Viewing #2

[the_deep_magic]

Further thoughts!  Questions answered!  Then some more questions!  And I address controversial issues in a mature and thoughtful manner!

Thoughts:

• Setting aside for the moment the plausibility that a single volcanic eruption could destroy not just a race of people or a species, but an entire planet, I wonder whose idea it was to deactivate the volcano in the first place.  It wasn't part of their original mission, it's never specifically stated that Kirk made the decision about the volcano (just about rescuing Spock), and Spock seems to accept some culpability in regards to the entire incident.  Ergo, I think Spock saw the readings that indicated that Nibiru would be destroyed and either asked permission from Kirk or was subtly given the hint by Kirk that he could stop it.  That he could save an entire planet from being destroyed.  Maybe Kirk felt extra-betrayed by the report because he thought he was allowing Spock some redemption.
• When Kirk's arguing with Pike, he says something along the lines of, "You know how many members of my crew have been killed?  None."  Then when the ship loses gravitational stability, there's a moment where Kirk tries to grab for a crew member falling past him and misses, and despite his earlier "I'm sorry" to the bridge crew, I think that's when it hits him that he is responsible for these people's lives.
• Not really a fully-fledged thought, but Kirk's face in the bar when Pike tells him, "It's gonna be all right, son."  ::wibbles::  Fuck, just some fantastic acting from Chris.  I love everyone in this bar cast and I don't want to play favorites, but I think Chris' performance is phenomenal and I really hope he starts getting some recognition for it.
• Forgot to mention this before, but loved bad-ass Sulu in the captain's chair, and the hints at him getting his own ship one day (even though Sulu only got the Excelsior because Takei refused to be on the same set as Shatner)(so I hear).
• It was good to see it in a full theater this time.  Some people still gasped when Harrison revealed himself as Khan.  People cracked up at Scotty.
• Still not sure how I feel about Spock shouting "KHAAAAAAAAN," but at least it's well-segued with a quick cut and a loud sound effect.  Nobody in the theater laughed, so that was good.
• To answer my own question re: Spock mind-melding with Khan during their fight (What the hell were they fighting on, anyway?  Will the future be full of red metal thingies zipping around in the air?), I think he was sharing his pain at, y'know, having his skull crushed in.
• Speaking of mind-melds, I wish Spock and Pike had had a bit more of a Moment when he was dying.  We only find out later that Spock was deeply affected by his emotions; I wish there had been some indication that Spock was trying to offer him some kind of comfort.  I know Pike is supposed to be Kirk's father figure, but still.
• It would appear that "Space, the final frontier..." is supposed to be the captain's oath, unless it's some kind of editing mistake.  Very weird.  Future oath-writers, lay off the Romulan ale.

Questions:

• It's specifically stated that Spock shuts down the volcano with a "cold fusion" device.  My understanding of physics (esp. made-up physics) is limited, but if they have cold fusion technology, why aren't they using that to power the ships instead of the massively unstable explosion-waiting-to-happen that is the warp core?
• Uh, okay, let's say everything with Spock's mission to the volcano had gone as planned: Spock arms the device, gets pulled back up to the shuttle, they rendezvous with Kirk and Bones on the beach.  ...and then what?  The Enterprise is still on the bottom of the fucking ocean, Scotty says it can't stay there for long, and how can it possibly maneuver underwater anyway?  You still have to get the big-ass spaceship out of the ocean without any sentient being on the planet noticing.  So the Prime Directive was fucked six ways to Sunday long before Spock went into the volcano.
• Was anyone else getting some very strong Carol/Bones vibes, even beyond the "stop flirting" bit?  Much stronger than any Carol/Kirk vibes, though I'll admit I'm prejudiced.
• What kind of jacked-up communicators do they have that lets them talk in real time across deep space?  I'll buy that a ship's computer can maybe somehow sent a faster-than-light transmission, but Kirk calling Scotty at the bar with a device flimsier than an old Razr... that's a bit of a stretch.

Controversies:

• On the end card thanking post-9-11 veterans: I haven't heard this addressed, but I wonder whether Abrams & Co.™ thought the main controversy of the movie was going to be the terrorist subplot, particularly regarding the bomb in London and the mowing down of skyscrapers in San Francisco.  Instead, everyone's up in arms about Alice Eve's bra and panties (why was she even changing in the shuttle?) and how Benedict Cumberbatch could not be whiter if he were a mole person.  I don't mean to trivialize those, because they obviously represent very large cultural issues, but it's kind of hilarious to imagine Abrams and Co.™ sitting around a table, fretting about being disrespectful to veterans, and then being completely blindsided by a semi-naked chick.
• To everyone saying that these films were Abrams' "audition" for Star Wars: that may or may not have been his intention (though only recently did we find out there would be new Star Wars films), but every film set in outer space made since 1977 has been influenced by Star Wars, visually and otherwise.  Every.  Single.  One.  Yes, even the earlier Trek movies.  Just like every fight scene since 1999 has been influenced by The Matrix.  Just like every demonic possession movie since The Exorcist has been a butt-photocopy of The Exorcist.  Blade Runner, Jaws, Psycho, etc.: there are just certain genre-defining moments that change things in film.  The same thing happens in literature and visual art.  I don't care whether you like Star Wars or not (though I can tell you if your opinion's the wrong one!), but Abrams did not make Star Trek into Star Wars, and I don't think he ever intended to.
• I haven't really said anything about the whitewashing because I don't think there's much I can add, but I will repeat something rational (gasp!) I saw on Tumblr (faint!).  It is possible that Benedict Cumberbatch played a compelling version of Khan AND that the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch in a role originated by (and named for) a man of color is a problem.  The two are not mutually exclusive.

Okay, I think that's probably enough for now.  I didn't expect to like it quite as much the second time, but a few things aside, I may have liked it even more.