My rating: A solid "Meh."
What story there was seemed to be lost in all of the explosions, other special effects, and a score whose volume was set to "liquefy".
If the current Star Trek movies are a "reboot" of the original, then this movie is a reboot of "The Wrath of Khan". And it's nowhere near as good. Benedict Cumberbatch plays a decent enough villain, but he cannot touch neither the depths of villainy or the eruditeliness of the Khan played by Ricardo Montalbán. The Khan of both the original series and the second movie read Milton and Melville. This Khan is little more than a remorseless killer, bent on extracting vengeance from Star Fleet (for being awoken) and trying to save his fellow genetically-enhanced super-warriors.
At the end of the movie, it attempts to kind of touch base with the current War on Terror; in arguing that Star Fleet lost its way by focusing on vengeance, it hints that so have we. But it seems to be almost an afterthought, not a central point to the film.
Star Trek, at its best, was about a vision for the future that, unlike most fiction, both written and filmed, wasn't dystopian. The original series veered from that at times, but it always seemed to come back the the hope that maybe we can be better. Forget the fact that William Shatner could over-act with the best of them, that TOS continues to resonate nearly fifty years after it first aired is due to that message of hope.
This movie uses characters with the same names, but that's about as close as it comes to the original.
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9 comments:
You're the second one that complained about the audio. My friend is half deaf and he and his wife both ended up putting in earplugs!!!
Yep. Gene would not have approved of this film's spirit. Where is the optimism? Where is the adventure, the exploration? It's right at the end, where they are leaving on their first "5 year mission". I hope any more newTrek movies find a different director and writers.
I don't know if I'll ever be able to see this Star Trek. Someone (the Washington Post?) wrote something about Benedict Cumberbatch as the latest Sherlock Holmes and called him Bandersnatch Cumerbund and now, every time I see his name, I dissolve into laughter. Is there any cure for that??
That's a problem. When I saw "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" in the theaters, everything was going well until I first saw the Klingon captain. He was played by Christopher Lloyd, who had been in the series Taxi. I muttered "it's Ignatowski" and it took me a little bit before I could watch the movie without giggling.
My cut is it had the flavor but not the richness. Saw it in a IMAX and
yes the sound is at times oppressive. However when the ship takes a hit
and I feel like I did too that works for me. Sorta like hearing the Concord
at at Osh, you felt it more than heard it. Effects were stunning. The effect was leaving the movie I felt I'd been in an assault and made it, barely.
The story is a rehash but since the timeline is changed its a story.
If there is one pet peave is the story was a non-stop bounce from one
blast or crash to another. We never got to take in the visual effect.
The general feel of optimism is weak, that is inconstant with ST. Some of the characters are a bit too comical, then again 50 years ago some of us might have been too, after all Shatner overacting was comical. The new
Kirk lacks the depth, hes all adrenalin and not a whole or complete.
I agree about Kahn. Weak, only bent on being a player in a blow it up video game. Montalbán was so delightfully evil, and more interesting to listen to.
When we got to leaving space dock for 5 year mission I expected a stronger
lets go that away feel. As it was it was well, mush.
I went mostly to be entertained and was. I go with enough suspense of disbelief to enjoy things for a few hours of not out in the real world.
Interesting note was the audience it seemed to be a mix of old farts and
those well under 30 with few in between. It was clear the old farts were there for Star Trek as they knew it. Most said meh.
Eck!
Ah Yes. Reverend Jim. My favorite character on that show. One of the funniest moments is when the gang takes Jim to the DMV for his license testing. Makes me laugh to this day.
And here's the clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvn-tBeLpCk (It doesn't take much to get me to laugh)
My favorite was "Elegant Iggy", especially when he played the piano.
This movie was sort of "Star Trek for People With Low Attention Spans". Almost any two-hour chunk of the reboot of "Battlestar Galactica" did a much better job at telling a story.
What this also indicates to me is that when the next Star Wars movie, which is also being directed by JJ Abrams, comes out, I'll probably pass on it.
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