- 87,600
- Rule 12
- GTP_Famine
I'm a Star Trek fan - not so much the original series (though I have a passing familiarity), but I believe I've seen every episode of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager (Enterprise be damned) and all the films. Even Five.
I didn't want to want to see this film. The word "reboot" usually fills me with dread (though not so much as "remake" - see my review of The Day The Earth Stood Still remake) even though it has become the vogue and not always with terrible results... Stand up, Batman Begins/The Dark Knight.
But a few trailers and one or two veiled comments from friends and acquaintances made me not want to not see it (which is different from wanting to see it, by attitude alone). And then someone who doesn't hate Star Trek came to visit - stand up, Venari - and robbed me of even that as an excuse...
And you know what?
I didn't hate it. In fact, not only didn't I hate it, I didn't even dislike it. In fact... *sigh* I liked it.
Let's just get a couple of things straight off the bat. They've employed a pretty stock sci-fi standard (time travel) to allow them to ignore everything - and I mean everything - that has ever gone before in any Trek ever. Spock (pick one) says as much at one point. This is the original Trek in an "alternate timeline". So when people mention the construction of the Enterprise on Earth as opposed to the Trek canon location (Mars Shipyard? I forget) - alternate reality. Vulcan being destroyed - alternate reality. Spock and Uhura - alternate reality. Anything else - alternate reality.
On the downside there's a few moments of Bay-esque "Hey, check these effects out!" - one scene in particular did make me stifle a yawn for a few moments as it was highly unnecessary effects for the sake of effects (near the end. Involves red blobs).
But that's it... the characters are strong, the writing is strong, the gags are plentiful and flowing, cupcake... The actors are all there or thereabouts - Pine (Kirk) I think is the weakest of the performances, but Quinto's Spock is good, Pegg's Scotty is just as fun-filled as Doohan's film performances (and his TNG appearance), Saldana (Uhuru), Cho (Sulu) and Yelchin (Chekov) are, while as largely anonymous as their originals (one scene of focus for each), at least adequately performed but I think the acting plaudits go to Karl Urban who is exceptional as Leonard McCoy.
There's enough nods to Trek of old to keep the Trek fans happy - red shirt = death; Kobayashi Maru; "I'm a doctor, not a..." - even though from a point of continuity (the entire of Trek history from the moment of Kirk's birth onwards has been changed) it's not particularly necessary or plausible, but also it retains its own identity and frees up the writers to come up with sequel after sequel after sequel after sequel without at any point treading on the toes of the six Trek films we've come to know and, to varying degrees, love.
Summary in 10 words or less: "I have been, and always shall be, your friend."
Rating: Warp 9.95
I didn't want to want to see this film. The word "reboot" usually fills me with dread (though not so much as "remake" - see my review of The Day The Earth Stood Still remake) even though it has become the vogue and not always with terrible results... Stand up, Batman Begins/The Dark Knight.
But a few trailers and one or two veiled comments from friends and acquaintances made me not want to not see it (which is different from wanting to see it, by attitude alone). And then someone who doesn't hate Star Trek came to visit - stand up, Venari - and robbed me of even that as an excuse...
And you know what?
I didn't hate it. In fact, not only didn't I hate it, I didn't even dislike it. In fact... *sigh* I liked it.
Let's just get a couple of things straight off the bat. They've employed a pretty stock sci-fi standard (time travel) to allow them to ignore everything - and I mean everything - that has ever gone before in any Trek ever. Spock (pick one) says as much at one point. This is the original Trek in an "alternate timeline". So when people mention the construction of the Enterprise on Earth as opposed to the Trek canon location (Mars Shipyard? I forget) - alternate reality. Vulcan being destroyed - alternate reality. Spock and Uhura - alternate reality. Anything else - alternate reality.
On the downside there's a few moments of Bay-esque "Hey, check these effects out!" - one scene in particular did make me stifle a yawn for a few moments as it was highly unnecessary effects for the sake of effects (near the end. Involves red blobs).
But that's it... the characters are strong, the writing is strong, the gags are plentiful and flowing, cupcake... The actors are all there or thereabouts - Pine (Kirk) I think is the weakest of the performances, but Quinto's Spock is good, Pegg's Scotty is just as fun-filled as Doohan's film performances (and his TNG appearance), Saldana (Uhuru), Cho (Sulu) and Yelchin (Chekov) are, while as largely anonymous as their originals (one scene of focus for each), at least adequately performed but I think the acting plaudits go to Karl Urban who is exceptional as Leonard McCoy.
There's enough nods to Trek of old to keep the Trek fans happy - red shirt = death; Kobayashi Maru; "I'm a doctor, not a..." - even though from a point of continuity (the entire of Trek history from the moment of Kirk's birth onwards has been changed) it's not particularly necessary or plausible, but also it retains its own identity and frees up the writers to come up with sequel after sequel after sequel after sequel without at any point treading on the toes of the six Trek films we've come to know and, to varying degrees, love.
Summary in 10 words or less: "I have been, and always shall be, your friend."
Rating: Warp 9.95
