Star Trek
In short: I was right on every count when it came to Zachary Quinto!
I enjoyed the movie. It was fun, if very explosive. However, if I had never seen a single Star Trek episode before this, I don't think I would be at all interested in the series - that's what the movie was like.
See, The Devil In the Dark was philosophical. The monster has a reason for attacking the mining crew. In fact, it's part of a whole civilization that operates in a way completely different from how humans live and operate. Forbidden Planet, the movie that inspired all of Star Trek and its predecessors, had a strong philosophical musing: can Man ever really destroy that inner darkness, the instinct to kill and take revenge? No, no he cannot, and the closer he thinks he comes to attaining the perfection of the mind, the more dangerous grows the suppressed Id. Return to the Forbidden Planet had philosophy, for crying out loud. As well as Great Balls of Fire.
This movie had no philosophy. The villain of the movie blames Spock for the destruction of his home planet - except that Spock could not have done anything to preserve his home planet. Why didn't the Romulans spend twenty-five years going back to their home planet and evacuating it and building a new colony someplace that wouldn't be destroyed in a supernova in 100 years? Even in Last of the Mohicans, Mogwa or whatever his name was, sorry, has a good reason to destroy Monroe and all his seed. Monroe deliberately ordered the destruction of Mogwa's village and children, because people can be unbelievably cruel when they believe that the Other is not human. So Spock is blameless. The Enterprise is blameless. The good guys are GOOD. The bad guys are BAD.
That wasn't what I understood Star Trek to be about!
What was this movie about? Well, Kirk was an obnoxious ladies' man who apparently hadn't done a lick of work in his life. All we had to go off of was Pike's "Your aptitude tests are off the charts" to hope that he was worth something. In a way, he reminded me of a hero from a Dreamworks movie - someone we've all seen before. The schlub whose only workable traits are being cocksure and having good instincts, who breezes to Captainship past the several dozen much better qualified people. Also, he's the same 'type' as Robert Pattinson of Twilight fame. The movie was about long action sequences and a cut-and-dry sort of plot. It was about KIRK HANGING OFF A LEDGE OMG IS HE GOING TO FALL. You know, the fourth time you do it, it kind of loses its punch. Movie's about an implausible amount of fanservice, and a romance between Spock and Uhura that had no foreshadowing whatsoever. (I woulda liked Spock better without a love interest.) In short, it was a pretty formulaic movie, which was disappointing, considering the inspirations.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy it! I just got all the stuff I disliked about it off the table. Well, that and the Red Matter. But I won't dwell on that.
Kirk, Captain Pike, and the two-note villains aside, I loved the cast. Even though Uhura's character was about 80% fanservice, I think that the actress played her did the best she could with what she had - though she would probably look better if she gained a little weight.
And all the male actors aside from Kirk were amazing.
To start: McCoy was played by Eomer. Eomer of Rohan. That is so unbelievably awesome. And he was more interesting than Kirk... I was kind of like, "Why are you bringing him on-board the Enterprise? He's not going to do any good at all!" Of course, I was wrong, because Kirk is the hero, but I still liked McCoy. He's a Rohirrim. :D
Scotty was also in Hot Fuzz! He was such a scene-stealer, I loved him.
Also a scene stealer: John "What combat do you know?" "Fencing." Cho, aka Sulu. He's a power ranger! And he's Harold! From Harold and Kumar! Yay.
Anton Yelchin, aka Chekov the Teenage Smartboy Who's From Russia. O. M. G. I want to take him home. And put him in a box. A pretty box with a bow on it. And air holes. So I can have him all the time. Cutie-pie!
And then Zachary Quinto. *swoon* *revives* A wonderful performance - full of subtleties, between the lines of logic and emotion. Really quite something. And, ah, on a personal note, it's exactly the sort of guy I like to write and read about... very intelligent, very reserved, but capable of deep, passionate emotions... (Well, most of the time. Certainly the intelligent and capable of deep, passionate emotions parts...)
On the other hand, the romance between Uhura and Spock was unnecessary and completely unforeshadowed. Which was sad, because there were two very good actors there working with a so-so script. It was another thing that made the movie sort of formulaic - and wasn't Uhura such a good landmark in the original series, not only because of her race, but because she was a woman who did not need a love interest? I may be fuzzy on this, but I'm pretty sure.
So, if there were a sequel that had more in common with Forbidden Planet and The Searchers and had better romance, less fighting, no Kirk, (or a new, less JerkAss of a Kirk) but all the cast members I've just mentioned - that would be great. Oh, Zachary Quinto.
I enjoyed the movie. It was fun, if very explosive. However, if I had never seen a single Star Trek episode before this, I don't think I would be at all interested in the series - that's what the movie was like.
See, The Devil In the Dark was philosophical. The monster has a reason for attacking the mining crew. In fact, it's part of a whole civilization that operates in a way completely different from how humans live and operate. Forbidden Planet, the movie that inspired all of Star Trek and its predecessors, had a strong philosophical musing: can Man ever really destroy that inner darkness, the instinct to kill and take revenge? No, no he cannot, and the closer he thinks he comes to attaining the perfection of the mind, the more dangerous grows the suppressed Id. Return to the Forbidden Planet had philosophy, for crying out loud. As well as Great Balls of Fire.
This movie had no philosophy. The villain of the movie blames Spock for the destruction of his home planet - except that Spock could not have done anything to preserve his home planet. Why didn't the Romulans spend twenty-five years going back to their home planet and evacuating it and building a new colony someplace that wouldn't be destroyed in a supernova in 100 years? Even in Last of the Mohicans, Mogwa or whatever his name was, sorry, has a good reason to destroy Monroe and all his seed. Monroe deliberately ordered the destruction of Mogwa's village and children, because people can be unbelievably cruel when they believe that the Other is not human. So Spock is blameless. The Enterprise is blameless. The good guys are GOOD. The bad guys are BAD.
That wasn't what I understood Star Trek to be about!
What was this movie about? Well, Kirk was an obnoxious ladies' man who apparently hadn't done a lick of work in his life. All we had to go off of was Pike's "Your aptitude tests are off the charts" to hope that he was worth something. In a way, he reminded me of a hero from a Dreamworks movie - someone we've all seen before. The schlub whose only workable traits are being cocksure and having good instincts, who breezes to Captainship past the several dozen much better qualified people. Also, he's the same 'type' as Robert Pattinson of Twilight fame. The movie was about long action sequences and a cut-and-dry sort of plot. It was about KIRK HANGING OFF A LEDGE OMG IS HE GOING TO FALL. You know, the fourth time you do it, it kind of loses its punch. Movie's about an implausible amount of fanservice, and a romance between Spock and Uhura that had no foreshadowing whatsoever. (I woulda liked Spock better without a love interest.) In short, it was a pretty formulaic movie, which was disappointing, considering the inspirations.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy it! I just got all the stuff I disliked about it off the table. Well, that and the Red Matter. But I won't dwell on that.
Kirk, Captain Pike, and the two-note villains aside, I loved the cast. Even though Uhura's character was about 80% fanservice, I think that the actress played her did the best she could with what she had - though she would probably look better if she gained a little weight.
And all the male actors aside from Kirk were amazing.
To start: McCoy was played by Eomer. Eomer of Rohan. That is so unbelievably awesome. And he was more interesting than Kirk... I was kind of like, "Why are you bringing him on-board the Enterprise? He's not going to do any good at all!" Of course, I was wrong, because Kirk is the hero, but I still liked McCoy. He's a Rohirrim. :D
Scotty was also in Hot Fuzz! He was such a scene-stealer, I loved him.
Also a scene stealer: John "What combat do you know?" "Fencing." Cho, aka Sulu. He's a power ranger! And he's Harold! From Harold and Kumar! Yay.
Anton Yelchin, aka Chekov the Teenage Smartboy Who's From Russia. O. M. G. I want to take him home. And put him in a box. A pretty box with a bow on it. And air holes. So I can have him all the time. Cutie-pie!
And then Zachary Quinto. *swoon* *revives* A wonderful performance - full of subtleties, between the lines of logic and emotion. Really quite something. And, ah, on a personal note, it's exactly the sort of guy I like to write and read about... very intelligent, very reserved, but capable of deep, passionate emotions... (Well, most of the time. Certainly the intelligent and capable of deep, passionate emotions parts...)
On the other hand, the romance between Uhura and Spock was unnecessary and completely unforeshadowed. Which was sad, because there were two very good actors there working with a so-so script. It was another thing that made the movie sort of formulaic - and wasn't Uhura such a good landmark in the original series, not only because of her race, but because she was a woman who did not need a love interest? I may be fuzzy on this, but I'm pretty sure.
So, if there were a sequel that had more in common with Forbidden Planet and The Searchers and had better romance, less fighting, no Kirk, (or a new, less JerkAss of a Kirk) but all the cast members I've just mentioned - that would be great. Oh, Zachary Quinto.