Matt Shea
RubySoho
Morgan Bell
Cibbuano
David O'Connell
Mountain Fog
Und So Weite: Why I Enjoyed Star Trek
April 15th 2009 02:43
Warning! This post contains spoilers on "Star Trek" and should be read only after you've seen the film!
Yes! I was pleasantly surprised by the huge Sydney Opera House premiere of JJ Abrams' "Star Trek", and gave it a glowing review, finding it to be one of the most enjoyable Hollywood blockbusters that I've seen in years.
Why did I like it? I thought about it and came to an appreciation for the small things about the film. I liked the little touches that Abrams brought to "Star Trek". There are several throwaway shots that aren't really necessary, but help wonderfully to give the impression of a living, working starship, one steeped in impressive geekdom lore.
Little things:
- when in battle, the crew readies the 'photon torpedoes', which have always been glazed over, but in the film, we actually see crew members loading torpedoes into a giant 6-chambered loading stage, a quick cut to make us feel that the crew is a well-oiled piece of human machinery.
- on the same note, when in battle, we see quick zoom shots of the phasers, which are small, rotating turrets, independently swivelling and firing. Pew pew!
- Kirk fooling around with the alien babe. I wish it was a little raunchier, but it's a pleasant retro-foreshadowing of the notorious Kirk-alien hookup from the original TV series. Additionally, Chris Pine's portrayal of Kirk involves rubbernecking every time a warm-blooded female walks near him.
- When Kirk and Spock take a team down to get dirty and rough, they carry these handheld phasers which look like the original old-school phasers, but carry a hefty wallop. It's incredibly satisfying to see sci-fi laser fights that feel like there's actually some physical danger.
I'm not easily swayed by big action scenes, and often criticize modern movies for using too much CGI and trying to give audiences increasingly spectacular spectacles. Wily JJ Abrams uses his CGI battles to maximum effect, though, by cutting away from the action to show the effect of the battle on the crew of the Enterprise - for example, showing the explosion killing engineers in the engine bay.
While most films would dismiss these cuts, the net effect is that the audience experiences a strong sympathy with the crew of the Enterprise - every battle has a human cost.
I didn't like the way that "Star Trek" mugs to fans of the franchise by delivering classic lines from McCoy, Spock and Scotty. These lines felt out-of-place, even as the crowd cheered their own knowledge of the source material.
Instead, I did appreciate the reimaginng of the characters - moving from the camp appeal of Shatner and Nimoy to Chris Pine's Kirk: a lusty, red-blooded hothead who gladly takes a beating and shrugs off danger.
Similarly, Quinto's Spock, while not as well-liked as Nimoy, who makes an appearance as Spock from the future (!), pleased me with the inner turmoil evident inside him. For most of the movie, his emotions are skillfully suppressed inside Vulcan logic, but there's a flicker, then a trace of irritation and anger.
Most of all, I enjoyed the fact that I was surprised to see these elements in the film, and I had to reject my prior bias and reluctance to accept this remake; JJ Abrams has successfully - and skillfully - added his film to the canon, even as it skirts the continuity built by the franchise. "Star Trek" erupted out of the ashes of a franchise devastated by indifference and saturation, to skip up front of the ubiquitous Star Wars franchise, which has failed to deliver new material to challenge a new generation of viewers.
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Comment by Lady Henrietta Muddling
Potter in a Harry
As if I needed a reason not to see it Cib.
Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
It's a pleasure, then, when your expectations are exceeded...!
Comment by James Wright
Thanks
- and you're right, it's a great flick!
James
Comment by James Wright
Thanks
- and you're right, it's a great flick!
James
Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Paramount would be the peeps to contact about reproducing it in any way that's large scale of high res. It might be better to do the work and then pass it by them, but I'm guessing this is probably not viable business-wise for you.
But you can try both Paramount.com or Really Long Link - good luck and thanks for stopping by the site.