Saturday 25 May 2013

Star Trek (2009) Review

I am not a Star Trek fan.

That is one thing that needs to be made clear. It's not because I don't enjoy it, it's simply because I've only ever bothered to see one episode, half a classic film, and now this reboot. I was lent the Original Series on box set by my mate, but I only managed the aforementioned one episode, and although I really enjoyed it - I just couldn't be bothered to carry on watching. Oh and the episode order was all weird on the disc. That confused me.

So why did I bother to watch the 2009 film? Well, I've been keeping up to date with the trailers for Into Darkness, and planned to go and see it. And next Sunday, I and two mates will be going to see it, just because it looked so epic. In order to catch up, I borrowed (I'm making it look as if I never buy anything myself) the 2009 film.

And I loved it. It was really, properly enjoyable. And it's great being able to watch something so massive for so many people, and yet have to worry about what it means for the fans myself. When I watch Doctor Who I can't but judge what the fans will think, or what I think as a fan. With Star Trek I can come to an unbias, open opinion, based on what I feel rather than what I should feel. I am going to look into the fan side of things, but hopefully I won't be a Trekkie any time soon. I want to enjoy these films as good films - not as "oh my God they've wrecked our continuity!" films.

JJ Abrams does direct this very well. He likes his lens flares (which are alright, but sometimes a little bit pointless - I mean, why do we need one when Kirk lifts up a glass in a pub?) but aside from that he is very good. The CG Shots were faultless. They were truly, truly amazing, and felt completely realistic. All of the space shots were great. The thing that annoys with me movies is that the writers never get a look in. The script can be incredible, but it's always the director's film. So I'd like to congratulate the writers on constructing a complex and well thought through script that kept me interested all the way through. Brilliant.

The characters were all written really well. The acting was pretty much superb all the way through as well. I'm not the greatest fan of Kirk as a character, or indeed the way he's acted, but everyone else is really good. I love Spock (he was the only character I really even knew the name of, shamefully, before I watched the film) and Zachary Quinto (thanks for the name Wikipedia) plays him brilliantly. The film provided a great backdrop for people like me, who don't have a clue, without making the background story dull or unemotional. Though both Spock and Kirk have a rough time in terms of fights. I thought there were a little bit too many of them.

The plot itself was surprisingly "timey-wimey" (I'm sorry, I don't know who else to phrase it). I was expecting lots more alien fight scenes rather than a Spock from a different timeline who popped back but couldn't but could help his alternate self to become best mates with Kirk and defeat aliens from another reality who were looking for Spock because he'd destroyed their planet but he hadn't really but he was going to if he was a different person. And strangely - I had no problem in understanding all that, the film made it quite easy to follow. I liked the idea of the black hole leading to a new reality as well.

So now, I'm definitely looking forward to Into Darkness. I'm not sure the crew of the Enterprise going after a terrorist is quite the right thing for Star Trek (sorry, that was a bit of a fan criticism wasn't it?) but I'm looking forward to seeing Benedict Cumberbatch in it. It can only help the epicness. The best thing about Star Trek is that I actually want to watch it again. That doesn't matter with many films, but I genuinely enjoyed it and want to sit through it all again. I'll have to buy both DVDs when they inevitably come out together.

Researching on Wikipedia, I think I understand that Star Trek (the film) is a new reality, and the older (or Prime) Spock (who was played by the original actor, as I'd guessed, which is clever) was from the TV Series reality. So he popped back to push the new reality along the way. That was nice. I've no idea if fans liked that, but it was a good way of making sure their TV continuity was untouched and a new one could begin. I just assumed, as I watching it, that the alternate reality Prime Spock was from was just a different reality, and that the film one was real. But it's nice the film one is a fresh start, and it means I can follow it better.

I can't give Star Trek 10/10 because it's me and I never do, plus Into Darkness may beat it, but I'd give it a.... 8.7/10. Lost marks for extra lens flares, excessive fight scenes, and the random bit with Kirk stealing the car. They're tiny niggles aren't they?

Maybe I'm becoming a fan already.

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