![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Belated Star Trek review
I have two Dreamwidth invites, does anyone want them?
I’ve watched Star Trek for the second time, so I’m overdue a post on it.
I didn’t know what to expect from it (the first time). I was never a fan of the original series (DS9 is my Trek), so in that sense it made it easier going in with less fannish baggage, though I didn’t expect to be particularly blown away other.
Boy, was I ever wrong.
-Ok, this Kirk? Was awesomecakes. Part of the reason I could never get into the original was Shatner’s epic scenery chewing and the fact that I could never root for the character. With this Kirk…look, it wasn’t that there weren’t moments where I kind of wanted to bitchslap him for being a bit of (ok, a LOT of) an ass, but it seemed the text fully acknowledged his occasional doucheyness, and what’s more, *embraced* it. And for all his attitude and GIANT EGO, you could actually see why every single member of the crew was 100% behind him by the end (also, the whole allergic reaction scene had me in stiches both times, and unlike the lulz Shatner gave me, it was because it was supposed to be funny). He’s the guy who’ll randomly insult you and then jump of an impossibly high platform just to save your ass. How can you not follow him pretty much anywhere?
-I admit, I was highly skeptical when I heard who they cast for Spock and worried about Quinto and his prominent eyebrows would do the character, but seing this just confirms that the reason Sylar bored me to death in Heroes is the show’s general subpar writing, as opposed to Quinto’s acting skills. He utterly sold me, and thought he hit the perfect balance between emotion and restraint, and holy shit, when did Quinto become hot to me? This is new.
-Speaking of hot, Spock/Uhura: I ship it. I absolutely LOVED Uhura in this one (and hell yes, love for movie!Kirk aside, who the hell wouldn’t prefer Spock?). I know there have been some complaints about the lack of female characters in the movie, but given that it mostly focused on the core cast and Uhura got to do as much as the other crew members who weren’t Kirk or Spock, I don’t see how it could have happened any other way (and the skirt thing: a) it was positively nun-like compared to the skirt length in the original b)I thought the movie did a great job of updating the original series uniforms and c)as a woman who enjoys short skirts, I’m offended by the implication there’s something inherently bimboish about them).
Less pleasing is that fandom is showing its ass already. I wish I could say the misogyny (now with extra racism!) is surprising, but it’s really not. I’m surprised at the blatant ugliness in the comments though-it’s not the first time slashers have let their misogyny flag fly when bashing anything that gets girl cooties in their pairing, but the gendered insults and undercurrents of real anger are just…gah. Fandom, how I hate thee sometimes.
-Just how AWESOME was McCoy? Snarky impatient misanthropes FTW! I loved he had no restraint on who he unleashed his snark upon, loved how equally affectionate for and utterly exacerbated with Kirk he was, loved how he constantly felt surrounded by clueless kids (ha, his line about Chekov’s age? Would totally have been my reaction). He should have his own advice column: “Your problems come from being an idiot. I’m a doctor, not a sounding board for the emotionally stunted, go away!”.
-Every single casting choice was spot on, and I want to SQUISH the whole cast (once I got over tiny problems like Chekov’s ‘ironic’ bad accent-yes, I know it was a tribute, but damn, he sounded like an oldschool Bond villain. An ADORABLE Bond villain, but still!).
-Unexpected Nimoy was unexpected. I’d somehow managed to stay unspoiled for his cameo, so it almost made the Random Trek/Ice Age tribute/infodump worth it. I was highly amused that his primary role in this is as a stand-in for the slashers. God only knows what NC-17 fic Kirk glimpsed while inside Spock Prime’s brain.
-I was so certain that they would somehow ‘fix’ the timeline (years of Trek, Voyager especially, have conditioned to the inevitability of the reset button at the end). And then…they didn’t. Holy shit. Vulcan is actually gone. That took some balls of STEEL in their part. And I think it’s actually a good thing: for one thing, taking the coward’s way out would have lessened the emotional impact of the plot (and the radically different path Spock is set on as a result), for another, part of my distaste for prequels is knowing how it all ends. Now? We truly are entering new territory without fears of Jossing (and the alternate timeline still exists, so I couldn’t get too weepy about the future Trek shows).
-So…Scotty was in the shithouse for disappearing Admiral Archer’s pet beagle. Timeline-wise, it can only be descendants of Captain Archer and Porthos, but still: what a random Enterprise shoutout.
Can the sequels be out NOW please?
I’ve watched Star Trek for the second time, so I’m overdue a post on it.
I didn’t know what to expect from it (the first time). I was never a fan of the original series (DS9 is my Trek), so in that sense it made it easier going in with less fannish baggage, though I didn’t expect to be particularly blown away other.
Boy, was I ever wrong.
-Ok, this Kirk? Was awesomecakes. Part of the reason I could never get into the original was Shatner’s epic scenery chewing and the fact that I could never root for the character. With this Kirk…look, it wasn’t that there weren’t moments where I kind of wanted to bitchslap him for being a bit of (ok, a LOT of) an ass, but it seemed the text fully acknowledged his occasional doucheyness, and what’s more, *embraced* it. And for all his attitude and GIANT EGO, you could actually see why every single member of the crew was 100% behind him by the end (also, the whole allergic reaction scene had me in stiches both times, and unlike the lulz Shatner gave me, it was because it was supposed to be funny). He’s the guy who’ll randomly insult you and then jump of an impossibly high platform just to save your ass. How can you not follow him pretty much anywhere?
-I admit, I was highly skeptical when I heard who they cast for Spock and worried about Quinto and his prominent eyebrows would do the character, but seing this just confirms that the reason Sylar bored me to death in Heroes is the show’s general subpar writing, as opposed to Quinto’s acting skills. He utterly sold me, and thought he hit the perfect balance between emotion and restraint, and holy shit, when did Quinto become hot to me? This is new.
-Speaking of hot, Spock/Uhura: I ship it. I absolutely LOVED Uhura in this one (and hell yes, love for movie!Kirk aside, who the hell wouldn’t prefer Spock?). I know there have been some complaints about the lack of female characters in the movie, but given that it mostly focused on the core cast and Uhura got to do as much as the other crew members who weren’t Kirk or Spock, I don’t see how it could have happened any other way (and the skirt thing: a) it was positively nun-like compared to the skirt length in the original b)I thought the movie did a great job of updating the original series uniforms and c)as a woman who enjoys short skirts, I’m offended by the implication there’s something inherently bimboish about them).
Less pleasing is that fandom is showing its ass already. I wish I could say the misogyny (now with extra racism!) is surprising, but it’s really not. I’m surprised at the blatant ugliness in the comments though-it’s not the first time slashers have let their misogyny flag fly when bashing anything that gets girl cooties in their pairing, but the gendered insults and undercurrents of real anger are just…gah. Fandom, how I hate thee sometimes.
-Just how AWESOME was McCoy? Snarky impatient misanthropes FTW! I loved he had no restraint on who he unleashed his snark upon, loved how equally affectionate for and utterly exacerbated with Kirk he was, loved how he constantly felt surrounded by clueless kids (ha, his line about Chekov’s age? Would totally have been my reaction). He should have his own advice column: “Your problems come from being an idiot. I’m a doctor, not a sounding board for the emotionally stunted, go away!”.
-Every single casting choice was spot on, and I want to SQUISH the whole cast (once I got over tiny problems like Chekov’s ‘ironic’ bad accent-yes, I know it was a tribute, but damn, he sounded like an oldschool Bond villain. An ADORABLE Bond villain, but still!).
-Unexpected Nimoy was unexpected. I’d somehow managed to stay unspoiled for his cameo, so it almost made the Random Trek/Ice Age tribute/infodump worth it. I was highly amused that his primary role in this is as a stand-in for the slashers. God only knows what NC-17 fic Kirk glimpsed while inside Spock Prime’s brain.
-I was so certain that they would somehow ‘fix’ the timeline (years of Trek, Voyager especially, have conditioned to the inevitability of the reset button at the end). And then…they didn’t. Holy shit. Vulcan is actually gone. That took some balls of STEEL in their part. And I think it’s actually a good thing: for one thing, taking the coward’s way out would have lessened the emotional impact of the plot (and the radically different path Spock is set on as a result), for another, part of my distaste for prequels is knowing how it all ends. Now? We truly are entering new territory without fears of Jossing (and the alternate timeline still exists, so I couldn’t get too weepy about the future Trek shows).
-So…Scotty was in the shithouse for disappearing Admiral Archer’s pet beagle. Timeline-wise, it can only be descendants of Captain Archer and Porthos, but still: what a random Enterprise shoutout.
Can the sequels be out NOW please?
no subject
(no subject)
no subject
I am sorry that some people are being assholes about it but omg, not sold on this, not at discount rates.
I was actually kind of horrified and amused to find myself shipping K/S, because I NEVER shipped K/S on TOS. In large part because I watched TOS for the first time when it was first aired, sitting in my dad's lap, and I identified Daddy with Kirk because Daddy did, so thinking of TOS K/S is like trying to imagine my father kissing a guy. *so not happening*
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
no subject
Ahahaha, I bet! ;-)
part of my distaste for prequels is knowing how it all ends. Now? We truly are entering new territory without fears of Jossing
I don't mind prequels, but yes, the fact it's actually a new universe makes things more interesting!
(no subject)
no subject
But setting my contempt for him aside, I LOVED this production, I expected to hate Sylar as Spock, but I really enjoyed him. I enjoyed all of them! And Simon Pegg as Scottie was genius!
"I was so certain that they would somehow ‘fix’ the timeline (years of Trek, Voyager especially, have conditioned to the inevitability of the reset button at the end). And then…they didn’t. Holy shit."
Exactly! That was amazing, and really opens things up! This always all kinds of freedom in different aspects of these characters' personalities being developed... and basically a completely different universe (since so often Vulcan was the diplomatic corps).
It was a bold, but necessary choice... Now if Abrams would just hire some good women writers ....
Roddenberry had envisioned female captains & first officers from the very beginning, but evidently our new time line doesn't think so.... *sigh*
(no subject)
(no subject)
no subject
And I totally want to second this short skirt judgment. Sure if a skirt is too short it's ridiculous but I've certainly worn short skirts and I don't think they ever made me look like or be a bimbo. It's just a fashion. If women wear short skirts in this time period there's no reason to think Uhura would be judged that way for it. But again, maybe it's my own taste. I don't see anything not serious about a short dress with a high collar and high boots.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
no subject
I'm woefully behind on all this Dreamwidth stuff, but I got my original LJ via invite code so if your offer's still available, why not. Holler if you need my "proper" e-mail – I think you may have it already but if not I'll send it your way.
Have not seen Star Trek yet, am seriously considering it because Mum wants to see it on the big screen very badly. But for me Star Trek isn't fannish, it's part of my childhood. I was massively into Nimoy's Spock, and while the grown-up intellectual wants to be fair, the inner 5-year-old DOES NOT PLAY, DOES NOT MESS AROUND when it comes to Spock. (so no Vulcan!!!1! = MASSIVE FAIL to the inner 5-year old, even though the grown-up intellectual perfectly understands the concept of AU.)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
Short Skirts
This reboot does keep to the original's view of women and women's role in the Trek verse, which was changed in STNG, DS9, and the films. Women are treated as support, girlfriends, wives, mothers - they aren't part of the assault team, and they wear sexy clothes. It was a legitimate critique of the original Trek but also a critique of that time period. It is also why a lot of my female friends didn't like the original Trek - and much preferred the latter series.
That said: I am not sure we critique the writers for choosing to go this route, since they were sticking more or less with the canonical view of the original. It would look odd if they did away with how these people were dressed completely or some of the sexism - since the story is told pretty much from Kirk and Spock's pov, and Kirk was chauvinistic and a bit of a sexist jerk - hence Uruha's constant rejection of him. Spock -older and more enlightened, although even on Vulcan - the majority of the elders and students were male. So Spock also that view - she is his student, his support. Note it is Kirk that gets through to him. So the story is told from a decidedly white male perspective but then it always was, so that is in keeping with the original.
Re: Short Skirts
Re: Short Skirts
Re: Short Skirts
Re: Short Skirts
Re: Short Skirts
Re: Short Skirts
Re: Short Skirts
Re: Short Skirts
Re: Short Skirts
Re: Short Skirts
Re: Short Skirts