THE ATHLETIC NERD

WARNING!  HUGE SPOILERS DISCUSSED IN THIS REVIEW
STOP READING IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS!

I recently had a debate with my friend John about J.J Abrams’ Star Trek and how it compares to the original series.  The basic setup was simple:  I never saw the original series and therefore, my first exposure to the characters (other than pop culture references) came when the reboot was released in 2009.  John grew up watching The Original Series and was extremely disappointed when they rebooted the universe he adored.

What followed was a 3 part series where we went back and forth discussing the pros and ‘I have the’ cons of Star Trek.

ROUND ONE: One Trek…  One No Trek

ROUND TWO: One Trek…  One No Trek

ROUND THREE: One Trek…  One No Trek

Obviously, I was beyond excited to see Star Trek Into Darkness.  I couldn’t wait to see J.J would take these characters next.  John has repeatedly sworn not to see the sequel until someone loans it to him or it appears On Demand free of charge.

I bought my ticket a week in advance and caught a matinee on opening day.  So how was Star Trek Into Darkness?

I liked Star Trek Into Darkness a lot but I found myself thinking about our friendly debate often as the story progressed.

FINAL SPOILER WARNING… 

A few months back, in an effort to better understand TOS, I took it upon myself to finally sit through The Wrath of Kahn.  A movie many would agree is the best Star Trek movie of all time.  I can’t make that claim as I haven’t seen them all but I did enjoy it.  When it was revealed that Benedict Cumberbatch was actually Kahn, I couldn’t help but think about our friendly debate.

John didn’t like the idea of rebooting Captain Kirk and his crew.  He can watch his Star Trek whenever he wants on DVD.  As soon as it was revealed that Kahn was indeed a part of this rebooted universe I smiled and thought:

“John is absolutely going to hate this movie.”

I won’t know for sure until he sees it but even I had to admit it would be strange.  To love a group of characters only to have them reinterpreted would be frustrating to some.  Personally, I’m thankful that I watched Wrath of Kahn first because it was my first chance to truly compare the two universes.  I’m obviously not as attached to the original series so I actually appreciated what J.J Abrams did with Star Trek Into Darkness.

Separating the two Kahns was difficult at first.  I kept picturing Ricardo Montalban but Benedict Cumberbatch has created a truly memorable villain here.  He’s ruthless yet sympathetic to a certain degree.  A man driven to do whatever it takes to save his family.  He’s a relentless foe with a booming voice and a worthy adversary for the crew of the Enterprise.

Speaking of which, the rest of the crew evolves accordingly in this film.  Obviously, we are once again thrust into the captain’s seat with Kirk still learning humility as a commanding officer.  By his side, the ever logical Spock who still questions virtually every decision Kirk makes.

It’s a relationship that mirrors the original series but Star Trek Into Darkness also takes liberties that may or may not upset the hardcore fans.  For the most part, I don’t know the difference but I do know I liked it.

I read a little online after I saw the film and many people were upset with the very idea of a new Kahn.  Weren’t people hoping Kahn would be the villain?  It’s strange because I found myself wondering why they didn’t change Kahn more…

There are so many nods to The Wrath of Kahn here including major plot points.  In our debate, I defended J.J Abrams’ rebooted universe because it threw out the rule book.  They used time travel to create a reality where both universes would co-exist.  As evidenced by old Spock’s return to warn new Spock about Kahn.

Why go to such great lengths to create a new Star Trek universe where anything could happen yet still go back to a tale we’ve already seen.  Star Trek Into Darkness is basically bizarro Wrath of Kahn.  There are obviously BIG differences but this movie functions more as a homage.

Still, I liked that they brought back Kahn.  I really liked that they included an impending conflict with the Klingons…  I liked Star Trek Into Darkness.

It was great to see these characters on the big screen again.  Even though I had an idea where the story was going once Kahn revealed himself, there were still plenty of surprises in store.  Not too mention some pretty amazing action sequences.

All in all, this summer is off to a great start with Iron Man 3 leading off and Superman on deck.

As for our debate?  I still believe they have done enough to please new fans like me while respecting fans of the original series.  No matter what you do, you can’t please everyone.  There will always be people who dislike movies like this.  It doesn’t matter what Star Trek universe you call home.  Some movies aren’t for everyone.

This movie was for me.  Perhaps my friend John will see it someday and enjoy seeing a new vision of Kahn on the big screen.  (He probably won’t.)

Overall, I thought Star Trek Into Darkness was a fantastic sequel that doesn’t quite live up to ‘the original’.  Multiply that by about a million and that’s probably how John felt about the 2009 reboot.

I get it now.

Click here for more reviews.

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Have you watched a short film today?

MAC ‘N’ CHEESE

Directed by Tom Hankins, Gijs Van Kooten, Guido Puijk & Roy Neiterau

When you find yourself running scared and running out of energy, there’s only a few options left to outrun your opponent through the southern desert. Stopping at nothing, watch these two guys wear each other out and rip through boundaries hitherto unbroken. Enjoy the ride! (Vimeo)

Click here for more.

THE GIFT

Directed by Carl E. Rinsch

The Gift is a Sci-Fi short with a savage Chase sequence on it. (Vimeo)

MOBIUS

Directed by Vincent Laforet

A short film about a photojournalist who stumbles upon a cartel execution and supernatural events in the the “Zone of Silence” in Mexico. (Vimeo)

Click here for more.

PIVOT

Designed & Animated by Kevin Megens, Floris Vos, Arno de Grijs, André Bergs

When a man is witness to a murder and takes pictures of the killer, he has to run for his life. During the chase he is able to turn the tables and the prey becomes the hunter. All resulting in an unfortunate ending. (Vimeo)

Click here for more.

MORE FROM AROUND THE WEB

WEBSITE| I love short films | A great site full of high quality short films.

SHORT FILM | Miniature Melbourne

SHORT FILM | Lost In Manhattan

TRAILER | Self Inflicted | Click here for more.

DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROMOTE?

Email me at jason@theathleticnerd.com and be sure to include links to your project/website. (Note: I don’t review submissions)

Check out The Post archives here.

SEASON 3 EPISODE 7
THE BEAR AND THE MAIDEN FAIR

This week’s Game of Thrones was basically an update on all the relationships in Westeros.  Everyone just sat around discussing relationships.  Jon and Ygritte,  Tyrion and Sansa and  Robb & Talisa all got updates.

Outside of romantic positioning and strategy, we also got more vicious Theon torture.  I understand that they are holding back information from Theon while they literally break his balls but can’t the audience learn something new?  Week after week we’ve watched Theon suffer with little to no advancement of his story.

Speaking of which, Arya & Bran seem to be stuck in their own black holes when it comes to advancing their stories.  Both are trying to get back to their family yet they never seem to get any closer.  This week Bran essentially (and literally) stayed still while Osha talked about her past relationship.

Even Jon Snow’s storyline stalled this week.  His relationship with Ygritte was discussed at length but they made no progress other than walking closer to doom according to Snow.

Outside of King’s Landing, Gendry finally found out what we’ve known for 2.5 seasons.  Yes he is the bastard son of King Robert but why bring him back to King’s Landing?

Inside King’s Landing, we finally got to see Tywin interact with his awful grandson King Joffrey.  Tywin didn’t barge into the throne room and belittle the King but what he did do was far more interesting.  With body language alone he caused Joffrey to back down.  While this method of intimidation was fantastic, it was King Joffrey who stole the show.  FINALLY someone mentioned a certain Queen who happens to command a growing army and three dragons.

Speaking of Daenerys, her story was one of the few that advanced as she now stands at the doorstep of her next conquest.  It was awesome to see her dragons intimidate her guest.  Her story was by far my favorite of the episode because it offered at least a hint of what’s coming.

I suppose the big moment of the episode was Jaime’s rescue of Brienne from a bear.  It was an awesome sequence but I couldn’t help but feel disappointed.  Jaime and Brienne have come a long way this season but we are right back where we started now as they head for King’s Landing…  It’ll be awesome once they get there and the confrontations begin but it’s taking a really long time.

As you can probably guess, I wasn’t a big fan of this episode.  If I had to choose a moment it would be tie between Daenerys negotiation tactics and King Joffrey acknowledging her existence. Other than that, there weren’t many BIG moments. We did get a TON of character development and many relationships advanced but the story stalled.  The Bear and the Maiden Fair almost felt like the first episode of the season.  All we did was check in on all the characters and move on.

There is a silver lining though.  This is probably the last episode of this kind.  They’ve repositioned characters, updated us on their relationships and journeys and now it’s time to start revealing the destinations.  With so few episodes left, I feel confident that there won’t be room for stalling.

It’s strange, this episode wasn’t my favorite but I’m even more excited for next week because they never air back to back episodes like this.  Next week, something will go down!

…  Maybe we will finally catch up with Commander Zombie?

COUNTDOWN | Best Moments: Game of Thrones Season 2

XTRA | Screenwriting & The Game of Thrones Theme

CATCH UP:

Episode 1 Moment: Valar Dohaeris

Episode 2 Moment: Dark Wings, Dark Words

Episode 3 Moment: Walk of Punishment

Episode 4 Moment: And now his watch is ended

Episode 5 Moment: Kissed by fire

Episode 6 Moment: The Climb

THE DEBATE CONCLUDES

ONE TREK…  ONE NO TREK INTRO

ONE TREK…  ONE NO TREK ROUND ONE

ONE TREK…  ONE NO TREK ROUND TWO

ONE TREK…  ONE NO TREK ROUND THREE

The Setup:

JAY: A fan of J.J Abrams’ Star Trek Universe with little knowledge of the original series.

JOHN: Not a fan of J.J Abrams’ Star Trek Universe but a huge fan of the original series.

ROUND THREE

(JAY) The sequel is not far away and you say it’ll get your money but as a sci fi fan and not a Star Trek fan. It makes me wonder what it would take for Star Trek Into Darkness to convince you that it is a tale worthy of it’s name.

I think it’s going to be spectacular because of the approach they’ve taken with the villain. After years of ‘Kahn’ speculation, it appears as though Benedict Cumberbatch is playing an original character. I’m hoping he is an original character. I’m sure you are as well. Why recycle legends like Kahn?  Let’s see something new.

Having said that, I think ‘John Harrison’ will have a lot in common with Kahn. He’s a powerful being who appears to have serious business with the federation and Earth. It’s almost a given that things will get personal with Kirk but I think it will be a classic battle of strategic minds.  They’ve even cast Alice Eve as Dr. Carol Marcus…

Much has been written about John Harrison’s back story. (note: need to find link for this) He’s fighting for a very real and very relatable cause. We’ll have to wait to find out what that cause is but I couldn’t be more encouraged.

Beyond the villain, I’m also excited to spend time with the crew of the Enterprise without the need to establish them. A part of me believes you didn’t respond to the first because they spent a lot of time setting up relationships you already knew inside and out. For me it was new but I can see how it can be frustrating for a long time fan. Especially when you factor in the time travel element they used to ‘reset’ the universe.

Now, the Enterprise has it’s captain and the adventure can begin right away. I hope they deliver more space battles. More strategy. More science fiction concepts. Essentially… More Star Trek. (And more lens flares.)

If Star Trek Into Darkness features more of the crew doing what they do best and a formidable foe, would that be enough?

What did you think of the trailers?  Encouraged?  Discouraged?

COUNTDOWN | Top 5 Moments: Star Trek Into Darkness Trailer #1

COUNTDOWN | Top 5 Moments: Star Trek Into Darkness Final Trailer

Personally, I think the sequel will surpass the original. They worked so hard to create a new universe of sorts where they have the freedom to do whatever they want with the franchise. They’ve got a blank check. I think it’s fascinating to consider the options they had available to them.

Opening credits. Star Trek.

However, I have to admit I’m not fully versed in what that entails. I know it’s going to be more Star Trek as I know it but will they be able to include enough to please fans of old?  As we reach the end of this debate I’m more convinced that I really don’t know the subtleties that makes Star Trek work.  But I know I’m a fan of this new crew.

Maybe I’m looking forward to the same movie you are. I’m just a lot more excited to see it because I love the new versions of the characters.

As this is technically the final round, I propose we revisit this debate after we both see the sequel. A fourth round.  We can find out if they succeeded in winning you back.

(JOHN) With the new movie closely approaching, I’m rather impressed how the identity of the villain is still a mystery. If they do decide to go the original route, I’d definitely find that a welcome decision, as recreating a previous villain will naturally force me to draw comparisons and stay loyal to the original. That’s just how I roll.

Having still not seen the original series minus The Wrath of Khan, I still find it hard how one can make comparisons to the new characters if they didn’t even really get to know the original ones. In essence, there isn’t really much there to base a comparison due to lack of reference. How do you know you “love” these new characters better than the original ones if you haven’t really seen them?

Pretty much any recreation of anything that already appeared in The Original Series is going to discourage me. You touched on more space battles, and I will admit that is the ONE thing I am curious about and interested in seeing. It may just be the ship, an inanimate object, but the Enterprise is definitely part of the “cast” of the series and is a character in itself. Even though they made some of their own modifications to the design of the ship, that is the one thing in the new films that I can mildly accept the aesthetic changes to as it still closely resembles the original, more than anything else they have tried to re-create. That quick shot of the Enterprise diving into what looks like water sparked my attention. The ship is something that is timeless, and whether you’re seeing it in The Motion Picture from 1979, or in the upcoming Darkness, it still holds true for me. I can imagine MY crew on the newer ship, and deal with it.

As I stated before, I’ll probably go see the movie when it comes out. But I’ll be there to basically check out the effects and watch someone else mess with “my” universe.

[UPDATE] Multiply these reasons by 50 now the the trailer has been released!  Forgive the pun but Gravity just skyrocketed even higher on my 2013 must see list.

Originally posted on January 30, 2013

Gravity is the next film from director Alfonso Cuarón. (Children of Men)  It’s a thriller about two astronauts who get stranded in space after their shuttle is destroyed.  Two people floating around with little hope of setting foot on Earth again.  Where will the story go?  How will they survive?  Why has this film’s development taken so long?  These are just a few questions that make Gravity one of my most anticipated movies of 2013.

Click here for 43 more movies to look forward to in 2013.

5. THE WAIT

Original Release Date: November 21, 2012

Actual Release Date: October 18, 2013

Those who were anxiously awaiting Alfonso Cuarón’s space thriller were forced to wait another year.  A year!  It’s unclear why the film was delayed given the overwhelmingly positive early buzz but I’m over it.  The film is obviously packed with challenging special effects.  If he needed an extra year to get it right I’m more than happy to forgive the delay.

4. THE CAST

George Clooney and Sandra Bullock.  Two fantastic actors tasked with bringing these astronauts to life.  Many big names were attached to Gravity before George & Sandra took on the roles.  Names that included Robert Downey Jr., Marion Cotillard, Scarlett Johansson, Blake Lively & Natalie Portman.

Tons of interest in roles that are sure to be challenging to pull off.  With a high concept that demands a ton of screen time for few actors, the cast is crucial.  As a fan of them both, I think this movie is in good hands.

3. THE DIRECTOR

Children of Men was a phenomenal movie full of imaginative ideas and incredible visuals.  Director Alfonso Cuarón gave us a thrilling science fiction adventure that dealt with extremely tense circumstances.  I loved Children of Men.  It’s full of breathtaking long shots that pushed the limits of what you can accomplish without an edit.

Rumor has it Gravity begins with a spectacular 17 minute opening shot.  I can’t wait to see it. (If it’s true.)

2. THE PREMISE

Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone–tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth…and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space.

Sounds awesome doesn’t it?  For now, this is all we know BUT it’s what we don’t know that makes Gravity so intriguing.

1. THE UNKNOWN

What excites me the most is what WON’T happen.  A concept like this could easily end with some kind of space battle or an alien world.  Perhaps a ship picks them up and they must fight to survive.  I’d be okay watching a movie like that but Gravity promises to be something different.

Two characters.  Endless Space.

A while back, George Clooney did an interview and had this to say:

“It’s a two-hander with only two actors in the whole film,” he says. “It is a very odd film, really. Two people in space. No monsters. It’s more like [2001: A Space Odyssey] than an action film.” (USA Today)

No monsters?  No aliens?  Just two people stranded in space and tethered to each other?

…  What’s going to happen!? I can’t wait to find out.  What do you think?

XTRA | 5 awesome gravity defying movie fights