This blog covers Movies, TV, and other Geeky things...... Movie Reviews (over 3,400 movies rated so far) Countdowns of my top movies by year.... and much more.
In our latest Podcast we discuss Star Trek vs Star Wars in a fun conversation. I was surprised at what we disagreed on. We talk Star Trek: Beyond and Rogue One. We get into the Franchises as a whole and also briefly touch on the new Woody Harrelson Han Solo movie news.
I didn't see this movie in the theaters, because I absolutely hated the Reboot. I thought it didn't need to be rebooted in the first place. They could have just done the movies starring Kirk and Spock's early days in Star fleet without having to come up with it being basically an alternate universe so they could make things different. I hated the thought of having to reintroduce the characters and felt the Reboot lacked creativity (basically just borrowing from other films) I ranted at length about my dislike for the Reboot or Alternate Trek as I like to call it). You can read about why I hate the reboot here.
And then I found out the big secret that Star Trek into Darkness was a retelling of Khan......Really?? The Wrath of Khan is definitely the best of all the Trek movies. It brought back a great character from the old TV show and gave us a battle between Kirk and Khan with a history behind it. Like a great boxing match. So the fact that they were just retreading this old concept again.....(See several of the other Trek films that have tried to recreate Khan with other characters in my list of Trek films). So I was worried I would hate this film as well.
Here is my list of the Star Trek movies in order of how I rank them.
I was put off by the concept of them once again trying to capture or recreate what happened in Wrath of Khan on the big screen. It seems like all the Star Trek movies do is either Time Travel or role out a new Khan. I knew I would eventually see the film....Especially sense Abrams now has the reigns to my favorite franchise (Star Wars). I had to sit down and try and watch this movie with an open mind. I had to try and not bring my prejudice against the first film in this alternate Trek universe into play and just be okay with the fact that nothing in this film has anything to do with the rest of the entire Star Trek universe. I mean the events of this movie may as well have happened in the universe where Kirk is Evil and has a beard. And so you ask what did I think of it???? Well.......I actually liked it and think it is probably the second best Trek movie. Shocked you are I can tell.
List of what I liked in the movie:
1. The visuals were excellent and the action scenes were exciting.
It was a thrilling movie.
2. The story which I was worried about, was actually really well written and this alternate version of Khan story was interesting and unique (something the Reboot lacked). Even though it threaded on familiar ground it was able to tell it in a new and interesting way.
3. The cast was excellent. They have really come into their own now. Bones and Scotty were dead on (just like in the Reboot--one of the few things I liked about it) and the rest of the crew was excellent. And Cumberbath was a great as was Robocop (Peter Weller)
4. This being a sequel I didn't have to sit through boring origin stories, a real weakness in the first film. You already know the characters and so the film is able to just jump write into the story. This is a huge benefit of sequels.
Things I didn't like:
1. The Klingons looked terrible. Like extras out of the movie Enemy Mine. You didn't change how Vulcans looked (Space elves with plastic ears) Why change the Klingon look?
2. As great as the story was I still wish they would have covered new and different territory. The take on Khan was original and the performance by Cumberbatch was excellent it was still already done so well with Shatner and Mr. Rourke. There were so many good and original Sci-fi stories told throughout the many Trek shows that I wish they had done something new. The secret behind the first Khan movie was that Kirk and Khan already had that history from the TV show. We already knew Khan's back story and were allowed to just enjoy their showdown.
3.I still don't like the idea of the Reboot (alternate universe)....but once putting that aside it was very entertaining---yet it still could have been done and done right within the context of the traditional Star Trek universe.
Still a solid 8 out of 10......Maybe now I can rest at ease that Star Wars (a much better franchise) will be in good hands. The secret of enjoying this was my being able to let go of my hate of this being an alternate universe Trek and just being able to except that (which I couldn't in the first film).
It boldy went where no show had gone before....The adventures of Captain Kirk and the Starship Enterprise took the concept of Wagon Train out into space. The show was fun and action packed while using the Sci-Fi setting to deal with real life issues in its stories and plots. I love a cherish this show above all other versions of Star Trek because it had the perfect balance between humor and adventure. William Shatner played his title role of Captain Kirk with infamous overacting joy, but it worked. It is surprise Kirk had the time to save the day since he was always busy making out with Green women at ever planet he landed on while some poor hapless red shirted low level crew member was dying. Kirk was a James Bond in space with his vintage double karate chop fighting technique.
One of the things that worked best in the show that I felt non of its eventual spin-offs captured as well was the relationship between the characters. Watching Spock, Kirk and Bones interact was excellent comedy against the backdrop of encounters with new alien cultures as the Enterprise went on its 5 year mission. The show ended before its 5 year mission ended which was a shame. It eventually came back with big screen movies and several other Star Trek shows, but only the Wraith of Khan was as enjoyable to me as the original series. The show was campy and had goofy cheap 1960's sets and special effects, but it was fun and the stories and plots were good.
Trekkies will probably right me hate letters for placing this show so low on my list......but it is my list and I'm not a Trekkie. I never watched this show on a regular basis--too many of the episodes were just boring to me with characters talking ad naseum about recalibrating crystals in order to save the day or getting stuck on the Holodeck. I grew up with the original Star Trek which though campy was far more entertaining to me. I loved the humor and character interactions of the original cast, something I felt was missing for this version of Trek. That being said this show did have some really good moments such as whenever the Borg were involved or Q episodes (which was a throw back to some of the older Trek where they encountered races far beyond our own.) This series is a landmark series in Sci-Fi TV and needs to be on the list even if I prefer my Trek with Kirk kissing Green Slave girls and fighting Lizard man or getting out of situations with double handed karate chops instead of scientific discussions.
Look for the original Trek further up the list.
For more Trek related articles.
Aside from Wrath of Khan (which was great) Why do so many of the Star Trek movies suck?
You don't just glue a horn on a white horse and make a unicorn...... I had low expectations going in ......it was Mother's Day and my mom is a Star Trek fan so I took her out to see the new movie that everybody seems to love--
I personally thought it was a complete bastardization of the original trek (which is still the best)
I have no complaints with the cast of the new film I liked the cast (with the exception of the REIMAGINED Kirk) Bones was especially good...
It was The plot that I thought was just weak and had holes you could drive a truck through......I know they were trying desperately to make Star Trek hip and grab it from the hands of their dwindling nerd fan base......But what was killing Star Trek wasn't Trek itself---it was pumping out one poorly written movie after another.....Somehow Trek was surviving despite bad movies......
After I pointed out my disdain for the movie on a friends facebook status ----He pointed out that it was a reimaginging of Trek. And yes it was to a certain extent.......A REBOOT If you want to call it that.. But it really wasn't....The makers of the movie chickened out of actually doing a complete Reboot....and instead included Spock Time traveling.... from the original Star Trek universe ....It was an alternate universe.....that frankly sucks....and was a completely unoriginal concept compared to some of the Battlestar Gallactica quality social issues and Sci-Fi that the original Campy series tackled........Time Travel seriously ---That is all they could come up ... with....Time Travel.....They have only used that in about half of the crappy Star Trek flicks.......alternate universes ----I didn't know I was watching Stargate or Sliders or have a dozen Next Generation episodes that already covered that ground... They should be able to come up with something more original then Time Travel......The original Series did ..The Original series despite its cheap sets and monsters was actually Relevant and had good quality Sci-Fi writers and story lines......Now all we get is Baby Kirk with missing his daddy issues and Spock being bullied as a child.....Now all we get is boring retread ideas and concepts and Star Trek Death Star Planet killing machines taking out plants like Alderan ...Come on--give me some new and original
Let's just leap through the completely unoriginal Time Travel concept once again we haven't done that before
I haven't left a Trek movie this ticked off since the Star Trek III the Search for Spock......"My dad tells me that we... were friends" indeed.......Tell the stupid Trek writers to start writing Sci-Fi like some of their good episodes and to stop being lazy and doing F---ing Time Travel flicks....This isn't called F---- Time Trek....Lazy bastards......Any 2 episodes of original Trek and or any Next Generation episodes with Q are better than this lame REBOOT....I'd like to Reboot JJ Abrams in the face.....This movie made me want to stop watching LOST as well....If this is his Trek movie than the LOST finale is probably going to be as Bad as Chris Carter's X-Files cock up ending
I don't want to see 150 million dollars worth of fan fiction....I'd rather watch Galaxy Quest than this unoriginal premise......F----ing Trek Death Stars blowing up planets.
The script was just a mix of bad time travel, Alternate universes,,Homages to other Trek movies and Star Wars....There was absolutely nothing new or original about it
As I sit on the bridge Kirk must be rolling around in his grave on that lame Nexus planet from another crappy Trek movie Generations (that had Time Travel elements) Where he died so weakly fighting Malcolm Macdowell and falling on the rocks.....Oh Wait that Trek move sucked too....I'm actually missing the Borg..
Hey Time Travel and alternate universes that hasn't been done before NOT............Renegade Romulans that is something fresh and new NOT...... Where is a good Gorn throwing fake rocks when you need him ???
If they just wanted to do a new cast so be it but don't bring back original Spock and try to explain it as a Time Travel Alternate universe.... ---Just reboot it --don't try to have it both ways
Movie Flaw: The original Spock came from the original time line where things had happened differently.....He wouldn't have known Kirk would end up on Hoth (i mean the Ice Planet) --because in his time line that hadn't happened......Just a flaw in the writing similar to some of the flawed time travel writing that made the end of Generations so lame....Then (Obi Wan) I mean Spock sends Kirk off on his own.
So basically there is Wrath of Khan and the movie with the Borg (First Contact) that were good the rest of the Trek films NOT SO MUCH --and don't give the one with the Whale Bullshit....
I'd rather watch any 2 random episodes of The New Battlestar or the original series then this Trek movie ever again...
Nero I know Khan and you sir are no Khan.
"He tasks me. He tasks me and I shall have him! I'll chase him 'round the moons of Nibia and 'round the Antares Maelstrom and 'round Perdition's flames before I give him up! "
