Lots of people wonder why someone would see a movie more than once. I made a list of a a couple of the new things I noticed each time. What each person notices anew is different for each person of course, but everyone will notice some things.
VIEWING 1.
Before seeing this movie, I had very low expectations. I thought it would be a typical mindless summer actioner. I was overwhelmed by what a great movie it was, but was as confused by the plot as most people. There was so much going on, I thought I missed a lot of it. I remember being especially perturbed by the rash of coincidences on Delta Vega, not to mention the monsters there. (Later learned of the "healing the time stream" theory). I noticed here most of the obvious points subsuming the message boards: the cliff scenes, issues about the timeline, questions about Nero's motivation, and so on.
VIEWING 2.
The precision and deftness in which each of the main crew members is replaced by original Enterprise members: Sulu because the helmsman had lungworm; Chekhov as the prodigy; Uhura because the other officer didn't speak Romulan; McCoy because the chief surgeon was killed on deck 6; Scotty because Olson died on Vulcan after missing the platform; and Kirk to first officer because he impressed Pike and because Spock had replaced Pike; Kirk to captain because Spock resigned; Spock to first officer because Kirk was promoted. Pike's hiring Kirk motivated by Pike's speech that the Federation had lost the willingness to take action.
Numerous instances in which the crew gradually take on their TOS personalities, particularlly Kirk and Spock: e.g. Kirk's sprawl on the con, Spock's "fascination" on the jellyfish, and so on.
The details of the fight on the platform: why Kirk didn't use a phaser against the Romulans or vice versa.
That young Kirk must have been running away from an abusive stepfather, because both Kirk and the hitchhiking kid must have been fleeing the same bad situation.
VIEWING 3.
Spock and Kirk respond differently to the ambiguity of the word "fine". When Amanda uses the word ambiguously to Spock, he demands clarification ("fine has variable definitions. fine is unacceptable"). When Uhura in the next scene uses the word ambiguously to Kirk, he uses the ambiguity to his advantage, to hit on her ("I'm fine without it" "You are fine!"). This exemplifies the pair's differing responses to information: Kirk brilliant at acting in ambiguous situations, in using ambiguity and uncertainty to his advantage; Spock always wanting more clarification, even if action is best. Theme later exemplified in the interpretation of Vulcan message and in the response to Nero's trajectory towards Earth: Kirk wants to act, Spock to analyze.
The distraught undertones in young Kirk's expression, his shifting the Corvette into top gear, his flirting with suicide before changing his mind. Various easter eggs: Randy Pausch, the tribble.
The man flying into space after the Kelvin was hit.
That one of the first lines in the movie is about the "lightning storm."
The single-nacelled construction of the Kelvin, and Kirk's playing with a model of such a ship in talking to Pike in the bar.
Sat through the credits, finally learned Olson is definitely the chief engineer.
Viewing 4.
The way the music shifts from 4/4 to 3/4. The 3/4 music in the shuttle scenes - the escape from the Kelvin and the trip to the Enterprise.
The intricate camerawork, for example, the swooping shots going behind and the in front of the Corvette; the tracking shot introducing the Kelvin; the whip pans around the bridge before alighting on Kirk in the final scene; the awesome shots of Spock in the first scene on the Enterprise riding up the elevator, his mind calculating, as the camera smoothly stays with him until he steps off the bridge, the smoothness of the camerawork emphasizing his own precision and calm.
The amazing acting, particularly the eyes, of Quinto as Spock: how he narrows his eyes imperceptibly when the Vulcan council insult Amanda; how his nose twitches when he learns Vulcan has minutes only; his body language.
How the eyes of the main characters are shot so expressively. Nero with no eyelights, his eyes solid and opaque yet haunted and agonized. Kirk, with clear blue eyes, clearly lit with bright eyelights. Young Kirk, switching between exuberance and distress. Young Spock, with his "sad human eyes", as the Vulcan bullies term them. Spock, with generally clear but very difficult to read eyes, except in a few key scenes (with Uhura in the elevator, with the Vulcan council, for example).
The details of how and when the phasers switch from blue to red and back, and why this is done on the attack on the Narada.
Still more and more bothered by the acting of the character who played Scotty - Scotty kind of ruined all the scenes he was in.
The motif of vehicle self-destruction, either for good or ill (Corvette, Kelvin, Jellyfish).
Viewing 5.
Viewing 5 was my last viewing. It is the first one I did not pick up on a lot of new stuff. I had missed somehow a couple minor plot points: (1) that Nero acquired the red matter from the Spock Prime's Jellyfish; and (2) that the Enterprise can be seen when Kirk and McCoy leave Riverside. I think I heard that young Spock's answer "morally praiseworthy but not morally required" answered the question "when is an action supererogatory", an issue that is a theme in the movie; considered that possibly the volume of a sphere question would related to masses of planets and black holes.
VIEWING 1.
Before seeing this movie, I had very low expectations. I thought it would be a typical mindless summer actioner. I was overwhelmed by what a great movie it was, but was as confused by the plot as most people. There was so much going on, I thought I missed a lot of it. I remember being especially perturbed by the rash of coincidences on Delta Vega, not to mention the monsters there. (Later learned of the "healing the time stream" theory). I noticed here most of the obvious points subsuming the message boards: the cliff scenes, issues about the timeline, questions about Nero's motivation, and so on.
VIEWING 2.
The precision and deftness in which each of the main crew members is replaced by original Enterprise members: Sulu because the helmsman had lungworm; Chekhov as the prodigy; Uhura because the other officer didn't speak Romulan; McCoy because the chief surgeon was killed on deck 6; Scotty because Olson died on Vulcan after missing the platform; and Kirk to first officer because he impressed Pike and because Spock had replaced Pike; Kirk to captain because Spock resigned; Spock to first officer because Kirk was promoted. Pike's hiring Kirk motivated by Pike's speech that the Federation had lost the willingness to take action.
Numerous instances in which the crew gradually take on their TOS personalities, particularlly Kirk and Spock: e.g. Kirk's sprawl on the con, Spock's "fascination" on the jellyfish, and so on.
The details of the fight on the platform: why Kirk didn't use a phaser against the Romulans or vice versa.
That young Kirk must have been running away from an abusive stepfather, because both Kirk and the hitchhiking kid must have been fleeing the same bad situation.
VIEWING 3.
Spock and Kirk respond differently to the ambiguity of the word "fine". When Amanda uses the word ambiguously to Spock, he demands clarification ("fine has variable definitions. fine is unacceptable"). When Uhura in the next scene uses the word ambiguously to Kirk, he uses the ambiguity to his advantage, to hit on her ("I'm fine without it" "You are fine!"). This exemplifies the pair's differing responses to information: Kirk brilliant at acting in ambiguous situations, in using ambiguity and uncertainty to his advantage; Spock always wanting more clarification, even if action is best. Theme later exemplified in the interpretation of Vulcan message and in the response to Nero's trajectory towards Earth: Kirk wants to act, Spock to analyze.
The distraught undertones in young Kirk's expression, his shifting the Corvette into top gear, his flirting with suicide before changing his mind. Various easter eggs: Randy Pausch, the tribble.
The man flying into space after the Kelvin was hit.
That one of the first lines in the movie is about the "lightning storm."
The single-nacelled construction of the Kelvin, and Kirk's playing with a model of such a ship in talking to Pike in the bar.
Sat through the credits, finally learned Olson is definitely the chief engineer.
Viewing 4.
The way the music shifts from 4/4 to 3/4. The 3/4 music in the shuttle scenes - the escape from the Kelvin and the trip to the Enterprise.
The intricate camerawork, for example, the swooping shots going behind and the in front of the Corvette; the tracking shot introducing the Kelvin; the whip pans around the bridge before alighting on Kirk in the final scene; the awesome shots of Spock in the first scene on the Enterprise riding up the elevator, his mind calculating, as the camera smoothly stays with him until he steps off the bridge, the smoothness of the camerawork emphasizing his own precision and calm.
The amazing acting, particularly the eyes, of Quinto as Spock: how he narrows his eyes imperceptibly when the Vulcan council insult Amanda; how his nose twitches when he learns Vulcan has minutes only; his body language.
How the eyes of the main characters are shot so expressively. Nero with no eyelights, his eyes solid and opaque yet haunted and agonized. Kirk, with clear blue eyes, clearly lit with bright eyelights. Young Kirk, switching between exuberance and distress. Young Spock, with his "sad human eyes", as the Vulcan bullies term them. Spock, with generally clear but very difficult to read eyes, except in a few key scenes (with Uhura in the elevator, with the Vulcan council, for example).
The details of how and when the phasers switch from blue to red and back, and why this is done on the attack on the Narada.
Still more and more bothered by the acting of the character who played Scotty - Scotty kind of ruined all the scenes he was in.
The motif of vehicle self-destruction, either for good or ill (Corvette, Kelvin, Jellyfish).
Viewing 5.
Viewing 5 was my last viewing. It is the first one I did not pick up on a lot of new stuff. I had missed somehow a couple minor plot points: (1) that Nero acquired the red matter from the Spock Prime's Jellyfish; and (2) that the Enterprise can be seen when Kirk and McCoy leave Riverside. I think I heard that young Spock's answer "morally praiseworthy but not morally required" answered the question "when is an action supererogatory", an issue that is a theme in the movie; considered that possibly the volume of a sphere question would related to masses of planets and black holes.
We all move at different speeds.
