Star Trek Into Darkness, in theaters May 17, 2013

[myk]

So we'll be seeing your girl in some amateur porn soon then huh?

She claimed it was a job/hiring fair, but last job fair I went to started at 8, ended at 5 and the dress code required less skin and more polyester lol. But hey, I'm all for it-I would totally dig dating a girl in the industry...

[peter]

[electric indigo]

Hot Wheels toys of the new ships:

http://www.thetrekcollective.com/2013/05/first-look-at-hot-wheels-uss-vengeance.html

[myk]

Thanks for posting those pictures. What is UP with that Klingon ship? I would've rather they used the classic BOP design, that new design is FUG-LY...

[miles316]

Thanks for posting those pictures. What is UP with that Klingon ship? I would've rather they used the classic BOP design, that new design is FUG-LY...

I thought that was just a shuttle that was chasing kirk and not a capital ship.

[Knight26]

Are those freaking Sea-RAM launchers on the BOP? Are Kilngons stealing early 21st century human weapon systems now?

[miles316]

Are those freaking Sea-RAM launchers on the BOP? Are Kilngons stealing early 21st century human weapon systems now?

You are right that is what they look like.

[renegadeleader1]

I'm on vacation and getting ready to see the midnight showing. As I speak there are exactly two other people here in the theater with me. Two women to be specific.

[Chronocidal]

Yes.. that's good design logic.. let's put a giant gaping hole right through the center of our main structure. And.. they splattered the entire thing with aztec patterns. Not the "random panels" style, but the "these are where the partitions between the individual rooms on the ship are" type. On the warp nacelle pylons. And the sides of the ship, where you'd be seeing the windows of the rooms.

As for the Klingon... thing... seriously.. WTF is that?

I mean, I know Trek has had some weird designs before. But the established races usually had a pretty standard look. I have no idea what any of this stuff is, and it's like they're being as different as they possibly can just because they don't want to re-use stuff from the past.

[Negotiator]

Haven't read any spoilers. My only reserve for this movie is lindelof's name attached to writing credits. Damn I want this to be good, but .... That guy ruins everything.

[renegadeleader1]

Just got back from seeing it. GREAT FILM! Very enjoyable. Those of you who freaked over the spoilers need to remove the phasers set on bitch from your blackholes.

[raptormesh]

Just got back from seeing it. GREAT FILM! Very enjoyable. Those of you who freaked over the spoilers need to remove the phasers set on bitch from your blackholes.

Lol, good one gave me a laugh.

[Valkyrie23]

I also saw it tonight. I successfully avoided all spoilers and didn't even know who the villain was. That all added up to a very enjoyable movie experience. Movie was fun (Key word "fun" - Star Wars writers take note!) and action packed. Got a few of those cool IMAX print/posters as well.

[electric indigo]

Yes.. that's good design logic.. let's put a giant gaping hole right through the center of our main structure. And.. they splattered the entire thing with aztec patterns. Not the "random panels" style, but the "these are where the partitions between the individual rooms on the ship are" type. On the warp nacelle pylons. And the sides of the ship, where you'd be seeing the windows of the rooms.

You forgot to mention the rows of 19th century frigate gun ports(?) at the sides of the secondary hull.

[Kelsain]

Klingon? No no, that's clearly a Narn ship. Honestly, I can't tell the front from back...

Hope it looks better in motion.

[Major Focker]

Just got back from seeing it. GREAT FILM! Very enjoyable. Those of you who freaked over the spoilers need to remove the phasers set on bitch from your blackholes.

lol! thank you for that sir

[myk]

This film had me extremely entertained, loving every minute of it and missing my Next Generation uniform shirt, up until the last quarter of the film...

IMO this movie fell flat on its face for me right when they pulled the role-reversal/twist nonsense from the TOS. I mean, why go there? Either J.J. Abrams wanted to give TOS fanbois the middle finger, or he and his staff are so bereft of creative juices they couldn't come up with their own original idea or BOTH; probably both. I was annoyed that they reduced the Klingons, the perennial arch-rivals of the Federation to cosplay-looking cannon fodder, but the aforementioned role-reversal/twist nonsense eclipses any other little stupidities in the movie. Oh and "Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!" Really guys?

Again, I love the idea of a "new" Trek for a new generation of fans, and I'm usually the first to go tell TOS die-hards to go sit in a corner and enjoy their VHS copies of the "good 'ol days" as the universe marches onward, but some things should be left well enough alone if you can't revisit them properly, and in this fan's opinion they tried something "cute" and failed miserably, which put a bad ending on an otherwise fun movie...

Edited May 16, 2013 by myk

[raptormesh]

I thought it was a cute homage they did. And yeah the ship designs, very uninspiring and probably the weakest part of JJ's Trek. Wish the guys who did Oblivion's design worked on this picture.

[Knight26]

So I looked at the still from the preview, and those are standard RAM launchers on the BOP wingroot, ugh, seriously?

[anime52k8]

So I looked at the still from the preview, and those are standard RAM launchers on the BOP wingroot, ugh, seriously?

The thing is, nobody but you cares.

[Mr March]

So I got free tickets to go see Star Trek Into Darkness and I'm extremely upset. I can't comment on what I dislike about the film without going deep into spoilers, so I'll discuss the many things to like in this film. First and foremost, the character work is pure cinematic gold. There's so much good development here, especially for Pine as Kirk and Quinto as Spock. Even better, each character has a moment (sometimes two) and the dialog does a great job making these characters shine in a great piece of ensemble writing. You'll be hard pressed to find characters as entertaining as this in a summer blockbuster. The performances are again pitch perfect, from leads Pine and Quinto, to the supporting cast by Saldana, Urban, Cho and Pegg. Even minor characters like Peter Weller's Marcus and especially Bruce Greenwood's return as Pike inject some real gravitas to the proceedings.

Of course I have to comment on Benedict Cumberbatch as the villain; he's sufficiently menacing, a little over-the-top, amazingly physical and extremely intelligent. Anyone who knows Cumberbatch from the BBC's Sherlock series will instantly understand why he was hired to play this bad guy. The special effects are again very impressive and there are some truly harrowing moments of space hazards that will make you cringe. The sets, costumes, makeup and action set pieces are all very well done. This movie is NEVER boring and always has you on the edge of your seat. There are even a few minor surprises that I didn't see coming, particularly one of the early scenes in which the heroes are attacked in a huge skyscraper by an attack craft. They even managed to inject some of the moral arguing and philosophical pondering that old Trek was known for without it feeling forced or tonally out of place. This sequel is an enjoyable time at the movies even despite some serious flaws.

If you liked the first Star Trek (2009) and you are the type of fan that didn't see anything wrong with Super 8, you will adore this movie from beginning to end. Be prepared for a great summer film.

But if I may indulge in a quote of Leonard Nimoy's Spock; "That being said..."

I don't understand the reasoning or the choices made by Abrams. He is at times fearless and daring with this material while at other moments appears paralyzed or defers to established Trek lore. I don't get it. So many risks are taken with the franchise; risks with characters (Spock/Uhura, the death of Pike, the death of Kirk) risks with the world (the destruction of Vulcan), risks with style and tone (the action, the cinematography, the Star War-ish). Yet, they stay dead-on course when it comes to the story, mirroring exactly what happened previously in the story of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. The story is recreated in modern form but follows each instance of the earlier film, beat for beat. This is Abrams indulging in his worst tendencies to fawn over his childhood with such reverence he cannot pull away to blaze a trail all his own. Rather than building upon the works of Gene Rodenberry and Nicholas Meyer to make Star Trek their own, Abrams and Lindelof are slavishly beholden to these fictional mythologies. They can't break from them.

I think the best example I can make to describe why I feel this way is Cumberbatch as Khan. Abrams and co. introduce Cumberbatch as Khan in such a way that they clearly want old fans to be in awe at the reveal. The performance, the camera, the music, it all builds to Cumberbatch uttering his name for the first time. Yet later in the story the plot points are identical in such a way that old fans who already know Khan (and the sacrifice it took to defeat him) have nothing new to enjoy from the story. On the flip side, if you're a new fan to the Star Trek series and have never seen the old Star Trek II, the reveal of Khan has no weight. In fact, without prior knowledge of Khan, so much of Cumberbatch's performance is ridiculous melodrama that hasn't been earned. It's like this film is schizophrenic.

Some have said the failing of this sequel is that it tries to please both fans old and new but ends up doing neither. I don't think that's true. I think Abrams and Lindelof are aiming directly at younger audiences with these new films, but they are absent-minded about what the audience needs to know for their story to work...or at least for the drama to carry weight. Into Darkness has many of the same problems I had with Super 8. These films reference too much of the movies from their own lineage and rely on more nostalgia than they should. Abrams should not be beholden to what came before.

I find Kirk's "death" equally frustrating. As character development, his "death" is brilliant and shows how much of a conscious Kirk has and how much he really does care about his crew. But the story has him return via "super blood" (really? Are we so lazy that we're not even going to invent a semi-plausible technobabble reason and just outright draw the audience's attention to the fact that this is a fake, silly sci-fi movie by calling it "super-blood"). This instant resurrection totally undermines the sacrifice Kirk made and diminishes the villainous accomplishments/threat of Khan. Again, we have here another example of risk aversion, which makes so little sense to me given how many other risks they take with this universe. We all know there's going to be another Star Trek movie, so why not wait until the inevitable sequel to bring Kirk back from the dead? At least make the sacrifice count within the confines of this one film.

Overall, I have to say I'm extremely frustrated and disappointed by this film. This is three-quarters of a great film filled with everything I love about big Hollywood summer movies undermined by a finale that prays before the altar of Star Trek II like it was written as fan fiction. I'm going to definitely revisit the film when released for home video, but I'm not optimistic that I'll forgive the flaws a second time around.

Edited May 16, 2013 by Mr March

[Mommar]

"They even managed to inject some of the moral arguing and philosophical
pondering that old Trek was known for without it feeling forced or
tonally out of place."

This right here is what I wanted to hear. At least they got that part right.

Regarding your spoilers, why frakking bother when they have EVERYTHING else in place? Like you said, maddening to the old fans and confusing to the new. Just a bad idea all around.

[Knight26]

 

The thing is, nobody but you cares.

 

It ticks me off becuase it shows extreme laziness on the part of the designers. Combine that with all of the other fugly designs and it makes me want to shut my eyes when any of those eyesores comes on screen.

This would have even been unacceptable 20-30 yrs ago when all the designs would be scratch and bashed physical models. To just take a whole model and throw it on there as a part would only be considered on cut rate productions, any other would just take parts and integrate them in. Look at the old SW designs, you really have to know models to pick out parts on those that come from other kits, not have it just stand out like the preverbial sore thumb like these do.

Edited May 16, 2013 by Knight26

[Chronocidal]

Personally, the launcher kitbashing I can deal with. I miss the days when ships were built out of bits of real life aircraft, ships, and armor. I don't think they detract from the design much.

It's the fact that the bloody thing looks like a freaking SPACE MOTH that kills it entirely. WTF?

The launchers are probably the least offensive part of that entire design.

Otherwise, I'm just sad to hear the spoilers were true, and that they had exactly the effect I was worried about. Entertaining movie or not, I don't think I want to bother. An hour and a half of fun won't make up for the tennis elbow I'll get for facepalming through the entire last 30 min.

Maybe when it hits Netflix.

Edited May 16, 2013 by Chronocidal

[Mommar]

The description for this movie sounds like we'll get some pretty good Star Wars movies out of JJ though, with better characterization than George Lucas could ever hope to achieve... and we'll even get a second Empire Strikes Back, scene for scene, except they'll freeze Luke instead.

[Knight26]

 

Personally, the launcher kitbashing I can deal with. I miss the days when ships were built out of bits of real life aircraft, ships, and armor. I don't think they detract from the design much.

It's the fact that the bloody thing looks like a freaking SPACE MOTH that kills it entirely. WTF?

The launchers are probably the least offensive part of that entire design.

Otherwise, I'm just sad to hear the spoilers were true, and that they had exactly the effect I was worried about. Entertaining movie or not, I don't think I want to bother. An hour and a half of fun won't make up for the tennis elbow I'll get for facepalming through the entire last 30 min.

Maybe when it hits Netflix.

 

You mean you don't like the MOP, Moth Of Prey?

[Chronocidal]

Quick, go copyright that term now so you can cash in when it propagates.

Really, the design just doesn't make a lick of sense, especially after seeing the old TOS style D-7 cruisers during the simulator run in the 2009 movie.

If the design team was short on inspiration, they should just go rip off some of the Kilrathi designs from Wing Commander 3. Heck, they're similar enough you could just port the designs directly between universes.

Edited May 16, 2013 by Chronocidal

[Knight26]

Not to defend the design, it is horrible, but I really think that the Moth Of Prey is intended to be a bomber scale or boarding craft more so than a warp vessel.

[lechuck]

The description for this movie sounds like we'll get some pretty good Star Wars movies out of JJ though, with better characterization than George Lucas could ever hope to achieve... and we'll even get a second Empire Strikes Back, scene for scene, except they'll freeze Luke instead.

Wouldn't it be irony if his Star Wars turns out to be a better "Star Trek", because he actually has to continue/expand the universe rather than rebooting and screwing it up.

[myk]

Personally, the launcher kitbashing I can deal with. I miss the days when ships were built out of bits of real life aircraft, ships, and armor. I don't think they detract from the design much.

It's the fact that the bloody thing looks like a freaking SPACE MOTH that kills it entirely. WTF?

The launchers are probably the least offensive part of that entire design.

Otherwise, I'm just sad to hear the spoilers were true, and that they had exactly the effect I was worried about. Entertaining movie or not, I don't think I want to bother. An hour and a half of fun won't make up for the tennis elbow I'll get for facepalming through the entire last 30 min.

Maybe when it hits Netflix.

That's my point as well; the movie had me rooting for it RIGHT up until the last stretch.

The description for this movie sounds like we'll get some pretty good Star Wars movies out of JJ though, with better characterization than George Lucas could ever hope to achieve... and we'll even get a second Empire Strikes Back, scene for scene, except they'll freeze Luke instead.

LOL

   

You mean you don't like the MOP, Moth Of Prey?

Funny you mention that, I was expecting a bionic-Rodan to come out as well.

I thought that the banter and relationships between the characters was "cute" but forced, and I would think this would be noticed by new, old, and casual fans of Trek alike. It's also difficult for me to appreciate the characters when, for example, Kirk is completely reckless and without conscience unless something grave and disastrous happens, Spock just seems lost, dazed and confused about his entire life whenever he talks to anyone, etc; But again, it's the last part of the movie that really ruins what otherwise would've been an entertaining film...

[miles316]

The thing is, nobody but you cares.

I care!!

[myk]

Wouldn't it be irony if his Star Wars turns out to be a better "Star Trek", because he actually has to continue/expand the universe rather than rebooting and screwing it up.

I wouldn't bank on it. If there's one thing Star Trek 2.20 "You Can (Not) Redo" shows me is that NOTHING is sacred to Hollywood, including Abrams. Besides, Disney is out to capture the hearts and minds of all those who have escaped the influence of Star Wars and bring them to the Dark Side. Unfortunately, that type of persuasion may not bode well for SW purists.

BTW, I was really looking forward to seeing Alice Eve but was sorely disappointed when I noticed that both of her eyes were always pointing in different directions every time the camera hit her face; it was almost as vomit-inducing as the enemy ships. The rest of her was fusion hot, though...

Edited May 16, 2013 by myk

[areaseven]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAdBZlCb-_M

[kanedaestes]

Saw it, loved it. A better summer film than Iron Man 3. I can see why ppl would hate it but my girlfriend who primarily only knows the new films, and is a harsh film critic liked it then it served its purpose. Not for die hard fans but more for any and everyone.

[renegadeleader1]

It's also difficult for me to appreciate the characters when, for example, Kirk is completely reckless and without conscience unless something grave and disastrous happens, Spock just seems lost, dazed and confused about his entire life whenever he talks to anyone, etc; But again, it's the last part of the movie that really ruins what otherwise would've been an entertaining film...

You really need to keep two things in mind concerning Kirk and Spock in this series of films. Unlike TOS Kirk this one didn't have his father to mentor and guide him to make him the man he became. This Kirk has been forced to fend for himself for most of his life, and that includes taking stupid risks. Spock on the other hand lost not only his home planet, but his mother too and is still bothered by it. In his postion I would feel lost, dazed, and confused too.