Star Trek- New movie and various series discussion

[Obi Chris Kenobi]

My grilfriend, who hadn't seen much Star Trek till this year, absolutely loves Star Trek Voyager now - interesting part is its because of the psychology aspects of it, if you believe that. Bloody psychology graduates...

 

[Sabre]

Fuckin A, reason to watch Jeri Ryan and not get bitched slapped for perving.

 

[Nightwing]

I didn't like the movie, and I'm baffled as to why most people like it so much.

- To be honest, it didn't feel much like a Star Trek film. Generally speaking, Star Trek films have a slower pace than what you generally associate with a lot of Sci-Fi films. This can be really bad at times, but if you look at films like Wrath of Khan, The Undiscovered Country, and First Contact, they use the pacing to their advantage to build things up. The pace of this film just felt off to me; like they were trying to fit so much stuff in rather than make the best use of what they already had. They could have slowed down and cut some of the action for some quieter, character-establishing moments.
- It also goes against what the good Star Trek films did; make the story about the people, not about the events. Sure, there are big things happening, but The Undiscovered Country isn't about peace with the Klingons as much as it's about Kirk reconciling with his son's death, and First Contact is much more about Picard's struggles against the Borg and the concept of humanity more than it is about eliminating the human race. What was the underlying concept here? I mean, it's a nice action movie... but beneath all the scenes, I didn't feel a heart, and that disappointed me.
- On the action, it was hit or miss for me. I liked the orbital rig fight (Though someone needs to explain to J.J. Abrams what the hell fencing actually is...), but I hated the snow beast and the ending action sequence. Especially the latter; most of it just felt out of place. And how the villains are finally dispatched came off as just stupid to me, even disregarding how wrong they had their science. Another example: I liked the scene where Kirk steals the car, up until he OMG JUMPS OUT JUST BEFORE IT GOES OVER THE CLIFF. It felt like they were trying too hard to establish Kirk as an action hero, and it made me groan.
- On the acting, I liked a lot of it. I felt most of the characters were interesting, and I'd like to see more focus on them in upcoming movies. I loved the Kobayashi Maru scene with Kirk, and a lot of the interplay amongst the cast. The comedy also worked well enough.
- On the other side of the coin, though, the villains were absolutely horrible. Their design just screamed stupid (What sort of space ship forces you to jump from platform to platform to get around. And why the hell do some rooms look like futuristic sewers?) and they were just so generic. You could see that Abrams looked at Khan and tried to make a modern update of him (Similar motivation, similar obsession, similar access to a world-destroying weapon...). Boy, did he fail. Eric Bana didn't help much, but I'm not sure I can credit him with failing as a villain when it was designed so poorly.
- Overall, it's not a bad movie, but it really rubs me the wrong way. The action works sometimes, and the actors are quite good. But in the end, it feels a lot more like a fan-fiction story than a real movie plot. Abrams loves the characters, but he never does anything beyond showing how much he loves the character. Next time, I'm hoping he puts together an interesting plot.

 

[Mattdotcom]

You make a good point, but I can't really fault Abrams, et. al. for making the movie they did. They pretty much had to go all out with this one as a summer actioneer in order to save the franchise. If they had made a subtle, well-paced movie, it probably wouldn't have been a blockbuster, and Star Trek would be shelved for a good few years.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

I didn't like the movie, and I'm baffled as to why most people like it so much.

The acting was very good. There was enough action to keep people's attention. There were characters that people cared about. The script was well written. It was a fun movie that doesn't need to be taken seriously. People's opinions are different and just because you don't like a movie doesn't mean that others have to dislike it as well. Plus it's getting people interested in the original series again, specifically people that never watched the original series or only watched it in passing.

 

[Nightwing]

You make a good point, but I can't really fault Abrams, et. al. for making the movie they did. They pretty much had to go all out with this one as a summer actioneer in order to save the franchise. If they had made a subtle, well-paced movie, it probably wouldn't have been a blockbuster, and Star Trek would be shelved for a good few years.

Maybe, though I think that he could have expected more of his audience. I'm not saying that it had to be utterly amazing or anything, but I think that he could done much more with the plot and the characters, considering how well the actors fit their roles. The movie didn't make me swear off future iterations, but I suppose I was disappointed after the amount of hype that I saw out there.

I didn't like the movie, and I'm baffled as to why most people like it so much.

The acting was very good. There was enough action to keep people's attention. There were characters that people cared about. The script was well written. It was a fun movie that doesn't need to be taken seriously. People's opinions are different and just because you don't like a movie doesn't mean that others have to dislike it as well. Plus it's getting people interested in the original series again, specifically people that never watched the original series or only watched it in passing.

Oh Christ, calm down and actually read what I said and don't just cherry-pick one single quote. I don't understand why so many people like it so much. I can see how people can like it, but it's getting way, way too much praise despite having a lot of flaws. I think I accurately assessed the problems with the movie in an unbiased fashion (Like you, I've watched some Next Generation in passing, as well as some DS9). I've seen more than a few people (I think there are even a few in this thread) say this is the best Trek movie ever, amongst other things. It feels like people are getting way too excited because Abrams didn't screw things up, and I'm not sure that makes it a great movie.

 

[Mattdotcom]

Think of this as the Batman Begins of the series. Enjoyed by some fans, not all, but necessary for laying the groundwork for future films.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

I didn't like the movie, and I'm baffled as to why most people like it so much.

The acting was very good. There was enough action to keep people's attention. There were characters that people cared about. The script was well written. It was a fun movie that doesn't need to be taken seriously. People's opinions are different and just because you don't like a movie doesn't mean that others have to dislike it as well. Plus it's getting people interested in the original series again, specifically people that never watched the original series or only watched it in passing.

Oh Christ, calm down and actually read what I said and don't just cherry-pick one single quote. I don't understand why so many people like it so much. I can see how people can like it, but it's getting way, way too much praise despite having a lot of flaws. I think I accurately assessed the problems with the movie in an unbiased fashion (Like you, I've watched some Next Generation in passing, as well as some DS9). I've seen more than a few people (I think there are even a few in this thread) say this is the best Trek movie ever, amongst other things. It feels like people are getting way too excited because Abrams didn't screw things up, and I'm not sure that makes it a great movie.
[/quote]

I was just trying to point out some reasons why people would like it so much. I really liked it, but like you, I don't feel it was the best of the series. It certainly had it's flaws, but I felt that what was done right outweighed those flaws. I agree with the snow beast. I didn't like that whole segment leading up to when he met old Spock. That was really the only scene I didn't like.

 

[Lord of The Curry]

I thought it was fairly well done. The performances (pacticularly Kirk and Bones) were very solid which was enough for me, also the chemistry between Chris Pine and Zarachy Quinto was really fun. I'm also a big Bruce Greenwood fan so he's always awesome.

 

[Nightwing]

While I wouldn't say it's as good as Batman Begins (Which I also really liked), I understand the comparison. I'll have higher expectations for the next movie, however.

I was just trying to point out some reasons why people would like it so much. I really liked it, but like you, I don't feel it was the best of the series. It certainly had it's flaws, but I felt that what was done right outweighed those flaws. I agree with the snow beast. I didn't like that whole segment leading up to when he met old Spock. That was really the only scene I didn't like.

Sorry if I came off a little snarky; I've been debating this with multiple people a lot and I've been rather frustrated. Again, it's not as much that they like as much as the universal love of it and the amount of love people have for it. I understand this is completely my personal opinion, but I don't think I've ever been so at odds with everyone on a movie.

 

[LPM]

Sorry if I came off a little snarky; I've been debating this with multiple people a lot and I've been rather frustrated. Again, it's not as much that they like as much as the universal love of it and the amount of love people have for it. I understand this is completely my personal opinion, but I don't think I've ever been so at odds with everyone on a movie.

I thought it was a pretty stupid movie too. There's a small but vocal minority that dislikes this film, and not just for nerdy trek reasons (the plot was terrible and full of holes, the dialogue stunk, etc).

 

[Dr. Zaius]

Sometimes plot holes are legitimate criticism, and sometimes they are just things you missed. Aside from continuity errors with previous films/series, I wasn't aware of more than one or two.

 

[Nightwing]

For no real reason, I made this.

Funny thing is, after finding out that they did a Star Trek/X-Men comic around the time First Contact came out, I could easily see a comic company doing this.

To bring some levity to the conversation, I've seen something like that mentioned before.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

Sorry if I came off a little snarky; I've been debating this with multiple people a lot and I've been rather frustrated. Again, it's not as much that they like as much as the universal love of it and the amount of love people have for it. I understand this is completely my personal opinion, but I don't think I've ever been so at odds with everyone on a movie.

I thought it was a pretty stupid movie too. There's a small but vocal minority that dislikes this film, and not just for nerdy trek reasons (the plot was terrible and full of holes, the dialogue stunk, etc).

It seems that no matter the movie there is always going to be a group of people not liking it for one reason or another. A lot of time some people just don't like a movie because it's popular, which I think is a stupid reason. I know when THE DARK KNIGHT came out I was one of the few people talking about how it wasn't the greatest thing in the world, like many people were saying. And to this day still feel that Ledger didn't deserve the Oscar, but that's another discussion in and of itself.

Justice, it's all good.

 

[Sabre]

So i was watching the first ep of TNG earlier....

 

[ChrisMWaters]

So i was watching the first ep of TNG earlier....

Ah yes, the Skant.
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Starfleet_uniform_(2350s-2360s)#Skant

...for some twisted reason I'm trying to picture the entire cast wearing those...

 

[Sabre]

Worf really needed one of them.

 

[Obi Chris Kenobi]

I'm not looking forward to introducing DS9 to my girlfriend, its such a slow burn that even I can't watch the first 3 1/2 seasons anymore.

 

[vivisectvi]

While I wouldn't say it's as good as Batman Begins (Which I also really liked), I understand the comparison. I'll have higher expectations for the next movie, however.

I was just trying to point out some reasons why people would like it so much. I really liked it, but like you, I don't feel it was the best of the series. It certainly had it's flaws, but I felt that what was done right outweighed those flaws. I agree with the snow beast. I didn't like that whole segment leading up to when he met old Spock. That was really the only scene I didn't like.

Sorry if I came off a little snarky; I've been debating this with multiple people a lot and I've been rather frustrated. Again, it's not as much that they like as much as the universal love of it and the amount of love people have for it. I understand this is completely my personal opinion, but I don't think I've ever been so at odds with everyone on a movie.

You were expecting this to be a movie solely for Star Trek fans - that's your first mistake. It needed to appeal to a broader audience otherwise there'd be no chance of anything else down the pipe at least for a long long time.

 

[Nightwing]

While I wouldn't say it's as good as Batman Begins (Which I also really liked), I understand the comparison. I'll have higher expectations for the next movie, however.

I was just trying to point out some reasons why people would like it so much. I really liked it, but like you, I don't feel it was the best of the series. It certainly had it's flaws, but I felt that what was done right outweighed those flaws. I agree with the snow beast. I didn't like that whole segment leading up to when he met old Spock. That was really the only scene I didn't like.

Sorry if I came off a little snarky; I've been debating this with multiple people a lot and I've been rather frustrated. Again, it's not as much that they like as much as the universal love of it and the amount of love people have for it. I understand this is completely my personal opinion, but I don't think I've ever been so at odds with everyone on a movie.

You were expecting this to be a movie solely for Star Trek fans - that's your first mistake. It needed to appeal to a broader audience otherwise there'd be no chance of anything else down the pipe at least for a long long time.

I'm definitely not asking for a movie made for Star Trek fans. Hell, I'm a Star Wars fan myself. I'm simply asking for the movie to get out of the shallow end and try to be something more. Wrath of Khan worked so well outside of Star Trek fans because it hit on notes a lot deeper than just "Kirk is pursued by a vengeful madman"; ironically, it was also directed by a person who didn't watch Star Trek. I think he's the only guy outside of Frakes who has done a good/great Star Trek movie.

I understand the idea that you have to broaden appeal, but I don't think you need to sacrifice plot and depth for it. Batman Begins and Iron Man showed that well enough. And before anyone says anything, I'm not saying those are incredibly deep movies, but they weren't nearly as shallow as Star Trek felt to me.

 

[Dr. Zaius]

Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/trekkies_bash_new_star_trek_film#id94844

 

[griffinmills]

Calling this a prequel would be like calling "Back to the Future Part 3" a prequel to "Back to the Future" because it takes place 70-100 years before the first movie, even though its the third in the series.

This is all you really have to say. So what is the first movie this is a sequel to, I wanna catch that first before watching this one.

 

[ChrisMWaters]

Calling this a prequel would be like calling "Back to the Future Part 3" a prequel to "Back to the Future" because it takes place 70-100 years before the first movie, even though its the third in the series.

This is all you really have to say. So what is the first movie this is a sequel to, I wanna catch that first before watching this one.

Look up the comic trade paperback "Star Trek: Countdown". Serves as a sequel to "Star Trek: Nemesis" and a prequel to this movie.

 

[Dr. Zaius]

Calling this a prequel would be like calling "Back to the Future Part 3" a prequel to "Back to the Future" because it takes place 70-100 years before the first movie, even though its the third in the series.

This is all you really have to say. So what is the first movie this is a sequel to, I wanna catch that first before watching this one.

I think the previous adventure which best ties in with this movie is a 2-part episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation called "Unification" which first shows Spock as a 24th century ambassador and how he came associated with helping the Romulans, and was the last time Leonard Nimoy played Spock prior to this movie. This movie is perfectly understandable without having seen that, though.

 

[ChrisMWaters]

Bump.

While driving during work today, I had a thought.

Since the timeline is all rebooted and such, any character or alien can appear.

So...

Is it wrong for me to want the next Trek movie feature the crew of 1701 against Q?

Is DeLance too old to play that part now? If not, could be interesting.

If just for the fact I've been wanting to see Q in a Trek movie for a while now.

 

[Obi Chris Kenobi]

Just 'bought' Star Trek Movies 1-6 'on Blu-Ray' to watch on the PS3, hopefully the transfer and upscaling is good and it doesn't totally expose how shit the special effects are 20/30 years on. Also got Star Trek 2009, which should be decent.

 

[tonyjaymz03]

Watched Star Trek 2, 3, 4 over the last week. Here are my one word reviews:

2:KHANNNNN!
3oc!
4:WHALES!

 

[Obi Chris Kenobi]

Inspiring!

 

[CBright7831]

Mr. Plinkett's review of JJ Abram's Star Trek

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

This is a really stupid question, but the whole Lore/Data thing popped in my head, with the way to tell them apart being that Lore uses contractions. I was wondering if that means Data is incapable of using contractions? Does he just choose not use them? Why would he be programmed to never use contractions? Seems weird.