengeance they would never find without his skills.

Genre: Action, Science Fiction, Thriller

Year: 2014

Country: France, Taiwan, Germany

Rating:

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Min-sik Choi, Amr Waked, Julian Rhind-Tutt

Director: Luc Besson

My Review: Written and directed by Luc Besson (The Big Blue, La Femme Nikita, Leon: The Professional, The Fifth Element, The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, Angel-A, Valerian and the city of a thousand planets), one of my favorite writers/directors. Luc Besson does it again. He delivers an intriguing, thrilling story, full of powerful imagery, emotional content and interesting characters. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Min-sik Choi, Amr Waked, and others. Scarlett Johansson plays Lucy an innocent, naivete, party girl who falls into a drug-smuggling plot. The film however quickly transforms into something far more interesting. The story starts out as a mundane crime thriller, but quickly turns into a mind bending sci-fi story. A quote from the movie (It's in the preview(s)) may help you understand some of the sci-fi aspects of the film: "It is estimated, most human beings only use 10% of the brains capacity. Imagine if we could access 100% Interesting things begin to happen." A refreshing and surprising film. I had no idea where this movie was headed. The film evolves just as quickly as the character played by Scarlett Johansson. The acting by all involved was outstanding, but the story and direction make this movie stand out like Waldo at a funeral. My only complaint is the casting. Scarlett Johansson is too feminine for this role. Someone more masculine and less attractive might have been a better choice. I give this movie a 4 out of 5.

Summary: It was supposed to be a simple job. All Lucy had to do was deliver a mysterious briefcase to Mr. Jang. But immediately Lucy is caught up in a nightmarish deal where she is captured and turned into a drug mule for a new and powerful synthetic drug. When the bag she is carrying inside of her stomach leaks, Lucy's body undergoes unimaginable changes that begins to unlock her mind's full potential. With her new-found powers, Lucy turns into a merciless warrior intent on getting back at her captors. She receives invaluable help from Professor Norman, the leading authority on the human mind, and French police captain Pierre Del Rio.

Genre:

Year: 2000

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Alfre Woodard, Ossie Davis, Max Casella, Hayden Panettiere, D.B. Sweeney

Director: Eric Leighton, Ralph Zondag

My Review: Written by way too many people (12 credits!?). Directed by Eric Leighton and Ralph Zondag. Starring (voices) D.B. Sweeney, Julianna Margulies, Samuel E. Wright and others. It's a Disney animated movie about an orphaned dinosaur. He's raised by lemurs after a pack of Iguanadon separate him from his family. He joins the Lemurs in a trek across the continent after a meteor strike destroys their home. When this film was made the CGI was ground-breaking and quite astonishing. Now, it's ho-hum, and I'm focusing on the poor script - Why did the dinosaurs have to 'Talk' at all? I think we could have followed this incredibly simple story without the need for any talking dinosaurs. Then of course there are other problems with the movie. Like the presence of Lemurs and dinosaurs together in the same movie as well as other scientific inaccuracies. Realizing that this is targeted at kids, I'm put back into the correct frame of mind. It is a good family story. It doesn't emphasize violence as a solution or criminal behavior as acceptable. Its about family values and helping each other through hard times. Rating it based on the target audience, I would have to give it a 3 out of 5. Now: Lets talk about the disc - Yes, Disney sucks when it comes to DVDs. This disc (in my ordinary Samsung blu-ray/DVD player) has no fast-forward, no pause and no rewind. I couldn't change the soundtrack or subtitles without restarting the movie - not just stopping and resuming - I'm talking about restarting from the very beginning. I can only imagine that Disney removed all these controls in order to prevent 'Piracy' - You know kidnapping, murder and theft on the high-seas - Oh wait, not that crime.. We're talking about the new Piracy - You know, copyright infringement. This isn't the first Disney disc I've had a problem with. I often have difficulties with Disney discs, but this is easily the worst I've encountered.

Summary: During an attack on a pack of Iguanodon, an egg is separated and ends up with the possession of a group of lemurs. The lemurs care for this egg and the young creature born from it, which they call Aladar. When a meteor shower hits earth, Aladar and his family must leave their homeland. Away from home and as close to danger as they have ever been, they meet up with a huge group of dinosaurs, led by Kron and Bruton. All together they are trying to reach the nesting grounds, but it's not going to be easy.