Bruce Greenwood

Pure Summer Entertainment Lives on in J.J. Abrams’ ‘Star Trek’

BrianTT — Fri, 08 May 2009 09:56:58 -0600

CHICAGO – It will be a stunning surprise if the summer of 2009 produces another slice of movie entertainment as satisfying and well-made as J.J. Abrams rollicking “Star Trek” reboot, a film that not only delivers on high expectations but shatters them by clicking on every single level.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

“Star Trek” features a character travelling through time (not a major spoiler…don’t write hate mail) and that’s exactly what writers Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman and director J.J. Abrams have done with their film, returning to the start but also injecting their own life into a dead franchise.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Star Trek” in our reviews section.

The film opens with an attack on a Federation ship that happens to have among its crew members the man who would be the father of the king of the Trekker world - Kirk. His son James Tiberius is born on an escape pod as his dad crashes into a gigantic Romulan vessel. Years later, a rebellious young Kirk (Chris Pine) is recruited for Starfleet Academy by Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood), a man who knew his father and sees the same leadership skills in the new cadet.

In the blink of an eye, Kirk is aboard the Enterprise and dealing with a universal crisis that could mean the end of Earth. I wouldn’t dare ruin the surprises of this clever script, but Kirk is, naturally, joined by Spock (Zachary Quinto), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Sulu (John Cho), Chekhov (Anton Yelchin), Bones (Karl Urban) and Scotty (Simon Pegg).

‘Star Trek’ stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Winona Ryder, and Tyler Perry. It was written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman and directed by J.J. Abrams. It opens on May 8th, 2009. It is rated PG-13.

Continuing reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Star Trek” review.

Chekov (Anton Yelchin), James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Bones (Karl Urban), Sulu (John Cho), and Uhura (Zoë Saldana) in "Star Trek."
Photo credit: Paramount

Video: Clip From ‘Star Trek’ With Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine

BrianTT — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:14:02 -0600

CHICAGO – Before you go see “Star Trek” this weekend, check out this great clip courtesy of Paramount. The film features Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Simon Pegg (Scotty), Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana and Winona Ryder and opens in theaters on Thursday, May 7, 2009.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Slideshow: 22-Image Gallery From ‘Star Trek’ With Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto

BrianTT — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:28:22 -0600

CHICAGO – This 22-image slideshow contains the official press images for “Star Trek” starring John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, with Eric Bana and Leonard Nimoy. The film, written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman and directed by J.J. Abrams, opens on May 8th, 2009.

Synopsis:

“The greatest adventure of all time begins with “Star Trek,” the incredible story of a young crew’s maiden voyage onboard the most advanced starship ever created: the U.S.S. Enterprise. On a journey filled with action, comedy and cosmic peril, the new recruits must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind.

The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock (Zachary Quinto), was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before!”

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos credited to Industrial Light and Magic and Paramount. All Rights Reserved.

Star_Trek_01: James T. Kirk (Chris Pine, left) and Spock (Zachary Quinto, right) quickly form an adversarial relationship.
Star_Trek_02: The drill from the Narada in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_03: Chekov (Anton Yelchin), James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Bones (Karl Urban), Sulu (John Cho), and Uhura (Zoë Saldana) in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_04: Director J.J. Abrams (left) discusses a scene with Zoë Saldana (right, as Uhura) on the set of “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_05: Director J.J. Abrams (center) discusses a scene with actors John Cho (left, as Sulu), Anton Yelchin (center left, as Chekov), Zachary Quinto (center right, as Spock), and Chris Pine (far right, as James T. Kirk) behind-the-scenes of “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_06: Director J.J. Abrams (right) discusses a scene with actor Chris Pine (far left, as James T. Kirk) behind-the-scenes of “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_07: Bruce Greenwood stars as Pike in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_08: Zoë Saldana (center) stars as Uhura in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_09: Uhura (Zoë Saldana, left) gets hit on by James T. Kirk (Chris Pine, right) at a bar in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_10: Spock (Zachary Quinto, left) and James T. Kirk (Chris Pine, right) in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_11: Spock (Zachary Quinto, left) and James T. Kirk (Chris Pine, right) in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_12: Scotty (Simon Pegg) in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_13: Spock (Zachary Quinto) in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_14: Eric Bana stars as Nero in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_15: James T. Kirk (Chris Pine, left) and Sulu (John Cho, right) in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_16: James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_17: The rebellious James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) decides to enroll in Starfleet Academy in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_18: Chris Pine stars as the headstrong and rebellious James T. Kirk in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_19: Chief Engineer Olson (Greg Ellis, left) James T. Kirk (Chris Pine, center) and Sulu (John Cho, right) embark on their first mission in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_20: Anton Yelchin stars as the 17-year-old Chekov in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_21: Anton Yelchin stars as the 17-year-old Chekov in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_22: John Cho stars as Sulu in “Star Trek.”

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Video: Trailer of J.J. Abrams’ ‘Star Trek’ With Chris Pine, Eric Bana

BrianTT — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:51:17 -0600

CHICAGO – We’re continuing to fill our video player with Summer 2009 movie previews and today’s entry is the highly-anticipated “Star Trek” from director J.J. Abrams. The film stars John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, with Eric Bana and Leonard Nimoy. “Star Trek” opens on May 8th, 2009.

Synopsis:

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

New ‘Star Trek’ Trailer Debuts on Apple.com From J.J. Abrams With Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:21:03 -0700

CHICAGO – With the May 8, 2009 release date for the highly anticipated new “Star Trek” film quickly approaching, we just received word that another new trailer for the J.J. Abrams-directed film has been released on Apple.com.

“Star Trek” stars Chris Pine as Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Eric Bana as Nero, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Winona Ryder as Amanda Grayson, Zoe Saldana as Nyota Uhura, Karl Urban as Leonard “Bones” McCoy and John Cho as Hikaru Sulu.

“Star Trek” also stars Bruce Greenwood as Christopher Pike, Ben Cross as Sarek, Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov, Leonard Nimoy as the old Spock, Greg Ellis as chief engineer Olsen and Chris Hemsworth as George Kirk. The new trailer can be watched by clicking the image below. In addition to “trailer one,” “trailer two” and a “big game TV spot,” the new trailer is “trailer three”.

A new “Star Trek” trailer debuted at Apple.com on May, 6, 2009.
Image credit: Apple.com

We reported the release of a previous “Star Trek” trailer in Nov. 2008. We also wrote about new sex scenes in the film that month, too.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Sex in J.J. Abrams’ ‘Star Trek’? Chris Pine, Rachel Nichols, Zoe Saldana Engage Full-Speed Ahead

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:36:48 -0700

CHICAGO – While “sex” and “Star Trek” typically aren’t found together in the same sentence, we learned this week from the official trailer for the new J.J. Abrams film that he’s clearly acquainting one with the other. But there’s more.

Chris Pine, who stars as the new (young) Captain Kirk, went so far as to tell Marc Malkin of E! Online that all the buzz about a particular striptease in the new “Star Trek” film from actress Zoe Saldana will live up to the hype.

From left to right: “Star Trek” stars Chris Pine, Rachel Nichols and Zoe Saldana.
Image credits from left to right: Michael Buckner/Getty Images, Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com
and Dimitrios Kambouris, WireImage.com

“It’ll become famous,” Pine told Malkin about the Zoe Saldana scene. “[The film is] trying to be sexed up for a new generation that really isn’t used to seeing ‘Star Trek’. It’s a whole new beast.”

As for who Pine himself is pining for in the film, we briefly saw in the trailer released this week that the woman he climbed in bed with while wearing his best drawers was in fact actress Rachel Nichols, according to Malkin. It’s one of the film’s two love scenes.

While Pine wouldn’t say Nichols is tough to look at, he said (at least to Malkin) that even that kind of work is still very much work nonetheless.

“It was a lot of fun, but I think that day actually was a 20-hour day,” Pine told Malkin. “By the end, the novelty wears off. After many sandwiches and meals through the day, all you want to do is brush your teeth and go home.”

“Star Trek,” which is slated to release on May 9, 2008, stars Chris Pine as Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Eric Bana as Nero, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Winona Ryder as Amanda Grayson, Zoe Saldana as Nyota Uhura, Karl Urban as Leonard “Bones” McCoy and John Cho as Hikaru Sulu.

Read about the multi-staged “Star Trek” trailer launch in Nov. 2008.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

News You Need: Mackie in ‘Eagle Eye,’ ‘Star Trek’ Beams in New Captain, Strike Pauses ‘24’

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 01:08:07 -0700

We! Are! Terrorist Cell!: We already told you about Billy Bob Thorton being cast in “Eagle Eye,” which is shooting now in Chicago and is directed by D.J. Caruso.

Now Variety and Hollywood Reporter and are reporting that Anthony Mackie (“Half Nelson,” “We Are Marshall”) has joined the cast as a “hot-shot soldier”.

“Eagle Eye” stars Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan as a falsely accused young man and single mother who are “forced to become members of a cell with plans to carry out a political assassination”.

Thorton will play a “patriotic hero” while Rosario Dawson plays a government agent. Dawson opted out of a role in Kevin Smith’s “Zach and Miri Make a Porno” (a role written specifically for her) to make “Eagle Eye”.

“Eagle Eye” comes from a screen idea by Steven Spielberg. Dan McDermott, John Glenn, Travis Wright, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, J.J. Abrams and finally Hilary Seitz all worked on the screenplay, according to Film Jerk.

Kurtzman and Orci – who worked on Abrams’ “Star Trek” and did a rumored rewrite to the “Watchmen” screenplay – are overseeing Seitz. Let’s hope in light of the WGA strike that “overseeing” is past tense.

Unless Voted Out By Focus Group, Greenwood Will Boldy Go: Speaking of J.J. Abrams’ increasingly more-interesting “Star Trek” reboot, Hollywood Reporter says Bruce Greenwood (“Thirteen Days,” “I, Robot”) has been cast as Captain Christopher Pike.

Originally played by Jeffrey Hunter, Pike was technically the first captain of the starship Enterprise. That’s due to his having been in the original, shelved “Star Trek” pilot.

Bruce Greenwood.
Photo credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage
Scenes from this unused pilot were reworked as flashback footage into first “Star Trek” season two-parter “The Menagerie”. In that episode Sean Kenney took over the role and played Pike as a scarred mute who communicated via light on his wheelchair.

At one point, Tom Cruise (who worked on Abrams’ last film “Mission: Impossible III”) was rumored for the role. There’s still no official word if the movie is a restarted Ultimatization or simply an alternate reality.

Jack Bauer Now Has Time to Use Restroom: The first big casualty of the Writers Guild of America strike is the seventh season premiere of Fox’s “24”.

Originally set to air on Jan. 13, TV Week reports that Fox has chosen to hold off on airing the show until the strike’s end. The show has run the past two seasons week to week with no repeats.

After last season’s critical drubbing, which saw its viewership down drastically, “24” was set for a major revamp this season. The show already started production a month late after Fox scrapped a storyline that was to partly take place in Africa.

In Bauer’s absence, perhaps now we can finally have a real national dialogue about torture.

By Shane Hazen
Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com