Summer movies offer entertainment, familiarity

The summer movie season is built on familiarity. There is a blockbuster, popcorn-popping, huge explosion, easy romance rhythm to movies that premiere to big box office numbers backed by a tireless barrage of commercials and soft drink containers.

Summertime is the season to make big money for the studios as moviegoers retreat into the comfortable, air-conditioned dark to escape the heat. Summer is one of the few times of the year when we allow ourselves to be bored and embrace an escape. For all the accusations of studios looking for an easy payday with unnecessary sequels (“Pirates of the Caribbean” is a repeat offender), franchise reboots (Do we really need another “Punisher” film?) and boring action films centered around explosions, there is an explicit pleasure in knowing what to expect. The very act of going to the theater is a ritual in itself. As filmmakers return to the same story wells again and again, we get to revisit much-loved stories and characters through (hopefully) fresh lenses and perspectives.

I went to see “Star Trek” with my mother this week in a neon-lit Harkins Theatre (which is dirt cheap, by the way) in Scottsdale, Ariz. My mother grew up on “Star Trek.” I knew what “live long and prosper” intoned in a deep, steady voice meant long before I knew Leonard Nimoy as Spock. I felt a painful wave of nostalgia when I heard Ricardo Montalbán died. I even went home to yell “KHAAAANNNN!!” off my deck in tribute to the man. I wouldn’t consider myself a Trekkie, although the mythology of “Star Trek” played a part in my cultural upbringing.

I sat in the darkened theater with my mom as characters she had grown up with and watched for years came to life again before her eyes. You don’t need a background in “Star Trek” to enjoy the new movie, but watching her I couldn’t help but feel that it definitely helped. She laughed when she saw the new Captain Kirk, cried during a particularly touching scene with Spock’s parents, and clapped her hands excitedly when the new Dr. McCoy delivered his famous retort, “I’m a doctor, not a (insert job description here)!”

The beauty of “Star Trek” is how relevant the basic setup remains. A diverse group of likable people must save each other from dire situations by working together. After six television series totaling 716 episodes and 11 feature films, it would seems as though there are no new stories left to tell. Yet the new “Star Trek” film might be one of the best. The cast is fun, the story is solid and the visuals are amazing. I would highly recommend “Star Trek” to anyone who wants to see a good summer movie. It’s a very new look at “Star Trek,” while remaining true to its roots.

Eventually, every story becomes the property of the public. We allow these characters and events into our lives, becoming as much of our own story as the movie or book where they originated. Watching the new “Star Trek,” I felt the way a good movie is supposed to make you feel. I was entertained, enlightened and smiling as I walked out. I looked over at my mom, with a giant smile on her face, as she went on about the cute new Capt. James T. Kirk. What was old is new again. Familiarity might breed contempt, but not this time.

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