“Star Trek: Into Darkness” is projected to sail the enterprise to the top of the box office and stay at that post for some time; after all, it is only logical. Trekkies and average movie goers alike swarmed to the Legacy Place Theater on Wednesday to take part in the unveiling of the new Star Trek film “Into Darkness”, and were not disappointed. Maintaining the continuous flow of sheer awesomeness set by the first Star Trek film, “Into Darkness” boards audience members onto the star fleet ship; Enterprise for an experience no one will ever forget.

After making a judgment call, that goes against protocol, to save Spock’s (Zachary Quinto’s) life from a heated scenario (something that is characteristic of this young captain) Kirk (Chris Pine) is discharged from his position as Star Fleet captain and reinstated as Captain Pike’s (Bruce Greenwood’s) First Officer . However, fate fixes this match up and once again proves it’s desire to see Kirk at the helm, allowing Captain Pike to pass away in a firefight and the young Captain to once again gain control of his ship. Their mission; to hunt down the man that murdered Captain Pike and re-label his expiration date to ASAP. On the surface, this seemingly “easy as pie” scenario proves to be nothing short of a daunting task fueled by vengeance, but the crew of the Enterprise soon realizes that they can not have their cake and eat it to.

“Into Darkness” is a flattering continuation of the Star Trek legacy, with a hint of “swagger.” It is enticing, situationally humorous, and aesthetically out of this world. The cast is also relatively notable.

Hollywood newcomer and star of the first Star Trek film Chris Pine flawlessly pursues the role of Kirk, an unconventional, protocol illiterate Captain that is constantly brewing a platter of snide remarks to serve to his Vulcan “friend” Spock. Zachary Quinto, a logical being that can chose to turn off his emotions like a light switch, also gives us a convincing performance that, at times, deems to be quite entertaining. Last but certainly not least, is Zoe Saldana, owning the more involved role of Uhura, language specialist.

On the “dark side” of the trekky spectrum is Khan ,played by masterpiece theater’s Benedict Cumberbatch. Though typically seen on television’s PBS as an awkwardly intelligent detective with friend Watson by his side, Cumberbatch becomes a conquistador in this film, exploring new roles and conquering them effortlessly.

Into Darkness is quite the spectacle. Even though this J.J. Abrams film is commonly referred to as an action film, this film casts a blanket of success over nearly every genre of film. It is funny, there is action, drama unfolds, romances blossom, it is thrilling (to the easily startled individual) and consists of what most films seem to lack this year; a good story. This is not the type of film one should wait to see until it is released on DVD because they will be tormented by the priceless appraisal everyone has given it and will give it in the months to come.

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If modern cinema labeled its films to mirror the presentation of certain productions “The Great Gatsby” would be better suited with the title “The Tolerable Gatsby and His Not So Tolerable Affiliates.” Based on the famed book for many years of the same title, this Warner Brother’s production unveils the curtain to an attempted visually polished act, that noticeably lacks the makings of a good film and even more belittling-a good story.

In this disappointing film remake Gatsby (Leonardo Di Caprio) devises a plan, using his neighbors (Toby McGuire) naivety to his strength, to steal the one thing that has tormented his mind for five years- Daisy, trophy wife, and lover of his neighbors step-cousin. Through this scheme, Gatsby wishes to return to the past when all things were presumably in order and relive his time with Daisy for eternity. Those who have read the novel know that Gatsby was a stranger to the commonly used phrase “don’t bite off more than you can chew” and did indeed choke on his own doings.

The anticipation for seeing this film is incomparable to any other movie that has been released. Being the only novel I have voluntarily read from cover to cover (and enjoyed), grand things were expected from this star cast feature. Unfortunately, life is full of disappointments. The film’s plot is far from enticing; proposing a story that is not hard to follow, but not worth following. “The Great Gatsby” introduces, to the film world, a new technique of boring ones audience members to death in a slow and painstaking way.

There are many instances where people see a film (based on a novel or short story) and refuse to stop whining about how the film did not do the book justice, and how it managed to exclude certain parts from the texts-so on and so forth. Though typically migraine inducing, these strongly opinionated individuals in this instance, are justified in their claims; the film does the book an unforgivable injustice. Had it taken the form of a newly proposed bill in congress, congressmen and women would most likely shred it and persist to ignite it. Sitting on the same ledge of disappointment with the story line, is the cast.

Toby McGuire cast as Nick Carraway, cousin of Daisy and neighbor of Gatsby, is nothing short of uncomfortable to watch, no pun intended. Standing approximately one foot taller than McGuire is Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan. Edgerton’s performance as husband of Daisy was bland and forgettable; any self-centered mustache bearing actor could have played this role. Hollywood veteran and female favorite Leonardo Di Caprio as Gatsby had, I must admit, the best performance of all the cast. However, though it is intriguing to watch Di Caprio flaunt his artistic abilities in a number of roles even he did not match the personality of his wealthy character; his purpose in the film was clear-to be a nice piece of eye candy for female audience members, blinding them from the structural downfall of this production. Though it would be pleasing to say that us gentleman had the same luxury of being fixated on a female character in the film to the same effect, this was not the case. Carrey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan was a horrible casting choice; she failed to mimic the emotionally uncertain, slightly oblivious, trophy wife that F. Scott Fitzgerald had so meticulously created in the novel. She was boring to watch on screen.

It is no myth that “The Great Gatsby” fell miles short of my expectations. The cast and story line seemed a masterpiece on paper, but fell apart when put into actions. Further inclusions of modern day hip-hop music, undoubtedly shot down the films only chance of redemption and has made clear the fact that Jay-Z can not help but shove his nose into a medium where he does not belong in. It was clear that hip-hop artist Jay-Z came across Django Unchained on On-Demand, watched it, liked it, and attempted to recreate the same fusion of past events with modern day music in “The Great Gatsby.” Though this film will do well in the box office, it does not deserve the recognition it will receive.

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How incredibly timely is this film “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”.  First let me begin with how entranced I was with this movie, not because of its intricate plot, wonderful storytelling, moving portrayal of a character in flux, and intelligent and deft directing but because of the richness and texture of the film itself from the opening sequence to the coffee shop in Pakistan. Mira Nair once again takes us on a journey.   It is so refreshing to sit in a movie theater and have a film sweep over you that intrigues you, educates you and makes sense of often senseless things.

The film follows the life of Changez (Riz Ahmed) a young Pakistani who emigrates to the U.S., attends a prestigious Ivy League college and goes to work on Wall Street. The American Dream, right?  Or so he thought.  His seemingly easy integration into a rich American life and his conformist attitude,  has this rising star well on his way to a very financially successful career.  He finds love with a cool young hippy (Kate Hudson) and is getting stellar reviews from his boss.  Life is good. And then, within 30 minutes, his life changes by the events of 9/11. A Pakistani in New York City in the wake of 9/11, he finds himself the target of the uneasiness of the city and a country to which he now does not belong. Profiled as a terrorist despite his glowing career, Changez views of the country he grew to love become unclear.

Mir Nair’s direction of this film once again shows her incredible ability to bring such a sensitive subject to the screen with a sense of humanism and understanding of the “other” side of the story. An exploration of the lives of people impacted by events that are beyond their control and how the power of perception leads people to make judgments without conversation or information can have a devastating impact.  Suspenseful, riveting, and thought provoking the film allows you to follow the life of Riz Amhed from his beginnings and successful rise in the US to his return home, frustrated and wary where he works as an educator.  We find him in the beginning of the film in a secret conversation with American Journalist played by Leiv Schreiber. Tensions are at times heightened as both, we can see and feel, are not quite comfortable with the other.  It isn’t until those final moments that we realize that the trust between the two could never be. There is too much history between them, too much distrust, too much anger. Changez mentions twice in this film “I love America” and in his heart he truly does, the problem is, like unrequited love often turns to bitterness, America’s lack of love for Changez turns him in to The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

This movie is one that should be seen. It should be seen in the movie theater, in high schools, in colleges, organizations and corporations. It is a film that will test your ability or inability to see beyond race, separate an individual from a group, and look deeply in to your own soul to find the humanism we all possess.

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Recipients of the AARP card constantly feel the need to lecture younger folk on the “good old days” where incomparable fun was defined by peeling back the cover of a newly bought comic book and submersing oneself into the superhuman realm it possesses. I have never been one to appreciate the art of reading comic books, or the idolization of humans that wield supernatural powers-until seeing “Iron Man 3″ directed by Shane Black and produced by Marvel Studios. Whether it was the seemingly endless battle scenes, or the nearly flawless visual effects, that put me in a trans of superhero splendor I can not say; the film was just that good.

Famous weapons developer (and iron man suit pilot) Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) had the perfect life, until now. With loved ones threatened by a terrorist known as the Mandarin (Guy Pearce), Stark embarks on a journey of revenge that tests him mentally, physically, and forces him to tease the question, does the suit make the man, or does the man make the suit? Though this question sounds more like something Mr. Miagi from the “Karate Kid” would say to Tony Stark and maybe a little too down to earth, there is nothing quizzical and earthly about this film. Punches are thrown, rockets are fired, unmanned explosions occur every twenty minutes, and Tony Stark continues to assault people with his superior vocabulary. The film moves at a pace that leaves little room for the sappy romantic dialogue that eats away at some of the better action film scenes to date and perfectly so.

The acting in “Iron Man 3″ is a hole in one compared to other recently released action films like “The Expendables 2″ that struggles to make par. Robert Downey Jr. is hard to dislike playing even an egotistical self-centered millionaire that likes to play with very expensive toys. I cannot say that I know Downey personally, but I would guess that his personality does not stray far from the one he effortlessly plays in the film. It appears as though he was paid to be himself. Other mentionable performances are from Gwyneth Paltrow who plays Pepper Potts, wife of Tony Stark and appointed president of Stark Industries. I have always referred to Paltrow as the “Shallow Hall” girl from her arguably notable character in the film, but her convincing performance in the “Iron Man 3″ trilogy has now earned her my title of “The Iron Man 3″ woman. Guy Pearce as scientist extraordinaire and Don Cheadle as Colonel James Rhodes put on performances that further impress the audience, making this cast an unarguably star cast. It is important to state, in few words, that the majority of the cast was well chosen and their performances were respectfully executed.

The third installment of the “Iron Man” series is a large step forward in a positive way, doing what many sequels fail to do; succeed. It is funnier, more enticing, aesthetically powerful, and most importantly, entertaining. Anyone that is deterred by the concept of super heroes will change their view after seeing this film like paranormal skeptics alter their views on the supernatural after seeing a ghost. All that is really left to say is go see it, and enjoy it.

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Best Foreign Language Film nominee at the 85th Academy Awards and 70th Golden Globe Awards is the historical dramatic film “Kon-Tiki.” This film is reincarnated on the big screen more than fifty years after the 1947 Kon-Tiki expedition and the release of a documentary feature of the same subject years later. Directors Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg stretch the bounds of modern film making by tricking audiences into believing that they were apart of the ambitious scientific voyage from Peru to Polynesia (an impressive distance of 4,300 nautical miles.) Disregarding the advice of many, the directors made the blatantly irrational decision of filming “Kon-Tiki” on the open ocean. Irrational and fraught with liability maybe, but the film is all the better for it and drenches every scene with realism from the rafts send off in Peru, captained by Thor Heyerdahl (Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen), to its eventual docking in Polynesia more than three months later.

Unsatisfied with the prevailing theories of the time that Polynesia had been settled by peoples migrating from the west, ethnographer and adventurer Thor Heyerdahl set out to prove his own theory of migration; that Peruvians were in fact the first to inhabit Polynesia. Thought by many to have been an extremist in regards to his beliefs, Heyerdahl built a wooden raft constructed of balsa-wood using the same techniques that would have been utilized thousands of years before. His objective: to drift to Polynesia using the oceans currents. Deemed as mad, scholars were unfaithful in Thor’s excursion. Viewers that are new to the expedition of 1947 struggle to choose whose side their on as send off day approaches; that of the faithful adventurer, or that of an onlooker who believes it is a suicide mission.

The atmosphere of the film is comfortable, until the crew of the Kon-Tiki sit motionless in the middle of the ocean. A feeling of isolation emerges from the set, putting the crew members and audience members in a state of unease. In its entirety “Kon-Tiki” is a fun journey that captures, to the best of its ability, the struggles and triumphs of being in a similar situation. It brings to light one mans goal to prove that new lands had not only been discovered by European explorers, but by the indigenous people that once lived there many years ago. It is as much of a historical film as it is an incredibly entertaining one.

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THINGS NEVER SAID

Director/Writer: Charles Murray

Stars: Shanola Hampton, Elimu Nelson, Omari Hardwick

KALINDRA STEPNEY (Kal) is an emerging spoken-word poetess, someone who willingly speaks her thoughts, but she’s an artist who has yet to find her voice. A native of California, Kal has dreams of taking her poems to New York and the infamous Nuyorican stage. Haunted by a miscarriage and saddled with RONNIE, a husband who’s angry and without direction – he uses his fists as a form of speech, Kal tries desperately to find an outlet for her struggling voice.

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“42″ directed by Brian Helgeland and produced by Legendary Pictures outlines a time of racial tension in the atmosphere of one of Americas greatest past times; the game of baseball. This slightly exaggerated biographical film follows one of Americas greatest living legends and his struggles after being called up from the all-negro baseball league to “white-mans” baseball, the big leagues. Though this film is a celebration of an American hero, it is chilling none the less, exploring a period of time that many people are merely embarrassed to speak of today.

Haunted by an instance in his childhood where an African American catcher on his college baseball team (sporting the highest batting average) fell victim to discrimination, Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford )makes the courageous decision to bring an African American player from the all-negro leagues to play in major league baseball. There is no doubt that Harrison Ford was a wise casting choice, but that is an understatement. Ford owns the role of mentor and opportunity giver; to a point that one could be convinced that Ford himself was indeed the inspirational businessman that actually made this decision. The seasoned Hollywood veteran also compliments the films rich historical content with undeniably fitting humor.

Sharing the same light as some of the more seasoned Hollywood actors, Chadwick Boseman making his cinema debut as hall of famer Jackie Robinson. This newbie to the acting world puts forth a sumptuous performance; one that will be remembered for great time to come. Aside from the physical resemblance, Chadwick Boseman’s, like Ford, fools the audience into believing that the actor was actually recovered footage of Robinsons youth, colorized.

There are few films that evoke such a powerful sense of realism on the screen, but this is one of them. Racial slurs and phrases in the film bring to life the unsettling atmosphere that once existed not to long ago and a painful reminder of how equality was not always the social norm and taken for granted.

Not to be compared with some of the other “based on a true story” sporting films such as “Miracle” (Gavin O’Connor) and “Remember The Titans” (Boaz Yakin) that flood their scripts with motivational speeches no man can ignore. “42″ offers a lighter approach to the usual “pump-up” effect found in films of similar genres; but no half time speeches are needed. The theme of the film (one man shattering the racial chains of a broken people) is just enough to make viewers leave the theater with a heightened feeling of accomplishment and goodness.

“42″ is a must see film for everyone that can bare the slight discomfort of individuals being put down under less than justifiable circumstances and for those that enjoy the game of baseball with a hint of humor. Whoever doesn’t see this film, and I can say this with confidence, will be missing out on the greatest film of the year.

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