Live long and prosper

[roxybisquaint]

Did everyone go see Star Trek this weekend? I'm not a big Star Trek fan, never have been. But since I grew up watching reruns of the original series, I was kind of excited about the new movie. So tonight we went to see it and I loved it. Really loved it. It's not often that a movie is better than I expect, but Star Trek was.

I thought Kirk was a little over-the-top annoying, and early on I was worried this was going to be Top Gun in space. But they moved past that set-up pretty well. Spock was all kinds of awesome. And little Chekov was way adorable (he's in fact making me actually want to see T4 — maybe that guy as Kyle will counteract my anticipated dislike of Christian Bale as John Connor).

The theater was packed and everyone seemed to have a great time. We had three generations of people in our group and we all had a blast. Oh and at the end, the theater erupted into applause. Cool. I don't remember the last time that happened at a movie. So go see it if you haven't all ready. Star Trek is a rockin' good time.

Comments

[caporali.livejournal.com]

I'm a life-long die-hard Trekkie... I went to see the movie today and absolutely loved it!

[roxybisquaint.livejournal.com]

That's what's so awesome about it. It seems that Trekkies ad non-Trekkies alike are loving it.

[caporali.livejournal.com]

Exactly! It's basically a miracle. :)

[bobmacpharson.livejournal.com]

I loved it as well (a few things bugged me but I've already vented about them elsewhere).

What really made the movie for me was the ending credits. A huge peeve of mine is "nostalgia" movies that don't bother to include the old themesong at all. (Transformers and the new Ninja Turtles were the biggest offenders here). Most of the movie's soundtrack was not remotely Star Trek-like, and I spent the whole movie anticipating how annoyed I'd be at the end if the credit music didn't make up for it. But boy, did it ever.

I also like to clap and shout of the name of random people in the credits - the little people whose name is buried under a bunch of other names but who you couldn't have made the movie without. (I'm about to graduate and become one of those people). Normally I just get weird looks when I do this. But this time, when I saw the CGI modelers' names come up and I shouted "Yeah! Jeremy Bloch! WOOOOO!!!!!" and started clapping, and then about 10 other people in the theatre started clapping with me without really understanding why. It amused me to no end.

[roxybisquaint.livejournal.com]

I loved that this didn't feel like a typical nostalgia movie at all. It had just enough nostalgia bits to be fun, but mostly, it felt like a while new series.

That's hilarious about getting people to applaud a random name :D

[bobmacpharson.livejournal.com]

I actually think this is a pretty hard core nostalgia movie. Taken on its own, it's a very solid fun action flick, but there are a lot of solid fun action flicks out there. What elevates this movie to greatness, in my mind, is how perfectly they capture the old while still making room for the new. This movie takes fan service and elevates it to an artform.

[gega-cai.livejournal.com]

Yup, 100% agree. I guess I'm a casual Star Trek fan. I enjoy watching the original series and TNG and a few of the movies. But, this movie was all kinds of fun

I thought Kirk was a little over-the-top annoying, and early on I was worried this was going to be Top Gun in space. But they moved past that set-up pretty well. Spock was all kinds of awesome. And little Chekov was way adorable (he's in fact making me actually want to see T4

I had a Top Gun panic too, but the Kirk character came around to be very enjoyable. All the Spockness wasn't lost on me, there was a point when I said to myself "This movie needs (even) more cowbell Spock"

I was totally flailing with my companions about that kid being Kyle Reese and that probably was the cherry on the Star Trek movie fun-sundae lol

[roxybisquaint.livejournal.com]

I had a Top Gun panic too, but the Kirk character came around to be very enjoyable. All the Spockness wasn't lost on me, there was a point when I said to myself "This movie needs (even) more cowbell Spock"

Hee. I had that same thought about Spock too. He was great. I still thought Kirk was the least enjoyable character (maybe it was that Christian Slater voice), but I did warm up to him after a while.

that kid being Kyle Reese and that probably was the cherry on the Star Trek movie fun-sundae

Yes yes yes. :)

[the-narration.livejournal.com]

Hmm... another good review of Star Trek. I was sort of expecting it to be made of fail, all things considered, but apparently not. I just might have to go see this.

So, what don't you like about Christian Bale playing John Connor?

Oh and at the end, the theater erupted into applause. Cool. I don't remember the last time that happened at a movie.
That... actually kind of happens all the time, these days. The last few years it seems like I'm hearing applause pretty much any time I go to see a movie based on something with a fan following. At the opening night of The Two Towers, people applauded every time something cool happened, sometimes drowning out the dialogue.

[roxybisquaint.livejournal.com]

You never know with nostalgia movies. Usually they sucketh, but this had such a perfect balance of feeling familiar while feeling totally new that it worked really well. I've yet to hear a single negative review from anyone I know who's seen it.

I haven't heard applause at the end of a movie in a long time.

So, what don't you like about Christian Bale playing John Connor?

Well, there's the Dark Knight voice he's using for John Connor, for one thing. But mostly I'm just not a Christian Bale fan. I find him a little too you think I'm intense now, wait til the next scene. I think Batman Begins is the only thing I've ever liked him in.

[the-narration.livejournal.com]

Fair enough. I've thought Bale was badass since Equilibrium in 2002 (although that was more about his effective execution of fight choreography than his acting), which is why I didn't mind that he got cast as Batman, but YMMV.

[sarawr.livejournal.com]

You know, I wasn't going to see it because (warning: blasphemy ahead) I am not a big fan of J.J. Abrams's body of work. Twitter has been filled with glowing, if short, reviews since yesterday, though, and now this? Damn. Now I have two movies to be bitter about not seeing. :P

[roxybisquaint.livejournal.com]

WHAT?!!!!
Heh. You don't have to love JJ Abrams to love this movie. In fact one of my friends who hates Lost and Fringe has already been to Star Trek twice. There's no twisty weirdness or meandering plotlines. It's got great character set-up and then straight-forward story telling. Very well done :)

[sarawr.livejournal.com]

That's good to know. I don't mind twisty weirdness or meandering plotlines, but something about Abrams's methods just... generally doesn't grab me. Alias bored me, Lost irritated me, etc.

I would totally go see Star Trek on the recommendation of Twitter + you, though, except that payday doesn't come until after it'll likely be gone from my town's theater. I missed out on Wolverine, too, which still kind of makes me cry. Apparently it's the summer for great movies I'd kill to see and never will. :P

[the-narration.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'm with you. Abrams is totally overrated. I bailed on Alias before it finished, gave up on Lost after two seasons and didn't bother with Fringe. I got sick of how blatantly he clearly hasn't planned ahead at all and is just making it up as he goes, which is so very much not what you should do when mysteries and revelations are the key to your series.

For a movie, which is short enough for him not to get bored and wander off with it half done, he's probably okay. Especially since it's someone else's script.

(From what I hear, you're not missing much by not seeing Wolverine.)

[sarawr.livejournal.com]

That is exactly my problem with Abrams -- that, and his characters are generally a bit too Serious and Awesomely Capable of Anything for my taste. Ironically, I adore Joss Whedon, even though he has the same kind of whoops-I-forgot-to-plan issues (probably because he has much more finely drawn and funny characters).

I didn't miss much by not seeing Wolverine... except Hugh Jackman in a lot of muscle shirts. Well, and the end of my ridiculous and random X-Men obsession (I'm usually a staunch DC girl). :(