Movie Day
I don't have a car, and I live out in the middle of nowhere, so it's hard for me to go see movies. When I do, I usually end up seeing more than one at a time. I wanted to see Wolverine, Star Trek, and The Soloist, but I only had time (and money) for two, so I chose Trek (being a sci-fi geek who was itching for some good ol' space action) and The Soloist, since it's not exactly a big summer blockbuster and is unlikely to be in theaters next time I go out.
First, I saw Star Trek. I wanted to see it early, before the noonday rush, so I went to the first showing. I went with low expectations, and with memories of the original show and its rather dated costumes and effects. Don't get me wrong, I love the show... but sometimes, I have to laugh at what they came up with. But it had some strong characters that even today are well-loved in teh science fiction community, and I was a little worried about seeing others play their roles.
I needn't have worried. By the time the main players were on the screen, I'd already accepted this as a true Trek film. Yeah, the faces didn't match the names, but when the actors hit their strides... they were the characters I remember. Well, mostly.
Quick impressions:
- I never would have thought I could find Kirk sexy. I mean, I know he was supposed to be, but Shatner never did anything for me. But this new guy... well, let's just say I was disappointed that he didn't manage to lose his shirt in a fight, ala Shatner.
- Remind me to never, ever piss off Spock.
- OMG, Scotty has a personality! Did he actually have one before? I've been trying to remember things about Scotty, and all I can think of is that he has a Scottish accent and if you insult the Enterprise, well, them's fightin' words. Maybe I liked him so much because I like Simon Pegg - something I didn't realize had happened until I saw him in an episode of Doctor Who and sqee'ed (squeed? squeeed? Is there a proper spelling for that?). Yup, guess I must like him.
- Lastly, Karl Urban as McCoy. I was worried about him; I'd always liked McCoy, and I wanted to see him done right. I wasn't disappointed; I loved his fear of space, his way of smuggling Kirk onto the Enterprise, and, best of all, the much-loved sarcasm. I must've been grinning like an idiot when he did the famous "I'm a doctor, Jim!" line.
So, yeah. Loved it.
The Soloist was a very different film. I kind of wish I'd seen it first; I was still on an action film adrenaline kick after Trek, and the slower pace was a little jarring.
But it was a lovely movie. The music was beautiful, and it gave me a new appreciation for Beethoven to hear it played on the streets accompanied only by the sounds of the city instead of an orchestra. It's a little galling that it was pushed back to this date; both Robert Downey, Jr and Jamie Foxx put in great performances and they deserved Oscar nominations, at least.
Oddly, The Soloist had a rowdier audience than Star Trek. I was the youngest person there; it seemed like the rest of the audience was made up of middle-aged or older groups of women, and boy did they talk.
All in all, I had a lot of fun.