Moonlight

  Written and directed by Barry Jenkins, this new drama is a very intimate story of identity and human connection. The film is divided into three chapters in the life of Chiron, a young black man from a poor neighborhood in Miami,  first seen as a nine year old, then as a teenager and finally as an adult.

The character is played by three different actors,  Alex Hibbert as "Little", Chiron's nickname as a child, Ashton Sanders as the teenage Chiron, and Trevante Rhodes as the adult Chiron, now known as "Black". The film also features Mahershala Ali, Andre Holland, Janelle Monae, and Naomi Harris. The acting is remarkable, especially considering the dialog is sparse throughout much of the film.

Mr. Jenkins direction is flawless, pulling depths of emotion from his characters, often without words. He relies heavily on Chiron and the world seen through his eyes as he struggles with his identity and sexuality. A world highlighted by the excellent cinematography of James Laxton. The story unfolds at a slow deliberate pace, drawing the audience deeper into Chiron's life to the point you don't want his story to end.

Dividing the film into three distinct periods in Chiron's life is a bold move. Much of the story remains untold between the chapters, where the audience must fill in the pieces. The transition from teenager to adult in particular is shocking at first, but you soon realize it was almost predestined. What never changes is Chiron's struggle with identity and his desire for a real emotional connection. There is poetry in this film.

The Accountant

             Well here's a story that just doesn't add up. A highly functioning autistic boy is trained by his military father in martial arts and weaponry only to become an accountant for criminal organizations and kills people on the side. And furthermore, he covers his tracks by doing taxes for the locals in his small town.

               The story is fairly ridiculous with plot holes everywhere but the crazy thing is, Ben Affleck makes it work. Mr. Affleck's conviction in the title role makes the whole thing very watchable and even enjoyable though you don't buy any of it for a second. 

                Anna Kendrick co-stars as the damsel in distress along with J.K. Simmons as the Treasury Agent in charge hunting the "The Accountant". The film also features Jean Smart and John Lithgow as a corporate power brother and sister team who hire Mr. Affleck to check their books for a major discrepancy (ooh, the tension). Jeffrey Tambor, Jon Bernthal and Cynthia Addai-Robinson round out the cast.

                 While the film may be baffling in many ways, it  has it's moments of suspense and excitement until it falls completely flat at the end. Unfortunately, the door is left open for a sequel. I can see it now..."The Accountant 2: The Audit" coming soon to a ledger near you.

Deepwater Horizon

Based on the 2010 oil rig disaster in the gulf of Mexico, this new drama recreates the event with amazing detail. Director Peter Berg realistically charts the events leading up to and during the explosion that destroys the Deepwater Horizon rig and tragically takes the life of eleven crew members. Watching the film, it's actually a miracle that more people weren't killed but for the survivors, it will still be a nightmare that will haunt their dreams for a lifetime.

Mark Wahlberg stars as Mike Williams along side Kurt Russell as Jimmy "Mr. Jimmy" Harrell. Mr. Jimmy runs the rig and Mr. Williams is one of his engineers. They both frantically try to rescue their fellow crew members and control the damage until it becomes clear they must try to save themselves too. The film also co-stars Gina Rodriguez as Andrea Fleytas, another crew member as well as Kate Hudson as Mike's worried wife back home. John Malkovich also co-stars as Donald Vidrine, the BP executive who orders the drilling to continue after routine tests show an irregularity.

Credit Mr. Berg and his team for recreating the amazing action sequences including the multiple explosions and the fire that follows. He sets up an emotional connection to the characters and when things go wrong, the audience is pulled right into the nightmare and concerned for every life.

You can read about these disasters and watch them on the news but this film does an excellent job of putting you right in the middle of one. It is extremely exciting and tremendously sad at the same time, when you realize what you are watching actually happened. You owe it to these brave souls to stay through the credits for a tribute to the crew that lost their lives as well as acknowledging the work of the entire film crew that brings the story to life with incredible realism.

American Pastoral

Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Phillip Roth, this new drama fails to live up to the depth and impact of the book.

Directed by and starring Ewan McGregor, it is the story of a family torn apart during the turbulent '60's. Mr. McGregor plays Seymour "Swede" Lovov, a successful Jewish businessman living in the New Jersey Suburbs. His non-Jewish wife, Gwen, is played by Jennifer Connelly and their daughter, Merry (from 16 on) is played by Dakota Fanning. The film also co-stars Peter Riegert as Seymour's father, Molly Parker as a therapist and Uzo Aduba as Vicky, a senior employee at Seymour's Glove factory.

Mr. McGregor's direction is pretty straight forward with a literal eye for the screenplay. He and his team capture the look and feel of the '60's with an assist from archival footage. The acting is good but the real problem here lies in the screenplay. 

The script by John Romano edits out the depth and richness of the novel, breaking it down into key moments  that propel the film through it's heartbreaking story. This doesn't do any justice to the characters or their circumstances. Everything plays out rather superficially with an illusion of depth.  

The film is slow to start but after a life changing moment, the pace does pick up a bit. However, unless you are the father of a daughter (I totally understood Seymour's pain), you may find yourself losing interest in the story.

Denial

     "Denial" is based on the true story of Deborah Lipstadt's legal battle for her historical interpretation against David Irving, who accused her of libel when she declared him a Holocaust denier. In the English legal system, in cases of libel, the burden of proof is on the accused, therefore it was up to Lipstadt and her legal team, led by Anthony Julius and Richard Rampton, to prove that the Holocaust really happened.

        The film stars Rachel Weisz as Deborah Lipstadt, Timothy Spall As David Irving, Andrew Scott as Anthony Julius and Tom Wilkinson as Richard Rampton.  The cast is outstanding. Ms. Weisz is fiery and defiant in her pursuit of her defense as the accused. Mr. Wilkinson is just brilliant as Rampton and should be a best supporting actor consideration. Mr. Spall plays the heavy well with a purposeful scowl. And Mr. Scott is a revelation in one of his best roles to date.

       Director Mick Jackson keeps thing taut and to the point. The screenplay by David Hare is smart enough to leave just enough doubt as to the trial's outcome to keep the suspense high.

      Scenes filmed at Auschwitz are chilling and strengthen the audience resolve for justice. Besides the obviously strong subject matter, I also found the machinations of the British legal system fascinating. This is a powerful drama well worth your time.

The Birth of a Nation

          Written and directed by as well as starring Nate Parker, this new drama may not be completely historically accurate but it is an emotional powerhouse and an important American film. It is the story of Nat Turner, a slave and preacher who led a rebellion in 1831 that sparked the flames that eventually led to the Civil War and the emancipation proclamation. 

           Mr. Parker has clearly put his heart and soul into this project but he may have been better served by a different director. His acting is excellent but starring in your own film is always tricky and in this case, Mr. Parker has a hard time turning the camera away from himself, as his subject matter. The film co-stars Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earl Haley, Penelope Ann Miller, and Gabrielle Union. While Mr. Turner is of course, the focus of the film, other characters are sacrificed with little development or after thought. The film would have also benefited from additional editing and a variety of pace. It's a deliberately slow paced film which I interpret as a metaphor for the building anger and rage inside Mr. Turner. 

            The film positions Nat Turner as a hero and while his intentions to fight injustice (as well as a spiritual calling from God, if you believe Mr. Parker) are righteous, the result caused the deaths of not only the fifty seven or so slaves that joined him in rebellion but over 200 innocent black people killed by mobs and the militia during the rebellion. The violence in the film is horrific, brutal and I'm sure accurate in the way many slaves were treated. There has been controversy over certain scenes that may not have actually happened and others that definitely didn't happen, but Mr. Parker has "based" his film on history, never claiming to be making a historical documentary. His script canonizes Nat Turner and justifies violence against violence. 

              Taken as a whole, the film unflinchingly focuses on an important period in American history that deserves to be seen, discussed and certainly further researched.

The Girl on The Train

      This train wreck of a movie is billed as a thriller but unintentionally comes across as a bad comedy. There was lots of unexpected laughing from the sold out show I attended.

       It is based on the best-selling novel which follows a "Gone Girl" formula but not quite as biting. Much like its central character, Rachel, the film is a mess. The story is silly and beyond belief, filled with amazing coincidences and contradictions. The dialogue is ridiculous and it's about as exciting and suspenseful as watching paint dry.

       Rachel is played by Emily Blunt and she is the best thing about the film. As the alcoholic ex-wife of Paul Watson, played by Justin Theroux, we watch most of the film through her blurry eyes. The film also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett, Luke Evans, Allison Janney, and Edgar Ramirez. Laura Prepon also has a small part as Cathy, Rachel's roommate.

       This is a story that works much better on the page than the screen and if I were you, I would just skip this train and read the book.

The Magnificent Seven

              More like the Magnificent bore, this unnecessary remake is two hours of setup for a 10 minute one sided shootout. It's an excuse for Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Lee Byung-hun, Manuel Garcia Ruflo and Martin Semsmeier to play cowboy.

              Director Antoine Fuqua throws in almost every western cliche in the book in an attempt to recall the golden days of westerns and while the film looks great, the story lacks the gravitas of the original western (based itself, on the Japanese film, "The Seven Samurai") and any depth of character.  The seven heroes are stereotypes that give us no reason to cheer them on except for the pre-conceived notion that we should because they are, after all, the "Magnificent 7".

               Peter Sarsgaard chews the scenery as the villainous Bartholomew Bogue and Haley Bennet is Emma, the widow who hires Mr. Washington and crew to save her town. Ms. Bennet has the final word as the only fully realized character in the film. For two hours plus, our heroes, with almost no backstory, are introduced, give each other steely eyed stares, twirl their revolvers and set up the inevitable gun fight against overwhelming odds. Of course every bullet fired brings down a "bad guy" instantly so the odds are actually in our heroes favor.

             Anyone who has seen the original western will recognize one of the greatest movie themes in history (by the late Elmer Bernstein). I kept waiting for that theme to rouse me out of my stupor but Mr. Fuqua commissioned an original score to separate his vision, so even that was a letdown.  Thankfully, he does resurrect it for the closing credits, which only serves to remind you that the film has been done much better before. Twice, in fact so seek those versions out for true movie magic.

Snowden

            Depending on your point of view, Edward Snowden is either an American hero or a traitor.  His true story of exposing classified Government information has been well documented in the press and in the excellent documentary, "Citizenfour". Now comes the "dramatization" of his story by director, Oliver Stone.

            Known for incendiary films in the past, Mr. Stone takes a rather pedestrian approach to telling Mr. Snowden's story. He presents the facts as he knows them but stretches and bends the truth for the sake of  absorbing storytelling, using his self proclaimed (at the beginning of the film) "dramatization" as his out.  

            The film starts in 2013 in Hong Kong, where Mr. Snowden, played by Joseph Gordon- Levitt, tells his story to journalists from The Guardian" played by Zachary Quinto and Tom Wilkinson. The event is documented by filmmaker,  Laura Poitras, played by Melissa Leo ( the aforementioned, "Citizenfour"). The story then jumps back in time to Mr. Snowden's time in the military and what leads to various jobs at the CIA and NSA. Early on, we are also introduced to Lindsey Mills, played by Shanilene  Woodley, the young woman who quickly becomes his girlfriend. The film also co-stars Nicolas Cage as a trainer at the CIA, Timothy Olyphant, as a CIA field operative, and Rhys Ifans, as his senior CIA trainer and mentor,  Corbin O'Brian.

        If not for the score, the film would be completely lacking of suspense. The music creates an atmosphere of tension and paranoia that is truly represented in just a few scenes. The rest of the film is saved from utter boredom by the excellent acting of Mr. Gordon-Levitt. The film is really a character study of Mr. Snowden and Mr. Gordon-Levitt, an engaging and thoroughly committed actor, does a fine job in his accurate portrayal. Mr. Ifans is also excellent as Mr. O'Brian, the type of character he has never played before and he is chilling. Ms. Woodley's role calls for her to be eternally understanding and smile a lot. 

          It is clear that Mr. Stone sees Mr. Snowden as a hero, blatantly in fact, as he exits the CIA bunker bathed in light with his stolen documents. Directing without his usual fireworks and even craziness, the film leaves little in the way of entertainment or controversy. Mr. Snowden's real story is controversial enough and the film disappointingly adds nothing on it's own to the real life drama that continues even today.

Sully

       Clint Eastwood directs and Tom Hanks stars in this new drama based on the true story of "the miracle on the Hudson". Sully is Captain Sullenberger, the pilot of the US Airways plane that had an emergency landing on the Hudson River in January of 2009. The film recreates that faithful day but probes deeper behind the the amazing landing that saved all 155 people aboard.

        Mr. Eastwood loves a hero and Captain "Sully" certainly qualifies as such but the film takes us behind the scenes to the NTSB probe and hearings regarding the incident. The National Transportation and Safety Board comes across as the villain of the story trying to place blame on Sully for choosing to land in the river rather than attempt to return to LaGuardia Airport or nearby Teterboro Airport. This makes for greater dramatic impact creating an even stronger affection for the stalwart pilot.

          The films rest squarely on the capable shoulders of Mr. Hanks and he is brilliant. He fully immerses himself in the role and should easily garner award nominations.  Laura Linney and Aaron Eckhart co-star and while Mr. Eckhart is also excellent as Sully's real life co-pilot, Jeff Skiles, Ms. Linney is wasted as the worried wife at home. Anna Gunn, Mike O'Malley, and Jamey Sheridan also co-star as the members of the NTSB investigating the incident. Screenwriter Todd Komarnicki and Mr. Eastwood clearly portray them as the villains in a story that in reality, has no villains.

           The story jumps around in time which successfully fattens the film. The recreated landing is a marvel of CGI and live action that is emotional to watch. The entire film is actually quite stirring and emotional (direction, where Mr. Eastwood excels), especially for native New Yorkers who remember that day clearly, myself being one of them. Sully's sleepless nights haunt him with scenes that present a very different end to the flight, which stir old emotions as well.

             This is  a terrific blend of fact and fiction to create a very entertaining film that ultimately celebrates, not only Captain Sullenberg and his crew but also the brave New Yorkers from the many different agencies that assisted in the rescue and got everyone safely back on dry land.

Captain Fantastic

              Written and directed by Matt Ross, this is a  gem of an Indie film that is definitely worth your while. Viggo Mortensen stars as a father of six kids raising them off the grid in the Northwest Washington forest.

                Rejecting the establishment, Ben and his wife Leslie home school their kids as well as teach them survival techniques and give them rigorous exercise. When Leslie falls seriously ill, Ben is forced raise the kids alone and then later, confront the world he left behind and introduce the children into a society he had long ago rejected.

                  Mr. Mortensen is literally fantastic as Ben. His love and concern for each of his kids is so honest and pure, you believe every moment. The conflicts they encounter back in society are both humorous and heartbreaking. Each young actor has their moment to shine and they play off each other in very convincing ways.

                    The film co-stars Kathryn Hahn, Steve Zahn, Frank Langella, and Ann Dowd all in much smaller but important roles. It's really about Mr. Mortensen and the fine young actors that play his children.

                     This is an offbeat, original film that is filled with warmth and and a wild spirit. It's still playing in Manhattan at The Sunshine Cinema and hopefully in other art house theaters near you. If you miss it in a theater, find it on video or cable. You will be glad you did.

Florence Foster Jenkins

       Based on a true story of a beloved New York socialite in 1944, who loved music and singing but had a terrible singing voice, this is a very entertaining film.

       Supported in her pursuit of a singing career by her husband, Ms. Jenkins hires a pianist to fulfill her dream.  Meryl Streep plays Florence and she is flawless as usual. It is uncanny how she continues to slip chameleon like into every role. Her husband, St. Clair is played by Hugh Grant, who is at the top of his charming self. The pianist, Mr. Cosme McMoon, is played by Simon Helberg (of TV's Big Bang Theory) , who's facial expressions are priceless every time Florence hits a sour note (which is often). There is terrific chemistry between the three leads and especially Ms. Streep and Mr. Grant.

      Whether it's St. Clair paying people off or Florence just winning them over with her warmth and charm, no one close to her can bear to tell her the truth and she continues to believe in her vocal abilities.

         It's an interesting and fun story anchored by terrific performances with just a touch of heartbreak and a nice change of pace from the usual summer film fare.

Don't Think Twice

         The new Indie comedy/drama from writer & director Mike Birbiglia is much more drama than comedy even though its plot revolves around a improvisational comedy troupe.

          When two members of the fictional group, "The Commune" land auditions with the fictional TV show "Weekend Live" ( a very obvious Second City/Saturday Night Live analogy), the group dynamic starts to crack and relationships are strained to a breaking point.

           The film stars Mr. Birbiglia as Miles, the de facto leader of "The Commune" along with Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, Kate Mucucci, Chris Gethard, and Tami Sagher as the rest of the troupe. Everyone is so natural in their part, the film could almost serve as a "behind the scenes"  documentary about the world of improvisation.

           Bitingly honest, sharp and witty, the film is ultimately sad and bitter sweet as the group realizes life is interfering in the intimate world they have created as "The Commune". Surprisingly, there are many heartbreaking scenes that fill the viewer with emotions that linger long after the credits roll.

War Dogs

      Based on a true story (but heavily fictionalized) this new film from director Todd Phillips is fascinating in its subject matter and entertaing enough due to it's stars, Jonah Hill and Miles Teller.

       It's far from a great film, containing too much unnecessary profanity that I found distracting, but Mr. Hill and Mr. Teller keep it interesting. What drives the story is the reality that two young "bros" from Miami managed to become international arms dealers making millions selling weapons to the U.S. military. 

      Bradley Cooper is a co-producer and has a supporting role that amounts to little more than a cameo. The film also co-stars Ana de Armas as Mr. Teller's girlfriend.

      Is there fun in watching bad men doing bad things that end badly? As outsiders looking in, there is a certain visceral thrill for the audience watching Mr. Hill as the vulgar and just a bit psychotic, Efraim, lie, cheat and double cross his way to a fortune. While at the same time, Mr. Teller, as David, loses his moral compass by the lure of easy money.

         To keep the story more entertaining for a general audience, many scenes have been fabricated but serve their purpose. There is an ugly truth in this morality tale that our government's shady global dealings only prove war equals profit for far too many people.  

Hell or High Water

          In today's hard economic times, two Texas brothers decide to rob branches of the bank that hold the mortgage to their mother's ranch. On their trail is a pair of Texas Rangers, one, days way from retirement. It's a simple story that we've seen variations of in the past but everything about this film works beautifully. Written by Taylor Sheridan and directed by David MacKenzie, this little crime drama is a near perfect film. 

         The script has a lot to say about these rough times, especially in small towns across America. It's familiar territory but unexpected moments of humor and violence mix things up and the outcome is never certain. There is never a false note in the dialog. Mr. MacKenzie's direction, along with the beautiful cinematography paint amazing pictures across the bleak Texas landscape. You can feel the dust in your face, the heat on your skin and the cold beer in your mouth throughout the film. I also can't say enough of the original music by Nick Cave and the terrific soundtrack that blends perfectly into the story.

          Playing the brothers are Ben Foster, who makes a living playing hard nosed psychopaths with just enough of a tender side to surprise you and Chris Pine who breaks his own image with a character dirty and gritty in his desperation and determination. The Texas Rangers are played by a brilliant Jeff Bridges, who slips into his character like a well worn second skin and Gil Birmingham, as his partner Alberto, who matches Mr. Bridges step by step. Their chemistry together is just wonderful to watch.

         The film takes it's time to tell it's story and some may feel it's too slow but the deliberate pace slows things down just enough to savor the little moments in this terrific crime noir.

Cafe Society

      Woody Allen returns to one of his best loved periods, the 1930's for this new romantic comedy. The film covers no new ground as it's story and structure are pretty common in Mr. Allen's filmography.

       Always writing with himself in mind for the lead but far to old to play the part, Mr. Allen finds a very capable substitute in Jesse Eisenberg as Bobby Dorfman. Bobby is a young Jewish man from the Bronx who seeks his fortune in Hollywood, hoping his Uncle Phil, a powerful Hollywood agent, will find him a job.

      Mr. Eisenberg is perfect in the role, capturing the mannerisms, vocal cadence, and rhythms of a young Mr. Allen perfectly. His Uncle Phil is played with confidence by Steve Carell, who is reluctant at first to help his nephew but grows to like him enough to give him a menial job. Once at the Agency, Bobby becomes smitten with Vonnie, Phil's secretary, played by Kristen Stewart. Ms. Stewart seems an odd choice for the love interest and while her performance is good, I can't help feeling she is miscast.

            Back home in the Bronx, Bobby's parents, Rose (played by Jeannie Berlin) and Marty (Ken Stott) worry about Bobby, his older brother Ben (a gangster played by Cory Stoll) and their daughter Evelyn (played by Sari Lennick). Blake Lively and Parker Posey round out the cast as other women who come into Bobby's life. The sub-plots involving Evelyn and her husband as well as Ben's gangster life are fillers for the central plot and exist as typical Allen characters giving voice to his common themes.

             The film has its charms (as expected from Mr. Allen, it has a great Jazz soundtrack) and is entertaining enough but it is middle of the road Allen writing, neither a hit or a miss but rather a well hit foul ball.

Indignation

       Based on the novel by Phillip Roth and written for the screen and directed by James Schamus, this is an excellent adult drama with a star turn by Logan Lerman.

        Set in 1951, during the Korean War, this is a coming of age film with an unorthodox (in more than one sense of the word) love story. Mr Lerman plays Marcus Messner, a young man of Jewish descent who enters a small Ohio College on a scholarship, thus avoiding the draft.

          Glad to be away from his overly protective parents, especially his father (played by Danny Burstein), Marcus rooms with two other Jewish boys in a school where they are very much in the minority. It is there that he meets Olivia Hutton (played by Sarah Gadon) and a relationship develops.

            The dean of the school is played by Tracy Letts and the scenes with Marcus that take place in his office are powerful and speak to the core of the film. Mr. Lerman has found his perfect role and he embodies Marcus so deeply, we are fully engaged as an audience.

             Ms. Gadon brings a sadness to her character than adds depth to a part many would consider stereotyped. Mr. Letts is a towering authority figure and Mr. Burstein, along with Linda Emond are engaging and surprising parents. 

               Mr. Schamus captures the mood and texture of the period very well and while there are moments of humor, rest assured, this is a serious drama...well written and well acted.

Suicide Squad

           DC tries again after the critical drubbing of "Superman/Batman: Dawn of Justice". This time they flip the script and put their villains front and center as a bad team doing good. Based on the comic created by John Ostrander (nice subtle nod to him in one scene), the film is written and directed by David Ayer.

               The film tires hard to be edgy like "Deadpool" and snarky like "Guardians of The Galaxy" but fails on both accounts (with the exception of Harley Quinn, who deserves her own film). 

               Margot Robbie brings Harley to life right off the comic book pages. She infuses her character with energy and has lots of fun with the role.  Jared Leto as usual, completely inhabits his turn as The Joker and owns his version but since this is about the "Squad", we get too little of him. His scenes with Harley, however are priceless. Viola Davis plays Amanda Waller, the government agent with her own nasty streak and she is always a professional, even when playing a comic book villain. 

                 The rest of the cast are as flat as their original comic pages.  Even Will Smith (who gets a large piece of screen time as Deadshot) disappoints and was far better as "Hancock". The major threat is completely ridiculous and is a minor league version of the climax of "The Avengers: Age of Ultron film"(which itself was a ripoff of the first Avengers climax). Mr. Ayer tries hard to give each character at least one major scene but it all comes back to Harley Quinn as the most interesting character in the film.

                    Even a cameo from Ben Affleck's Batman can't save the day. I'll stick to the graphic novel.

Jason Bourne

        The latest installment in the Bourne series could easily be called "Jason Yawn" considering we have seen it all before. Not only is the film redundant but this time around it doesn't even have a plot to speak of....just evil CIA director Tommy Lee Jones chasing Matt Damon all over the world.

         Mr. Jones considers Bourne a threat so he hires an "asset"/assassin played by Vincent Cassel to kill scores of innocent bystanders in order to find and kill Bourne. Julia Stiles returns for a too brief cameo and the key female role this time is played by Alicia Vikander. Ms. Vikander plays a CIA analyst who ends up helping Bourne for her own secret agenda.

           It's a very nice travelogue with stops in Greece, Germany, Rome, London and Las Vegas but it's all the same mind numbing chase scenes from every other film in the series. A story with some real depth would have us caring a lot more for what transpires.

           Matt Damon wears the character like a second skin and he is still a terrific action hero but with a flimsy motivation behind his actions, who really cares? Director Paul Greengrass (who also co-wrote what passes for the story), moves the film at his trademark breakneck speed from place to place avoiding any time for the audience to realize it's all style without substance.

              For me, this was "The Bourne End of the Line".

Star Trek: Beyond

        A perfect film for a "30 Second Critic" review. The third in the Star Trek reboot series is directed by Justin Lin (Fast & Furious series) and features the original reboot cast. It does not need a deep analysis. It is pure fun from start to finish and the closest any Star Trek film has gotten to recreating an actual episode of the beloved series.

        The crew go on a rescue mission, things turn bad, a villain appears, etc... It is easy to sit back and enjoy. The villain this time out is played by Idris Elba, who, unfortunately is wasted under tons of makeup and restricted speech. But no matter, he is still threatening enough and creates enough havoc to keep the film suspenseful until the end.

         There is plenty of action and typical Star Trek humor and even a heartwarming nod to the original cast. I saw it in iMAX 3D and while the iMAX was terrific, I don't think the 3D did anything to really enhance the film. If you are a fan of the series, you will not be disappointed.