Abrams Trek review thread *HEAVY SPOILERS*

[evcake]

thecursor wrote:
"Didn't anybody miss having Trek? Wasn't anyone else noticing that, and I'm not disparaging anyone, we were kind of all jerking off?"

I preferr to think of it not as "jerking off" but rather "keeping the faith"

Hmmm...I haven't read the whole thread. Has anyone talked about the casting yet?

[Linda]

I am with Alelou in that I enjoyed the movie and see it as AU, with the original timeline still in existance somewhere. But I did have trouble with the origin of the plot and with Nero. Was he Reman? Or was he as KTR said, just a space biker Romulan because Abrams ignored what is canon about Romulans. I am concerned that they might not make anymore Trek in the original timeline as KTR suspects. And I think the next movie they are planning will follow the story line of this movie. Will it include a magic reset button that restores Vulcan to existance? I really hated to see them destroy Vulcan. But destruction of some icon within Trek is a hallmark of many of the movies: the original Enterprise and Enterprise D were destroyed as well as Spock and Data killed off (though they brought Spock back). So I am somewhat conflicted over this movie even though I enjoyed it. I also enjoyed KTR's thorough and thoughtful review. Thanks KTR!

[Alelou]

I think Nero looks more like a Romulan gone biker-goth than a Reman. Remans look like pretty weird bat-creature aliens.

There's a picture of one here: http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Reman

[Aquarius]

I much preferred the tattooed goth Romulans to the shoulder-pads-from hell look.

[Alelou]

Oh yes. Those Romulan uniforms were so awfully DORKY.

Did you notice we had a black Romulan too?

[Linda]

I think I got the Reman idea because Nero was using a mining ship and the Remans were miners. But yeah, the bald tattooed look was not the bat look, LOL. And I'm not much on any of the Romulan dress code...old or new. I did like the new Uhura but not the pairing of her with Spock. I wonder if Abrams did that because the original Kirk was know as a ladies man so he tried to be different and give Spock the girl this time. Yeah, like KTR said, that was from left field and unrelated to any other part of the movie plot.

[Aquarius]

that was from left field and unrelated to any other part of the movie plot.

NOTE: foregoing spoiler code, as the thread is already labeled as having mucho spoilers.

I disagree. Earlier in the film, Spock had a conversation regarding how she'd feel about him if he went through the Kohlinar. Like "our" Spock, there had been a lot of pressure on him to be more Vulcan than Vulcan, but it looked like he didn't want his mother to feel dissed if he did.

The Uhura thing certainly shows us that he did not choose the Kohlinar and is rather trying to strike a balance between both heritages, incorporating love and logic into one life...a subject that's still recurring in Spock fanfic to this date.

So perhaps that it was Uhura in particular that is irrelevant, but I feel it has everything in the world to do with Spock's character development.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

^ So New Spock decided not to go through kolinahr because he had the hots for the pretty human with the short skirt and gogo boots?

Sorry, but no matter how we phrase it, it still seem awfully contrived to me.

But maybe this is just because I'm biased towards the Old Trek that I grew up with that I know and love. This New Spock isn't my Spock. Like I said in my review I don't feel that these characters have anything in common with the characters I know, except their names. Which is why this movie fails as a Trek movie to me, or even an AU.

As to the question of no Trek or new Trek, I'm obviously in the no Trek camp, but since what we have is new Trek I'll just bow out and let that take its course without me. So personally I'll have no Trek (not counting what's been done before of course). But I predict that New Trek won't be as long-lived as the old ones.

I also realise that the chances of another live-action Trek set in the real (i.e. old) Trekverse were slim even before Abrams Trek. Now the chances of that happening are practically nil.

[JadziaKathryn]

No, he decided not to go through Kohlinar because the Science Academy was a bunch of bigots who would never accept him. I think the romance came rather later.

Mind, I still didn't care for it because it felt contrived. If, as Aquarius holds, it was a character development thing, then they should've done a much better job. This just felt like they threw it in because they couldn't come up with another way to get Uhura on camera more.

[Alelou]

Who knows. Maybe they took a look at all us nuts who can't let Trip and T'Pol go and thought, hmm, maybe a romance between a Vulcan and a human could perhaps hook in a bunch of people, especially the ladies. If so, they clearly underestimated the importance of dragging us along, torturously building Unresolved Sexual Tension for a period of years before finally giving us something to go ahhhh over (and then, if they keep up the usual tradition, pissing all over it).

That goodbye on the transporter pad was still excessive, though. Hello, people, you don't have time for that sort of thing! And how many more Vulcans might have gotten off the planet if Uhura hadn't stepped into that turbolift with her man instead of hopping right on that planetary evacuation order???

In short, this version of Starfleet is a little touchy-feelier, a little more romantic in the sense of true love as opposed to hot alien chick of the week than we're used to. It's almost ... gasp ... fanfic-y.

But damn, it's awfully lively. I'm very happily on board. Boldly go!

[Aquarius]

I just got home from seeing it again!! My best friend Sharon came into town for a haircut, said she hadn't seen it yet and wanted me to go with her, her tread. Duh, let me think about that for a minute...OKAY!!

[justTripn]

Also, did Vulcans and Romulans used to have facial hair? I think that was the weirdest thing about these Romulans. The five-oclock shadow.

BTW, I saw it a SECOND time with my oldest son, who was also seeing it for his second time. I was visiting him in Philadelphia, where he is staying for the summer session at Temple University.

So! I thoroughly enjoyed it a second time and THIS TIME was able to follow the plot. It was fun watching it with a very vocal audience. They gasped at the surprises and congratulated characters when they said a good line: Captain Pike: "Your father was captain for 5 minutes and he saved 800 lives. I dare you to do better."

Guy behind me: "Un un un!"

This really reminds me in tone of the first Star Wars movie: WAY fun, charming . . . despite the fact that planets are obliterated. Don't ask me how that works.

As I was leaving I said to my son, J., I enjoyed this second time as much as the first time because this time I could follow the whole plot. J. said, this time I liked it MORE because I now understand that this is an alternative universe parallel to "real Star Trek" and that "real Star Trek" is still there. (After the first viewing, he had the nickpick about Older Spock being in the cave. YES HOW, WHY? Just a coincidence???? And said "otherwise awesome."

[Aquarius]

The showing I went to yesterday wasn't particularly full. I wouldn't even say that the theater was half packed, but it was 5:00 on a Saturday, and around here, nothing really "happens" until 7 or 8, so on a Saturday you can still find places to park/get a table at a restaurant right away/etc. if you're relatively early.

My friend said she LOVED it. It was really hard not to say anything when I knew what was coming at every turn, but I like second viewings of movies I love because it gives me a chance to look for the subtleties that I wasn't able to catch the first time.

Sharon thought Ckekov was adorable and thought it was eerie how at times he sounded just like Walter Koenig, and not just because of the accent.

I don't remember if it was in this thread or another, but someone here had asked why Chekov was giving the mission report instead of the captain. The conclusion Sharon and I came to: it just wouldn't have been as funny if the captain said "Wulcan" a lot.

Still deciding on what my favorite line is.

McCoy: "Green-blooded hobgoblin..."

Kirk: "STHOP IT!"

McCoy, and later Kirk: "I might throw up on you."

Spock: "I have no comment on the matter."

And Scotty asking if they still have sandwiches in the future!

ETA: This time around, I also thought Sulu was even more awesome.

[thecursor]

Comic book fans, here's some more news for you: The guy who plays George Kirk, Chris Hemsworth, will be playing Thor in Kenneth Branagh's mega event movie. Yes, you read that correctly, an acclaimed Shakespearean actor with tons of awards is directing a comic book movie about a hammer wielding viking god that once beat up a giant dragon clad in purple underpants.

Honestly, I don't know all that much about Hemsworth and I'm a little annoyed because if they were going to pick and actor from this movie, why the HELL didn't they pick Karl Urban? Didn't they see Lord of the Rings? HE WAS THOR! He spent most of the second movie smashing orcs in the face with a sword while on horse back. If you want to turn him into Thor, just change that into: Smashing frost giants in the skull with a hammer while driving a chariot pulled by giant goats.

[Alelou]

Maybe it's because Chris Hemsworth looks a little more like a young Kenneth Branagh...