JJ Abrams is somewhat immersing himself in a world of sci-fi and following a second viewing of Star Trek Into Darkness I cannot help feel this was the genre where he was always going to thrive. For now we can look forward to Star Wars' return but at present one must marvel at his latest achievement.
Into Darkness sees the crew of the USS Enterprise return for a mission that takes them on a journey to face their most challenging nemesis yet, John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch). With Harrison waging a one-man war against Starfleet it is up to Captain James T Kirk (Chris Pine), his First Officer Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the rest of the crew to take him down once and for all.
The magic of Abrams' first Star Trek outing was his appreciation of scale and insistence on forging relationships between his characters, and Into Darkness builds upon those aspects and bring to play something truly special.
Offering up some truly astounding action set pieces and visions of other-worldly planets, including the Klingon homeworld Kronos, Abrams delves deeper into the Star Trek mythos and indulges in yet more thrills and spills with the Enterprise. With the 3D thankfully excelling the pulsating moments, we are thrust into space battles, chased by aliens throwing spears left, right and centre, and witness the aftermath of a jump into lightspeed with a glistening blue shine.
As for its characters, Pine and Quinto excel as their relationship reaches new ground, and the likes of Saldana, Pegg (in a meatier role this time around), Cho and even newcomer Alice Eve slip into their roles as easily as those red, blue and yellow uniforms. It is Cumbercatch though who comes out on top of the proceedings. His John Harrison proving a hugely formidable foe who oozes danger, charisma and a lurking evil under a steel face.
Star Trek Into Darkness is a phenomenal event for 2013, serving up on a platter some superb visuals, a pace that never quite lets up and a cast who bring emotions of every kind to play throughout. JJ Abrams has once again steered the Enterprise to astounding realms and has produced the blockbuster to beat for 2013.
Film Rating - 4.5 F's out of 5
So, now that Fanatical Film has received its very own facelift and re-vamp what better way to start than with a review to one of the most anticipated British films in years. That's right, check out the view on Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
Based on the John Le Carré 1974 novel, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a showcase of classic storytelling mixed in with one of the best British ensemble casts ever to be seen on screen. With Gary Oldman on main character duties and a support cast consisting of the likes of Toby Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch and Colin Firth to name a few, the film has all the required elements to be a big success.
Set during the times of The Cold War, we follow George Smiley (Oldman), a retired British Intelligence officer who is forced back into the field in order to hunt down a mole in the organisation who has been sitting at the top for years. With the help of sidekick Peter Guillam (Cumberbatch), he begins an investigation within 'The Circus' and slowly works his way through the possible suspects, hoping to find that one link that will lead him to the traitor.
Don't be fooled by a simple-sounding premise, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a far cry from this and instead contains a rather convoluted plot with a wide array of characters that all require your attention. If you go in to the film expecting James Bond you have been extremely misinformed, Tinker Tailor is in a whole different world to your favourite action spy; a slow-burner it certainly is with some absolutely fantastic acting. Oldman excels as George Smiley, even to the point where his first 15 to 20 minutes of screen time mostly consist of him hardly speaking and simply commanding with facial expressions. As for the talented support, all those involved shine even with the little screen time that some individuals receive.
The essence of the Cold War era is also captivating, with a dark and dreary mood constant throughout and some brilliant set pieces and locations really sticking to the era perfectly. There are no high octane scenes aimed to wow the audience but instead a great build up of tension and a full sense of realism is transferred to the audience through brilliant dialogue and intriguing characters. The finale may be predictable to some but this is not the main focus of director Tomas Alfredson (Let The Right One In), he aims to engage the audience with the lead up to the event and does so exceptionally mainly through dialogue which will be hard to match in any other film this year.
Fanatical Film rating: 4 F's out of 5
