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ladyofleithian...and honestly? It was really damn good. Loved it.
Trailers I got:
Can't say I remember many of them; it was kind of a generic mess, really. Perhaps the movies are better than the trailers suggest, but they seemed kind of forgettable to me.
-THE GRAND MASTER: Looks amazing.
-THE LONE RANGER: Eh...it was okay. Rather forgettable.
-DESPICABLE ME 2: Looks fucking awesome.
-World War Z: Sufficiently terrifying.
-ANCHORMAN 2: Fucking hilarious, really. Seriously.
The film itself:
I confess that I really, really loved the first new STAR TREK film when it came out, and this one...well, I think this might qualify as an Even Better Sequel. For one thing, the action scenes were absolutely amazing. My only real criticism of them is that they could occasionally get too intense, but other than that, they were wonderful. I know things like the opening scene (saving Spock from the volcano, the ENTERPRISE rising from the water, etc. Also loved Scotty's snark about how impractical it all was, as well as, earlier, Uhura sort of kissing Spock through the helmet before he went down to his certain doom) fight between Spock and Khan on Earth, as well as later, Uhura, really stood out. And I definitely love how Uhura just shot Khan multiple times with a phaser. Hell, Uhura in general was really awesome in this movie (in fact, one thing I really liked about this movie was how everyone got their chances to shine), but that scene, her attempts to negotiate with the Klingons (even though they went wrong later), and her telling Kirk and later Spock to stop beating up Khan...yeah, those were absolutely amazing scenes.
Other scenes that I really liked included Scotty sabotaging the inside of Admiral Marcus' ship if only to stop the crew of the ENTERPRISE from being blown to pieces, as well as his standing up to Kirk much earlier in regards to firing the torpedoes (I mean, yeah, seeing Scotty resign even if temporarily was really hard to watch -- I guess it was just something about his friendship with Kirk falling apart like that, really -- but it was still really impressive to see), and his managing to get Kirk and Khan through the door of Marcus' ship in time (all while apologizing to that one crew member about to be sucked out). Then there's Sulu and his seriously awesome ultimatum to John Harrison/Khan down on Kronos. I think Bones said it best when he said he was glad to not piss off Sulu. There's also Chekov taking over engineering after Scotty (temporarily) quit as well as pulling Scotty and Kirk to safety when it looks like they're about to be sucked into hell, and there's Carol Marcus...honestly, Carol Marcus was fucking awesome, I swear. I know things like her staying behind to disarm the torpedo (which later turns out to be one of Khan's crew frozen) was great, as well as her pleading with her father to spare the ENTERPRISE crew. And telling Admiral Marcus that she was ashamed to be his daughter -- cruel, perhaps, but really, after everything he did (such as attempt to start a war with the Klingons), he really deserved that. And then there's the matter of Spock -- when he's taking command of the ship for the time being, for example. Seriously, he did an amazing job, all things considered. I can't say Spock was my favorite character in the previous film (I identified more with Kirk), but he was amazing here. That and he got some great lines, whether they be funny (his rather dismissive response to Kirk calling him a robot, for example, saying basically that Kirk's defensiveness means that he thinks Spock's argument is correct. *) or honestly, really tearjerking (such as his talk with Uhura while they're heading down to the Klingon homeworld to find Harrison). And then there's Kirk himself. Started out as initially awkward sort of comedy, in a way (what with Kirk trying to ignore Spock and Uhura fighting, and even getting in some snark of his own), but then it took a turn for the seriously emotional considering that Spock is mostly trying to sort of conceal his emotions, and that the loss of Vulcan is still very much weighing heavily on him in a way. And then there's the matter of Kirk. I like how they sort of explored his desire for revenge after the matter of Pike's death (which, really, I can understand completely. I mean, Pike was like a father to him) as well as the deaths of innocent people. Kirk has perfectly valid reasons, really, to go after Khan/Harrison. I think the only real problem is when he goes too far with it (such as when Uhura has to snap him out of beating the living shit out of Harrison). I also really liked the movie exploring the matter of Kirk and his position as Captain -- for example, violating the Prime Directive in order to save Spock (and Spock in turn violating the Prime Directive in order to stop that volcano from exploding) and Pike summarily telling him off (although I confess, it was one of those rare moments I really disliked him. I mean, yeah, Kirk did violate a lot of Starfleet regulations and such, but at the same time, there was something about him accusing Kirk of thinking rules don't apply to him that really got me. It's no doubt applied to Kirk in the past, but here, he was mostly trying to save someone else's life. Perhaps the way he did it was far from wise, but I can understand his reasons. **) -- that was an interesting way to go about all of this. I also liked Kirk's speech at the end, in regards to acting the best we can be, and to not seek vengeance, as well as sort of retaking the Captain's Oath -- it was an honestly beautiful way to tie up all the character growth he underwent in this film, going from someone seeking revenge on Harrison/Khan (and really, how many times in history have we confused revenge with justice? Probably too many to count. I think we need these lessons, from now into the future) to ultimately, genuinely acting like the Captain he was meant to be. That and his talk with Bones ("It'll be fun!") was a really adorable moment, as well as Spock ultimately trusting Kirk's judgment (considering how they argued a lot in this film. Stuff like Spock's more pragmatic Vulcan mentality clashing with Kirk's more emotional mentality. ***) at the end.
I also liked the new dimension they gave Khan. I admit if you told me that Benedict Cumberbatch was playing Khan...well, I would have been a tad "huh?" to say the least. But in all honesty, I think he did very, very well. He was really good at playing someone who was honestly very dangerous and ruthless, but with a more sympathetic edge. (I think it helps he has very expressive eyes. Bit painfully expressive, really) I know, for example, when he's talking to Kirk and Spock about what Marcus did, and why he did what he did (to get revenge on Marcus in regards to his crew, basically), and he starts crying...yeah, I didn't break down in the theater (should probably get my tearducts checked, at least), but it really hit me hard. Especially the fact that he called his crew his family. I think it's very true in regards to the old Khan, really, such as with taking in Joachim after his parents (both followers of Khan) were killed defending Khan (Memory Alpha provided me information on it, when I was doing research for a fic involving Khan long, obviously, before INTO DARKNESS came out and when I was still kind of suffering some Khan-related emotions. He was a bastard, yeah, but I can't help but feel a tad sorry for him), and his reaction after Joachim is killed ****. I always sort of suspected that Khan saw his followers as akin to family, but it was lovely, if also heartwrenching, to see it onscreen. Not to mention his almost hopeful reaction when he thinks Spock beamed his frozen crew aboard, and his reaction when he thinks they were killed. And the ending -- instead of being killed, he's put into cryosleep with the rest of his crew. I just loved how he could swing from dangerous (I know that even though he was a bastard, Admiral Marcus' death was horrifying. *Shudders* Also, Khan threatening to kill Kirk over the viewscreen while talking with Spock) to sympathetic to awesome (taking out those Klingons, for instance) at the same time. I confess I felt really absurd sort of feeling bad for Khan, but...well, yeah, his lot pretty much sucked. Especially considering how Marcus was using him to start a war with the Klingons. I also sort of liked how he seemed to view what he was doing during his time as a warlord as doing the right thing -- there's always something chilling about people thinking they're doing the right things even when they're doing really awful things, and Khan is no exception. I also liked his really chilling scene with the father in the beginning, what with using his blood to cure the guy's daughter. Really chilling, especially when the father blows up that one building later.
And then there's Marcus. Holy fucking shit, Marcus. I like how he started out seemingly nice and friendly in the beginning before turning around and turning into this Rassilon sort of figure. Really chilling. And his rant about preserving the Federation as well as trying to pin it all on Kirk...yeah, that's a disconnection from reality big enough to make you a villain on DOCTOR WHO. Kirk wasn't trying to start a war with the Klingons out of some misplaced sense of righteousness, Admiral.
I also really liked stuff like Bones flirting with Carol Marcus (that was hilarious. XD), and that scene with Spock kneeling next to Kirk while the latter is dying, and Kirk confessing that he's scared of dying (that really got me), and much earlier, Kirk begging Marcus not to hurt his crew (just...ouch. This film has a hell of a lot of "ouch" scenes, but that was one of the standouts), and near the end of the film, Khan's blood being used to cure Kirk. Honestly, amazing damn film. I know it's a bit contested in some areas, and it has its flaws, but you know what? Amazing story, amazing characters, amazing everything.
* Which I confess I sort of do also. I mean, call it a matter of not really thinking that they're right, but worrying "what if they're right and I'm wrong?" My mom says I need to break that habit.
** And the fact that there have been instances apparently where people have used the Prime Directive as an excuse to leave people to die doesn't help matters either. There are valid uses for it, but still...
*** I also like how they ultimately chose to portray Kirk as imperfect. I think heroes with imperfections and challenges in them to overcome are far more compelling than heroes who just triumph thanks to Incorruptible Pure Pureness or are just Incorruptible Pure Pureness from beginning to end, who never make mistakes, and who seem more like role models than actual characters. I mean, teaching good morals is all well and good, but include some flaws in there too. Because really, in the end, flaws are just more interesting and engaging. And they can tell a far more powerful moral and a more moving story than just...well, Incorruptible Pure Pureness. And it really shows how brave the writer really is, being able to show when his main character is wrong.
**** Also known as Ricardo Montalban is a fucking fantastic actor.
So overall? Loved it. Definitely recommended.
Trailers I got:
Can't say I remember many of them; it was kind of a generic mess, really. Perhaps the movies are better than the trailers suggest, but they seemed kind of forgettable to me.
-THE GRAND MASTER: Looks amazing.
-THE LONE RANGER: Eh...it was okay. Rather forgettable.
-DESPICABLE ME 2: Looks fucking awesome.
-World War Z: Sufficiently terrifying.
-ANCHORMAN 2: Fucking hilarious, really. Seriously.
The film itself:
I confess that I really, really loved the first new STAR TREK film when it came out, and this one...well, I think this might qualify as an Even Better Sequel. For one thing, the action scenes were absolutely amazing. My only real criticism of them is that they could occasionally get too intense, but other than that, they were wonderful. I know things like the opening scene (saving Spock from the volcano, the ENTERPRISE rising from the water, etc. Also loved Scotty's snark about how impractical it all was, as well as, earlier, Uhura sort of kissing Spock through the helmet before he went down to his certain doom) fight between Spock and Khan on Earth, as well as later, Uhura, really stood out. And I definitely love how Uhura just shot Khan multiple times with a phaser. Hell, Uhura in general was really awesome in this movie (in fact, one thing I really liked about this movie was how everyone got their chances to shine), but that scene, her attempts to negotiate with the Klingons (even though they went wrong later), and her telling Kirk and later Spock to stop beating up Khan...yeah, those were absolutely amazing scenes.
Other scenes that I really liked included Scotty sabotaging the inside of Admiral Marcus' ship if only to stop the crew of the ENTERPRISE from being blown to pieces, as well as his standing up to Kirk much earlier in regards to firing the torpedoes (I mean, yeah, seeing Scotty resign even if temporarily was really hard to watch -- I guess it was just something about his friendship with Kirk falling apart like that, really -- but it was still really impressive to see), and his managing to get Kirk and Khan through the door of Marcus' ship in time (all while apologizing to that one crew member about to be sucked out). Then there's Sulu and his seriously awesome ultimatum to John Harrison/Khan down on Kronos. I think Bones said it best when he said he was glad to not piss off Sulu. There's also Chekov taking over engineering after Scotty (temporarily) quit as well as pulling Scotty and Kirk to safety when it looks like they're about to be sucked into hell, and there's Carol Marcus...honestly, Carol Marcus was fucking awesome, I swear. I know things like her staying behind to disarm the torpedo (which later turns out to be one of Khan's crew frozen) was great, as well as her pleading with her father to spare the ENTERPRISE crew. And telling Admiral Marcus that she was ashamed to be his daughter -- cruel, perhaps, but really, after everything he did (such as attempt to start a war with the Klingons), he really deserved that. And then there's the matter of Spock -- when he's taking command of the ship for the time being, for example. Seriously, he did an amazing job, all things considered. I can't say Spock was my favorite character in the previous film (I identified more with Kirk), but he was amazing here. That and he got some great lines, whether they be funny (his rather dismissive response to Kirk calling him a robot, for example, saying basically that Kirk's defensiveness means that he thinks Spock's argument is correct. *) or honestly, really tearjerking (such as his talk with Uhura while they're heading down to the Klingon homeworld to find Harrison). And then there's Kirk himself. Started out as initially awkward sort of comedy, in a way (what with Kirk trying to ignore Spock and Uhura fighting, and even getting in some snark of his own), but then it took a turn for the seriously emotional considering that Spock is mostly trying to sort of conceal his emotions, and that the loss of Vulcan is still very much weighing heavily on him in a way. And then there's the matter of Kirk. I like how they sort of explored his desire for revenge after the matter of Pike's death (which, really, I can understand completely. I mean, Pike was like a father to him) as well as the deaths of innocent people. Kirk has perfectly valid reasons, really, to go after Khan/Harrison. I think the only real problem is when he goes too far with it (such as when Uhura has to snap him out of beating the living shit out of Harrison). I also really liked the movie exploring the matter of Kirk and his position as Captain -- for example, violating the Prime Directive in order to save Spock (and Spock in turn violating the Prime Directive in order to stop that volcano from exploding) and Pike summarily telling him off (although I confess, it was one of those rare moments I really disliked him. I mean, yeah, Kirk did violate a lot of Starfleet regulations and such, but at the same time, there was something about him accusing Kirk of thinking rules don't apply to him that really got me. It's no doubt applied to Kirk in the past, but here, he was mostly trying to save someone else's life. Perhaps the way he did it was far from wise, but I can understand his reasons. **) -- that was an interesting way to go about all of this. I also liked Kirk's speech at the end, in regards to acting the best we can be, and to not seek vengeance, as well as sort of retaking the Captain's Oath -- it was an honestly beautiful way to tie up all the character growth he underwent in this film, going from someone seeking revenge on Harrison/Khan (and really, how many times in history have we confused revenge with justice? Probably too many to count. I think we need these lessons, from now into the future) to ultimately, genuinely acting like the Captain he was meant to be. That and his talk with Bones ("It'll be fun!") was a really adorable moment, as well as Spock ultimately trusting Kirk's judgment (considering how they argued a lot in this film. Stuff like Spock's more pragmatic Vulcan mentality clashing with Kirk's more emotional mentality. ***) at the end.
I also liked the new dimension they gave Khan. I admit if you told me that Benedict Cumberbatch was playing Khan...well, I would have been a tad "huh?" to say the least. But in all honesty, I think he did very, very well. He was really good at playing someone who was honestly very dangerous and ruthless, but with a more sympathetic edge. (I think it helps he has very expressive eyes. Bit painfully expressive, really) I know, for example, when he's talking to Kirk and Spock about what Marcus did, and why he did what he did (to get revenge on Marcus in regards to his crew, basically), and he starts crying...yeah, I didn't break down in the theater (should probably get my tearducts checked, at least), but it really hit me hard. Especially the fact that he called his crew his family. I think it's very true in regards to the old Khan, really, such as with taking in Joachim after his parents (both followers of Khan) were killed defending Khan (Memory Alpha provided me information on it, when I was doing research for a fic involving Khan long, obviously, before INTO DARKNESS came out and when I was still kind of suffering some Khan-related emotions. He was a bastard, yeah, but I can't help but feel a tad sorry for him), and his reaction after Joachim is killed ****. I always sort of suspected that Khan saw his followers as akin to family, but it was lovely, if also heartwrenching, to see it onscreen. Not to mention his almost hopeful reaction when he thinks Spock beamed his frozen crew aboard, and his reaction when he thinks they were killed. And the ending -- instead of being killed, he's put into cryosleep with the rest of his crew. I just loved how he could swing from dangerous (I know that even though he was a bastard, Admiral Marcus' death was horrifying. *Shudders* Also, Khan threatening to kill Kirk over the viewscreen while talking with Spock) to sympathetic to awesome (taking out those Klingons, for instance) at the same time. I confess I felt really absurd sort of feeling bad for Khan, but...well, yeah, his lot pretty much sucked. Especially considering how Marcus was using him to start a war with the Klingons. I also sort of liked how he seemed to view what he was doing during his time as a warlord as doing the right thing -- there's always something chilling about people thinking they're doing the right things even when they're doing really awful things, and Khan is no exception. I also liked his really chilling scene with the father in the beginning, what with using his blood to cure the guy's daughter. Really chilling, especially when the father blows up that one building later.
And then there's Marcus. Holy fucking shit, Marcus. I like how he started out seemingly nice and friendly in the beginning before turning around and turning into this Rassilon sort of figure. Really chilling. And his rant about preserving the Federation as well as trying to pin it all on Kirk...yeah, that's a disconnection from reality big enough to make you a villain on DOCTOR WHO. Kirk wasn't trying to start a war with the Klingons out of some misplaced sense of righteousness, Admiral.
I also really liked stuff like Bones flirting with Carol Marcus (that was hilarious. XD), and that scene with Spock kneeling next to Kirk while the latter is dying, and Kirk confessing that he's scared of dying (that really got me), and much earlier, Kirk begging Marcus not to hurt his crew (just...ouch. This film has a hell of a lot of "ouch" scenes, but that was one of the standouts), and near the end of the film, Khan's blood being used to cure Kirk. Honestly, amazing damn film. I know it's a bit contested in some areas, and it has its flaws, but you know what? Amazing story, amazing characters, amazing everything.
* Which I confess I sort of do also. I mean, call it a matter of not really thinking that they're right, but worrying "what if they're right and I'm wrong?" My mom says I need to break that habit.
** And the fact that there have been instances apparently where people have used the Prime Directive as an excuse to leave people to die doesn't help matters either. There are valid uses for it, but still...
*** I also like how they ultimately chose to portray Kirk as imperfect. I think heroes with imperfections and challenges in them to overcome are far more compelling than heroes who just triumph thanks to Incorruptible Pure Pureness or are just Incorruptible Pure Pureness from beginning to end, who never make mistakes, and who seem more like role models than actual characters. I mean, teaching good morals is all well and good, but include some flaws in there too. Because really, in the end, flaws are just more interesting and engaging. And they can tell a far more powerful moral and a more moving story than just...well, Incorruptible Pure Pureness. And it really shows how brave the writer really is, being able to show when his main character is wrong.
**** Also known as Ricardo Montalban is a fucking fantastic actor.
So overall? Loved it. Definitely recommended.
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Date: 2013-05-17 10:15 pm (UTC)But yeah, I really liked the movie and some of the dialogue and character interactions were AMAZING. And the scene with Spock and Kirk before he died was seriously beautiful and heartbreaking. Also just any scene with Spock, because I love him hahaha.
I need to see this movie again ASAP.
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Date: 2013-05-17 10:47 pm (UTC)And I know, right? The dialogue and character interactions were just amazing. And really well done.
And yes, Spock is made of awesome and win. :3
And yeah, I know what you mean. :)
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Date: 2013-05-18 05:23 pm (UTC)I knew Cumberbatch would be fucking brilliant, and he didn't disappoint. Yeah he's no Montalban, but he's still Cumberbatch. I thought it a brave choice to make Khan more sympathetic. Yeah he's a megalomanic superman, but he was also dealt a bad hand. If this movie shows anything, it's that it's dangerous to mess with someone's family, especially if that someone is Khan or Spock.
I totally need to see this movie again. Yeah I'm sure there are holes in the story (why didn't they just treat Jim with the blood of one of the other frozen superbeings?), but it's still a great summer blockbuster. I'm stoked for J.J.'s Star Wars, and I hope he'll be able to make time for both franchises.
no subject
Date: 2013-05-18 06:00 pm (UTC)And so very much agreed about Khan. Seriously. And the theme of "family" really is pretty strong in this film, it really is.
And that's definitely a good question regarding the other superbeings' blood. My guess that they didn't want to go through the no doubt difficult process of unfreezing them and getting the blood, and Khan was the closest one they could get, but yeah. And I'm also wondering if Kirk might get some of Khan's superstrength and other powers, but then again, I suppose not. (I loved Bones' comment about it, about whether or not Kirk was feeling homicidal. XD That was one of my favorite Bones lines in the movie, which says volumes considering Bones had a ton of great lines)
And so very stoked for Abrams' Star Wars. Seriously. :D
no subject
Date: 2013-05-22 08:06 am (UTC)Although I didn't really notice Bones flirting with Carol which means I'll have to go watch it again! ;) (I found myself shipping Kirk with Carol.)
no subject
Date: 2013-05-22 02:20 pm (UTC)Oh, it's when they're down on the planet sort of figuring out the torpedoes and everything, and Bones starts hitting on Carol. Sort of trying to impress her and all, also known as one of those moments in the theater where I could not stop laughing. XD (I think that's really the key to handling Darker and Edgier stuff -- add humor to lighten things a bit) And yeah, I was shipping Kirk and Carol also. (Also, Carol is one of my new favorite female characters. Seriously)