Saw it Thursday evening, thought I'd write up a little review.
Background Going In
I remember watching TNG with my father when I was eight years old. It gave me nightmares. Y'see, I'd ask to stay up past my bedtime watch up until the 30 minute break, when everything was bleakest. I'd imagine the horrible fate that would befall these nice people and I simply couldn't take the suspense. I'd go to bed early, and wake up in cold sweats with visions of the Enterprise-D being crushed, or overrun by who knows what.
By the time I was a teenager, DS9 and Voyager were in full swing and I would watch them so happily and religiously. DS9 was a bit deeper than my mind went typically, but I' liked seeing a black guy in charge for once, and thought the Daxes were hot. And then, y'know, Worf is the man. It was just all so rich and intelligent, but there was still action and adventure and I felt like I could watch this forever. Then, boarding school came and Star Trek remained kind of 'one of those things I used to do.'
News of the new movie came, and I knew from day one, there'd be fan backlash, but with JJ, it'd be a great movie, if not an awesome move, and fans would then start liking it and prasing JJ's dirty socks. Its just all so predictable. I was interested though, even read the Prequel Comics leading up to the film while I was in the comics store one day.
What I loved in General
Before, I was a Star Trek fan, I was a movie goer, and before that, a human being and consumer of entertainment. As that person, I had a lot of fun with this movie. The first thing that struck me, even before the art direction or set design or cinematography, were the relationships between the characters. Kirk and Bones. Uhura and Spock. Turning Kirk and Spock into rivals was really a very brilliant way to wrap a plot around exploring their relationship.
I think the scale and the color is what got me next, the set design. Everything was so... crisp. It seemed 'right' for the future, moreso than some of the other more fantastical or pragmatic Sci-Fi concepts. The Scifi wasn't about the technological development, per se, but it was about the vibe, and the vibe was 'today, but newer' and it was a catchy vibe indeed.
Then, I think there are a lot of little touches that the movie got right. The way the parental issues played out, the way that characters that could have been minor and expendable, like Sulu and Chekov, wound up being endearing and supremely useful, even if not fleshed out as well as the main attractions, Kirk and Spock.
Now, I was never a big fan of main characters, I like more quirky characters who aren't worshiped by the plot, it feels more like something I can relate to... but this movie gave Kirk his comuppance, not only did he never win a fistfight, but he was actually reprimanded for cheating at the Kobayashi Maru instead of being able to ******** his way to captain while cheating. And then Spock, who nearly took over the movie, got handled by Kirk, and needed Uhura, and got put in place by his father and older self. It. Was. Beautiful.
I think the villain was scary by way of power, but not by maliciousness, and I loved the way he said "Christopher" addressing Pike. It was really on the road to becoming an epic villain... more on that later.
The quotes were endless. "Are you afraid or aren't you!?" it just didn't stop. It was awesome.
"I'm going to throw up in your lap."
What I loved as a Star Trek Fan...
This. Was. Awesome. They did ALL of the Trek one-liners, just once. Enough to recognize it, but noting was overdone. They had all of the great characters there and they were all great for their jobs. Uhura, of all people was useful, as well as elevated to a core part of the crew emotionally. That was exceptionally awesome. Chekov's accent could have easily gone to slapstick, but they didn't, and he turned from the strange boy who can't say 'v' into the wunderkind, making miracles. Sulu not only saved Kirk, but if he hadn't left the parking break on, they all would've died at Neros weaponry in the first twenty minutes of the movie. Even Pike took out romulans as soon as he was free from his days of captivity... it was so great. Everyone, in their own way, got to be a star. They got to be cool. They got to be necessary. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. JJ treated the characters with even more respect that the original series.
The quotes were endless. "I don't need a doctor, I *am* a doctor." It just didn't stop. It was awesome.
Warp was so cool... I couldn't wait, when I knew it was about to happen. I felt like I was being taken to warp, honestly. It was that cool.
And finally, after years of watching trek, I finally like Kirk. That, for several reasons, is quite an accomplishment.
What I didn't like
Keep in mind, I was glued to the screen, and happily for 127 minutes last Thursday, but the more I think about the movie, the more I realize that it just wasn't finished. There were still some thing's missing. I don't know if the runtime prevented it, or if it just wasn't possible for some reason. But there were a few things this movie needed to become the ultimate move, to me.
First, more Nero. He was great as he was, but with 20 more minutes of screen time, he could have been Khaaaaaaan!!-level. Bana's certainly capable, but Nero didn't have a resonate origin story, neither did he have ample time to develop a rapport with the heroes. The first time they meet him, he's about to die. Just a few more moments with Pike, calling him Christopher, or speaking to Kirk and referring to him as James, or using personal digs with Spock could have been really and truly epic. I think a final hand to hand showdown with Kirk aboard the Narada trading barbs would have worked as well. Anything to give us time to hate and love Nero. He had a lot of potential.
Second, banter between Chekov and Sulu. These guys were right next to each other 90% of the time, and they had no resonant relationships on the ship. They could have easily been a bit of a comic relief team, especially considering the actors, and the characters. Chekov as the excitable genius and Sulu as the more level headed reserved professional. A few back and forths with them could have made them highlights, and given us a reason to want to see them other than the fact that they were there, or are TOS characters.
Third, a Klingon tease in the credits. I know its trite, it's been done, and etcetera, but I wanted to see some hardcore badass Klingons. I know about the scene that got cut, but I'd love to have seen those guys first hand, especially licking their wounds and setting a new aggressive course for their empire after the bulk of their fleet got Annihilated.
Finally, the score is slowly growing on me, but it seemed a little too Superheroey the first time I heard it. It almost seemed generic, in a way, and I'm not sure that it can be iconic, really.
Oh well... see you in three years guys.
Ratings:
Performances: 9/10
Set, Art, SFX: 10/10
Plot: 7/10
Nostalgia/Geek Factor: 10/10
Score: 8/10
Overall: 9/10 (it's subjectively weighted, don't bother trying to average out the above scores)
Spill.com rating: A very high Full Price
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I wasn't expecting it.
