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Now that the excitement of the new film's release has died down, I figured it would be a good idea to see how people view the movie now that they've had a chance to properly scrutinise it and observe its flaws without a sense of "yay, new movie!" getting in the way.

So, how do you rate it now?

A great movie. Second in line to the throne and even then, not by much....the difference being, Nero was no Khan, Bana was no Montalbán.

It was a vast improvement on the last two (not that that's saying much) and it was good fun, but it had too many holes in it to be truly great. Nonetheless, it felt fun, and that makes up for an awful lot of the bad stuff. Overall it's probably the best of the odd-numbered films, and about level with TVH, but it definitely comes behind FC, let alone TWoK and TUC. The biggest problem was that it felt too much like it started from the premise of "get the TOS crew together", without being too clear about how they were going to do that. Kirk's jump from "cadet about to be tossed out on his ear for cheating" to Captain of the Enterprise also felt very forced.

Agreed with Seafort. There was too much contrivance in forcing a way to make a new "TOS" movie... but that said, it was just plain fun - both from an action standpoint, and seeing the "old" crew. Plus, Pegg had some one-liners that already stand among the classics of 'Trek.

A very good, almost great movie, but not quite. Below WoK, FC but tied with TUC, IMHO.

Excellent movie. The two biggest drawbacks were that it felt very much like they were trying to make Nero the next Khan and he just doesn't have it in him. The character isn't deep enough and doesn't have enough of a connection to the principal. Khan was personally stranded by Kirk, personally defeated by him. Spock didn't even know Nero, in any time line. The second draw back is like Seafort said, in many cases it felt like they were cramming the old crew back together anyway they could. Kirk is the most obvious, there's really no way to defend going from cadet to captain of the fleet's flagship. Scotty is to me the second, where was the big E's chief engineer?

Scotty is to me the second, where was the big E's chief engineer?

Olsen was the original chief, and we saw what happened to him.
When Scotty came aboard, they probably looked and said "Hmm, a highly skilled (and possibly reasonably ranked) engineer, lets make him chief."

Tyyr wrote:...it felt very much like they were trying to make Nero the next Khan and he just doesn't have it in him.

I didn't get that sense at all. Bana himself said his role is basically a cameo. Besides, I liked Nero as a villain; he's an ordinary Joe who got screwed over royally, and is now driven by blind, all-consuming anger. Quite justified anger if the (non-canon) Countdown comics are accurate. The Vulcans basically said, "It isn't our problem" when they could have easily prevented the destruction of Romulus.

Tyyr wrote:...Spock didn't even know Nero, in any time line.

Yes, he did. I know the Countdown comics aren't canon, but they apparently show Spock and Nero working together in 2387.

stitch626 wrote:

Scotty is to me the second, where was the big E's chief engineer?

Olsen was the original chief, and we saw what happened to him.
When Scotty came aboard, they probably looked and said "Hmm, a highly skilled (and possibly reasonably ranked) engineer, lets make him chief."

I'd have to watch it again but all I heard was "Engineer Olsen," not chief engineer. I'd also point out that Olsen looked a touch on the young side and that the normal chain of command would have the next ranking engineer take over the slot not some random outsider but this is Trek XI and that's just crazy talk.

Tsukiyumi wrote:I didn't get that sense at all. Bana himself said his role is basically a cameo. Besides, I liked Nero as a villain; he's an ordinary Joe who got screwed over royally, and is now driven by blind, all-consuming anger. Quite justified anger if the (non-canon) Countdown comics are accurate. The Vulcans basically said, "It isn't our problem" when they could have easily prevented the destruction of Romulus.

I don't think his anger isn't justified or even potentially real. It's just not that interesting. Nothing about him sets him apart from any other Romulan who lost a loved one aside from the fact that he did something constructive with his anger. He was a very generic villain.

Yes, he did. I know the Countdown comics aren't canon, but they apparently show Spock and Nero working together in 2387.

There's absolutely nothing in the movie that suggests Spock knew Nero at all.

Tyyr wrote:He was a very generic villain.

I think that was, in fact, the point. He's a nobody who just happens to have a tech advantage.

Tyyr wrote:There's absolutely nothing in the movie that suggests Spock knew Nero at all.

Agreed. Another few minutes of dialog could have emphasized that Spock not only failed Romulus, but Nero personally.

I'm pretty sure I remember Pike on the comm calling for 'Chief Engineer Olsen' for the skydive...it would also make sense to make a point of pointing out that he was the chief engineer so that when he gets fried by the drilling beam, the chief engineer's slot becomes vacant for an as yet, unseen Scotty.

Well altough it is no "classic" like twok I still gave it an exellence. Why? Because I really do not think they can top it in the sequel. It flows really well, has a most excellent score and altough no Khan I really "like" Nero. TwoK was about Khan, Star Trek is about the crew so naturally the villain has more of a backseat. Nero does a wonderful job imho and altough still hollywood over the top he is never as ridiculous as Shinzon (lol) and his vampires or the guy from insurrection.

He might be a bit one-dimensional but to be honest that is because he has not much screen time to develop the character, which again is ok, since it is about the enterprise crew. The only thing I would have changed is the ending, having him refuse Kirks offer to help was predictable, having him saved would have been far more messy and interesting (How do you deal with a planetkiller?).

I gave it 4/5. The acting and the visuals were excellent, and the fact that it's made Star Trek cool again is invaluable. What detracts from it, for me, is that it seems a bit contrived and heavy handed - we have a time travel plot, and a supervillain, and planets blowing up, and Kirk becoming captain at a very improbable age. I would have favored a total reboot with a less bombastic plot - but hey, I'm not making Star Trek.

I gave it a 4/5 also, but to me it is the best Trek movie ever.
Definitely above FC which, IMO, was that good a movie.
Kirk wasn't on his way to be booted out, he was just called in front of the review board and didn't even have time to present his case and defend himiself properly before the cadets were all called away for action.
Being in front of the comission, his posting was suspended, which I think is normal.
Remember that in Canon, Kirk did become the youngest Captain in Starfleet's history, did reprogram the Kobayashi Maru test in order to beat it, and was Commended for this action for "Original Thinking".
He wasn't canned, prosecuted or arrested in the established Trek history, so why should he have been there?
He was barely starting to argue the "cheating nature" of the test when the alert was given.

Yes, it does feel contrived at certain points, but we do know that the crew does come together, that Kirk becomes Captain and rarely uses "standard" tactics, that he doesn't believe in a no win situation and that he has a knack of saving the Earth when needed.
Please, tell how this was any different then the "Mutara Nebula" that just happened to be there to level the playing field, the "patch" that Spock put on Kirk to always know where he was, that no one else detected?
All the great Trek movies have contrived plot elements.
Yes, this one has more, but that's because it has to "push" all the elements together to create the "team" that we know and love...

The effects were great, the characters were great, and the movie flowed really well, without any loooonnnggg, drawn out Treknobbably explanations slowing the action and the story down to a crawl...


The best, I tell you, the best of them all...

i especially liked the scenes at the vulcan science academy and the conceited attitudes of the vulcans which ties in nicely with ''enterprise''