Movie Review: Star Trek Beyond

An entertaining, but redundant, third chapter in the new Star Trek film series. While that plot wasn’t bad, it just feels like something they’ve done to death. Kirk and crew must stop a madman bent on mass destruction…which has been the basic plot of all three new “Star Trek” films. It just feels like I’ve seen this all before. It took till the final action sequence for me to get emotionally invested in the story. On the plus side, likable characters make things fun to watch. And everybody gets a chance to shine. The two new cast members do fine in their roles while acting in tons of makeup. But, villain’s flimsy motivations prevent him from being anything memorable. Overall, there are no real surprises. There are nods to the Star Trek canon from before the reboot that are appreciated, particularly one at the end of the movie. The majority of effects look great, and there are some really cool visuals.
**1/2 out of *****

Movie Review: Ghostbusters (2016)

Despite all of the negative fan backlash, this is an enjoyable film. While it is not even close to the train wreck that was predicted, this still can’t fill the shoes of the original “Ghostbusters.” The cast is what holds the movie together. The leads are all likable and have good chemistry. There’s even some nice character moments to flesh some of the leading ladies out, something we never quite got with the original team. Melissa McCarthy’s Abby Yates is fine, but doesn’t quite make much of an impression. I felt that Leslie Jones could’ve let loose more as Patty Tolan. She always felt like she was just shy of saying something hilarious. While Kate McKinnon generally steals the show as the quirky Jillian Holtsman, she gets too close to overdoing her shtick. The same can be said of Chris Hemsworth’s Kevin, who displays stupidity that is beyond the realm of reality. Kristen Wiig takes some time to get into her groove, but her character is the most rounded. The rest of the cast is fair, and the villain of the film is never as menacing as he should be. The plot is not bad. It’s a good mix of old and new. But, the execution is off. Things start off a bit slow and then speed along too fast before going into an odd, and sometimes confusing finale that tries too hard to make this comedy into an action film. On another note, I thought the cameos from the original cast were hit and miss, and was pretty disappointed that they didn’t find a way to work in an appearance by the late Harold Ramis. Just a quick shot of a TV showing him in one of his other films would’ve sufficed.
**1/2 out of *****