Star Trek: The Next Generation - 30th Anniversary Retrospective, Part 1 (Video)

I've been working on this for the past year in preparation for TNG's 30th anniversary, re-watching many of my favorite episodes and doing research about the story of the show behind the scenes. Stay tuned for more to come!

Musical Mondays: Beauty and the Beast (2017)

     Beauty and the Beast was released on March 17th of 2017. A remake of the classic animated film from 1991, it is directed by Bill Condon and adapted from the original screenplay by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos. In it Belle (Emma Watson), a young girl living in an 18th century French village, has her dream of escaping her provincial life granted when her father (Kevin Kline) is imprisoned by a mysterious Beast (Dan Stevens)

     Beauty and the Beast is an exercise in futility. This may seem like a foregone conclusion given that it's a remake of a beloved classic but Disney's track record with these remakes of their animated classics has been pretty good. The Jungle Book was my favorite film of 2016 (yes really) and, though I have yet to watch Cinderella, it was quite well received critically. Perhaps the difference is that the original versions of those films, while beloved in there own right, were not as universally acclaimed as Beauty and the Beast, which is the first animated film to ever be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars and is often cited as the best film of the Disney Renaissance. Nevertheless, I still believe that a remake could have worked if the filmmakers were interested in taking the story in a new direction. After all, the original film made generous changes to its source material. Unfortunately this is not the direction that Disney decided to go.

     In essence, this film is a scene for scene remake of the original, albeit with a few new scenes added. The Beast's backstory is more fleshed out, there's a subplot explaining what happened to Belle's mother and Gaston tries to win Maurice's approval in order to marry Belle. None of these changes really impact the main story though. The Beast is still in need of redemption and Belle is the only one who can bring out the man behind the monster. Gaston's more subtle wooing of Belle is probably meant to make him more sympathetic but really it just wastes the audiences time. Consequently, the new scenes just end up feeling extraneous. There are also smaller changes. Belle is an inventor like her father in this version, a choice that's meant to make her seem more liberated I suppose but the film spends too much time on it. Maurice himself is much more proactive, one of the few changes I actually like. It's implied that LeFou is gay and has feelings for Gaston which, again, just seems to unnecessarily complicate the story. In this version the Beast's servants will become inanimate objects once the last rose petal falls, heightening the stakes but undermining the emotional loyalty they have to the Beast.

     The cast all do a decent enough job. Emma Watson is pretty good as Belle, bringing the same spunky, kind demeanor she brought to Hermione Granger. Dan Stevens is a bit subdued as the Beast, never really breaking out of the tortured soul archetype. Luke Evans and Josh Gad have fun as Gaston and LeFou. Kevin Kline plays a (thankfully) much more sympathetic Maurice. The musical numbers, on the other hand, don't fair so well. Most of the cast can sing well enough but you can't help but compare them to the original cast and they mostly pale in comparison. Watson, on the other hand, can't sing at all, and a generous amount of auto tune was clearly applied to her songs. The new material is alright, as an Andrew Loyd Webber fan I found "Evermore" entertaining in that overwrought "woe is me" Phantom of the Opera sort of way. But, like most of the additions to the film these songs just feel inoffensively bland and they add little of real substance to the story.

     Visually the film is actually better than I expected. When Bill Condon, who did the last two Twilight films, was announced as the director I was really skeptical but his blocking is actually pretty decent and the film has a vibrant, dynamic look. It makes me sad that Condon is being wasted on such mediocre material. The special effects are also quite well done, though the various objects in the Beast's castle never quite come alive in the same way they did in the original (this is an inherent advantage to animation). There's also way too much green-screen.

     Beauty and the Beast isn't a bad film exactly. It is well directed, well acted and (thanks to its source) has a fairly effective emotional story. Despite this the film simply fails to justify its own existence. If you've seen the original, watching this film will only be frustrating and if you haven't well, you really should. As a result I can't recommend this film as anything more than a mildly diverting curiosity.

Score: 6/10

Western Wednesdays: Big Jake (1971)

     Big Jake was released on May 26th, 1971. It is directed by George Sherman and written by Harry Julian Fink and R.M. Fink. In it Jacob "Big Jake" McCandles (John Wayne), an aging gunfighter, is asked by his estranged wife (Maureen O'Hara) to track down the outlaws who kidnapped their grandson "Little" Jake (Ethan Wayne). McCandles sets out to rescue his grandson, along with his two sons James (Patrick Wayne) and Micheal (Christopher Mitchum).

     Big Jake has a simple premise: McCandles must rescue his kidnapped grandson. It delivers about what you'd expect, an entertaining, if fairly straight forward action romp. It does feature an interesting faux-documentary prologue, contrasting the untamed American West of the early 20th century with the refined world of the east. The use of old black and white photographs and tin pan alley style music in this sequence brought Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to mind. The Fink's (who also wrote Dirt Harry) deliver a pretty decent script with a lot of memorable hard boiled dialogue, "Dead? Next man says that I'm gonna shoot, so help me." "You can call me father, you can call me Jacob, you can call me Jake, you can call me a dirty son of a bitch, but if you ever call me "Daddy" again I'll finish this fight." The film moves at a steady, leisurely pace which serves the narrative well. The action is minimalistic but impressively mounted and very coherent. It's also considerably bloodier than your average John Wayne vehicle.

     Like The Comancheros which I reviewed two weeks ago, Big Jake is the final film of its director, in this case George Sherman. Sherman, who interestingly enough also produced The Comancheros, was in poor health during much of this film's production and, as with The Comancheros, Wayne ended up directing much of the film, though he insisted that Sherman receive the sole credit. This film also shares the same cinematographer and composer as The Comancheros, William H. Clothier and Elmer Bernstien respectively. Unsurprisingly the film features an excellent score, sometimes reminiscent of Aaron Copland, and beautiful cinematography. Clothier is really able to capture the stark beauty of Southern Mexico.

     The performances are a bit of a mixed bag. Wayne is his usual swaggering and, at this point, ornery self. Richard Boone is great as the hard-nosed leader of the outlaws who kidnap Little Jake. Maureen O'Hara shines in her brief role as McCandles estranged wife, remaining one of the few people who could hold their own in a scene with Wayne. On the other hand Patrick Wayne comes off a little stilted as the elder son with a chip on his shoulder and Christopher Mitchum is rather bland as the younger, more rash Micheal. Rounding out the main cast is Bruce Cabot who can't help but feel a little anachronistic as Jake's old Indian pal Sam Sharpnose, though he plays the part well enough.

     It may not offer anything revelatory for the genre but Big Jake is still a solid, entertaining western nonetheless.

Score: 8/10

Saturday Evening Cartoons: Wonder Woman Vol. 3 - The Truth

     Wonder Woman Vol. 3: The Truth collects Wonder Woman #13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 and 25. It is written by Greg Rucka with art by Liam Sharp and Laura Martin.

     At the end of the first arc in Rucka's run, Wonder Woman discovers that she has never actually returned to Themyscira, causing her to enter a delusional, crippled state. It is also revealed that the Picket has been infiltrated by Godwatch, an organization lead by the villain Rucka created during his original run on the title, Veronica Cale, and Etta Candy is forced to go on the run. Picking up where that story left off, it's now up to Steve Trevor to rescue her from a squad of assassins sent by Godwatch and lead by Marina Maru (Doctor Poison). The first chapter basically sees Steve take down the assassins Rambo style until a helicopter sent by Etta Candy arrives to rescue him and Diana. Wonder Woman is then placed in a mental institution under an alias until she recovers. Meanwhile, Steve, Etta Candy and a newly reformed Barbara Minerva are on the run from Godwatch and go to Diana's old friend, the minotaur (or rather kithotaur) Sebastian (another Rucka creation) for help. Ultimately, Dr. Minerva gives herself up in order to save her friends and is manipulated by Cale to turn into the Cheetah once again.

     This is where the book starts to run into problems as one of the more interesting developments of the previous arc, namely the fleshing out of Barabara Ann Minerva and her reverting back to human form, is almost immediately undone. Wonder Woman's "madness" or whatever is also handled badly. Basically she talks to a snake coming out of her arm, one that only she can see, who tells her that she was lied to, which we already now. Then Sebastian comes to visit her, causing her to snap out of it and revert to her normal cognizant self. This makes me question why Rucka kept her in this state for the first three issues.

     After Wonder Woman and Steve are again attacked by Maru's assassins, the story ends with Wonder Woman confronting Cale, who is attempting to find Themyscira in order to restore her daughter who, for reasons unexplained, has lost her identity. I won't spoil the final resolution but I think that it fits Diana's character really well and it nicely lines up with the themes set up earlier in the run (with love being stronger than hate). It's also fairly heart-wrenching at times. This is followed by a sort of afterword where Wonder Woman must come to terms with the fact that the gods deceived her. Ultimately she realizes that, despite being left in the dark by her patrons, they have ultimately lead her to become an inspiring and heroic figure and they've trusted her to make the right decisions on her own. This restores Diana's devotion to the Patrons and her own faith in herself. The story ends with Diana and Steve having a long overdue date.

     As with the first two volumes of this title, The Truth suffers from the way it was published. Collecting the odd numbered issues, which tell a story taking place in the present, it leaves out the backstory, which was published in the even numbered issues. This story, which will be released in trade on November 15th, focuses on how Veronica's daughter lost her identity, leading Cale to form Godwatch, something only hinted at in The Truth. It would really make more sense to read that story first but, alas, that's not how DC has decided to publish it. With that said, it's much easier to read this title in trade than it was to try and keep up with it monthly, with the story constantly alternating between the past and the present.

     The art, by Liam Sharp (pencils) and Laura Martin (colors) is once again really good. Sharp is particularly adept at facial expressions and, coupled Martin's subdued colors, he really adds a sense of realistic emotion to the story. The plotting is quite clever with one page from the final chapter making really innovative use of reflections. On the other hand the first chapter is drawn by a different team. Renato Guedes angular pencil work doesn't blend at all with Sharp's more naturalistic style and Romulo Fajordo Jr., who was the colorist for the even numbered issues of the first and second volumes, seems out of his element as his usual bright, vibrant coloring is not suited for this story.

     The Truth may be a slow and somewhat frustrating journey, but the final destination is more than satisfying. Readers may be irked that they will have to wait until the release of Godwatch in November to really get the full story (and they may be better served to wait and read that story first) but this volume of Wonder Woman continues to prove how much Greg Rucka understands this character and her world.

Score: 8/10

My Favorite Films: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

"They say the sea is cold, but the sea contains
the hottest blood of all, and the wildest, the most urgent."
-D.H. Lawrence, Whales Weep Not

     Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is not my favorite Star Trek film (that would be Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) but it is the closest in spirit to Gene Roddenberry's original vision for the series: a bright future where humanity has left behind its petty conflicts and joined a larger, intergalactic community. Fun, entertaining stories with big ideas are the very essence of Trek and Leonard Nimoy, who wrote and directed this film recollected, “No dying, no fighting, no shooting, no photon torpedoes, no phaser blasts, no stereotypical bad guy. I wanted people to really have a great time watching this film [and] if somewhere in the mix we lobbed a couple of big ideas at them, well, then that would be even better.”

     At the end of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock Spock remembers that Kirk's first name is Jim. This is but a first step in the character regaining his old sense of identity. In the opening scene of Star Trek IV, we see him testing his mental faculties using a computer program on Vulcan. He aces every question until the computer asks, "how do you feel" which perplexes him. Intellectually, he's back to normal, but emotionally, he still has much to regain. Throughout this film we see him learn to stretch the truth, to "guess" and we see him rekindle his friendships with Kirk and Bones. At the end of the film, when Spock chooses to stand along side his shipmates at the court martial we get the sense that he has finally found himself again. He tells his father "They are my friends" and when asked by Sarek what he should tell his mother he replies, "Tell her, I feel fine."

     Similarly, after the crushing events of the previous two films Kirk is also struggling to move forward in his life. In addition to the emotional scars left by the destruction of the Enterprise and the death of his son, he must also deal with the material consequences of defying Starfleet Command and returning to Genesis to find Spock. This film takes him on a classic hero's journey. He leaves his home when it becomes imperiled in order to save it and on returning he regains his honor and is able to reenter society. This nicely completes Kirk's arc from the previous two films, after being confronted by his past and having gone through hell, Kirk can now get back to doing what he loves.

     Star Trek IV is a great comedy. The script, by Nicholas Meyer and Harve Bennett, is filled with quotable lines. It's not as thematically complex as Star Trek II but, as far as dialogue goes, it may have the best script of any Trek film. There are so many witty exchanges. When a disgruntled cab driver calls Kirk a dumbass he replies, "Well, uh, double dumbass on you!" Discouraged in his attempts to discuss Spock's recent death and rebirth with the Vulcan McCoy says "You're joking!" to which Spock replies, "A joke ... is a story with a humorous climax." When trying to sneak into the hospital to rescue Chekov, McCoy says that Taylor "has immediate postprandial, upper-abdominal distention." When asked by Kirk what that is, he replies "cramps." All of this dialogue is hilarious but it also feels consistent with who these characters are and who they've become. In addition, many of the scenes were at least partly improvised. This lends a great sense of spontaneity to the film. It helps that all of these actors, especially Nimoy and Shatner, already have great chemistry, as does newcomer Catherine Hicks as Doctor Gillian Taylor, the scientist whose dead set on saving "her whales." The scene where she asks Kirk and Spock if they like Italian, which was completely improvised by Shatner and Nimoy, is one of the film's funniest moments.

     Even more then in Star Trek III Nimoy goes out of his way to give the supporting cast heavier involvement in the story and more memorable scenes. While Kirk and Spock are tracking down the whales, Sulu, Scotty and Bones are tasked with obtaining the materials to construct a water tank in the ship while Uhura and Chekov must obtain a nuclear reactor to restore power to the ship. DeForest Kelley and James Doohan get to preform this wonderful scene where their characters bribe the head of the Plexicorp plant to give them the plexiglass they need in exchange for the formula for transparent aluminium (a substance which has actually been invented since the films release). Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig, of course, are featured in the now iconic scene where Chekov asks passersby if they can tell him where to find "the nuclear wessels." Finally, although a subplot featuring Sulu meeting his distant ancestor was ultimately cut, George Takei gets his own, briefer subplot where Sulu piloting skills (and love of antiques) are both referenced. Nimoy clearly cared about the cast and valued their contributions to the film. His direction, in general is more assured this time around, featuring longer takes and, as I mentioned, improvisational comedy.

     Another great thing about The Voyage Home, which I alluded to earlier, is that it's one of the few Star Trek movies that doesn't feature a main villain. In many episodes of the original series, the crew had to deal with scientific problems that were not caused by some malevolent being but were rather caused by a misunderstanding or were simply natural disasters. In Star Trek IV, humanity itself (or at least humanity as it existed in 1986) is the central source of adversity for the crew of the Enterprise. By hunting the humpback whale into extinction, humanity has forever deprived itself of the secrets these creatures hold. This was very prescient in the 1980's, a time when there was growing concern over the hunting of humpback whales. In one scene, reminiscent of actions taken by members of Greenpeace, the crew pilots the Bounty (their repurposed Klingon ship) in front of the whales to protect them from a group of Russian whalers.

     The whales themselves are animatronic, and they look amazing. Many people, including myself, mistakenly thought they were real on a first viewing. The sound effects for the probe where taken from a baby's heartbeat, slowed down and digitized. Originally, the studio wanted subtitles to explain the probe's message to the audience, but Nimoy disagreed as he wanted a sense of mystery surrounding the probe and the whales. Indeed, there's a respect for nature and for mystery present in Star Trek IV that is contrasted with the films sense of joy and whimsy. The score, by Leonard Rosenman, has a really lighthearted, festive quality that really complements the film's tone. The film's unique premise allowed Rosenman to write in a variety of styles including a jazz fusion piece (preformed by Yellowjackets), a classical baroque piece, and even a fugue. It's a bit dissonant but it works. I would be remiss not to mention the punk song "I Hate You", which provides the impetus for one of the films most iconic scenes. Written by associate producer Kirk Thatcher(who also played the punk on the bus who annoys Kirk by blasting the song on his boom box) it's easily the best fake punk song ever produced.

     Star Trek IV remains the most optimistic film in the Trek canon. It's not concerned with deep philosophical questions or social allegory nor is it filled with mindless action. At the end of Star Trek II Kirk says that he feels young, a statement that was severely tested in the following film. At the end of this film McCoy says "The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe. We'll get a freighter." But this acerbic statement is immediately proven false as the Enterprise comes into view and we find that the crew is finally home again. Like the whales, and like humanity itself, the crew of the Enterprise have finally been granted a second chance.

Western Wednesdays: The Comancheros

 
     The Comancheros was released in 1961. Based on the book by Paul I. Wellman, it is directed by Micheal Curtiz (Casablanca) and written by James Edward Grant and Clair Huffaker. In it Captain Jake Cutter (John Wayne) a Texas Ranger, arrests gambler Paul Regret (Stuart Whitman) for killing another man in a duel. The two men become embroiled in a conflict between Comanche Indians and white settlers fueled by a group of renegade arms merchants called the comancheros.

     The Comancheros is somewhat sprawling and unfocused. It sets up the romance between Regret and Pilar Graile (Ina Balin), the daughter of the comancheros leader, early on but her character doesn't appear again in the story until the last act. There are basically two competing plotlines. One focuses on Cutter's efforts to infiltrate and ultimately bring down the comencheros. The other is the rivalry, and eventual friendship, that develops between Cutter and Regret. The two plot are never satisfactorily interwoven however, and the film feels meandering and episodic as a result. Despite this, the film remains entertaining throughout, thanks largely to the cast and the quality of the production.

     John Wayne is his usual charismatic, swaggering self as Jake Cutter. Stuart Whitman does a fine job as the dandy Paul Regret and Ina Balin's fiery, untamed Pilar makes a good match for him, even if their romantic relationship is underdeveloped. Micheal Ansara puts in his usual solid character work as Amelung, one of Graile's lieutenants and the closest thing the film has to a main villain. Nehemiah Persoff's Graile is somewhat unremarkable. Meanwhile Lee Marvin, in a brief but memorable role, almost steals the show as the bad tempered comenchero Tully Crow.

     Micheal Curtiz, who was ill during the production, died shortly after the films release. Because of Curtiz's illness John Wayne had to take over directing more than once. This probably contributed to the films uneven sense of pacing. The cinematography by William H. Clothier, who also shot The Alamo for Wayne, is quite stunning and he fully takes advantage of the vistas of Utah's Professor Valley. Elmer Bernstein brings the same sense of epic adventure that he showed in The Magnificent Seven for the film's score.

     The Comencheros is a flawed film to be sure. It may not offer much in the way of a nuanced story but it's a fairly entertaining western nonetheless.

Score: 7/10

Saturday Evening Cartoons: Laputa: Castle in the Sky

           Laputa: Castle in the Sky was released in 1986. Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, it is the first feature film produced by Studio Ghibli. In it a young boy named Pazu is caught up in an epic adventure when he meets Sheeta, a young girl who's on the run from the military and a band of pirates. Both seek the mysterious amulet she possesses, an artifact from the legendary flying city of Laputa.

     Like all of Miyazaki's work, Castle in the Sky is highly imaginative. The setting is really unique, the mining town Pazu resembles a Welsh mining town and the land is filled with Medieval European style architecture, the government technology has a steampunk vibe, the pirate ship, and the pirates themselves, show more of a Victorian influence, and the soldiers are dressed in 19th century style military dress. Laputa itself is a work of pure imagination, part steampunk Athens, part Garden of Eden, the flying city in the clouds is every bit as awe inducing as we've been lead to expect.

     The mythology of Laputa, which draws inspiration from Hindu legends, is a bit vague, but this adds an air of mystery to it and we're given enough information to understand what's going on. This film touches on themes related to the destruction of nature and the abuse of technology, both represented by Colonel Muska, a government agent who wants to use the power of Laputa for his own destructive ends. We see in Muska the corrupting influence of power, leading, ultimately, to indifference toward human life, while protagonist's show compassion for others and respect for nature, particularly in their sacrifice during the climax.

     My one major complaint toward Castle in the Sky is that, while all the supporting characters are interesting and unique, Pazu and Sheeta feel a little flat in comparison. This may be due in part to the English dub. I like Anna Paquin, but her Sheeta feels a little too passive and subdued. James Van der Beek's Pazu fares a little better, but he sounds older then the character is supposed to. I would very much like to see the original Japanese language version to see how it compares. The supporting cast, on the other hand, are all fantastic. Cloris Leechman's Dola, the matriarchal leader of the pirates, is particularly great, and the script allows our perception her character to grow through the course of the film, from a terrifying villain to a likable anti-hero. Mark Hamill is also great as Muska, bringing the same measure of menace and guile to the role that he brought to the Joker, though of course less unhinged.

     Laputa is more of an action/adventure film then most of the Studio's output and boy is it a good one. From start to finish the action scenes are bursting with energy and creativity. The aerial battles, between the steampunk, dirigible like aircraft are particularly innovative and, like the space battles in Star Trek, take inspiration from naval battles. The animation, as always, is really stunning and the animators attention to detail is just as apparent as ever. Joe Hisaishi, who reworked his original electronic score into an orchestral one for the U.S. release of the film, writes some really majestic music for this film. The choral piece accompanying Laputa's destruction during the film's climax is among the most moving he's ever written.

     Laputa: Castle in the Sky is essential viewing for fans of anime. It launched one of the mediums great success stories with Studio Ghibli and was an important step forward for Hayao Miyazaki. It may not be his best work but it's an eminently entertaining film none-the-less.

Score: 8/10