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jimmy corrigan
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star trek

Post by jimmy corrigan »

'Star Trek': New voyages for old Enterprise—Trek hopes to live long and prosper

The good news: The newest “Star Trek” film is at once a clean slate for newcomers to the United Federation of Planets, and a fresh reboot to the original TV series for long-time trekkies and trekkers.

The bad news: There are no Klingons. Not one.

Now, if diehard fans will forgive this oversight and a few apocryphal plot elements, they might find that the film revitalizes an otherwise atrophying Hollywood property with new blood and vigor.

The story action hits the ground running. A warp speed-paced introductory scene leads up to George Kirk, amid catastrophe, evacuating his ship and sacrificing himself to save his crew, pregnant wife and unborn son. With an operatic soundtrack looming, a dramatic crescendo builds to introduce the birth of a cultural icon, James Tiberius Kirk.

The ensemble cast of well-established characters toes the line between homage and update. Chris Pine’s SoCal take on Captain Kirk might be a few shades more Seacrest than Shatner, but leather jacket-clad, he earnestly attempts to be a bad boy, a contemporary James Dean. Zoe Saldana’s portrayal of Nyota Uhuru is a hot and sassy modernization to the role laid down by pioneer Nichelle Nichols. Zachary Quinto's reinterpretation of Spock is nuanced, adding pathos to a traditionally stoic character—never were the words “live long and prosper” delivered with such vitriol as in one particular scene.

Mastermind behind hit TV show “Lost,” J.J. Abrams, is no stranger to pushing the bounds of time and space via the art of cinematic narrative. His is a slick and glossy rendition of “Star Trek,” though firmly rooted in the original series (for example, legacy sound effects are used throughout ship scenes). The sets of the Enterprise are noticeably more spacious, brighter and sleeker. Mainstay story elements are cleverly utilized in novel ways. Warp speed SFX serves as a jump cut film-editing device, and a Vulcan mind-meld sequence lays down narrative exposition.

Watch with an open mind and have fun. Do what Spock suggests in the film, “Put logic aside. Do what feels right.” For it is evident that the filmmakers desire to meet the expectations of newbies and fans alike, and allow this beloved science fiction franchise to live long and prosper.
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Post by Sadohara »

nice flow, chum.

"more seacrest than shatner" -- now that's a quotable phrase!!
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Post by jimmy corrigan »

thanks, sadohara! 'preciate the kind words.
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Post by BlanchPrez »

Nice. I thought you might also enjoy this.

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/t ... _trek_film

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Post by JALU3 »

I thought that this was suppose to be an alternative time line from the original trek we all grew up with.
"The Federation needs men like you, doctor. Men of conscience. Men of principle. Men who can sleep at night... You're also the reason Section Thirty-one exists -- someone has to protect men like you from a universe that doesn't share your sense of right and wrong." -Sloan, Section Thirty-One
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Post by jimmy corrigan »


[quote="BlanchPrez"]Nice. I thought you might also enjoy this.



[url]http://www.theonion.com/content/video/trekkies_bash_new_star_trek_film[/url]



Chris[/quote]
that was flippin' hilarious!

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Post by jimmy corrigan »


[quote="JALU3"]I thought that this was suppose to be an alternative time line from the original trek we all grew up with.[/quote]without giving too much away-- yes, yes it is. as i briefly mentioned, there are a handful of apocryphal plot elements.
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Post by JALU3 »

Watched it in IMAX, it was so worth it, you need to see it again if you haven't seen it in IMAX. Great relaunch, and it didn't give any lead way for the ultra-fan to argue that this is not right, or that's not correct ... not that it wasn't explored in a TNG episode, but welcome to one of the Multi-verses.
I hope to see more, and wonder when we will see Janice Rand and Nurse Chapel and other interesting minor characters. Oh and tribbles, can't forget about tribbles.

Alot more comedy than there ever was in TOS, even that episode with all those hippies. Some ultrafans on another board that I visisted couldn't help from not liking it, but then again many of those in the ultrafan grouping were teens when TOS was originally airing.

I was suprised at how much screen time Chekov got, and it was like they were doing everything they can, the writers that is, to give him words to say with a v in it. I wonder what tongue twister they will have him do next time (maybe put it at the end of the film as a gag for those who sit through the credits)

One nice thing though, the Space Station where all the ships were docked was almost directly from the Star Trek Technical Manual's Fleet Headquarters, first published in the 1970s. Furthermore, some of the ship designs of that book were used for the ships of the armada.
And did anyone notice Admiral Pikes uniform, except for some details (including the arrangement of his sleeve rank and the shoulder boards), didn't it look familiar?

Now here's my question, what will be the new commonly used abbreviation for this new timeline?

We have ENT, TOS, TAS, MOV, TNG, DS9, VOY and MU ... so what for this?
RST (Reimagined Star Trek), ST2.0 (Star Trek 2.0), ALT (Alternative Timeline), NST (New Star Trek), 21ST (21st Century Star Trek), JJT (Jeffrey Jacob Trek), AST (Abrams Star Trek)
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Post by ekomega »

The only part I didn't like was Pike didn't have that chair with the one blinking light. That thing's a classic! They should've thrown it in for good measure.

Also, Pike was way too old.

I liked all of the character re-imaginings, although I hope they make Uhura more than just a sex symbol in the next one. Also, I was very happily surprised by Sylar's excellent Spock performance.
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Post by cczernia »

Ok, now that I have had some time to digest the movie and get over the fact that it is first Star Trek movie in 7 years. Overall, I liked it and thought it was a beautiful movie.

However, I do have some problems. I thought the villain was kind of dry. For Star Trek villains you think how awesome Khan and Borg Queen are with there conversation with Kirk and Data. Nero is more along the lines the stretchy face guy from Insurrection.

I also don't like the new Kirk. I'm currently watching the old series right now and you see how each actor tried to capture certain elements of the old cast and they did a great job except for Chris Pine who I didn't like. He seemed to capture rebellious and lech but failed in strong leader. I can't imagine the crew following him.

Finally, when you start thinking about the plot it doesn't really hold together.
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Post by BlanchPrez »


[quote="cczernia"]
Finally, when you start thinking about the plot it doesn't really hold together.[/quote]


Well, but when in this not true for Star Trek? Or half the sci-fi movies out there, for that matter?



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Post by ekomega »


[quote="cczernia"]Ok, now that I have had some time to digest the movie and get over the fact that it is first Star Trek movie in 7 years. Overall, I liked it and thought it was a beautiful movie.



However, I do have some problems. I thought the villain was kind of dry. For Star Trek villains you think how awesome Khan and Borg Queen are with there conversation with Kirk and Data. Nero is more along the lines the stretchy face guy from Insurrection.



I also don't like the new Kirk. I'm currently watching the old series right now and you see how each actor tried to capture certain elements of the old cast and they did a great job except for Chris Pine who I didn't like. He seemed to capture rebellious and lech but failed in strong leader. I can't imagine the crew following him.



Finally, when you start thinking about the plot it doesn't really hold together.[/quote]


*** SPOILERS ***











Spoilers follow.





My main issue with the plot was that Nero's ship was one awesome [i]mining[/i] ship. Are we to assume all 24th century miners were equipped with advanced weaponry and extremely large ship-cities?



Also, when Spock got his super ship and he found out Romulus was destroyed, why didn't he go back in time like two weeks and then stop it from being destroyed?



Regardless, the movie was still awesome.

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Post by mordraine »


[quote="BlanchPrez"]Well, but when in this not true for Star Trek? Or half the sci-fi movies out there, for that matter?[/quote]

I liked the movie. But I don't subscribe to the theory that a sci-fi movie can skate past without a durable plot.

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Post by cczernia »


[quote="BlanchPrez"]Well, but when in this not true for Star Trek? Or half the sci-fi movies out there, for that matter?[/quote]

I find the plot to be less solid than other Star Trek movies. Perhaps a lot got cut. However, it is possibly the best odd numbered Star Trek movie. I still think it falls short of 2, 6 and 8.

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Post by BlanchPrez »


[quote="ekomega"]*** SPOILERS ***











Spoilers follow.





My main issue with the plot was that Nero's ship was one awesome [i]mining[/i] ship. Are we to assume all 24th century miners were equipped with advanced weaponry and extremely large ship-cities?



Also, when Spock got his super ship and he found out Romulus was destroyed, why didn't he go back in time like two weeks and then stop it from being destroyed?



Regardless, the movie was still awesome.[/quote]


I don't think it had advanced weapons for a 24th century ship, but the standards of the 23rd century, they were pretty damn advanced. It's like bringing a machine gun back to the wild west. It may be a crappy ass gun by today's standards, but in the 1800's, you'd rule supreme.



Also, Spok and Nero both had no control over how far back in time they went. The black hole created by the "red matter" sucked them back uncontrably. Nero got there first and had 25 years in the past to figure out his plan of action.



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Post by cczernia »


[quote="BlanchPrez"]Nero got there first and had 25 years in the past to figure out his plan of action.[/quote]

Which in itself is kind of silly. You think he would have gotten over it in 25 years... or .... maybe warned his people of a coming supernova.

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Post by BlanchPrez »


[quote="cczernia"]Which in itself is kind of silly. You think he would have gotten over it in 25 years... or .... maybe warned his people of a coming supernova.[/quote]

A supernova 128 years in the future. I doubt even with his ship they would have believed him. But, also, his admittidly week backstory didn't bug me. The movie wasn't about Kirk vs. Nero, it was about Kirk's relationships, specifically his friendship with Spock.



I'm not saying there weren't some holes in the plot, just that I think they were pretty small and easily ignorable/did not detract from the enjoyment of the movie.



For example, one of the things that bugged me as a Trek nerd is that at this point in the timeline, no one in the Federation has ever SEEN a Romulan, nevermind knew that the Romulans are related to Vulcans. Yet, no one was surprised that these were Romulans or that they looked like Vulcans.



But, I easily let that go because it really doesn't matter in the end. It was a good movie, and I enjoted it.



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Post by Drew »

I wasn't overly impressed with it. Sick and tired of the whole time travel crapola. They could have just rebooted the franchise without trying to explain why things were different. It seems like every other movie involves time travel. With as many people going back and forth in time, you'd think they would be less surprised when it happens.
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Post by cczernia »


[quote="Drew"]I wasn't overly impressed with it. Sick and tired of the whole time travel crapola. They could have just rebooted the franchise without trying to explain why things were different. It seems like every other movie involves time travel. With as many people going back and forth in time, you'd think they would be less surprised when it happens.[/quote]

Agreed. Especially with the success of the new Battlestar show I think people would have been willing to accept the new direction without an explanation as to how it related to franchise in general.

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Post by mordraine »


[quote="cczernia"]Agreed. Especially with the success of the new Battlestar show I think people would have been willing to accept the new direction without an explanation as to how it related to franchise in general.[/quote]

Not necessarily. Trek fans are far more fanatical than the original Battlestar Galactica fans (whatever was left of them - don't forget, the original series kind of... um... sucked). I think they thought they [i]needed[/i] to do something like that to get buy-in.

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Post by ekomega »

I don't like that Spock survived, with his 24th century knowledge. Why doesn't he go discover more "red matter"? Why doesn't he tell Scotty what else he invented?

Why doesn't he just tell everyone about quantum torpedoes, replicators, metaphasic shields, the Gamma Quadrant, the Dominion, cloaking devices, the Borg, AND HOW HE ALREADY WENT BACK IN TIME AND MET A GOD-DAMNED WHALE?!!!!!!!
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Post by BlanchPrez »


[quote="ekomega"]I don't like that Spock survived, with his 24th century knowledge. Why doesn't he go discover more "red matter"? Why doesn't he tell Scotty what else he invented?



Why doesn't he just tell everyone about quantum torpedoes, replicators, metaphasic shields, the Gamma Quadrant, the Dominion, cloaking devices, the Borg, AND HOW HE ALREADY WENT BACK IN TIME AND MET A GOD-DAMNED WHALE?!!!!!!![/quote]


See, now I think you're just looking for things to bitch about.



Who's to say he doesn't?



And really, does him NOT doing any of that take away from the enjoyment of the movie?



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Post by ekomega »


[quote="BlanchPrez"]See, now I think you're just looking for things to bitch about.



Who's to say he doesn't?



And really, does him NOT doing any of that take away from the enjoyment of the movie?



Chris[/quote]


I really enjoyed the movie. I just think that if you're going to spend $140 million on something, particularly a movie, you might take the time and have a really tight script. Especially for a super-fanboy type series with a billion people who are obsessed with it.



If they paid another $100,000 to get some really tight writing, the cost wouldn't even register compared to the CGI, and everyone would really notice how much better it made the movie.



I really thought the whole movie that future Spock was going to die. I think they could've really done that in a super-great way, and shown fully that the new series is born and the old one is dead.

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Post by cczernia »


[quote="ekomega"]I really enjoyed the movie. I just think that if you're going to spend $140 million on something, particularly a movie, you might take the time and have a really tight script. Especially for a super-fanboy type series with a billion people who are obsessed with it. [/quote]

You would think that but year after year hollywood proves otherwise.

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Post by Drew »

:lolup:
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Post by Dragonkin »


[quote="cczernia"]You would think that but year after year hollywood proves otherwise.[/quote]

Preach it, Brother! *does the hallelujah dance*

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Post by Skyman »

:lolup:
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Post by Count Zero »


[quote="ekomega"]I don't like that Spock survived, with his 24th century knowledge. Why doesn't he go discover more "red matter"? Why doesn't he tell Scotty what else he invented?



Why doesn't he just tell everyone about quantum torpedoes, replicators, metaphasic shields, the Gamma Quadrant, the Dominion, cloaking devices, the Borg, AND HOW HE ALREADY WENT BACK IN TIME AND MET A GOD-DAMNED WHALE?!!!!!!![/quote]


Killing Spock would have been predictable. I was just waiting for Spock to sacrifice himself. It is a standard time travel plot device. Leaving him alive opens the door for all sorts of strange possibilities.

Whenever I get confused about D&D alignment morality, I just imagine Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Ghandi arm wrestling shirtless on the back of a killer whale.

In other words, I remember that it doesn't really make a whole lot of sense and deal with it best I can.
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Post by mrlost »

As far as unexplained plot holes, one niggling detail that bothered me in an otherwise (to my mind) flawless film: why does a mining beam jam subspace communications?
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Post by Digital_Boy »


[quote="mrlost"]As far as unexplained plot holes, one niggling detail that bothered me in an otherwise (to my mind) flawless film: why does a mining beam jam subspace communications?[/quote]

And transporters too.

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Post by mordraine »

Just lucky I guess.
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Post by Drew »

I just realized why I wasn't overly impressed. It reminded me of The Simpsons episode where Homer bumbled his way into being captain of a nuclear submarine. And The Simpsons did it better. :)
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Post by cczernia »


[quote="Drew"]I just realized why I wasn't overly impressed. It reminded me of The Simpsons episode where Homer bumbled his way into being captain of a nuclear submarine. And The Simpsons did it better. :)[/quote]

Agreed. I did not care for the way that Kirk became captain of the ship. I think it would have been funny if they ejected him a second time.

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Post by ekomega »


[quote="Drew"]I just realized why I wasn't overly impressed. It reminded me of The Simpsons episode where Homer bumbled his way into being captain of a nuclear submarine. And The Simpsons did it better. :)[/quote]

The new Kirk is definitely more about getting peas with a knife and "Quack quack quack" than the first one. He was all about green chicks.

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Post by Count Zero »


[quote="mrlost"]As far as unexplained plot holes, one niggling detail that bothered me in an otherwise (to my mind) flawless film: why does a mining beam jam subspace communications?[/quote]

Well... it can drill into a planet. I expect it probably pumps out quite a bit of energy that might disrupt that sort of things. I mean afterall, solar flares disrupted our communications, why couldn't it disrupt communications?

Whenever I get confused about D&D alignment morality, I just imagine Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Ghandi arm wrestling shirtless on the back of a killer whale.

In other words, I remember that it doesn't really make a whole lot of sense and deal with it best I can.
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Post by Gotetsu »

I have seen it twice, and have enjoyed it beyond measure both times.

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