Star Trek 09 review thread

[Zablorg]

I really have to agree on Ebert's review here; it is by no means "WOAH BEST MOVIE EVER WHAT A THRILL RIDE YEAAAAAH!", and the reviewers who gave it 5/5 are douchebags.

Oh really?

Maybe it's not the best movie ever, but it's pretty damn close to best Trek film ever. Yes, I went there. Because it's a reboot, it should stand in a league of it's own.

I would give it 5/5 stars. I've never had this much fun watching a movie. Ever. My face nearly cracked in half because I had a huge fucking grin on my face throughout almost all of this film... when I wasn't gasping with shock, surprise or delight. I even clapped at times, and I don't think I've ever even done that before.

Admittedly, I placed an enormous amount of expectation on this film, and on another film, Watchmen, when I was still counting the days inside of a jail cell. While Watchmen was lacklustre and didn't grab me by the balls and refuse to let go, I actually felt Trek did, and I want to see it again.

Now here is the point; 5/5 means that it couldn't possibly be better, by definition. That's not the case, no matter how much fun you or I had.

Maybe I'm just cynical of how easily these high grades are tossed around.

EDIT: for the record I will readily acknowledge some of the issues I had with the movie were... misrecollection.

[Stofsk]

Of course it could have been better, but the flaws were so negligible that they didn't detract from my enjoyment of the film. Which is kind of the point of having it 5/5.

I guess I could be anal and give it 4.5/5, but I'm not. So I won't. If enjoyment is supposed to be the metre by which a film can be judged, then what's the problem? Obviously you didn't get as big a buzz out of it as I did.

Everything else about it was great too; the acting, the script, the story, the pacing, the special effects... Honestly, I can't think of any point where I went "I'm bored" or "That sucks".

[Bounty]

Now here is the point; 5/5 means that it couldn't possibly be better, by definition.

Not this nugget again. Yes, technically, mathematically, that's correct. It's also not the way anyone uses a five-point-scale in casual conversation except for maybe an anal pedant.

[Loner]

Places which should really really really have safety rails don't have safety rails.

But they might lean on it.

[Ford Prefect]

Everything else about it was great too; the acting, the script, the story, the pacing, the special effects... Honestly, I can't think of any point where I went "I'm bored" or "That sucks".

As much as I enjoyed the film, I wasn't impressed by Nero as a villain. I guess he gets the job done and his motive is pretty touching, but he was otherwise pretty weak. I can't even put my finger on what about him I don't like, but he was easily the weakest part of the film. I think the film succeeds drammatically otherwise; there's a lot of depth to Spock, I felt that there was real growth for Kirk as a character, but Nero was woefully underdeveloped.

[Bounty]

I think part of that is that there are hardly any scenes that involve him outside of the big confrontations. You never really see the situation from his POV as you did in, say, TWoK. It's something that could have been fixed by keeping in all his scenes, but then the movie would run way longer, which is something Abramas wanted to avoid.

It's a shame because Bana does do a lot with the few scenes he's given. I especially liked how he avoids hamming up the role - that simple "hello Christopher" was a lot more quietly menacing that, say, Shinzon's yelling ever was.

[Big Orange]

I like this spoof news report from Onion News Network, making fun of the Trekkies (an easy target, I'm afraid). Has this been posted here before?

[Zablorg]

I think Bana really let me sympathize with the character. You could sense he was pained; what happened to him was an injustice and there's no damn way he's letting anyone go unpunished. A part of me really wanted him to win.

[Skylon]

Leave it to the TNG era to fuck everything up.

I saw it last night and I enjoyed it, so did the girl I took with me, who said she knew little about Trek apart from having seeing a couple TOS episodes. For the first time in a long time Star Trek was fun. There was no overblown moralizing, just a fun sci-fi adventure. And, like any good TOS adventure, it was about the buddies, Kirk and Spock (now if the next movie can work in a bit more McCoy).
Spoiler

I think I agree with the review I'd read that said, this movie just makes you miss the TOS crew more, but the cast really did a good job honoring their predecessors. Also, beyond the outright changes to continuity, there were some touches that showed the writers had done their homework, such as Kirk's birthdate, and McCoy's divorce. The board the names of the Admirals who convened the hearing on Kirk was headed by Admiral Komack, who based on a quick look at Memory Alpha he appeared in two TOS episodes.

Also, this society was seemed a bit more capitalist than TNG era. From Kirk offering to buy Uhura a drink, to McCoy mentioning that his ex-wife had taken him to the cleaners, and the implication that was why he was joining Starfleet.

BTW: Anyone catch that Scotty had done something to Admiral Archer's dog to get him his shit posting? Dig on Enterprise anyone?

[Lord Revan]

Spoiler

BTW: Anyone catch that Scotty had done something to Admiral Archer's dog to get him his shit posting? Dig on Enterprise anyone?

aye Scotty used "Admiral Archer's prize winning beagle" as a test subject for his transporter theory, apprently the admiral didn't like that.

[consequences]

Liked it, liked it a lot. Hell, I'll even go with loved it.

As far as the Earthbound construction of the Enterprise goes, is it really that much of a stretch to think that they have on-demand anti-gravity to negate the normal difficulties associated with planetside construction?

[General Zod]

Liked it, liked it a lot. Hell, I'll even go with loved it.

As far as the Earthbound construction of the Enterprise goes, is it really that much of a stretch to think that they have on-demand anti-gravity to negate the normal difficulties associated with planetside construction?

The point isn't that it's a stretch. The point is that it's a stupid waste of resources when building something of that design in space presents fewer logistical problems.

[AMT]

Spoiler

Also, this society was seemed a bit more capitalist than TNG era. From Kirk offering to buy Uhura a drink, to McCoy mentioning that his ex-wife had taken him to the cleaners, and the implication that was why he was joining Starfleet.

Spoiler

Also the Nokia brand communicator in the antique Corvette which goes off the cliff/canyon at the start

In fact, it might be interesting to start a thread based on stuff like that, to see what might have changed from the original premise or TNG era.

[JME2]

Spoiler

BTW: Anyone catch that Scotty had done something to Admiral Archer's dog to get him his shit posting? Dig on Enterprise anyone?

aye Scotty used "Admiral Archer's prize winning beagle" as a test subject for his transporter theory, apprently the admiral didn't like that.

A think a couple of people around us were looking at me when that scene came on, because as an longtime anti-ENT fan I was cackling. Because he hasn't watched much of ENT, Theran didn't get the potshot or my laughing until I explained it afterwards.

I especially liked how he avoids hamming up the role - that simple "hello Christopher" was a lot more quietly menacing that, say, Shinzon's yelling ever was.

Despite the Countdown mini-series and my thoughts going into the filn, I ended up liking Nero a lot more than I thought I would. This isn't a larger-than life, charismatic or as memorable as say Khan, Dukat, or the Borg Queen -- but that's the point. This isn't the leader of an interstellar empire, a genetic superman, or a military leader. It's an average, blue collar Joe, a miner whose life and that of his buddies rightfully got fucked over. It worked for the film and was a nice break from the traditinional Trek rogues gallery. OIbviously, they can't do that again with the sequel, so If the Klingons are the main antagonists next time as I'm hoping, maybe we'll see revamped versions of Kor, Koloth, Kang, or even younger versions of Korrd and Chang.

[consequences]

Liked it, liked it a lot. Hell, I'll even go with loved it.

As far as the Earthbound construction of the Enterprise goes, is it really that much of a stretch to think that they have on-demand anti-gravity to negate the normal difficulties associated with planetside construction?

The point isn't that it's a stretch. The point is that it's a stupid waste of resources when building something of that design in space presents fewer logistical problems.

Wouldn't that depend upon the expense and reliability of the anti-grav as opposed to the safety and logistics requirements of vacuum construction? Since we don't know the important numbers when it comes to the tech, there's no real way to tell.

[General Zod]

Wouldn't that depend upon the expense and reliability of the anti-grav as opposed to the safety and logistics requirements of vacuum construction? Since we don't know the important numbers when it comes to the tech, there's no real way to tell.

Why would anti-grav make it cheaper at all? You're still expending a fair amount of energy to keep something afloat or in place when if it were built in orbit, the energy use for that should be close to zero. It's not as if you'd have to funnel all the raw materials up from earth when you could bring it from nearby asteroids, and you'd be in for a world of hurt if one of those anti-grav units failed.

[Gil Hamilton]

I don't think there is much point in trying to justify the Enterprise being constructed on Earth. There was no other reason for it in the movie than Kirk seeing it and being awed as he drove up on his motorcycle. Sort of like how the shipyard was built in Iowa, of all stupid places, entirely because that's where Kirk happened to be (rather than a sensible place like the Equator or in space). I mean, they could have had Kirk see it out a window from a spaceplane taking him to basic training in San Francisco, of course, but then I suppose that would make them seeing it fully constructed on their way too it redundant.

[Vympel]

Do I have to mention that Galaxy-class ships were built on the surface of Mars in TNG? You clearly see one in a state of partial completion on the surface in the episode where you see Utopia Planitia being under surveillance, here:-



Look at the bottom right hand image.

[General Zod]

If that's a Galaxy Class then it doesn't seem to be fully put together yet the way the Enterprise was. Maybe they manufacture all the big parts on the ground then assemble them in space?

[Loner]

Spoiler

Also, this society was seemed a bit more capitalist than TNG era. From Kirk offering to buy Uhura a drink, to McCoy mentioning that his ex-wife had taken him to the cleaners, and the implication that was why he was joining Starfleet.

Spoiler

Also the Nokia brand communicator in the antique Corvette which goes off the cliff/canyon at the start

In fact, it might be interesting to start a thread based on stuff like that, to see what might have changed from the original premise or TNG era.

I noticed a lack of replicators, so they might still have a consumer economic society.

[General Zod]

I noticed a lack of replicators, so they might still have a consumer economic society.

Replicators didn't exist in the original series either but you hear Kirk distinctly saying in ST4 that money doesn't exist in his century.

[Skylon]

Despite the Countdown mini-series and my thoughts going into the filn, I ended up liking Nero a lot more than I thought I would. This isn't a larger-than life, charismatic or as memorable as say Khan, Dukat, or the Borg Queen -- but that's the point. This isn't the leader of an interstellar empire, a genetic superman, or a military leader. It's an average, blue collar Joe, a miner whose life and that of his buddies rightfully got fucked over. It worked for the film and was a nice break from the traditinional Trek rogues gallery. OIbviously, they can't do that again with the sequel, so If the Klingons are the main antagonists next time as I'm hoping, maybe we'll see revamped versions of Kor, Koloth, Kang, or even younger versions of Korrd and Chang.

Much as I hated Nemesis, I must say Nero's ship looked like something out of that movie. And indeed, having the villain be somebody dicked over by the Federation, likely due to events that had to deal with Nemesis (Romulans and the Federation working together) reinforced the tie. Unintentional or not, it made it feel like a sequel, albeit a loose one, to Nemesis.

[Old Plympto]

I just saw this for the second time, this time with my seven-year-old.
Spoiler

When the Enterprise dropped out of hyperspace and used its blaster cannons to shoot down the Narada's missiles, he whooped with an upraised fist in the theater. That was great for me to see.

I only recognized Paul McGillion in the shuttle hangar on my second viewing.

And yes, McCoy did infect Kirk with a dose of Melvarian fever or whatever. Melvarian. Dude! MELVAR! MELLLVAR!

[Worlds Spanner]

Do I have to mention that Galaxy-class ships were built on the surface of Mars in TNG? You clearly see one in a state of partial completion on the surface in the episode where you see Utopia Planitia being under surveillance, here:-

Look at the bottom right hand image.

It's a mixed facility.

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Utopia_ ... leet_Yards

The Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, or Utopia Planitia Shipyards, is a key Starfleet vessel construction and design facility in the 24th century.
It is partly positioned in synchronous orbit 16,625 kilometers above the Utopia Planitia region on Mars, including the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yard's planetary construction facilities. (TNG: "Parallels", Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual)
The facility includes a number of drydocks and space stations, as well as several large drafting rooms for starship design and the aforementioned planetary facilities. (TNG: "Booby Trap", "Parallels"; VOY: "Relativity")

[Loner]

By the way, anybody else noticed the lack of metric measurements? Did the English system win out?