film thoughts: Star Trek & The Impossible

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I've only ever seen one episode of Star Trek. And I can't even tell you which Star Trek series it was. By the time I realized it might be something I would like, I was overwhelmed. I've picked up on some of the characters through pop culture, of course, but I'm mostly clueless. When Mr. Nomadreader asked if I wanted to watch it with him, I said I did, but only if he wouldn't get mad if I asked a lot of questions because I like to get all of the inside jokes. In the end, the only part of the film I was confused by was that Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pine are both different people and both in the film. I really thought Chris Pine was just playing his father and himself. What makes this film so accessible is its scope: it essentially explains the entire backstory and in some way feels like a giant setup for another film. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the film. The highlight: learning Captain Kirk's full name is James Tiberius Kirk, which made me laugh because I finally got a fifteen-year-old Degrassi joke.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Redbox

 The Impossible got some buzz for Naomi Watts during award season. Here she plays a doctor turned stay-at-home-mom to three boys who is vacationing with her children and husband (Ewan McGregor) in Thailand for Christmas 2004, when the tsunami hits. The film is based on a true story, which typically screams (spoiler alert!) 'all the main characters actually live' to me, which is fine, but this lack of suspense was somewhat heightened by the tsunami coming so early in the film. There was little to no character development, which made it rather dull at times. The acting was good, but this film suffered from pacing problems. The special effects of the tsunami were fabulous, and I might have uttered the phrase "Now that we have surround sound, we might need a bigger television." Seriously: The Impossible was fabulous in surround sound. Hearing the tsunami come from behind you is amazing. Ultimately, the end felt abrupt, and I cared more about the tsunami in total than its impact on this family.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Source: Netflix

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Comments

  1. NadiaJune 20, 2013 at 9:58 AM

    I loved Star Trek and the new one is pretty awesome, too! I thought the Impossible was good, but didn't like that they cast non-Spanish actors as the main characters, considering that the real-life family this happened to was Spanish. Nonetheless, the actors that were cast did a great job.

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  2. AndiJune 20, 2013 at 10:57 AM

    I don't like Star Trek in general, but I LOVE the new movies. Love. So much fun.

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  3. AthiraJune 21, 2013 at 6:52 PM

    I loved the Star Trek movie. I'm no big fan of the series but they are always fun to watch, albeit a bit confusing sometimes.

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  4. MelissaJune 22, 2013 at 2:03 PM

    I'm a die hard Trekkie (one of my goals in life is to attend a convention in full costume). I've actually been debating rewatching all of the different series, but that could take years. ;) Glad you enjoyed the movie. It was a fun one.

    I've been meaning to get a hold of The Impossible. I have some of the same issues Nadia does with the movie, but I still want to watch it.

    ReplyDelete

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