KIRK: Let me explain what's happening here.
You are a criminal.
I watched you murder innocent men and women.
I was authorized to end you!
And the only reason you are still alive... is because I am allowing it!
So shut your mouth!
// (heavy sigh) Serious accusations Captain... but tell me, what was the deal with Star Trek
V: The Final Frontier?
// We all make mistakes.
// Exactly my point.
So if you want to know why Hollywood keeps making sequels, let me convince you of the
truth.
// Give me one reason why I should listen to you.
// I can give you 101... because This is Movie Night!
Hello and welcome to the season four finale of Movie Night, YouTube's most-viewed movie
review show, I'm your host, Jonathan Paula.
Tonight we'll be reviewing three brand new sequels, parts 12, 3, and 6 of their respective
franchises (several of which have been reviewed here before): as well as an early review of
an upcoming heist feature.
But lets begin with a look at "Star Trek: Into Darkness".
Released worldwide in May of 2013 - this $190-million dollar science-fiction action film, the twelfth
entry in the long and illustrious "Star Trek" franchise is poised to break a profit only
a week into it's American run.
Directed by the extremely popular J.J.
Abrams, this PG-13 rated space adventure, like its predecessor, is a re-imagining of
the optimistic and exciting future Gene Roddenberry so expertly crafted in the 1960's TV show.
Part remake, part reboot, and part sequel, the latest tale of the USS Enterprise is an
effective blend of everything we go to the movies for, and is tremendous fun because
of it.
Joining the excitement mid-mission during a thrilling cold open, we're reintroduced
to Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin,
and Bruce Greenwood: all returning for the roles they were so perfectly cast-in for 2009's
"Star Trek".
Thankfully, each of them get enough screentime to shine, and strut their often amusing personality
quirks - a perfect embodiment of what made the original characters so iconic: especially
Pine and Quinto, whom, dare I say - showcase better chemistry than their aging counterparts
did.
It's hard not to have an emotional connection to these well-defined characters as the film
effortlessly slides from light-hearted action to its dramatic conclusion.
Joining the cast is Alice Eve, an extremely sexy science officer ostensibly introduced
as a eye-candy, but rarely featured; Peter "Robocop" Weller as a Federation admiral whose
curious motivation and unenthusiastic delivery make him mostly an afterthought; and finally
Benedict Cumberbatch who positively steals the show as the picture's primary villain:
a fiercely intelligent, well-spoken, and cut-throat adversary who challenges our heroes to their
deadliest showdown yet.
When he taunts the Enterprise crew by maniacally asking, "Shall we begin?"
- the tension and anxiety are ramped up considerably as the impeccably paced adventure flies along,
despite some confusingly edited battle sequences.
Scored wonderfully by Michael Giacchino, the sharp and witty writing makes the exciting
material accessibly to all audiences - brought to life by incredible visual effects by ILM,
from the super cool warp-speed shots to the seamless integration of exotic locations and
the actors that inhabit them: with fewer annoying lens flares than the previous installment.
Containing a number of throwbacks to past entries, like a glimpse of the NX-01 prototype
ship from the "Enterprise" TV series, an appearance by a fury tribble, or a shameless cameo by
Leonard Nimoy.
Although the 132-minute picture relies a bit too heavily on tired ticking-clock mechanisms
to maintain tension, a hectic space jump sequence, that sees Pine slaloming between space debris
wearing only a thin suit, is undeniably thrilling.
A 2nd-act reveal abandons established cannon and reasoning with a shocking development
for non-fans, but it's unmotivated and pointless otherwise.
The final minutes are gripping, emotional, and wonderful to watch unfold, as the picture
plays homage to the original series.
Best experienced unspoiled, this feature is one I thoroughly enjoyed, and will definitely
watch many times again: but it isn't without flaws.
A slight improvement over 2009's reboot, this is easily the franchise's strongest entry...
I can't wait for lucky thirteen.
"Star Trek Into Darkness", a "Gripping blockbuster fun.
Trek's best."
Now lets hear your thoughts from the YouTube comments.
Our scores for "Star Trek Into Darkness" on the rate-o-matic...
TWO NINES.
Praising Cumberbatch, the visuals, and humor, 72% of the vote was split between the highest
scores, you thought it was AWESOME.
So far, the best film I've seen in 2013, and while I loved the remake/reboot blend, I was
definitely annoyed by the irrelevant twist.
Still, it's a supremely entertaining popcorn film that gives me hope J.J.
will make "Star Wars 7" work.
I too thought it was AWESOME.
Next up, "The Hangover Part III".
The supposed final chapter of the unlikely trilogy was released nationwide on May 23,
2013 - and produced on a budget of $100 million by director Todd Phillips, returning for his
third picture.
Bradley Cooper, Ed Helmes, and Zach Galifianakis are back as the wolf pack in their most contrived
adventure yet, after newcomer bad-guy John Goodman sets up the lengthy exposition.
The string of goofy hi-jinks and escapes takes us from a giraffe beheading on the highway,
to a prison escape in Bangkok, to stealing gold form a Mexican villa to fighting with
angry roosters in Tijuana, to reuniting with old friends from part I (Heather Graham and
Mike Epps), to repelling off the side of Caesar's Palace in beautiful Las Vegas.
While many of the funniest moments were ruined in the trailer, it's great to catch up with
these familiar characters, even if the extremely annoying Ken Jeong as the foul-mouthed Asian
troublemaker is an acquired taste.
After his Oscar-nominated turn in "Silver Linings Playbook", I suspect this role may
now be a bit beneath Cooper, but he and the rest of the cast all do a fine job with the
outlandish material: which feels more like a lighthearted caper picture than a true comedy.
The first movie was inventive and original, the second a shameless rehash, and the decision
to do something different here is commendable, but results in a much unfunnier vibe.
Indeed, there's no actual hangover until a post-credits sequence: and is honestly the
best part of the whole R-rated movie.
Because the investigation / heist style plot bounces around so much, the 100-minute feature
isn't able to maintain consistent pacing, or urgency.
Not a film I'm dying to watch again, but certainly not one I regret seeing: this is a decidedly
average comedy that fans of Galifianakis or Jeong will likely enjoy.
But for those not amused by their unwilling criminal exploits and misadventures, this
experience feels more like a chore with likable protagonists, who are thankfully far more
redeemable than in previous installments.
A quick montage at film's end is a terrific nod to the earlier movies, and a fitting ending
to the trilogy.
A well-made comedy that inspires more chuckles and smiles than actual laughter, "The Hangover
Part III", is "Amusing resolution to crazy nonsense."
As with most new releases, we don't have any audience feedback for this one, but I am scoring
"The Hangover Part III" a FIVE.
If you've seen the first two, you should consider seeing this as well.
It was enjoyable, but never impressive, the text-book definition of an ALRIGHT film.
And now for tonight's poll question: what's the best film trilogy?
Leave your responses as a comment below.
Third up tonight, "Fast And Furious 6".
The sixth entry in the inconsistently titled ensemble action/racing franchise, this $160-million
dollar entry from director Justin Lin was released worldwide on May 24, 2013.
With nearly everyone from Fast Five returning, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker again reprise their
now well-defined characters in their fourth, and five appearances respectively.
The gang of street racers turned international heist criminals are brought out of retirement
exile by DSS agent Dwayne Johnson, who promises pardons and information on the previously
deceased Michelle Rodriquez in exchange for help taking down newcoming villain Luke Evans
- a undeveloped bad-guy hell bent on chaos and cars for reasons never actually explained.
Regarding the sexy tomboy, and his former lover, Diesel explains, "You never turn your
back on family...
even when they do."
The series that started off with a slightly original racing movie, before disappointing
with two irrelevant follow-ups, the "Fast" franchise has come roaring back with parts
four, five, and six - effectively a new trilogy in their own right, and a damn entertaining
one at that.
This 130-minute extravaganza ramps up the stakes and speed to the next level, constantly
flirting with realism in the process.
Seeing these characters risk their lives in one big budget action set-piece after another
is undeniably entertaining and often hilarious; Tyrese Gibson and Chris Bridges bring plenty
of comedic relief, resulting in many laugh-out-loud moments.
For the uninitiated, there are many references to earlier pictures, and while a flashy opening
credits montage showcases the best moments of yesteryear, I'd recommend against seeing
this PG-13 picture before the others.
Coming full circle with the fourth title, the acting, music, tempo, and visuals are
all top-notch: and Lin's directing keeps the fast-paced thrills easy to understand and
follow; especially one awesome sequence where the group uses a Mustang as an anchor to takedown
a car-crushing tank speeding down a highway.
Later, a climatic chase on an impossibly long runaway sees our seemingly invincible heroes
defying physics when they attempt to crash a giant cargo plane.
Keeping in fashion with previous entries, a post-credits sequence gives further backstory
to a scene in "Tokyo Drift", by setting up an applause-worthy cliffhanger for the already
confirmed 7th installment.
An almost self-aware, over-the-top thrill ride with plenty of babes, explosions, hot
rods, and excitement - this is a ridiculously enjoyable and rewatchable movie, even if it
is occasionally brainless popcorn fun.
"Fast & Furious 6", "Unbelievable action that's furiously exciting."
Now lets read a few of your comments from YouTube.
The rate-o-matic with our scores... an EIGHT and a NINE for "Fast & Furious 6".
Delivering exactly what it promised, you really enjoyed this movie, calling it GREAT.
I've been a fan of this franchise since the beginning, and its only gotten better as its
evolved over the years... on par with Fast Five, I thought it was AWESOME.
Now, in a first ever for this show, lets review a film that isn't even out yet, "Now You See
Me".
This Louis Leterrier magician-themed caper film is set to be released on May 31st, 2013
- where it'll be lucky to earn back its $70-million dollar budget.
The ensemble all-star cast is led by Jesse Eisenberg and Mark Ruffalo, and includes Woody
Harrelson, Isla Fisher, M�lanie Laurent, Morgan Freeman, Dave Franco, and Michael Caine;
all of whom do a good job with the limited material.
The plot follows a group of poorly defined, and rather interchangeable illusionists who
pull off a series of daring and perplexing bank heists, and then proceed to play cat-and-mouse
with the authorities and their hapless marks.
The first act of this clever116-minute drama is fast, inventive, and interesting: which
goes against convention by featuring the big heist early on.
Even the featured magic tricks are neat, and actually work on the audience.
After the magicians are taken into custody, the always neurotic Eisenberg taunts the FBI
by quipping, "You have nothing up your sleeve, and you know it".
From there, the film descends into an inconsistent, poorly-paced, and even confusing story - including
a 25-minute stretch where the protagonists don't show up.
There's no dramatic irony either, as most of the misdirection and clever illusions are
unknown to us as well... making even the coolest parts of the movie feel like surprising gimmicks
rather than a meaningful plot device.
A pseudo-intellectual investigative thriller that pretends to be a thinker, this PG-13
movie is ultimately a disappointing one: no matter how well-acted or directed it is.
The visuals however are clean and captivating, and Brian Tyler's score keeps things dramatic...
but there aren't any characters worth rooting for - all of their action seem motivated solely
for sport.
A last-minute Kaiser-Soze-style twist adds nothing but contradictory confusion to what
was already a lackluster adventure, ensuring audiences will be more annoyed than entertained.
An average, and generally unbelievable movie I probably won't watch again, this movie still
provides for some fun - especially if you're a fan of the actors involved.
"Now You See Me", "Inconsistently interesting illusions and drama."
Now, my score on the rate-o-matic... a FIVE.
I was definitely expecting more from this intriguing premise and talented cast, but
I it was an average, and forgettable experience.
I thought it was ALRIGHT.
Now, as we wrap up season four, lets take a look at your thoughts on movies currently
playing theaters.
If you see a new movie in theaters, Tweet your review with the #JPMN hashtag, as we
continue our on-going conversation about movies during the summer.
Be sure to follow me on Twitter or Facebook for updates between episodes, and to help
decide upcoming reviews.
As the show takes its annual summer break, rest assured, I won't be going away entirely:
I hope to post at least one episode a month, focusing on some of the bigger, and more anticipated
films released between now and November.
I just want to take a hiatus from the weekly-grind while I focus on some new projects and old
shows for this channel (which I was finally able to officially rename to "Jogwheel").
Much of this show has changed since I first launched it in 2009, but film has always been
a passion of mine, so again, I'd like to thank you for your continued support over the years,
and making this YouTube's most viewed review show -- just this season we reviewed over
100 films together.
Also, I'd love to hear your suggestions on which films you'd like to see me review in
future episodes.
In the meantime, please subscribe to the Movie Night Archive channel for exclusive trailer
commentaries, and an organized library of all our past reviews.
My name is Jonathan Paula - thank you for watching Movie Night, I hope to see you, right
back here for the next episode!