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I just rewatched it on Blu-Ray, and it still looks great, but one problem with the movie, at least from my vantage point, was Nero, or Eric bana as Nero, however it should be taken. What I mean by that is I couldn't really connect with him. Everything seemed forced, and the character didn't feel fleshed out, or real, not even his anger...I don't know, am I the only one who feels this way? Khan to me was way more badass, and he only lost his wife and some of his crew, but Nero lost an entire planet, and his family...To me I think the audience should have felt his pain and desire for vengeance a little more...anyway my two cents.

I agree. I don't really know if it was the writing of the character or Bana's performance, but he felt very 2-D. The greatest villains, especially ones with backstories like Nero's engender a modicum of sympathy - but Nero just felt wooden.

Mikey wrote:I agree. I don't really know if it was the writing of the character or Bana's performance, but he felt very 2-D. The greatest villains, especially ones with backstories like Nero's engender a modicum of sympathy - but Nero just felt wooden.

Wooden was exactly the word I was looking for...

I lost interest in him during his interrogation of Pike. His yell of "It did happen, don't tell me it didn't happen" was one of the worst delivered lines in cinema. There was absolutely no passion or fire to him.

I think they went to much with shouty shouty and not enough of actual genuine emotion. Whether that's the writing, or it's Eric Bana's performance, who knows? This is why my favourite trek villain is STILL Ricardo Montalban's Khan. Emotion and fire, excellently delivered lines...

Reliant121 wrote:I think they went to much with shouty shouty and not enough of actual genuine emotion. Whether that's the writing, or it's Eric Bana's performance, who knows? This is why my favourite trek villain is STILL Ricardo Montalban's Khan. Emotion and fire, excellently delivered lines...

"You STILL remember, I cannot help...But be touched, and I of course remember you..."

I actually didn't mind Nero, and his lack of emotion. To me it fit the bill of someone who's been driven completely around the bend, and is now essentially devoid of his humanity ... er, Romulanity. It always seems to me that people who criticize Nero's motivations, or his plan, or even his acting tend to forget: He was batsh*t f*cking crazy!

Of course, so was Khan, but in a different way. Khan had time to stew and develop a grudge.

Sonic Glitch wrote:I actually didn't mind Nero, and his lack of emotion. To me it fit the bill of someone who's been driven completely around the bend, and is now essentially devoid of his humanity ... er, Romulanity. It always seems to me that people who criticize Nero's motivations, or his plan, or even his acting tend to forget: He was batsh*t f*cking crazy!

Of course, so was Khan, but in a different way. Khan had time to stew and develop a grudge.

So did Nero, he had 20 years in a Klingon Prison!

IMO, a performance that to me didn't really show itself well or was poor in the face of other performances cannot simply be excused by the fact "he's a bit loopy" unless it specifically made comment in the film that "wow, this guy is cold". It seemed that he was intended to be emotional and angry, but never showed anything that allowed us to connect on an emotional level.

IMO, Nero was miscast.

But I've never cared for Mr. Bana as an actor.

Mark wrote:IMO, Nero was miscast.

But I've never cared for Mr. Bana as an actor.

He even bombed in The Hulk.

I liked him in Munich and Troy. Especially Munich.

Victory is Life wrote:

Mark wrote:IMO, Nero was miscast.

But I've never cared for Mr. Bana as an actor.

He even bombed in The Hulk.

Agreed. He made Bruce Banner look like he was throwing a temper tantraum rather than getting angry.

Sonic Glitch wrote:I actually didn't mind Nero, and his lack of emotion. To me it fit the bill of someone who's been driven completely around the bend, and is now essentially devoid of his humanity ... er, Romulanity. It always seems to me that people who criticize Nero's motivations, or his plan, or even his acting tend to forget: He was batsh*t f*cking crazy!

Of course, so was Khan, but in a different way. Khan had time to stew and develop a grudge.

Khan was also genetically engineered to be a warrior: calculating, clever, a tactician who planned his moves like a chess player. Nero was the captain of a mining vessel. Had a more industrial oriented training. Different standards between the two. Khan was a patient man who waited for the right moment to strike. Nero was more of the "smash it with a blunt instrument" type of person. At least that's how I read him.

I suppose in many ways it's probably quite realistic a portrayal. I just think it could have included more emotion instead of just raghhh whenever everything he didn't like happens.