I went to see Star Trek yesterday. It’s been tradition, starting with Insurrection to go and see it on the opening day. Even if it didn’t, technically speaking, open until today…

I enjoyed it, specifics below (needless to say, with spoilers).

I have a big problem with it: Namely Kirk jumping off the drill and catching Sulu up. You see it in films all the time but it’s impossible. I can live with all the other impossibilities in Star Trek, mostly because they have creative ways of getting round them (eg faster than light travel). But objects falling towards a planet fall at the same speed (once they reach terminal velocity). They just do, it’s a fact. Galileo threw things off the Leaning Tower of Pisa, astronauts tried it on the moon and schools have the Guinea and Feather Experiment (even if these days it’s a 10p piece).

Other niggles I have are Spock being transported sitting down but miraculously appearing on the Transporter Pad of the Enterprise standing up (despite him earlier transporting bending down and landing in the exact same position he’d left in); Kirk magically making it from Cadet to Captain with nothing in between; the big hole in the ground from Enterprise (the series) magically disappearing.

But on the other hand I really liked old Spock and his relationship with the younger Kirk; Kirk being Kirk without being OTT; Spock – Zachary Quinto was a really good Spock; Simon Pegg and his alien double-act; the way they got round the reset – and once you know that you know that Pike might not survive any more; Pike ending up in a wheelchair; Sulu’s fencing; McCoy’s divorce; Bones hovering round Kirk with instruments.

I’m looking forward to the next one. Although I am amused that I can name the actors who played Spock, Bones and Scotty and tell you one thing they’ve been in. No idea who played Kirk or if he’s been in anything at all.

Most amusing thing was The Guardian’s review where they gave it 5 stars (and The Guardian never likes anything) but mentioned that the main villian, Nero, was a Klingon.

Comments are closed.