FabD1

As stated in the title to this evaluation, this movie is, first and foremost, a Christmas movie. It was released for the Holidays on November 17th 1994 and there is an explicit reference to Christmas in the plot. In short this movie is to Christmas what the TOS episode 'Catspaw' is to Halloween.

Having said that, there are various styles of Christmas stories, and the story behind this movie is quite dark. And the cinematography is also quite dark, just to underscore this.

Sure, there is plenty of action, but the center of gravity lies elsewhere. The movie is a meditation on time and on death (and thus, on life too). If you are ready for very serious stuff, star trek style, go for it, and you won't regret it. If you prefer 'pure' but intelligent action, go for the next ST movie, 'First Contact'.

I will end this review by pointing to another dark Christmas movie. I am thinking of 'On her Majesty's secret service', which was released on December 18th 1969, and which is the ultimate Bond Christmas story. Naturally, the ST and Bond universes are quite different, to say the least, but both movies are dealing with the same basic themes, albeit from different angles and in a different language.

I could argue on all the above points, but that would introduce spoilers, and I don't want to do that.

I hope review wets your appetite and makes you watch (again?) these very good movies!

OK, where to begin? Naturally, the movie is perfectly conceived, technically brilliant, extremely inventive etc. So, from these points of view alone, the movie deserves a 10, or at least a 9. So, why rate it with a 1? Two reasons. First, this movie is self-indulgent in the extreme. No director except Tarantino could get away with stuff like this. To me, Tarantino brought something new to movies with Reservoir Dogs, and then, he started repeating himself. And I am sorry to say that 'Once upon a time...in Hollywood' brings even less novelty to the table (an object SO loved by Tarantino) than any of his other movies, if possible. And, this is even more unforgivable because the movie does not really projects what it felt to live in 1969. Younger people could not know this, but Tarantino and older people do know. So, it's a cheat within a cheat. Anyway, now to the second unforgivable problem. This movie disrespects people and their suffering. This is not the first time Tarantino does it, remember for example Inglorious Basterds, anyone? But the fact that this latest movie disrespects the suffering of a much smaller number of people than Inglorious Basterds does not make this alright.

So, to me, enough is enough. All can add is this: since Tarantino has the narcissism of stating everywhere that he has pre-determined the number of movies he is going to make and that his director carreer is therefore soon reaching its end, let that career end now. And stop counting two movies (or three?) has a single one. And do not touch Star Trek, please.

On the positive side, the movie is decently shot and edited, the CGI mostly OK (except one horrible shot), the music is very good (much better than the previous instalments in that trilogy), there are a lot of different landscapes, aliens etc., and the acting ranges from the decent to the very good (Ian McDarmid, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, and of course a fourth actor who is just there for a cameo and will remain unnamed here, to keep this review spoiler free).

On the negative side: the frantic pace typical of JJ, the total lack of invention (as in, we are bringing something new to the franchise, or movie making!).

All in all, this movie is a pure product of JJ and of a modern big studio: try and make money by copying relentlessly what others have done before in a better way, and hope the audience follows. To be fair, I think it's JJ's best movie yet. Sometimes, you even vaguely feel the human beings who have made the movie do have a soul, or at least feelings. Ho well...