Star Trek, the movie

[katikat]

I went and saw Star Trek today...

On a scale from 1 to 10 where 1 is Stardust and 10 is Fast and Furious, this was an 8. Definitely better than Wolverine but not as exciting and blood-pumping as Fnf.

I loved the special effects. And the music. And the action. And the humor, especially the humor - McCoy following Kirk through the ship, pumping him full of medicine was incredibly funny!

What didn't really click for me were the relationships: between Spock and Kirk and between Spock and Uhura:
* I mean, with Kirk and McCoy, you felt their chemistry. With Spock and Kirk... I didn't really feel it, I was missing a deeper bond. It just felt like for Spock Kirk was barely worth his attention - and the same goes for Kirk and his attitude towards Spock. Like "blah, blah, blah, huge, epic troubles - oh yeah, and that guy is there too". I thought that this should have been a movie about how Kirk and Spock met and became friends. But that felt a bit like a "back-burner" material, an afterthought, like two storylines running alongside but never meshing properly...
* And Spock and Uhura. Urgh. I thought that they barely knew each other at the beginning of the main part of the movie, it really felt that way. And suddenly, she steps with him into the elevator and starts climbing him like a tree. Wasn't he a sort of her teacher/councilor/whatever at the academy, designing the Kobayashi Maru and knowing all her notes etc.? Because a teacher-student relationship is just creepy. I would have preferred a strong woman that wasn't a love interest.

Oh, and I loved the older Kirk. That man was gorgeous! Just like the captain of the USS Kelvin! And Chekov was so funny! And Sulu too! I loved the scene where he couldn't get the Enterprise to move XD

So yeah, maybe I need to rewatch it to get a better feel for Spock and Kirk - or maybe read the book and get into the characters' heads - but if I hadn't known and wasn't told by the old Spock that they would become best friends, I wouldn't have seen a hint of that in the movie itself. Weird.

I'm a slasher at heart, as you know, and I thought that I would come out of the theater being a Spock/Kirk fan but I ended up being first and foremost a McCoy!fan - and a Kirk/McCoy fan, of course!

Comments

[astri13.livejournal.com]

And Spock and Uhura. Urgh. I thought that they barely knew each other at the beginning of the main part of the movie, it really felt that way. And suddenly, she steps with him into the elevator and starts climbing him like a tree.

I think they established the relationship earlier when she went to him, all angry about being assigned to a ship that wasn't the Enterprise and he looked around awkwardly and told her it was an attempt to avoid accusiations of favoritism "aka, they know we're sleeping together so I can't put you at the good posting". And then she glared at him, he changed it anyway and she smiled.

I knew right away they had a thing then. Even kind of liked it within that movie because it gave Spock another facet.

But for me the Spock/Kirk relationship also worked very well. I guess in the next movie, whenever that happens, there will be more of it but for a starting point I liked their antagonistic vibe that turned into a grudging respect by the end. So maybe it was just like a prologue to their friendship.

Very much agreed on Bones, though. Karl Urban was fantastic. In that one scene where Kirk had the puffy fingers he so totally nailed the traditional Bones' mimic and gestures.

Oh, and I loved the older Kirk. That man was gorgeous! Just like the captain of the USS Kelvin!

*nod nod* Good casting job there. We only knew these characters for the teaser but for what little they had, the writing and acting made me feel for them.

I also felt there was an uncanny resmeblance between Kirk Senior and Junior, totally bought them as father and son.

[katikat.livejournal.com]

I just found the Spock/Uhura ship creepy because he obviously was some kind of a superior of hers at the academy - she was obviously quoting his commendatory observations of her. And I went into it knowing that they would be a couple but I thought that they would explore/start it in the movie, not just "BANG, they have been sleeping together for a long time, even when it was if nothing at least questionable."

And I really thought that Kirk and Spock's storylines would mesh more. Oh well - the last friendship based movie that I saw in the cinema was Fast and Furious and Brian and Dom ooze intimacy whenever they are in close proximity - and now I realize that that's probably an exception to the rule :P

[ixchel55.livejournal.com]

Spock/Uhura didn't bother me that much - they're kinda hot together - but yeah, I could have done without the only strong female being a love interest. But then I could have gone for a future where the military didn't make their females wear mini-skirts, too! I don't know why that bugs me so much but it does. If the people were any other than the morally upright Spock and the very strong and self-aware Uhura I might have a problem with the professional vs personal relationship.

I think Kirk's relationship with Spock has just barely begun. I think of it more as a set up for the net movie(s) - I believe they're planning 3 of them.

But I'm with you, I'm all about McCoy and esp McCoy/Kirk. Karl Urban is..unngh! And his interactions with Kirk are insightful and hysterically funny.

I think they did an excellent job of choosing the actors. I was a little iffy about Chekov but he's growing on me. *G*

I'd have to rank this movie as a solid 9, the same I give F&F. I adore Brian/Dom and the movies, but they have to have a bit more to rank a 10.

[katikat.livejournal.com]

I just can't get over the teacher-student ship with Spock and Uhura in my head. Everything about the ship crashes and burns at that for me.

And you are right, when I take away my expectation for the Kirk/Spock friendship, the film does get even better. And I understand that it's just the beginning but there was no "THERE, that's when it all begins" moment. I mean, you remember the "he owns you now" moment in TF&TF movie? NEON SIGN!

On a general, objective scale, F&F was a 9-movie for me too because it might have been better - without the awkward Brian/Mia sex. On my personal scale of movies that I saw, F&F was the best movie I've seen in the cinema in a very, very long time - Stardust was the worst in a very long time. I use the scale to determinate how much better than Stardust it actually is :P

And F&F? For me, it's all about the Brian/Dom slash. There was actually a plot? O.O Go figure. I was too enthralled by their chemistry ;P

[sharona1x2.livejournal.com]

For me, the movie was a 9-10. I think the only things that could have improved it were fleshing out Nero and the Romulans a little more, and using less of that lens flare. I didn't mind it the first time I saw the movie, but I noticed it a lot the second time. We'll see if it bothers me the third time. ^_^

I'm okay with Spock/Uhura. I kind of like how for the first time, Kirk didn't get the girl he wanted. Since I've read that the Kirk/Uhura kiss in the original series was originally supposed to be Spock/Uhura (until Shatner demanded it be changed), I can accept that they have feelings for each other. It'll be interesting to see where they go with Nurse Chapel.

I thought that I would come out of the theater being a Spock/Kirk fan but I ended up being first and foremost a McCoy!fan - and a Kirk/McCoy fan, of course!

Ditto for me. I adored their friendship. I haven't been able to get into Star Trek XI slash, but if I could, they'd be my pairing of choice.

[katikat.livejournal.com]

I think that if I haven't seen Fast and Furious first, I might have given this movie a 10 too. It's just that the friendship between Dom and Brian in FnF spoiled me for anything else :P

With Spock and Uhura I just can't get over the fact that he was her teacher at the academy and they still started an affair. That's... icky.

I just started reading the ST XI slash but so far, I'm only after Kirk/McCoy *nods*

[layne67.livejournal.com]

Oooooh I definitely got the Kirk/McCoy vibe too, better than Kirk/Spock!!

[katikat.livejournal.com]

Exactly! I just wonder who would be the top and who the bottom ;P

[creedcascade.livejournal.com]

I love Kirk/Bones now. (sigh) Already writing it... second story in a verse. I am troubled.

[katikat.livejournal.com]

Awesome! I will have to go and read the first one, then! McCoy is just made of the squishy, really \o/

[matimate.livejournal.com]

Why for Christ sake everybody wants to slash member of nicely formed hetero pair? I liked Spock and Uhura it is working nicely for this alternative reality.

[katikat.livejournal.com]

It's because people expected more of a Kirk/Spock shipping. That's probably the oldest slash couple, the one from which the term "slash" was derivated.

I didn't like Spock/Uhura. Teacher/student? Immoral and creepy, just something that's not done.

[matimate.livejournal.com]

Yep kirk/Spock is ancient and there was many pairs in old days to slash this one was just very prominent that is all.

I liked the idea when it hit the screen and they made really nice pair of Spock and Uhura. It was so nice and coozzy but it was not according slasher fashion and that was and still is the problem. I think for hardcore slasher is hard to accept hetero relationship or strong female hero.

[katikat.livejournal.com]

Actually, besides the fact that he was her teacher, I actually minded that they turned the one strong woman in the movie in a simple love interest. At the beginning of the movie, she was strong and self-assured, a good cadet in her own right. But then all she did was run around after him. Kinda didn't like that.