Star Trek: A Movie Viewing 4 Months in the Making
September 12th 2009 20:42
My mother is a big, big fan of Star Trek. Even Voyager. And she can tolerate Enterprise (let's forget that theme tune, though, shall we?). She's quite the tech geek, too, with knowledge that would rival most nerds in her granchild-centric age group. She once phoned me in the middle of the night (well, morning her time) to remind me that the DSi was going to be released, and if I was planning on buying one asap so I could tell her if it was worth getting.
People are often surprised by this. The fact that she's a Pakistani immigrant in her mid 60s might have something to do with it. So when I tell people that my grandmother was a massive, massive Trekkie, it's simply not to be believed. Just the idea of picturing an Indian woman in her late 40s sitting in her living room in Pakistan (in the '60s), never missing an episode of the exploits of Kirk and crew, seems inexplicable to people who find it hard to believe there are any Trekkie women in the Western world.
JJ Abrams' reboot of Star Trek was released on May 9th, and every day since then my mother has been trying to find a way to bring up "have you seen Star Trek yet?" into the conversation. Well, finally, after 4 months, I ended up seeing it. In IMAX. Naturally, we were late, and despite the New England Aquarium's advertised policy of forbidding latecomers, we were admitted. But with no choice but to sit in the 3rd row (not a punishment for tardiness, but rather, a testament to how popular this movie still is).
Despite the feeling of being at (Trekkie) Wimbledon, the movie itself was the tired but adorable cliché of watching my childhood dreams realised on screen. My teenage years had been fortified with lovely memories of big-screen adaptations of The Next Generation crew, but aside from a few brief nods/references it seemed the days of TOS were long gone.
Aside from this being absolutely positively excellent, one of the first things I noticed was that this movie is very self-aware. And, being an adaptation written and directed by a group of talented fans who weren't even alive for the show's original run in 1966, I suppose it has to be that self-aware. Much of the script offers calculated but endearing references and homages to the source material, including beloved catchphrases ("I'm givin' it all she's got, Cap'n!") and the original miniskirted-uniforms. But while the title of simply "Star Trek" was an indication to non-Trekkies that they needn't do homework before watching, there are some tidbits for lifelong Trek fans also. *SPOILER* For one of the best ones, all I can say is that if you think you see the red-shirted Scotty introduced an a high-octane set-piece, you'd be terribly, terribly wrong. Having said that, it's a shame we don't get to see our favourite Chief Engineer until much later in the game.
There are few gripes to be concerned with, as much of the focus is on pacing rather than plot. Writers Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman know that these iconic characters are already very well-known, so their introductions are quickly slotted in amongst the film's various action set-pieces, which are frenetically-directed to avoid the traditional pacing lag of most trilogy/franchise openers.
But despite the lack of needing long-drawn out character backstories, there are still too many characters to deal with - 9 principal characters, as well as the elder Spock and his and Kirk's families. Many reviews have raised the point of the film having no moral dilemma or political allegories, and I agree to a certain extent. While this is an introductory piece to the new Trek timeline, it really amounts to no more than a bunch of stuff happening, and by the time the film's 2 hours are over, you can't help but feel a bit cheated, or at least wanting more.
Hardcore Trekkies will note that the use of time travel has completely effed up the prime Timeline, resulting in completely different character histories for almost everyone involved, such as Uhura indeed having a love interest on the Enterprise, but it's definitely not Kirk. The SFX are decent, but it's the aerial shots in the beginning car chase (yes, car chase) that won me over, and Abrams' overzealous use of lens flares could constitute a rather dangerous drinking game.
But what ultimately brings everything together is the near-perfect chemistry among the main acting 8. Chris Pine makes for a surprisingly good Kirk - reminscent of Shatner, but not aping him; he made the role his own, and it works well. Karl Urban and Bruce Greenwood lend admirable presence and realism to their respective roles as "Bones" McCoy and Captain Pike and Simon Pegg's comedic timing as Scotty is no less than perfect, but it's Zachary Quinto who outshines as young Spock.
Taking on the arguably the franchise's most popular character, Quinto is able to imbue the role with visible emotional restraint while still maintaining soem of the original beloved characteristics his predecessor Nimoy brought to the table. Needless to say, it's no easy task, considering the gamut of emotions that could be run to a fully human character who is exposed to the events Spock himself suffers throughout the movie. And speaking of emotion, Michael Giacchino (fresh from tugging heartstrings in "Up") provides the perfect audible accompaniement to every scene with pitch-perfect accuracy.
Sadly, I had never met my grandmother. After convincing my parents to name me Sara instead of Fatima, she passed away a few months before I was born. Every time I talk to my mother I'm told of various traits I inherited from her, and even the resemblance I bear. Despite how nerdy this sounds, I'd like to think her pagh saw an advance preview of the movie while hanging out in the wormhole with the Prophets.
People are often surprised by this. The fact that she's a Pakistani immigrant in her mid 60s might have something to do with it. So when I tell people that my grandmother was a massive, massive Trekkie, it's simply not to be believed. Just the idea of picturing an Indian woman in her late 40s sitting in her living room in Pakistan (in the '60s), never missing an episode of the exploits of Kirk and crew, seems inexplicable to people who find it hard to believe there are any Trekkie women in the Western world.
Star Trek (2009)
JJ Abrams' reboot of Star Trek was released on May 9th, and every day since then my mother has been trying to find a way to bring up "have you seen Star Trek yet?" into the conversation. Well, finally, after 4 months, I ended up seeing it. In IMAX. Naturally, we were late, and despite the New England Aquarium's advertised policy of forbidding latecomers, we were admitted. But with no choice but to sit in the 3rd row (not a punishment for tardiness, but rather, a testament to how popular this movie still is).
Despite the feeling of being at (Trekkie) Wimbledon, the movie itself was the tired but adorable cliché of watching my childhood dreams realised on screen. My teenage years had been fortified with lovely memories of big-screen adaptations of The Next Generation crew, but aside from a few brief nods/references it seemed the days of TOS were long gone.
Aside from this being absolutely positively excellent, one of the first things I noticed was that this movie is very self-aware. And, being an adaptation written and directed by a group of talented fans who weren't even alive for the show's original run in 1966, I suppose it has to be that self-aware. Much of the script offers calculated but endearing references and homages to the source material, including beloved catchphrases ("I'm givin' it all she's got, Cap'n!") and the original miniskirted-uniforms. But while the title of simply "Star Trek" was an indication to non-Trekkies that they needn't do homework before watching, there are some tidbits for lifelong Trek fans also. *SPOILER* For one of the best ones, all I can say is that if you think you see the red-shirted Scotty introduced an a high-octane set-piece, you'd be terribly, terribly wrong. Having said that, it's a shame we don't get to see our favourite Chief Engineer until much later in the game.
There are few gripes to be concerned with, as much of the focus is on pacing rather than plot. Writers Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman know that these iconic characters are already very well-known, so their introductions are quickly slotted in amongst the film's various action set-pieces, which are frenetically-directed to avoid the traditional pacing lag of most trilogy/franchise openers.
But despite the lack of needing long-drawn out character backstories, there are still too many characters to deal with - 9 principal characters, as well as the elder Spock and his and Kirk's families. Many reviews have raised the point of the film having no moral dilemma or political allegories, and I agree to a certain extent. While this is an introductory piece to the new Trek timeline, it really amounts to no more than a bunch of stuff happening, and by the time the film's 2 hours are over, you can't help but feel a bit cheated, or at least wanting more.
Hardcore Trekkies will note that the use of time travel has completely effed up the prime Timeline, resulting in completely different character histories for almost everyone involved, such as Uhura indeed having a love interest on the Enterprise, but it's definitely not Kirk. The SFX are decent, but it's the aerial shots in the beginning car chase (yes, car chase) that won me over, and Abrams' overzealous use of lens flares could constitute a rather dangerous drinking game.
gotta love those lens flares.
But what ultimately brings everything together is the near-perfect chemistry among the main acting 8. Chris Pine makes for a surprisingly good Kirk - reminscent of Shatner, but not aping him; he made the role his own, and it works well. Karl Urban and Bruce Greenwood lend admirable presence and realism to their respective roles as "Bones" McCoy and Captain Pike and Simon Pegg's comedic timing as Scotty is no less than perfect, but it's Zachary Quinto who outshines as young Spock.
Taking on the arguably the franchise's most popular character, Quinto is able to imbue the role with visible emotional restraint while still maintaining soem of the original beloved characteristics his predecessor Nimoy brought to the table. Needless to say, it's no easy task, considering the gamut of emotions that could be run to a fully human character who is exposed to the events Spock himself suffers throughout the movie. And speaking of emotion, Michael Giacchino (fresh from tugging heartstrings in "Up") provides the perfect audible accompaniement to every scene with pitch-perfect accuracy.
Sadly, I had never met my grandmother. After convincing my parents to name me Sara instead of Fatima, she passed away a few months before I was born. Every time I talk to my mother I'm told of various traits I inherited from her, and even the resemblance I bear. Despite how nerdy this sounds, I'd like to think her pagh saw an advance preview of the movie while hanging out in the wormhole with the Prophets.
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