The Official STAR TREK Grading & Discussion Thread [SPOILERS]

[Lonemagpie]

Saw it again tonight - I'd up my rating from 8.5/10 to 9/10...

The shaky-cam in Kirk and Pike's barroom chat annoyed me more this time, but OTOH, I was chuffed (having this time noticed them) by the 60s style speedy track in to a Kirk or Spock close-up (e.g. on Spock when he materialises in the transporter room with hand outstretched.)

And I spotted the Tribble this time, but not the R2 yet

 

[indranee]

are you guys serious about this R2 siting? I thought you all were taking the mickey.

hmm.

 

[Kirk the Jerk]

Some things I'm not happy with... (Spoilers)

Just watching the movie again, and, I can't seem to get my head around a few things:

• Orion (Slave) Girls in Starfleet - Stupid idea, poor choice of 'alien' considering she could have been replaced by a great number of different species, an Andorian perhaps or maybe even a Bolian but why did they have to choose an Orion (Slave) Girl? It just doesn't fit IMO. One possible excuse is that she is like Worf or Nog, first and only member of the species to enter starfleet. I just thinks Abrams went for the easy option, going for a green girl who looks 'alien'.

• 'Captain' Nero? I always thought Romulans used Sub Commander or Commander for their ranks, like the Vulcan ranks. Just thought it sounded strange. Oh, and do all Romulans in Abrams universe have Tatoo's? If so he just ruined my favourite Species.

• Other 'Unknown' Aliens, okay, I thought it was strange when Enterprise 'introduced' the Denobulan's(sp?) and Suliban, but when I see so many others in this movie it just screws with my head. Hasn't Star Trek introduced enough other species that we are all familiar with to simply not use them and create something 'Star Warsy' that we know nothing about? Again, could have been a Andorian, Bolian, Tellarite etc. Species we expect be around apart of the Federation at this time period. The doctor who helps deliver Jim had weird 'greys alien' slanted eyes. The guy with the big chin sat at the bar. Why waste time and money designing new weird looking aliens we're never going to see or hear about again. We don't even know their species names, yet one is a doctor on board the Kelvin and the other is just sat happy as larry at a bar on Earth...grr!

I'm watching the movie whilst writing this so no doubt i'll find some more annoying things. Do you guys think I should just forget about all this or do I actually talk some sense? Because they may say this new Star Trek is aimed at non star trek fans but I can't see anyone who isn't at least familiar with Star Trek who would like it. Star Trek is complex, clutured, LOVED, by so many. It's not as simple as Star Wars.

 

[Michael]

It's funny, I not only don't have a problem with the things you mention, I actually appreciate the fact that they did them!

• How boring a species would the Orions be if they were only reduced to one freakin' stereotype?
• The thing about the Romulans wearing tattoos: I actually loved that! It's not said in the movie (it's from the Countdown comic), but there's actually a pretty good reason why they wear them. Oh, and you are mistaken: Not all Romulans have tattoos in this version of Star Trek.
• About the lack of known Star Trek aliens: I actually appreciate the filmmaker's urge to introduce new aliens. I don't see how one could think of it as a 'waste [of] time and money' to come up with something new. The Federation is huge; I find it very believable that we haven't seen all of its members yet.

 

[DaveG]

Re: STXI...unsure

I do think that some of the most wanted XI to succeed so badly, it might have clouded their judgement.

That sort of went both ways, though. There were some people who desperately wanted this movie to fail because it wasn't what THEIR vision of star trek was about, or it conflicted with THEIR version of canon.

Good point and well taken.

 

[indranee]

to Kirk the Jerk: the Orion girl was pretty much an easter egg. a rather blatant one, I grant you. but Kirk and an Orion girl? yes, a nod to TOS.

also, Nero (actually his name is Oren -- as explained in the novelization by "Nero") is not part of the Romulan military. he says that in the movie, as well. he's a miner with a killer ship who likes to call himself "Captain".

 

[Ovation]

Captain Nero is not from the Romulan military fleet--his rank has to do with his position (captain of a mining ship) not to do with military ranks. There aren't too many subalterns in the history of civilian fleets, but they've populated the Royal Navy for centuries.

ETA: indranee beat me to it (faster typist, I guess).

 

[CrizzleU]

Parallel Star Trek....Abrams got it right for the future

I thought the movie was great. They have no Vulcan home world now and Spock's Mom is dead. Nice parallel Star Trek I think. Now Paramount and Abram's can get to new ideas from a good versed original show. And, no Trekkers can bitch about the fact that they are not following the time line as before. Smart move Abrams. I am laughing and loving it.

 

[indranee]

right. btw, drmick, you should get permission for posting in the TNZ forum and come and join in the Trek XI threads in there. there's a lively debate going on in that forum that you might enjoy.

oh, and John, you're welcome

What's the TNZ forum?

The Neutral Zone forum in this board. I think you have to give yourself permission to access it via your user CP.

 

[archeryguy1701]

right. btw, drmick, you should get permission for posting in the TNZ forum and come and join in the Trek XI threads in there. there's a lively debate going on in that forum that you might enjoy.

oh, and John, you're welcome

What's the TNZ forum?

It is the one place on the board where friendship and brotherly-love is allowed to reign supreme and entirely unhindered.

 

[startrekwatcher]

Re: Some things I'm not happy with... (Spoilers)

Just watching the movie again, and, I can't seem to get my head around a few things:

• Orion (Slave) Girls in Starfleet - Stupid idea, poor choice of 'alien' considering she could have been replaced by a great number of different species, an Andorian perhaps or maybe even a Bolian but why did they have to choose an Orion (Slave) Girl? It just doesn't fit IMO. One possible excuse is that she is like Worf or Nog, first and only member of the species to enter starfleet. I just thinks Abrams went for the easy option, going for a green girl who looks 'alien'.

I didn't mind but the green make-up application looked awful coupled with that curly red wig.

The thing about the Romulans wearing tattoos: I actually loved that! It's not said in the movie (it's from the Countdown comic), but there's actually a pretty good reason why they wear them. Oh, and you are mistaken: Not all Romulans have tattoos in this version of Star Trek.

But the rest of us who didn't read or were aware of the Countdown comics would not be aware of these things. Us silly folks who thought a film resides in the four corners of the screen would have no idea that the star that goes nova wasn't Romulus', was called the Hobus star, was threatening not just Romulus but the entire galaxy, wouldn't have known the significance nor the name of the weapon Nero yields, wouldn't have known the history of the Narada, wouldn't have known why Nero's crew shaved their heads or the significance of the tattoos they sport etc.

And it's a shame too because those were rather interesting and added some depth.

 

[dmleo]

I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end. Like many others I was concerned about the casting, especially Spock my favorite TOS character, but Quinto exceeded all my expectations. My only major complaint is that there wasn't enough Bones - I demand more Karl Urban for the sequel.

I'm just so incredibly grateful that dumb and dumber aka Berman and Braga had zero to do with this production.

 

[pookha]

i think the orion girl was supposed to have been another hybrid.
thus the red hair.
i do wish a little more background about the nature of nero's ship ect had made it in but
there has been a lot of interesting fill in stuff contained in each of the movie novelizations.

i think nero telling pike about why the tatoo and their significance might had more of a personal note to that scene.
frankly a flash back might have worked better then that holo image of nero's wife.

i dont mind meeting new alien species even if i wish we had seen some andorian and other recognizable species at the academy scenes.

but i think during the tos time period the federation is up to about 100 planets so there are going to be species we havent meet yet.

but still over all i like the movie more ever time i see it/

 

[WJT]

Well, this is late late late, but my editor posted my review of Star Trek today. It's 7800 words long, which works out to something like 28 pages of double-spaced Times New Roman, so I'll spare you a complete reposting. (I do think it takes the title for longest review, and it certainly has more footnotes than any other - thirty-six of them!)

Bottom Line: The plot’s rubbish, but the characters shine, so who cares? We’re back, baby!

I gave it 3 out of 4 or 4 out of 4 stars, depending on how you read it. Complete review is here. I'd love to hear what you all think about it, which, I guess, is why I registered.

 

[jedarsena]

It really just comes down to this is a summer popcorn movie. Gone are the days of the thinking Star Trek. JJ said he didn't know what Star Trek had become, because all he knew about was Kirk and Spock. So Paramount tossed a bunch of money in his face and that's what we have now, Star Trek for dumb people. Really whats the difference between this new movie and Star Wars? I know these are some smart guys that made this movie, BUT there is NO reason to erase 40 years of our history. I thought the idea of a prequel was great, nobody would expect them to follow every little nugget of trek lore. That just isn't realistic. I just hope they stop crapping on Trek history. All this talk of redoing Kahn, bad juju.

 

[Michael]

For fuck's sake, it's Khan! Not Kahn. People who are talking about other people's supposed erasing and crapping on Trek history maybe should try to adhere to their own ridiculous rules.

 

[Zeppster]

It really just comes down to this is a summer popcorn movie. Gone are the days of the thinking Star Trek. JJ said he didn't know what Star Trek had become, because all he knew about was Kirk and Spock. So Paramount tossed a bunch of money in his face and that's what we have now, Star Trek for dumb people. Really whats the difference between this new movie and Star Wars? I know these are some smart guys that made this movie, BUT there is NO reason to erase 40 years of our history. I thought the idea of a prequel was great, nobody would expect them to follow every little nugget of trek lore. That just isn't realistic. I just hope they stop crapping on Trek history. All this talk of redoing Kahn, bad juju.

Star Trek was always more about action and having fun till the newer era. When the last few seasons of DS9 and Voyager got away from that ST went down hill fast. TOS was never about making you think. TOS is a series anyone can watch and have a lot of fun watching. You can say the same for a lot of DS9 and some TNG also. And I guess some early Voyager also. It doesn't make you think any hard. If you want to think hard go to school and be a nuclaer physicist or something.

 

[Ovation]

It really just comes down to this is a summer popcorn movie. Gone are the days of the thinking Star Trek. JJ said he didn't know what Star Trek had become, because all he knew about was Kirk and Spock. So Paramount tossed a bunch of money in his face and that's what we have now, Star Trek for dumb people. Really whats the difference between this new movie and Star Wars? I know these are some smart guys that made this movie, BUT there is NO reason to erase 40 years of our history. I thought the idea of a prequel was great, nobody would expect them to follow every little nugget of trek lore. That just isn't realistic. I just hope they stop crapping on Trek history. All this talk of redoing Kahn, bad juju.

Not this shit again. Signifying that one enjoys this movie is NOT a license for those who don't to question one's intelligence. You are not "smarter" than others simply because you did not like the movie.

 

[Praetor]

We really need a strawman smiley...

 

[jedarsena]

Sorry to hear your so sensitive Ovation. I never said people who liked this movie are dumb. I think its a fun summer popcorn flick, and Star Trek deserves better. It deserved better than Nemesis to, fans know that. Fans didn't even support that movie at the box office.