Star Trek Movie (BEWARE: Spoilers)

When I first heard about the Star Trek movie, I cringed a bit. It took me a while to adjust to the new Battle Star series and, though I did end up enjoying it, it was difficult to see them change one of my childhood loves. But, I heard that it was fun so I entered the theatre with an open mind.

The movie started with a bang. Get into the action right away and grab everyone's attention...the way of Hollywood. Gotta do something to grab the non-geeks since they already have a handle on the geeks. The storyline moved quickly and I raised my eyebrows a few times. "Huh...that doesn't match what I remember...huh, THAT's not right...", but I took a breath and recalled a sci-fi basic...anything can happen if you can mess with the space-time continuum. Forgive me, fellow geeks...I know...I should've known. So, we're in an alternate reality...ok...I can grasp that. Lots of places to go if you allow the alternate reality. A part of me thought...hoped...that it would somehow wrap reality back to up to the original timeline as we all know and love it and I was a bit surprised when we didn't...in fact, my heart slightly dropped. This means that we're done...Leonard Nimoy handed off the torch. We're not in Iowa anymore Toto.

I'm slightly sad about this. That's not to say that the movie wasn't good or that the actors were horrible. It's just different. Throughout the credits I found myself mourning...not just the original Star Trek series, but all of them. In this new alternate reality anything can happen. There will probably be no Amok Time and maybe no Picard, or DS9. I'm partially interested in seeing how they bring in what we know into this new reality and I'm partially waiting for them to screw something up. We'll see. The friend I saw it with made a few comments about what Hollywood might do. As I came to terms with this new Star Trek timeline, I replied with "It's an Ultimates". That summed it all up for me. It's okay now. Whatever they do, it's ok, because it's an Ultimates version of Star Trek. Not a bad thing, just different. I can accept an Ultimates Star Trek....I can deal.

Tags: movies

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Comment by Darwin Anderson on June 12, 2009 at 1:58am: I will admit that the new movie has some major flaws to it, and that it's an alternate universe. Again, one of the biggest things was, yes, the destruction of Vulcan. It was one of those things that... you just can't do that!!! I mean, I know I wasn't around for much star trek when I was a kiddie as the series didn't play much, but when I was 9 years old I started watching and loved it! Heck, I started to learn Klingon even.

But, anywho, I came out of the theater, and I thought to myself, "You know, there are a good number of Vulcans that lived and are moving to a colony on a new planet... Vulcan wasn't destroyed! It just... moved a few galactic blocks down the road." That was my coping agent. I do think that with that, we can eventually wrap reality back into itself. However, the one thing I do not, DO NOT want to see them do, is remake the Wrath of Khan in this universe... good night that would be horrible!

Comment by Michelle Gamboa on June 1, 2009 at 9:28am: Deessay, I agree...it's different. It doesn't change my love for Star Trek...but I'm skeptical that they won't just turn it into Hollywood action with sci-fi sprinkled here an there.

Alfred, I was thinking the same about the voiceprint and both Kirk and Bones did their salut to the old Kirk and Bones...but I don't know if the new gen would accept the dramatic Kirk style.

Comment by Alfred Dayton on May 31, 2009 at 8:31am: only glaring 'void" I felt was the lack of original 'voiceprint' of James T. Kirk. Spocks voiceprint was authentically and wonderfully SPOCK.....Uhura also seemed substantially out of charactor and voice.
Not trying to be a purist, I was simply saddened at the substantial lack of beef of the original charactors and the unique flavor their original voice patterns gave to the shows.
:-(

Comment by Deeessay on May 28, 2009 at 5:30am: @andrian

That's what I thought at first -- that this movie just ruined everything I loved about Star Trek. I found out later that this is just an alternate universe (just like the mirror universe). Picard's timeline was in no way changed.

Comment by David William Schulenberg on May 27, 2009 at 8:08pm: I thought the movie was pretty good... if you look at it as a whole new franchise (NOT Star Trek that is). The characters seemed far to "modern" I don't meen to say they should seem old fashioned but they don't seem formal enough, if you get my meening. I think the old Star Trek series were so good that this one pales in comparison. But I would have to say I still enjoyed the movie. I guess it's time to let go of the past and embrase the new "Star Trek" franchise. The action was great, the acting was great, and the story was well thought out. What more can I say?

Comment by Bridgid Persephone Newman-Henson on May 27, 2009 at 7:04pm: Some of my favourite Sci-Fi involves multiple universes/timelines (Heinlein,Zelazney,McCaffrey,Chalker,etc....) so I'm glad to see this in Star Trek

Comment by Daren Koenck on May 27, 2009 at 6:08pm: My brother grew up watching Star Trek TOS, and I grew up watching ST:TNG. We've seen all the movies, and we know all the stories. But this movie ROCKS! I loved the new movie, even if it's *not* the same as the old. New ideas, new stories... I say go for it! (I'm also a big fan of the new Knight Rider series - too bad that got cancelled after 17 episodes.) Anyway - don't over-analyze it. Keep an open mind so that the movie is a huge success and it will pave the way so our children will have Star Trek to grow up with in the future.

Comment by Rhane on May 27, 2009 at 11:20am: The hubs and I really liked the movie. The altenate reality technique made it easier to overlook small differences. The cast really "got" the personalities of the main characters. I was left feeling so sorry for Captain Nemo; so doomed, so far from home. I actually enjoyed the meeting yourself paradox. I look forward to future installments. This cast should enjoy a long run in the Enterprise. I did miss Bill Shatner.

Comment by Connor Bryant on May 27, 2009 at 6:12am: I really liked the movie. They even brought the old Spock back to play the part of the old new Spock!
P.S. Saying "We're not in Iowa anymore Toto" doesn't make sense because that movie takes place in Kansas.

Comment by Matt Moran on May 27, 2009 at 4:39am: I loved the film - can't see the problem with messing with the timeline, though if you're thinking of seeing it in IMAX, don't waste your money - there aren't enough wide shots (landscapes, starfields or open crowd scenes) to justify IMAX & instead you end up struggling to keep track of all the info on screen - kind of like if you watched it on a 40" LCD HDTV with your face 6" from the screen.

I hope we get more ST films in the same vein. I loved the re-done Enterprise too. Neat swoopy lines to it. Kirk was, for once, not such a smug asshole, & I could actually empathise with him & with Spock. Overall, thumbs-up!