Fan Reviews (Star Trek Film)
This section of the site is for fans to write their reviews of the new Star Trek feature film. Reviews can contain spoilers, but no major spoilers (such as the final fates of key characters).
For consistency, each review should rank the film on a 1-10 (although feel free to add categories to rank).
As always, please be civil.
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I’m a Trekker who saw the movie on an IMAX screen in Austin, Texas on Monday, May the 5th (last night for me). I give the movie an overall 8/10.
After an all-too-brief character setup, the plot begins to move at a blinding speed, changing direction so many times that you had to pay close attention to keep track of what goals the various players were trying to accomplish at any given time. On this I will only add that while the story was certainly good hard sci-fi, I think they could have written just as fine a story without having the crew save the whole damn Federation One More Time. Still, the whole movie had me so enthralled, it seemed the credits were rolling only after a few subjective moments had passed. I almost cried.
The actors, considering the big shoes they had to fill, did a fine job. Chris Pine was good as Kirk, though it was apparant the brash confidence was forced out of him, as it waned at several key moments, and seemed overdone at others (though these were fewer). Zachary Quinto was not quite as subtle as Spock should have been played, though as a screen presence, he can sortof force you to overlook it. Karl Urban was completely awesome as McCoy — he stole every scene he was in, which was far too few. Anton Yelchin as Chekov was extremely entertaining. More entertaining than the original Chekov, if I’m allowed to say such things. The writing gave Scott and Uhura a bit more bredth than in previous Trek outings. This was good for Scott. For Uhura, I havn’t decided yet — you’ll see.
As far as adhering to Trek lore goes, they only hit the big points, and just enough details to get by. The Vulcans were logical (more logical than the in the TV series thank God), and had pointed ears in the right places. Earth still led a Federation of planets, and female crew wore mini-skirts. That said, the Enterprise herself was almost unrecognizable inside and out, except for a general shape. The Romulans WERE unrecognizable, though they havn’t really been interesting to me since TOS’s “The Balance of Terror” (an awesome episode, btw). The timeline itself is broken by a time-travel paradox, so some things can be forgiven. Still, I’m less of a stickler for this stuff than other Trekkers, so I deducted very few points for this.
And lastly, on the sets and the effects — they were incredible! The space battles visually enthralling, the sets were awesome if you can get past how different they are from TOS (I loved the new engine room, for instance). There were aliens and monsters that will blow your mind, which the only downer being a comedy-relief alien that (thankfully) gets very little play.
If you are a Star Trek fan who does not use the word “canon” to describe previous plots and sets, you will have more fun than you can stand. I’ll be at the Theater on Thursday to see it again, and probably won’t leave until sometime Monday morning.
On April 23rd i was invited to a sneak peak of Star Trek. I must say that it was a great film those 2 hours just flew by. I’ll review the film in different parts starting with the acting.
Acting:
The Actors did a fantastic job assuming the roles. The biggest standouts to me were Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy, Zackery Quinto as the young Spock, Chris Pine as Kirk and Simon Pegg as Scotty. With Karl Urban i could definetly feel him channeling Deforest Kelley. John Cho, Zoe Saldana, Bruce Greenwood also do justice to their parts of Sulu, Uhura and Christopher Pike respectfully. Eric Bana as the Romulan Nero brings us one of the best villians in all of Star Trek even up to Khan’s level. The only actor i thought who could’ve done better was Anton Yelchin as Chekov. While Chekov did have some great moments in the movie Yelchin over does it with the Russian Accent and that sort of detracts from some of the suspencful scenes featuring Chekov. Perhaps the reason most people are going to see this movie is because Leonard Nimoy is in it playing the Older Spock. Nimoy doesn’t appear that much only he really only appears in 2 scenes but Spock’s interactions with the younger versions of The Enterprise Crew were some of the best scenes in the movie. The only other thing i can recommend is before you see the new film read Star Trek: Countdown trust me it’ll help you understand the plot more (iPhone and iPod Touch users can purchase all 4 issues from Itunes for 99 cents each). Overall i’d give the acting 10/10
Plot:
Being a prequel story we are treated to seeing the origins of Kirk and Spock as well as how the Enterprise crew met all within an alternate timeline caused by Nero. As this is an alternate timeline some events are different such as Captain Pike being with the Enterprise crew we all know and love. However we finally see events that characters have implied doing in previous movies such as Kirks Kobayashi Maru test. Overall it is a solid plot my only grip is that they didn’t explain Nero’s backstory enough but you can read about that in the Prequel Comic Star Trek: Countdown. The Plot gets a 10/10 from me.
Music:
We are treated to a fantastic score composed by Michael Giacchino. Giacchino scores harken back to previous Trek composers like Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner and of course Alexander Courage. Oh and he brings justice to the original theme which can be heard over the end credits. Once again 10/10.
SFX:
Something i’ve noticed about all the good Star Trek films Including this one. All of them have had their effects done at George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Music. The CGI Ships look like models and The Enterprise has never looked better (though some fans will debate with me on that statement.). ILM continues to do great work from the Transporter effects to the Phasers everything looks cool and feels right. 10/10
Overall:
I think its the best Star Trek movie. I intend to see it again a few more times mainly because i missed out on a few things (Like Randy Pauschs Cameo and The Tribble). A lot of the film is fanservice which is good because myself and the audience all clapped whenever we heard the characters say their iconic catchphrases. Fans will not be dissapointed and non fans will be able to get into The new movie without having to go back and see everything else. This movie receives a perfect score from me of 40/40.
BTW before anyone says anything i did use Anthony’s review for reference in some parts and fully support his opinion that everyone seeing the film should read Star Trek: Countdown.
I give the movie a 7.5/10.
Some thoughts:
Due to the altered timeline, they are able to break out of the”box” and explore aspects of their relationships and friendships that would have been impossible in the other timeline. This lays down the groundwork for future movies. I really enjoyed this aspect of the film.
I loved the humor and felt the timing of each actor was spot on.
At times, the movie felt like a comfortable pair of slippers where everything was familiar and gave me that warm fuzzy feeling I get when I watch a TOS episode for the 500th time.
There were however, a couple moments that made me cringe. There was one plot point that I felt was a bit silly and seemed more like a scene from a comic book movie then Star Trek. There was another key scene that I wish the writers had taken a different direction. It made the characters seem like the Marx brothers instead of starfleet officers and I felt the characters deserved better.
The writing and storytelling was not as rich and deep as I would have liked, but they needed to set the foundation and that is a hard thing to do in 2 hours.
I loved every scene with Nimoy especially the one with Quinto. It was a touching scene and probably my favorite of the movie.
I felt the ending was great and it left me feeling satisfied.
Star Trek lays early claim to the Best Summer Movie award and is, quite simply, the most fun I’ve had at the movies in years.
Abrams has done something remarkable. He has captured the pioneering spirit and youthful passion of the 60’s sci-fi classic and blended it with modern wizardry and cutting edge moviemaking. This isn’t a reboot, this is a rebirth. This isn’t packaging up something old, only to try and sell it as something new. This is Star Trek as we have never seen it and yet, it’s still so warmly familiar.
They’re all here; Kirk, Spock and the crew of the USS Enterprise, new faces but old friends. Just as Daniel Craig slipped into Sean Connery’s Aston Martin and tuxedo so Chris Pine takes his place in William Shatner’s Captain Chair, not imitating the original James T. Kirk, but convincing us all the same, even in this first outing, that the centre seat on the Enterprise’s bridge is his. Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban and the rest inhabit their characters with care, respect but also with a much needed energy. The casting in this movie has to be noted as it is spot on and not just for the classic characters. Our villain Nero, while perhaps a bit thinly written, is played with great relish by Eric Bana, giving us a really good movie baddie and not the all too real and disturbing psychopath that most action movies give us these days.
Abrams’ long time collaborators Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci provide a script that is both epic and intimate, inventive yet reverential while Michael Giacchino’s music gives the movie a pulsating heartbeat while paying respect to Alexander Courage’s legendary theme.
All the little pieces of the puzzle, crafted with love and care, create a summer blockbuster that can easily stand toe to toe with the boy wizards, battling robots and caped crusaders recent summers have brought us. As Batman brings us darkness, James Bond brings us grittiness and Transformers brings us mayhem, Star Trek brings us the adventure, excitement and hope that was Gene Roddenberry’s original vision in 1966, which, thanks to Abrams and his new crew continues to Live Long and Prosper.
Sorry, forgot my rating –
9/10 – only because I think the sequel will be even better!!
Saw the film last night at a screening in NYC. It was pretty good. I waited 4 hours in the rain to watch it and it was worth it. There are a few things that left me bothered, but if you look at it for what it is, the rebirth of Trek, then it was fantastic.
My girlfriend never really liked Star Trek. I would try to make her watch it, but she would always fall asleep. She truly enjoyed this film. It is Star Trek for non-Trekkies and it saved the franchise from death.
I can live with the new Enterprise exterior design, but the interior was killing me. The bridge didn’t feel like “home”. There was something about it that made me not want to spend anytime there. I don’t know what it is. They never even had a moment to catch their breadth. The engineering section was very dissapointing. You expect to see warp engines in engineering, not miles of pipes and tanks.
Cadet to Captain? I couldn’t do it. It just didn’t work for me. I could over look the other plot twists, but SIX ranks? and command of the flagship?
Over all it was a very good movie and it sets it up for an extraordinary sequel. I guess you have to start somewhere.
9/10.
Greg, Australia Calling
Just saw the sneak preview and came away gratified and so relieved!
I had such high expectations for this movie I was trying to mentally prepare for a let-down but… it never happened!
This is a new look but the old charm is still there.
For all you traditionalists (my hand is up) there are some emotional nods and winks such as “are you out of you vulcan mind” and the music at the end is special. I think the more trek you know, the more meaningful the movie will be, but judging by the audience reaction it is great ride anyway. (they couldn’t have all been trekkies surely!)
The special effects were brilliant. The cast was strong. Humour in the right places, heretofore unlikely & now suprising romance and plenty of action.
Nostalgia runs deep for me, but I approached this movie with an open mind & I was totally hooked… and so was the audience btw.
After only one viewing this is now my favourite Trek movie I have watched and rewatched and loved its forerunners many times over.
To Paramount, to JJ and the team… A big thank you. Trek will continue to live long & prosper – however “self-serving” that may seem ;)
Hello Everyone…Saw the movie twice this week thanks to 2 great radio stations here in Jacksonville, Florida…99.9 Gator Country and 95.1 WAPE.
As a 47 yr old guy, (married, 2 kids), I thought the film was great. Great acting, great effects, great play between the actors. Many of the people in the theater laughed, applauded, and were happy.
For those naysayers, I would say just what William Shatner (Denny Crane) said on SNL those many years ago…”it’s just a tv show (movie)”.
If all the ST fans who are so wound up about this channeled their energy (and some do) to volunteering, picking up trash around the neighborhood, or mentored, that would be a good thing.
Seriously….give the folks a pat on the pat…not a kick in the teeth.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it a 9.
I just saw it: AMAZING!!!
Winona sadly only had three scenes – but two of those are so great and heartwrenching!
But the whole cast is great!
The whole movie? To quote Ezri Dax, when she first met Benjamin Sisko: “It will we like old times, except….different!”
Be sure to watch it!
As it’s already nearing midnight and I’ve to rise early tomorrow only this short.
Rating 9/10
The movie is great! There are some plot holes and some things are just a little too unbelievable, but all in all it is a really nice movie. :-D
The special effects are very good, but luckily it is not only about nice spectacular pictures. There are a lot of character moments, too. The actors did a very good job. I love especially Chris Pine as Kirk. He is just perfect for the role. The other actors are of course good, too.
I think the next movie will be even better. This movie was for a large part about the introduction of the characters to new Star Trek viewers. In the next film this won’t be necessary anymore.
All in all I really love this movie.
Rating 10/10
Preview review of German version
I read most of the reviews and all spoilers… when you read scene descriptions and how beautiful this scene is and how great that ship looks… you begin to imagine it. So I imagined several scenes that were described as beautiful, thrilling, etc. Problem is: they probably look different in the film.
I expected more. The beautiful scenes were simply too short.
Didn’t like the monsters, but that little parasite could be related to those from Conspiracy (TNG), and I liked that.
The style amazed me (space scenes), the costumes were great (the Romulans remind me of Nosferatu in their costumes and the Starfleet uniforms work perfectly).
Props… hm. Phaser is nothing special, just the typical Sci-Fi blaster. Tricorder is used once for a log entry.
Sounds: The transporter sound is basically the TOS sound with some added features. The intercom sound is a typical TOS button sound!
And you’ll even hear the traditional three-note-sound (da-deeee-dap), but not where you’d expect it! Great detail! The tribble also comes with the classic sounds.
I was disturbed by the lens flares and shaky cam when I saw the clips, but I barely noticed them in the movie. Cancel red alert!
All the scenes that made me wanna cry (positively) were over the next moment and that is the big thing I didn’t like.
There is one major canon error that is not explained by alternate timelines (Delta Vega and its connection to Vulcan).
I also didn’t like the romance in the movie.
But the good things outweigh the bad. So many nods!!!
There is even a great reference to BTTF2!
And there are scenes that remind me of the movies.
Flying to the Ship (TMP) – but too short!
An Admiral’s uniform (TMP)
The entire Apple-eating scene (WOK)
A drive malfunction (SFS)
Training (TVH)
Bump! (TFF)
Red matter in zero-G looks like Klingon blood (TUC)
And the end credits are just beautiful.
The most exciting moment was when the title was revealed. Tears all over me (almost)
There were a lot of fans in costume there and I took 18 friends with me.
People were laughing at the right moments and there was applause when Nimoy appeared – and again when the credits began!
Rating: 9/10
Hi everybody, Adam from Melbourne Australia here – caught the midnight IMAX screening with all the other trekkies and I have to say that after 25 years of immersing myself in Star Trek, this movie finally felt like Star Trek always should have been. It was big, funny, spectacular and nuanced – Im not saying anything more than that as it should be seen for yourself.
The only thing that let me down was the petty squabbling of the others I was there with who just couldnt seem to get their head around everything that was happening – face it guys, this is Star Trek and it is beautiful and will be here to stay (again!). JJ and the team, as a movie lover, not just a fan, thank you for one of the most spectacular cinematic experiences of my life. ***** (Thats right, 5 stars…)
The Enterprise coming out of the clouds on Titan…
I almost had a warp core breach!
Stunning shot.
The film was brilliant. Great acting, great dialogue.
I just cannot get my head around why there was such a need for deviation, in terms of the time line. Will this ever be explained? I hope so.
I for one was mortified at the “engine room”. It just looked like a water purification plant, not like the area where matter and antimatter come together on a starship.
So many positive things to say, that none of them come to mind now.
However, the issue of Vulcan, and the timeline deviation still bothers me. It just doesn’t “feel right”.
Forgot to add my score:
10 out of 10 for effects!
9 out of 10 for music!
9 out of 10 for acting!
7 out of 10 for story… It just doesn’t sit right. For me at least.
Just back from a midnight screening in Bonnie Scotland (Edinburgh to be precise).
This film kicks butt….in a major way. Absolutely superb with not a wasted minute of screen time.
A definite 10/10. This is certainly up there with ‘The Wrath of Kahn’….whether it is ultimately judged to be better or not will require repeat viewings and the passing of time (to give perspective)…and of course it will still come down to personal taste.
I’ve been avoiding spoilers like crazy….and I’m so glad that I did. This film was just a delight from start to finish. For those who haven’t seen it….you have a treat in store people. I’m so pleased I’m going back to see it after work later today. Woo-Hoo! :-)
Well done to JJ, Robert, Alex, the entire cast (who were great…and Simon Pegg had the Scottish accent down well!)…and in particular Leonard Nimoy. It was a joy to see him don the pointy ears one more time…and if it proves to be for the last time, he’s left the franchise in safe hands.
Hello all from Dublin, Ireland. Just back from seeing the film, and hate to say it, but can’t help but feel a massive disappointment in what I’ve just watched. I thought I was going to see a film about characters I’ve enjoyed for the last 30 years. But I was dismayed to see, with the exception of Urban and Nimoy, what may as well have been strangers on the screen. Pine reminded me more of Charlie Harper than of James Kirk. Quinto nailed the look of Spock just right, but no where near subtle enough. The smaller characters seemed only there for forced humor. I give Chekovs ridiculous attempt at entering a voice code as an example.
The one thing that I came away with was that while many people will enjoy it and with Abrams name attached to it a lot of newcomers will come to see it. I don’t think the more ardent of fans will warm to it.
5 / 10 could do much better. ( and hope the rumored sequel is )
I was lucky enough to see Star Trek (2009) at a prescreening on 5/2/09 with one of the employees of STTE that moved to my area and we’ve stayed in contact with. Going into the movie we were all very excited, but it even exceeded my expectations. When this was announced I was cautious, but since then my excitement has grown and it definitely went beyond what I had imagined.
There were a few flaws: the music could be better, the story could be more solid, but overall it is an amazing movie. It has the perfect blend of sci-fi elements mixed with action, comedy and emotion. It is great for everyone, but you’ll definitely be in for a treat if you’re a long time fan.
I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. I give it a 9.5/10
Just got back from 10am screening here in Brisbane Australia.
Been following this since the start and loved everything trek that has come before it and this completely blew my mind. I was definitely no disappointment.
Story was great and engaging. I can see that it was very carefully written to be accessible for a wide audience. Glad that the technobable was at an absolute minimum. I think “Gravimetric” was the babbliest word in the movie. Plenty of shout outs that only a fan could pick up on
Acting was great, the people they’ve found really fit their roles. I initially had reservations about Zoe Saldana, but I was proven wrong. Also Zach Quinto was great with a bare minimum of the “Sylar” moments that I thought would ruin his performance. Kudos on the casting
special effects were spectacular – dont listen to the nay sayers, the new Enterprise is superb, and the transporter effect is pretty sweet. All the little computer terminals with their touch screen interfaces were awesome and really fit the universe well. Ok so they look light years ahead of the 24th Century LCARS terminals, but should they remake TNG down the track no doubt its look would be upgraded to something even more spectacular!
The movie really is great, and I hope it gets the proper success it deserves, but a lot of trekkers are going to have some problems with it tho – This was more of a reboot than we’ve been lead to believe. Alternate time line or not, the scale of the changes to the time line effectively makes this a reboot in my book. I don’t really mind, but a lot of people are going to I’m sure.
I look forward to the new Star Trek Franchise!
Just came back from a screening in Manhattan on the IMAX screen.
As a movie in general, it works everywhere; from the dialogue and pacing, the action and effects, and the humor. There’s something there for everyone.
More importantly, I thought the movie really was for ‘us’ whether we’re willing to accept that or not.
There are enough tidbits and send-ups and interesting twists that make this a fantastic Star Trek experience. Period.
The diehards enjoyed TOS references, little kids loved Pegg and Yeltchin, and everyone watched intensely over the changing dynamics between Pine and Quinto throughout the film.
The alternative timeline stuff is totally acceptable as well; the amount of times the Star Trek universe has time traveled (from ‘Naked Time’ to ‘Voyage Home’ and then some) leaves some leeway for whatever this team wanted to do. And what they wanted to do was also successfully pulled off.
I always enjoyed the preachy stuff in TOS, TNG and especially in the complexities of DS9, but when we return to the idea of the “space western” Gene originally pitched…this is basically it. Star Trek was brainy, but it was also funny.
The most treasured part is no matter how campy you might think the “space western” is…there’s no way around getting complex and cerebral with the kind of characters that were written for this adventure.
Everyone involved should be grateful for a crew of actors, writers, and JJ, for refreshing such a treasured hallmark.
And I feel as though this is just the beginning for us.
Rating: 7.5/10
I went to see ‘Star Trek’ with as open a mind as I could muster, being a big fan of the franchise and one who likes consistency with canon. I knew things would change with an alternate timeline and was prepared for this having read that this was all explained. Quite why an alternate timeline would result in such poor taste in uniform design and messy starship interior design, I don’t know – but I did not judge the film on this, having already taken a dislike to these trivialities based on what I’d seen in trailers and publicity photos.
I loved the opening – George Kirk’s sacrifice through to the Academy scenes on Earth. It was when Chekov and Sulu came on screen sat in front of Pike with no explanation that the film began to unravel for me. Saying Chekov is 17 later on is not telling me how or why a boy is there before Kirk, even in this crazy new timeline. The whizzing round in space was all very impressive but I soon tired of constant motion on the bridge. The camera hardly ever settled on whomever was talking, it just kept shaking. There’s pacing, then there’s excessive movement – this was the latter.
Old Spock’s explanation of events via mind-meld was clunky and an unsubtle means of exposition. I was glad to have read the prequel comic as it enabled me to follow this. I’d far rather have seen that played out at the start of the film. I was less than convinced by Nero pinning such blame on Spock whom was the main person trying to prevent Romulus’s destruction. Some of the references peppering the film were welcome and I enjoyed seeing Kirk’s Kobayashi Maru test, (even though I simultaneously felt this should be an unseen moment), but I did start to resent what felt like much of the script to ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ being quoted back – (get your own script…)
As for the characters; Chris Pine as Kirk was brilliant – just the right amount of ‘old’ Kirk mannerisms. Karl Urban as McCoy was even better, again channelling the right amount of ‘old’ McCoy, but he did seem to vanish by the end. I liked Simon Pegg as Scotty. Leonard Nimoy was dependable as ever, although I felt him underused and his Spock left somewhat adrift at the end. I did not buy into Uhura and Spock’s relationship at all – it lacked any build up, (yes, with hindsight, there were a couple of subtle hints, but they were far too subtle), felt so forced and seemed to pander to Hollywood clichés – that a romantic sub-plot is essential to success. That aside, Zachary Quinto’s glowering reminds me too much of Sylar I’m afraid, (and I’m normally good at detaching actor’s from their iconic roles), but he was probably the best choice for the role. Although she was good, I cannot quite see what seemingly everyone is raving about with regard to Zoe Saldana and her Uhura. Anton Yelchin was amusing enough as Chekov, but I’m afraid John Cho looked bored as Sulu throughout, save in combat.
So all in all, ‘Star Trek’ was OK. I had hoped for more and expected worse. Michael Giacchino’s score was suitably epic and I’m glad I ordered the soundtrack. I recognise the thought process behind it, but I maintain that the timeline did not need such drastic changing to bring in the masses. A threat from the future combined with an origin story could still have been told without the ultimate replacement of TOS, TNG, DS9 and VOY’s timeline. The feeling remains it’s a slap in the face to those of us who invested in those series, like they weren’t good enough. True, they weren’t drawing the numbers, but was such drastic measure really needed? Yes, ‘Star Trek’ technically follows those events, but it and its sequels are now replacing them.
It has achieved the film-makers’ aims to bring in a new audience to ‘Star Trek’, but it’s a shame ‘Star Trek’ had to be effectively ‘fixed’ in order to do this. I went to see it with a moderate fan, a casual viewer and a non-fan – I gave it 3.5/5, the moderate fan gave it 4/5, the casual viewer 4.5/5 and whilst it may seem familiarity may breed contempt, the non-fan didn’t follow it at all, so it seems even new ‘Star Trek’ warrants some prior ‘Star Trek’ awareness. A good film, an average ‘Star Trek’ film.
I went into the theater expecting the biggest let-down I have ever experienced, I was really happy with the movie! It took me a full 24 hours to figure out what caused me to dislike this movie. I think there was far too much “bloodletting” violence but the industry seems to be feeding that to everyone lately.
I was unhappy they decided to leave the traditional Star Trek music behind, It might have been the deal maker for me.
What is up with the lighting? Movie seemed very unfinished as far as quality goes. Sound was piss poor too, but that could have been the theater. Camera seemed to jump all over the place. And a simple explanation as to how they got the enterprise off the ground would have been nice.
I have recommended this movie to all my friends, I thank JJ for his work on the film. “I have not been a huge fan of his other works.” I wish I could be more excited about the future of Star Trek.
I have always believed in the series, I can’t help to feel a great let down with the fundamentals of the Federation that got lost with this move. There was just too much blood, violence, and quick aggressive reaction without due cause for me. Don’t think for a minute that I am not a card carrying member of the NRA, but Star Trek was a great hope for me that I didn’t feel this movie captured. I am sure they are not going to change this because the market has degraded to the point of lunacy for blood in the past 10 years. I just wish we could have found a way to contain this need in the professional wrestling industry and let the quality programs continue on their marry way.
I have always been to the first showing of any Trek movie to this point, and I was able to catch a sneak preview of 11. I am sorry to say I will not follow suit with the next movie, if there is one, I am just sad to see the franchise sold out this way.
By the way, this is no prequel, it is at best a complete reboot. I wish the new endeavor all the luck in the world, I am really not interested in following something so vulgar.
To the actors, if this movie had a chance of making me happy it was your fault. You have truly captured the essence of your characters. Thank you so very much for a truly spectacular performance!! I feel better knowing your filling the shoes of the original cast. I just wish I could say the same about the guys filling my screen with blood, and my ears with music that is well done but wrong.
Oh..
My..
God!
Just got out of the cinemas, am posting this from my iPhone. That was by far the best Trek I’ve seen in a long long time.
But… poor Vulcan. :(
Everything from the characters, to the story, to the effects, to the little Trek tidbits (the Katric Ark was one I wasn’t expecting but was cool none the less). Everything worked, even Chekov’s accent… it was great.
Favourite character would be Bones for sure. But really they were all great. But not enough Sulu!
Hope everyone enjoys it as much as we did! Whoo!
Star Trek FTW!
OMG I can’t belive I have finally seen it.
It was wicked.
My only niggle with it was that Nero wasn’t really a strong villan. I think his space ship was scarier than him.
The opening shot in the Imax also made me feel woozy
STAR TREK – A REVIEW OF THE GERMAN DUB
I had the pleasure to see a preview of the movie, one day before the offical german opening
day. I´ll try to keep this a spoiler free as possible.
The Dubbing
One of the important points unique to german or other non-english fans is of course:
How good is the dubbing? We all know that a bad translation or a bad choice of voice actors
can partially or totally ruin a good movie. I´m happy to say that in this case the dubbing
gets a score of 90 %. The translation seems to be spot on, gone is the overly uncouth wording we
know from TOS. The voice actors fit like a glove, the only one that needs some getting used to
is Nimoy-Spock´s. It´s apparent that they tried to find one that sounds like the old voice actor
and there is a similarity there….but the voice is much deeper than it used to be. The only other
gripe I have is that Chekov´s accent is way overdone for my taste…Chekov never had a accent
THAT strong in any of the german dubs.
Sound design:
Almost all sounds have been replaced by totally new effects, although most are reminiscent of their
TOS counterparts. The bridge sounds very similar to what it used to be like…although the usual
background beeping sounds much deeper. There are sounds that haven´t been changed at all though,
for example when Kirk presses the button for a shipwide announcement. The transporter sound effect
is the some but with an additional “electrical crackling” sound. The only sound effects that stand
out as “strange” are the weapons…especially the phasers wich sound a bit too “Star Wars” for
my taste but fit to the new visuals.
SFX:
Overall the visual effects are great and right on todays standards. The ships now move in 3D,
gone are the “submarine battles”. The phasers now look like pulse weapons, the continous beams
we are used to are gone, wich is one of the few changes that I can live with but don´t like that
much. The transporter effect has been changed radically, it seems they wanted to look it more three
dimensional with all the swirling particles…it still looks like a basic “overlay and disolve” though.
Set Design:
Overall the set design is great. The new bridge of the enterprise doesn´t look that much as if
it was designed by apple as it does on the movie stills we have seen. The ships hallways look good
but would look better with a tiny bit of color…red doors instead of grey ones would have been better.
All other sets but engeneering look great. Its much to obvious that those scenes have been filmed in
redressed factory halls. I understand that they wanted a more realistic look…but in my opinion
a chaos of tubes of different sizes is less realistic for a starship of the 23rd century instead of
more realistic.
Acting:
Not having seen the movie in english yet I can only judge the acting based on movement and facial
expressions. Everyone does a great job.
Music:
The music is perfect. It´s even more symphonic that in any other movie. Musical variations of parts
of the TOS theme music are appearing here and there, and the full new version of the theme playing thru
the end credits actually had me teary eyed.
Plot:
Overall the plot is thight and without a single boring minute, including great battle scenes and superb
emotional parts and character development. Two direct references to Warth of Kahn (dialog and visuals)
appear in the movie…although one of those two scenes has a small factual error:
[Spoiler Warning]
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Nero calls the ceti eel he uses on Pike a “centaurian slug” (this could be a dubbing error).
The creature he uses is an adult (wich looks exactly like in Star Trek II) instead of the young
Kahn uses and enters the victim thru the mouth instead of the ear.
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[/Spoiler]
Conclusion:
This movie exceeded all my expetations. Star Trek Lives!
10 of 10
Not bad. A bit too quick and dare I say illogical (coincidence piled on coincidence).
Chief like – the new warp effect
Chief hate – the Engine Room is AWFUL
Saw it last night. I may have to see it again to fully form an opinion as it was a lot to take in.
Let me begin this by saying that I’m more a fan of the TNG/DS9 era and as such not as versed in the details of TOS.
I liked the “early lives” stuff. To some TOS fans it may be sacrilege but I enjoyed it. I also had no problems with the crew coming together (what someone above called coincidence after coincidence).
The acting from the main players was really good. Scotty and Chekov were obviously played for laughs. Over all the humor worked. There were a lot of laughs from the audience. Maybe Chekov’s accent was a little overdone (I don’t know Walter’s accent from TOS since I’ve only seen a dubbed version of TOS on TV, but I don’t remember it as strong from the movies).
Visually, it’s absolutely stunning. The VFX work is great, no comparison really to the older movies. Sometimes, the space shots were a little too busy or too fast for my taste. But there were some beauty shots in there that really benefit from a gigantic screen :-)
May contain SPOILERS:
What I didn’t like so much: The Nero plot felt kind of “been there done that” standard movie villain stuff. Another bad guy going after Earth (okay, he didn’t go after Earth, first). I have read the Countdown comics which gives a little more background for his motivation but except for the visual spectacle this part of the movie fell flat for me.
This was also the main complaint from the 2 people I went with (to make matters worse, they haven’t read Countdown).
I think I was also a little uncomfortable with the Spock-Uhura interaction. The thing is that there wasn’t really any setup. I mean I had read about this in interviews beforehand but when the scene in the turbolift came up my friend (who doesn’t read any Star Trek websites) just went “WTF???”
Maybe it just needs some getting used to.
On the other hand, I didn’t have any problems with the engineering sets. Granted, if they decide to show more of engineering in future films, I hope they will build something from scratch or do more re-dressing of existing locations, but for this movie it worked for me (let’s be honest: we didn’t really see much of engineering).
I also had no problems with “Kirk rising through the ranks” as fast as he did. We all wanted him to end up in that chair as captain of the ship. He did a good job leading the team. I guess I’m not thinking about it as a military career but just as a journey to “his place” in that chair.
And the final scene is a perfect setup for future movies with the crew we know from TOS in place right where they belong.
P.S.: I can’t really give the movie a numerical rating (like on a scale of 1 to 10/10).
The interaction between our heroes was good to great (except for the Spock/Uhura relationship, I guess).
I just hope that if they decide to go for yet another bad guy in the next movie they take more time to flesh him out more.
First off, without any doubt, I am impressed with the movie. I was very happy to see Star Trek get the quality canvass it has deserved since the first conversation about taking the series to the big screen.
While it’s pointless for me to go on about the effects, or the characters or the story in any detail, I will say this – all wonderful!
My ONLY problem was this movie’s seeming effort to make Star Trek less Star Trek for the masses. It’s all well and good making a film more open to other audiences but I think in doing so here they have made a movie that could easily have been any genre, format or cast with minimal changes.
One final note struck me watching this – has there really only been five or six people doing all the work on the Enterprise all these years? There didn’t seem to be much of a crew and those we saw didn’t seem to important.
I was very impressed with this movie and anxious for more. My nitpicks are just that and far less important than the event itself.
It was a shame that the hand phasers didn’t have that familiar sound though :(
Well done team – you’ll get the hang of it eventually!
Saw it today, advance preview in Falkirk- Scotland.
How about that I saw Star Trek in The KIRK
First of all I loved it, it was absolutely superb from start to finish. Everything worked so well.
The opening sequence of the Kelvin being attacked was mindblowing, that’s a tough little ship and Robau’s short screen time was effective, he’s such a good character. The whole scene was very harrowing as well, really met with a great emotional resonance. I honestly felt tears welling up during the sequence.
I feel that the scene with young Kirk in the car was slightly pointless, his character would have been established fine in the bar scene.
The young Spock stuff was very well done and the actor playing Sarek was fine, though not a patch on Mark Lenard but he’s a supporting actor so not too big a deal.
The way McCoy was introduced was excellent, nice revelation of his nickname’s genesis and Urban had nailed it in the first few seconds. Throughout the film he was superb, the best of the cast I’d say but i’m biased and always loved McCoy.
Zachary Quinto’s Spock was fantastic, no comparison to Sylar was made in my head and he towed the line that the character did very well.
Chris Pine’s Kirk was amazing. He embodied what the character needed to be in every single way. You could see that he was destined for greatness and the youthful arrogance that he had was portrayed very well.
Zoe Saldana’s Uhura was very good, she did a good job of the character and came across as being more strong willed that the original ever did, as for her relationship with Spock I didn’t have a problem with that, the two characters were often very flirtateous shown by when she sang to him and discussions about the moon.
Anton Yelchin’s Checkov was very well done, a fine homage to Koenig’s portrayal and in some cases a better one, his accent was better and his comic timing was superb.
Simon Pegg’s Scotty was fantastic. I had my reservations about the casting but was proven wrong, his accent was excellent and he came across as being an eccentric genius which was perfect. I also loved his sidekick.
John Cho’s Sulu was fine, most of his screentime was action so there isn’t a lot to say about him in terms of characterisation but he was good enough.
Bruce Greenwood as Christopher Pike was brilliant, he was such a good character and the homage to his chair was amusing. He came across as a capable and fair commander as well as being a bit of a father figure to Kirk.
Eric Bana as Nero was good, as a villain I felt that he wasn’t as good as he could have been. He was certainly no Khan but maybe in the same league as Chang which is by no means an insult. It really came across that he was a miner completely out of his league.
Leonard Nimoy…he’s Leonard Nimoy what else can I say about him? It was great to see him wear the ears one more time and it’s nice that he could return.
The design aesthetic was great. I loved the bridge of the Enterprise and Kelvin, everything seemed so functional. The industrial design of the engineering section was a good choice since it appeared that it was where the work was done. The shuttlebays being packed with shuttles were a nice touch.
The design of the Enterprise was excellent, I take back every bad thing i said about it, in this movie it was awesome and the weapon effects were well done as was the Warp effect, looked very aggresive.
I liked how the transporters seemed difficult to use and positted some new and unique problems that have never been seen before.
The Narada was an interesting design, it seemed really mysterious and menacing and the interior was a bit of a house of horrors.
The plot was fast paced and exciting, everything had to be paid close attention to and the set pieces were fantastic, particularly the destruction of Vulcan. That moment showed that this version of events isn’t afraid to take risks and that anything can happen, the stakes were definitely raised and I look forward to seeing more.
The friendship between Kirk and Spock was well done, it was believable how this came about.
I was disappointed when it ended because I felt like it was just getting started, seeing the crew set up for new adventures was excellent. I can’t wait for the next installment.
Nimoy’s recital of the famous speech was very moving, I almost cried. It was great to hear it.
As for the alternate reality thing, I love it. It totally works and it allows the crew to be on new and interesting missions that we cannot predict, that’ll be great to see.
There’s so much potential to come from this film and I loved it.
First impression is 9/10.
I’ll keep this brief.
Abrams has assembled a fine cast, and a true worthy edition to the Star Trek Pantheon. Simon Pegg, for me personally, wa s abit of a damp squib. By the time Scotty appears, the film is building twoards it’s climax, and I felt he was shoehorned in, even moreso then Original Spock. Eric Bana is suitibly menacing, but alas, is rather wasted, and I suspect will become a forgotten villian. I was surprised that I enjoyed Yelchin’s Chekov so much, but I must congratulate Karl Urban as a classic scene stealer. Cast = 8
Effects were stellar, besides the Ice Planet (I know what’s called, but no spoilers!) monsters. Effects = 9
Music, while great typical Michale Giachhino work, lacks that spark of Trek, while charcters have themes ie Kirk, Spock… the themes need to be more fleshed out for the next instalment. Music = 7
Set Design; excellent work, and this Enterprise interior is starting to grow on me. Even the big nacelles are! But the bowels of Kelvin and Enterprise (filmed in factories I believe) is not very convincing in the 23rd Century. Set Design = 8
I must admit a tidbit, when we first see Bones on the shuttle, the projector broke at my cinema! After various false starts, and after the manager said he would rewind the film a few minutes for us, it started again. Except he went forward a few minutes instead! So we see about ten seconds of Nero and Ayel on Narada, and then into the Kobayashi Maru test! So I have a perfect excuse to go again to see what I missed!
Overall, the best Star Trek movie since First Contact. Which you also did’nt need not have any prior Trek expierence to enjoy the ride. Overall, I’ll give it an eight out of ten. But I still have to see that minute I missed, so I’ll get back to you!
Star Trek Lives!
Damn! I forgot to mention Leonard Nimoy!
I was slightly disappointed with him. I felt as if he was thrown in for fun. Nice to see Leonard Nimoy in action once again, but….
I dunno. Something was missing.
MAJOR SPOILERS FOLLOW!
I remember reading about JJ Abrams’ new Star Trek film when it was first announced three years ago. In that time, I’ve seen relatives die, gambled on quitting a job that I felt was going nowhere, moved to a new city, started a new life. The new Star Trek is the thing that’s lurked in the background the whole time everything else has happened. It’s almost fitting to find myself visiting my parents in my old home town and going to see the film with them.
I was vocally in favour of this film from the outset. I never gelled with The Next Generation and the other spin-offs. I felt that those series reflected a change of view by Star Trek’s creator in later life and was essentially a completely different series that bolted some Star Trek iconography on to get sold.
When they announced the return of the original Star Trek characters on the original starship Enterprise, I felt vindicated for standing up for TOS when everyone else seemed to be dismissing it in favour of its spin-off. Of course we were going to get a new cast, but my love for the original characters, meant that I was more than willing to accept them.
I’ve had rows galore and fun discussions galore with people on this site, and have been accused of being a Trek hater (how dare I look forward to this traitorous new film!) a TOS-only fan, a TNG-hater (I’m not: I think it’s good TV, while not necessarily good Star Trek) even someone who would better off being a fan of something else, like Stargate!!! :0
It perhaps shows how broad Trek has become that we all have such different expectations of a new Star Trek movie. Indeed, it’s now possible to be a Star Trek fan, yet dislike vast tracts of it.
So, after being so vocal standing up for this film, not only did it need to be good from an enjoyment point of view, but it needed to be good because I didn’t want to feel like an idiot for standing up for this film for three years (yes, I know that’s vain!)
I’m pleased to report that the film comfortably lived up to my expectations, although one or two issues stand out for me with the pacing here and there.
The performances were bang-on. Chris Pine made Jim Kirk his own, while in some way echoing the Great One. Zachary Quinto was . . . fascinating. His Spock, naturally enough, echoed Leonard Nimoy’s Spock, but the loss of Vulcan and his acceptance of Earth as his ‘other’ home perhaps points to a different slant to his future performances.
Karl Urban just was Leonard McCoy. If I’d have closed my eyes, I’d have believed I was listening to Deforest Kelley. At the same time, there’s a tougher, more badass quality to this version of Bones that I can’t wait to see explored in greater depth. Zoe Saldana was fabulous as Uhura (what’s her first name again?) given a tougher edge and a more prominent role than the Nichelle Nichols. It’s no reflection on Nichelle to say that I prefer this new Uhura: a role with a depth I’m sure Nichelle Nichols would have loved to tackle had she been given the chance in the 1960s.
John Cho was an excellent Sulu showing Takei’s version’s warmth mixed with a youthful enthusiasm. I liked the fact that he’d unexpectedly found himself at the helm. Anton Yechin as Chekov perhaps over-egged the pudding a touch with his character’s presence, but was fun nevertheless.
Simon Pegg gave a showstealing performance in his scenes as Scotty. Actually even cooler than Scotty was his pet mutant lizard thingy! I want to see more of that character! Get down from there!!
Among the others, I’m so glad they’ve kept Bruce Greenwood’s Pike around as he had such gravitas and brought a level-headed maturity desperately needed in loud action film such as this this. I hope he’ll be around for the sequels.
Ben Cross was an admirable Sarek. Indeed, Sarek’s admission of his love for Amanda and Winona Ryder’s (too) brief appearance in that role add a whole new dimension to two wonderful characters. This is why it’s so great to recast roles: new actors can’t fail to bring something different to the characters. And, of course, Leonard Nimoy was wonderful in his small role. My only regret with his appearance is that he didn’t get to meet Sarek onscreen, given his admission in TNG that he never got to mindmeld with his father. That would have been an amazing scene: the father meeting an older version of his own son.
Rachel Nichols appearance as an Orion was hysterical. I love the fact that, in spite of her presence at the academy, she still has an Orion’s overactive sex drive. Shame about the red lipstick: I’d have preferred dark green!
As for the plot: complex, but generally nicely handled, given the sheer number of boxes to tick. There was a lot to take in and the only serious weakness was the infodump . . . I mean mindmeld. There also were the obvious removed Klingon sequences and Winona Ryder scenes which positively scream for an extended edition.
And, my word! Amanda Grayson dying along with Vulcan! We’d known Vulcan was likely to buy the farm, but I didn’t anticipate Amanda Grayson’s death. It gave the scale of Vulcan’s destruction an added depth. On top of that, Spock and Kirk have both lost a parent to Nero, increasing their brotherly bond.
In spite of Roberto Orci’s assurances that the original universe still exists, there’s no evidence of that in the new film. And, indeed, the destruction of the Narada ensures a reset switch is impossible. What’s cool about that from this TOS fan’s point of view is that the TOS characters get to experience all those great adventures all over again. And perhaps, even with the timeline slowly rebuilding itself, we’ll end up with less smug, less dictatorial Federation by the 24th Century and hopefully one where Jim Kirk won’t die as a result of a brush with some dorky space tinsel!
It has to be said, it was glaringly obvious that there were subplots missing from the film in a couple of places: Nero’s unexplained hiding out for 23 years, the sudden revelation of young Spock’s and Uhura’s romance and that there was too little of Spock’s mother for her death to have the resonance it should have had. I understand that the film needed to fit within a certain slot for cinema screenings, but the Klingon scenes and Amanda Grayson scenes are ones I’d like to see added into an extended DVD/Blu-ray release. And any additional Rachel Nichols material is gladly accepted! ;)
Visually, the film was very impressive. JJ Abrams’ and his team’s sensibility is very different from that of past Trek film and TV directors, giving this film a bang-up-to-date feel while reintroducing the staple elements we expect of Star Trek. I’m glad we’re shot of the standard images of the Enterprise and can have a mobile camera, reminding us that there is no up or down in space. Clearly TNG writer Ron Moore’s Battlestar Galactica had an impact on the look of the movie. I like that it used a lot of handheld material and the oft-mentioned light flares. The warp speed effects are the best yet. They’re very simple, yet pack a punch. And anything is better than the rubbish warp effect used in TMP and badly adapted for the 80s-2000 TV Treks.
Designwise, the film beautifully blends old and new. Costume design is a great blend of modern fabrics and William Ware Theiss’s original uniforms. Obviously a good deal more detail is required for a cinema film, and the textures of the fabric pop out. It’s also nice to see the core costumes designs that all future Treks have referenced.
Shipwise, I liked the Kelvin and thought the new Enterprise was great. Actually, I really liked the engine room, believing that pipes, steam, grease and oiled joints will always be part of engineering. I also loved the lighting in the engine room. The bridge was nothing like as white as some stills implied. I felt completely at home with it.
The Narada was wonderfully alien, but, stripped of the material about the Klingons, one can’t understand why Nero didn’t trash large swathes of the Federation and Klingon Empire while waiting for Spock to come of age. Love the Red Matter. Who supplied it? SD-6?
Musically, the film was outstanding. I was never a great fan of Jerry Goldsmith’s themes – too pompous – but Michael Giacchino has blended something of the quirkiness of the 1960s scores with the grandiose aspects of Goldsmith’s themes. I’ll certainly pick up this album.
So, ultimately, I had a blast watching this film. I’ve never much cared to know how these characters met, but am glad to see an origin story created to introduce the new cast. Whether or not TOS and beyond has been rebooted or rewritten, whether or not it was erased or not, I don’t care. The characters we care about still exist and are going to experience all these great adventures all over again. And that means for disgruntled TNG fans that their characters might also exist in some way again.
Unfortunately, my one serious gripe with this film, leaving a bad taste in mouth at the end was the small but significant use of ‘where no one has gone before’ instead of ‘where no man has gone before.’ I thought we were beyond all that politically correct cr@p!
However, today, I watched Star Trek’s death and rebirth. I can understand Leonard Nimoy saying Star Trek can’t go back to TV after this: the bar has been raised far too high now. this is the sort of film I wanted when I sat down to watch TMP on VHS in 1984. I’m very much looking forward to the sequel to this film. In the interim, I’d love to see an animated series.
I also look forward to some books set in this new period, particularly with Nimoy’s Spock living in this strange ‘hall of mirrors’ version of his own past. What could be more fascinating, yet disturbing?
A great end to three years’ build-up. Thank you JJ Abrams, Leonard Nimoy, Damon Lindelof, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman for giving me back the Star Trek I grew up loving.
This film is a shiny new version of your father’s Star Trek. But it’s certainly not your older brother’s Star Trek!
This new Star Trek, JJ Abrams Star Trek, Is many things: It is a Si-Fi film, It is a Drama Film, It is an Action Film, It is a Character Driven Film, but, most of all, it is Phenomenal and the greatest thing of all, it is Phenomenal while true to being Star Trek, yes it has Green Woman, Yes it has a random guy wearing a red shirt sent down to a planet with the main characters who bites the dust, it has the great verbal wars between “Bones” and Spock and most of all, it stays true the the message of hope Star Trek gives.
The film begins with one of the most epic Space Battles you’ll see in a while, which is not only epic action wise, but also drama wise and emotionally. The plot is pretty thin but this is made up for by the extraordinary Script, acting, Special Effects and the magical score of the film.
Okay, so let me begin with the acting, almost every character nails it, Pine absolutely nail it, he is Kirk, from the mannerism (except for the strange way of talking that Shanter had, thankfully), to the emotions he shows, to the way he is just willing to throw himself of a 20,000m platform hanging in mid air to save one of this comrades, he absolutely nails it (and yes, he also nail a green Ailen girl).
Then there Spock, Quinto’s Spock is a bit different, more emotional and more, well, un-logical (though he tries to seem logical most of the time), but he still bring his A game in probably the greatest performance of his life. For those who don’t know, the Original Spock is also in this film, so I thought Quinto might have shrunk while facing his predecessor on screen, his doesn’t and makes a iconic character his and owns it.
Then there Uhura and the rest: Scotty, Sulu, Chekhov, and “Bone” McCoy. Uhura, played by Zoe Saldana, is portrayed, once again, amazingly. She nails the rule and makes it her own (and has an unforeseen Love Plot along the way-no not with Kirk). John Cho as Sulu, this Sulu is more action originate than the last, his Fencing skills involve more acrobatics and his is fantastic, In this film he is portrayed like never before, fantastically by Cho. Chekhov is played by an actual Russian this time, by Antony Yelchin (who is to play Kyle Reese in the new Terminator Movie) and he is hilarious, with the hilarious accent the computer can’t seem to understand and despite this he manages to save Kirk and the Crew (yes he does) Twice, Yelchin to did a great job portraying him.
Now we come to Scotty, the miracle worker. Who else could you pick to portray a comical Genius engineer who is known for saving the ship ass more than once. Why an comical genius actor who is know for stealing pretty much every scene he is in. Simon Pegg plays Scotty for perfection, even stealing the scenes he doesn’t speak in and when he does speak, he will put a smile on you face and ask the big question (”So they have Sandwiches in the future?” or “Can I get a towel?”) and then he goes to describe this film perfectly (after a great moment of tention between Spock and Kirk) “Well, I like this Ship, I reckon it exciting. Oh and he nails the Scottish accent.
Okay, so I said almost everyone nailed the original character and actor, almost. After all this there’s Karl Urban, no he doesn’t nail Deforest Kelly’s amazing portrayal of the iconic Leonard “Bones” McCoy. Now, he freakin channels Deforest Kelly’s spirit in to the greatest performance of this film. Urban is as phenomenal as the film, getting everything from McCoy’s speech style, to mannerism, to emotion, to the the way he speaks and acts, to his personality and his relationship with Spock and Krin, to his technophobia sport freakin on. He is breathtaking and both him and Pegg will definitely be fan favorites (oh and for those who don’t now, McCoy and Kirk’s relationship is known to be the second greatest Bromance of fiction history, right after Spock and Kirk. and this begins wit the words, “I might throw up and you”).
Oh, wait I got to add in two more character as well: Bruce Greenwood portrayal of Pike, the father figure to Kirk after Kirk’s father died. Well, he is simply inspirational in the role and I’m set to see him in the squeal.
And that second character, why of course the Star Ship Enterprise, she is beautiful, breath taking and during those action scenes she’ll tear you apart.
Now moving on to the Score, by Michael Giacchino, is as breath taking as the film. The score bring such emotions to the film, you’ll be hard pressed not to love it. The music is just beautiful and it will eave you wanting more, it is simply to stunning to say in words.
Now moving onto the Special Effects. Okay how many time have you gone to a Cinema and said, yeah, these Special Effects are really good. Well you won’t say that with this film, for two reason, one the EFX’s aren’t that good and two, they will take the breath out of you. the EFX’s in this film are beyond Special, they are, well sitting there, I felt like I was looking through glass, they are simply wow worthy, this is something that will engrosses you in the very first seconds and not leave unit the film ends.
Well I guesses that’s all I can say right now, I saw it last night and my mind is still blown away. It was that great, despite the fact that a thin plot might lower it down a bit, it is still Phenomenal. And thus I am debating between giving it a pefect 10 or 9 and a half. Either way, you choose that for me.
Before I go, I’ll say one thing, this is so much more in Imax, In Imax it is amazing. If you are a Si-Fi fan, an action fan, an EFX’s fan, a Drama fan, a Trekkie or a Trek fan, Or in general a devoted Film goer, see this in Imax. Because it will blow you away.
So with that in mind I say good by and can’t wait to see it again (yes I will be going back several times).
Oh and again one last thing. This new Trek is cool, it is for everyone and it is cool. So yeah I got to go and get a T-Shirt saying “I was a fan of Star Trek before it was cool” to you know, not to seem like a poser…. okay, I just want another T-Shirt of Star Trek.
Oh and I wonder if we’ll get a Shatnerverse novel where Kirk and McCoy travel back in time arriving shortly after Nimoy’s Spock and go to live with him on Vulcan colony!
I’ve always been a bigger fan of the original series than some of the later attempts in the franchise, so when I heard they were taking Trek back to where it all started I was simultaneously excited and mortified. Finally I’d get to see my favourite era of Trek on the big screen (the classic crew films were great but I’ve always wanted to see the original five year mission given the treatment it deserves).
One of my biggest concerns was how they were going to translate something that, due to the effects budget and capabilities of the 60’s, largely relied on the imagination of the viewer to fill in the gaps. On top of that, I was worried that the film would now be nothing more than an effects laden vehicle for paramount to try and make some loose change from a dying franchise (and I apologise to the die hard fans for saying this but it had been dying for a long, LONG time).
I always felt that because the original series couldn’t rely on fancy effects, the story telling and character acting shone through as the strong points. As camp is it might have gotten (a by product of the 60’s more than anything) it was still some of the best adventure/action/drama I’ve ever seen.
So with excitement and trepidation (but MUCH more excitement) I sat down to watch the new take on one of my most cherished childhood memories…
WOW
If I had to try and find a flaw in this film I’d have to say it was the set for engineering, but to be honest it’s only because we’ve all gotten used to what an engine room looks like on a starship. Some one else is playing this game now and if they want their engine room to look more like that of a 20th century sea ship then it’s up to them. I’m sure I’ll get used to it, but there really wasn’t much there that made it stand out as an advanced, futuristic power source for a faster than light ship… Not that I noticed this time anyway (I’ll take a closer look when I watch the film again tomorrow.) Again, it just comes down to peoples pre-conceptions of engineering should look like, but it may take some getting used to.
Besides that, the only other problem (though it’s not really an actual error so to speak) is that the film just doesn’t seem long enough! Not just from the point of view of “it’s so great I don’t want it to end” but it does sometimes feel that we’ve missed some scenes out that would clarify some decisions characters make. Pikes choice for first officer whilst he’s off the ship, for example, seems a bit out of the blue given the circumstances and whilst it would seem obvious given the character selected based on what we know about them from the past, we haven’t really seen much in this film to justify it. i think that people that are totally new to the original crew might be somewhat surprised at the choice as a result. I’d love the film to be maybe 20-30 minutes longer to fill in some of these gaps… And just so I can have that much more fun watching it!
One of the things that really stood out in the film was the boldness the writers took in making it clear just how much this alternate timeline can and will differ from the original. Two of the key plot points literally had my jaw drop in shock and I was thinking to myself “you can’t do that!” But of course they can, and to some degree they MUST. If this new timeline followed the original line for line then there would be no suspense. In doing what they’ve done, the writers have really demonstrated that we don’t know what’s coming anymore. Anything can happen now and once the initial shock had passed I realised just how utterly amazing that is.
When it comes to the acting, as far as I’m concerned, everyone was spot on. It took a moment to get used to Zachery Quinto as Spock instead of Sylar, but it doesn’t take long. Absaloute stand out performances come from Karl Urban’s McCoy. He was perfect, and there were points where he was talking off screen and it sounded like DeForest Kelly was delivering the lines. Perhaps it was just nostalgia clouding my view (McCoy was always my favourite character) but I can’t wait for the next film and another performance of the role.
Zoe Saldana also stood out and she really made an impact with her Uhura. An annoying trend in Hollywood these days is to make “strong indipendent females” basically act as bitchy, arrogant and rude people who are just very unlikeable. Saldana made an Uhura that mirrored the original but at the same time added so much more depth and strength to the character.
All the actors were amazing though again I just wish we had more scenes with all of them so we could see them all shine so much more.
I think the crowning moment of the film though was as it drew to a close with a flyby of the new Enterprise (not quite as faithful as I would’ve personally liked it but still a beautiful ship once you see it in action) and the credits roll to the updated version of the original theme. To have the theme blasting out of a cinema sound system with a full orchestra and choir left me grinning ear to ear for a full hour after I left the screen. All the music is fantastic and very atmospheric throughout, but the original theme on that scale was just magnificent!
I can’t wait for the next film. Hell, I can’t wait to see this film again. They got it right. It might shock some of the hardcore fans in places, but to be honest I think that’s something that Star Trek has needed for a while. A big thanks to everyone involved for making such an awesome film and, on a more personal level, for creating something that DOESN’T leave me reminiscing about the old days when there wasn’t a new Kirk.
naysayers be damned… this is star trek… pure and simple and @#+%$£* awsome!!!
(I wrote this for Trekweb.com last week after seeing a private preview screening, so some of the non-spoiler details will seem old hat by now)
Okay, here I go… from my perspective as a fan, and from my background as a filmmaker.
I do have some issues with the film, and I’ll lay them out here, but while I went in expecting to just like it, I came out… loving it. ZOMGBBQSAUCE, I loved it.
To start, this movie *is* Star Trek. It’s not a Star Wars-fied version of Trek, and it’s not some tarted-up Gen-Y version of Star Trek. This. Movie. Is. Star. Trek. Plain and simple.
The characters are action heroes, yes, but more then that, they’re not just the good guys, they’re the *smart* guys, and they represent the best and brightest of Starfleet. They take enormous risks, but aren’t gung-ho for the sake of it, and they don’t mug for the camera. This is, 100%, Gene Roddenberry’s 23rd century human race. Still conflicted but never paralyzed with ambiguity, still combative but never judgmental, still personally motivated but never selfish. The characters in this film work toward a common goal not because of their oath or duty or even loyalty. Although they have those things, the characters in this film are motivated to do their best, merely by default, because that’s what humans (and Vulcans) do.
Second, while the strained time-travel plotline is total preposterous nonsense, we should all thank the Lords of Kobel (that’s from Star Trek, right?) that they bent over backwards to make it happen they way they did. This is the one aspect of the film which, while not exactly exceeding my exceptions (really, from a plot perspective, it doesn’t hold up to much inspection), took me completely by surprise in how well it fit in thematically with the rest of the film.
The recent quotes from the writers about how they avoided a complete reboot because they didn’t want to “redefine the core elements,” or change the characters, sounded like bull to me. The “non-reboot reboot” was as much about not angering the fanbase while having it both ways as it was about anything else, we all suspect that, but the thing is… this other reason makes perfect honest sense to me now, and even if it wasn’t the prime motivation, it actually is a great reason to do what they did.
All the characters have pretty much the same background and “timeline” as in TOS, leading up to the events of the film. The only notable difference is Kirk, who as we all know by now (this isn’t a spoiler), has lead a completely different life due to his father’s early death. I’m still a bit bothered by this because Kirk is played as a bit of a stereotype “bad boy” in the first act, but in the end, he becomes the same character, so it works from either angle.
To be clear here, Kirk-as-James-Dean still seems a bit of a dumb move to me, mostly because the whole thing is really just an excuse to get no one to trust him until he proves himself to be a natural leader later in the film. It’s the only part of the film that really feels hackneyed and cookie-cutter.
That oft-seen sequence where “kid Kirk” nearly flies off a cliff? Pointless. There are plenty of scenes of “pre-academy” Kirk which show the same thing more effectively. Spock has a similar “child” sequence before his “pre-academy” scenes, so perhaps it was for parallel structure, but it was, IMO, put there mostly for the trailer.
In fact, these early scenes, as previously reported, contain not only the use of a Beastie Boys song, but product placement for Nokia, in both visual and audio form (think about it, you’ll figure it out). That’s right, a cell phone product placement. I love this movie, but I don’t care how much money the Finns gave Paramount, and I don’t care that Nokia and Budweiser (oh yeah, didn’t I mention that? Get ready for the “trying to sound natural” combination of “Cardassian Ale and Budweiser Classic”) might both very well exist 250 years from now… that’s not the point. This kind of blatant product placement is inexcusable, and represents what is destroying modern film. Seeing it makes my heart ache. I can easily forgive it in a movie set in modern times, but in something like Star Trek, it ends up as so transparent that it’s offensive (to my filmmaker side that is, not really my Trek fan side).
Okay, back on track… so, things start out the same, but, without spoiling things, let me tell you, the events of the film not only establish an “alternate timeline,” they diverge incredibly from the Star Trek universe that we all know. It’s not just that, say, 80 years later a “nouveau TNG” might be different, it’s that the shape of the universe is so different that there’s no reason to think that it would come to exist at all. This is probably what frightened the producers so much about doing a not-quite-reboot, and so this “alternate” point is driven home in some really awkward dialog in the film itself. “Remember, loyal trekkies, it’s an *alternate* reality, not a *replacement* reality!”
But this brings up a point about the film that not really a criticism, but makes talking about it as a fan a little odd. While we see how Chris Pine’s Jim Kirk beat the “Maru” in this film, we don’t actually see how “Kirk Prime” beat it. For all we know he used a differnt technique, but we know that least that the scene would have been very different.
This film depicts how the origin of the TOS crew, but actually, this is the story about how the new “alternate reality” crew came together. This is made explicit in the film many times. It’s not a problem, but it’s one of the many peculiarities brought up by the film’s decision to almost-but-not-quite reboot.
In truth, the transparent and repeated attempt to explain that this is only a pseudo-reboot within the film itself is, in my opinion, completely unnecessary. This is partly because, c’mon, we’re not idiots, but mostly, simply because the film is really, really, good. The plot explanation is tortured, lampshaded, and incredibly thin, but somehow… that just doesn’t matter.
In fact, every single issue I have with the film, including the ones I’ve yet to mention, are, let’s just say, 85-90% mitigated by what is good (and great) about the film.
To start, this is a two hour film that not only goes by quick but “ends on time.” There is very little fat in the film, and the pacing is so incredibly fast and well-constructed that you can barely stand to blink let alone head to the bathroom. It’s a pace that is brisk without being schizophrenic. Almost no scene is without a vital plot point, or character moment that improves your appreciation of the film as a whole. Seriously, don’t take the chance, skip that large soda.
The main flipside to this is that the few examples of “fat” that are there stand out like a sore thumb, to the point where they feel like they’re from another movie. The good news is that there are the only two that I can remember off hand: First, the “big red” snow monster sequence. It’s actually not very long, but it’s an utter, pathetic even, waste of time. In fact, if it weren’t as short as it is, and only if that, I’d would advise going to the bathroom when the sequence starts. Frankly, the movie would be better off without it.
The other example involves a bit of “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” style physical humor with Kirk and Scotty, which involves a not-so-much-humorous-as-frighteningly-life-threatening trip though a “Rube Goldberg/Matt Groening” style mechanism, and trust me, it’s not just inappropriate for this kind of film, it’s not even funny. Other silly and/or irreverent gags work well, really well, but this is just sad, and should have been cut.
Speaking of humor, this film is very, very funny. I had close to no faith in the abilities of the writers who gave us “Transformers” to deliver witty, subtle dialog and well-constructed gags, but God help me, they did. Many of the jokes (aside from the exception noted above) are very “Star Trek,” and not only that, they’re the kind of gags that don’t just make you laugh, they make you smile. That’s a big deal, and it completely blew away my expectations. There are some clunkers, and like all of the minor trip-ups in the film, they stand out against the good stuff, but this was one area I really expected to judge more harshly.
The other possible downside to the snappy pace of the film is that the “academy-to-command” timeline is eye-rolling at best, insulting to our intelligence at worst. At various points in the film, it’s alluded that academy members already hold officer rank, but are still sometimes called “cadet,” and Kirk and Spock are seen in parallel “growing up” scenes, but they’re not depicted as attending classes together… yet they appear in scenes set in the academy together. It sorta makes some sense if you put all the pieces together, but the film seems to want to suggest to the casual audience that Kirk and Spock are about the same age, but gives the details to the fans that allows the film to hold true to what we know of their ages and history. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you see the film.
On top of this, the random series of promotions and shifting “acting captain” nonsense is ridiculous, and how it all ends up is just… stupid. I’m trying to avoid spoilers, so I’ll just say that when you think about Kirk’s status at the end of the film, compare that to how Kirk (and McCoy) schemed himself on to the Enterprise in the first place.
If I had a time machine and had the chance to make one recommendation to the writers that they had to follow, I would have replaced most of “the academy” stuff with Kirk’s first starship assignment, and I’d have started him out as a lieutenant in the second act, not a cadet. All of the story points and “growing up” scenes (and some of the academy stuff) could actually have been kept as is, but it might have been a better story if Kirk’s reputation as a scoundrel was gained from working with fellow officers on a starship instead of just goofing off at the academy. His initial animosity with Spock would have to come together differently plotwise, but I don’t have all the answers here. :-)
Despite the fears of some that this would be “Star Trek: The Teenage Years,” this simply isn’t the case. Other than “boy genius” Pavel Chekov, the characters are full adults and, by majority, full officers by the time the film gets rolling. This makes the focus on the Academy especially confusing, and invites a comparison that doesn’t benefit the film. The more I think about it, the less it makes sense.
Of course, the one thing that we get to see that’s worthwhile (and maybe the reason for the whole Academy setting in the first place) is how Kirk beat the famous “no-win” scenario (sorta, see above). This is a funny scene, and the twist at the end when you find out about the test’s origins is good, but I want to avoid a big let down by hinting that the “solution” isn’t really very clever from a storytelling point of view (in fact, it’s boring). But again, this is a perfect example where the film is running on all cylinders and working so well that it’s easy to ignore your expectations and enjoy yourself.
Oh, and Nero, as feared, is not much more than a shallow mustache-twirling villain, with less motivation for his “revenge” than Shinzon even. Thankfully, Eric Bana does a really fantastic job in the role, and there are a few teeny tiny moments of brilliance in the script. There wasn’t anything really *wrong* with his character (let’s face it, Khan isn’t that much better than Shinzon either), but I have to say that those tiny moments represent a missed opportunity to do something more with him. The film isn’t perfect, of course, but there really aren’t many of those, so again, it stands out.
The one thing I liked about Nero and his gang is the storypoint that his crew are miners and not elite Romulan soldiers. Coupled with thier advanced 25th century technology, they’re a immense and frightening force, but on another level, they’re an even match for a clever band of humans from the 23rd century. That’s the kind of sense I like. If you make a powerful enemy for your heroes to defeat, giving them a plausible and story-appropriate weakness is better than giving the hero a last-minute advantage or table-turning Achilles heal.
To the filmmaking side of things, I loved a lot of the design in the film, including the uniforms, and especially the set design in the opening sequence aboard the Kelvin, but I thought that the art *direction* was terrible. Before you get upset, I’m not talking about the bridge or the new ship or any or that. Your opinion on that is as good as mine, but there was a odd and unexplainable inconsistency in the art direction overall, with the film not being able to decide between the glossy “Apple store” look of the Enterprise bridge, corridors, and sickbay, and the obviously redressed factory location (complete with embossed early-20th-century-era copper valves, sheesh) of the Enterprise engine room, shuttlebay and *other* corridors. That’s right, some of the corridors are gleaming white tubes, and others are concrete-floored iron-railed passageways. On the other hand, Nero’s Narada is a fully realized environment, and even though it looks a lot like the Shinzon’s ship (makes sense, right?), it feels as real as it is exotic.
One thing I’ll warn you about. If you’re seeing the film with people who are serious about Star Trek, try not to laugh too hard when you see the “Big Red Rubber Ball of Doom.” You’ll know what I mean when you see it. :-)
I also have some specific issues with some of the post production, specifically the overblown 3D embossed title cards (and the over-the-top closing credit sequence) which looks just terrible and gaudy. Also, and this is probably a matter of taste, the music just doesn’t work. It bounces between B-movie monster flick highs,and ignorable background hiss lows. This style has been used very effectively in Lost, but it’s clear that Michael Giacchino is a one-trick pony.
Also, some of the sound design and mixing is a little old-fashioned (in a bad way), like punches and slaps sounding too sharp, like stock sound effects. But this is not something which really distracts from the film (except for post production junkies like me), but I think some people will notice it.
On the other hand, the editing is really good. Bad sound design and art direction can be safely forgiven, but bad editing can’t, and just like I said about the film’s pacing, the editing is pitch perfect. It’s snappy but not zippy. The other major post-production element, the CGI, is quite daring but not as groundbreaking as we’ve been led to believe. On the other hand, it fits very nicely with the style of the live action filmed elements and as is obvious, makes for the best and more realistic space battles ever seen in a Star Trek film.
The last thing I want to say (putting my fan hat back on) is that this film is good, but it’s not good in a way which gloats over the rest of Star Trek. This is a film which really will appeal to the casual audience, not because it’s a thrilling actioneer, but because it is true to what Star Trek is, and the truth is, people like Star Trek, even if they don’t think they do.
That’s the highest compliment I can give to this film: It will make fans out of regular moviegoers, and not just in a “I can’t wait for the next one” kind of way. The movie is so reverent to the Treks of years past, and really convinces you that, in fact, this *is* your father’s Star Trek, so much so that I think this movie will get people to check out the old shows and films.
I’ve got more to say, of course (we have a few years to debate this one), but that’s it for now. Until then, go see the movie, and bring your friends and family.
My main review. No major spoilers, but hints strongly at the fate of a couple of people so read with caution:
http://joblesshopelessworthless.blogspot.com/
But in short, I loved it. Not perfect, but all the bridge crew were great except Chekov, the story was very good if not great, and FX were out of this world, I liked the production design though agree with someone above that the bridge doesn’t feel like home.
If not the best Trek movie ever (Kahn of course) It is the most exciting, excillerating and action packed of them all.
8.5/10 if I had to give it rating.
Oh, and to agree with The Noble Robot, the product placement was shamefull, totally not Star Trek, and enraging.
rant over.
I was enraged to see such blatant product placement in a film of this calibre!
If there is one thing Star Trek should not be, it is that it should not be another medium for advertising space.
I was stunned into silence with the phenomenal and astronomically brilliant special effects. Simply amazing, in a word!
I was also rather dissapointed with the huge, nay, MASSIVe changes to the timeline.
The whole canon timeline has now been swept aside for something that might well not be… well… might not be any good.
The whole idea of the “temporal Prime Directive” has been swept aside. This would have been a Starfleet Directive that the character of Spock would have been all to aware, but instead this was ignored.
Not to mention the whole idea of “Section 31″ or “Temporal Investigations Dept”, one or both of which would have come back to prevent this change to the timeline.
No Vulcan means no possibliity of Spock being revived in the film “Search for Spock”. No Vulcan means that the various stories in TOS, TNG, DS9 etc are now meaningless…
Such a change wasn’t needed, but I’m sure JJ thinks he knows what he is doing.
I just hope that he puts things right in the next film.
Oh, and for the record… the new engine room and the “core” (when it was ejected) are totally awful.
Overall I think the film was a 7/10, but the changes to the timeline…. they get 2.5/10.
40. Phil 123: ‘Oh, and to agree with The Noble Robot, the product placement was shamefull,’
I think the opposite. I think the presence of Nokia communications, Budweiser beers and so on makes things far more believable. Shameful? No. Not at all.
‘totally not Star Trek, and enraging.’
That’s bollocks! Sorry, but this Star Trek is showing things we haven’t seen in the other films and shows. In Star Trek, we’ve never seen much of civilian life on Earth before this film. Reasonably, civilians will still go to the shops to buy something, someone will have to design it, manufacture it and market it.
Just because the military uses generic equipment doesn’t mean civilians do. Star Trek’s great limitation in the past is that all of its characters are in the Starfeet. This film shows us a little bit of how regular people live!
I am not a nitpicker in movies. But some things are sacred or “canon” and I certainly hope star trek 11 is not.
What a joke of a movie, essentially causing everything in TOS,TNG,DS9,VOY to become null and void. Unless we end up in the mirror mirror universe, or on yesterdays enterprise, star trek 11 has successfully brought the knife down on star trek.
The first hour is fine, exciting even, but the second hour drifts into a typical Hollywood blockbuster (I thought I was watching Transformers or Spiderman 3), with no respect to canon storylines.
The acting was great (9 out of 10), Character development was pretty good (8/10) – all main characters were covered well. The dialogue was pretty good between them and the bond/friendship between Spock, Kirk and bones was developing well. Scotty, Uhuru, Sulu and Chekov were all covered well in the short time a movie has available to it (although cheap laughs on Chekovs accent were silly).
The effects were great (9/10), but anyone with a laptop computer can make special effects these days.
The score was excellent (9/10), foreboding and uplifting. Dare I say it, it was star wars like.
The story – oh the story (0/10)… Checkov didn’t start on the Enterprise until season 2 of TOS – I can live with change.
Kirk’s dad didn’t die on the Kelvin – I can live with that change.
Vulcan getting destroyed on the timeline prior to kirk taking captainship of the enterprise – No, no, no. How can Spock or anyone go to Vulcan in TOS or TNG if its not there?? ( and don’t give me the new Vulcan colony as an alternative, for all intensive purposes Vulcan is the centrepiece of the star trek galaxy – and now they erased that from the timeline). How can Spock come back to life in TSFS after TWOK if Vulcan is not there?
Spocks mother dying – No, no, no. Spocks mum is a returning tour de force in TOS in helping spock develop as a Vulcan and human.
Uhura and Spocks relationship – No, no, no. Kirk and Uhuru made history by promoting an interracial kiss on TV. That can happen now (as oppose to an interspecies kiss).
The new timeline – this just doesn’t cut it. The “new timeline” mantra is a cheap way out. Why could they have just made a start up story to Kirks first 5 year voyage as captain? Oh why?
Leonard Nimoy saying the captains “Boldly go….”- No, no, no. That is the captains…
They say star trek needed a reboot, maybe so, but not a new story. Essentially the heart of star trek has been replaced by Hollywood blockbuster. The idea of this movie is purely economics – to get those people who are not familiar, or only vaguely familiar with star trek to go and see the movie. Which they will succeed in doing. Devout trek fans will be left out in the cold, alienated, and left quivering for what “could have been”. The process of making copious money has overtaken the rich history (or future) of star trek.
This movie will succeed in its goal and sell millions of tickets, it will be the highest grossing star trek film, and it will spawn sequels. Unfortunately it all is irrelevant as the timeline Roddenberry invented has now been wiped.
As far as I am concerned there are only 10 star trek films that are canon.
Ok before I get the reply “this movie is not a prequel, its a reboot”. Its not a reboot its a money making exercise. This star trek has nothing to do with the star trek universe except to get bums on seats and money for Hollywood studios.
Oh, I also wanted to add that the idea that Robert Ocri suggested that the “original universe is still intact”… what rot!
With the huge changes made in this film, there is not “original universe” unless the sequel puts everything right. Something I very much doubt will ever happen. :(
I can live in hope, but like those I went to see this film with, we doubt that it will ever be the same Trek again. Sadly…
41. knit it all: ‘The whole idea of the “temporal Prime Directive” has been swept aside . . . the whole idea of “Section 31″ or “Temporal Investigations Dept”, one or both of which would have come back to prevent this change to the timeline.’
Good riddance! They were boring!
‘No Vulcan means no possibliity of Spock being revived in the film “Search for Spock”.’
Assuming Spock dies battling Khan Singh in 15 years’ time!
‘No Vulcan means that the various stories in TOS, TNG, DS9 etc are now meaningless…’
Far from it. It simply means they happen a bit differently. Vulcan barely features after TOS anyway. Of course Tuvok probably got splatted . . . ha ha!!
‘. . .but I’m sure JJ thinks he knows what he is doing.’
Better than most of us!
‘I just hope that he puts things right in the next film.’
In other word his the coward button: the reset switch? Nope!
43. Dave: ‘Spocks mother dying – No, no, no. Spocks mum is a returning tour de force in TOS in helping spock develop as a Vulcan and human.’
And in death, it seems, she achieves the same thing!
‘Devout trek fans will be left out in the cold, alienated, and left quivering for what “could have been”. ‘
No, weirdoes with no lives will be left out in the cold, alienated, and left quivering for what “could have been”, while most people including Trek fans will be very happy! LOL!
44. knit it all: ‘Oh, I also wanted to add that the idea that Robert Ocri suggested that the “original universe is still intact”… what rot!’
It’s still there if you want it to be or it’s gone if you want it to be. Use your own imagination, rather than expect to be spoonfed! What next? An explanation for Khan not removing his glove?
‘like those I went to see this film with, we doubt that it will ever be the same Trek again.’
Good!
8.5/10
WOW! saw the movie at 6:30 at Imax in Melbourne, and there was a good vibe among the crowd even before the movie started.The star trek theme was playing before the movie, getting everyone in the mood beforehand.
The opening scene is amazing, just wished i could of seen more of Captain Robau.
Effects were spectacular, the character moments really hit home, the mannerisms and phrases of the crew all homaging the original’s performances, and there was even a slight cheer when Spock Prime appeared!
The only things that irked me were 1) The romance in the film was alluded to WAY too subtly before being slapping us in the face with it, and
2) the shaky ‘bay’ style camera work made it hard to follow the action scenes, although this could be because we are used to seeing starships always oriented the right way, and slow panning shots of the ships, not 360 views like JJ has done.
And of course, the defining moment was the final monologue by spock prime, which made us realise this movie was made just to get them on the bridge, the real adventures of the enterprise are still to come, and i say BRING IT ON!
45. Dom – May 7, 2009
you are the target audience. non trekkies. star trek achieved that goal. well done.
no need to get personal – “weirdoes with no lives “. Everyone has an opinion. Its a pity some cant say theirs without insult.
trekkies are the poeple who kept star trek alive for all these years. TOS never would have been re-aired, and subseqeunt shows made, had it not been for the positive action of so many “weirdo’s”.
This is definitely not “Roddenberry’s Star Trek”. Good or bad that is for each individual to decide.
Can anyone honestly say the motive behind this movie was to develop the star trek universe, as opposed to making a blockbuster. Good or bad that is what it was.
And as Aunt Sally said to Huck Finn – just because it is popular doesnt make it right.
Just got back from the movie and will be a Spock fan forever. Having said that there was one part of the plot I did not like, so ultimately I liked it as much as I thought I would.
By all means go see it even thought I gave it a 5/10.
I have to say I agree with Dave on this one. After years of eager anticipation for this spectacle, I have to say I left the theater 20 minutes ago feeling… left out. Disappointed might be more accurate, but its rather difficult to say where I actually fall on this movie.
I don’t want to rehash what has already been stated here on this message board, so I won’t delve into the specifics of each character, plot line, etc. I will say that the significant differences in “canon” were sufficiently explained away, at least enough for this hard core Trekker to not be too insulted that Captain Pike was promoted to Admiral rather than dieing on a training starship.
Was this an action packed blockbuster with amazing special effects that combined fun with sex and wit? Yes. So in that sense, mission accomplished. But I left the theater feeling like I had missed something. What it is I can’t yet quite put my finger on, but I think part of my issue has less to do with anything JJ or the Supreme Court consciously did, and rather what they took out.
I understand this movie was edited to fit a certain time frame, but there was just too much plot advancement at the beginning of the film to really allow me to get to know these actors, and the new light my favorite characters were being portrayed in. And why the hell is a super villian with superior technology from the future going to wait 25 YEARS before completeing his dastardly deed???
Obviously, my gripe has little to do with geeky, trekky “cannon” and more to do with story telling 101. Overall the plot was indeed engaging, and in general I liked the way the story was told… but there were times where things got a bit “out of control”, and in order to get things back on track I felt as if the director and/or the writers pulled some silly concepts out of their butt for the sake of keeping the story from derailing.
I mean, c’mon… Pike gets done lecturing Kirk about how the Federation is a vast interstellar “peacekeeping and humanitarian armada”, and yet there are NO STARSHIPS or commissioned personnel to help save Vulcan, that they are putting college kids in harm’s way? A stretch, to be sure.
And the ending… does Old Spock (or “Spock Prime” as he has been referred to on this website) ever go home? Did Nero just die? Temporal Prime Directive? Ok, so that gets a little too much into the whole canon side of geekdom, but I do in fact feel that there is too little character resolution.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I was entertained, thrilled in fact to see the dynamics between the actors and how their characters were reimagined by a new generation of writers and directors. By far the best performances came from Pegg and Urban, whos Scotty and McCoy were just spot on, in my humble opinion. Right behind them were of course Kirk and Spock, and seeing them start off as rivals was a very compelling new way to introduce them to a new audience. Kudos there to Orci and Kurtzman. The others… well… they were fine. But just like the original series, I know nothing new about them that I didn’t know 20 years ago.
However, there was just something missing. Perhaps an expository on George and Winnona Kirk may have helped, or had we spent some extra time on Vulcan with the young Spock, or even if we had spent more time at the Academy seeing Kirk and McCoy skip class… SOMETHING, ANYTHING. But alas, we jump right into sending these college kids out to presumably die, because there is no one else in the entire universe who can save the day.
Granted, I knew I was going to have to stretch my imagination a bit to make all of this work… but none the less, the issue is there. The most disappointing for me at least was the musical score. I believe it was jeff up above who claims that Giacchino’s score harkens back to the old days of Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner and of course Alexander Courage. I couldn’t disagree more. It wasn’t a bad score, I’ll grant you that. But most of the different films over the years can be identified by their signature sound, most notably Star Trek’s 1, 2, and First Contact. There was something unique there, something I had never heard before. In this installment, I felt like Giacchino pulled out an old Batman Returns sheet music piece and added a few notes to it. The best part of his set is the last song, a redux of the original Theme from the 1960’s.
When I sat down here at my computer, I really didn’t want this to be a negative review. My intent is not to bash the film, because it did what we all knew it was supposed to do, bring in EVERYONE. I just feel there was a few things missing, thats all… oh and my disappointment in Giacchino. The film was good, and I do recommend everyone see it… but don’t just say you “LOVE IT ITS THE BEST FILM EVER” just for the sake of saying so. Take a moment to really look into the plot, analyze what you’re seeing, and then make a judgement call.
Is the franchise in good hands?? You bet. But perhaps, the next time around, find a better editor. Don’t take so much out, let it run however long it needs to run!
The film lives up to my high expectations and more. The casting was superlative, and Winona Ryder brought a tear to my eye.
Bob Orci, resident Trekker, and Alex Kurtzman, really delivered a nice juicy chunk of Star Trek. The main crew was wonderful, and it worked on sever levels for me.
I wish these helmers the best Go get ‘em, guys!
Oh, and @Dom 45 & 46 , get off the keyboard, its past your bed time. Save the intelligent discourse for the big boys and girls.
well… i thought i´d be blown away!! for the first half of it i was… but then delta vega comes, and it´s downhill from there: it turns into a blurry tng sort of thing… storywise at least… but I definitely need to take a second look at it!!
everything else (character develpoment, FX, action sequences, etc!!) is a solid 9/10!!
This is the death of the franchise. This abomination of a movie does even more damage to the franchise than ST:NEMESIS and ENTERPRISE combined! Canon has been turned on it’s ear, brutally sodomized, and ripped to shreds by the people running the franchise like a mad child who’s found his father’s loaded AK-47! These people do not understand STAR TREK at all. And if any of you people who are so happily praising this movie are lifelong legacy fans, then you could be sold a heaping pile of deep-fried canine excrement as a meal! TRUE lifelong legacy fans should boycott anything CBS/PARAMOUNT, and anything ABC for that matter for their connection to J.J. Abrams through LOST, a show that I loved until seeing Abrams’ carnage tonight. Let’s hire some lawyers and file our class-action suit!
Just returned from seeing Star Trek at the IMAX. The baton has been passed. I am a TOS viewer, but I thought the movie was exceptional.. I would have like to see more conversation in the storyline rather than so much action. The one think that really drew me to Star Trek in the 60’s as a young preteen andthen the movies, was the intelligence of the show. It really showed interaction between the characters, more so than so much starship fights. I detected Star Wars in that , which I never cared for . Another thing was Spock’s mother did not die in the show or themovies, but she does in this movie. Maybe I missed something on the timeline, but did Nero destroy Vulcan. I need to see it again It is very fast paced, which the theater was jam=packed full of old and new trekkers. W E even had two people in Star fleet uniform there. OK, but as I mentioned the baton has been passed, not only from Shatner to Pine, or Nimoy to Quinto, but from the older trekkers to the new ones. LIfe goes on. Overall I would rate themovie a 7/10. I really would like to see them do something with the bridge , maybe add some color. Too much glare and reflection. Bridge did not impress me at all or the engine room.
54, they are casting for Trolls for the Hobbit film, I think you might want to go and try out.
The king is dead. Long live the king!
Well, after all this anticipation, I just saw the movie. It is definitely not my father’s Star Trek, nor is it mine. Mine died at the end of Star Trek VI 18 years ago (can that be right, 18 years?)
Still, this is a very good film. Good on every level, but that stupid lens flare and shaky camera robbed the viewer of so much. WIthout out those distractions, a great film indeed and well worthy of the mantle Star Trek. Perhaps this will be my sons’ Star Trek.
56, I’ll feed my beagle an extra-large meal and get that deep-fryer ready. I’ll only charge you $10, and if you want dessert…I have some cats that can accommodate you in that way as well. LOL
#54 – Speak intelligently first and stop trolling please.
After months of speculation, nitpicking and anticipation, J.J. Abrams reboot of the “Star Trek” franchise has hit the big screen in a fantastic, exciting and character-driven piece that is nothing short of remarkable, reinvigorating a franchise long thought dead. While it is by no means the best “Trek” film, it is still a great one nonetheless. While some fans may pick at some of the things in this film, I myself thought the story was great, and honored Gene Roddenberry’s epic vision. The cast was fantastic, and the visual effects and action sequences were something startling to behold. I recommend it to Trekkies and non-trekkies alike.
Grade: 9 out of 10, or A-
54 – You can spearhead the boycott from your mother’s basement.
Dave – It seems you maybe didn’t get the point of the film with the inconsistencies you have pointed out.
Just saw the new Trek….
Wow! Did THAT suck!
Nic Meyer, you’re still king.
JJ Abrams, thanks for nothing.
Just got back from watching it. Amazing! Even if it was my second time. Will probably watch again before the weekend is over.
I’ve been a trekker all my life, and I watched was really looking forward to this movie. I am pleased to report that I wasn’t disappointed.
The only issue I had with the film , which was said in some early reviews, is that it at times seemed like it was trying to essentially force characters into the spots they need to be for the sequel. This doesn’t bother me terribly though for one reason; I loved Batman Begins, but I think The Dark Knight was the better movie because everything was finally in place and their was no obligation to set anything up.
I will address a few minor gripes I had and how I would have dealt with them differently.
First: I found it completely unbelievable that Kirk could skip from a cadet to captain of a starship. This was almost so unbelievable that it could have undermined the entire movie if the rest of it wasn’t so well crafted.
What bothers me is that the writers didn’t need to engage in this, to quote a pointy eared friend, “most illogical” leap in rank. Instead of flashing to the academy years when Kirk was a cadet, why not jump to him coming back for command training after a few years on a starship or something? I think that it would have actually made more sense to have the Kobiyashi Maru as some kind of test for command applicants. It would have also made his sudden promotion to captain much more credible.
Second: I hated Chekov. I just didn’t get his purpose. Most of the other characters’ entries were fairly seamless, however why not save a few. It feels like it would have made more sense to introduce him as some new whiz kid in the sequel.
Finally: I just want to repeat… this was definitely the best trek since WOK. What most excites me is that they now have license to explore the endless plotl ines that were introduced in the original series when it was on television. A lot of the ideas for episodes could definitely be expanded into feature length films. I hope they tap this resource (ie I would love to see a feature length Space Seed or The Doomsday Machine).
Also, like I said I am a lifelong trekker. But given the plot complications, part of me kind of just wishes that they had said f&*k it, and done a clean reboot without the need to explore time travel or anything.
48. dave – May 7, 2009
I’m a Trekkie, I loved the film, and it IS Roddenberry’s Trek….just a different presentation of it. The characters are still there, just channeled through new actors. I think they did a beautiful job with it. You don’t speak for all Trekkies..so get over yourself.
My review: I’ll keep it short and sweet.
8/10
There were some ‘convenient’ moments, and I felt Nero could have handled a bit more back story, but I understand that they were trying to keep the story moving at a brisk pace…it just felt a bit too brisk at times.
The new design of the ship looked much better on screen, and I think it fit the look of this movie. The original ship wouldn’t have fit here, not because it would look back on screen…it just wouldn’t fit the style.
Overall, I loved the film. Very well done and I look forward to an even stronger sequel.
Must go to sleep, saw the movie at 7:00 at Rainbow Cinema’s in London, Ontario, Canada. All in all, I understand the cannon issues, the universe reset, reboot concerns. but it turned out to be a very good movie, 9.75 outta 10.
50. The Beezer – May 7, 2009
“…. at least enough for this hard core Trekker to not be too insulted that Captain Pike was promoted to Admiral rather than dieing on a training starship. ”
Pike never died in the original universe either.
Just returned from seeing Star Trek. I’ll start by saying I’ll give it 8.5 out of 10. This is my first gut reaction without thinking too much about it. And they say go with your first instinct. So 8.5 it is.
Things that prevented a higher score.
Too much camera jitter. Very annoying.
Lens flares. Again, too distractng.
Not long enough. Not enough time for more character development and a decent story. You’re bringing this whole crew together as a launch for at least two more movies?. What about Scotty’s past? McCoy’s past? etc…
The inside of a Star ship looked liked the entrails of a hydro electric power plant.
Things that gave it a higher score.
Without a doubt the cast was brilliant. It would be too difficult to single out one or two. Cudos across the board
LIttle touches of script to remind you of TOS.
The movie and screenplay were resonable. Nothing spectacular, but compared to the last 2 movies, almost anything half decent was going to succeed. Having some real money and decent budget certainly helps as well.
Good luck on the next one Bob and Alex. The expectations will be higher, and not as forgiving as I was for this one.
I got back about an hour ago from seeing it and I’m still pumping with adrenaline and have a smile from ear to ear. This met all of my expectations. Every actor captured the spirit of the original actor but still made the roll their own. Also, the bits and little homages to the Trekkies abound. From elements that some have wanted to see for a long time to actual shots mirroring shots from previous films (Enterprise Torpedo shot in Star Trek III), they really put a whole lot of easter eggs in there. The production design was top notch. Everything made sense from the view that JJ was taking. Overall a solid film and by far the best Trek Movie to grace the silver screen in a long time. I’d put it up there with Star Trek II. If I can get my hands on some more money, I’m going to go see it again.
oh well… i feel i might have been too harsh with the “downhill from delta vega”, “blurry tng thing” comment… i take it back!!!
I LOVED it but i need a second viewing (plus i got really distracted midway through: too much soda, my bad, had to run out during platform battle)…
need to say it was full of emotional moments, easter eggs and the like… plus great scenes in space and with all the characters… I LOVED IT!!
Okay, just got back from seeing it. Here we go.
First, I am a 21 year old TNG fan, never was a huge fan of TOS, but loved their movies.
The movie was fast. Too fast. I understand that Trek needed to be sped up, but not quite this much. Don’t get me wrong, I like that they talk faster, the action scenes were right, but the plot moved too fast. I wanted them to just take a breath after big things happened, but they really didn’t. Every single scene was “in your face”. And again, that is great for movies, but I worry that the average moviegoer will be confused in trying to understand the plot. As the NPR reviewer said, ‘by the middle of the movie, who cares if you understand what’s going on, just have fun’, and I completely agree. Again, Trek fans should understand (we are used to time travel, although I NEVER want to see it be used again), but I don’t think most people will.
The acting was superb. I mean, really superb. Music was absolutely brilliant (sounds much better in the film than on the soundtrack). SFX were awesome. And I can’t wait for the sequel, but next time, no time travel.
Overall 7.5/10
Where were the Enterprise’s and Kelvin’s large interior scenes filmed at: the inside of a old abandoned DOW chemical plant, or was it Proctor and Gamble?
Film is going to be one of the greatest blockbusters of the year and will easily out-profit all previous Trek films.
Scope is epic – NEVER seen anything like this in Trek.
Casting perfect. Bruce Greenwood as Pike amazing.
Love the subtle nods to past Trek: The tribble, Admiral Archers Beagle
NO role mis-cast
Film needs to be seen multiple times – so much going on all the time. Constant moving, constant action.
Nimoy’s role not a cameo; very, very poignant.
Not clear if previous “Original” time line survives.
New timeline brilliant: Allows real danger: Could not believe who dies, what gets destroyed.
Nimoy as Spock cries. Spock prime from 2387. Love the new star dates: Movie takes place in 2258.
Enterprise is just fine; yes very advanced but believable. The ship works.
Writers learned from past mistakes of spending too much time with villain talking (Insurrection, Nemesis). Nero appears as needed to advance story.
Not sure how history web sites Trek will treat “history”: Best to make it its own universe.
Bridge is phenomenal. Lens flares not as bothersome as I thought.
Ben Cross as Sarek is exceptional; but I missed Mark Lenard. RIP. Sarek’s admission that he loves Amanda – powerful.
Winona Rider fine as Amanda. Would have liked to see more.
Romance between Uhura and Spock felt very natural and not forced.
Chekov brilliant – saves the day more than once.
LOVED how Kirk gets on the Enterprise.
Uhura FINALLY important team member.
Scotty mostly played for laughs, not a great deal of screen time. Accent perfect.
First minutes of movie breathtaking; NEVER seen Trek this large.
Kobayashi Maru was hilarious; Kirk’s actions (and eating an apple) nice not to Wrath of Khan.
Music awesome.
Special effects beyond belief.
Vulcan council speaks of Spock’s “disadvantage” and elaborates that he is half human. When he rejects their admission offer, his “Live long and prosper” can be translated as, “Go screw yourselves.”
Destruction of seven starships far more effective than anything scene before.
Dynamic between Pine and Quinto is comparable to Shatner and Nimoy.
Love how the view screen is a window.
Warp effect excellent.
Dedicated to Gene and Majel – very appropriate.
Beautiful to have Nimoy’s “Space the final frontier.”
Death of George Kirk heartbreaking
All set designs feel familiar – and new.
Spock to Kirk: “: out of the chair!”
Kirks’ promotion a little too quick; some events DO happen too fast but that’s OK.
Beyond perfect; beyond brilliant.
Mr. Abrams, Mr. Orci, Mr. Kurtzman, and Mr. Nimoy: THANK YOU.
I was excited to hear the new “Star Trek” movie score by Michael Giacchino, so I went to the mall and picked up the only copy at FYE. This should have clued me in – it most certainly was an omen. I have always been interested in the thematic components of great scores, and was hoping for a continuation in the tradition of “Star Trek” scores by Goldsmith, Horner, McCarthy et al, and was gravely disappointed. Giacchino is certainly no hack, as it takes talent to undertake an orchestral score, but they sent a minor league player into the big league, and it was an embarrasment. After the first complete listening to the score, I regretted my purchase, and really wanted to return it.
The fifteen tracks have a John Tesh-like treatment of a five note theme that is repeated ad naseam. There is only one track that has a weird string sound that stands out from the rest of the score. Even the classic Trek theme by Courage and Roddenberry is polluted with the trivial new theme. One of the statements by J.J. Abrams about the story being about characters is never translated to the music. I was hoping for themes for the characters to enjoy a la John Williams, but it never materialized.
I am one of the first to get a ticket for the movie, and still have high hopes for it, but to quote Han Solo – ” I have a bad feeling about this.”
————————————————————–
Just returned from the theatre….oh,my Solo was right.
I give it 5 out of 10…The acting is good, the effects are passible, the music is a sham. What always drew me to the program was the story and the characters…but bottom line, was the sense of hopefullness that Roddenberry instilled. He also gave limitations to the world they inhabited. I feel that the movie will appeal to the ipod generation; after all the Enterprise does look like the Apple store. With the dispatching of Vulcan, and Spock’s mother Amanda, it feels like a free for all to all that has passed, and make that old world as disposible as a Whopper (tie-in duly noted). To an old Trekker like myself, it feels as if the world is heeping praise on something the level of Star Trek:Enterprise – BLEAH!
Long story short, my website has my review of the film, but I am more excited about a sequel than this film.
One amazeing movie experience
Review by
Justin Burton Co Executive Producer
Star Trek Lexington
Ok To Start the night off.
I arrived to people accutally waiting out side an (hour and a half early i might add.)
To watch Star Trek 2009
To simply put this experience
WOW!
The new movie revamps the series. It does indeed explore the origns of the cast we know and love.
Its action pact from the second the opening theme ends. Its done in such a way
That it keeps you on the edge of your seat threw out the entire experience.
From the first scenes on the Kelvin To the last few of the movie ( No Spoilers here sorry ) It just invisions the universe in such a way that is true to what Star Trek is all about. The Human Experience .
Everything Feels so real to the ship to the warp drive. Each of the cast plays their role to the letter and the Kirk and Spock Relaitionship comes along in a way that would make sence in the trekverse.
This movie is WORTH every penny of Ticket Cost! Every LAST Dime! Dont watch this one online as it will take from the experience!
Everything from the new sets to the new Enterprise her self The music score is AWSOME and plays homage to Treks past.
This is one fan boy who is Truely Pleased with the new movie. All The Naysayers Yes you know who you are.! Can Rest Easy Star Trek is in Good Hands With JJ and the new Cast.!
WELL DONE Guys Well Done Indeed.!
Star Trek is back. And, in a manner of speaking, its never been back quite like this.
I sat back in my seat, not knowing quite what to expect despite a deluge of spoilers, trailers, and hints, and ultimately I realized the very best way to let this new Trek was to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride – to let Trek weave itself around you like a great, immersive ride you know exists only in fantasy. And despite Trek’s two-hour running time, you knew the time would pass too quickly. Surely, just as I got to know these new characters, it was time to let them go again. It truly is an epic ride you didn’t want to end.
There’s no practical way to describe this realization of Trek in Trek’s own terms, because Trek has never been done quite like this before. To say this is a reboot of the Trek franchise is to do a disservice to the broader soul of this movie, because it doesn’t just reboot, it *reimagines* Trek. It is a brilliant way of blowing things apart, sometimes literally, to keep everything together.
Are there shocking moments? Yes. Are there frightening moments? Surely. Does everything work? Almost, but no; however, in most cases, the things that don’t work are nitpicks.The score is only average; some of the Enterprise interiors don’t look like those of a “new” ship, but such notes are secondary. Do they mess with canon? You can’t answer that with a simple “yes” or “no,” but if your only reason to see the movie is to rationalize a predisposition to dislike it merely for the notion of tampering with canon, then don’t bother. This movie is an epic tale told on a massive scale, a new painting on the corner of a fresh canvas with characters we all know, but have a chance to know all over again. That’s delightfully unique in pop culture, and leave it to Trek and the Abrams crowd to figure out a way to make it happen. It is a mammoth undertaking to make everything old somehow new again, and darned if Abrams didn’t just pull it off.
How can you describe this Trek? Intense. Driven. Purposeful. And this brand of Trek will find itself drawn to different kinds of stories in its future. This Trek probably won’t be spending a lot of time in the briefing room, and its hard to imagine someone like Jean Luc Picard commanding anything resembling a ship following the genesis of this Enterprise. And if that all doesn’t make sense, once you see the movie, it will. And to be sure, Leonard Nimoy’s presence is brilliantly conceived, and just as brilliantly portrayed.
There’s a wonderful and different future ahead for Trek, one with stories untold like a blank sheet of paper in an old-guard typewriter. And the vigorous way this Trek promises to tell those stories could best be summed up in the response of my wide-eyed 13-year-old son, just as the credits rolled…
“That was awesome.”
Nuff said.
It is unfortunate that Star Trek fans have devolved into the kind of people that killed the original series to begin with. Unbending to new ideas, resentful that what they have held as an absolute truth for 40 years has been challenged, and unable to break from the past. Whats more, unless Trek can pull in a new and younger audience, then the truth is that Trek, as an industry, is done.
Fact, post nemesis, the prospect of another Trek movie was dead.
Fact, post Star Trek Enterprise. the prospects of another Trek TV series were dead.
Fact, is this movie bombs, then Trek is dead. In my view, it is a great Trek film. J.J. did not ignore the fans, he embraced them. But he also made this movie accessible to the general public. Is that a bad thing? Is reacting out to a larger audience a bad thing?
You know what’s been killing the franchise? Not bad movies, or TV Shows or novels. What has been killing the franchise are fans who think that because they have invested so much time in the Trek Universe, they are “owed” something by it. Great bird forbid that Trek try something new and different, because a small but vocal minority will scream heretic. They will threaten boycotts and law suits and pledge their undieing support to some other sci fi franchise because “Trek” has betrayed them, never once realizing that Trek hasn’t turned it’s fictional back on them, but that they have become so entrenched in their investment in the property that they are either unwilling or unable to accept any change in the status quo. Even is that status quo is over 40 years old and moribund. Trek is moribund, and will either live on as the combined vision of JJ and Gene, or it will die a solitary death caused by the very people who love it the most.
66.
no you are not.
Three years. That is how long I have been looking forward to this movie (and most of you, I’m sure). From the moment it was first announced in April 2006 up through today, my anticipation for this movie has steadily increased. Tonight, I finally got to see if the waiting and anticipating was worth it. And holy crap, was it ever.
In simple terms, “Star Trek” is awesome! I have been a Trek fan for many years and have seen every movie and every episode of every TV show and none of them thrilled me as much as this one. This is quite possibly the best Trek ever, and it’s definitely one of the best movies I have ever seen.
Director J.J. Abrams and writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman have outdone themselves by doing what many believed was impossible. They have not only revitalized the Trek franchise by making a great sci-fi/action saga that would appeal to a wider audience, they have done so while maintaining the spirit of the original “Star Trek” series.
The extent to which the writers alter Trek history might be met with anger by those I call “Trek Extremists,” but the story is so good and the characters so lovingly written, I did not see it as a huge issue. In fact, I think it was a smart move. After all, if the movie was set in the old timeline, there would be little suspense or surprises because we already know what happens to the characters. As controversial as it may be, the writers handled it beautifully and without a hint of disrespect. They definitely know their stuff.
The recasting of Kirk, Spock, and the other iconic characters from the original Trek is perfect, and the performances are top notch. There was as much care in casting as there was in writing the movie. All of the actors do wonderful jobs with their characters, with the standouts being Simon Pegg’s Scotty and Karl Urban’s McCoy. The supporting cast does great work, as well, particularly Bruce Greenwood, who owns the role of Captain Pike.
My only real issue with the movie is the lack of screentime given to Winona Ryder (Amanda, Spock’s mother), Jennifer Morrison (Winona, Kirk’s mother), Clifton Collins, Jr. (Ayel, Nero’s henchman), and especially Eric Bana as the film’s villain, Nero. All did good work in their roles, I just wish we could have seen more of them. There were a few other very minor things about the movie that didn’t work for me, but they’re so minor they’re not even worth mentioning.
The visual effects are possibly the best I have ever seen in any film, certainly in any Trek film. Industrial Light & Magic and Visual Effects Supervisor Roger Guyett have surpassed all of their prior work, in my humble opinion. The visuals were nothing short of awe-inspiring, yet, at the same time, they didn’t completely rule the movie. Make no mistake, the stars of this movie are the characters, not the effects.
“Star Trek” is full of almost non-stop action, but it also has a lot of humor and a lot of heart. Did everything about it work? No, of course not. But most of it did work, and it worked brilliantly. I commend Abrams, Orci, Kurtzman, and everyone else who helped make this Trek a truly glorious enterprise. Like “The Dark Knight” before it, “Star Trek” lives up to the hype, and it was most definitely worth the three years of waiting and anticipation.
One of the marketing slogans for the Star Trek (2009) was: “This is not your father’s Star Trek…”
True enough, if they were talking about my father. But if the statement was directed at my 22-year-old daughter, the statement is incorrect.
It is my Star Trek, only it’s been reimagined through a 21st century lens by writers Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman, and director J.J. Abrams.
When I saw first saw Star Trek in 1966, it was through a mid-to-late 20th century lens from forty-plus years ago. Much has changed in our technology since then; much has changed in the technology and special effects of filmmaking. And boy is it evident with Star Trek (2009), in very exciting and positive ways.
What is seen and experienced in Star Trek (2009) may very well be what would have been seen and experienced, had Gene Roddenberry not created the series in 1966, and it only now came out as a bold and fresh new story. The franchise has been truly updated and revamped, and properly so, through contemporary eyes; the movie is truly an incredible and fascinating ride. The special effects, the cinematography, and the scoring all worked in perfect pitch together. The tight script was full of homages to these beloved and enduring characters, and the story worked quite well for me. Also, there was plenty of humor, which is something that Star Trek always had from the early days.
While Star Trek (2009) is full of action and is very fast-paced, the central fascination for me was the development of the friendship and teamwork of two science-fiction icons: James T. Kirk and the half-human, half-Vulcan Spock. When the two first meet, they are pitted against one another. Much of the movie centers around how these two great characters work through their differences to form a formidable team.
Having cut my teeth on these two characters at an early age, I was acutely aware of the nuances of each character, and I can confidently say that Chris Pine (as Kirk) and Zachary Quinto (as Spock) nailed them. Both parts were played to near perfection without mimicry of the original actors William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.
The supporting cast was also well done. Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy was exceptional. Zoe Saldana (Uhura), Simon Pegg (Scotty), John Cho (Sulu) and Anton Yelchin (Chekov) were all very well played. Bruce Greenwood as Captain Christopher Pike was outstanding.
After a powerful tear-jerking prologue that culminates with the death of George Kirk (the father of James Kirk), we find that an “alternate reality” has been set in motion. While many things have stayed as we knew them in the original Star Trek, there have been some notable changes (and I thought they worked well). Chief among them, James Kirk has been raised without his father George Kirk, who in the prologue dies in battle with the movie’s villain, a rogue Romulan name Nero (played very well by Eric Bana). Also among the changes we see in this alternate reality is that Uhura very much has an unexpected love interest. Cool.
The villain Nero has come back in time, seeking retribution for an event that occurred in the future. He wishes to destroy the Federation and a certain Vulcan who he believes had an integral role in the destruction of his home planet, Romulus. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), of the original timeline, and Nero have both been inadvertently sent back in time through the black hole that destroyed Nero’s planet, and both have ended up 120 years in the past. Nero’s battle with the USS Kelvin alters the original time line (starting with the death of George Kirk).
I know that some have remarked that they could not accept the field promotion of James Kirk from Starfleet cadet to First Officer of the Enterprise. This did not bother me. I know that Captain Pike obviously sees enormous potential in the young Kirk, and correctly so, and so acts on his instincts to promote him. Case closed. A captain of a starship is quite powerful.
My non-Trekkie wife greatly enjoyed the movie right along with me. We both will see it again soon. I allowed her to rate it first, on a scale of four stars; she instantly said “Four stars.”
I completely agreed.
After the movie, my wife told me that she now envied me, because of my knowledge of and familiarity with these incredible characters, all of whom have been reinvigorated in this wonderful new adventure.
Star Trek is now guaranteed to live long and prosper, thanks to Abrams, Orci and Kurtzman, who took a huge and gutsy chance. Well, it worked, just like James Kirk told Spock it would work, despite the chances being less than five percent (you’ll know where I get this from when you see the movie). I now am extremely anxious to see another adventure with this new Enterprise crew.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, because in my opinion, this movie totally kicked ass.
According to trekmovie.com’s scale, 9.9.
I love everything about the new movie!!! I had one joygasm after another while watching it!
Haters be damned, this movie put Trek back on the rails. and I could not possibly be more pleased!!!!
IT’S BACK!!!!!!!!!!
I give the Movie a 10/10. It is great. The acting is superb, the direction is great, and Nimoy is wonderful as always.
The first seven minutes of the movie with the USS Kelvin almost made me cry, and I DON’T cry. It truly demonstrates the scope of the movie. After that they show the basic set up of the characters, which is done wonderfully. This includes two amusing scenes of young Kirk, and young Spock.
After that, the movie speeds up, and the story, acting, directing, everything is great. I won’t get into too much detail here because I don’t want to give too many spoilers away. But it is great.
The only two small problems I have with the movie are the extremely rapid ascension of Kirk’s rank, and how they work out the different timelines. I am fully expecting that the timelines will be dealt with properly by the end of the ‘hopefully’ trio of movies. (I can’t imagine that Orci and Kurtsman could let it end any other way.
Other than that, ST09 is one of or is the best.
Oh, and everyone should see a great photo of Wil Wheaton right after he saw the movie. The link is on the tidbits for t-1 day.
WooHoo! Star Trek is BACK!
So I have waited to post my review of Star Trek until now out of respect for all of those who would be seeing it tonight. That being out of the way, I can not contain my thoughts any longer. So, your first question… who cares what I think of the new Star Trek movie?
Well here is some perspective. Star Trek has been one constant through my entire forty years of existence. I discovered it when I was a toddler and immediately fell in love with the characters and the stories. I can not begin to tabulate the countless hours I have spent living in the world of the United Federation of Planets. The hours I ran through the playgrounds, doing shoulder rolls and flipping open a toy communicator, believing that Scotty would beam me up. The years of reading every book, every comic, collecting cards, hanging posters on the walls and enjoying the 79 hours of adventure of the starship Enterprise.
When sadness or sorrow would come crashing into my young world, there were those members of the crew, ready to take me everywhere from Tantalus IV to Wrigley’s Pleasure planet.
As I got older, and discovered Star Wars, the crew of the Enterprise lived peacefully with the Rebels and the Skywalkers.
I remember how excited I was for STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE. How THE WRATH OF KHAN affected me and when I went on THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK.
I enjoyed the NEXT GENERATION, and was thrilled to have more adventures, but it was always the Original Series that was my favorite, as the explored strange new worlds, I could quote every line.
Now, there is a new STAR TREK movie. I have been so anxious to see a new adventure set in that original series timeline. I was fortunate, thanks to my great friend Jon Donahue to attend a screening at Paramount in California. The absolute best way to see a paramount movie is in the Paramount screening room. As the lights came down, I was nervous. This was a huge part of my life. So how was it?
The new Star Trek movie is everything I hoped for and so much more. It feels like someone found a lost episode of the original series and we are seeing it for the first time. The story is as good as any previous Trek adventure and most importantly it combines the elements that the best Trek always did. It is dramatic, exciting and funny. The cast is absolutely amazing. They are not imitating the original actors, but capturing what it was that made them work. Chris Pine is Captain Kirk. He plays the role with the same energy and swaggering demeanor that William Shatner did. Zachery Quinto, Karl Urban, and Simon Pegg are Leonard Nimoy, Deforest Kelly and James Doohan. The chemistry, the intensity, the collaboration… it is all there. Eric Bana plays the villain with perfect vengeance and is a true threat to the Universe.
There are moments in the story that will have you laughing, and then gasping. Events happen that shake you, because you care. How rare in the movies of today.
The visual design of the movie is exactly what serves the story. That is the biggest compliment. There is really nothing that is done for the sake of nodding at the camera. It all serves the story, which is a skewed reality of the Original series. What the screenwriters have done is what the best trek always did. It has placed the characters who work so well together in a new situation.
Leonard Nimoy is brilliant. His entrance is priceless. The music is brilliant, in fact I would dare say the best score to a trek movie next to WRATH OF KHAN. The action sequences are brilliant. I beamed as I watched Kirk and Spock side by side fighting off the bad guys with Phasers.
I can’t wait for more new adventures with my old friends. Thank you JJ Abrams and cast and crew for respecting the material and crafting a brilliant story. This is the Summer of Star Trek.
For all the naysayers saying that cannon was “raped and sodomized” (come on, really?) I have the following quote:
Here’s what Gene [Roddenberry] said in an interview just before he died in August 1991; somebody had asked him, ‘What’s going to become of Star Trek in the future?’ And he said that he hoped that some day some bright young thing would come along and do it again, bigger and better than he had ever done it. And he wished them well.
— Richard Arnold, Roddenberry’s assistant
This is exactly what Abrams did, he took it and made it bigger and better.
I think it was fitting that an alternate universe was created, that way you can do bigger and more meaningful things.
In the past ten Star Trek films, we may have received some tragic incidents (i.e. Spock dying, Data dying, Kirk dying) but to be honest, those things (well other than Kirk) have been reversed in either subsequent films or in the Countdown comics. However, this film dared to take a portion of the story’s universe away that can never be given back and that was the planet Vulcan and Amanda Greyson.
If this film had to stay within the lines of cannon, we would have gotten an ending that would have either negated the entire film we just saw, or tied everything back into a neat little package in a way that would be implausible.
I found this film to be funny, shocking, exciting, and tragic (all at different times of course). I liked the fact that this film was epic and took risks and, in my opinion (and seeming to be the prevailing opinion) it worked.
I feel this is the new life that Star Trek needed in order to get the respect from the masses it deserves. It was a lot of the fans who killed Trek by critizizing everything that didn’t fully match cannon, but if we keep a bit of an open mind to allow for good sorry telling, we can save Trek.
10/10
One thing this movie is awesome. The alternate time line thing throws canon people into a frenzy but oh well. This movie is worth seeing two or three more times. The actors nail the parts great while making them their own. The action is awesome and i lovethe scene where crew men olsen with the red suit goes with Kirk and Sulu and guess who isn’t comeing back lol. I belevie Trek is back with a vengence. But i feel a sequel to this is going to be hard to top. but I can’t wait for more.
The villian could have done more is my only complaint but its a very small complaint.
Very well done. wow, this movie may actually get me to buy the crappy palymates figures after all.
I could not wait for Thursday May 7th to arrive. I dreaded the long hours at work and to top it all off I came down with a cold. But I would not let the droning on of complaining customers or the relentless attack of my sinuses spoil what was potentially the best movie of the summer and a movie who’s idea and story line I hold close to my personality. I’m so glad a team of writers, producers, actors, and directors brought back and more importantly brought life into such an iconic symbol as is the story of “Star Trek.” The movie revitalizes the aging franchise, I choose not to say “dying franchise” as some have because I actually enjoyed movies like First Contact and Nemesis. Every character in this movie is spot on, some characters exceed their talent ( this is very evident in Karl Urbans Dr. McCoy) Of course this is a movie for “movie people” and they might wonder why some “Trek Fans” chuckle a bit when we hear McCoy speak, or when Scotty desperately tries to hold the ship together but I assure the “movie fans” our Trekkers have such right. This film is non stop action from start to finish an unlike some action films who use the “action tactic” as a ploy to avoid the obvious holes in the story, Star Trek has a story that holds plenty of water. A tale not only of revenge but of conflict, a story not only of fear and terror but of heroism. JJ Abrams and crew find the perfect way to bring an obvious inexperienced crew together in the face of such odds. But one does not work without the other and this is true of the USS Enterprise. The writers have stayed very true to personifying the ship to hearts of the crew, a sovereign vessle, perhaps underestimated by the enemy and full of suprises. The villain Nero is played perfectly by Eric Bana, my interest in him peaked when he encountered the Enterprise and began hailing. His nonchalant attitude towards Captain Pike and genious. I was also impressed with how in some way you felt bad for Nero because of his past, a man who lost control of his mind and let his heart and revenge filled soul take over. It was also wonderful to see Leonard Nimoy on screen again. I cant count the years I’ve waited to see Spock again, a Spock of the wise and collected though it was interesting to see a much younger Spock in his more “emotionally conflicted” days (rightfully so). Go see this movie, take pictures with your friends and where a Star Trek shirt because I promise you that you will leave the theater waiting and wanting more.
I don’t wanna give a whole review but I will say, if you are a Star Trek fan this movie is a MUST SEE!!! I caught the 7pm IMAX showing here in NYC and everybody in the audience stood and clapped at the end! That to me is a sign of a EXCELLENT movie!!! The cast just had their parts NAILED, the plot WORKED and the CGI was AWESOME!!! Whatever your plans are this weekend make sure you it!!! I give it a SOLID 10!!!
I went and saw the movie a second time and it was better the second time around. There was so much you miss the first tme. This viewing, I was able to catch some of the detail that I had missed. I realized JJ and his team really did put a lot of thought into this movie and it does need to be viewed twice to fully appreciate it. My only gripe was Nero could have been a stronger villian.
By the end of the second viewing, I felt that these actors were Capt Kirk and Spock and Bone etc. I never thought after watching TOS as many times as I have since 1966, that anyone could fill their shoes but this cast did. Kudos to JJ and all the actors for taking a daunting task and making it work.
Spock and Uhura?! Did we really have to go there?! I mean, did we REALLY have to go there?
Aside from that, the film was everything I could have hoped for and more. I cried, I laughed, I wrung my hands in anxious fury… this movie took me through a rollercoaster ride of intense emotion and deposited me on the other side thoroughly depleted. Bravo to the writers and production team for this thrilling experience I intend to take advantage of time and again while it is in theatres, and again as soon as the DVD comes out.
All Hail Star Trek!
7 out of 10
My fave Trek film is “First Contact.” (Which in my mind is a 9 out of 10)
Definitely left me wanting more. Felt too short. Maybe a little rushed. Had me wondering if there were huge chunks of scenes deleted to make the film shorter and placate the “newbies.” (UN-CUT VERSION ON DVD PLEASE!)
But, that only means people will want the sequel. This is good.
In that sense, this is akin to the first X-Men film. We were all blown away that a comic book movie could be so real, awesome, and tangible. But we were left feeling as thought the entire movie was just a set-up for something greater to come.
Same with this one. Can’t wait for the next movie, as it will be a ‘New Star Trek’ film proper.
FAVES:
- The entire Kelvin scenes. Most thrilling. Most emotional.
- McCoy
- Chekov
- Pike (He’s more badass than Robau.)
LAME:
- Spock Prime scenes didn’t feel as integral. Felt contrived.
- Why was the instigating incident not shown in real-time? Felt distanced from it because it was shown via mind-meld and holo-projection on the Narada.
- What is up with the cheesy “villain confesses-all” dialogue? Expected better from the writers. (Maybe blame it on the strike. They couldn’t do re-writes on set.)
- Unrealistic for all the main crew to be last-minute replacements. So unrealistic.
- Reveal of the Enterprise was totally uninspiring, although clearly it was meant to be. There was no beauty shot. Even the first wideshot of it didn’t contain the entire ship, but cut it off at the tail end, making the ship look weird and out of balance.
- Tyler Perry. Distracting as hell. He’s too famous as himself. I kept thinking, “That’s Tyler Perry. That’s Tyler Perry.”
WISHES
- Wish there was at least one shot where it makes you feel like you’re flying through space. With today’s tech and it being on IMAX i was expecting at least 5 seconds of such a shot.
Just got home from the 7:00 showing and all the way home I just kept saying WOW! I am a huge fan of TOS and I absolutly love this movie and rate it a resounding 10. Fantastic story, awesome characters, great music and topped off with awesome performances from all…especially Leonard Nimoy. Can’t wait to see it again. WOW!
I just saw the film about an hour ago. Here’s my review of Star Trek. A film the trek community has been waiting in many ways 40 years for. The story we all know already, so there’s no point in restating the obvious. The film is a prequel and a sequel. An origin tale and a continuation (for a certain character). The film has many strengths and a couple of weaknesses. Let’s start with the strengths:
The first thing that works is that finally filmmakers was given the resources to create Star Trek on a scale that is bigger than a TV show. This film is the biggest Star Trek movie in terms of production value. The Enterprise feels like a huge, massive ship with many levels, each with its own characteristics. The Narada feels and looks dangerous, just like a 24th CENTURY Romulan ship should be. I liked how the engineering room of the Enterprise actually felt and looked like an engineering room. The costumes, production design and, of course, the ILM visual effects were all amazing and top-notch. This is the best looking Star Trek movie for sure.
The second thing that works is the cast. I still miss Shatner, but not as much as I thought I would. These actors make these characters their own and I look forward to seeing where they take them. Pine has the swagger and confidence of Shatner, so that you can see that Pine’s Kirk will eventually become Shatner’s Kirk minus the Shatnerisms. The same pretty much across the board, although Quinto’s Spock feels more like a raging psychopath a lot of the time. For the first time ever, I was afraid of Spock. Nimoy is awesome as Spock, as if there was any surprise. I really loved the allusions to Shatner’s Kirk that Spock sprinkled through out the story. It was nice to know that Orci/Kurtzman and Abrams didn’t forget that and acknowledged it. Of the entire cast, Karl Urban I thought was the one channeling the original actor the most. The way he delivers his lines is almost a spot on DeForest Kelly, but that’s okay because we see that this Dr. McCoy is a broken man almost with nothing left, but his Bones. :)
I thought the action was pretty good with the opening action beat being easily the best and most emotional. I nearly was in tears by the time that sequence was over. The space dive was also pretty cool too along with Vulcan exploding.
Now onto the things that in my opinion worked, but not as good. The first is Nero, who is barely in the movie. Bana delivers a very interesting performance and I really wanted to see more of him, but we barely see him at all. I think the villain of the piece was weak and quite frankly, one of the biggest missed opportunities of the movie. I wanted to see him involved more in the plot. The way we are introduced to Nero is so awesome that I wanted to see more of him, but we didn’t get anything else. Bana has the acting chops, but they didn’t give him anything to do.
The time travel bit was a clever way of joining the two timelines together, but at times it was a little confusing to be honest and brought up several questions that were kind of gapping story holes like what was Nero doing for 25 years out in space and why didn’t other ships ever see him or the Narada. It wasn’t like he had a clocking device on and a ship that futuristic and big is hard to miss. Also, I thought Kirk being dropped on the same ice planet where Spock Prime was at was kind of way too convenient from a story perspective.
Also, the next thing that kind of bothered me was that there was not enough space battles between the Enterprise and The Narada. I wanted to see Kirk on the bridge battling Nero ala Kirk and Khan. I only counted two space battles with the opening space battle being the best. I was a little underwhelmed, to be honest, about the lack of the Enterprise being in space battles. It shows up near the end and fire off several phaser shots and torpedoes, but that’s pretty much it. Also, they could have hit the Enterprise with more torpedo blasts and caused more black fire damage to the hull, but I guess that could be something they could do in the next film.
Also, the final thing that I felt was that at times I felt like I was watching a pilot for a TV show, not in the scale of the production, but in terms of the story. I felt like Abrams and Orci/Kurtzman needed to get this one out of the way to get to the good stuff, which will be the next Star Trek film. I guess this is a good thing because this one kept me interested enough in wanting to know where we go from here.
Overall, I think this is the third best Star Trek movie out of the, now, eleven that have been made. It’s nowhere near as good as The Wrath of Khan, but not many things are. However, we finally got a fresh start and I want to see where the actors and the creative team take us from here. I give this movie a 7 out of 10.
Decloaking . . .
Well, I’ve kept my mouth shut for a while; just got back from the flick.
I entered the theater ready to be blown away; I wasn’t.
The special effects were astonishing. Of course when that’s the best thing about a film, you’re in trouble.
The 10:00 show on opening night for prior Trek films has always been packed, in my experience. Tonight there were only about 30 people there with little audience reaction.
I give this film a solid C, at the top of the lower echelon of Trek films.
It was everything I’ve feared a Trek film would become: just a big action piece with little substance. The story was paper thin.
However, within that limited framework it was well executed.
I don’t think I’ll ever believe anyone ever again when they say: “It’s a great script,” because it wasn’t.
It was a standard Orci / Kurtzman script, as insubstantial as Transformers. However, given their superb success in the marketplace (for which I stand and salute them willingly), they clearly have their finger on the pulse of the vapid American movie going audience.
One wonders: would “City on the Edge of Forever,” “Mirror, Mirror,” “Doomsday Machine,” or “Menagerie” be made today given the inability of the American public to process thought provoking material?
I was most disappointed by the gratuitous use of Leonard Nimoy. He should have been the fulcrum around which the story was built, and honestly he really wasn’t.
In fact, the film didn’t have a pivot point. It seemed like an endless barrage of rapid fire imagery and action. Like MI: III, too much action. The film lacked quiet moments in which to breathe.
Quinto I found utterly unconvincing, just Skyler with pointed ears.
To me, the best performance was given by Bruce Greenwood, and again not used enough.
I found the lack of development on the Nero character disturbing and Eric Bana deserved more screen time.
Chris Pine worked as Kirk and the rest of the cast were adequate given the limited emotional range of the script.
Karl Urban was great as McCoy, and I liked how he got named Bones.
I was bugged by the repeated Trek film habit of unnecessarily killing off characters: Kahn, Spock, David Marcus, Kirk, Data, and now Amanda Grayson. I think keeping good characters alive makes a lot more sense in the development of sequels.
But, what do I know; I’ve never sold a script.
Star Trek did get a couple of good chuckles outta me.
The one thing I really hated was the lame ass excuse of Kirk’s solution of the Kobeashi Maru problem. I got the apple eating Easter egg, fine. But, that was the best they could do for a solution by one of the greatest tactical geniuses in Star Fleet history. COME ON!??!
Ultimately, this film would have been a lot worse in less capable hands.
The one thing that really didn’t cross my mind was Canon issues. And I am a reformed mega-canonist.
And frakk, I missed the Tribble!
Bottom line: STAR TREK LIVES, and for that I’m grateful.
I sincerely hope that for Star Trek 12, Orci and Kurtzman take their script writing boldly where they never gone before.
Recloaking. }:-D>
First off saw it at 9:50pm showing. Second I’ll just say it before I begin my review I took my Mom and she wasn’t really into Star Trek and she actually really liked it so it is Mom approved. I loved it too and thought it was a good refit for the entire Star Trek series and a good way to keep the original timeline and the Nero timeline intact. It was also fast paced that kept it going, but I wanted more so definitely looking forward to the continuing missons. PS do a miniseries like there doing with doctor who for this season and you’ll have it made Paramount, ie can have the big movie budget and make a good story.
The opening sequence I thought was very good including the musical score as the Kelvin was being ripped to shreds. I thought George Kirk’s death was very good,as a Klingon would say he died with honor,including the talking to his wife till the end that brought a sadness moment but showing how fleeting life can be and then static.
Nero’s ship itself was cool and I wish too they did more of a backstory of the 25 years, but we know that had to be cut out due to timing. It was very sinister, but I wish we had more of nero and in the ending sequences had more of a ship to ship battle. The enterprise is recognizable yet different to me, but I actually like the new bridge better than even the 24th century ones and the TWOK bridges, but I got to remember 2009 and those were with less technology to make them look like this. I know some were like why make engineering look like a factory, but like any ship in the navy has there engineering sections looking like well the heart and the organs of the ship, which makes it run which also makes it believeable. The same goes with the viewscreen. I could believe this as reality of our future.
As far as story goes I liked it yet didn’t like the part about vulcan getting destroyed. I guess I’m setimental to the original timeline and having vulcan there, but will be a good story for comics on how th vulcans are dealing with this. I really did think when young Spock took the jellyfish that they were going to restore vulcan before the events had happened or if they did somehow save vulcan I think that could have a been a cool way to have the enterprise and nero go for a final showdown at planet earth. I know this shouldn’t be a big deal since in the original timeline Romulus is dead, but it’s the trekkie in me and I in general don’t take change too well on a magnitude of that level. I did like the backstories they used for Kirk and Spock which I feel did them justice and it’s never really implied, but I feel the riverside iowa ship yards is actually a tribute to George Kirk heroism in the face of his certain death.
As far as the casting I think it was spot on for the most part and I really like Pine as Kirk. He plays Kirk, but without the shatnerism. Bones well Karl Urban just was possessed by De Forest Kelley because it was spot on and Pegg as Scotty I feel was a good tribute to Doohan and yet brought out so much more. The rest I felt were really good and I like the new spock as Quinton puts Spock’s emotions out there more. Chekov I think is spot on as the eager young officer, but I feel the russian accent just needs to be toned down just a tiny bit.
All in all I feel it is a good start great new beginning for star trek as I feel the young generation which I am a part of will get into it again. PS I loved when they were on delta vega and they had tribble in that container purring.
just watched 11pm showing here in FL, loved it! there was only one Star Trek movie better. Acting, affects, story, all a 10+ for me
I enjoyed the movie very much. I have mixed feelings about the time travel element yet appreciate that there was no magic reboot button. Lots of nods to all that has come before, I actually lost track. And dammit, I missed the tribble! Maybe it was hiding behind that baseball cap sitting in front of me at the movie theater..
Could’ve gone without a couple things, though. What do I know. I’m a computer geek, not a story writer!
It was great to see the Big E in action once again. I do confess, her reveal left me asking.. no, begging.. to be showcased a little more as in The Motion Picture. Regardless it was a highlight in this emotional roller coaster of a film. The music for that scene was just right.
There was another scene which left me utterly upset. I was unable to get that moment out of my head until literally minutes ago. While typing this up, quite suddenly thoughts of TNG’s “Sarek” episode put everything back into a certain perspective.
Final thought.. I wholeheartedly agree: Spock & Uhura? Really? That was a bit over the top..
Will I see Star Trek again in the movie theatre? Hmm. Is the Pope Catholic? ;-)
Forgot my ranking, sorry. I’d have to say 9 out of 10.
Wow, don’t know about you guys, but I’m definitely going to have to see this one a second time before I can form a proper opinion on it.
I thought I was prepared for the changes, but there were just SO many new things to take in visually that I had trouble really focusing on and following the story.
Not only that, but the feel and RYTHYM is just so completely different from what I’m used to in Trek. That really threw me off too.
Still though, my main impression was that the designs and acting were superb (absolutely love Pine’s Kirk), and most of the plot works too. The only weak spot was Nero and the unnecessarily complicated time-travel backstory. I have no problem with the basic IDEA of it, but somehow the way it was explained in the movie was silly beyond belief (even with Nimoy explaining it).
Still though, I need to see the movie again to get a proper sense of the story and whether or not the movie as a whole works.
For now…. I’d give the movie a 7 out of 10 (TWOK, TSFS, TVH and FC still rate higher in my book).
On the 4-point scale, this gets 3.75 from me.
Excellent story, stunning effects, solid acting, wonderful score. Orci and Kurtzman really did come up with a terrific story that satisfies canon while setting the stage for new adventures. This story would have been impossible without the Treks that came before.
There were some really nice touches throughout the film that paid homage to previous Treks. The one I liked especially well was Kirk chomping an apple during the Kobyashi Maru test — exactly what he was doing in ‘Star Trek II’ when telling Saavik that he’d cheated on that very test.
What kept it from being perfect for me was mostly the pace. It was a bit too frantic. I wanted the story to slow down just a little bit, allow time for me to catch up, to assess what had happened and anticipate what might come next. It almost felt like the editor was trying to cram in everything to make the two-hour mark. Better if the film had gone an extra 15 minutes, or even just 10.
As did others, I disliked the Spock-Uhura romance. It seemed to fly in the face of everything Spock was supposedly trying to achieve. Almost felt like it was ‘just another thing to change’ rather than integral to the tale.
All in all, this film lived up to expectations. I’m already looking forward to the next Trek!
I wonder if all these people saw the same movie as me! The actors were dead ringers for the originals and did an excellent job with the script they were given but the story sucked.
One of my biggest problems was Chekov. He wasn’t introduced until the 2nd season of the original and I’m supposed to believe he’s there with these guys this early? I can perform basic math.
Am I also supposed to believe that Kirk landed the captain’s chair so quickly out of the academy?
Also the villain was underdeveloped. There were a lot of loose ends. It almost seemed like the story was secondary to making a big budget Star Trek movie with lost of flare. The smoke and mirrors didn’t fool me. It was a crappy story and they did the unthinkable.
In all I give it a 4 out of 10.
After reading some of the reviews especially the one’s calling for boycott and suing Paramount. I’ll say like Shatner would say get a life. This is a movie. Yes I like canon and logic and don’t like change, like I stated before, especially the Vulcan part, but I’ll get over it. The old Star Trek was dying a slow and painful death. Yes I loved it, but it wasn’t mainstream enough anymore. The young kids these days grow up with anime and videogames that put the FX on older movies to shame. I grew up when GI Joes and Ghostbusters was cool. This movie puts it back into mainstream and many in this world like to think of things as plausible and this movie makes the ships and the world of star trek real. As far as product placement I’ve seen a lot worse in movies and going for real I’m sure after WWIII many of those companies started back up and produced cell phones and beer, you also got to remember that this era these characters and people weren’t too far off from our universe as shown with Star Trek:Enterprise.
Going along with this idea with all the seniorish cadets from starfleet going off to help with Vulcan is actually plausible. I remember early on in the TOS there weren’t that many ships out there when the Enterprise was built and the same goes for this and I’m sure some of the ships were out traveling and these ships in dock are probably the closest to Vulcan and probably didn’t have enough personnel to fully evacuate an entire planet if needed to be. Plus you got to think with the Kelvin getting its rear end handed to it probably made the Federation and Starfleet a little leary about the capabilites of there ships and probably spent a few years getting there shield and weapons technologies up to par. As far as training the cadets in that amount of time, yeah it goes pretty quick, but at the same time look how our universities are run you get 4 years to get your degree then your off in the real world. The same goes with Starfleet and who said how old Kirk and these cadets are, it sounds like Kirk is around 25 or so.
Sorry for going on this rant, but I wanted to be logical and give ideas that are plausible to what happened. Plus at the end it’s just a movie that shows Roddenberry’s dream in a brand new way.
Just returned from 10pm show at a local Ultrascreen theatre. I’m still trying to distill my thoughts after my initial viewing. On one hand, I recognize that this film is geared toward the uninitiated masses, and should be very successful based on the fast-paced action-oriented story and amazing special effects. It has so many positive qualities that have been lacking in Trek movies for so long. And I’m certainly looking forward to a sequel–which should be a foregone conclusion at this point.
Nevertheless, I’d must admit that I enjoyed the movie a lot less than I was expecting to. I had years to prepare to enjoy new actors step into those classic roles, and was even prepared to embrace the possibility that a reboot could work. But as much as an amazing spectacle it was, the story was truly weak, and relied more upon action and spectacle, than a coherent plot with recognizable characterizations. I simply wasn’t prepared for how contrived the central heart of the story was, and how liberally K+O mangled Star Trek lore to suit their particular whims. There simply isn’t enough space to list all the strange fanboy continuity problems, and throwaway sight gags,
I swear, I’ve never seen a Star Trek “Cliffs Notes” for sale, but one must exist. because where else could K+O gotten their understanding of Star Trek from? After watching their story play out, I have great trouble believing they’ve actually watched TOS at all, because their story has that same sense as a student writing a report on a book they never actually read. They have tons of isolated fanboy character & situational details, but practically missed the entire point of the story or comprehend the circumstances.
I went into the theatre mainly prepared to hate, or at least be disturbed by, some of the strange design choices, such as the Enterprise’s much maligned contemporary engineering interior. By most accounts, JJ made a tremendous mistake by using old manufacturing facilities and storage tanks to double as the futuristic Enterprise interior. Surprisingly, I found myself not so bothered by that. It wasn’t very “believable” to me, but it was so peripheral, it really didn’t matter. What did matter–and what I was less prepared for, was the total deconstruction and reinvention of the characters we know & love. While I didn’t mind Uhura becoming a more substantial and invested character, and also didn’t mind Chekov’s accent and portrayal as a boy genius, Many of the other changes were more than I could bear. By far the worst was turning Scotty into what appeared to be a comical “theoretical warp & transporter physicist” rather than the dedicated and proud engineer we certainly know. I don’t know when it was that Scotty turned into a clown (well yes, actually I do, it was ST:V) but there was no need to build upon that failed precedent. It’s possible to go on and on with complaints, but overall, I did like the movie, and I especially love the fact that it should still be a huge success.
Overall Rating: 6/10 (better than TSFS, not as good as FC)
Amazing special effects, with top notch cinematography and direction that successfully incorporates fast pacing. “Epic” story that suffers from superficial attempts at Trek continuity, nonsensical and contrived plot (on par with “Nemesis”) and more than a few instances of jarring editing seemingly omitting key sequences or linking scenes. A lot of stilted and grating dialog. Occasional inspired acting, but a lot of scenery chewing and some plainly awkward interactions (Spock sticking his tongue down Uhura’s throat on the transporter pad almost made me sick).
Hopefully Trek ‘11 will build on this massive success by actually being a good story as well.
Ok, went to the 7 pm showing here.
EPIC movie! Absoultely EPIC!
Yes, this IS a brand new Trek. Make no “bones” about it, lol. But you know what? It’s awesome!! I LOVE it! It’s a tabula rasa for Star Trek. It adds a new complexity to this whole new Trek universe.
As to a review… where to start…
To me, the movie just…worked. All of the actors nailed their characters. The humor moments worked with the characters because they were genuinely funny If you are not a fan, you found them to be funny. If you are a fan, they are even funnier.
The casting was absolutely brilliant. Each actor playing our Magnificient 7 made their character very familiar, yet, giving them their own take and their own life. Why not have a romance between Spock and Uhura? After all, it is a new Trek. However, I actually want to see Scotty, Uhura, Sulu and Checkov even more flushed out. Perhaps a future movie will concentrate on having to rescue Kirk, McCoy and Spock, and show more of the strengths of these other characters.
The special effects and action were absolutely awesome, and to me, absolutely necessary. I think the shaky camera makes everything MORE beleiveable. It really makes you feel like you are a part of the action. But yet, you do get some brief moments to catch your breath, such as when the Enterprise emerges from Titan. The element of silence in the space jump scene, and in the Kelvin battle scene, where you get the persepctive and feeling of being sucked into space was so awesome and so eerie. I was not bothered by the lens flares at all. In fact, I think they enhanced the movie. It was just the style.
The sets were absolutely awesome. I loved the bridge set. It felt real to me. The engineering set was great. Though we didn’t see much of “MAIN” engineering, hopefully, we’ll get more next time. So Trekkies can rest easy knowing that the water pipes were in Turbine Room 3 (if I remember the number correctly).
I do want to recognize a plot element that people have a problem with, and be able to justify them. First, a number of reviewers say that Kirk’s Corvette scene was unnecessary. On the contrary; it was incredibly necessary in order to address how troubled Kirk was, and to give context to Pike’s line about Kirk being a repeat offender.
I do have to admit to wondering how the Narada was able to just sort of chill out in the galaxy for 26 years.
I also have a justification for the touchy transporters (for those of you who wonder why they can lock onto Spock who is moving at impulse speeds in ship, but can’t lock onto Kirk, Sulu, or Amanda, who are only moving at Vulcan’s terminal velocity (and much less than that for Amanda): gravametric interference.
I will need to see this movie multiple times, in order to catch the things that I missed. And I will GLADLY see this movie multiple times.
NEW Star Trek: I embrace you.
#41 – to sound geeky, I understood that the (fictional) temporal prime directive applies to starfleet members travelling in time and changing the timeline…. Nero came through and messed the timeline up before Spock Prime did anything. Maybe in this new timeline, temporal investigations was never even founded. Or maybe there are things they can’t fix (too many variables). Let the details go and enjoy the ride — if we get a great movie and great storytelling out of it, well, then who cares. The future is unknown again, finally!
Oh, 8.75/10
As a long time trekker I was really looking forward to this movie. I even drove 250km to a cinema where the movie is shown in english, rather than the (awful) german dubbing.
Did the movie reach me expectations? Yes and no. While it is a fun movie with lots of great moments, awesome actors and neat special effects, there is also a downside: old Spock.
When old Spock appeared on the screen, the crowd applaused. You could sense the joy in almost every viewer. It was awesome. I’ve never experienced something like that (I mean in that scope) in a cinema before.
But what was he doing? Sitting in that ice cave, waiting for … yeah, what exactly? Why didn’t he go straight to that outpost to warn starfleet or the vulcans? Instead he stumbles upon Kirk, does some mind melding in then goes “Oh hey, there’s an outpost not far away, let’s go there, let’s see if we can still do something about that romulan guy”.
How lame is that? The godfather of logic stays in an ice cave instead of rescuing 6 billion vulcans.
Also annoying was Uhura. I mean, what was here role? Comforting male crew members? There were scenes where I almost wanted to cover my ears and eyes because I couldn’t stand it anymore.
The bright side: Pine, Quinto and Urban ARE Kirk, Spock and Bones. As I said, great performences by the actors but especially those three were awesome.
Many people ask “is this still Star Trek”? I think it is. It may be not so idealistic as it was 40 years ago. But it works for a 21st century audience. It still has something of a “good future outlook”, even though Vulcan has been destroyed and -as in previous Trek films- noone attempts to “rescue” the bad guys to get them to a court of justice but instead they kill him or whatever.
Bottom line: “It’s Star Trek, Jim. But not as we know it.”
Here is my take of the characters:
KIRK: Pine was good with his rendition of Kirk. A little cocky, remembers this young Kirk is not as seasoned. Pine did a good job. What really picques my interest in this character is the knowledge gained in the mind meld. How will this affect Kirk? How will he decide to reveal this if necessary to others? I like this very much. Fascinating, indeed.
SPOCK: Quinto did remarkably well, this is a different Spock with new challenges facing him. Great source material for Quinto to truly PWN the role and step into “his own.” One challenged with dealing with self doubt and emotional outbursts with complications derived from knowing about his older self. Interesting to say the least.
SPOCK PRIME: Nimoy had alot of fun playing this role. His lines when talking to his younger version is one of which we all should heed. Learn to enjoy things more. There is a time for “canon” but also a time for entertainment and enjoying life. This is coming from a Spock who has lost everything, gained it all back, and ultimately, lost it all again. He still has his sense of humor. Says alot about humanity coming from a Vulcan, or as McCoy says: “A green-blooded hobgoblin.” A post-it note reminder that we would be better-off learning to accept things as they are, not as we would have them to be.
UHURA: Zoe works this role as a “don’t mess with me” Starfleet Security Special Ops officer. She takes her work seriously as Uhura. I would like to see more of how this officer progresses, what makes her who she is. Very promising role indeed.
SULU: I think the part where sulu forgets to disengage something to get the ship going is the only embarrasing moment we will ever see again from this officer. Cho does Sulu justice but again, I want to see more of this character.
CHEKOV: I thought the accent worked. It was very Russian, even I couldn’t understand some words he was saying, perhaps this is a challenge for him at his age? I thought this character was very believable.
SCOTTY: I am not sure of Scotty’s friend. I think I would promote that character off the ship into a deskjob at Starfleet. Kinda odd. LOL. Given time Simon will season ol’ Scotty up where we will be hearing that cursing Scotsman dashing from the bridge to the engine room to fix something that has gone awry, as usual.
PIKE: I think this is one of the most appealing characters in the film. What happens to Pike next. Is he permanently disabled or will he walk again? His promotion to Admiral was to me a tip-of-the-hat to the past 40 years. Much story could be developed for this character.
McCoy: Urban got him nailed. The young doctor recently divorced propelling him into service explains alot and is a nice expositionary statement that never seemed cliche. It was totally justified. I am very curious how McCoy develops from here. Nice job indeed.
Great job of setting up a storyline for the next sequel. I can imagine how much potential for great writing the reboot offers. There is so much more we can work with. You could even decide to utilize both timelines, if necessary. Avoiding cliche would be the most dangerous part of doing this, but if done with care and careful thought, it really can work.
Great job again. I’d say it was alot to fit into two hours. Easily this could have been a longer movie. I think JJ, Bob, and Alex respected canon, threw it out at the same time, and re-invented it better than Madonna, and made it work. Fresh eyes on a fanchise this old taking on the challenge of a tremendous reboot, whilst facing down rabid “canon” frenzied hardcore fans have proven they can successfully widen Star Trek’s appeal and entertain us at the same time. This is no easy feat to do, especially with a beloved franchise as this one is. I think they did it, and they did it WELL!
In a nutshell, I liked it, looked over things that really didn’t make a difference….who knows, those beer kegs with flashy lights could be antimatter storage pods or Scotty’s secret scotch micro brewery setup?
I enjoyed it…
Wow… I am filled with some of the largest conflicts ever… SPOILERS if you haven’t seen it yet.
I’m 35 … I have pictures of Star Trek on TV in syndication in the background of me when I was 3. Tried to get my mom to take my brother and I to the Black Hole but it wasn’t playing so in 79 I saw ST:TMP instead at 6.
I have a long history and not just the movies and shows… the books do so much more for the relationships and storytelling of these characters…
I remember the anticipation of TNG, how can they make Trek without our heroes?
BTW, married 3 kids, I don’t dress up or act weird. I have an IT job and let’s face it people that don’t know how to use a computer are the minority now so let’s leave all the fan boy/geek comments out (let’s be real YOU’RE the one reading reviews on a message board about Star Trek).
And that’s why I’m torn… the movie was fantastic no question, I will see it again Monday… but what was the reason for screwing up the universe that much?
I can list all the plot holes and issues with this movie… but the movie was good enough that none of that mattered enough really.
I don’t mind a new relationship, casting was great, hell start over from scratch… it will just be a new imagining… but no they tied it to the old one for FEAR the fanbase wouldn’t like it… that was way worse.
Vulcan is kinda at the core of Star Trek… books, novels, comics… it’s gone in this version. And I do say version cuz this isn’t the other movies, it’s flat out it’s own animal. I’ll have to get used to it… but it is NOT the fanbase’s or Gene’s Star Trek.
Gene’s vision is that positivity and optimism win out that we’ll be all right.
This movie killed off 6 billion Vulcans that’s not a win the bastion of peace in the federation…. in the Star Trek universe, even this new one, destroying Earth would have been about the same… would people have thought it was Optimistic and Gene’s happy vision of the future then?
Even the ppl all over the internet saying, well it’s ok the Vulcan stuff will happen on their new colony…you don’t understand how much it changes.
Change can be ok, and it’s not that the movie isn’t good.. it just didn’t have to do it this way.
Spock is a child of two worlds…. split always in conflict… but that’s what makes him Spock. Not anymore, because we lost one of them… it’s too big an unnecessary change.
And even to those Trek fans who say stuff like well forget about it then the other timeline is ok. Nope, this movie wiped out the Romulan homeworld too. Less of a change sure, and they had an empire and more of their people survived, but it seems a bad movie to be a Vulanoid.
I liked the movie I did, and I know my wife liked it and it’s hard to get her to watch anything Trek so it has accomplished it’s goal.
It’s just hard to reconcile the overall story, that after all the life and death, the number of times the different crews over the years have saved the day that in the end… a freak accident of a spatial rift allowed a crappy mining ship to destroy a core world of the federation and take away Kirk’s childhood with his father, with technology Spock made in the first place.
Probably the only way to enjoy this is to let it go… it’s just a story…. so why did they have to bother to include the old stuff at all.. why not a complete reboot?
To those that say it needed something, it was dead without this, you know there was a phrase before there was an episode “All good things….” sometimes it’s better to end things than to force them to go on.
Only time will tell where this will go, everyone should go see it, it is still highly entertaining.
I had the opportunity to see Star Trek this evening and would like to offer my thoughts on it. First, the showing I attended only had about two dozen people, including me. I arrived about an hour before the show, thinking I would have to wait in line. When I arrived at the window, the cashier said only ten tickets had been sold at that point. I was actually able to put my feet up and not bother a soul. It didn’t occur to me until after the movie that most people probably hadn’t known about these early screenings, so I wasn’t worried about the low attendance.
Anyway, getting to the movie. I have been anticipating it since I heard the first announcement on the radio three years ago. Even after seeing and reading spoilers, I still wasn’t quite sure what to expect. It really wasn’t until the last couple of days that I wondered if I was setting myself up to be disappointed. I am more than happy to say that it doesn’t disappoint. This movie hits all the right points a Trek movie needs to hit. The characters are pitch-perfect, so much so that I can’t even pick a favorite. Chris Pine nails Kirk while avoiding a Shatner caricature, a role that may have been the toughest to fill. It was very obvious that everyone involved loved what they were doing. The crew really gels together well; nobody feels like they don’t belong on that bridge. I also really enjoyed the designs of the Enterprise, inside and out. I liked the bridge designs, and I did enjoy Engineering. Yeah, it’s actually a brewery, big deal. It felt right to me, that was what mattered.
The movie moves along at a brisk pace, so while I have no big complaints, I would have liked to have seen more of Nero. I suspect that if I hadn’t read Countdown, I would have found him more lacking. Eric Bana is great as Nero, but he’s not given much to do. The movie is less about what Nero does than about how a group of people come together to respond to his threat.
Lastly, I have to give credit to Abrams and Co. for taking on a franchise that just about everyone had written off and infusing with a new energy and relevance that it so desparately needed. Also, I have to give them credit for not hitting the Reset Button, the biggest creative cheat in all of Trek.
Score: 9/10
Well, the wait is over! Finally after what…three years?
I suppose this will be brief. I’ve considered the movie now over several hours since it ended. It is possibly the best Star Trek film; I say possibly because it has certainly forced First Contact out of the Big 3 (what was Star Trek 2, 6, 8 is now Star Trek 2, 6, 11). With those three, I find it hard to decide between which one is better. Thus far, I love them all ST09 (which I refer as 11 often) included.
This movie exceeded my expectations. And I had high expectations. What I heard coming from Orci, I thought he was writing the kind of Star Trek I wanted to write. And that’s exactly what came across on screen.
This felt like TOS. Mannerisms of Kirk and Spock by the end pulled it all together. Yes, there were comedic moments, and it worked out. Kirk getting onto Enterprise was fun, and I enjoyed the Bones-Kirk relationship. By the way, Karl Urban as Bones is dead on. And Spock (prime) in the movie, FTW!
As for Nero, he is a good villain. I think some reviewers were expecting more from the character. But you know what? Not all historical villains are complex. Nero isn’t. He’s no Khan – he’s Nero. He’s a really pissed off guy who has the ability and intent to destroy the Federation, and ends up in a time where he can really do real damage.
I saw the bit where the captain of the Kelvin meets with Nero. I felt fear when I saw him board Nero’s ship, because I knew what was coming. You’d think knowing what was coming, I wouldn’t, but I did nonetheless. It’s great. And I really like the character.
I’d love to see Countdown turned into an animated cartoon a la the Clone Wars film that came out last year, or even a straight to DVD.
And I love the Jellyfish.
Summing it up, while not giving too much detail (I hope), this movie is great. I’d recommend it to anyone. It’s a solid story with solid characters, and awesome special effects – the best I’ve seen in a while. It’s great, and I couldn’t give it anything less than a complete 5 stars. There’s no weak points in the film that can’t be handled by the fact that this is sci-fi.
good trek film, or BEST trek film? i’d give it an 11/10.
48. dave: ‘you are the target audience. non trekkies.’
And that makes you a ‘true fan’, does it? You see things have changed today and people like you who consider Star Trek an exclusive club will have gone from 2 per cent to 0.2 percent. Everything you have said has been referenced in my main review.
52. The Beezer: Interesting. What did I say that was so wrong? I simply replied with my tongue in my cheek. I don’t much like being told I’m not the target audience. I’m a Trek fan through and through! Who is anyone else to tell me I’m not? I’ve been reading James Blish Star Trek books since I was six, watched every TOS episode on their second and third run in the UK in the late 70s and 80s and still remember the disappointment of not getting into the cinema in Brighton to see TWOK in 1982. I suggest you read my review and think twice before telling anyone what they can or cannot type. And yes it was past my bedtime since I live in the UK and was posting at 2am. I was enthusiastic about the new film I’d just watched. Peace?
I’ve been what I would call a “hardcore Star Trek fan”, since I started watching it on WUTV Channel 29 in Buffalo back in the early 1970’s. I still have a small amount of Star Trek “geekery” left in my house, like the TOS blueprints and a bunch of the old James Blish novels, but my old AMT model kits have long disappeared.
I do, however, own every episode of every series and every movie done so far.
I left the theater last night feeling neither “slapped in the face”, nor “left out”. I know that means I’m not cool, but I thought it was not only a great movie, but a great Star Trek movie.
I left the theater having enjoyed myself so much, it felt like I was cheating on Bill Shatner. The review that suggests the center seat now *belongs* to Chris Pine is, in my opinion, dead on.
But again, I’m not going to obsess about how the tribble fur was half a micron thicker than TOS triibles, so I know I’m not cool enough to actually have an opinion.
I find it hilarious to think that supposedly, NOTHING of 21st-century Earth will make it into the future. Look around you – logos and advertising are EVERYWHERE. Why have some decreed that it won’t happen in Trek’s time? I found the Budweiser and Nokia references to be the FIRST time that Star Trek has EVER acknowledged that Earth had actual INDUSTRIES before Starfleet, and I found it to be an actual realistic grounding. But again, I’m not cool. We’ve been drinking Mount Gay Rum on this planet for 300 years, why can’t Budweiser make it that long? Is it because the “cool fans” are ignorant about the fact that SOME brands DO survive that long?
I guess if the Beastie Boys reference is “an abomination”, then humantity should immediately and forever dispense with Beethoven and Shakespeare, since the “cool fans” have decreed that no form of art or culture can possibly survive more than – what’s the rule? – a few decades?
Sorry. Rant over. I’m just tired of the canonistas claiming they speak for all the “true fans”, implying that if you’re not obsessed over the tiniest of details then your fandom is somehow inferior.
The ONLY thing I thought was wrong with this movie was how great it was. Because I seriously DID walk out feeling like I had cheated on the original cast. I tried long and hard to figure out what I didn’t like about this movie, and that was my only conclusion.
Among the funniest lines, by the way? “I’ve got your gun.”
Go. Trust that Leonard Nimoy knows more about Star Trek than a bunch of guys on a message board. Go. Enjoy it. Form your own conclusions. I know we live in an information overload age, where most of us are happy to let other people create our opinions FOR us, but follow Leonard’s advice and just go have fun.
9.5 – deducted half a point because it made me feel like I cheated on The Shat.
I’ll give it a 6 out 10. I’m disappointed, but not as angry as I thought I’d be. You threw in enough details to appease those of us who were watching for details and when you changed something, it was clear that it was changed because of time travel. I thought the actor playing McCoy did a fine job. And there were moments for the others as well. I think Uhura was pretty good but the relationship you seemed to be trying to set up was aimed in the wrong direction. My main complaint though is that the plot was too comic book, especially the science involved, which sounded way more Superman than Star Trek. They’ve time traveled often enough that you could have come up with something more scientific. There were other things I wanted to mention, but I”m trying not to have spoilers in here for those who haven’t seen it yet.
Saw the film yesterday at the London BFI Imax (my first time going there) and with my hand on my heart I can honestly say that this film far exceeded my expectations. Overall it was everything I had hoped for and more. This won’t be too spoilery a review, I am just going to say a few things. Firstly, for the first time ever I felt as if Uhura was a member of the crew. The screen time given to the character totals more time than she got in previous movies. She comes across a vibrant, intelligent, witty, warm and sensual character; think back to how Uhura was in the first season of TOS and thats right about where the character is now.
All of the main cast do a brilliant job with their characters, even if some don’t have enough screen time, but hopefully if a sequel does happen that will be rectified. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto do an amazing job of carrying this movie with their interpretations of Kirk and Spock respectively; they are the Kirk and Spock we have come to cherish, but are different enough to make the characters new and exciting. And Leonard Nimoy conveys so much in so few scenes that I can completely understand why they brought him back.
But above all else, the thing that struck me the most about this film is just how much fun it was. The humour dotted throughout the film is amazing and, with the possible exception of a scene involving Kirk and Scotty in engineering, never feels out of place or forced. Karl Urban is not only scarily brilliant as Dr McCoy, but also hysterically funny; in fact all the main cast get a comedy moment that sits right with the characters they are portraying. One last note has to go to Bruce Greenwood. Captain Pike, I will admit, never really appealed to me. He wasn’t a character that intrigued me, I never wanted to find out who he really was…until now. Bruce Greenwood infuses Pike with a quality that, even as I write this, I find hard to say in words. Greenwood’s Pike is that person I guess a lot of people wish they had in their life; a person who is able to tell you that you have the potential to achieve more than you think, if you only try (that sounds corny as hell, its put much better in the film) and he is definitely a character I would like to see a lot more off.
J.J Abrams and the ‘Supreme Court’ have done a brilliant job with this film, I can now forgive them for the horror of delaying this film from Christmas. The film isn’t perfect; even at two hours long, the ending feels a little rushed (it just felt like the film was really getting started when it ended) and some of the ‘exposition’ scenes don’t really work, but all in all I see this film as being the beginning of something very special.
In 1992, when I was 12 years old, I came home from school one day, couldn’t find anything to watch on TV, so was channel surfing when I came across a very large, and at the time, very spectacular ship flying through space…that ship was The USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D and I was pretty much hooked from that point onward. I went on to follow the crews of the Enterprise, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise NX-01 and did so with a joy that no other series/ franchise has given me, even when the shows, and the films, got…sidetracked shall we say. But now, I feel like that 12 year old boy again, hopeful for the future of Star Trek and what it may bring for us all.
Now where do I go to learn fencing?
10 out of 10 in my very humble opinion. A brilliant film, not the best film that bares the name Star Trek, but damn near the top of the that list!
An amazing, amazing movie!
I rank the Wrath of Khan as the most near perfect Star Trek film and this one shares that crown.
This is not a prequel but an alternate timeline. We have no idea what the next film will bring us and I look forward to them.
The Kobyashi Maru test was great!
To me that’s where I saw Pine really remind me of Shatner. Sitting in his chair, casually giving orders with intense cockiness.
Overall great job! My audience was laughing(in a good way) the whole film.
^119
My audience SUCKED.
Went to the early show – first one in any theater for a hundred miles around – and not a Klingon in the joint. No andorians. No green chicks. And the line to get in was TEN PEOPLE LONG. The most imaginative thing in the whole crowd was the guy who was in front of me (he was first in line, I was second).
He was wearing a communicator-style insignia on his dress shirt.
Polite applause at the end. No cheering when we saw Nimoy. No cheering for ANYTHING, in fact.
Boring people, great movie.
I’ll be voyaging to see it again tonight. Every now and then last night I tried to remember to look for the cameos, especially Randy Paush. But I was so involved in the movie that I never did see him. I pretty much imagine I’ll be seeing this one 3 or 4 times.
First off, I rate this an 8 out of 10. Not quite perfect but by far the best Trek movie ever (and I say this as a fan who’s been watching the original series since 1972 when I was six years old.) Karl Urban absolutely IS Leonard McCoy and the other actors are fine at playing their respective characters except for the one who played Sarek, I couldn’t quite “buy” him in the role.
I saw this at the AMC Theatre on 4th Street in San Francisco at the 1 a.m. showing, for which the theater was about 1/3 full (pretty amazing considering the time of day, I think). The 7 and 10 p.m. showings (both in regular format and the IMAX version) were already sold out when I went to get a ticket at 5 in the afternoon, so that’s a good sign.
Now to cover some of the details- (contains spoilers, some minor, and some major)
The ship- Frankly, I expected to hate the new design but it worked for me for the most part. The shot of the Enterprise rising through the rings of Titan gave me goosebumps.
The musical score- serviceable but nothing earth-shattering. I would have liked to see the opening fanfare of the original theme right at the start of the film but having it at the end worked okay.
Special Effects- damn good, as would be expected with work done from ILM.
Sound mix- As someone who has a background in doing this sort of thing for a living, I was just blown away by how well the sound was mixed.
The opening pre-title scenes aboard the U.S.S. Kelvin- epic. If a tv show is to come from this, let it be in that era with that ship and crew.
Pacing- a little too fast for my tastes but better too fast than too slow, says the man who even at the age of thirteen realized that ST:TMP dragged much too much.
“Easter” Eggs/nods to veteran fans- Loved the use of TMP-style uniform for Pike at the end of the movie. Also was nice to see the TMP concept of an officer’s medical readings being monitored at all times, and that someone’s death registers almost automatically on the ship’s systems. Loved the line where McCoy asks where Chapel is.
Things I’d like to see in an extended DVD cut and explained if possible-
more of Winona Ryder’s surprisingly good performance as Spock’s mother. Some sort of explanation as how to Spock Prime could witness events on Vulcan from Delta Vega- maybe Delta Vega is an asteroid in Vulcan’s solar system? Some explanation as to whether or not the boy Kirk passed while driving the car is indeed his older brother George, and if so, why wasn’t he aboard the Kelvin?
Now, let me say a few more things. First off, the whole film felt more like “The Cage” than “Where No Man Has Gone Before” and I think that sequels and novels set in this timeline should stick with that. Please keep in mind that I’m one of the few fans I know who has openly advocated a “reboot” for several years. As an experienced writer of fanfic, I am thrilled with the possibilities this movie sets up.
Please, for the sequel or sequels- let there be no use of Khan or the Borg or any other pre-existing characters- these movies should be new and fresh stories, not rehashes of things already seen on screen.
The destruction of Vulcan is a bold move I applaud. Novels both professional and fan-written should explore the effects this will have on what is left of Vulcan culture and society. I for one would love to see the Romulans make an offer to their long lost cousins of settling on Romulus- how many of the remaining 10,000 Vulcans would take it?
Also, the fact of Spock Prime being alive and well in his own past and working to establish a colony for the survivors- interesting idea that could be explored in fanfic but probably, IMHO, would be best left untouched in pro novels. I, for one, am very satisfied with the characters realizing that they are in an altered/alternate reality and that said new reality is left intact and the end of the movie.
In closing, let me say that I think this film is the first major alteration of what Star Trek is since “The Wrath Of Khan” came out in 1982. It’s a long overdue change, I think, and I hope that it sets up a new era of Trek being relevant again. For too long, filmmakers, fans, screenwriters and novelists have all approached Trek as one would behave in a sacred place of worship, where no one dare question what is or how it came to be. That approach served no one any good at all, I believe, and discarding it would serve us all quite well.
To the writers, director, producer, cast, and all others involved in the making of this film, I offer my heartfelt gratituded.
I saw ‘Star Trek’ last night at the 7:00 showing, and I feel the need to post two separate reviews for this movie (caution: SPOILERS)…
AS A MOVIE-GOER:
I must say that it stands a good chance of being the best movie this summer. It was full of non-stop action, was well acted, had the needed character development to make the story flow, and an ending truly befitting of a new Star Trek series. The only downsides to watching this movie were that it lacked majesty (could have used more than 5 seconds to introduce the new Enterprise – the only thing ST:TMP truly did right was show you how glorious the ship is) and that the Spock-Uhura relationship felt forced at times by the writers. The former may be rectified in the DVD release (I hope?), but the latter felt shoehorned into the plot by the writers. For this, I give Star Trek an 8.5/10 and as a movie goer I really want to see this movie again.
AS A STAR TREK FAN:
In addition to everything said above, I LOVED how they worked in references not only to the original series, but also to the TNG era (a Cardassian drink, anyone?). Scotty’s lines were perfectly timed and actually fit the plot, and Karl Urban IS Dr. Leonard McCoy. There was even a redshirt death! Engineer Olson (first reaction was “who?”) in a red shirts meets a very early demise on an away mission.
That being said, there are some things that bugged me:
1) New Stardates (the new system exists even in the TNG era apparantly) as Spock said that he came from Stardate 2387.
2) No Sam Kirk. Is the person we’re cheering for actually the person he’s supposed to be? I mean, I guess he is since the DOB (which was really unaltered by Nero) puts him to be 33 years old in 2266.
3) The Kobayashi Maru set-up. The Klingon Neutral Zone isn’t established until 2267, but since the Narada appeared near Klingon space, certain aspects of the timeline were apparantly accelerated.
4) Delta Vega being a ‘moon’ of Vulcan. I thought it was a mining colony at the edge of the galaxy near the Great Barrier.
5) Old Spock’s knowledge. Kirk *isn’t* supposed to be captain in 2258.
6) Engineer, the least functional area of the ship. The bridge is a 23rd century technology marvel, but the warp core is a bunch of tanks with radioactive symbols on them? Come on, seriously.
Finally, the big one:
7) ALTERNATE TIMELINE!?!?!?!? Ok, I get it that time travel was involved. That’s been the focus of lots of Star Trek plots, but in the end things always work out so that time resumes its normal course. Like in First Contact, things worked out normal, except that Cochrane would every now and then mumble drunkenly about robot zombies from outer space. That’s fine – it didn’t change the final result. But now that such drastic changes to the Trek timeline have occurred (i.e. Vulcan being destroyed), every Star Trek event we’ve come to love is now…gone. I couldn’t help but feel that the movie tried to rip away the last 20 years of me watching Star Trek. It’s one thing when a series uses time travel to erase the events of one episode – that’s only an hour or two of fandom, but we’re talking decades gone. For that reason, I am forced to say that I did not like this movie as a Star Trek fan. Rating: 4/10.
Just for the record, Neil–my audience was the same but I was decked out in my TNG uniform (hey–it’s what I have!) and was proud to show the world was a true Star Trek fan does!
I am reminded of the first episode of TNG in 1987. I decided to watch and give it a chance but I was expecting to hate it. It couldn’t STAR TREK! I was taken almost immdiately when Data started irritating Picard by giving a dozen synonyms for the word snoop. And when they trotted De Kelley out later, I was hooked.
I attended this movie with an attitude that I EXPECTED to like it. I did. A lot!
The music, the quick cuts, that modern style is not for people of my generation but I know they must attract the current market to succeed so I accept that as a given. On the Star Trek front I have to say JJ and company got it exactly right.
And the cast was amazing! They each managed to nail the characters–not the actors who originated the parts. A good deal of the credit has to go to the writers who painted the landscape but the actors stepped up to the plate and knocked them out of the park.
I almost hate to single any of them out but for me Karl Urban and Chris Pine so reminded me of their characters. Quinto had the toughest assignment because Spock has changed so much over the years. His weaknesses, if you will, seemed out of line with the Spock we knew but it is far from it. Does anyone remember when Nimoy as Spock started to apologize to Kirk in the first episode because he has no alternatives to offer (there is one thing that changed over the years–there are ALWAYS possibilities!) Quinto was excellent.
My 12 year old son who has always hated Star Trek (he’s all Star Wars) liked it as well but did not understand why I thought lines like “green blooded Hobgoblin” were so funny. He’s never seen Bread and Circuses! The fact the movie pleased both of us is the surest sign of all that JJ and his team have done what they set out to do. He is a new convert and I, a 40-year veteran of Trek, absolutely loved it.
It is not the Star Trek of my youth. But it IS Star Trek and I applaud the achievement. Thanks, Mr. Abrams and all involved. You made my day!
80. dave – May 7, 2009
“66.
no you are not.”
lol That’s pretty pathetic. Time to grow up. You can hate it all you like, I don’t care. Doesn’t make you any less or more of a Trekkie in my eyes. Peace and long life sir.
Ahhhggg. Forgot my ranking. Nothing will ever top TWOK and TVH for me but I still give it 10 out of ten for hitting the bullseye.
Epic-best action Trek yet
JJ: Too frantic buddy! You can’t tell what’s going on all the time. I still don’t feel like I’ve seen much of the interior of the ship.
JJ2: I know there were time restraints but I’m not sure you brought out the emotion of freakin Vulcan being destroyed!! It would’ve also helped to understand how Nero felt. This is the ONE thing that made it a very good movie but not a Great movie.
THIS REVIEW HAS IT ALL! ;)
THE GOOD:
-It was fun and set’s us up nicely for the next one with all the pieces in place.
-Chris Pine’s Kirk is played younger, brasher, and with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, explained via the alternate reality he grows up in. Nicely done.
-Comedy and Action all balance out organically and nicely (with exception of Scotty in a water duct, that was dumb)
-The effects were beyond incredible, though I wished they would have slowed down a few shots and really let us soaked up some moments without the frenetic Battlestar Galactica pace for just about EVERY effects shot.
THE PROBLEMS:
-While the comedy and action balanced out well, I feel they neglected strong character moments to ground the characters and relationships. (not to say there weren’t any, but they are generally short and heavy handed to get the message across quickly)
-The movie bounces too much, never really letting the emotional impact of some intense moments sink in. Remember the destruction of the Enterprise in Trek III? That sunk in.
-Too many plot devices conveniently drop everyone in place too easily. Not too mention, the entire crew of the Enterprise was randomly replaced with fresh out of the box cadets for what seemed no apparent reason.
- I read the prequel comic, but I feel the movie on its own doesn’t flesh out the motivation of the villian, beyond basically “stating” that he’s on a quest for revenge… again no real emotional impact here. Eric Bana (Nero) is disappointingly under utilized in what I feel would have been the best Trek Villian ever.
-Zachary Quinto needs to tone up, and his Spock just didn’t fully resonate with me (subjective, i know). The throw away relationship with Uhura doesn’t further any element of the story other than to provide a punchline between Kirk and Spock on the transporter platform. Spock Beaming down to the planet surface to save his mother and the council was an unnecessary scene to give Spock an emotional moment which I suppose the destruction of Vulcan alone wasn’t enough to produce.
-We never really get a feel for one of my favorite characters… The Enterprise. My personal gripe is that they changed it too much, but that aside, we didn’t have time to soak up the sets and establish it as the crew’s new home, and give it the screentime it deserved both inside and out.
MUSIC
Just wanted to chime in that the Score was great, but I feel modern cinema has lost the “Big Theme” I wanted one sweeping theme that I could remember and didn’t find it.
SUM IT UP –
6 out of 10. The actors are basically good, and in place. The effects were outstanding, The story was fine, the back story and pacing needed some help. I feel we’re ready for a round two, and I trust the franchise is in good hands.
Lastly, I’m surprised by the unadulterated early reviews simply raving about this movie. It was good, but i’m not sure it’s that good. It’s an impressive feat for Star Trek given where it’s been and I think it will do very well. But it’s far from perfect.
Doug L.
I loved this film as a fun cinematic summer romp and an impressive addition to the Star Trek catalog!
I only wish they had not used David Winter’s sets from “Space Mutiny” to represent the engineering section of the Enterprise. I felt like Tom Servo was in my ear whispering “Good! Back to the rusting septic system of this futuristic space ship!”
Otherwise, I am coming to terms with the fact that these are alternate characters from an alternate universe. It saddened me at first, but I am happy that we finally saw a Star Trek alternate universe episode without a reset button. The increadible losses that our heros suffered through this film are permanent and not to be undone. That’s how life works. They must move on and survive.
I pray that another film will come of this – the actors were too perfect for these parts and the production team was equally gifted! I just hope any sequels avoid using the genesis wave’s protomatter to bring back planet Vulcan along with George Kirk and Amanda.
You guys did a fantastic job and THANK YOU, MR. ABRAMS!!!!!!!!!!!
Andy Morgan
From start to finish, “Star Trek”, as it is simply known this time, is a fast-paced and character driven experience. Unlike almost every previous Star Trek film, it is accessible to a far wider audience than ever before as it introduces the concept and background to the fictional universe and does not bog the viewer down with technobable, bizarre plot devices or long scenes of unnecessary dialogue. However, some Trekkies and fans will have trouble accepting that what they know about the world of Trek is about to change…
Of course the big question is how does this Trek compare to the 40+ years of history and backstory that has made Star Trek something of a niche and geeky franchise? Well, the plot is excellent. This film tells the story of how Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy and the original crew of the USS Enterprise came together in the 23rd century, something we have never seen before. Despite it covering over twenty years of history within the first half an hour, this on it’s own isn’t exactly something uncommon in most other films, just unusual in a Star Trek picture, and the first indication that this will be a different experience. When everything has been set up, there is still much to tell and the Enterprise is sent flying through the galaxy to one place after another in a quest to stop time travelling Romulan bad guy, Nero from literally destroying the Federation, one world at a time. In fact, the time travel part of the storyline is probably the most confusing plot point for uninitiated viewers, although Kirk and Spock’s mind meld sequence does explain everything in pretty clear terms, setting up the climax. The plot jumps from a space battle, to an emotion driven scene with a character and back again in mere minutes, but despite this extremely fast pace, it all stays together. The audience knows what is happening for the full two hours. As a Star Trek fan, a ‘Trekker’ as I liked to be called, I found the most challenging part of watching the film to be how inconsistent it was with the forty years of Star Trek events that have come before. This ranged from the destruction of planet Vulcan, to the design of the Enterprise, to the death of some characters. The film cleverly tells us that it is set in an “alternate timeline”, thus negating any canon concerns, but all the same, as fans, we are rather enamored with the way things were. However, if you think about it, the aforementioned destruction of Vulcan is really the only big change in the timeline, and who is to say that the Enterprise won’t get a refit into its classic form before the time of the Original Series, or that Star Trek: The Next Generation and all that won’t still happen, just with slight changes in their history books? The writers have purposely left that open ended… This isn’t as major as disgruntled fans make it out to be, nor is it just Paramount Pictures milking money from a franchise using a film with flashy effects and bad story, as some closed-minded fans seem to think. In fact, I’m pleased at how much attention to detail and the past there actually IS!
The casting is spot on. Chris Pine is a young James T. Kirk with attitude who grows up and learns to mold his energy into something useful and special after being a delinquent all of his life. It is perhaps Spock’s upbringing on the planet Vulcan which is more interesting, however, as we see his emotions get the better of him on more than one occasion, especially at school. Ben Cross plays Sarek very well and there is just a hint of Mark Leonard in his performance as he speaks to his son about what it means to be a Vulcan. Zak Quinto’s adult Spock is so very much like Leonard Nimoy’s first performance back in the sixties, and Nimoy’s appearance in this film as Spock from the 24th century is much more than a cameo, with an important part to play. I was almost weeping when he turned to Kirk and proclaimed “I have been, and always shall be your friend.” Simon Pegg steals the show in the second half of the film, however, with exceptional comic timing and some classic Scotty moments. That is not to say that everyone else is serious, though, and each character has a sense of humour, even the Romulan villain, Nero, somewhat underdeveloped, yet so deadly he is almost underplayed by Australian actor Eric Bana. His line “Hi Chris, I’m Nero” is hilarious.
In terms of production values, this film easily contains the best computer generated imagery that we have ever seen in Star Trek, and it even beats ILM’s previous work in Star Wars Episode III. The USS Enterprise has never looked better, if re-designed, and the impressive battle scenes as well as planet surfaces really take the audience where they have never gone before. Sets and locations are many and varied: I am pleased that this film goes to so many different places although the new interior of the Enterprise is a bit hit or miss. Bridge, corridors and Transporter room are updated versions of the originals, but the engineering deck is merely a load of pipes and just doesn’t work very well as a believable part of the ship. Michael Giacchino’s score for the film fits perfectly with previous Trek movie soundtracks. You can certainly get a sense of the Original Series in it, and the theme is excellent, if somewhat overused throughout the film. The closing credits rendition of the original Trek tune is astounding. In fact the sound design in general is exactly as it is from the original series: the transporter hum, the bleeps on control panels and even the bridge ambiance has been kept but updated. Good stuff.
So all in all, what works?
-The casting and performance, especially Chris Pine, Zak Quinto & Simon Pegg.
-The visual effects and sound design.
-For the most part the plot, which contains everything Star Trek is, has been well written.
And what doesn’t?
-Trekkies will take some time to get used to this ‘alternate timeline’ idea.
-Nero as a character is not as developed as he could be. We need more on his background.
-The Narada, Nero’s ship is well designed, but far too similar to previous bad guy ships.
In conclusion, “Star Trek” is a very different film than what has come before, and some old-skool fans will take time to come to terms with that. But past Star Trek is the past, and this movie is a perfect re-invigoration of the original and its core themes and characters, yet very much NOT a re-set. At it’s heart, Star Trek is about optimism, hope and fun. This film has all of that. Plus some really cool space battles.
@104 Mr Fanboy
couldn’t have said it better myself sir!!
@Dom
Sorry mate, but to me you came off as a sardonic juvenile attacking anyone who didn’t share your views. Peace.
I saw it last night at the 20.45 Empire Leicester Square London screening and went in tremendously hyped-up, over excited, and probably a little over-expectant! Nerds like us have been pouring over every last detail, scrap of gossip, image, remark, rumor about this movie for such a very long time it was little wonder that I found myself more than a little wound up as I sat down at the cinema. When you’re that excited about something, it’s very easy to be disappointed…..
I enjoyed this movie immensely. It was moving, visually spectacular, well-cast, well-acted, well directed. Too many goose-bump moments to count and I did find myself a little misty eyed at times. The feeling of legitimacy Abrams has spoken much about was delivered in spades – so exciting to see Trek painted on such a rich and epic canvas; the true spirit of Trek vividly depicted in a new and interesting way.
There were some disappointments. Forgive the cliche, but the film traveled at warp-speed throughout and would’ve benefited from a few less all-action and (to my mind) slightly gimmicky scenes – there was too much peril too much of the time. This in my opinion cheapened the ’set pieces’ and climax and prevented the film breathing philosophically or emotionally (a balance Meyer achieved so effectively in TWOK + TUC).
I tired slighty of the slapstick comedy. Glorious though it was to see Simon Pegg’s Scotty, I wanted to see more of him doing things seriously and not just for laughs; his Alien comedy companion was both excruciating and hilarious at the same time. The Enterprise water plant sequence is (almost) unforgivable though this is, of course, a Star Trek movie designed to appeal to the masses and I know my nephew’s going to love that one when I take him to see it tomorrow!
I couldn’t get excited about the score and wanted desperately to hear Courage’s Enterprise fanfare the first time we saw her (at least), though there were a few original-series goose-bump inducing Enterprise music ques there if you listened for them. Speaking of the Enterprise, she looks wonderful; an excellent hybrid of the TOS/Refit design…..
Anyway. Enough ramblings from me! I can’t wait to see the movie again. 8/10
I posted this elsewhere as an answer to those who still feel as if they have been left behind by the new Trek movie or if the have had their childhoods you-know-whated:
Again I say:
For those who think that their childhood was raped I suggest you go check your DVD collection. Star Trek resides there. The Star Trek that we have now is the only one that was going to get made. Understand that the whole thing had to get revamped before Paramount was going to spend one penny on reviving the concept. When you take that into consideration, and when you listen to the conversation on the bridge where Spock explains just what is happening; that they are all in an alternate reality and that in the reality we are watching, their destinies are yet to be determined. So this movie was either going to happen this way or it wasn’t going to happen at all. Maybe I’m stupid and vapid or maybe I’m just lucky that I can accept this reality and look forward to the next movie which won’t be saddled with trying to explain the “McGuffin”. It will just be a Star Trek adventure. But a word of advice to the writers:
Don’t try to copy TWOK. Challenge yourself and make the antagonist something other than a madman bent on revenge. The Voyage Home did this quite successfully.
Speaking as someone who was there the last time on opening night Star Trek was reborn on the big screen (TMP), I can tell you that the feeling I had leaving the theater was much different. Back then I left with a feeling that I had just wasted my time and excitement on something that didn’t feel like Star Trek and didn’t give me much hope for a future story. Last night I left the theater feeling that I had been shown a fresh take on a story that I love. The characters worked for me. The visual changes didn’t turn me off as I thought they would (bar-code scanners-who knew?). And the S/U thing didn’t bug me too much outside of Spock being a bit too emotional over a girl. I guess in my head I always felt that Spock could care less for romance outside of getting some every 7 years. That’s why I always thought the K/S stuff was a bit silly. But to each their own.
And the visuals rocked. But is the bridge really that low on the dome? Interesting.
***SPOILERY***
(And for those who didn’t spot the tribble–it’s in a cage on the desk that Scotty is sleeping at when we first see him)
Welcome aboard Captain! Phasers on Stun! Beam me up Scotty!
I’ve been a fan of Star Trek since I first saw it in 1972 (give or take). I was 5 at the time and then – the stories, the heroes – it captured my attention and my heart and kept it through The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan (where the got it right) and on through all of the incarnations. That being said I don’t think I’ve ever felt as much … ambivalence? .. hmm … for any of the previous outings. They were separate. TOS movies, TNG, DS9, TNG movies and so on. This was … well I suppose I felt similar when a certain Ronald D. Moore “reignited” a certain 1970’s era television show and gave us a new appreciation for Toasters. With Star Trek – I’ve seen the promo’s, the trailers, the hype. Question was … could it deliver?
Yes yes yes with photon torpedoes and warp drive. In a lot of ways it’s the same Star Trek that I grew up with but in a lot of ways it’s not. It’s darker in some ways but the humour is certainly still there. The story was certainly very good – not completely plausible – what are the chances that they’ll all be there (the way they just happened to stumble into each other) in the course of Nero’s attack? That being said … it’s a movie and it’s Star Trek – it doesn’t need to be totally plausible.
The characters – the acting. Pine nailed it …. young, brash, not quite as full of himself as Shatner portrayed the character … but strong confident. Kirk. Quinto …. younger, emotional, flawed – in short a half human half vulcan young man still coming to terms with all that meant. Boom he got it. Urban and Pegg … McCoy & Scotty … these weren’t the characters we grew up with but … they where younger, different. Yet the same. Urban nailed it – very nicely done. Pegg – once he got rolling (you gotta watch the movie you’ll know what I mean – there be no spoilers here) – again a much younger Montgomery Scott. Saldana – Uhura … smokin’ … wow. A little different, a little tougher (ok a lot tougher) but …wow. Yelchin as Checkov …. boom. He’s got it. Very well done. John Cho as Sulu … I think his interpretation of Sulu diverged the most from the Sulu that I grew up with but new isn’t necessarily bad – strong performance, younger man younger character .. Sulu. Greenwood as Pike … it’s not the Star Trek that I grew up with but he certainly made that role his own (very smartly too). Nimoy …. some things change some things stay the same. He is Spock.
The effects are outstanding. Action fast – very fast. Having seen it at IMAX with the sound system and the big screen I felt like I was there in the middle of everything. Only comment re the IMAX – if you’re going to do that get there early enough to ensure that you’re not sitting in the very front row …
4 out of 4 stars, a worthy successor to all that is trek. Fast, funny, exciting and most certainly entertaining. Gonna see it again so I can pick up on some of the more subtle parts.
View of a non-star trek fan-
It was a good movie in some respects. I thought the graphics/ sets etc. were incredible. the space scenes were spectacular. the cast on the whole were good as well.
Just thought the premise for the story was a bit weak. I mean man loses loved one in catastrophe so swears revenge on the galaxy has been done to death in star trek.
I also thought that when the old spock came into the movie lost an awful lot. Star Trek always feel that they have to pay respect to other incarnations of star trek to somehow get the approval of fans they include an old cast member from one of the series and I felt this movie didn’t need that. It should’ve tried to stand on it’s own two feet. I also think that by including the old spock some of the integrety of the spock character was lost. I think they also tried to squeeze a bit too much into the story too, and kind of had to squeeze in an awful lot because of the prescence of the old spock.
Anyway, I thought the resolution would involve a return to normal that somehow they would set things right and things would return to normal and perhaps they would pick up with the crew as they were in the original series ie. Kirk would have grown up normally as he did in the original series, spock would still have a mother etc. and then we would see them trekking accross the universe as normal with no acknowledgement that these events had happened, but didn’t happen (thought that might be a good way to lead into the events of the original series or just before it but no)
So what has happened instead is that we have witnessed the destruction of the Vulcan civilisation, the Romulan civilisation (in the future) – that’s a lot for a new Star Trek movie to do to Star Trek canon.
Plus there is also the point a friend brought up. Would Spock (or any of the remaining Vulcans) not make it their duty to seek out this Nero character (or his grandad or whatever) and kill him before he can cause any damage- while he is a lowly miner lets say. That would mean that this current reality they exist in, is doomed to failure- therefore it cannot exist. Similarly Spock would realise the errors that he made in calculations and would right the mistake he made (with the sun) before anything could happen- so therefore the events of the movie would not unfold.
Other than that- didn’t really like the doctor McCoy actor. He was basically trying to do an impression of DeForrest Kelley and is clearly a member of overactors annonymous. I mean McCoy was cynical and world weary after the events of his life- not straight out of the academy. Maybe he was but it just seemed a bit OTT.
And chekov- what can you say? Once again we see the USA-centric view of the future- only Americans will be in space in the future. Americans will be in command of all these spaceships and crew the majority of them. Everyone else will just have a hilarious accent and will be there for comic relief. Never mind that there will be blue and green people and people with strange lumps coming out of their heads onboard- a russian grappling with the english language will still be comedy gold in the future. And of course despite the numerous civilisations and hundreds of different languages- English will still be the dominant language- and if you cant master if- it’ll be a recipe for hilarity!
And this transporter idea that apparently Scotty came up with? Well I mean where’s the need for warp speed anymore? The enterprise was halfway across the galaxy and the two boys were beemed aboad no bother! What the hell was Captain Janeway doing all that time in the Delta Quadrant? Why didn’t she just transport home? What a load of balls.
Anyway that’s my view! Still wouldn’t say it was bad or anything but obviously any movie that has so many series and previous movies before it is gonna get a little extra scutiny.
Goodbye to the Romulans and Vulcans though- that was a bit of a shocker!
125.
well said.
One added thought about the “emotional Spock”, for those who have trouble with it.
Watch “The Cage”. Watch Young Spock almost laughing as he holds the leaves of the plant that makes noise.
Then cut Quinto and the writers some slack. Apparently, according to canon, Young Spock didn’t have the whole “no emotion” thing quite nailed yet. So Quinto’s character, and his performance, are ABSOLUTELY consistent with canon.
I totally agree that the sequel should not have an over the top antagonist. I heard this after Nemesis when everyone was sick of the writing, but we need a Stephen King type of story. Some of the best Trek has been the wierd stuff. TNG best (or one of the best) was Inner Light. Who was the bad guy in that? nad as THX said, ST IV. I don’t know if I can handle another one like this Transformer Trek. It did it’s job, but let it be the last. please
I saw Star Trek yesterday at the 10pm showing. I am a college student at Penn State and I wasn’t sure how crowded the theater was going to be. Star Trek always had a stigma attached to it that you were a nerd…etc if you liked it. Walking into the theater I was pleasantly surprised that it was almost full. In minutes after I got there you couldn’t find an empty seat. I am a younger fan so I have only seen the next generation films in theaters and they were never sold out on opeining day so I think people were really more open to seeing this film.
The movie in my opinion was great. I was surprised at how much comedy was in the film. The only 2 scenes that really didn’t work for me was the corvette scene (which was cool but not that necessary) and the water tunnel scene. They just felt like filler.
The characters were spot on. Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Karl Urban did a wonderful job. Leonard Nimoy did not miss a beat and was good as always as Mr. Spock. His introduction brought a tear to my eye when he said that Kirk would always be his friend. The only character that would need tweaking in the sequel would be Chekov, his accent was too much.
This movie is for Star Trek fans, but it really is accessible to non fans, and I hope more people get introduced to Star Trek. There are nods to fans, from the tribble in Scotty’s lab to the almost “The Motion Picture” Uniform that Pike was wearing at the end of the movie. I give the movie two thumbs up!
RE Post 128 – to compliment my critique… What would I do differently -
Regarding Plot –
I would have set the film up more like Generations, in which the opening sequence is time displaced… In this case we open in the future and witness the destruction of Romulus, the agony of Nero, the failure of Spock, give us just a hint of old 24th century Trek, before moving into the new timeline. This would have fleshed out a lot of the motivations, and grounded the “must have revenge” plot.
Vulcan certainly didn’t need to be destroyed, and has robbed us of potential future stories involving Vulcan.
Regarding Style -
I wish it had moved a little slower and as many (including myself) have stated, given the characters and audience time to soak in the emotional impact of big moments.
I wish also that we had just a little more closely maintained some stylistic cohesion with the original series.
I’m sure I’ll have more to comments as I digest this movie.
Doug L.
When I first found out about this film I didn’t know if I’d be excited or not. Star Trek has become a pop culture icon and grown way beyond it’s cult status in the 60’s.
Since it first aired back in 1966 Star Trek has launched a successful movie franchise and given birth to four spin off series with each one of them giving the nod to their origins, my favourite being the crew of Deep Space Nine traveling back and inserting themselves into one of the classic episodes, interacting with a young William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy in a 30th anniversary special. Beyond TV and movies it’s generated billions on merchandise, grown a following bigger than anyone realises and inspired people to do incredible things with their lives. Don’t believe me? Google the name Dr Mae Jemison.
The last two spin offs, Voyager and the prequel Enterprise failed to impress most fans and casual viewers. They seemed lacking in something special, the humour was off, the stories rehashed and bland. Now, however, things are a little different…
JJ Abrams revival Star Trek movie received rave reviews all round and when I got an email asking me if I’d be interested in reviewing the film for BBC Radio Scotland’s movie cafe, well, it was the quickest I’ve ever said yes to anything. The hype for the film was unbelievable and being a fan I was just as excited as anyone. Where there’s hype there is often disappointment. But the more I learned the more anxious I was to see the reinvention of this sci fi classic. With Robert Ocri and Alex Kurtzman writing and JJ Abrams directing my high hopes were met with a wonderful film that had me in awe.
If you heard me on the radio I had twenty minutes between leaving the cinema and going on air and I was still stunned. There was so much to say and so little time to say it Needless to say – this movie lived up to the hype.
Lets get the geek stuff out of the way first…
Years ago my father told me that the Motion Picture hooked him as the scale inside the Enterprise opened his eyes to how huge and technical a beat it was. Dad, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! I was apprehensive when I heard about that part of the ship being filmed on location but seeing it on screen was amazing. In harsh contrast to the small, safe environment of Next Generation or previous movies the film opens up the whole hull as one giant industrial area that you could see Richard O’Brian running around in whilst playing a harmonica. It took away some fantasy technology of the Enterprise and replaced it with something real and believable.
The shuttle bay visual was also some stunning CGI work, with the geeky twist of the shuttles mirroring the 60’s version, and the interiors were just as industrial looking as the Engineering hull which was superb. Above all that though we have the bridge, in an unfamilier place but seemingly with much easier access than before. The ‘Apple Store’ brightness of that set, and everything in the saucer, was a harsh contrast but also very nicely put together giving a nu-retro feel to the whole thing. Some of the superfans looking to hate the movie can’t quite grasp it’s new look but it successfuly brings a whole new image to the Enterprise finally taking it’s design into the 23rd century! And I have to say it looks far more stunning and functional on screen than in the released photos.
In the bigger picture the Enterprise looked amazing. While other ships seen just seemed to be patched together and a little ‘off’, the Big E looked spectacular from all angles. Ryan Church has done some wonderful work keeping it’s design elements and giving it a modern, yet retro, feel. Then we have the effect. Warp was how it should be. Zap! and she’s gone. Then just like that she appears out of nowhere into the middle of all the weckage Nero caused when she catches up with the fleet that went off to save Vulcan.
The new-look transporter beam was also stunning to see, as was every CGI element on screen from the touch screen panels around the bridge to the destruction of Vulcan itself which showed up in the trailers, shocking the fans.
The destruction of Vulcan is one of the key elements in the film and how this new continuity differs from the original. There have been concerns from both the angry fans and even the ones who didn’t care about scrapping Trek as we knew it but this wasn’t like Batman Begins. There was no comic book style retelling or re-imagining. They went out of their way to point out that this film was a parallel universe as much as it was the creation story of the infamous crew. It wasn’t as if they wiped the slate clean without mention of the old time line, key members of the crew pointed out the new line with Uhura even saying outright it was an alternate universe. But the best moment of it all was when Spock Prime told Kirk about the changes. In a very key moment to Kirk he asks if the other Jim Kirk, the man we’ve all seen for forty plus years, knew his father which took the idea of the alternate reality out of science fiction and very briefly into the heart of the movie.
That heart of the movie is James T Kirk taking his first few steps to being a legend.
The Kirk we’ve seen before was inspired to join Starfleet by his father George. In this film, however, George Kirk dies in the tremendous opening sequence. Standing in for his captain, George Kirk fights against the villain Nero losing his life in the line of duty to save his newborn son. Without a father figure in his life to inspire young Jimmy T, he goes off the rails until Captain Pike shows up to put him on the right path. With Pikes support Kirk starts to move his life in the right direction and the world of Star Trek starts to come together.
More importantly Pine didn’t Parody Shatner or try to mimic him too much. There was the odd moment of the old Kirk in there, a cheesy grin, slouching in the big chair, but Pine made the role his own and did a tremendous job.
I was genuinely shocked by Pines performance in the role. I hadn’t seen him in anything before and I couldn’t really find anything with significance of him when I learned he was taking the lead role. But he was perfect for this less matured, arrogant and rebellious young man. He played it all perfectly and better yet, the writing worked really well to show how Kirk’s impulsive personality would ensure that despite it being an alternate reality, he’d still find his place as a legend.
Zachary Quinto, best known as Heroes villain Sylar, played a stiff and conflicted Spock that had great chemistry against Pine’s version of Kirk. Already we can see that this Spock might accept his feelings more easily and get a little background on why he wanted to purge his human side. There are even a few fun moments where you can almost see Sylar peek through in the performance, particularly near the end after he’s learned to work with Kirk.
The supporting cast were equally as brilliant. Simon Pegg speaks Scottish slang better than I do and brought a lot of humour into the role of Scotty which was one of the elements which was missing of too low key in some previous films while Karl Urban… well, as soon as you see his first scene as Leonard McCoy he just takes the role and runs with it. The rest of the crew all have their moments in the film. Sulu and Chekov fill out their roles more than ever before whilst Uhura comes with a surprise or two behind that gorgeous smile. Then of course we have Leonard Nimoy reprising his role as Spock from the future who is justas superb as he’s always been.
Eric Bana’s portrayal of Nero was outstanding. You could see the hatred in his eyes and his will to kill everything, and his back story, while not just, is certainly a strong point for his character. His brief interaction with Bruce Greenwood’s Captain Pike was nice to see, going from a laugh from the audience at first to being a big evil bastard just as he was when he first shows up in the film.
The story itself didn’t seem too far off any previous Star Trek film. It looked and felt different, but at it’s core it was an adventure based around Trek and the pace of the film helpd portray the fact it was a crew under threat. It’s amazing what a big budget and running down some corridors can do. The writers made some brave choices, the boldest of which was killing off Vulcan and showing there was a new path to be followed, but those choices refreshed and updated a franchise dying from a concept worn out by Voyager and Enterprise, as well as the last two motion pictures. In this film we see the crew utilising their talents to come together and trust one another and if this is a success, which it’s likely to be, sets the stage for more.
While preserving and respecting what came before it, even a few nods and secret handshakes to the fans and lines drawn from pop culture that everyone can smirk at, JJ Abrams has succeeded in making the first truly widely appealing Star Trek movie. If you know whats came before it you’ll get a few extra laughs, if you’re a newbie to Trek this is a perfect introduction.
For all the worry and concern that this would be to Star Trek what Phantom Menace was to Star Wars, seeing it on the big screen would set fans minds at ease. What we have is a roller coaster ride, a blockbuster film based around the original Star Trek concept with action, adventure, comedy and most importantly heart.
This film has injected new life into the franchise and I look forward to seeing the crew boldly go… into a sequel.
Sure, there were things that I did not like about the movie. But, I liked a lot more of the movie moments.
It’s a fictional universe. Canon-worshippers need to realize this basic fact, and get over the fact that this movie may just have kicked itself up to right underneath Wrath of Kahn and next to First Contact and Undiscovered Country.
Plot: 7/10
Character: 10/10
Effects: 10/10
Engine Room: 4/10
Bridge: 10/10
Villain: 7/10
Finally, Trek is approachable to the masses. Hopefully, they’ll go back to the Original episodes and see what it’s really all about.
And Bones is STILL my favorite. Urban rocks, and I need to write him a fan letter to express my thanks for chanelling DeForrest Kelley’s passion into this role.
I just wish they hadn’t had to have a 9/11-level event to start this franchise off like this. I’m still weeping at the thought of what happened.
WOW… talk about Boldly Going… Let’s just erase the board and start all over with a whole different Star Trek universe.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I really liked the movie! I would give it a 9/10 for pure enjoyability. If you are an absolute purest and will tolerate nothing less than complete “canon” accuracy, take a pill and just enjoy it.
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly:
Good – The characters. I know some people might argue, but I think the movie did a great job of portraying the personalities of the major characters in a young and “immature” manner. You can see how they could grow into the personalities we know and love in TOS. They aren’t exactly the same as TOS, and they should not be. How many of us older folks are exactly like we were in our teens and twenties? The classic lines from each are not just thrown in but fit into the story, and the audience loved them!
Good – The action, and the fact that even at some of the tensest moments they managed to throw in some humorous stuff.
Good – The special effects.
Good and Bad – The chance they took with radically changing things in the ST universe that we have been so used to. A dangerous move but on the whole I think it worked. It certainly opens up whole new possibilities for the future movies, maybe even bringing new life (and new civilizations) to the Star Trek saga. However, the time warp vehicle did sometimes seem as a general excuse to play footloose and fancy free with facts from the Star Trek “canon”. Who knows, maybe Robert April was an unfortunate casualty on the Kelvin? One goof is a situation before the any timeline gets affected… fans of the TOS know when Romulans were first encountered and actually seen.
Good and Bad – The Enterprise. It looked great on the outside, but deep down I think I really wanted it to be more like the original. I liked the nod to those who just love the ship… some great shots, such as the one over Titan. The inside, well… The looks of some things were contradictory and did not make much sense. The bridge looked ultra high tech, but engineering more like a WWII Russian tank factory. They just did not go together. Kind of like TNG meets Battlestar Galactica. It didn’t fit with the typical ST pattern of how things look, but then again I can say from experience that bridges and engineering rooms of U.S. Navy ships can look like they are from different worlds. Also, the Enterprise bridge did not seem much like home, if you know what I mean.
Bad – Uhura. Probably the biggest character departure from the original, but then again it is a new timeline with different possibilities. It was disappointing for me, because I could not keep thinking that the things she did in the movie would have been so much better if they had come from a young nurse Chapel.
Good – The recognition of many of the classic Trek quirks. Come on, we all know what happens to red shirts on away missions. Of course there is also the long held Star Fleet tradition of sending the highest ranking officers into the teeth of imminent danger. I also appreciated the fact that did not try to make a radical departure in the uniforms: remember those leotard pajamas in ST:TMP?
Bad – (big spoiler)
Like others have commented, the big jump from cadet to captain is just plain stupid. Since I am in the Navy, for me this really reached the pinnacle of the ridiculous. You don’t finish from an “academy” with the knowledge or experience to be in a position like that, rather you spend your career preparing for such. The lower ranks are post-graduate education years for leadership. Kind of gave me a letdown at the end.
Ugly – That guy in the bar.
It is certainly a movie I will want to see many times, which is not something I can say about the last few. Besides, I have to find out where the tribble makes a cameo!
131 Beezer.
I wrote a lengthy reply before which seems to have disappeared as things are wont to do on this site! Grrr!
Anyway, it’s cool. Sometimes on discussion boards things don’t read the way they are intended to. Plus I’d hit the Aldebaran Whisky in celebration!
I said quite a few other things (all friendly and complimentary, I assure you) but I can’t remember them all!
Cheers, Dom :)
9/10
I’ll try not to rehash too much of what I’m sure others have covered here.
This would be a 10 out of 10 were it not for the canon-destroying event with Vulcan. I’m someone who usually could not care less about canon if it gets in the way of a good story. I’m pragmatic enough, too, to understand it would take something huge to disrupt the in-universe timeline and clear the slate to allow a new cast to determine their own destiny, as Spock put it. But still, the destruction of Vulcan and near-annihilation of the Vulcans disrupts so much across all the series and films. I’m really not a huge Star Trek fan; my first view of Vulcan was only a few months ago when I saw Star Trek IV for the first time. Nonetheless, it left a lump in my throat.
Something that was far more memorable than I would have expected before seeing the film was the sound design. I suppose I should expect nothing less from Ben Burtt. It really stunned me how effective the film is with the ABSENCE of sound to enhance drama: the destruction of the Kelvin and the orbital jump to the drilling platform stand out. And the new throaty rumble of engines as the fleet jumped to warp actually stood out to me more than the first view of the space station and the Enterprise.
The scene in which George Kirk shares his first and last moments with his newborn son is what lingers most for me nearly a half day later. Childbirth is a very joyous and peculiar human moment, at once profoundly unique yet common to everyone, and JJ Abrams also filled it with grief and inspiration and hope. I started getting wet-eyed, so I looked over at my wife, and she looked back, and she had tears in her eyes, too. So I squeezed her hand and held her close.
And that was only 10 minutes into the movie.
The depth of meaning behind the Star Trek movie comes not from the philosophy spouted off by characters and not from the sci-fi allegory, but instead as a work of metafiction.
This movie is about how Kirk, Spock, et al BELONG together.
Generations (Kirk & Checkov), Unification (Spock), Encounter at Farpoint (McCoy), Undiscovered Country (Sulu),and Relics (Scotty) all serve to fragment the crew away from each other. Spock is alone on Romulus. Scotty is alone in that shuttlecraft. McCoy is alone in his old age. Kirk dies “alone”. Sulu leaves Enterprise behind. Etc.
In other ways, this movie feels somewhat like a continuation of Spock’s story. In this movie, Spock gets to inadvertently cause two of his closest friends to avoid a terrible fate (Kirk’s bridge death — I also figured he’d die on the bridge, just not THAT kind of bridge; Pike’s quadriplegic fate). A single line could be drawn across many episodes of Star Trek, as if it were building up to Prime Spock’s actions in this new movie. It’s as if those episodes were LEADING, purposely, to this movie. It’s a stretch, but not much of one, and it’s a credit to the screenwriters. (Cage to Balance of Terror to City on the Edge of Forever to Yesteryear to TOS-era movies (sans Final Frontier :) ) to Unification to Nemesis to . . . Star Trek ‘09 — there’s other things I’d put on the list, but this is the broad strokes version.)
I really enjoyed myself at the movie. A friend, who is no fan of Trek, really enjoyed it. The Onion video is one of those “it’s funny because it’s true” kind of things. This movie will NOT appeal to a LOT of Trek fans. But it WILL appeal to others.
There’s a third thing this film does, does well, and has to do. It’s a set up film. Other people have said it. This movie is like Batman Begins or Casino Royale. It’s a set up for the next film. All teh backstory is out of the way, the actors have slide into the characters, now . . . the REAL adventure can begin!
Here’s hoping Star Trek version 2 part II will be an awesome, BIG exploration of strange new worlds!!!
*Contains One Spoiler At End*
Ok, so I booked my tickets at the BFI IMAX in London on the day they went on sale. Now it being the first time I ventured anywhere near an IMAX (let alone the biggest one in the UK), I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Like every other review I have read and future ones I am likely to read, the film starts off in Warp 9 and certainly “boldly goes where no man has gone before”. The pace continues throughout the two hour long film and not once did I check my watch to see how long has passed or how long is left.
J.J Abrams picked the perfect cast with both Pine and Quinto as the leads, both complimenting each other making me laugh and hold my breath (although not at the same time, because that would be illogical).
Finally, Uhura is given the credit she deserves as Communications officer and Saldana keeps her sassy and sexy just like Roddenberry intended her to be. Unfortunately Pegg wasn’t nearly seen on-screen enough BUT the time he was, he did steal the scene on every occasion.
Bana was great as Nero, however, this Star Trek film wasn’t about the ‘bad guy’ but more about how Spock and Kirk begin a friendship through rivalry and admiration for each other.
The IMAX Experience was fantastic and I was blown away by the sheer size of the screen and the many speakers around the auditorium blasting out every hum of the warp drive and beeping of the sensors. However, it was the score that really was the cherry on top of this very yummy ice-cream sundae that is/was Star Trek.
After 18 months of waiting, I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest and my hat goes off to Mr. Abrams for he certainly did create a spectacular “reboot” of the Star Trek franchise.
*The first time I saw it, 9.5/10 the second time (after I saw the tribble) it went up to 10/10*
Well..all I have to say is, if you liked the new Battlestar Galactica and were able to wrap your head around the whole “re-imagining” thing, then you’ll LOVE this movie.
If you are walking into Star Trek expecting a 31 year Bill Shatner and gang to walk right out of the 60’s TV show then you’ll be disappointed. What you have to do is imagine not ever having seen Star Trek before. You almost have to wipe the slate clean (as hard as that is!) and just keep an open mind with no expectations. Easier said than done I know, but that basically captures the spirit of what I did last night.
I’m not going to get into all the nitty gritty, but I will say that the movie hit the mark. The characters did indeed capture the spirit of the originals without becoming walking, talking imitations. The original chemistry was clearly evident and it felt natural…which is no mean feat as you can imagine.
That’s what blew me away and stayed with me long after the movie was over..and Carl Urbane as “Bones” was a revelation! All the characters really held up and brought their own personalities to the fold without resorting to imitation. The cast paid tribute to those that came before but kept it fresh..once again no mean feat..
I say go see Star Trek with an open mind and enjoy it for what it is..a fresh start with all the old familiar trappings that made Star Trek as great as it was back in the day..
I just don’t know if I like the idea of a world in which Vulcan is gone and Vulcans are an endangered species… seems like it wasn’t neccesary to tell this story, or to re-boo the franchise… that felt like losing an old friend and didn’t make me too happy…
But beyond that everything was done so well, with a few minor nit picks (also, now Pike doesn’t get to Talos IV, doesn’t get in his accident, and most of all doesn’t really get to build a relationship with Spock — as it does seem that since this is the first ‘maiden voyage’ of the USS Enterprise NCC 1701, as Pike says in the film, he and Spock did not get to serve together very long.
Also a little too convenient was finding Spock Prime, finding Scotty and then suddenly he’s the ship’s engineer, and then of course Kirk immediately becoming Captain of the flagship…
Also since I’m nit-picking, how does Starfleet know that Romulans and Vulcans are related species or close? Did that also happen when Nero came out of the time-vortex? If so, fine, but we didn’t hear that and Spock just reports the similarity as if is common knowledge.
I’m all for a re-make, up-date, even a total re-boot, but why ignore the storytelling that’s come before when its so much stronger than these alternatives? Its like deciding to paint a picture but only use two colors. Great for an exercise but it felt like a mistake to ignore such available resources (much more important it seems to me than if the ship looked the same or not, or the sound effects were the same).
Anyway, I really hoped to love this movie with all my heart but instead I can just respect it but also feel a little let down… once again Hollywood has made the expedient commercial choice over the perhaps more integral artistic one. So be it. Bring on Star Trek 2.
#141 (JT) – hell of a review, dude. Your take and mine are in total sync.
By making this new Star Trek in a true altered history, Abrams can now go in any direction with ease. While there were a couple of things that I still do not get (HE kissed HER?!?) The fact that this universe is greatly different from the one I grew up with is just fine by me.
One thing that bothered me was the sheer size of the engineering spaces. My son, however, put it best. This Enterprise is bigger than the original. Oh. Duh. It is, isn’t it!
My son also said something that made me laugh… he said “This is MY Star Trek!” That may be, but that old vulcan there is MY Spock!
It’s a good movie. It stands on it’s own, but if you know the history, if you lived the history, you will smile and nod and laugh even more.
I look forward to exploring this new timeline. Watching it unfold in ways that can be somewhat familiar, but yet different as well.
I give it a 10. It was worth the money, and I’ll buy the DVD.
I am loving the various, varied and intelligent posts. Many have said, “Don’t have time to read them all.” Make the time, definitely worth it.
Also, would love to see a new post for the easter-eggs, in-jokes, cameos, etc. Anthony, can you set that up? Where was Cawley, did anyone else recognize Greg on the car phone, etc…
May 8th 2009 – 15h00
(No major spoilers…)
Just got out of the theatre and let just say it will need a get use to. This new beginning is in deed a complete reboot of the franchise. Forget what we know of canon from the moment Neron arrives from the future. It’s an entirely new timeline, but opens up the franchise to new stories, new possibilities. Creating this new timeline avoids any conflict with canon from TOS to Nemesis. It’s a new beginning indeed. Can’t wait for the next one.
Many comments are already posted and I will refrain from just repeating the same things. JJ has done a fantastic job with this reboot. The only reservation that I could point out is that he went a bit to far in regards to giving realism to the ships, outpost, shuttles… I am not saying that it ’s all bad, but he just missed some areas here and there. For example the engine rooms, it’s to much like what we could expect to see in our days. It’s way too much mechanical, for example, manual valves? I would think that they would all use automated ones by then. Again, those strange detail doesn’t mean this film is not good, in the contrary, it’s one of the best ones. I will definitely go see this film another time.
Story/plot = 9/10
Acting = 10/10
SFX = 10/10
Design = 8/10
I give it an overall 9+
Hey wait a minute – in Star Trek Of God’s and Men WE went into an alternate universe, affected the timeline (centered around Kirk – or lack of), destroyed Vulcan, and saw a somewhat different Enterprise, but in the end, everything went back to normal . . . .
Oh well, that is a another life . . .
I thought that this movie ROCKED BIG TIME!!
I was hesitant at first, excited near release date then totally awed when I saw it last night.
I totally think that this film was a clever attempt to re-invigorate the franchise, successfully I think, and stay true to canon for those of us who love and need it. Just totally clever and satisfying (for me) way to go.
Some things I would have wished were different like the ship design both internal and external (to me the interior of the local brewing plant was very obvious and just didn’t quite fit – would have worked very well for the interior of say, the mining plant on Delta Vega). But minor at most.
Characterization A+. From the opening act, I really CARED about these guys and had a tear in my eye many times.
Great introduction of Leonard Nimoy too, and every scene with him shined! Very touching at the end, with younger Spock and in the Academy. Another tear moment.
On a personal note about the state of America right now, I fully appreciate that this film was shot in the United States (American company/money/manufacturing skills belong in America as long as there are Americans needing that work) and in Los Angeles. As a film industry professional I have seen close just how “outsourcing” has hurt our economy and who pays the price and for how long. Also glad to see that the midwest in the future hasn’t lost all manufacturing jobs!!
So for many reasons I really appreciated this film and enjoyed it immensely. Expecting to see it many times.
STAR TREK LIVES! Indeed!
The new Star Trek film is fabulous, in every aspect of it. The cast is outstanding. The FX were stunning. The story was pure Star Trek. This is the MOVIE version of Star Trek that all future Treks will be compared to. It truly was a roller-coaster of a ride. I went from shedding tears, to clenching fists, to laughing to clenching fists, to tears… it was thrilling. The character development was extraordinarily well done, and I found myself caring about Kirk and Spock the way I did when I was a kid.
To JJ, Bob & Alex, and the rest of the team: THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
okay…
I first have to say that i have been waiting since 1979 for a REAL STAR TREK movie.
one with scope.
one with budget.
one that was more than an extended TV show or a re mix of special effects from prior movies with a few new ones tossed in for good measure.
well as Nero would say, the wait is over…
but i do i still feel wanting?
i enjoyed the movie imensly, but i walked out of the theater this afternoon feeling like there should have been more, that something was not what i had been expecting, that someting just got LOST.
I had noproblem with the ship,the effects,the actors, and most of the story.
i did not give a hoot about cannon,because i as I stated once long ago..tossme out a few lines of mush toexplain it all and i will be fine.
well they did that ,too.
i had fun, i got a little teary eyed, and i really had a good time
so with all that being said .. what is wrong with me and this film?
well i can pin it on 4 things:
1. half of the music
2. the camara set ups.
3. no opening credits
4. leonard nimoy
first the music:
I HATED THE BAD GUY MUSIC. it stunk.i mean batman forever stink.
the good guy music was great, but nero’sstuff really wws crummy. also, i did not like the way A.C.’s them was tossed at the end. i wanted it there, but i wanted it melded in with the cool music that was kirk’s theme. like they did in Superman returns.a little bit of williams meshed in with the new stuff.
not courage over and over and over and over.
(i could not get those damn roddenberry lyrics out of my head!)
2.the camera set ups:
with all the money tossed into these ssts and locations..why all the closeups? I wanted Speilbrgian vista’s that closed in on the actors.
I wanted size and scope.
not every shot had to be seemingly be in our hero’s faces.
and what was up with all that glare??
3. i really missed real opening credits. that makes a picture epic to me.
it is where the theme music sets the tone. i missed that in batman- the dark knight,and i miss it here.
4. mr nimoy. he was great. i wanted to cry. but i wanted more. i wanted him to have a point.I wanted him to be the hero. iiwanted him to make the sacrifice” the needs of the many outweigh the needsof the few.. or the one” type thing. i wanted him to be the one that made Jim Kirk into Captain James T. kirk. by giving himself for the future of not only the Universe, but his friend. the final sacrifice for destiny.
I still give this movie a solid 8/10.
but I guess that is what i am missing.
i thought this time it would be a pefect 10.
i guess even in star trek, nobody can be perfect.
just have to settle for pretty darn good.
oh and one more thing…
would it have killed them to use Shatners’ ” Space th Final frontier…”from the TV show?
that would have been the heart tug for the ages.
I enjoyed this movie thoroughly. I had accidentally read spoilers, and knew the plot already. Nonetheless this movie had me on the edge of my seat. I’m planning on going again at least once.
All the characters were done very well by the cast.
Karl Urban isn’t Deforest Kelly, but his take on Dr McCoy is spot on. I’m looking forward to see him interact with other characters in the next movie.
I enjoyed Anton Yelchin’s Checkov as much as I enjoyed Walter Keonig’s. Oh, BTW, Checkov has plot points in this movie that don’t involve the “Checkov Treatment.” Yelchin didn’t have to cry out in pain once! Nice change, in my opinion.
John Cho’s Sulu was believable. I liked his vulnerability on the bridge. When facing off against the Romulans, he came across as a force to be reckoned with.
Simon Pegg’s Scotty seemed little whiney at first, but it made sense in the story (he was marooned on that planet for months on end without human company – that would drive anyone crazy).
Zoe Saldana plays an intelligent, sophisticated Uhura. Nichelle Nichols Uhura was as much as she could be in the 60’s (a woman who is an officer on the bridge of any ship was unheard of until Star Trek). Now Uhura is a force to be reckoned with.
Zachary Quinto’s Spock was believable. But I expected more of the struggle with his emotions to show on his face. That’s my only complaint, though. I felt I was looking at Spock, not Quinto playing Spock.
Nimoy couldn’t go wrong as Spock. I was surprised however, in that this story rounds out the character more than I expected.
Chris Pine was also believable as Kirk. His cocky assurance and humor captured the character for me. As with Quinto/Spock, I felt I was watching Kirk.
Nero was believable, and a tragic villain, like so many Start Trek villains. I found it believable he would wait to get revenge on Spock.
Some things became cliché, and I think could have been done differently. Kirk’s flirtatiousness became a little old for me. Also, why is Kirk always on the verge of falling off cliffs?
The enterprise was acceptable to me in space, and the sets were believable.
The music was good, and it swept me up in the story. I missed having the movie open with the familiar line by Alexander Courage. However, for a reboot, starting without that music was appropriate. Setting the new tone, and all that.
I almost forgot to mention the special effects. They didn’t seem like effects to me. I felt I was watching the story unfold, not watching a dazzling effects extravaganza. Even watching Star Trek II : The Wrath of Khan, I felt I was watching models. Not so this movie.
I’m giving it a 9.5/10.
**1/2 out of *****
Star Trek is what you get when Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman write their absolute best screenplay to date — complete with emotion, character, humour and variety of situation — and then a second-time motion picture director absolutely shakes, rattles and rolls the life out of it. Star Trek is an entertaining story wrapped in a complete disaster of production design and direction.
Is there philosophy? A bit. Are there literary references? One, to Sherlock Holmes. But the movie is paced so abruptly and so unevenly that the audience is not allowed (even if you wanted) to engage with what few, simplistic thoughts it presents. If you wait half a second longer, what struck you as curious won’t even matter anymore. There is no thought here. There is no time to think. There are too many fights – and in order to make time for them, we loose any mention of where Nero was for 25 years and hence, we suddenly have holes in the narrative. On top of that, this movie has so many flashes of light and so much shakiness that one almost wants to look away. And if I’m not looking, why am I here?
Why? Because Bones is going to take care of me. Because Kirk is going to lead me, Scotty will make me smile, Uhura will hold me, Sulu will thrill me with his combat, and Spock will absolutely knock the wind out of me with his battle of emotion and logic. Granted Chekov won’t feel anything at all like Chekov, but it’s hard not to like this youngster anyway. There will even be bits and pieces to consider and discuss about the movie when the credits roll (if you’re sharp enough to pick them out and remember them for afterward when the booms and bangs stop).
Star Trek is going to save the franchise. The question now is, Will that be the death of it?
Saw the movie at a 5:20pm showing in Edinburgh, with about 25 other people in a cinema that should hold about 150+ people, so it was a bit lacking in atmosphere. That might explain the lack of any audience reaction to the film.
My marks:
Acting = 8/10
Story/plot = 6/10
SFX = 9/10
Production design = 8/10
Music = 9/10
So, overall that should give 8/10 for the movie, but I’m deducting an extra mark for my general sense of being underwhelmed, so I give it…
7/10
It was fun and I enjoyed it, but even though the packaging was Trek, it just didn’t feel quite like Trek to me. Dunno why, but that’s how I feel.
Chris Pine and Bruce Greenwood were great. Zachary Quinto and Karl Urban were good. I enjoyed Anton Yelchin’s performance, and I didn’t think the ‘wictor/wulcan’ thing was overplayed. I so wanted Simon Pegg to be great. For me he wasn’t. Certainly his dialogue was much more realistic that the cod Scottish stuff that was written for James Doohan, but he couldn’t quite sustain the accent and I hope they make him less of the comic relief in the next film, if they make it. Other performances were pretty much just set dressing, and sadly that includes, for me, Leonard Nimoy. I hope JJ and his crew never bring back any of the old cast again. As much as I still love their performances in TOS and the movies, their day is long gone.
I liked the look of the film, but I just don’t feel energised about it the way I normally am about Star Trek. Maybe this proves I am a sad geek fan? Maybe, as The Onion joked, I am the kind of fan who needs some heavily laden moral messages in there. For me it was too much about action with no real ’stop and think’ time. And too many plot points were just convenient, but I guess that’s about driving the action forward to assemble the crew for the next film. Oh yes, the whole kid Kirk thing and especially the whole kid Spock thing was just terrible.
Anyway, I so wanted to love this movie, and I didn’t. I just liked it. Which is no bad thing in itself. Maybe seeing too many trailers/clips/spoilers dulled my appetite for the film. Maybe if I’d had lower expectations I would have been more excited by it. Some media outlets have described it as ‘this year’s Iron Man’. I enjoyed Iron Man more, and I’m a lifelong Star Trek fan. Maybe I just need my head examined. Maybe I’m just ‘out of my Vulcan mind’.
However, my partner loved it, and she’s a casual Trek watcher, so hopefully this film is bringing new fans and much needed new life and dollars/pounds/euros/yen etc to Star Trek.
I’m going to see it again later this coming week, and maybe it’s like trying on a new pair of shoes. Maybe after I’ve worn the film in a bit, got a bit more used to the new style, I’ll revise my opinion and score. I hope so!
My first reaction:
I very much liked the movie, but it took time for it to sink in. I never figured myself for much of a purist, but I found myself watching how the new actors played the characters that I loved, so much that I missed most of the movie. Upon reflection, it was a very good movie and I will be going to see it again before the weekend is out.
The plot:
I’m not too big of a fan of the plot. They could have made it a lot more convincing, especially with the return of Leonard Nimoy. Even for the scope of Star Trek, the story was stretching it a little bit.
The characters:
As stated previously, I was so wrapped up in trying to see how the actors portrayed the characters that I missed most of what the movie was about. Putting that aside, I think that the new actors have done a wonderful job stepping into their characters. They are not clones of the originals, which is very nice to see.
James Kirk – Pine does an excellend job of playing the role of Jim Kirk. He didn’t have the pattented Shatner pause in his delivery, but it’s still the Kirk of old. Pine does an excellent job bringing Kirk’s cockiness, brilliance, surefooted-ness, etc. to the screen.
Spock (Quinto) – ZQ does a fairly good job at portraying the younger Spock with all of his conflicting emotions. I don’t think he quite had the calm, cool, collected Spock down very well, but the off the handle, “Amok Time” Spock was definitely there in full force.
Bones McCoy – Karl Urban did a wonderful job as Bones. The first scene where he meets Kirk I thought was a bit overdone with the southern drawl, but after that it seemed to thin out and Urban hit it spot on. He didn’t mimic De Kelly, but he certainly did his homework on Kelly, and it showed.
Uhura – Zoe was amazing (not to mention hot without her skirt and top!!) as Uhura. Strong willed, very sure of herself, by the book, etc. Zoe also brought a strength to the character that wasn’t always there in TOS, and I really liked Zoe’s interpretation of the character.
Scotty – Pegg did quite well as Scotty. Sometimes the accent wasn’t as noticeable, but he was definitely Scotty. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a lot of screen time, so I can’t say a whole lot more. Hopefully, he will be given more time in the future.
Sulu – Cho isn’t quite as “badass” as Sulu as some people made him out to be (including himself), but he is still a believeable Sulu. He wasn’t given much screen time either, so that’s about all I have for that as well.
Chekov – Yelchin did a hell of a job. His accent was a little thicker than Koenig’s, but I liked it. The initial scene with him trying to enter his code was quite funny, and him running through the halls was just hilarious! Yelchin gave Chekov that “You’re damn right I know what I’m doing” feel which was great.
Spock (Nimoy) – I’m probably going to get roasted for this, but I felt that his portrayal of the older, wiser Spock was a bit cheesy. It may be the fact that he too was under used, but I just didn’t get the Spock feel from him that I think I should have.
Christopher Pike – A wonderful portrayal of Pike. Very much a father figure that Kirk obviously lacked in this movie in his younger years. Greenwood showed Pike as a calm, collected, experienced captain of starfleet, which is spot on in my eyes of who Pike was.
Nero – You can definitely tell the rage and hate in Nero, and Eric Bana did that quite well. Overall, Bana did a good job with Nero, who I fell was a very under-developed bad guy. I feel that the reason many people think Nero “sucked” was because of the writing, not the acting. Bana played Nero as good as anyone could, given the circumstances.
Overall, the characters were played quite well. We got to see a new take on some of our favorite characters, and I think that 90% of the actors did a wonderful job in their roles. A few quirks here and there, but overall a well played movie.
The Music:
I was blown away by the score of the film. I was hoping for a bit more of the TOS feel, but I liked the score nonetheless. It complimented the films sequences very well.
The FX:
Although the lens flares got to be a bit much, I thnik that the effects shots were out of this world (pardon the pun). I saw the new X-Men movie the other night and was severely let down by the look of Wolverine’s claws, which made me worry about this film. I will just say that I had nothing to worry about. The effects shots were spectacular, and some of the best I have seen in a Trek film, or any recent film for that matter.
The ship:
I’m on the fence about the ship. The outside looked amazing, and I liked the revamp on the engineering section, but the bridge was very bright and just didn’t quite feel right to me. Some of the screens and displays made it seem like it was an iPhone on steroids. But, overall the ship looked very nice and well put together.
The overall:
Taking all things into account, this was a very good movie. Plenty of action, seriousness, comedy, character exploration (though lacking with some characters), and just left me with a sense of accomplishment. Do I think that they could have done more with the plot, developed characters more, etc? Of course. Do I want to sit in a theatre for 4 hours to watch Star Trek? Of course! But, do others? Aside from the major fanbase, most people wouldn’t be as willing as I. They couldn’t make the movie that long if they wanted the general public to get interested in it as well. For the 2 hours and 6 minutes that the movie played, it was Star Trek, and it was great. I’m looking forward to seeing it again and getting it when it releases on DVD
Scores:
-Plot – 6/10
-Characters
–James Kirk – 9/10
–Spock (Quinto) – 8.5/10
–Bones McCoy – 10/10
–Uhura – 9.5/10
–Scotty – 9/10
–Sulu – 8.5/10
–Chekov – 9/10
–Spock (Nimoy) – 7.5/10
–Christopher Pike – 9/10
–Nero – 8/10
-Music – 9.5/10
-FX – 9.5/10
-Ship – 8.5/10
-Overall – 9/10
I’m not good at writing coherent reviews, so this will be sort of scattershot.
My audience was a private screening of customers and their family/friends from my comic book store, so they were predisposed to like this. They applauded every character intro (including Big E’s), every classic line, and laughed at all the humor, no matter how stupid (such as Kirk’s big hands). They even laughed at poor Engineer Olsen’s death (NEVER put on the red space suit). Many of us have been and always shall be hard-core Trekkies (since 1974, for me), but we started dealing with the “it doesn’t match canon!” issue a long time ago, so we handled it.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK
1. Engineering. I went into this wanting to like an industrial-looking engineering section. And it almost worked. But that one shot with Kirk and Scotty up in the brewery tank farm was too much. There’s no way that was on a starship; it took me right out of the movie. The water turbine was also too much, and I agree with others that that scene was needless. I also didn’t really like the engineering space on the Kelvin. Maybe I just need to see new blueprints, plus a comparison to, say, an aircraft carrier to make it all work for me.
2. The whole Delta Vega sequence. The big red monster was just stupid, and I became impatient for the scene to end. I’m pretending I didn’t see Spock watch Vulcan implode from DV’s surface.
3. All the little fiddly thingies on the bridge. What were they for? Some looked like lights — why? Yes, I know this has all been hashed out ad nauseum on this and many other sites. But there it is. I also couldn’t get a sense of what all those stations were for. It just looked like they designed it based on some idea of “looks cool” instead of giving actual thought to the function, they way Matt Jefferies did. Overall, I find myself agreeing with the critics of the production design, although not to the point of “this ruins Star Trek forever.” I do like the bridge’s new location, lower in the “bulge” so that you can enter it from the corridors instead of just the turbolift. Not sure about the “shoot here” window.
4. I found the lens flares incredibly distracting, but I wonder if I was set up to be distracted by all the discussion on web sites. I may never know.
5. Kirk’s promotion. Whatever. I chose “roll eyes” instead of “explode with rage.” My military background made that more difficult.
WHAT WORKED
Everything else. The plot was ridiculous in a similar way that ST IV’s was, but like that movie, it was so much fun that I didn’t care. I’ll single out a few things that I especially liked.
1. Count me as loving the use of contemporary pop music and other “product placement.” It made it feel like it was taking place on the future of this planet, something I never quite got from any previous incarnation of ST. “Sabotage” is a bad-ass song now, and it’ll still be a bad-ass song 250 years from now when you’re a punk kid tearing down the road in your uncle’s antique Corvette. I happen to believe that there are no further advances to be had in pop music. They’ll be listening to 20th century rock and R&B and drinking “Budweiser Classic” in the future.
2. Spock and Uhura. I’m not quite sure if this was an ethics violation, since Spock was one of Uhura’s instructors. But that might not be a concern in the future. Anyway, for me one of the emotional highlights of the film was the scene in the turbolift when Uhura asked Spock what he needed, and he said, clearly struggling to maintain his Vulcan demeanor, that he needed everyone to continue to perform in an exemplary manner. I liked how “touchy” she was with him — I believe it was Mark Leonard, possibly in conjunction with Nimoy, who decided that Vulcans were very tactile.
3. Pulse phasers, and lots of them. You can never have too much dakka!
Bottom line: despite a few quibbles, I loved it, both as a movie and as Star Trek. It’s not a great film, but it’s a good one, and a very fun one, and that’s exactly what this franchise needed to get back on its feet. I wish they could take this cast to television for a new series, so we could get to know this new ship and crew they way we did the original. My choice for the next film would be for a more Enterprise-centered plot. Enough with threats to Earth/Federation/Alpha Quadrant/galaxy. Give me a story about Captain, ship, and crew.
This is a repost of my review. I hadn’t realised there was review section. So I’m reposting it here for reader’s convenience. Also I have added ratings to each section.
******* Contains spoilers ************
Abrams set out to create a new kind of Star Trek, that was supposed to be more accessible to the mainstream than the previous incarnations and provide the franchise with a much need breath of life. Young, fresh, energetic and exciting. “Star Trek” has achieved this goal without a doubt. It is a new take on characters created 40 years ago, updating and grounding them in the process.
story:
“Star Trek” is a movie about the original characters, their chemistry and the way they got together. The story reflects this circumstance. From the beginning, the focus is on the characters. They are common people with initally common problems, who happen to live in the future and use starships for travelling. The struggle against Nero makes them join forces and become something more than ordinary, something special. This is probably one of the main messages of the movie, which is emphasized by old Spock practically telling this to the audience, while explaining his motives to remain on Delta Vega to Kirk. Whereas the character development is certainly one of the strong spots, the story also has several flaws. There are plot holes and logical errors, which are common to movies of this kind and can be overlooked by a forgiving audience. However, the main concern in my opinion is the villain. Nero’s motive does not become clear until very late in the movie, unless one has read the prequel comic. It being plain and simple revenge, does not fulfill the hopes of many, that Nero would be a complex multi-layered character. The reason for this is also apparent throughout the movie: It tries to tell too much in too little time. The deaths, dismissals or replacements of characters in supporting roles in order to advance the main crew in rank and position does seem far too convenient. The story spread out over two or three movies might have been more consistent and epic. Despite Abrams’ intentions the scale of the movie does not seem any larger than that of its predecessors. In fact, the lack of introduction to the Federation and its many cultures makes it appear smaller and earth centered. Starfleet apparently only consists of a few dozen ships, since the whole fleet can be engaged in one operation, in one system. It is also disturbing, how little attention is paid to the billions of deaths on Vulcan and the significance and impact this has.
Overall the story presents a mixed picture. On the one hand it provides for great character moments, on the other hand it fails to convey the big picture and the villain remains one dimensional.
Story rating: 5/10
characters:
Since the story is about the characters, it was clear that, they’re the most crucial point of this movie. One bad casting decision among the main cast, would have made the movie a faillure. As it is, there is no total loss.
In fact the “big three” are exceptionally well portrayed and Uhura can be considered an improvement over the original.
Pine’s Kirk is very different from the one played by Shatner. He had to be, since his background is completely different. Different doesn’t mean bad in this case. Pine manages to play the young rebel and the Starfleet captain equally well and several times lets Shatner’s Kirk shine through.
Quinto as Spock certainly had the most difficult task, since his performance would have to measure up the one of the original Nimoy Spock in the same movie. Even though many doubted his ability to do so in the beginning, Quinto does a great job portraying the Vulcan/human-hybrid and especially his inner conflict and the cool consideration the original is so famous for.
Undoubtedly Urban’s McCoy is the closest to the original character. He shows all the typical mannerisms and is immediately recognizable. It will be interesting to see, how the triumvirate will go on in future movies.
Uhura is the secret star of the movie. Saldana gives the character a new perspective and attitude that fits well and provides a loud female counterpart in a cast of mostly men.
Sulu and Chekov are portrayed very solid. They are what you would expect, but not much more. Hopefully Chekov’s accent will get phased out, once he grows up.
Simon Pegg’s Scotty is a pure comic relief character.He lacks the genuine engineering spirit the original Scott radiated. While he is fun to watch, the performance leaves one somewhat unsatisfied.
Nero is a missed chance. The character had so much more potential. Bana’s portrayal is flawless an convincing, however the characters lacks depth. A picture of his dead wife is not enough to convince an audience that this is his sole motivation to commit multiple genocides. Had Nero been given a similar treatment as the main cast, this movie could have been outstanding instead of just good.
There is not much to say about Nimoy’s Spock. Trekkies know how good he is and the rest will begin to suspect.
Character Rating: 8/10
design:
The production design of this movie is probably one of the things, that has been discussed the most before the release of the movie. There are several highlights, but also several downfalls. First of all, the designs of the Federation starships work altogether. The E may look odd from some angles, but it is without a doubt the federation flagship. Earth feels a lot more connected to the present, than we have seen it in previous movies, while the designs for Vulcan represent the style created for this world in the forty years previous to this movie. The uniforms are outstanding. What didn’t quite work for me are the phasers. They look more like toys than powerful weapons and it takes out a lot of the excitement of the gunfight onboard Narada, when the audience starts laughing at them.
The engineering sections of the starships have to be deemed a complete failure. They do not fit in the otherwise futuristic look of the movie. The huge tanks seen, when Kirks tries to get to Uhura at her station are out of place and ruin the otherwise fitting look of the scene.
The entrance corridor to the Federation outpost on Delta Vega could come right out of The Matrix, but certainly not Star Trek.
Nero’s ship, the Narada is a prime example of style over substance. Nothing aboard this ship makes sense. Platforms and bridges over huge canyons – without rails. It looks more like a giant squid, than a starship. While the design looks threatening, it fails to convince. The same effect could have been achieved with a more conventional approach like the Borg sphere out of Voyager’s Endgame.
Design rating: 6/10
effects:
The effects are the best done for any Star Trek production to date. The starships look alive and breathtaking, the planets convincing. ILM once again has done a great job. However, the lense flares are blinding at times and could have been tuned down a bit.
FX rating: 9/10
soundtrack:
The soundtrack is very solid and works for the most part. It is not of the same quality as those before composed by the likes of Goldsmith etc..
I can’t see it ever being played in a concert hall alongside those of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings or the previous Trek films, but it does its job.
Soundtrack rating: 7/10
If I was a normal reviewer, I would probably stop around here somewhere, but I am also a Trekkie, so:
Star Trek lore:
It was clear from the beginning, that this was going to be a complete reboot of the franchise and that is the way I have treated it. Still, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. The awe before the great adventure that is space is gone in this movie. As well as the optimistic and peace loving attitude of mankind. Peace is not a theme of this movie. Death and destruction reign throughout. Kirk’s olive branch extended to Nero in the end feels forced and results in an unneccessary weapon spree on an already dying vessel. The most devastating line in the movie is Spock’s “not this time”, which signifies one thing: Peace is dead. Long live the evil mirror universe ! Well, the mirror universe can be fun, but it’s not why I fell in love with Star Trek. Hopefully the next movie will remedy some of this.
In general I loved the fact, that they “stole” so many scenes from the previous movies.
For example:
Star Trek I: Kirk’s shuttle ride to the Enterprise
Star Trek II: Kobayashi Maru
Star Trek IV: Scotty gets a formula from the future this time
Star Trek V: Kirk and Spock around a camp fire.
This time Kirk bumps his head.
Star Trek VIII: The Enterprise joining a battle out of nowhere and saving the day
Star Trek IX: Warpcore ejection
For the next movie, I wish they would also pay a little more attention to detail. I mean, Scotty’s transwarp beaming essentially just made a starships a bit useless, didn’t it ? They’re now nothing more than they are in Stargate. I pay attention to detail, so I don’t like to see those sacrificed in the name of a minor story point.
Trek lore rating: 5/10
In general:
I like this movie. It was good – not great, but I look forward to seeing more.
overall rating: 7/10
i caught the 10:45 show this morning – relatively empty theatre. still, i was impressed and have no problem giving it a 9 out of 10.
posted a brief review:
http://rundangerously.blogspot.com/2009/05/star-trek-movie-review.html
i enjoyed pretty much every aspect of film (though found the spock – uhura relationship unbelievable). the only thing i thought was over the top, the creature attacks on kirk when he was on the outpost and spock saving him w/fire… but that’s a tiny point.
a must see film!
From Italy.
I’ve just seen the film. I liked to general outline of the film and the space scenes were great.
However I’m unable to get rid of the disapointment that all the Trek I’ve been watching over the years seems to have been wrtten off by the new time line. Ok so It’s happened before in the series but at the end we were always back to “pre-set” timeline. I now know how Dallas fans felt when Bobby came back to life. I love Trek so I hope I can get over it.
Score 7/10
Caught a 10AM show at the Egyptian in AA, MD- was 3/4th full good responses.
I enjoyed the movie, would probably give it an 8/10, but was very much upset by the destruction of Vulcan and the death of Amanda. And as has been stated above, the relatively little significance that seemed to be given to the loss of so many lives—
***** MINOR SPOILERS *****
Took my not-so-Trek-savvy wife with me to see the flick today in New York. I’m a 42 year old original series purist with a really good knowledge of canon.
First, my wife LOVED it. We left the theater and were barely in the car when she enthusiastically said she’d see it again…therefore, we’re going back on Sunday. So, I had some evidence that a non-Trek fan would indeed take to this film as promised.
My score for this movie is 10/10, plain and simple. I have a couple of small nitpicks (preferences, really) that in no way took away from my enjoyment of the movie. Namely, I wish we could have seen Simon Pegg a little bit earlier in the film. And, while I was perfectly ok with the Spock/Uhura dynamic, there was one scene between the two of them during the cadet phase of the film just before they arrived on the ship that seemed to diminish Uhura’s ability and skills, cheapened the character a little bit. If you saw the film, you may know what I’m talking about. That scene could have been taken more than one way, my wife, as a woman, disagrees with my take on that scene. Overall, nothing catastrophic.
I loved the acting. Loved the direction. (And no, the lens flares didn’t bug me). Loved the Big “E”. Loved the bridge. Loved the pacing and action. Loved the humor. Loved the story and the plot, which I had no trouble following. Loved how the Spock Prime character was used. I loved how the villain didn’t completely overtake the movie.
And yes, I even dug engineering. I guess I’m in the minority on that.
I give J.J. a TON of credit for having the guts, the sheer brass balls to do what he did. The choices he made, specifically with regard to Spock’s mother and the fate of Vulcan, had me screaming, “Holy crap, did that just HAPPEN ?!?!”" (along with a bunch of other people in the theater)
It assures me that we will get to enjoy these characters in the future with a degree of unpredictability and surprise. I, for one, am extremely happy about that. I am not at all unhappy with the future possibilities, insofar as how the adventures in the “established” canon will be affected. Will these characters all handle those future situations in the same way they did in the original time line? Will those adventures even happen now?
This Trek fan is very happy. Can’t wait to see the next one.
Movie in general- 9
Trek feelings- still pending
This is a reprint of my blog linked above. I don’t know that I have more insight, but I wanted to share.
So, I boldly went to this movie…
Never let it be said that I don’t fulfill my promises! I said I would give my review of the new Star Trek movie, and indeed here it is. I have to start out by saying I really need to see this movie again, once it was finished, I was immediately struck by how full this movie was, and there was no way I had absorbed it all in a single viewing. The thing is this; I can’t just review the film, because I have to put it in context with my general love of Trek. To be completely honest, I still have to figure that part out, as I will talk about as we go along.
Let me give my quick non-spoiler version– it is an excellent, smart, summer blockbuster. It’s full of adventure, and great moments, and great characters. If you know nothing about Trek, you will love it. If you know everything about Trek, you will probably still love it. There are nitpicks, but what Trek movie or series hasn’t had its share of those? Despite some clever elements to the contrary, this in essence is a Battlestar Galactica style reboot, and makes for a Trek fresher than we’ve seen in quite a while. For my personal hangups, you have to delve into spoiler territory.
SPOILERS+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NO, SERIOUSLY SPOILERS!+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ENGAGE SPOILERS++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I won’t get into how great the cast is as these characters- they really are. The only standout as not feeling genuine is Simon Pegg, and that is nothing against him, but rather a script which has a character named Scotty who is a lot more Simon Pegg than Scotty.
Pine isn’t Captain Kirk at first, but basically just your typical wiseass, however, there is a particular moment in the film when Kirk has assumed command of the Enterprise, and he start giving orders and… there he is, Captain Kirk.
Quinto as Spock has a scene where he is standing before the admissions board of the Vulcan Science Academy, and its a scene we’ve seen alluded to in Trek repeatedly. In this moment though, Quinto takes ownership of the character of Spock, particularly against the backdrop of Leonard Nimoy in the film. Nimoy’s Spock seems less the character he’s been playing for 44 years, and more… well Nimoy. Ironically, I came out of this film feeling Quinto was more Spock than… Spock.
Now- the two real standouts here are Karl Urban as Doctor McCoy and Bruce Greenwood as Christopher Pike. Neither one has as much screentime as I wanted them to, but both instill their characters with the delightful essence of the original characters. Can’t wait to see these two in these roles again.
Zoe Saldana has a remarkable confidence as Uhura, but it is almost overshadowed by the decision to have Spock and Uhura romantically involved. I don’t mind that relationship. There’s certainly precedent for the idea in the Original Series. However, I would love to have seen the relationship actually develop on screen as opposed to catching it already in place.
John Cho’s Sulu and Anton Yelchin’s Chekov get some good moments each, and I love Chekov as this 17 year old Russian whizkid. It’s funny to listen to a guy who really is Russian deliver the cheesiest fake Russian accent you will ever hear. Sulu gets some swordplay, and flies the hell out of the Enterprise, and that’s cool.
Be fair-warned if you are a fan; we do get a bone about this story originating in the Trek universe we know, however the explanation they give really doesn’t explain how different everything is. It’s a clever thought, and not a throw away, but falls apart under careful scrutiny. Warp physics, transporter technology- completely different. Starfleet ships, including the Kelvin which shows up as existing BEFORE the time incursion from the future which changes everything, are far larger and more mechanical than before. In the “Prime” universe, a ship like the Kelvin in the year 2233 wouldn’t have a crew larger than 200- the Kelvin would seem to have four times that. Instead of cramped hallways and clean spaces we get these cavernous areas on the ship much larger than anything we’ve seen even on ships like the Enterprise D in Next Generation. For the most part though, with these differences, you don’t care. It’s all exciting. I don’t care for a lot of the external features of the new Enterprise, but I wasn’t really impressed in my initial impression of the 1701D, so it may grow on me.
So what’s my hang up? They destroy the planet Vulcan. Vulcan epitomizes the universe Trek exists in for me. Now, it’s gone. I am not sure I can get over that. I am not sure how interested I am in a Trek universe which only has 10,000 Vulcans in it. It was a ballsy thing to do, and certainly demonstrates the fact that this is not a movie which suffers from the prequel curse that we know how it all turns out in the end. However, there’s no fixing this timeline. Vulcan is gone, so TNG will not happen that way in this universe. DS9, Voyager- precluded (though maybe with Voyager, that’s not a bad thing). I would personally have been more comfortable with them destroying Earth than Vulcan. Only time will tell how I will adapt to that change.
There’s a few more little things I think I would have done differently. I would like to have seen a few more familiar aliens; would an Andorian have killed them? Not sure how I feel about the bastard child of the Jem’Hadar and the Oompa Loompa either. Since we’re on the subject of Willie Wonka, I would certainly have cut Scotty’s wild ride through the Enterprise’s waterworks (at least it wasn’t a sewer line).
However, I think I am overall quite pleased, and do look forward to seeing it again to absorb a little more. It is ultimately a very re-watchable movie, and exciting, and cool, and not stupid. Gotta see how my Vulcan feelings go though before I can decide how I truly feel about Crisis on Infinite Treks. Welcome to Star Trek’s new age.
Before I go, there’s another factor I have to discuss, and that is the second and third order effects of this film. I saw the movie with my wife, children, dear friends, and good acquaintances. Some of them were big Trek fans, some just moderately knowledgeable, and some (like my daughter) downright hostile toward Trek (I had to offer her a day off from school just to get her to go). When it was over, my daughter liked it a lot, and only we of the long time Trek fan variety had any real reservations about it. So, we came home, and my TOS fan friend and I started talking Trek, and spent the next two and a half hours really talking nothing but- favorite episodes, least favorite, what we liked or didn’t like about the other series, etc. Then, the next day at work, I spent most of the day talking about the movie with people who hadn’t seen it and wanted my opinion, and a couple who had and wanted more insight into Classic Trek. I spent a good thirty minutes talking over forty year old Trek episodes with a young man who was born during the third season of Next Generation! He wants to watch some of the old ones, and so does his young wife. If this movie can get attention for the original, and give we old timers a chance to remanence to each other and bring young fans in, I really can’t fault it. If I am going to drink the kool-aid on this one, if I am going to part with my beloved Vulcan, it’s that factor which will do it.
And maybe this will do for this generation what TOS did- already I see it on the cover of Newsweek, and on blogs and websites which wouldn’t touch the subject a few weeks ago. Maybe last years The Dark Knight, though great, was as far as we need to plumb our depths of entertainment despair as a nation. Maybe it’s time we looked across the street at those different than us, and then looked up and said “let’s go out there.” Hope isn’t outdated and campy and dressed in cardboard sets. It isn’t something we left behind in the 60’s… it’s now. It’s exciting, and palpable, and it’s moving at warp speed. Maybe, regardless of “canon” and technobabble, it’s time for Trek to be cool again.
Wow. What a world where Battlestar Galactica is the emotion driven drama, Star Trek is the epic mythological space fantasy, and Star Wars is the kid level TV show derivative of better properties.
I may just need to beam aboard for that.
THIS IS NOT STAR TREK
How dare anyone call this Star Trek? Despite the assurance that this is all an “alternative reality”, I truly believe that Gene Roddenberry is rolling in his grave. I am most outraged by the presence of product placements…PRODUCT PLACEMENTS…Nokia, Budweiser. Am I to believe that 23rd century Earth is still driven by profit?
I suppose the sequel will have the crew of the Enterprise battling the Borg. Except in this new, alternative reality the Borg will be a group of cybernetic beings created by Microsoft.
The destruction of Vulcan is monumentally unacceptable. J.J. and team might as well have destroyed Earth. If you know anything about Star Trek, then you know that the destruction of Vulcan is nothing less than a total assault on the very essence of Star Trek. J.J. and team have changed canon so that none of the events that we are familiar with ever really happened!
I know that there are those of you who will say I am nitpicking and that I need to realize that this is just a television show, but the truth is for thousands of fans Star Trek represents a fundamental philosophy that is to be cherished. Dismantling the meaning of Star Trek so that Paramount can make more money is nothing more than a blatant assault on the universe Gene Roddenberry created.
J.J. and team promised that they would take care to respect these characters that we are all so familiar with and the universe they inhabit. Well…they failed at their task, or perhaps they just lied in order to get Trek fans out to theaters.
I choose to completely disregard this movie as nothing but an attempt to appeal to the degenerated iPod generation preoccupied with musings of sexual indiscretion and whom possess an attention span limited to CGI.
“169. Mike – May 8, 2009
THIS IS NOT STAR TREK”
Just because you shout it, does not make it true.
The Theater full of fellow Trekkies, and I know there were a LOT of them in the packed theater because they caught ALL the in-jokes and nods to the original series, obviously LOVED the film. Destroying Vulcan is not an assault on the essence of Star Trek…the Vulcan race is part of that essence, but the planet is merely where a vessel. There will always be a vulcan so long as there is a vulcan alive.
If you think that Star Trek has somehow been dismantled, you’re really missing what the film was about and focused far too much on the medium rather than the message. This movie was Star Trek to the core and has more heart and optimism than any Trek film has had in years.
I think there is a vast majority of Trek fans who would disagree with you. I’ve been watching Trek for 30 of my 34 years on this planet. It was a big blockbuster movie, yes, but it still maintained the spirit of Trek.
Just saw the movie. Great new cast, they fit perfectly. Great effects, production values, etc. However … A BIG “F” to the writers and producers who ever let this alternate timeline get produced. A great movie could have been made and still be in line with the continuity of the franchise. Here are my thoughts to the writers:
Sorry, Kurtzman and Orci, I just don’t buy it. I have watched everything Star Trek since the first episode of TOS. Of course there have been occasional slips in continuity and timeline. The new movie plot has nothing to do with the intricacies of time travel stories or quantum physics. You — with malice aforethought — just blew up Vulcan! Now every story based on Vulcan in the various Series, Movies, etc., is, what, gone? And for what? You could have blown up the Andorians if you wanted to be showy. I think you just wanted to be edgy and show how you could do something shocking.
Let’s see if you really are good writers: For the sequel, 29th century refugees from a Dominion and/or Borg dominated future manage to get back to Kirk and Spock, and they are forced to find a way to undo your first movie’s timeline, saving both 23rd century Vulcan and 24th century Romulus, because both are vital to save the future. You can have my idea free of charge.
New Horizon
How can the essence of Star Trek remain in tact in a universe where Jim Kirk has a Nokia car phone and drinks Budweiser beer? I suppose the episode Unification never really happened because now there is no planet Vulcan to unify with.
I think the main point everyone is forgetting is *alternate* timeline. It doesnt mean previous trek has been erased but that the new one is running parralel to it. The events of the movies and tv shows we all know and love still exist its just that the new movies (you know there will be more) will take place in this new alternate timeline. I personally will be going back to the “prime” timeline by reading the novels which are very good by the way.
As far as the new movie goes I give it a solid 9/10. I will see it again and I havent seen a movie twice in the theaters since Return of the Jedi so that tells you something!
We don’t know that he was drinking a Budweiser. You don’t hear him order a Bud specifically, you just hear him ask for another. You hear Uhura asking for a Bud (or 2, I forgot), but so what… You’re saying that there are no brand names in the future? That Bud, Nokia, Microsoft, McDonalds, etc, won’t exist in the future because they aren’t allowed to have brand names?
Seriously, get a grip. So what if they had a few brand name labels in there. In recent history I don’t think I have seen a movie which didn’t have at least one reference to some sort of brand name. I actually found it kinda funny that Uhura was ordering these intricate drinks and then she orders 2 Budweisers. Maybe it’s me, but it struck me as mildly comical.
Take a deep breath and chill.
I don’t want to sound like I’m putting down people’s concerns and fears about the timeline changes that have occurred — because they are extremely valid concerns. At the same time, however, I’m excited. I want to see what this new universe looks like.
Seeing Pike in the chair, for example, was an incredible moment for me. Not because he was where he would be in The Menagerie, no — because being in a wheelchair meant he would probably never be in the position to have the accident that mutilated him. He was in that chair, and in many ways, Nero had saved his life. It meant something to me when I saw it, but I’m sure he’s hurting. What I mean is that I’m excited to know the other universe and to be able to use it in the exploration and understanding of this new one.
Just… I want to actually SEE the movie next time. (damn it, Jim, turn off those bloody lights and stand still !)
Save any critical reviews and thank everyone involved. We have a new Star Trek film to watch!! Exciting and fresh. It will expand the fan base and save Star Trek for years to come!! Perfect?? What ever is. This is close enough.
Just for fun.. I thought of how Shatner could have been included. (spoiler alert!!) In the end old Spock could enter the shuttle after talking with young Spock. Sitting at the controls is Shatner. Kirk says.. did it work. Spock replies.. as planned. Kirk then says..see I told you it would work. The shuttle door closes and lifts off.
or.. he walks up beside Spock overlooking the ending ceramony
and says…. (you fill in the blank).
Maybe old Spock would be elated to see old Kirk alive and realize the time line was altered enough that Kirk is still alive and had been following Spock through time to bring him home.
See. It was a great movie! It makes you think about Star Trek again.
DELTA VEGA
Oh well! Kirk you got to go back to a planet you know nothing of and later kill your best friend, Gary Mitchell.
SPOCK/UHURA
Interesting? IDK.
SPOCK/PIKE
I can see why Spock leaves his Captain behind again as he attempted to do in THE CAGE and still feel s loyalty towards him.
OVERALL RATING 4/10
Disappointed, I am. Sorry folks.
Abrams did what he was required to do, make Paramount $$$ at all costs. He did that to the exclusion of everything else. Literally, IMO I think they should have left STAR TREK alone. I enjoy backstories based on continuity and canon. Even my kids said to me dad this is not what we watched on TV.
CANON has been destroyed for good.
score 3 out of 10
The movie never carries the ideas of Gene Roddenberry to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations. You could have place any Title on this movie. An angry space alien with tattoos (Romulan, even miners would not never mark up their faces it’s not their style) with a major metal issues goes on Planetary killing spree to destroy Vulcan. The planet Vulcan is a major staple in the Star Trek Universe: I just don’t like that! :(
The facts the Spock and Uhura actually are engage in a physical and more important an Emotional relationship. I mean kissing Spock on the transporter is more that Science fiction them I have ever seen. Is that Kirk’s Job.
You don’t build a Constitution Class Star Ship on Earth. You build it in space. Lets see may be you build it on an Orbiting platform on Mars. (Utopia yards) Does that make sense?
Love the Orion Girl see rocks you go Kirk :)
The Enterprise Rocks and CG looks the Best I have ever seen.
Bones is Bones that will always be a constant in the Universe.
I like that fact the you see more of the Logistics of the Enterprise, i.e. water power.
Just got back. The movie was very good. A worthy reboot effort to be sure. Are there problems with it? Sure…Scotty takes over engineering in a wink of an eye, Chekov running to save the day in the transporter, things like that.
At first I was taken aback that they would destroy Vulcan, but as I thought about it…why not? It could make for some interesting story lines in the future as the Vulcan’s rebuild.
Lens flares and shaky camera…get rid of it. Stop annoying my old eyes with your crazy shakes. For gods sakes, tighten the tripod!
Old Spock? I think it would have been ok without him. The story still would have worked as far as I’m concerned.
New Kirk: Very good. I like him.
New Spock: Possibilities. But the whole think with Uhura seemed forced to me.
New Sulu: I like him too.
New Chekov: Not so much. Wes Crusher with a phony accent.
New McCoy: Excellent, probably the best acted.
New Uhura: Beautiful, sexy, glowed with strength but not given enough screen time.
New Scott: I was leary of him going in, but it turned out he was nicely played.
Chris Pike: Awesome. Love Bruce Greenwood, all the way back to Nowhere Man.
A lot of complaints about the engineering sections of the ship but for me they were ok. The “drums” reminded me of the old engineer room (where Finney hid).
The bridge was cool, but with the unstable camera it was hard to get a good solid look at it.
The story itself is passable but nothing too great. The entire scene with the corvette could have been taken out with no loss to the story. The ending (after all the applause) was wonderful.
My final comment, this IS Star Trek. The entire staging of the scenes (from tickler to final feel good moment) was setup just like old Trek. The little touches that paid homage to TOS clearly showed that the writers cared about what they had inherited. The action was refreshing after 10 movies with little action (did Kirk even make a fist in TMP?).
Fun: 10/10
Story: 5/10
Acting: 7/10
Camera work: 1/10
Overall: 7/10.
ps. to those who are completely upset by this movie, you are missing one very important thing. THIS WAS NOT VOYAGER! As long as it wasn’t as dumb as that show it is a winner (IMHO)
169 – Being outraged by product placement? Please get a grip.
For example the IDIC symbol was an invention by Gene Roddenberry for the sole purpose of marketing, he just wanted to pimp it out as a cheap little jewelry trinket he could sell to fans. I am sure now the IDIC sysmbol is considered by hard core fans to be some sort of religious icon that is beyond reproach.
Get a grip this is a great movie that will help Star Trek live on for many years to come. The series seriously needed a refresh.
Sitting around griping about PRODUCT PLACEMENT in a movie and canon of a fictional universe is really embarrassing.
In 2006 I was exceptionally nervous about this movie. I had serious doubts about the producing team. Then I had serious doubts about the writing team (not that I dislike the work of Kurtzman and Orci; I just worried they might be a tad too comical for Trek). Finally, Abrams announced he had decided to direct as well and I got more worried.
Later, as casting progressed, I was kind of excited by the possibilities. My mind opened a bit. When Nimoy was cast I was very positive. I mean, he had no reason to come out of retirement to do a movie that was no good, right? Next, story details and photos were released or leaked and things were starting to look very cool. In the past month or so, reviews and comments from early screenings were so positive that I had built up the movie in my mind to something I don’t think it could have lived up to. Consequently, on my first viewing, I was pretty disappointed.
Last night, as the credits rolled, I was crestfallen. This was not the film I had been hoping for. But tonight, having seen it a second time, I’m pretty pleased.
CASTING:
Chris Pine does an excellent job as James T. Kirk. He was one of the casting choices I was unsure about but he really captured the character well. Karl Urban did a great job with McCoy as well. My one McCoy beef is that they changed the origin of his nickname, “Bones.” In the big picture, I guess that’s not too important.
Strangely, the two casting choices I applauded the loudest were the two I was least pleased by. Zachary Quinto and Ben Cross were just OK for me. Granted, Quinto is playing a Spock who is younger than we have ever seen before. He is less in control of his emotions. If there is indeed a sequel (and it seems likely) Quinto will be the one to watch for some great character development.
We don’t see much from John Cho as Sulu but we never saw much of George Takei in the role either. I think he did well. Anton Yelchin is very young but he and the writers did a good job of bringing a little more depth (or at least potential for depth) to Chekov.
Zoe Saldana is beautiful and she did a good job of displaying Uhura’s prowess. Nichelle Nichols was never given a great opportunity to shine. Uhura’s romantic relationship with Spock is a bit odd for me. Sure, there were a few moments in the original series where you could maybe think Uhura was jonesing for Spock (who wasn’t?). I guess it’s a tribute to the writers and Saldana that you could believe Nyota as a woman Spock would be interested in. I just feel bad for poor Christine Chapel (if there is a Christine Chapel in this new alternate timeline).
I was never on board with Simon Pegg as Scotty. I was named after Montgomery Scott so I have a bit of an attachment to him. Scotty was always a bit of a comedian but I object to him being played for comedy every time he was on screen. And what was with Deep Roy as his tiny companion?
Bruce Greenwood makes a great Christopher Pike although I thought it was slightly cheesy to have him end up in a wheelchair. Maybe that’s the universe trying to correct itself? The other great Starfleet captain was Faran Tahir as Capt. Robau. While everyone else was swooning over Pine, I was definitely on Team Tahir.
JJ has said repeatedly that the casting was what he was most worried about. I think, for the most part, he got that right.
STORY:
For me, the story was lacking. Of this new film, Claudia Puig (USA Today) said: “Unlike previous incarnations, there are no weighty scenarios or moral quandaries in this refashioning of Star Trek…” Therein lies the problem. These big ideas: political, social, ethical, etc. are, to me, what Star Trek is about. If I just wanted to watch lame CG creatures and frenetic space battles I could watch Star Wars: Episode II. Ugh.
This film really just didn’t have room for much story. It needed to devote a lot of time to set-up and introduction of characters to get the new target audience on board.
Though I was at first totally shocked and now deeply saddened that Vulcan has been destroyed, that plot point leaves an opening for some great emotional storytelling in a sequel. I’m hoping for some crazy Spock Pon farr stuff in the next one.
I was disappointed to read and then see that the Rura Penthe sequence had been cut. I think the movie would have greatly benefited from that stuff. I would definitely have preferred it to the “sex scene.”
I read the official prequel comics which I think were of great help to the story. Nero, Spock and the Romulans’ tattoos are all explained here. They explained the destruction of Romulus a little more clearly. They also sort of explain this Red Matter stuff. I said when I read the comics that the science was questionable. Seeing it in the movie, the science is kind of laughable. Humanoids and their vessels survive a trip through a black hole? Come on?!
DESIGN:
I love the new Starfleet uniforms! It was genius to separate them into two layers to create the same collar-look of the original series. I also like the USS Kelvin uniforms. I think they were a nice little nod to the uniforms on ST: Enterprise. It’s a nice evolution.
The make-up was great. They were clearly using new materials for the pointed ears. It added a more real quality to them for sure. I don’t think the Vulcans were quite as green as they should have been.
The Starfleet vessels with their so-called “iBridges” were not as bad as I thought. The touch-screen technology was cool and there were subtle nods to the original series in the shapes of consoles, etc. What I hated about being on the Enterprise was all the lense flare! Geez. It could have been done more sparingly.
I get where they were going with the highly industrial bowels of the ship but it seemed a tad too expansive. Where was the warpcore? When they ejected the core, several little modules could be seen leaving the ship. Was that it? I missed big throbbing cylinder of power!
Nero’s ship, the Narada, was just weird. The design made no sense. Why was most of it cavernous and empty with random platforms hanging around? Maybe that’s all storage space for stuff they would have mined? More likely, they just thought it made a cool setting for a fight.
MUSIC:
Possibly my biggest complaint about the film is Michael Giacchino’s score. His new Trek theme is kind of lackluster. They didn’t even play the original Trek fanfare for the reveal of the Enterprise!? What’s up with that?
I really hated his “bad guy” theme. It seemed juvenile and really Mickey Mousey.
Overall, I guess the score mostly works but it certainly doesn’t live up to its predecessors. The magic that Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner and Cliff Eidelman created is a huge part of Star Trek’s appeal to me. These are the great symphonies of our time. To ignore them completely, I think, was a mistake.
Sure, at the very end we have Alexander Courage’s fanfare and original theme but it’s done in a very kitchy way. I felt it lacked the respect that should have been given.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
As I write this, Star Trek has a rating of 8.4 on IMDB and it’s now in the IMDB’s top 250 films. On RottenTomatoes it’s at 96%. The applause in the theatre was a clear sign that audiences are overall thrilled with this film. Though I cannot agree with those who say this is now the best Trek film, I would say it’s in the top 5 or 6.
I was dismayed by the tagline “This isn’t your Father’s Star Trek.” That’s the Trek I fell in love with and this new re-boot isn’t going to change that. In the end, I’d say it’s a worthy addition to the franchise and most definitely worth watching.
Now that the characters and this new alternate timeline are firmly established I’m eager to see what stories could be told. I do hope that the next film has a bit less action and a bit more thinking but it seems that my 2006 fears of a death to the franchise were unwarranted. Star Trek will live long and prosper.
7/10
My husband and I both saw the movie tonight. We loved it. It exceeded our expecations.
To JJ Abrams and the Supreme Court: To quote Charles Dickens, “Please, may I have some more?”
If you’re a sceptical fan, don’t be. Not only is this a good Star Trek movie, it’s the first one that everyone can watch and get. If you’re a Trekkie who will look for everything that’s different, don’t do it. You’ll only get bogged down in details when you should pay attention to the story. As well, try not to look for all the cameos and easter eggs the first time around that you’ve heard about. Wait until you see it the second time, which is what I’ll do.
The characters are all well acted, getting the essence of them yet not being slavish to the original actors’ performances. Chris Pine is going to be a major star for sure. He was well chosen for the way he carries himself and almost has a cockiness about him. Karl Urban was perfect as McCoy. While he’s the closest to an “imitation,” it didn’t feel like one. It felt as if he channeled the late DeForest Kelley himself. Zachary Quinto had a slightly different, but still very valid take on Spock and was well developed as a conflicted “child of two worlds.” Zoe Saldana was far from Nichelle Nichols’ performance, but I didn’t mind one bit since she made it her own. Simon Pegg was a great “Scotty” but should have had more screen time. Sulu by Jon Cho was anything but Harold Lee from the cult classic “White Castle” movie, but still had a sense of humour that fit the character well. Anton Yelchin playing Chekov was very, very Russian — much more than Walter Koenig’s subtle take on the accent. Only thing I missed was his claims about things originating from Russia (which were funny in the original series because you’re never sure if he’s messing with the other characters or actually believes it).
The special effects worked because they both looked believable and had a great sense of scale that has been missing in a lot of recent films. They struck a perfect balance between real and digital that was often seamless. They didn’t overuse CGI where it was unnecessary or try anything ridiculously complex that ends up looking fake anyways (see Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith for prime examples of such digital blunders).
Sound design by Ben Burtt was simply incredible and had high artistic value in the way he presented sound — or didn’t. The opening scene draws you in using sound alone. The effects themselves were often reminiscent or remixed versions of sounds from the original series, which is nice nostalgia for fans.
The art direction was definitely different. Some of it I didn’t agree with (like the lower decks looking like a bottling facility) but it doesn’t totally detract from it. The Enterprise herself still has the same general design, otherwise the fans would have picketed outside Paramount without a doubt.
In their attempt to be more mainstream, it could be hit or miss. The mention of modern brand names makes sense to an extent, though one reference slaps you upside the head with being an obvious plug for a sponsor. I’m not sure if I welcome that with open arms. It was sort of funny but also sort of made you roll your eyes at the same time.
There are a few significant changes. Try to keep an open mind. I did, and I thought it made the characters all the more interesting.
Based on the response from my friends (all three who went with me were non-fans), Trekkies and movie goers alike will enjoy the film. You don’t need to know anything about Trek to enjoy the movie, but it helps if you do.
I liked it. That being said, I didn’t like how they seemed to cater it to teen aged girls and tried to “jock it up”, meaning they dumbed it down and relied too much on pretty lights and not enough explanation in the details. The Sci-Fi was considerably weak compared to previous Star Trek movies, the character development was somewhat lacking, and the plot line pretty sketchy in several parts of the movie. [Since when did carrying around 'red matter' suddenly become a simple means of creating black holes that let you time travel when you entered them? And how is it that ejecting your warp core into (plasma cores? I don't see how they went into warp without any warp cores, I may have misunderstood this part) a black hole make it explode with a blast wave that pushes you out of the grasp of a black hole's gravity, when in fact light itself can't even escape it's gravity,(again, the black hole was depicted as a lightning storm... Hugh?) let alone a common blast wave... and gravity shouldn't have any effect on warp engines anyway, because they don't propel the ship in a linear fashion rather than fold space, it's not how it works! You go to hell JJ Abrams!]
So basically take the show with Jack Bauer “24″ and put it into a futuristic setting and you have Star Trek 2009. You have the rebellious and reckless yet genius good guy, the half crazy bad guy with over simplified reasons driving his evilness and his crew of thugs that all just happen to offer blind loyalty, the girl (this whole Spock/Uhura thing really turned me off), and a race to save the country, or in this case, the planet. ZZZZ… I know, it’s sounding like I really didn’t like it that much after all. Well, I did, it’s just that my expectations were not met. I left the theater liking the movie, but I didn’t leave with a feeling of awe, that feeling that makes you want to sign up for Star Fleet Academy and go on a space adventure. That feeling that makes you want to invent transparent aluminum, or a disruptor. Too much shallow thrill, too little deep thought. Again, it seems we have stupid people to thank for the continuing diminishment of good Sci-Fi entertainment. (See my previous posts concerning Sci-Fi shows being canceled on TV)
I didn’t like some of the changes, things like how the phasers fired, and how the transporter beam looked, and how Captain Pike was such a wuss. I REALLY didn’t like how they chose John Cho (not even Japanese) to play Sulu (I just couldn’t get Harold and Kumar out of my head, and the pot smoking idiot seemed to surface at moments in the movie) and had problems seeing Zachary Quinto (Spock) as anyone other than Sylar getting ready to cut the top of my head open, though he does really look like a Spock. It felt like Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy was supposed to be a Saturday Night Live look alike Spoofing the original McCoy mocking his demeanor. Simon Pegg as Montgomery “Scotty” Scott was spot on, I loved this character. He rocked. Finally Chris Pine as James T. Kirk, was an acceptable choice, though he seemed to lack the suave of the real James Tiberius Kirk. Of course Leonard Nimoy did a great job despite his minor role.
Why the heck did they have Lenard Nimoy utter the famous phrase “Space: the final frontier. These are the continuing voyages of the starship Enterprise. Her ongoing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life-forms and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.” (Changed from “to boldy go where no MAN has gone before.” to appease the politically correct, barf, yet changed “it’s” to “Her”, seemingly contradicting just that) when it should have been Chirs Pine and Capt. Kirk?
Why did Captain Nero have such a huge grudge and hatred for Spock for failing to save Romulous, despite risking his own life and trying his best to do so? Pretty stupid basis for becoming an evil bad guy that chases Spock through time and space for 25 years and destroys a planet of 6 billion Vulcans (who are apparently completely helpless to a big mining ship in orbit, unlike earth that had Nero torchuring Pike to get the defense codes so he could attack that too with his red vial of goo).
I’m not too sure I liked the idea of changing the whole time line either. Why not just make up a whole new time line to cheese in whatever plot and story line you want in every movie? It’s easy and doesn’t require a lot of research, etc… meh.
But I still liked it. It was a fun movie, really. It evoked emotion (good or bad, doesn’t matter, which is my #1 requirement that a movie must do to pass as good) and… it was fun. But most of all it was Star Trek, and that beats out a whole lot of other trash in the theaters right now. (But I liked X-Men Wolverine a lot too :)
-Mike
Edit: There are several scenes that could have definitely been done much better. One that comes to mind is when Sulu, Kirk and the extra parachuted to the mining drill to disable it. The extra dies, Kirk and Sulu land and start fighting a couple of Romulans coming out of the drill head… they fight, they win, nothing very entertaining…
In my revision, after the extra dies, 3 or 4 additional Romulans come out to fight with their ’swords and axes’ no guns allowed here, that would make too much sense, and as Kirk is spending the whole time trading blows with the first Romulan, Sulu busts out his collapsible sword and begins to really tear it up, a cross between The Matrix and Quentin Tarantino style, really sweet hack and slash destroying a much larger group of Romulans than appeared in the movie… as the last Romulan goes down by Sulu’s blade, (the one he stabs through and saves Kirk, who was watching Sulu tear it up while fighting his own foe, Kirk gets up, brushes his shirt off, calmly looks at Sulu and says “Fencing you say?” Sulu replies, Aye sir, fencing” and smiles.
Get it? Sulu accepted the mission claiming combat capabilities, then later we find out his combat capabilities are JUST fencing, so it’s like a let down and a joke, but then we see him display incredible skills of a real swordsman with years of traditional background and everyone is again emotionally jerked in another direction and the fencing joke is replayed on a whole different level. That’s a good Star Trek scene.
Edit Scene Revision Two:
The scene where they eject the pods of something into the black hole to explode and have the blast wave push them to safety (Just stupid)…
My version:
Kirk tells Sulu to get out of there after shooting up the Romulan ship, but alas the black hole has a grip on the Enterprise and it can’t escape the gravity well even with warp engines chugging away…
Kirk goes tells Scotty he needs to do more bec. what is happening now isn’t enough, then you see Scotty running around like a chicken with his head cut off trying to figure out how to get more power to the engines, which he already said he can’t do, looking for a way out of this, and instead of Abrams lame escape method, the camera pans away from Engineering to the shaking bridge and you suddenly see the enterprise escaping the black hole. Kirk goes down to Engineering to congratulate Scotty but notices something is very wrong on the ship on his way, he just hasn’t put his finger on it (but with clues it’s obvious to an aware audience, he gets there and thanks Scotty for a job well done, then asks Scotty how he did it, he looks around and there is a lot of missing stuff in the engineering bay, as well as all over the ship. Scotty replies “Sometimes you have to pay the bully your lunch money to get out of a lost fight” Get it? BECAUSE HE BEAMED EVERY NON-ESSENTIAL THING OFF THE SHIP reducing the ships mass allowing the engines to escape the black hole due to the lower gravitational pull they have to fight against. …. and you get a laugh from the audience or whatever, and you think it’s over, but it’s NOT! Kirk does his “GOOD JOB” thing in a new tone of voice and tells Scotty he’s going to XXX part of the ship to check on whatever, then Scotty stops him and says he can’t, Kirk looks at him questionably, and Scotty replies “It’s no longer there, sir”… Kirk “Are we getting home OK Scotty?” Scotty “Aye sir” Kirk “Good Scotty, Good”…
THAT’S GOOD STAR TREK! A rough draft for sure, but much better.
I was optimistic for the first 15 minutes or so. I know the unspoken purpose of this film is to generate revenue/obtain a wider fan base. I also understand and respect the ‘alternate timeline’ plot device to provide a clean slate for re-imagining. But after all that, we are treated to an undeveloped, awkward plot featuring another vengeful heel (Nero) in another big, powerful ship. This was over done around the time of Nemesis.
I would fault the movie for poor writing even if it wasn’t Star Trek. Even Leonard Nimoy’s dialogue was ill-suited to Spock and seemed like a plot gimmick. The actors did an admirable job with what they were given…but there were too many catch-phrase exchanges instead of real dialogue. There were moments when I felt like I was hearing the Simpsons or Family Guy parody Star Trek. Even the techno-babble and jargon was dumbed down…as though the writers mined old Trek for soundbites and vocabulary to paste into the script. In contrast, we watched an episode of TNG when we got home and I felt like they managed to say a lot more with a lot less (budget and effects) back in 1992.
I dislike CGI. I think it is an easy way around good writing and filmakers consider CGI budget to be money well-spent at the cost of creating a rich story without it. The old Star Trek TOS, for all its low budget and occaisionally hammy delivery, worked almost like a stage play and this is gone from most films today. This movie had a lot of CGI but I couldn’t get into the setting the way some of the older Star Treks really got my imagination working. None of this CGI looked as good to me as The Search For Spock or Wrath of Khan managed with their meager-in- comparison financing.
Much like Star Trek The Motion Picture, the studio brought in new talent (I like some of JJ Abrams’ stuff) and tried to wow us with improved visuals and gimmicks, but both re-imaginings failed basic story-telling techniques through laziness. Star Trek did need something of a change after the numerous episodes of the last two decades but for now we’ll have to settle for Battlestar Galactica on dvd.
This was a great movie, it held very true to most of the trek guiedlines and kept every thing true to trek, but in the same aspect it was extremly diffrent almost like the last series, i belive j.j. abrams lived up to him self once again making not just a movie but an expierience for all, he made it somthing that people who were not fans of the show could enjoy and also somthing a fan from the original series could enjoy. the altedrnet time line kinda of thru me off cuz as we all know in the shows story line vulcun was always vulcun not some colonie, but in traditional star trek fashion temporal parodoxes are a must and will confuse and give u a head ach if you think to much in to it so its beter to just enjoy, i also loved how they stayed to true to mcoys catch phrases and scotty was exelent kirk was really good and i love how they had to give sulu the sword haha
Did this movie leave anyone else with mixed feelings? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie but it has left me with a strange feeling inside. There is so much to analyze I don’t know where to start. I’ll start with the special effects.
I thought IL&M did a great job. When the Enterprise was first exposed, it almost looked like a model. I personally love it when they use models instead of computer graphics; but in this case I didn’t mind it was a computer graphic because it looked so good.
Music wise, I liked it. At times, I was reminded as James Horner and other great Star Trek composers.
The cast was pretty good. Carl Urban did a much better job than I anticipated. I just wish there would have been more scenes with him. What happened the the Kirk-Spock-McCoy triad? Perhaps they didn’t have the time in this 2 hour rebirth so I will let it pass for now. Overall, all the other performances were great.
But as Kirk said from ST III, “Yet I feel uneasy and I wonder why”. The science plot holes do not disturb me because I do not hold ST to high plausibility standards (i.e., Red Matter, escaping a black hole, unbelievable beaming).
Perhaps it is that Star Trek in some ways is unrecognizable. Don’t get me wrong, in some areas it was clearly the Star Trek I love. But the Gene Roddenberry days are over. Star Trek is no longer a commentator on social and moral issues. Star Trek is just now an action franchise that appeals to the large masses. Before, Star Trek was reserved to people who appreciated an intelligent show. Now, it has been degraded to the point where it tries to appeal to the average Joe. The new fans are probably thinking, “Where can I get me one of them phaser rifles?”
In order to appeal to the average Joe who seeks only action from movies, Paramount has dramatically changed Star Trek. The time line we all know and love has been wiped out of existence in order to make it easier for the new “average Joe” fans. Paramount must have thought, “None of these people will watch TOS. How can we get around this problem? I know! Lets make it so that it never happened.”
While this is a great way to expand the Star Trek base, it leaves me feeling a little sad. This does not mean that I oppose this move. This was a necessary move to keep the franchise alive. Star Trek had to expand its rapidly dwindling base. Unfortunately, it leaves me saddened in the process. Star Trek is alive but at what cost?
It seems that there are people here who are so desperate for a Star Trek movie that if they had to they would accept a Star Wars film as Star Trek if it were labeled as such.
Yellowdog – I am sorry, but Coca-Cola and McDonald’s do not exist in Gene Roddenberry’s universe. If you can so easily accept product placement, then I seriously question your credibility as a Star Trek fan. It seems to me that you would be willing to accept anything just as long as it had the name Star Trek. According to you, fans of Star Trek shouldn’t be upset that the last 40 years of established precedent have been overlooked, because to be so concerned over a fictional show is embarrassing. Somehow I do not think it is any more embarrassing than your taking the time to post a message on trekmovie.com and debate the matter. “Romeo and Juliet” starring Leonardo DiCaprio isn’t Shakespeare just because it has the same title. Fans have every right to voice their concerns, after all fans have been the life blood of this franchise for over 40 years. I would rather them never make another second of Star Trek footage EVER then to have J.J. and company bastardize this franchise.
188
I forgot to rank it. 5 out of 10 from me (right in the middle). This may change because with each passing second I am more saddened. Sigh.
Saw the movie last night and thought it was tremendous. The film was well designed, shot, and edited, but most importantly, it was perfectly cast. The principles all embodied the essence of these characters without doing impressions of what came before, making it believable while keeping it familiar. I live in Pittsburgh, very near where Zachary Quinto grew up, and there was a group of people in the theater who knew him and were absolutely thrilled to see him grace the screen. In fact, the whole audience seemed to really enjoy it, and they erupted into applause as the credits rolled. I give it a 9/10, just because I see room for growth.
Saw it in IMAX tonight. I wanted to love this film, wanted to be a new fan all over again, but I came out of the theater disappointed.
First ten minutes had tears streaming down my face, but it fell emotionally flat after that.
Pines as Kirk and Urban as McCoy were both treasures.
Movie was truly HUGE in scope with breathtaking special effects. Good humor, never boring or uninteresting.
But the writers really made some equally huge and irreversible story decisions, and I’m just not feeling the vibe. In addition, the time travel element is so important that it will be impossible to escape for all future episodes of this reboot, which is unfortunate. You might even see Leonard Nimoy reprise his elder Spock role as a regular occurrence, perhaps counseling his younger self who, in this version of Star Trek, has an almost Jekyl and Hyde personality.
I wanted to see how the original crew got together, and I got the story of how a different crew got together. And the new lovey dovey kissy kissy Spock thing? I’m not buying it folks. Sorry.
And did anyone else get the feeling that Kirk was almost Spock’s sidekick?
To the new crew: may you live long and prosper. But I cannot join you on this new journey. My heart remains in the universe unaltered by Nero, which I would have loved to see this new cast represent.
We’ll always have TOS, and on Blue Ray now.
5 out of 10.
I just came from seeing Star Trek.
This was a geat movie. 9 out of 10.
Here are the strong points without detail, and the one dissapointment, and thh bottom line:
*the casting was superb. The actors knew their characters. I was extremely pleased with all of the actors, but was unexpectedly surprised by the incredible performances of Ben Cross as Sarek, Winona Ryder as Amanda, and Zoe Saldana as Uhura. Quinto is the Spock for the 21st century, and Urban’s McCoy will be right at his side. Pine was great as Kirk.
*These are the characters created by Gene Rodenberry. This is Star Trek. There is no doubt.
*There are so many Star Trek references in it, I felt right at home. For example, and for those who haven’t seen it, when Kirk is eating the apple, think back to Star Trek II.
*The alternative timeline is well explained and well handled. It’s a good way to give Star Trek a new look.
*Although lacking a comprehensive socio/politial theme, it touched on a few imporant topics, like racism, torture, and war, especially the “eye for an eye” philosophy.
*The story was captivating, with the action as well as comic relief you come to expect from Star Trek.
Here’s the one dissapointment: they didn’t restore the timeline. I got a sinking feeling in my stomach, as I realized the implication was that all of the adventures I had watched since childhood now no longer existed.
(If you are reading this Mr. Abrams, or Mr. Orci, Please know that you made a fantastic movie that this fan of 40 years loved. I hope it is the biggest cinematic event of the year. I only ask that somewhere along the way, you restore the timeline.)
The bottom line: This is the best movei I’ve sen int eh past five years and the best Star Trek movie in at least ten years. After you see it come back with your family and friends who may not be big Trek fans, but who like good action/adventure, good story telling, great effects and great acting.
I hope you love it as much as I do.
Live Long and Prosper, and Boldly Go.
I waited over 2 years for this movie…I was nervous at the beginning. I have loved this franchise. In 1974, in 4th grade I circulated a petition to bring the show back (omg…that is so funny now, but true). I saw it today. Thank you JJ, Bob Orci and all…the casting was brilliant, the story, though limiting, gives you a clean slate and you deserve it. It was wonderful. It was Star Trek as I’ve never seen it but always wanted some day be. I respect what was…but I am so excited to see what will come. You did not let me down in any way. Thank you so much…you made me very happy today.
Blowing up the planet (spoiler) was fantastic, by the way.
What better way to say that this is not like Rick Berman Trek, where everything is nicely reset at the end, and there was never any jeopardy or risk?
Think of the setup this gives the sequels. FORGET KHAN. Bah. Khan was done.
The (SPOILER) are now a people in exile. Remember when the Klingons feared being the alien scum of the galaxy? Shades of the Palestinians, the Jews, the Ahmaddiya, the Bahai, the Roma — all of these wanderers can now be alluded to, their strengths and sufferings mined and contrasted.
It was a bold stroke.
I just got married last Saturday. So I’d like to thank my wife, for treating me on our honeymoon on the beautiful island of Maui—to watch Star Trek. I loved it. As a long time Star Trek fan (25+years all series), and faithful TrekMovie visitor (although, this is my first post) I can say that I’m excited for the future of Star Trek. The cast was perfect, the effects were awesome. There were shots that we have been long over due. Having said that, here’s some feedback, JJ&Co.:
1-not origin, very much a reboot!
2-Tweek the Enterprise insides a bit, and you got it!
3-No Vulcan? That was painful!
4-Enterpise weapon sound were a bit cheesy.
5-Keep it within the canon as much as you can as a “pre-destiny” paradox, in other words somethings must happen in the Star Trek universe.
6-the ending was bit too much like Galaxy Quest (although I loved that movie!), less product placements: we’re in a better future…at least they can have better beer…
7-ok, you’ve used your allotted warp core ejections… Sorry, but Picard at crew spent that last minute save too much
The movie alternative universe is no different than the mirror universe or other universes we’re used to. The best part of the movie:
1-great fx with the Enterprise the way she was meant to be seen.
2-cast, wonderful.
3-realism in space….sounds, etc were much needed.
4-beautiful shots of Vulcan and Earth.
5-great emotional moments, keep them coming!
6-Kelvin moments were awesome!
As a long Star Trek lifer, I am all for saving our dear franchise, JJ&Co have a huge responsibility to us and our “universe”, if they pour more talent and great story telling, we will be fine. As Gorkon said, “If there is a brave new world, our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it”. I’m happy to have a Star Trek movie to see in the theater. Sometimes, we need to let go of our past to have a future.
Also, the canon timeline exists still…!
Great job on STAR TREK!
7-costume design was great!
Ok, the movie was well made… great characters, set designs, effects etc. etc.
But honestly, the cadet to captain thing is really coming close to blowing it for me. This is so stupid its really just totally unbelievable.
First, there is absolutely no way this could ever happen, not in the Trek we know, and not in any military organization we are familiar with.
Second, doesn’t it cheapen the rank of captain? As has been said in previous reviews, it seems being a captain is a lot about experience. Yet Kirk has about zero.
Anyway, this has left me really conflicted. I’m actually pretty upset that I loved the rest of the movie so much, and think they got a lot right, and then do something so stupid like this that it almost undermines everything. It’s really an insult to everyone’s intelligence.
Ok, I haven’t read all the way through this page, so maybe it’s been said, but-
They ARE making a sequel. Right? They’ll probably fix some of these issues in the next movie. I seriously doubt that they’d leave Vulcan gone, considering how much it conflicts with Trek canon. They can’t be that insane. So, maybe more time travel next time? God, I hope so. If not I’m going to be very unhappy.
But overall, it was amazing. Almost had a seizure from the flashing lights, and could not believe the Spock and Uhura thing at all, but they did a great job other than that. I was cheering.
188 and 190
I’m officially depressed now. This is the same feeling I had after watching Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. However, this movie has taken just a little longer to sink in. This has been eating at me all night since I have left the theaters. This movie didn’t work. I take back my statement saying that altering the time line was necessary to keep the franchise alive. Better writers could have made a better movie instead of this piece of junk.
1 out of 10. The 1 is for the effort.
Shame on you Paramount for giving this the green light. Goodbye Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Star Trek. Three graves within a decade. Amazing.
Best. Trek. Film. Ever!
The audience applauded (and I mean *applauded*) at the end of the film, which is something that doesn’t happen all the time. I went in expecting a lot based on the buzz and I was not disappointed. Great acting, solid script, class film. Trek is not only back, but it’s cool again.
JJ, get that sequel started!
Gee I feel sad for all those who can’t get the head out of the 60’s. So sad!
Nearly every single episode of Star trek had the occasional flaw or canon violation. And yes I have read all the nitpicking books as well. This movie has flaws to but I’ll be damned if I ever let that destroy my excitement of a new story.
I’m actually glad if that some of the “TOS ONLY” purists hate the movie. ’cause maybe now the rest of us can get on with the joy of watching a new exciting young STAR TREK future evolve into new movies and shows and those who are over it can just fade away.
OK over that. I have been a fan of Star Trek since the 60’s. Captain Kirk was my hero, Spock someone I wanted to aspire to be. Next Gen showed me that lightning can indeed strike twice and again with DS9, Voyager and Enterprise which was only reaching it’s stride in season 3 and 4 the same way Next Gen and the other series did.
I, like you all, have waited for 4 years or more since Enterprise finished to see this new TREK leap off the screen. I am overjoyed. Not only is it a great movie but it’s rekindled my passion after all these years. My friends including the non-Star Trek fans are all saying the same thing… When is the next one!
4 chears to JJ and team, the briliant cast and to you Anthony for the fun of the countdown over the last years. STAR TREK is back and it’s a gas!!!
I neglected to mention Leonard Nimoy in my review. Shame on me! It was great to see him back as Spock. He did a wonderful job (as always); it was as though he never stopped playing the part.
Ok, as you were.
I had serious reservations about this going into the cinema. Some of them were borne out -
- The science stuff. Yes, I know it’s fiction, but stars going nova don’t provide the sort of threat Spock Prime mentioned. “Several solar systems” would surely have been sufficient
- Cadet to Captain. Not going to happen. In any military organisation. In any universe. Ever.
- The slapstick scenes with McCoy and Kirk. It’s stupid. It doesn’t do the characters any favours
- The romance. Can we forget this ever happened? It’s unnecessary, and is likely to get in the way in future adventures if it continues.
BUT…
It was exciting, it DID explain the AU timeline very well (though it was NOT made clear that the ‘prime’ universe is still there), and after a slow start that had me wondering whether this was really a good idea, it turned into a cracking good adventure.
The characters –
Kirk – Pine nails it. His first scenes in the bar were too unKirklike (dialogue-wise) for me to buy, but once he gets on to the ship, yep – he’s Kirk.
Spock – It helps that Quinto looks SO like the young Nimoy. It was a shame the romance totally undermined the establishing of this character as “emotionless”, but that wasn’t the actor’s fault. He did well.
McCoy – Brilliant. Absolutely the best of bunch – spot on from the moment he steps on screen, and “you’re out of your Vulcan mind” was the icing on the cake
Scotty – This was the one I’d had the most worries about (especially as he’s always been my fave character). He’s not QUITE right yet, though that’s not Pegg’s fault – some of the lines he’s given to deliver are a little silly, and the stupid sidekick thing has GOT TO GO, preferably into the business end of a warp core. For the next movie, I hope the writers show us more of his serious, professional side, and a little less of the smart-ass humour, but given the lack of screen time he had to establish the character, it wasn’t bad. Certainly much better than I’d feared!
And I LOVED that in order to save the ship he “jettisoned the fuel and ignited it” :-)
Uhura – Well, at least she was doing more than opening hailing frequencies. But shouldn’t she have reported that intercepted message to someone other than her room-mate?
Sulu – No prob with the actor. Again, some of the stuff he was given to do was a tad silly, but the quibbles were minor
Chekov – Shouldn’t really be there, but okay let’s stretch a point. Not sure where this genius came from – he sure didn’t act like this in the ‘prime’ universe. But okay, so long as he now sits back and lets the Science Officer and Chief Engineer do their jobs. Please
Pike – Greenwood was fantastic, gave the role the gravitas it needed and anchored the early part of the film.
The Directing – Could have used less of the handheld stuff – it wasn’t always easy to tell what was going on. Same goes for the quick cuts, and the sound level – it was sometimes impossible to hear what was being said. And I’m fairly sure some of what I missed was important.
As for those wretched lens flares – can they be taken out for the DVD release?
The ship – I thought it sucked when I saw the stills. Sadly, it still sucks. The outside looks squashed, the inside… The Bridge (as others have said) does not feel like ‘home’; engineering is a total mess, and where’s the logic in having the Enterprise having water pipes and turbines? TURBINES!!! What is this, the Titanic?
Refit please, for next time
Overall mark: 6
(But bear in mind I was anticipating giving it a 1 when I went in there.)
Bananaland Review–
First off, if you want sci-fi with a ‘message’, I suggest the anime series PlaneteS, which is to the 2000s what Trek was to the 1960s…in a sense, I see PlaneteS as the sequel to the Trek universe. Given that, here’s a review to add to the other reviews written by much more knowledgeable people than I. To give it some character, I’ll present it using the chronology of the mis-en-scenes in the film:
The opening was very powerful, perhaps the most intensely emotional-eliciting bit of Trek since the opening of DS9 when Sisco watches his wife get killed in Wolf 359. Absolutely riveting, and sets up an almost messianic origin story for Kirk. For non-Trekkers, this heavy sequence provides an emotional hook that assuredly would grab viewers new to the Trek experience. Capt. Robau, although a doomed character, provides a very strong commander’s template: decisive, courageous, strident and concerned about the welfare of his crew. Having him die off screen, revealed by termination of lifesigns, made his death more chilling.
Young Spock/Adult Spock hit upon a theme that many moviegoers will appreciate: bigotry. Suspend the notion that Vulcans are too logical to be caught up in petty stuff like bigotry and Spock’s reactions become more readable. His rejection of the Vulcan Science Academy reveals his rebellious side. The scene with Amanda is wonderfully played by Winona Ryder, and is conveys great warmth, a good juxtapose to the initial frenetic Kelvin sequence.
Kirk Kid/Bar is the sequence that either makes or breaks the audience empathy for Kirk. In this age of anti-heroes, Kirk necessarily is cast with a rebel without a clue, but instead being simpletonish with his “fuck you’s”, Kirk is more brash than rebellious. The Pine-Kirk father/son dynamic is established on indecisiveness.
Academy sequences are good, establishing McCoy’s ‘older brother’ to Kirk, and sets up a realistic Uhura-Spock relationship. Uhura is the ‘heart’ of Trek, and this movie has her doing much more than simply gasping when Scotty brings in his fatally-injured nephew. Nice to see an assertive female portrayal, and her interplay with Kirk and Spock is good.
First Narada sequence could have been more menacing; Nero almost sounds like a piker rather than a villain with his “Hello Christopher” casualness. There’s the menace of the next-door neighbor being a nice guy…until he’s arrested for being a serial murderer. Nero doesn’t have that ambiance, and it conflicts with his psychotic fugue bursts in the initial Kelvin sequence. The brood-explode personality character doesn’t come across here. Also, I thought the MacGuffin part of the plot was exposed too early here…should’ve waited until Kirk meets Spock Prime.
The orbit dive sequence was understated, with a useless Lt. Olsen reinforcing the lame “idiot in the ranks” plothole that is overused in Trek. The macho idiot foil already was established by Mr Creampuff the security guard, so why do it twice? Absolutely useless. Also, Sulu should have been allowed to shine his character more with an extended sword fight sequence (a personal bias I have after watching hundreds of hours of chambara cinema). The redeeming quality of this sequence is that Kirk and Sulu save each other’s lives. When they hit the transporter pad and shattered it, many in the theater exclaimed “wow!” or something to that effect.
Chekhov’s beam-out scene was delicious, watching a new ensign feel self-empowered and acting on it by rescue-beaming Kirk and Sulu. It’s a fun scene for one of the supporting cast. I had to LOL at the computer’s inability to voice recognize his authorization; I guess they’ve gone backwards in VR software since the 1990s, where VR software could already distinguish between V’s and W’s. Guess this is just a bit of comic relief.
Vulcan destruction was totally inaccurate. Assuming Vulcan is like Earth, then it is liquid about 10-20km down, so that an explosion/implosion would shatter the crust and create blobs of molten metal/rock for 99% of its mass. Such superheated magma/core wouldn’t dry-freeze in space in a manner of seconds. A more realistic implosion would involve a shattering of surface, and then the inward ingression of near-Sun bright interior, almost akin to Elder Spock’s destruction of the nova. No sci-fi movie has ever got this right, and Trek missed this one completely.
Death of Spock’s mom was a shocker. Nice wraparound when Sarek admits marrying her out of love. The Sarek-Spock relationship lacked the conflict of the TOS version, which I always thought was more melodramatic than realistic.
Uhura’s “tell me how I can help you” sequence in the turbolift was very emotional for me, and really portrays the depth and maturity of her character and the steadfastness of her love for Spock.
Pine’s capture and torture was quirky. I caught several angry protests when I suggested that this sequence was analogous to waterboarding. The inclusion of the insect in the throat was superfluous to plot and seemed to be a steal from Khan. Nero much more in character here as a conflicted man whose vengeance had twisted him.
Scotty was pure comic relief, but it was a nice touch to give him a little person sidekick as a foil. Every Luke needs his R2D2… I did like how ‘jumpy’ Scotty was; freneticism was a characteristic I thought was lacking in the original.
Kirk meeting Elder Spock was ruined by the “bullshit” line. The scene started out with a very heavy emotional context with the requote from Kahn “I’ll always be your friend”…and Kirk’s BS line kills it then and there. The rest of what could have been a very touching scene is reduced to plot revelation rather than character revelation. A vital sequence to the film and to the Trek fans…drained.
Kirk vs. Spock brawl on bridge was very well done, one of the best-acted scenes in the movie because it sustained emotional intensity without resolving into hyperbole. The close-ups prior to the explosive fight worked very well to show how Spock was amping up before bursting with rage.
Kirk and Spock on Narada worked on several levels. We’re left with a Spock who just resigned his captaincy, who feels a huge amount of self-doubt. Kirk provides the solution and the confidence to restore Spock’s faith, which is something vital to the dynamic of the two characters. This makes Trek tick. So many times, one or the other has to rescue his counterpart from the emotional abyss, and the audience is treated to what may be the genesis of their deep camaraderie here. It brought to mind Spock’s ‘healing’ of Kirk after Edith Wheeler died (I know that goes back a long way). There is a sequence where the two are looking at each other which totally channels Nimoy and Shatner’s TOS character’s almost telepathic reads of each other.
Narada destruction sequence was understated, and again what could have been a nice battle sequence is anticlimactic. The appearance out of warp of the Enterprise to ‘rescue’ the Jellyfish was a nice ‘heroic’ sequence, but then the rest of the scene resorts to little more than watching the Narada get sucked down the drain.
Big fuckup at the end by soloing Kirk for medals. Spock was the one who destroyed the rig, and he doesn’t get decorated? Nonsense! Even Star Wars got it right in the ‘reward finale’ scene where the three majors get paraded. Here, it’s just Kirk…and that is totally hollow, more empty than full. Nice touch with Elder Spock though, so the scene wasn’t a total waste. Seeing both Kirk and Spock get their gold stars would’ve been more engaging. Wasn’t Spock a highly distinguished graduate? Ignoring Spock’s contribution is like giving Bush Sr a medal for Iraq while arguing that Colin Powell was simply a sidekick who didn’t contribute anything meaningful.
Final scenes with Spock and Elder Spock was flat. This is probably the last time we’ll see Nimoy on-screen, and to have it end with a “good luck” instead of “live long and prosper” was definitely warm soda. He’s telling Spock to be more human, when it’s obvious that this Spock is much more human than the original Spock, seems really lame. Spock nearly beat the crap out of Kirk, and he wasn’t fired by Pon-Farr…and now his elder self/mentor tells him to get with it? Nah! Of course, this will be lost on non-Treks, who will see it for what it is, rather than what it isn’t. Ending with the ‘flying off into space’ motif was too Hollywoodish.
Overall: Trek fills out its two hours pretty well, not too boring, not too full-bore. Lots of scenes to pluck on the heartstrings of Trek fans, and for non-Trek fans, I cannot speak, but I can assume that this will be engaging.
The new Enterprise is always a conversation piece necessarily embedded in any Trek venture, and the design of this one is pretty good. The new E is 1000m long, three times the TOS E, which creates a new sense of scale. The SFX shots of the Enterprise are breathtaking rather than slick, and in a couple of cases could have been drawn out more. McCoy’s “Jim, you gotta see this!” followed by a five-second glimpse of Spacedock just doesn’t match up. The massive nacelles are a nice touch, because it gives an appearance of power rather than fragility. Too often, power is represented by phasers and photons, rather than propulsion. The Enterprise also has the sleek curves of the TNG-era ship, rather than the angularity that has predominiated Trek ship designs over the post TNG era.
The “New” Trekverse is neither addition or subtraction from canon. Considering that this ‘alternate reality’ isn’t going to be explored by 78 episodes, and then almost 400 more episodes, the radical changes to canon aren’t that radical. Of course, with a Hollywood adapt, any canon must suffer a significant alteration, otherwise it’s redundant and weak. So they killed Vulcan, which is definitely the most profound impact on Trek canon. If it were me, I would have had them kill Earth, and have the survivors retreat to Vulcan, which would have been much more impactful. That would have been a quantum shift in canon which would have made for a more intense Trek. After the movie, I heard several people say the sequel should be ‘let’s bring back Vulcan’ and I immediately thought “oh great, another Search for Spock!”
Uhura-Spock is the other major mixup of canon. This one works. You get a romance on so many levels. On the pad before Kirk and Spock leave for Narada, the two are on each other like teenagers. Yet, there is a gravitas to their romance, wonderfully portrayed when Vulcan is destroyed. Also, Uhura’s influence over Spock is nice touch, as it jumps out of the male-dominated romances of Trek and puts the pair on equal footing.
This isn’t your father’s Trek, but then again, it still isn’t a modern Trek. It’s about ten years behind. All the guys have crewcuts…they might as well be bankers rather than officers and enlistees. They certainly aren’t ‘the people’, idealized or otherwise. They’re the greys; the elites who are too muddled to be either black or white. There isn’t any characters who are edgy. The antagonist is a known race. Why is it either the Borg or the Rommies who are the bad guys? Why not a new threat?
A summation would be that this movie is a draft, rather than a completed work. The next one will be a completed work.
This was the biggest crap pile and yet totally amazing all at the same time. I think for myself I have a love/ hate relationship with this new Star Trek.
I’m not so big on the fact that we will be following some alternate universe from now on and miss the original universe, like wise what happened to Vulcan especially really ticks me off! Killing off Kirk and Data were no where near the gravity of this insult!
On the other hand, it has some great parts to it and some great performances by Quinto, Urban, Nimoy and Pine.
The music sucked. Not totally, but it should have had more of the original Trek music to it and it didn’t. Likewise I’m not a fan of this new Enterprise.
In respect to my old Star Trek, I’d give this new thing 6 out of 10 stars. If I wasn’t a die hard fan, I’d probably give it close to 8 out of 10 stars.
“Yellowdog – I am sorry, but Coca-Cola and McDonald’s do not exist in Gene Roddenberry’s universe. If you can so easily accept product placement, then I seriously question your credibility as a Star Trek fan.”
But Levis and Kraft marshmallows exist in TREK’s era (per TREK V). Why whouldn’t other brand names? And let’s not forget Michelob beer in TREK IV. I’m no Abrams supporter by a long shot, but this complaint is just silly. To think brand names that have lasted the lest of time will suddenly vanish in STAR TREK’s period is more than a little extreme.
My opinion on two topics:
The destruction of Vulcan: was truely too fast – such a tiny black hole as this drop of “red matter” would’ve created would at least need weeks or months to destroy a planet – but that way the writers must have come up with some other – most likely cheesier way to kill Amanda and give Spock this quite vital character-building moment. As Winona fan I would’ve loved to see Amanda survive – but Noni dies in all Sci-Fi movies – but on Alien she was a robot and could switch to secondary power…lol. But the Enterprise can still switch into the famous parallel universe…
brand-names: I think Coke is universal – you order today a coke and don’t care who made it – so I think this one was okay. But I truely hate the Nokia product-placement – that was so useless. That scene itself was quite cheese – I would’ve loved to see more of young Spock instead….
I saw the Star Trek Movie Friday night. I thought the acting except for Chekov was exciting and fun. The special effects were very good. The Engineering section looking like the steam power plant of a world war 1 dreadnaught was pretty silly. The weight penalties of steam power are too high for airplanes much less starships. The turbines are going to need more than 99% efficiency to reach warp speed. I haven’t seen anything as “Disney” implausible as escaping a black hole with an explosion since, eh, Disney’s Black Hole. I don’t know how I’m going to deal with erasing large swaths of the original stories. Putting a period on the great theme that Star Trek is would be an acceptable alternative to gussying up the franchise for the ADD generations. As a good capitalist though I know Paramount owns the rights and I support their right to make money at the cost of my sentiments. I hate them for it though.
Hmmm, where do I start?
I left the cinema yesterday afternoon not knowing whether or not I liked or truly despised this movie. However, my main feeling as I walked out was that it simply didn’t feel like Star Trek, and that worried my greatly. I’ve been a fan for over 30 years, since early childhood, and to not have the feeling for the first time ever was very disappointing. However, I’ll deal with that at the end of my review.
I think the best way to summarise my feelings about the picture would be to list the good and the bad:-
THE GOOD
- The special effects were stunning, particularly the opening battle. There can be no question about that.
- I warmed quite quickly to the exterior of the new Enterprise – at least when shown at a distance anyhow.
- I liked some little touches in the movie, such as how the Kelvin’s communicators looked like the old TOS ones, Scotty’s tribble (complete with the correct trilling), Kirk’s apple and Majel’s voice on the ship computer.
- As a general action movie there was enough in it to keep the pace chugging along throughout without moments of boredom.
- The main Starfleet uniforms were great. AT a distance they looking just like TOS uniforms. I also got a kick out of the similarities between Pike’s admiral’s uniform and Kirk’s TMP version.
- I liked the Nero character, even if he got little to do. I would have liked to see more of him and learn more.
- I liked the fact that Nero’s ship interior was relatively consistent with the look of the Scimitar from Nemesis. It made me believe that the ship originated from the same sort of grudgey, lower class mining background that Shinzon did, thus I could accept that Nero was from the post-Nemesis era.
- Nimoy!! What can you say. I was overjoyed to see him on screen again. Some people posting reviews have suggested that he was out of character in his scenes. I disagree. In fact I felt that this was the closest we had seen to the Spock I remember since Star Trek V. Nimoy seemed to go through a phase of having Spock be extremely grumpy in TUC and Unification and it was refreshing to see a return to the character I properly remember from the golden days of Trek. Hats off to Leonard to still pull it off. He easily acts Quinto off the screen, but then I feel a bit sorry for Quinto having to play alongside the original, unlike his cast mates, especially Leonard as of all the characters I’d say that Spock is probably the one most unique to the original actor. Nimoy just has something about him, and almost alien quality that inhabits the character that, quite simply, only he can do.
- A great score. Top notch, although I would have like to hear the fanfare earlier on, but I understand why it came at the end.
- Khan style eels! Great stuff.
- Not exactly part of “the good” per se, but a lot of people moaned about Spock & Uhura’s lovebird act. Have to say I had no problem with it keeping in mind that these are alternate versions of the characters. In fact that only thing I was curious about was how it came to be as otherwise there wasn’t much point it in being present.
THE BAD
- Recasting. Now, I promised myself well in advance that I had gotten past the recasting of iconic roles, helped in part by Nimoy’s endorsement and, more importantly, the alternate universe which allowed me to treat them as different characters. But despite the throw away line about alternate realities it was clear to me that the movie was trying to remind me on a regular basis that I was supposed to be watching Kirk Spock and McCoy and I was supposed to accept the youngsters, many of whom are younger than me (not that I should let that prejudice me), were the same iconic characters that I had grown up with over 30 years. For me, I just couldn’t do it. Maybe I am like Kirk in TUC, I’m struggling to get past my prejudices and move on, but for me the original characters are more than a few episodes and movies, they have been friends to go to when times were bad. Friends who allowed me some escapism. Friends who taught me about morality and difficult questions in life. The people that brought those characters to like are those characters. A character is more than what is written on a script page, it is also part of the living breathing person that plays him or her. For instance, Karl Urban did indeed give one of the best performances in the movie. But I just couldn’t believe it was McCoy, all I could believe was that it was a young Starfleet officer doing an impression of McCoy.The same for the others, all good actors, especially the wonderful Simon Pegg, but I just couldn’t help wanting to see my beloved personalities of old. I think it will take me a long time to get beyond that, if I ever do.
- The set designs. The Kelvin was ok and I could believe it was pre-TOS. However, I despised other sets, most significantly the Enterprise interiors. Abrams has spoken about his desire to do what Dick Donner did on Superman: The Movie, have the believability factor to what was on screen. Versimilitude Donner called it. Well here Abrams makes a fatal mistake. We aren’t just talking about a superhero in a costume, with everything else looking like 20th Century Earth, we are talking about how society will look over 200 years from now. In that respect I cannot accept that the Enterprise needs manual handles to go to warp and an absurd looking engine room that looks like the lower decks of a World War II submarine. Aside from a few trendy touchscreens thrown in, everything else on the Enterprise looked years behind the TOS version, and even looked less advanced than the NX-01, which was are to believe still existed as we know it in this reality. Not convinced in the slightest and Abrams better think carefully about this one for the sequel. It’s absurd that will such a budget that couldn’t create something truly futuristic looking, especially since they had gone to all that trouble of making the exterior of the ship more advanced than its sixties counterpart.
- Plot explanations. I thanked god I had read Countdown because without that the plot of the movie seemed very silly. A Romulan comes after Spock because his homeworld was blown up and he somehow blames Spock for not sorting it out in time, all of which we find out in a couple minutes. Great. That’s it? So basically we are to empathise with Nero and understand his plight? Do me a favour. I couldn’t feel for him after such a small and thrown away explanation and saw the character as nothing more than Bana playing a crazy. I would have loved to have seen more. With that the soul was totally ripped out of the movie for me and Nero was just another bad guy of the week. Ironically the one thing I didn’t have much of a problem with was Nimoy being on Delta Vega at the right moment. With the other plot holes, this coincidence didn’t really matter to me.
- Lens flares and shakey cam. I had read complaints about this but went into the movie open minded. I had no problem with it during the Kelvin scenes, but by the time the movie was half way through it began to annoy me. I’m a greater hater of shakey cam out of the two, and I am terribly frustrated that Hollywood directors think that the audience want to see these tired camera tricks all the time. This moviegoer doesn’t and I’m tired of seeing this in every action film I see these days. One of the redeeming features of Indy 4 was that Spielberg shot the movie old style, without shakey cam, and so despite its flaws I find Crystal Skull a lot easier to watch than movies like Iron Man. I like to see what is happening, not get a headache. But then I guess Abrams was just trying to be one of the cool kids.
- Kids in charge of the Enterprise. Talked about many times so I won’t go into detail, but from cadet to Captain? And for that matter the whole crew (sans Spock & Scotty) from cadets to senior officers? Utterly, utterly stupid.
- Ben Cross as Sarek. Bloody awful. I wish Mark Lenard was still around.
- Product placement. No, no, no, no. No room for that in Star Trek JJ. What a cheap shot.
CONCLUSION
Despite the recasting and the items under my “bad” list, none of what I mentioned above was enough to make me hate the movie. I could stomach them and suspend disbelief to allow me to watch the movie as “just another movie” and take enjoyment out of it and be entertained. In that respect is was a rip-roaring space action adventure and I would recommend it to any non-fan who likes action films. I can understand why it has gotten rave reviews from non-fans and newer fans alike. It will generate a good return, new fans and a sequel. Paramount have gotten what they wanted.
However, here lies the real problem I have with the movie, which is a serious complaint directed at the new “supreme court”. Abrams and his cohorts, including Nimoy himself, tell us Star Trek is about the characters. A lot of fans have bought into this when seeing the new movie and think that if there is a good arc for Kirk & Spock then that’s all that’s need. I respectfully disagree with this on every level. Star Trek was never about the characters, it was about the human experience, as told through the characters. This is the fundamental mistake with movie. It’s something that people like Ron Moore and, dare I say it, Berman understood about what Roddenberry was trying to do, but Abrams seems clueless in this regard. There was no exploration of humanity in this movie and no hint of a morality play. For this fan, that’s just not good enough. I was never a fan of Star Trek because I liked to see ship battles or fancy devices. It was about, for me, the social issues it made me think about. It was the thing about Star Trek that set it apart from things like Star Wars. It had greater depth, more intelligence and more morality than the other things out there. Majel is alleged to have said that Gene would have approved of the new movie, while I hope that he would have I feel that this is doubtful. If you go way back to “The Cage” it is clear what Gene wanted from the show. He wanted to make the audience think. Abrams Trek does not do that. For that reason I felt incredibly let down when I left the cinema. It felt like my intelligent Star Trek had died years earlier and had been replaced by yet another big budget Hollywood action movie for the crowds of lower intelligence out there that has simply had the Star Trek name slapped on it. Well, that’s what sells these days so I understand it. But I am just deeply upset that the market has turned this way and ripped the heart, or more importantly, the brain, out of my beloved Star Trek.
You see without the intelligence Star Trek is just like everything else….and nothing else has lasted this long as a result. I don’t see why people can’t see that. This movie will generate a couple sequels of big action. Paramount will make short term money on its reboot. But it will die out much sooner than the original did, because this nuTrek is far more a product of its time than TOS ever was and simply doesn’t have elements to withstand changes attitudes over the years.
Abrams has a chance to recapture this old fan with the inevitable sequel. He just needs to explore the human experience again – and there is no reason why this cannot go hand in hand with a big budget action film. I implore him to do it as then he really will have done justice to the Roddenberry legacy.
5/10
There is nothing wrong with Paramount making a profit, however this did not require that J.J. et al. produce an unrecognizable UFP where corporations exist and therefore money also exists. Alternate reality or not, Gene Roddenberry made it perfectly clear that money does not exist in the Federation – there is no need for it. Star Trek was a vision of the future where humanity overcame racism, greed, poverty, needless violence and disease. This movie seems to spit in the face of that message; the most important message of Star Trek.
I hope the spirit of Star Trek’s past rests in peace. This facade is Star Trek in name only and nothing more!
The adventure continues in every sense of the word with great characters returning to save Earth (et al) once again!
Like so many others, I agree … we can only look forward to the next adventure as this truly exceptional movie is so tightly packed that we are left yearning for more.
At 35, I have personally have been a fan since a very young age, and very much a fan of the original cast, whether original TV series or movie.
Being no major canonite I enjoyed every moment in what was essentially a most fulfilling and enthralling re-establishment of Gene Roddenberry’s original vision. Gene predicted (or at least hoped for) someone to build on his work with Star Trek … and in my view, that has happened.
I wouldn’t presume to offer an opinion on special effects or sets which to me were only in the background. In every instance the énvronment was perfect to the story … at least that was what I was intent on following,
The acting was excellent. It is hard to draw comment to any individual in the sense that they all did great work to support the story and one-another. So, my most special character moments were driven by the story …. I thought the Spock and Ulhura line was excellent … it really optimised the depth of both characters … deeply caring and committed.
Having Leonard Nimoy as part of the production was very special. I would not presume to speak for the man, but I can only imagine that he might have enjoyed the arc of the Spock character in the movie, especially the real perspective placed on a man/vulcan … but a ‘man’ none the less. And I use that term loosely as Ben Cross’s character “Sarek” delivered even more empathy and depth to characters we previously potrayed as two dimensional and perhaps a little too cold.
I’d just like to say how very grateful I am to all the people involved in this movie. At least for me, you have delivered a very special extra instalment in the adventures of characters I have loved and cherished for a number of years.
Thank you. 10/10
#210 Entirely agree.
169. Mike: ‘THIS IS NOT STAR TREK How dare anyone call this Star Trek?’
I dare. So do literally millions of others.
‘I am most outraged by the presence of product placements…PRODUCT PLACEMENTS…Nokia, Budweiser.’
As Abrams pointed out, Star Trek had come to be seen as a weird ‘other universe’ rather than a viable possible future of our race. Why shouldn’t companies still make things? By all accounts Tricorder is a brand-name, for example. Are you saying that all innovation and manufacturing should be solely the responsibility of the government and the military? That’s disturbing! It’s simply that we’ve never seen much of civilian human culture in Star Trek before.
‘Am I to believe that 23rd century Earth is still driven by profit?’
We know it was. In TOS, they referred to as getting paid. Pike in The Menagerie/The Cage discusses becoming an Orion trader. Trading for what? Jelly beans? People do jobs to get paid to live to move up in the world. The only confusion caused about it in TVH:STIV was that the characters weren’t used to handling cash. Even now, a lot of us use credit and debit cards and run bar tabs.
It’s a misconception by TNG-era fans that the TOS era didn’t have finance. Indeed, the makers of DS9 routinely joked about the not getting paid remark in ST:FC, because a Federation without money can’t exist. Even if they live in their cosy pseudo-Soviet utopia, how are they supposed to handle economics with the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Star Empire, the Ferengi and so on? End of the day, it was a joke remark in ST:FC that certain people took too seriously!
‘I suppose the sequel will have the crew of the Enterprise battling the Borg. Except in this new, alternative reality the Borg will be a group of cybernetic beings created by Microsoft.’
I actually like that idea! The iBridge will kick their butts! ;)
‘The destruction of Vulcan is monumentally unacceptable. J.J. and team might as well have destroyed Earth. If you know anything about Star Trek, then you know that the destruction of Vulcan is nothing less than a total assault on the very essence of Star Trek. J.J. and team have changed canon so that none of the events that we are familiar with ever really happened!’
That statement is just so monumentally wrong, I don’t know where to begin! There are still Vulcans, there is still Vulcan culture. The Vulcans themselves are fundamental to Star Trek, not where they live. How often did the planet Vulcan actually appear directly in any Star Treks post-Enterprise era? IIRC, once in TOS, once in TAS, four times in the movies and once in TNG.
All of these appearances can be transplanted to the Vulcan colony, except Yesteryear which is in the past of ST09 anyway. Journey to Babel’s subplot about Sarek’s illness will no longer be an issue, although the main plot will remain much the same. Really, things don’t change that monumentally in the scheme of things, except perhaps that the loss of the Intrepid in The Immunity Syndrome will be that much more devastating!
‘I know that there are those of you who will say I am nitpicking’
Ranting more like!
‘but the truth is for thousands of fans Star Trek represents a fundamental philosophy that is to be cherished.’
And there’s nothing done in the new film to change that. Again, your viewpoint seems very TNG. TOS is a very different kettle of fish.
‘Dismantling the meaning of Star Trek so that Paramount can make more money is nothing more than a blatant assault on the universe Gene Roddenberry created.’
And Roddenberry didn’t create Star Trek to make money? Read some interviews with him from the 1960s and 1970s. It’s a billion-dollar multimedia franchise. It’s always been about making money! Do you really think Paramount do Trek as some sort of charity?
‘J.J. and team promised that they would take care to respect these characters that we are all so familiar with and the universe they inhabit.’
Well, the casting was dead on, the costumes are similar, the ships are much the same, the characters by the end of the film have grown in to the ones we love.
‘Well…they failed at their task,’
Millions of people are disagreeing with that view.
‘or perhaps they just lied’
And perhaps that’s just libel.
‘in order to get Trek fans out to theaters.’
Most trekkies were going to go anyway, even out of morbid curiosity. The phenomenal trailers were enough to drag most people to the cinema.
‘I choose to completely disregard this movie as nothing but an attempt to appeal to the degenerated iPod generation’
I’m from the 1970s-1980s so-called MTV Generation and I own an iPod, as do most people of my age (mid-thirties).
‘preoccupied with musings of sexual indiscretion’
And the TOS characters were so sexually discreet! :0
‘and whom possess an attention span limited to CGI.’
Whatever that means!
I suggest that you go out and buy the new Star Trek Remastered DVDs and watch them, because it’s clear from your little rant that you don’t really know much about the original Star Trek and its characters. Your opinions reflect a broad knowledge in the sense that you have a cultural awareness of the original Star Trek, but obviously haven’t watched it properly, if at all.
Gene Roddenberry’s late wife agreed to work on this film, Leonard Nimoy came out of retirement to work on this film. Gene Roddenberry spinning in his grave? I suspect he’d be very happy to see Star Trek back at the forefront of popular culture.
I forgot to add my rating: 1/10. Spend your budget on writers and a dialogue coach and maybe not on CGI.
I won’t get into the cannon/non-cannon/continuity flaw stuff. The film is an alternate timeline. I get it. But I used to get bored with the mirror universe during the show as well.
Whoever likened this to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull fits my thoughts exactly. Both shed the core writing that made predecessors good in favor of CGI. If I want CGI I’ll play video games.
I just watched the movie last night, and it was by far a really fantastically good film. It was to a packed house on the east coast of Canada, people cried, laughed, and clapped at the end, it was an inspirational movie.
My critique of the movie is not much as I only watched it once, and wanted to enjoy it. But here we go.
Opening sequence – An eye grabber, and a tear jerker. I know from cannon, that this should not have happened this way, but it was really well done. And done in a way that made it both profound and humbling, as once I saw his dad die, I knew things were going to be different. If it did not happen this way, then all we would have is a movie like Star wars Episode one, which turned me off of star wars. I am glad that they did this, as right then and there I had a movie that was new, refreshing, and full of hope.
The only real bad thing about the ship was the engine room. I agree that a star ship would probably have all the industrial stuff there, but there should have been a sort of enginneer command center, were Scotty did his work from. If he had to go fix something then we would see the industrial side of the ship. (for those who say that a star ship would not have such parts, all I can say is ST VI had chefs still making food from scratch in a kitchen that looked like it was from a aircraft carrier.) So, an engineer command centre would be good.
Most believable ship I have seen with all the lines of the original, when you saw it you new which ship that was. (using the throttle to go to warp, was just like Sulu in the third season of the old series, but a much sleeker throttle…nice)
I very much liked the nods to the old series, and the musical score to the film is one that I will go and buy, well done on that.
The destruction of Vulcan, well it was done… too fast, would have liked to see more of them get off of the planet, but again, the director could not drag it out. It was done with respect and dignity, and for that I am glad.
Starfleet academy – most believable to date. Would have liked to see more from the academy.
Leonard Nimoy – well done. He added credibility to the story that was being told and as I star trek fan for 25 years and my dad one for 40 years, we both agreed that he did an excellent job, and added the necessary touch to the movie to make it believable in the star trek universe. Well done, and the writers are correct it only worked with him in the story. Would have liked to have more of him in the movie, but understand that the movie I would have wanted to see with more of him, would have been another 2 hrs, but I would have paid for it and watched it.
Anyone notice pike uniform at the end – please do not bring those back. As well pike went from Capt to Admiral. Thanks keeping with tradition and getting rid of the commodore rank, all the commodores in the old series were a bit crazy.
In the end a wonderful, action packed movie, with great characters, humor, and hope. I hope that there are 10 more like this. I will be watching it again this summer. (is it possible to have the DVD release with all the cut scenes added into the movie?)
Forgot to rate the movie, 9/10 – reason for the nine is one – Vulcan could have been a bit longer, more Spoke prime – 2- engineering – 3 – Why is this bad guy really out for revenge against the Federation, not really tied in well, but we did get it
But those three things only account for a minus 1, so not that major in my estimation.
@213 – I love you ;) Nice response, much better than I could have written myself, but exactly what I was thinking/feeling.
Am I so old that I’ve outlived my usefulness?
I saw the film on IMAX. Caveats to my thoughts: I was a little too close–the place was packed and all the good seats taken and I had gotten there an HOUR before showtime. Some of the close-ups looked bad on the giant IMAX screen but this wasn’t shot on IMAX film. So I need to see this on a normal movie screen, and I intend to very soon.
The reason for my Spock quote at the top: I felt the movie was too fast. Too quick. So unrelenting that I couldn’t get inside the picture to hold on to a character long enough to have an emotional reaction. Where was the character build up to make the drama pay off at the end? Like in Wrath of Khan when we see through some well-paced slow scenes the touching friendship between Kirk and Spock and the others.
Kirk — It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Message, Spock? Spock — None that I am conscious of except of course, happy birthday. Surely, the best of times.
That scene and others like it in the beginning pay off Spock’s sacrifice and death and Kirk’s reaction.
Bones — How do you feel, Jim?
Kirk — I feel young.
In this film we get that awesome opening, right up there with the opening of Star Wars (the original). Then we get what amounts to a clip of boy kirk stealing a car for a joy ride followed by another clip of kirk, now older, in a bar room brawl followed by Kirk joining the academy and it’s three years later. I wanted to feel this lost boy becoming a lost young man. I wanted to feel his pain at not having a father. It was all glossed over.
The same quickie development for Spock. We get one scene of him as a boy getting teased, then he’s older and rejecting the Science Academy and then he’s a commander in StarFleet. All of that happened so quickly, then the action begins, they’re all on the Enterprise, and the pace goes to warp and stays there until the credits.
I admit, I loved the movie. It was kinetic, it looked GREAT. We haven’t had a Star Trek movie that looked and felt like a movie in a LONG time. Let’s be honest, most of them looked and felt like extended TV episodes. I had no problems with the changes. I give them total credit for not doing the typical Star Trek thing at the end that all time travel Treks seem to do, that is hit the reset button so that everything that just happened never happened and everything is set right again. So ballsy. So ballsy to keep those changes, especially what happened to Vulcan. Kudos for that. Star Trek needed a kick in the pants. So for all of that I applaud this movie and I loved it for those reasons.
I just wonder, am I too old? Is that why the fast quick storytelling and unrelenting high octane direction left the character’s at arm’s length? I keep hearing about how the opening battle is this awesome spectacle (and it was) and how in the middle of that, Abrams chooses to follow some random person down a hallway as she gets blown out a hull breach and then the film goes silent and we see her floating in space. That would’ve been affective had he lingered there a bit longer. Instead, within 2 seconds we’re back into the spectacle with no time for the audience (at least me) to hold that quiet and terrible image–the consequence of war–and digest it.
I just wish the movie could’ve let me in. I wanted to engage with these characters but I couldn’t. I was just a spectator, watching a video game.
Maybe a second viewing on a normal movie screen will change all that.
**SPOILERS AHEAD!***
I watched the movie last night with my wife (we are both in our late 20’s), some friends of ours (a couple in their 50’s) and their 16-year-old daughter (who has had minimal Trek exposure). To sum up the experience: ALL of us enjoyed the movie, laughed out loud, jumped in our seats, clapped and cheered. I was one of the folks who was a bit nauseous when Paramount released the first image of the new 1701. What Abrams and Co. have done is create a film that not only reintroduces our favorite family in a manner that really is accessible to the masses, they have set them up for some terrific future adventures. I don’t think it is a fair question to ask whether this film is perfect or not… simply put, it’s far from perfect. BUT, it accomplishes its mission of re-establishing TREK as something worthy of heavy investment. If we the fans want our TREK to continue and be as glorious as it possibly can be, the success of this film is critical. That said, I enjoyed every moment of the picture, and can’t wait for the next.
A few bones to pick:
- I would have gone absolutely NUTS in my seat had we been treated to an arrangement of Goldsmith’s THE ENTERPRISE motif during the reveal shot of the Big E in Space Dock. That said, Giacchino’s work is outstanding throughout.
- Wasn’t offended by the Uhura/Spock dynamic, but would have liked to see a little bit more innuendo or subtext leading up to the turbolift scene.
- Was thrilled with Spock Prime’s appearance – wish the mind meld scene was handled a bit more delicately (ala Sarek & Kirk in TSFS); certainly would have slowed the tempo of the film a bit, but would have added some real emotional gravitas to the story.
- More Nero – thought Bana’s performance was great… wanted a little bit more. Perhaps that’s what we’ll get with the cut scenes on DVD? Would be great to have seen those in context with the film. My wife agreed that seeing a Klingon sub-plot would have confused her further…
- Robau was a bad mutha%^&*er. Probably could have put a hurting on Nero if he was paying attention.
- Would like to see Scotty develop beyond the slapstick just a little bit… I still laughed harder than I have in a long time.
- Loved the beauty shots of the Big E, but still sensed that feeling of CGI… maybe a little model action wouldn’t hurt next time around?
Can’t WAIT until STII…
10/10
This movie was everything I hoped for and more. What annoys me more than anything is when fans nitpick continuity, timeline, canon, and all that crap. Why can’t they just appreciate a great movie for what it is and stop over analyzing every second of what happens on the screen? I <3 what JJ and staff have done and I think we all should be expressing our sincere thank yous and deepest gratitude for this new masterpiece… without question the best of the Star Trek movies. It will be hard to top this if a sequel is done, but perhaps JJ and staff could at least equal this effort.
I loved it! Its hard to say for sure but im gonna go out on a limb and say its probably the best one they have ever made. Its a close call between this and TWOK but I have to say I maybe enjoyed this one a little bit more.
Going into this film I was a hardcore TOS Trek fan all the way. I would consider myself a purist because I didn’t want to see anything changed with this movie. However, as time went by and more trailers came out I became pumped for this and knew it was going to be awesome. JJ did an amazing job with this one and I expect great things for the sequel as long as he is still involved. I think all the new actors did an amazing job with their roles. I think Spock and Bones were right on the money it was so incredible. The only complaint I have about Spock is the whole Uhura love interest thing. He never would have been so open about it like he was late in the film. He wouldn’t have even tried to ask Kirk to pass the message to her. Pine did an amazing job on taking the Kirk character and making it his own, and not trying to do a William Shatner Kirk.
The film is defiantly for everyone whether you are a Trek fan or just someone looking to see a good movie. It gives you enough of a feeling that you have questions about who these characters are and want to know them. For the fans it was awesome how throughout the movie they had little tidbits and jokes that you would only pickup on if your a fan.
* possible Spoiler* I loved the little reference to enterprise when they meet Scotty and the homage to Star Trek IV. * /spoiler*
I am defiantly going to have to see this movie again and again. In closing I would just love to thank JJ and the cast of Star Trek for bringing back the memories and giving life back to Star Trek. You guys did an amazing job and kept the spirit of Gene’s vision alive.
On a Scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being realy bad and 10 being fantastic i give it an 11!!!. This was by far the best Trek Since trek 2 and even better. Starting out with the U.S.S kelvin getting into it with the narada was fantastic and seeing what nero did to the Capt was just so sad but set the tone as to how much of a bad guy we had in Nero. The Emotional scene we had with George Kirk being in command was powerfull and seeing the Birth of one Jim Kirk was just incredable and seeing how he was named was great. it brought a tear to my eye seeing how george Kirk Sacreficed himself to save the crew. With that kind of start i knew we were in for one wild ride. the bar scene was great and kinda finney. Kirk being kirk he took it to them. The scene with the Big E on earth was great. meeting Bones and hearing how he got that name was great. I can go on an on but this movie was just incredable. the only thing i did not like about this Movie was the use of induresteal sites for the Engeneering section. that just did not look right and it did not feel like we were on the Big E. but the Bridge section was great and the turbos was fine as well. The rest of the Actors did a fantastic job. Mr Checkove was funny but he did it in a smart way and what can be said about Scotty. great. Sulu was great as well and that sword fight was awesome. but the best was Mccoy as i think Urban had Deforest in him helping him out.All of the things they did in the move that paind hommage to the Tos was great. Kirk eating an apple in the Simulater sating he did not like to lose was wonderfull. Made me think about the Admrial in Trek 2 on the Genesis planet when he told Savik that. Bones saying to Spock are you out of your Vulcan Mind. All in all this is one hell of a movie and J.J and the Court should be commended for a fantastic job. Can’t wait for the Next Trek Movie from the Court.
213
‘Am I to believe that 23rd century Earth is still driven by profit?’
We know it was. In TOS, they referred to as getting paid. Pike in The Menagerie/The Cage discusses becoming an Orion trader. Trading for what? Jelly beans?
Orion was not part of the Federation. This was mentioned in Journey to Babel. That’s how Orion was able to have money and green slave women.
Wow. Let me say that again. Wow. I haven’t had this much fun with a film experience since I was a child. In fact, my biggest complaint with the whole thing was the audience going overboard with applause while I was trying to absorb it all.
I went into the film quite enthusiastic, but expecting to be bothered by a few plot elements in particular—-first and foremost, Kirk’s ascension to command. Now, perhaps it is because I had already accepted it over the last few months as just one of those things, but I barely gave it a thought during the film. Had I a moment to dwell upon it in the theater, my reaction to Pike’s order (designating the young Kirk “first officer” in his absence) would most likely have been an elaborative spin on that of Commander Spock, but the story’s pace carried me on to the next stage of this thrilling ride, with no time for such quibbles. By the time he goads Spock into the trap provided by regulations (of which our beloved Spock of course needs no reminder from him) and assumes command—-the truth is—-I could not help but want him to!
This film was brilliantly casted, and boy did it need to be. The action sequences were terrific, but make no mistake—-this story was decidely character-driven…precisely as a Star Trek film should be. My favorite scene? There are, upon reflection, alot of them from which to choose, but one which stands out to me is certainly the one at the Vulcan Science Academy. It gave me goosebumps. Quinto nailed that one with a sledgehammer!
As for nitpicking the science of it all, there is no question that ST09 plays fast and loose. Do I care? Hell no! Everything about this experience was fun, and I feel sorry for anyone who wasted a minute on that…as he/she missed a minute of a fantastic experience. This was everything I wanted and easily a little bit more. ST09 kicks in the door and doesn’t let up until the credits roll.
Is it perfect? No. But if it were, a potential sequel would have nowhere to go but down.
This is by far Abrams best work, and Orci and Kurtzman’s best as well. Aside from wanting to yell “shut up” at the people behind and in front of me cheering and applauding when I wanted the only sounds in the theater to be from the film (and perhaps my own heartbeat), my only other complaint at this point is certainly more of a compliment than anything else—-I didn’t want it to end!
As a life long trekkie, going into this film, I was cautiously optomistic. On the one hand, I was happy to go see a new Star Trek film, though I was conflicted about a new cast, a new look, an the fact that I miss TNG.
I have nothing but good things to say about the cast, story, and the film in general.
The charicters are wonderfully defined, and scenes from the movie evoke scenes from TOS and the other films, while adding to them. Sarek’s declaration that he married Amanda for logical reasons evokes Journey to Babel, and yet this Sarek later admits something that Mark Leonards Sarek would (and did) find very difficult to express: the fact that he does indeed have emotions of love.
One of the traps that previous Star Trek adventures have fallen into is not giving the supporting cast enough to do. The TNG films did this to the point that all of them essentially focus on Picard and Data, to the exclusion of any charicter moments for Riker, Worf, Geordi, Troi, and Crusher. The original films are a bit better, but still, Uhura, Chekov, and Sulu are left out a good deal. It is not so in this film. Each of them has wonderful charicter moments, from Chekov’s running through the corridor with boyish enthusiasm, to Sulu’s swordfight, to Uhura’s sparring with Kirk and her relationship with Spock.
The thing that truly made this movie was Leonard Nimoy. Until his appearence, the movie has a very broad, grand feel to it, which seems to borrow heavily from Star Wars, Joseph Campbell, and other things. Once Nimoy Spock appears though, and tells Kirk of their relationship and his destiny to be Captain Kirk, you can really see Kirk come into his own, and the crew come together around him. The Kirk Spock relationship blossoms after this… before this, Spock comes off as a bit of an A**hole, as he is not entirely successful at reconciling his anger, pain, and of course, his war within himself. Nimoy Spock gives us a reminder of all that has gone before, and also the fact that Quinto Spock will be at peace some day… which starts to happen toward the end.
Countdown is essential reading for any Trek fan who sees this film. Like I said, TNG is my favorite, and Countdown was a better sendoff for them than Nemesis. But more than that, Countdown gives you a deeper understanding of Nero’s backstory.
And now, my two criticisms, both of them asthetic. 1: I hate the neck on the new Enterprise. It’s too wide. 2: Visually, there are a lot of bright lights, CGI, etc, which sometimes overwhelm the senses, making it hard to see what’s going on. I believe that Special effects should add to the film, and in most cases they do, but there are some points where there’s too much and it’s distracting.
For the next film, The writers need to focus on tightening up the trio. The Kirk Spock relationship and the Kirk Bones relationship are both well established by this film. However, the Bones Spock relationship isn’t quite there yet. Build that one up in the next film, please!
Finally, I’d like to share two things about my personal experience with this film. First, this was the first Trek film I saw with my wife. We started dating in 2003, so she missed Nemesis. She has always tollerated my Star Trek and Babylon 5 obsession, watched it with me occasionally, even picked out some favorite moments. When we left the theater, she told me “I am now a Trekkie.” She found a version of Star Trek that speaks to her in the way that TNG speaks to me. We both can’t wait for the sequel now!
Secondly, I wore my TOS command costume to the film. It’s a little tradition, whenever I see a Star Trek film on opening weekend, I wear a costume. Anyway, as we were going into the theater, I heard some people snickering, “Oh, look at the guy in the costume.” After the film was over, I got sincere compliments about it. If this film has the power to raise up Die Hard Trekkies in the eyes of the general public, the future of Trek looks bright.
It seems the odd-even curse has been lifted, or at least reversed if Nemesis and this film are any indication. This was a great Trek, and I look forward to Boldly going to many more!
I have now seen the film twice and I loved it. I was so worried about a lot of the things that JJ Abrams had changed that I was going to hate this film. I could have not been so wrong. I felt that the movie honoured the spirit of Star Trek while making it more acccessible to the non fans. The alternative timeline allows this film to exist parallel to the rest of the Trek timeline and still be in the same universe.
Folks the original time line is not erased, I believe as do some friends that it diverged at the point of Nero’s attack on the Kelvin. The new actors are worthy succesors to these iconic roles. The new actors evoked the original cast trough their performances, Karl Urban in particular was on the money channeling in capturing what DeForest Kelly did.
I loved the little nods to the past, In the Kobayshi Maru simulator I thought Kirk eatign the apple was a nice nod to the secene in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan where Kirk recounts the story while eating an apple. Even the scene where Kirk provoked Spock to get an emotional reaction out of him reminded me of when he had to do the same thing to Spock in “This Side of Paradise” Did anyone else get this?
SPOILER (Don’t read ahead if you have not seen the film)
I was initlally upset that Vulcan got destroyed as it is one of the classic planets of Trek lore. It was one of the few gripes I had with the film. Howeve, thinking back and discussing it with friends the fact that this is an alternate timeline means it still exists in the primary universe and that this film can be treated as a universe B.
One of the other highlights for me was seeing Leonard Nimoy back as Spock. Nimoy is still the man and his performance, as usual, is fantastic.
The special effects are amazing, although I don’t like the new Enterprise design as much as the original version, I believe that this version looked good in motion than it did in that first image I saw of it.
Now I have to admit I was not keen on Engineering filmed in a powerplant, it looked too industrial to me and a little too inconsistent with the other decks of the ship. I prefer the consistency on all decks that all starships had.
The music score was good but not as good as Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner but a very excellent score.
Is it the all time best Star Trek film? No, but it is hard to choose as I love a lot of the past movies.
But it is one of the top ones for me.
8.5 out of 10
The Spock-Uhura romance was as credible as Anakin’s sudden and extreme slide into being Darth Vader, which is to say, not credible at all. If your characters are to be believable they have to be realistic, they have to act in ways that we can understand. It’s a sign of poor writing when you neglect the internal logic of a character to make them do whatever you want. When Annakin suddenly becomes a baby Jedi slaughtering Darth Vader I am left saying “Oooookaaaay.” In the same way here we see a scene in which Spock tries to have Uhura assigned to a different ship than the Enterprise, and not long after he’s openly sucking face with her.
Puh-lease. I’m 100% human and even I don’t display such affection in public. Get a ROOM you two.
One of the most important points of TOS and why the Vulcans are there is to make the point that LOGIC isn’t enough. That’s Spock’s job and why he’s an ultimately tragic figure, and he does that in the series by consistently being incapable of making the command choices of Kirk. Poof, that’s all gone now. Spock is now just a pointy eared human. He’s the hero of this movie, he gets the girl, and the new clown like Kirk just gets his ass kicked from one side of the movie to the other (5 times, by my count), once by the new hero of the franchise, Spock. Indeed, Spock IS the new Kirk. You can get rid of Kirk altogether and not lose anything important at all.
I’m actually more disappointed the morning after than I was last night.
And Kirk goes from cadet to Captain in what? 2 days? 3 days? A week? Everything in this movie happened WAAAAY too fast to be believable, no doubt because the cynics don’t think modern audiences have an attention span that could withstand a few moments of slow walking and deep breathing. Last night I gave it a 5 out of 10. I think my view will probably stabilize around 3 out of 10.
Sorry. I really wanted to love this movie. I don’t.
223. Billy Bobby: ‘Orion was not part of the Federation. This was mentioned in Journey to Babel. That’s how Orion was able to have money and green slave women.’
And how would Chris be able to set himself up in business without money to do so? Shoot a couple of potential rivals and mug their kids for some cash?
The no-money thing was a stupid idea dreamed up as a gentle culture clash joke in ST:FC – stupid because the writers should have realised that certain people would take something like that far too seriously. I suspect that the line wasn’t written by Ron Moore, given that he had Jake an Nog rip the pee out of the no-money thing in DS9!
Actually, going back to my original review where I said it was possible to dislike vast tracts of Star Trek yet still be a Trek fan, I find it laughable that people are claiming this film is ‘NOT STAR TREK!’
Like all the vast numbers of Trek shows and movies, it can only reflect certain aspects of the broad spectrum of what Star Trek has featured. This film focuses on the characters, along with the action, the danger and excitement of being in space. It’s the sort of film that will make kids want to be astronauts.
If it seems to lack some of the philosophical underpinnings of the original show (something that TNG and its companion shows dwelled upon far too much, IMHO) that’s because you can’t pack everything into a two hour feature film along with an origin story and franchise-shaking action. I’m sure will be addressed in the next film.
These days, studios treat all films as potential franchises. Like Iron Man, The X-Men and so on, this ‘first’ Trek movie is there to establish the characters and their universe for future sequels. For that matter, ‘Where No Man Has Gone Before’ was hardly the most intellectual adventure either!
This film is a sort-of The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings. Now all the pieces are in place we’re set for whopping great adventures on a vast scale. In a universe where Vulcan can get fried and Amanda killed and the cowardly reset switch has been eliminated, none of our characters’ safety is assured. The loss of that safety net can only benefit Star Trek.
#229—”The no-money thing was a stupid idea dreamed up as a gentle culture clash joke in ST:FC ”
Actually, it was born out of a joke in STIV.
(Paraphrase)
“I suppose they don’t use money in the 23rd Century”.–Gillian Taylor
“Well we don’t.”—Admiral Kirk
The way I see the no money thing is, well in TNG they have replicators, so they can get food, clothing, or any other item they want for free, or at least for so cheap it doesn’t really matter. As members of starfleet, they get free housing, at least while they’re aboard ship. Think, what do you spend most of your money on? I’ll bet it’s rent, utilities, food, clothing, etc. If Starfleet is providing you with all that for free, you don’t need money. TNG charicters do indeed barter for certain items, but that’s usually one-of-a-kind stuff, stuff that can’t be replicated, or things that have personal significance.
In TOS, they didn’t have replicators yet. Food would still need to be produced agriculturally (what do you think Sherman’s planet was for), so there would still need to be some sort of economy to provide the farmers with what they would need to grow crops, and provide the crops to everyone else.
96% on the Tomatometer now.
That better than the last 5 Oscar winners for “Best Picture”.
This is surreal.
Oh, I just realized I neglected to put my ranking. I’d say 9.975 out of 10.
Khan’s still the best, but I think this one tied my second favorite, First Contact.
Although A great film the sudden advancing in the ranks was a little contrvied for my liking.
I believe the film is one of the best but not the best, if that makes snse
Hi Closettrekker (231) Glad you enjoyed the film.
‘Actually, it was born out of a joke in STIV.’
Yeah, I mentioned that in post 213. I took it to mean cash! :)
Please remember that original canon has not been erased, this timeline exists parallel to the canon we know. Vulcan is destoryed in this universe B but this is parallel to the universe we know, Nero’s attack on the Kelvin could allow for the timeline to split of into two universes.
This movie is new canon, the old one still exists.
I went to see Star Trek at the IMAX cinema in Birmingham with three ‘family and friends’ – one of which was a casual fan, the others were non-fans. All of us were blown away by the film – it is easily the best film I have seen since Lord of the Rings – Return of the King.
Special Effects – 10/10
Mind-blowing – the shots of the Kelvin, Enterprise and Narada were astonishingly real. In IMAX, where the screen almost completely fills your peripheral vision, it was like actually being there.
Acting – 8/10
Quinto and Pine performed admirably as Kirk and Spock, but they didn’t blow my mind. Zoe Saldana worked as Uhura, and I actually quite liked the Spock/Uhura thing going on. I always personally felt that as a subtext in TOS anyway, and Spock’s role in it was perfect. John Cho and Anton Yelchin as Sulu and Chekov were OK, but to their credit, they never really got a huge opportunity to shine.
Eric Bana was pretty good as Nero – but the villain, in my opinion, was under-used. His actions were certainly enough to render him hated, but he didn’t have enough screen time to make the hatred personal. But, given that there was no distinctive ‘death’ for him, and that the online ARG continues in the Romulan vein, hopefully there is scope for him to return in the sequel. If he does, more scenery-chewing please!
Bruce Greenwood as Capt. Pike was excellent – he really worked as the father figure that Kirk was so obviously looking for. Second place goes to Simon Pegg as Scotty – although the script put him forward as comic relief, he actually conveyed that kind of mad genius which, for me, was always intrinsic to Scotty. Although special mention should of course go to Leonard Nimoy, who was his usual gravitic self as Spock Prime.
But the scene-stealer was Karl Urban as McCoy – I had to check every time he was on screen, because I could of sworn he was DeForest Kelley. He really hit the nail with McCoy’s acrid sarcasm, and his casual distaste of Spock’s logical demeanour. Full marks.
Direction – 10/10
Abrams really showed his abilities as a director. The camera work was stunning – his use of unusual angles actually worked really well in space, and really emphasised the directionless nature of the void. His focus on the characters made it feel like you were part of the action, rather than just a spectator. He gets my vote for the sequel!
Script – 7/10
The concept was good, and worked well – and the writers took risks, which I enjoyed. The destruction of Vulcan was emotionally devastating, and a big risk to take, although I agree with it totally. This ‘alternate timeline’ they’ve created really opens up opportunities for stories in the Star Trek universe which wouldn’t have been posible before.
The Kobyashi Maru scenario was spectacular – Kirk casually munching that apple! Glorious. The cheesy humour didn’t really bother me either – I’ve put up with plenty worse from Star Trek. Every time I think of damned Holodeck episodes I shudder.
I do have a few gripes, though – firstly, Vulcan seems to be awfully close to Earth in the new timeline. Even at maximum warp, they seemed to get there pretty quickly. Not really sure about that.
Secondly, I’m not sure how Spock Prime was able to witness Vulcan’s destruction from Delta Vega. Delta Vega isn’t even supposed to be in the same system as Vulcan, but Vulcan is as visible to Spock as the Moon is to us. Is Delta Vega a moon of Vulcan?!
And, of course, it seems highly unrealistic that Kirk would be given command of a starship, let alone the flagship, just after graduating from the Academy. Even given what he’d just done, saving the Earth etc., I can’t see how they’d just give him a command.
However, these are largely nit-picks. The script was mainly good, despite a few quangos. And generally the film honoured what has gone before quite well – I picked up on lots of little references to episodes and films, which are too numerous to list. You do get the feeling that this is a ‘Star Trek Begins’, and that the really good film will be the sequel.
Music – 8/10
The music was good, but I would have preferred it if there was more evolution into the Star Trek themes. The main themes were put in over the end credits, but they are substantially themeatically different to the rest of the score. Would have been nice if it blended together better.
Overall, I’d give it a 9/10, and it gets some bonus marks for it’s length. Having long films is all very well, but it kind of hampers the cinematic experience if you’re desparate to pee for the whole third act. That didn’t happen with Trek. It was an excellent film, well worth watching, and I am definitely going to see it again.
It’s tough to compare apples and oranges, but I’ll try.
Going into this weekend for me, TWOK was not only the best ever Star Trek movie, but probably the best “B-Movie” of all time.
Well, it’s still the best B-Movie of all time. But as for Star Trek movies in general, I have got to say that ST09 is #1.
That is not a slight to TWOK, as they were never on equal ground. It isn’t fair to Nick Meyer’s 1982 classic, but such is life.
Both are great films, although both utilize contrivances and overly “convenient” scenarios that set up the drama. But as thrilled as I was in the theater in 1982, (and as hard as it is to imagine) I was even more thrilled at this triumphant return.
I’ve thought about this all night. I went into it pretty sure that I was going to enjoy it, but I fully expected to say afterwards that it was my second favorite (surpassing TMP and TVH) Star Trek movie.
I was wrong. It is my favorite. I may not say that after ten years of repeat viewings, but right now—-that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Bring on the next one. And in the meantime, I am going to watch this one again and again.
237. captain_neill: ‘Please remember that original canon has not been erased, this timeline exists parallel to the canon we know.’
There’s no statement about that either way in the new film. If that’s the way some people need to think about it, then fine.
I enjoyed the film to the extent that I could no longer care less about the sanctity of the original history! If I want that, I have DVDs!
239. Closettrekker
I plan on having a Blu-ray player and decent-sized TV in time for the home cinema release of this film. I expect to watch it over and over again. I’m even seeing this film for a second time next week: something I almost never do!
I rate it a meagre 6/10
Chris Pine as Kirk….. 8/10 ok he knows how to slouch in the big chair and gave off the exactly right level of unease during the transporter scene
Silar as Spock…. 8/10 I can see him owning the role, but not yet
Urban as McCoy… 10/10 we didn’t see him much but he absolutely nails it. Of the three main characters this is the one where you can say ‘yeah, now I understand all the spock-baiting in the original series.
Uhura…. 10/10 on several levals. A very interesting bit of brand new backstory that places her firmly in the centre of the group
Sulu and Chekov…. 7/10 didn’t do enough to shine
Pegg as Scotty…. 4/10 the accent is right-ish but this wasn’t a scotty I recognise, that was just Pegg doing Pegg
The Plot… 2/10 what plot? this was like watching X-Men Last Stand, a load of set-pieces strung loosely together. Coincidence is the main plot driver and things happen purely to set up the next CGI-fest.
For instance…
Spock maroons Kirk on Delta Vega.. WHY?? Do they not have a brig? And how come there’s a planet right next to them anyway?
Kirk meets Old Spock… who just happens to randomly be in a cave on the planet. Why didn’t Old Spock contact Starfleet rather than just sit there?
Spock gets transported off the Jellyfish at the last instant…WHY? how did anyone know to transport him?
Set design 2/10 This Enterprise is Tardis-like, bigger on the inside, vastly bigger. They appear to have replaced Engineering with a slightly set-dressed industrial brewery (I swear I saw a Budweiser sticker on one vat). The Bridge is likewise a total mess of clutter dressed in glowy white and glass.
CGI 5/10 As can be expected the amount of detail is impressive. The critters are particularly good. The New Enterprise isn’t quite right. The big problem is the battles, instead of the clinical precision of phaser beams slicing off the Reliant’s nacelle the battle effects seem to consist of throwing vast amounts of machine-gun phasers and MIRV’d photons in a way that looks more like an artist has thrown a can of bright paint at a wall rather than an actual battle. The Big E’s phasers appear to just happen with no fixed origin point. New transporter effect ..just rubbish.
cinematography 3/10 on several occasions reflected light hits the camera and obscures what is going on. It has to be deliberate and I just don’t understand WHY. The big bar fight was ruined by a blue lens flare that ran across the screen about a third of the way up.
Real Science 5/10 Saturn is how close to Earth? supernovas that kill galaxies?
Star Trek Science 3/10 Interplanetary Transporters? Warp travel appears to prevent ship combat rather like Star Wars. Nacelles appear to now have an exhaust glow like a Star Destoyer. Vulcan is how many minutes from Earth? Delta Vega moon of Vulcan?
1/10 for Scotty stuck in the plumbing, it wasn’t funny and it wasn’t clever
In summary
Good cast, shame about the rest
1. Actors: Great job, the only thing I didnt like was the R2D2/C3PO style relationship between Scotty and his little helper, and the only performance that came off as goofy to me was Checkov. It just seemed like he tried to hard.
2. Enterprise: Just like I knew it would, the olde girl grew on me. By the end of the movie, It wasnt J.J.’s Enterprise..it was just the enterprise.
3: Story: good ole time travel to the rescue. The loss of Vulcan was a shocker, the way most of the crew came to their positions was a little much to take, not since “It gets installed on Tuesday.” have i felt this way.
Over all the changes to the time line dont bother me as a fan, and I think that if you sit in the theater picking out the things that are “wrong” you went a say the movie for the wrong reasons. Its a great movie, a decent story, and all in all I think Star Trek is finally back on the map.
Story: 7/10
Effects: 10/10
Sound: 9/10 (The smattering of true Original series sounds was awesome, but sometime it seemed the movie was just to loud?!
The Enterprise 9/10
The Crew 8/10
On a scale of 1 to 5, I’d rank the new STAR TREK a 4, not because of any adherence to canon, surprisingly enough, but because of what it does differently. Given I liked it, there’s not much I can say in analysis that hasn’t already been said. It hinges on the accidental time travel (everyone does get that it was accidental, right?) that alters the circumstances of Kirk’s birth, yet to accomplish its goal of appealing to a mass audience and baiting them for sequels, it could only truly rely on Spock and the Vulcans.
Consider that, for those not steeped in Trek lore, the character of Spock or, at the very least, his distinctive appearance is the single most consistent icon of Star Trek for the masses. People that don’t know anything else about the universe and its characters know Spock, and while it may just be coincidence, even the triangular Starfleet emblem is shaped like the tips of Spcok’s ears! So, to convert people to this film and to Trek in general, the audinece has to CARE about Spock. There’s one problem, though – Spock is a character that tries everything in his power to conceal emotion, thereby making his presence as innofensive and potentially unnoticeable as possible. If you changed that inherently, then it wouldn’t be Spock. How do you make a very human and feeling audience relate to a character that, judging by his actions, really doesn’t care or want humans to relate to him at all? How do you make him more than just a neat piece of iconography that still can get old quick if there’s nothing beneath the surface?
You break the facade – as in psychotherapy, you make the character feel things he doesn’t want to feel, in this case so that the audience has something to which they can relate. In this instance, to be true to the character, whether consciously or subconsciously, I believe the writers felt they had to do something drastic to Spock to achieve their goal and make him relatable to mainstream audiences, even if it meant alienating (pardon the pun) certain pre-existing hardcore fans. For those that have seen the film and probably a few that haven’t, you already know what that is. It’s the villain Nero’s goal number one. Thematically, everything in the movie, even that which comes before, relates to or runs parallel to what Spock goes through – the resulting self-doubt, alienation, drive to overcome inherent emotional weaknesses, etc.
I, for one, loved this movie. I still love what came before – I’ll still watch the original cast and their shows over and over as well as the “Next Generation.” The beauty of this film is that it doesn’t make anyone forsake any of that. It’s even part of the story that everything we think we know going in is not going to be invalidated, rather, it will simply be one of two versions of the same universe in the same reality. If I have any legitimate complaints, it has to do with the short-changed villain and the pacing, which in the first half-hour after the very moving USS Kelvin sequence jumps around and leaves out a bit too much. Still, it’s part of creative and narrative choices that I can see being justified in the making, which I believe director Abrams has addressed in interviews already. In any case, what few STAR TREK fans there may be that refuse to embrace this film will be permanently lost or, at the very least, frustrated. This IS
“Star Trek” for the foreseeable future, and even though I thought for a long tiem I wouldn’t be, for my money, I’m okay with that now.
JD, I disagree with you completely on Spock. Spock and the Vulcans are there for one good reason: To illustrate the insufficiency of logic compared to the balance of reason and emotion that Kirk represents, which is why Kirk ultimately makes a better leader than Spock. When you make Spock a pointy eared human you lose one of the most important things Trek had to say. Kirk is almost superfluous in this film. And he’s a horn dog who gets his ass beat constantly and doesn’t get the girl.
Radically changing the Enterprise would have been far better than radically changing the substance of the characters, but that’s what they did.
I initially thought we were going to see how the original crew which I fell I love with got to be who they are. But this is actually about a completely different crew that was changed by Nero’s meddling, and it turns out that I don’t like them as much as they were written, although the casting and acting were excellent.
**Heavy spoilers**
This movie is not for just Trekkies (im sure we all know that). There is plenty of action, plenty of special effects. The first part of the movie is fantastic, and classic trek!
It made me want to know more who is this nero, why he is in the past and what he wants with spock. Im sorry to say Nero sucks as a villian. The narada itself is the true villian, and Nero is the annoying unfortunate thing that needed to be delt with until the Narada becomes destroyed.
Pine played kirk fairly well. There where a couple nods to shatners kirk, however those are very subtle, same with Quintos Spock. Scotty wasnt bad, his little assistant friend reminded me of a cute little baby ewok. Overall the acting was superb in most areas, some places where a little stiff especially the mind meld sequence.
The over all style of the the movie was great, from the lense flare which wasnt a distraction at all, to the special effects that where top notch and well used. The music did create a sense of TOS with is staccato drum rhytms to the slow pacing space operatic scores. However there was an overuse of one track that reminded me too much of anakin and padme love theme.
I would definatly see this move in the theateres many times and on dvd because it does have a lot of potential and alot more PRO than cons. It is enjoyable to watch and listen too, but overall my biggest gripe again is the villians story and his plot.
FX = 5 out of 5
Music 3 out of 5 , Many tracks sounded like the original series music which made it great, but there where elements that sounded like a bad orchestration of star wars it didnt fit well at all.
Need I to say anything, Folks go watch this film its not just entertaining its mind blowing and I love it till death. Go ahead and watch it friends.
I want me a gremlin like Scotty had…
“Get down from thar’!”
“What or who the hell is that up there, Mr. Scott?”
“Well it’s… it’s… it’s green!”
Very different actually from what I expected. Very good, though. And indeed darker but yet withoot tha’ customary ruminations o’ morality and life… well, unless ye’ count Spock’s tale o’ how tha’ previous reality wuz’ grand fur’ Kirk and how tha’ previous reality wuz’ being changed fur’ tha’ worse cuz’ o’ Nero or how ye’ have destiny despite quite different circumstances… and a good electrician can really brighten up tha’ place.
A “9″ I will give it. But I reserve me tens fur’ films like “Thar’ Will Be Blood” and “Tha’ Outlaw Joesy Whales.”
Tha’ perspective o’ tha’ ships wuz’ well done… and how great be it ta’ peer deep inta’ tha’ hangar bays. Soooo… arrrrrrr tha’ ships smaller or larger than ye’ always thought? Both it seemed dependin’ on tha’ shot.
Finally see tha’ ship upside down as well! Guess Rick Berman had his upsy-daisium in check all those years as thar’ really be no up nor down in space.
Vulcan lost… sad but yet daring since thar’ wuz’ no re-set button in site…
I’ll say Nimoy did dominate his scenes and wuz’ captivatin’… but maybe that’s just our own partiality speakin’. What’d he say at tha’ end? “Thrusters on full.”? Indeed.
And boy did transportin’ seem really harsh! Looks like it hurts! Hurts sooooooo good, though…
Ouch! Quit injectin’ me wit’ that shalaly, Bonesy!
Maybe it wuz’ me but except fur a few shots ye’ didda not have a lot o’ time ta’ ogle o’er tha’ ship… and engineering looked like a tha’ factory where they make me chum-burgers.
Great! Excitin’! I thought it wuz very well done. Which is how I like me chum-burgers.
Me brother did say that now Amok Time! and Jourey ta’ Babel canna happen since Vulcan went bye-bye. But that’s tha’ way tha’ red matter ball bounces.
I want more o’ Scotty and his gremlin!
Arrrrrrrrrrrrr ye’ still readin’ folks’ reviews? Oh, my… It’s a good film and, indeed, “I am relieved.”
Hey- how did this beagle just appear in me bathroom?
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…
lol british naval dude
As spock would say – “Facinating”
Certainly “Star Trek” would not work without the inclusion of Leonard Nimoy as Spock Prime.
—Spoilers ahead—
On the whole I was very pleased and impressed with Star Trek. It was a most enjoyable stand alone film and an admirable Star Trek film.Let me start with the positives.
For me the family of Spock stole the show. Quinto as young Spock was exceptional. Leonard Nimoy was perfect as an ederley and wisened Spock and Ben Cross was an excellent Sarek in short screen time. For the die hard cannon fanatics (of whom I am one to a certain extent) the pivotal appearence of Spock Prime is key to the time travel plotline. Although I could argue that the mind meld with Kirk was a tad rushed I feel that this was neccessary since we saw both Spocks version of events and Nero’s via a flashback.
As for the plotline itself I felt greatly satisfied by the way that time travel was delt with and how this new timeline was created. The opening scene was marvellous and George Kirk’s death will be one to remember. Nero is on a mission of desperate vengance that threatens the entire federation which I found to be an entirely believable bad guy. The Enterprise also had its pros and cons. Whilst the bridge seemed more advanced that TOS engineering seemed to be a definite “enterprise” throwback with the beer vats…I mean antimatter pods and pipelines…I mean air supply lines.
I felt the little details were delt with well also, such as Tricorders, the shuttlecraft (which were very TOS orientated) and Bruce Greenwood’s performance as Pike which oozed Hunter style. The bridge on the whole was acceptable in contrast to engineering. This helped me to understand how this Enterprise could be from 2258 with such advanced controls when engineering is a factory. Perhaps this version of the ship was rushed into service to deal with the Romulan incursion? I was a little confused by Pike wearing a TMP era Admirals uniform but eh, if thats the only little Cannon slip up that I noticed the first time through then hey!
On the other hand this film does have a few negatives. I felt that whilst the Spocks stole the show, Captain Chris Pine just wasn’t up to it. He didn’t play Kirk in a way that I could relate to. I felt dissapointed leaving the cinema afterwards but I’m sure that he will improve in the sequel. My other major quibble is how quickly that the film wraps itself up. Its almost like the ending itself gets sucked into that Red Matter black hole. Certainly the earth battle finishes too quickly and the vulcan battle finishes too slowly. I thought also that the inclusion of The Beastie boys in the soundtrack was uneccessary but I’ve gotten over it now. The final thing that I seemed to dissaprove of was the Enterprise Corridors which just seemed to have no resemblence at all to any TOS depiction which I felt made no sense. And why was the Bride seemingly on deck 2 or 3? Directly next to a corridor…
On the whole I can find more positives than negatives about Star Trek however I feel that this film sets the standard for the next to surpass.
My rating: 7 out of 10. Good with some excellence but also with room to improve.
228
The no-money thing was a stupid idea dreamed up as a gentle culture clash joke in ST:FC – stupid because the writers should have realised that certain people would take something like that far too seriously.
Actually, Kirk in The Voyage Home couldn’t pay for the pizza because they didn’t use money in the 23rd century. The idealism of Star Trek has been lost in certain areas. What a pity because that is what made the show so special in the first place. I don’t think Martin Luther King would be watching Star Trek today.
I just saw it on IMAX and will be doing it again soon only next time I’ll sit farther back in the theatre. Normal IMAX movies (i.e. polar ice caps and undersea panorama) are easy to watch on an IMAX screen because the shots are long, the camera movement slow and the edits are barely percievable. The exact opposite is true with feature films and extremely true with shoot’em up action sequences. Trying to pan your eyes from one side of the screen to the other whilst fire and fury are occuring leaves you missing out on the grandure of the effects. So my advice to you is to sit as far back as you can for this one because every frame is worth savoring.
Star Trek was simply Bad Ass. Since there’s no such thing as a perfect movie… perfect being no complaints from critics or commoner alike… we must accept that movies take many artistic licenses without taking one too many. Star Trek didn’t take one too many. It stopped just at the right moments.
Scotty’s mate, the ACNE faced EWOK need not return in the next one. When I first saw him/it I thought director JJ was about to pull a Jar-Jar…NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO! But alas, the black eyed pea was only a brief and fleeting character and all was right with the rest of the movie.
The canon stuff some people are harping about is over. The moment they brought the Narada in and destroyed the Kelvin, the new timeline and new canon began. Maybe the next movie or the movie after that will go back and fix it, but I’m not anxious for that.
I’m interested in new adventures based on the now unpredictable strategic and political paradigms the new Trek-verse now has to offer. With the destruction of Vulcan at the hands of a Romulan, usher in a new era of peace and reconcilliation between Romulus and Vulcan Beta? If so, does that mean that the Romulans and not the Klingons are the future former antagonists who join the Federation in the Next Generation.
Go see it! The IMAX version is Hella-Cool, especially the sound system and remember to sit in the back rows. Oh yeah… BUY POPCORN!
230
For that matter, ‘Where No Man Has Gone Before’ was hardly the most intellectual adventure either!
That is because the studio wanted something less cerebral than The Cage. Gene Roddenberry was told to make it exciting or else! That is why there was a huge fight scene with Gary at the end. They even brought in a choreographer from Gone With the Wind to make the scene look better! It is painfully obvious that the idealism of Gene Roddenberry is dead. Roger Ebert said the same thing.
Sadly, movies have to be altered to appease the ADD generation. Goodbye wonderful story telling. Unfortunately, you took just too damn long to tell your wonderful stories.
230
In a universe where Vulcan can get fried and Amanda killed and the cowardly reset switch has been eliminated, none of our characters’ safety is assured. The loss of that safety net can only benefit Star Trek.
This is a great point you made. Sadly, the alternate time line was created by Nero, one of the worst Trek villains.
#256—”Sadly, the alternate time line was created by Nero, one of the worst Trek villains.”
I don’t think they set out to make a villain-centric film. In fact, they said as much all along. And that is a good thing. The focus was on reintroducing the heroes, as it should have been.
#179—-”The movie never carries the ideas of Gene Roddenberry to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations. ”
When has a good Star Trek movie ever done that?
I disagree about what you believe Roddenberry’s idea of Star Trek to be.
Star Trek’s vision to me was one of an optimistic future in which Humanity not only survives, but unites to conquer the social ills which plague us today, and of course—-to explore the final frontier.
Nothing in this film suggests that this vision is lost. In fact, what is the USS Kelvin doing in the beginning of the film?
Just saw it in Nashville at the Regal IMAX..
9.5 out of 10
I loved it – One of the toughest things I had to struggle with was trying to avoid spoilers – so my seeignsome of those may have not given me some of the “wow” factor and impact in some scenes I had been spoiled for.
Kudos to the casting – all ofthem took the roles and made them their own – but still keeping with revernce to the original.
I look forward to seeing it again soon.
I am sorry that for some people the possessiveness for the way they think it should be gets in the way of accepting what has been offerd back to us.
I have missed having star trek to watch – and am glad that I got the opportunity to take my daughter at 10 – like my dad did for me in 79 with TMP.
I loved the original series and all of the former movies and I must say that this one was my favorite. I love the alternate timeline, it allows us to look at the same characters a little differently, like clones of sorts. Giving them the same basic nature with different circumstances shaping them.
I like the fact that the majority of the crew were kind of thrust together right after graduation. It was a little unsettling for a few minutes, but allows for mistakes in judgement that will probably make future movies very interesting. It also allows the characters to be bold and daring … and exciting.
The story was perfectly acceptable. The movie leaves you satisfied with the fulfillment of general expectations and still wanting more.
I give it an overall 9 out of 10. I believe I’ll be watching it every time TNT or Spike (or whichever channel) plays it, even though I’ll have it in my own video library.
I’m already waitng for the next one! Live long and prosper indeed!
My ratings for the new film:
Premise: 1/10 (Reboot/Alternate Realities)
Plot: 5/10 (Time Travel/Madman out for Revenge)
Special Effects: 10/10
Production Design: 9/10
Costume Design: 9/10
Characters/Acting: 9/10
Music: 8/10 (Based on music composed by Michael Giacchino)
Film: 9 out of 10 (how fun and entertaining it was)
Final Score: 7.5/10.
RE: #210
“Gene Roddenberry made it perfectly clear that money does not exist in the Federation – there is no need for it.”
From “The Doomsday Machine”:
KIRK: “If we only had some phasers….”
SCOTTY: “Phasers? You’ve got ‘em. I’ve got one bank recharged.”
KIRK: “Scotty, you’ve just earned your pay for the week.”
And then there’s the jokes in “The Apple” about whther or not Kirk should fire/rehire Scotty for not being ale to get the Enterprise out of Vaal’s clutches.
There may not be physical money, per se, but Kirk and company are indeed making some kind of Benjamins. The episodes themselves bear this out.
I give it an 8 out of 10.
Here are my thoughts. First, let me preface the POV I’m coming from. I’m not a fan of TNG or anything that came after Star Trek 6. To me, Trek has always been about Kirk, Spock and McCoy (with the Enterprise as the 4th most important character). All the stuff that came after them was nice, but it never felt like Trek to me.
To that end, this film was a success for me. It rekindled the emotional attachment I have for these characters and their relationships. I can overlook some of the minor flaws and whatnot, as I always have with Trek, because at the core, this film captured that tone.
These three characters are different, however, in ways that I’m quite eager to explore in future films. Kirk is more brash and less polished. Spock is more emotional and less in control. McCoy seems less passionate and convicted to his moral compass (hard to imagine the TOS McCoy reacting as passively to Kirk being fired off the ship in a pod). The actors for all three were good, with Urban’s McCoy being the best, in my opinion – too bad he didn’t have some more to do.
As for the supporting characters, with the exception of Scotty, I’ve never felt the others were particularly necessary, and this film really proves that. although the Uhura-Spock thing is an interesting wrinkle. Scotty was the most distant from his TOS era character. A shame that he’s played more for comic relief, as he was in the latter films, than the serious third-in-command that he was in TOS.
I enjoyed Pike a lot. Probably because I’m a big fan of Bruce Greenwood, but he made a great, mature captain. Strong command, good instincts. Pity they bumped him to Admiral.
The villain Nero was ok, but lacked the emotional connection of, say, Khan. He was to serve the plot only and did his job. Blind, raging vengeance is pretty simplistic from a character perspective. Would have been nice to see some more depth from him.
I had no issues with the updated Big E or the set pieces. I’m no fan of time travel, but it had to be done to achieve the reboot – let’s not see it again, though. The costumes were fine. The music could have been better (and I’m generally a fan of Giacchino), but living up to Goldsmith and Horner is tough. Those scores were so well-suited to their films. Giacchino’s, not so much, but perhaps it will grow on me.
I do take umbrage with all the damn “shaky cam” photography that seems prevalent in todays action, but it wasn’t as annoying as some movies. (Although I’d appreciate if next time a tripod or stedicam could be used more!)
I’m most happy that the characters I love are back and weren’t “ruined”. They’re different, but I think it will be a good different as we hopefully get