Metallica: Through the Never

While Metallica plays to a sold-out crowd, hapless young roadie Trip (Dane DeHaan) is sent across town to retrieve a mystery item from a disabled truck driver. Along the way, he undergoes a nightmarish journey and must escape the clutches of a mob led by a sinister masked Horseman.

Directed by Nimrod Antal, Through the Never is a tale of two movies. As a concert film, it works wonderfully in showcasing that the 50ish rockers still have it. The band plays its A-material (“Master of Puppets,” “One,” “Creeping Death,” etc.) with aplomb and looks and sounds good doing it. You don’t even need to be a Metallica fan (though it certainly helps) to appreciate it, either: the band plays with enough infectious energy to bring out the headbanger in all of us. Were this the entirety of the proceedings, Through the Never would be a solid hit.

As a concept film, however, it is a dismal failure. First and foremost, its concept is poorly defined. The mob battles the cops, suggesting a vaguely anarchist agenda, but don’t go looking for a coherent philosophical vision here. Nothing in Trip’s journey makes a lick of sense, and that appears to be very much by design. In addition, while there are few dull moments, the utter stupidity and lack of purpose make all the flying fists and fire difficult to enjoy even on a visceral level. Every cool-looking visual serves as a reminder of how little substance there is behind the style.

Alas, because of the constant alternation between the two threads, one must take the bad with the good. That’s a real shame because if the band had either excised Trip’s odyssey entirely or actually bothered to flesh it out, we would be looking at The Wall for the Millennial Generation. Instead, we are left with a frustratingly pointless mess with an above-average soundtrack (which, perplexingly, does NOT include the title song).

6.25/10 

Mediterraneo

Located at 309-A Pisgah Church Road in the Village at North Elm, Mediterraneo offers Italian and Lebanese cuisine. Pasta dishes, pizzas, and sandwiches are among the menu offerings. Lunch specials are available Monday through Friday, and there is limited outdoor seating.

As a concept, a pan-Mediterranean restaurant holds plenty of appeal. Being able to sample the best from Italy, Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East is a food lover’s dream. Unfortunately, Mediterraneo does not live up to the potential of that concept. The menu is predominately standard Italian with a few Lebanese dishes thrown in. The “fusion,” as it is, is mostly in name only.

That said, the food is executed fairly well. An order of linguine with white clam sauce came with lots of fresh clams, and the pasta was cooked perfectly. My companion’s vegetable lasagna was well-sauced with good mushroom flavor (though the spinach was a bit feint). Several other menu items (I’m looking at you, lobster ravioli) seemed like good bets for future visits.

While there are no arguments to be had with the quality, the pricing is another story. None of the entrees come with salads, which made the $14 linguine and clams seem like a stretch. Almost all of the appetizers are priced $7 and up, and that includes offerings as simple as hummus or mozzarella sticks. Quite simply, you aren’t getting enough bang for your buck here.

Should you not let that deter you, you can enjoy Mediterraneo’s cozy ambiance….assuming you can find the place. The restaurant is tucked into a corner of a large shopping center and may take some searching to unearth. It is also a fairly small location (though, apparently, it used to be even smaller) albeit not a crowded one. The pseudo-classical décor (columns, art, faux-marble veneer on the tables) doesn’t mesh terribly well with the burnt orange walls, but at least it isn’t drab. The service doesn’t leave any room for complaint.

All told, Mediterraneo is not a bad place to enjoy a quality meal. Were it situated in a small town, it would probably be a marquee dining attraction. But here in Greensboro, the lack of value and the abundance of other options weigh heavily against it.

7.25/10

Star Trek Into Darkness

After disobeying the Starfleet Prime Directive in order to save Spock (Zachary Quinto), James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is stripped of his captaincy of the USS Enterprise. However, the demotion proves to be short-lived. When rogue Starfleet operative John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) launches a terrorist attack against Starfleet, Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller) sends Kirk and the Enterprise crew on a covert mission to take Harrison out.

Set aside what you believe about sequels: J.J. Abrams’ follow-up to his 2009 Star Trek reboot is a superior film in nearly every way. Into Darkness brings back much of the previous entry’s cast, but instead of struggling to find their bearings, they seem more comfortable in their roles. This allows for some back-and-forth banter that fans of the original series will likely appreciate. For the non-fans, Simon Pegg’s Scotty has a larger role, and he steals nearly every scene he’s in.

In addition to the returning stars, Alice Eve shows up as a science officer, and Cumberbatch makes for a chilling, utterly ruthless, yet somehow still sympathetic antagonist. Both characters initially hide behind false identities, and their respective reveals tap into years of Star Trek lore.

While retaining its predecessor’s quick pace and exhilarating action sequences (an Abrams specialty), Into Darkness also adds some degree of gravity to the proceedings. Whereas the plot felt almost perfunctory in the last film, this one tells a more personal story. The stakes are higher, blood is shed, and given the characters’ added depth, there is more reason to care.

Despite these myriad improvements, Into Darkness still falls short of greatness. Whether killing off a character in overly dramatic fashion or bloviating on the value of friendship, the film is often saccharine and ham-handed. It’s also aesthetically vexing: several sequences are obscured by shadows (which suits the title but does little else) or bathed in gratuitous blue light.

For better or for worse, Into Darkness leaves the door wide open for future installments. But while this film did demonstrate considerable improvement, it may very well be the resurrected franchise’s plateau.

7.75/10