Not quite a remake or a reboot, director Pete Travis (Vantage Point) grabs the reins of Dredd 3D taking the graphic novel character of Judge Dredd (Karl Urban), familiar to moviegoers thanks to an earlier incarnation by Sylvester Stallone during his action-oriented prime, and reconfigures him to meet our lawless times.  

Here's another pound of cautionary proof supporting the theorem that "story is about thoroughness, not shortcuts." Director Robert Shwentke's adaptation of a DC Comics action/comedy graphic novel is nothing but a series of creaky narrative half-steps. The result leaves no cohesive story in which an audience can invest. Grade: D-plus.  

With this prequel, director J.J. Abrams aims to give us the legendary back-story of one of Starfleet's great leaders, James Tiberius Kirk. Of course, the truly great leaders achieve that status thanks to the support of top-notch subordinates. Where would Kirk be without Spock, Chekov, Sulu, Uhura, Scotty and Doc "Bones" McCoy? This film races right to the heart of that question, defining each and every one of these loveable characters in deft strokes. Grade A.