The Ohio Sci-Fi and Horror Marathons

First of all - see it in 70mm if you get the chance. Really worth the effort to do so since a decent chunk of the movie was shot that way, and even the 35mm stuff looks miles better than crappy grey and milky shadows digital. Unfortunately, it appears they are only offering 70mm along with Imax and 3D, so it can be pricey - but, still worth it!

It's good, not great, but, there are a number of nice Trek and SF touches for the fans. It may not have the most original plot, but, it moves along with enough wit and intelligence to not fall into the sophomore slump.

The biggest debits: It perhaps owes too much debt to the original series (at some point they have to just do their own thing - just because these are the same characters at a younger age, doesn't mean they have to repeat the future all the time). JJ Abrams still seems to think that camera light flares and over-the-top action somehow make his Trek more palatable to the kiddies. We get it. It's a new series with new camera techniques and younger stars who can do more physical action, but that doesn't mean the laws of physics don't apply. 'Twas the characters and their interactions with each other and the universe that made Trek - not grandiose sfx, flashy camerawork, and action.

As to why Paramount seemed so aggressive in keeping the film away from many critics - who knows? Once a few critics (not to mention foreign countries) see it - everybody has heard about it anyway in this day and age! And, the big "spoiler" was on the internet months ago anyway...........

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Long Live the Orson Welles Cinemas

I liked it a lot, though it wasn't quite as fresh and interesting as the first installment. I was fine with knowing the first "spoiler" that you are probably referring to, however I think there was another big one that was pretty well guarded.

I was very bothered by some late developments in the third act that I could not possibly even dance around without delving majorly into spoilers. But let's just say that the film as a whole was so overhelmingly entertaining I was able to look past that moreso than I maybe would have otherise.

I was extremely impressed by the level of fan service Abrams was able to deliver, in more ways than one, and it makes me extremely excited to see what he does with Star Wars, because I have always been a bigger fan of that universe than this one.

A couple other observations: seeing this and Iron Man Three so close together (plus recent memories of The Hobbit) on the big screen makes it clear just how far special effects have evolved very quickly over the last few years, especially in the hands of a deft director ( and especially when you have the budget to spend money on them, I guess). I'm still a big fan of the "magic" of a good practical effect, but my goodness CGI has come a long way.
Lastly, I've said this many many times before, but Hollywood: please please please STOP SPOILING YOUR MOVIES IN YOUR TRAILERS. I thankfully only saw the Star Trek one once, but there's a pretty enormous "money shot" that is literally a major part of the climax IN THE TRAILER. This also happens in the trailer for Ender's Game, which we saw before this feature.

Sigh... just enough already!

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Aliens? Us?
Is this one of your Earth "jokes?"

I didn't see it in 70MM but I did see it on the Marcus ULTRASCREEN in 3-D and WOW was it amazing, the special effects and the 3-D were near perfect. I like the movie but I was "the surprise" coming a mile away and.....

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Jaws3dfan®
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I actually enjoyed it even more than the first one. I specifically avoided spoilers so I wasn't sure whether or not "the big spoiler" was coming until it did. I'm glad people don't seem to be nitpicking the film to death as the internet usually does.

I was really surprised by how good Peter Weller was in the film. I've always liked him, going back to RoboCop especially, and I hope this brings him the comeback he deserves. The movie's best special effect? Alice Eve.

I'll wait and see the Warth of Khan remake when it its Blu Ray.

After a Star Trek Con voted INTO DARKNESS the worst ever Trek film, and affter months of fan griping, Co-Writer Bob Orci ventures into the official STAR TREK website and mayhem and F-bombs ensue!

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/09/bob-orci-blows-up-at-star-trek-fans-for-not-adoring-into-darkness?WT_mc.id=10036
EDIT: Fixed broken link - VZ

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Long Live the Orson Welles Cinemas

Yes, that sounds like a good plan.

Not having read the link yet, in Orci's defense the voters clearly never saw The Search for Spock, The Final Frontier, Insurrection or Nemesis. I'd have to give it a little more thought but I'd definitely put Into Darkness ahead of all those.

EDIT: Now that I have read it, I still stand by my thought about those other 4 films, but man does Orci come across as an ass.

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The wages of sin are royalties.

Oh, those were all diehard fans. I agree they went overboard to prove a "point" in naming DARKNESS the worst ever.

Funny how the Trek website mod allowed Orci to use F-bombs when they usually censor them. Did make him look more like an ass!

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Long Live the Orson Welles Cinemas

But the fans just look delusional when they do something like that. I get they were unhappy, and I did not take time to read all of the original thread of ideas to improve the franchise. But they remind me of Adam West back in 1988 going around the country complaining that Mr. Mom should not play Batman, and that there is only one true Batman, Adam West. Though I will give him credit a few years later he decided to make fun of himself for it, but I recall hearing his interviews and if he was kidding at that point he was a better actor than he ever was on Batman. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIN2TDd4xr0

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The wages of sin are royalties.