So, I’m assuming you’ve seen it by now, right? Otherwise, what kind of geek would you be? (The kind of geek that gets their credentials revoked.) J.J. Abrams’ reboot is well on its way to making a cargo hold full of cash in its opening weekend, and it has been leaving critics giddy with praise — including our own Owen Gleiberman, who gave Star Trek an A-. I’m gonna give some SPOILER-LADEN thoughts of my own after the jump.
Me, I thought it was good. Very good, even. But not great. For me, it was missing a real sense of jeopardy — the feeling that, just maybe, not everyone would’ve made it out alive. But you sort of knew that the Enterprise’s bridge crew would survive their maiden voyage intact, so you never thought that Kirk or Spock or even Sulu was in any real danger. (Though we did get a handy red-shirt to take one for the team.) In that regard, I’m really surprised that Capt. Pike survived: He seemed ready-made for the mentor-who-dies-so-the-hero-can-move-on role (see: Obi-Wan Kenobi). But if the filmmakers had any huevos, they’d have killed off Old Spock. Why have two Spocks roaming around the cosmos, when the elder’s death would’ve added such a sense of loss, of permanence? After all, Spock died in the best Trek movie ever…you don’t mess with what works.
But it was not Starfleet Babies. And for that, I’m eternally grateful. What did you think? Over the moon, pleased as punch, or aghast at the heretical liberties taken?
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I really enjoyed it. It was a fresh new look at Star Trek, one that will appeal to not just nerds and trekkies but people who have never watched the franchise before. Other than Winona Ryder as Spock’s mother and Chekov’s horrible accent, the casting was spot on. I was definitely leery about Chris Pine as Kirk but he definitely got cocky I can do anything attitude of Kirk down. Another plus for me was that it had to be the funniest movie of the franchise (with Star Trek IV a close second), a lot of tongue in cheek moments that a Trekkie could spot. Sometimes I was the only one laughing in the theater which just verified to myself that I’m an incredible dork. But the big importance of the movie was not the plot but the character interactions of Kirk & Spock – the newest and oldest odd couple – as well as the other characters. Kudos to JJ and the entire cast for a great movie.
In the words of Barney, “Star Trek was g — wait for it — reat. Great.” Personally I’m very happy that the old Spock wasn’t killed; killing off characters for the “sense of loss” is now becoming cliche.
I enjoyed it and thought it was fun with a lot of humor. Chris Pine will become a hot property in the business as is take on Kirk was certainly his own. Quinto as Spock was very good and Leonard Nimoy as Older Spock was really touching. His appearence is no cameo as he gets solid screen time. Its fast moving with some flaws but as a reboot origin story it works pretty well. 8 out of 10.
http://blog.entertainmenttodayandbeyond.com/
chuck
Awesome! simply put.
I can’t wait to see it. http://www.bbwdatingsingles.com/
Well, revoke my “geek credentials” then… I’m not seeing it. I have nothing against it, even though I dislike the idea of others playing the classic characters AND I dislike the fact that they’re altering Trek’s history, I’m just not interested. Been there, done that, bought the action figures. I still think Chris Pine looks like he’d wet his pants at the sight of a Klingon battleship. But, hey, if other people like it that’s cool. I’d rather see reruns of the original show, TNG and (the underrated) DS9. I’ve been done with Trek since DS9 ended, really. Funny thing though… This might be the first time ever that people are ridiculed for NOT liking Star Trek.
I’m going to see you this Monday. I go into this movie as a “Non-Trek Fan”, but I hear you don’t been to be a fan to enjoy this movie. Can’t wait to see it actually.
http://tvdonewright.com/2009/05/09/andy-samberg-to-host-saturday-night-live-digital-short-special/
My only gripe was that there was not more Simon Pegg. Other than that – it was AWESOME. I’m already excited for the sequel.
I absolutely loved it! My family saw it on IMAX, which if you can, DO SO!!! The only thing that kind of threw me for a loop was the slight romance between Uhurha and Spock. In the original tv series there was never any indication of anything, but since they’ve got everyone signed on for multiple movies, maybe they’ll squish it?
Also, I was so disappointed in the beginning when there were no chimes and “Space, the final frontier, etc, etc”
HOWEVER, I thought doing it at the end was brilliant. I was basically smiling the whole time with this big, dopey grin on my face and I practically jumped out of my seat I was so excited with how they ended it.
All in all I thought they did an amazing job of paying tribute to the original series while making it appealing to the younger generations. I’m in college and I’ve been telling everyone I know to go see it- hopefully it works!
I saw Star Trek with my son, husband, and dad – so an age range from 6 to 65…. We all greatly enjoyed it, on many levels! It was exciting, funny, and just an all-around good story. The cast was great. I’m no Trekkie, but found it very accessible; my husband is a Trek fan, and he said it was “authentic but modern”. Check out my review with my Dad on YouTube: “Gab and Dad review Star Trek”.
What I liked was they way they found a way to put their own spin on it without ruining canon. By having the Time Travel story, their lives are all going to take a different path. So by throwing canon out the window they can keep it in tact, as weird as that sounds. Which is why that now I am worried about the characters fates in the later movies, as they don’t have to follow the timeline anymore. Please don’t let Chekov get eaten by a tribble swarm!!!
I don’t think I’ve been so enthused about a movie since Return of the King. It was absolutely spectacular. Consider me a Trek convert…I have some catching up to do.
Well I’ll be the one to go against the trend. Not terribly bad but a major dissapointment. I mean it is all shiny and good to look at but the story was just ridiculous. Kirk gets to become Captain of the Enterprise that way…because he was just there when Pike leaves the Enterprise even though he wasn’t a member of the Enterprise Crew…really? That plus a wasted villian and a time travel plot line that made no sense (and this is from someone who loves Trek and all its Time Travel nonsense) just made me sad. Better then Trek Five or Star Trek Nemesis but not by much. Cast was good though so the sequel, hopefully, will be much better.
They didn’t need to kill old spock. His death would’ve deprived Kirk and young Spock of their bonding experience.
Saw it last night with my two sons – 10 and 12. Loved it. Quinto was good, and I thought Chris Pine was fantastic as Kirk. He nailed it. Kudos to JJ Abrams – he took on a tough job and hit it out of the park. Great film.
Flawless. No criticisms whatsoever. Loved it. Add as many superlatives as you like. I never see a movie twice and I may go to this one multiple times. So Shaun, don’t worry, the movie won’t miss your $8 bucks.
The movie was awesome, yes they could have added a bigger sense of dread but not every movie has to be a TDK, this was just fun popcorn fare of the highest order…everything wolverine wasn’t.
http://theninthdragonking.wordpress.com/2009/05/08/quality-assesstment-star-trek/
I thought the film was fantastic and JJ Abrams pulled off quite a stunt. He was able to take 40+ years of Star Trek history, acknowledge it, reference it, and retcon it so he wasn’t tied to it all at the same time. It is a great starting point for newcomers while old time fans like me can still enjoy it. There are some inconsistencies with the series timeline that we’ll have to live with (ie. the stardate of the film and the first six episodes of the original series), but overall it was a great film.
We die-hard Trekkies really enjoyed the film. The Spock/Uhura thing was odd, but entertaining. Everyone is raving about Karl Urban’s McCoy, but I’m afraid that New Zealand-born actor didn’t pull off Kelley’s very genuine southern drawl, which was a big factor of the character’s earthy appeal. Quinto had Nimoy’s affectations down pat, but he has a lateral lisp, and a very different voice. I kept hearing the boring, one-dimensional “Sylar” of “Heroes”, which hurt my suspension of disbelief. I’m not saying Quinto should fully impersonate Nimoy, but he needs to work on changing his voice, IMO. There are some Trek purists who are boycotting this film no matter what, but that’s their loss. Pine’s Kirk alone, is worth the price of admission.
http://www.supernaturalusa.net
http://www.wegrokspock.net
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Okay before I forget: I know everyone is high on cloud 9 about Star Trek, but how come popwatch hasn’t give us a snap judgment on “The Hunt For Gollum” the made by fans for fans, movie? I saw it and I gotta say, it was very well done.
http://theninthdragonking.wordpress.com/2009/05/08/quality-assesstment-the-hunt-for-gollum/
Simply awesome.
Wow. This movie was amazing. It was one of the few movies I was able to watch with my parents and I am going to see it again with friends. The cast was great, the action amazing and there were a few scenes, where the whole theater was laughing non-stop. It was visually stunning and thoroughly entertaining. made my top ten of movies, and I have never been a die-hard Trekkie.
I want to marry Chris Pine.
And then divorce him for JJ Abrams.
It was phenomenal. Not exactly the best dramatic storytelling (such as Dark Knight), but the acting, effects, and all over storyline makes up for it.
JJ, please be involved with all things Star Trek from now on.
While this is by no means an all-time great, Star Trek is now the heavy favorite to be remembered as the best movie of the summer. Great cast (notably Pike, Quinto, Cho, and Pegg), awesome action sequences (your dad’s Star Trek never had a lady get sucked into outer space. Sweet.), and great script. I’m not a Trekkie (my only experience being Nemesis when I was 12—blah), but I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. 3.5/4 stars
It was a big disappointment. It lacked all the sociopolitical undertones of classic trek and all the scientific theory of the later Treks. I wonder what the crew of the USS Relativity thought of it.
Dear JJ Abrams and Zachary Quinto: My man-crush on the two of you has intensified. Just thought you should know.
For all the purists out there who insist they know what is best for the franchise please put your teeth back in and shoot your jollies off chewing a stick of clove gum because thats the only way you are gonna get off from now on!
I am an original fan and I absolutelly love and respect the film for what it is…STAR TREK, pure and unadulterated, STAR TREK.
The movie was good but with huge plot holes. It would have been a B- for any other movie, but it’s only a C- for Star Trek. Zachary Quinto did a great job playing Spock. He had some really big shoes to fill and he did an A+ job.
I loved everything about it. It didn’t matter to me that maybe it was not the best movie ever….but it kept me with a huge grin on my face the entire time…felt like a kid again.
This movie was incredible. I went to see it two nights in a row. It had everything you could want in a movie: great action, great special effects, terrific acting, and a plot! I have to admit I liked most of the other Trek movies so it is not a huge surprise that I liked this one. But I have to tell you, this is one of the best movies I have ever seen period! I almost cried at the end because I wanted to see more!