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What Nolan meant for comic book adaptations and Batman stories, J. J. Abrams represents for the Star Trek world. He fully utilized everything that the latest visual effects technology and a large budget offer, resulting in a magnificent blockbuster filled with visually stunning scenes, grand action, and impressive special effects- in short, everything that makes a blockbuster a blockbuster. There is no doubt that this is the most visually attractive film in the Star Trek series, closely followed by the horror-themed First Contact. The effort to attract the youngest generation to the Star Trek phenomenon and gain a new group of fans is evident throughout the entire film. It focuses on pleasing today's teenagers, which is reflected in the age structure of the characters, pace, atmosphere, and plot. Unlike previous Star Treks, an attempt to bring in some humor is noticeable, both verbal and non-verbal. Especially the character of the beloved comedian Simon Pegg seems to have jumped out of the series of humorous sketches. While the form is polished, the content is not as glorious, although this film does not represent a decline in quality compared to previous Star Treks, nor does it move forward. The plot is somewhat shallow and, above all, in some respects, logic is a bit lacking. For example, the fact that the Federation's most advanced battle cruiser is occupied almost exclusively by inexperienced cadets is insufficiently justified, simply because the screenwriter and director needed it that way. However, the generosity with which the film was made compensates for everything. Every fan of the genre must appreciate the beautiful shots of spaceships and their interiors and the surface of the planet. One more thing is evident in Star Trek - it seems the creators of the film want to end the long-standing rivalry between Star Wars and Star Trek fans, as there is a clear shift to please the fans of Star Wars. The inspiration is clearly visible in some characters and scenes. Overall impression, considering that I grew up with Star Trek: 90%.

The Portrait falls within a short period between the post-war nationalization of Czechoslovak cinema and Victorious February, which meant the end of artistic freedom. In those less than three years, Czechoslovak cinema was on the rise, there was more money, and it was not necessary to desperately try to please the audience, so a few really good films were made, and The Portrait is proof of that. it is a very decent mysteriously toned horror film based on the classic story by Gogol. Despite the passage of time, it is still a fully functional film today, it has atmosphere and several excellent performances led by Vladimir Šmeral, who delivered a great study of gradual personality decay. Overall impression: 90% (considering the time of its production).

Of course, the special effects used in this film have significantly aged and the theme is downright outdated, as if from the 1920s. However, Carpenter is a master of B-movie horror and can make the most out of very little. The film has atmosphere, and there are more jumpscares and tension-inducing scenes than in contemporary horror films filled with digital effects and that have decent budgets. A job well done, overall impression: 60%.

Films focusing on the production of depression and mapping dark sides have Bergman, while animated films have the legend of Estonian animation, Priit Pärn. As usual, it is a film without words, it speaks exclusively through imagery, deliberately featuring an unattractive animation style, and it is purely a statement by the author that does not anticipate commercial success. Pärn presents the story of several people trapped in the anonymity of a big city, who clearly don't know what to do with their lives. A married couple, trying to revive their sexual life through erotic games such as bondage, while their unruly son, due to a lack of physical activities, furiously bangs his head against the wall. Another character is a thief who is eyeing their property... It is a very interesting film, both in terms of execution and content, but it will only appeal to a minority of viewers who are animation enthusiasts. Overall impression: 80%. This film is typical for its dark humor, which, however, will not surprise fans of Priit Pärn.

The slasher subgenre is not my cup of tea, but I have to admit that Wilderness is above average in its category. It has a fairly realistic script, decent direction, and a cast that is accurately suited to their roles. It can even surprise viewers who are familiar with genre rules. It's bloody, raw, violent, and adrenaline-pumping. It's not a horror, but a dark thriller. Overall impression: 60%.

An interesting sci-fi film, reflecting the anxieties and dark visions of Western society in the 70s. It was a time when the green movement emerged, criticism of the consumerist lifestyle spread, and fear of an over-technologized future emerged. Crichton's film is about how seemingly perfect technology turns against people and the robots that are meant to serve in an amusement park massacre both customers and staff. Yul Brynner plays the lead role of a rebellious gunslinger robot. I was somewhat bothered by the combination of sci-fi and western genres, but it was understandably a positive aspect for the American market. Overall impression: 55%.

The subject is promising, but the execution sadly lags behind. It is a naive sci-fi with sets and characters that seem to have escaped from 1950s movies. This film has simply become outdated, whereas during the same time period, action movies were being made that can still be watched with a clear conscience today. I have a feeling that, in terms of the current reviews on FilmBooster, this film is highly overrated. Overall impression: 40%.

A poetic short animated film about a veterinarian whose work somewhat overwhelms him and affects his health. At the moment he is acutely threatened by a heart attack, his animal patients come to his aid. The film is characterized by a unique kind of humor, and among other things, the director doesn't hesitate to depict in detail all human and animal bodily fluids and excrements. A minimalist yet powerful film, representing the current level of Nordic animated filmmaking. Overall impression: 65%.

A feature film by Spanish director Pedro Rivero. In a way, it is an animated punk, the drawing is deliberately rough, and unattractive, and it is, in a sense, the opposite of Disney. The animals' speeches are peppered with vulgar expressions, and the actions of the characters are characterized by great cynicism and cunning. It is a parody of the current political scene in democratic countries, full of corruption, mutual betrayals, and pointless quarrels. The plot is based on a peculiar vegetarian pact that forbids animals from devouring each other. However, carnivores do not count on observing it from the very beginning, as they abuse their power and terrorize herbivores. They try to rebel, but they are divided, and many among them prioritize their interests over the interests of the whole. Unfortunately, my overall impression was spoiled by poor translation. This kind of animated film is largely based on sharp dialogue and stylized slang... Overall impression: 35%.

The Notorious Bettie Page is a television film that cannot impress with grandiose sets or a star-studded cast, but that is by no means its biggest problem. Bettie Page can be compared in her own way to today's queen of fetishists and representative of perfect decadent beauties in erotic photographs, Dita Von Teese. Moreover, in the early 50s, she was a pioneer in this industry and became an admired celebrity. Thematically, it is amazing material and I can imagine that an excellent comedy could be made about this subject, about how a naive country girl discovers the emerging world of the erotic business, how nervous customers from better circles secretly shop for erotic material, and how the hypocrisy of prudish America looked. Based on this theme, an outstanding drama and an outstanding erotic film could be created. The problem is that the creators did not intend anything like that, and right from the beginning, they only wanted to make a television biographical film about a contemporary celebrity and that is also reflected in the essentially quite flat script, which, for example, tediously focuses on the main character's acting attempts. However, this approach runs up against the fact that Bettie Page was not a personality, but just a hanger for clothes, simply a contemporary model who happened to start working in erotic material. She is not interesting as a character - the interesting thing is the environment around her. The film does not make use of the potential of many supporting characters, especially the couple of entrepreneurs producing erotic material. Thus, it only resulted in an average television film that does not even remotely reach the quality and attractiveness of another television film about a famous model - Gia. Overall impression: 50%.