Way back when, in 2007; I had heard the unthinkable; Star Trek was being remade. I was worried, I've seen other reboots and with one exception, none were palatable. J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies have been no exception, from the childish humor of the first movie to the homage (*cough* rip-off) of The Wrath of Khan in the second one, they've proven to be less than stellar outings for the venerable Star Trek franchise.
With that said, I have found some minor reasons to appreciate some of the ideas presented in both films.
Black-hole escape: The ending of the first film features the Enterprise escaping from a black-hole. I found this sequence to be very reminicent of something one might see in the original series, specifically the Enterprise's 'slingshot' through time; everyone being physically thrown around and from side to side, Scotty's line "I'm givin' 'er all she's got Captain!" was a nice moment that hit me square in the chest.
The breaking of the "Prime directive" from "Into Darkness". This was a great plot-line in the film and one I think they explored well; they didn't build the plot around it but it none-the-less has an impact. It also allows the audience to ponder what they would have done in the crews' position. I've actually thought about this more than I've thought about the first film in it's entirely. Were I in a position to save an entire civilization, I would have made the decision to save them, just as our protagonists do. But - I do see the wisdom of the Prime directive; it was never explored better than it was in The Next Generation; that series asked the same question and offered a humanitarian answer. Protect and save life if at all possible, which is how I see the organization of Starfleet and the Federation; as humanitarians.
So Kirk breaks the prime directive and refreshingly, we see him pay the price. He faces judgment and loses his command. I thought that was a beautiful way to set up the film; I just wish they'd done more with it - to have it's affects ripple throughout the story; instead, Kirk immediately gets his command back with nary a slap of the wrist, so it is not terribly well paid-off (We should see our heroes have to earn their gifts.); but the plot needed Kirk on the Enterprise and in command for the later drama of his decision to trust Khan.
One odd thing...
Why in God's name was McCoy testing Khan's blood on a dead Tribble? What the hell kind of Frankenstein-esque Doctor is McCoy in this new Universe? Not only is he testing on a dead Tribble he just happens to have lying around, but he's doing so in the middle of a crisis! I don't even think they were out of Klingon space yet. It just struck me as odd and was clearly a clumsy foreshadowing device. Childish writing.
"A five year mission, Spock!"
Yes, in this film the five year mission of the original series is a new concept! This is something I would have never even considered as an idea; one just takes for granted that everyone goes out on five year missions into the unknown. This film makes it special, something to strive toward, something one must earn. And it makes sense and I hope becomes a part of the Star Trek canon. It also perfectly sets up the forthcoming Star Trek beyond, whose title I find quite inspiring and I hope that the writers are similarly inspired and take the title to heart while crafting the script.
The Enterprise refit:
The end of Into Darkness sees the Enterprise refitted, albeit mildly. The Impulse engine has been widened making the detail fit better with the established design than it's predecessor. The ship, thanks to the closeness of the Nacelles, appears wider and the new engine only reinforces that. If anyone reading this has any influence over the model kit company Revell, please have them make a model of this refitted version of the Enterprise; I have the previous version and love it.
That sums up my positive thoughts of these two new rebooted Trek movies. I haven't the time nor the energy to discuss the negatives, I'd be here the rest of my life.
Enjoy life, take it by the hand full and love every moment of it!
- Spaced out blogger
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