Star Trek (2009) is a re-make of Star Wars: Episode IV

This is hilarious. I was so giddy during my two theatrical viewings of the new Star Trek movie that I completely missed the obvious signs that it is really a re-make of Star Wars: Episode IV--A New Hope. It just goes to show you that devotion often blinds the faithful. :)

James Kirk = Luke Skywalker (hick farmboy becomes space flyboy)
Bones McCoy = C3-PO (talkative worrywart)
Chekov = R2-D2 (small guy who saves the day)
Narada = Death Star (space vehicle that destroys planets)
Spock's little ship = Luke Skywalker's X-wing (small vessel delivers fatal blow to Narada/Death Star)
Ceremony promoting Kirk = Medal ceremony for Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Chewbacca

For good measure, there's an ice planet that clearly echoes Hoth (even if Star Trek has featured ice planets in the past).

Watchmen: Director’s Cut Blu-ray Disc (Zack Snyder, 2009)

Warner (USA)
2.40:1 1080p
186 minutes
Audio: DTS HD-MA 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: Maximum Movie Mode (with Focus Points); BD-Live; commercial for Warner Blu-rays; “The Phenomenon: The Comic That Changed Comics”; “Real Super Heroes: Real Vigilantes”; “Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World”; My Chemical Romance’s “Desolation Row” music video; Digital Copy disc

Released: 21 July 2009

After watching and reviewing Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic, I figured that I’d be bored to tears if I ventured into a movie theatre to watch Zack Snyder’s live-action adaptation of the famed graphic novel. I have just finished sitting through the Director’s Cut, and I must confess that I was wrong. I was not bored to tears...but merely bored.

The major differences between Snyder’s live-action version, The Complete Motion Comic, and the graphic novel are as follows:

1) full-motion and exaggerated slo-mo; limited motion; no motion
2) many actors; one voice actor; no audio
3) huge budget; small budget; every-day living expenses for the graphic novelist and artist
4) the live-action version has a slightly modified ending.

Otherwise, you get practically the same experience no matter which version you choose. The Complete Motion Comic is visually similar to the graphic novel for obvious reasons, but the live-action version’s mimicry of the original mise-en-scene makes you wonder why they bothered spending so much money and so much time on doing something that’s already been done. Yes, yes, Snyder and his buddies respect the source material, and the filmmakers wanted to show fans that they respect the fans’ love of the graphic novel. Well, if you’re going to do a shot-for-shot re-make, you really have nothing to say other than, “I make photocopies for a living.”

I didn’t mind the general visual designs present in The Complete Motion Comic, but many of the costumes and vehicles look silly in the live-action version. Jackie Earle Haley is the only credible actor in the bunch; the others are either flat or lost (even the usually dependable Carla Gugino). Jeffrey Dean Morgan looks like he was Robert Downey Jr.’s stand-in on the set of Tropic Thunder. The song selections are terrible. The ending is a bit changed from the graphic novel and The Complete Motion Comic, though it’s still every bit as turgid, bloated, and yawn-inducing as the rest of the movie.

The behind-the-scenes drama involving Fox suing Warner to prevent the movie from being released is a lot more interesting than the movie itself. Fox won its lawsuit, and Warner decided to sue the person who took the project to Warner without giving the studio adequate notice about Fox’s residual rights. You can imagine a series of lawsuits being filed as everyone involved tries to get another person to pay for fees and damages.

Zack Snyder’s Watchmen is a visually stunning waste of resources. Warner, Paramount, Snyder, and friends should’ve spent their big bucks on something else.

Note: If you want the theatrical version, you’ll have to get either the one-disc DVD or a non-U.S. Blu-ray as it appears that Paramount, which has non-U.S. distribution rights, is only releasing the theatrical cut abroad.

Video:
The 2.40:1 1080p image appears to be darker than the usual Blu-ray presentation, though this is clearly in keeping with the filmmakers’ intent and the movie’s tone. The picture is very strong--sharp and highly-detailed. The dark hues of the rich production design are beautiful. The “grain” (whether film-based or added digitally) that Zack Snyder likes is noticeable but not intrusive. Indeed, the “grain” makes some passages look like they have the paper-fiber textures of a graphic novel.

Audio:
You get an expansive, boomy DTS-HD MA 5.1 English track. The audio compares favorably against the mix for The Dark Knight, which had such overpowering bass that dialogue was frequently buried. Here, Rorschach’s monologues and dialogue in general are always intelligible, even in the thick of action. The rear channels are also very effective for crowd scenes and the Antarctica sequences at the end.

Extras:
--Disc 1--
Upon loading, the disc plays a commercial for Warner Blu-rays (specifically spotlighting Watchmen, 300, and The Dark Knight).

The only other extra on Disc 1 is the Maximum Movie Mode, which is a very busy and complicated way of watching the movie. Sometimes, the director walks into the middle of the screen to talk about the movie. Sometimes, graphics and text are splashed across the screen to compare the real world’s timeline with the Watchmen timeline. Sometimes, there are frame-to-movie comparisons to show how closely the filmmakers adhered to the original graphics. Some featurettes can be watched individually as “Focus Points”; these were originally shown on the Internet.

Those of you with Internet-capable players can access additional extras via BD-Live (including Facebook-related stuff).

--Disc 2--
“The Phenomenon: The Comic That Changed Comics” discusses some of the circumstances surrounding the creation of the graphic novel and its subsequent reception, though without Alan Moore’s participation, there’s an undeniable sense of incompleteness.

“Real Super Heroes: Real Vigilantes” highlights some real-world vigilantes who may’ve been the inspirations for various comic-book superheroes.

“Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World” follows a physicist as he reminisces about helping the production keep its science grounded in as much reality as possible.

You also get My Chemical Romance’s “Desolation Row” music video.

--Miscellaneous--
You also get a Digital Copy disc and a cardboard slipcover with holographic artwork. An insert advertises a five-disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition (which will weave the already-released animated Tales of the Black Freighter into the movie), currently scheduled for December 2009.

Watchmen: Director’s Cut 2-Disc Special Edition (Zack Snyder, 2009)

Region 1 Warner (USA)
NTSC, 2.40:1 16x9 enhanced
186 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: previews for other products; “The Phenomenon: The Comic That Changed Comics”; “Video Journals”; My Chemical Romance’s “Desolation Row” music video; Digital Copy

Released: 21 July 2009

After watching and reviewing Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic, I figured that I’d be bored to tears if I ventured into a movie theatre to watch Zack Snyder’s live-action adaptation of the famed graphic novel. I have just finished sitting through the Director’s Cut, and I must confess that I was wrong. I was not bored to tears...but merely bored.

The major differences between Snyder’s live-action version, The Complete Motion Comic, and the graphic novel are as follows:

1) full-motion and exaggerated slo-mo; limited motion; no motion
2) many actors; one voice actor; no audio
3) huge budget; small budget; every-day living expenses for the graphic novelist and artist
4) the live-action version has a slightly modified ending.

Otherwise, you get practically the same experience no matter which version you choose. The Complete Motion Comic is visually similar to the graphic novel for obvious reasons, but the live-action version’s mimicry of the original mise-en-scene makes you wonder why they bothered spending so much money and so much time on doing something that’s already been done. Yes, yes, Snyder and his buddies respect the source material, and the filmmakers wanted to show fans that they respect the fans’ love of the graphic novel. Well, if you’re going to do a shot-for-shot re-make, you really have nothing to say other than, “I make photocopies for a living.”

I didn’t mind the general visual designs present in The Complete Motion Comic, but many of the costumes and vehicles look silly in the live-action version. Jackie Earle Haley is the only credible actor in the bunch; the others are either flat or lost (even the usually dependable Carla Gugino). Jeffrey Dean Morgan looks like he was Robert Downey Jr.’s stand-in on the set of Tropic Thunder. The song selections are terrible. The ending is a bit changed from the graphic novel and The Complete Motion Comic, though it’s still every bit as turgid, bloated, and yawn-inducing as the rest of the movie.

The behind-the-scenes drama involving Fox suing Warner to prevent the movie from being released is a lot more interesting than the movie itself. Fox won its lawsuit, and Warner decided to sue the person who took the project to Warner without giving the studio adequate notice about Fox’s residual rights. You can imagine a series of lawsuits being filed as everyone involved tries to get another person to pay for fees and damages.

Zack Snyder’s Watchmen is a visually stunning waste of resources. Warner, Paramount, Snyder, and friends should’ve spent their big bucks on something else.

Note: If you want the theatrical version, you’ll have to get either the one-disc DVD or a non-U.S. Blu-ray as it appears that Paramount, which has non-U.S. distribution rights, is only releasing the theatrical cut abroad.

Video:
The 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen image appears to be darker than the usual Blu-ray presentation, though this is clearly in keeping with the filmmakers’ intent and the movie’s tone. The “grain” (whether film-based or added digitally) that Zack Snyder likes is noticeable but not intrusive. Indeed, the “grain” makes some passages look like they have the paper-fiber textures of a graphic novel. The dark hues of the rich production design are beautiful. Unfortunately, the three-hour movie is heavily compressed and is several grades below the top-notch quality of the Blu-ray.

Audio:
You get an expansive, boomy DD 5.1 English track. The audio compares favorably against the mix for The Dark Knight, which had such overpowering bass that dialogue was frequently buried. Here, Rorschach’s monologues and dialogue in general are always intelligible, even in the thick of action. The rear channels are also very effective for crowd scenes and the Antarctica sequences at the end.

Extras:
--Disc 1--
Upon loading, the disc plays previews for other products.

--Disc 2--
Upon loading, the disc plays previews for other products (not the same as the ones on Disc 1).

“The Phenomenon: The Comic That Changed Comics” discusses some of the circumstances surrounding the creation of the graphic novel and its subsequent reception, though without Alan Moore’s participation, there’s an undeniable sense of incompleteness.

There are eleven “Video Journals”, which are the same as the “Focus Points” offered by the Blu-ray edition. These were originally shown on the Internet.

You also get My Chemical Romance’s “Desolation Row” music video and a Digital Copy.

--Miscellaneous--
You also get a cardboard slipcover with holographic artwork. An insert advertises a five-disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition (which will weave the already-released animated Tales of the Black Freighter into the movie), currently scheduled for December 2009.

Echelon Conspiracy Blu-ray Disc (Greg Marcks, 2009)

Paramount (USA)
2.35:1 1080p
105 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: none

Released: 21 July 2009

Internet research indicates that Echelon Conspiracy was once called The Gift and was reviewed as far back as May 2008. However, it was not released in American theatres until February 2009, long after the nearly-identical Eagle Eye had its day in theatres and on home video. Exactly like Eagle Eye, Echelon Conspiracy tells the story of a powerful government computer that communicates with seemingly random individuals via mobile phones. These individuals are ordered to perform various tasks that lead up to unlocking the megacomputer’s potential. Along the way, you get chases, firefights, and general mayhem.

It is probable that Echelon Conspiracy was developed before or at the same time as Eagle Eye, so I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt with regards to comparing the two. However, the movie is still very derivative of other movies, including The Bourne Supremacy. There is a car chase in Echelon Conspiracy that is very similar to the one in Supremacy, right down to a car being smashed perpendicular to a traffic divider. Oh, yeah, the car chase takes place in Moscow, just like the one in Supremacy.

The cast roster includes some big names like Ving Rhames, Edward Burns, and Martin Sheen, though Sheen’s role is so small and isolated (his character never leaves his office) that his scenes were probably shot in the span of a week. Given the caliber of the supporting players, it’s curious why the filmmakers picked Shane West for the lead. West doesn’t have much range beyond smirking, so he’s neither interesting nor sympathetic as a protagonist. The movie is basically stolen by Sergey Gubanov, who plays a jovial, happy-go-lucky Russian taxi driver. Gubanov’s happy-to-swindle you demeanor is a welcome presence in an otherwise dour production.

Video:
The 2.35:1 1080p image is sharp and detailed, though I noticed a lot of white specks. I don’t know if these specks indicated damage to the source print or compression problems. Still, the image looks very good and usually hides the limited scale of the sets.

Audio:
Expect the usual action-movie pyrotechnics with the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English track. The audio has a wide spread across the front, and the rears provide robust support at times. The subwoofer rumbles frequently without being overbearing.

Extras:
None.

Echelon Conspiracy (Greg Marcks, 2009)

Region 1 Paramount (USA)
NTSC, 2.35:1 16x9 enhanced
105 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: previews for other products

Released: 21 July 2009

Internet research indicates that Echelon Conspiracy was once called The Gift and was reviewed as far back as May 2008. However, it was not released in American theatres until February 2009, long after the nearly-identical Eagle Eye had its day in theatres and on home video. Exactly like Eagle Eye, Echelon Conspiracy tells the story of a powerful government computer that communicates with seemingly random individuals via mobile phones. These individuals are ordered to perform various tasks that lead up to unlocking the megacomputer’s potential. Along the way, you get chases, firefights, and general mayhem.

It is probable that Echelon Conspiracy was developed before or at the same time as Eagle Eye, so I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt with regards to comparing the two. However, the movie is still very derivative of other movies, including The Bourne Supremacy. There is a car chase in Echelon Conspiracy that is very similar to the one in Supremacy, right down to a car being smashed perpendicular to a traffic divider. Oh, yeah, the car chase takes place in Moscow, just like the one in Supremacy.

The cast roster includes some big names like Ving Rhames, Edward Burns, and Martin Sheen, though Sheen’s role is so small and isolated (his character never leaves his office) that his scenes were probably shot in the span of a week. Given the caliber of the supporting players, it’s curious why the filmmakers picked Shane West for the lead. West doesn’t have much range beyond smirking, so he’s neither interesting nor sympathetic as a protagonist. The movie is basically stolen by Sergey Gubanov, who plays a jovial, happy-go-lucky Russian taxi driver. Gubanov’s happy-to-swindle you demeanor is a welcome presence in an otherwise dour production.

Video:
The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen image has a lot of white specks. I don’t know if these specks indicated damage to the source print or compression problems. Still, the image looks very good and usually hides the limited scale of the sets. The picture is a huge downgrade from the Blu-ray’s 1080p resolution, particularly during scenes with rapid motion or rapid camera movement.

Audio:
Expect the usual action-movie pyrotechnics with the DD 5.1 English track. The audio has a wide spread across the front, and the rears provide robust support at times. The subwoofer rumbles frequently without being overbearing.

Extras:
There are a couple of previews for other products.