Early 'Star Trek' Reviews Seem Very Positive
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, Newsstand, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels, Summer Movies
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Folks in the United States were a little bummed to hear that Star Trek was going to premiere in Australia, today, roughly one month before it was set to hit theaters. Opinions changed, however, when last night Paramount surprised an Austin, Texas audience with the first screening of J.J. Abrams new Trek reboot. Based on the general good buzz, I'm sure this Austin screening will be one of many held around the country in advance of the film's official release, so while we await more word, here's what folks are saying right now:
"But other than a few conveniences, I think Abrams pulled it off. STAR TREK isn't just a successful reboot, but a genuinely fun and exciting science fiction action adventure. My biggest complaint is that it feels like they just got started up when the film ended. I want more! I want to see the further adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew aboard the USS Enterprise." - Quint, AICN
"If there is one thing Star Trek always got right in the old days - and we're talking The Original Series and the first two films, of which I'm a big fan - it was a commitment to character and story above all else. This movie has that same commitment, but it is muted by an intense sensory experience. This may be a small problem for some fans, but I can assure you that when you get that first gorgeous shot of the USS Enterprise or you are thrust into the midst of a wild space battle, you won't mind one bit." - Neil Miller, Film School Rejects
"First of all, this is a fantastic movie. It's pacing is rapid-fire, the action is larger-than-life and raises blood pressure with ease, and the characters come to life in a very cool way. Overall, it's an exciting flick that is shot beautifully - featuring a cast that carries all the weight necessarily to create some enduring figures to root for. A near-perfect Summer tentpole blockbuster." -- Cole Abaius, FSR
More after the jump ...
"And above all, that's what sells this film. The painstaking love the film has for the series and its characters. While it can be viewed and enjoyed by the uninitiated in the ways of classic trek, the film borrows famous lines of dialog, hints about encounters and vintage jokes from all over the place to fully place this in the STAR TREK universe. Fans will detect very definite notes of WRATH OF KHAN and YOYAGE HOME, without it ever deliberately ripping off either." Massawyrm, AICN
"The acting and casting are spot on. The story mixes old and new elements of the Star Trek universe. The effects are breathtaking. Some people will inevitably nitpick this film but J.J. Abrams' new work is as good as (and arguably better) than most of the Star Trek movies that preceded it." Rodney Perkins, Twitch
"The big question on my mind right now as I type this is: "Was it Star Trek?" I'm still on the fence about this one. Parts of it definitely "felt" like Star Trek -- certainly much more than the later Next Generation films or heck, all of Voyager. Honestly, I think I need to see it again to make that judgement. But I gotta tell you, that's a personal call, and in the end it just doesn't matter -- this hard-core Trekkie still enjoyed the film. I'm glad I saw it, and I'll definitely go back to see it a second time. It's a rock-solid 3 out of 4 star movie for me." Reader Review, AICN
"It's a true reset to the franchise, and honors everything Roddenberry did with the original series, yet sets everything up for completely new stories. The characters we know and love are there, and some of the surprising casting worked amazingly well. Chris Pine does an outstanding job as a younger Kirk, paying homage to Shatner yet making the role completely his own. He's not alone; all the primary characters are revitalized. The chief complaint was not enough Simon Pegg time." Jenn Brown, Slackerwood
"I really wish they had just started over from scratch, like a real reboot should, but surprisingly, the way they tie everything ends up working for the most part. Where it all falls down is that it takes so long to get the basic point of Bana's villain across that the movie's halfway through the second act before you really get a feel for what exactly his motivation is, and why we need to tie into the old Trek in the first place." Reader Review, CHUD
"JJ Abrams has created a stunningly beautiful sci-fi vision that pretty much raises the bar for any space film to follow. The design and look of the film is absolutely fantastic in every sense. This is essentially the main element that sets this particular outing in the Star Trek franchise apart from the others and will probably be the thing most talked about right off the bat." Reader Review, AICN
"There were "genuine laughs" at the jokes and "quiet moments" with the serious character stuff. And apparently the crowd applauded at the introduction to each character. The film ended with a standing ovation." TrekMovie
We'll update this post with more reviews as they come in. Star Trek hits theaters on May 8.
FUN UPDATE: The Alamo Drafthouse blog has posted THIS report of the evening, complete with videos like this one:
Tom Cruise and J.J. Abrams Reunite for 'Mission Impossible 4'
'Big Top Pee-Wee': The Original Benicio Del Toro Wolfman
Spin-ematical: New on DVD and Blu-ray for 2/9
Watch This: Brilliant Oscar-Nominated Short 'Logorama'
Chris Nolan to Lead 'Superman' Reboot!?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
4-07-2009 @ 10:57AM
poshdeluxe said...
i'd like to add my review to the rave pile:
http://poshdeluxe.com/2009/04/07/star-trek-just-melted-my-pants/
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4-07-2009 @ 2:20PM
ML said...
OK, you got me. I'll see it!
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4-07-2009 @ 8:40PM
paul said...
That's about as cool as you can get.
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4-08-2009 @ 7:04AM
Leicester Phil said...
Here's one more:
http://www.sfx.co.uk/page/sfx?entry=film_review_star_trek
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4-12-2009 @ 10:50AM
Bill W. said...
I go back and forth between anticipating this movie, and thinking it will likely be overrated. From what I've been hearing it sounds like a cross between the old Star Wars and the old Star Trek. All the characters are young and ready to fight (like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo), but they're dressed like the 60's Star Trek characters. It's looking like it will likely be a hit, but it doesn't sound like it has what made Star Trek good (when it was good): A smart story. Probably Trek belongs on TV, where it can afford to be as introspective and smart as it was at it's peak during Next Generation.
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5-13-2009 @ 7:24PM
Erik said...
Want to let my fellow Star Trek fans know that as the movie opens later today at 7pm, the new Star Trek-based "Captain's Blog" iPhone app will launch shortly after at 8:30pm...at the Arclight in Hollywood.
We started building the app this Monday with the goal to launch it with the opening of the new Star Trek film only a few days away...and honestly, we're still working on it. So, make a bet with your friend to see if we will have finished on time...and come join us for an app and a movie. :)
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5-08-2009 @ 1:02PM
George said...
Like most movies these days the first 10 minutes are great and then after that, the writers don't know where to go.
Another tired "Time-line gets screwed up" episode that doesn't get straightened out in the end so J.J. Abrams can do whatever he wants with these characters. I can't say I look forward to a more "human" Spock in the future, as per the Spock on Spock advice, why don't you round off his ears too while you're at it and lastly I understand the importance of bringing Uhura closer into the main group but come on, I don't believe what happened in the turbo lift for a second. So, in the end I guess it's a good thing that this is some alternate universe. I just hope they make another Star Trek film that puts it all back the way it was.
The kids should love it.
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5-30-2009 @ 1:50PM
Andrew said...
I just saw this movie and all I can say is it's "Kiddiefied" Junk....
5-09-2009 @ 12:04AM
Ender said...
To start off, I've got to say that I was extremely nervous about seeing this movie. After the disappointment of "Enterprise" I was thinking "how can they be doing ANOTHER prequel." But after seeing the movie I've got to say that this is the best Trek ever.
JJ has gone back and re-envisioned the series in a new way, and he made it believable by adhering to the series take on time travel and temporal paradoxes. I was afraid that Abraams was just going to through out Trek history (and he did sort of) but he did it in a way that true Trek fans should be able to appreciate.
Heres hoping for more movies in this new Trek timeline or maybe even a new series.
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5-09-2009 @ 9:33PM
Person said...
THE MOVIE ROCKED!!
It was amazing..
I wanted to cry so many times...
but then It was action packed filled with excitement..I was half off my seat with my mouth wide open!!
Then I began to crack up!!
AMAZING MOVIE-
MUST SEE!!
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5-10-2009 @ 2:13AM
spocktaughtspock said...
This movie was incredible. The only thing that bothered me was that they didn't show kurk jr's 3 years of training in any kind of a nutshell... I guess it could always make for a great begining in the next movie! FIVE *****
"Live long and prosper"
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5-10-2009 @ 1:47PM
killer said...
Quit hatin on the movie. I'd like to see one of you create such amazing special effects and ridiculously precise action. Yes it's different than the rest of the Trek series but change is good (excluding the democratic party and everything they stand for ; ) Atleast The ships interior didn't look like the inside of an Astro van. There were a few funny parts and sure the tender parts were gay but the rest of the movie was out of this world. One of the best flicks in the galaxy. At one point i was so into it that i convinced myself it was all one of Spocks unbeatable training courses to inflict instinct and that i was being prepared for what was about to happen! I'm still trying to fathom Spock entering the black hole in just seconds and Nero entering first, but when they met it was 25 years that had passed for Nero. Mind blowing. So be thankful for such a thrilling adventure into another world or go jerk off to your early 80's vhs collection. I thought it was awesome.
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5-11-2009 @ 1:30PM
Jason said...
I honestly think this is the best space movie I have ever seen-wickedly funny and brilliant dialogue. The actors played their characters very well and they each added a bit of their own flare. Movies don't get much than this combination of humour, action, special effects, story line and dialogue. It was great to see how the young crew got together. Also, they left the cheese behind. This Star Trek is far and away the best of all of the previous. Thank-you to all the previous Star Trek actors for setting the stage for this updated version.
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5-11-2009 @ 8:42PM
James Anderson Merritt said...
I have been a Trek fan since the original series' NBC run. In this movie, Trek gets a "Mission Impossible/Starship Troopers" rework. I found it very entertaining and enjoyable. I thought that the Mission Impossible reboot was, while a good action thriller, not Mission Impossible at all, and so I refused to watch any of the sequels. On the other hand, the Starship Troopers movie was, while very little like the original book, thoroughly enjoyable in its own right; at least Verhooven affectionately nodded toward Heinlein's version. In a similar way, I think Abrams and company sat down and said, "let's have a good time with Trek, but show respect."
My one big question: Since the events of this film seem to take place after those of the original Trek's first pilot (in which Captain Pike meets the illusion-creating "butt-heads"), did Abrams' Pike also spend time in "The Cage" before meeting with young Kirk (who, in "our" timeline,served on the Farragut before coming to the Enterprise)? What does this Pike know and what has he seen?
Also, Spock-Prime being in Sylar-Spock's universe suggests that there really is no way to go back and change the past: both Spock-Prime and Nero fell into the same parallel universe, where it might be possible to "save" Romulus in the future. Also, the people that Nero "punished" were NOT the people responsible for the death of his own version of Romulus -- only Spock-prime was in any way involved, and he actually tried, but failed, to save the planet. So Nero's motivation boils down to a mere -- insane -- compulsion to "share the pain." He might just as well not have any motivation at all, no more than the planet eater from the original series, or some super-powered baby deprived of its bottle. I had a good time watching the movie. I may watch it again. I'll certainly give the next sequel a tumble. But if there was any disappointment for me in Abrams' "Star Trek," it didn't come from any liberties taken with long-cherished "canon" (even Spock&Uhura!), but rather from the hollow nature of the major antagonist. Bana seemed to do his best to flesh him out, but the task was impossible.
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5-11-2009 @ 9:46PM
dnz said...
very good , without giving any spoilers they managed to create a completly new thing , and at the same time made it stay true to the series, i think there will be a tv series coming
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5-11-2009 @ 9:59PM
GEJ said...
There are those who say this is the best Trek picture since Wrath of Kahn - I'm one of them. However, I will still give the edge (ever so slightly) toTWOK.
The two strongest performances come (as they should) from Kirk and Spock. George Kirk and Capt Pike, I would say, are tied for third.
Checkov - vurst russian accent, ever!
Scotty - great accent, but it was almost as if he was a parody of Jim Dohan's classic role.
McCoy, started off great, but then it seemed as if he was "doing" Deforest Kelly, instead of taking ownership of the role for himself - as Kirk and Spock did.
The pace of the movie bordered on being too fast and the visuals, though very good bordered on being overwhelming to the point that they distracted from the story.
When the first pilot of the original series, The Cage, was shown to network executive some 40 + years ago, they complained that it was too "cereberal". That criticism is not likely to be levied against Star Trek XI.
-George
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5-12-2009 @ 2:33PM
johnko said...
Almost as absolutely fabulous as the remake of Day The Earth Stood Still. I think it's time for jj to show us a much improved Bladerunner or how about another 2001?
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5-12-2009 @ 5:22PM
Rebecca said...
My husband and I both enjoyed the movie and our children, ages 14 and 7 loved it!!! I thought they did an excellent job incorporating the personalities of the original cast into a fresh, new group of actors. The plot was excellent - I am all about story lines - and I, along with the rest of the audience, found myself laughing out loud and looking forward to seeing it again. I never pay to see a movie twice - so that should tell you something.
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5-12-2009 @ 10:44PM
harold said...
Having grown up watching Star Trek daily on TV , owning all the comic books and then later on seeing each movie and incarnation on TV....I can say the new movie was FUN!
Any overly serious Trekkie who does not see this as a form of entertainment and an attempt to breathe life into a franchise that was at best on life support...radio SCOTTY and have him beam your head out of your backside!
For God's sake GET A LIFE!
Move on! Put away the rubber ears! Move out of your parents basement. Quit stroking your Tribble
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5-13-2009 @ 3:59PM
john said...
The movie was enjoyable, but it seemed like it took too long to re-introduce all the characters. I think it was setting up for more films to come rather than telling an interesting story.
There was a good review on EssentialGearGuide.com.
http://essentialgearguide.com/1/1527/star-trek-boldly-go-into-a-dark-room-full-of-middle-aged-virgins/
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