Star Trek (2009.)
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Take this as you want, but the thing new “Star Trek” movie mostly reminded me on was the original “Star Wars” trilogy: it’s not so much about characters or story as it is about Action! Action! Action! There are fights and explosions and space fights and space explosions and Star Trek technobabble and hot women. It’s eye-candy for sure, but fun one nevertheless.
On the characters field, movie is lacking. Most of the characters are redelegated into Muppet Babies category: “Look, there’s young Doc McCoy! And Checkov! And Uhura! And man, she’s hot!” Simon Pegg is cool but after seeing him in “Hot Fuzz” I think that, with more screen time for his Scotty, he could have rocked the movie.
But “Star Trek” essentially revolves around Kirk and Spock and the origins of the coolest buddy-buddy team in universe aside of Riggs & Murthaugh and Batman & Superman. I really liked Zachary Quinto in “Heroes” and here he pulls off a really good Spock. Maybe it’s just me seeing Syler there but Quinto manages to convey both ruthlessly-cold logical exterior and inner emotional turmoil of his character. In any case, I totally wouldn’t mind watching Quinto play Spock in a weekly Star Trek series.
Kirk is pretty much balls-on approach jock he was in the TV series. And I like that. In “Star Wars” prequels, Lucas tried to convey Anakin Skywalker’s inner conflicts and recklessness. Instead, my impression with him was of a whiny brat. Here, Abrams does the same but succeeds. Why? Because he makes Kirk’s faults as integral part of his character as his virtues. Yes, Kirk is reckless, testosterone-driven womaniser using his troubled past as a excuse to act like jerk. But despite that – or maybe because of it – he makes for a good Starfleet officer. Also, the fact he gets his but kicked also helps.
The weakest link of the movie – at least for me – is the villain Nero, played by Eric Bana. Motivation for his actions make sense and the way he goes on with his plan is actually kinda clever. And yet… I wasn’t all that impressed. But then again, this seems to me like all-too common problem with Star Trek villains. Star Trek has it’s share of deliciously evil cultures: the Borg, Klingons, Cardassians, Romulans – but individual villains? Not so much. IMO, “Star Trek” still needs it’s Darth Vader and, I’m sorry to say, but for me even Khan doesn’t really cut it. YMMW, of course.
There are changes in Star Trek continuum as presented in the movie but I’m not really all that obsessed by it, so I didn’t mind them the least bit. Actually, I was quite favourably impressed by the way writers dealt with the Gordian Knot of 40+ years of accumulated Star Trek trivia. But, as I said, I’m not that much a Star Trek fan to be upset with these changes so, again, YMMW.
In short: “Star Trek” is fun. It’s not great – I still prefer “Wrath of Khan” – but it could have been much, much worse. The movie is a slick-looking action-packed rid with story and characters mostly just a scenery – albeit a really good-looking one. But, what the movie is really about are these two strangers forced to make their choices and grow up and coming to trust each other.. And, of course, fights and explosions and space fights and space explosions and Star Trek technobabble and hot women.
Oliver out.
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Not doing villains is one of the definitive qualities of Star Trek. The Klingons were introduced solely to prohibit further conflict with them, by way of the Organian Peace Treaty. The Romulans were introduced so that by the end of the epsiodethe chief heavy could declare common ground (“In a different reality, I could have called you friend.”) The Gorn were introduced to raise the notion that even the Federation might have cultural blinders on to the point of not recognizing deadly provocation. The man-dissolving Horta, ditto. On rare occasions there were stock villains, but they were subverted by later episodes (“Wolf In The Fold” vs “Day Of The Dove”; “The Changeling” and “The Doomsday Machine” vs the first movie).
This is not to say there is no evil in Star Trek.
“If you are going to epitomize evil, what is it? … The greatest evil that one has to fight constantly, every minute of the day until one dies, is the worst part of oneself.” — Patrick McGoohan