Announcing! Star Trek Into Darkness

Not sure why this is an “announcement” and not a teaser, but whatever. The first 1 minute, edited for showcase before feature films, featuring a blatant rip off of the “Inception” music (to go with the blatant ripoff of the “Dark Knight” poster) for “Star Trek Into Darkness” has been thrust upon us. What does JJ and the gang have in store for us?

Some thoughts:

• I love (LOVE) the shot of the blond chick screaming (and the sound extending for a few seconds). I’ve watched the trailer a few times and it gets me every time.
• I guess we are getting an Enterprise water landing? Maybe someone will edit in a clip of Data saying he can be used as a floatation device from “Insurrection.” (Yeah, I just made an “Insurrection” reference. Take that nerdlings!)
• Benedict Cumberbatch does great voice over. Maybe he can be the next Morgan Freeman. I love the “So, shall we begin” at the end of the trailer. Gives it a good tone to finish on.
• The big question is who is Benedict Cumberbatch playing? The geek money is on Kahn. Hard to believe that JJ could keep that big of a secret though. I hope it isn’t Kahn. I’d rather see this movie live on its own. The Next Gen crew tried their Kahn/”Star Trek II” remake with “Nemesis” and that didn’t work out too well.

Streaming Saturday: Super 8

So what happens when you combine a Spielberg coming of age story with a JJ Abrams dimly-lit potboiler? You get “Stand By Me”…with explosions and pissed-off E.T.’s hungry for human flesh.

“Super 8” should be a great example of “you got your chocolate in my peanut butter” filmmaking. But ultimately, it separates into its component parts, the military conspiracy/Area 51 plot shoehorned into a genuinely touching coming of age story. It’s well worth your time though, as each element is expertly handled (except where they intersect). You care about Joe and Alice and the shit hand they’ve been dealt; saddled as they are with parents who are barely keeping it together (each in their own way). And the alien plotline is a slick treatment of the Area 51 myth. The casting is brilliant as well, using unknown (but quite talented) child actors who don’t get in the way of the story. Really, the only true misstep is saddling the plot with an early-80s setting. You can almost see the struggles between Spielberg and Abrams as they keep searching for contemporary analogues for modern conveniences (Didn’t everyone in ’83 have a walkie-talkie that magically worked with a large network of friends? And didn’t everyone have the ability to view videos no matter where they were?).

I know I’m not doing the best at selling this, but it’s because, with the creative pedigrees attached to “Super 8,” you expect something transcendent. But even if it’s not, it’s still solid entertainment and is one of those rare movies that will stick around in your streaming queue for more than one viewing.