Hump Day Report
Rants and raves about burning topics that have caught my attention midweek, be it greedy corporate shenanigans, frustration or joy in regards to the Philly sports teams, a movie or DVD that has fired up my imagination, an intriguing personality, or my on-going battle to lose weight in our fast food world. — Lori Hoffman, Associate Editor, AC Weekly
Jeffrey Jacob Abrams, better known as J.J. Abrams, really is the new Gene Roddenberry. With the summer movie season launching this week with Wolverine, the rest of the sci-fi loving world is excited about a slate of films that should provide plenty of escapism in these trouble times (my movie story in this week’s AC Weekly highlights the ten movies I’m anticipating the most).
But let’s get back to J.J. (pictured with Zachary Quinto). The genius behind the TV series Alias, Lost, and one of favorite new series this year, Fringe, decided he could successfully reboot the left-for-dead Star Trek franchise. Not only that, he wanted to made the characters relevant for a younger audience, while keeping the Baby Boom-era Trekkers happy. While I haven’t seen the film yet, the first 14 reviews posted on Rotten Tomatoes are all thumbs up. That’s a really impressive sampling to still be at 100 percent. One “beside himself” rave comes from Todd McCarthy, the long time critic at Variety.
According to McCarthy, “Blasting onto the screen at warp speed and remaining there for two hours, the new and improved Star Trek will transport fans to sci-fi nirvana.”
I know J.J. has got the video game crowd intrigued. My teenage nephew Garrett has never been a Star Trek fan, despite the encouragement of his parents, film critic aunt and his Star Trek-loving grandmother. However, he told me despite his lack of Trek interest in the past, he thinks the new Star Trek movie looks really good.
I agree that the coming attractions really make the flick look like tons of fun. I’ve been excited about the project since I knew that J.J. was taking on the project, and when the casting was first announced. I don’t know too much about Chris Pine, who plays Kirk, but Heroes’ baddie Zachary Quinto as Spock — genius! And when I found out hilarious Brit Simon Pegg (Shawn of the Dead) was playing Scotty, I was thrilled. I’m also intrigued that J.J. might be reviving Winona Ryder’s career with a role in what will be one of the biggest hits of the summer.
I’m nearly shivering with anticipation. By the way, according to IMDb, the Star Trek sequel has been announced.
PS: J.J. has already shown he can take the spirit of a popular TV series and make it his own. Fringe, which in essence is a reboot of the X-Files, since it is involved with FBI-types investigating strange, weird science phenomenon, is a fabulous show. Is there a more intriguing character on TV these days than mad scientist Walter Bishop (played by the equally fabulous John Noble)? I think not. If you haven’t experience Fringe yet, what are you waiting for?
