Ghost Ship (2002) or, Turkey Ship

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A super-imposed human skull underlines the ominous prospects on this poster for Steve Beck's Ghost Ship

A group of daredevils, who salvage shipwrecks for money, get a tip about a large ship, which has been missing for 40 years...

 

Ghost Ship is written by Mark Hanlon (Buddy Boy (1999)) and John Pogue (The Skulls (2000)) and directed by Steve Beck (Thirteen Ghosts (2001)).

A confusion of styles and silly cardboard-like characters mar this producers' conceptualized, special effects-driven horror adventure, done with a typical credo of its time that exhausting cross-cutting will in itself magically produce excitement, (not true.)

The plot gets increasingly jumbled and strange, and not even the cast, which has several capable actors, resembles a resource in this studio-molded nightmare of a turkey.

 

Related post:

 

2002 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

 

Watch a 3-minute scene from the film here

 

Cost: 20 mil. $

Box office: 68.3 mil. $ 

= Box office success (returned 3.41 times its cost)

[Ghost Ship premiered 22 October (California) and runs 90 minutes. Hanlon's 1996 spec script Chimera was the basis of the film. Shooting took place from January - April 2002 in Australia, Nova Scotia and Vancouver, British Columbia. The film opened #3, behind fellow new release Jackass: The Movie and holdover hit The Ring, to an 11.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another week in the top 5 (#5) and grossed 30.1 mil. $ (44.1 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Spain with 6.2 mil. $ (9.1 %) and Japan with 3.8 mil. $ (5.6 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 2/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. Beck left filmmaking after Ghost Ship. Gabriel Byrne (Capital (2012)) returned in Shade (2003); Julianna Margulies (The Sopranos (2006-07)) in 3 TV credits prior to her theatrical return in Slingshot (2005). Ghost Ship is rotten at 16 % with a 3.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Ghost Ship?

Pete's Dragon (2016) - Lowery plays Disney remake safe

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Newcomer Oakes Fegley (This Is Where I Leave You (2014)) looks comfy on this poster for David Lowery's Pete's Dragon

 

As a 5 year-old boy, Pete loses his parents in a tragic car crash and survives in the following 6 years as the friend of the forest's secret dragon, whom he names Elliot. Then discovery of the two occurs.

 

Pete's Dragon is a remake of the same-titled, part-animated 1977 Disney hit musical, written by Toby Halbrooks (Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013), producer) and co-writer-director David Lowery (St. Nick (2009)).

It is recommended to watch it with kids, because they might have a stronger, more wondrous reaction to it than adults who have seen other, better films. Disney and Jon Favreau's great The Jungle Book (2016) is a recent boy-centered, part-animated adventure that it is best not to remember too clearly when consuming the milquetoast cousin, Pete's Dragon. If you have seen E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), it inevitably comes to mind in connection with Pete's Dragon, and that comparison hurts the film even more. - The short end of it is that Pete's Dragon isn't up to snuff with those films. It isn't as funny and it isn't as dramatic or intense either.

 

But it is a sweet enough story, and dragon Elliot is a thoroughly well-animated, obviously dog-based creature and the best part of the film. - Who wouldn't want to have him for a friend, and believe that dragons like him might be out there in the woods? Pete's Dragon boasts a nice interest in the outdoors, which it should be commended for. Everything that gets kids (and adults) away from screens and exhaust fumes and out in nature is welcome in 2016.
Contributing to the soggy quality of the adventure is the performances: While Fegley is a sweet enough boy, Lowery has chosen a girl counterpart with grotesquely oversized eyes, which seems like a cheap gimmick, (unless the girl goes on to become an accomplished actress in which case I would be shown wrong).) Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World (2015)) has put on some maternal pounds but her acting is wooden in parts of the film. Robert Redford (Truth (2015)) is a dragon-believing dad to her, and if you're like me, you'll sit through his scenes mostly thinking about what a prune he is turning into by now, (and feeling sort of bad about it, naturally.) Karl Urban (Star Trek Beyond (2016)) plays the possessive, moronic villain, who isn't really a villain. If you've seen and felt emotionally powerful children/family movies before, the softness and lack of emotional depth in Pete's Dragon will disappoint. It seems played safe in a way, and in its unclearly time-dislocated, (it is 1977 and '83, the Wikipedia summary informs), uncompelling way, parts of it depressed me a bit.

Watch an official trailer for the film here

Cost: 65 mil. $

Box office: 135.8 mil. $ and counting

= Too early to say (but looks like a flop)

[Pete's Dragon premiered August 8 (Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre) and runs 102 minutes. Disney announced its 'title-only' (meaning that only the title and basis of a boy and a dragon is kept) remake plans in 2013. Michael C. Hall was first cast in what became Urban's tree lugger role. Filming took place on location in New Zealand from January - April 2015. The film opened #3, behind holdover hit Suicide Squad and new release Sausage Party, to a 21.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent 4 weeks in the top 5 and grossed 75.1 mil. $. The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets are the UK with 6.4 mil. $ and Australia with 5.1 mil. $. The film has yet to open in one important market: Japan, where it opens December 23. Pete's Dragon is certified fresh at 86 % with a 7.3 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Pete's Dragon?

Star Trek Beyond (2016) - Lin's adventurous, foundation-honoring entry

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One of the beautiful, strong-colored posters for Justin Lin's Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek Beyond is the 3rd film in the rebooted Star Trek film franchise and the 13th Star Trek film overall. It is written by Doug Jung (Banshee (2014), TV-series) and Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz (2007)), who also returns as Scotty, based on Gene Roddenberry's (West Point (1956-57)) original 1966-86 series, and directed by Justin Lin (Fast & Furious 6 (2013)).

The spaceship Enterprise is three years into its 5-year mission, and Captain Kirk is having doubts as to the point of the exploration of space. A search for an allegedly stranded ship on a strange planet turns deadly, as the Enterprise gets shot down by a malicious army led by the bitter leader Krall.

Beyond keeps the pedal to the metal in terms of keeping the high quality of the two previous chapters in the new film series, despite the cast beginning to look older and less energetic. Chris Pine (This Means War (2012)) is still an ideal Kirk, who communicates knowingly with involuntarily funny Spock (Zachary Quinto (I Am Michael (2015)), who shares quite a lot of pleasant banter with earthbound, skeptic Doc Bones (Karl Urban (The Price of Milk (2000))) in the new film.
SPOILER Many headlines have been spun on the controversy regarding John Cho's (That Burning Feeling (2013)) character Sulu's very discreet coming out as gay in Beyond, mostly because George Takei, who used to play Sulu and has since come out as a gay LGBT rights activist, has opposed the turn. In reality the element is very small in the film. It is there, but underplayed (don't expect a kiss) so as to not alienate potentially important, LGBT-hostile markets.

Anton Yelchin (Burying the Ex (2014)) is back as Chekov in one of the actor's last performances following his tragic, accidental death earlier this year, and the film is appropriately dedicated to both him and Leonard Nimoy, (who played Spock through most of the franchise's now 50 year history), who also passed away recently.
Sofia Boutella (Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)) is new as the tough, likable Jaylah, and Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation (2015)) adds yet another villain credit to his name as Krall. - He is unrecognizable, (and is he even really, in fact, under there, under that heavy mask?), for much of the film, which I think is a shame, SPOILER because the character grows immensely more interesting once we get to see the recognizable Elba and know the character's backstory. As an ex-soldier who is too dedicated to fighting and a permanent combat-reality, Krall has got quite a strong resonance with some of the problems we see in our actual world today, which is only a strength and nicely in line with the villain of the previous film, Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), whose terrorist agenda was also potent. This is one clear mark of good sci-fi.
The film plays much like an adventure story with strong visuals both on the mysterious planet and especially on the Starbase Yorktown, which is an amazingly detailed, fascinating place. There's fun, (SPOILER including something of a Deux ex machina moment of true silliness, as Beastie Boys' Sabotage turns out to be a formidable weapon against the 'bee' army), excitement and a firm foundation in the original Star Trek universe: Strangely recognizable sounds from the series are used, (only fans will notice), and the feeling throughout is very much in line with Roddenberry's visionary show. Shohreh Aghdashloo (Twenty Bucks (1993)) with her distinctive, raspy voice and natural integrity gives a fine performance that's a neat bookend to the film, which rounds off with a nice quotation from all the regular cast members of the legendary intro speech of the show. It is a great, exciting end, - before a stunning end credit animation sequence that will make you keep your 3D glasses on for a while longer. Beyond relishes in the celebration of diversity, humanity and exploratory thrill that is the heart of Star Trek.

Related posts:

Anton Yelchin, 1989-2016: A tribute
Star Trek franchise: Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) or, Star Trek It Before You Wreck It  
Justin Lin: Fast & Furious 5/Fast Five/Fast & Furious 5: Rio Heist (2011) - Dwayne Johnson refuels the world's probably most ridiculous franchise

Watch the final trailer for the film here

Cost: 185 mil. $
Box office: Unknown yet
= Unknown yet
[Star Trek Beyond premiered July 7 (Sydney) and runs 122 minutes. Producer Robert Orci was replaced as director in 2014, before Lin was chosen. Filming took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, LA, Seoul and Dubai from June - October 2015 with reshoots in March 2016, including Aghdashloo's scenes. The film is getting great reviews, and audiences love it, but it is regrettably projected to make less money than the two previous installments. Star Trek Beyond is certified fresh at 88 % with a 7 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Star Trek Beyond?