J.J. Abrams (the writer) – like Gene Roddenberry and Stanley Kubrick – uses the science fiction genre as a medium to showcase how humans can better understand each other and their emotions. The trailer for Super 8 features a spectacular train wreck and although that scene is the most violent of the entire film, it is more harmless and generic than it is spectacular. The extra-terrestrial on the loose in the small Ohio town is a textbook example of a MacGuffin and although its true nature is slowly revealed throughout the film, it still receives far too much camera time. Like …
Star Trek
Star Trek not only successful reboots the franchise but is the first film to feature a Beastie Boys song in the 23rd century. The film is visually spectacular thanks to the direction of J.J. Abrams, which features innovative camera angles and a brisk pace. The film also re-introduces the primary characters, combining familiar traits with new wrinkles well enough to satisfy most fans. (I had heard that Christopher Pine based his portrayal of James T. Kirk on Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones and Han Solo and was disappointed when he did not take advantage when Spock perfectly set him up for …