Director Peter Jackson has released the first teaser trailer for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, which is the second of The Hobbit series following The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. In the new film, Martin Freeman again plays the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins. Check out the trailer.
Benedict Cumberbatch, fresh off his turn in Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) as well as his work in the TV series Sherlock, plays the dragon Smaug (created through motion capture), although we do not yet hear his voice in this trailer. And yes, that elf is Legolas (Orlando Bloom) from The Lord of the Rings trilogy making his debut in the Hobbit films. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will appear in theaters starting on December 13, 2013. Are you looking forward to the new Hobbit film? Leave your two cents in the comments.
Here are seven spoiler-free things about Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013).
1. You already know whether or not you will enjoy Star Trek: Into Darkness. If you are a Star Trek fan or like action movies in space, you will see the movie no matter what I say. And you probably will not be disappointed. For a Star Trek fan like me, it is a very entertaining movie and the most fun I have had at the cinema in awhile.
2. Director J.J. Abrams continues with our heroes in an alternate time-line from the 1960s series and the William Shatner movies. In this first sequel to J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009) reboot, where time does not need to be wasted on the set-up, we are starting to see the brilliance of having the freedom to change the events of the “past” while also connecting to the stories we know.
3. While the first film took me awhile to adapt to the new actors in the classic roles, by now the actors fit well into their roles. Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho and others have become the characters we know. Benedict Cumberbatch does a good job as the bad guy too.
4. There are several references to the old TV and movie series. I will leave it to you to decide whether the movie overdoes it. On one hand, one might conclude there was a little too much old and not enough new — while also wondering if this alternate universe storyline really makes much sense for the characters. But on the other hand, the connections did make for an entertaining and clever movie.
5. As Slate has noted, the new film has a little something to say about the U.S. war on terrorism, making the movie relevant in the way the old series was. The Atlantic, however, finds the message is not so ambiguous. There is a lot to discuss on this point, which makes the movie even more memorable.
6. While many speculated about the identity of the villain prior to the film’s release (and which I will not spoil here), I was pleasantly surprised by the appearance of one of these (warning: clicking on the link will give you a minor spoiler).
7. Conclusion? If you liked past Star Trek films, you should see Star Trek: Into Darkness. But I probably did not need to tell you that.
What did you think of Star Trek: Into Darkness? Leave your two cents in the comments.
In case you have been deep in the NFL playoffs or if you live in Iowa or New Hampshire and have been too busy listening to presidential candidates, here is this week’s roundup of some of the stories about music, film, and pop culture that you might have missed.
Kathleen Edwards’s new CD, released later this month, was co-produced by Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) w/ guest artists.
For the first time ever, in 2011, digital sales of music topped the physical sale of music.
Grammy-winning musician Youssou N’Dour will run in Senegal’s presidential election next month.
Charlie Louvin’s new memoir recounts Oasis-type disharmony with his brother when the Louvin Brothers toured.
Terry Ardolino, the drummer with NRBQ from 1974-2004, passed away at the age of 56. RIP.
Freddie Milano, one of the Belmonts who sang with Dion on a number of classic rock and roll songs, passed away this week. After Dion left the original Belmonts behind (and a falling out and litigation followed), Milano continued to sing with the group while pursing his education. When he passed away he was working with the less fortunate, helping indigent people detained at Rikers Island jail in New York City. After Milano’s death was announced, Dion wrote a short tribute on his Facebook page, stating how Milano played an important role in his younger life: “We had our ups and downs through the years but that’s how things go in families, even rock-and-roll families. I will always remain grateful for his contribution in 1958 & 59 – may he rest in peace and rock on in heaven.” Milano was known for his great harmonies in the group as shown in this clip of “I Wonder Why.” Milano is the second from the left at the beginning of the song. RIP.
You may also hear and see Milano (on your right) in this performance of “A Teenager in Love.”
— Movies —
This year in movies “might just be the geekiest ever.” — IMDb editor Keith Simanton.
(2009) reboot, where time does not need to be wasted on the set-up, we are starting to see the brilliance of having the freedom to change the events of the “past” while also connecting to the stories we know.
