Review: Star Trek (2009)

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When the vengeful Romulan, Nero, arrives from the future to take revenge on the Federation, it is up to the rivals James Kirk and Spock, along with their young crew members, to stop him before he destroys everything they know and love.  As time runs out, will Kirk and Spock be able to put aside their differences in order to save us all?

J.J. Abrams' reimagining of the Star Trek universe was a pleasant surprise for me.  I am a fan of the original series, and while I have not seen every single episode, nor do I know every detail about that continuity,  I do know quite a bit.  And I thought that Abrams did a great job of creating a fresh look on the story while remaining faithful to the old version.  For the nerds, there were nods to TOS all over the place, and for the new fans, there was enough explanations to fill in the blanks.  

The story itself was also good.  While it wasn't an incredibly deep, psychological plot, it was fast-paced and exciting, and you got to see the relationships of the crew members unfold in a delightful way.

The opening sequence won me over right away.  I won't give any spoilers, for those of you who have not seen the movie, but suffice to say that it made me cry.  And I don't cry for movies.  In my lifetime, I can remember crying only twice-  once for* **SPOILER*** Boromir's death in The Fellowship of the Rings,***END SPOILER*** and once during Anne of Green Gables.

Still, when Star Trek's opening sequence came along, the tears were rolling down my face uncontrollably.  Congratulations to the director, script-writers, and actors- especially Chris Hemsworth!

One of the most fun parts of the movie for me was seeing how much the new actors look like the old actors!  I was so impressed.  The casting was excellent, and the actors did a great job of taking their cues from the cast of the original series.  They are their own characters, of course, but they have included so many of the quirks and mannerisms of the old characters.  It me laugh with approval.  :D

The cons;  swearing, violence (mostly fistfights, I believe), and a few scantily-clad women.  There is rather intimate scene that lasts for only a few seconds, but should probably be skipped, especially for younger viewers.  

There is a torture scene.  Nothing terribly graphic is shown, but what they are about to do *SPOILER*(sending a harmful insect down someone's throat)*END SPOILER*  is clearly implied.

Overall, I would recommend the movie sci-fi, action, and Star Trek fans 14 and up.  

Another five star film in my book!  

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-Rayne Speryll

Rayne's Comedy Hour; Episode III

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Good Afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen!  Welcome to the third episode of Rayne's Comedy Hour, entertainment just for you!  

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-Rayne Speryll

(DISCLAIMER:  I do not own the images used in the post, nor the fandoms which they promote.  All credit goes to the true owners.  I have merely assembled these images.)

(Bwuahaha... assembled them!  You know... like, Avengers Assemble?  Get it...?  Never mind.)

Review: Thor; The Dark World

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After months (and luckily, for me, it was only months) of waiting, I have finally seen Thor; The Dark World !

After the Spider Man Trilogy, Thor was one of the first marvel movies I saw.  It was there that I met the two great brothers, Thor and Loki, and became acquainted with their infamous rivalry.  Ever since then, I've been waiting for the continuation of their story.

The Dark World did not disappoint.  :D

When an ancient evil older than the universe itself rises once again, all the Nine Realms are threatened to be plunged into eternal darkness.  Malekith, the leader of the Dark Elves, will stop at nothing to avenge the deaths of his people and eradicate the terrible plague we call Light from the universe.

With time running out, Thor is forced to ally himself with Loki in order to stop the destruction.  Together with his former brother, and Jane, his sweetheart from earth, the trio heads into the darkest parts of the Nine Realms, where Thor will be forced to sacrifice everything to save us all.

This movie was filled with exciting action sequences, hilarious dialogue, plain old comedy, and devastating tragedy.  I was very happy with it, and it was great to see Thor and Loki working together again, even if their alliance was somewhat uneasy.

Jane is back again also, and this time she gets much more action.  She's actually quite crucial to the story.  I was glad to see both her and Darcy with bigger roles this time around.  

There were also several twists and turns that surprised even me.  I was glad for that; it keeps me on my toes.  A lot of the time I can predict what's going to happen in a movie or book.  There was a little of that in The Dark World, but there was also some things that I never would have expected.  :D   *SPOILER* Oh, the ending... that really got me.  What a way to open up for a sequel!  Or three-quel, I guess.  You'll see when you get there. XD *END SPOILER*

At times I felt that the movie was almost too comical, particularly the final battle.  While the safety of the entire universe was at stake, I found myself laughing my head off at both the dialogue and antics of Thor's friends, as well as his poor hammer Mjolnir, trying to find him in all the confusion.  XD  Still, it was a good battle, and the humor keeps it from getting too scary or depressing.  

The cons: swearing, mostly.  The usual, for MARVEL movies, scattered throughout.  Action-hero violence as well.  One character has a limb forcibly removed, though nothing graphic is shown.  No spurting blood, or anything.  A couple of people are stabbed, and Thor gets beaten up pretty badly, rivaling his encounter with the Hulk in The Avengers.  

Some children may find the the Aether to be frightening, as well as Malekith, the villain, towards the end.  

I would recommend the movie for about 12-13 and up, depending on your standards.  

Overall, I thought it was a great movie.  My absolute favorite character is still Loki, all the way.  I really liked seeing the relationship between he and his mother play out.  But Thor and Jane were great as well, and I did enjoy the new character Ian.  I recommend it for all comic book fans, MARVEL fans, and superhero fans, or even if you just want to enjoy a fun movie.  

Five Stars for this one!

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Rayne Speryll

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P.S.  This scene was hilarious!!  I was reminded of myself, ignoring the chaos of my own house, while quietly reading a book in my room.  XD   It was a great Loki moment.

Updates and The Silver Chair Dream Cast

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Greetings, ladies and gentlemen.  I know it's been a while since I blogged.  However, fear not!  I have several reviews coming up, including some for Star Trek, and its sequel, Into Darkness, and Thor: The Dark World!  :)
For now, I'm just stalling for time until I can actually get the reviews written.  So until then, I give you my own dream cast for The Silver Chair.

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Now I know that the likelihood of us getting a Silver Chair  movie any time soon is very little, but a girl can dream, right?  Anyway, I hope that someday we do get a good adaption of The Silver Chair, and if we do, here are some ideas I had for the casting.  :)



The Voice of
ASLAN

Liam Neeson  (of course! ;)

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PUDDLEGLUM



Bill Nighy
Or...



Doug Jones


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EUSTACE



Will Poulter (who else?  He was perfect!)

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JILL



Dakota Blue Richards

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PRINCE RILLIAN



Tom Hiddleston
Or...



Bradley James

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THE LADY OF THE GREEN KIRTLE



Katy McGrath
Or...



Kate Blanchett

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LORD DRINIAN



Donald Sutherland

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KING CASPIAN
(Old)



Jeremy Irons

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QUEEN LILIANDIL



Kierra Knightley

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KING CASPIAN
(Young)



Ben Barnes

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So what do you think?  Have I cast it accurately?  Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!

-Rayne Speryll