Star Trek: Beyond Expectations

I almost passed on Star Trek Beyond. As a life-long fan of the franchise, the trailer for this movie, with its Beastie Boys' soundtrack, seemed to be "beyond" my tolerance for the creative direction of the series. I'm glad I didn't miss it, as this was an entertaining film and worthy summer blockbuster despite its flaws. Though not the best of the movies (That honor still belongs to Wrath of Khan), Star Trek Beyond was at least better than its predecessor, the ill-conceived "Into Darkness," and visually more dazzling than the first movie in the reboot.

With Justin Lin at the helm, the movie delivers action in a way no Star Trek film ever has before. My seven favorite things in this movie were:

7. The enemy swarm ship

6. Zoe Saldana's Uhura

5. Chris Pine's James Kirk

4. Sofia Boutella's Jaylah

3. Yorktown Station

2. Simon Pegg's Scotty

1. Karl Urban's McCoy

The feral Jayalah was a refreshing introduction of a new character in Trek canon, reminiscent of  Sauvik. Played by Sofia Boutella, I only hope she becomes a reoccurring character in the film series.

Idris Elba Is Wrong For The Dark Tower

I have liked Idris Elba ever since he played Russell "Stinger" Bell on season one of The Wire. Such is the man's talent that I had no idea this actor, playing a hoodlum from the seedy side of Baltimore, was actually a Brit. Elba stole every scene--the man exudes charisma. I applaud Hollywood's efforts to find Elba a franchise vehicle because he is certainly deserving. However, and I say this as both a story purist and fan of the Dark Tower novels, Idris Elba as Roland is a bad casting decision. It's not that I think he won't deliver a good performance...it's that there are elements of the story where this does not fit. This decision was borne out of misguided political correctness, a desire to jump on the "Zeitgeist of Diversity" band wagon, but at the expense of The Dark Tower. Either that or the producers just plumb hadn't read the novels.

Despite Hollywood's reputation as a liberal bastion, many find that when it comes to actual practice, Hollywood has fallen short of the mark with regards to developing a diverse range of properties that showcase minorities in a positive light. Hollywood should produce properties that are inclusive and diverse, and represent the culture at large because a realistic representation of our society on screen has positive benefits for viewers of all races and is good for box office returns. Black children deserve to have heroes they can project themselves on as much as white children--we all want our kids to see a place in the world for themselves. The past few years have seen a great effort to correct past trends, and though no one has issue (at least I hope they don't) with casting a black actor in an original property (like Independence Day or Star Wars: The Force Awakens), the act of casting a traditionally white character with a black actor has at times lit up the Internet with unsavory comments. 

A Democrat Compliments Nikki Haley

Most would agree yellow-dog Democrats and their Republican equivalents are not what make a democracy function well. I would rather elect an honest, intelligent man (or woman) of the other party than a scurrilous imbecile of my own. Most Americans exist on or near the line that separates conservatives from liberals--and one can even make the case that it's less of a line and more a gradual neutral zone. What defines a free democracy is civility toward those who do not share our ideological beliefs, and to take that one step forward, the ability to pay a complement when it is deserved. Nikki Haley has earned such a compliment.

The Force Awakens Was Good, But Was It Original Enough?

Gamespot.com counts great things about the prequels.

Anyone who loved the three original Star Wars movies came away from The Force Awakens a happy fan. One thing is clear, though--Disney sacrificed originality for a safe bet.

This was a nostalgia film, a very retro interpretation of the Star Wars Universe. And though I'm fine with this for now, future films had better deliver something more clever.

TFA is derivative of Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back. It was a great action film, but a far cry from George Lucas' last three films (the prequels) in the creativity department. As much as the stories and some casting choices (the Anakins were awful) hampered the prequel movies, they were visually stunning and quite creative in their ambition. I have to give credit to Mr. Lucas for trying. I have to give credit to Mr. Abrams for listening to the older fans about what they missed in the last three films. Maybe these two giants can sit down and work out an arrangement where we can get the best of both worlds.