26 May, 2013

Another Reason Why Red "Doesn't Speak Klingon"

SPOILER ALERT!
If you intend to watch Star Trek: Into Darkness, you may want to skip this post. Thanks for stopping by, but fair warning is fair warning.
I will not give away any plot points, but "some people" don't like knowing anything about a movie before watching it. (I love you, Brett!)

My Movie Whore has been sadly neglected of late, what with my big move and all. I hadn't even intended to let her out of her shell yet, but partway through the movie, I could stifle her no longer, pulled out a pen, and started jotting notes in the dark. SO...

First, with all respect to my beloved, I LOVE Benedict Cumberbatch! So worth watching the movie just for him.
John Harrison...aka...

Oh, it's not a physical attraction thing, no-no. I think if I ever met Benny-boy face-to-face, I'd probably find him too skinny, too aloof, and his piercing eyes would make me uncomfortable. Not my type. But I swoon over his acting talent.

Always great to see on screen, Benedict Cumberbatch does not disappoint in Star Trek. He gives his character such life, such passion...  His brand of villainy is the kind where you love to hate him, even while he makes you sympathize with his cause.(if you've read anything about the movie at all, you know he's the villain.)

Actually, Mr. Cumberbatch would have made a great Spock.

Nimoy on the left, Quinto right. Wouldn't Cumberbatch be  better?

I am not a fan of Zachary Quinto's Spock. Leonard Nimoy breathed life into Spock. Even to this day, Nimoy makes you care about Spock, logical as he is. Quinto's Spock is...dry. Even his rare exhibits of humanity feel somehow "alien".

(Jim Parsons would even have made a better Spock, IMHO, but since Big Bang Theory was already running before this Star Trek series began, it would have just been ironic.)

This is a good action movie. Kind of like the last Star Trek. You don't have to be a Trekkie to get into the action sequences. Good fights. Great villain. Iconic characters.

Characters:
Aside from Spock, I still appreciate the casting of this crew! I have loved every Star Trek captain I've known: TOS' Kirk, TNG's Picard, Chris Pine as Kirk. Okay, I guess that chica who was Captain in Voyager didn't light my fire, but I didn't watch it much, so don't remember her much.

Bones? Pretty even, but I gotta give Karl Urban the nod for Dr. McCoy. Possibly I just identify better because we're nearer in age, possibly I just find him hot as Eomer from LOTR. He won me with his first dialog in the last movie, when he explained his new nickname "...all I got left is my bones." Haha.

Scotty? Even-Steven. Love Simon Pegg, but this character is all in the writing, I think. The original Scotty made me laugh just as much. But I have to say, I LOVE Scotty.

Uhura? I love that she's a bigger role now, but that kind of gets watered down by her mushiness in the new romance created for this series. Nichelle Nichols wins by a nose. (Through no fault of Zoe Saldana, who is exceptional.) It's just the new character-twist that bugs me.
John Cho as Sulu ROCKS!

Sulu rocks. Again, seems to have a bigger role now, so overshadows George Takei's take on the role. But this new Sulu? ROCKS! If you're not a Star Trek fan, you should become a fan of John Cho, and watch these Star Trek movies for him.




Random notes from the Movie Whore:
"42". There was an homage - surely intentional, in a sci-fi movie like this - to Douglas Adams' "ultimate answer" as defined in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. (Unfortunately, the line was before the Movie Whore made me start taking notes, so I can't remember how they used it. "Suite 42"? "42 days"? No idea. The Movie Whore's gonna make me watch it again.)

They are flying a shuttle early in the film, which from a distance resembles the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars - (RESEMBLES! I said RESEMBLES! When they come in close, it's too bulbous-y to really look like it, but the overall shape is similar, and the maneuverability seems akin. Geez! Take it easy!) If the resemblance is intentional, kudos for connecting to both HHGG and Star Wars. If not, happy coincidence.

This movie does ascertain to me however, that I am more of a Star Wars fan than a Trekkie... In case there was any doubt. The storyline of Star Wars in continuous, and - complain about the acting all you want - it goes from beginning to end. Star Trek is a bit more disjointed. Like episodes of a TV show.

Huh. Go figure. 

Nice one, Gene Roddenberry. Well-played.

Finally, I doubt there is a soul alive in the Western world who could deny the iconic status of the Star Trek theme music.

The new theme (during closing credits) by Michael Giacchino incorporates the original, but with punch.

FINALLY, finally, the dedication at the end choked me up. 'nuff said.

AND... I made a comment about this movie within the last week or so on facebook that elicited an odd response.
...Now I am very confused, and must watch Wrath of Kahn to understand the response.

10 comments:

  1. Uh!!! I'm DYING to see this movie!! Tried to go last night and it was sold out again! Hopefully this week!

    Hugs!

    Valerie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I went to a matinee. I was skeptical, I'll admit, based on the reviews. But it was a good time! You'll get there.

      Delete
  2. I wasn't really intending to watch it. I don't think anyone can beat the original cast for me. Also Benedict Cumberbatch is a real name!? What the- I didn't- how did he- huh. Well then. Okay. Guess I learned something here today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know. It has to be a screen-name, right? (Or maybe his parents hate him?) I first saw Cumberbatch as Sherlock in a new (2010-ish) BBC Sherlock Holmes series. It was all up-to-date and stuff, and he was awesome. But there were only 4 - at least in the US. And I never caught another season.

      He was also in the movie Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy...what, a year ago?

      Delete
  3. We saw this movie over the weekend in 3D IMAX. I have to tell you, that while I wished we could have gotten seats a little farther back, it was without a doubt, the best 3D experience I had ever had. I'm chalking that up to the IMAX.

    Also, I loved this movie. I'm a pretty faithful trekker, and I really like this reboot. Except maybe some of the things they do with the new Enterprise. (Like the opening sequence stuff, which I really really want to talk about but won't be the spoiler!)

    And just a side note about the Star Trek/Star Wars thing, I like both. The original Star Trek is around 50 years old. While those characters will always be the standard, there's been so many different movies and TV series, it's a little hard to keep up, but the basis in what it first was has always remained. I think they're doing a pretty good job re-inventing the whole thing and maybe this will be the new take-off point. I kind of like the alternate reality story line too, it lets what came before remain it's own thing.

    While Star Wars is a complete story arc, we did get the last half first, and the first half last, plus the whole Clone Wars, animated, sort of stand alone, but still fits thing. So....it's a bit disjointed as well?

    Sorry this is so long! I really want to say, "you know that part where blank blank happened, and this thing was awesome because it was so similar, yet so different, and honestly, I got a bit weepy at that part!" I liked this movie. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I enjoy both, too! And I definitely enjoy this new Star Trek "reboot". Great casting, for sure.

      I'm kind of turned off to 3D because they seem to be using 3D so often just to make things "lifelike" instead of wowing audiences. I'll take your word for IMAX!

      Delete
  4. Don't kill me, but I never liked the TV show and it always made me fall asleep. (I'm sorry! I couldn't help it!) But I went with some coworkers to see the movie and it was actually good. Does that make up for it? Please?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I barely remember the TV show from childhood. Just the fact that I liked Star Trek, but made my family change the channel from Battlestar Gallactica. I don't remember why.

      I absolutely tell everyone that this new run of Star Trek movies is for any fan of action films. No worries!

      Delete
  5. Skipped it when I read the words "Star Trek". I plan to see the movie with a friend sometime next week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Excellent.
      Thanks for leaving a comment anyway!

      Delete

I enjoy a good debate. Feel free to shake things up. Tell me I'm wrong. Ask me why I have such a weird opinion. ...or, just laugh and tell how this relates to you and your life.