A review of the Star Trek Exhibition requires a star-themed fractal--or so it seems to me. I chose Starcircle mainly because the colors reminded me of that odd mustard shirt Captain Kirk used to wear in the original series.
-
I'm no "Trekker" (and certainly not a "Trekkie") but I've been a pretty big fan of Star Trek since Day One. I only got to see a few first run episodes in my youth but I devoured the reruns from the moment we got cable (and to this day tune in when to some of my favorite episodes when they're broadcast). I was there through all of Star Trek: the Next Generation and caught up with ruruns of DS-9 and Voyager. I wasn't a huge fan of Enterprise (the last/first Star Trek show but I was over-the-moon for the re-boot a couple of years ago. Needless to say I'd been wanting to see the Star Trek Exhibiton since it was first created but circumstances always conspired against me and wasn't able to make it. I missed the show in Long Beach, I missed it in Vegas and I missed it in Los Angeles. Today I finally got to see it.
-
What a letdown...
-
Maybe it was the fact that we parked four blocks away (there being nothing closer) or maybe it was because I went hiking in dress shoes. (It rained here last night and I didn't want to risk my nice suede causual shoes in puddles--of which there were many). Maybe it was the early lunch in a crowded, noisy (not to mention expensive) little restaurant or maybe I was just in a pissy mood. Still, tickets to the show was what I asked for as my birthday gift and I was bound and determined to enjoy myself.
-
The exhibition offerings were pretty slim--nothing from the pilot episodes and only a few costumes from the original series. (William Shatner is a TINY man BTW...) Like any costume you don't want to get too close because then you can see all the little imperfectsions (of which there were many in the first show). Still, it was good to get a look at the old stuff. "TNG" was much better represented (having run for seven years and by then Paramount knew this stuff would be valueable one day) and "Voyager" gets a brief mention. There were re-constructions of the "Enterprise D" Medical Bay and Engineering Section which was kind of cool as well.
-
Still, the show is notable for what it leaves out. There are no models of any of the ships (they've long been sold off to collectors) and the assembly of costumes seems frankly random. Kirk gets a lot of coverage but Spock barely gets a mention and the rest of the crew gets mentioned not at all. There are several Picard costumes and a few Troi ensembles but not much from the other characters in TNG. Katherine Janeway has one ensemble but that's about it for Voyager. Enterprise and the re-boot don't even get mentioned.
-
Trekkers have seen this stuff before (and probably better examples) at conventions and those not utterly devoted to the series won't find a lot to inspire them. Mind you--the Star Trek Exhiition isn't all that BAD (particcularly considering it only cost $15.00 to get in) but it's really not all that good either. See it if you have a few extra bucks and nothing better to do...
-
FINAL GRADE: C-
I couldn't really come up with a perfect fit for today's fractal cookie so I decided to go the "free association" route. Here's the chain: South Pacific is part of an ocean, oceans have waves--thus Wave On Wave becomes today's cookie. Now--on with the review!
-
What can you say about an endearing and enduring classic like South Pacific? From start to finish the show is literally stuffed with memorable (and, more importantly, humable) tunes. Yes, there are some plot issues, chief among them Nellie being able to get past Emile's killing a man and the age difference but not being able to get past the fact that he had two "colored" children. Still, the show is a product of its time and way back then it was an issue. Looking at it from a "relativeist" point-of-view South Pacific made some valid points that resonate even today.
-
The new National Tour of South Pacific has decided to re-create (as best they can) what the original Broadway production looked like. A massive (by touring standards) Orchestra (25 touring players augmented by local musicians) lays out a fantastic foundation for the able cast. The large cast doesn't skimp on talent and the Producers don't skimp on the details--whether it be Navy uniforms or the fact that black servicemen are pretty much always segregated. One thing the Producers did (which IMHO wasn't necessary) was add back in deleted music that hasn't been heard on stage since nearly the begining. Sadly, these are mostly reprises and only serve to make a long show even longer: they don't add anything but they don't really take anything away from the show either.
-
Much of the credit for the tour's success goes to leads David Pittsinger and Carmen Cusak. Pittsinger (Emille Dubeque) is an Oera-trained Basso Profundo and literally everything stops each time this guy opens his mouth. (Yes, he's THAT good!) Sadly, his French accent sometimes wanders toward Transylvania but that is a minor quibble. Cusak (Nellie) is a more-than-suitable match for him in the pipes department: her put-on "country" accent was a bit off-putting (to me at least) when she is obviously so highly trained. Still, there's no denying her vocal chops, her acting ability or the fact that she's as cute as can be--everything a Nellie Forbush needs to be!
-
Anderson Davis as Lt. Joe Cable doesn't fare quite so well: yes, he has the all-American good looks of a leading man but he blew "big notes" in TWO different songs! (In a cast this good, that's pretty much an unforgivealbe sin.) I also found his affair with Liat a tad creepy: Liat is played by Sume Maeda and she is a tiny little thing who looks, maybe, fourteen. I'd have much rather seen Cable getting it on with a lush Polynesia beauty than what looks distressingly like child molestation. The rest of the cast acquits themselves well and there's not a loser in the bunch.
-
South Pacific is just about a perfect show: the plot is completely accessable and the music is perfectly crafted the singing and acting are first rate and there's nothing like a show with a full orchestra. Theater "Virgins" will have an experience like few others and only the most jaded "Veteran" won't find a lot to appreciate here. Tours like this don't come around very often so go see it while you can. GO SEE THIS SHOW!!!
-
FINAL GRADE: A+
Sometimes choosing a fractal for these posts is virtually impossible. Other times it's as easy as falling off a long. For RED it was the latter: all I had to do was pick out an image that was mostly red. That's Why I chose Satin Arabesque 66(B) for today's image. Now--on with the review!
-
There are few things better (at least at the movies) than a "really good" Action Comedy: likewise, there are few things harder to pull off. Lucky for me Red manages to work on both levels--action AND comedy. Yes, the plot has more holes than a thousand-pound wheel of premium Swiss Cheese but you don't go to these movies for the plot intracies: you go for the big battle scenes and witty banter--and this RED has in plenty. The action moves along so quickly you don't get a chance to worry over the sketchy plot unttil well after you've left the theater (and maybe not even then). Sadly, anybody with half a brain can figure out the details of tthe entire plot--but that's OK (unless maybe you have the soul of a Critic).
-
Leading man Bruce Willis actually shows up to perform in this movie rather than phoning in his performance (and that's a refreshing change). His "Sad Sack" character with a hunger for love and bullets comes off as completely believeable and he's actually fun to watch for a change. Morgan Freeman is always reliable but doesn't get as much screen time as he deserves. You pretty much know going in that he won't survive: (the "oldster" never gets to see the end of an action movie--even in a movie filled with oldsters.) John Malkovich has turned crazy into his own personal franchise and he excels here. Aristocratic Helen Mirren is all class and deliciously murderous in her part and she can show "wannabes" like Angelina Jolie how it's donee. (Her mowing down the bad guys in an evening gown and combat boots is almost worth the price of admission.) Mary Louise Parker gets stuck as a "damsel in distress" for the first 2/3 of the movie but she finally gets to break out and go beyond the bonds of the conventional. Brian Cox plays a Russian but his accent wanders but he has a certain bearish charm in his cardboard character. Richard Dreyfuss shows up breifly and he does "weasel" quite well.
-
RED is based on a DC Comics Graphic Novel (that I'd never heard of) but it doesn't translate as comic book at all. Makers of action movies (be they comedic or not) should have this movie as required viewing before they release on of their own. For the "ordinary" person Red is a wonderful fun outing in the theater. It's a great "date night" and fun for older folks who seldeom get to see characters like them portrayed in a positive light.
-
FINAL GRADE: A
