STAR TREK-THE NEXT GENERATION: THE NEXT LEVEL

Fans of Star Trek are well known. They are devoted to the ideas professed by creator Gene Rodenberry that began with the original series and then carried over into every other incarnation. It was the idea that man would find peace with his fellow man, that people would accept one another for who they were, how they looked and that the boundaries of borders would no longer matter. It was a story of hope; hope that mankind would seek to find new worlds and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.

The original series was short lived but the fans were not. So much so that they original cast came back to star in multiple films that gathered big box office. So much for what Nielsen ratings could tell. That series has found its way to homes via DVD and later blu-ray. The blu-ray editions are amazing featuring cleaned up prints with enhanced special effects. Now the same thing will happen to the second series, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION. But before they release that they wanted to give fans a taste of what to expect thus this new release.

THE NEXT LEVEL offers three episodes of the series that went on to last longer than the original. They've chosen three episodes that are considered to be among the best with the hopes that once they are viewed here, people will be more than willing to collect the series itself when released. Again we're presented with the cleanest possible prints available as well as enhanced special effects. These are not replacing the original effects but cleaning them up and making them the best technologically they can be.

The first episode here is "Encounter at Far Point", the first episode of the new series that introduces the new cast as well as a recurring character from the series, Q. Here Q questions the ability of man to soar the heavens and to investigate space, to cross paths with creatures and civilizations unknown to man. He places Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) on trial to defend mankind and to show that they are not the primitive beings that he thinks they are. It is up to Picard to demonstrate that we are not the savages Q believes us to be.

The second episode is "Sins of the Father" in which Warf, the Klingon representative on the Enterprise discovers a brother he never knew existed and must return to his home planet to defend the honor of his father and family. Accused of being a traitor, a heinous crime in the honor bound beings of Klingon, Warf must discover the truth behind the accusation and who is actually responsible. But when he discovers this truth, will he be strong enough to do the right thing?

The last episode included here is "The Inner Light". This offered a very different role for Stewart as Picard. An encounter with an alien satellite emitting a beam of sorts results in Picard being hit with a ray that can't be disconnected. While others try to save him on the ship in his mind he is taken elsewhere, to another planet and another life where he slowly watches as that planet begins to fall apart. It doesn't happen in days but in years and with each passing year we see him marry, have a family and age. Is it really happening or is it something else?

STAR TREK in any incarnation was a science fiction series beyond any made. Not only was the dream of a peaceful world sending out people to explore the cosmos there but it offered so much more. It offered drama that focused on family which the crew soon became. It showed us that there were bigger things out there to worry about then our own petty squabbles. It showed that while we could be a violent race we could also offer peace as well.

Fans of THE NEXT GENERATION will be glad to have this tidbit to tide them over until the series comes out on blu-ray. For those unacquainted with the series, it's a good way to see what it was all about. This is a worthy addition for any blu-ray collection. The only bad thing about it is the wait for the entire series to arrive. 

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TEXAS KILLING FIELDS: BLAND WHODUNIT

Transplanted policemen have been a staple in movies for years. Take JAWS for instance. So it's not often that these sorts of films offer us little in the way of surprises when the theme is chosen. Such is the case with TEXAS KILLING FIELDS.

Brian Heigh (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is the relocated police detective in question. Having moved to Texas several years earlier he is teamed up with local hot shot Mike Souder (Sam Worthington). The pair are asked to be involved by the local sheriff (and Mike's ex-wife) when it seems a serial killer is on the lose.

The area in question is a matter of debate as far as jurisdiction is concerned. But killers never seem to worry about jurisdiction, they just find a place to dump a body and carry on. This seems to be the case as the bodies keep appearing and police keep investigating.

Even though it isn't in Heigh's area, he continues to look into the gruesome murders which weigh heavy on his mind.

Mike has a different attitude. He advises Brian to ignore the murders and concentrate on problems in their own back yard. But when the killer sees Brian taking notice he takes the murders to the police, leaving them clues and taunting them so that they'll stay on the case.

While all of this is going on a young girl in the area becomes a problem as well. Her mother dumps her outside while she "entertains" some of the local fellas. Brian and Mike both show some concern for the young girl and take her home giving her mother a warning. But if she did that where would the movie go?

The cat and mouse game back and forth between the killer, the police and the young girl is slow moving at best. The terrain is boring beyond belief to look at. And the mystery isn't all that complex that we can't figure out who's behind it all with little exertion.

All of the main actors involved in this film deserve better material and fortunately they have been getting it. This may not be the worst movie ever made but it's not one that most people would seek out and rightly so. There are far more interesting and entertaining films and mysteries that offer clues in with better methods. If the shelves at the local video store are bare, then perhaps this movie would be worth checking out. Otherwise let it slide.

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THE DIVIDE: NO HOPE

I'm amazed at the movies that depict the results of a nuclear war and how they've changed over the years. In the past, during my childhood years, there was always a sense of hope and cooperation between survivors in those films. During my teen years we were treated to the terrifying glimpse of the reality of the results of this form of war. And now as I've grown older, it seems a new generation feels that man can not do anything but remain destructive and petty. Where has all the hope gone?

THE DIVIDE opens with a nuclear bomb going off while Eva (Lauren German) watches from the window in her high rise apartment. Her boyfriend grabs her arm and they rush off down the stairs hoping to find an escape. Instead when they get to the lobby, they find themselves nearly crushed as the tide of people come running back in to avoid the blast wave and, fortunately for them, they have the chance to join a few that have made it to a bomb shelter in the basement.

The shelter was kept up by the apartment building's super, Mickey (Michael Biehn). And Mickey now intends to rule this basement as he sees fit, sharing what he has with the rest but by with certain restrictions. Some of the people want to leave but Mickey explains to them that the dust from the bomb will make the chances of survival outside next to impossible. It's better to wait it out till things settle.

Tempers and egos flare as each person wants to make their own decisions, failing to take into consideration that simply opening the door could do them all in. The posturing of males wanes back and forth while Mickey still controls them all in his most unpleasant manner.

The psychological aspects of being alive but trapped in a shelter play out throughout this film offering us little hope in a world where people care about one another but would rather focus on themselves only. Eventually help does arrive or so it seems. Instead the protective suited armed group that enters doesn't aid all but just a little girl in their midst. When members of this group later try to find out what's going on, the military welds shut the door and leaves them to themselves. Will they release them later? Who knows?

Before that day can happen the group begins to change. Not only physically but mentally as well. Life among the living deteriorates and the basest behaviors are displayed among them all. It becomes a sad tale in a world where insane attitudes seem to rule.

I'm not averse to movies that depict the world as it is. But it seems that these days a younger generation seems to have no hope in mankind or the world we live in. We've gone from a world where a generation dreamed of reaching to the stars to a world where we accept defeat at the hands of bombs. A new generation of film makers seems to see the worst mankind has to offer and expects that to be the norm rather than the exception. Then again with the self absorbed youths of today perhaps they're on to something.

It may seem as if I've revealed quite a bit about this movie, but most of it could have been witnessed in the trailer. There is much more that happens and all of it depressing as Hell. to me that's not entertainment. I couldn't find much that I could recommend about this film unless none of the things mentioned bothers you. Director Xavier Gens also made the film FRONTIERS which many touted as the best film they'd seen in years. I found that movie to be more disturbing than entertaining as well. But if you liked that one my guess is you'll enjoy this as well. For all others, pass it by.

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THE SITTER: TEEN COMEDY AT IT'S WORST

For some reason it seems that those who make movies feel that every teenager wants to be either grossed out or teased with the most gratuitous amount of foul language possible. I'll admit that when I was younger to hear someone drop the F bomb would stun me. But in today's world with today's films it's become rather passé.

Jonah Hill, who took a step forward when he went from the crude teen comedies he was making to star in MONEYBALL, takes two steps back with THE SITTER. Hill stars as Noah Griffith, a loser who lives with his mother, has no future planned and would rather be stoned than anything in the world. With the exception of having Marisa as his girlfriend. Marisa uses Noah for oral sex and nothing else, leading him to believe they have a connection when in truth she lusts after the local MMA star.

Wanting the best for his mother, Noah agrees to baby sit for her best friend while she goes out on a date that has bright prospects. Of course the kids are far from normal. Slater is a psychiatrist dream with so many problems that he can't think straight. Blithe is a wanna be celebrity elementary schooler. And that leaves Rodrigo, the adopted son of the family who has a penchant for blowing things up.

Noah gets a call from Marisa while sitting: pick up some cocaine and rush over to a party she's at and she might have sex with him. Being the responsible sitter he is, Noah packs the kids in the car and off they go to find the money to buy drugs and then deliver them.

Of course they end up doing nearly everything but with adventures involving robbing Noah's father's diamond business, dropping into an all black bar and running afoul of the drug dealer when Rodrigo steals a large plastic egg filled with drugs. The dealer gives Noah a few hours to recover the drugs or the money.

If you think this sounds like a twisted version of the classic ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING, you'd be right. But unlike that movie which had more than its share of funny situations and laughs, this movie relies on the lowest common denominator of jokes to attempt to squeeze jokes out. And it fails almost every time.

While I watched I kept hoping that funny things would happen. There were a few rare occasions when they did but those were short lived. Instead I got more of the foul language in front of kids (or used by kids, something Hollywood thinks is funny these days) and references to drugs and sex that helped to create the worst years in the history of SNL, that period of time which never makes it to reruns on any channel.  These items are not funny just because you toss a lame joke at them.

Late in the movie Noah suddenly seems to care about the kids he's watching. But it comes far too late and out of nowhere. The entire time he spends with these kids at first seems like he's there to earn some money and help his mom. Before a few hours are over, he suddenly wants to help these kids find their place in life, something even he hasn't achieved. Not only does it make an unbelievable situation, it makes the film seem more awkward than helpful. 

Hill has made better movies in this genre, some that are even funny. But this movie is anything but.

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THE TERROR EXPERIMENT: HO HUM

It seems that horror films today have picked the top boogey man of the heap. With TWILIGHT we've decided not to fear vampires for a while and with the box office failure of THE WOLF MAN we've decided to use the stand by creature we love to fear: the zombie. So many zombie movies are out there as well as the successful book THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE making the best seller list that it only seems natural that film makers would make this the creature de jour of our time. Far too much so.

THE TERROR EXPERIMENT may not use our typical zombie but that's how things are going at present. We use variations of the zombie rather than stick with the stand by regular living dead. In this film a secret lab has a problem when a formula being worked on is released throughout the building. Except that it doesn't hit all floors. But the ones it does find its way to infects those working there and turns them into mind blowing violent zombies.

Okay maybe not quite zombies like we're used to. Remember I said they'd changed a little? These zombies are prone to violence and move as fast as humans do. It still takes a head shot to put them down and wounds just tend to piss them off. Naturally there are a few survivors and their goal is to get out. One survivor's daughter was in day care below so he's concerned about her and rather than just find an escape looks for her as well. The rest are the stereotypical mish mash.

While all of this is going on the building has been put into quarantine.  The fire chief is doing his best to control the situation until the CDC arrives to take over. When they do, it becomes a question of trying to help the survivors or simply destroy the building with all left inside to prevent the contagion spreading.

This sounds like a decent idea for a movie and on the whole it's not bad. But it lacks something, that extra oomph that would make it either a more horrifying movie or a more sympathetic one. The acting is basic and no one, including the star names attached over exceeds the expectations of a B movie. It could be that the story is becoming par for the course or it could just be that the film lacks that spark that makes it move to over the top status. As it is this DVD is just the usual without any real reason to make it that one you must see. If, however, the store shelves are bare or the Redbox is low, it might make a decent film to watch.   

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BATTLE ROYALE, THE COMPLETE COLLECTION: SUPERB EDITION

I had heard of the movie BATTLE ROYALE years ago and actually had a chance to see a portion of the sequel. My son has always told me it was an amazing film but until this release I'd never had the chance or time to watch it (even though I borrowed his copy months ago). Fans of the film were hard pressed to find a copy and for the most part the only way to do so was via bootleg copies or those sold at fan conventions over the past few years. But that has all changed with the release of this box set put together by Anchor Bay.

Included are the directors cut of the original film as well as the theatrical cut, the sequel and a collection of extras that include The Making of Battle Royale, TV Spot: Tarantino Version, Basketball Scene Rehearsals, Tokyo International Film Festival 2000, Special Edition TV Spot, Original Theatrical Trailer, Battle Royale Documentary, Special Effects Comparison Featurette, Filming On-Set, Behind-The-Scenes Featurette, Audition & Rehearsal Footage, Instructional Video: Birthday Version, and Battle Royale Press Conference. As you can see they've covered nearly all the bases with this one. The transfer is beautifully done and the colors and film footage nearly leap off the screen, which could be a bad thing considering the amount of blood shed during the film. With two films to discuss, I'll break them down.

BATTLE ROYALE

The story takes place in the near future. Unemployment is at an all time high and people are beginning to give up hope, especially the young generation. Rather than sit back and accept things as they are, the youngsters tend to express their rage through violence and disrespect. In response the adults pass a law and form Battle Royale, a competition that is literally life or death.

The worst 9th grade class is taken on a field trip and gassed but when they wake they don't find themselves home. Instead they are find themselves in a large room surrounded by soldiers. When their teacher arrives he explains they are now part of BR and how it works. Each student has a collar. Should they try to take it off or escape, the collar explodes. The students will each be issued a backpack that will contain food, water and a weapon. Once they get their pack, they are to leave. They are on a deserted island now and there is one thing they need to accomplish: survive to be the last person alive at the end of 3 days. Yes, each student is to kill the rest to win. Should there be more than one survivor, those remaining will all die. To make it more of a challenge they've also been given a map that shows a grid and every 6 hours the grid changes with hot zones that will explode their collars.

The biggest turmoil for these kids is of course being able to kill someone to continue living. But there's more to the story than that. Keep in mind these are junior high students, kids who are in the midst of making friends, making enemies, being picked on or being popular. All of those things that teens go through come into play with the interaction between them all. Alliances can be made but for how long knowing that if you don't kill the rest you all end up dead? To make matters worse, two wild cards are brought in, two students not from this class who seem to be trouble makers of the worst sort.

The film moves at a furious pace with plenty of action and fairly gory effects. As each student is killed or commits suicide, the count changes with each now dead classmate having their names added to the daily announcements. Some react as you would think a normal person would, others seem to care less. This is survival of the fittest taken to extremes.

Two students have joined forces, a couple that never had the chance to actually become a couple. Shuya and Noriko find themselves caring for one another more than they though possible. Both want to make it and aren't sure how they can do so with both of them alive. When a chance presents itself for that to happen, they jump at it.

The movie is brutal and shocking but at the same time tells a great story. It makes you consider the thought; could I actually kill my best friend in order to continue living? At the heart of the film that's what makes it work so well, confronting the concept in your own mind and applying it to yourself. If anyone thinks they can come up with the truth as an answer you're kidding yourself. Who knows what one would do when put in that situation? The ending of the film works well but I won't spoil it here.

BATTLE ROYALE II: REQUIEM

The sequel is well done but doesn't quite live up to the first. SPOILER ALERT: If you don't want to know how the first film ends then watch it before reading below.

It begins 3 years after the last film. Shuya and Noriko survived the first film and escaped the island. With a tremendous grudge against the adults who made them play the game, they are now wanted fugitives. Rather than except their predicament, they become terrorists out to bring down the adults of the world. In response to their attacks and propaganda, the government passes another law creating Battle Royale II.

The same starting principle holds true with a group of 9th graders brought to a military base after being sleep gassed. When they wake they find themselves in a cage with their new teacher telling them the rules. Instead of hunting one another they will be dropped on an island with their backpacks in order to put an end to Shuya's declaration of war on all adults. Their job is to kill Shuya and his followers. Should they decline to do so they will immediately be killed via collar. Added to this is the problem that they are to work in pairs. Should one die, the other finds themselves victim of the collar.

Placed in boats and heading for the island they find themselves under attack before they hit the shore. Between being shot en route and when they land, nearly a third of the 42 kids are gone before they receive ammunition and have the chance to find cover. Once more the mind set of the teen is played and they more often resort to the tantrums or emotional upheavals teens do rather than think things through. Once they begin to do so they become a more effective unit.

The biggest difference between this film and the original is the involvement of politics. Condemnation of governments and those in charge runs rampant here. The idea of teens taking over the world harkens back to the sixties and the concept of trust no one over 30. Yes, the adults have messed things up pretty bad, but the chances of these kids saving the world don't seem much better.

Eventually the combatants realize what is going on and unite forces. Shuya and his group disable the collars and keep the new teens armed and ready. This means that the military must now go in to take them all out. Who will survive and who will die isn't seen until the film's end.

So there you have it, the stories behind the movie and sequel. Are they worth watching? By all means. And if this is the sort of movie you can enjoy in one way or another, it's also one that you should add to your collection. As I said, the transfer to DVD is beautiful to see. The acting is amazing even when the film is in Japanese (the first is dubbed, the second subtitled). For all the controversy that surrounded this film, it is one you should seek out.

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THE DESCENDANTS: BELIEVE THE HYPE

There are movies that are released and then discussed later when Oscar time rolls around as being the next best thing since sliced bread. The actors and directors are talked about and make the talk show route. Almost always these incidents are nothing more than hype, trying to drum up interest in a film that is nominated but nowhere near as good as they claim. Then there are the rare times when it all clicks and turns out to be true as with THE DESCENDANTS.

George Clooney stars as Matt King, a hard working property lawyer whose made his mark while living in Hawaii. As the film opens Matt has had a major setback arrive in a speed boating accident involving his wife Elizabeth. As she lays in a coma while the doctors wait to see how she responds to treatment, Matt is faced with day to day life at home involving his youngest daughter Scottie (Amara Miller).

This is not Matt's area of expertise. It soon becomes apparent that home life has little to do with Matt of late and that he has no idea how to be involved in his child's life. Scottie has been acting up at school, presumably dealing with the life threatening situation her mother is in. With no idea how to cope with Scottie, Matt flies the two of them to another island where his older daughter Alexandra (Shallene Woodley) is enrolled in boarding school with the hopes she will help him.

But Alexandra doesn't offer all the help Matt needs. Following in her rambunctious mother's footsteps, Alexandra has shown a drug problem in the past and when Matt arrives he finds her drunk. Flying home the next day they talk about what is going on and why she fought with her mother the last time the two spoke. It is then that Alexandra drops the bomb in Matt's lap that spurs on the rest of the film. She lets him know that her mother was having an affair and that she had planned to divorce Matt. This scene displays the acting ability of Clooney perhaps more than any other in his career as he displays shock, outrage, pain and disbelief within a matter of seconds. In addition Matt is told there is nothing more to be done and that due to her living will his wife is soon to be taken off life support.

So begins Matt's quest, aided by his daughters and Alexandra's friend Sid (Nick Krause) to find the man his wife was involved with. It turns out the man is a realtor and in witnessing one of his signs in a yard, Matt and Alexandra are able to find him on another island. Soon the four are flying once more to find this man.

With little solid clues they trace him to a hotel only to find he's not there. It is by chance that Matt passes him on the beach one morning while jogging and follows him home to a cottage where he sees him with a wife and two children. Having told himself over and over again that he wants to offer this man the chance to say goodbye to Elizabeth, reality isn't quite what he expected. What does he do now?

While all of this is going on a side story has Matt trying to decide what to do with a huge acreage of land that his family owns. As trustee for the land, it is up to Matt what they finally do. One group of cousins wants to sell to a high finance man from Chicago who intends to develop the land with hotels and golf courses. The other is a local man who wants to do the same but continue to involve local people. And then there is the minority who feel that the land should remain as it is in pristine condition. In seven years the trust falls apart. If they sell now each cousin and Matt have the chance at making millions.

At the heart of the film are two quests involving Matt. One involves his discovering the family that he left behind for the office, getting back in touch with his children and rediscovering who they really are as well as who he is. The second is relating to the land he was put in care of, a land and history that goes well beyond years and property rights and involved a tradition and sense of community. Where Matt will go with either quest isn't seen until the final reel.

Clooney is amazing here. Rather than go for an over the top performance he displays so many subtle signs of emotion that you can feel each and every thing that goes through the character's mind as the story unfolds. His frustration, his rage, his sadness are all on display through the performance Clooney offers and it stands out as one of his best. Equally amazing is his supporting cast, most notably Woodley and Miller who show a large emotional depth for their young years.

This film isn't a feel good movie but at the same time it isn't a downer either. It offers true moment of humor as well as drama and tells a story that involves you from beginning to end. As I watched I wondered if this was a movie I would watch again or just place on the shelf. In the end I decided it has to be seen more than once with time spent between viewings the better to appreciate what is seen on screen. This is one movie you don't want to miss.

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MY WEEK WITH MARILYN: AN ICON CONTINUES

Marilyn Monroe was an icon of beauty, of Hollywood leading ladies. To this day images of Monroe can be found on everything from posters to shot glasses. She is an image that film fans carry on even though many of them may never have taken the time to see one of her movies. Such is the price of fame and also a bit of the story seen in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN.

The movie is based on the true story of Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), a young man who intends to not follow in the family footsteps but to become involved in the world of film making as he sets out on his own. Determined to get a job, he applies but is turned down for a position with Olivier Films, the studio overseen by Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh). Through sheer determination and with a little luck, he gets a job there and is soon the third assistant director on Olivier's new film. In essence, he becomes a gofer.

It is 1956 and Olivier is about to begin his first non-Shakespearean movie, a romantic comedy called "The Prince and the Showgirl". Starring as well as directing he has chosen a Hollywood star on the rise as his co-star, Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams). But things start off bad and seem to get worse. Monroe is a method actor, taking time to work herself into the role she is playing while the cast and crew wait. Colin is sent to fetch her to the set and finds himself in awe; completely star stuck, but does get her there.

As each day progresses tempers flare and Monroe continues with her temperamental attitude. Those that surround her like her acting coach and manager continue to pamper her and keep up the steady flow of prescription medication. Their goal is to stay with the gravy train and ride it for all it's worth. Colin enters and instead tries to offer her a friend that she doesn't have.

After Marilyn's new husband Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott) returns to the U.S. to visit his children, Marilyn drops into another depression and calls Colin to her aid. Even though he was threatened by her manager, his devotion to the legendary actress continues. With the help of Colin as he distracts her and gives her the chance to share who she really is as opposed to the celebrity she has become, Marilyn does eventually finish the film. But at what cost?

The film fluctuates between two ideas and combines them to make an interesting feature. On the one hand we see the star seeking star treatment that then turns into a gifted talent. So great is her talent that Olivier even comments that she is a natural to Colin late in the film.

The other story is of a young girl who has seen the world, who has done what it takes to get where she is and who has lost something in the process. This is a fractured woman who feels she can't escape the caricature she has portrayed because it was after all fame, attention and love that she sought to begin with. But none of those around her truly care about the woman and seem more interested in the character. Except Colin, the young man who gets to know the real woman.

Don't think that the movie revolves around a physical love story. It's more about Colin's infatuation that becomes adoration and Marilyn's need for someone to accept her for nothing more than who she really is. In the end there is no way that this romance of sorts can happen or continue. Such is the price of fame.

Williams was nominated for an Oscar for her performance here. I'm not sure that it was that outstanding but she does a fine job. The performance is less about her ability to look like Monroe and more about her acting like her in the scenes of the movie being filmed and to portray her troubled psyche off screen. She does an amazing job.

More amazing to me was Branagh as Olivier with the same swagger and vocal patterns that fans of Olivier will notice right away. As always he turns in a great performance. Redmayne displays the innocence of a young man and fanatical side of a person infatuated with a star.

On the whole the movie is entertaining and enlightening. Will I watch it time and again? Probably not. But the movie is worth seeing at least once. With any luck it will help prevent a future actress from selling her soul to achieve her dream.

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THE THREE MUSKETEERS: AN UPDATE OF A CLASSIC

There have been numerous filmed versions of Alexandre Dumas' swashbuckling tale THE THREE MUSKETEERS over the years, my favorite of which remains that starring Gene Kelly and June Allyson. Some have been good, some have been bad and many have been so-so. But it's been a while since one was made so I guess it was inevitable that we have a new one thus we have this latest version from director Paul W. S. Anderson, the director behind the RESIDENT EVIL series of films as well as 2 ALIEN sequels.

Right off the bat we notice a change as the original story has portions tossed aside and new more modern items included. The original 3 Musketeers - Athos (Matthew McFayden), Aramis (Luke Evans) and Porthos (Ray Stevenson) - are aided by Milady de Winter (Milla Javovich) in finding their way into the secret archives of the Vatican in hopes of stealing plans draw by da Vinci for a flying ship. The archives are protected by all sorts of traps that seem more along the lines of things we'd create these days than then. Once they take hold of the plans, they are betrayed by de Winter as she drugs them and hands the plans off to the Duke of Buckingham (Orlando Bloom).

Several years pass and things change. A young man named D'Artagnan (Logan Lerman) leaves his family home in the hopes of joining the legendary Musketeers where his father once served. Along the way he has a losing fight with Rochefort (Mads Mikkelson), a high placed official in the government run by Cardinal Richelieu (Christopher Waltz) but is saved by de Winter. When he arrives in Paris the brash youngster soon finds himself involved in not one but three duels with various men he bumps into not realizing that these are the legendary 3 Musketeers.

Before they can fight, they are set upon by Richlieu's guard and a sword fight ensues where D'Artagnan proves his mettle with the legends. Upon finishing they are called before the king to be chastised. Except the king rewards them instead while haphazardly telling them to behave. Thus the group of four are united and their loyalty to the crown and not to Richlieu, who hopes to take over control, demonstrated.

With the exception of the opening the movie thus far sticks to the original storyline. It continues with a necklace belonging to the Queen in the hands of the Duke of Buckingham but instead of her having gifted it to him here we have de Winter stealing it. That gives us more of an opportunity for Javovich to have a larger role than in the book as well as a chance for her to display the fighting/action techniques she's displayed in other roles, perhaps because he husband is the director. You think?

A dance is planned and Richlieu plants in the mind of the King that the Queen could prove her loyalty to him by wearing the necklace since he was the one responsible for de Winter stealing it. With only days to save the Queen the Musketeers are sent forth to retrieve the necklace and save the day. Along the way they come across various plans to stop them as well as numerous steam punk modernistic weaponry, including the flying airships. I have to assume that the makers of this film felt that today's youthful crowd would be hard pressed to accept anything less than a video game mentality when it came to weapons and fighting sequences. 

All of these minor quibbles aside the film is an enjoyable piece of entertainment. The action sequences are well filmed and the effects are dazzling. The acting is far above what one would expect for something like this and the characters well though out and performed. Perhaps the only thing that seems odd is the number of various accents displayed when all characters involved are supposed to be French.

Anyone renting this will have a fun time at the movies so much so that it might even be worth adding to your collection should you be a swashbuckler or Musketeers fan. It will definitely offer you an evening of entertainment. My only major gripe comes at the end when a set up for a sequel is clearly put forth in the most unsubtle manner. Other than that, it's all fun.

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PROJECT NIM: NO MONKEY BUSINESS ABOUT IT

From the folks who brought the dynamic documentary MAN ON WIRE comes a new tale. This one revolves around a chimp made famous when he began speaking to people. No this isn't a PLANET OF THE APES sequel and I don't mean he speaks, but he does communicate through sign language.

Nim, as he is named, becomes part of an experiment begun at Columbia University by Prof. Herbert Terrace. What Terrace wanted to do was show that a baby chimp raised as a human being would be able to learn to communicate as we humans do. Taken from his mother within weeks of being born, Nim is given to a grad student with a family and is indeed raised as if he were one of her children.

Interviews with those involved as well as stock footage and photographs give us the chance to witness what went on. Nim becomes the focus of the family and does learn sign language, something which the family in question hadn't made a part of their life until this experiment. Nim also shows jealousy and rage with the male head of the household while being protective of the female in charge.

More students are brought in to help teach Nim sign language and the mother in question demonstrates her own bits of jealousy during interviews when she says that one was attempting to take over as mother. It feels as if she's lost the idea that this is an experiment and actually adopted the chimp.

Different teachers are brought in throughout the experiment but eventually Nim's chimpanzee nature takes hold and he displays signs of violence, biting through the cheek of one teacher. While he has grown fond of two students who are the last to teach him (and who fell in love while doing so) the end is in sight. Fearing a lawsuit should he attack again, Terrace brings the project to an end and ships Nim back to his original home, a gathering of cells for chimps run by another professor who just studies chimp behavior.

This is not the world Nim was raised in. This is a world where chimps behave like chimps, never putting on clothes or asking for things they want. As the days progress, Nim falls into a sorry state.

Terrace on the other hand becomes a celebrity of sorts. When Nim was still part of the project he wrote a book on the research and was a guest on several talk shows discussing Nim's ability to communicate. The reality was that it was the students who had contact almost daily with Nim and Terrace's contact was very limited. When he called the project to a halt it was a cold moment but easily done since he had no clue what Nim was really like.

Another student becomes involved in working with Nim at his new home and eventually begins communicating with the chimp once again. They become friends of sort with Nim almost always wanting to play. But fate steps in once more and with decreased funding the professor in charge ships out the chimps on hand, including Nim, to medical research facilities. Here chimps are caged, drugged and have test run on them to see their reactions to various items from medicine to cosmetics. One professor here who seems to take on the role of villain eventually comes to the aid of these animals. But can Nim ever truly be saved?

The movie takes a straight forward approach not just trying to paint a portrait of an animal as a near human but showing that it does indeed possess the animal traits it was born with. Nim may have learned to communicate (which Terrace writes off as just asking for things it wants...watch and you decide if Nim can communicate) but he still has the strength of a wild chimp and the possibility of doing damage is there. But in watching as Nim learns, as he "talks" and as he shows the ability to understand those around him the question of using animals for testing is raised.

I've not taken a firm stance on the issue in the past, but after watching this film it makes me wonder if it's worth it to put animals through what we do in testing. I've never thought it was a good idea to do so for such things as cosmetics. Now I find myself questioning if it should be done for medical research as well. It's easy to say that cures have been found and formulated that have helped humans, but do we truly have the right to treat animals this way? And knowing that they can indeed have emotions and communicative abilities how human is it to do so?

I've seen films that are completely propagandistic take on the subjects they claim to be open minded about. This film doesn't feel that way. This film feels like its looking at all sides of the issue. It is interesting from start to finish and will lead you many a discussion on the topic of test animals. But more importantly it will tell people of the story of Nim and that's a story worth telling.

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