the pilots going out, and then.
I saw Star Trek. Three times.
Hi, Zachary Quinto? I don't watch Heroes, as it bores me to tears, so I don't know if you're brilliant constantly, but I feel I have miscalculated your abilities as an actor. I'm sorry, I didn't know you were this good. I'M SORRY.
I haven't watched too much of the original series, but I did watch Voyager religiously in my early to mid teens, so I went in expecting campy fun. This film? Is not campy fun. This film is fun, yes, but it's also all kinds of fabulous and gorgeous and everything I've ever wanted in science fiction (except for Farscape, but FS continually breaks your heart, whereas ST is a generally happy universe). Things I liked:
- Every single principal cast member is perfect. Chris Pine is just cocky enough; Karl Urban is hilarious; Anton Yelchin makes me want to take Chekhov home and put him on a shelf; John Cho and Simon Pegg every bit as fantastic as they always are; and I loved Zoe Saldana in this.
- Speaking of Zoe, it was such a relief to have a female character who doesn't just sit around prettily or whose main purpose is to be the love interest in Uhura. She was cool and capable, and the fact that she had a romantic subplot doesn't take away from that. (taraljc has an excellent post on that here).
- Spock/Uhura. Not only because it served as Spock's emotional catalyst (and really, this film was all about Spock for me) or because it made sense for their characters, but also because I desperately wanted Kirk not to be the rebel with a heart of gold who gets the girl. It's not just that he doesn't get the girl, it's that she's not a girl to be got and a girl who doesn't want to be got.
- Spock. This film reminded me of how much I love rigid perfectionists and emotional repression in fiction. And did I mention that Zachary Quinto is fantastic? Because he blew me away.
- The death of George Kirk and the destruction of Vulcan. Kirk is fatherless, Spock motherless (and a member of a nearly extinct species). An excellent reworking of the original series, because this allows for the characters and relationships to develop differently.
- The production design is beautiful. So, so pretty. Also, the use of colour and lens flare.
In conclusion: Dear J.J. Abrams, stop creating television programmes that are either boring or cast terribly (I'm looking at you, Lost), and make more films like this one, please. Why is it that blockbuster are good all of a sudden? This happened with Iron Man last year (though I liked ST better), and now I'm confused as to what my taste in cinema is.
(Also, you have no idea how desperately I wish I had written this song. I wish I wrote that guitar line so badly. So, so badly.)
Hi, Zachary Quinto? I don't watch Heroes, as it bores me to tears, so I don't know if you're brilliant constantly, but I feel I have miscalculated your abilities as an actor. I'm sorry, I didn't know you were this good. I'M SORRY.
I haven't watched too much of the original series, but I did watch Voyager religiously in my early to mid teens, so I went in expecting campy fun. This film? Is not campy fun. This film is fun, yes, but it's also all kinds of fabulous and gorgeous and everything I've ever wanted in science fiction (except for Farscape, but FS continually breaks your heart, whereas ST is a generally happy universe). Things I liked:
- Every single principal cast member is perfect. Chris Pine is just cocky enough; Karl Urban is hilarious; Anton Yelchin makes me want to take Chekhov home and put him on a shelf; John Cho and Simon Pegg every bit as fantastic as they always are; and I loved Zoe Saldana in this.
- Speaking of Zoe, it was such a relief to have a female character who doesn't just sit around prettily or whose main purpose is to be the love interest in Uhura. She was cool and capable, and the fact that she had a romantic subplot doesn't take away from that. (taraljc has an excellent post on that here).
- Spock/Uhura. Not only because it served as Spock's emotional catalyst (and really, this film was all about Spock for me) or because it made sense for their characters, but also because I desperately wanted Kirk not to be the rebel with a heart of gold who gets the girl. It's not just that he doesn't get the girl, it's that she's not a girl to be got and a girl who doesn't want to be got.
- Spock. This film reminded me of how much I love rigid perfectionists and emotional repression in fiction. And did I mention that Zachary Quinto is fantastic? Because he blew me away.
- The death of George Kirk and the destruction of Vulcan. Kirk is fatherless, Spock motherless (and a member of a nearly extinct species). An excellent reworking of the original series, because this allows for the characters and relationships to develop differently.
- The production design is beautiful. So, so pretty. Also, the use of colour and lens flare.
In conclusion: Dear J.J. Abrams, stop creating television programmes that are either boring or cast terribly (I'm looking at you, Lost), and make more films like this one, please. Why is it that blockbuster are good all of a sudden? This happened with Iron Man last year (though I liked ST better), and now I'm confused as to what my taste in cinema is.
(Also, you have no idea how desperately I wish I had written this song. I wish I wrote that guitar line so badly. So, so badly.)