Because a couple of people may be slightly curious as to my feelings about the new Star Trek movie, I'll do a short post about it, rather than a long, point-by-point review. Basically, I was not disappointed. It was way better than The Phantom Menace (thank God!). Wouldn't Gene Roddenberry be thrilled? The film was rather stirring, at parts, and I only got truly choked up, once, right at the very, very end....I, as any Trek purist worth his or her weight in dilithium crystals should, have major issues with some of the tinkering around the with the mythology, but, oh well. Damn the torpedoes, and full speed ahead!May 12, 2009
Trek lives!
Because a couple of people may be slightly curious as to my feelings about the new Star Trek movie, I'll do a short post about it, rather than a long, point-by-point review. Basically, I was not disappointed. It was way better than The Phantom Menace (thank God!). Wouldn't Gene Roddenberry be thrilled? The film was rather stirring, at parts, and I only got truly choked up, once, right at the very, very end....I, as any Trek purist worth his or her weight in dilithium crystals should, have major issues with some of the tinkering around the with the mythology, but, oh well. Damn the torpedoes, and full speed ahead!
Hmmm. Looked like a lot of CGI with a Dawson's Creek Kirk (a James Van Der Kirk, if you will). However, you are a longtime Trekkie who wasn't disappointed, so maybe I'll give it a chance.
ReplyDeleteI was initially hyped but have since fallen off the bandwagon. I've transferred my unrealistic expectations to Land of the Lost now.
Oh man, you've got to see it. From just the vantage point of being a pop culture/history blogger as you, yourself most certainly are, you have a responsibility to see it. Shouldn't even be an issue!
ReplyDeleteI don't know how serious you are about Land of the Lost, but you may be setting yourself up for a big disappointment. I think it looks like it'll be really entertaining, but it is a Will Farrell vehicle...not that there's anything wrong with that.
Well, Mr. Science and I have been trekkies for a combined 86 years now, and we loved it.
ReplyDeleteYes, they took radical liberties with canon. But they did provide a fairly compelling cover story to appease us old folks.
Quinto was amazing as Spock. I liked Uhura's new look and much more central role -- plus there were some careful shots of Zoe Saldana that played up her bone structure and made her look convincingly like a young Nichelle Nichols. Karl Urban absolutely channels Deforest Kelley. Simon Pegg is effective as Scotty (though I still would have preferred Paul McGillion). Sulu and Chekov worked okay for me, too, especially since they each got an important plot point of their own.
But the real surprise was Chris Pine as Kirk. I had wondered how in the world he'd handle the role; Shatner's scenery-chewing is, at the distance of forty years, the weak link in TOS, so I knew that something would have to change.
I've got to say, I like what he did with it. His chemistry with Quinto and Urban was top-notch and more than reproduced the best qualities of "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts" interaction in TOS. The horndog hotshot is there, but the brilliant, effective leader is there, too.
The best result of all? Boy Twin and Girl Twin are now confirmed trekkies, too. Girl Twin watched "Mudd's Women" on Youtube tonight.
Lots to be said for a reboot that will generate the Next Generation, don't you think?
Leigh- I went and saw it again, tonight, and I enjoyed it about as much as I did the first time, which was an awful lot.
ReplyDeleteAs far as messing with the cannon, as you say, the film's time travel plot really sort of takes care of that. We will now just have to willingly suspend disbelief when we see things like, say, Spock and Uhura staring lovingly into each others' eyes...That would sort of eliminate the whole "Amok Time" episode impetus, don't you think?
I agree - Quinto is really good. At certain angles, you can certainly believe he is Spock/Nimoy. I admired his complete devotion to the role. Yes, he is Spock...Karl Urban also pulls off McCoy! He is very, very good. I can accept him, too. I'm afraid I'll never think of Pine as Kirk, though. I like Pine, but he isn't William Shatner. That man was a childhood hero/role model. I love him and the Horatio Hornblower, overacting role he created. Those colors don't run...
How cool is it your kids are getting into it? But, "Mudd's Women"?? You should have started them on "City on the Edge of Forever." Now, that's Star Trek?! Or, how about "Assignment Earth"? Or "The Menagerie"? Or "Man Trap"?
It'll be interesting to see where they go with this reboot. It's such a fine line between what they did with this movie, and something like Star Trek: The Motion Picture. I had some unpleasant V'Ger flashbacks when the Romulan ship first appeared in the new film...
Girl Twin didn't ask me for a recommendation! I found out after the fact. I am steering her towards "City on the Edge of Forever" so that she can finally understand why I use the phrase "stone knives and bearskins" when I work on her computer.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if she got the idea to watch "Mudd's Women" from (gasp) YOU! I went on and on about the Rulfs postings, and I think maybe she checked you out and found your recent mention of that episode.
That's a great part of that episode -- the "stone knives and bearskins" scene. The expression on Joan Collins' face is priceless. She was so good in that.
ReplyDelete"I'm wondering if she got the idea to watch 'Mudd's Women' from (gasp) YOU!"
In that case, "Mudd's Women" is an excellent episode to begin an interest in Star Trek...