Review of Star Trek Renegades

This is the post that I was very excited to put up.  Hope you enjoy the review, and the movie itself.

This is a spoiler free review.

“Always be true to yourself and the rest will follow.” –Pavel Chekov

The full cast and crew can be found here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2621446/fullcredits/

The website can be found here:  http://startrekrenegades.com/home/

I have seen the trailers and although they looked amazing, I was very wary of Adrienne Wilkinson’s acting. She seemed to overact in all the trailers. It was a very pleasant surprise that watching those scenes in context her acting is very strong and powerful, not over the top.  Manu Intiraymi reprises his role as Icheb, and he has been through some things.  I did not always enjoy Voyager, but I really always liked the character Icheb. Manu Intiraymi flawlessly slips back into his old role.  I don’t want to give away too much, but he appears to have had some upgrades.   There were several cameos Trek fans will enjoy including Gary Graham as Ragnar, the shape shifter first seen in Of Gods and Men. Another cameo of note was Clint Carmichael who played a Nausicaan in the TNG episode Tapestry. He again plays a Nausicaan, Moordenaarr, in Renegades.  It was actually a nice moment when I remembered him from his previous character. There are a few established Hollywood actors in the movie as well. Edward Furlong is excellent as Fixer, the mechanic.  All I could think while watching him was how much he reminded me of Kaylee from Firefly (which is fitting since the Icarus is the same set as Serenity).  I really would have liked to have seen more of the character on screen. The entire cast delivered a powerful performance.   One nitpicky question I had was, were Sean Young’s Dr. Lucien’s glasses an affectation, like Picard’s books or an anachronism?   Either way, as a glasses wearer who will never get LASIK or wear contacts, I thought they looked cool.

The special effects are outstanding.  There are plenty of well done space battles. The CGI on Icheb’s tech is incredible.  Looking at the special effects it is hard to believe this was done on a small budget.  A scene I especially liked was seeing Icheb’s hands take on what I can only describe as a Green Lanternish effect during a climatic fight scene.  The only thing I thought was, although the makeup is relatively flawless, some of the masks are incredibly rubber looking.  One more brief thought on the makeup is that Larissa Gomes plays T’leah a Romulan, and based on her makeup, her race had to be pointed out to me.  It isn’t poorly done, but I did not recognize her as a Romulan.

This movie was done by the same team that brought us Of Gods and Men.  They stay true to the feel of Star Trek, but this definitely doesn’t have the heart that Of Gods and Men had.  This movie is decidedly darker toned, which is not a bad thing. There was a blink and you miss it tribute to Leonard Nimoy that was added post production that will resonate well with fans. I think that as of today the future of Renegades is up in the air. Will it be a TV show, a web series, or a stand-alone film? As a show pilot, it works, as a fan film, it lacks something. As a stand-alone TV movie it has potential.  You can tell that the production team put a lot of hard work into Renegades.

The story is excellent.  Who are these so called Renegades? Who has infiltrated Starfleet? Who is Lexxa Singh? What is Sean Young’s Dr. Lucien hiding? What does Fixer finally understand?  What will be the fate of Admiral Paris? It seems that the main suppliers of dilithium crystals are getting harder to find. Planets are being engulfed with a mysterious energy that cuts them off from the rest of the universe.  Will the Renegades accomplish their secret mission or will Starfleet be torn apart?  Will Earth be destroyed by an evil the likes of which we have never seen before? Who can you trust when anyone could be a double agent?

As I said, this movie does have a very dark tone. It almost has the same dark tone as Nemesis.  There are some violent scenes and implied sexual violence against one character.  I would use discretion when allowing young children to watch this movie.   This movie only gets 7 out of 10 stars from me.  It was good, not mind blowing. Definitely see it if you get the chance because it is good, and fan films need our support.  This movie is far better than anything from JJ Abrams.

And to the production crew, I am but a humble blogger but if there is ever anything I can do, I am a fangirl. It has been my lifelong dream to contribute to my favorite fandom. I would love to contribute in any way I could to this or any future projects, as most fans would.

After watching Renegades a second time, I had a little more to say about it.

Grace Lee Whitney RIP

Last night before I went to bed, I found out that Grace Lee Whitney passed away at 85.
Yeoman Rand, I will miss you.   The void you left on the Enterprise was never able to be filled.  You had the class to handle Kirk, yet the nerves of steel needed to stand up to Charlie X and walk away unscathed.  You had beauty,  and the best hair in the Star Trek universe.   You worked your way up to in rank and were there for some of the best moments in Star Trek history. 
I really enjoyed watching your friendship with Uhura and Sulu. You brought a lot to a character most people relegated a glorified background character. 
We lost Spock and Rand in the same year.  May she be remembered as fondly as he was because even if she wasn't on the show as long as he was, she was also a central part of the bridge crew.

Avengers: Age of Ultron (As spoiler free as I can make it)

     I saw this movie today. Yesterday morning my son and I watched this: https://youtu.be/AHPn5d7wRtk because obviously he is way too young to see the actual movie.

     Before I talk about the actual plot, let me just say Joss Whedon, I love you.  I have been a fan for a long time now.  Dollhouse, Firefly, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., you are the man. I understand you must move on from the MCU and I am going to miss you. I look forward to your next project. Thank you for the fun ride.

     It's actually sort of hard to review this movie because I don't want to spoil anything.  I will digress one more time to discuss the twins Pietro and Wanda Maximoff.  Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. I think their superhero names are alluded to with visual clues more than once although I don't think they are ever actually said.  I like the rebooted storyline for them, but they will always be Magneto's children to me.  Scarlet Witch has always been my favorite Avenger.  I will admit her "Hex power" is the ultimate deus ex machina, but it is an awesome power.  I don't like later in comics where she becomes an actual witch like character.  Ever since the first Iron Man movie I have been waiting for her to be onscreen.  Her character was excellently portrayed.  For those of you not familiar with Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, they originally started off as villains of the X-Men where they were working with Magneto. It was revealed he is their father. The two then join the Avengers, then they find out their father is the true villain, and eventually join the X-Men.  Scarlet Witch though, she was just too cool when I was a kid.  I wanted to be her.  She was not as straight forward as Wonder Woman, who I also liked. She had some baggage.  Also, her and Vision have some interesting adventures in the comics.  It was hard not to giggle when she first sees him. I wonder if Elizabeth Olsen was aware of this and tried to convey it on screen.

     Second diversion, while I was watching this movie I had a few side thoughts.  I again realized why I like comic books and superheroes so much.  We all have our strengths, but we all have our secrets, or in other cases our weaknesses.  In particular I thought about Reggie Lewis.  There are of course, several other examples.  Stephen Hawking comes to mind as well. He is awe-inspiringly smart, but suffers from ALS.  Some of us have suffered losses so great that they are like millstones around our necks to us, but we keep moving. It is extremely hard to see Captain America on screen and not think of soldiers affected with PTSD or other afflictions.  Maybe we don't have green giants impervious to pain in us, but maybe we live with guilt over ways we have brought pain to others in the past.  The comic books touch upon this, but these new movies really bring it home to me. Superheros are just like us. They are people who have been through the fire, or carry secrets, but still do good.

     Disclaimer: I am not terribly familiar with the Ultron storyline or Ultimates storyline. I am going to try to keep this as focused just on the movie as I can. I have read Avengers and Nick Fury Man from S.H.I.E.L.D comics as well as watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  If I stray too far off course, please forgive me, and if I don't come close enough please also forgive me.

     Let me not keep you guys in suspense, I loved this movie.  I have read mixed reviews of this movie and went in with a negative outlook.  I have read reviews that rated this movie from okish to skip this movie.  I loved the banter, the action, the storyline, the costumes, the everything.  What I thought was lacking was the fact that there is a few cut scenes and you can tell where the scenes where cut.  It is almost distracting. There should have been more background given as to what happened then just "Avenger disappears, then is somewhere weird doing a strange thing, HEY look now he is back!"  There are some scenes that are definitely rushed and/or oddly edited.  It is not very distracting, but it is noticeable.  All in all though, the main plot progresses in a timely pace.  There are some surprises which is always nice.  There are some cameos of characters from other movies, but then oddly some probably key side characters are missing. Again, not distracting, just noticeable.

       Tony Stark wants to use technology to help improve the world around him.  Sometimes our actions however noble they seem can be quite detrimental.  Tony Stark inadvertently creates Ultron who quickly goes from a global peacekeeping system to "KILL ALL HUMANS". This is a familiar trope, but always entertaining.  There are shades of a division, an internal war almost, between the team, but they manage to fight together against Ultron.

     Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D has shown us that Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker who we saw in the mid credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier has been experimenting on people.  Oddly two people volunteered, and survived his experiments. They are Russian twins Wanda and Pietro Maximoff.  As Maria Hill states "He is fast and she is weird."  They work with Ultron to defeat the superhero team.

     I am not sure what direction the MCU is headed in, but we see the Mind Stone, one of the Infinity Stones.  We saw the the Space Stone in Captain America and the first Avengers movie. The Reality Stone was featured in Thor:The Dark World. The Power Stone was seen in Guardians of the Galaxy.  We have not seen the Time Stone, or the Soul Stone yet..............or possibly have we? Are these a McGuffin or essential plot point?

     One more note, there are an insane amount of in jokes. If you are a comic reader, or watched the other movies, or the TV show, you will be rewarded for your efforts.  Some references were over the head, under the feet for me, but some I got.

     In a very fast paced movie filled with satisfying action sequences and witty fast paced banter as both sides seek to reach their goals.  The movie is incredible.  I can see why some won't like it, but I loved it and will watch it again as soon as it hits Netflix.  I deliberately left a lot of the plot out of this review because sometimes the internet is too spoilery.  I can tell you there are a few things you will be disappointed if I come right out and say.  I will not address the deaths that I heard about myself before seeing this movie because only one is sort of on screen, but I have frankly seen worse injuries in action movies. If you like comic books, witty banter, action movies, Guardians of the Galaxy or the X-men, I highly suggest this movie.  There are scenes of violence, as well as mild language so use caution with allowing young children to see this movie. 10 out of 10 stars.

   

"Rise of the Empire" (Star Wars) fan film

     First of all, thank you Beth Vickers for letting me know about this amazing project.

     I just found out about an amazing new Star Wars fan film serial called "Rise of the Empire".  The website is here http://www.riseoftheempire.net/.  You can find them on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/riseoftheempirefanfilm?ref=hl. It is being hailed as the ultimate fan film.  The trailer looks incredible.  I am very excited and will definitely be reviewing and watching this every week.

     What I like about the look of this is the producer believes in practical photography, using sets and live locations instead of green screen.  I actually really miss the feel of movies like the original trilogy that use actual locations and sets. The just look better.  The production team wants to film in Death Valley in the same locations the original trilogy was shot at.

    The episodes should be available in the fall.

     Being a fan film they do need funding, which can be done here:
 https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rise-of-the-empire-the-ultimate-fan-film--2

The Hunt For Gollum Review. Another great fan film.

     Offical Website for the movie.

     The cast list: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1323925/

     You can watch the movie here: The Hunt for Gollum on YouTube

     This fan film serves as an unofficial prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I think it very nicely bridges The Hobbit to the Lord of the Rings, more so for those not familiar to the story. As someone who read the books as a teenager, this is a loving tribute to Tolkien.

     I do have to note that Adrian Webster who plays Aragorn bears an uncanny resemblance to Viggo Mortensen. His acting style is very similar to how Mortensen portrays Strider the Rider as well.

     This movie takes place before the events of the movies, and we see Gandalf and Aragorn discussing a particular piece of magical golden jewelry and a fallen hobbit who had it in is possession for some time.  Gandalf worries that Gollum may tell those who seek the ring about another hobbit who may have taken the ring from Gollum during a game of riddles some time ago. Aragorn agrees to search for Gollum. Along the way, he encounters friends and foes alike. Will his quest prevail, or will Sauron prevent him from achieving his goal?

     I know many took their children to see Peter Jackson's movies. Although there were many fight sequences not many of them were up close violence. There are a few scenes that may be a little violent for people who don't like violence or younger children.
   
     Besides Adrian Webster's striking resemblance to Viggo Mortensen, I really liked the make-up in this movie.  It was really well done. The orcs and elves look amazing.  

     For no other reason to see this movie, see it for the cinematography. This is a British movie and it was shot in North Wales, Epping Forest, and Hampstead Heath. I loved the scenery. What convinced me this was a fantasy story more than anything else was the surroundings.  Whoever scouted the locations, hats off to you. 

     All in all, this movie was great. I definitely suggest it. It is short, about 40 minutes. Whether you are familiar with the books or the movies, or both, you will enjoy this film.

     A blog reader suggested I watch this movie.  I love watching movies, whether they be fan films or studio releases. Please, if you have any suggestions/recommendations, let me know. You can reach me here on the blog by commenting, or here on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Google+.

Star Wars:Threads of Destiny review

"Revenge is never as satisfying as we think it will be, Raven. You think it ends a conflict, settles a score, but in fact it only internalizes it."-- Jedi Master Soren Darr

This is a Swedish made fan film from 2014. You can view it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d40IDc3rQfU&feature=youtu.be.

The cast and crew list can be viewed here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2275656/

The movie takes place 94 years after the Battle of Yavin. Although peace is prevalent throughout the galaxy, a new threat, the Skenvi Empire has emerged.  The New Republic sends Jedi Master Soren Darr and Padawan Raven Darkham to the planet Coreign in hopes they will join the republic. The negotiations appear to be over when Princess Arianna is kidnapped in a bloody attack. Will the Jedi prevail?

This was an incredibly satisfying movie. It was both a great stand alone story and a loving homage to Star Wars. The opening scene is reminiscent of the opening scene of A New Hope. There is a roguish pilot who may have a shady past and is ruggedly handsome. One of my favorite scenes takes place in an establishment reminiscent of the Mos Eisley cantina. There is even a thrilling chase scene through an asteroid field.  I felt as if I were watching the actual sequel to Return of the Jedi. The outdoor scenes are beautifully filmed. The landscape is stunning. The story is easy to follow, the dialog harkens back to the original trilogy, and the action scenes are wonderfully choreographed. The side plot of the burgeoning romance between Princess Arianna and Padawan Raven Darkham is a lot more convincing than the onscreen portrayal of Anakin and Amidala's romance. I have to say, I thought this was better than all three prequels combined. It is easy to lose yourself in the story. I eagerly await part two.

One of this blog's readers suggested I watch and review this movie. Please, if have any suggestions/recommendations, let me know. You can reach me here on the blog by commenting, or here on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Google+.

New Avengers TV spot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WM915QsOyI


So looking forward to this movie.

Have always loved the Avengers because well they kick butt. Not as do goody as the Justice League. All kind of anti-heroes. Marvel has characters who are  a little more complex than DC.

Anyone else notice Quicksilver's Russian accent? Will his sister have it as well?

I get goose bumps and butterflies when I see Scarlet Witch on screen. How will her hex power be used? Do Quicksilver and her become Avengers in this movie or do they remain villains?

I am definetly going to see this movie. Whose with me?

Firefly Comics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7vS4z6ngQo

I really missed the boat on this show. I was pretty much a one fandom nerd while growing up. Well, a two fandom nerd. If it wasn't Doctor Who or Star Trek, I really didn't care. I did like Ewok comics and Batman reruns, but it was pretty one sided still.  I did not get actively excited for many things that did not have to do with Star Trek. I am very disappointed in myself now for this attitude because I missed out on some very cool shows, comics, movies, and books during this period.

I did not start watching Firefly until years after it was cancelled. A friend let me borrow the dvds of the show and movie. About two minutes into the first episode I was hooked.  I love anti-heros. Where would any genre be without them? Malcolm Reynolds is the ultimate anti-hero. He is a rogue space cowboy with a heart of tarnished silver. His patchwork crew fly threw hostile space evading both the law and cannibalistic rapists. The heart of the show is its B story, the Tam siblings and their run from the government. What secrets are trapped in the mind of River Tam? For that matter, what secrets does Shepherd Book hold? No man of God should be that knowledgeable about weapons.

Being a SAHM, most of my funds are nonexistent right now. I pretty much rely on the library and friends for entertainment. A friend let me borrow several Firefly comic books that helped whet my appetite.

I wanted to share some thoughts about the books and hopefully you all will enjoy them, too. If you read them, write a comment. Would love to hear what others thought.

Serenity:Those Left Behind

This very enjoyable story takes place after the television show, but before the movie. 

There are many cameos in this story. We see Badger who mentions Fanty and Mingo. We also see River Tam's pursuers The Hands of Blue  as well as Lawrence Dobson.  If you do not remember him by name, you will by sight. He might not recognize you though since he had his right eye shot out the last time we saw him. We also get our first look at The Operative.

The crew goes on one last mission before Inara and Book depart. Although I really enjoyed this story, I can't write too much about it without giving away the plot. This story bridges the show to the movie flawlessly.

Serenity:Better Days and Other Stories

This book was my favorite out of all three compilations.  

The book opens with Better Days.

Better days is a story that perfectly echoed the rhythm and dialog of the show. There were times when reading it that I wondered if this was perhaps and episode I had somehow missed. The artwork was easily the most realistic out of all the comic books. This is definitely a must read. The Serenity crew finally hits it big. Every character, even River discuss how they are going to spend their fortune.  We also learn which character is already living out their fantasy life.

There is plenty of character development in this story. It is a superbly crafted story. 

The next story is The Other Half.

This story is a fast paced action filled story. There is character development for River Tam. We learn how and why she became a full fledged member of the crew. River and Kaylee are my two favorite characters in Firefly so I may be partial to the story.

The third story is Downtime

I greatly enjoyed this story. This is the second story where the dialog seems lifted from the television show. There is more River Tam character development and she informs Book that she knows a secret of his.

This story shows literal downtime for the Serenity crew. They are between jobs and the ship is planetside.  If it were a show if would have been considered "filler" but it had a good pace and was very enjoyable.

The book ends with Float Out.

I often say being a nerd is it's own reward. I will definitely repeat that many times when discussing nerd things. This story is by the great Patton Oswalt. Patton Oswalt, I love you. No seriously. I love your humor, your standup. I love seeing you guest star on shows I love. I love that you are unabashedly a short nerd from a small town. If you think you are from a small town, let me tell you one day about Cumberland, RI. I read your book, I loved that, too. In a totally non-creepy way I would love to have go out for a beer or two and just chill for a few hours. We all have our heroes and Patton Oswalt is one of mine.

This story is about Wash. It is told mostly in flashbacks to what he did before being a pilot on Serenity.  It ends with a cameo from Zoe. It was a fun, enjoyable story crafted by someone who obviously was excited to write it. 

Ten stars. 

Serenity:The Shepherd's Tale

This story opens on Haven and begins where Shepherd Book's life ends. The story is told backwards, through a series of flashbacks. The story takes us to a time before the events of the show. If you wondered how Shepherd Book found religion in a bowl of chicken soup, the answer will surprise you. Did the peaceful man have a role in the war that shaped Mal? Can we ever be 100% certain what a person's motives are?

It is a story as refreshing as the glass of water the main character speaks poetically of in flashback including Kaylee.

 Normally I do not enjoy origin stories.  Sometimes mysterious characters are better that way. We don't have to unturn every stone. Prequels and backstories are almost obnoxiously popular right now. Patton Oswalt has a joke about the Star Wars prequels that ends with that he doesn't care where the things he loves comes from, he just loves the things he loves. This backstory, however; feels like a love letter from Joss Whedon to all of us.

Just a bit of criticism, not every character has to be abused. This trope is almost predictable now. Frankly, I thought the story could have stopped two pages before it did and be just as entertaining.

Serenity:Leaves on the Wind

To start with, there were these. I always get nervous reading bagged and boarded comics that are not my own.I feel like my hands are going to burn holes through the paper and the spines will spontaneously crack with every page turn.

This series takes place after Serenity: The Motion Picture.

Quick question, what was possibly the most unexpected death of a beloved character in a sci-fi movie based off a tv show? If you answered the surprise impalement of Wash after uttering "I am a leaf on the wind, watch me soar.", you are probably right. (I would say Spock, but we all knew what we were in for when he volunteered to go into a radiation filled room. This death was really out of nowhere.)
This series explores the aftermath of Wash's death on his family. We also see Zoe imprisoned unjustly. Will the Serenity crew go after her?

This series also explores what happened to the rest of the crew. We see Jayne has left Firefly to freelance. Inara and Mal's relationship has changed slightly since we last saw them. There is a new member of the space family as well.

We don't only see what happened to the heroes. My favorite villain returns. It was extremely satisfying to see Kaylee be assertive toward someone who was outlandishly creepy toward her in the past.  Will this be the last time we see them?  I am not sure what category The Operative falls into, but we also see how the events of Serenity affected him.

I have often wondered if there are other Browncoats. Besides us fans of course.  If there are other Browncoats, what would they be like? What about River Tam? Was she the only girl experimented on? What if Simon had not saved his little sister, what would she have become?

This was an extremely good series. The only not so positive thoughts I had was that the conversation style was not quite the same as the show/movie. It was definitely well written, it just lacked some of the magic.