Star Trek, vol. 2, no. 2

Star Trek Into Darkness 

2013 Paramount

Directed by J. J. Abrams

Grade: B+

Up-graded from B.

+1: Character development: Capt. James Kirk (played by Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto).

par: Adversaries, John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), Klingons.

+1: Almost any scene with Scotty (Simon Pegg) or Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban).

-1: Bending physics (space suits flying like rockets in space, big things falling into coastal bays, space ships exiting a collapsing warp field, etc.).

par: Franchise serial installment.

[overview on Fandango]

Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3 [PG-13]

2013 Paramount, Marvel Studios

Directed by Shane Black

Grade: A-

Up-graded from B.

+1: Cast: Robert Downey, Jr. (as Tony Stark/ Iron Man), Ben Kingsley (The Mandarin).

+1: Iron Man upgrades.

par: Story structure (James Bond styled international intrigue).

par: Parenting/ mentoring styles of Tony Stark (giving a “mild” explosive device to boy to deal with bullies at school which is later shown to have the power to shock an Extremis super soldier)

par: Conclusions (vague allusions to main characters fates, and no information about The Avengers Initiative).

[overview on Fandango]

Bonus scene after end credits: D.

Chalk Billboard, Redrawn Twice Daily, Highlights Freshness at McDonald's

reported by David Gianatasio on ADWeek - May 10, 2013

If the crowds seem larger than usual at a certain McDonald's in Warsaw, Poland, chalk it up to the menu. We're talking about a billboard-sized menu, hand-drawn in multicolored chalk twice daily by graffiti artist Stefan Szwed-Stronzynski as part of a campaign cooked up by the local office of DDB, art studio Good Looking and Krewcy Krawcy Productions.

[read the entire article]
 

Olympus Has Fallen

Olympus Has Fallen [R]

2013 Film District

Directed by Antoine Fuqua

Grade: B-

Up-graded from C.

Par: Feasibility.

+1: Story structure (“Die Hard” in the White House).

+1: Cast: Gerard Butler (as Secret Service Agent Mike Banning).

+1: Fight choreography.

-1: CGI destruction of Washington D.C.

[overview on Fandango]

Jack the Giant Slayer

Jack the Giant Slayer [PG-13]

2013 Warner Bros.

Directed by Bryan Singer

Grade: B

Up-graded from B.

Par: Comedy.

+1: Cast: Nicholas Hoult (as Jack), Ewan McGregor (Elmont), Stanley Tucci (Roderick).

-1: Science: Heights of magic beanstalks and elevations of kingdoms for giants.

Par: CGI character effects.

Par: Prologue with CGI puppets.

[overview on Fandango]

Die Hard 5

A Good Day to Die Hard [R]

2013 Twentieth Century Fox

Directed by John Moore

Grade: D

Down-graded from C.

Par: Boom!

-1: John Mc Clane (Bruce Willis) a tourist in Russia.

Par: Plot (double crosses and twists).

-1: Jack Mc Clane (Jai Courtney), Jack’s Son.

-1: Franchise serial installment.

[overview on Fandango]