Spoilers STAR TREK BEYOND - Grading & Discussion
- Thread starter Commander Richard
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I gave it an A-. Didn't leave quite as impressed as I was with STID, but still an excellent entry. More of a romp than something trying to be an epic. Sometimes on the planet, it felt as if they were walking around on a TV soundstage set (had that closed-in feel). Yorktown was fantastic but I'd think it would be a bit disorienting to live in it without any real up or down (or so many of them). Hard to understand how its gravity would work in so many directions.
Really wish they'd have cut some time on a few scenes (the destruction of the Enterprise, for example -- I'm sorry, but that seemed to drag -- we know it goes down, so destroy it and let's move on) to develop Krall more (and earlier). Still not sure what his weapon is all about or what was so valid about his beef with the Federation/Starfleet that we should be sympathetic to him or at least understand his way of thinking. I'm also not sure why Krall and his crew couldn't have gotten the Franklin running again themselves after crashing there. After all, our heroes did it when the ship was 100 years old. I must've missed something. Maybe if (when) I see it again, that will become more clear to me.
My wife (again, not really a fan and more of a "drag along" to Trek movies -- she's seen all with me since TFF the year after we were married) said it was very entertaining and the best of the three new ones to her (TVH is still her favorite, and she liked STID). She even left the theater humming the theme!
Really wish they'd have cut some time on a few scenes (the destruction of the Enterprise, for example -- I'm sorry, but that seemed to drag -- we know it goes down, so destroy it and let's move on) to develop Krall more (and earlier). Still not sure what his weapon is all about or what was so valid about his beef with the Federation/Starfleet that we should be sympathetic to him or at least understand his way of thinking. I'm also not sure why Krall and his crew couldn't have gotten the Franklin running again themselves after crashing there. After all, our heroes did it when the ship was 100 years old. I must've missed something. Maybe if (when) I see it again, that will become more clear to me.
My wife (again, not really a fan and more of a "drag along" to Trek movies -- she's seen all with me since TFF the year after we were married) said it was very entertaining and the best of the three new ones to her (TVH is still her favorite, and she liked STID). She even left the theater humming the theme!
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Loved it. Gave it a solid A. The story is wonderfully original. Simon Pegg (and certainly Jung) knows the characters and did a great job writing for them. The FX are bloody brilliant. The tributes are well placed, fitting, and do not feel forced. The whole 'feel' of the crew works. All in all, I am very happy with this outing and look forward to seeing more.
Undiscovered Country was my 1st as well, Beyond has become my favorite. The story was real good, the truth about Krall & how he was a MACO but Starfleet had no use for them after the formation of the Federation was a wonderful twist, didn't expect that. Loved the Franklin & the new 'A'. The pic of the original crew had me ballin".
I kind of did, too. And I'm not sure why, either. Maybe the story was too heavy for the light touch the movie seemed to have? Maybe there wasn't enough sense of peril? Things happened too easily for our heroes? Too conveniently? Too linearly? Will have to see it again and sort through some of this.
Big ol' meh. C+, the + for the original cast photo and the "starship class" shoutout on the Franklin bridge plaque. I just don't like loud, hyperkinetic movies. Like the other films, I won't probably ever see it again.
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The more I think, the more I am disappointed. A villain who's pissed at humanity/federation and wants to destroy it. A big weapon that has to be stopped before it goes off. Haven't we seen these things before? And before that? I'm so tired of these same plot devices over and over. And the lack of suspense. The weapon won't destroy [earth/nexus/federation/whatever]. The mustache-twirling bad guy will [fall in a flame ball/explode/get eaten by a black cloud].
Maybe it's time to move on. I hold on because of the name Star Trek. I thought this was going to be the explore-y, issues-y one. Looks like STID was more that way.
Be well. Like what you like.
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The more I think, the more I am disappointed. A villain who's pissed at humanity/federation and wants to destroy it. A big weapon that has to be stopped before it goes off. Haven't we seen these things before? And before that? I'm so tired of these same plot devices over and over. And the lack of suspense. The weapon won't destroy [earth/nexus/federation/whatever]. The mustache-twirling bad guy will [fall in a flame ball/explode/get eaten by a black cloud].
Maybe it's time to move on. I hold on because of the name Star Trek. I thought this was going to be the explore-y, issues-y one. Looks like STID was more that way.
Be well. Like what you like.
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Just got back from it. Good, but not great. Definitely better than Into Darkness, jury's still out on how it ranks with the first film though. Random thoughts:
-Was happy to see the Enterprise destroyed. Those interior sets were always fugly. Please do a better job with the A, guys.
-Boy, Krall's footsoldiers sure looked reminiscent of Mass Effect 2's Collectors.
-Krall's motivation was stupid as fuck. HERP DERP PEACE BAD WAR GOOD. Whatever, dude.
-I was quite surprised at all the little Enterprise references. The Franklin crew's similar jumpsuits, Edison being an ex-MACO, the Xindi Wars being mentioned...
-Was happy to see the Enterprise destroyed. Those interior sets were always fugly. Please do a better job with the A, guys.
-Boy, Krall's footsoldiers sure looked reminiscent of Mass Effect 2's Collectors.
-Krall's motivation was stupid as fuck. HERP DERP PEACE BAD WAR GOOD. Whatever, dude.
-I was quite surprised at all the little Enterprise references. The Franklin crew's similar jumpsuits, Edison being an ex-MACO, the Xindi Wars being mentioned...
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I'm not sure it was made clear, but all those swarm ships were manned? If so, then where did they all come from and why would thousands of them so willingly take on a suicide mission of crashing into a starship? (I mean, they couldn't have survived those collisions with the Enterprise, could they?)
Seemed like everyone was banging into stuff, too. Even the Franklin. Not sure what kept it from cartwheeling or having its hull compromised after some pretty hard hits on "take off." (Pretty convenient, the Franklin being located where it was, too.) Kirk slamming into buildings and such the way he did, plus the way he was rescued by McCoy had to hurt, too (rather sudden stop). No broken bones? Not even a bruised rib? We know Kirk can take punishment, but still.
Seemed like everyone was banging into stuff, too. Even the Franklin. Not sure what kept it from cartwheeling or having its hull compromised after some pretty hard hits on "take off." (Pretty convenient, the Franklin being located where it was, too.) Kirk slamming into buildings and such the way he did, plus the way he was rescued by McCoy had to hurt, too (rather sudden stop). No broken bones? Not even a bruised rib? We know Kirk can take punishment, but still.
Edison said in his recording that he found technology left behind by an ancient civilization. Among the tech were worker androids. They piloted the swarm ships.
Yeah, how did the Enterprise saucer or the Franklin withstand hitting the rocks and mountain tops?
Ah. Thank you for that. Didn't catch it for some reason.
Just saw it. My head's still spinning, but I greatly enjoyed it. A huge improvement over Into Darkness, and we can thank Justin Lin and his prior experience with major ensemble pictures. The decision to split up the crew was *genius* because it meant everyone got to contribute more than just one or two moments of fanservice, into very considerable contributions to the plot (I believe Sulu was shortchanged, but even then he still had way more to do here than the previous movies).
I'll agree that we again don't have a villain that quite passes muster under scrutiny, but to me it's evened out by just how well the main crew was fleshed out this time around. Only downside to that: I wanted to see Uhura/Sulu/KEENSER
Story qualities aside, I loved the nods to the TNG/DS9/VOY sound effects, the importance of Star Trek: Enterprise (so much so that it factored into the plot), the fact that this felt like high stakes even though Earth wasn't in danger (past Trek movies have had problems in this area, like Generations and Insurrection), and a return to exploration. And yes, I teared up when we saw the cast photo from The Final Frontier. What a great tribute.
I'll agree that we again don't have a villain that quite passes muster under scrutiny, but to me it's evened out by just how well the main crew was fleshed out this time around. Only downside to that: I wanted to see Uhura/Sulu/KEENSER
Story qualities aside, I loved the nods to the TNG/DS9/VOY sound effects, the importance of Star Trek: Enterprise (so much so that it factored into the plot), the fact that this felt like high stakes even though Earth wasn't in danger (past Trek movies have had problems in this area, like Generations and Insurrection), and a return to exploration. And yes, I teared up when we saw the cast photo from The Final Frontier. What a great tribute.
A
Amaris
Guest
I just got back from seeing it and I loved it! For me, Krall's motivations made perfect sense. He despised what he felt the Federation had become: something dedicated to pure peace and diplomacy rather than the more satisfying violent confrontation Krall craved when he was a MACO soldier and later Captain Balthasar Edison. His bio-weapon was terrifyingly deadly and effective, and his motivation was to finally have the last piece of the puzzle in order to make it all work. Kirk, of course, unwittingly hands it right to him. Of course, that isn't our intrepid Captain's fault, and I love how we see the realities of deep space travel weigh on him and the rest of the crew. Kirk is at his most mature here, and it works.
I love how Kirk and Spock's relationship has developed, I love how McCoy's relationship with the big Two have developed, and I like that Spock and Uhura's relationship is tested. This movie feels more complex than the previous two, though I have few complaints about those. Scotty is coming along nicely, and I like his workman's relationship with Jaylah, who is just so awesome in her own right. She's highly intelligent, witty, resourceful, and has excellent taste in music.
Every time I saw Chekov, my heart twinged a bit, but he was so good here, just as the previous two films. It's going to hurt, going forward, when the inevitable 4th film is made. As for Sulu, I loved the scene with his husband, it was short and sweet but spoke significant volumes, and I loved his later involvement in the rescue plan for the Enterprise crew. Honestly, the crew was right on point here, and the characters more comfortable and familiar than ever.
Starbase Yorktown was awesome. I love the design, and I love how McCoy describes it as a snow globe just waiting to be shattered, which of course tosses us a little foreshadowing for events later on. For me, how the gravity works isn't important, but my nerd brain already filled in the necessary details which essentially explained it as the same basic technology that allowed starships to have gravity. In fact, we see later that the fields don't extend all the way out, as at a certain altitude gravity becomes shifty and uncertain. Makes sense.
The nod to Leonard Nimoy's Ambassador Spock was heartwarming and touching. When I saw Quinto's Spock looking through the personal effects, and he happened upon the image of the original bridge crew in their classic movie uniforms, my breath caught in my throat. It was just well done all around, and so respectful. I loved it. The dedication to Anton at the end was lovely, and oh, that ending! Oh my gods, that ending! I was ecstatic! It capped the movie flawlessly, IMO. It hit the exact right note.
All in all, a wonderful film! I don't want to call it my favorite yet, as I just watched it and my enjoyment level is still really high, but it will easily surpass at least one of the other two films as my favorite Trek movie. This means, of course, that I gave the movie an "A+". Not only would I love to see it again, but I'd like to see it right now, and will own it the day it is released on blu-ray.
I love how Kirk and Spock's relationship has developed, I love how McCoy's relationship with the big Two have developed, and I like that Spock and Uhura's relationship is tested. This movie feels more complex than the previous two, though I have few complaints about those. Scotty is coming along nicely, and I like his workman's relationship with Jaylah, who is just so awesome in her own right. She's highly intelligent, witty, resourceful, and has excellent taste in music.
Every time I saw Chekov, my heart twinged a bit, but he was so good here, just as the previous two films. It's going to hurt, going forward, when the inevitable 4th film is made. As for Sulu, I loved the scene with his husband, it was short and sweet but spoke significant volumes, and I loved his later involvement in the rescue plan for the Enterprise crew. Honestly, the crew was right on point here, and the characters more comfortable and familiar than ever.
Starbase Yorktown was awesome. I love the design, and I love how McCoy describes it as a snow globe just waiting to be shattered, which of course tosses us a little foreshadowing for events later on. For me, how the gravity works isn't important, but my nerd brain already filled in the necessary details which essentially explained it as the same basic technology that allowed starships to have gravity. In fact, we see later that the fields don't extend all the way out, as at a certain altitude gravity becomes shifty and uncertain. Makes sense.
The nod to Leonard Nimoy's Ambassador Spock was heartwarming and touching. When I saw Quinto's Spock looking through the personal effects, and he happened upon the image of the original bridge crew in their classic movie uniforms, my breath caught in my throat. It was just well done all around, and so respectful. I loved it. The dedication to Anton at the end was lovely, and oh, that ending! Oh my gods, that ending! I was ecstatic! It capped the movie flawlessly, IMO. It hit the exact right note.
All in all, a wonderful film! I don't want to call it my favorite yet, as I just watched it and my enjoyment level is still really high, but it will easily surpass at least one of the other two films as my favorite Trek movie. This means, of course, that I gave the movie an "A+". Not only would I love to see it again, but I'd like to see it right now, and will own it the day it is released on blu-ray.
I just realized something about Kirk: we don't see a foolhardy or reckless Kirk this time around, definitely not nearly as headstrong as in the first movie. Sure, he takes risks and cracks the occasional joke and he puts himself on the line, but he takes his job much more seriously now, to the point where his asking about promotion is all business and no kidding around. Throughout the movie, his first priority is his crew, and when he's caught evesdropping on Scotty and Jayla, he doesn't act coy like when he peeked at Dr. Marcus, but in all serious tells Jayla how much she would mean to the mission. So in continuing the growth from Into Darkness, we have a Kirk who's more stoic, more likely to listen to his crew (consider just how much he asks input from Chekov and Scotty this time around), more focused on objectives.
I had a lot of problems with NuKirk in ST09, but this Kirk is a far cry. More confident and more assured, both borne from more maturity, rather than cockiness and immaturity. Plus, hey, this is the first movie where NuKirk doesn't flirt with anyone.
P.S. I would love to see Prime Universe Edison during the days of ST: Enterprise.
I had a lot of problems with NuKirk in ST09, but this Kirk is a far cry. More confident and more assured, both borne from more maturity, rather than cockiness and immaturity. Plus, hey, this is the first movie where NuKirk doesn't flirt with anyone.
P.S. I would love to see Prime Universe Edison during the days of ST: Enterprise.
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Amaris
Guest
There's a scene during the Captain's log entry at the beginning of the film, where Kirk walks past a female crewman in the corridor. Some part of me expected him to smile and turn just a little, as ST09 Kirk did, but he just acknowledges her greeting without any extra flair, as two professionals do. Even though I loved Kirk as the flirty guy in ST09, I loved his maturity here. This is the Kirk we know when we joined the original TOS crew in their adventures.
I gave it an A. Loved it. I was a big fan of the first two Star Trek movies but this one really felt like Star Trek. The interactions between the crew was the highlight and was great. Karl Urban was hilarious. Terrific action and FX. Surprising references to Enterprise. I guessed that Krall was the original captain without knowing spoilers but I thought he was more of the more interesting villains that Star Trek has had in a long time. The death of old Spock was handled very well and I found the scene with the photo to be emotional.
Loved the beginning too. Any chance to see additional missions for the crew. Kirk's opening log entry was a really, really strong scene. Loved Sofia Boutella and hope she returns. Starbase Yorktown was amazing.
My main issue with the movie was how visually dark the action scenes were. That was an unwise decision as it made the action very difficult to follow in the middle portion of the movie and the action was hard to follow.
Loved the beginning too. Any chance to see additional missions for the crew. Kirk's opening log entry was a really, really strong scene. Loved Sofia Boutella and hope she returns. Starbase Yorktown was amazing.
My main issue with the movie was how visually dark the action scenes were. That was an unwise decision as it made the action very difficult to follow in the middle portion of the movie and the action was hard to follow.
Does anyone know what was written in Vulcan on the object in Spock Prime's possessions?
Is it bad that I found it slightly humorous that the announcement of Ambassador Spock's death said 2230-2263 suggesting he was only 33 years old? Of course I understand that 2230-2385-2258-2263 would look weird and confusing as fuck...
I just got back from seeing it, and I convinced seven non-Trekkie family members to go with me.
First of all, after the first trailer, I definitely didn't think I'd have this type of response for BEYOND.
In short, this is precisely the film that was needed for the franchise right now. It's not a perfect film by any means, but it's ideal for Trek right now at this point in time.
Visually, this is the best Star Trek film in the entire franchise. Yorktown is perhaps the best visual depiction in the 50 years of Trek, and the swarm was a brilliant concept that was exceptionally portrayed on-screen. Also, I appreciated the extent the creators took toward making the planet seem alien and different. Not just dark and difficult to see, and certainly not just some place in Northern California....this felt like an alien setting. I loved the tip of the cap to Avatar with the floating things dancing around in the air. There was a lot of love put into this film just through the visuals alone.
Space itself returned to Star Trek. Space felt big and ominous again. The trip through the nebula made space itself feel scary in a way that has been so often neglected for way too long. The effects of long-duration space travel were deployed to push along the narrative of the film. Excellent realism.
Jaylah was exceptional. Should could have been used more, but that really wasn't the point of the character. It was brilliant to open the door for her return, and I hope they decide to do it. She could be another ingredient in the Kelvin Timeline that gives this saga its own unique flavor, especially with the absence of Chekov going forward.
And speaking of Chekov, and Spock/Bones, and Sulu/Uhura, and Montgomery Scotty....this is the best ensemble film in the franchise. Separating them and then reuniting them was a bold move that could have easily backfired, but the execution made it brilliant. Game changer. That decision turned the corner for this incarnation of Trek. Made them seem like a family.
Defeating the bad guys with music? Awesome.
The opening with the little tough guy aliens? Fun!
The focus on the death of Spock-Prime and the TOS picture at the end....just wonderful.
There's more, but that's enough for now.
By no means a perfect film. But BEYOND is exactly what Trek needed right now...and very fitting for the 50th Birthday. It captures the soul of Star Trek.
People cheered when it ended. And my non-Trekkie family members (both adults and children) either liked it or loved it. And I know they'd tell if they didn't. It was a fun adventure with a good message.
Well done.
First of all, after the first trailer, I definitely didn't think I'd have this type of response for BEYOND.
In short, this is precisely the film that was needed for the franchise right now. It's not a perfect film by any means, but it's ideal for Trek right now at this point in time.
Visually, this is the best Star Trek film in the entire franchise. Yorktown is perhaps the best visual depiction in the 50 years of Trek, and the swarm was a brilliant concept that was exceptionally portrayed on-screen. Also, I appreciated the extent the creators took toward making the planet seem alien and different. Not just dark and difficult to see, and certainly not just some place in Northern California....this felt like an alien setting. I loved the tip of the cap to Avatar with the floating things dancing around in the air. There was a lot of love put into this film just through the visuals alone.
Space itself returned to Star Trek. Space felt big and ominous again. The trip through the nebula made space itself feel scary in a way that has been so often neglected for way too long. The effects of long-duration space travel were deployed to push along the narrative of the film. Excellent realism.
Jaylah was exceptional. Should could have been used more, but that really wasn't the point of the character. It was brilliant to open the door for her return, and I hope they decide to do it. She could be another ingredient in the Kelvin Timeline that gives this saga its own unique flavor, especially with the absence of Chekov going forward.
And speaking of Chekov, and Spock/Bones, and Sulu/Uhura, and Montgomery Scotty....this is the best ensemble film in the franchise. Separating them and then reuniting them was a bold move that could have easily backfired, but the execution made it brilliant. Game changer. That decision turned the corner for this incarnation of Trek. Made them seem like a family.
Defeating the bad guys with music? Awesome.
The opening with the little tough guy aliens? Fun!
The focus on the death of Spock-Prime and the TOS picture at the end....just wonderful.
There's more, but that's enough for now.
By no means a perfect film. But BEYOND is exactly what Trek needed right now...and very fitting for the 50th Birthday. It captures the soul of Star Trek.
People cheered when it ended. And my non-Trekkie family members (both adults and children) either liked it or loved it. And I know they'd tell if they didn't. It was a fun adventure with a good message.
Well done.
A
Amaris
Guest
I saw it in 2D (I'm not sure if you saw it in 3D or 2D), and the lighting was fine. That's why I see movies in 2D, though. Plus, the glasses never fit.
For Anton. 
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