My two most local theaters are sold out for all the showings I'm able to make it to for the next three days. So I probably won't get to see this until next Friday. But I'm already hearing a ton of great stuff, so I'm optimistic. I've been getting all of my whiny Trekkie gripes out of my system ahead of time so that I can actually enjoy the movie for what it is.

I still won't pat JJ on the back for anything because he's been a straight up ass about stuff, but I will definitely fellate the film and its cast if this turns out to be a fun time. :) The few clips I've seen of the guy they have playing McCoy have given me total goosebumps. Even if nobody else in the cast has really done their character justice, this one dude totally nailed it straight-on.

My two most local theaters are sold out for all the showings I'm able to make it to for the next three days. So I probably won't get to see this until next Friday. But I'm already hearing a ton of great stuff, so I'm optimistic. I've been getting all of my whiny Trekkie gripes out of my system ahead of time so that I can actually enjoy the movie for what it is.

I still won't pat JJ on the back for anything because he's been a straight up ass about stuff, but I will definitely fellate the film and its cast if this turns out to be a fun time. :) The few clips I've seen of the guy they have playing McCoy have given me total goosebumps. Even if nobody else in the cast has really done their character justice, this one dude totally nailed it straight-on.

 All you need to know is Chris Pine is dreamy

My optimism for this movie is so high now that I'm now reminding myself to not get too optimistic!

The actress who plays Uhura makes me want to be a better man.

Ditto for Chris Pine

Interesting review of the film. And it sounds like my comment about McCoy was spot-on.

And it sounds like my comment about McCoy was spot-on.

 it is. it's overwhelmingly correct. there are some moments its almost spooky.

Totally enjoyed it!! It's a nice blend of Star Trek and Star Wars combined together. I honestly don't have any complaints (except they didn't need Scotty's "pet" or whatever it was). Otherwise, I am already looking forward to the next two.

Totally enjoyed it!! It's a nice blend of Star Trek and Star Wars combined together. I honestly don't have any complaints (except they didn't need Scotty's "pet" or whatever it was). Otherwise, I am already looking forward to the next two.

 i actually liked the fact that they made it clear that there were a LOT of non-humans serving in starfleet (which was one of the dumbest things about the original series-- they've built this amazing intergalactic coalition, and they have exactly one not 100% human guy on board?), including that li'l guy. you see him in uniform toward the end, he's clearly not a "pet"

I think money/makeup constraints of the 60s had a bigger issue with that. The most they ever had to do was put ears on Nimoy. The other series helped in that area.

I know he's not a pet (that's why it's in quotes). Just wasn't sure what else to call him. :)

I liked it.  (although I can see why hardcore Trek purists will loathe this film)   SPOILERS

PROS

It felt more like a Star Wars film, which could also be a detriment (numerous examples) (I like Star Wars, sue me)

Action-packed, great special effects

The Entreprise Bridge looked wicked cool

Zachary Quinto is a dead ringer for Nimoy as Spock

Karl Urban (LOTR) played Bones perfectly

Set up for a sequel

CONS

Don't know the purpose of Scotty's pet

JJ Abrams pays self homage with time travel plot (LOST)

Uhura was hot, but not a developed character at all

Didn't like Uhura's romance with Spock (don't like people on the bridge hooking up with each other, unprofessional)

Eric Bana is a good actor, but he was given nothing with Nero.  heroes were more interesting than the villian which is hard to do

The scene where Kirk is under the green skinned chick's bed and Uhura is undressing, I felt like I was watching Road Trip or American Pie or something

The ease with which Kirk rose to Captain when he was initially not even supposed to be on the ship, not believable at all

The great thing about the movie is that all those cons are overshadowed by the overall movie which is rare. So many times you can watch a movie, and one or two cons are so big that it just ruins the rest of the film.

MAJOR SPOLIERS so don't read if you don't want to know.

I pretty much agree with your cons (minus the time travel plot - considering how often the series used it through the years - it's a pretty standard plot scheme by Star Trek writers). The way it was done, and informing the audience that due to Nero going back in time, it basically nullifies the future (now we are in an alternate timeline), letting all sequels do what they want without worrying about TNG or anything future. The simple fact that Vulcan has been destroyed puts us into a totally different territory - and helps solidify that this ain't your daddy's Star Trek.

I loved the movie, Jordan, but it's still fun to nitpick.  I was just referring to Abrams's show LOST which the primary plot revolves around time travel.

If you want some laughs, go to some Trek boards and read the passion of both sides of the spectrum.

The ease with which Kirk rose to Captain when he was initially not even supposed to be on the ship, not believable at all

 i actually decided to do some homework on how battlefield promotions work, and believe it or not, it's possible to jump a whole shitload of ranks in the field, and have that validated by command later.

i think that the PR coup of "hey, the guy who saved all our asses is flying the flagship, and this could be you if you join up!" makes starfleet's decision to validate the battlefield promotion not COMPLETELY batshit

in other news, for those of us who liked enterprise, our series is the only one that's stayed in "canon." suck a dick, voyager fans, your show never happened.

Also, I didn't know there were massive canyons in Iowa.  Did Starfleet move the Grand Canyon to Iowa?

And, damn that Kirk is good at hanging off of cliffs, walkways, ledges, etc with his bare hands.  Was it because he got super hand strength when Bones injected him or was it from rubbing one out so many times about Uhura or the green skinned woman?

I also want JJ Abrams to do a reboot, retcon of Twin Peaks.

We can call it nuPeaks.  It will be very, very sexy and action packed and loved by the mainstream and will involve time travel.  It will be considered canon by playing the alternate timeline card.

I think money/makeup constraints of the 60s had a bigger issue with that. The most they ever had to do was put ears on Nimoy. The other series helped in that area. I know he's not a pet (that's why it's in quotes). Just wasn't sure what else to call him. :)

He looks like Zardoz with legs to me!!!
 

Saw this last night.  I am not a Star Trek kinda person.  But I didn't fall asleep like when I was taken to see Nemesis.  In all fairness, I had eaten fantastic Italian food before seeing Nemesis. 

It was a pretty good movie.  Iowa, Riverside that is, looks nothing like that.  That looks like Kansas.  We have rolling hills and trees.  The only explanation I can think of for the canyon is perhaps a rock quarry? 

I thought Spock was sexy. ;)

Saw this last night.  I am not a Star Trek kinda person.  But I didn't fall asleep like when I was taken to see Nemesis.  In all fairness, I had eaten fantastic Italian food before seeing Nemesis. 

It was a pretty good movie.  Iowa, Riverside that is, looks nothing like that.  That looks like Kansas.  We have rolling hills and trees.  The only explanation I can think of for the canyon is perhaps a rock quarry? 

I thought Spock was sexy. ;)

you dont have to make excuses, nemesis was amazingly bad. the worst one of the series, easily.
 

Saw it, liked it, no canon issues that can't be explained with the "alternate timeline" business. Speaking of canon, though I've all but revoked my Trekkie card (at least as much as I can, being named "Kirk James"), the little bits that they did throw out there (Kobayashi Maru, Sulu's fencing, Pike) I ate up with a spoon.

The complete reversal I've gone through with this film (check page 1 for my grrr nerd rage) meant I had a pleasant surprise greeting me at the theater.

I know I'm late to the party, but I finally saw it (my reward to myself after spending the day apartment hunting, a chore which I loathe).

LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT!!!

Honestly (and I know purists will crucify me for this) this was the best Trek I've ever seen. Better than Wrath Of Khan. And I'm one of those people who hated the concept of the film from the get-go, I was predisposed to hate the movie. But it won me over in the first five minutes and it never lost me. Absolutely brilliant.

Zachary Quinto is the only person in the world besides Leonard Nimoy who was born to play Spock. That torch has been passed into good hands. Speaking of Nimoy, how great was it that he wasn't relegated to a throwaway token cameo, but was instead integral to the plot? I have to admit that when he greeted Kirk by saying "I have been, and ever shall be, your friend" I got genuine goosebumps! And the "Spock meets Spock" scene at the end was just wonderful.

I'm a little more ambivalent about Chris Pine's Kirk. He was serviceable, he had a decent Kirk swagger going on, but he didn't fill his character as eerily spot-on as most of the others (Karl Urban as Bones: You were right, Nefud. Spooky). Hopefully he'll find a more solid footing in the sequel. Which I'm already looking forward to.

All in all, a great time at the movies. I'll probably see it again. It's so great to be excited about Star Trek again!

Better than Wrath Of Khan.

 i rewatched khan this weekend. it really confirmed what i've always thought-- it's incredibly hugely overrated. i'm pretty sure it gets it rep from three things:

1. it's a callback to a TOS episode. major fanservice.

2. the huge relief fans felt that it wasn't as stodgy and slow as ST1

3. it plays with themes of fear of death and aging.

the last of those is really one of the things i dislike most about it. you have these great ideas, like kirk's feeling about growing older, and finally being confronted with death. it REALLY cooks for the majority of the movie, all the way through spock's funeral. then, they fire the coffin off and it turns into that little star (WINK), followed by mccoy's "he's not really dead..." (WINK!!!) followed by showing the coffin on the planet (MOTHERFUCKIN WIIIIIIINK!!!). so the whole movie is about facing up to mortality, followed by completely undercutting that theme by letting the audience know on no uncertain terms that spock'll brb. lame. as. hell.

also, trek fucking sucks when there's a villain who's humanoid*. v'ger, the planet killer, the whale probe, the borg (as a collective, not that godawful queen), a plague, a political conspiracy, etc. usually work pretty damn well. when they try to go for individual villain bent on blowing up Our Heroes/Earth, we get overacting bullshit like khan, sela, lore, nero, and shinzon.

the best movie imo is still 6. it's political, it's fun, the klingons are in it, it sends off the TOS crew in real style, and it has rene auberjonois (yeah i had to look up the spelling, eat me). what more do you want? that being said, this new one is definitely in the top three somewhere.

*special exception to DS9, which features weyoun, dukat, damar, and kai winn. ds9 gets all the special exceptions it wants because it's just that good.

the best movie imo is still 6.

Agreed (but then again, you know how I rank the Trek films, so no surprise there). I've always felt Khan was overrated and was 4th best of the Trek films at the very most. (I place 6, 8, and 4 ahead of it)

I don't have time to really get into my feelings about the new Trek film yet. I think if it weren't a summer release and weren't tagged with the Trek name, it would have failed miserably in the box office. Very weak plot, really odd character development, and the writers and Chris Pine have managed to make Kirk far douchier than Shatner ever could, which surprised me greatly. But then again, summer blockbusters don't ride on solid plots, well-developed characters, and smart dialogue. They ride on action, suspense, flash, and a dash of comedy. Trek provided all of those and on that level, this film rocked. But I have never been nor will I ever be a fan of summer blockbusters because they are just a giant wad of cotton candy. All fluff, no substance.

KahlanMnel, I figured you were not going to like the new movie which is okay :).  I would love to hear your detailed review of the film sometime -the good, the bad, and the ugly because I respect your Trek knowledge like no other.  I liked it a lot because it felt new and fresh, but it did feel more like a Star Wars or a dumbed down Star Trek 90210 movie.  Whenever you get some time, let me know.