# Star Trek -- the "I saw it" thread \*\*SPOILERS\*\* **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 7, 2009, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640 "2009-05-07T08:13:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 36
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/701 "2009-05-19T22:01:44Z")
Well, I just got done re-watching it… knowing what to expect, the plot problems annoyed me a little less, but to compensate, the glares and flares annoyed me a little more. The future’s so bright I gotta wear shades?! I still have the feeling that this could have been so much more with just a little care and effort, but maybe my expectations just were too high. I mean, it certainly looks like they’ve done all they needed to make the film a success. One additional bit of Kirk-assholery I noticed – offer help to your enemy, and when he refuses, give the command to blow 'em to hell. That’s just not very nice. > [@Bearflag70](#): > > The ultra fast ascension from cadet to Captain, etc., stinks, but nobody wants to see ensign Kirk. I would’ve liked that. Let’s see him prove himself (instead of just showing him looking smug during the Kobayashi Maru test)! Let’s see those crucial relationships between the main crew develop! > [@levdrakon](#): > > Well, one thing they learned was to keep his screen time, participation and importance all small enough to not bug me. He can stay as long as he wants as long as there are no zany antics. Like, for instance, climbing onto things only to be comically and ineffectually admonished by Scotty? ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/702 "2009-05-19T22:20:29Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Nog & Jake manage to escape in an escape pod, as does one cadet, who says that the play-acting cadet is a great captain based on all her months of experience. The last line of the episode is Jake’s who says that, “He may have been a great captain, but he was a bad man.” He is, of course, being nice, as he has to be thinking, “Actually, he was a monumental fuckup of a captain, a pissant of a man, and by far the worst human being I’ve ever been forced to be around.” > > I’ve always thought of this as the anti-Wesley episode. Noteworthy for some awesome SFX shots, including one bit where we are looking over the helmsman’s shoulder as the viewscreen shows the Valiant zipping under the Dominion battleship’s superstructure (it was a big thing held up by two tower things, leaving a gap that naturally must be flown through). Also, the quote in the end was from Nog: “He may have been a hero. He may even have been a great man. But in the end, he was a bad captain.” (as per IMDB) ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/703 "2009-05-19T22:22:37Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > Like, for instance, climbing onto things only to be comically and ineffectually admonished by Scotty? Very short scenes and not enough I’d call them zany antics. He didn’t break anything, get his tongue stuck in anything, fart, or say anything stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/704 "2009-05-19T22:37:21Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Very short scenes and not enough I’d call them zany antics. He didn’t break anything, get his tongue stuck in anything, fart, or say anything stupid. Yeah, you’re right. I’ve developed an irrational fear of spontaneously introduced, unnecessary sidekick characters of comical appearance (otherwise known as jarjarnoia). ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/705 "2009-05-19T23:15:06Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > One additional bit of Kirk-assholery I noticed – offer help to your enemy, and when he refuses, give the command to blow 'em to hell. That’s just not very nice. I thought that too. Then I thought the bastard just wiped out Vulcan and was hell-bent for leather to take out Earth too. Kill him now and make sure he doesn’t get off on a technicality. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/706 "2009-05-19T23:42:37Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Very short scenes and not enough I’d call them zany antics. He didn’t break anything, get his tongue stuck in anything, fart, or say anything stupid. NOr was he elected to the Senate. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/707 "2009-05-20T00:16:34Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > From memory, since I can’t get Wikipedia to come up.. Thanks, I remember some of it now. DS9 had some good stuff. I think I lost all the DS9 video tapes in the fire. Time to buy some more DVDs. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bleu\_ewe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc79bd/32.png) [@bleu\_ewe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bleu_ewe)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/708 "2009-05-20T00:27:09Z")
I saw it the other week. First Star Trek film I’ve ever seen in theaters and the only one I can remember really _watching_ aside from the one with the Borg. I even got to go see it with a genuine Trekkie, which was cool, except that he insisted on being called a “trekker” instead, which was less cool. What a lame-o. Winona Ryder seemed super random, but then I didn’t know she was in the cast until we see her onscreen so that was a neat surprise. Although even as she’s aged she still can’t play an old woman; it was like I was watching the last ten minutes _Edward Scissorhands_ again. 😛 The whole alternate time line idea was a little confusing and vaguely reminded me of that _Lost In Space_ movie from the '90s. I did like it, though. Ohura (sp?) was hot. Will I ever watch it again? Probably not. Do I want a refund? No way. Good movie. Now I’m going to go back X many pages and read the entire thread to learn why my opinion is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/709 "2009-05-20T01:08:08Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Sure I do. I enjoyed _Midshipman Hornblower, Lieutenant Hornblower, Ensign Flandry_ and the other Flandry stuff before he is a Captain. 🙂 There have been lots of threads about how to reboot the franchise, and one of the common ideas is a show about the crew not on the bridge. Having that show be about Kirk would be a lot more interesting, since he can get promoted every season. In TOS it is established that Kirk is the youngest captain ever - it might be in the writers guide - but 20 or 21 is absurd. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/710 "2009-05-20T01:12:17Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > There have been lots of threads about how to reboot the franchise, and one of the common ideas is a show about the crew not on the bridge. Having that show be about Kirk would be a lot more interesting, since he can get promoted every season. > > In TOS it is established that Kirk is the youngest captain ever - it might be in the writers guide - but 20 or 21 is absurd. He’s 25 during the incident. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/711 "2009-05-20T02:06:36Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > That, and cross-circuiting to B. I tried it at work and it really does help. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/712 "2009-05-20T02:14:00Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#): > > I tried it at work and it really does help. You obviously don’t have the static electricity problem we do. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/713 "2009-05-20T02:26:59Z")
No, we have our own. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/714 "2009-05-20T03:00:56Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#): > > No, we have our own. Ah. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/715 "2009-05-20T03:13:50Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > In TOS it is established that Kirk is the youngest captain ever - it might be in the writers guide - but 20 or 21 is absurd. Kirk’s original record is in-canon broken by a reference in the TNG episode “Conspiracy”, in which [Tryla Scott](http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Tryla_Scott) is the latest “youngest to make captain”. Even 25 for new-Kirk is ridiculous, especially since his net space experience consists of exactly this one mission. _If_ he’d graduated at 21 _and_ had a stellar record including multiple medals and commendations, _maybe_ by 30 he’d have the rank and conceivably by 31 be trusted to command one of the 12 major starships. But if the writers have decided that everything _will_ fit, dammit, because these characters have a “destiny”… then logic gets fucked harder than a two-dollar whore. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/716 "2009-05-20T03:34:45Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Kirk’s original record is in-canon broken by a reference in the TNG episode “Conspiracy”, in which [Tryla Scott](http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Tryla_Scott) is the latest “youngest to make captain”. > > Even 25 for new-Kirk is ridiculous, especially since his net space experience consists of exactly this one mission. _If_ he’d graduated at 21 _and_ had a stellar record including multiple medals and commendations, _maybe_ by 30 he’d have the rank and conceivably by 31 be trusted to command one of the 12 major starships. > > But if the writers have decided that everything _will_ fit, dammit, because these characters have a “destiny”… then logic gets fucked harder than a two-dollar whore. Pike did say that he could have a ship after eight years. And from Checkov we know that you can enter at 17 with exceptional scores. So 25 sounds about right for a captain. As for Kirk getting a command so young, I offer this. The entire balance of the fleet was at the Laurentian system and suffered who knows how many losses. The remaining ships were destroyed by the Narada’s fancy torpedoes. Almost the entire graduating class of Star Fleet (with the exception of those on the Enterprise) was killed. With so many captains down it makes his placement a little less unlikely. Couple that with glowing praise from (Admiral) Pike and the political pressure from the public to give a gold star to the guy who saved _every planet in the Federation._ I can certainly see it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/717 "2009-05-20T04:19:10Z")
Other than a Starfleet hoedown, what was happening at the Laurentian System? ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/718 "2009-05-20T04:35:55Z")
It’s amazing how much I can ignore logic & plot inconsistencies & downright crap story when I’m enjoying the movie experience so much. Loved it. Loved New Kirk. Loved New McCoy, and New Scotty. Those three I liked the most. Loved the feel of the movie, the look of it, the humor, the _fun_. I know I’ve just lost any respect Skald ever had for me… ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/719 "2009-05-20T05:29:17Z")
I just saw it today and have not read through the thread, as I am tardy. Just a few comments: Very entertaining, certainly. Enjoyed the actors, for the most part. Quinto and Urban were especially good, and Yelchin was adorable. I cracked up when Kirk felt up Uhura during a bar fight. What a guy. Romulans with tattoos?? Who carries swords into battle when everybody’s got phasers? Not very practical. I get mixed up with time travel. Did Vulcan get restored by the end or not? Spock and Uhura getting it on…and in full view of others while on the transporter pad? Please. I enjoyed it, despite the quibbles. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2009, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640/720 "2009-05-20T08:39:21Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#): > > Other than a Starfleet hoedown, what was happening at the Laurentian System? Rampaging plot device. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640.md?page=35) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-i-saw-it-thread-spoilers/495640.md?page=37)