Talkin' In the Movies: Star Trek Into Darkness SPOILERS!

Hello, dear readers. Josh and I both saw Star Trek Into Darkness, and we couldn’t wait to chat about it.  For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, probably best to come back later as we’ll be talking about a lot of different points in this film that will not only spoil awesome surprises, but will  be unintelligible if you don’t have a basic knowledge of the plot.

Here there be SPOILERS, you are warned…

JEFF

First thought, it's really great to have a sequel title without a colon or hyphen in it, it works both as a title and a sentence. They are literally trekking into darkness. "Sulu, chart a course for… darkness."

JOSH

I honestly thought there was a colon in the title until I started writing my mini review. I like how the film tried (I won't say succeeded) to take its characters into darkness as well (The eventual ‘Magic Blood’ kinda killed all hope of an actual dark ending).

JEFF

Nice segue! Yes, this movie definitely tried to grit up the bright shiny world created in the first film. Not too dark, but darkness-i-er. There were noticeably fewer lens flares, and our characters, from the opening sequence onward, had real moral dilemmas to deal with. First Mickey from Dr. Who had to choose between his daughter's life and appeasing a terrorist, and then Abrams took all our old favorites on a ride down the dark road when they were confronted with a new, mysterious villain.

JOSH

Yes, it was nice to watch, and it made for a very interesting Act I and II.

The Who fan in me screamed SO LOUD when Mickey (Noel Clarke) was on screen, and he did so well in his small part that it made you really care for his character. His ‘sadistic choice’ set up what a completely cold-hearted character Cumberbatch was. I thought that was a great way to introduce a villain into your film: by showing his effect on others in the world. They also eventually made you see that Cumberbatch had a compelling reason for what he was doing. The character was very cleverly set up.

I thought some of the film’s set up however was kind of pointless (taking the enterprise away from Kirk, then making him first mate then rehashing the first film by giving the ship back). That was all needless. We need to see Kirk grow. So I didn't enjoy that, but after the death of... insert name I can't remember here... Kirk's story really kicked in for me.

JEFF

Admiral Pike, Josh! Admiral Pike... show some respect.

JOSH

But I did enjoy the cold open on the red planet with the white creatures... that was a great way to open the film.

JEFF

Yes, the cold open was a great mini-adventure that was a nice tip of the hat to the original TV show. I agree that the beginning struggle with Kirk's demotion and then almost immediate re-promotion was needlessly complicated, but I like what it did. It set up Kirk as a very fallible character who is ridiculously unprepared to lead. This is a huge issue leftover from his crazy-fast rise to power in the first film, so it's great to see them build the consequences of his devil-may-care attitude into the story of this movie. That is one very big thing that they did very right. Kirk needs to learn responsibility and to learn that maybe if he wants to be captain he DOESN'T need to go on every single dangerous away mission.

The problem with this arc for me is that he CONTINUES to make stupid and irresponsible decisions all the way up to his last foolhardy choice, which actually manages to save the day. For me that doesn't begin to address the body count it took for him to get there, or the civilian body count to follow as Khan continues to run amok.

If Kirk took a little time to think about any of the plot-point decisions of this film, or consulted his crew, he would have made very different choices. Right now I see his brashness working more as a tool of writer's convenience than as part of a fully realized character, which is my only real disappointment with this film.

JOSH

Yeah. He's still a very immature character and he's not learning, a very TV show trait but this is not TV. I think Kirk and his arc encapsulate the entire film for me. Good on the surface, but don't dig too deep because you are going to find a ton of flaws.

Kirk bothered me only a little, and I was able to move past that, but the character that bothered me the most was Uhura. She's a strong character, played by Zoe Saldana, an extremely gifted actress. She's built as a strong, independent woman who can kick ass with the boys and is a smart as anyone. Right?

SO WHY DOSE SHE YELL AT SPOCK IN THE MIDDLE OF A MISSION!!!

Come on! So out of character, especially since she said that she just said she was all right and that Spock's choice wouldn’t affect her.

JEFF

Yes, Uhura is a pro that would have saved that for the bedroom. Attempting the joke was good, but the result maybe wasn’t.

JOSH

The scene was entertaining enough, but again it felt like a scene from a TV series - sitcom to be specific -- not a major summer blockbuster that for the most part was logic and plot driven.

JEFF

I think the tension between Spock and Uhura was necessary, but it had to be awkwardly shoe-horned into the middle of the action because this movie (AWESOMELY) was non-stop. They never slowed down from start to finish.

JOSH

I liked the pacing, I just think they could have found a better place to have the conversation. Maybe right before they leave in search of Khan? As the reason that Kirk questions her about emotions? But moving on. On the whole, the characters were solid and entertaining. Any thoughts on the Wrath of Khan connections?

JEFF

Yes, so the first Star Trek did a brilliant job of re-starting the series while still paying homage to the original and leaving room for the characters to change and grow. Since this is a carbon copy universe, all of the characters of the first series can be expected to still exist somewhere within this new universe. It stands to reason that the whole canon is still up to be used when needed. However it was a really bold move to bring back Khan and directly mirror the second film in the original series.

I think most fans, myself included, were happy to see such an iconic character come back, and to be re-introduced in such a great way. The animosity of Khan and Kirk is set up completely differently than in the original, but we arrive at much the same place by the end of the film. Benedict Cumberbatch was a brilliant choice. Instead of a body-builder with metal-band hair and pec-cleavage, this Kahn is cool, manipulative, and oozing confidence, intelligence, and strength. He was well cast and well used. In hindsight, some of his actions don't completely hold up (such as why not just bomb the admiral meeting, or poison them, or any number of covert killing tactics, and take what you want? etc.) but the ominous effect is palpable every time the character is onscreen.

Also it's a great comparison to Kirk. Khan is in control, Kirk isn't. A great example of this is the scene where Kirk petulantly tries to beat up Khan after taking him prisoner. Kirk is a boy, Khan is a man. I love that Spock now take a more active role in taking Khan down (he really is the smarter captain of the Enterprise. He's the guy that actually gets stuff done!) but perhaps a bit of Kirk’s arc toward taking responsibility is diminished by never out-manning Khan himself.

He does stand up to Admiral Robo-Cop (Peter Weller AWESOMELY returning to the big screen – to bad his character ‘loses his head’…) and saves the lives of his crew by sacrificing himself though, so kudos.

JOSH

I have to say again that I did enjoy the journey of this film, and when watching I noticed the (unsubtle) connection to The Wrath of Kahn but it didn't bother me. I like how these old characters are interacting in this new universe, we are in total agreement. I felt the role reversal of Spock and Kirk was natural for this film. I didn't like the ‘Magic Blood’ solution, because it fixed a problem in thirty seconds that took almost two films for the “Genesis’ solution to fix in the first series. But what the reversal did for both Kirk and Spock was fantastic, they each needed to be in their new situations to learn new lessons and to truly understand each other.

However, I don't like the Future Spock connection. You had your problem with this movie, that was mine. It's just confusing. Is this series supposed to completely replacing the other reality? Did the other films never happen? I really don’t need Future Spock popping up and being like, "I said I'd never ever help you with anything, but since you asked this specific question let me tell you exactly what to do" I don't want to even think about the other universe in terms of this film. MORE over-complicated Damon "I WROTE FOR LOST SO LETS MAKE THIS SOOOOOO COMPLICATED AND MYSTERIOUS" Lindelof.

JEFF

I didn't care for the cameo either, it was fun, but it sets up Future Spock as being the all-knowing answer to any problem. Talk about writer's convenience! They went for a quick laugh to straighten out their snarled-up plot, but in the process made this new universe a group of people that can't think for themselves. I get why they made that choice, but overall I thought it was a bad move. Past the first film, I think that Future Spock’s knowledge of this new tangent reality is used up. He, like the rest of us should be along for a brand new ride where none of us know what to expect.

JOSH

I think crossing universes is a bad move in general, it's not like Tobey McGuire and Andrew Garfield’s versions of Spider-Man are hanging around chatting like "listen Young Peter... give up on that Gwen chick, let's talk about Mary Jane."

JEFF

Instead of KHAAAAAAAAN, we both want to shout at the screen and scream LINDELOFFFFFFF!

JOSH

LINDELOFFFFF!!!!!!!!!!!

JEFF

Granted, we don't know what was written by him and what wasn't, but the overall trend of his work makes me not like or trust him, and will attribute anything bad to him.

JOSH
I blame him, what has he not worked that hasn't been overly complicated and overall just sad and confusing?

JEFF

His last (and only) solo sci-fi effort was Prometheus. Enough said.

JOSH

You know, I could rip into this film for little things I didn't like, but it did what it wanted to do, and overall was very fun to watch. I don't need to be super nit-picky about something that I enjoyed watching, and probably will enjoy again. There are enough really satisfying moments in Into Darkness that I can happily forgive its flaws. Good for this series, yes. Fun to watch, yes. All-time great or even a standout, socially relevant blockbuster? No. I'll stand by my 4 out 5 stars I gave it before, but after doing some digging I may be close to sliding it down to 3.5 out of 5.

JEFF

I would also see this movie again in a heartbeat, what it lacked in depth it more than made up in flash. It was a FUN movie. It had the popcorn factor and it had truly stunning action that never stopped along with some great humor. Though we nit-pick, we both really enjoyed it and are ready for the next!

TV 101 The Office: How Bears, Beets, and Battlestar Galactica Changed Our Lives

By their nature, TV 101 Articles will contain small spoilers about each episode, if you don’t wish to be spoiled, just read episode names

Gone, but not forgotten.

After nine seasons, last Thursday NBC aired the final episode of The Office. Although the show’s final seasons weren’t nearly as good as its glory days, it was very bittersweet to see it go. Entertainment has a funny way of mirroring real life. Some things come along just at just the right time.

The American version of The Office will always be a very important to us. It premiered in 2005, and we were very different people then than we are now (thankfully). At the time I was 19 and Jeff 17, and since then we've both gone through too many changes to even resemble those kids. For myself, through going away to college, bonding over Office Nights with friends, starting my first job in theatre, moving to LA and back – there has always been a new episode (good or bad) of The Office. Watching the final episode had a bit more poignancy for me because as I was watching it, it was with a sense of finality in my own life.

Through the years there have been a bunch of great characters on that show, but the main focus has always been on Michael Scott (Steve Carell), Jim Halpert (John Krasinski), Pam Beesly (Jeena Fischer) Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), and eventually Andy Bernard (Ed Helms). It’s through these characters that we follow the story of the show. I've always been a fan of Jim, he’s the character I relate to and he is the eyes I watch the show through. So in the finale, when Jim finally gets to move on from this job to go after his dream, it really hit home for me. That’s what good characters are, people we can see ourselves in. That’s what made The Office great.

By the end The Office had fallen off in ratings, and had struggled for a long time with quality. Some of the cast members had moved on (including Carell) and the rocky finish was a way of showing that the series had run its course and that it was time to move on. The 9^th and final season was actually a revival of sorts, it took two entire seasons, but The Office finally rebounded from losing Carell. If you haven’t seen the final season, it’s worth a watch. But when the show was going strong (seasons 2-5 in our estimation) it was as groundbreaking as any show on American TV. Although The Office is a remake of a British show of the same name (created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant who both serve as EP’s on the American Version), the American version grew to eclipse it's namesake. 

When The Office debuted in ’05 with its six episode first season, it barely survived. The ratings weren't good, partly due to the fact that the show was almost a carbon copy of the British series, which was far too dry and dark for an unprepared American audience. However, The Office was the first show saved by the internet. It’s numbers on NBC.com and iTunes single-handedly saved the show and allowed it, in season 2, to find its own voice. Full of awkward moments, inappropriate jokes, office pranks, and heart, season 2 had all the things that made the show amazing. Jim and Pam have become one of the most enduring and most loved couples in all of TV history, Dwight and Angela were as on again off again as any sitcom romance, and Michael was pure love. Michael cared about everything so much, too much in fact, and that’s where the best comedy of The Office comes in.

The Office was one of the first sitcoms to not have a laugh track. It focused on long form storytelling rather than episodic arcs, and it was the very first sitcom to successfully be done documentary style. Since then this style has been copied everywhere, most successfully by Parks and Recreation and Modern Family.

I think I've rambled on enough about why the show was great and how much it means to us personally, just let us repeat that this series finale is very bittersweet. The show was well past its prime and needed to end but it’s always hard to see something that was so great go away. But change is inevitable and behind every ending is the start of a new chapter. Before we close the book on The Office let’s look back on what we think are the 9 best episodes.

#9. Beach Games/The Job – S3 Ep22 & 23

Plot: These episodes aired as an hour and a half block and focus on several members of the Scranton team preparing to interview for an opening at the corporate office. In the first half, assuming he’s a shoe-in, Michael uses “beach day” to find out who will be a good replacement for him as regional manager. In the second Michael names a successor while Jim and Karen interview for the corporate job themselves.

What Makes it Great: This episode really has the perfect blend of comedy and story. There are some amazingly broad moments, such as the sumo-suit fights, as well as a very heart-felt moment of self discovery when Pam finds the confidence in herself to be honest. Also, you gotta love the entire office breaking into “The Flintstones Theme Song.”

Memorable Lines/Moments: At the end of Beach Games Pam gives one of the best speeches in the entire show, all about where she stands and what she’s ready to do. It’s both funny and heartfelt. At the end of The Job is a moment that all Office fans were craving, and Jim and Pam were finally in place to give it to us. Jim finally asks Pam out on date.

#8. Goodbye, Michael – S7 Ep22

Plot: As the office gets ready for Michael’s last day at Dunder Mifflin, Michael keeps his true last day a secret in order to make it easier on everyone. Meanwhile Deangelo accompanies a nervous Andy on a visit to an old client who would only sell to Michael.

What Makes it Great: During the final 4 seasons, this show could be described as “hit or miss” at best. But every once in a while The Office would remind us of what made it great. This is the final episode with Steve Carell, and to some the last good episode the show ever did. Goodbye, Michael is the culmination of Michael Scott’s entire story and is actually a very simple goodbye to the shows lead. It’s a very subtle episode for a show not known for its subtly.  

Memorable Lines/Moments: In an episode filled with goodbyes, it’s the final one that stands out. Pam rushes to the airport to get to say goodbye to Michael, and sometimes no line is the best line. SinceMichael has already taken off his “documentary” mic and is heading to the plane, when Pam catches up to Michael only the two actors will ever know what was really said.

Josh’s #7 – Jeff’s #2. Office Olympics – S2 Ep3

Plot: Ready to finalize his deal on a new condo, Michael is away the office while his staff comes together for a round of Olympic style games.

What Makes it Great: This is one of the defining episodes of The Office. It happens early in the series and firmly establishes every relationship in the show, some great office games are created, and Dwight trying to talk Michael out of buying his condo is priceless. Also Jim and Pam could not be cuter.

Memorable Lines/Moments: Seeing that Michael has had a rough day Jim awards Michael the gold medal for closing ceremonies in the first of many moments where the members of the office realize that sometimes all Michael needs is a little love. It’s touching and funny, and one of the first really great episodes. Jeff’s Note: This was the first episode that grabbed my heart and turned me into a die-hard fan. It made me cry, it made me laugh. All the best in entertainment. I was chasing this episode from then on.

#6. Product Recall – S3 Ep19

Plot: Michael tires to be proactive during a watermark crisis, but only makes the situation worse. Meanwhile, Angela has trouble being apologetic with customers and Andy discovers a secret about his young new girlfriend.

What Makes it Great: Product Recall is one of the first really great Andy episodes, it’s the story with Jim and Andy in the high school where this episode shines. This episode also features possibly the best Jim/Dwight prank of all time where Jim impersonates Dwight in the cold open.   

Memorable Lines/Moments: The cold open of the episode features one of the most immortal lines of the entire series. Where a culmination to the debate of which bear is the best bear (after “False, black bears”) was not good enough, Jim as Dwight concludes that “Fact: bears eat beets. Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica.” This episode also features a second great mock of a co-worker when after Andy revels that he uses the term “beer me” in every day language Jim gets out the car, looks to the sky and say “Lord, Beer Me Strength.”

#5. Dwight’s Speech – S2 Ep17

Plot: Michael coaches Dwight on giving a speech after he is named salesman of the year for Dunder Mifflin. Meanwhile Pam plans her wedding.

What Makes it Great: This episode is here because of pure comedy. Jim gives Dwight a list of public speaking tips based on Italian dictator Mussolini and then Dwight delivers them perfectly to a very supportive crowd. It’s nothing short of comedy gold. The smaller story of Pam and Jim is very good and showcases what the early part of their relationship was all about. 

Memorable Lines/Moments: Dwight’s speech is all gold. “Blood alone moves the wheels of history” Awesome… just awesome.

#4. The Injury – S2 Ep 12

Plot: Michael suffers an injury at the hands of his George Forman grill that distracts the staff from the real injury in the office, Dwight’s concussion.

What Makes it Great: The glory of this episode is that beyond being hilarious at every turn it also studies the duality of Michael and Dwight. It’s fascinating to see Michael be the selfish child who craves attention to the point where he distracts from the selfless Dwight who actually injures himself trying to help Michael. It’s a study in contrast that is amazing to watch.

Memorable Lines/Moments: The scene where Jim and Michael take Dwight to hospital is possibly the single funniest scene in the entire show, and yet we have 3 more episodes to talk about. The line “You can’t fire me, I don’t work in this van” is still a part of my vernacular and on one of my favorite t-shirts (thanks Jeff!)

Josh’s #3 – Jeff’s #7. The Initiation – S3 Ep5

Plot: Dwight takes Ryan (the newest salesman) to his beet farm to initiate him now that he no longer a temp. Meanwhile it’s Pretzel Day and Pam fights a losing battle to get Michael to work.

What Makes it Great: A pure comedy episode that opens up the universe and explores some of our minor characters. We finally get to see a vulnerable side of Dwight and Ryan, as well as getting more of the Stanley character. The jokes all land in this episode, which is hard to say in most shows, so in this episode it’s a wonderful treat. Jeff’s Note: This ranked lower for me than Josh, but I love the fact that we see Michael’s value. He looks like a misbehaving child all day, but before leaving for the day has signed a massive new account. Michael is the manager for a reason, and that is the fact that he is the greatest salesman in the entire company.

Memorable Lines/Moments: The first time we see Dwight’s beet farm, and as Ryan plants some seeds into the ground Dwight says “And just as you have planted your seed in the ground. I am going to plant my seed in you.”   

2. The Dundies – S2 Ep1

Plot: The time has come for the annual Dundies and Michael Scott is the only person who is actually looking forward to it.

What Makes it Great: This is one of the best episodes of the series because it reinvented the entire show. The Dundies is the episode that showed how this show would be different from the British version and it ensured the show’s survival. Michael Scott had a heart, he liked his job and the people he worked with. Because of this, and the improved writing, this series proved it was own independent entity. It added heart to the characters and set everything on its path.  It also really set in motion the greatest love arc in the series. Jim and Pam have their first real moments of connection – in a Chili’s.

Memorable Lines/Moments: It’ very hard to pick just one moment of this episode, it could be the end of the show, the “Tiny Dancer” montage, or it could be Pam stepping up to bail Michael out, but I think what stands out the most is Pam acceptance speech for “whitest sneakers” which ends with the great line “So, finally, I wanna thank God, because god gave me this Dundie and I feel God in this Chilli’s tonight.”

#1. Casino Night – S2 Ep22

Plot: In the season two finale, Michael holds casino night for all Dunder Mifflin employees and everyone gets more than what they bargained for.

What Makes it Great: It hits all the right notes. It’s funny, dramatic, entertaining, captivating and is storytelling of the highest quality. Casino Night delivers on an episodic level and a long term story level. For a Jim and Pam fan like me, this is the episode that we love and hate at the same time. It’s a culmination of the entire season while giving just a hint of what we really want, our couple to be happy: even if only for a fleeting moment.

Memorable Lines/Moments: the end of this episode is Office legend and all-around amazing. Jim and Pam’s kiss is everything it should be. Hopeful, yet full of questions, with just a peek at what’s in store. Given the fact that he’s planning to leave Scranton, kissing an engaged woman just days before her wedding is a bold move for Jim, bold move. Yet you can’t help but root for him. Plus this episode boasts the best line of Tobey hatred ever: “I hate, so much about the things that you choose to be.”

What We Learned This Week at the Movies - May 13-19, 2013

We are really into the swing of Summer movie season now! Man… Summer comes earlier and earlier each year, people are still in school… come on Hollywood… but anyway Star Trek Into Darkness came out this week, and next week there are three more major releases, but we’ll get to that.

Movies Seen In Theatres This Week: Peeples, Star Trek Into Darkness.

Lesson 5.  Almost Only Counts In…

Before I dive deep into Star Trek Into Darkness, let’s touch on Peeples. Why? Because I saw it. Why? Because I had time to see it. Why? Because that’s what I do! Peeples is a film that is just like any other romantic comedy, typical plot, typical beats, typical jokes, typical plot holes, and typical moments of joy. Yes that’s right, joy. If you like the actors in this film (Craig Robinson, Kerry Washington, and David Allen Grier), if you like simple family films, than this is for you. It’s well made (for what it is) and although it’s full of many flaws, Peeples is enjoyable enough. If it had have let Robinson do his thing rather than force him into a Ben Stiller in Meet The Parents type of role, this would have been very enjoyable. But as it stands David Allan Grier is a joy to watch and everyone else is in his shadow. 2 out of 5 stars.

Lesson 4. In J.J. I trust

Let me dodge actually talking about Star Trek Into Darkness for a couple more points here. Starting with this one, In J. J. Abrams I trust. At least when it comes to films. I’m not the biggest Trek buff in the world, in fact the first Star Trek film I saw in theaters was Abrams’ Star Trek and I can’t say that I’ve seen a single episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation ( I have seen one of the original Star Trek-The Trouble with Tribbles is just too hard to resist). But what Abrams does is make me care for these characters that I’ve never really cared about while still respecting the source material. One of the main conclusions I came away from Into Darkness with is that I actually have hope for Star Wars Episode VII. If there is one person in Hollywood who will respect the fan base, characters, and source material and yet make each film his own new amazing franchise, it’s Abrams.  In terms of Star Wars (a franchise I personally care more about) In J.J. I trust.

 Lesson 3. Crystal Balls are Never Wrong

One final note before I jump all the way Into Darkness, and that is to look ahead at next weekend.   Summer will be in full force as The Hangover Part III, Fast and Furious 6 and the family film Epic hitting theaters at once, all looking to knock Iron Man 3 and Into Darkness off their pedestals. That will put 5 major studio blockbusters into theaters all before Memorial Day. I’m excited to see all three films, but for many different reasons. Hangover Part III is the “final” installment of the biggest comedy franchise of all time, and although  Part II was a critical flop, it still made a ton of cash. I enjoy the first film and it seems that Part III has gone back to its roots and is basing its comedy in its characters, not just on shock value. We’ll see, but I’ll give it a shot. Fast and Furious 6 revs into theaters, and coming off of the outstanding action film Fast Five it’s got a ton to live up to. If the pattern holds (odd films good, even films bad) then Fast 6 might be a giant pile of garbage but if Vin Diesel can pull an airplane out of the sky, this might be a good film. (Jeff’s Note: A great movie game is to turn on the subtitles of any Vin Diesel flick. As you watch it it’s like you and Vin are both reading the script for the first time.) Finally Epic, or Fern Gully 2013. This looks really familiar to us 90’s kids, but the trailer give me hope. If it really is a strong story about a young girl finding herself and becoming a hero while surrounded by endearing supporting character like the trailer suggests, it might do just fine (with the lack of  pure children’s films recently I’d be surprised if this film tanks). My Crystal Ball reading for next weekend’s box office. 1. The Hangover Part III 2. Epic 3. Star Trek Into Darkness 4. Iron Man 3 5. Fast and Furious 6.

Lesson 2. Getting It Right

Benedict Cumberbatch: With a name like that, you've got to be good.

I’ve gone on long enough, time for the main attraction. Star Trek Into Darkness, wow… just wow. I can’t believe how much I truly enjoyed this film. It’s film full of twists and turns that I personally wasn’t expecting and it furthers every relationship within the universe with specific focus on Kirk and Spock. There is barley a wasted moment in the film and it all comes together nicely. What I very much enjoy about this film is that everything our c characters do is motivated by logic. What else should you expect from a film with a Vulcan in it. Great pacing, humor, and action sequences bring together this fast paced, engaging, and fascinating joy ride through space. I give this film one knock for trying to over-think itself at times, a plot that you can’t dig too deep into without it falling apart (cough-Damon Lindelof-cough), a plot a little too close to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and some small cases of needless pretention. Overall a great summer blockbuster, 4 out of 5 stars.

Lesson 1. Heroes are Movie Stars, Villains are Actors

My favorite part of the film – a man I predict will be snubbed come Oscar time, Benedict Cumberbatch. (Jeff’s Note: You never know, he might get recognition for the Oscar-bait August Osage County) HE IS WONDERFUL. I won’t go too much into his cold, manipulative, and collected character because his reveal of his true identity is quite fun. But Cumberbatch steals the film. To finish up a conversation we’ve been having for a while, a great summer blockbuster needs to have a great villain. I will say that one of the most important things about casting the Villain is to get a good actor. Someone who will understand the motivations of the character and play it with honesty, an actor who can create a full character rather than just play the surface evil characteristics, these are all things that an actor brings to the role. Movie stars can be the hero. What’s the difference between an actor and a movie star? Talent. Understanding of the craft. More than just a pretty face. A movie star is an actor who is famous based off a name and face, someone who is very talented in small range of circumstances. Let me be clear, to be a movie star you have to have some acting talent, but it’s not the most important thing. Carry a few scenes and let your fellow cast members do the rest of the heavy lifting - that’s the goal of star, of a lead, of a hero. (There are of course exceptions to this rule, like Robert Downey Jr., but we’re confident that it holds true in the majority of cases. Let me give you a few examples to prove my point.

Hero = Movie Star	Villains = Quality Actor
Jack Sparrow: Jonny Depp	Captian Barbosa: Geoffrey Rush
Thor: Chris Hemsworth	Loki: Tom Hiddleston
Neo: Kenu Reeves	Mr. Anderson: Hugo Weaving
Peter Parker: Tobey Maguire	Dr. Octopus: Alfred Molina
Harry Potter: Daniel Radcliffe	Lockhart: Kenneth Branagh, Black: Gary Oldman, Mad-Eye: Brendon Gleeson, Umbridge: Imelda Staunton and Lord Voldemort: Ralph Fiennes

Box Office Totals for the Weekend of May 17-19

Rank	Film Title	Weekend Gross	Total Gross	Budget	Weeks in Theatres
1.	Star Trek Into Darkness	$70.5	$84.0	$190	1
2.	Iron Man 3	$35.1	$337.0	$200	3
3.	The Great Gatsby	$23.4	$90.1	$105	2
4.	Pain & Gain	$3.1	$46.5	$26	4
5.	The Croods	$2.7	$176.7	$135	9
6.	42	$2.7	$88.7	$40	6
7.	Oblivion	$2.2	$85.5	$120	5
8.	Mud	$2.1	$11.5	$--	4
9.	Tyler Perry Presents Peeples	$2.1	$7.8	$15	2
10.	The Big Wedding	$1.1	$20.1	$35	4

All Numbers are in Millions and numbers are from of Box Office Mojo.com

Talkin' In the Movies: IRON MAN 3 SPOILERS!

Josh

Well, Let's jump into Iron Man 3?

Jeff

Sure. You didn't like it, because you're a crazy person who hates smart action, character development, justified violence, and innovation. Did I sum that up right?

Josh

I think you missed the point. I don't like one thing, one giant thing about the film that spoils the rest for me. I think the first hour and half is great.

Also, innovation? Where? There are some wonderful ideas and concepts in this film but what groundbreaking?

Jeff

Innovation might be the wrong word, but I feel this movie certainly broke new ground for Marvel Phase 2, and absolutely pushed the boundaries for this particular franchise. The scope of this movie was much larger than any of the others, arguably greater than The Avengers. And, while still a comic book movie, it heightened the reality of the world. Instead of goofy, faceless drones. Tony Stark faced off with a world with real stakes and real violence that had something to say about our political climate, though it was a satirical thrill ride.

Josh

Agreed. I like the way they took the character. Actually exploring the bad side of being Iron Man.
I disagree about the scope. It was just what it needed to be, it's a very small personal story at heart. It's about Stark and his struggle with being Iron Man. How the events of The Avengers have affected him (I love that they address that in the film), how Iron Man affects his personal and professional life, and gives the character a ton of room to keep growing but also completes his journey of self discovery. In the scheme of things, this is a very intimate film about Stark and Pepper.

Jeff

I agree that this movie did have a great personal journey. I also feel that this was possible because the fabric of the backdrop was much richer. They finally had a villain! We both agree that that is a first for this series.

Josh

Yes… BUT THEN THEY TOOK THAT VILLAIN FROM ME!

Screw it. Spoilers from this point on.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!! 

Go away if you haven’t watched Iron Man 3!

…

Still there? Ok.

We obviously disagreed about on major moment in Iron Man 3, so we’ll present our arguments separately, then discuss. Josh won the coin toss, so he’ll go first.

The Great Debate

Josh

This film built up an awesome villain who had a a cause, and set up a show down between Stark and The Mandarin. Then instead of following through on that villain they go with a bull-crap villain who is all about money and power and owning both sides of the economy. What is Guy Pearce(Aldrich Killian-for the sake of speed we often just refer to the actor name in this conversation)’s reason for doing what he is doing? POLITICS! That's it, he wants to play the game and get money. BORING AS CRAP. He's the same stupid villain as Sam Rockwell in Iron Man 2 (just smarter)

In terms of the development of the film, I would have loved to see someone who is challenging our way of life of America have to face-off with the man who is the face of America. That's a far more compelling story.

I personally feel like the story that we were led to believe they were setting up was far more interesting than what they ended up delivering. I don't care about the Vice-President being in the back pocket of Pearce. I don't care about... I just never cared about Pearce's character, he was manipulative and predicable. Also his female not-evil/evil/not-evil assistant made me grind my teeth, there was no reason for her to turn back and try to save Tony, she had just betrayed him and Pepper, so why does she try to save Tony? Why? I have no clue... He's pretty? His goatee? Those are the only reasons I have for that.

I'm not opposed to The Mandarin being a front (I don't like it because it's equivalent of taking the Joker and making him a dumb phoney, the comic book Mandarin is to Iron Man what Joker is Batman, but this production didn’t care) but I am opposed to the “Trevor” reveal. Why? Why take a major plot point and play it as a joke. That was awful. I hated everything about that scene and the scene with War Machine later. They took someone who was given so much clout and then just pissed on it. Everything that we were told before that point was made a joke. It was like they were laughing at the audience for buying that this guy could possibly do harm to anyone. Laughing at contemporary terrorism, saying that it's all a fake and controlled by someone you aren’t even aware of. I hate what it said about the current state of the "war of terror." They had a real, grounded villain that was shaping up to be on the level of The Joker in this film and they just gave the audience the finger and went right back to familiar ground with a familiar BS reason as why Pearce is the real villain.

Director Shane Black had a chance to make a statement about modern society within his comic book film and shied away from it in favor of a stupid twist to try to shock the audience. It was from that twist on that I stopped caring about the film

Jeff

I love you, Josh, but I really disagree with everything you just said.

I was okay with the Red Herring of The Mandarin for a lot of reasons. Let's start on the surface: The Mandarin is a really hard character to pull off on film today. At best, he's vaguely racist, at worst, he's really racist.

The first Iron Man deals with the more "realistic" contemporary Middle Eastern terrorist, so I don't mind and in fact appreciate Black turning that on its head in this movie. I'm personally tired of seeing that kind of terrorist on film. The real threat in our world isn't the man on the camera making threats, it's the man you never see, it's the cold, quiet corporate power that rules your life in ways that you don't know or understand. This movie chose to play on that fear.

Black baldly stated that they designed the Mandarin around the symbols of terrorist we know, Saddam’s beard, etc. He used the symbols that we’re used to vilifying to show just how shallow that mindset is. The American people (in real life!) were terrified into a war that STILL HAPPENING through a campaign of media hype and the use of cultural cliches  I personally was relieved to see a more sophisticated villain that used the public puppet show to their advantage. And more power to Black for satirizing that small-minded fear in his awesome super-hero action/comedy flick.

I think that's why the twist didn't bother me, and in fact was a nice moment.

Every time I saw The Mandarin in character posturing for the camera, I saw no real power. He was a buffoon, and could offer nothing but the same old grunge-match over vague, anarchist ideals that we’ve seen over and over again.

I love Guy Pearce. I love his transformation in this film and his “Great and Powerful Oz” quest for anonymity. Sam Rockwell played an idiot who couldn't match stark, a comic scoundrel. Pearce had the cold confidence of a man who could hurt people, kill people, do terrible things to Pepper, and terrorize the American people, all while jerking the chain of Iron Man without breaking a sweat.

I don't want another, "There's the bad guy! Let's hit him really hard!" movie, this pushed a little (not that far, but a little) beyond that.

I'm not afraid of the boogie man, I'm afraid of the man that's behind the camera, funding him and making me afraid of him - actually making me PAY to be afraid. Because that’s the world we live in. I don’t think it trivialized our war on terror, I think it had a lot to say about the fact that that it's a charade led by corporate interest, not an actual idealistic struggle.

Tony Stark had to face an evil version of himself, a man like he was at the beginning of the original Iron Man, but with super powers and no conscience. Hence, bringing him full circle to the emotional finish.

Josh - Rebuttal
My basic problem with the red herring is that I think the first story that was being set up was far more interesting then what they finally delivered, and the film went from unpredictable to highly predictable. I also personally think that casting Ben Kingsley avoids all racist notions considering he's that he’s playing a British guy.

I agree that Ben Kinglsey's Mandarin having a high-powered American backer is not a poor idea and probably is a better representation of modern terrorism. It's the execution I take issue with. Again, I go back to the fact that all the character's power was thrown out the window, and that was a pain for me to grasp. I've even thought during the film, if I known that The Mandarin was working with/for someone the entire time I might have been more into the reveal. I just hated the way it was put together.

On the Guy Pearce angle, there was nothing interesting about the character. From moment one when Tony blows him off, you know that he will mold himself into someone new and pretty and with power and money. That is a given fact (like how the "unattractive" high school girl will take off her glasses and pull down her hair and be the prettiest girl in school in all teen films) He does become an evil version of Tony Stark, I like this analogy and it works. Hell, I'd even be willing to accept that Pearce is the guy behind The Mandarin the entire time, but what I can't accept is that Kingsley character is just a complete moron who didn't even know what going on? He thought it was all an act? Really? Tough pill to swallow.

Setting aside the point of whether it was good twist or not, how can you justify the overtly comedic reveal? What is redeeming about that awful scene? It’s one of the worst things in the whole Marvel Universe. The comedy is not subtle, why in the world would Stark take time to quip with this man when the woman he loves is dying or dead? Why would you leave your "puppet" so uniformed that he would just spill his guts to the first man that breaks in? Why, if you are so in control of the situation, would you ever pick Trevor? Pearce's character is clearly picking people all the time to be part of his team, and he settles for this guy? It's this one scene that is crux of the film and it's the one scene where it fall apart.

Jeff - Rebuttal
I don't think Trevor is unaware, I think he just doesn't care. He's too far gone to be anything but a performing monkey. I think the scene works on the level that Iron Man and the other super-heroes have such god-like power that their villains always seem a bit ridiculous. How can you compete with an Avenger? Why would you try? Why do those community-college-drop-out thugs always seem to think they can beat Batman? In that way, it was nice to see a character who copped to it. I can see how that would be emotionally dissatisfying, but for me it was funny and refreshing.

Anyone who is setting themselves up as "The Mandarin: sworn enemy of EVERYBODY" is obviously never going to survive, even with super powers, which this guy doesn't have. It's a win-win for Pearce, if Trevor dies, great, if not, Pearce will kill him anyway. For that kind of job you get a man like Trevor, one who doesn't care about anything, including himself, and make him comfortable.

Josh – Cooling Down

That's Fair. (Trevor is a Dum-Dum, he fully cops to that in the film and no one ever says any different, I just have to point that out)

Jeff – Also Cooling Down

It's obvious that whether this twist works isn't a right or wrong answer, but a matter of individual perspective. We have really similar views, but this managed to hit us two very different ways, and I think both of us have stated good reasons for that.

Debate Over – Winner? You Decide.

Now, continuing…

Josh
I want to remind that everyone that in an earlier “what we learned this week at the movies” article I did have a rather long list of things I liked about the film. Here they are as a refresher.

Pros:
Robert Downey Jr. is awesome as always as Tony Stark.
Great fight sequences that you can follow and understand at all times.
Iron Man gets his Short Round!
Fantastic, but not distracting, special effects.
A good balance between comedy and action (except for one glaring moment).
Good use of back story and sets up the next chapter in the film.
Great tie-in with the Marvel universe.
The final credits cut scene worth sticking around for.
Compelling characters
Director Shane Black does a very good job of making the film his own, while still being faithful to the Iron Man/Marvel Universe
Moves at a great pace, never boring

Jeff

Well said! I'd add that I love how this movie managed to genre-hop around all the things that Shane Black is great at: It was alternately a comedy, thriller, buddy movie, and detective story, all while telling a cohesive story and furthering every major character. Because of this it felt different than any of the other marvel films. Somehow more complete.

It reminded me of an older generation of action movie, Shane Black's generation, which had a bit more going on story-wise than we have to suffer through in a lot of contemporary action movies.

In short, it was more Die Hard than A Good Day to Die Hard.

And I LOVE that it opened with "I'm Blue" by Eiffel 65 over the Paramount logo, and I adored all the 80's and 70's references. He made a West World joke! I think I was the only one in the theater who laughed!

Josh

There is a good story in this film and all of our characters do end up in a nice place. I give it an A for effort in that department. Not to go all college snob on people but if we look at Aristotle's 6 elements of drama, they still hold true: 1. Plot 2. Theme 3. Character 4. Dialogue 5. Music/Rhythm 6. Spectacle. I feel like what Black does right is he understand these elements and makes the important things the focus and the less important things... well less important. That is why this film succeeds at all.

Jeff

What'd you think of Pepper and Rhodey's development?

Josh

Liked Rhodey's a lot. We finally get to see a little deeper into his character, and I could actually see a spin off working based on what they did with him.

I've long stopped caring about Paltrow as Pepper. So when she finally gets some focus in this film I can't stop seeing the helpless, whiny bimbo from the first films. Not going to lie, the theater I was in cheered when she "died" (and I was one of them) and booed when she returned. I think Pepper has been waste and continues to be so. She serves no purpose other than Tony's love interest and ground in reality.

I liked Happy a lot in this film! Great use of that character.

Jeff

And great of Jon Favreau to come back as an actor even though he wasn't directing.

I agree that they haven't given Pepper anything to work with until now. The Avengers was her first real step forward. I can’t blame Paltrow for a lack of character development in the first two films, she did the best she could with what she was given. This movie gave her more, so we got more. In this film, they made her CEO, they allowed her independence, they put her in the suit, and then finally give her the power to act against a threat.

Josh

She got a lot of ground to cover, this was a good step in the right direction. But I think it's too little too late for the film version of the character, though she did serve a great purpose in this film and this was easily the best version of the character. This was the best Paltrow as Pepper that we've seen.

Jeff

So many great moments in this film! Saving the people, then being hit by the semi, then revealing it was remote control the whole time? Ah! Great surprise.

Josh

I did like that, it was an awesome call-back and great sequence.

Jeff

And Jarvis was developed too, remember how I told you in 2011 that I wanted to look at Jarvis and his abilities as the real Iron Man? I even wrote that comic last year? This movie did that!!!! The crowd of Iron Men was explained by Stark being unable to sleep or calm down after NYC?! Great move, and a great excuse for a fantastic sequence.

And the Iron Man suit responding to Stark's nightmares by attacking Pepper was terrifying and a great surprise as well as a great character moment for all three (I include the suit).

Josh

I was kinda sad that the end battle scene was in the trailer, it would have been a sweet surprise.

I really also enjoyed the entire segment in Tennessee, the “Short Round” kid was adorable, smart, and not annoying. I really liked what it did for Tony. The Bar and Street fight sequence might have been my favorite of the film, a very personal sequence with high stakes. I'll watch that over and over again.

Jeff

YES! And they made fun of the typical sappy kid connection!

Josh

Everything the kid did worked. He was a perfect use of a kid to show what our hero needs. That section was the best part of the film for me.

Jeff 

STORYTELLING!!!!!!! Success.

Josh

I'm not sure either of us convinced the other is right or wrong, but that's not the point. I think we both see the others side, which is great. I feel that this is the start of a long conversation.

Jeff

I agree. I'm glad we both feel passionately. I'm also glad that this film was SOOO FREAKING AWESOME!

Josh

I won't go there... On the whole I think the film is better than average, and better than Iron Man 2, but is NOWHERE NEAR Iron Man 1 or The Avengers. The Mandarin issue is too glaring for me, and therefore cannot be anything then an middle of the road, but fun, film.

I'd give it 3.5 out of 5 stars

Jeff

I understand why you take issue with this film, I really do, I just don't agree with you on this one. What you see as a weakness I actually see as strength and a well-told story. Weird, huh?

I say, better than Iron Man 1 for me, 4.5 stars.

Josh

You’re crazy.

Jeff

You are!