movie thoughts: Star Trek Into Darkness

[orangerful]

So, I finally saw the new Star Trek movie last night. I'm giving it 3 1/2 star. For what it was, it was a good time, though there were a few little things that just bugged me.

I mean, Star Trek has always been about the boys, and especially about Kirk and Spock but this movie was The Kirk and Spock show. It felt like Bones was just there to say very ridiculous Bones things. Scotty and Sulu got a little bit to do, but really it was just to get things ready for The Kirk and Spock Show to begin.

And I really don't have a huge problem with Spock/Uhura BUT I do have a huge problem with Uhura spending the entire movie being a clingy, bitchy girlfriend. Just...no. She's a professional and all the "oooh you're girlfriend is gonna be pissed" jokes got old really really fast.



I liked how they played with the original Khan story, even how they made Kirk and Spock switch places at the end, giving both of them a nice story arc. But Spock's "KHAAAAAAAAAN" was probably the worst part of the movie. I cringed, it felt so forced, like they had a "Wrath of Khan" homage checklist and they just felt they had to shove that in there. It really pulled me out of the movie, especially after that touching moment between the two of them.

Though Kirk's sacrifice doesn't seem nearly as interesting as Spock's since his life is saved at the end of the movie. But that's how it had to be because we don't really WANT them to make "Search for Kirk", do we? No, we want them to make an ORIGINAL MOVIE! Hopefully Team Bad Robot has gotten all this homage bullshit out of their system now and can just write a Star Trek movie. Because I do NOT want to save the whales again!

Oh, and weren't there far too many aliens on that ship? I mean, isn't this supposed to be early Trek, before we have FOUND all the other alien civilizations and Starfleet is Earth's homebase so what was with the blue guy and the lizard girl? That's a pretty nerdy nit-pick though, I know. :)

But I did like the the whole thing with the Admiral (though, again it was annoying that the real point of our rogue female science officer was to ultimately stand up and say "No Daddy, don't kill them! It's wrong!" and to also have a scene in her underwear). There were some fantastic scenes and lots of lines that made me smile and it's always good when you can't tell how you feel about the villain because he sounds like he is making sense...



Like all the summer blockbusters this year, it could have been about 20 minutes shorter, mostly just trimming down the non-stop punching sequences could have helped the whole thing move a bit faster. I always felt that Star Trek was smarter than that, not that we don't have fight scenes, but it always felt like a show that was more cerebral, and the plot to this movie was totally fine, I don't know why the punching scenes felt necessary. Maybe they thought it would have more wide appeal?

ANYWAY if someone gave me popcorn and a soda, I'd probably watch most of it again. Though I might get up and wander around during the punching scenes and stay for the great cast chemistry.

Comments

[fredericks.livejournal.com]

But Spock's "KHAAAAAAAAAN" was probably the worst part of the movie. I cringed, it felt so forced, like they had a "Wrath of Khan" homage checklist and they just felt they had to shove that in there.
Everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) laughed at that point during my viewing. And I'm pretty sure J.J. was aiming for angst, not for laughs. It was horrendous.

I'm not a big original Trek person, but one of my roommates is. She decidedly did not like the movie. Apparently thought the way the storyline clung a bit to Wrath of Khan didn't make it a cute homage, but instead denoted lazy writing. I personally wasn't enamored with New Trek to begin with, and aside from Zachary Quinto's turn as New Spock think the entire cast overacts their way through most scenes. But it was a popcorn flick.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Yeah, while I loved and adored the first movie, this one I just enjoyed. I felt like the cast played the characters well in the first one but they were more caricatures in this second one. Lazy writing indeed. As I said in a comment below, it's freakin' Star Trek, you have a whole UNIVERSE to explore, write a new plot line for the love Roddenberry!

[plumxxjam.livejournal.com]

You and I feel quite similarly about this movie!

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

**high fives** Looking forward to fangirling/bitching when the third one is released LOL

[geekslave.livejournal.com]

I had my problems with the movie, though like you, I mostly enjoyed it. But the "KHAAAAN" line didn't bother me. Maybe I was swept up in the emotion of the previous scene, but the moment felt as natural as that moment could be and ZQ didn't play it horrendously cheesy like Shatner did.

I do wish Bones and Xulu had gotten more to do.

Stacey

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Yes, hopefully they will all be back for the next movie, Star Trek 3 The Search for More Money

[geekslave.livejournal.com]

LOL, love the alternate title.

Stacey

[girlwhowaited.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of this movie between Spock and Kirk was more of establishing a bromance relationship. J.J really wanted to do that so by the third movie I imagine no one would be questioning how far Kirk is willing to go for his crew, and that Spock is moderately okay with all the crazy bullshit ideas Kirk throws out there. He had to smarten up a bit, and even though he is lovingly cocky and gorgeous to look at, he can't pilot the ship purely on luck itself.

I've never seen the original Star Trek movies (I wanted to go in with an open mind about things with no spoilers) so I greatly enjoyed this movie. I did catch a few scenes on YouTube and compared the two.

I know J.J did state he used too much lens flare because it's a cool effect (I agree but I think it's cool to have in there, plus the ship sounds!) and that the scene with the girl in her underwear really didn't need to be there. I do believe he only said that after because so many people were bitching about it afterwards. I would have been one of them. Haha.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

I felt the character development was really well done. They took things from the original movie and flipped them and it worked to give Kirk and Spock more of a growth arc. It was just too bad that the other characters were left behind.

"Wrath of Khan" and "Voyage Home" were the two Trek movies I watched over and over as a kid so I know them well. The thing about Into Darkness vs Wrath of Khan is that...it was sorta weird to homage Wrath of Khan when really the movie should have been homaging whatever episode of the original series they meet Khan. Star Trek II was a sequel to that episode...I dunno, there's just a whole UNIVERSE to explore, I don't see why the writers can't just think up a new and interesting plot line and use all of these fantastic characters to their full potential.

[girlwhowaited.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking that they're trying to write this series with similar connections to the original. So even though certain events are changed, some things are still meant to be. Like someone will die, might not be Kirk or Spock, but it will be someone. Or some major events will happen regardless of what they do.

[rhoda-rants.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen the original movies either. I understand the ending was rather different in the old one, but I don't know exactly what the situation was? They seem to be on this whole AU trajectory that I personally find rather cool, but I can see how it would piss people off.

Mostly, I wish my grandma was still around to see these. She was the hardcore Trekkie in the family.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

I just wish the writers would trust themselves, embrace the AU, and make up an original story. It's freakin' Star Trek, there's an entire galaxy to explore, stop using plotlines from the 60s show. It's just frustrating.

But probably double frustrating since "Wrath of Khan" is widely considered the best of the Trek movies. I used to watch it over and over as a kid and I had never even seen the original series. I don't want to spoil it for you, but the end is not that different...but it is more powerful.