"Star Trek" (2009) Talkback (Spoilers)

[The Penguin]

"You've always had a hard time finding your place in this world, haven't you? Never knowing your true worth. You can settle for less in ordinary life, or do you feel like you were meant for something better? Something special." - Christopher Pike

Release Date: May 7, 2009 (7pm/conventional theaters and IMAX)
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: J.J. Abrams
Screenwriter: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Starring: John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Eric Bana, Leonard Nimoy

Plot Summary: The greatest adventure of all time begins with "Star Trek," the incredible story of a young crew's maiden voyage onboard the most advanced starship ever created: the U.S.S. Enterprise. On a journey filled with action, comedy and cosmic peril, the new recruits must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind.The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock (Zachary Quinto), was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before!

Visit the official movie site here.

Comments?

Star Trek returns in a big way in theaters everywhere tonight!

[Kolbar]

This movie was phenomenal. Speaking as a die-hard Trekkie, I was impressed. This was the ultimate homage to everything classic Trek. Simply amazing. More later.

[Old Guy]

Penguin, re-title the thread. Put EXTREME SPOILERS. It's about to get crazy in here. Not a "oh that movie sucks" crazy but a "woah that changes EVERYTHING" crazy. Those who haven't seen the movie should stay away.

This was a...different....movie to say the least. It was a prequel, a sequel, and a restart at the same time. Everyone just saw the beginning of the "alternate universe" Star Trek movie series.

Overall, it was a very good movie. It was very...gutsy! This may go down as one of the more interesting summer movies.

[Discloner]

That was one helluva film. I think it did a great job of balancing the two audiences it was trying to attract. I mean, even the complete and utter destruction of Vulcan was extremely impactful to me - and that's coming from someone who didn't even know Spock was half human, half Vulcan going in.

I knew about the time travel aspect for a while now - but I was still kind of enamored by their use of it to make this film both a reboot and a sequel at the same time. Personally, I think creating this whole new time line is a rather brilliant way to tell new stories, with real and present danger for the all characters involved, while preserving the 'forbidden' world of Star Trek's well traveled history.

Good stuff - it'll be interesting to see where they take the next movie. They could literally go anywhere with it.

[Lord Dalek]

Thank you J.J. Abrams for washing the horrible taste of Wolverine out of my mouth. I needed it. Oh and uh yeah Star Trek, its awesome. Go see it.

[NewcomerDC]

Thank you J.J. Abrams for washing the horrible taste of Wolverine out of my mouth. I needed it.

Seconded.

[rggkjg1]

thanks alot mr. abrams. i'm now going to throw away every star trek dvd starting with the original series, movies, next generation, deep space nine, and voyager away. i feel i could have been better off without this film, or at least a star trek film that didn't create a paradox.

this is it. i am never looking forward to a big event film again. dark knight let me down. watchmen did nothing. and now there's this. the only movies i know i'll look forward to is ghostbusters 3 or the superman returns sequel. chances are i'm looking forward to movies that won't ever happen. maybe i would be better off if they don't happen. i would most likely be disappointed.

[Lord Dalek]

next generation[/I], deep space nine, and voyager away. i feel i could have been better off without this film, or at least a star trek film that didn't create a paradox.

Well look on the bright side... you do get to keep your Enterprise dvds... OOOOOOH BURN!!!!

[Swordfish_II]

This was enjoyable, exciting, and even funny.

I liked it. A lot.

[defunctzombie]

That movie is AWESOME! I like how it's a sequel and a reboot at the same time. I'll do my full review tomorrow, but for now I have to say it was great.

this is it. i am never looking forward to a big event film again. dark knight let me down. watchmen did nothing. and now there's this.

May I at least ask what about it let you down?

[The Penguin]

Penguin, re-title the thread. Put EXTREME SPOILERS. It's about to get crazy in here. Not a "oh that movie sucks" crazy but a "woah that changes EVERYTHING" crazy. Those who haven't seen the movie should stay away.

If someone goes into a movie talkback labeled 'Spoilers' without having seeing the movie, there's nothing we can do for them.

[Wonderwall]

I really liked it a lot but I felt the movie kind of stumbled in the last act. The beginning stuff with Kirk in Starfleet was great, I wanted to see a bit more of that stuff( I wish I had a Green skinned girl now). I was a little unsure of the time stuff but I thought they pulled it off for the most part. I wasn't really into the Spock-Uhura relationship. It seems somewhat underdeveloped. Still this movie had lots of cool twists, awesome effects, a pretty solid cast, and lots of laughs. Overall I thought it was really good but not quite as good as Iron Man or the Dark Knight from last year. Still a solid first movie for me to start my summer movie season.

[Squall]

thanks alot mr. abrams. i'm now going to throw away every star trek dvd starting with the original series, movies, next generation, deep space nine, and voyager away. i feel i could have been better off without this film, or at least a star trek film that didn't create a paradox.

Don't think of it as a paradox... Think of it as Star Trek's Universe veering off into its own version of the "1985-B" timeline from the Back To The Future trilogy.

And, for Heaven's sake, don't throw away any perfectly good DVDs, ever! Sell them on eBay. Take them to your nearest Goodwill. Give them away to friends, family, an orphanage. Seeing people throw away perfectly good stuff just makes me sad and angry.

(I'm sure you were being facetious, but just in case, I made my plea!)

[Zach Logan]

thanks alot mr. abrams. i'm now going to throw away every star trek dvd starting with the original series, movies, next generation, deep space nine, and voyager away. i feel i could have been better off without this film, or at least a star trek film that didn't create a paradox.

this is it. i am never looking forward to a big event film again. dark knight let me down. watchmen did nothing. and now there's this. the only movies i know i'll look forward to is ghostbusters 3 or the superman returns sequel. chances are i'm looking forward to movies that won't ever happen. maybe i would be better off if they don't happen. i would most likely be disappointed.

I'd be happy to take any unwanted DVDs. Seriously.

[Baseball]

I've never seen anything Star Trek before this movie, and I thought it was tight. Great effects, good writing, and terrific acting. Can't say I have any complaints.

[rggkjg1]

Well look on the bright side... you do get to keep your Enterprise dvds... OOOOOOH BURN!!!!

i like enterprise and i was glad this film referenced it.

May I at least ask what about it let you down?

this film creates one big paradox. either this is the paradox or all the movies and tv shows starting with the original series is now the paradox. the most obvious is this: how is spock supposed to go back to vulcan, which he later does the respective episodes and movies?

you would think that the older spock would fix the timeline after nero was defeated.

[Old Guy]

This alternate universe thing doesn't bother me, or atleast not at the moment. If the sequels suck...THEN we can call for Abrams head. So, let's wait and see what happens.

[Mek]

I'm going to try and see it on Saturday after work. I've always been more of a 'Next Generation' Trek fan, but this looks so friggin' awesome.

[Ragebot]

this film creates one big paradox. either this is the paradox or all the movies and tv shows starting with the original series is now the paradox. the most obvious is this: how is spock supposed to go back to vulcan, which he later does the respective episodes and movies?

Even disregarding the fact of the altered history, the movie still does not take place in the "old" canon universe. There are quite a few notable changes:

The fact that Admr. Archer and Porthos were alive.
The fact that Spock said that Kirk's father in the "original" timeline lived to see Kirk graduate.
The fact that Orion women are in Starfleet.
The fact that Kirk did not get a commedation for original thinking in the Kobyashi Maru scenario.
And also, the fact that Captain Pike's description of the Federation seems quite markedly different to the Federation we're used to from canon.

I'll have more comments on the movie later, but first impression is that I liked it.

[Lord Dalek]

The fact that Admr. Archer and Porthos were alive.
The fact that Spock said that Kirk's father in the "original" timeline lived to see Kirk graduate.
The fact that Orion women are in Starfleet.
The fact that Kirk did not get a commedation for original thinking in the Kobyashi Maru scenario.
And also, the fact that Captain Pike's description of the Federation seems quite markedly different to the Federation we're used to from canon.

Onto that I'll add...

The fact that Pike is now the first Captain of the USS Enterprise, not Commodore Robert April
The fact that Starfleet is using uniforms from 2265 instead of the mock turtlenecks from 2260.
The fact that Chekov is even arround
Kirk is serving on the Enterprise from the beginning (in the pre-tangent universe, he was an officer on the USS Farragut)
Oh yeah... Amanda dies... and Vulcan gets blowed up.

Already this is enough to make any hardcore Trekkie to choke on their popcorn bag. To them I say... in the words of another fellow who used to captain this ship... GET A LIFE!