Showing posts with label Chris Pine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chris Pine. Show all posts

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Unstoppable (2010)

This is your basic action movie, but it had enough to keep my interest, and it was better than Tony Scott's last film The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. It captured my interest throughout.

Frank Barnes and Will Colson (Denzel Washington and Chris Pine) have set out to move line of train cars from one end of the track to another. Also, they don't really care for each other. Barnes is a career railman, while Colson took the job as something to do. While they're on the trek, another train carrying cars full of hazardous materials is barreling down the tracks straight toward them. Bigger problem: No one's at the helm of the runaway train. The first step is to make sure they can get out of the way before the cars run straight into them. When the plan becomes a disaster effort, Barnes and Colson decide to take matters into their own hands and track the sucker down. They need to make sure they do it before the train reaches an impossible turn in a densely populated area. Game on.

Again, this was a basic, but very enjoyable action flick. There was enough suspense and intensity to keep me glued to the screen the whole time. Speaking of time, it was also the right length. Any longer or shorter would have detrimentally hurt the film. The biggest problem I have, and it was noticeable, was the amount of moving panoramic shots. I understand they're used to build suspense, but they just made me dizzy. Also, they're unnecessary while people are just talking. That being said, most action fans should enjoy this. Grade: B

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Star Trek (2009)

I am, by no means, a Star Trek fan. Not in any way, but this movie was pretty damn good. J.J. Abrams made a cult series, that only appealed to die-hards, an enjoyable movie that anyone can be excited about.

The movie begins with a Romulan attack on Starfleet, particularly the Starship Enterprise, where newly appointed Capt. George Kirk gives his life to save many more, including his wife and son's. Years later, James Kirk (Chris Pine) is a smart, yet abrasive, loner in a rural Iowa town. Per a chance encounter, he is offered a spot in Fleet Academy. Years later, he is still a rebel against authority and begins butting heads with the all-knowing Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto). Now, the Starship Enterprise is up and running again and responding to a distress call on Vulcan where, a stowawayed, Kirk realizes the same distress call is what killed his father. Chaos ensues and the cause of the problem may not be what it seems.

I had a great time watching this. It kept my interest throughout and had a great plot resolution. Abrams managed to make something that has always bored the crap out of me into a movie I can watched over and over again. A great job was done by the supporting cast as well: John Cho, Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin, Eric Bana and, my favorite, Simon Pegg. Watch this.