Visit to a Strange Planet...Again

I finally saw the new Star Trek movie.

I realize some of you will probably be surprised at this, given my upbringing, but I don't actually make it out to movies all that often these days. And looking back on it, I may have been subconsciously avoiding it. After all, there is such a thing as taking things too far. Still, some remakes have been rather impressive. Here's my take on it.


SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!




First off, it definitely showed Star Trek's characteristic blend of adherence to real science combined with total and complete disregard for it. A hallmark of many a well-loved science fiction story which Star Trek admirably achieves. This also gave them room to add a number of interesting features to the Enterprise herself (water pipes in the engine room, anyone?) that hearkened back to less advanced times (like the tech on the original series) while still making the technology look like it could exist in our future. It was a pretty good compromise that tied back to the old show while moving on to something new.

Second, there were a fantastic number of "Star Trek lines" that were well placed. I exclaimed in joy at each one and amazingly, only one was jarring to me in the dialogue at hand. This reminiscence of the existing show and movies was well used in quite a number of scenes and props and such. I mean, the nice shot of the Golden Gate brought memories of Star Trek IV, the scenes with Spock's mother and father well reminded me of similar scenes in the movies, and, of course, the brain worms (ok, I'm showing my lack of total Trekiness by not remembering their actual name) from Wrath of Khan. I half expected the villain to exclaim, "...for hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee!"

The original characters were a must, and the new actors did an admirable job, but the real tie here to the original was the time travel plot that allowed Leonard Nimoy to "pass the reins." I wonder how he felt in that part, again? (That's actually where my inspiration for the title came from).

Anyway, end result is: I loved this movie (save for the apparently obligatory bedroom scene, which could have been much worse, but still...ugh). I think it was fantastic in its own right, but they successfully achieved the tie back to the old ones, and I think there was a ton to be appreciated only by long time fans of the franchise. Well done.