Star Trek Into Darkness is the latest installment of one of the most classic sci-fi action series of all time. In this new film, Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and First Officer Spock (Zachary Quinto) take on Commander John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch). Creator JJ Abrams is an award-winning director and producer, so the expectations are crazy high for the film. So did the critics think the sequel actually met them?

‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ Reviews

Wired

The visual effects and stunt work in the movie is very impressive, as you’d expect in a J.J. Abrams film, and offers up the kind of spectacle that almost makes you forgive the flaws elsewhere. (Almost.) But the number of climactic action sequences contained within the plot corkscrews also starts to feel exhausting, eventually pushing the audience from feeling like “things keep getting more intense!” to “seriously, shouldn’t this be over yet?”  And it’s a shame, because each of the numerous action set pieces are well done and utterly enjoyable in each moment, even if they don’t hang together as any kind of coherent narrative.

New York Times

But story has always been the most disposable element in the Star Trek universe, and Mr. Abrams and the screenwriters (Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof) honor its tradition best when they treat the Enterprise as a hive of personalities and volatile connections. The difficult romance between Spock and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) is complemented, and at times overshadowed, by the Spock-Kirk bromance.

The Washington Post

With every element so clearly put in place and the Star Trek vernacular so lovingly preserved and elaborated, the biggest challenge facing the filmmakers — especially screenwriters Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof — is to make sure that subsequent stories deepen what they have built, rather than just pile on more effects and stunts. Thankfully, Star Trek Into Darkness leaves the hatch open to countless possibilities, whether brand-new story lines or visits to familiar faces and places from the past. With the franchise now securely underway, it’s reassuring to know that Abrams and his team have the con.

Fox News

“Into Darkness” is a warp-speed ride of intense suspense, lens flares, mystery and thrills, dipping in and out of Star Trek lore and ultimately creating a fresh new direction. That isn’t to say this film is without its sense of adventure and quick-witted humor. On the contrary, the film is very funny, gutsy in its action and never short of an eye-wink or two. Writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman are joined by “Lost” alum Damon Lindelof in creating a “Star Trek” story that is a gigantic nod to fans of the franchise while pushing old ideas into welcome new territory.

Sounds like an entertaining action movie! Are you going to see it?

WATCH: ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ Trailer

– Emily Longeretta

More ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ News:

1. ‘Star Trek Into Darkess’: Shocking Twist Reveals True Villain
2. ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ First Look — The New Poster Revealed
3. Zoe Saldana Wows In Backless Gown For ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’

After a traumatic childhood, Halle Berry feels like she finally has it all and is at peace with her life. The birth of her daughter, Nahla, in 2008, with then-boyfriend, model Gabriel Aubry, was the final peace in her happiness puzzle. “Children shift your priorities and now I have a greater purpose for being here,” Halle, 44, tells Britain’s Mirror. “She’s made me a better person because everything I do and say, everything I want and don’t want, I think first: Will this be best for her?” Can you relate, HollyMoms?

Halle has a passion for acting, but she’d be willing to walk away from it all to spend more time with her 2-year-old. “I love making movies but I would give it all up to be with my daughter if I had to because she’s the love of my life,” admits Halle. It’s heartwarming to know that Halle doesn’t want her daughter to ever experience the horrible, violent childhood that she, herself, endured.

Halle opens up about her traumatic childhood

And little Nahla has taught her mom to enjoy life in a whole new way. “I’ve never laughed as hard, I’ve never done more silly things, and I go to great lengths to make her laugh,” Halle tells the Mirror. “She’s awakened a childlike side of me.”

Nahla goes to the zoo with her daddy

And even though Halle and Gabriel, didn’t make a lasting love connection, they will always share a special bond. “We’re Nahla’s parents and we both just want what is best for her,” says Halle, who has been linked to fellow actor Olivier Martinez since August, when they co-starred in the upcoming thriller Dark Tide. “Every choice I make now, and that includes who I choose to spend personal time with as a partner, is not just about me anymore, it’s about what’s best for her.”

–Amy L. Harper

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A source has claimed to have read the Breaking Dawn script, and she shares a scene in which a brutal showdown between the Cullens and the Volturi lead to some bloody deaths!

For those who thought Breaking Dawn was going to be all vampire love and wedded bliss, you might be dead wrong. According to an insider who has claimed to have read the script, some violent things go down in part two of the movie. Warning…there are spoilers ahead!

Lainey from Laineygossip.com has apparently read the Breaking Dawn script and wasn’t afraid to spill all kinds of secrets. The biggest reveal involves the big scene in the end where the Volturi confronts the Cullens about their half vampire/half human child, Renesmee. In the book, the conflict is worked out with talking (yawn!), but in the movie…it turns into a bloody fight scene. Kind of.

Here’s what she remembers:

Alice touches that head [Volturi] guy. When she touches the [Volturi] guy he ‘sees’ what will happen if he continues his course. So, the first person whose head comes off is Carlisle. In the vision. Then everything goes to sh-t and all kinds of dying happens. And Bella and Edward kill Aro. Bella and Edward, they die too. All these other people die, too. Jane and her brother. Lots of deaths on both sides. Then the [Volturi] guy snaps out of it, says he’s sorry. Everybody makes up and lives happily ever after.

Got all that? The battle scene is just a vision that Alice shares with Aro, should he choose to go through with the fight. If this report is actually true, we think it’s great they decided to beef up the action in the film, since in the book it’s just a lot of talking. What do YOU think, BFFs?

–Jenna Mullins

The longtime film and stage actor was ‘delighted’ and ‘surprised’ to be nominated for his role as a corrupt lobbyist his new film ‘Casino Jack!’

Kevin Spacey has never won a Golden Globe, and he’s been nominated SIX times! The 51-year-old actor just received a nod from the Hollywood Foreign Press for his portrayal in Casino Jack, as Jack Abramoff, a former Washington lobbyist that was involved in possibly one of the biggest scandals since Watergate in 1972. HollywoodLife.com spoke with Kevin at The Cinema Society with The Creative Coalition & Grey Goose screening of Casino Jack Dec. 17, and he revealed how excited and hopeful he is this time around!

“I was extremely over the moon,” Kevin gushed. “Very surprised because the film hasn’t opened yet but luckily the Hollywood Foreign Press had either watched their screeners or gone to screenings. I was very delighted that we managed to be recognized and for me it’s a tribute to George Hickenlooper my late wonderful director. He directed me to this performance, so it’s about George.”

After the film, guests attended the after party at the Setai Fifth Avenue Hotel & Residences, where they sipped cranberry Grey Goose La Poire cocktails and ate asparagus & gruyere quiche, black pepper angus beef, crispy quinoa & piquillo pepper, and New Zealand langostine in red pepper crepe with basil aioli — YUM!

Casino Jack hits theaters Dec. 17 and it’s definitely a must see that your guy is going to love!

-Pierre Reynolds and Chloe Melas

When your claim to fame is something as squeaky clean as High School Musical, it’s a no-brainer that the way to break out of the Disney mold is to take on darker movie roles — and Zac Efron will definitely be busting out! Zac is reportedly taking on the male lead in Die in a Gunfight, and we’ve got the exclusive details on the crazy dramedy.

GENRE: Drama, Romance, Dark Humor

PLOT: The newly single 23-year old Zefron plays Ben Gibbon, a handsome, extremely wealthy New Yorker who has a mind of his own and is constantly rebelling against his parent’s aristocratic lifestyle. Ben is into drugs, getting into trouble with his friend Mukul, and he gets an odd thrill from getting beat up. His powerful parents are ashamed of him, but he finds companionship and love with Mary, another rebel child who’s been kicked out of every elite prep school in New York. Mary and Ben are intertwined by a court case involving both of their parents and Mary’s creepy tutor Terrance.

JUICY PARTS:

• Ben finds himself in a brutal fight as early as page 2!
• He swears at everyone, dropping F-bombs and screaming obscenities at those who beat him up
• Ben loves finding a high in all the wrong places: pot-smoking, cocaine snorting (off a knife), pulls from a flask, and Peyote usage.
• Talk about Cougar Town! Ben gets down and dirty by grinding with an older woman while “sweaty and drugged.”
• Ben’s father really hates him: “You’re a disgrace, Benjamin! You’re not fit for this family!”
• Ben and Mary get intimate, and the narrator lets the audience know that Ben is good at oral sex: “Mary was delightfully surprised by Ben’s…skill.”

NOTABLE LINE: “I love getting high in a tuxedo. There’s something cool about being f–ked up and looking good at the same time.”

BOTTOM LINE: This role will certainly propel Zac away from his good-guy Disney image, and we’re looking forward to seeing him take on a dark and twisted character. The script was a bit bizarre overall, and the lawsuit side plot was confusing and weighed down the central storyline at times. Also adding unwanted bulk was a lot of  pseudo-philosophical discussions, like this one: “Don’t you ever feel like we’re letting the world disappear?” The characters of Ben and Mary are the bright spots as rebellious Manhattanites, which is good balance in an otherwise gloomy film.

–Jenna Mullins with reporting by Sarah Rose Attman & Russ Weakland

Click Here to Read About Zac Efron’s Recent Split From Vanessa Hudgens!

Click Here to Read About Miley Cyrus’ Recent Dalliance With Drugs!

When it was announced that Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie were going to star in The Tourist together, most people asked: “Can the silver screen contain so much star power without imploding?” We’ll find out soon enough!

If these photos are any indication, the combined hotness of Johnny and Angie might be enough to cause movie theaters to combust…which would be a real shame, because The Tourist looks like an action-packed thrill-fest!

Johnny, 47, plays an American tourist (Frank) who comes to Italy on vacation and meets a mysterious English woman named Elise, played by Angelina, 35. Elise turns out to be more than a handful for Frank (she’s a wanted woman!), and crazy dangerous chase scenes ensue.

Be sure to check out Angie and Johnny’s co-starring debut when The Tourist hits theaters Dec. 10.

–Jenna Mullins

Critics have been complaining that the new installment of Harry Potter’s adventures is long and slow. Well guess what critics — That’s exactly why The Deathly Hallows is so poignant.

The book is ALL ABOUT the long, frustrating and scary time that Harry, Hermoine and Ron, suffer through while using all their ingenuity to hide out of sight from the evil Lord Voldemort and his Snatchers.

The story isn’t supposed to speed along like Transformers. It’s supposed to be about Harry, Hermoine and Ron trying to solve multiple mysteries, in their ultimate quest to defeat and destroy Voldemort. It’s about thinking and reflection. It’s about Harry and Hermoine, particularly, feeling alone in the world, in a struggle to survive while evil gets ever closer and stronger.

Just because so many movies today speed along without thought or dialogue, doesn’t mean that The Deathly Hallows has to cave to that “commercial” trend.

I say hip, hip hooray that Harry Potter moves at a pace that beautifully conveys the length of time that Harry has to go “underground”.

And so far, fans to the tune of $24 million for the opening night box office — agree!

–Bonnie Fuller

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The first part of the final Harry Potter film opened last night at midnight, and it’s already surpassing the HP flicks before it!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 was released at midnight Nov. 19, and the numbers are now rolling in (along with the dough). It’s already a huge hit!

Not only was last night successful in terms of a new release, but Deathly Hallows broke the franchise record for midnight showings with a whopping $24 million opening! As expected, fans were lining up for hours before just to be the first to see part one of the final movie in the Harry Potter series. Deathly Hallows opened at 3,700 locations in North America, and most midnight shows sold out way in advanced.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (the sixth installment) held the series midnight opening record previously with $22.2 million. Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. Pictures President of Domestic Distribution said in a statement: “We are all thrilled by these early grosses, which we believe are just the beginning of a record-breaking opening weekend. We are releasing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 at 4,125 locations and on over 9,400 screens in an effort to ensure that the fans who have been eagerly awaiting the film will have every opportunity to see it.”

So, if you haven’t seen it yet, there’s plenty of chances to check it out — and if you’ve seen it already…well, go see it again! Congrats, Harry Potter gang!

–Jenna Mullins