1 post tagged “john cho”
Welcome to episode one in the reboot of the Star Trek franchise. Not just a reference to J.J. Abrams TV roots, but also a frankly unnecessary Lucas-ification of material that once served as inspiration to the less intellectually stimulating, more action driven fun of Star Wars.
The humanist, positivist philosophy of Rodenberry is subdued, and in its place are goofy moments of comedy involving dinky little aliens, sentimental sound cues cribbed from Lost, slapstick transporter overshoots and poor choices in editing cues that turn once legendary catchphrases like, ‘Live long and prosper’ into middle finger one-liners.
More importantly though, replacing the more contemplative moments, the kinds suggested by those pulsating first notes of the classic theme, is a more prosaic questing story, similar to one through which another legendary sci-fi character was brought to our attention.
Luke Skywalker and James Tiberius Kirk, both farm boys, both fatherless. Both unconsciously driven to better themselves. In this film their paths are intrinsically linked. In fact in one scene involving the straw haired moppet Kirk, and some joyriding stupidity, it even betters Star Wars for obnoxious petulance.
And the parallels go on; Luke staring out at the twin suns replaced by Kirk’s pit stop at the shipyard where the Enterprise is being constructed. His Obi-wan, the equally commanding Bruce Greenwood as Captain Pike.
It’s Pike that takes Kirk’s rebellious, bar-brawling energy, and attempts to channel it into a career at the Federation, a kind of galactic UN, that serves as an exploration and peace keeping force. Little of which we see in this film.
In short, the film is far from perfect. In fact at times it battles with mediocrity, the central time travel theme a contrivance rather than an intriguing look at the future and mankind’s greatest frontier. It leaves poor Leonard Nimoy, returning as original Spock, as little more than doddery plot device, slotting the core cast neatly into their respective roles.
This leaves the action as filler. Starship battles that would make Lord Nelson’s eyes bleed replace submarine ping subtlety. All noise, glossy effects and glossy gyroscopic cameras. Without proper motivation and therefore significance, it’s left to the worst kinks of Star Trek, the smoke screen science, to support it. And so transporter signals are jammed, and we get an admittedly thrilling, yet vapid super sonic freefall closely followed by the clash of steel.
What’s worse, amidst these streaks of CGI colour which are, in the case of one heroic phaser battle, nigh on incomprehensible, we realise the movie lacks a decent villain. Eric Bana’s Nero, a petulant, shouty infant compared to the Shakespearean stature of Montalban’s Khan. Seriously, the biggest threat to our new look crew is a stellar miner.
Saying that, as is true for all of Abram’s previous work, it’s the character work that saves this movie. More than that; it manages to turn it into a truly stirring piece of cinema.
Each of the beloved characters are present and correct. Chris Pine displaying all the playboy swagger of Kirk, nailing classic Shatnerian joie de vivre in the film’s final moments, and adding youth and vigour to the role. Quite simply he’s the better actor, bringing an immediate presence, rather than one embellished by time and cult following.
He’s matched by Zachary Quinto, giving a superb performance as young Spock; perpetually in conflict with an emotional spectrum you realise is almost as alien a concept as he is. He shares some wonderfully tender moments with Zoe Saldana as Uhura, who balances vulnerability with nerdy bullishness to perfection.
Likewise, his clashes with the acid tongue of realist Dr Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy (Karl Urban as the film’s true highlight) not only give us some of the best lines in ‘green-blooded hobgoblin’, but sells some of the more intrusive classic references the movie throws up.
While Chekov (Anton Yelchin), Sulu (John Cho) and Scotty (Simon Pegg) aren’t quite there yet as characters, Yelchin little more than a comedy accent and Pegg a slightly less demented Sick Boy from ‘Trainspotting‘, you can’t help but be charmed by these characters interactions and altercations. The movie managing to capture some of the elusive, swashbuckling heart of the matinee.
So exciting, sure. Thrilling, most definitely. But where’s the epic implied by that fantastic final trailer? Where’s the things Roy Batty has seen? The things we wouldn’t believe. Maybe they’ll always be the domain of machines. Us humans are too busy being blinded by 80s strobes, deafened by cacophonous sound effects and seduced by young pups with movie star charisma.
Or maybe, as the pilot episode structure suggests it’s all there waiting, ready to be explored. Ready to germinate in future episodes and become far more than streaks of coloured, magical light going at warp speed.
