Posted on 05/08/2009 1:26:01 PM PDT by LS
This is simply a great movie. For those of us who grew up first on the television series, then the series of motion pictures, then "The Next Generation," this is the TV series on special-effects steriods, and in my opinion the second best movie of all Star Trek movies, next to "The Wrath of Khan."
The first 20 minutes is jarring, and you have to pay attention. It runs the viewer from Capt. Christopher Pike (played by a one of my favorites, Bruce Greenwood), to the evil Romulan Nero (Eric Bana, sans Hulk get-up), to the young Spock, to the risk-taking James T. Kirk (played supremely in this role by Chris Pine), then finally to the late-teen Spock who chooses Star Fleet, played by Zachary Quinto. Yet somehow the editors managed to keep the essential plot lines straight. Kirk is exceptionally bright, but a hell-raiser. Uhura (Zoe Saldana) is as beautiful as can be, and ironically has no interest in Kirk but rather is in love with Spock. Kirk proceeds to get beat to a pulp by almost everyone in this movie. (First it's cadets from Star Fleet, then Spock, then the Romulans. You begin to think Kirk was taught to fight at UN peacekeeper school).
Above all, what makes the movie is the development, on multiple levels, of the friendship between Kirk, Spock, and to a lesser degree, Bones (Karl Urban) and Scotty (Simon Pegg). John Cho plays a straight Sulu, thank God, and Anton Yelchin does a good job as Checkov.
The plot revolves around the "prime"/older Spock (Leonard Nimoy) trying to save Romulus in the future, and failing. Somehow, the evil Romulan Nero comes through a time warp to the past to destroy Vulcan out of revenge---and to make the young Spock watch!
Don't get wrapped up in debating the "time continuum" stuff, just go with it. There is a glitch with this at the end (the same person cannot exist in two places at once, or two people from different times can't co-exist, or . . . ah, forget it).
Instead, just enjoy the origins of the comeraderie, the sexual tension between Spock and Kirk over Uhuru, the one-liners, and above all, the fantastic way the actors adapted the characters to their own personas while maintaining much of the original Kirck/Scott/Bones/Spock personalities. At times, you can almost see Shatner coming through Pine; unfortunately, at times, Urban tries a little too hard to "be" Bones, and of all the characters, his is the least developed in terms of motivations or past. But the friendship between Spock---at any age---and Kirk is wonderful, if rocky at first. When Spock prime says to Kirk, "I am, and always have been, your friend," it brought a tear to my eye as I recalled Spock dying to save the Enterprise in "Wrath of Khan."
If CGI had existed in 1966, instead of cardboard sets, this is what that Star Trek might have looked like. Enjoy. Live long and prosper, unless, of course, you are Spock prime speaking to Spock in which case, as he noted, "It would be self-serving."
Yeah, it’s that good. I NEVER go to movies in theaters. (Can’t even remember the last one I saw before this). Definitely one to own for your home collection.
Dark Knight. That’s it-—that was the last pic I saw in a theater before this one.
I'm taking my two daughters to tonight's showing. But, I heard John Cho talk about supporting Dennis Kucinich on the Leno show, and it's almost ruined the whole movie for me already. Actor's should stick to endorsing the movie they've made and stop indulging their personal political musings.
Just keep saying to yourself, Harold smoked a lot of weed. A LOT of weed.
Does Kirk start his infatuation with green alien women in this movie?
Hmmmmmmm just keep William Shatner away from swimming pools and everyone will be safe..
A constantly moving whirligig camera is not a substitute for either acting or story-telling. Just hold the thing still, for Pete's sake, so we can see what's happening.
And the film literally strips the classic characters of their dignity.
Grade: C
Saw it last night. Simply the best trek yet! Did you notice the music had a lot in common with “Wrath of Kahn”
Was it crowded? I will go see it next week probably Thursday night.
I also liked that there wasn’t really any anti-conservative bias in the movie. Or at least I didn’t detect any. And the movie really was a lot of fun. Reminded me of the fun I had when I first saw Wrath of Khan in the theater a long time ago.
Apparently so...yes though unsure if the infatuation actually started here...
I saw it at 11:30a in Times Square and it was about half-full in a large house. The audience was a bunch who were skipping out of work and trying to avoid being recognized by anyone that knew them.
C’mon! It’s obvious the director was making this movie an indictment of the Bush regime and the whole Iraq war! Only when we form a one-world government and come together as one, black & white, Scottish and Vulcan, gay Oriental and Russian...
(just kidding - might see it in a few weeks when the crowds die down - I predict big numbers)
Trying to catch a matinee this weekend.
I never did know what that girl’s name was. When I was in high school I had a real crush on a girl who looked just like her. I never did get up the courage to ask her out
Good, but forgettable.
Actually, I have mixed feelings seeing a JJ Abrams project after he abandoned us watching “Alias”
When Scotty first met Kirk, there was a tribble cooing in the background. Scotty was funny, he was Shaun in Shaun of the Dead, I thought he looked vaguely familiar.
As a fan of the old series more than TNG, I absolutely loved this movie!
Good job by Abrams!
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