DVD Weekly Roundup – Mon 16th November 2009

Published on November 16, 2009 by Alex Wagner · View Comments

DVD Weekly Roundup

Two absolutely massive releases today and even though both of them are Sci-fi films they really couldn’t be more different. One is a huge summer blockbuster and the other is an intelligent indie film. The one thing that they do have in common is that they both rock!

STAR TREK

On paper this really shouldn’t work at all. Rebooting a well-loved classic TV series and starting all over again for a new generation had the fans up in arms. Few actually believed that J.J. Abrams would be able to deliver and many braced themselves for the worst.

Holy shit! We were so wrong. Honestly, this could well be the best Star Trek ever made. Yes, this does bring the Star Trek universe bang up-to-date but Abrams has managed to keep the classic feel and mysticism of the original series perfectly.

The film works as a prequel/re-boot/re-imagining. The story effectively starts at the beginning with the young delinquent James T. Kirk and his subsequent rise as captain of the enterprise. The cast is incredible, Chris Pine is a revelation as Kirk. I would never have thought of casting him, he is a truly inspired choice. Zachary Quinto is amazing as Spock and the two of them play off each other perfectly.

J.J. Abrams deserves all the plaudits for his handling of this film. With every shot and set piece you can tell how much of a fanboy he is.

Where Star Trek really succeeds is making sure that everybody is catered for. The hardcore Trekkies have countless references and Leonard Nimoy delivering the all-time greatest cameo ever. Newbies have brilliantly conceived action set pieces and a script that just keeps on giving.

Two sequels on the way and I can’t wait!

Also available on Blu-Ray

MOON

David Bowie is the greatest solo artist of all time. Don’t argue with me, it’s a fact.

If Moon is anything to go by then his son could well be a very important filmmaker for the future. This is intelligent Sci-Fi at its best as we meet Astronaut Sam Bell who is approaching the end of his contract mining for energy on the dark side of the moon.

He begins to lose his grip on reality and starts to suffer from crippling headaches. This results in him having an accident with his lunar rover. Then things begin to get really weird as a younger version of himself shows up. Just another hallucination or something altogether more dangerous?

Moon works as a sort of tribute to films such as Kubrick’s seminal 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is haunting and poetic just as one would imagine deep space to be. It’s themes of isolation and loneliness echo classic Sci-Fi from the past.

Beautifully shot and impeccably written, Moon is a revelation. Sam Rockwell is on typical great form. Everybody in the world needs to see this.

In the future when we all look back I am positive that this will be hailed a classic piece of cinema.

Also available on Blu-Ray