A few brief comments about the little film that debuted this weekend (with spoilers)

[Orrex]

Praise:
1. Kicked ass.
2. Had as much character development as at least 9 of the other 10 movies or most of the original series.
3. Complaints about canon are pointless; the film explicitly addresses this in a satisfactory way IMO.
4. Loved the clunkier style of technology with the huge engine room.
5. The casting was excellent, though I wasn't entirely thrilled with Chekov.
6. Loved the music for the closing credits.

Complaints:
1. That stupid rock-gnome ugnaut guy. WTF?!?
2. Too much of that harsh over-lighting that's so popular in film today; this will date the film more than anything else.
3. I'm not comfortable with interplanetary (interstellar?) beaming. Too easy a plot device.
4. How can a supernova destroy a galaxy? And wouldn't it take hundreds of thousands of years, even if it could?
5. If you can make a black hole, why bother drilling into the planet? Throw it into the Sun and be done with it. For that matter, if a single drop of Red Matter makes a black hole, how many thousands of drops were in that big bubble on Spock's ship? Wouldn't they yield a much more powerful black hole?
6. Nero is from the post ST:TNG era, so why should Christopher Pike be of any interest to him? Why not capture and torture any ol' Captain for the needed information?

On substantive balance, the praise-worthy aspects outweigh my complaints, and I enjoyed the film from start to finish.

One general comment about canonicity: IIRC Romulans were mostly unfamiliar to the Federation as of the time of the TOS. I can't reconcile that with Uhura's familiarity with "all three dialects."

[targetpractice]

1. Supernova destroying the galaxy...

I didn't think that was meant literally... I took it to mean the destruction of Romulus would lead to the political destruction... upsetting the relationships between the various planets, treaties, etc.

[Orrex]

2. I don't know...

That doesn't seem to follow from onscreen evidence. Spock's account of the event suggests that it was already in progress when he launched with the Red Matter, because he specifically indicated that he would have to inject the Matter into the supernova; not into the star. And if the supernova were already underway and close enough to destroy Romulus, then there'd be no way for him to do anything about it, because it would be too late.

Also, why the heck would a centenarian ambassador be the best person for the mission? You'd think that somewhere in the entire Romulan empire there'd be at least one man or woman better suited to the task. Or maybe they'd send a second ship, just in case the first one didn't get the job done?

It's also a little too convenient, in terms of overall narrative, that the Federation's two biggest enemies were knocked out by astronomical events: the destruction of Praxis and the current film's supernova.

[targetpractice]

10. Maybe... I was second row IMAX...

Things were hard to follow.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

3. whatever --

I was willing to buy all of it BUT the Spock thing. That was Too much for me :D :hide: :hi:

[Orrex]

4. I hate to say it, but...

I found Nimoy's performance totally unimpressive. I know he's been Spock since before I was born, but he really seemed to be phoning it in here. "Old Spock" was just an eccentric guy with pointy ears, rather than embodying the iconic figure he's become.

Trek has at least already established him as the ambassador to Romulus, so that part was okay. But I agree with you that his involvement in the film was a bit weird.

I loved Quinto's portrayal, though.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

7. I thought all the main characters did a good job --

It was a fun ride :)

I gave it 2 popcorns in my thread ....

which is sinking like a rock :D

[baldguy]

5. Remember the Federation fought a war with the Romulans about 100 yrs prior to TOS.

They never saw each other, but were able to communicate via radio. (Yes, I know pictures can be transmitted via radio - but that's the explanation.)

[Orrex]

6. Ah--thanks for the reminder

They've always portrayed the Romulans as scheming and secretive, so I can accept that they might not have wanted to reveal themselves visually.

[AmandaRuth]

8. I really loved it.

Usually not one for action type movies, but the parachuting and fighting scene on the drill was amazing. It was great to see Sulu kick some serious butt, and a great shout out to the old school fans (Olsen). Great reboot, imho.

[Orrex]

9. I agree!

And, as reboots go, this one has the benefit of not negating everything that's gone before, as other reboots have done. Nolan's Batman Begins totally disregarded Burton's 1989 hackjob and its sequels, just as Casino Royale ignored 40+ years of Bond films. Both are stronger for having done so, but Abrams' Star Trek at least allows the "known" Trek universe to remain intact, after a fashion.

It was great to see Sulu as a fencer, as we'd seen briefly him in The Naked Time so long ago!

[Mythsaje]

11. Agree with all the Pros...

The cons... well...

1. Look, a REAL alien rather than some weirded out human forehead lateral pass.
2. I'd rather have light than dark. At least I can frickin' see it.
3. Hmm. Maybe.
4. Heck if I know.
5. Heck if I know.
6. He was handy.

[Orrex]

12. Good suggestions!

1. Then make him a real character, rather than a tacked-on Ewok-esque punchline.
2. Light is fine, but that over-bright gimmick really annoys me. You're right, though, that it's better to be able to see than not see.
6. That makes sense, now that I think of it. I was jumping to a conclusion based on Pike's importance in the primary Trek universe, but it's feasible that he was just a target of opportunity.