Star Trek (2009) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

Being a huge Star Trek fan I was saddened when I heard that after the failures of the last 2 Star Trek The Next Generation movies and the failure of, 'Enterprise' that Paramount was putting a moratorium on any future Star Trek show (A moratorium being a hold on any future Star Trek TV project,) and that with the disaster that was, Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), that there was going to be nothing more from Star Trek...

The reason for this is that not only did they deprive the world of some truly awesome entertainment, but Star Trek has always stood for the idea that instead of only being able to see the problems that mankind faces, and will face in the future, it put forth the idea of what life could be like if mankind is able to get past it's petty squabbles...

But there was light at the end of the tunnel for us Star Trek fans out there... That light being when they release the re-booted series by going back to the beginning with Star Trek (2009)!

[caption id="attachment_2103" align="aligncenter" width="450"] A scene from, 'Star Trek' (2009)![/caption]

Directed by: J.J. Abrams (Super 8) and Starring: Chris Pine (This Means War), Zachary Quinto (Heroes), Simon Pegg (Shaun Of The Dead), Leonard Nimoy (Invasion Of The Body Snatchers), Eric Bana (Hulk), Bruce Greenwood (Double Jeopardy), Karl Urban (Dredd), Zoe Saldana (Colombiana), John Cho (American Pie), Anton Yelchin (Fright Night) & Chris Hemsworth (Thor).

Now I could tell you that the acting was great... (It was!), I could tell you that the Sound Effects were spectacular (they were), but the truth is, is my favorite thing about this movie is the story!

You see this story is truly an interesting twist on rebooting a franchise right! What I mean by this is that instead of the classic remake that would have inevitably butchered the series they took the story in a whole different direction...

In this movie, on the day that the future Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is born... As a matter of fact while his mother is giving birth to him... The U.S.S. Kelvin is confronted with a Romulan ship that has just traveled to the past from the future... A ship that is being commanded by Captain Nero (Eric Bana)...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="512"] The ship that changed the future of, 'James T. Kirk'![/caption]

You see Captain Nero is looking for Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) who had ended up going back through time to the past (At this point in the Star Trek Universe, everything is moving the way it would have through out all of the previous movies and TV shows.)

Anyway Nero pushes to try and find Spock, but when he realizes that he went to far back in time, he ends up destroying the Kelvin... Fortunately just about everyone (including the newborn Jim Kirk and his mother Winona) escape the ships destruction... The only problem is that the only one left is the new born Jim Kirk's dad (who ended up saving the Kelvin survivors from Nero...

Now things are different, instead of young Kirk working his way to becoming the legend that he would have eventually become, he is a drunk, and a looser... That is until Kirk is confronted by a friend of his father's by the name of Captain Christopher Pike (Greenwood), who convinces him to at least give him a try.

During his initial run at Starfleet Academy, Vulcan is being attacked by Nero... Who has hatched a master plan that would eventual destroy the Federation of the past (A.K.A. the world of today.)

And now it will be up to the, until recently Jim Kirk that would not become the legend that he would have been in the previous time line, to finally own up to the man he was always meant to be and along with the crew oft he U.S.S. Enterprise, stop Nero, before Nero destroys the Federation!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Kirk & McCoy as they head toward their, 'destiny'...[/caption]

Really my main problem (and I know from talking to to other Trekkies out there that I am not the only one who thinks this), but the problem is, is that as good as this story is, it does have some disjointed continuity errors (well I won't bore you with the details, but if you are a trekkie, you probably will know which ones that I am talking about.)

But regardless, this movie is a fun one, and I thought it was well worth it, and if you give it a try, you might find the same thing as well!

http://youtu.be/SyJszxnJydA

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_322" align="alignright" width="258"] Official Score = 1 1/2 Devils[/caption]

You know what? In all truth and fairness I am proud to admit that I am a trekkie! I mean with what the creators of the various movies and series have created over the decades since the 1960s, the overall message I feel since Star Trek was first released is a message that at some point humanity will expand beyond it's petty needs!

So it is a little bit off putting when a Star Trek movie looks so good before it comes out and ends up not being very good in general... It is rare, but it does happen...

A great example of this is the movie, Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)... Now I have to admit that this movie was pretty bad... So bad in fact that as of this date, the next generation crew have not been seen in a Star Trek movie or on a TV series since unless it has been in a guest starring role, but not as the a whole cast, (not that they would, I mean considering the fact that the reboot that was released in 2009, the story for the reboot sort of destroyed the next generation story line.)

And speaking of the reboot, I know you Trekkies out there might not like me saying this, but I actually kind of like it... I mean I know that it is strange to see some one else playing, 'Kirk' but the truth is, is that movie was a fresh perspective on a classic theme (and that is not always a bad thing!)

And with what I mentioned directly above in mind, that is why I thought it was pretty weird that Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) was such a bad movie!

The truth is, is that yes, this series is not a remake, but a reboot, but the story was unimaginative, basically having, Captain Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the rest of the crew fighting against, Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Khan's as yet hidden benefactor...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] What Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) don't know... Is the battle is just beginning![/caption]

The truth is, is this story, although it had some originality to it... A lot of that I felt was primarily stuff like having, 'Kirk' saving the enterprise by going in to the reactor chamber and getting an insane amount of radiation, and Spock getting all emotional about Kirk's ailments Vs. the original Star Trek 2, which had, 'Spock' going in to the reactor chamber to save the, 'Enterprise' and Shatner's, 'Kirk' becoming all emotional!

Now for the good parts... Despite the annoyingly bad story line, the special effects were, as always truly spectacular, and the acting from the entire cast was great (and of course seeing Kirk and crew back in action is always fun.)

In the end though, I don't have a hugely positive opinion on this movie... But I also don't have a hugely negative opinion about this movie... The reason for this being that history has shown that story line really is the catalyst to begin making a great movie, but when you have a ridiculously bad story it does some serious damage to the film...

But the truth is, is this movie is probably more geared towards bringing in new fans to Star Trek, and in all truth, if you are a vet like me of the Star Trek Universe, then just getting to see your favorite crew of the Starship Enterprise is still a pretty cool thing!

http://youtu.be/yhz4A5BCMAA

Kirk Vs. Kirk: Who's Better?

I first got in to Star Trek when I was a kid watching reruns of the voyages of the original Enterprise crew on TV in the 1966 - 1969 original Star Trek TV series starring: William Shatner (The Babysitter) as, 'Captain James Tiberius Kirk'!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="337"] William Shatner as, 'Captain James. T. Kirk'[/caption]

For many years this series has been my favorite of all of the Star Trek TV series (including the subsequent spin offs), as a matter of fact I would go so far to say that not only is this series my favorite, but the Captain Kirk is my favorite character in that series!

The reasons are:

1. One of the things that all of the parodies did get right is that he was a bit of a ladies man (and being kind of a loner who rarely went out on Friday nights when I was in High School, I always that, that was real cool.)

2. The first strong example that I ever had of what it means to be a strong and powerful leader was watching Shatner as, 'Kirk' in the old Star Trek series!

3. I also like the fact that he always seemed to be able to make the tough decisions!

4. Also in a lot of respects he was the glue that held his crew together as a, 'crew' but he also held them together as, 'friends' after the run of the original series finally had it's final nail in it's coffin!

Now pretty much since Star Trek: Generations (1994) there has been no real appearance of Kirk or really the crew in the whole (with the exception of the novels)... That was until 2009 when J.J. Abrams (Super 8) released a reboot of the series with Star Trek (2009)!

Now this new movie would bring us a new actor in the role of a young Kirk, this actor being, Chris Pine (Unstoppable).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="470"] Chris Pine as, 'Captain James T. Kirk'.[/caption]

And of course I have to admit that I am glad that they did, because after the low ratings that Star Trek: Enterprise had on TV, Paramount had put a moratorium on a future Star Trek TV series, and after I read about the fact that the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast were not interested in coming back to there roles, I thought Star Trek in the end was doomed to disappear in to obscurity!

But that is for a blog at another time...

As for Chris Pine's, 'Kirk' here is what I liked about his Kirk:

1. I was glad to see the role given new life by some one who could actually fill the shoes!

2. Chris Pine plays, 'Kirk' as a pretty bad ass character, (Vs. Shatner who was more like a military officer who works in space.)

3. I also like Pine's, 'Kirk' and his, 'take charge attitude'!

In the end I have to say that I thought (and still think) that Chris Pine did a pretty awesome job breathing new life in to Kirk (and also for helping bring to the world a new, 'Kirk' for a new generation), but for my money, William Shatner will always be my favorite, 'Kirk'!

http://youtu.be/HxQqJbW-ohw

http://youtu.be/SyJszxnJydA