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[scarred]

Just got back from a preview screening of this, and damn if it isn't the best Trek movie since Wrath of Kahn. The new actors are morphed seamlessly into the original crew, but even as the acknowledge old character molds, they immediately start to break free of them. Each of the main bridge crew says their key catchphrases without ever breaking their stride (and plenty of other intensively nerdy references are abound), but at the same time, this isn't diplomatic, bumpy foreheads, alien ambassadors Star Trek. This is an action adventure. It's funny. It's awesome. And although sometimes it's even a little too fast-paced even for me, it makes up for it because FUCKING PLANETS IMPLODE.

Anyone else seen it yet?

[Jimmy the Squid]

Actually about to step out to see this at the IMAX right now. Trip report tomorrow, I just need to decide which jacket to wear.

[LTK]

I just saw it yesterday evening. I found it really good too. If you've never seen the original Star Trek, it's an exhilirating action adventure. If you did, it's even mrore than that, and yet it never falls short for the newcomers.
I was quite impressed by how they kept the action going all the way through narrating the backstory. But I don't really know much more to say about it. Great movie, period.

[Jimmy the Squid]

Yeah. I'm not posting any spoilers or anything except to say that this is definitely the best film I've seen this year and, I think, is up there with films like The Dark Knight and Iron Man (two of my favourites). I'm not much of a Star Trek nerd (still a nerd, just not much) and I absolutely loved it. My girlfriend doesn't even like science fiction and she thought it was awesome.

See this film. Seriously.

[scarred]

Also, an entertaining video featuring Chris Pine & Zachary Quinto getting interviewed by... that kind of Trekkie.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/70333/access-hollywood-chris-pine-and-zachary-quinto-talk-star-trek

The uncomfortableness is so lol'worthy.

[Dimmukane]

Holy crap those guys are scared for their lives.

[Ozymandias]

Anyone who leaves this movie unsatisfied simply hates being alive and should go ahead and cease.

[Gridgm]

it was going all very well as an action movie until they started tryign to explain things...then it started hurting my brain

[JD]

[Kugai]

FOCAROFLMAO!

[Professor Snuggles]

Yeah but seriously this was fuccin great, no complaints.

[Lines]

Also, an entertaining video featuring Chris Pine & Zachary Quinto getting interviewed by... that kind of Trekkie.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/70333/access-hollywood-chris-pine-and-zachary-quinto-talk-star-trek

The uncomfortableness is so lol'worthy.

Bahahahaha! This is awesome.

[RallyMonkey]

I went with a group of about 12 people, 10 of which were just kind of roped in at the last second because they had nothing else to do, and about 7 of which never even watched the original Star Trek. Everyone walked out of the movie satisfied, I was extremely surprised.

My only complaint, and it's one that stems purely from enjoying the movie, is that it seemed too much to be purely set-up for a franchise. Right when you really start getting into it, and when the characters start to truly get developed, the movie ends. When they vanquish the protagonist, I was extremely surprised, because I didn't think things would be ending so quickly.

[Ozymandias]

Antagonist.

Yeah, there's already a sequel in the works, directed by Abrams again and written but the head writer of Lost, Damon Lindelof, who is utterly fantastic. I can't wait.

[Professor Snuggles]

Honestly, yeah, that is sort of my biggest complaint as well. I would be really happy if they just made a series out of it right now, fucc the films, because I know there's no way they will delve as much into the exploration/diplomacy/weird sci-fi stuff in the movies as they could in a series.

[0bsessions]

Just saw it tonight, and good god it was fucking good.

This was clearly tailor made for me, the non-Trek fan. Generations is the only Star Trek movie I've ever seen before and I've never watched an episode of any of the shows. This was very much an Abrams piece, though. It just felt like his work and it did not disappoint on any level. All the actors were fun and my only complaint is that Chris Pine would've been even better as a young Han Solo than Kirk.

My biggest fear going in was that the actors I was familiar with (Quinto, Pegg and Cho) would just come off as the characters I was used to them as in federation shirts, but everyone pretty much nailed it. As it should be, though, Pine absolutely fucking stole the show (And with the level of badass and authority he showed, I'm ready to hand him the role of Captain America any time now).

[JD]

I still say the eyebrows look weird.

[Inlander]

This was clearly tailor made for me, the non-Trek fan.

You're right! Abrams has said in more than one interview that he's not a Star Trek fan, so he wanted to make a version of Star Trek that he found interesting.

I haven't seen the film yet. I almost always go to see films by myself 'cause I normally go see arty-farty stuff, and big commercial blockbusters aren't really the kind of film you go see by yourself.

[scarred]

...and big commercial blockbusters aren't really the kind of film you go see by yourself.

Before this movie, this sentence would have never applied to anything Trek. Go, J.J.!

[Tom]

Has a Hal Jordon been cast yet, 'cause Pine wouldn't be half bad.

[The_Bartender]

As a long time Trek fan (I first started watching with my Dad in the early '70s as a child), I was VERY anxious about this film.  Given the track record recently, Paramount is considered to be as close to the Anti-Christ in the opinion of many older Trek fans, between the mediocre scripts, re-use of ideas and constant F*****G around with continuity.

This move KICKED ASS!  I can accept the overall story regarding why THIS Star Trek is different from the Original Series in the '60s, the acting is great without being parodies of the original actors (okay, Chekov pushes this one a little) the updates to the look (with one BIG exception, in my book) are understandable and fit the story.

Leonard Nimoy's role feels like it belongs in the movie and wasn't just pandering to the older fans.  I know Shatner wanted a role, but I don't see how he could have been worked in, unless he played a Kirk family character, such as an uncle.  Given the current story line from the previous movies, Kirk is dead, period.

They now have clean slate.  Here's hoping they use it wisely.


Okay, the big exception I had regarding the changes to the look of the technology was the engineering room.  Come on!  Big steel cylinders with tubes and hand turned valves?  HUGE open areas for no obvious purpose?  Catwalks all over the place for no real purpose either?  Seriously, the engine room looks like something from the middle scenes of an average action adventure movie, NOT the engine room of a 23rd Century starship.  (Actually, it was filmed in a brewery!)  Okay, that's my geek rant over with.

[0bsessions]

Has a Hal Jordon been cast yet, 'cause Pine wouldn't be half bad.

Oh wow. You're right. Chris Pine would knock that out of the park.

[WriterofAllWrongs]

Would anyone believe that Bones was played by Eomer?  Because, honestly, Karl Urban is a chameleon.

[Lines]

Yes. And he did a pretty good job.

This movie was totally awesome. It was nerdy, it was badass, it was funny, and was fun to watch. Also, Spock was dreamy.

[Is it cold in here?]

Everyone seems to be avoiding spoilers, so I'll do the same.

This movie was good.

It exceeded my expectations.

The Kirk/Spock dynamics were *right*.

That Uhura thing (you know the one if you've seen it) was just plain wrong on every axis along which you can measure rightness and wrongness.

Not a lot of sense of wonder.

I like Pike.

[no one special]

This was clearly tailor made for me, the non-Trek fan.

Hmmm - that is an interesting statement.  Being a Trekker myself (but luckily not a crazy one), I actually thought I would gotten less out of it if I didn't already know Star Trek.  There wasn't much in they way of explaining much about the characters before they are introduced into the movie - I didn't mind because I already knew who they were and I was just excited just to see them, but if I didn't already know I wouldn't have understood what all the hubbub was about.  I thought it was fabulous, because there was less to weigh the movie down.  For a reboot, I would have expected more exposition for the non-Trekkers. 

This does not mean I'm complaining about the movie!  I loved it!!  I thought it was great from top to bottom, the look of it, the actors, it was fabulous, I can't wait to see it again.  I am super-glad that everyone, from one end of the spectrum to the other, can enjoy this movie, it really is well done.  Maybe what I'm missing is that it was great for non-Trekkers, but it was just that much better for the Trekkers who caught all the little winks and Easter eggs.


@ Linds: It's so awesome that you're still rockin' the brainslug!  I haven't seen any in forever - I'm glad I'm not the only one who still likes it

[no one special]

damn, i just realized that imageshack seems to have deleted my avatar.  I hope I can find it on my harddrive somewhere...   

[Lines]

I'm not the only one!

[Will]

Yeah, brainslugs are back, bitches!fellow forumites whom I would never refer to in a condescending or sexist manner.

I haven't seen this yet, but I'm hoping to catch it this week. I'll post again once I've seen it.

[A. Smith]

Saw it Saturday.

awesome.

I think what impressed me the most was how every new actor played the roles perfectly. It wasn't "New McCoy" I was watching (or Eomer, for that matter), but Leonard "I'm a doctor, not a physicist" McCoy. And, honestly, this film had better acting then any other star trek film.

It made the movie for me.

[0bsessions]

This was clearly tailor made for me, the non-Trek fan.

Hmmm - that is an interesting statement.  Being a Trekker myself (but luckily not a crazy one), I actually thought I would gotten less out of it if I didn't already know Star Trek.  There wasn't much in they way of explaining much about the characters before they are introduced into the movie - I didn't mind because I already knew who they were and I was just excited just to see them, but if I didn't already know I wouldn't have understood what all the hubbub was about.  I thought it was fabulous, because there was less to weigh the movie down.  For a reboot, I would have expected more exposition for the non-Trekkers. 

It seems to me that you underestimate the non Trek movie-going audience. The movie was clearly about Spock and Kirk, both of whom got plenty of explanation. While I am familiar with names and certain things, Star Trek Generations is the only Star Trek related media I have ever sat down and watched all the way through (Not even an entire single episode of any of the shows). Maybe I got less than others (I could tell I missed some inside jokes), but Abrams made it clear early on that his goal was to make it accessible, and he did. There wasn't a single point in the movie where I found myself wondering "what the fuck just happened?" or "who was that and why should I give a shit?" It's not that I just don't ask these questions, as I spent the entirety of Prince Caspian turning to my girlfriend and asking her what the fuck was going on.

I really believe it followed the mold of Iron Man and Dark Knight pretty much flawlessly: it was pleasing to the fans, without being two hours of fan service that alienates the casual movie-goer. Unlike Dark Knight and Iron Man, however, this time I was the casual movie goer and was able to really appreciate what they did.

[Ozymandias]

Yeah, Star Trek is part of American culture. You don't really have to explain who Spock is, just like you don't have to explain who Superman is. I mean, sure, the average American won't know all the specifics of SUperman, nor will they Spock, but if you show them a dude with pointy ears and a V hand gesture, they're gonna say "Oh, hey Spock."

That said, I did get way more from the movie as a Star Trek fan than I expected. Lots of great, great little references, like the running gag of Uhura's first name, the slug thing Nero used on Pike, putting Pike in a wheelchair at the end, etc. etc.

[Alex C]

Besides, let's face it: exposition is basically the absolute worst thing you can use when dealing with non-fans. As Obsessions put it, they made the movie about Spock and Kirk first and foremost; it didn't really matter much if the non-fans got a bit mixed up on some of the details of Federation history because there was an easily relatable story right there in front of them to enjoy. One of the problems with fandom in general is that they have loved their favorite settings and trivial details for so long that they don't remember a time when they didn't care about that stuff yet. This often causes people to lose sight of the fact that nine times out of ten it's the characters and relationships that got them interested in the first place. This is why Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings worked and David Lynch's Dune didn't. You didn't need to know anything about the Rohirrim to understand their place in LotR; they were a people at risk of losing their lives and legacy. Nor do you even really need to know much about Vulcans to appreciate that Kirk and Spock are friends despite being very different. By contrast, David Lynch tried to show the whole Dune iceberg in one film and that's just not going to work because people don't give a damn about history lessons describing a universe filled with people they don't care about. The trick is to draw people in with the story and to then let them develop affection for the setting itself at their own pace.

[LTK]

Yeah, Star Trek is part of American culture. You don't really have to explain who Spock is, just like you don't have to explain who Superman is. I mean, sure, the average American won't know all the specifics of SUperman, nor will they Spock, but if you show them a dude with pointy ears and a V hand gesture, they're gonna say "Oh, hey Spock."

That said, I did get way more from the movie as a Star Trek fan than I expected. Lots of great, great little references, like the running gag of Uhura's first name, the slug thing Nero used on Pike, putting Pike in a wheelchair at the end, etc. etc.

Now you did get me interested about those things. I was wondering what happened to that slug after they saved him. What was it about the wheelchair, then?

[jimbunny]

Damn. Now my expectations are really high.

[0bsessions]

Now you did get me interested about those things. I was wondering what happened to that slug after they saved him. What was it about the wheelchair, then?

I went with some Star Trek fans, so I had that explained to me afterward:

When Pike showed up in the original series, he was apparently crippled and confined to a kind of wheelchair like thing. If you've ever watched the Futurama episode concerning Star Trek, the thingy Fry is in that speaks only in beeps and boops was an apparent reference to it.

[Ozymandias]

Yep. Pike was the original captain of the Enterprise NCC-1701 but was horribly crippled, forcing him to be placed in a big, weird, robotic wheelchair thing.

The slug was a reference to Wrath of Khan; Khan used the exact same thing on Sulu to bring Kirk to him.

Uhura's first name was a reference to the fact that for the last 40 years, Uhura never officially had a first name. Nichelle Nichols eventually made one up(the one used in the move- Nyota) and it was adopted by books written by fans and such, but was never officially made canon until this movie.

Other random references:

Delta Vega, the planet Spock marooned Kirk on, was a planet in the Original Series that Kirk marooned a friend on(at Spock's suggestion), because he was mutating into a super-powerful psionic being. It's worth noting thatthey moved the planet from the edge of the galaxy to near Vulcan, just to suit the purposes of the story and still make the reference.

The Kobayashi Maru test was also a plot point in Wrath of Khan, as it opens with new cadets taking the same test, then Kirk recounting how he "beat" it. (Also, while he's talking about it in Wrath of Khan, he's munching an apple, much the same way he is doing in this movie while actually doing the test).

The redshirt reference was obvious and hilarious.

The backstory between Spock and Nero is actually mired really deep in continuity and is worth reading in the form of Star Trek: Countdown(a comic book miniseries) if you can acquire it.

[Tom]

For those not in America or Canada with no real major fan history, you're probably better off downloading that miniseries:

Code: [Select]

http://rapidshare.com/files/216870450/Star_Trek_-_Countdown__1-4.rar
Once downloaded, you need to unpack the archive using winRAR or something similar. To read the .cbr/.cbz files you'll need CDisplay.

[Ozymandias]

Which is why I used the nebulous verb of "acquire"

[no one special]

Maybe what I'm missing is that it was great for non-Trekkers, but it was just that much better for the Trekkers who caught all the little winks and Easter eggs.

So my second supposition was correct.  Glad to hear it.  What really made it make sense to me was when Alex C mentioned LOTR.  I'd never read a single one of those books, but I enjoyed the movies.  I still say there's no way they keep Helms Deep.  Just saying. 

Also, my other favorite wink:

Kirk: "What special combat training do you have?"
Sulu: "Fencing."

 

[LTK]

Delta Vega, the planet Spock marooned Kirk on, was a planet in the Original Series that Kirk marooned a friend on(at Spock's suggestion), because he was mutating into a super-powerful psionic being. It's worth noting that they moved the planet from the edge of the galaxy to near Vulcan, just to suit the purposes of the story and still make the reference.

Ah, I see. What kinda bothered me about Delta Vega was that elderly Spock just happened to be stranded on that planet too. It's all fine that they kill or otherwise dispose of half of the initial crew on the bridge to get the characters in there so that it fits with the story of the original Star Trek, but that coincidence was just a bit too improbable.

(Hey, why can't I put in spoiler tags? I don't have the proper permission? I'll just have to shrink it then...)

[Ozymandias]

Shoot! The fencing thing! I knew there was another nod to a TOS episode, but couldn't remember it.

Also, LTK, that coincidence made sense. Since it was the closest planet to Vulcan, it seemed the logical place to dump both of them. The coincidence that didn't make sense was Scotty being there.

[0bsessions]

(Hey, why can't I put in spoiler tags? I don't have the proper permission? I'll just have to shrink it then...)

There are no spoiler tags on this forum. You just inadvertently stumbled onto the manner in which we all post spoilers.

Anyways, I don't see what everyone's problems with coincidence is. Just about every story ever written is based on a long series of increasingly unlikely coincidence. For example, that time that a pair of droids just so happened to come into the care of their previous owner's son, after being sent down their by said farm boy's long lost sister.

[Ozymandias]

Well, except for the fact that the droids were once Anakin's, that all actually makes logical sense in context and isn't a coincidence at all.

[0bsessions]

To be fair, in context, you know who ending up there makes sense with the explanation concerning his professor's dog.

[KvP]

Star Trek and Star Wars have very different, metaphysically. Star Trek isn't "hard" sci-fi by any means (it's not Alien) but it likes science and things that sound like they're science. Star Wars is high fantasy with starships. Nothing that happens in Star Wars is really coincidental. It's all destiny and prophecy and shit.

[UTAlan]

I loved this movie. I'll probably go back and see it in theaters at least once more!

To be fair, in context, you know who ending up there makes sense with the explanation concerning his professor's dog.

Admiral Archer's dog, actually. That was one of my favorite parts, actually.

Kind of on that note, does anyone know off-hand in what year this is supposed to be taking place? I'm trying to figure out if it makes sense for it to have been the above mentioned Admiral's dog.

[0bsessions]

Kind of on that note, does anyone know off-hand in what year this is supposed to be taking place? I'm trying to figure out if it makes sense for it to have been the above mentioned Admiral's dog.

According to the dude from Lost and Iron Man, the opening's stardate is "223304," with the bulk of the movie taking place twenty-five years later. According to Spock later in the movie, he's from the year 2387, and he's flung about 154 years into the past, pegging it around 2233.

ETA: Whoops. Anyways, I'm reasonably sure the parts I didn't shrink convey the answer without much spoilage.

[Sox]

^ Spoiler.

[Ozymandias]

So, in short, no, the reference makes no sense in continuity unless it is his grandson who also has a beagle.