IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT KIM GENTES MOVIE REVIEWS
The appearance of a movie in this review journal does not mean that the movie is endorsed by Kim. He writes reviews of movies that he saw that he recommends people avoid as well as movies that he considers worth seeing. Aside from just critical approval regarding the film, some movies may not be suitable for you or your family. You must make that kind of determination on your own, and stay true to your own convictions on what is appropriate to see. Some movies are well made, but have offensive or difficult subject matter that is questionable to many viewers. Again, the reviews listed here should not be your only filter for whether or not a film is appropriate for you and and your family.
Additionally, Kim has his own view on what movies are and why he thinks they are a worthwhile aspect of current culture to be investigated. You certainly don't have to agree with Kim on his viewpoints of movies, and he would be surprised if you did.
Kim's thoughts on movies -
Movies are the modern art "experience" of our culture. They are transmitted in many forms, on screens in theatres, DVDs, television and even computers. They are the merge of classical theatrical acting and modern day technical set and experience creation (effects). The reason I enjoy and watch lots of movies is that they not only entertain, they communicate the nuances of our society. Of course, some have nothing to do with culture, its just greedy corporations trying to produce profits. I am a guy, and as such am not the ideal audience for romantic comedies or 'chick fliks'. However I am also a husband, and domestic bliss (as well as common sense) compels me to at least review them...occasionally. For the most part, you will find I like (and therefor review a lot of ) action, drama, science fiction, suspense and similarly themed movies.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 at 10:53PM 
Boldly go where no prequel has gone before.
| Overall Grade: | A- |
| Story: | A+ |
| Acting: | A- |
| Direction: | A |
| Visuals: | B+ |
Summary: Instead of patronizing us with a film to placate the trekky hordes, this film completely revamps the Star Trek legacy, giving us grit, humanity, plot believability and fantasy in what used to be a one dimensional world of trek-dom; a triumph of what can be possible with a great filmmaker at the helm.
Review: Writing a new movie for a decades old iconic franchise is the pivotal "chance-of-a-lifetime" for any director. And few succeed. But JJ Abrams is no ordinary director. His prestine vision of the ultimate rebirth of the Star Trek universe infuses, above all, a powerful humanity into the long-loved science fiction yarn.
For over 40 years the legacy of Gene Roddenberry's story has conveyed many things- fantasy, fiction, technology, adventure, characature and time travel. But rarely did you see much more than characature and stereotype in the development of the cast. This may seem strange given the cast, but we found each member of the Enterprise to ultimately become one dimensional place holders that allowed for a plot driven TV show that lived on twists and technology to keep us interested. Character development was never a strong suit of the franchise. It was attempted moreso in the follow-on movies of the last 3 decades, but never ascended to become more than enhancements of the originals: an arrogant Kirk, calculating Spock, acerbic Bones and mindless Checkov (etc).
Then comes this new Star Trek, told to us this time from the man who brought us the best movie of 2007 (Cloverfield)- a movie he shot (seemingly) entirely through a single camera- and pulls it off with flying colors. Abrams is always reaching to pull in the viewer, making everything human, flesh-touchable, gritty. He succeeds in Star Trek (2009).
Kirk becomes pretentious and arrogant, but fraught with that same guise as a mask to his own failure and pain. Bones is acerbic, for sure, but we gain a look at his real life that exposes those origins. Most of all, we see Spock. A Spock that is far more human than he ever has been. Strangely, this makes his Vulcan story seem far more believable. You grasp his story, you believe it, and you love the ride it takes you on. But let's be clear- this story is about the rise of James T. Kirk. It's his human path to a starry, almost super-human stature as the pre-eminant character of science fiction lore.
It's perfectly done, very well acted, and a great adventure tale to boot. There have been rumblings of "true trekkies" that have dissed the film. I expected as much. The vitality of the tales have never been more brilliant in this new film for Star Trek, but we have left behind the plastic, inhuman characters that the original series had given us. A welcome change. If you even remotely like sci-fi, this film will delight you. See it in the theatres, as the shots and action are very engaging.
(I have to say it... even if Nemoy won't!)
Live long and prosper!
Amazon link: http://amzn.to/UvqQty
Review by Kim Gentes.
2009, Abrams, JJ Abrams, kirk, movie, roddenberry, science fiction, spock, star trek in A-Movie, Movie Review Friday, February 1, 2008 at 12:38PM 
Far and away, the best movie of 2007.
| Overall Grade: | A+ |
| Story: | A |
| Acting: | A+ |
| Direction: | A+ |
| Visuals: | A+ |
Cloverfield is the story of an attack on New York City. I won't spoil the movie for you, and if you haven't seen or read other reviews, then GET THE MOVIE. Don't try to find out what happens in this movie before you see it. You will enjoy the movie way more if you discover the story the way it was intended. The gimmick here is the "Blair Witch" style handicam filming that is the movie goers eyes through which the events unfold. Directed by Matt Reeves, (and produced by JJ Abrams) the story flows through the camera, instead of forcing the camera to see what will neatly present his storyboard. It's brilliant. You come in, remain and leave the story like the characters- uninformed, fearful, occasionally heroic and ultimately human. The same super-realism photo-imagery that was used in Collateral (Tom Cruise/Jamie Foxx) impacts you here, but with a sledgehammer to the head.
The characters are unquestionably just like us- self-centered and unprepared for much more than living their American lives. Part of the grip of this film is its tanacity to reality, while being a wildly science-fiction yarn. There is one small hickup in the storyline, in which a military trooper sends civilians back into harms way. Without that I would have given this film perfect marks on all fronts. But this plot twist does propel the story to its effective conclusion and forces the camera back to document this happening.
If you haven't seen this in the theatres, get going before its done its run. Again, this is easily the best film of 2007. If you don't get the word on Cloverfield quick enough to see it on the big screen, you will want to rent this in HD and see it on the biggest screen you have access to. Swimming in the visual experience is part of the plummet/rise rollercoaster you take with the characters, and you really don't want to miss that effect.
No child under 15 should see this movie, in my opinion. Far too much realism and imagery, along with language to keep the kids sleeping soundly after watching this one.
Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/RZfiSH
Review by Kim Gentes
1st person, Apocalyptic, JJ Abrams, alien, cloverfield, first person, invasion, new york, sci-fi in A-Movie, Movie Review