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mjh215 · 05-26-2009, 07:35 AM

Spoiler:

Well, I just saw Star Trek: The Degrassi Generation and I have very mixed opinions overall. While there were scenes and portrayals I liked I had a lot of problems with the film. It basically started exactly with what I was afraid the movie would be. Just heaps of action and violence. Then within the next 10 minutes they manage to get product placements in for Nokia, Budweiser and even throw in some 20th century music.

Some portrayals I could see or feel the character in, Spock, Chekov and Uhura for example. Kirk didn't seem to be Kirk for me, nor was Sulu. The actor playing Sulu is typecast for me, I was waiting for him to order some sliders. And when did Sulu go from European style fencing to Kendo (I guess)? With a collapsible asian inspired sword no less. And him and the only other character to have a collapsible melee weapon happen to find each other.

I could have bought the changes in the look of technologies as an aspect of the time line reboot if they didn't make the Kelvin's bridge look more futuristic and out of place of the original canon history. With everything going on I wasn't paying that much attention and could be mistaken but that was the impression I recall. (I tried finding good pics online but couldn't, so forgive me if I'm wrong here)

The Enterprise engineering decks and engine room. Did they spend all their money on the CGI action and had to use some abandoned L.A. water treatment plant to cut costs here? The warp 'core' (uh, cores?) was a bunch of oversized coffee cans that you might find in the Costco from Idiocracy. Or maybe creamed corn. I particularly didn't like this because it seemed out of place in Star Trek. Something that hit me while I was thinking about it is Star Trek has always shared a certain level of comfort and design regardless if you are on the bridge of in the engine compartment. I think this emphasized the vision of a future where you might have different jobs, and some people might advance more then others but you didn't have to have slaves shoveling coal into the furnace. In this Enterprise it it seems that they have a very clear seperation between the elite bridge crew and the proles manning the boilers.

As to the Uncle Chop Chop bad guy Romulan, I'm sorry but tribal tattoos stopped being edgy ten years ago or so when every college girl started getting them as 'tramp stamps' and the guys got them as wraps.

Spock's ship belonged in one of the new Star Wars films, as well as every action sequence it was in.

Did anyone else notice that the Orion Kirk was with seemed to be losing some of her green particularly over her eyebrow area?

I just know they'll explain this in a book or something as being from some subconscious connection between future and current Spock but I still have to ask, what was with the ice planet sequence? So current Spock tosses a crew member overboard instead of throwing him in the brig? And happens to land on the exact planet that future Spock has been imprisoned on to watch Vulcan's fate? Not only that but they happen to be placed within a few minutes walking distance of one another by chance?

More convenience was how Kirk had to manipulate Spock into becoming emotional and thereby disqualifying himself from current command according to Starfleet protocol, while at the same time ignoring Kirk's emotional vested interested in the situation. I could buy it if Kirk had pointed it out, but for Spock to immediately bring up the same reason, instead of just walking out or well, anything else seemed unbelievable.

And wow, time travel as a main plot point of a Star Trek storyline? LOL... Now in all honesty I thought as far as reboots go the alternate time line reboot they chose was probably one of the better ones. A lot better then Hollywood's typical "we'll throw out 40 years of established canon and not explain why" attitude.

I know this sounds like I hated the movie, and if it was a Star Trek movie I would have. It was -too- action oriented and with all the problems I listed above I just cannot like it as one. However, thinking of the film as being in a galaxy far, far away from Star Trek I could enjoy it. And really it does seem like a side story film for Star Wars.

So there is my review and random notes of ST:ADHD, hope you enjoyed it...

-MJ

05-26-2009, 07:35 AM	#66
mjh215 Guru Posts: 988 Karma: 12653 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: None of your business	Spoiler: Well, I just saw Star Trek: The Degrassi Generation and I have very mixed opinions overall. While there were scenes and portrayals I liked I had a lot of problems with the film. It basically started exactly with what I was afraid the movie would be. Just heaps of action and violence. Then within the next 10 minutes they manage to get product placements in for Nokia, Budweiser and even throw in some 20th century music. Some portrayals I could see or feel the character in, Spock, Chekov and Uhura for example. Kirk didn't seem to be Kirk for me, nor was Sulu. The actor playing Sulu is typecast for me, I was waiting for him to order some sliders. And when did Sulu go from European style fencing to Kendo (I guess)? With a collapsible asian inspired sword no less. And him and the only other character to have a collapsible melee weapon happen to find each other. I could have bought the changes in the look of technologies as an aspect of the time line reboot if they didn't make the Kelvin's bridge look more futuristic and out of place of the original canon history. With everything going on I wasn't paying that much attention and could be mistaken but that was the impression I recall. (I tried finding good pics online but couldn't, so forgive me if I'm wrong here) The Enterprise engineering decks and engine room. Did they spend all their money on the CGI action and had to use some abandoned L.A. water treatment plant to cut costs here? The warp 'core' (uh, cores?) was a bunch of oversized coffee cans that you might find in the Costco from Idiocracy. Or maybe creamed corn. I particularly didn't like this because it seemed out of place in Star Trek. Something that hit me while I was thinking about it is Star Trek has always shared a certain level of comfort and design regardless if you are on the bridge of in the engine compartment. I think this emphasized the vision of a future where you might have different jobs, and some people might advance more then others but you didn't have to have slaves shoveling coal into the furnace. In this Enterprise it it seems that they have a very clear seperation between the elite bridge crew and the proles manning the boilers. As to the Uncle Chop Chop bad guy Romulan, I'm sorry but tribal tattoos stopped being edgy ten years ago or so when every college girl started getting them as 'tramp stamps' and the guys got them as wraps. Spock's ship belonged in one of the new Star Wars films, as well as every action sequence it was in. Did anyone else notice that the Orion Kirk was with seemed to be losing some of her green particularly over her eyebrow area? I just know they'll explain this in a book or something as being from some subconscious connection between future and current Spock but I still have to ask, what was with the ice planet sequence? So current Spock tosses a crew member overboard instead of throwing him in the brig? And happens to land on the exact planet that future Spock has been imprisoned on to watch Vulcan's fate? Not only that but they happen to be placed within a few minutes walking distance of one another by chance? More convenience was how Kirk had to manipulate Spock into becoming emotional and thereby disqualifying himself from current command according to Starfleet protocol, while at the same time ignoring Kirk's emotional vested interested in the situation. I could buy it if Kirk had pointed it out, but for Spock to immediately bring up the same reason, instead of just walking out or well, anything else seemed unbelievable. And wow, time travel as a main plot point of a Star Trek storyline? LOL... Now in all honesty I thought as far as reboots go the alternate time line reboot they chose was probably one of the better ones. A lot better then Hollywood's typical "we'll throw out 40 years of established canon and not explain why" attitude. I know this sounds like I hated the movie, and if it was a Star Trek movie I would have. It was -too- action oriented and with all the problems I listed above I just cannot like it as one. However, thinking of the film as being in a galaxy far, far away from Star Trek I could enjoy it. And really it does seem like a side story film for Star Wars. So there is my review and random notes of ST:ADHD, hope you enjoyed it... -MJ