We watched JJ Abrams\u2019 StarTrek on DVD. The fact that I avoided the horde of \u201ctrue\u201d fans packing theaters may cast doubt on the validity of my views, but I have been watching StarTrek, in all its iterations, for over 40 years.<\/p>\n
Certainly, there is a lot to like in this variant, as in each of the others. The actors are all great \u2018fits\u2019 to the established characters. I even find this Chekov and McCoy better than the originals. (I hated the first McCoy.) As SciFi, the movie is fine, although I\u2019d prefer fewer explosions and more alien culture.<\/p>\n
If you haven\u2019t seen the movie but intend to: Where have you been? — and stop readying now.<\/p>\n
I think the story stumbles a bit in explaining important details. Why was Ambassador Spock the best candidate to snuff a nova? (Is it ethical \u2013 or logical \u2013 to stop natural stellar processes?) If a drop of Red Matter can create a black hole, why load a ship with a sphere 6 feet across? That\u2019s a hell of a lot of destructive power. If a drop of Red Matter can create a black hole, what is the advantage of delivering it to the core of a planet? That may be answered by the fact that the full load of Red Matter exploding near Earth apparently had no effect on the planet. Yeah, yeah, these are technical quibbles.<\/p>\n
My real discomfort with the movie is that it is a prequel for an alternate universe. A universe in which an Admiral Pike lives on Earth and there are no planets Vulcan or Romulus. A universe in which Spock and a less voluptuous Uhuru are lovers. (Another ethical lapse on Spock\u2019s part.) Say what? If those things don\u2019t matter at all to you, how about the fact that Kirk becomes a cocky womanizer whether his father raises him or dies at his birth? (Solving the nature verse nurture dilemma.)<\/p>\n
Quinto makes a wonderful Spock. (He was also a great sociopath on Heroes.) However, having been taunted his whole life, Spock announces to Kirk that he won\u2019t be goaded into losing command of the ship by acting emotionally and then does so oh so easily. Illogical. Granted, his mommy died (why, Chekov, why) \u2013 well, in this story\u2019s universe, not the original\u2019s. (Jane Wyman \u2013 Mrs Raygun \u2013 was a better mom than Winona Ryder (how far has her career fallen?).)<\/p>\n
Understand, I look forward to seeing the next 5 installments before another generation reinvents one of the greatest stories ever told. Maybe someday, we\u2019ll discover the universe is full of peace, love, and understanding. Kidding.<\/p>\n
Updated 12\/26\/09: I fast-forwarded through the movie, watching a few scenes again. I forgot that Spock jumps to warp before the big explosion, moving away from Earth. I also now think they showed more destructive force from all the Red Matter. But I’ll add a quibble about riding an explosive shockwave out of a black hole. Finally, as of the end of the movie, the Romulus of that universe is not yet destroyed. In another 129 years, is Spock obligated to go through all the same steps as Spock prime? If he doesn’t, then he doesn’t create this new time line. Which then leads me to wonder: Nero was thrown back into a universe\/time that still had a Romulus. Why sit in space for 25 years plotting revenge instead of returning to Romulus to figure out how to prevent the destruction of his home world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We watched JJ Abrams\u2019 StarTrek on DVD. The fact that I avoided the horde of \u201ctrue\u201d fans packing theaters may cast doubt on the validity of my views, but I have been watching StarTrek, in all its iterations, for over 40 years. Certainly, there is a lot to like in this variant, as in each … Continue reading StarTrek in an Alternate Universe<\/span>