Worth repeating: "Star Trek" in review

I caught the Sunday repeat of "The Movie Show" tonight. First nine minutes of a 27 minutes episode. Very positive. Four out of five stars each for the new "Star Trek" film - and reviewers Margaret and David rarely agree. Lots of footage, JJ Abrams and Eric ("Nero") Bana interviews, and more interview clips and text on the ABC-TV's website!

www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s2547372.htm
www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s2547417.htm
www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s2547404.htm

Excellent!

Hancock: surprisingly good

I have a small wad of Hoyts' Hot Cash coupons in my wallet (no moths!) which expire in July, so I used one today to see the unlikely superhero movie, "Hancock".

I'd seen some great trailers, which seemed to indicate a Will Smith comedy, and then some fairly positive reviews on "The Movie Show", which suggested a movie with something more to offer. Hancock is a tramp-like, perpetually drunk, super-powered human living in Los Angeles, who has no regard for the damage he causes when rescuing victims of crime and natural disaster. When the amnesiac Hancock saves the life of a public relations exec, Ray (Jason Bateman), who was trapped in the path of a train, Ray promises Hancock he can turn the tide of the way the public perceive his life. Ray's wife, Mary (Charlize Theron), believes Hancock cannot be transformed into a legitimate superhero, and yet there seems to be an odd connection between Hancock and Mary.

I really don't want to say any more, because the movie has several unexpected twists that really took me by surprise. One was almost spoiled by one of the TV commercials, but I found I quite forgot about that while watching the movie. So there are plenty of surprises. There's nothing particularly new about this movie, but the elements are put together very well, and the cast is extremely appealing. I haven't noticed Jason Bateman in anything since TV's "Valerie"/"The Hogan Family", although I note he was in a few things I've seen, such as "Dodgeball", and a DVD I own but haven't watched yet, "Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium".

If you're wondering about whether to bother with "Hancock", and you're still waiting for the next big superhero movie on the horizon, "The Dark Knight", I say, "Go for it."

Sunday's not so magic number: 95.5 - Oh dear. Oh well.

Gabriel and the Blue Planet

On Monday night, I was able to use two free double passes to take three friends to see the preview of "Gabriel", a new independently-produced Australian movie which officially premieres on Thursday.

I'd seen a trailer for it a few months ago, but had no idea at the time that "Gabriel" was an Australian film. It certainly looks interesting, but the story failed to keep me enthralled. The storyline didn't seem all that innovative. Fallen arch angels battling Lucifer's minions on the level playing field of Purgatory has been done before, and better, by many other films.

Too often, I found myself analysing the filming techniques, the actors (it was a little distracting that one near-death arch angel is currently an alcoholic doctor in "All Saints", and the woman trying to heal him is a doctor in "Home and Away"), the script and the special effects. It reminded me a bit of a moody, almost monochromatic, long music video, although thankfully the music was used sparingly, and was actually quite good.

We recognised several cast and crew in the cinema, and there were some very funny moments as guffaws, from various darkened locations, floated through the air whenever certain two-line extras mumbled dialogue at each other.

The executive producer had congratulated us all on winning a contest to get the tickets - hey, I just picked up mine from a bookshop counter! - but my guests commented wryly that they were glad I didn't have to buy the tickets, or do anything too strenuous to "win' them.



Tonight, it was back into the CBD once more: for the 40th anniversary of IMAX cinemas. There was champagne - and wonderful canapes (oh my diet!) - in an effort to bring more teachers and their excursion groups into Darling Harbour. The screening was a revamped version of "Blue Planet", with stunning NASA photography from various shuttle missions, Earthbound footage of glaciers, hurricanes African animals, and amazing CGI effects.

I sometimes "bliss out" watching IMAX documentaries, but this one was riveting. I have no need of travelling in the space shuttle now. I feel like I've already been there.

I have seen the Big Blue Marble with my own eyes.

The goodie bag was fun too: miniature squeegees, for one's computer monitor screens, a pen, lots of pamphlets, and a strip of real IMAX footage. Not bad for a free night's entertainment.

Captain's Log: Supplemental. The ABC's "The Movie Show" did an interesting pair of reviews on "Gabriel" this week. David hated it, and gave it 1.5 stars, saying it was tedious and unoriginal; Margaret loved it and gave it 3.5 stars. I think I'm still somewhere in between.

Movie overload

"Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" opened in Sydney today and, although it got panned on ABC's "The Movie Show" last night, the trailers look amazing and I'm still keen to see it.

I guess I'll catch it on the weekend, but I still have "Shrek the Third", "Bridge to Terabithia" and "Pirates of the Caribbean 3", among others, on my list. Sunday might become a lost day, spent traveling from darkened room to darkened room.