Monday, May 25, 2009

Mini-movie review: Star Trek (the new one)

Finally saw this on a regular screen matinee (I think seeing it on IMAX might have made me throw up) and I have to give it two thumbs up for a waaaaaaaaaaaaay better origin story than ol' Wolverine there. I'm not a huge Trek fan - although I did get into TNG in college - but I did get a little misty at the end with the entire crew poised on the bridge, ready to start their adventures aboard the Enterprise.

I thought Karl Urban and Zachary Quinto were spot-on as McCoy and Spock; Anton Yelchin was kind of squeaky and annoying - until I remembered that Chekov was my least favorite character in the original series; Leonard Nimoy is Really Old; and I couldn't help give a little cheer when Scotty was "givin' it all she's got, Capt'n!" (There should have been more Scotty. I wanted more Scotty.) Chris Pine was fine as Kirk: cute, cocky and arrogant enough, and he got the captain's chair slouch just right. There will only ever be one Shatner, but Pine figured it out.

Other random thoughts: I found the score to be rather overwrought and intrusive at times. Also, did anyone get flashbacks of the Reavers vs. the Operative's ships when Nero's Romulan monstrosity of a ship loomed over any teeny Federation vessel? Yeah, me too.

6 comments:

  1. I saw ST last week on a regular screen. Didn't want to spend nearly double the matinee price for the IMAX. Plus the IMAX isn't a REAL IMAX, just one of those retrofit jobs.
    That said, I loved it. One friend thought the camera was too jumpy, but after watching BSG and The Shield, I barely noticed. I want to see it again. Maybe on my next furlough day, if it's still around.

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  2. Star Trek is the first prequel, reboot, re-imagining, or whatever you wanna call it that's actually worth seeing. Although the time travel device was great I hope they ditch it for upcoming films.

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  3. I really got a kick out of Star Trek. I hope they give us some awesome Klingon war action come next film. No need to beat the time travel into the ground too soon.

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  4. I get the impression they used all the time-travel they will, considering they were making fun of it's use at one point. Plus, since they didn't use it to restore Vulcan, I'm pretty sure it's done. I was completely expecting some sort of "reset button" up until the very end. One of the reasons I enjoyed the movie so much was that they didn't cheat the emotional impact (no pun intended) of Vulcan being destroyed and that it's destruction has a definite impact.

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  5. By not hitting reset and returning to traditional canon, they've kept the doors wide open for subsequent movies and telling new stories with the original characters. Even so, I'm hoping they might sneak a tribble or two in there at some point.

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  6. Apparently, there WAS a tribble in ST. When we first meet Scotty, there is reportedly one behind him in the outpost. I didn't see it, but the trivia on IMDB mentions it.

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