Star Trek - My impressions after watching the movie
So I've finally seen the new Star Trek movie and enjoyed it tremendously. I've read the novelisation and read many reaction posts before watching the movie, so I was thoroughly spoiled, but I didn't mind one bit. On the contrary. I like being spoiled, because then I can focus on the details.
I know most people on my friends' list had problems with one particular developement, but to my own surprise I enjoyed this new official pairing. I've tried to write down why I feel this way.
More spoilery thoughts behind the cut.
General impressions
The movie in itself is very well made. Some reviews I read stated that it was an action flick and that the message of Star Trek has been lost inside all the action. I don't agree. Yes, the movie has a lot of action, it's fast-paced and entertaining. But it also has a message which to me is: People of different nationalities/species, of different ages, of different gender come together and realise that when they cherish their different approaches they can beat incredible odds and be successful. So yes, the movie touched my heart. It made me laugh and it made me cry.
I love that the plot gives each character from the Star Trek crew a chance to shine and to save the day. McCoy doesn't leave Kirk, but helps him aboard the ship (and who cares if this is a realistic plot development? :-)). Sulu saves Kirk, Kirk tries to save Sulu, Chekov ("I can do this! I can do this!") rescues both Sulu and Kirk. Uhura gathers important information. Scotty saves the day several times. And Kirk and Spock rule supreme when they start working together.
I love the idea that we are in an alternate timeline. This really opens up the Star Trek universe for new adventures. And you can bet I will be there for the sequel. I'd also embrace a TV series with this cast.
The cast. Is. Wonderful. I can't even pick a favorite, they are all so good!
Chris Pine as Kirk: Thank you, for making me love Kirk! I never much cared for Kirk in the past, but this conflicted, torn Kirk who can be a total jerk, but ultimately appears to be searching for love and acceptance is wonderful.
Zachary Quinto as Spock: I forgot at times that this was not a young Nimoy, he is that good. Like Nimoy, he can say so much with only a tiny shift of his eyes. Brilliant!
Karl Urban as McCoy: He's channelling DeForest Kelley! The way he moves, the way he speaks. I've always cherished McCoy and I thank Karl Urban for bringing him back to life.
Zoe Saldana as Uhura: She's so sassy and self-confident! Love how she brushes off Kirk without losing her sense of humour. Love how competent she is. Love how she's not faced by Kirk seeing her in her underwear, but simply tosses him out of her room. Love how compassionate she is.
John Cho as Sulu: He gets a chance to show Sulu's fighting skills. Neat to see that flying a Starship can be tricky. :-)
Anton Yelchin as Chekov: So enthusiastic and smart! Impossible not to like him.
Simon Pegg as Scotty: Totally doesn't look like I imagined young Scotty, but he totally channels the way Scotty acts.
Leonard Nimoy: So neat to have him in this movie! Love his older, more relaxed version of Spock.
Spock and Uhura
This is the development many people have problems with. So I was very wary of their scenes together. And to my surprise, their romance worked for me. Here's why:
For one, Zoe and Quinto are great actors. If you watch Uhura and Spock in all their scenes together, you know from very early on that they have a relationship.
There's Spock's reluctance of assigning Uhura to the Enterprise because he's afraid this might be favoritism. Her insistence that she is excellent in her job and justly deserves to be on the Enterprise. And Spock realising that NOT assigning her to the Enterprise is illogical. :-) And if the words aren't enough, you also get the romance vibe from the way they stand so close to one another.
Then you can see the way Uhura watches Spock. You can see how much she cares for him.
And that kiss in the elevator? Some people found it inappropriate because Uhura took adventage of Spock and pushed for something sexual while he was vulnerable. Personally, I saw her kisses as comfort kisses. She is trying to express how sorry she is for what happened to Vulcan and his mother, she tries to reach him and give him some comfort. And he doesn't push her back, but gives her a hug - so he's clearly comfortable with her. IMO, this was not their first kiss.
Then the kiss in the transporter room in front of Kirk and Scotty.
Now this kiss would have been out of character for TOS Spock. But it takes place after Spock had an emotional break-down and then had a valuable conversation with his father. Sarek doesn't condemn him for his break-down. In fact, he is very caring and finds the right words! He concedes that sometimes one feels anger and that this is no reason to hate yourself. He concedes that love is a valuable emotion and admits that he married Amanda because he loved her!
This is not the Sarek from TOS who didn't speak to his son for 12 years after Spock joined Star Fleet. Even before Amanda's death, he appeared to be supportive of his son. And after Amanda's death he not only hints at his feelings, he states them out loud.
So if Spock's father, a pure Vulcan, can be open about his feelings occasionally, so can Spock! This suggest to me that if Spock acts differently, this is partly because Sarek acts differently as well.
When Spock kisses Uhura in front of witnesses, this is a) because he has just lost his home planet and his mother - he knows that people can die suddenly and that you may not get another chance to show them how much you care for them, b) because he knows he might not see her again and c) because his father does not love him less for having an emotional side.
I also cherish this scene for the look on Kirk's face. It takes him several seconds to get what he's seeing. :-) One woman who hasn't succumbed to his charms, but has picked this complicated Vulcan guy. And that look also shows that he is surprised to find that Mr Spock does have a tender side as well. :-)
As for Spock: I think in addition to the support of his father, meeting his older self, will make him feel more comfortable with his human self. After all, Spock Prime is more relaxed about the rules ("I didn't lie. I implied.") and delivers his advice with a twinkle in his eyes. Talking to him will give Spock the chance to realise that allowing his sense of humour to surface will not mean the end of the world.
Pairings
I always used to be a Spock/McCoy fangirl, because I adored their bantering.
But after watching this movie, I'm open to all pairings. All the characters have such chemistry between them! So in addition to the canon Spock/Uhura pairing (looking e.g. forward to stories how they got together), I'll also happily read Kirk/Spock, Kirk/McCoy, Spock/McCoy, ...
There is just one demand I make for any slash pairings featuring Spock: Don't disparage Uhura! I hate it when slash-writers diss women characters.
Have to sleep now, but I expect to post more on Star Trek: The Reboot soon. So many thoughts still swirling through my head. Must rewatch this movie soon. :-)
I know most people on my friends' list had problems with one particular developement, but to my own surprise I enjoyed this new official pairing. I've tried to write down why I feel this way.
More spoilery thoughts behind the cut.
General impressions
The movie in itself is very well made. Some reviews I read stated that it was an action flick and that the message of Star Trek has been lost inside all the action. I don't agree. Yes, the movie has a lot of action, it's fast-paced and entertaining. But it also has a message which to me is: People of different nationalities/species, of different ages, of different gender come together and realise that when they cherish their different approaches they can beat incredible odds and be successful. So yes, the movie touched my heart. It made me laugh and it made me cry.
I love that the plot gives each character from the Star Trek crew a chance to shine and to save the day. McCoy doesn't leave Kirk, but helps him aboard the ship (and who cares if this is a realistic plot development? :-)). Sulu saves Kirk, Kirk tries to save Sulu, Chekov ("I can do this! I can do this!") rescues both Sulu and Kirk. Uhura gathers important information. Scotty saves the day several times. And Kirk and Spock rule supreme when they start working together.
I love the idea that we are in an alternate timeline. This really opens up the Star Trek universe for new adventures. And you can bet I will be there for the sequel. I'd also embrace a TV series with this cast.
The cast. Is. Wonderful. I can't even pick a favorite, they are all so good!
Chris Pine as Kirk: Thank you, for making me love Kirk! I never much cared for Kirk in the past, but this conflicted, torn Kirk who can be a total jerk, but ultimately appears to be searching for love and acceptance is wonderful.
Zachary Quinto as Spock: I forgot at times that this was not a young Nimoy, he is that good. Like Nimoy, he can say so much with only a tiny shift of his eyes. Brilliant!
Karl Urban as McCoy: He's channelling DeForest Kelley! The way he moves, the way he speaks. I've always cherished McCoy and I thank Karl Urban for bringing him back to life.
Zoe Saldana as Uhura: She's so sassy and self-confident! Love how she brushes off Kirk without losing her sense of humour. Love how competent she is. Love how she's not faced by Kirk seeing her in her underwear, but simply tosses him out of her room. Love how compassionate she is.
John Cho as Sulu: He gets a chance to show Sulu's fighting skills. Neat to see that flying a Starship can be tricky. :-)
Anton Yelchin as Chekov: So enthusiastic and smart! Impossible not to like him.
Simon Pegg as Scotty: Totally doesn't look like I imagined young Scotty, but he totally channels the way Scotty acts.
Leonard Nimoy: So neat to have him in this movie! Love his older, more relaxed version of Spock.
Spock and Uhura
This is the development many people have problems with. So I was very wary of their scenes together. And to my surprise, their romance worked for me. Here's why:
For one, Zoe and Quinto are great actors. If you watch Uhura and Spock in all their scenes together, you know from very early on that they have a relationship.
There's Spock's reluctance of assigning Uhura to the Enterprise because he's afraid this might be favoritism. Her insistence that she is excellent in her job and justly deserves to be on the Enterprise. And Spock realising that NOT assigning her to the Enterprise is illogical. :-) And if the words aren't enough, you also get the romance vibe from the way they stand so close to one another.
Then you can see the way Uhura watches Spock. You can see how much she cares for him.
And that kiss in the elevator? Some people found it inappropriate because Uhura took adventage of Spock and pushed for something sexual while he was vulnerable. Personally, I saw her kisses as comfort kisses. She is trying to express how sorry she is for what happened to Vulcan and his mother, she tries to reach him and give him some comfort. And he doesn't push her back, but gives her a hug - so he's clearly comfortable with her. IMO, this was not their first kiss.
Then the kiss in the transporter room in front of Kirk and Scotty.
Now this kiss would have been out of character for TOS Spock. But it takes place after Spock had an emotional break-down and then had a valuable conversation with his father. Sarek doesn't condemn him for his break-down. In fact, he is very caring and finds the right words! He concedes that sometimes one feels anger and that this is no reason to hate yourself. He concedes that love is a valuable emotion and admits that he married Amanda because he loved her!
This is not the Sarek from TOS who didn't speak to his son for 12 years after Spock joined Star Fleet. Even before Amanda's death, he appeared to be supportive of his son. And after Amanda's death he not only hints at his feelings, he states them out loud.
So if Spock's father, a pure Vulcan, can be open about his feelings occasionally, so can Spock! This suggest to me that if Spock acts differently, this is partly because Sarek acts differently as well.
When Spock kisses Uhura in front of witnesses, this is a) because he has just lost his home planet and his mother - he knows that people can die suddenly and that you may not get another chance to show them how much you care for them, b) because he knows he might not see her again and c) because his father does not love him less for having an emotional side.
I also cherish this scene for the look on Kirk's face. It takes him several seconds to get what he's seeing. :-) One woman who hasn't succumbed to his charms, but has picked this complicated Vulcan guy. And that look also shows that he is surprised to find that Mr Spock does have a tender side as well. :-)
As for Spock: I think in addition to the support of his father, meeting his older self, will make him feel more comfortable with his human self. After all, Spock Prime is more relaxed about the rules ("I didn't lie. I implied.") and delivers his advice with a twinkle in his eyes. Talking to him will give Spock the chance to realise that allowing his sense of humour to surface will not mean the end of the world.
Pairings
I always used to be a Spock/McCoy fangirl, because I adored their bantering.
But after watching this movie, I'm open to all pairings. All the characters have such chemistry between them! So in addition to the canon Spock/Uhura pairing (looking e.g. forward to stories how they got together), I'll also happily read Kirk/Spock, Kirk/McCoy, Spock/McCoy, ...
There is just one demand I make for any slash pairings featuring Spock: Don't disparage Uhura! I hate it when slash-writers diss women characters.
Have to sleep now, but I expect to post more on Star Trek: The Reboot soon. So many thoughts still swirling through my head. Must rewatch this movie soon. :-)