Star Trek

[Venkman]

The problem with a post nemesis crew is akin to (nerd reference incoming) starting level one characters in level 20 gear. With the level of tech and knowledge that starfleet has at that point any antagonist would have to be ridiculous in comparison to pose a threat. It just makes for a bad plot in general...

Agreed. Coincidentally, the backstory for this movie was that Nero's ship was overpowered even in the post-TNG timeframe from hence it came, because after Nero went insane he found some planet that was hoarding Borg tech they retrofitted to his ship. So he walked through Starfleet in that time period too.

In any case, just aggressive agreement: this movie was the right thing to deliver for the IP.

[Khaldun]

Also, did anyone else think of

during that first shot of Vulcan's surface?

I swear that rock in the background was used in this movie too.  I also loved seeing the red shirt guy and knowing exactly what was going to happen, he's used that twice in Lost too.

It is the same rock. That's Vazquez Rocks, a fun little state park that's fairly near to Los Angeles. We used to go there a lot when I was growing up: I'd play "Gorn vs. Kirk" with my brother quite a bit. Quite a few other TOS episodes used it as an alien planet.

[Lakov_Sanite]

As to the red shirt guy I didn't even question it I just thought to myself "I wonder how they'll shut it down without the blast charges" the moment he said he had them.

[K9]

Really fun movie.

[UnSub]

For all the praise this was getting, I expected better. It's not a bad movie, but (and to be honest, I don't really care for TOS but ultimately ST canon should be respected because it is canon) it certainly could have been done without pissing on the canon - the reboot could have been a new crew post-Nemesis and it still would have worked.

The plot would have worked, but the plot isn't what people are praising this movie for.  The whole fun of this movie is seeing these iconic character reinterpreted and given an origin story.  The fact that's it's made about as much in a weekend as the last Trek movie made in its entire theatrical release suggests that they probably made the right decision.

I appreciated this movie as Ultimate Star Trek (Marvel Comics reference, for those playing at home) or a What If... Kirk Was A Bigger Jackass?. But I don't get some of the praises I've seen it get. Perhaps a lot of paid movie reviewers are closet Trekkers.

And, just like Ulimates did for Marvel, I completely expect later Star Trek movies to scoop out the notable bits, tweak them for modern audiences / a bigger budget, then put them on screen. Some of this will be handled well (Ultimates taking on a Skrull invasion) others badly (Ultimate Spider-Man Clone Saga).

Finally, I don't take how much money this film earned as any indication of its value. It's a well done popcorn flick, but a popcorn flick is all it is.

[Reg]

Well of course it's a pop corn flick. The vast majority of movies that actually make any money are pop corn flicks.

Perhaps they'll dub in the Swedish dialogue and add subtitles in the sequel.

[Tebonas]

Wasn't every Star Trek a popcorn flick? Sometimes I don't get contrarianism for contrarities sake.

[Velorath]

Finally, I don't take how much money this film earned as any indication of its value. It's a well done popcorn flick, but a popcorn flick is all it is.

How much money the film is making is an indication that rebooting the franchise was the way to go.

[Ironwood]

Like you need that kind of indication after Enterprise.

 

[Yegolev]

As to the red shirt guy I didn't even question it I just thought to myself "I wonder how they'll shut it down without the blast charges" the moment he said he had them.

Haha, yea somehow we caught it when he said he was ready to kick some Romulan ass but missed the bit about the blast charges until after he had died.

[Venkman]

Wasn't every Star Trek a popcorn flick? Sometimes I don't get contrarianism for contrarities sake.

Star Trek 3 and 9 really weren't to me. They were much more fanservice pieces than the usual mindless action summer blockbuster. Also, every 90s Trek movie (from Undiscovered Country through Insurrection) was delivered in Nov/Dec holiday time frame, as was Motion Picture and Voyage Home (and really, if Final Frontier really needed to come out it should have been Nov/Dec anyway, or buried somewhere in February). That's not generally the popcorn time frame.

This feels like the first truly summer block-bustery movie in the Trek franchise since Wrath of Khan (summer 1982).

[Reg]

I guess it depends on what your definition of a "popcorn flick" is.  To me it's any movie that exists purely for entertainment and escapism as opposed to one that girls would like.

[Yegolev]

Haha, well this would be a popcorn flick then.  My wife preferred Wolverine.

[Lakov_Sanite]

Haha, well this would be a popcorn flick then.  My wife preferred Wolverine.

Divorce is always and option.

[Yegolev]

She can keep her naked Hugh Jackman, it's cool with me.  I don't expect her to get all excited over video cards or drill bits, either.

[Simond]

Like you need that kind of indication after Enterprise.

 

Enterprise started getting...well, decent at least, in its last season. Unlike Voyager, which was pure shit from beginning to end.

[Slyfeind]

Is anybody else sick of hearing "popcorn flick" and "check your brain at the door?" Those phrases are tossed around so much that they're totally meaningless now. You can't disagree with them, so they're safe. Blah blah blah. We need new buzzwords!

[Reg]

I just think it's a little odd to call a Star Trek movie a popcorn flick as if it's some kind valid criticism.  I mean it's Star Trek for crying out loud. If you were expecting some kind of life changing work of art you've come to the wrong place.

And Enterprise really did get a lot better in its last season. The Vampire Space Nazi writers were all gone by then and the new gang weren't bad at all.

[Nevermore]

Enterprise had the best take on the mirror universe, imo.

[Murgos]

Enterprise had the best take on the mirror universe, imo.

This.

[Rishathra]

Very much so.  I liked the way it was tied in to the original series.

Also,

[Simond]

Speaking of Voyager, someone elsewhere pointed out (new film spoiler related):

[Jain Zar]

Very much so.  I liked the way it was tied in to the original series.

Also,

Yay Hoshi.  Even if I didn't get to see the final season.  Stupid switching show days to when I was working and did not have a DVR at the time.

Honeslty the biggest problem with Enterprise was that it skewed too close to basic done 100s of times before Trek instead of trying anything really different.

Basically Enterprise just needed to be less Star Trek.  And it wasn't.  So it was basically fucked from both ends.

[bhodi]

The movie was good. I only wish they kept with the canon of how Kirk beat the simulation - as I recall, the only thing he did was change his own reputation - he rigged it so that the klingons recognized him as the most famous and feared captain in starfleet. Using his fake reputation he bluffed them into running away, convinced someone like him had to have a nasty (and ultimately fatal to them) trick up his sleeve.

It was a much more subtle method of victory, and I think it would have fit this movie better than the blatant rewriting of the parameters.

[LK]

Very much so.  I liked the way it was tied in to the original series.

Also,

Schwing. I think I want to see that episode now.

Edit: OK, she doesn't appear to be married and she lives near me. The game is now afoot. 

[Surlyboi]

There's so much to like about the mirror universe...



That said, I wanna see mirror universe movie Uhura. 

[Samwise]

...

I'll be in my bunk.

[Aez]

Not sure it qualify as a mind fuck, still great

[UnSub]

I just think it's a little odd to call a Star Trek movie a popcorn flick as if it's some kind valid criticism.  I mean it's Star Trek for crying out loud. If you were expecting some kind of life changing work of art you've come to the wrong place.

It doesn't have to be a life-changing work of art, but I appreciate it if I have to pay attention. Star Trek (allegedly) has a bit of depth to it - the whole 'Federation being the best of we can be' and all that, trying to use diplomacy and science to make the universe a better place. Instead there was just lots of explosions in space (that were very well done) and characters guessing some fairly unlikely answers just to keep the plot moving along.

Someone else said that this was Star Trek done for the people who really like Star Wars, which I can see.

I'm not being contrary for the sake of it - I went in expecting big things given all the praise I've seen of this film. Instead I saw a good looking sci fi space film with a completely formula Star Trek narrative.

[Nebu]

Saw the movie tonight.  All I can say was that it was entertaining.  It wasn't great.  It wasn't bad.  It was fun. 

I hope that the writing on the next one is better.  The story needed some help.

[Venkman]

The movie was good. I only wish they kept with the canon of how Kirk beat the simulation - as I recall, the only thing he did was change his own reputation - he rigged it so that the klingons recognized him as the most famous and feared captain in starfleet. Using his fake reputation he bluffed them into running away, convinced someone like him had to have a nasty (and ultimately fatal to them) trick up his sleeve.

It was a much more subtle method of victory, and I think it would have fit this movie better than the blatant rewriting of the parameters.

That was from the book of the same name though, so hardly canon to the same crowd that wouldn't consider EU material from Star Wars either. Having said that, it was a damned good book. My favorite story was Scotty's, though Sulu choosing not to go into the Neutral Zobe because it was illegal was a nice touch, and totally in character.

[Merusk]

I hope that the writing on the next one is better.  The story needed some help.

See, this is what I'm getting from all these demi-reviews.  If it wasn't Star Trek you all would've ripped it apart pages back and been done with it. That's all I've needed to know to give it a skip until DVD.

[Surlyboi]

I liked the story.

Saying, "because it's Star Trek, you guys didn't rip it apart" is a convenient cop-out.

Whatever floats your boat though.

[Triforcer]

We need a TV series set entirely in the Mirror Universe.  Just have us follow the plucky rebels who are fighting the evil humans if you need sympathetic characters.  That plus midriff baring outfits= win 

[Fabricated]

Saw it tonight. It was pretty good IMO outside of the head scratching black hole as time portal thing (they could've just called it a time-space anomaly or some shit and never said the word black hole, it's Trek. Just make it up).

I hated the first like 15+ minutes of it with the over-dramatic shaky-cam shit, but after that it was pretty solid. What bugged me is how young Sulu looks like Grant from Mythbusters.