Star Trek My (Late) Mini Review

We don't go to see movies in the theater much anymore. There's a huge list of reasons, from the $8 matinee tickets, to the $20 popcorn bucket. Plus, with the Blu-ray player and the 55" HDTV, the six-month wait for the video is easy to justify. But sometimes, you've just got to see an event movie at the cinema, right?

I've been excited to see Star Trek, the re-boot of the venerable science fiction franchise, since I heard they were making it. They'd been talking about doing a Starfleet Academy movie forever, and this one comes pretty close to that idea. Instead, they elected to give us some backstory on the original series characters, along with a time-warp idea that links the existing Star Trek universe with a new one.

First off, let me say that the movie was a heck of a lot of fun. The Other Half even enjoyed it, and he isn't a fan of any version of Trek (except for The Next Generation). The casting was impressive, with Chris Pine completely believable as a young Capt. James T. Kirk. One can only assume that some space disease will cause Kirk to develop his. . .halting. . .speech patterns. . .at a. . .later date. Zachary Quinto (Sylar from Heroes) was just about perfect as the young Mr. Spock, though it takes a while to forget that it is Sylar!

Simon Pegg as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott is a case of good actor, not his role. He's fine (and I'm a fan), but he absolutely does not bring to mind James Doohan. The actors playing Lt. Uhura, Mr. Sulu (John Cho of Harold and Kumar) and Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy do a good job too, though are not perfect matches like Kirk and Spock.

The story is spectacular, and the movie never bores you or takes you out of your suspension of disbelief. Even the creation of a new Star Trek universe doesn't bug, at least while you're watching the film. But afterward, if you're a Trek fan like me, it will start to bother you a bit.

Star Trek has always had a (mostly) consistent mythology. Each series and film (and comic book, and novel) is interconnected, part of a larger grand epic. A story event from Deep Space Nine might resonate later in Voyager. Legions of fanboys have made near careers out of keeping the timelines straight. And now, all of the different versions are effectively wiped out, as if they never happened. Except, ironically, the least fan-favorite of all, Star Trek: Enterprise, which took place before the events of the new movie.

I'm not sure how I feel about it, though I should by now be used to it. After all, DC Comics (and presumably Marvel) has ret-conned its entire history many times. The Terminator movies and TV Show have cancelled each other out a couple of times. And movie franchises like Friday the 13th and James Bond have never kept anything resembling a coherant continuity. Somehow, I've still found a way to enjoy them. And it doesn't hurt that the new Star Trek is a fantastic, popcorn munching good time.

My review: Highly Recommended

Featured Site: TV Tropes

Wow. In my last post, I mentioned "Wiki-holes" and their many cousins on the internet. Basically, it is the phenomenon of getting sucked into a site so deeply that you look at the clock and it is hours later. One thing leads to another and the day (or night) is gone.

My last post got me enmeshed in yet another hole, a TV Tropes-hole. The site is dedicated to the conventions and contrivances in story-telling, mostly in TV but in other genres as well. And I'm telling you, one link leads to another. Basically, the site is for people who are too smart for the source material.

The job of a work of fiction is to engage your "willing suspension of disbelief." But if the writing or acting is bad, you get sucked out of that story zone. TV Tropes points out all the ways that can happen, and more. The terminology and the various sources sited land squarely in my pop culture sweet spot. Maybe yours too. Here's just an example of the types of entries you'll find at TV Tropes. . .

[Excerpt]

Tropes are devices and conventions that a writer can reasonably rely on as being present in the audience members' minds and expectations. On the whole, tropes are not clichés. The word clichéd means "stereotyped and trite". In other words, dull and uninteresting. We are not looking for dull and uninteresting entries. We are here to recognize tropes and play with them, not to make fun of them. . .

Go on, you'll have fun (and lose several hours) at: TV Tropes

Terminator 4 is Now Official

Photo from source, The Celebrity Truth

I've already expressed my love for the Terminator series, and particularly the new Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles TV show. And while the show hasn't got a green light yet for season 2 (crossing fingers here), the fourth movie in the franchise, Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins is now officially a go. Yay!

Discussion of the continuity of the series has been white hot lately, with the show throwing in many new wrinkles (especially since it ignores Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines). I personally think I've solved that riddle (read my whole theory here). In a nutshell, since time travel has been so prominent, anything can happen, and any inconsistency can be solved. We've seen three movies (soon to be 4, 5 and maybe 6) plus the TV show. But we have no idea how many other "time jumps" have happened that we didn't get to see. That's good enough for me!

[Excerpt]

Date Finally Set For Terminator 4

The release date of the new instalment in the ‘Terminator’ series of movies has been revealed, with the film set to hit cinema’s on May 22, 2009, starring ‘Batman’ lead Christian Bale as John Conner. . .

Read more at: The Celebrity Truth