Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek Beyond

Rating 7 out of 10

I have watched Star Trek since William Shatner had his own hair.  This is a movie that I don't expect a intricate plot.  Just lots of action and fun.  This movie delivers on all of that.  I think Chris Pine does a good job as the young Captain Kirk.  The whole cast is pretty spot on.  I really like the newcomer Sofia Boutella, the karate kicking female with the ultra white skin and strange black tattoos on her face.  She was good in last years Kingsmen: The Secret Service.

As I said the story is not very intricate.  A damsel in distress comes to the Federation needing help with her stranded ship on a deserted planet on the other side of the universe.  Of goes Kirk and gang to save the day.  Surprisingly enough there is a really bad guy waiting for them with an ax to grind.  Even more surprising is he has some crazy weapon and is determine to wipe out everyone in the universe.  Hopefully James T can come up with something at the last minute when all hope is gone.

Of course the effects and visuals are light years better than Wrath of Khan.  It really is amazing what they can do with CGI now.  This is a fun popcorn movie.  Lots of action.  Throw in some comedy and attempt a little romance.  I think this Star Trek movie is maybe a notch below the last one yet I was entertained and would recommend to any other Trekkie fan out there.

Legend of Tarzan

Legend of Tarzan

Rating 7.5 out of 10

I thought this movie looked interesting from the first preview I saw.  I know CGI has come a long ways in the past few years and that would only help a movie like this.  That and any movie with Margot Robbie will get my rear in a seat.  When it came out to pretty dismal reviews I tried to think back to any other Tarzan movie not a cartoon that was very good.  I had decided to let this wait for a rental, but the Hottie wanted to see it and she usually gets what she wants.

This is a bit of a different telling of the Tarzan tale.  I have never read a Tarzan book and actually had to google to find out it was a series of 20 books written in the early 1900s by Edgar Rice Burroughs.  With this movie we start several years into Tarzan's life where is his now a Lord and gentleman living in England with his lovely and spunky wife Jane.  He now goes by John Clayton.  No one calls him Tarzan anymore.  Much of the jungle story is told well by flashbacks.

When bad guys are taking slaves and doing bad things to the locals in the jungles of Africa to get at the vast supply of diamonds to be had.  Tarzan is drawn in to try to help his people and Jane comes along.  He is also followed by American George Washington Williams who is determine to shine a light on the new slavery.

Any cast that includes Samuel L. Jackson and Christoph Waltz gets an A+ rating.  Ms. Robbie holds her own also.  I didn't really care for Alexander Skarsgard as Tarzan but the Hottie thought he was perfect.

Overall I was entertained much more than I thought I would.

The BFG

The BFG

Rating 2.5 out of 10

I thought the trailers for this movie looked very interesting.  They have come so far with CG it's amazing the life like way they can make giants appear.  I thought this movie looked worth seeing and when the new Tarzan movie scared me off with bad reviews this movie moved to the top of the list on a blazing 4th of July with the Hottie.  I should have done something else.

The effects are amazing without a doubt.  The giants walking in downtown London are pretty incredible.  The problem is in the story.  It's as dull as they come.  Lisa fell asleep at one point and we left the theater before the movie was over.  I can imagine a twelve year old boy would like this movie. Don't see an adult liking it much.

Ruby is a ten year old girl in a London orphanage back in the 1940s.  She has problems sleeping and is awake at 3 am when BFG (the Big Friendly Giant) is going thru town doing his thing.  Because she sees him he is forced to snatch her up and take her back to giant land.  Turns out of the ten or so giants there he is the only friendly one of the bunch.  The rest are very mean to him and while they like the little kids it's more to eat them.  Half the movie is BFG hiding the little girl from the other giants so they can't eat her.  Ruby decides the only option they have is to enlist the help of the Queen and her army to kill all the bad giants.

After several minutes of BFG learning to drink tea and eat bacon and eggs while talking mostly gibberish I decided I was RFB (Really Flipping Bored) and we decided to depart.  Is this movie bad enough to walk out on?  Probably not.  I had just had enough.  A good mid day nap seemed like a much better option.  Your milage may vary.