Spoilers STAR TREK BEYOND - Grading & Discussion

[WebLurker]

I think you are being overly generous. Calling STID a total rip-off of TWOK is simply wrong, and it's a misapprehension that needs correcting.

Agree on this point.

I will concede that the movie did have original content, but I think that it leaned too heavily on the original. I felt like I was getting hit over the head with the movie saying: "See, remember this from before? Here is it again, with new paint. Aren't we awesome for doing this?" The thing is, I remember when that stuff was done before, and the original did it better (IMHO).

 

[eyeresist]

Apart from the fact Khan is in the movie, the similarity is limited to one scene, which remixes the TWOK death scene and adds a "KHAAAAAN!" I do admit the parallels in that one scene feel a bit "on the nose", but, apart from that, STID is its own thing.

 

[drt]

Apart from the fact Khan is in the movie, the similarity is limited to one scene, which remixes the TWOK death scene and adds a "KHAAAAAN!" I do admit the parallels in that one scene feel a bit "on the nose", but, apart from that, STID is its own thing.

Plus, the the entire flipped death scene was obviously intended as an Easter egg for Trekkies.

 

[eyeresist]

I do think there were a bit too faithful in that respect. I was thinking about how they could have "improved" the tribute/rip-off elements in dramatic ways. Perhaps having Kirk and Spock separated by some distance would have added new poignancy to the death scene (or even communicating by voice only). And instead of Spock screaming, if he had said Khan's name with quiet determination, that might have been more effective.

Well, it's fun to speculate and and daydream, isn't it.

 

[jamestyler]

I do think there were a bit too faithful in that respect. I was thinking about how they could have "improved" the tribute/rip-off elements in dramatic ways.

I was thinking about this the other night (for reasons unknown to me, it popped up in my head). I was thinking if Spock processed the death as it was until the scream, snapped by visibly - but not audibly - losing his cool and we followed him as he marched off, getting angrier by the second, it might have been a little more fitting to this story and setting. Especially if they gave a shot of Uhura reacting to him becoming unhinged.

 

[eyeresist]

That could have been cool.

 

[Rad]

I do think there were a bit too faithful in that respect. I was thinking about how they could have "improved" the tribute/rip-off elements in dramatic ways. Perhaps having Kirk and Spock separated by some distance would have added new poignancy to the death scene (or even communicating by voice only). And instead of Spock screaming, if he had said Khan's name with quiet determination, that might have been more effective.

Well, it's fun to speculate and and daydream, isn't it.

I concur with how you think Spock should have reacted. That would have been a lot more in character.

 

[Rad]

The have been playing "Into Darkness" repeatedly on FXM since "Beyond" opened. I've caught bits and pieces of it, and on occasion, sat through the movie (until Encore began running the James Bond marathons and BBC America ran the TOS episodes in anniversary broadcast order). I still hold that is an annoying movie; it reminds me too much of a fan-boy comic book brought to screen - cobbled together schlock. It really struck me how... limited... the production was when McCoy gazes at the reanimated tribble, and frankly, that scene staging looked like something ripped right out of a graphic novel. The only thing missing was the white border around the screen.

Why do I watch? Because ANY Trek is better than no Trek.

I went into the first Abrams reboot with a massive chip on my shoulder; how could he mess with MY Star Trek!?!? I came out of that movie very humble on the realization that he did it - he made a fantastic movie that just holds it's own against the Trek opus that preceded it.

I am glad the "Beyond" rose above the the patent schlock that truly "Darkness". "Beyond" entertained and engaged.

 

[GhostLoveScore]

I watched Beyond yesterday for the third time and I wanted to write my little review.

CGI, effects and everything is beautiful, of course. It's high budget movie and it's no wonder.
Kirk and the rest of the crew behave more like TOS crew. Except Uhura and Spock. I couldn't really notice any similarities with TOS Uhura and Spock. Spock seems like he just hides emotions instead of suppressing them. Scotty actually reminded be of TOS Scotty on few occasions.

Like I said, I watched it three times and tried to understand it completely.
The plot is just, how should I say it - flat. I didn't get any feelings from it. It was never clear to me when the crew were in danger. It seemed empty, flat. I was actually bored on some parts of the movie.

Destruction of Enterprise is awesome, I being 3D artist myself enjoyed how detailed it was done.

Krall feeding on other people's lives?? Too much like Stargate Atlantis' Wrath. If I wanted stargate I would watch it. No hard feelings there, I like Stargate.

USS Franklin is nice ship, much better interiors than apple-store Enterprise bridge.

Yorktown is nice looking although radically different starbase. It doesn't seem functional and the glass bubble is really really not needed and just asks for trouble.

I don't like Jaylah. She is not needed at all. What species is she even?

"There's no relative direction in the vastness of space" - how that fits in with the rest of the dialogue?

The whole bad-guy-wants-to-destroy-universe story that repeats every time in star trek movie is getting annoying. Yes, First contact had bad guy, but the Borg are one of the best villains every in star trek. Watching it when I was young I was terrified from them. Khan? Not at all. Krall? Get out. Why can't we have a star trek movie about some weird thing in space that crew goes to explore?...

OK, enough of this. My final grade - slightly better than 2 previous movies, but still miles away from real Star Trek.

 

[BillJ]

Krall feeding on other people's lives?? Too much like Stargate Atlantis' Wrath. If I wanted stargate I would watch it. No hard feelings there, I like Stargate.

Or, the Salt Vampire from "The Man Trap".

but still miles away from real Star Trek.

It is every bit as much "real" Star Trek as anything else produced under the name.

 

[urbandefault]

I watched Beyond yesterday for the third time and I wanted to write my little review.

CGI, effects and everything is beautiful, of course. It's high budget movie and it's no wonder.
Kirk and the rest of the crew behave more like TOS crew. Except Uhura and Spock. I couldn't really notice any similarities with TOS Uhura and Spock. Spock seems like he just hides emotions instead of suppressing them. Scotty actually reminded be of TOS Scotty on few occasions.

Like I said, I watched it three times and tried to understand it completely.
The plot is just, how should I say it - flat. I didn't get any feelings from it. It was never clear to me when the crew were in danger. It seemed empty, flat. I was actually bored on some parts of the movie.

Destruction of Enterprise is awesome, I being 3D artist myself enjoyed how detailed it was done.

Krall feeding on other people's lives?? Too much like Stargate Atlantis' Wrath. If I wanted stargate I would watch it. No hard feelings there, I like Stargate.

USS Franklin is nice ship, much better interiors than apple-store Enterprise bridge.

Yorktown is nice looking although radically different starbase. It doesn't seem functional and the glass bubble is really really not needed and just asks for trouble.

I don't like Jaylah. She is not needed at all. What species is she even?

"There's no relative direction in the vastness of space" - how that fits in with the rest of the dialogue?

The whole bad-guy-wants-to-destroy-universe story that repeats every time in star trek movie is getting annoying. Yes, First contact had bad guy, but the Borg are one of the best villains every in star trek. Watching it when I was young I was terrified from them. Khan? Not at all. Krall? Get out. Why can't we have a star trek movie about some weird thing in space that crew goes to explore?...

OK, enough of this. My final grade - slightly better than 2 previous movies, but still miles away from real Star Trek.

Yeah, but it has the beats and shouting.

 

[GhostLoveScore]

Or, the Salt Vampire from "The Man Trap".

I honestly can't say that I remember much from The Man Trap since it's one of my lest favorite episodes.

So, the question is what makes a real Star Trek? In my opinion Star Trek should have moral lesson in it. What's the moral lesson in this one?

 

[donners22]

So, the question is what makes a real Star Trek? In my opinion Star Trek should have moral lesson in it. What's the moral lesson in this one?

That there is strength in unity, and that peace does not equal weakness.

Not particularly complex, but nor are most Trek moral messages (if, indeed, they are present at all - you'll be cutting out a fair portion of Trek, including some of its best installments, if you impose that requirement).

 

[GhostLoveScore]

That there is strength in unity, and that peace does not equal weakness.

Yeah, I guess it is. But it's weird having it literally spelled out by Uhura.

Great website in your signature!

 

[urbandefault]

So, the question is what makes a real Star Trek? In my opinion Star Trek should have moral lesson in it.

Real Trek is whatever the current writers and producers put on screen. It's not a guide to better living, it's just a bunch of TV shows and movies. I'm concerned that so many people see "Gene's Vision" as some sort of religion. He had a great idea for a TV show, and outside of that he was just a Hollywood horndog.

YMMV.

 

[BillJ]

Real Trek is whatever the current writers and producers put on screen. It's not a guide to better living, it's just a bunch of TV shows and movies. I'm concerned that so many people see "Gene's Vision" as some sort of religion. He had a great idea for a TV show, and outside of that he was just a Hollywood horndog.

YMMV.

I think from time to time, Trek has been downright thought provoking. But that is the exception, not the rule. Roddenberry himself told his writers their first job was to entertain people.

 

[GhostLoveScore]

Real Trek is whatever the current writers and producers put on screen. It's not a guide to better living, it's just a bunch of TV shows and movies. I'm concerned that so many people see "Gene's Vision" as some sort of religion. He had a great idea for a TV show, and outside of that he was just a Hollywood horndog.

YMMV.

I don't want another fight here. I just told what my view was of Kelvin timeline Trek. I said that Beyond is not like TOS and no one can deny that. It's been 50 years. Some people like me expect and hope writers to do what TOS did 50 years ago. That probably won't happen. Too many things have changed since. I am glad that some Trekkies still find new movies entertaining.

 

[BillJ]

That probably won't happen. Too many things have changed since. I am glad that some Trekkies still find new movies entertaining.

A lot do, in fact the vast majority, if the poll for each film from this very forum is any indication.

 

[donners22]

I don't want another fight here. I just told what my view was of Kelvin timeline Trek. I said that Beyond is not like TOS and no one can deny that. It's been 50 years. Some people like me expect and hope writers to do what TOS did 50 years ago. That probably won't happen. Too many things have changed since. I am glad that some Trekkies still find new movies entertaining.

I suppose that depends on what you regard as the defining characteristics of TOS.

If you regard TOS as a character-driven action-adventure romp, with a few interesting science-fiction concepts and parables thrown in on occasion, you could find that Beyond is very much like TOS.

 

[WebLurker]

I don't want another fight here. I just told what my view was of Kelvin timeline Trek. I said that Beyond is not like TOS and no one can deny that. It's been 50 years. Some people like me expect and hope writers to do what TOS did 50 years ago. That probably won't happen. Too many things have changed since. I am glad that some Trekkies still find new movies entertaining.

In all honesty, I found it very much in line with the pre-reboot franchise in terms of characterization, themes, and plotting (with some elements from the reboots) -- which is one of the reasons I like it.