[Madam Corvax]

AND he also confirms my point of view that this is not about Start Trek but brand recognition and marketability. And he not as much as likes it, but admits that this is "guilty pleasure". Even if it does not make any sense, it is still watchable, and not so offensive as TNG films.

It is funny how similar were my gut feelings about this flick to what is clearly spelled out to Plinkett in the review. With the exception that I actually liked the episode "Parallel" in TNG. I accepted long time ago that SciFi in Star Trek does not make a lot of sense.

One more think - it will be curious to see if Plinkett's prophecy that another Start Trek film would be made comes true.

[Chefelf]

Here's my main problem with the Star Trek movie: there's lights shining in my face the entire time! It's so distracting. Every scene, every moment on the bridge there are lights shining in your face from the foreground and the background as if they'd just discovered some type of lens flare effect in their video editing program. Don't know what I'm talking about? Watch it again but this time pay attention to what I'm talking about.

I'm about half way through the Plinkett review now. Highly enjoyable. You should check it out if you haven't already: http://www.redletter...ar_trek_09.html

I enjoyed the movie. Mostly because I don't really care that much about Star Trek. I always enjoyed the show (at least the first two series) but I never really had that much invested in the canon because I get the impression that they were just making it up as they went along.

Because they were.

[civilian_number_two]

Yeah, they were making it up as they went along. Yeah, canon never really mattered. That's not my complaint, really. Plinkett makes a big deal about little details, and yes, the devil is there, but the details he tends to nitpick about are actually pretty damning. Like how in one series it takes a minute to get to the bridge via turbolift, while in the movie it takes two and a half seconds. Like how in the series it's well established that "Starfleet Academy" is for training the upper eschelon, and that not everyone goes there, while in the movie it's basic training, so everyone of every stripe has to go there. Even the security guards. Etc. These little details serve to develop a credible world. He points out that STAR TREK was always about the little details, so that it felt more like real sci-fi, while say, STAR WARS never bothered with that. Planet that's all desert, planet that's all snow, planet that's al jungle, planet that's all water, planet that's all city, planet that's all volcano, etc. What he leaves alone, mostly, but it's also important, is that STAR TREK always paid lip service to a military discipline and a chain of command. The Captain of a starship can't take a Midshipman and promote him past Ensign, Lieutenant Junior Grade, Lieutenant Senior Grade, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, right to Captain. Seriously; yhis movie operated under the premise that the Kirk of this "parallel universe" skipped a prodigious 15 years of service (Kirk in TOS was about 35; let's just for ease say he came out of the Academy as a Midshipman at 20). For me, I have to be honest, that was the most ridiculous little detail. I would have preferred all of the characters starting in their establishd roles, and being younger actors, and no explanation, to the solution they came up with. And I suppose because I am older, I would have preferred to that the actors being appropriate ages for the characters, and for them to just do more STAR TREK with new actors. You know, like they have done successfully with James Bond a few times already (though perhaps no more, I guess).

Anyway, it's not the canon or the adherence to it that I hate, or why it sucks, and why you all hate it too, admit it. Why I hate it is it is so damn stupid. A guy travels 70 years back in time so he can kill the dad of a guy who will later befriend another guy that the time traveler waits 25 years to kill, doing nothing the whole time he waits. And all this to get revenge for something that he could easily correct, seeing as he traveled back in time. And the children of the people the villain kills will gang up to get him, later. Raaargh. It's just so stupid; it's like it was written by a child, at one of those restaurants where you can draw on the tablecloth with crayons.

Yeah lens flares, yeah running, yeah lots of punching, shooting, tits and explosions. Seriously, did anyone come out of this movie with a clear idea of what even happened? Cause if you thought you just watched DIE HARD, you didn't. And that movie was basically just a guy punching and shooting his way through a game of hide-and-seek. But it's way better than STAR TREK.

[Jordan]

Well, ok the story is stupid, but I have a feeling the time travel is probably what caused it to derail so tragically, only RED DWARF can use time travel and get away with it. Every other film/show where people travel to the past is always a big disappointment. I haven't seen this film but I'm still confused why people are going back in time to kill people they can just as easily kill in the present.

I don't think the producers cared too much about the story, just as long as it was nothing like the old films. The last few trek films have not faired well at the box office. It was a money grab, and it promised to be fun. People began talking about how this ain't your parents star trek long before the film was even released.

And the adds did look cool. Honestly, I'm all for the money grab, the last few years of my life have taught me that selling out artistically is awesome and I love it. If I was artistic, I'd sell out in a second and make my cash. I'd have the Jonas Brothers in the next Starwars films if I had the IP.

This post has been edited by Jordan: 08 September 2010 - 11:39 PM

[Chefelf]

civ, I'm starting to detect that maybe you did not enjoy Star Trek very much.

[Mr Pye]

I share Civilians dislike for the new Star Trek. It is not at all a movie that appeals to me. I'll admit I have never been a fan of the Hollywood action genre to which this movie seems to belong, which may explain it.

Maybe it is simple rollercoaster ride and should be judged and enjoyed as that, but even those kind of stories need characters that you can classify and a basic framework of story. With Star Trek 2009 I felt couldn't find the heart of the characters. What sort of character is the new younger Kirk? Is he an angst filled James Deanish youth trying to defy the world? Or is he a suitable choice to be the leader of men? He can't be both. It may be argued that this was his arc, that he matured from one person to the other, but then... wasn't this supposed to be simple rollercoaster ride?

Things do not fit into place in the new Star Trek. It's like the movie wants to be everything at once and ends up being nothing forever. The baggage that the old TOS character carried with them did not fit into the kind of movie that this was. This is not surprising considering a character is never completely separated from his/her story. So remaking Star Trek into an action adventure they brought part of the characters old story into it. Suddenly Kirk needs to be both the rebellious youth and become the natural leader of men in the same story. The result is that he ends up beeing neither. This is one movie that would have benefitted enormously from completely new characters, even as a simple action thrill.

Quote

Also, ALL of the action sucked. JJ seemed to think he was making DIE HARD. He was not making DIE HARD.

I tend to agree also with this opinion, though Star Trek 2009 reminded me more of a Michael Bay flick than anything else. It was a funny choice for someone trying to reimagine a franchise, if indeed that is what they were trying to do. How many popular franchises have ever sprung from Michael Bay type movies? Though mostly my distaste for the action in this movie stems from never quite beeing able to catch what the hell was going on. When things happen too fast and there are too many explosions and lens flares at the same time there is no action, just numbness waiting for things to clear up and trying to determine if anything actually happened or if they just wanted to shatter your eardrums.

Finally I will also say that as someone who enjoyed the old Star Trek shows TOS, TNG, DS9 and even Voyager, I found this movie to be offensive. Everything that once used to make Star Trek a distinct and unique franchise is gone, and in it's place I get this. Nothing. Well sure as Civilian points out, there are the explosions. And the tits. And people running. But in 50 years from now, when people can't tell Star Trek apart from Tomb Raider in space, I'm gonna sit in my rocking chair and reflect. They missed a damned good chance to make something worthwhile out of Star Trek.





And Madame Corvax.

Quote

Off TOpic- I hated the new Robin Hood film. OMG, how I hated it. And I waited for this load of crap almost two years with great anticipation. What disappointment.

Really? I knew when I heard Russel Crowe had been cast as Robin Hood that I hated it. And I haven't even seen it.

[J m HofMarN]

I hate to say it, but I actually kind of enjoyed this film. The reason being that I've just never been a star trek fan and thus I wasn't expecting Star Trek. As far as an ok sci-fi action film goes, I'd say this is acceptable. If I cared about Star Trek, its backstory, its continuity, or its characters, I can see how this film would probably not be for me. So on principal I have to also come out against this flick because it's part of the rape of cinematic history that people have been getting into so much lately. (Why did we need a Karate Kid redo? Transformers? Ninja Turtles? Indiana Jones?) If I had more than a cursory knowledge of the original Trek, or was interested in the spirit thereof, I'd hate it venomously, but when I watched it I was just watching a movie, not a Star Trek movie, so there's where my enjoyment came from. It's sad how things like that can get to you.

[civilian_number_two]

From hell's heart, JM. Hell's heart.

[J m HofMarN]

Go read your Kirk/Spock fanfiction, Treky scum.

In all seriousness though, it is kind of bothersome that they could have produced a non-star trek movie that would have been better accepted by fans and still just as good. The whole time travel thing screams Dr. Who. Maybe just cgi out the enterprise and replace it with a police call box.

[civilian_number_two]

Now you're fucking with Doctor Who! Is there no end!

I would have accepted Transformers, GI Joe, a new addition to the dwindling Alien franchise, Star Wasr, or a reboot of "Alias."

But Star Trek? "Hey let's make it "cool!" I know, it already has a fan base and has been popular for 40 years, but let's act like we're going to rescue it!"

The arrogance.

[J m HofMarN]

I'm one of the kids who was young enough to be ENRAGED by the new transformers films. It's sad when a 1985 animated film beats the fuck out of 3 recent big budget live action films in every category from plot to acting to soundtrack. The old transformers cartoon series is even more watchable than the Bayformers movies. I havent even bothered to think about the new G I Joe movie...

I think its definitely arrogant to decide that the Trek fanbase wanted more explosions and so forth, but that's just the way it's going nowadays, though I dont at all agree with it. I fully expect a Titanic remake to occur eventually wherein the Kaiser was responsible for the sinking using an ice-berg shaped U-Boat, and Bruce Willis has to fight it out with him in the end, because why the fuck not. I mean, hell, Titanic itself managed to add in a few chase sequences and a shooting. The remake will almost certainly involve several explosions that have nothing to do with the boilers.

[civilian_number_two]

JJ Abrams is in town. He'll be filming Mission: Impossible IV. I will meet him. I will tell him that Star Trek sucked. He will roll a joint in a 1000-dollar bill and blow the smoke in my face.

I saw Star Trek with my friend Lisa. I used to date Lisa, until she suddenly and without warning stopped talking to me and she more or less immediately became engaged to another man. They married, move out of province, later divorced. She's back here now, and she invited me out to the movie. She'd already seen it once. I was amazed that she'd see it more than once; I told her this. She challenged me: "I saw you laughing!" I said "I was laughing at how terrible it was!"

What is it with our current action film mentality that we assume everything has to be kinda shitty and stupid? I remember thinking otherwise at District 9 and even, I'll admit it, Mission: Impossible III. Can't we make a decent action film without tailoring it to the dumb, will-go-along-with-anything audience that doesn't actually exist?

Lisa didn't agree with me either, but then she also really liked Mama Mia. Something clearly happened to her out of province. And I don't just mean the marrying another guy and getting divorced. I suspect aliens.

[Mr Pye]

civilian_number_two, on 17 November 2010 - 04:08 AM, said:

JJ Abrams is in town. He'll be filming Mission: Impossible IV. I will meet him. I will tell him that Star Trek sucked. He will roll a joint in a 1000-dollar bill and blow the smoke in my face.

I saw Star Trek with my friend Lisa. I used to date Lisa, until she suddenly and without warning stopped talking to me and she more or less immediately became engaged to another man. They married, move out of province, later divorced. She's back here now, and she invited me out to the movie. She'd already seen it once. I was amazed that she'd see it more than once; I told her this. She challenged me: "I saw you laughing!" I said "I was laughing at how terrible it was!"

What is it with our current action film mentality that we assume everything has to be kinda shitty and stupid? I remember thinking otherwise at District 9 and even, I'll admit it, Mission: Impossible III. Can't we make a decent action film without tailoring it to the dumb, will-go-along-with-anything audience that doesn't actually exist?

Lisa didn't agree with me either, but then she also really liked Mama Mia. Something clearly happened to her out of province. And I don't just mean the marrying another guy and getting divorced. I suspect aliens.

Yep! When I can even sit and long for Charlton Heston hackting out lofty morals and looking constapated, then I suppose there must be one or two ingredients of movie making that has been negelcted a little too long.

[Gobbler]

civilian_number_two, on 17 November 2010 - 09:08 AM, said:

I saw Star Trek with my friend Lisa. I used to date Lisa, until she suddenly and without warning stopped talking to me and she more or less immediately became engaged to another man. They married, move out of province, later divorced.

All within a year and a half? Hot diggity damn... I almost wish the girls I dated were that spontaneous. All I ever got was that subtle insanity plus several neuroses.


Edit: Ah yeah, topic related stuff... yerp, even I'm getting tired of those sit-down-and-shut-up action movies... didn't think that could ever happen to me, guess I'm getting old.

This post has been edited by Gobbler: 18 November 2010 - 09:29 AM

[Zatoichi]

Ah, so that's what happened in the movie. Not much of a Star Trek fan myself, but a friend had rented it and it was something to watch. I watched up until the villian's master or plan or something was mostly revealed not really understanding what was going on, and then promptly fell asleep. When I woke back up, I got it to right around where I had left off, watched some more ... and then fell asleep again.

I can tell you why didn't the villian save Rommulus though, it goes along with all of the movies and tv shows where 3 sentences of explanation from one character to another would solve everything; there would be no movie or string of episodes.

Also, a non-dumb action movie would be nice to have. Really it would. Example, I would bet anything that anyone here could write better Aliens vs. Predator movies. And I knew there was no reason for me to even think about seeing the new Predator movie. "Hey look, we've got bigger Preds now, come watch! And ooh, look at the star-studded cast, oooh" You want to talk about milking franchises I mean come on. Hell I'm even somebody that actually enjoyed Predator 2.