Star Trek Into Darkness . . . .

So, I got to see "Star Trek Into Darkness" over the weekend. Alas, not the IMAX 3D version, because my little boys didn't fall asleep in time for me to make that showing. Oh well, it was still visually spectacular in regular ol' 2D.

Spoilerish thoughts follow:

1. I know we early 21st century humans are pretty backwards compared to the Federation, but even we know that after a terrorist attack, you should not concentrate all of your most important people in one location. Remember Veep Dick Cheney and his undisclosed location after 9/11?

2. If you are going to concentrate your most important people in one location, surely it wouldn't be one with floor to ceiling glass windows that aren't bulletproof . . . .

3. On the other hand, why did "John Harrison" (he of the "superior intellect") bother using small arms fire to attack those same most important people? Even we backwards early 21st century humans have figured out how to weaponize drones with Hellfire missiles.

4. Peter "Robocop" Weller sure is becoming something like Sean "walking spoiler" Bean, in that whenever he comes on the screen, I now think instinctive "conspiracy-former mentor-now bad guy." His Admiral Marcus seemed pretty much just another incarnation of his Christopher Henderson from season 5 of "24."

5. Benedict Cumberbatch or Ricardo Montalban? Cumberbatch made me believe that he was smarter, stronger, etc. (notwithstanding his bad attack tactics). Montalban looked pretty amazing at 62.

6. It was neat how "Into Darkness" played with key scenes from "Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan," but flipping them (Kirk going into the chamber of radioactive death). Also it was good that the producers/writers resisted the urge to incorporate Lt. Marla McGivers.

7. So . . . now no one in the Federation will die from natural causes or injuries short of vaporization or maybe massive physical trauma? After all, McCoy synthesized "Harrison"'s blood so it's widely available. It would've been much better if it had been the actual blood that did the reviving, because then the Federation would be forced to choose between keeping Harrison frozen with no access to his blood, or keeping him awake (and thus dangerous), with only a limited amount of blood available every few weeks.

Comments

[Anwyn]

I saw it today. How about a ship that's going to burn up on reentry because no shields? We are not making heat-shielding tiles just because we have shields?

I have a lot of pacing/plot issues that I won't drone about while pecking from my phone, too, but I like these characters--barring Scotty and Chekov, who so far are extremely unfortunate caricatures, and Bones is not much better--not the actors' fault, in any case--a lot more than I expected to. Chris Pine's Kirk is fantastic.

[Tung Yin]

Interesting. I think Simon Pegg has far more acting range than James Doohan had. Anton Yelchin's Chekov is a bit annoying, though. John Cho's Sulu didn't get to do much in this one, but I guess that's okay since he got to wield his sword in the first one.

Chris Pine is quite good as Kirk, and Zachary Quinto is too as Spock. I'd like to see Pine take on the role of James Bond.