J&J Movie Review- Star Trek and Iron Man

Tony Stark The Arts and Entertainment Magazine has asked that we do a review on a slate of action films that are coming onto the market. We decided to go to the Regal Cinema in Manassas, Virginia to see how some of these films pan out. Parking was abundant there and the access to the theater was easy to find. It is right off of Route 66 and close by to the Manassas campus of the Northern Virginia Community College.

During our May outings we were able to take in Iron Man III and Star Trek: Into the Darkness . Without further ado, here is our report:

Iron Man III –  This film is part #3 in the Iron Man series. As promised it is action packed and follows in the wake of The Avengers movie. The main character, Tony Stark, is superbly played by Robert Downey, Jr. . In this film he is pitted against a new arch foe, The Mandarin.

The movie follows the comic script closely, accept when it comes to The Mandarin’s character. In the comics The Mandarin is the main villain in the evil group known as ‘AIM’. A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) is an organization of brilliant scientists and their hirelings dedicated to the acquisition of power and the overthrow of all governments by technological means. It once was part of Hydra, but branched out on its own after an internal dispute. In the movie the character, played by Ben Kingsley, is everything but what the comic script envisions. Not to ruin it for the movie goers, we will not reveal much more about this character.

Downey has graced a number of films, including the Sherlock Holmes productions, and has proved to be an excellent character actor. He has plied his trade well, and must be near the top of the list of male actors that are sought for to play in the genre of action films being produced today. The film has been masterfully directed, and the special effects exceeded our wildest expectations. The viewer will not fall asleep during the film and it certainly opens up doors for more of the same series to be produced in the future. This is a ‘Must See’ for the viewer and for those who have collected the previous two editions of the series we would highly recommend buying the DVD to add to your collection. To get a more in-depth understanding of the character, and the series, we advise reading the The Invincible Iron Man.

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poster for Star Trek Into DarknessStar Trek: Into the Darkness – This is the other film that we covered in the month of May and is the second film in the new Star Trek series. The young Kirk, Bones, Spock, Uhura, Scotty, Chekov, and Sulu characters come to life again on a new adventure under the excellent direction of J.J. Abrams. The film did not let us down as an action adventure, and for Star Trek fans around the world we rate this as a ‘Must See’ film.

Right from the get-go the film starts off with a bang, covering a mission that the crew had been sent on. As per usual the character of Kirk deviates from the mission’s objective but pulls it off nicely, even to the eventual objection of Starfleet Command. He is eventually vindicated and a new mission is assigned to the Captain and crew of the Enterprise, one that has ulterior motives. Kirk’s unwillingness to follow commands again jeopardizes the Enterprise and sets up a series of events that will leave the viewer reeling.

The film also introduces the character of a well known villain, first seen in the television series. J.J. Abrams makes an excellent connection for this character, as well as many other Star Trek links, to both past films and television productions. Like in the films The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings  it gives the viewers a tangible  avenue  for the flow of the series. Once the movie-goer learns of the character’s name, many things start to fall into place.

We promise that this movie has the making of a block-buster and that it’s box office receipts will put it on the top of the charts. We recommend that viewers and fans purchase it as a DVD, when it comes out, to add to their collections.

J&J

Joe O'Donnell, Jr.

Joe O’Donnell, Jr.

Joseph O’Donnell

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