Star Trek review

Star Trek movie review

Ok, first, my bogus review I posted on Facebook before I saw the movie:

There's this brash captain of a spaceship, see? He likes beating people up. And he's got a buddy with pointy ears, y'know - like an elf? And there's a doctor on the ship, and this guy with an accent. And they do stuff in the ship, and off the ship, and there's lots of special effects - especially those laser thingies that they call something else. It's way better than "Doctor Who".

Yeah, silly.  Now, the real deal...  also silly.

So, Kirk was basically the way I'd always perceived him on the original series:  Chasing tail & getting beat up a bunch.  He didn't get to beat up as many folks up as he did in the series, instead being more on the receiving end.  His swagger was in full evidence, maybe not as apparent as you'd expect from a teenage version of Kirk,  but still fun to watch.  The scene covering his thwarting of the Kobayashi Maru test was hilarious.

Spock was more complicated, but I guess that's to be expected - he was in the series, too.  

[spoiler alert]

I really liked the Spock / Uhuru thing.  Finally, the geeky Vulcan gets some!  Yeah, I know - he wasn't completely without a love interest in the series, but the arranged marriage deal and the Romulan commander schtick don't really count.  Were there others?  Right, This Side of Paradise.  Anyway, he even gets the woman who shot Kirk down.  Nice!

[end spoiler]

McCoy was probably played closest to canon.  I hope he gets more screen time in a sequel - he was a riot.  Now that I think of it, many of the supporting characters were played mostly for laughs - Scotty, McCoy, Chekhov (not as much).  For Scotty & McCoy, I don't think that's because the actors originally portraying them have died.  Yes, insensitive to bring that up.   Yes, I miss them, too.

It was nice that Uhuru got a more prominent role than typically occurred in the series or the earlier movies.  She had a few good bits, especially arguing her way on to the Enterprise (not that there was significant resistance to the argument, really).  Sulu came across a bit too bland, kind of Harold in Space.

Not that it's part of the movie, but the Saturday Night Live mini-skit in Seth's "news" segment was very funny.  Nimoy delivering the off-hand slam was the best.  

Best scenes?  Let's see...

• Skydiving - very tense
• Uhuru calling Kirk a mouth breather - yeah, agreed.
• "I've got your gun."  At least he was accustomed enough to getting the snot beat out of him that he could produce a snappy response.
• Kirk trying to ignore what was going on in the transporter room.
• Scotty jetting around in the liquid-filled tubes - reminded me of Willy Wonka.
• Kobayashi Maru

On the whole, I really enjoyed the movie, and I'm looking forward to some more exploration of that universe.

[another spoiler alert]

But no more time travel / alternate universe stuff, unless it's in the Mirror, Mirror vein.  Those were the best episodes...

[end spoiler]

Superbowl comments

Looked like the Cards' defense wasn't going to even slow the Steelers down on their first possession.  Good goal-line stand.

Land of the Lost is going to be a movie?  Sleestaks, anyone?

The Cardinals first possession wasn't so impressive.  Good that they're at least trying the running game.

Steelers second possession is starting like the first:  Making the Cardinals defense look silly.

Almost intercepted!  Should've been, maybe.  

No one can seem to bring Big Ben down.  Nice spiral after scrambling all over.  :(

The Steelers don't seem to have any trouble getting first downs.

First quarter passed quickly.  

Ok, Land of the Lost stars Will Farrell.   Might be really funny.

Heh - baseball reference in the Superbowl - Ted Williams' eyesight.

10-0.  Blech.

The return there isn't a good start for the Cards getting on the board.

Since Abrams is doing Star Trek, will there be lots of mysterious plot elements that never get resolved?

Warner got good time, but didn't manage to connect.  It did hit the receiver in the hands (after a dive).  

Maybe a first down here?  Yes.

Nice catch by Breaston!  Another 1st.

James gets another one after a reception.  Seems to be working much better than the running game, but they really need to keep some running going.  Holding penalties don't help, though.

Another good catch by Breaston.  Bobbled it a bit.

Hooray!  Great time to pass, decent pass, good run after the catch & good block.

Touchdown Cardinals!  Despite Warner stumbling in the backfield, as is his habit.

Now we get to see if the Cards' defense can get a stop.

Looked like they were going to manage a loss, but a great move made the tackler miss.

Nice defensive coverage.

Penalties on either side...  3rd & 17.

Yup, they got the stop.  Nice work.

Yeah, baby!  Great run back after what looked like was going to end up stuck in a corner.

James makes a good run.

Oops - chop block.  Followed by a sack on the next play.  3rd & 22.  Where's Fitzgerald?

eTrade is weird.

Hmmm...  not quite sure what happened on that reception.  The ball was short, for sure.

Great tackle immediately after the catch.  Time for another stop.  Almost grabbed Rothlisberger right after the hand-off.

Interception!  Deflected up, very helpful.

Ok, the Teleflora commercial was funny.  Talking flowers - very creepy.

Hightower looking good, diving for the 1st down.

Under a minute in the half.

Ah, good to see you, Larry F.

Oh, crap.  100 yard interception return.  It looked like the Cardinals might've taken the lead, and then a huge guy getting a huge interception and making a huge runback.  Defensive player of the year, indeed.  Warner just didn't see the coverage, I guess.

Whose bright idea was it to have a bunch of 3D halftime commercials?

How come it took so long to get Bruce Springstein at the Superbowl?  Fabulous choice. 

2nd half starts - lots to catch up.

Good run by James.

Good catch by Boldin - had to go up to get it, and got hit right after that.

Turnover, again.   Nope, incomplete pass.  

Weird Coke commercial - kind of WoW-ish or something.

The Monster.com commercial was hilarious.

Who's covering that guy down there?  Yeah, the one who got the ball.  And then got a facemask.

Roughing the passer?  No way.  The shove was a little late, but c'mon.  Crap call.

The Cards really need a turnover now.   They're not stopping anything.  Ok, they stopped that one.  They need more than one stop, though.

They finally got to Rothlisberger.  He still managed to throw the ball away & avoid an intentional grounding call.  They manage to keep them to 3.  No, maybe not - a personal foul.  Crap.  Stupid.  Now the Steelers getting 4 chances to go 5 yards.  

Batted ball, and another opportunity for an interception, but no dice.

They stopped Rothlisberger.  Good job for the defense, though they did manage to give the Steelers 3 penalties for 35 yards.  Hard to stop a team when you give them a third of the field for free.   Good work on the stop.

CareerBuilder had a good commercial, too.  Not as funny as Monster's, though.

Cute Coke commercial, reminscient of Fantasia.

3rd quarter's almost over.  The Cardinals run is going ok.  And they made another 1st down, so that's good.

Whoa, who was that Steelers player who barely fit in his helmet?

Finally, good protection & a good throw for a good gain.  The protection was too good - holding.

Yeesh, almost a blocked punt.

Finally, they get to Rothlisberger, and good pass coverage, with the exception of the holding.  This is making another stop quite a bit less likely.

Yay, a sack!  Non-trivial, getting him down.  And a stop.

Wow, really fortunate, making that catch without a fair catch call.

Hmmm....  2 completed passes in a row.  Good start.

Good run after the catch - 22 yard gain.

Fitzgerald gets a catch, but a flag.  Oh, good - defensive holding.  Cool.

Another nice catch by Fitzgerald.

So, now Warner has to avoid throwing the ball to the Steelers at the goal line.

Hightower makes it to the 1.  This might be worse than having it at the 5.  Now what?  Up to Fitzgerald?  Yeah, of course.  :>  20 - 14.

hulu - Okaaaay.  Not that I wouldn't buy Alec Baldwin as a creepy alien.

Time for a stop.  Are the Steelers just going to run it?  Nope, and they sacked Big Ben again.  Very nice work.

Yes, another stop.  Good work, Cardinals D.

MacGruber...  an SNL skit makes it to a Superbowl commercial?  At least it had old whats-his-name in it.

Flag after the completed pass...  what'd Boldin do?  Nothing - against the defense.  

Nice, another pass in the middle & run.  Ooh, saw a little bobble in the replay.

Whoa, almost an interception, on the play after a hold.  Lucky.  And another one.  3rd & 20... what are the options now?  Whatever that was, it didn't work.

The Steelers penalties don't seem to matter - half the distance to the goal when it's at the 2?

Doh!  I thought that he didn't make it out of the end-zone.  Challenge!  Should've been a safety.  Well, maybe.

Doh again!  They made the 1st down.

No, there's a penalty - holding - resulting in a safety!  Wow...

The Cardinals still need a touchdown.

Ouch - nice tackle.

Incomplete pass to Boldin.  Should've caught it, I think.

Run, Larry, run!  Woohoo!  Touchdown Cardinals!

Almost did that too fast.  The Cards now lead by 3, with 2 and a half minutes left.  The Steelers can certainly score in that time.

The Steelers start on the 22.  How are the Cardinals going to get the stop?

Another penalty - holding, again.  Lots of penalties in this game.  I read an article that implied that these two teams are cheaters, so cheaters really do win.  ;-)

Way to break up that pass, Francisco!  A product of BYU... those Y fans will be insufferable.

Blitz looked good, but they couldn't get through, and the Steelers converted for a 1st down.

Another 1st down, but the clock keeps running.

Yes, they got to Rothlisberger.  They're around mid-field now.

Ack!  Francisco falls down, and the Steelers make it to inside the 5.

49 seconds left.  The defense has to come up really huge.

They missed on the 1st attempt.  He probably should've caught that.  Holmes was really high.

No, he wasn't in play!  I don't think.  Yeah, he was - what a great catch.  :(

35 seconds left.  No way, not even Warner & Fitzgerald.  Let's watch, anyway.

77 yards in 29 seconds.  That's a really tall order.

Good pass & catch.  Time out.

Decent pass & catch.  Last time out.

Forced fumble & recovery by Pittsburg.  Now it's over.  Well, barring review.  Not quite clear from the replay - I don't think he was throwing yet.

Bummer.  What a good game, though.