Initial Thoughts:I had a huge rant prepared because I am more than a bit annoyed at some story beats, how Navel ranks (and the experience they imply) are completely ignored disrespectfully for the easy of a story point and other issues but decided not to bother as what came before is sadly irrelevant.
Hmmm.... First off, I have to admit that every time i've walked out of a movie I have never been totally impressed. I think it may be due to all the excitement.
I hated Transformers and Wrath of Kahn, but over time they grew on me. Now I love TWOK and am OK with Transformers. I think it just took time on me. So understand that my initial reactions may be premature.
My first thoughts on the film is that it's OK. If you are a trekie and you want to see star trek, then see it. However I was expecting more. If I was going to rate it compared to the other films, i'd put it above The Voyage Home but below TWOK/FC. It is most akin to "The Undiscovered Country" in that it's fast paced but not too serious.
If you were to ask me if I was happy with it, i'd say "No"
but when I think about it, i guess i'd have to say "Yes"
THE STORY (in brief detail, I do miss some plot points):
The basic breakdown is this.
Nero's ship appears in front of the Kelvin from a singularity. It attacks the Kelvin, but Kirks dad takes command and saves the fleeing crew, including the unborn James T Kirk.
Cut to the future. Kirk gets in a fight. He gets told to join starfleet by Pike. Three years later (again... another jump in the future) the Narada picks up Old Spock who also appears out of a singularity
Kirk has now finished 3 years of training. He beats the Kobiyashi Maru when suddenly Vulcan is under attack. A fleet is assembled and they all go to Vulcan and get killed, except for the Enterprise.
Pike is captured, Spock takes command and the Enterprise flees at low warp. Vulcan is destroyed by a black hole weapon. Kirk gets angry and fights Spock as Kirk wants to fight Nero. Spock abandons him on a Vulcan moon.
On the moon, kirk meets old spock (who tells him the future... yada yada yada) and they also meet scotty. They beam back onto the Enterprise and kirk forces spock out of the command.
So kirks in command, the Narada is at earth and it is trying to blow it up using the black hole weapon. Young spock blows up the weapon while kirk fights nero.
Everyone cheers and the Enterprise goes to warp with the overtune of "Space the Final Frontier"
WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT IT
It's like Transformers, just in the Star Trek universe.
It's fast, too fast. They rush into the story, don't lay any foundations (for the average viewer) and most of the movie is about meeting the characters.
You barely see Nero before he is killed.
The movie is action packed. Lots of fast paced fights, lots of CG and, well, just watch Transformers and you'll know what i mean.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT IT
The references to Trek. If you are a trekkie, you will LOVE the references. Lots of stuff like "i'm a doctor, not a physicist" and all that kind of stuff. That was great.
The music was ok, but the sound effects were awesome. Going to Warp was AMAZING!
The graphics were also pretty good - you get the feel from the trailers.
The movie is also a bit more 'real' in the sense that they have NOKIA phones, Engineering looks like a factory (like in TOS) with pipes and nuts and bolts, and the ENTERPRISE looks very cool, especially when it warps into Titan and emerges from the atmosphere.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
It was too fast. There was too much focus on action and not enough on the story. Like the latest Indiana Jones, most of the movie was spent doing stuff that didn't matter, like HOW Kirk met Scotty.
Also, you barely see the Enterprise. There is barely a space battle.
NOTES FOR FANS:
- The enterprise fires phasers and torpedoes (which are blue), the first time the 1701 has done so in a movie since Star Trek 2
OTHER BAD STUFF
The Federation know who the Romulus are before Nero appears in front of the Kelvin! This is ****. They arn't supposed to know for a few more years. Yet spock already knows that Vulcans and Romulans are the same species.
Physics goes out the window. True trekies will be pissed off about the Black Hole weapon as it destroys Vulcan but none of the other planets are affected. A convenient super weapon... pft.
There is also a **** ending with the Enterprise ejecting the cores (yes, it has about 5 mini-cores) to escape from the black hole - ala Insurrection.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I was left wanting more. Not more of what I was given, but more from the movie itself. It didn't offer a STAR TREK experiences, instead just a group of people that just happened to be called Kirk and Spock
The story is utter crap and the movie is only saved by the premise of the film itself, that it is a re-boot.
JJ will have to have a much more developed, interesting storyline if he is going to keep the attention of the traditional fan-base, because "STAR TREK" is not aimed at us.
5.5/10
It is a whole new tapestry. The movie is defining 2.0 canon in whatever way the writers and directors see fit and die hard Trekkies will have to accept it or get out of the way. Despite claims, this movie isn't for them; the Prime universe was left mostly alone for that purpose. The movie is for the casual fan that wants an action fix and has casual awareness of the franchise. If the reviews have proven anything, that goal may just be achieved.
