Star Trek. A not review.
I do not recommend movies often. I rarely like movies that come out in theaters. The last movie I saw that I really liked ... I can't remember. No, wait, Dark Knight. But it's very rare that I find a movie - a popular movie - that I like.
Star Trek was one of those rare finds.
I will premise all this by saying that it probably is better if you've watched an episode or two of the original series. One of my friends who I saw it with didn't enjoy it as much because she'd never seen an episode. I, on the other hand, enjoyed it immensely.
Cut for rambling, squee-ing, and possible spoilers.
OMFG. OMFG. OMFG. I can't believe I actually liked it!!!!! Seriously, I was going into this not liking this at all because I've always been disappointed. But honestly, it was amazing. Visually stunning - the opening, my god the opening - with *gasp* quiet scenes! And what, no gratuitous sex scene!?? OMG.
A random tangent: The trailer really didn't spoil anything. I'm amazed. That's how a good trailer is supposed to be!!
The opening really was amazing. I honestly teared up when the title finally came on. It was, again, visually stunning. I literally gasped when those first shots came on the screen. Amazing. Also interesting were the little shots of operations - like loading the ammunition - and also the small shots of the different aliens (though, now looking back, after those first few scenes, they didn't show many aliens after that ... hrmmm) as if it were completely normal to see them, which is exactly how it should be.
Also about the opening (and later events) - I couldn't help but feel for the officers because that sort of thing, going into battle, assuming duties because of your superiors having fallen, facing certain death - that's all things that we may and are trained to be faced with. Captain Pike talks with Kirk before he goes to Starfleet, sounding very recruiter-y, and I couldn't help but remember when I was undergoing that process, of wanting to do something "more" and serving my country, etc. It was interesting.
Anyway, back to the movie: The pacing! Wow, where most movies take such a long time to develop the story, we knew right off the bat who we were dealing with and what the focus was going to be - Kirk and Spock. Of course, you know that before the movie even starts, but really, in the first 10 minutes, there's more said than most movies, which take their sweet time with sound and fury, signifying nothing. Honestly. Do directors not remember how it used to be, when in 1 hour, a story with fully developed characters with understandable and coherent plot was made?
Though, yes, the plot was very simple and it was easy to follow because we knew who the good guys and the bad guys were but there was such smart dialogue - and my god, all the throwbacks!! Again, this is why I say if you've seen even just a couple of episodes, you'll find all the throwbacks amazing. All the original crew, how they were found and put in their positions, the relationships they have with each other - I need new adjectives, because zounds, it was amazing.
Granted, the movie was not perfect. There could have been better development in certain areas, better acting in certain characters - though Kirk was spot on. Completely. Though, my friends and I realized amusedly afterwards, he was choked way too many times in the movie XD There are better ways to build dramatic tension, you know XP
But yes, the throwbacks! It made me feel like I was watching a really good fanfic XD No, honestly. You could tell that it was written and made by a fan, for the fans. Really. Because of the throwbacks, because of the quiet scenes and the subtlety in certain places ...
I don't know if I'm more happy about the movie or me actually *liking* the movie XDD But I'm going to see it again with my other friend who's a much bigger fan than the friends I'd just watched it with.
Anyway. That is all. OH!! AND THE ENDING. OMG.
Fangirl mode OFF before I die of fangirl amazement.
Basically: Watch it. It is awesome!!!!!
Star Trek was one of those rare finds.
I will premise all this by saying that it probably is better if you've watched an episode or two of the original series. One of my friends who I saw it with didn't enjoy it as much because she'd never seen an episode. I, on the other hand, enjoyed it immensely.
Cut for rambling, squee-ing, and possible spoilers.
OMFG. OMFG. OMFG. I can't believe I actually liked it!!!!! Seriously, I was going into this not liking this at all because I've always been disappointed. But honestly, it was amazing. Visually stunning - the opening, my god the opening - with *gasp* quiet scenes! And what, no gratuitous sex scene!?? OMG.
A random tangent: The trailer really didn't spoil anything. I'm amazed. That's how a good trailer is supposed to be!!
The opening really was amazing. I honestly teared up when the title finally came on. It was, again, visually stunning. I literally gasped when those first shots came on the screen. Amazing. Also interesting were the little shots of operations - like loading the ammunition - and also the small shots of the different aliens (though, now looking back, after those first few scenes, they didn't show many aliens after that ... hrmmm) as if it were completely normal to see them, which is exactly how it should be.
Also about the opening (and later events) - I couldn't help but feel for the officers because that sort of thing, going into battle, assuming duties because of your superiors having fallen, facing certain death - that's all things that we may and are trained to be faced with. Captain Pike talks with Kirk before he goes to Starfleet, sounding very recruiter-y, and I couldn't help but remember when I was undergoing that process, of wanting to do something "more" and serving my country, etc. It was interesting.
Anyway, back to the movie: The pacing! Wow, where most movies take such a long time to develop the story, we knew right off the bat who we were dealing with and what the focus was going to be - Kirk and Spock. Of course, you know that before the movie even starts, but really, in the first 10 minutes, there's more said than most movies, which take their sweet time with sound and fury, signifying nothing. Honestly. Do directors not remember how it used to be, when in 1 hour, a story with fully developed characters with understandable and coherent plot was made?
Though, yes, the plot was very simple and it was easy to follow because we knew who the good guys and the bad guys were but there was such smart dialogue - and my god, all the throwbacks!! Again, this is why I say if you've seen even just a couple of episodes, you'll find all the throwbacks amazing. All the original crew, how they were found and put in their positions, the relationships they have with each other - I need new adjectives, because zounds, it was amazing.
Granted, the movie was not perfect. There could have been better development in certain areas, better acting in certain characters - though Kirk was spot on. Completely. Though, my friends and I realized amusedly afterwards, he was choked way too many times in the movie XD There are better ways to build dramatic tension, you know XP
But yes, the throwbacks! It made me feel like I was watching a really good fanfic XD No, honestly. You could tell that it was written and made by a fan, for the fans. Really. Because of the throwbacks, because of the quiet scenes and the subtlety in certain places ...
I don't know if I'm more happy about the movie or me actually *liking* the movie XDD But I'm going to see it again with my other friend who's a much bigger fan than the friends I'd just watched it with.
Anyway. That is all. OH!! AND THE ENDING. OMG.
Fangirl mode OFF before I die of fangirl amazement.
Basically: Watch it. It is awesome!!!!!