What Did You Think Of Star Trek? (Spoiler Discussion)
May 8, 2009 by Vic HoltremanNeed a place to talk about the Star Trek movie, including spoilers? Come on in…
Regular Screen Rant reader “790″ suggested I set up a discussion post for the Star Trek movie, where people can feel free to talk about all aspects of the film without having to worry about spoiling it for others. I had meant to set one of these up for Wolverine but just never got around to it.
Considering how popular I think Star Trek will be (moreso than Wolvie), I thought it might be a good idea to get this set up ASAP. 
So discuss the film below to your heart’s content!
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I must not have paid enough attention to TNG, or it could just be the fact that I haven’t watched in ages. But regardless, I still don’t like it. And I’m female!
@purist
Judging from the build-up sound and then the venting, and the regularity of it, I would assume it was some kind of excess pressure release mechanism which isn’t at all an uncommon or unrealistic aspect of an industrial piece of machinery. Looking at real drilling rigs, air compressors, any kind of industrial equipment, they always produce more torque, power, pressure, whatever, than needed, and will almost always have a way of relieving any excess that is produced. Producing excess is always better than producing too little, which is usually the case with things aimed toward the consumer market for safety reasons.
Lol, so your having a prob with the blowback on the drilling rig, but no biggy on the two Romulans that are hiding below like jack in the boxes.
I don’t think I’ve ever commented on a film that had so many probs yet still entertained me.
Bizarre…
Not being a Trekkie I can’t find as much wrong with this as a knowledgable guy like Vic could. So I was utterly impressed to no end. It must be noted I’d been drinking before I saw the movie though.
Karl Urban has come along way from being the wooden Doomguy, he was the best performance in the film. Probably the closest. I liked most of the performances in this film. Pegg was a different Scotty, but a good one. Yelchin showed tons of energy as Chekov. If he can do a good job with characters as varied as Kyle Reese and Chekov, he’s got a future. John Cho was good, but I’ve never known enough about Sulu to make the distinction. Zoe Saldana looks great in a mini skirt but once again I’ve never known enough about Uhura to make any distinctions. Leonard Nemoy FTW!
This wasn’t your bog standard douchey reboot. It doesn’t piss away 40 years of history. Of course I don’t doubt there will be anachronisms, but it probably wont be as bad as Wolverine. I’ll even go as far as to say TNG is still untouched. Hell even Leonard Nimoy’s role is far bigger than anyone could’ve expected to the point where this movie can never be fully distanced from TOS.
It wasn’t perfect however.
The two let down performances where Spock and Kirk. Chris Pine was really funny and witty, but felt more like Han Solo than Kirk. Quinto came off like an uptight homosexual (Not that there’s anything wrong with that) rather than a super intelligent logic driven alien.
Nero was good was what little screen time he had, but was rediculously underdeveloped. He certainly was no Khan, but Bana had the chops to do it if the script had given him enough consideration. His motivation could’ve led to a great cinematic villain.
The damn lens flares where in every single shot (Not literally). They where distracting. It felt like someone was shining a flashlight in my eyes during the film.
The action was a let down. Not the actual space battles which where awesome, but the hand to hand stuff was too close and cut too quickly.
All in all the scale of this movie is off the charts. It’s freaking huge. I miss this kind of space epic. It didn’t matter to me whether this was Star Trek, Star Wars, Starship Troopers, but I want more of this and less capes and spandex please.
I vote a 4/5.
I don’t think you need to give a disclaimer after saying you thought Spock came off as an uptight homosexual. That’s your opinion, it’s a free country, I don’t think we all should be so concerned with political correctness. I happen to disagree though. I really liked Spock’s character… or maybe I’m just imagining myself in his position since seeing him kissing Uhura… Hm… Not sure what it is now…
The thing is, I wasn’t meaning to be derogatory. Jason Statham’s character in the Transporter series reminds me of the same thing. They’re young, neat, well presented to the point of anal retention guys who looks uncomfortable around women.
Kobayashi Maru:
Anyone else notice the confident, apple-munching Kirk-with-a-plan parallels closely with the beginning of this scene in Wrath of Khan?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w18yZdeRl4&fmt=18 (no sound, only the score—but you get my point)
Pine recreates Kirk’s swagger perfectly. Love it!
As to the lens flare issue – I knew about it beforehand and went in concerned about it. Either they used it more at the beginning of the film (where I found it VERY annoying, as someone said above, like a flashlight being shined into my eyes) or I just got used to it as the film went on.
When it seemed the most silly was when used in a scene with a darker motif – on the bridge it didn’t bug me as much.
As to Kirk = Han Solo, keep in mind the background of this alternate Kirk: No stabilizing father influence that we know of (certainly not his natural father), and he’s young and not yet “seasoned.” I could imagine young Kirk being as portrayed in the film.
I can’t wait to see it a second time!
Vic
Great movie…I can once again love star trek. I also just wanted to point out that the Volcan planetery defence force was maybe wiped out like the federation armada??? makes sense to me… and maybe earth had no ships because they were all elsewhere like Volcan and where ever it was the admiral said the rest of the fleet was at when they pulled all the cadets out of the tribrunal for Kirk…Just a thought… as for the transwarp transport…I have nothing.
It looks like Star Trek made about 72 million over the weekend not incuding Thursdays previews..
790…that’s right in line with my 70-80 million dollar prediction..I’m right once in a while…
As someone who isn’t all that familiar with the Star Trek franchise, I thought this was a great movie. It was fun, exciting, and overall, it was just entertaining. Though I can see the problems that hard core Trekkies might have (with their apparent incredible attention to detail), as a normal movie-goer, it was easy to love. For those of us who only know the very top layer of trivia surrounding the Star Trek canon, it was satisfying to see the origins of the characters and their relationships. Everything I knew about Star Trek was referenced and explained in this movie. I will definitely be seeing it again.
Someone give greenknight a cookie, he estimated the opening gross correctly. lol, just kidding man.
@dudelove
uh oh, don’t say that about Jason Statham, I have a friend that would hunt you down if he finds out that you said that about him, lol.
Nice comments DarrenS, (didn’t you get a chuckle when Pike came out in the wheelchair… Lmao. ^
Nice call GK333. My prediction of 109mil was way off. I’m guessing Paramount is still happy because overseas the film opened pretty big.
Anyone see Pine, Quinto and Nimoy last night on SNL?
What did they do on SNL?
And did anyone notice an officer on the Kelvin bridge looked a lot like Wil Wheaten (Wesley Crusher)?
I also could have sworn I noticed actor Kal Penn on the bridge of the Enterprise for one shot. He did Harold and Kumar with John Cho (Sulu) and was on House with Jennifer Morrison (Kirk’s Mom in the movie)
I doubt Kal Penn was in the movie. He’s busy being Obama’s butt buddy.
4 out of 5, just about Khan good and I imagine if they didn’t have to spend as much time filling the backstory and catching the newbies up to speed it could have been as good as Khan. I imagein the next film can achieve that as it can be all meat with the characters origins already established
New Enterprise is enormous a good twice as big as the original I now kknow this to be fact judging by the enormity of the lower deck sets, and the fact that the hanger deck is Galactic sized to fit that many shuttles and the tiny size of the people on the deck!! Bridge cap is also now two decks high and has a spacious hallway on either side of it. The original brdgecap had space for only one deck, the two turbo shafts, a toilet and the small docking area. This ship is about 600 meters long roughly the size of the god aweful ugly Galaxy glass X-mas orniment looking starship. This one has no frigging kindercare on the forward saucer that Picard can ram (without ordering an evacuation)!!
Pine was decidely Shatnerian which was perfect at the end when he came back on board in the gold shirt as captain especially the way he sat in the chair(pure shatner) and tersely said “Bones” in a Shatstico way.
Nero likes the booger suger!!! there is a scene where he brooding and hifs face fills the screen and he not only seems srt of buzzed in a coked up way but he had white pony caked on his nostril
original Spock to stay in this altered original timeline and become the Moses for the Vulcan refugees means we can see him again (unless he decides o steal a warp ten capable starship and slingshot around the sun)
Klingon Armada 47 ships!!! Whiped out!!!! I say finish the bastards off!!!! You can bet the Romulans will!!!! Maybe the next film will have interstellar war as the backdrop with the Enterprise caught in the middle in some sort of cool original TOSish-Twighlitzonish adventure
Greg Grunberg was the tubby bearded Romulan Kirk was fighting on the platform that Sulu impaled (pardon the Takei pun)
Greg Grunberg was also I think the voice of the tubby pissed off uncle on the Nokia in the Vette
Greg Grunberg got tubby again!!
Prob no Savick or Valeris in this timeline as the possibilty of theri parents being in the 10,000 left is pretty small
Sybok and his beard are prob safe as he was supposed to be exhiled at this point
New phaser fire sound effect ARE the babylon 5 Earth Force-Starfury laser effect. Exactly the same!! JMS is prob pissed. Needs to be changed to the Khan ripping frightening phaser sound effect anyway
Every extraneous halogen desk lamp on all the different bridge consoles have to go!!!!!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too bright and distracting! Looks like the home lighting aisle at Home Depot only brighter. Already bright enough don’t need drafting halogen desk lamps sticking out everywhere especially on the Helm console. Too distracting along with the cordless drill -barcode scanner things sticking up everywhere. GOTTA GO!!! sits directly in the line of the bridgescreen vision like a fly on the Mona Lisa’s nose. Lighting on the kelvin and Simulator were way better and the scenes potographed better. From a cinematography standpoint, a set design standpoint and a looking good standpoint all that extra stuff has to go!!! They can send it to the future alternate timeline Picard so he can put all thedesklamps at the children’s desks in the Flagbattleship kindercare, just before he rams them into oblivion!!
The Laverne and Shirly Beer factory engineering sets,m weater reclamation, and Uhura’s listening station all worked very well just clean up the old school nossels and steam pipe wheels
Loved it lets get a sequel ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@ Fury
That was not Kal Penn, that was the Middle Eastern Terrorist leader from Iron Man as the captain of the USS Kelvin.
@ Ken J
He is not on any anal adventures with President Obama.
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Ha Ha I sure did enjoy Spock Giving out LOGICAL BEATDOWNS. ROFL KIRK WAS T-BAGGED HARD CORE. At first I too was schocked between Uhura and Spock, but after consulting with a person from the original series era Spock and Uhura did have feelings for each other. Uhura eventually broke it off with Spock because he was not emotional enough for her, so she ended up with Scotty and eventually had a son with Scotty. The only thing that was confusing for me at first was how could his mother have been killed, yet in the Original Series movies when Leonard Nimoy Spock is taking an Exam his Mother comes in and he asks her Why is the computer asking him how he feels. I Believe it was in Star Trek 4, not sure. But I guess they get away with destroying Vulcan and killing his mother off with the whole destinies and events being changed with the Nero altering events in the past, so that is a big reset ont he whole series that Abrams kinds has gotten away with. No I am not a Trekkie, but I do enjoy Star Trek.
Lol, I just finished watching the episode of Dexter (again) where his sister says that Dexter is Special Agent Lundy’s “butt buddy.” I laughed so hard at that exchange, haha. That show is hilarious.
I mentioned it earlier but I really have to know DID ANYONE ALMOST VOMIT THE VERY FIRST TIME THEY SAW THE TNG ENTERPRISE-D?
People want to complain about engineering section of this movie then what about the Hollywood tanning salon looking engineering section of the TNG Enterprise. The whole interior of that ship looked like Extreme Home Makeover got a hold of it!
I actually thought the Enterprise D looked decent. But one of my favorite ships would have to be a Klingon Bird of Prey, especially the ones that can fire while cloaked. I would have to compare all versions of the Enterprise to determine which one i like the best.
Saw it with a fellow Trekkie and it was AWESOME. The openning scene was intense! Being a dad myself, I actually teared up when Kirk’s dad sacrificed himself for the crew. Shortest openning credits were absolutley brilliant. Bones and Scotty had me howling throughout the movie. I was laughing so much at the inside jokes that I noticed the non-fans just didnt’ get it. Was Kirk bumping his head on a beam a little Star Wars homage? The sound of the Enterprise going into Warp (BOOM) was brilliant. Overall 9 out 10 for me and my favourite Trek movie. Insurrection was like Batman and Robin and this was like Batman Begins. Again, TOTALLY AWESOME.
Nit picks:
I don’t have too many and I know it’s “artistic license” but these are just my reasons why it wasn’t 10 out of 10.
- Beastie Boys song in a Trek movie? Trying too hard to bring in the “Next Generation”
- How did Nero’s ship hide for 25 years?
- The Spock paradox. Old Spock can’t talk to young Spock!
Please explain it. You can’t! It’s a paradox!
I’m sure this can be thread on it’s own.
As far as the whole thing about there not being shields – I think that because the romulan ship is from so far in the future, maybe the weapons just pass through them like they’re not there.
I only have two real complaints. I do agree that it was bizarre that they ordered all those cadets to basically run the entire ship. In addition, I agree that it was totally unnecessary for spock to send kirk down to that planet. I realize it was crucial to the plot but I feel like they could have explianed that in a better way – thats what brigs are for.
Otherwise, everything was really great, glad there is a revival, can’t wait for more.
OK… I’ve seen every episode of the original series many, many times. I keep reading “the Spock/Uhura relationship was hinted at.”
I’m going to have to ask for someone to tell me in EXACTLY which episode this was hinted at, because I’m not buying it. What was hinted at in TOS was a Kirk/Uhura relationship in the episode where they broadcast the first interracial kiss on television.
Vic
One thing I hadn’t seen anyone mention are the Temporal Cops. In Voyager and Enterprise , it is well known that in the 29th century, the Federation has established the temporal accords and monitor any time shifts. Where were these guys? OK, I guess we should just ignore it since we have to reboot Trek. I can understand that as Berman and Bragga just trashed my favorite franchise.
I’m with you on this one Vic. I don’t remember any episode that hinted at this relationship. Maybe someone is talking about something in a novel, which is most likely non-canon.
@vfrederic
Yah, Beatie Boys was pretty stupid, lol, but whatever, that whole scene wasn’t the best scene anyhow.
About Nero’s ship, I don’t think they “hid,” it’s just that space is so vast, they simply stayed off Federation radar until the time came to intercept Spock’s ship. I think it’s pretty easy to hide in space. I mean, how many years have we been exploring our oceans? What, maybe 700 years or more?? And we still haven’t found everything that is to be found in the ocean, and that’s only the ocean of one planet, not this infinite space.
And the whole time paradox really depends on what theory of space/time you believe in. Personally I feel time travel is impossible, but IF it was, I doubt there’s some magic force that “knows” when one version of someone makes contact with another version of the same person and some crazy thing will happen and the universe will implode. Once someone or something is transported back in time, it’s simply matter existing at that time just like anything else. But of course, that’s if you can buy into the whole time travel idea to begin with.
I know they say it in Back to the Future, but it’s pretty far fetched that somehow two things coexisting in proximity will be ok, but the second they “look” at each other then it becomes a paradox. So what, time/space/physics are aware of human eyes and what we see? Come on, it really makes very little sense…
@ Ken J
Yes I too believe that time travel is impossible because if it is possible, then we’ve already done it
I guses it’s just a Star Trek tradition to have it in there but it’s alway going to be a mind frak.
Hope to see the “rebooted” Klingons in the Sequel.
Hi. I just foudn this site on goole. Pretty Cool. Anyways, I just saw Star Trek this past Saturday night and I liked a lot of things about it like how they integrated things like those bugs Kahn uses in Trek II and how Kirk re-programs the Kobiyashi Maru (correct spelling?) simulation. But the one thing that didn’t dawn on me til almost halfway through the movie is that, given the events – it alters their timeline and changes everything that follows. I thought it was supposed to be an origin / pre-quel story. I can appreciate this movie on its own, and I do. But in episodes of TNG and Voyager where something from the future comes to the present and alters the timeline, it always gets sorted out and restored back to the original timeline… The acting was great and the script was original. I just rather they not write up something that says “all of those movies that you loved now will never happen”.