Tag Archives: Star Trek

Analysis: Star Trek Into Darkness

Posted on by
27

This is my analysis of Star Trek Into Darkness.  Click here to read my spoiler-free review of the film.

I’ve documented my dislike for 2009’s Star Trek in a couple of places.  But to understand my more in-depth opinions on Star Trek Into Darkness I feel like I should summarize my general feelings about this “reboot;” feelings which carry over into this new film.  The gist of it is this: I wish that they had not chosen to use the time travel/alternate universe story telling device.

They really had three options if they wanted to do a story based on a young Kirk and his crew.  The first option was to simply do a prequel film, set within the timeline and beholden to everything we’d already seen in the various incarnations of Star Trek.  I can completely understand why they chose not to do this.  It would be very restrictive, with 10 films and 28 seasons of television that their prequels would have to respect and fit into.  It would be a chore simply to ensure accuracy, much less to write an enjoyable film within those rules.  And while many fans would surely have loved to see the Kirk that we love in Starfleet Academy, it’s probably for the best that they chose not to go this route.

The best option, in my opinion, would have been to opt for a complete reboot. Continue reading →

Review: Star Trek Into Darkness

Posted on by
12

As I’ve said in previous blog entries, I’m a die hard Star Trek fan, but I’m going to do my best to write this review as a neutral outsider (the spoiler filled analysis, on the other hand, is fair game for my inner Trekkie/Trekker).

Star Trek Into Darkness picks up a short time after the events of 2009’s Star Trek.  Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the rest of the crew are still on the Enterprise, and we first meet them as a mission involving the primitive inhabitants of a planet goes spectacularly awry.  It’s a fun sequence, which was heavily shown in the trailers, and we get a sense of the way in which the crew has bonded since that first intense mission that drew them together.  The cast shines early and often in this sequel, and is by far the film’s highest strength.  The (often frustrated) interplay between the crew is consistently funny and heartfelt, and goes a long way towards convincing us of the bonds they share. Continue reading →

Friday Favorites: Favorite Scene – Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Posted on by
6

Welcome to “Friday Favorites” which highlight some of my favorite movie-related things.

In this week’s “Trailer Tuesday” for Star Trek Into Darkness I talked about how, as a Trekkie, I’m not a fan of 2009’s Star Trek.  In particular I hated its depiction of Kirk’s Kobayashi Maru test, so today I thought I’d highlight my favorite scene from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, where a middle-aged Kirk describes his solution to the test.

Wrath of Khan opens with Lt Saavik (Kirstie Alley) commanding the Enterprise when it receives a distress call from the Neutral Zone from the stranded freighter, Kobayashi Maru.  Saavik violates the Neutral Zone to rescue the ship, but the Enterprise is attacked and defeated by Klingon Battle Cruisers and Admiral Kirk emerges to tell Saavik she is dead.  He explains that the test is designed to be unwinnable in order to study how potential captains face death and a no-win scenario.

She repeatedly asks Kirk how he handled the test when he was in Starfleet, and each time he evades the question.  Eventually Kirk, McCoy, Saavik, Chekhov, Kirk’s son and his former lover are all trapped in an experimental cave deep within a moon, the Enterprise having abandoned them on Kirk’s orders.  Saavik asks Kirk again about his test, and here is his reply: Continue reading →

Trailer Tuesday: Star Trek Into Darkness

Posted on by
3

Welcome to “Trailer Tuesday” where I talk about trailers for upcoming movies, since I’ve always found them to be endlessly fascinating.

I’m a Trekkie and I have to be honest: I didn’t like 2009’s Star Trek.  Oh, don’t get me wrong, it was pretty enjoyable, had a solid cast, I love seeing Leonard Nimoy as Spock, and I’m a big J.J. Abrams fan (Super 8 is a masterpiece).  But it did not feel at all like Star Trek to me.  I thought the time travel/parallel universe story was a cheap way for the writers to be able to sidestep history, I thought the movie was far too dumbed-down so as to appeal to modern audiences, and they completely screwed up the Kobayashi Maru sequence.

So I feel a bit of trepidation when I see the trailers for the new film, Star Trek Into Darkness.  Take a look and then read on for my thoughts:

Continue reading →

Friday Favorites: Favorite Idea – Star Trek: First Contact

Posted on by
1

Welcome to “Friday Favorites” which highlight some of my favorite movie-related things.  It could be a favorite character or casting choice, a favorite song or score, a favorite scene, line of dialogue, shot or simply a moment.  Anything is possible (costumes, sets, etc) and I’d love to hear your suggestions.  Note: Just because something appears here does not make it my absolute #1 favorite thing in that category, but it is simply “one of my favorites”.

Today is an important milestone in Star Trek lore; it is exactly 50 years before First Contact, the day on which humans will meet aliens for the first time.  So in honor of today’s significance (and inspired by my recent trip to one of the film’s locations), this Friday Favorite comes from Star Trek: First Contact, the film that shows us how those events will transpire, according to the Star Trek canon. Continue reading →

Analysis: Jurassic Park, Our Generation’s Star Wars

Posted on by
12

Before our recent IMAX 3D viewing of Oz the Great and Powerful we were treated to a preview for the 3D re-release of Jurassic Park on April 5th (coincidentally, exactly 50 years before First Contact between humans and Vulcans, according to Star Trek).  This preview was in the form of a 3 or 4 minute clip, slightly edited to make it “suitable for all audiences”, from the T. rex attack on the tour vehicles.  Despite the volume being at levels that could do permanent hearing damage, my biggest recurring complaint about our local IMAX screen, and my general negative feelings about 2D-3D converted films, as opposed to movies filmed with 3D cameras, the scene was still absolutely captivating.  And while I wish they would just re-release Jurassic Park in 2D IMAX like they did with Raiders of the Lost Ark, and even considering that I saw Jurassic Park on the big screen at our local 1920s Fox Theatre, I’m still now officially excited for April 5th.

I still have vivid memories of first seeing Jurassic Park, almost 20 years ago. Continue reading →