Well, here's still more looks at the Star Trek film coming to our theaters this weekend. But of further interest is a rumor popping up all over the damn place that Paramount might be doing a limited rerelease of STAR TREK 2,3,4,6,8 sometime very soon. Check your local listings, and I guess keep a look on startrek.com, surely if it's true, that's where we'll find out eh? We'll see.
I've read the reviews of the new Star Trek movie and would like to throw in my own two cents. I also have seen a screening of it at the Paramount lot about a month back. Just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. I'd like to give a brief review to you, and decide whether or not you'd like to post it.
To start, I do know my Star Trek. But while trying to make a professional writing career out here in Hollywood, I think that I can be a little more discriminating than the average fan. In other words, I can step back and look at it as a film and not just a fascination. So let the review begin.
To start, it wasn't a finished print, so I won't hold that against it. I'll have to wait to see the complete film next week. But I did get the general idea. The television advertisements are making it look like an action film. It does have some action, but tries to play off more like a light hearted comedy. From one who knows, Star Trek has never been able to do comedy properly. Even Star Trek 4 looks a bit ridiculous to those who may not be fans. The comedy works in some places, but seriously, and I stress that word, seriously falls flat in others. Some spots almost unwatchable for someone who actually enjoys the Next Generation.
By this point, everyone knows the story. The Enterprise sent to investigate what went wrong with Data as he malfunctions and goes ballistic on this fountain of youth planet. As they retrieve Data (in a scene that falls so flat and is such a creative cop out, that I don't know how it made it to the screen) Picard finds that something underhanded is happening on this planet. The federation plans on secretly relocating these people so that they can steal the foundation of youth secrets from the planets rings, therefore, making the planet unlivable. Picard believes that it goes against the Prime Directive so he boards his Captain's yacht (Yes, it does exist. Trekkers will love it) and goes to the planet in order to fight off this aggressive attack. And, of course, his crew sticks by his side. Does he succeed? I won't give away the ending, but only to say that it is very similar to the ending of Generations. I guess Michael Piller was the only one that enjoyed that mess and must have run out of a creative way to end the movie so he copied part of that ending. You'll know what I mean when you see it.
Things the fans will like: The Troi, Riker relationship is cute. Riker finally drops the beard. I personally always hated it. Of course, the Captain's yacht. There are some neat new weapons and technology in the film. Some of the humor does work. I personally enjoyed a line in the film where Data points out to Troi and Crusher that their chests seem to be firming up. (Exposure to the fountain of youth planet.)
Things the fans will hate: The severely weak story line: Planet of Youth? It's a tv episode, not a feature film. Georgi getting his eyes back yet again, then obviously losing them when he leaves the planet. The fact that they chose to ignore Data's emotion chip. They do make reference, but they essentially return him back to the way he was in the series. (In an interview somewhere, I read that they intentionally did this for some reason or another. I think to give him that innocence again. God forbid that Star Trek actually evolve a character.) Some of the humor: Picard doing the Mambo in his quarters. The list goes on.
I guess Rick Berman wanted to give this film a different feel from the last one, which I personally think worked on almost every level. It was a good, entertaining film. And successful. Why not give the fans two successful films in a row. Don't change what ain't broken. But he did. And he broke it. The movie works as a tv episode, not as a feature. It's better than Generations, not as good as First Contact. Humor works in Star Trek when it's used sparingly, not over-extensively. It was fun to watch to a point, and this crew did lighten up a lot in this version. They became a family, something the series could have used more of, but because it didn't, it almost seems out of character for these people now. It was too drastic of a change. (Again, next week, you'll see what I mean.)
I heard that they went back and did reshoots a few weeks back. I'm not sure what they reshot. Also, the version that I saw had at least six weeks to be reedited so some of this may change. I hope it does. Maybe then Captain Picard won't use Karaoke to save Data's life. Yes, you heard right. Unless they change that, you'll see what I mean, once again.
So... the bottom line. If you're a fan, you'll probably like it. If you're not, you won't. It's a bad film to reach out to a non- Trek audience. And it won't. (Unless people buy into the television campaign.) First weekend gross... between 25 and 30 million. Overall domestic gross... between 80 and 110 million. (A big range, but I haven't seen the overall final cut.) Don't think it will make much money, since it has to double its budget. But I doubt it will be the last one. Star Trek always has a way of being resurrected from the dead.
Hey, maybe Van Sant could do a shot for shot remake of Insurrection. He might actually make this film better.
There is more I can say about the film, but I think I touched upon most of the important points. In any case, enjoy.
And then there is this look....
Harry, after reading the incredible venom being vented at INSURRECTION, I felt I should offer the following (spolier-free) positive review after seeing a screening in Los Angeles Monday night. First, I will say that I am and always have been a fan of STAR TREK, but I nonetheless consider myself to be a pretty harsh critic (don't even get me started on VOYAGER!). That said, the film has its problems, but it also has much to recommend it. First, the negative. I agree with other reviewers that it seems like a pumped-up episode. In fact, some of the plot elements seemed cobbled together out of old TNG episodes. They really do need to get some new writing blood in on these things. But where the movie really shines is in its abundance of character moments. Now, the positive: One of the problems with TNG was that the characters rarely seemed to interact with each other in a real way. Kirk and company always seemed to have much more of a shared history. I'm happy to report that in INSURRECTION, there are some terrific solo moments for Picard, et al., but even better interplay between Riker and Troi, Picard and Geordi, Riker and Data, etc. Jerry Goldsmith's music is spot-on, and the opening theme is particularly nice. The effects are pretty solid throughout, and there are a few beauty shots that really looked nice. I could carp about specific scenes (and there are scenes that deserve carping), or the fact that the third act relied too heavily on techno-Trek-babble (shades of the series), but the reality is that this movie left me with a nice warm feeling inside. It had several BIG laughs, and a very poignant moment or two. I saw it with a friend who is familiar with TREK, but not a Trekkie by any means, and she gave the film a thumbs up. We also talked to other moviegoers afterward, some of who were die-hards, some new to STAR TREK, and they all enjoyed it. So that's my two cents' worth.
