Star Trek Review

[Jam Stunna]

I don't usually write reviews, but this is a special occasion.

I'm a huge Trekkie. I have been for my entire life. I started watching Star Trek before I can even remember, and I've been hooked ever since. When I was a child, I would write Star Trek fanfiction (back then, I didn't know what fanfiction was, it was just fun for me). I watched all of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, and most of Voyager. I've seen every movie, and have even owned several of the ships in model form. I got my wife hooked on Star Trek when I met her, and we've watched episodes together.

I'll be the first to say that Star Trek: Nemesis was an unmitigated disaster, so I'd been following the development of this latest movie with great interest. It's been a real roller-coaster ride, from the highest of the high (YAY! More Star Trek!) to the meh moments (J.J. Abrams is helming it?) to the lowest of the low (TYLER ****ING PERRY?!). I even read the four-part comic book prequel to the movie, "Countdown". So I walked into the movie fully informed, and more than just a little nervous. What were they going to do to my Star Trek? Were they going to dumb it down and tart it up to appeal to the masses? Was J.J. Abrams going to go all "Lost" on the script and make it an incomprehensible mess? I walked into that theater with my hopes high, but I was prepared to walk out dissapointed.

Well my friends, I am here to say that my fears were firmly put to rest. Star Trek is incredible.

I'm not going into a plot synopsis here, because that would take too long and ruin the movie. Suffice to say it was funny, exciting, sexy...everything that Star Trek had honestly lost in the transition from the original series to TNG. The sex appeal was extremely well done, and just enough to spice up the movie without going over the top. It wasn't angst-ridden melodrama, but the characters were appropriately conflicted. All of the casting was outstanding, and the space battles were appropriately amazing. It's everything that a summer should be, and everything that the last twenty years of Star Trek has lacked.

That said, I do have my complaints, but they're all nerdy, Trekkie continuity complaints. Once again, I won't get into them, because to do so would necessitate discussing the plot. But if you're someone who is well-versed in the Star Trek universe, just remember this: they're not retconning the Star Trek universe, but reinventing it. That will make it easier to deal with.

None of those complaints though took anything away from my enjoyment of the movie (except Tyler ****ing Perry). I give this movie the Jam Stunna Seal of Approval™. the highest acclaim I can offer something. If you're a Trekkie, or a sci-fi fan, or just someone who likes good movies, go see this film. You will not be disappointed.

So now, for Jam Stunna's Grand List of the Greatest Star Trek Movies:

1) Star Trek: First Contact
2) Star Trek
3) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
4) Star Trek IV: The Journey Home
5) Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
6) Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
7) Star Trek Generations
8) Star Trek Insurrection
9) Star Trek: The Motion Picture
10) Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
11) Star Trek Nemesis

 

[finalark]

I was just in the middle of typing this! Thanks, JAM! Now I have to get to the reading of the review.

EDIT: Done reading the review. Yeah, I saw this movie a few hours ago and was starting to type a review. Then I saw that you had already typed one. Anyway, I'll say this now, I liked Nemesis. I thought it to be a pretty good movie (not really good, but pretty good). I thought the same thing about this one, didn't like how Kirk started out as "angst twenty-something year old" that seems to be popular in movies these days. But overall I really enjoyed the new Star Trek movie, I approve of it!!

 

[Jam Stunna]

Just add your review to this thread.

 

[finalark]

Just add your review to this thread.

I would, but it would make me feel like an egotistical trekkie.

 

[Orfner]

thanks! glad to hear it is good, all have to go see it tomorrow after work.

 

[finalark]

1) Star Trek: First Contact
2) Star Trek
3) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
4) Star Trek IV: The Journey Home
5) Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
6) Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
7) Star Trek Generations
8) Star Trek Insurrection
9) Star Trek: The Motion Picture
10) Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
11) Star Trek Nemesis

I haven't seen any of the original series movies, mostly due to the fact that I didn't like the original series (ducks). Just for fun, I'll list mine based off of the ones that I've seen.

5. Star Trek: Generations
4. Star Trek: Insurrection
3: Star Trek: Nemesis
2: Star Trek
1: Star Trek: First Contact

 

[SkylerOcon]

I agree with this. The Star Trek movie was great, and

Spoiler

it was a nice touch to see the red-suit die in the space jump sequence.

My friends and I all got a good laugh out of that, but nobody else in the theater did. I guess we were the only Trek fans there.

 

[nevershootme]

I saw the film at an advance screening last week, I do say I got pretty lucky to even got the chance to see it early.

I'm not a huge trekkie fan (but i grew up watching half of The Next Generation, about 85-90% of Voyager, and only the beginnings of Enterprise, and about 4-5% of Deep Space Nine), and haven't seen much of the films.

I do say from a standpoint of a critic-ish, that the film was designed with full of action and less talk (like 10 minutes at most), which is enough for the modern day movie goer who would most likely see it (similar to a time i saw most people wanting to watch Fast and Furious and there were huge lines). The story was explained with brief explaination, yet enough for people to get the point immediately it points back onto the action. While the characters are well casted and looking similar to some of the old cast of the tv series, I wish there was a bit more to understanding the other characters backgrounds as to just focusing on Kirk and Spock (which i understand it's only on them), but at least 5 mintues of airtime for each (but that's going overboard on a 2 hour flick). I did feel the villin was kinda weak in acting, but the characters intentions seem questionable (points to star wars lol, but lets not argue on that), yet understandable.

I'll explain more later, but it's tournament time!

 

[OutlawStar]

There was a Star Trek ad right under the first post O.o
I have never seen any Star Trek, but I saw the trailer for this,
and I thought it looked pretty good, I am really into space
and sci-fi right now.

 

[East]

I started watching the original star trek, last summer [it came on g4 during the weekday afternoons] and I was hooked. I just saw the movie last night, and it was utterly amazing. I completely agree with Jam Stunna's review. It's definitely a must see!

 

[Zombie Lucille Ball]

For the record, mine:
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek: First Contact (tie w/ ST)
Star Trek (tie w/Khan)
Star Trek IV: The Journey Home
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Star Trek Insurrection
Star Trek Generations
Star Trek Nemesis

A movie not without flaws, it somehow transcends them to be better than the sum of its parts. The primary flaw being its script. Filled with plot holes and dumb scenes (moments like Scotty in the water tubes or Kirk accidentally groping Uhura or Uhura suddenly making out with Spock (seriously WTF?)... or why the **** nobody thought to shoot the drill thing in the first place... or "fire the cores and explode them and it will push us free" ), the script does its best to make this a bad movie. Above dumb scenes reminded me that this is a summer movie which made me a bit sad.
But somehow Abrams and ESPECIALLY the cast make it all work. All of them somehow do the impossible and simultaneously pay homage to and make the original characters their own. Pine has the stubborn swagger. Quinto has brooding. Karl freaking Urban was fantastic.
The Kelvin opening opening was definitely a highlight.

I'm very eager to see where the films go from here, as I think they have a really solid cast that could do really great things with a better villain.

 

[Jam Stunna]

I agree about the plot holes, and some aspects of the movie make no sense (at least from a fan standpoint) unless you've read the comic book lead in.

But most things I'm willing to forgive, because this is a movie first and foremost. Does it make sense that an explosion will help a ship get away from a black hole? Of course not. But it's far more exciting than just having the ship warp away to safety.

 

[Zombie Lucille Ball]

Does it make sense that an explosion will help a ship get away from a black hole? Of course not. But it's far more exciting than just having the ship warp away to safety.

Actually I would have preferred it to warp away to safety over the explosion thing, because then I wouldn't have spent those 3 minutes shaking my head over how dumb that was.
I am of the opinion that movies should be perfect XD

 

[JOE!]

Actually I would have preferred it to warp away to safety over the explosion thing, because then I wouldn't have spent those 3 minutes shaking my head over how dumb that was.
I am of the opinion that movies should be perfect XD

then there is no movie you enjoy, is there?

anywho, the extra scenes mentioned here I though were fun additions to the plot, to keep the audience hooked.

 

[SyOn]

http://www.cinemassacre.com/new/?p=1164

:O