Spectacular.

To be honest, the only real qualm I had with the film was the following:


I get that during an emergency, the cadets could be graduated early and assigned to ships right away, but come on:

Oh, so you've just finished a whole three years of Starfleet training? And you snuck on my ship illegally during a crisis? Well, I did know your dad, and that was a pretty awesome bar fight...
Congratulations, I'm promoting you to first officer over all the well-trained and experienced officers on board!

Wow, you did some fairly good stuff there, how about you take the ship. After all, one single successful mission totally qualifies you to be the Captain of the flagship of the fleet. Well done, young man![i]


I mean, really.

The whole film is full of plot holes though, it really doesn't stand up to too much analysis!

Am I on the ignore list?

Now that's downright unsettling. It's like a mirror.

Did somebody just say something?

ETA:

Bad Astronomy’s Review of the Science of ‘Star Trek’ - Contains major spoilers if you haven't seen the film, but it does make for an interesting read!

He did save the entire planet though. I'd say that's pretty good.

I thought it was bloody good. Glad we sat near the front and I must say I really liked the way the space scenes were shot and scored. It really gave them something I couldn't really describe but it worked very well.

Great casting as well. Major kudos to Messrs Quinto, Pine and Urban especially.

I look forward to the inevitable sequel.

I think it needs a sequel, after all, one swallow does not a summer make . . .

The way they have pushed the reset button on this one will now allow them to cherry pick the better stories in Trek-lore for any future films, but they will also have to pick the characters they want to work with (hopefully, Kirk, Spock and McCoy) because there simply isn't enough time in a film to give everyone their moment in the spotlight.

Twas very good. The use of Sabotage in J T Kirks intro was awesome.

I enjoyed it, but had some reservations.

It was sad to see that Gene Roddenberry's founding principle of understanding and peaceful co-existence was torn up, doused in petrol & set alight. The scene where Kirk & Spock work out whether or not to be merciful really stuck in my throat.

Chris Pine & Zachary Quinto were both very good and Karl Urban was wonderful, perfectly inhabiting the character that DeForest Kelly created - it's just a shame that he didn't really get much of a chance to shine.

The references to the Original Series were great, the Kobyashi Maru simulator was hysterical, with Pine channelling Shatner and casually eating an apple (a reference to the Wrath of Khan) as all the mayhem unfolded around him.

All-in-all, it was great fun and a good set-up for a potentially long-running series, but I just hope that they can start adopting (even if in just some small way), some of the optimism and humanist ideals that Roddenberry created.

Kev W

I know what you mean but Eric Bana had killed their parents.

Probably going to see it tomorrow with two of my housemates, both of whom are massive Trek fans (I only really like TNG, the rest of it does nothing for me). I'm really quite looking forward to it, they are wary.

I thought the opposite, that they were a little flippant about that.
And I wanted more McCoy curmudgeonliness.

Otherwise, great!

I particularly liked:

• seeing Kirk's winning Kobayashi Maru.
• "I'm a doctor, not a physicist!"
• The green lady.

Great film. Almost perfectly cast... + some great comic moments. Are you outta your Vulcan mind?!
Lived up to expectation. I gives it an 8/10.

Saw it this afternoon, and must say it was terrific fun on a bun. The entire cast was fabulous(Chris Pine is a fucking movie star), fantastic action sequences, and wonderful and funny dialogue.

I really want to see it again.

I did a brief summary in Cinemexperience but I'll do a tad more detail here.

I loved it. I'm not a fan of the original series, or the movies thereof, and always preferred TNG. However, the things that I liked about the series, most notably the relationships between the characters, were present and correct in the new film but mixed in with top drawer special effects, a witty script and a wonderful cast. Every one of the crew got the essence of their characters down but none of them felt like they were retreading old ground, even when they were parroting catchphrases. Chris Pine, in particular, seemed to stand out as the cast member who was doing the best work with his character, making for a much more likable, charming and energetic Kirk than Shatner.

Eric Bana was a pretty solid villain but not spectacular. However, since the film was about the crew, a less than stellar villain could be forgiven.

J.J. Abrams brings his customary flair to the direction of the film, making the action sequences spectacular without feeling like just eye candy, and he imbues them with an excitement and sense of peril that was very refreshing.

It's probably not a great Trek film, in terms of its themes and tone, but as a start to a new franchise and continuity, it stands up as a terrific blockbuster and I will be surprised (and pleased) if another film proves to more purely enjoyable than this one this summer.

I saw it last night, and am echoing most of the other comments.

I bloody loved it. The pre-title sequence was visually stunning and emotionally heartbreaking, I loved the comedy in the film (both with great dialogue and some wonderful comedy action moments - Chris Pine in particular hit exactly the right notes), the performances were fabulous (again - Pine, Quinto, Urban in particular but I thought Simon did a fabulous job as Scotty and I was very impressed with his accent), and I got a real kick out of the nods to TOS:


McCoy: Dammit man, I'm a doctor, not a physicist!
Scotty: I'm givin' you all she's got, Cap'n!


The special effects were seamlessly blended with the live footage and the scoring was superb.

9/10. Can't wait for the next one.

Was his accent that good? Maybe it's because I saw it with an actual Scot and got a fairly detailed dissection of it afterwards, but we both agreed that it was a pretty daft accent, but that's perfect because the character wouldn't be Scotty if the accent was realistic.

I thought it was pretty good. There are about a million different Scottish accents and I thought he struck a nice balance between a comedy Glaswegian-esque accent and something that was understandable for those not used to hearing that kind of accent.

I have rarely seen movies that are perfectly cast, but this one definitely was. Everyone was pitch perfect for their roles all the way down to Winona Ryder and the guy who played Kirk's Dad. I was in fact amazed that Ryder did not annoy at all, and even felt a twinge of sadness at her death. That's how good a film maker Abrams is..

The movie was brilliantly written with just enough homage to original Trek. I haven't heard that much appaluse at a Sci Fi flick since I saw Serenity. Sure there are plot holes, but nowhere near as many as there were in the episodes of original Trek. And re: Roddenberry's vision of tolerance and peace, didn't Kirk get into a fist fight with someone almost every episode? The universe is a dangerous place folks.

Favorite moment:

Scotty beaming Admiral Archer's beagle into oblivion! Does this mean they bring on an aged Bakula next film?

All in all it's the most fun I've had at a theatre in a long time. Dawn was dancing in her seat at the end.

I have to say that as a card carrying Trekkie I absolutely loved it. Enough new stuff that it didn't feel like a rehash of old material and enough nods to the original series to keep my inner geek happy. I'll admit I even teared up a little at "I have been, and always shall be, your friend". Although that was mostly down to Nimoy's fantastic performance as the older Spock. also, am I alone in thinking that the contrast between young, wanting to be rid of his emotions Quinto-Spock and older, wiser, comfortable with who and what he is Nimoy-Spock really brought an extra bit of depth and empathy to the character?

Does anyone else think, that as this is effectively the first film in a new series, that it would have been better to have Pine doing the voice over at the end of the film? It was a nice touch having Nimoy do it, but I think it would have helped to underline that this is a fresh-start by having Pine do it - he is Kirk after all!

I thought that it was a nice touch to have Nimoy launch the new cast into their future as the face of Star Trek - kind of a passing of the torch.


Yeah, I loved the additional depth that it gave to the character too - you see his evolution as a person.

I want to see it again already

Sorry, missed this on the page roll-over!







I thought Quinto's Spock seemed a lot more open to his emotions than Spock traditionally did during the TV series.

Maybe I phrased that badly. What I meant was that Quinto-Spock seemed more open to his emotions but also more conflicted over them. As opposed to the classic Trek Spock who was very much in control of them and Nimoy's Ambassador Spock who seemed to be a character come to terms with who and what he is. In essence Young Spock wants to be rid of his human half, middle-aged Spock has repressed it and old Spock has embraced it. Does that make more sense?

I always prefer to hear Nimoy say it, personally. More gravitas. I get what you're saying, though. And to tell the truth, Picard always delivered it the best. Sheesh.

Ohhhhhh!.... I get it now.

Yeah, that made me laugh.

Just seen it, thought it was amazing, loved that it's beginning its own continuity, but making all the right references to the original series with Scotty/Bones catchphrases, and other nice touches like Sulu fencing.

Also didn't scotty name his instructor as Archer, as in 'Enterprise'?

Ooooh, and another scene I quite enjoyed, When Nero's ship was being pulled into the black hole and Kirk + Spock were speaking about being Merciful and allowing Nero a way out, yet when he declines they're quite happy with that

Yes it's Admiral Archer and his prize Beagle.

It's also ironic that the only part of Trek lore that can now still be considered to be canon, in this time line at least, are the events depicted in Enterprise . . .

I really liked when Spock and Old Spock met at the end and Old Spock said ''Since my usual goodbye would seem oddly self-serving'', or words to that effect. Very witty, I thought.

Also another nice little throwback to the original series..

When Kirk and Sulu parachuted down to the drill/laser, the bloke with them who got cocky and snuffed it was in red suit!

I read an 'interesting' article about how the Beastie Boys are now canon, does this make their references to Star Trek prophetic.

I guessed that'd happen when you see the 3 of them in the shuttle before that.
It was such a satisfying pay off, I laughed and almost applauded.

Yeah, I thought "Red Suit, uh-oh".

Then as soon as they're diving, he's being cocky and Sulu and Kirk are yelling at him to open his parachute, It's pretty much a confirmation the dude is a goner.

Here's Joe's review:

I loved it. Perhaps not quite as amazing as some people made me think, it was hardly God's gift to cinema, but I had great fun watching it. It managed to perfectly capture the feel of the original movies, and bring it into the 21st Century. The effects were sublime throughout, the casting perfect, and everything else was great.

My one complaint is that even though I avoided almost all spoilers, I was still always 1 step ahead of the plot and figured out practically everything that was going to happen. Off the top of my head, Scotty's introduction was the only surprise to me. And even then I knew he'd be coming along shortly, because I thought he'd somehow be involved in helping Kirk and Spock there.

Speaking of Spock, this was really his movie. Kirk was of course brilliant, and every bit as reckless and arrogant as a young James T should be. But everything centred around Spock, and I liked that. He was perfectly acted, and his story felt right for the character. The rest of the cast didn't really get much screen time, but again they were all right for the part and felt like the younger version of my childhood heroes.

The Enterprise itself was also lovely. Externally, it even looked like a model somehow. It was wonderful to look at, and moved and sounded perfect. Inside, it was very different, but still very familiar at the same time. I loved the design of it completely.

From the opening scene when I heard all the sirens and computer noises, I was hooked. I remained hooked throughout, though like I said I knew too much of what was going on. The level of action was far higher than any other Trek outing, but it felt right in context and the whole product felt like Trek at heart. I loved all the little references and quotes, and the soundtrack was amazing.

Overall, a brilliant and worthy addition to the franchise, and easily on-par with II-IV. It had all the elements that made each of those films great (or merely "good", in III's case) - the cast, the baddie, the humor, the action. It's not the best in the series, but then I struggle to think of what is.


Roll on Star Trek 2.



EDIT: I can't wait until July when Chelsea is next here. I've managed to rope her into watching movies II-IV on my parents lovely huge plasma screen and loads of speaker system (though it hardly took any effort - she loved this new one and even saw it before I did, and has never seen any other Trek before). I've not seen them in years, and I'm tempted to watch one now. But I'll wait because it'll look and sound so much better than my little 19" TV can offer. Even though it is a nifty TV.

EDIT 2: Just in case you were wondering, the Star Trek soundtrack blaring out at full volume (so loud my drink is shaking) is in fact just as awesome as you might think.

It was a great movie, but was it a great Star Trek movie? I'm not sure. Clearly, it wasn't meant for the old Trekker in me, but the further away I get from my adolescence, the more I seem to be losing that element. These days I guess I'm what you'd call a nominal Reform Trekker.

It took me a little while to get beyond my outrage at the liberties they were taking with the old characters and the utter glee with which they destroyed the old timeline, but once I did get beyond that, I had a hell of a lot of fun. I didn't even notice the gratuitous lens flares.

As with Joe, I too avoided every spoiler possible, and still often found myself a step ahead of things. But that's all right for a shiny, high-concept sci-fi actioner.

The casting, for the most part, was pretty darn good. I didn't like Chris Pine as Kirk, 'cos he was too much the brash, overconfident, hunky rebel for my liking, and I haven't been a 14-year-old girl for, like, ever... And Anton Yelchin certainly had the comic Russkie accent, but otherwise he was no Chekov. But Zachary Quinto made a very decent Spock, really bringing the conflicted nature of his dual-heritage to the fore without completely abandoning Nimoy's more cerebral original take. And Karl Urban was excellent as McCoy.

Just saw it: Spock Notch Entertainment.

EDIT: I sat there with a James Tiberius smirk on my face as it was all such RomuFUN. Vulcan great.

Yes indeed. I geeked out over that too.

The beginning of Wrath of Khan links so beautifully to this movie, thanks to all the references. They feel connected on an even greater level than Star Wars III and IV.

I love how they've managed to do what Lucas intended, and done it almost by accident, too.

EDIT: To copy what I said on MSN to someone:

I'm almost glad that movie had a few problems. I was starting to worry it'd completely outclass the originals, and that would be a shame really, if people would see the new one and not be able to go and watch the others. If anything though, seeing the new one makes Wrath of Khan even better. Which is incredible, especially as they're completely unrelated
They just link perfectly
Even closer than the new and original Star Wars movies do
And it's not as intentional or essential as them, either
What they put into the new movie as intended little homages and references has accidentally gone so much further and made this new movie incredibly epic and made it completely span into their later lives too, through Wrath of Khan
They did what Lucas wanted to do, and didn't completely intend to do it, either. It works on such a level it's impossible that that deliberately did it, it's too subtle and too obvious at the same time. You'll see in July.
I think part of that is because everyone, cast and crew, loved the project and loved Star Trek. And I don't think that was the case with the new Star Wars movies. It never feels like Lucas loves Star Wars as much as he should
Their love and respect for the project carries into the final product

One thing...
Nero's Evil Plan: "I SAW MY HOME PLANET BE DESTROYED BY SPOCK'S INABILITY TO GO FAST AND SO NOW THAT I HAVE GONE BACK IN TIME, I SHALL DESTROY EVERY FEDERATION PLANET IN ORDER TO PROTECT MY OWN DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS WILL ULTIMATELY ACHIEVE NOTHING AS THAT STAR WILL STILL GO SUPERNOVA AND DESTROY MY PLANET, AND THOSE THAT COULD HELP ME NOW THAT I HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE TIME TO WARN THEM WILL ALL BE DEAD! MY PLAN IS FLAWLESS! MWAHAHAHAHA!"

I think it was less "by doing this I shall save my world!!" and more "By doing this I shall have evil over the top revenge on the man that failed to save my home!!". At least, that's how I interpreted it.

It was really really good.



Oh yeahhhh. Hmmm, that was silly of him.

This has been bothering one of my very Trekkie housemates and I thought I'd throw it open to everyone here to see if there is a suitable explanation:

Romulus was not destroyed in any continuity that follows TOS. Even given the amount of time that Spock says has passed, 136 years, I think he said, the puts the destruction of Romulus well within the timeline of other TV shows in which Romulus was not destroyed. My question is, then, does that mean that the film only considers TOS to be canon, even before any time travel shenanigans occur, or did something alter the timeline and cause the star to die when it shouldn't have?

If anyone could offer an explanation my housemate an explanation then I'd appreciate it since it would finally shut him up.

Also, Joe, could you expand upon your theories about the connections between Star Trek and Wrath of Khan, I'm not sure I understand what you mean.

It's actually all explained in the comic series that was published. Basically all of this takes place just after Star Trek: Nemesis. Spock is living on Romulus as the Vulcan ambassador, striving for reunification (as was shown in the TNG 2-parter called Reunification), LaForge has left Starfleet and is making a living designing ships (he made the one that old Spock takes back in time with him) and Nero's ship got all big and badass through Romulan experiments with Borg technology. Long story short, the Federation knew Romulus was going to be destroyed, Spock tried to help, but was held up by the Vulcan High Command, Nero mined the red stuff that they were going to use to stop Romulus being destroyed and when that failed he went a bit crazy and decided it was all Spock's fault, stole some top-secret Romulan military experiments from a space station and went back in time.

I just mean that watching Khan I can think back to the references to it in Star Trek, and it fits nicely.

Khan is in no way a sequel, because it's a different timeline. But the crew were the same people when they were younger, and the ship simulation etc is a nice tie-in.

Show him this timeline, Maian
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Star_Trek

Edit: I missed that