The Official STAR TREK Grading & Discussion Thread [SPOILERS]
- Thread starter Agent Richard07
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My girls took me to see the movie for Mother's Day and I have tried to catch up with this thread to see other's opinions and takes before posting - don't want to be too repetitive. In a nutshell, we all loved it!!
We have different points of view - my 16 YO has never watched scifi and, god bless her, she is the quintessential blonde cheerleader stereotype, although she is an honor student - my 32 YO is a science/math geek who has marginally enjoyed Trek, especially Kirk & Co., since she was a kid - and I am a somewhat geeky fan who got hooked on TOS in 1966 when I was 12. But, in the end, we really agreed on what we enjoyed about the movie.
Maybe it's a chick's point of view, but we really connected to the character development, the humor, the coming-of-age journey of both Kirk and Spock, the idea of finding your true friends in life, and low-key portrayal of Nero. The special effects, space battles, etc. were exciting, but not overdone, and by no means the central function of the movie, although the younger said some bits made her feel like she was in science class (not her favorite subject).
The elder daughter and I felt that the new cast gave us the essential elements of our favorite characters, and then spun some great new twists on them - we like these newer versions mucho grande. The younger had no frame of reference, but likes the characters very much - she really liked Chekov and was impressed that he is only 17. Since my family name is Pike, and my brother named his son after Capt. Pike, we have a fondness for the great portrayal of Pike by Greenwood. I liked the ordinariness of Nero with his random fits of maniacal madness. I don't like many of the over-the-top villians that are so common and overdone in movies so often.
I like the differences in this universe, especially those for Spock. There is tremendous potential to give these characters amazing new adventures. We agreed on keeping Vulcan destroyed, and although you might consider it a stretch that all these young officers ended up on the Enterprise, there is no more suspension of disbelief asked of the viewer than in almost any Trek movie or episode, or many other stories for that matter. Really didn't impact my enjoyment in any way.
We noticed the Spock/Uhura undercurrents from their first scene together. I thought the scene in the turbolift (when she tried to comfort him and got his Vulcan 'stiff upper lip' in response) showed a deep connection, caring, and understanding between these two - an extreme rarity in Trek to date, and a very welcome addition. We totally loved Kirk and Scotty responding to the kiss on the transporter pad.
So many things about Kirk's developing character that we found interesting - I'll just mention that one of the most telling for me was his diving off the platform after Sulu ('I don't believe in no-win scenarios'). And I loved that Vulcans and Romulans could totally whip his ass - one thing I hated about ENT was that Archer could always beat up any stronger alien.
In the end, when you pay your money to see the movie of your choice, you hope that the (fictional) story entertains you to your money's worth. We felt completely entertained BEYOND our money's worth, and that is what matters.
We have different points of view - my 16 YO has never watched scifi and, god bless her, she is the quintessential blonde cheerleader stereotype, although she is an honor student - my 32 YO is a science/math geek who has marginally enjoyed Trek, especially Kirk & Co., since she was a kid - and I am a somewhat geeky fan who got hooked on TOS in 1966 when I was 12. But, in the end, we really agreed on what we enjoyed about the movie.
Maybe it's a chick's point of view, but we really connected to the character development, the humor, the coming-of-age journey of both Kirk and Spock, the idea of finding your true friends in life, and low-key portrayal of Nero. The special effects, space battles, etc. were exciting, but not overdone, and by no means the central function of the movie, although the younger said some bits made her feel like she was in science class (not her favorite subject).
The elder daughter and I felt that the new cast gave us the essential elements of our favorite characters, and then spun some great new twists on them - we like these newer versions mucho grande. The younger had no frame of reference, but likes the characters very much - she really liked Chekov and was impressed that he is only 17. Since my family name is Pike, and my brother named his son after Capt. Pike, we have a fondness for the great portrayal of Pike by Greenwood. I liked the ordinariness of Nero with his random fits of maniacal madness. I don't like many of the over-the-top villians that are so common and overdone in movies so often.
I like the differences in this universe, especially those for Spock. There is tremendous potential to give these characters amazing new adventures. We agreed on keeping Vulcan destroyed, and although you might consider it a stretch that all these young officers ended up on the Enterprise, there is no more suspension of disbelief asked of the viewer than in almost any Trek movie or episode, or many other stories for that matter. Really didn't impact my enjoyment in any way.
We noticed the Spock/Uhura undercurrents from their first scene together. I thought the scene in the turbolift (when she tried to comfort him and got his Vulcan 'stiff upper lip' in response) showed a deep connection, caring, and understanding between these two - an extreme rarity in Trek to date, and a very welcome addition. We totally loved Kirk and Scotty responding to the kiss on the transporter pad.
So many things about Kirk's developing character that we found interesting - I'll just mention that one of the most telling for me was his diving off the platform after Sulu ('I don't believe in no-win scenarios'). And I loved that Vulcans and Romulans could totally whip his ass - one thing I hated about ENT was that Archer could always beat up any stronger alien.
In the end, when you pay your money to see the movie of your choice, you hope that the (fictional) story entertains you to your money's worth. We felt completely entertained BEYOND our money's worth, and that is what matters.
The more I think about it, the more I dislike the design of engineering. It just looks too industrial today and not futuristic at all.
No... NOOOOO!! Star Trek is a ... chick flick?!?
Curse you, Abrams!!!
Walks out the door, grumbling, to purchase tickets for another viewing, feeling less burly and manly.
Damnit, if anything was going to send me down the spiral of fanboy anger, it was Nimthim's post.
Proper ragin' like, kicking down walls and shit. Gonna go home and find a cat to punch.
from one girl to another: welcome to the board... great review!!
we think alike. agreed on a lot of points, especially the Uhura-Spock thing being well done and maturely handled (appropriate for the two characters, as well). also agreed on the Kirk no-win attitude... I too liked his jump after Sulu... and... AND the fact that he got beat up by cupcake and his buddies. Kirk was never a Superman... the difference he made was in that he never let up.
cool stuff... glad to meet you (and your girls!).
Just give me the big hair and the miniskirts, and I'm placated.
Well maybe not placated.
Gigity.
My cat is right here, have at it.
And please, no comments about pussy.
Who you calling a pussy? You're the one who went to a chick flick.
Something fishy about that statement.
Bob really fingered you there.
We can't help it, shitty puns fill a hole in our lives.
Hysterical, guys - you sound like my husband and his buddies when they get wound up and on a roll. Chick flick, indeed - take a chick and see how much she'll like it.
Indranee, thanks for the 'chick' support - I found several of your posts very balanced and informative. I am struggling with understanding how someone sees no character development in this movie or calls it nothing but an FX show.
Indranee, thanks for the 'chick' support - I found several of your posts very balanced and informative. I am struggling with understanding how someone sees no character development in this movie or calls it nothing but an FX show.
One other interesting conversation the 3 of us had after the movie was concerning the younger missing the reference for Kirk calling McCoy 'Bones'. The elder explained the context from the movie (divorce only leaving him bones or a picked clean carcass), then I explained that in the 60s, this was a common shortening of 'sawbones', which neither had ever heard before. The elder includes a BSN among her college work, and is quite well-read, but had never heard such a medical reference. I guess you have to be at least my age or have an interest in 19th century medicine to get it, so a new explanation is a good idea.
I saw the film on Saturday.
Voted "Below Average".
The writers appear to have written themselves into a corner, and need a deus ex machina in the form of old Spok to tell the cast how to proceed.
Nero, who is hammed up by Bana in every single one of the 30 seconds he's allowed to defile the screen, is too preoccupied with an overly convoluted plot to avenge his wife (who isn't dead yet) to use the technology he's applying so stupidly to his misguided vengeance to prevent the disaster he wants revenge for.
Why does the Enterprise water supply have a blender the size of a truck in it, and why use glass pipes?
Lens flare. I say no more.
Voted "Below Average".
The writers appear to have written themselves into a corner, and need a deus ex machina in the form of old Spok to tell the cast how to proceed.
Nero, who is hammed up by Bana in every single one of the 30 seconds he's allowed to defile the screen, is too preoccupied with an overly convoluted plot to avenge his wife (who isn't dead yet) to use the technology he's applying so stupidly to his misguided vengeance to prevent the disaster he wants revenge for.
Why does the Enterprise water supply have a blender the size of a truck in it, and why use glass pipes?
Lens flare. I say no more.
What is it with people complaining about the lens flares? When I first read the complaint I couldn't even remember them, when I saw it the second time I looked out for them, and sure I noticed them but I couldn't care less, didn't bother me at all.
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