Re-booted Star Trek -- How'd You Like It?

[jwinter]

Greetings!  I saw the new Star Trek flick over the weekend.

Did you see it?  What do you think -- good, bad, indifferent?

Please be courteous and add a Spoiler Alert  if you wish to discuss the intricacies of the plot...

[jwinter]

Personally, I have to say it was the best time I've had at the movies in quite a while, which surprised the hell out of me.  The casting was very well-done -- I thought their Kirk did a nice job of capturing the essence of the character without lapsing into a hokey William Shatner impression.  The film as a whole brought in just enough of the old show to make the fans smile (and laugh out loud a few times), without becoming a tired nostalgia-fest, or feeling constrained in it's ability to break new ground.  There were lots of new elements here as well (surprisingly so, I thought). 

IMO this is probably the best Trek since Wrath of Khan.  I very seldom say this, but I rather hope they do a sequel -- it could be a lot of fun!

Spoiler Alert    




I have to say that I was surprised by how completely they broke with the previous Treks, clearly establishing this as an alternate reality.  I had heard that there were some time-travel shenanigans inserted to provide to solace to the die-hard fans, but I have to admit that my jaw dropped when they actually destroyed Vulcan.    That very clearly puts a new stamp on things, and provides all sorts of opportunities to develop Spock's Vulcan/Human conflicts in interesting ways.  Ditto the revised origin for Kirk -- a bit cliche, but it did an effective job of providing some insight into his personality, I thought.  Leonard Nimoy's role was a nice touch as well -- a perfect link back to the old show, very classily done IMO.

Personally I can't wait until the next flick, when the Klingons show up! 

[Josquin des Prez]

Totally Micheal Bay'ed. Not that the original Star Trek was ever good, what with all that heavy handed cryptocommie propaganda, but they just had to go the eXtreme route and target the cool MTV kids, did they.

[jwinter]

...Not that the original Star Trek was ever good, what with all that heavy handed cryptocommie propaganda....

I think that's a bit harsh, although I'll grant that Roddenberry social messages were sometimes rather obvious (the episode with Frank Gorshin painted half-black/half-white comes to mind).  It might have occasionally slipped into the realm of preachiness even, but there was always a light-heartedness to it, an optimism, a shamelessly campy sense of fun that was a key to it's appeal beyond any pseudo-intellectual utopian pretensions, and that the new one still has IMO.  Yes, you can draw all sorts of political parallels about the various alien races, yet at the same time you still have Kirk making out with a green chick -- ya gotta love that! 

[71 dB]

I have seen only a few Star Trek movies. I find them crappy. The original TV series has some nostalgia. Star Trek Voyager is entertaining.  That's it for me. Not interested about the new movie. 

but they just had to go the eXtreme route and target the cool MTV kids, did they.

Targeting the cool MTV kids is the way to do business these days... 

[karlhenning]

Of course, it would have been different, if Gene Roddenberry had been a Genius™.

[Sergeant Rock]

SPOILER ALERT


The film makers blow up Vulcan??? I can't wait to hear the explanation  

I'm always disturbed by films based on true events that misrepresent the facts, or disregard them. If a story is worth telling, it seems to me it should be worth telling accurately. The same applies to well-known fictional universes. How difficult is it, really, to not blow up a planet that figures so prominently in the TV series and films? Despite your positive review, I have a bad feeling about this movie. At least they got the miniskirts and go go boots right  

Sarge

[Fëanor]

I have seen only a few Star Trek movies. I find them crappy. ... 

There's the hell of it.  I've seen 'em all and they're all crappy.  (Well OK, Wrath of Khan and The Voyage Home slightly less so.)  But I've got an unbroken record to uphold so I'll be going to see this one too.

[karlhenning]

I have seen only a few Star Trek movies. I find them crappy.

But, Poju . . . do you really think the Star Wars movies are any better?

[jwinter]

Spoiler Alert   

SPOILER ALERT


The film makers blow up Vulcan??? I can't wait to hear the explanation  

I'm always disturbed by films based on true events that misrepresent the facts, or disregard them. If a story is worth telling, it seems to me it should be worth telling accurately. The same applies to well-known fictional universes. How difficult is it, really, to not blow up a planet that figures so prominently in the TV series and films? Despite your positive review, I have a bad feeling about this movie. At least they got the miniskirts and go go boots right  

Sarge

Well, the thing that surprised me was that it's not really a re-boot per se -- they are clearly setting it up as an alternative reality, to be seen alongside the old stuff, not instead of it.  Nimoy shows up as the original Spock, and it's quite clear that things are going to proceed differently from what he remembered.  I suppose it's possible they could figure out some way to travel between the various realities, sort of like DC comics did with the old Justice Society (WWII heroes) vs Justice League (60s Silver Age heroes) crossovers.  It's not strictly speaking a remake -- it's literally a whole new sandbox that still leaves the old one intact.  Given Star Trek's huge fan base, that was a shrewd move IMO.

[71 dB]

But, Poju . . . do you really think the Star Wars movies are any better?

Any better? Star Wars is the best thing there is!  0:)

[Josquin des Prez]

But, Poju . . . do you really think the Star Wars movies are any better?

Good grief, let's not talk about Star Wars.

[jwinter]

Any better? Star Wars is the best thing there is!  0:)

I'll agree that the original Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back were better than any Star Trek I've ever seen -- that's really the sci-fi that I grew up with.  But alas Star Wars as a whole is a pretty diffuse mess at this point.  I mean, parts of Episode II were darned near unwatchable IMO, some of the worst acting I've ever seen outside a porno movie.  

BUT, not to hijack my own thread, ain't Star Trek cool?  

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I'm certainly going to see this. I like Star Trek, especially Deep Space Nine.

[Sergeant Rock]

There's the hell of it.  I've seen 'em all and they're all crappy. 

I'm probably alone in finding the original film, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, really good...a worthy successor to, and in the spirit of, the original series: Kirk and crew trying to understand and reason with an alien entity. It helps that this was the alien they were trying to understand (and bed   ):






Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

I like Star Trek, especially Deep Space Nine.

Me too. Not the first couple of seasons, necessarily, but once it hit its stride (half way through season 3) it became totally gripping, with a single purpose and a huge story arch. Definitely my favorite of the various series.

Sarge

[jwinter]

I'm certainly going to see this. I like Star Trek, especially Deep Space Nine.

Then you really ought to stop reading this thread.  Honestly, I'd hate to spoil the movie for you!

[jwinter]

I'm probably alone in finding the original film, Star Trek: The Movie, really good...a worthy successor to, and in the spirit of, the original series: Kirk and crew trying to understand and reason with an alien entity. It helps that this was the alien they were trying to understand (and bed   ):


Sarge

Not alone!  If it weren't for the unbelievable scenery-chewing, cheesy goodness of Shatner and Montalban in II, the first would certainly be my favorite Trek movie.  Besides what you cite, I like the music, and the special effects (particularly in the director's cut DVD, which I think hangs together a lot better than the theatrical cut).  I remember it bored me to tears when I first saw it , age 10 or thereabouts, but it definitely grew on me over the years.

[Fëanor]

I'm probably alone in finding the original film, Star Trek: The Movie, really good...a worthy successor to, and in the spirit of, the original series...

Sarge

Yes, you're alone, (except for jwinter  ).  Then again, yes, Star Trek: The Movie would have made a decent 40 minutes TV episode.

[karlhenning]

. . . the unbelievable scenery-chewing, cheesy goodness of Shatner and Montalban in II . . . .

!!!!