Movie Reviews: Pacific Rim and Star Trek: Into Darkness

Okay, so Sal and I finally managed to watched both of these movies, which we have owned for several weeks, but because we've been so wrapped up in watching Castle every waking moment *grin* we hadn't watched until yesterday.

I have many thoughts and I'm a bit tipsy at the moment, so please excuse the typing, if there are any errors. :)

THERE ARE SPOILERS!!! IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THESE MOVIES, DO NOT CONTINUE READING!!!! 

Pacific Rim:
A friend of ours told us that there was not enough battling in this movie, far too much of the love story and back story. After watching it, I can only assume that she was off her rocker. (Love you, sweetie, but really??)

There was plenty of action, lots of fighting between giant robots and giant monsters. I describe this movie as 'Godzilla meets Transformers meets Independence Day'. If you've ever seen all those movies, you'll most likely agree with me. The plot was RIGHT out of Independence Day (hereafter referred to as ID because I am tipsy). Especially the last part. I mean, really? Make a path? Sacrifice one or more of the leads? The head honcho volunteering because if you lose, it won't matter who's left? I mean, the entire last part of the movie is straight out of the ID script, with names and situation changes as appropriate.

All of that being said, it was still a very enjoyable movie and I'm glad we own it so I can watch it again and again.

Star Trek: Into Darkness:
I was raised on Star Trek.
I saw the first Star Trek movie in the theaters. I saw the second one as well.
When the first 'new' ST movie came out and I saw it for the first time, I was the only one who chortled when Bones said that he thought he was gonna like that guy (referring to Spock. I KNOW! Right???)
I purposely did not read much of anything about Into Darkness, because I didn't want to be colored against it.
It was so much more than I'd hoped. Yes, it was Khan. But it was Khan as we'd never seen him. The twist with Kirk and Spock at the end... that broke my heart, even though I knew what was coming. How did I know? Because it was predictable.
But sometimes, predictable is okay. 
Sometimes, you need to know that somehow, some way, the main character who just died is gonna pull through. And that's perfectly fine. You just wanna know HOW.

And they left it with plenty of room for a sequel or three, which also doesn't break my heart.

I love Chris Pine as Kirk, but I adore the rest of the casting, as well. Spock is just... perfect. Bones is just as perfect as Spock. I think the casting directors deserve a huge round of applause. They done good. :D

All that said, there was just something... missing from this one. There was lots of action, lots of spectacular special effects, great shots of the various spatial phenomenon that were recognizable in the background (thanks, NASA!!!!), and all that. But with all that was there, there was still something missing, IMHO. I did love how much Kirk grew in this one. That is undeniable and Pine did a fantastic job as the emotional hothead that we all know and love. His growth into a true captain was clear and beautiful. I also loved that they gave Sulu the com for awhile, paving the way for his eventual promotion to Captain. 

I wish I could put my finger on just what was missing, but I can't. Maybe it was a love story... I am such a sucker for those that I do miss it when one isn't there. :P Ah well... that's probably it. :)


So there you have it. My two cents' worth on both movies. I know they've both been out awhile, but hey... it's the first time I've been able to see them.

However, I should be seeing Thor this weekend, so I WILL post a review of that as soon as I can! You know how much I love me some Chris Hemsworth, so you'll get a review just as soon as I get home and my fingers can type one up. :D

In book news, I am reading the last of the stories in the Hotter on the Edge anthology. It's free as of this posting, and I HIGHLY recommend it! I will be buying the second installment, which seems to have sequels to each of the stories in the first book. I will also be looking up the authors in these books, to see what else they've got going. PLEASE do yourself a favor if you love sci-fi romance, and grab this one while it's free. It's great so far!!!!

I'll let ya know when I've finished with the second one and review it. :)

Okay, that's all for now. Hope you have a great day and that my reviews help in some small way to bring adventure and delight to your life. :)

See ya!