I've been a Star Trek fan since I was very young. I got hooked on TNG from an early age and that turned out to be a gateway drug. It was a slippery slope moving me onto such things as the Star Trek Fact Files, buying too many VHS's and lovingly fondling my first edition copy of the Star Trek Encyclopedia. I've been a Trekker for a long, long time. I even loved (I repeat: loved) Star Trek Voyager. Then Enterprise happened. A prequel. *shudder* Star Trek was about progression, hope for the future and constant striving for improvement and then we were expected to swallow this retrograde, gungho trek through the past which only seemed to contravene all our lovingly held Star Trek lore EVERY EPISODE. No. I didn't like it. I stopped buying Star Trek magazine and moved on.
So the proposition of a movie, set before the Original Series, directed by a man who considered anything after TOS to be rubbish (JJ Abrams even seems to think that after TOS only "fans" watched the rest of the series as it had become "inaccessible". Perhaps it's his age but he must of missed just how popular TNG was!) and with the crew of TOS completely recast, did not inspire me too much. But I didn't whine or moan about it. I sat back and waited. And I'm glad I did otherwise I'd have to eat my hat about now!
Firstly. as a space opera, special effects are pretty important to Star Trek. And never before have we seen them even half as good as the effects shown in this new movie. They were outstanding. The opening scene where the USS Kelvin stands off against Nero's giant ship coming out of a black hole is awesome. Mmmm...
Secondly, the actors mostly seemed to capture the spirit of the characters whilst not becoming parodies. I think Karl Urban may have been channeling DeForest Kelley playing Bones McCoy. Chris Pine was the handsome younger Kirk who captured the arrogance and humour without making fun of Shatner. Zachary Quinto was a great Spock
Thirdly, the story wasn't too heavy but just exciting enough to keep you on your toes.
And fourthly, and most importantly for blowhards like me, it got round the whole messy prequel thing and the problems with keeping with the known stories from the other series by having Nero's trip back in time create a parallel universe. It keeps me happy and means there's now no limit on where Star Trek can go now. It's all new. No TOS, TNG, DS9 or VOY. We are free of the binds and can dream again. This is not a prequel. This is a reboot.
And there was eye candy which I've never experienced in Star Trek before. Chris Pine is hot.
And the guy who played Kirk's father (worryingly he is my age. Kirk's dad is my age. AH!!!!!!!!!!!), Chris Hemsworth, is a total stud.
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As a Star Trek fan since the original series was broadcast in the 1960s I'm looking forward to seeing the new film - I hope it's still showing at our local Vue when I get back to the UK in a couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, with regards to Chris Pine (yes, he's a sexy looking man!), there was a character with that name in the original series; I've a feeling that in one episode a Captain Christopher Pine made an appearance - he was a cripple and used a sort of futuristic mobility device; as well as his body being paralysed, his face was paralysed too and he could not speak; I seem to recall he was the captain of the Enterprise before Kirk; I'll need to watch the episode on video when I get back to refresh my memory of the full story-line. I'm sure it must have appealed to some casting-directors sense of humour and/or history to cast someone with that name in the new film.
Now that I think about it some more it might have been Christopher Pike, not Pine.
ReplyDeleteYup, it was Pike, not Pine - got the relevant story here:
ReplyDeletehttp://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Christopher_Pike
Yes, not only was he in an episode of Star Trek TOS, Captain Pike was actually the captain in the original Star Trek pilot (footage from this was used in the later episode that you remember) alongside Majel Barrett-Roddenberry who played the female Number One. Unfortunately it was a bit too progressive so they brought in the crew we now know as the originals.
ReplyDeleteCaptain Pike is in fact Captain of the Enterprise in this new movie!!! :D
Mmmm... geekiness..
I saw the movie last week in Kentucky, it's sweeping the board over here, breaking loads of records and the like.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a Trekkie, anything but, so I was shocked to bits but the film, it's great, really great. It has something for everyone in it, nice efects, good acting, interesting. Some funny parts and two Spocks!