Last weekend, the wife and I were able to sneak away for a few days to catch some movies. Since I don’t get to see may films in the theatre lately, I wanted to cram as many movies into a two-day weekend as I could.  And with the summer blockbuster season upon us, this is a great time to do so.  While in Lexington, we wanted to catch “Wolverine,” the new “Star Trek” and “Angels & Demons.”  Now, I’ve been a comic book fan, especially Marvel’s X-Men line since I was a tween, even though we didn’t know what a “tween” was in those days.  And while my heart will always belong to George Lucas’ “Star Wars,” I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve always been a lover of Star Trek as well.  And as for “Angels & Demons,” I enjoyed the pace and the plot of the book, and was entertained by Ron Howard’s film version of “The Da Vinci Code.”  Needless to say, I was pretty stoked for the big movie marathon!

There are two main reasons that I don’t get to the theatre as much as I have in the past.  Besides the little monster/child living in my house I call Tripp, the main reason I don’t go to the theatre is because I don’t want to waste my time and money going to a bad theatre.  I’m saying I need I-Max level visuals and sound, but a clean floor, working speakers and a clear picture should be the norm when going to the movies.  Here in Hazard, that simply isn’t the case.  Movie Tavern, in the Man O War shopping center, is a great place to watch a movie.  Not only do they have digital sound and great, if small, screens; they have a full restaurant and bar!  That’s right, full service menu, adult beverages and a movie in one place.  What could be better than that?!?  We went there to see “Wolverine” early on a Saturday and had the theatre completely to ourselves.  The food, which is comparable to TGI Friday’s or O’Charley’s, was pretty good, but a bit on the pricy side. 

    Walking into this one, I was apprehensive.  I’d talked to a few friends who had already seen the film and were far from impressed.  One, a fellow X-Fan, said it was a clichéd 80’s-styled action film with little regard to the source material.  I decided long ago that strict adherence to source material was no real issue for me.  In fact, I enjoy when filmmakers take some liberty with a project, molding and shaping it into something fresh, while keeping key concepts and ideas recognizable.  That is what the makes of Wolverine have done with a reasonable amount of success.  If you’ve seen the X-Men films, this acts as a prequel, telling the story of Logan from his childhood in 19th century Canada through his becoming the indestructible Weapon X.   The action scenes are entertaining and there are enough cameo’s to keep any fan-boy happy.  In fact, these cameos are so prevalent that they become a hindrance to the film.  This is basically a road movie, with Wolverine traveling around meeting mutants and killing bad guys. We don’t get to spend enough time with any of the characters to care when they are killed.  And Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool is GREAT, but we don’t get nearly enough of him. Luckily, there’s talk that he’ll get his own film in the near future.  My main gripe with Wolverine is that, while costing around $150 million, it feels cheap in parts. The sets seem thin and lifeless and the special effects are lacking in some key sequences.  For some reason, they decided to use digital claws as opposed to the amazing practical set used in the first X-films.  They look like something from the Roger Rabbit film, not Wolverine.  In the end, I enjoyed the film.  It’s far superior to X-3 and Hugh Jackman is just cool and charismatic.  If you’re a fan of summer action films, this is one worth watching. But if I had to suggest just film to see right now, the choice is easy. Watch “Star Trek” NOW!!!! 

    J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek”  is simply amazing.  I’ve studied film on a professional/academic level for the better part of a decade, and there are few flaws to be found in this film.  And, as a fan of the original, let me tell you that this is NOT your parent’s Star Trek; it’s light years better!  These characters are still the people that we remember, and yet never have they been more real.  Spock is a logic-loving alien.  But for the first time, we see him struggling with his emotions like never before.  Kirk is the cocky cowboy who punches first and chases green chicks just as before.  But now, he’s also a flawed kid who’s looking to find his destiny.  Bones, Scotty, Sulu and the rest are all here, but they’re three-dimensional characters living in a more believable world.  If there is a flaw in the film, it’s the villain.  I’m not going to get overly Geek on you, but not showing a single Klingon was a mistake.  I agree that Romulans are an underused villain in the franchise, but Eric Bana’s Nero just didn’t instill the fear of a Kahn. 

    Technically, the film is beautiful.  The ship designs are stunning, the action sequences are thrilling and the sets are paradoxically retro and modern.  And seeing Leonard Nemoy on screen as Spock one more time is pure nerd bliss.  I’m excited about the possibilities of future Star Trek films. If you love Star Trek, go see it. If you’ve never seen a single Star Trek movie or TV episode before, go see it.  If you like to be entertained, go see it.  If any film comes out this summer better than Star Trek, I will be amazed.

    The last film I saw on my recent trip to Lex Vegas was “Angels & Demons.”  The book on which the film is based is actually set prior to the events of The Da Vinci Code, but the filmmakers have made this a sequel.  Here, brilliant “Symbologist” Robert Langdon is recruited by the Catholic Church to help solve a mysterious series of murders.  Of the three, this one left me the least impressed.  It is better than the first of the series, in that the action is more concise and the puzzles are easier to follow.  It does lack the sexy-ness of Jesus and Mary having children, but makes up for it in shear thrills.  Ewan McGregor steals the show here as a young priest hoping to modernize the Church while still keeping it sacred and holy.  Unfortunately, if you have read the book, there is no need to see the film.  The only changes are cosmetic; combining or omitting characters and scenes for time.  And changing the Assassin from an Arab to an Englishman was pointless, done perhaps for political correctness rather than artistic license.  The Assassin of the novel is a madman, hell bent on bringing down the Catholic Church.  In the film, he’s a gun for hire, doing these atrocious deeds for the money.  Not a good change, in my opinion.  The Illuminati are a perfect foil for the church, and a recognizable enough concept for modern audiences to relate.  But knowing how this film was going to end really hurt my viewing experience.  Every twist and turn is telegraphed by the filmmakers.  It’s not a bad film, if you’ve never read the book.  But I was let down by the overall product.  Still, I would wager that we haven’t seen the last of Ron Howard and Tom Hanks collaborating on another Robert Langdon project in the future. 

    That’s enough for this week.  Last winters Oscar-nominated films are coming out on DVD, so I’m trying to catch up on the one’s I’ve missed. Hopefully we can look at some of these next time. Until then, that’s a wrap from The Director’s Chair.