Purely Whimsical

I’ve been a fan of Star Trek as long as I can remember. I watched re-runs of the original series as a very young child, and have seen every incarnation of Star Trek since then. I’m not the kind of fan who goes out and learns Klingon, or goes to conventions dressed up in uniform, but I’ve enjoyed the show for as long as I can remember.

That being said, I’ve always had a few problems with the Star Trek universe. The biggest thing I’ve never believed in is the statement that humans have evolved past the need of money and material things. Bullshit. Remember how ridiculous the Ferengi were as bad guys? And the most ridiculous of all is that they’re bad because they’re interested in commerce.

On to the movie. Overall, I liked it. I didn’t have a problem with the alternate time-line explanation other than noting it is a bit overused in Star Trek. The young Spock and Kirk flashbacks were fun; I would have enjoyed something similar for McCoy as well. The action at the beginning sucks you right in, and you instantly realize that this Star Trek is a little darker and grittier interpretation. This is not a bad thing, as the unrelenting optimism of the original series is often very fun, but not very believable.

That being said, the coincidences in how all of the characters meet stretches the credibility some, and is only plausible if you think of it in terms destiny stretching to correct itself; a big change creates large waves that ripple through time and eventually cancels itself out. This is a popular theory in many science fiction stories, and I’ll accept it in the movie since it is quite fun.

As to the characters and their portrayals, overall I believe it was well done. Some have complained that some of the characters weren’t close enough to the originals, but I honestly think that the movie is better for the actors not slavishly imitating the originals. The actors captured the spirit of the originals; that’s what’s important.

The complaints about Chekov’s accent are silly, in the original they asked Walter Koenig to ham up the accent for comic relief. The movie just follows that lead. Christopher Pine is very believable as a young Kirk… but not a believable young William Shatner. I like his interpretation. Zachary Quinto is a brilliant Spock.

After seeing Karl Urban’s McCoy, I am not surprised to see that he’s a fan of the original series and fought for the role. Fortunately he has the chops to pull off what I think is the closest portrayal of one of the original characters, as Bones is not a role that would benefit from too much reinterpretation. I found Uhura a little cold (as I think I was supposed to) and she doesn’t seem to have as much sex appeal or natural beauty (or presence) as a young Nichelle Nichols, but the joke about her first name was a good one for those in the know (this is the first Star Trek show or movie that includes her first name in the credits).

There wasn’t enough of Sulu on screen to make a true evaluation, but he seemed fine. I want his pocket katana. I think Simon Pegg was a good choice for Montgomery Scott, whose character often provided comic relief in the movies. Complaints about his accent are just stupid. He did good.

I didn’t have a problem with the look of the bridge or the engine room. So the engine room looked industrial… get over it. I found it believable. True engineers know the axiom, “don’t fix what ain’t broken” and I don’t find it hard to believe that 300 years in the future, engine rooms will still look a lot like breweries.

The action and storyline was pretty fast, but I enjoyed it. There were obviously some points in the storyline that will benefit from an extended version, which I’m looking forward to viewing.

With a few minor quibbles that I don’t want to state since you may not have watched the movie and I hate giving spoilers, I’d say overall I truly enjoyed the movie, I don’t have a problem with most of the character’s reimagining. The time travel gambit is overused and it does make a huge change in the universe, but I think it could be a good thing.

Good movie. Leave your preconceptions at the door and have fun.