0905 May 2009

Watched this for the first time in a long time. Yup, still dull. Had to take a nap in the middle. It's like the filmmakers were trying to do 2001, not Star Trek. The characters' personalities only shine through a couple times -- I think Kirk smiles once. One positive note: the new effects in the Director's Edition didn't offend. Blended well with the late 70s aesthetic.

Watching this only a couple days after revisiting the first Star Trek was interesting. Obviously, it's a better film, but I'd forgotten how drastically different the look is. Somehow, looking more like TV (cheaper) works better. The sets are tight, claustrophobic like a submarine, which helps in the final battle especially. The script is super-tight, with smart dialogue that works for the characters and the story equally. It manages to talk about big ideas while still being personal, something the first movie failed to do.

How come nobody ever told me how awesome this movie is? I came away from this kitchy mix-up of hip hop and martial arts humming the cheesy theme song. Villain Sho'Nuff is shockingly entertaining. And he's played by Julius Carry, Brisco County Jr's Lord Bowler!

Can't wait to see it a second time. I knew the series was in pretty good hands with J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof, but part of me still worried that they'd ignore continuity altogether. The movie defines the over-used term "reboot." It manages to be a sequel, a prequel, and a new beginning for a series yet to come (looking forward to the already announced sequel). I'm still buzzing from the great action, humor, and characterizations to nitpick it at this point. I will say that Star Trek makes some bold choices here -- the universe is changed in a way that may or may not be resolved in a future installment. Also, the the acting was great all around. Each of the main characters played an integral part in the story, which didn't always happen in past movies.