Star Trek - A Great Movie Experience with Friends

In summary, the movie was terrible. However, if you are a fan of the TNG era, then you might enjoy the nostalgia.
  • #1
Vorbis
47
0
Just saw Star Trek like an hour ago with my friend and it was great! :biggrin: I've never actually seen the show but I think I can make time. How did you guys like it?
 
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  • #2
You've never seen that actual episodes of the original Star Trek?
 
  • #3
drankin said:
You've never seen that actual episodes of the original Star Trek?

Hey now, no need to tell the young 'uns about how, when we were kids, we walked 10 miles uphill both ways to school (in hail, sleet, and sometimes hurricane), and watched Star Trek!

Seriously though, to the OP, I got into Star Trek by watching Star Trek: The Next Generation (it premiered when I was a kid), then found Star Trek in syndication, and then watched Deep Space 9, Voyager, and even Enterprise as they all came and went. I'd have to say my favourite was Deep Space 9, but if you ask 10 different Trek fans what their favourite brand of Star Trek, and who their favourite captain was, you'd probably get 10 different answers. (There's 10+ if you include the ones that only came out in book format)

I also enjoyed the original, but found it a little campy at times (keep in mind that it was made in the 60s when laptops and cell phones were pipe dreams, and the most powerful computers are surpassed by today's calculators). But since sci-fi is more about the human element than anything, there were a few really great episodes, and mostly good ones that explored this (and don't get me wrong, a couple of real doozies--can't have gems all the time). At the time, it was ground-breaking, pushing-the-envelope entertainment, which met an untimely demise.

Or so I think, for what it's worth.
 
  • #5
Comparing with the others, I thought that it was rather terrible. Sure the special effects were great, but the plot could of used some filling.
 
  • #6
Winzer said:
Comparing with the others, I thought that it was rather terrible. Sure the special effects were great, but the plot could of used some filling.

I am thinking about going to see it today. Maybe my time would be better spent working on "real" spacetime warps, i.e., working on "exotic" solutions to Einstein's equation in general relativity.
 
  • #7
MATLABdude said:
we walked 10 miles uphill both ways to school (in hail, sleet, and sometimes hurricane), and watched Star Trek!

They let you watch Star Trek at school? :bugeye: :uhh:
 
  • #8
I had never seen Star Trek either, and I have to admit I was a bit confused during the movie, but it was really, really awesome!
 
  • #9
Radisrad said:
I had never seen Star Trek either, and I have to admit I was a bit confused during the movie, but it was really, really awesome!

Thats the way I felt :smile:
 
  • #10
That's because you haven't seen a real episode of ST to realize how bad the movie was.
 
  • #11
Face it Cyrus, you are like a voice crying out in the wilderness.
 
  • #12
Ivan Seeking said:
Face it Cyrus, you are like a voice crying out in the wilderness.

Not really, considering critics said the same thing. Look, I'm a big fan of Star Trek, the series. But that movie was trash. The plot was shallow, there was no moral dilemmas. What was the point of watching that movie?

I'd rank that movie pretty low. At least last two batman episodes had some story to them. The first one was a Journey of who batman is, and the second one had moral choices in it. What does star trek have?

PS: Why was the inside of this state of the art ship an f'in moonshine plant? Talk about one lousy movie set. So the bridge is futuristic. The teleporters are futuristic. As for the main part that actually POWERS the ship - that's from the 1920's...okayyy..

Im sorry, this movie was an epic failure.
 
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  • #13
Wow Cyrus, I have usually totally disagree with you about politics and philosophy, but for once I totally agree with you: this movie did not capture anything about what makes Star Trek good, just a few heavily cliched catch phrases.

As a fan of the TNG era, I thought that maybe fans of TOS could survive on the movie's nostalgia alone, but now I see that that was overly optimistic. Even though I will not see another Abrams Trek in theater, I am still looking forward to some eventual TNG/Voy/DS9 remakes.

I should say, however, that I don't like any Hollywood action movies (althoug again agreeing with Cyrus, at least Batman was better than this). For someone who likes those this trek movie is probably fine.
 
  • #14
could someone recommend a good starting point for watching some good star trek? I heard that TNG and DS9 were good, what are the main differences between the series? Is the original star trek worth watching?
 
  • #15
qntty said:
could someone recommend a good starting point for watching some good star trek? I heard that TNG and DS9 were good, what are the main differences between the series? Is the original star trek worth watching?

If you are under 30 years old the original star trek is probably not worth watching. I recommend starting with TNG, although it is important not to get turned off by the several bad episodes in the first few seasons. To avoid these I use the following episode ratings site:

http://www.trekmania.net/conference/listings/episodelistingstng.htm

I can safely recommend the four star episodes, and also the three star epsiodes once your a fan, but two stars and below are not worth watching.
 
  • #16
Will I understand the plot no matter where I start or do I need to watch the first few episodes first?
 
  • #17
qntty said:
Will I understand the plot no matter where I start or do I need to watch the first few episodes first?

For TNG I recommend watching the pilot episode, to learn the characters names and so on, and then you can pretty much float around the seasons if you want. When I first saw these on TV they would appear in a random order and I still developed a like for the series. I think TNG was pretty considerate of viewers 'dropping in' at random points of the series, with a minimum of references that require actual background.

If you want to go straight some good stuff, I recommend "The Measure Of A Man", and "Who watches the watchers?" since these appear in the second and third season. Once you get to the fourth season of TNG it is hard to go back to the earlier episodes, but it is worth watching them to build up the scope of the entire series.
 
  • #19
Cyrus said:
Not really, considering critics said the same thing. Look, I'm a big fan of Star Trek, the series. But that movie was trash. The plot was shallow, there was no moral dilemmas. What was the point of watching that movie?
The point was clearly to set up an endless stream of sequels. If nothing else, that movie was one long character-establishing shot. They walk essentially unimpeded through the plot; toss in a few deus ex machinas, leave a few minutes on the cutting room floor, and then the movie ends as they are just about to finally do something.

It has some funny moments. In fact it was funnier than most comedys these days.
 
  • #20
ExactlySolved said:
Wow Cyrus, I have usually totally disagree with you about politics and philosophy, but for once I totally agree with you: this movie did not capture anything about what makes Star Trek good, just a few heavily cliched catch phrases.

Heh, my sentiments as well. I usually don't agree with Cyrus either, but this time I think we're of the same mind.

The movie captured almost nothing of what Star Trek was about. One of the directors (Roberto Orci I think) explicitly stated that he tried to play down the utopian view of the future, as he tried to convey via the bar fight scene showing humans fighting each other. He thereby destroyed one of the most appealing aspects of Star Trek.

And there's more. One of the hallmarks of Star Trek is that they take controversial issues and play with them in a setting where they can do no one any harm. One of the great things about Star Trek is that most of the episodes addressed matters of science, philosophy, and ethics. They didn't always come to conclusions that agreed with most viewers. Heck, I probably disagreed with the central message of the show more often than not. But at least it got people thinking about things. In the movie, there was no discussion of philosophy and ethics, lest viewers be required to use any higher brain functions during the film. Science also got no mention, as indicated b the absence of any technobabble. Now, I'll be the first to say that Star Trek doesn't usually get its science right (as us physicists can notice from even a cursory viewing of the shows), but at least it gives the show an appeal to those who are scientifically inclined. This was absent from the film. Technobabble has the interesting effect of making the unbelievable seem plausible. Destroying a planet isn't necessarily implausible; after all, we swallowed the Genesis device. But the foolishness with "red matter" was almost juvenile, as no explanation was provided.

Star Trek is certainly entertaining...at least in the way that one might find "The Fast and the Furious" entertaining. It was a lot of special effects and action, and no thought or philosophical commentary. I certainly think that special effects are a very valuable thing in a film, but they don't substitute for the things that characterize Star Trek. Those things were absent from this film. Maybe they would have done better to call it Star Wreck, so as to avoid any association with the Star Trek franchise.
 
  • #21
I just finished watching "who watches the watchers" and wow, you were right. The show is good, but I still like the movie.
 

1. What makes "Star Trek" a great movie experience?

"Star Trek" is a great movie experience because it combines elements of science fiction, action, and adventure with complex and relatable characters. It also has a rich and expansive universe that allows viewers to escape into a different world.

2. Is "Star Trek" suitable for all ages?

While "Star Trek" has a widespread appeal, it may not be suitable for very young children due to its intense action scenes and complex plot. Parents should use their discretion when deciding if the movie is appropriate for their children.

3. Is it necessary to watch the previous "Star Trek" movies or TV series to understand this movie?

No, "Star Trek" can be enjoyed as a standalone movie. However, having some background knowledge about the "Star Trek" universe and its characters may enhance the viewing experience.

4. Are there any underlying themes in "Star Trek"?

Yes, "Star Trek" often explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and the human condition. It also tackles moral and ethical dilemmas, making it more than just a simple sci-fi movie.

5. Can "Star Trek" be enjoyed with friends who are not familiar with the franchise?

Yes, "Star Trek" is a great movie to watch with friends, even if they are not familiar with the franchise. The movie's fast-paced action and likable characters make it a fun and enjoyable experience for all.

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