Star Trek: Into Darkness

 

Has this happened to you?  You see a trailer for a movie and you think, "Man, that looks pretty good.  I guess I'll go see that when I get a chance".  Eventually, you see the film entering the dark cinema with mediocre expectations and leave speechless because you've just had your mind blown to smithereens.  This is what happened with Star Trek: Into Darkness.

 

This film has grown up since it's predecessor in 2009.  Jeremy Quinto and Chris Pine, as Spock and Kirk respectively, are on point and a delight to watch.  Benedict Cumberbatch as John Harrison completely steals the show and, for this reviewer, was the reason I was told politely by another moviegoer to stop squealing in delight so loudly.

 

Star Trek purists may find some issues with this film and want to point out some inconsistencies with previous stories.  As the story takes place in an alternate universe that was established in the first film, some liberties will be taken and some famous moments may be slightly altered but not without reason or merit and it certainly doesn't detract from the incredible power of this film.

 

So, stop what you're doing, change your plans, and tell your friends and family that you're busy and go see this film.  It's damn near perfect.  It's incredibly fun, edge-of-your-seat-pull-out-your-hair-if-you-have-any thrilling, humorous, mindful, and intense.  Stop reading.  Tell your dog to walk herself and be on your way.  (see it in 3D for more mind-blowidge)

 

8 out of 5 stars (yeah, I can do that)

 

Aaron "I didn't have any hair to pull out so I pulled out the hair of the person sitting next to me" Leon

 

"Let's go get this sonofabitch!"

The Great Gatsby

Around 2004 I read The Great Gatsby (well, skimmed it really) for a book report in school. The film released this weekend was the fifth screen adaptation of the book, staring Toby McGuire and Leonardo DiCaprio. The film is lavish, song-driven and very entertaining! The film takes a few liberties from the 1925 novel and, in my opinion, it was impossible to condense it into a two-hour movie. It has too many moving parts and they ended up cutting a few corners. The movie is extremely decked out with flashy cars, jewelry and costumes. Of course it revolves around the upscale, wealthy society in New York City, so it meets expectations.

The music was played up for this movie; every trailer I have seen mentions its sound track. However, I found the songs were distracting and they took away from the setting of the 1920s Jazz Age.

Baz Luhrmann did a great job on this film, but in the eyes of this moviegoer, he should have kept the record player feel for the soundtrack. The overall cast did a great job in this film, but DiCaprio stole the show by far.

Overall for a summer film, The Great Gatsby really knocks it out of the park. I honestly enjoyed the film more than Iron Man and that’s HUGE coming from anyone you see posting reviews on The Film Rewind. You should want to see this film, you need to see this film and if you haven’t read the book I would suggest not to until after the movie. After all, half of the fun of this movie and the book is to figure out just who Jay Gatsby really is.

5 out of 5

~JRB~

“I just remembered, it’s my birthday.”

Iron Man 3

Let's be clear about something.  This film features a character named Tony Stark.  He is incredibly badass.  Therefore, it is, in the opinion of this reviewer, for this film to be anything short of piss-in-your-pants incredible.  Which it is.

There are a lot of things that work with this film.  The tone is intense and fast-paced.  The dialogue is witty, humorous, and relevant.  The film never leaves you waiting for the next scene and every single frame is full of some epic happening. There is even more hilarious and witty banter from Stark and this continues to add substance to his character and make him all the more believable.  There are a few things to note, however.  Die-hard fans of the comics may be frustrated with certain liberties and interpretations taken with several characters.  This doesn't take away from the quality of the film as it stands independently but might strike a chord with those expecting Marvel to stick to the original canon.  Also, the main villain doesn't feel as significant enough to drive home the urgency of the overall situation.  As exhilarating as the movie is overall, you might find yourself stopping for a few, brief seconds in disappointment but only those who have pre-set expectations may experience this.

Marvel's Iron Man 3 is a sure hit for comic book fans, action junkies, and fun-seekers.  The movie is fast-paced, exciting, intense, and completely epic.  You might want to bring a pillow for the edge of your seat because that is where your buttocks will be planted for the entire show. 

See this movie.

4 out of 5

Aaron "I'm still mad about what he did during Civil War" Leon

"Don't shoot! Seriously, I don't even wanna work for them. They are so weird!"

MUD

If you’re a fan of Mark Twain’s ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ then you’ll thoroughly enjoy this movie.  The movie follows two young, southern boys who live on a river and find a mysterious man on an island.  Needless to say, despite the glaring similarities to the aforementioned novel, and without giving anything away, the plot does begin to bring an air of originality about halfway through the film and it isn’t altogether unpleasant.  This film is not action-packed and it isn’t going to leave you on the edge of your seat.  In fact, I felt that it was long but not superfluously so.  Matthew McConaughey is a pretty consistent (for lack of better words) actor and while he wasn’t pulling any jokes or being as obnoxious as he usually is, his character was certainly not outside the proverbial box.  There are a few lessons to learn about youth, love, and justice and these messages were well executed and, at times, warm. 

All in all, MUD is a decent film but often feels very tired and confused.  It is definitely on the long side, incredibly slow, and the theme won’t sit well with everyone but there are several moments of excitement and a few messages that we can all relate to. 

2 out of 5 

Aaron “Actually liked Sahara” Leon 

“You boys better watch yerself”