Matt J. Olsen

Likes:

• the new warp effects

Although a bit Star Wars-y, the jump to warp speed is cool and very dramatic: A loud, bassy explosion that rips through your chest and the ship disappears in a fraction of a second and without a bright flash.  This is what I imagine the jump to warp speed would actually be like (minus the sound), and based on how a warp drive would actually work, makes more sense (there probably wouldn’t be any physical “acceleration” within normal space-time involved, as depicted in most Star Trek TV series).

While at warp, instead of the familiar passing starfield, there is a tunnel of streaks of hazy light, mostly blue-shifted.  This, again, is probably what warp speed, or at least the acceleration approaching it, would look like from inside a spaceship, as scientists have speculated a “tunnel-effect” would be seen and everything appear to blend together.

When leaving warp speed, there was a countdown and then a dramatic appearance into normal space.  It seemed the ships weren’t totally sure what they’d find once dropping out of warp.  I like this for the most part because at the speeds the Star Trek ships travel, they would have to be pretty exact in where they drop out of warp speed.  A fraction of a second too late could mean the difference between ending up in orbit or in the middle of a planet.  And if they drop out too early, they would have to travel pretty far via sub-light engines.  In most Star Trek TV series you’ll hear officers say, “Sir, we’re approaching Vulcan.” “OK, take us out of warp.”  That’s much too inexact for my realism preferences.  My only nitpick is that their sensors should have been able to detect what’s ahead at the point where they plan to slow below warp speed.

• the Federation star ships’ weapons

There were definitely more of them, which is what I would expect from any deep space-faring vehicle.  Also, close-up shots of the hull revealed the phasers as round, independently-rotating mechanisms with horizontal slots from which the particle weapons were emitted.  This seems more realistic to me because it’s rooted in present-day tech.

• the special effects

Duh.  This one is obvious.  The effects were the BEST I’ve ever seen.

• the story of Spock’s family

I think the interactions between Spock, his dad and his mom were a nice touch and gave valuable insight into Spock’s state of mind.  Spock’s dad saying he married his human mom because he loved her was a very powerful moment for both the audience and spock.

• Dr. McCoy

In my opinion, he’s the only character that really reflected the TOS version.  He said the classic lines and did the classic swagger and faces.

• engineering/the engine room

First of all, I loved how industrial and unpolished the area looked.  It fit what we see in the ST:Enterprise TV series and what engine rooms in most sea-faring ships look like.

Secondly, it was HUGE, and I like that.  When considering how large the Enterprise is, the speed at which it can travel, the power it consumes, etc., it makes perfect sense that the engine area would be enormous.  There would no doubt be a mind-boggling array of support systems for the warp engines, impulse engines and every other system on such a large ship.

Dislikes:

• lack of tech talk

One of the things that has come to seperate Star Trek and Star Warsis Trek’s constant tech talk and scientific references.  It’s more intellectually-nerdy and I love that.  There are entire technical and physics manuals written about the technology and science used in Star Trek.  It’s like it’s all real — but it isn’t.  In this movie, however, there were virtually no techy or scientific references.

• Kirk

I couldn’t help but think of Paul Walker’s character in The Fast and the Furious.  On the plus side, he nailed the way Shatner’s Kirk sat in the Captain’s chair.

• Spock

Meh.  He just didn’t do it for me.  I think there was too much drama surrounding his character and he just didn’t fit into the dramatic role.  I know I said I liked this drama, and I do.  I just don’t think Zachary Quinto’s Spock was meant for drama.  Rather, he would have been best suited for the techno-babbled and scientific references this movie was dearly missing.

• multiple active warp cores

This was never in any of the TV series’ ships, so why add this to a movie that fits between 2 of these series (ENT and TOS)?

• a few scientific impossibilities

This is to be expected in a big Hollywood movie, so I’m not too upset about it.  But when the Enterprise escaped from the black hole by ejecting their warp cores into it so they would explode, the shockwave pushing Enterprise out of the way, I laughed a little bit.

• old Spock’s role

Why was HE flying the Vulcan ship that was meant to stop the supernova?

Conclusion:

No, they didn’t stick perfectly with canon in this movie, but that’s OK.  If they had, no one would have gone to see it.  I’m just happy to see some new Star Trek stuff.  I hope it never dies!