My Review of “Star Trek: Into Darkness”: Taking the Cinema by Storm

On Friday May 17^th “Star Trek: Into Darkness” opened up in theaters all over the United States. The director J.J. Abrams surpasses his previous work and continues to pay homage to the series in his new movie which kicks off where the previous one ended. After becoming captain of the USS Enterprise, Kirk (Chris Pine) continues to defy the rules of Star Trek which repeatedly gets him in trouble with the organization.

However, more momentous problems surface as a new terrorist, Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch), rises hoping to destroy the Star Trek Fleet Operations entirely.

Captain Kirk must put aside his conflicts with the Star Trek Organization and work with his ship to save the world from the terrifying, mysterious one-man terrorist group. The movie contains many exciting plot twists and betrayals. Friendships are challenged, allegiances are broken, and loyalties are questioned in the fast-paced film.

The movie already had an all-star cast inclusive of Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, but the introduction of the talented Benedict Cumberbatch known for his role as Sherlock Holmes in BBC Sherlock advances the dynamic of the film. Cumberbatch skillfully makes the villain’s character relatable and pitiable while at the same time ruthless and inhumane. Cumberbatch’s Khan is clever, calculating and calm, and his relentless perseverance and interesting character concept make him a fascinating villain. Cumberbatch’s accurate portrayal of the villain is what allows the film to surpass its predecessor.

The movie also advances the relationships between the characters on the Enterprise. “Star Trek: Into Darkness” depicts the intense emotional wiring between the characters and conveys the conflicts of the Enterprise fleet which further adding to the excitement of the movie.

The graphics within the film are also fantastic as they portray flawlessly the futuristic setting of the Star Trek world and all of the action packed within it.

All aspects of the film set it up to be a thrilling movie. “Star Trek: Into Darkness” definitely evolved from a concept into a successful film because of the truthful representation of the characters and the struggles they must encounter and overcome to achieve peace both on a universal level and within their own hearts.  

My Review of "The Great Gatsby" Soundtrack: Surpassing Greatness with Its Sound Combo

The overall texture of the new Great Gatsby movie soundtrack is a mixture between the 1920s and 2013. If one were to fuse together the two time periods’ music, it would end up being the soundtrack.

While some might think that the fusion would be a disaster, the rap music infused with the pop and jazz sounds of the 20s has a wondrous sound that allows the listener to relate to the music and yet experience a new sensation. With vocalists such as Lana Del Ray and Jay-Z (who also helped co-produce the movie), the soundtrack introduces many different variations of the sounds of the roaring 20s and 2013 and many different artists who help the listener hear how much the music of the United States has changed and how much from the past has remained an important part of today’s music.

Critiques view the incorporation of modern music into the soundtrack as untrue to the original vision of the film and book, however, as the book focuses upon achieving the American Dream and the equality of the pursuit of happiness, how better to portray the continuance of the message and the perseverance of the American Dream than through the music industry which stands to be an icon of that very dream, that with hard work and dedication, one can achieve success.

We’ll focus on Jay-Z as he plays an important process in producing and creating the music for the film. Jay-Z was born Shawn Carter in a housing project in a neighborhood in Brookelyn. His father abandoned him, his mother, and his three siblings. Jay-Z’s story almost replicates that of Gatsby’s (without the illegal bootlegging). He got a small job which lead to more and more success until he became the success that he is today, having an estimated net worth by Forbes of $500 million.

Although, no one can really argue at the lack of depth within Jay-Z’s songs “100$ Bill” and “No Church in the Wild,” I still believe they capture the confusion of the quickly successful Gatsby as he rushes into a world that he had only heard about. The lyrics are rough and vile, but I felt that the songs fulfilled their purpose: to draw people into the raucous, roaring 20s and introduce them to the crazy old New York. “Bang Bang” by will.i.am also served the same purpose, but I felt did it better. The music was a large factor in the “over dramatization” of the film, but that didn’t change the fact that it made for a killer soundtrack. Will.i.am’s use of vocals and scatting made the song fascinating and tied back to the introduction of jazz which was taking place in the 20s.

The songs “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)” and “Young and Beautiful” stuck with me through the entire film. “Young and Beautiful” captured the love and angst between Gatsby and Daisy. Performed by Lana Del Rey who has such powerful female vocals, the song captured the yearning and immensity of the issue. “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody” performed by Fergie, Q-Tip, and GoonRock, I felt best mixed modern music with music of the past. With its use of the saxophone and other jazz instrumentals as well as scatting, and the use of the modern electronica and remixing, the song combined the two different centuries quite beautifully. Fergie also belted jazz style vocals with the spirit of a flapper adding to the believability of the times of the song. The lyrics also related to the story and Gatsby’s desire for Daisy to choose him over Tom. This song, like many others on the album, plays off of famous songs from the times.

Each song on the albums contains a different album which contributes to the success of the soundtrack.  Whether modern listeners yearn for the alternative rock sound (The XX-Together, Jack White- Love is Blindness, or Florence + the Machine-Over the Love), techno songs (Nero-Into the Past), or rap songs (Jay-Z- 100$ Bill), they can probably find a song they like on the Great Gatsby soundtrack and enjoy the music they enjoy enhanced with the sound of the 20s.