Unboxing
Nice!
Love the packaging
The transparent jacket is always a plus in my books. Something about it gives it a classy touch. Just like the old school Underworld DVD starring
Kate Beckinsale.
<3 <3 <3
The rest of the unwrapping reveals a pretty straight forward package. One case and two optical discs. I'm happy with the minimalist approach.
I won't be staring at the dics anyays.
Grab the popcorn. Wait!
Before we fire up the reel, I gotta say something.
As you may have figured out. I am a huge Star Trek fan. I loved it way back during a time when admitting you watch
TNG, arguably the most mainstream one, would get you picked on, made fun of and stuffed into your own locker. Attending a Star Trek convention was an outright death sentence when you got back at school. Unlike now where posting your
Comic-Con photos would get you chicks (well, no, not really, no).
Why all the drama? I want to give a little background and put this into context so we have an understanding. I liked Star Trek before it was cool. I earned my geekdom. I happily watched
TOS on TV with a guilty shame. Borrowed all my second cousin's feature films, and watched them holding my hand made Enterprise model on red alert.
I'm rambling now...just
Grab the popcorn.
The Film (Spoilers)
James T. Kirk. Already disobeying the Prime Directive from the first scene.
Spock. Always with the rules and regulation.
John Harrison. He's WHO? Mind blown!
I was fortunate enough to have been living under a rock, so I had no idea about the character reveal. Totally got duped. Even the cameo took me by surprise.
Overall, this is an enjoyable movie and the gaping plot holes brought to my attention after the fact didn't ruin it. It's exciting, keeps good pace and is tense at the right moments. I love the battles and the visuals were great. What does a star ship look like rising from the ocean? Wow! Yes! I can indulge in a little VFX eye candy even if it makes absolutely no logical, technical, prepositional sense.
As large as the stakes are, I did find some flashes of personal moments. Spock and Uhura's relationship. "What is that even like?" Spock and Kirk bromance. Best friends forever! Yes, Spock and Khan's rage fueled fight to exact revenge. "My crew is my family! Is there anything you would not do for your family?" All in all, thumbs up.
There were moments, however, that lost me. There is enough online regarding the impossible physics, technicalities and trashed up continuity, so I'll just mention a few things I warrant a thumbs down. Scotty, for some reason didn't feel like a complete character to me. I had troubles tying together the super genius, chief engineer, theoretical physicist and booze hound. On paper, it's what
James Doohan's brought too, but somehow,
Simon Pegg's seems a little disconnected.
Also, and I'm going to kick myself for asking this, did Carol Marcus have to be there? No, no, no, don't get rid of Alice Eve that's not what I'm saying man. My question is how do you draw a line from
microbiologist to
weapons specialist science offier? Is this a misguided case of fan service? It could very well have been
Elizabeth Dehner purely through resemblance. But...that's another can of worms messing with continuity.
While the overarching intent to mirror
Wrath of Khan's themes and lines is noble, it started to get predictable. Whatever the original Kirk said, new Spock would repeat. Perhaps undetected by viewers unfamiliar with the original, but not the initiated. Curse of the hardcore fan.
I love
Leonard Nimoy, but this cameo felt out of place. We've already seen old Spock break from his hard line of not interfering with the timeline in the previous movie. Does this cameo lead to another and another? Is old Spock going to hold young Spock's hands though every conflict? Imagine the damage to Spock's legendary legacy.
While very fulfilling after watching it in the theatre (a 40 foot Alice Eve in her underwear has nothing to do with it) and again now on Blu-Ray, it feels a little bit like it's cashing in some nerd cred. By asking fans to look over some flaws in exchange for some eye candy and Spock / Kirk role reversals, it scratches an itch but leaves wanting to more forward. The film does end with the beginning of the 5 year exploration mission. It has potential. It's a fitting start. I'm optimistic.
Special Features
If you're into "the making of" type documentary, this one is for you. It goes in depth into how a different sets came together with director, cast and crew commentary sprinkled in. One of the things that impressed me was how much practical effects were used. Definitely more than I suspected as science fiction films often lends itself to rely heavily on CGI. Fascinating. Lots of movie making magic, but I found myself wanting to see more of the cast's personal thoughts. Doesn't necessarily have to be a formal sit down interview, but on even spot interviews and casual conversations on set would have added a special touch.
Final Thoughts
To be sure, it's a fun ride but if or when the 3rd movie comes out, I hope it'd be thought provoking. I'd like to see some deeper character insight or growth. How this crew is different from the original. We've explored the reflection off Wrath of Khan. It's time for the next adventure. No need to
Search for Spock. Right?
Random thoughts
Nice subtle layer of fan service. Tribbles, Section 31,
Harry Mudd's shuttle, foreshadowing Klingon war.
You know who would have made a great
Khan?
Javiar Bardem! Evil, smart, creepy. Especially with a little Spanish flare like
Ricardo Montalban.
4 stars out of 5
Live long and prosper
