Friday, May 8, 2009

HOLY FREAKIN TREK!!!


They need to make more movies like STAR TREK. A lot more! You’re going to have to excuse me because right up front I’m going to warn you, I’m not sure how much sense this will make. I’m still on an adrenaline high. I’m still in geek nirvana. I’m the happiest I’ve been after seeing a movie in AGES. I am sitting here at 12:30 at night too amped to go to sleep because tonight I was reminded why I love movies and why after all these years I still love STAR TREK so darn much.

They got it right. ALL OF IT! J.J. Abrams and his gang nailed it. They hit a grand slam. They made THE movie of not only the summer, but perhaps the year. For anyone who had their doubts, for anyone who thought that the Bad Robot bunch was about to bastardize one of the greatest legacies in history of sci-fi there’s 126 minutes worth of film waiting in a theatre, right at this very moment to prove you wrong.

STAR TREK is a film that will make die-hard Trekkies and Trekkers wet themselves with glee. It will make them whoop and holler and stand up and cheer throughout it’s entire running time. In the same brilliant, master stroke the film will have pretty much the exact same effect on people who don’t know a Vulcan from a Klingon. STAR TREK is one of those VERY rare movies that I quite literally can’t see anyone not liking. It’s that well done, that smart, that mind blowingly dazzling and most importantly that much freaking fun.

Every actor in the film immediately becomes their character, characters that have existed for some 40 odd years, characters that no one (Myself included) ever thought could be played by anyone else. The instant these actors show up on screen they not only make the characters their own, but more importantly they pay homage to and do nothing to destroy those that have inhabited the roles before them. In the midst of all this each and every single one of these actors becomes an instant movie star. Mark my words Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho and Anton Yelchin have all enjoyed varying levels of success up until this point but this movie, these roles will put them front and center in the minds of every film lover in the world. They will explode, they will become larger than life and they will become the bastions of awesome, sci-fi cool to a whole new generation of emerging geeks.

I’ve stated before that I think THE DARK KNIGHT is the best film I’ve seen in perhaps the past 5 years. Well, if THE DARK KNIGHT is the best film I’ve seen in the past half decade, I think STAR TREK might be just the most pure, flat-out fun. Honestly I have to think all the way back to THE INCREDIBLES (Which if you know me is no faint praise indeed) to think of the last time I had this much fun at the theatre.

This may sound like hyperbole but at the moment I can’t help but think of STAR TREK as the RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK of sci-fi films. From the moment it starts till the moment it ends IT DOES NOT STOP! There is something for EVERYONE in this movie. You thrill and transform into a 10 year old kid again and when it’s all over you leave the theatre with a gigantic smile plastered on your face, trying to figure out when you’ll be able to see it again.

For all intents and purposes Paramount has a license to print money with this movie. This thing will be beyond huge! This film will be seen multiple times in the theatre. Geeks like me will see it then we’ll take our friends and family back for double, triple, quadruple doses. I mean I know I’m already seeing it again Sunday and yet I still want to try to sneak in one more showing between now and then.

STAR TREK is everything that a summer blockbuster or, pretty much ANY movie should be. It’s smart, engaging and yet it will still wow you and knock your socks off like so few movies can. This movie cleanses the abysmal aftertaste of X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE from my mind. It makes me remember why I love STAR TREK so darn much and it helps further solidify my idea that J.J. Abrams can literally do pretty much anything. This is the one we’ve ALL been waiting for. It’s everything people say it is and so much more. Run, don’t walk to the theatre. Ditch school, call in sick, blow off appointments, do whatever it takes to get yourself into a theatre to see this cinematic gold nugget! THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE THAT MADE THIS MOVIE! You made my year.

8 comments:

Chris W said...

I don't care if it's taboo to comment on your own post. I've seen this twice now. It holds up just as well, if not better the second time. I've seen it with and talked to STAR TREK virgins and die-hards a like and EVERY single one of them has flipped over the movie, stating they want to go back and see it multiple times in the theatre. Trust me, SEE THIS MOVIE!

Megan said...

It may be taboo to comment on your own post, but I too enjoyed the heck out of this movie. I've met a few people that didn't like it but the people that are stark raving mad with love for the movie FAR outweigh them. It will be interesting to see where they go from here.

Anonymous said...

I think I heard somewhere that some of the main players are signed for a sequel or two but if they aren't yet then I'm sure they will be soon enough.

As much as I like the TNG crew I thought the last two were pretty medicore and TOS cast is too geriatric so a prequel was probably the best idea they could come up with as the Voyager/Enterprise crew just don't have the mass appeal that the others do.

Haven't seen Wolverine yet but I'm waiting for the DVD just from all the awful things I've heard about it. Its kind of the anti-Trek in a way.

Christina said...

Yes, there will be sequels: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118001885.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1

FilmNinja said...

I wasn't a Trekkie. But I am now.

Anonymous said...

I'm surprised they aren't planning a series about this yet. I think I remember hearing that a Kirk prequel was the original plan for Enterprise but that fell through at the last second.

I always liked the old animated Filmation show as hokey as it was and it would be interesting if they would do something like that now that Trek is popular again, only more high calibur. A quality series might be a bit expensive so maybe animation is the right fit for it?

Chris W said...

As far as I know the cast and everyone involved is assigned for 2 sequels and the writers are already working ont he next script. As for a TV series while I'd love for there to be another one on the air (More specifically the one I'm working on and hope to get picked up some day), I think at the moment it's best for them to stick with doing just movies right now. It makes it more special and unique and ensures the continiuing quality of the product.

Anonymous said...

That's why I'm interested in Transformers 2, I liked the first one but it will be interesting to see how the screenwriters (who also did Trek) handle a sequel.

I guess that's true, they should keep the high production values or have no series at all. Sci-Fi did great with Farscape and Battlestar Galactica but they're history's been sketchy with other things like Flash Gordon so I'm not sure about that.