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J.J. Abrams’ space shot Jim Keogh
Conventional wisdom has long held that even-numbered “Star Trek” movies are superior to their odd-numbered counterparts. So in the Shatner era “The Wrath of Khan” (No. 2) is a classic, and “The Voyage Home” (No. 4), in which Spock swims with the whales, was the most flat-out fun.
The paradigm has shifted with the new Trek movies. The J.J. Abramsdirected 2009 “Star Trek” reimagined the characters as young men and women launching their intergalactic careers aboard the Enterprise, bringing with it a sense of discovery and wonder as we witnessed the first test of the starship crew under fire. The film was a finely crafted origin story, an obvious franchise-starter with plenty of kick to go on for years. The follow-up, “Star Trek Into Darkness,” brings everyone back for a second adventure and goes after the same spirit as its predecessor. The crewmates zing each other, lots of stuff blows up, and a villain intent on 1) revenge, 2) world domination, 3) humiliating Kirk, 4) all of the above, gets to do some pretty nasty stuff before the forces of good show him the light of their Phasers. The planets are aligned for a fantastic sequel, but, to quote the late, great Roger Ebert, the film plays the chords but it doesn’t know the music. Abrams has decided to make this one into an Indiana Jones serial, in which the crew led by Kirk (Chris Pines) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) bounce from crisis to crisis until the perpetually besieged Enterprise is left in tatters. (Side note: Has any vessel in history taken such a beating as the Enterprise has over the course of the “Star Trek” TV series and movies? By now, there shouldn’t be a remaining piece large enough to float Tom Hanks across the Pacific in “Cast Away.”) The plot is a mishmash of shout-outs to earlier Trek movies and a twist that wouldn’t fool the stupidest Klingon. “Star Trek Into Darkness” seems most keen on spinning thematic threads from old stuff
to create new gold. Abrams is overly concerned with connecting the dots to Trek history (to please fanboys?), so that the passionate utterance of a single word drew a laugh of recognition from the audience at the showing I attended. The thing plays like a scavenger hunt for Trek references — biggest nerd wins! Intergalactic terrorist John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) is the bad guy du jour; his physical and mental gifts suggest he’s a genetically-engineered superman (he comes with a secret that I won’t reveal, though if you really want to know just check out the movie’s IMDB entry). The Federation’s mission to capture Harrison is resonant of the hunt for Osama bin Laden, and one sequence involving a starship employed as a lowflying missile over a US city is clearly inspired by 9/11 imagery. Harrison’s reign of terror spurs the fleet admiral (a cadaverous Peter Weller) to issue a bitter Jack Nicholson-inA-Few-GoodMen rant about the need to engage in force, even when it’s unpopular, before he makes a few unpopular moves of his own. What’s lacking here is a truly compelling story. Amid all the action set pieces — some of them spectacular — the crew never seems to get much beyond the immediate need to open this hatch or flip that switch to save the day, and the universe. Bones (Karl Urban) and Scotty (Simon Pegg) spew so vehemently it’s as though they’ve neglected to take some necessary meds and are experiencing reactive seizures. We need more Cumberbatch and less huffing and puffing. Is the film entertaining? Sure, it’s great to look at and I laughed out loud at some of the exchanges (Spock, in particular, is on fire). But it’s all spectacle, not very thoughtful, and kind of pointless. The movie will make a ton of money, and a third installment is a lock. Rather than mine the past, maybe next time Abrams and company will boldly go where no “Star Trek” movie has gone before.
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S U N . - W E D . : 1 1 A M - 1 1 P M • T H U R S . : 1 1 A M - M I DN I G HT • FR I . -SAT. : 11AM-2AM
Adv. Tix on Sale AFTER EARTH EPIC IN REAL D 3D [CC,DV] (PG) No Passes Fri. - Mon.(1240 350) 645 930 Tue. - Thu.(1240 350) 645 920 FAST & FURIOUS 6 [CC,DV] (PG-13) No Passes Fri. - Sun.(1150 1220 100 145 340 420) 640 710 740 1020 1040 Mon.(1150 1220 100 145 340 420) 640 710 740 1020 Tue. - Thu.(1220 1250 340 420) 710 740 1010
THE HANGOVER 3 [CC,DV] (R) No Passes Fri. - Sat.(1140 1205 1225 215 245 315) 500 530 600 720 750 820 940 1010 Sun. - Mon.(1140 1205 1225 220 245 315) 500 530 600 740 750 820 1010 1015 Tue.(1205 1225 1240 245 315) 400 530 600 720 750 820 950 1010 Wed.(1205 1225 1240 245 315) 400 530 720 750 950 1010 Thu.(1205 1225 1240 245 315) 400 530 600 720 750 820 950 1010
FAST & FURIOUS 6 [CC,DV] (PG-13) No THE HANGOVER 3 [CC,DV] (R) No Passes Fri. - Sun.(1200 Fri.(1100 1200 1250 230 Passes 1245 300) 400 710 730 1015 1025 330 430) 500 650 720 750 820 920 1000 1030 Mon. Thu.(1200 1245 300) 400 710 730 1015 Sat. - Sun.(1100 1200 1250 230 330 430) 510 650 720 750 820 920 1000 1030 Mon.(1100 1200 1250 230 330 430) 500 650 720 750 920 1000 1030 D 3D [CC,DV] (PG) No Passes Tue. - Thu.(1200 1230 100 225 330) 410 450 EPIC IN REAL Fri. - Mon.(1130 210) 440 715 945 700 730 800 930 1000 1030 Tue. - Thu.(1250 PM) 715 PM FIRST: THE STORY OF THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES (NR) Thu.730 PM EPIC [CC,DV] (PG) Fri. - Thu.(1210 235) 510 745 1010 EPIC [CC,DV] (PG) Fri. - Mon.(1130 210) 440 730 1015 Tue. - Thu.(1200 230) 500 735 1015 AURANGZEB (NR) Fri. - Thu.(340 PM) 1000 PM STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS [CC,DV] (PG-13) No Passes Fri. - Mon.(1140 1235 310) 405 630 725 935 1025 STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS [CC,DV] (PG-13) No Passes Fri. - Mon.(1150 250) 700 955 STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS [CC,DV] (PG-13) Tue. - Thu.(1205 1235 310) 405 630 725 925 1025 STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS IN REAL D 3D [CC,DV] (PG-13) Tue. - Thu.(1150 250) 700 955 [CC,DV] (PG-13) No Passes Fri. - Mon.(1210 105 335) 435 655 800 955 Tue. - Wed.(1210 105 335) 430 655 750 955 Thu.(1210 105 335) 430 750 STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS IN REAL D 3D [CC,DV] (PG-13) No Passes Fri. - Thu.(1220 320) 725 1020 THE GREAT GATSBY [CC,DV] (PG-13) Fri. - Mon.(1155 325) 700 1005 Tue. - Thu.(1215 325) 650 955 THE GREAT GATSBY [CC,DV] (PG-13) IRON MAN 3 [CC,DV] (PG-13) Fri. - Thu.(1215 330) 655 1005 Fri. - Mon.(1230 355) 705 1010 Tue. - Thu.(1255 355) 705 1010 IRON MAN 3 [CC,DV] (PG-13) IRON MAN 3 IN REAL D 3D [CC,DV] (PG-13) Fri. - Sun.(1155 310) 735 1030 No Passes Fri. - Mon.(320 PM) 945 PM Mon. - Thu.(1155 AM 310 PM) 735 PM Tue. - Thu.(1225 320) 635 945 THE CROODS [CC,DV] (PG) IRON MAN 3 IN REAL D 3D [CC,DV] (PG-13) Fri. - Mon.(1110 AM 155 PM 445 PM) No Passes Fri. - Thu.(1230 PM) 705 PM Tue. - Thu.(1210 235) 500 730 955 Times For 24 May, 2013 - 30 May, 2013
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