Review: Star Trek - Fun, Exciting and WTF?!
OK, once was not enough! I went for my second helping. It was still as fun and as exciting the second time around. This 'new' Star Trek is probably the most exhilarating and exciting Trek I've ever seen.
The opening scene with the USS Kelvin is the most emotional since Spock dying in The Wrath of Khan. The sky-diving scene was the most breath-taking. The Enterprise popping out of warp with phasers blazing just makes me want to yell 'YEAH!'.
But...despite all the praises that Star Trek has gotten from the critics and earning a respectable $75.2 million at box office at opening weekend, there were plenty of moments during the show when I can't help but go 'huh?'.
For instance, I may not know much about science, but 3 guys jumping out of a shuttlecraft in space and into a planet's atmosphere would surely be burned up on entry, no?
What about the fact that Kirk (Chris Pine) gets marooned on an ice planet (who happened to climb out of a lifepod that landed length-wise vertically into the ground?!), and just happens to bump into the only other major character who was also stranded on the same planet. To top that off, they both happen to meet yet another beloved Trek character who just happens to be working on a trans-warp transporter, that they just happen to fix and beam themselves back to the Enterprise which is traveling at warp speed. Coincidence? Hmmm....
[Read ScifiWire's 11 things about Star Trek that made us go 'WTF?']
The look of the show has also changed. It's not the eutopian world that Gene Roddenberry envisioned, where 'everyone lives only to better themselves'. There's racial tension, there's bullying in school, there're bar-fights, there are policemen on flying bikes! Everything is dirty, worn-out; you can spot the wear-and-tear on the shuttlecrafts, as if they'll spring a leak anytime on their ride up into space. Even the new designed Starships engine room resembles an industrial plant more than the stylish clean 'engineering' we grew up with.
But, if you can put aside these nit-picks (which you probably won't even noticed because you're too busy keeping up with the excitement), this is truly movie-making at it's best. The story brings you from sad to happy, bewilderment to wonder, tears to laughter and many countless emotions in between.
The cast did a fantastic job bringing the original Trek characters to life. Chris Pine gave a fresh new spin as James T. Kirk, adding energy and cheekiness along with the priceless 'shatnerism' moments that makes you go 'yeah, that's Kirk'. The same goes to Carl Urban for his uncanny Leonard 'Bones' McCoy mannerisms, which were spot on. DeForest Kelley would have been proud. Zoe Saldana's Uhura is a picture of smart, sexy, and capable. The best though has to be Zachary Quinto's Spock. You could feel the emotional turmoil seething underneath that calm and cool logical exterior.
The other characters of Sulu (John Chu), Chekov (Anton Yelchin) and Scotty (Simon Pegg) were more supporting roles, but still manages to have their moments even if they're not as memorable. The line-up also included a slate of heavy-weight veterans like Leonard Nimoy, Winona Ryder, Ben Cross. For Alias fans, look out for Rachel Nichols in green! What a laugh-out-loud moment.
Lastly, kudos to J.J. Abrams and his usual suspects. They've done what they set out to do and more, which was to make Star Trek the talk of the town again, breathing new life into a franchise that was on its death-bed, and updating Trek for the 21st century audience.
I'm now eagerly waiting for the DVD release and can't wait to see the crew of the Enterprise in their next adventure.
The opening scene with the USS Kelvin is the most emotional since Spock dying in The Wrath of Khan. The sky-diving scene was the most breath-taking. The Enterprise popping out of warp with phasers blazing just makes me want to yell 'YEAH!'.
But...despite all the praises that Star Trek has gotten from the critics and earning a respectable $75.2 million at box office at opening weekend, there were plenty of moments during the show when I can't help but go 'huh?'.
For instance, I may not know much about science, but 3 guys jumping out of a shuttlecraft in space and into a planet's atmosphere would surely be burned up on entry, no?
What about the fact that Kirk (Chris Pine) gets marooned on an ice planet (who happened to climb out of a lifepod that landed length-wise vertically into the ground?!), and just happens to bump into the only other major character who was also stranded on the same planet. To top that off, they both happen to meet yet another beloved Trek character who just happens to be working on a trans-warp transporter, that they just happen to fix and beam themselves back to the Enterprise which is traveling at warp speed. Coincidence? Hmmm....
[Read ScifiWire's 11 things about Star Trek that made us go 'WTF?']
The look of the show has also changed. It's not the eutopian world that Gene Roddenberry envisioned, where 'everyone lives only to better themselves'. There's racial tension, there's bullying in school, there're bar-fights, there are policemen on flying bikes! Everything is dirty, worn-out; you can spot the wear-and-tear on the shuttlecrafts, as if they'll spring a leak anytime on their ride up into space. Even the new designed Starships engine room resembles an industrial plant more than the stylish clean 'engineering' we grew up with.
But, if you can put aside these nit-picks (which you probably won't even noticed because you're too busy keeping up with the excitement), this is truly movie-making at it's best. The story brings you from sad to happy, bewilderment to wonder, tears to laughter and many countless emotions in between.
The cast did a fantastic job bringing the original Trek characters to life. Chris Pine gave a fresh new spin as James T. Kirk, adding energy and cheekiness along with the priceless 'shatnerism' moments that makes you go 'yeah, that's Kirk'. The same goes to Carl Urban for his uncanny Leonard 'Bones' McCoy mannerisms, which were spot on. DeForest Kelley would have been proud. Zoe Saldana's Uhura is a picture of smart, sexy, and capable. The best though has to be Zachary Quinto's Spock. You could feel the emotional turmoil seething underneath that calm and cool logical exterior.
The other characters of Sulu (John Chu), Chekov (Anton Yelchin) and Scotty (Simon Pegg) were more supporting roles, but still manages to have their moments even if they're not as memorable. The line-up also included a slate of heavy-weight veterans like Leonard Nimoy, Winona Ryder, Ben Cross. For Alias fans, look out for Rachel Nichols in green! What a laugh-out-loud moment.
Lastly, kudos to J.J. Abrams and his usual suspects. They've done what they set out to do and more, which was to make Star Trek the talk of the town again, breathing new life into a franchise that was on its death-bed, and updating Trek for the 21st century audience.
I'm now eagerly waiting for the DVD release and can't wait to see the crew of the Enterprise in their next adventure.
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