[PB PM]

Just got back from watching the movie. I'm a bit of a trek person, I've watched all the different series, all the movies etc. So coming from that, I liked the new movie, sure it wasn't perfect, but well done none the less.

[bassplayinMacFiend]

Originally Posted by thegelding ha, i just went and ordered the 3 movie set on bluray...star trek 2,3 and 4... i loved 2 and 4...don't remember 3 very well... funny that the 3 movie set starts on movie 2...poor first movie...so slow, so boring... g

My friend coined the first Star Trek movie as "Star Trek: The Motionless Picture"

Actually, the only movie title he didn't butcher was Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan because that movie was so great.

[Kickaha]

Hey, I liked ST:TMP.

[709]

I did too. I never understand the bashing this movie gets. Given, I saw it on its release and on the "big-screen," so that may be part of my fondness for it. The first few scenes with the Klingon cruisers getting zapped and the subsequent zapping of the Starfleet station (or whatever that thing was that looked like the ship from Disney's "The Black Hole") and the little guy in the spacesuit trying to outrun the giant Tesla zapper was so cool.

[PB PM]

The first movie had its moments, and is enjoyable. I think one reason why it isn't well looked upon because of how cheap it looks.

[Luca]

Originally Posted by Kickaha Hey, I liked ST:TMP.

Originally Posted by 709 I did too. I never understand the bashing this movie gets.

Originally Posted by PB PM The first movie had its moments, and is enjoyable. I think one reason why it isn't well looked upon because of how cheap it looks.

It was terrible. The reason people hated it is because it's by far the longest Star Trek movie, and the one in which the least amount of stuff happens. It was aimed squarely at fans of the original series who just wanted to see Shatner and the gang again in a spiffy new Enterprise and wouldn't be too picky about the story. But I disliked pretty much everything about that movie.

I think it's a good representative of everything that was wrong with the "old Star Trek" that J. J. Abrams wanted to leave behind with the new movie.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Kickaha Hey, I liked ST:TMP.

Me three, but then I also liked 2001: A Space Odyssey. I think we're of a special breed to be able to appreciate these "slower" films.

[709]

Yeah, I liked 2001:ASO a bunch too, and I thought Alien was better than Aliens, contrary to most.

That said, V'Ger is still out there and coming back to find the Creator in this new timeline. I wonder if we'll get to see any of that unfold in the upcoming films. Or maybe old Spock just gives Starfleet the heads-up, and tells them to let the bald chick get abducted, otherwise Decker will never agree to enter the final code.

[PB PM]

Originally Posted by Luca I think it's a good representative of everything that was wrong with the "old Star Trek" that J. J. Abrams wanted to leave behind with the new movie.

It was hardly terrible, I guess it is if you are looking for an action film. Personally I like the fact that the "old" Star Trek isn't just about action and fighting, and it would be sad if it that is the direction it goes.

[scratt]

Originally Posted by Brad Me three, but then I also liked 2001: A Space Odyssey. I think we're of a special breed to be able to appreciate these "slower" films.

Count me in that breed too.

But hey I am also so happy with what JJ has done.
The casting was superb. Not just Spock, but Bones and Kirk.

I missed the Star Trek music, and some parts were a bit Star Wars. *spits*
But the score was awesome in some places too, particularly the big orchestral horn part they used a few times.

Simon Peg was ok, but there was a little too much light relief in it for my liking. Especially the "big hands" scene!
Again, pandering to the Star Wars demographic IMO.

Also the story seemed to kind of rush to wrap itself up at the end.. and was a bit anticlimactic in that sense. Similar to the ending of Nemesis IMO.

But hey, it's the first film in ages I have watched twice in 48 hours.
I am very excited to see the sequel. Nimoy gets better as he gets older, and much as I absolutely love Bill Shatner, I think it's good he was *not* in it, to be honest. He is just too camp these days. I prefer to remember his Kirk from Star Trek II, VI and ST:TMP, as well as the series. (Yes I know he was camp in all those too! )

The skydiving stuff was simply awesome to behold in this latest movie, and the throwback to the Original series with all the swash buckling was great.

Also all the low orbit CG shots were simply superb.
Oh that I could ever get something on screen to look that good in a simulation.

Having Pike as a main character was also really cool.

Overall this movie certainly did live up to the hype IMO.

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by 709 ...and I thought Alien was better than Aliens, contrary to most.

It's certainly scarier, and genuinely chilling. They're so different, the two. The first one was a true horror movie and scared the crap out of me (it didn't help that I snuck and watched it on Showtime, alone, at a young age (11 or 12?)...after reading its parody in Mad magazine). I was not prepared, and it freaked me right the hell out.



The second one was more of an action movie, and with more humor. More like a "Predator" type movie, or big 80's "guns and explosions" fare. But it was still a notch above because of the story and acting. And Bill Paxton was AWESOME!

Sigourney Weaver and the aliens were the only two connections between the two. Everything else - writing, tone, pacing, set design, shooting style, atmosphere, etc. - was so different.

I like them both. But only one truly scared me (and I can watch it today and get creeped out).

I didn't like the third one much at all, and I only saw the fourth on the off-chance there might've been a Sigourney/Winona Ryder make-out scene. I went in with fingers crossed...

[scratt]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 It's certainly scarier, and genuinely chilling. They're so different, the two. The first one was a true horror movie and scared the crap out of me (it didn't help that I snuck and watched it on Showtime, alone, at a young age (11 or 12?)...after reading its parody in Mad magazine). I was not prepared, and it freaked me right the hell out.

Ha! I got it on video when baby-sitting my younger brother at home...
I think I had every door and window locked in the house, every light on, every curtain pulled tight and was behind the sofa when my Mum came home!

Both the Alien movies were great IMO, and I totally agree they are completely different breeds.
Paxton's "we're in some real pretty shit now", has lived with me forever!

3 was tolerable, at the time of it's release. I loved the score. Watching it again recently it is bad overall, but a lot more watchable now to me.. Perhaps I am more tolerant now or the later Alien crap-fests have just lowered my expectations!

[psmith2.0]

The worst thing about "Aliens" was that little girl's shrill, ear-piercing scream. If I see it on TV today, I always try to hit the mute when I can. She does it a good 10 or so times throughout, and it's awful on the ears!

[709]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 I like them both. But only one truly scared me (and I can watch it today and get creeped out).

Oh, me too, definitely. I have the Quadrilogy box set in fact (and I'm not a collector of DVDs by any means). But to me Alien was a film, and Aliens was a movie, if that makes any sense. I loved them both, but for very different reasons.

[Argento]

To this day Alien is the scariest movie I have ever seen. I agree that Aliens, while good, was a different breed than the first.

They mostly come at night, mostly.

[PKIDelirium]

Saw it in "IMAX" (the AMC multiplex, so not a full-size one) tonight. Pretty awesome on that bigger, curved screen.

Didn't see R2D2, but I didn't put much effort into looking.

[psmith2.0]

Gizmodo shows (complete with stills from the movie) the two possible places they think Artoo appears.

Don't click the above link if you don't want to know...it's the first thing you'll see!

[billybobsky]

just saw the film tonight... other than the idiotic and self-serving scene between the spocks, it was enjoyable and had just enough action to character expose (i wouldn't say development) needed. of course the star of this film and perhaps the previous original series ones has always been spock...

[scratt]

It's interesting you say that.. As I have got older I have grown to appreciate Spock more and more, and my primary interest in this film was because Silar was IMO the only person who could possibly pull off a young Spock.

To put that in perspective Kirk is one of my childhood heros and has always been the draw for me to anything Star Trek.

I went into this movie determined to not like the actor who played Kirk, and simply looking to see Spock's story arc extended...

I was not disappointed with any of the Spock aspects of the movie, but was also amazed at how much I liked pretty much all of the new actors playing the old characters.. with the exception of Peg, who I like a lot as an actor, but did not gel for me as Scotty at all.

Sulu was a bit like the Elf in LOTR in that he was surprisingly good at combat, a nice touch. And Kirk, although young and arrogant, had the right look and attitude to click in my mind as a young version of Shatner's character.

Of course my views are probably horribly biassed as I have been and always shall be 100% a Trekkie.

[ime_NY]

Saw it two nights ago

I must admit, as someone who admits to being a Star Wars geek and having a very, very, very rudimentary understanding of anything Trek, I was more than impressed.....at the end of the movie, I came to the realization that I may just have to also become a Trek geek.

Problem is, I have already seen ST: First Contact, which many a Trekkie* admit may be the most enjoyable of all the other ST movies to non-Trekkies. [* = the handful of Trekkies I know ]

So I must ask: where do I go from here to continue my fascination with all things Trek?

[PB PM]

Star Trek the Next Generation is a good place to start. The original series is nice, but TNG really set put things into perspective.

[JohnnyTheA]

Originally Posted by Brad Me three, but then I also liked 2001: A Space Odyssey. I think we're of a special breed to be able to appreciate these "slower" films.

ST-TMP gets a LOT of flack because of the slow scenes of ship movement. It does look a little strange looking back but if you put yourself in the 1979 (pretty sure) mode, there were not a lot of big budget SF movies around then. Prior to that 2001 "was" the big SF movie. Well Star Wars was the big block buster but it really isn't the same kind of movie. I can see how TMP was looking to 2001 for inspiration. If you want more moving-thru-space-scenes, the directors cut adds MORE. For me, I like both movies a lot.

My favorite line from TMP:

Kirk (overdoing the acting and jestures) : "Damn it Bones, I need you... (10 second pause) BADLY!"

As to the latest trek, as people have pointed out, the story is corny as heck. BUT, if they had the BEST TrekSF possible but had crappy kirk, spock, etc.. chars it would be a failure (or as you younger folks would say, an Epic Fail). For this pic, and only for this one, an A grade is given for doing a great job with the new cast to get people used to them enough to see the NEXT movie... The actual SF story is secondary for this one.... Now they need to do a bang up job on the next story.

Hmmm... Why is it that "Talos IV" keeps coming to mind when thinking of the next movie.... think about it...

JTA

[Luca]

TNG is pretty good, but I'd recommend skipping seasons 1 and 2. They're pretty terrible, especially season 1. Starting in season 3, things pick up and it's actually worth watching.

Star Trek II is another fan favorite, as are IV (which is not very serious but it's still quite fun) and VI (more serious, not as good as II, but generally well-liked). A lot of people hate Generations (VII) but I sort of liked it. Not the best movie by a long shot, but possibly the best odd-numbered one other than the new one (which doesn't have a number!).

[scratt]

Wouldn't skipping season 1 and 2 mean that you miss out on seeing the actress who got eaten by the black blob thing.... From memory it seemed fairly early on in the series, but I may be wrong..

[Argento]

Originally Posted by scratt Wouldn't skipping season 1 and 2 mean that you miss out on seeing the actress who got eaten by the black blob thing.... From memory it seemed fairly early on in the series, but I may be wrong..

Maybe but he's right. The first two seasons of TNG were pretty bad. Alot of the episodes were regurgitated TOS episodes only with the new crew. They finally started setting out on their own after that. Just try to catch the first Q episode in one of those seasons.

[bassplayinMacFiend]

Originally Posted by Argento Maybe but he's right. The first two seasons of TNG were pretty bad. Alot of the episodes were regurgitated TOS episodes only with the new crew. They finally started setting out on their own after that. Just try to catch the first Q episode in one of those seasons.

You mean the very first (2 part) episode, Encounter At Farpoint?

I enjoyed Q's character very much, but hated the original doctor (before Beverly Crusher) and Lt. Yar (who died at some point early in The Next DeGeneration's Lifespan). Of course, with Dr. Crusher came The Beaver (Wesley Crusher) so there was a bit of downside there IMO too.

Still, I tried watching TN(D)G when it first came out and after Encounter At Farpoint there was an episode where the crew spent almost 3/4 of the show trying to figure out whether or not to beam down to a planet. That turned me off to the show for years until a friend of mine coerced me into watching it again.

[JohnnyTheA]

I hated/hate Q. For me, an omnipotent supernatural being is not Sci-Fi. He was one of the big things I hated about the pilot.

Concerning seasons 1 and 2. I didn't like :
1. Wesley Crusher "driving the ship"
2. Picard's "Committee based" command-style
3. F-ing Psychology major on the bridge (although she looked nice)
4. Men in skirts

I liked:

1. The Galaxy class enterprise
2. The Holodeck (A lot of people disagree with me on this one)
3. All of the characters except Wesley, Troi, and Doc Crusher

AFTER the first seasons, the show really got going. The Borg episodes were VERY good. Wesley gets written out (finally). Worf's character gets in-depth development as do the Klingons (thanks to Ron Moore who was practically KICKED off trek in Voyager and ever since then TV trek has slid down a slow death spiral) . They could have kept that show going for a lot longer than seven seasons and it wouldn't have jumped the shark.

JTA

[Luca]

Have you seen Wil Wheaton's blog or reviews of some of the first season episodes of TNG? If you didn't know, Wil Wheaton is the guy who played Wesley. He has some funny reviews of the early episodes of the series here:

http://www.tvsquad.com/bloggers/wil-wheaton/

What I think is great about him is he's so completely aware of how much people hated Wesley, especially early in the show. He makes fun of the roles Wesley had to play, particularly when it involved him saving the entire ship (and I'm pretty sure this happened several times). I can certainly understand him. If I were to watch video clips of myself from when I was in my early teens, I'd probably make fun of myself too.

[Frank777]

Saw it earlier tonight. Amazing reboot, though with some of the caveats that have been mentioned before.

I started to laugh when the 'red shirt' was chosen to jump with Kirk and Sulu.
It was obvious he wasn't coming back, but I have to disagree with the way it was done.

Everybody knows red-shirts get killed by the baddies, not strictly by incompetence.


Aside from that, my biggest beef with the film is that Jennifer Morrison (Kirk's Mom) went AWOL after the opening and Winona Ryder (Spock's Mom) got killed off. That's seriously messed up.

I would watch a reboot showing how they all met in preschool if Morrison and Ryder were part of it.

[scratt]

That's interesting. The majority of views I am reading on this movie are that the back story was nice for Kirk & Spock, but "don't you dare do more back stories for other characters in the next one..."

Oh, and less Lens Flare. Or was it more cowbell? I forget!

A lot of people want more Peg. Like I said before: I love the guy, but not the goofy Scotty.