The_MOW Blog

Under discussion:

Mr. and Mrs. Smith  (2005)

"John" and "Jane Smith" (Brat Pitt and Angelina Jolie) appear to have the perfect marriage, but looks can be deceiving. They are, in fact, keeping a huge secret from one another -- they are competing secret agents working for different agencies.

They learn of each other's jobs when both are assigned to take out the same target. Then their relationship spirals downward from there until something unexpected brings them back together.

The first thing you notice is that Jolie and Pitt have great on-screen chemistry. With exception of a few badly scripted spots and lines, they worked very nicely together. It got real fun watching them play cat and mouse with one another as they tried to kill each other through a good chunk of the film.

A problem I noticed with this movie is the lack of development of the supporting characters. You might not remember them that well as the closing credits role on the screen. Also, any subplot that directly affects the supporting characters are poorly written.

One thing that really stands out of this film is the gunplay and other action. The fights are well choreographed, and shot quite nicely. During these scenes, there is little room to breathe.

The special effects, though typical when it comes to explosions, are done very well. There is just enough interesting visual effects to keep you entertained and your eyes glued to the screen.

Though there are times the script lags and jokes miss the mark, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" is an entertaining movie that would be worth renting as, at minimum, a solid second choice.

Under discussion:

Star Trek 49: A Piece of the Action  (1968)

Ship's Log, Stardate: 4598.0: It has been a century since the "United Federation of Planets" last visited planet "Sigma Iotia II." The "Enterprise," captained by "James T. Kirk" (William Shatner), is to observe the progress of the planet's population since then.

When a Landing Party arrives on planet surface, "Kirk," "Spock" (Leonard Nimoy) and "Dr. McCoy" (DeForest Kelly) find a drasticly different society -- one based on the 1920's gangster era thanks to a book left behind accidentally by the the last Federation vessel that visited the planet.

There are quite a few humorous moments scattered throughout this episode. From the over-the-top performances of Shatner and Nimoy when they decide to blend in with the planet inhabitants to some of the situations they get into, you will get quite a good chuckle to say the least.

The 1920's era wardrobes are simply fantastic. They are nicely tailored, and seem like pretty authentic replicas from the era. Another thing that stands out is the 1920's automobiles seen in this episode, and one of them brings about one of the sillier moments in the episode.

The performances are real good in this episode, especially from Shatner, Nimoy and guest stars Vic Tayback and Anthony Caruso, who was really made for a gangster role.

Sadly, when the NES video game celebrating the 25th anniversary of the series came out, the designers decided to base the goal of the game on what is referenced in the final scene of this episode. But only Trekkies would recognize the goal of the game coming from this episode. Fortunately, the scene ends with Shatner delivering a funny line.

There are very little special effects in the episode. But of what there are, none stand out due to being seen in just about every episode in the series run.

This episode is not really one for those who are not fans to begin watching the series, but it is a pretty fun episode even for them to watch.

Under discussion:

Star Trek 42: The Trouble with Tribbles  (1967)

The "Enterprise," on routine patrol, recieves a Priority 1 Distress Call from "Deep Space Station K-7," which is near the strategicly important "Sherman's Planet," where only "quadrotriticale," a four grain hybrid wheat, would grow.

Upon arrival, "Captain Kirk" (William Shatner) and "Mr. Spock" (Leonard Nimoy) learn the signal was ordered by "Nilz Baris" (William Schallert), a Federation agricultural minister, who wants the grain protected, who is always accompanied by an eqaully annoying assistant, "Arne Darvin" (Charlie Brill). This angers "Kirk," who has never heard of the wheat, unlike other members of his crew.

To further test the captain's patience, a "Klingon battle cruiser" captained by "Koloth" (William Campbell), who asks for permission to use the "Federation" space station for Shore Leave, which "Kirk" reluctantly grants. Then there is the highly annoying small-time trader and asteroid prospector "Cyrano Jones" (Stanley Adams), who introduces the living fur-balls known as "tribbles," which has a trilling simmular to that of a huinea pig. "Tribbles" are harmless at first, but when they somehow get into the space station's storage compartments with the grain, they begin to multiply at a most amazing rate to the point of taking over the space station, as well as the "Enterprise," after one is brought on board by a bridge officer.

With the mounting problems, "Kirk" is at wits end like you wouldn't believe. But he has to keep his cool to protect the grain, keep a professional tone with the highly annoying Federation agricultural under secretary and peace with the vacationing enemy as best as possible.

This is one episode that non-fans and fans alike will equally enjoy, as proven by my mother who loves this episode (and she hates sci-fi). The plot is well written, with excellent performances from all cast members. It has comedy, a little drama, and a pretty good barroom brawl.

There are a lot of funny moments in this episode, with some great one-liners. The most memorable one-liner ends this episode, and was, in fact, an ad-lib that was so good they left it in the final cut that was aired. There are a lot of other memorable lines and moments throughout the entire episode in fact.

Personally, I would have like to have seen a little more interaction with the "Klingons," but there is just enough to advance the story nicely.

On the visual front, this is typical low-budget "Star Trek." The space station sets appear to be more closed than those used for the "Enterprise." The space scenes are nothing spectacular, and the space station model looks pretty cheap.

The performances is what really makes this episode memorable, especially from Shatner. James Doohan also stands out for his fairly comedic performance of "Scotty" in this episode, and thanks to his real life quick wit, he delivers one of the most memorable lines in television history that closes the final scene of the episode. Schallert, who is best known as the father of "Gidget" in the TV series of the same name, is simply wonderful in this role to the point where even the audience wants to strangle him as much as "Kirk." Adams also does a great job at bringing to life one of the most comedic characters in Trek history next to "Harry Mudd".

You will not need to know a thing about Star Trek, except for maybe the backstory between the "Klingon Empire" and "Federation," to enjoy one of the best episodes in the series.