More on the Star Trek “Reboot” Movie . . .

by Little Miss Attila on May 12, 2009

Lileks has some thoughts; he’s so verbal, that man. (Have you ever heard him speak? It’s not at all like his writing. But I suppose I may read more slowly than he talks. Or perhaps it just feels that way.)

Via His Moeness, who largely agrees with the Lileks take.

I didn’t take the plot holes all that seriously, though I do think there should have been more sex. After all, one can only replay the trailers so many times, rewinding to that shot of Pine’s backside. (Wait: did I type that out loud?) *

I did like the new take on Spock; the writers appeared to be making his emotional repression into a metaphor for masculinity itself. (My male readers will squabble with me on that, but this is fine: it’s also masculine not to have any self-awareness regarding masculinity. I know you better than you know yourselves, boyz.)

For those who missed it, Ed Morrissey’s review—complete with a long comments thread, including various squabbles about the plot—is here.

UPDATE: There’s a nice video interview with Leonard Nimoy here. In past print interviews, he’s maintained that his friendship with William Shatner is doing fine, despite whatever naturally mixed emotions Shatner might have about not being selected to appear in this film. I agree with the apparent decision to only use one previous actor in any of the “reboot” movies, and not only did it work to make it Nimoy for plot reasons—it also made sense politically. This way the writers didn’t have to reignite the George Takei-Bill Shatner rivalry, or “take sides” on that issue. (Chris Pine, a true gentleman, did make sure to send Shatner a respectful note as he undertook this venture. That’s class, and of course Shatner responded; he’s a nice guy. Within a few days, Pine’s dad—best-known for his role in CHiPs—landed a Priceline commercial, and got to meet Bill in person [see this clip of an interview with Pine; also, this is a nice clip about John Cho making a connection with George Takei, who was more-than-gracious about someone stepping into the role he originally fashioned]).

Speaking of Takei, I’m not sure how I feel theoretically about a man of Korean descent playing a Japanese dude, but there has been so much genetic/cultural commingling of Asians that I doubt it matters at this point in time. But I am not Asian. (Unless one wants to call in the “land bridge” theory and somehow maintain that my 1/164th part Osage Indian heritage qualifies me as quasi-Asian. If you’ve seen my picture, you won’t buy that notion, though: I look like a WASP’s WASP.) At any rate, Takei is fine with it; that’s probably all that really matters.

I do happen to love the intensity John Cho brought to the character; the existing writers really fleshed out second-tier characters like Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov in ways that I don’t think TOS ever did: there were times in The Original Series that these people all appeared to be simply decorative, and two-dimensional (to use E.M. Forster’s formulation of character from Aspects of the Nove).

And, for crying out loud!—I don’t recall Sulu ever wielding a real sword, rather than simply a foil, in TOS. If not—for crying out loud—why not?

* Yeah; the two lead actors are hittable. But Bruce Greenwood is the real dish in this movie. Alas, there are no parallel universes for the married. At least, none that I know of.

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Lileks May 12, 2009 at 6:46 pm

Hah! You’re the first to say I don’t talk like I write. You may be on to something. (Thanks for the link!)

Reply

Mary May 16, 2009 at 8:57 pm

Yes, Kirk and Spock were played by very nice looking men, but I would be all over John Cho/Sulu in a heartbeat. Hoo lordy. Here’s hoping they reenact the original series scene where Sulu runs around all sweaty with his shirt off.

Reply

Leave a Comment

Previous post:

Next post: