I’ve just seen the new Star Trek, and here’s what I think: It was very, very enjoyable. I wouldn’t call it a cinematic masterpiece, but it was tremendous, light-hearted fun. I recommended it to (almost) everyone. Here’s my long-winded incoherent review.
It could have been a bunch of snotty, annoying unlikeable space cadet posers flying around but it was truly nothing like that at all. It could have been a Star Wars rip-off (I’ve never liked Star Wars) but wasn’t, and IMO it was much, much better than any of the Star Wars films (but I would say that!). Thank God it in no way resembled Boringstar Borelactica!
The characters were likable, the aliens were cool and the effects were brilliant. It was great fun. If you enjoy fun films, you’ll enjoy this.
There is no way this one could be mistaken for an overblown two-part episode. It’s big-scale.
I loved the huge spaceship interiors (both the Enterprise and the Nerada). I know some have said that the new-look engineering areas “don’t work” but I think they’re great. For the first time it really looks like the characters are on a giant spaceship.
Almost everyone? Yeah – if you’re the sort of obsessive saddo whose sole reason for living is pointing out how everything in Star Trek is “all wrong”, and if you frequently use words like “canon” and say things like “the novels aren’t canon!” and “TAS isn’t canon!” and get angry because “Enterprise violated 40 years of sacred canon!” you may have a stroke at some of the stuff that happens, and you should probably give this a miss. Likewise if you can’t cope with Star Trek being reinterpreted (and this is a new Trek).
But for the rest of us it’s a wonderful space adventure and a lovely tribute to classic Star Trek. Go watch it. Don’t be a dick and download it, but pay for it and watch it (why? So we get a sequel!).
More thoughts…
How many Star Trek baddies actually succeed at their evil plan? Nero not only did exactly what he wanted to do (make Spock watch his planet die), but he got two Spocks to watch their planet die at the same time. He should have been jumping with joy and doing cartwheels around the Nerada. Khan or Shinzon or the Borg Queen would have thrown parties. Nero just broiled in self-loathing.
I loved the huge spaceship interiors (both the Enterprise and the Nerada). I know some have said that the new-look engineering areas “don’t work” but I think they’re great. For the first time I really believed the characters are on a giant spaceship.
I loved the way every characters’ strengths were used. Unlike the military of today that breaks everyone down and rebuilds them exactly the same way, so that each soldier thinks and acts identically the Trek crew members each worked to their strengths. For example – sending Sulu on a dangerous away mission? Have him bring a sword along, just in case. On the surface it seems a little silly, but the guy’s got a gift – why not use it?
I liked that all the characters were handing control of the ship to others all the time, not necessarily those in the direct chain of command (i.e. surely Uhura would be put in charge before Chekov). It was a case of “these people are really talented, and anyone is ready to take over at a moment’s notice”.
Which reminds me – we’re on a ship full of space cadets, and at no point did it seem cheesy (well…aside for the usual Trek silliness I love). Going in I had images of DS9 “The Valiant” (also starring a ship full of cadets), but this was nothing like that. Even 17-year old boy genius Chekov was in no way Wesley-like (I do admit the accent was punishing…but it was funny at the same time. I liked it’s horribleness after about 10 minutes).
Kirk went from space cadet to Enterprise captain in about 1-and-a-half hours (and only spent 3 years training beforehand). I know of a few people who might have a stroke hearing that, but I didn’t have a problem with it at all. It was a fantastic film that established a future where people’s strengths are unutilized to the fullest. If he’s that good, why not make him captain? Working up the ranks after already saving the world and proving yourself would be a waste of time.
Vulcan! At no point when the planet was disintegrating did I believe Vulcan was truly going to die (and poor Spock’s mum!). I was 100% certain they were gonna do a time-warp and undo it (we’ve all seen planets blow up and then get saved dozens of times). Then they didn’t. It wasn’t until the Spocks were talking at the end that I realized that it wasn’t being undone. Wow.
I was expecting “Sylar wearing pointed ears”, but again I was wrong.
I loved the chat between Spock and Spock Classic at the end. I can’t remember the details, but the bit where Spock Classic tells Spock not to be so stuck up, and do what you feel like seemed profound. As a lifetime Trek fan, there’s this guy who’s been there from the beginning, done so much and is telling his younger self “maybe the way I did it wasn’t the best way”. I also loved it that Spock Classic lived on in the end (I was convinced Classic was gonna die again)
Awesome film. Looked amazing. Great acting. An awesome space adventure. Great fun.
4/5.
It could have been a bunch of snotty, annoying unlikeable space cadet posers flying around but it was truly nothing like that at all. It could have been a Star Wars rip-off (I’ve never liked Star Wars) but wasn’t, and IMO it was much, much better than any of the Star Wars films (but I would say that!). Thank God it in no way resembled Boringstar Borelactica!
The characters were likable, the aliens were cool and the effects were brilliant. It was great fun. If you enjoy fun films, you’ll enjoy this.
There is no way this one could be mistaken for an overblown two-part episode. It’s big-scale.
I loved the huge spaceship interiors (both the Enterprise and the Nerada). I know some have said that the new-look engineering areas “don’t work” but I think they’re great. For the first time it really looks like the characters are on a giant spaceship.
Almost everyone? Yeah – if you’re the sort of obsessive saddo whose sole reason for living is pointing out how everything in Star Trek is “all wrong”, and if you frequently use words like “canon” and say things like “the novels aren’t canon!” and “TAS isn’t canon!” and get angry because “Enterprise violated 40 years of sacred canon!” you may have a stroke at some of the stuff that happens, and you should probably give this a miss. Likewise if you can’t cope with Star Trek being reinterpreted (and this is a new Trek).
But for the rest of us it’s a wonderful space adventure and a lovely tribute to classic Star Trek. Go watch it. Don’t be a dick and download it, but pay for it and watch it (why? So we get a sequel!).
More thoughts…
How many Star Trek baddies actually succeed at their evil plan? Nero not only did exactly what he wanted to do (make Spock watch his planet die), but he got two Spocks to watch their planet die at the same time. He should have been jumping with joy and doing cartwheels around the Nerada. Khan or Shinzon or the Borg Queen would have thrown parties. Nero just broiled in self-loathing.
I loved the huge spaceship interiors (both the Enterprise and the Nerada). I know some have said that the new-look engineering areas “don’t work” but I think they’re great. For the first time I really believed the characters are on a giant spaceship.
I loved the way every characters’ strengths were used. Unlike the military of today that breaks everyone down and rebuilds them exactly the same way, so that each soldier thinks and acts identically the Trek crew members each worked to their strengths. For example – sending Sulu on a dangerous away mission? Have him bring a sword along, just in case. On the surface it seems a little silly, but the guy’s got a gift – why not use it?
I liked that all the characters were handing control of the ship to others all the time, not necessarily those in the direct chain of command (i.e. surely Uhura would be put in charge before Chekov). It was a case of “these people are really talented, and anyone is ready to take over at a moment’s notice”.
Which reminds me – we’re on a ship full of space cadets, and at no point did it seem cheesy (well…aside for the usual Trek silliness I love). Going in I had images of DS9 “The Valiant” (also starring a ship full of cadets), but this was nothing like that. Even 17-year old boy genius Chekov was in no way Wesley-like (I do admit the accent was punishing…but it was funny at the same time. I liked it’s horribleness after about 10 minutes).
Kirk went from space cadet to Enterprise captain in about 1-and-a-half hours (and only spent 3 years training beforehand). I know of a few people who might have a stroke hearing that, but I didn’t have a problem with it at all. It was a fantastic film that established a future where people’s strengths are unutilized to the fullest. If he’s that good, why not make him captain? Working up the ranks after already saving the world and proving yourself would be a waste of time.
Vulcan! At no point when the planet was disintegrating did I believe Vulcan was truly going to die (and poor Spock’s mum!). I was 100% certain they were gonna do a time-warp and undo it (we’ve all seen planets blow up and then get saved dozens of times). Then they didn’t. It wasn’t until the Spocks were talking at the end that I realized that it wasn’t being undone. Wow.
I was expecting “Sylar wearing pointed ears”, but again I was wrong.
I loved the chat between Spock and Spock Classic at the end. I can’t remember the details, but the bit where Spock Classic tells Spock not to be so stuck up, and do what you feel like seemed profound. As a lifetime Trek fan, there’s this guy who’s been there from the beginning, done so much and is telling his younger self “maybe the way I did it wasn’t the best way”. I also loved it that Spock Classic lived on in the end (I was convinced Classic was gonna die again)
Awesome film. Looked amazing. Great acting. An awesome space adventure. Great fun.
4/5.
