Star Trek (2009 movie)

[Imzadi]

Ok, I'm a fan but I don't have a Star Trek geek hat. I guess that's why I don't appreciate what they were trying to do with this movie.

Don't get me wrong. I liked this movie and will definitely see any future Star Trek movies (maybe not in the theater but I'll see them). The end-game of this movie just left me a bit disappointed.

Maybe, you can think of it similar to how there are two Rykers, William and "Thomas."

Vulcans HAVE to mate every seven years, but that's not the only time they can. In TOS, Spock had several encounters with women.

You sound like you have some personal knowledge about this.

 

[beattyfamily]

I'm watching it now via Netflix instant stream (xbox) thanks to this thread.

Hubby is a huge fan but doesn't remember seeing this one so we're watching it together.

Can't wait to see what he thinks.

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

If I think about it outside the context of everything else Star Trek, I liked the movie. The action scenes were good and who wouldn't like to look at Chris Pine for 2 hours. And "numb tongue" and the swollen hands were extremely funny.

I just felt like it was trying to take away everything I learned and loved about the original Star Trek world. I can't think of it as two Star Trek worlds.

When I first heard of the movie, I was hoping to find out how the character's lives were when they were younger that molded them into the characters that I knew and loved. But now, the characters that I knew and loved are no more. I guess, theoretically, they could still become the characters that I know. But, the door is wide open.

It's kind of like if George Lucas decided in Episode III to NOT have Anakin turn into Darth Vader. What is a Star Wars world without Darth Vader?

I agree with you 100%!!!!!!!!!!!! My dad is a ST fanatic and I've seen all TOS episodes more times than I can count, I know them all word for word, so I'm a major ST fan, too. I have a geek hat, and I STILL agree with ifontaine.

 

[Guy Incognito]

***Berman walked away from ST when Enterprise ended. Braga was more responsible for the war and drama material. If you really want to talk about someone who did not like Trek nor 'get it', Braga is your man. In numerous interviews he said that he felt ST was too 'happy' and needed more war and conflict.

never watched a lot of TOS, but weren't they basically at constant war with the Klingons throughout that entire period? (if I'm not mistaken, it wasn't until the sixth movie, when Praxis explodes, where the federation and Klingons start talking peace, if you follow all the shows/movies in the correct timeline). Just my 2 cents here, but I think it was probably more a matter of budget constraints that prevented more war/battle scenes in TOS than a desire from Roddenberry for a happy/utopian type of show.

I've always thought that DS9 had the best character development of any of the shows (TNG is right there as well). The good guys weren't always good, the bad guys weren't always bad.... just made it more realistic (I know not everyone likes that, but we're all different).

 

[snykymom]

I have felt that way since Rick Berman took over as executive producer after Gene Roddenbery died and had drastically changed the optimistic future vision that Roddenbery invented, that was so key to the Original Series and TNG.

DS9 was all bickering and "conflict." Like Berman read how drama is conflict in Drama 101, and thought he should create a ST whole series based on bickering and conflict.

The "universe" we lived in when TNG, DS9 and Voyager came on the scene was very different than the one we lived in the '60's, when Gunsmoke and Bonanza still ruled the airwaves, Vietnam was raging and nuclear annihilation was ever-present. TOS was presented as an antidote to the "gloom and doom and inevitable destruction" feeling of the times - even though times are bad, we will survive and thrive.

Just as Kirk was the cowboy and Picard was the diplomat - different leaders for different times.

And I disagree that DS9 was all conflict - it was actually the most philosophical of all the ST incarnations (at least in the earlier seasons). That's probably because it didn't travel - the "other worlds" had to come to them. So there was more exploration of the Prophets, the Bajoran faith, the Bajoran and Cardassian cultures. Then, of course, came the Dominion war, but that's not too far from the Borg of TNG.

When Enterprise, the TV series came out, I wanted to like it, but with Scott Bakula at the helm, I knew the show was doomed for failure - and so it was.

I loved Bakula in Quantum Leap. But, even HE admitted he couldn't see himself as a starship captain. I always felt he was glib in the role because of it, especially the way he said, "You can't be afraid of the wind, Ensign." Oh PUH-LEASE!

I have to admit that I liked Bakula, but hated the show. My biggest problem was that the First Officer, while technically not a member of Star Fleet, was a Vulcan. Unless you're going to start an alternate univers, like the movie did, don't mess with the backstory! Leave Spock as the first Vulcan first officer!

That being said, now that they've got a good reason to mess with the backstory, I'm looking forward to seeing where they go with it! And I'm one of those who saw the original not in reruns!

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

It's just that every time they use the alternate universe/parallel universe/space time continuum thing I think Oh THAT again!,c'mon, can't you get creative enough without falling back to the same old easy way to change things?! Let's get some new ideas from these writers. Like Kirk in the Nexux meeting Picard. Same ole same ole.

It's like a lot of old 80s show that whenever they wanted to change the past, it was all "just a dream".

 

[Belle2667]

It's not. Think of them as two completely different timelines/parallel universes. Donnie Darko sort of helps with this. LOL Everytime a decision is made, a new path/universe is formed.

Not to hijack the thread, but I Love Donnie Darko! What a totally head-tripping movie!

I like the new ST movie, too. Back to your regularly scheduled topic.....

 

[pixiewings71]

The biggest surprise for me was how hot Spock was!

I had NO clue who Zachary Quinto even was but now.....yum!!!! Between him, Chris Pine and Simon Pegg (who I could listen to talking for hours) I LOVE this movie.....

But they only mate once every 7 years, or something like that, when they go through their Pon farr. (Remember Amok Time, & The Search for Spock. ) It's going to take a long time to repopulate the species.

So, umm, what do Spock & Uhura do when they get together.

Spock is half human, I prefer to think that he has more human sexual tendencies in the new timeline then he did in TOS. At least I hope so, because Zachary Quinto is hot.

I actually re-watched the movie last week and Spock said there was only about 10,000 left now.

Yes, he says "I am now a member of an endangered species". I really like that line, even if I didn't quote it exactly right, it outlines his thinking and his idea of responsibility.

Most of the actors from 2009 resigned for two sequels. The first should be out in 2012.

In interesting peek behind the scenes: Kirk meets Kirk

I agree seeing Star Trek on IMAX was great! We took the kids to see it twice - but I think we enjoyed it more!

We saw it 3 times in the theater! LOL I think 3, maybe 4......we saw it in IMAX the first time and regular the other times and we bought it the day it came out. On Blu Ray, so we also had to buy a BR player that same day. LOL DBF and I are major Trek fans we both agree that this is our favorite by far. We own them all, except Star Trek the Motion Picture & The Final Frontier, only because I can't find those on BR for under $50 each. We definitely enjoy this movie a lot, more then the kids for sure but the kids like it as well.

I'm watching it now via Netflix instant stream (xbox) thanks to this thread.

Hubby is a huge fan but doesn't remember seeing this one so we're watching it together.

Can't wait to see what he thinks.

Sorry but your DH isn't a fan if he didn't see this in theaters...... I bet you both LOVE it!!!!!

There is so much about this movie that we love, the music, the script, the funny parts, the suspense, introducing the characters, hearing favorite old lines....I waited the WHOLE movie to hear Scotty say "I'm givin' her all she's got Captain" and when he did the WHOLE theater (and it was PACKED) cheered and clapped, including me!!! It was just an amazing feeling to see it for the first time and honestly......when we watch it now the intro music still gives me chills and I can't even begin to count how many times I've watched it. I love the way Spock isn't so calm, he's more emotional then he was originally, I love the fight scene between Kirk & Spock, love Keith Urban's portrayal of Bones "all I've got left are ma bones", love the romance between Urhura & Spock.....Checkov "wictor wictor", Sulu and the fight scene on the drill.....just every action packed minute and every hilarious scene "you've got numb tongue? I can fix that" "stop it!!!!!" LOL

It's MY opinion that JJ Abrams was the new infusion that the series needed and I love that they are redoing it on a new timeline. I hope it opens up more stories and more options and I hope it leads to more awesome amazing movies because ST deserves it.

I also always loved TNG & DS9. I never could watch Enterprise and I didn't like Voyager all that much either, DBF likes Voyager but I never could do it. It was just wrong to me, I don't know why but it was.

 

[Kirby]

I date back to the old ST before reruns. I loved it then and still love it now. Never got into the other ST sitcoms but have seen all the movies.

I love the new ST. Ya'll get much deeper into it than me. I just took it at face value and figured that while there were a few changes, it stayed pretty much true to form. I never thought about alternate universes but then maybe I just pick up on it when old Spock met young Spock.

I loved all the characters and them including all the dialogue that I remember.

Can't wait for another one to come out!!

 

[Agri]

never watched a lot of TOS, but weren't they basically at constant war with the Klingons throughout that entire period? (if I'm not mistaken, it wasn't until the sixth movie, when Praxis explodes, where the federation and Klingons start talking peace, if you follow all the shows/movies in the correct timeline). Just my 2 cents here, but I think it was probably more a matter of budget constraints that prevented more war/battle scenes in TOS than a desire from Roddenberry for a happy/utopian type of show.

I've always thought that DS9 had the best character development of any of the shows (TNG is right there as well). The good guys weren't always good, the bad guys weren't always bad.... just made it more realistic (I know not everyone likes that, but we're all different).

Roddenberry completely walked out of TOS mid-second season when he felt it was going downhill and wasn't going to be renewed. Roddenberry really did not have as much control or input in the development of the final product. He was into it 99% for the money - something a lot of fans are not aware of. He had a few side businesses, one of which was selling off Trek merchandise. The IDIC? Created solely to sell those little necklaces. (Again, the book Star Trek: The Inside Story is an amazing read - whether you are into TOS or not.) GR had input on the first ST movie, but after that he was pretty much asked to stay away. Most of the episodes in TOS that were solely his work were pretty darn awful (Yangs anyone?).

GR had the *idea*, but a lot of other people had better ones to build upon it and made the concept better, often against GR's wishes.

And the Klingons = the Russians. It wasn't about the whole universe being a utopian society - the Federation was the almost utopian society with other races having not yet joined. Like the Klingons and the "war-like" Romulans. Basically, ST is a giant game of Risk. The Federation wants to gain planets (territory) because they believe they are the most benevolent leaders (and for the resources). All the other groups are in competition with the Federation, which results in minor battles and wars. (In TOS, the other groups included the Klingons.)

I liked TNG and DS9, as well. DS9 *was* more war-like than the others because the focus of whole episodes was planning for battle and then fighting said battle. In TOS and TNG, stuff mostly just happened. There were no story arcs of large battle campaigns. DS9 just had a whole different focus since they were pretty much just sitting there, and that's okay.

(And I really don't want to find out how Vulcans do it. )

 

[Tree]

My husband is a huge fan of star trek but says this isn't his star trek it a whole new generation. Not your Daddy's star trek

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Comic book geeks are used to this reboot/alternate timeline story. How many times have Superman's origin been tweaked in the past 70 years? And in the mid 1980's, DC basically rebooted everything, only to do it again a few years ago.

To be honest, I much prefer this Star Trek to the original series. I really, really, really dislike Shatner. Voyager was lame. DS9 was whiny. And I didn't watch Enterprise. I really liked Next Gen.

I liked the new Star Trek a lot. I'm a little unsure how I feel about Spock and Uhura having a relatinoship, but besides that. Although I still don't like Kirk. But I think that will always be true.

 

[anna_chronistic]

:There is so much about this movie that we love, the music, the script, the funny parts, the suspense, introducing the characters, hearing favorite old lines....I waited the WHOLE movie to hear Scotty say "I'm givin' her all she's got Captain" and when he did the WHOLE theater (and it was PACKED) cheered and clapped, including me!!! It was just an amazing feeling to see it for the first time and honestly......when we watch it now the intro music still gives me chills and I can't even begin to count how many times I've watched it. I love the way Spock isn't so calm, he's more emotional then he was originally, I love the fight scene between Kirk & Spock, love Keith Urban's portrayal of Bones "all I've got left are ma bones", love the romance between Urhura & Spock.....Checkov "wictor wictor", Sulu and the fight scene on the drill.....just every action packed minute and every hilarious scene "you've got numb tongue? I can fix that" "stop it!!!!!" LOL

It's MY opinion that JJ Abrams was the new infusion that the series needed and I love that they are redoing it on a new timeline. I hope it opens up more stories and more options and I hope it leads to more awesome amazing movies because ST deserves it.

Every little snapshot/line you mentioned was also among my favorites. Love, love, love this movie. When I first saw it in the theater, yes I was crying a bit at the end of the intro bit ... but when the Star Trek insignia showed up on the screen and the theme played, I was so giddy I almost teared up again.

One thing mentioned by another poster -- the Kobayashi Maru. I also liked that they put this in the movie (although it wasn't quite as diabolical/clever as I had hoped -- reprogramming the computer? Really? I figured he'd come up with something more interesting, but whatev. It was still a cool moment). However, I was watching the movie last week and decided to listen to the commentary track. JJ Abrams says in the movie, "Oh, and a bunch of people seem to think the Kobayashi Maru was from the original, but we made that up" or something along those lines. I was flabbergasted. I mean, no, it was never actually shown on the original series or the sequels, but it was mentioned (in both the series and in novels based on the series, yes?). Am I crazy? Did I perhaps misunderstand him? I need to listen to the commentary track again, I guess.

 

[donaldduck352]

"I like this ship,it's exciting."Done in my best Scotty accent.

 

[purplegirl247]

I was just really (REALLY!) mad that they killed Spock's mom. She's the one who encouraged him to embrace his human side all those years. I wonder if that's maybe why they paired him up with Uhura, to give him that same encouragement?

I'm interested to see what they do with the sequels, but I too was really irritated with the whole "timeshift thing." It made me sad for the original characters, but like someone in this thread said earlier, they're technically still out there somewhere, so I feel better about that.

P.S. I still maintain that the new Enterprise bridge doesn't look right!!!

 

[mdsoccermom]

But they only mate once every 7 years, or something like that, when they go through their Pon farr. (Remember Amok Time, & The Search for Spock. ) It's going to take a long time to repopulate the species.

So, umm, what do Spock & Uhura do when they get together.

No, they can mate anytime. They HAVE to mate during the Pon Farr, however. There's no feigning a headache at that time.

 

[pixiewings71]

Every little snapshot/line you mentioned was also among my favorites. Love, love, love this movie. When I first saw it in the theater, yes I was crying a bit at the end of the intro bit ... but when the Star Trek insignia showed up on the screen and the theme played, I was so giddy I almost teared up again.

One thing mentioned by another poster -- the Kobayashi Maru. I also liked that they put this in the movie (although it wasn't quite as diabolical/clever as I had hoped -- reprogramming the computer? Really? I figured he'd come up with something more interesting, but whatev. It was still a cool moment). However, I was watching the movie last week and decided to listen to the commentary track. JJ Abrams says in the movie, "Oh, and a bunch of people seem to think the Kobayashi Maru was from the original, but we made that up" or something along those lines. I was flabbergasted. I mean, no, it was never actually shown on the original series or the sequels, but it was mentioned (in both the series and in novels based on the series, yes?). Am I crazy? Did I perhaps misunderstand him? I need to listen to the commentary track again, I guess.

Don't worry, I still tear up at the end of the opening sequence and I still get a knot in my throat when the insignia pops up.

"I like this ship,it's exciting."Done in my best Scotty accent.

OMG HOW did I forget that one? LOL Yup, love that quote too.

 

[Imzadi]

never watched a lot of TOS, but weren't they basically at constant war with the Klingons throughout that entire period? (if I'm not mistaken, it wasn't until the sixth movie, when Praxis explodes, where the federation and Klingons start talking peace, if you follow all the shows/movies in the correct timeline). Just my 2 cents here, but I think it was probably more a matter of budget constraints that prevented more war/battle scenes in TOS than a desire from Roddenberry for a happy/utopian type of show.

I've always thought that DS9 had the best character development of any of the shows (TNG is right there as well). The good guys weren't always good, the bad guys weren't always bad.... just made it more realistic (I know not everyone likes that, but we're all different).

The "universe" we lived in when TNG, DS9 and Voyager came on the scene was very different than the one we lived in the '60's, when Gunsmoke and Bonanza still ruled the airwaves, Vietnam was raging and nuclear annihilation was ever-present. TOS was presented as an antidote to the "gloom and doom and inevitable destruction" feeling of the times - even though times are bad, we will survive and thrive.

I saw an old special about the making of TOS that inteviewed Gene Roddenbery & Majel Barrett. Roddenberry said he purposely created Star Trek to have an optimistic future so that we'd be able to look forward to the 23rd century.

As snykymom mentioned, TOS started in 1966, after the country was still reeling from Kennedy's assassination and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Russians, Cubans & the Chinese were all our enemies and threats were very real at the time. The Vietnam War was killing our men, with no end in sight.

While the Klingons & Romulins were the enemies, if you look at the Star Trek, Roddenbery created, it's not just the United States, but the United Federation of PLANETS.

Earth had done away with all war and planetary conflict. There was no more poverty or disease. People didn't have to work at menial jobs, wasting away their lives and talents for money. They did work that enriched them and contributed to the planet & the universe.

At the helm of the Enterprise, there was a Russian and a Japanese officer, they were no longer our enemies.

At communications was a black woman, who was also a lieutenant, not a slave nor forced to sit at the back of the ship or to drink from a different water fountain. Whoopi Goldberg said when she saw Uhura sitting at the Com, she wanted to be just like her. There were no positive images and role models back then, or strong, black females. The role of Uhura, in fact, is quite responsible for influencing and making up the woman who is Whoopi Goldberg, today.

Uhura & Kirk had the first interracial kiss ever on TV, and that barely got through, only because the aliens "forced" them to kiss.

TOS wasn't made out to be a Utopian universe with no conflict or enemies. That wasn't what I meant. It was very ahead of it's time. It was controversial & thought provoking in it's day, while still maintaining a positive, optimistic outlook about a future to look forward to and about reaching the stars where no man has gone before.

DS9 was just 5(?) seasons of bickering and strife, both internal, among the main characters, and externally with their enemies. While some people may be interested in tuning in for that kind of stuff, it is not in keeping with GR's vision.

If you look at the crews of TOS and TNG, and their tight, tight relationships with each other, they are the kind of crews I know I would fly anywhere in the universe with and be proud to serve with. If I was a character of either crew, I'd risk my life for any of them. Yes, there are times when the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the few, or the many, and to Hell with the Prime Directive.


Maj. Kira, I wanted to shoot with a phaser every time she went into one of her huffy tirades - which was every show.

I would never get on a ship with Scott Bakula as captain. Apparently not to many other people did either, as the series ended.

However, I was watching the movie last week and decided to listen to the commentary track. JJ Abrams says in the movie, "Oh, and a bunch of people seem to think the Kobayashi Maru was from the original, but we made that up" or something along those lines. I was flabbergasted. I mean, no, it was never actually shown on the original series or the sequels, but it was mentioned (in both the series and in novels based on the series, yes?). Am I crazy? Did I perhaps misunderstand him? I need to listen to the commentary track again, I guess.

I don't know what JJ Abrams was referring to. maybe he meant in coming up with HOW Kirk had cheated?

The Kobayashi Maru was a vital part of the plot in The Wrath of Khan. There is a whole scene where Spock is explaining to Kirstie Alley about how Kirk was the only one who passed the Kobayashi Maru. Spock said he never took the Kobayashi Maru. It was developed after he was already a member of Star Fleet.

Later, when Kirk's son asked Kirk how he passed it, he said he cheated. His son said "So you never faced a no-win scenario. You've never faced death?"

It was Spock who actually came up with the answer to the Kobayashi Maru scenario and saved the ship.

 

[beattyfamily]

Does anyone know why they made Winona Ryder Spock's mom and then aged her? Did I miss her at some other point in the movie younger?

Or is she going to be in another movie, young?

I don't remember seeing her young in this movie.

 

[anna_chronistic]

Well, I bought the movie the moment it came out ... which means that when they come out with the "enhanced" or "director's cut" version with all the goodies, I'll need to get that, too.

However, according to the commentary track, YES, there was a scene with Winona Ryder's character giving birth to Spock, then they aged her for the other scenes. They ended up cutting the giving-birth-to-Spock scene (and they referenced several others they cut/changed and their explanations for doing so, but those deleted scenes were NOT in the initially-released DVD. Grr!).