Non-spoiler review of Star Trek

[mousme]

Okay, let's get the obvious out of the way: it's fluff.

That being said, it's marvelous, shiny, space-age, exciting fluff! So much love for the new movie. I was really, really dubious about the so-called "reboot," but damn if it didn't totally exceed my expectations. The official in-character explanation for the reboot was a bit much, but I guess the film execs decided the target audience of science nerds and trekkies would be too stupid to understand it unless it was explained several times in very simple words.

The characters are true to form, but the new actors manage to do justice to the originals while not simply imitating them. I'm still not 100% sold on Spock, but he was good enough that by the end of the movie I wasn't expecting him to slice open people's heads anymore.

Oh so many happy shiny character moments! I love the doctor. Heck, I even love Kirk. Chekov and Scotty are adorable, and very much in character.

The climax was, umm, less climactic than I thought it would be. Still good, though.

Anyone who says this movie was made without any thought to the fans is either lying or delusional. There was so much fan service I was bouncing in my seat, right up until after the end credits.

Also, the movie made me laugh very very hard.

Very mild spoiler: apparently Reboot!Romulans have facial hair. Scruffy facial hair. It was jarring, as I always assumed Romulans didn't have any facial hair to speak of (they've always been so smooth-skinned I figured that they and Vulcans just didn't ever grow beards). Combine that with shaved heads instead of the usual bowl cut, and I found it really hard to think of them as Romulans.

Well worth seeing on the big screen, although if you're prone to migraines, vertigo or seizures, beware the big fight scenes in space. Egads. I came close to falling over a few times.

Comments

[taxlady.livejournal.com]

So, do the members of the Federation see the Romulans, or only the audience? Or do they explain that away?

[karine.livejournal.com]

I'll just say this as an answer: Time travel's funny that way.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

The members of the Federation see the Romulans, and it's sort-of-but-not-really explained. Let's just say no one seems surprised that they look the way they do.

[joane.livejournal.com]

Didn't they screw that one up in Enterprise already? I only ever watched the pilot of that crap-fest, but I heard they had the early Romulan reveal there too, which would be chronologically before this movie.

[taxlady.livejournal.com]

I don't remember that. They met Vulcans. But, even if they did get to see what Romulans look like in Enterprise, it's no excuse for violating "canon" later.

[longpig.livejournal.com]

Vulcans can totally grow beards. That's how you can tell when they are evil. ;)

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Right!

How could I have forgotten?

[pasley.livejournal.com]

jteethy and I also saw the film last night (hooray for baby-sitters!) and were not disappointed. (And I have been deeply disappointed and annoyed with every sequel and spin-off of the original show from the beginning, so that's really saying a lot.) So much you can get away with in an alternate/parallel universe scenario! I liked Spock, although he was pretty durn human-like from the get-go, and barely kept any emotions in check through the whole movie. (Yes, we fans do get off on the Spock-swinging-upside-down-from-trees-and-laughing-and-in-lurv stuff, but I guess I would like to have seen him at least attempt to control his emotions at times, which I didn't really see.) Kirk grew on me, and by the very end of the film had won me over, particularly when he calls the doctor by his nickname for the first time, and sounds eerily like Shatner. And I love that they kept the uniforms, only changing the material used, giving them a sort of Land's End sporty/casual look that somehow worked with the slick, high-tech bridge. I'm looking forward to the sequel(s)!

[dizietsma.livejournal.com]

I found the first half of Trouble With Tribbles the other day, which I played for Kelvin before taking him to see the movie. I had forgotten that Klingons didn't originally have any bumps or lumps or stuff on their foreheads, just the clothes and a made-up swarthy skin tone.

[elanya.livejournal.com]

"What happened to the Klingons? remember in the day
They looked like Puerto Ricans and they dressed in gold lamé!
Now they look like heavy metal rocker from the dead,
With leather pants, and frizzy hair, and lobsters on their heads!"

-Voltaire, USS Make Shit Up

[curtana.livejournal.com]

I guess the film execs decided the target audience of science nerds and trekkies would be too stupid to understand it unless it was explained several times in very simple words.

It seemed to me that the target audience for the film was clearly designed to include people who know nothing about Star Trek or sf in general, and I presumed those bits were intended to make it accessible to them.

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Am I *that* out of the mainstream loop that the theories of alternate realities are not widely known?

[curtana.livejournal.com]

I think it likely we're not typical ;)

[pasley.livejournal.com]

Also . . .

I think my favorite moment of all is when Kirk and Sulu and the red-clad ensign do the air drop. Right before they leaped I thought, "We all know who's *not* going to make it." And, sure enough . . . I laughed and laughed. Those expendable ensigns: such a Star Trek tradition!

[mousme.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah. That was priceless.

[luvenditti.livejournal.com]

woot!

[grnladybug.livejournal.com]

Wonderful review! :)

I loved it...would watch it again! And kirk is much more likable to me! Lol

[kiwano.livejournal.com]

Clearly they're Mirror Mirror Romulans :P