Star Trek (2009) - Abrams' imperfect but awesome reboot

♥♥♥

+ Best Science Fiction Movie of the Year

Allowing sneak peaks out to the infinity of space, the over-sized, excited letters of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek seem fitting on this simple, great poster

Star Fleet Captain James Kirk's father dies to save his pregnant wife. Kirk grows up to become a rebel who carries his feelings on his sleeve. Now he has to unify his talents with half-human/half-Vulcan rational brain Mr. Spock to save the universe from a madman with red matter and direction towards Earth.

Star Trek is written by Alex Kurtzman (The Island (2005)) and Roberto Orci (Hawaii Five-O (2010-19)) and directed by great New-Yorker filmmaker J.J. Abrams (Mission: Impossible III (2006)). It is a prequel reboot of the Star Trek film franchise, its 11th film, based on the original Star Trek TV-series (1966-69).
I was not a Star Trek fan when this came out, (I later have watched most of the original series and come to love its equal parts idealistic, ambitious sci-fi and campy 1960s silliness), and I found Zachary Quinto's (Margin Call (2011)) Spock to be involuntarily comedic throughout. I also fail to see any reason why Zoe Saldana's (The Skeptic (2009)) Uhura should fall for him as she does.
The scenes of Kirk and Spock as boys in the beginning of the film don't work: Kirk is a brat, who wrecks a beautiful car; and Spock is a king of nerds.
But when the Enterprise (Star Trek's central spaceship) finally gets into space, the film captures me.
Eric Bana (The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)) is unrecognizable as the nefarious Nero, and Abrams and cinematographer David Mindel's (Enemy of the State (1998)) use of lens flares get the best of them. But Chris Pine (Just My Luck (2006)) is surprisingly good as adult Kirk; the effects are terrific, and Michael Giacchino's (This Is Where I Leave You (2014)) score is especially grand and great. Simon Pegg (Diary of the Dead (2007)) is a joy to have here as Scotty, and although his Russian accent is somewhat jarring to me, Anton Yelchin (Charlie Bartlett (2007)) as the starship's Russian cadre Chekov is also neat to have in the ensemble. Pivotally, the fascinating endlessness of space is communicated in the worthwhile Star Trek.

Related posts:


J.J. Abrams: 2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]  
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) - Abrams scores big time, makes beautiful space opera blockbuster
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) or, Star Trek It Before You Wreck It
Super 8 (2011) - Abrams' nostalgic family crowdpleaser

2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 
Cloverfield (2008) or, It Tore Her Head Off! (co-producer)   
Star Trek franchise: Star Trek Beyond (2016) - Lin's adventurous, foundation-honoring entry

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 150 mil. $
Box office: 385.6 mil. $
= Box office success (returned 2.57 times its cost)
[Star Trek premiered 6 April (Austin, Texas) and runs 127 minutes. Paramount chief Gail Berman convinced CBS to allow them to make a new Star Trek film in 2005. Shooting took place in Vermont, Utah, Alaska and in California, including Los Angeles, from November 2007 - March 2008. A 2008 Christmas release was pushed out to summer 2009 as the dailies impressed Paramount execs. The film opened #1 to a 75.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, the biggest Star Trek movie launch - also adjusted for inflation - ever. It spent another 4 weeks in the top 5 (#2-#3-#5-#5) and grossed 257.7 mil. $ (66.8 % of the total gross), becoming the year's 7th highest-grossing film in North America. The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 35.3 mil. $ (9.2 %) and Germany with 12.7 mil. $ (3.3 %). The film was nominated for 4 Oscars, winning for Best Makeup. It lost Sound Mixing and Sound Editing to The Hurt Locker and Best Visual Effects to Avatar. It became the first Star Trek movie to win an Oscar. It was also nominated for 2 BAFTAs, a Grammy, won a National Board of Review award and several other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 2½/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. The rebooted franchise continued with Star Trek Into Darkness (2013, also by Abrams) and Star Trek Beyond (2016). A fourth film in the new saga was projected but shelved after disappointing B.O. performance of Beyond; Quentin Tarantino has written an R-rated Star Trek script that he wishes to film, but its fruition is highly doubtful. Abrams returned with a video game, a TV movie and a TV-series pilot before his next theatrical feature Super 8 (2011). Pine returned in Carriers (2009); Quinto in 5 short, video game and TV-series credits before his return to big screens in Margin Call (2011). Star Trek is certified fresh at 94 % with a 8.13/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Star Trek?

Star Trek Beyond (2016) - Lin's adventurous, foundation-honoring entry

♥♥♥♥

One of the beautiful, strong-colored posters for Justin Lin's Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek Beyond is the 3rd film in the rebooted Star Trek film franchise and the 13th Star Trek film overall. It is written by Doug Jung (Banshee (2014), TV-series) and Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz (2007)), who also returns as Scotty, based on Gene Roddenberry's (West Point (1956-57)) original 1966-86 series, and directed by Justin Lin (Fast & Furious 6 (2013)).

The spaceship Enterprise is three years into its 5-year mission, and Captain Kirk is having doubts as to the point of the exploration of space. A search for an allegedly stranded ship on a strange planet turns deadly, as the Enterprise gets shot down by a malicious army led by the bitter leader Krall.

Beyond keeps the pedal to the metal in terms of keeping the high quality of the two previous chapters in the new film series, despite the cast beginning to look older and less energetic. Chris Pine (This Means War (2012)) is still an ideal Kirk, who communicates knowingly with involuntarily funny Spock (Zachary Quinto (I Am Michael (2015)), who shares quite a lot of pleasant banter with earthbound, skeptic Doc Bones (Karl Urban (The Price of Milk (2000))) in the new film.
SPOILER Many headlines have been spun on the controversy regarding John Cho's (That Burning Feeling (2013)) character Sulu's very discreet coming out as gay in Beyond, mostly because George Takei, who used to play Sulu and has since come out as a gay LGBT rights activist, has opposed the turn. In reality the element is very small in the film. It is there, but underplayed (don't expect a kiss) so as to not alienate potentially important, LGBT-hostile markets.

Anton Yelchin (Burying the Ex (2014)) is back as Chekov in one of the actor's last performances following his tragic, accidental death earlier this year, and the film is appropriately dedicated to both him and Leonard Nimoy, (who played Spock through most of the franchise's now 50 year history), who also passed away recently.
Sofia Boutella (Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)) is new as the tough, likable Jaylah, and Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation (2015)) adds yet another villain credit to his name as Krall. - He is unrecognizable, (and is he even really, in fact, under there, under that heavy mask?), for much of the film, which I think is a shame, SPOILER because the character grows immensely more interesting once we get to see the recognizable Elba and know the character's backstory. As an ex-soldier who is too dedicated to fighting and a permanent combat-reality, Krall has got quite a strong resonance with some of the problems we see in our actual world today, which is only a strength and nicely in line with the villain of the previous film, Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), whose terrorist agenda was also potent. This is one clear mark of good sci-fi.
The film plays much like an adventure story with strong visuals both on the mysterious planet and especially on the Starbase Yorktown, which is an amazingly detailed, fascinating place. There's fun, (SPOILER including something of a Deux ex machina moment of true silliness, as Beastie Boys' Sabotage turns out to be a formidable weapon against the 'bee' army), excitement and a firm foundation in the original Star Trek universe: Strangely recognizable sounds from the series are used, (only fans will notice), and the feeling throughout is very much in line with Roddenberry's visionary show. Shohreh Aghdashloo (Twenty Bucks (1993)) with her distinctive, raspy voice and natural integrity gives a fine performance that's a neat bookend to the film, which rounds off with a nice quotation from all the regular cast members of the legendary intro speech of the show. It is a great, exciting end, - before a stunning end credit animation sequence that will make you keep your 3D glasses on for a while longer. Beyond relishes in the celebration of diversity, humanity and exploratory thrill that is the heart of Star Trek.

Related posts:

Anton Yelchin, 1989-2016: A tribute
Star Trek franchise: Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) or, Star Trek It Before You Wreck It  
Justin Lin: Fast & Furious 5/Fast Five/Fast & Furious 5: Rio Heist (2011) - Dwayne Johnson refuels the world's probably most ridiculous franchise

Watch the final trailer for the film here

Cost: 185 mil. $
Box office: Unknown yet
= Unknown yet
[Star Trek Beyond premiered July 7 (Sydney) and runs 122 minutes. Producer Robert Orci was replaced as director in 2014, before Lin was chosen. Filming took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, LA, Seoul and Dubai from June - October 2015 with reshoots in March 2016, including Aghdashloo's scenes. The film is getting great reviews, and audiences love it, but it is regrettably projected to make less money than the two previous installments. Star Trek Beyond is certified fresh at 88 % with a 7 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Star Trek Beyond?

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) or, Star Trek It Before You Wreck It

♥♥♥

An amazing image of the SS Enterprise about to crash-land makes up this poster for J.J. Abrams' Star Trek Into Darkness

 

Captain Kirk's disciplinary difficulties are landing him in trouble. But with deadly attacks from an ex Starfleet officer with superhuman capabilities, Kirk and his spaceship Enterprise team are sent to seek out and kill the renegade Harrison on the enemy planet Kronos. Complications ensue.

 

Star Trek Into Darkness is written and co-produced by Alex Kurtzman (The Mummy (2017)), Damon Lindelof (World War Z (2013)) and Roberto Orci (People Like Us (2012)) and co-produced and directed by great New-Yorker filmmaker J.J. Abrams (Mission: Impossible III (2006)). It is the sequel to Abrams' Star Trek (2009) reboot of the Star Trek franchise and the 12th film in the franchise.
With the for many familiar core characters firmly re-established in the first film, the sequel has room to play around with them some more, and especially the scenes between Kirk and Mr. Spock are enjoyable. Chris Pine (Poolman (2023))is still dead-on right as the face of humanity. Zachary Quinto's (Margin Call (2011)) head may have grown a bit fatter in the four years since the last Star Trek, but his Spock hasn't grown a millimeter in any direction. - Still the dorky, cerebral ol' Spockerino, quite amusing at times. I didn't object any longer to Zoe Saldana's (Avatar (2009)) Uhura loving him here, and overall I enjoyed her performance more in this film, especially when she spoke Klingon.
Anton Yelchin's (Fierce People (2005)) strained Russian-accented Tintin-like freshman of the crew Chekov has had his role reduced in Into Darkness (thank God), and instead we have more time with the likeable, funny characters played by Karl Urban (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead (2004)). SPOILER Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game (2014)) plays the Harrison character that is later revealed to actually be the major Star Trek mythology villain Khan. Cumberbatch makes a bland substitute for Ricardo Montalban's colorful, campy, sexually magnetic performance in the original series and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). SPOILER Peter Weller (Naked Lunch (1991)) plays a character you first think is good, but then... - Unless you guess by seeing Weller's very face that this is a no-good son-of-a-bitch. He is a welcome addition in Into Darkness to be sure.
Into Darkness does go for a darker, almost oppressive tone that I don't think it succeeds with, which is a shame after the very promising, more adventure-focused first Abrams Star Trek venture.
Michael Giacchino (Up (2009)) has again made a fine, thundering score. The special effects are beautiful and exciting to look at, as in the first film. The adventure and action of deep space exploration are some of the main attractions of the films, - not so much the super-dark villains, - but Into Darkness has both, and is over-all a fairly suspenseful film experience.
Whereas the previous Abrams' Star Trek took its time getting started but then turned out highly satisfying, Into Darkness begins to wobble in its third act: SPOILER Bruce Greenwood's (The Sweet Hereafter (1997)) character Pike dies at the beginning, which I thought was a shame. He and Kirk had good scenes together, and he would have been a great actor to keep in the films. Kirk later gives Pegg's Scotty the responsibility to watch over Khan, a man he has just acknowledged is a kind of super-man. This seems too stupid for any good captain, no matter how upstanding Scotty appears. Later, the self same Khan, who is at least two or three steps ahead of everyone else for the entire film, could not have imagined that the torpedoes carrying his people also could be armed torpedoes. Again, it seems like a flawed, easy writing solution, instead of a likely mistake made by the character.  

SPOILER - At the very last climax, Kirk fixes the 'warp core' by kicking it a few times. This is both anticlimactic and a little silly. On the plus side, Spock gets the last fight against Khan, instead of the macho Kirk, which I rather liked.

 

Related posts:

 

More Star Trek: Star Trek Beyond (2016) - Lin's adventurous, foundation-honoring entry
J.J. Abrams: 2019 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

2019 in films - according to Film Excess 
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker/Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) - An insanely awesome saga ending 

2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV] 
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]  
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) - Abrams scores big time, makes beautiful space opera blockbuster
2013 in films - according to Film Excess 
Super 8 (2011) - Abrams' nostalgic family crowdpleaser

Star Trek (2009) - Abrams' imperfect but awesome reboot
Cloverfield (2008) or, It Tore Her Head Off! (co-producer)     

Mission: Impossible III (2006) - Cruise steers Abrams' flawed MacGuffin debut 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 185-190 mil. $ (different sources)
Box office: 467.3 mil. $
= Even

[Star Trek Into Darkness premiered 2 May (London) and runs 132 minutes. Pine was paid 1.5 mil. $ plus a 500k $ "if the film proved profitable" for his performance. Shooting took place from January - May 2012 in Iceland and California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #1 to a 70.1 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it remained in the top 5 another 2 weekends (#3-#4), grossing 228.7 mil. $ (48.9 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were China with 57 mil. $ (12.2 %) and the UK with 39.2 mil. $ (8.4 %). The film was nominated for the Best Visual Effects Oscar, lost to Gravity. It was also nominated for 2 BAFTAs, among other honors. The film additionally made an estimated 80.8 mil. $ on the North-American home video market alone. The Star Trek franchise returned with Justin Lin's Star Trek Beyond (2016). Abrams returned with Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015). Pine returned in Paul McCartney: Queenie Eye (2013, music video) and theatrically in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014); Quinto in We'll Never Have Paris (2014); and Cumberbatch in 12 Years a Slave (2013). Star Trek Into Darkness is certified fresh at 84 % with a 7.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Star Trek Into Darkness?