As I'm not a real movie critic, I like to do my reviews in the form of thoughts-I-had-while-watching. Also that saves me the trouble of having an argument, or putting in transitions between paragraphs. Here goes. Minimal spoilers before the jump, bigger spoilers after.
(For thoughts I had before watching, click here.) (Also, we do have a real movie critic, who reviewed Star Trek (favorably) here.)
-- The opening battle: it is just a sheer, unadulterated pleasure to see Federation starships rendered with that many polygons or whatever. That is a hell of a lot of computing power up there. They have never looked remotely that good.
-- OK, Abrams and co have just announced that the rules have changed. They did this by showing a crew member getting sucked out into space through a hull breach, and then keeping the camera on her while she dies horribly in vacuum. That's just a leetle messier and harder-core than the old Trek. They stopped short of explosive decompression though. She just got freeze-dried. Something for Star Trek XII!
-- They're also whipping the camera around a lot, and lens-flaring every 10 seconds, like they're saying, wake up! Nemesis is over! And somehow the cinematographers have bathed everything in this mellow, rich, golden light I've never in Trek before. It looks amazing.
-- There's wee pubescent Kirk. And there goes the car, over the cliff. Boom. All I can think about is that scene where the car gets wrecked in Ferris Bueller.
-- And here we are in the bar. It's comforting to know that they'll still have TGI Friday's in the future.
-- The pace of time is accelerating. That big-screen storytelling effect: there's a new plot point every 5 minutes ... now 2 minutes ... now one minute ...
-- They juiced up the warp-speed effect. Wow. Nice. It actually looks fast for the first time since TNG.
-- I've said before, and I'll keep saying it: it doesn't make sense that Chekhov can't pronounce V's. There are lots of things Russians have trouble with -- they don't have a J, they don't have an H, their vowels aren't dipthongized like ours -- but they do have a V. Like in SoViet.
-- Holy hell, the skydiving sequence is unbelievably great. Fencing Sulu = win. And I don't particularly have a fear of heights, but I was hanging onto my seat. And that red-shirt gag is worth the price of admission. Instant classic. Ooooolsooooonnnnn!
-- OK, here's where I start complaining. All the reinventing and reinvigorating that's going on is good, better than good, grat. But why, oh why, can't they come up with a decent villain? Every single movie they 1) hire a decent actor, 2) make him look a little weird with tattoos and prosthetics, 3) give him some weird grudge and a dimly lit spaceship and tell him to growl a lot. The End.
-- More complaining! Not to go on, but the plot of this movie makes zero sense. None. I'm sorry, but Spock kicks Kirk off the ship, rather than confining him to the brig? And then he just happens to land on the same planet, in the same spot, as future-Spock. Why would that happen?
-- And did I miss something, or is this all happening in one day? Like, this morning they were cadets, and now they're running the Enterprise?
-- And I don't really understand why Scotty was suddenly allowed to run the Enterprise's engine room, seeing as how he's sort of this interplanetary vagrant. But such is my love for Simon Pegg, I don't really mind. His lil' alien buddy is super-creepy, though.
-- Why would they design a ship where the interior consists of walkways with no guardrails over a huge open pit? And isn't there anybody else on Earth who could take out that drill thing? They have to wait for the Kirkettes to do it?
-- Everybody's being pretty celebratory considering that almost the entire Vulcan race was just genocided. Bit of a pyrrhic victory there.
-- Let me close by saying, I liked this movie a lot. It is a miracle, and not a small miracle, the big kind, that somebody was able to resurrect this franchise. I just don't get why they can't do this while having a plot that makes a lick of sense.
p.s. link to my colleague John Cloud's excellent take on the top 10 Trek episodes/movies of all time. John claims to have seen every minute of filmed Star Trek entertainment ever screened or broadcast. I believe this to be true.
Explosive decompression of bodies in space is so last century. You'd probably get the bends, but your eyeballs wouldn't explode. C.f., Tyrol and Cally leaping to the raptor.
Church
May. 8, 2009 12:56:pm
at 12:56:pm
Ok, so not only has this movie kickstarted the franchise, but it's transformed the franchise from "prequel explaining the backstory of the original" to "prequel that shifts every movie from now on into an alternate old-Vulcanless, Old-Spock-In-The-Past, New-Vulcan, changes I can't even fathom" reality. Effectively they've created an entirely new, blank slate to create the series on and don't really need to hew too closely to any former Trek dogma. Loved It! May actually break my rule of only seeing movies once in the theater and waiting for repeat viewings on DVD.
jthomann
May. 8, 2009 17:15:pm
at 17:15:pm
And did they kill off the Klingon homeworld or an outpost? Is this a Vulcanless AND Klingonless "New Frontier"?
jthomann
May. 8, 2009 17:18:pm
at 17:18:pm
As a long time Star Trek fan, I would say that all the things you are "complaining" about is so Star Trek. How many times do Trekkies do this? There are even books written on Star Trek bloopers.
Anyway, I love the movie and yes I have a lot of questions too. This is Star Trek and we are once again facing a new frontier. I'm keeping an open mind the same way I have kept an open mind about Star Trek. I guess it goes with the territory of being a Trekkie. To boldly go where no one has gone before means expecting the unexpected in my book.
Marikit
May. 9, 2009 02:10:am
at 02:10:am
Just to be clear, I wasn't really "complaining" about anything. I was just explaining what it appeared the new movie may mean for the future of the franchise. In fact, I think this is EXACTLY what the franchise needs- to reinvent itself and make Star Trek relevent for the future. I already see the hardline, no-life Trekkers flipping out. I think it's hilarious. Let them just watch the old DVDs (which I love), I'll stick to a new Star Trek that Boldly Goes where I can't even predict it'll go. And I love not being able to predict the future of this franchise.
jthomann
May. 9, 2009 07:14:am
at 07:14:am
lol...
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http://www.theonion.com/content/video/trekkies_bash_new_star_trek_film
...as fun, watchable.
tereglith
May. 9, 2009 09:10:am
at 09:10:am
Loved the movie. My only complaint (and it's a bit nitpicky) is that some of the sets, such as the Outpost where they found Scotty or the bar in Iowa, look a little too like they'd be from the present. Was it just me or did it look like there were a bunch of cars parked outside of the bar?
gmiverson
May. 9, 2009 15:26:pm
at 15:26:pm
Well, aparently I'm going to be watching Star Trek a week from today - I'm on an eight-day time delay for new movies. For example, I just went to see Wolverine. They accidentally switched reels to Superman in the middle, though... there were these two old people driving a beat-up truck through the country by a field...
tereglith
May. 9, 2009 15:44:pm
at 15:44:pm
Lev, I agree with your review. I think that it wasn't necessary to alter the time line in order to do what the producers wanted to do. Because regardless its still going to but heads with the Canon. You can take a fresh perspective and honor the previous work without destroying it.
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When I first noticed Olson wearing a red armor, I yelled, "Red Shirt! Yes, your going to die!" Is that too morbid?
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One thing that would make dealing with the alternate reality would be that destroying Vulcan wouldnt be necessary. I like a fresh look, this franchise needs a jumpstart. But if your going to give it a revamping don't pick one of the oldest overused cliches. Time travel and alternate reality? Every Star Trek inception attempted to portray such a concept for a plot, and each had its flaws but this one felt less interesting. Nero's motivation didnt sink in. The villian felt like he was only compeled to be a character who moves the plot, of what little he did to move the plot.
I loved the movie. It did add a freshness to the franchise, but if this is going to be a completely alternate reality then would it not be apart of the franchise?
There was quite a few too many conincidences, Kirk being marooned on the planet, which I figured Spock was acting all emotional and just jetesoned him there against regs. But its full of coincidences that have no ground, like oh.....that planet has Kirk, who need to get back to the ship, alternate future Spock, and Scotty who just needs a cheat sheet from "AF" Spock to do warp beaming. Conv
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Nero, while I like Bana, he had no substance as a villian. Yes no villian is better than shakspeare quoting Khan, pompous Q, or a tribble.
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This was a movie about Kirk and Spock and their evolving relationship. which was fine, I just wished I could have seen the other characters fleshed out more.
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One great note. Character introductions, famous one liners, and references to other parts of Star Trek were not forced or hammed up. It felt natural. Each actor made the character his own but in small and subtle ways payed homage to the previous actors conception.
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Warp was fast and great, when they are in warp it looks smooth and actually fast. No more stars wizzing by, but when they first take off it just looks like a catapult, which I think I like but I was also always looking for that flash at the end. And it never came. Just add the flash and warp would be brilliant, instead its just under brilliant.
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Dude, yes put guard rail on those walkways in Engineering, but you have to give it to the set designers, the Engineering actually looks like your in a power plant.
Spock! Raise that eyebrow! I saw it briefly, but the edit cut away to quickly. I know Quinto can do it. I just wanted that infamous eyebrow raise.
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I dont want to ruin it for everyone else but including what Kirk actually did on the Kobyoshi Maru test, spelling is off I know, was great.
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When the crew member was sucked out into space, I enjoyed the fact it was completely silent in space, with the explosisons and phasers etc...
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Yeah it felt like in all one day, time didnt feel like it progressed, I suppose that is the problem when you are doing nothing but going from action scene to action scene.
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I figured Scotty was placed at the Engineering helm/transporter, because he knows what he is doing and Kirk took the cue from alternate future Spock and put Scotty where he belongs as Captin.
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Overall I loved the movie. It was fresh, young, fast paced
lostepic
May. 10, 2009 06:02:am
at 06:02:am
Oh. I thought Kirks hands was a little over the top and did anyone notice how similar the first "monster" that started to chase Kirk was a lot like the Cloverfield monster in design, too similar. Did they not take a hint when Del Toro made Hellboy 2's monsters/creatures look too much like the ones in Pans Labyrinth?
Oh and what is the probability that the creation of a black hole would bring them back in time in one piece? It seems as implausible as Star Trek IV's concept.
So was the black hole meant to negate the supernova and stop it? Because, they tapped some theoretical astrophysics that was farfetched without more of an explanation of the result they intended. Perhaps Spock's meld explained it and I missed it, with all the quick cuts, lights, and fast edits.
lostepic
May. 10, 2009 07:46:am
at 07:46:am
I love Abrams but perhaps this is what we get when a non-fan takes the reigns, despite his statements he grew to like the franchise as he started to make it.
lostepic
May. 10, 2009 07:47:am
at 07:47:am
Not flawless, but very, very good. Loved the new cast and the sense of fun & adventure they brought back to the concept.
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I agree with most of Lev's comments about some of the problems with it, but I don't think Scotty was an 'interplanetary vagrant'. They said he was a Starfleet guy who got a crappy posting after he lost an admiral's dog during his long range transporter test. When he and Kirk got back to the Enterprise, someone asked him if he was in Starfleet and he said yes.
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Things I especially loved included the return of the 'classic' uniforms, the new warp speed, the shot of the Enterprise coming out of the smokey atmosphere of the moon with Saturn in the background, Kirk screaming "Stop it!" when McCoy kept injecting him in the neck, and Chekov beaming up Kirk and Sulu right before they went splat.
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Oh, and the scene where Spock was about go get smoked by the missiles and the Enterprise warped in with guns ablazing to save him was the coolest space battle scene I've seen since a few key moments during the Battle of New Caprica.
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One more random note. Were my eyes playing tricks on me, or was the mesh pattern on the uniform shirts made up of tiny Starfleet logos? Talk about attention to detail....
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Props to J.J. Abrams for performing CPR on this franchise.
Kemper
May. 10, 2009 08:10:am
at 08:10:am
Hrm. Doesn't the Enterprise perform the Adama Maneuver at the end there?
Church
May. 10, 2009 22:06:pm
at 22:06:pm
@ Church - I wouldn't call it so much an Adama Manuever. It reminded me more of Lee showing up to save the day when it looked like Galactica was finished. And what both Spock and Lee did to finish the job in their respective fights.
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Isn't it great to see new life breathed into an old franchise like this? Makes one wonder why any self-respecting nerd would turn down the opportunity to watch an old show turned into something fresh and new without forgetting its roots, doesn't it? *As I look innocently in Lev's direction.*
Kemper
May. 11, 2009 09:12:am
at 09:12:am
Not to get too geeky here, but the fact Spock and young Kirk get stranded on the same planet (and even the same area) makes sense. The Romulans dumped Spock there so he could watch his planet die. Kirk gets dumped there because it's the nearest habitable planet to the disaster that the Enterprise is leaving. That side of the planet would still be facing Vulcan when Kirk gets marooned. And considering that area seemed lacking for shelter, it seems pretty logical (ahem) they would end up in the same place.
And I don't care what you guys say, Eric Bana kicked butt.
eddardstark
May. 11, 2009 10:52:am
at 10:52:am
@eddardstark: Yeah. I can see that. I like Eric Bana. And when I heard he was playing the villian I was excited. I just wish his character was more fleshed out and that the reasons of his vicious actions were more evident.
lostepic
May. 11, 2009 11:26:am
at 11:26:am
@Kemper - I was talking about warping to Titan, not the shoot-out, but that's a good point too.
Church
May. 11, 2009 13:51:pm
at 13:51:pm
@ Church - Ah, I didn't think about that warping into Titan's atmosphere aspect of that. So they did manage to pull an Adama Maneuver, too.
Kemper
May. 11, 2009 14:15:pm
at 14:15:pm
Oh come on kids, the woman getting sucked out at the beginning was almost exactly like the scene where the dark-haired 6 gets sucked out of Galactica while making repairs. The silence was also extremely reminiscent of the space combat in BSG- not that I'm complaining, I loved it, but you can't say it's all that novel (just novel to Star Trek).
anon76
May. 12, 2009 16:23:pm
at 16:23:pm
novel? who said anything about novel? Its not new to star trek and BSG is certianly not the first to simulate the real silence of space. You still need some sound when action is going on due to the fact it can get boring fast. Film producers have done tests before on vieweres. The sound is needed, wheather muffled or out right explosive. I was just commenting that I enjoyed the repreave of silence as we followed the crew member into space. Nothing novel.
lostepic
May. 13, 2009 05:20:am
at 05:20:am
As to: "Why would they design a ship where the interior consists of walkways with no guardrails over a huge open pit?"
In a world where teleportation exists, it is a good defense mechanism.
A very interesting interpratation of the movie, or I should say interpretations, can be found here:
http://www.pandalous.com/nodes/star_trek_the
wordsworthely
May. 19, 2009 19:10:pm
at 19:10:pm