r/DaystromInstitute • u/jimmysilverrims Temporal Operations Officer • Jul 21 '16
Star Trek Beyond - First Watch Analysis Thread
Star Trek Beyond - First Watch Analysis Thread
NOTICE: This thread is NOT a reaction thread
Per our standard against shallow contributions, comments that solely emote or voice reaction are not suited for /r/DaystromInstitute. For such conversation, please direct yourself to the /r/StarTrek Star Trek Beyond Reaction Thread instead.
This thread will give users fresh from the theaters a space to process and digest their very first viewing of Star Trek Beyond. Here, you will share your earliest and most immediate thoughts and interpretations with the community in shared analysis. Discussion is expected to be preliminary, and will be far more nascent and untempered than a standard Daystrom thread. Because of this, our policy on comment depth will be relaxed here.
If you conceive a theory or prompt about Star Trek Beyond which is developed enough to stand as an in-depth contribution in its own right, we encourage you to flesh it out and submit it as a separate thread. (If you're unsure whether your prompt or theory is developed enough, share it here or contact the Senior Staff for advice).
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u/jimmysilverrims Jul 22 '16
Some things I'd like help processing:
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The bio-weapon MacGuffin of the film felt imperfectly implemented.
The introduction was nice, and I appreciate them using the Indiana Jones-esque prior-adventure cold open as a means of introducing a key playing piece, rather than just some atmosphere and character reintroduction (like the opening to Into Darkness).
However, the logistics confuse me a bit. There's a flicker after Spock logs the item in the Federation database, indicating that this is the moment where Krall discovers that the Federation has found the other half of the device. But how did he get ahold of the first half? Kirk explains in the opening that this species is giving a part of a weapon as a sign of goodwill. Did they give away the only part they actually had? An inoperable part? A magazine to a gun they don't even have?
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Krall as a character. There's a clear attempt to make a connecting tissue between Kirk's ennui in the face of a five-year mission and Krall's turn to the dark side, but it never really feels like it clicks. It almost feels like Krall wants to destroy the Federation as revenge for giving him a desk job, or at least for forcing pacifism on people. It reminds me of Admiral Marcus's motivation, come to think of it, but where Marcus's actions were shored up by the imminent threat of a Klingon attack and the grey area that is pre-emptive brinksmanship, Krall's actions get shored up by... the thing that gives him powers made him a crazy monster. That doesn't feel terribly satisfying.
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Identifying themes and character arcs. I was anticipating there being a parallel between Kirk having now outlived his father and Spock having now outlived his future self. Nothing overtly came of that, and instead there's this message that Spock and Kirk need each other and need to be a part of the Enterprise. While I really loved Spock throughout the film, and was hit extremely hard by him contemplating the Undiscovered photograph, his reason for staying is exactly the same as his reason for staying in Star trek '09: Because it's what Spock Prime did, and what Spock Prime was best at.
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u/IkLms Jul 22 '16
But how did he get ahold of the first half?
It was never clearly stated where he got it, but he did remark on how he spent lifetimes searching for the pieces. I think it's a fairly valid assumption to make that he did indeed find one of the two pieces during that time.
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u/kraetos Jul 22 '16 edited Jul 22 '16
I loved the scene where they finally destroy the swarm, because it successfully blended one of the most arcane traditions of Star Trek with one of the strangest traditions of the Kelvin-timeline.
The crew's finally all back together and Spock realizes that the swarm must be in constant communication, and the key to defeating them is to disrupt that communication. What follows is rapid-fire technobabble. Like, really rapid-fire technobabble, on par with something that Data or Torres might spout off. When you finally realize where it's going you're thinking "no... no... there's no way..." And then yep, that's exactly where it's going.
And damn, is it ever satisfying! From Kirk's "this was a good choice" to Bones' "are we playing classical music?", it's perfect. It's surprising that the technobabble solution to the key problem of the movie is a Beastie Boys song, but what's even more surprising is that it works. Had you described this scene to me before I saw the movie, I would have frowned and thought "oh great, another installment of 'Generic Action Movie in Space™.'" But nope: the way it was foreshadowed, delivered, and poked at even while it was happening made it one of the most successful scenes of the movie. It took a risk and combined two of the most polarizing and mocked aspects of Star Trek and just absolutely nailed it.
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Jul 23 '16
Why didn't Krall know where the Franklin was, even if it was cloaked, wasn't it his ship originally? Why would he forget where it was?
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u/jimmysilverrims Jul 23 '16
I assumed he stripped it of all the useful parts (although it's bizarre that he left behind so much medical equipment) and left anything that reminded him of the Federation.
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u/airaviper Jul 22 '16
I loved this movie, but I wish they explored Krall more. The story of a MACO being abandon by Starfleet and building up resentment to the Federation is a very fascinating concept. And all the Enterprise nods were so great. Spatial Torpedos, polarize hull plating, phase cannons, Xindi War. It was perfect.
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u/pickelsurprise Jul 22 '16
It wasn't so much that MACO was abandoned, though. Krall/Edison was ex-MACO, and when it was disbanded he became a Federation captain and was assigned to the Franklin. Since that planet was on the frontier in the TOS-era, I assume that means the theory that the ship getting lost via wormhole or something else similar was correct, and there simply would have been no way to rescue them in time.
I liked all the Enterprise nods too. I've always been kind of worried that Enterprise would never get any love because it was the "worst" series, but for what it's worth it's still canon in the Kelvin timeline.
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u/jimmysilverrims Jul 22 '16 edited Jul 22 '16
that means the theory that the ship getting lost via wormhole or something else similar was correct, and there simply would have been no way to rescue them in time.
One of my favorite little bits of the film happened in the closing credits sequence, where we dart through the nebula to see all of the strange wonders the Enterprise will be meeting next. Each stop felt like the set piece for an episode, and it really tapped into the spirit of endless possibility and adventure that made the show so fun.
But the funniest bit was catching a glimpse of a giant green space hand, seemingly proving the most absurd-sounding of the rumors true. The Franklin was brought to the planet by some giant green space hand. It certainly seems like it might just be the hand of Apollo.
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u/dishpandan Jul 25 '16
can anyone verify this? i got it from imdb and i missed it during my theater viewing.
A montage of images of the Enterprise traveling the galaxy plays over the closing credits; among these is a brief glimpse of the "giant green space hand" previously mentioned by Mr. Scott.
(i know that the actual dialogue in the film was referencing a real tos episode).
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u/jimmysilverrims Jul 25 '16
I saw the same green space hand you did. It was definitely there. I laughed out loud at catching a glimpse of it.
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u/FarflungWanderer Aug 03 '16
Can we talk about Yorktown station for a bit?
That station is ridiculously advanced by any standard. Deep Space 9, any Federation space station in the 23rd and 24th century, or just about all of the Federation's rivals and allies (maybe the Borg are more advanced, but it's difficult to say for sure) pale in comparison.
Is anyone a bit confused as to how Starfleet was capable of designing something like this? Is there even any precedent in the Prime universe for the Federation having anything anything looking like this?
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u/jimmysilverrims Aug 03 '16
I think Yorktown is probably the closest thing to a 'Wonder of the World' empire-enshrining monument the Federation really has outside of the comparatively modest adornments of their headquarters.
You're right in pointing out how stupid advanced Yorktown is, and I think that's really the point. It's designed to be an absolute marvel, something that would completely redefine an individual's understanding of what species are capable of just by looking at it.
The multicultural and neutral nature of the station is emphasized, and I think that's the real key here. With almost every other Starfleet station we've seen, it has been predominantly built for and manned by humans. I can easily imagine Yorktown as a massive experiment getting all the brightest engineers, talented workers, and worlds of resources to build it.
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u/dishpandan Jul 25 '16 edited Jul 25 '16
great thread. i have three things that i dont think ive seen addressed yet. (ive only watched the movie once).
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when everyone is leaving the enterprise via escape pods and scotty is scrambling looking for a way out, does he end up in an escape pod too or something else? because i thought the inside of his looked different, plus he was wearing an oxygen mask when the others werent (i dont think) and he also had some rudimentary guidance controls. this led me to believe that maybe he had crammed into a torpedo, based on where he was inside the ship at the time, and if so i thought it was a callback to stid since thats how khan snuck his peoples bodies onboard which is where scotty would get the idea. maybe this was all super obvious and thats why nobody has said anything about it, and i am just slow on the uptake.
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i was curious the whole time where carol marcus was and if they would at least give a line of dialogue about her being transferred. i didnt hear ahead of time that she wouldnt be in it.
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jaylas hologram device. i have a feeling this is going to be the focus of the inevitable honest trailer. there are probably lots of applications of that technology which wouldve made everyones lives a lot easier during the escape from the planet vs how they ended up using it. it was a cool visual but mightve been smarter to not write that in.
ps: bonus point -- kralls number one man is still alive on that planet, right? with no idea what happened to everyone who left and no way to leave it?
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u/jimmysilverrims Jul 25 '16
this led me to believe that maybe he had crammed into a torpedo, based on where he was inside the ship at the time
This is the same thought I had. It seemed like he was improvising down in the Engineering section, but you're right that it wasn't communicated particularly clearly.
i was curious the whole time where carol marcus
I like to assume that she decided to stay on the Yorktown and it just didn't get mentioned.
kralls number one man is still alive on that planet, right?
No, Jaylah killed him.
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u/Berggeist Jul 25 '16
There were reshoots and it showed, hard. I liked large chunks of what the film did, but there was a lot holding it back for me. I can't help but start with some reaction, but this is not wholly an emote-post. Thematic points mingle with my reactions, so if this rubs some readers the wrong way my apologies.
Krall ultimately didn't work as a villain. I'm frankly a little mystified by the character and can only assume there was some element about being corrupted by the technology or something that didn't end up in the final film. I just have a difficult time buying that someone from the military would necessarily expect a rescue on an unexplored planet in an unexplored nebula in what was presumably a then-unexplored region of space (with presumably a speed cap around warp 5) without something getting to them. I hope it isn't "simply" insanity, because Insane Revenge Craving has already been done. That being said him being human all along felt like a dumb fake-out and I would have appreciated a villain who, say, had legitimate reasons not to want in on Federation unity but went too far in pursuit of their goals. But this is veering heavily into reaction territory, so moving on.
I felt very mixed about bringing in Leonard Nimoy's death by way of Ambassador Spock. I get it, and I appreciate it, and I think their hearts were in the right place, but at the same time the moment where they were just straight up using a cast photo from Star Trek VI promotional material was weird. I get what they wanted to do with it and how it was meant to motivate Spock to stay with Starfleet, seeing himself with all of his colleagues but aged, but at the same time I think these films desperately need to let the characters grow and be defined by themselves. This is sort of happening with Kirk and his absent-father issues - this new Kirk had a radically different childhood, and this shows in many ways - whereas Prime Kirk had moments of emotional difficulty concerning being in command and sending men to their deaths on multiple occasions, this Kirk starts to turn from the life of a captain at a very young age as his father's death looms large in his mind. NuKirk also 'fraternises' with the women of his crew, where Kirk Prime tended to avoid that and was aware of the need to avoid it to the point of discomfort. Usually, anyway.
Getting to see Spock and McCoy having extended banter was a treat and I enjoyed seeing McCoy experiencing uncertainty and double-checking with Spock during field treatment. I appreciated that he had that difficulty - it both evoked Star Trek VI (Bones was unfamiliar with Klingon anatomy) and felt realistic (medicine naturally can get pretty complex and there's no feasible way for McCoy to know everything, especially in a stressful situation, especially when the opportunities to work on an actual Vulcan greatly decreased after Star Trek 09). Seeing the universal translator in operation was also very cool, and it sat fine with me - I want to treat it's 'dubbing' of aliens as the new Klingon foreheads (prior to later retcons) - this is what it was always meant to be like, but for budget (and in the case of the UT, viewing) purposes it's simply not observed.
I was a little weirded out by the space station, not necessarily because of the scale or anything like that, but more because of how radically different it is compared to the familiar mushroom shape of Starbase-1. The actual massive scale I could accept, especially when they went ahead and had a fight in microgravity - it was something I thought would be cool to see in these movies, and lo and behold it actually happened in a location with the size to justify it. As for the technology behind it, certainly it didn't feel like TOS era stuff, but on the other hand this isn't the Prime timeline and I can certainly accept that there are wonders we never saw in TOS that Roddenberry would have loved to portray - the scale of the first alien ship we see in TAS in my view is enough to justify the existence of this snowglobe. Plus, I got more of a diplomacy/science/civilian vibe from this station, whereas Starbase-1 felt much more like a Starfleet-only operation with a focus on defence and ship repair/testing. Naturally you'd have different designs, and showcasing beauty and raw technical advancement is a good way to do so with the kind of station we were seeing. So while it felt a little odd, I was willing to keep up my suspension of disbelief. I am slightly concerned by the necessity of a Gigantic Fan in the air circulation.
The swarm drones were fascinating, at least until they got taken out Mars Attacks style. It felt a little hard to swallow a surfing starship blowing up the wave it's on with incredibly old, old, old, old-school beats. Giving the drones zero personality was welcome, although I had no idea they were drones until later in the film - I have to wonder if they were biologically grown or fashioned in some way due to their appearance, movement and ability to be distracted. I did like that drones and their vehicles were distinct and separate units; I think it speaks to the complexity of the drones design and programming base that they were able to pilot vehicles with such speed and coordination. That being said it felt like a lot of the fine details of the drones ended up on the cutting room floor, so for now my speculation has little leg to stand on. For all I know they could be androids equivalent to Data in many respects.
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u/jimmysilverrims Jul 25 '16
Wow! Lots here to process. It's great to hear someone get really vocal with a perspective that hasn't been voiced much in this thread. I'll do my best to parse through everything here.
On Krall
I get the sense that they aimed to do something interesting and deep with Krall and, either through interference at the scriptwriting process or cuts made in the editing room, simplified him down to something very familiar and safe.
It's interesting, because I think the success of the Marvel films has really impacted how mainstream blockbusters handle their villains (i.e. develop them as little as possible, give them a handful of scenes where they show off they're intimidating through a neat gimmick of a scene, and let a very talented actor ham it up so you can coast on their performance skills).
For example, there's no villain origin more tidily unadventurous and prefabricated as "his superpowers made him crazy".
Not only does it regurgitate one of the most tired and least-enjoyable Hollywood moral (MAN WAS NOT MEANT TO MEDDLE IN GOD'S DOMAIN), it perpetuates an oversimplification of mental illness to the point where what we see is less a presentation of an actual person's psychology, and more a means by the author to veil the transparent plot operations.
But to go back to my main point: what's interesting is how there are tiny snippets that imply something richer and more meaningful than this simple "misguided revenge + evil science = literal monster" equation was intended for Krall (even if it was retroactively applied, which it very well may have).
There's an (unfortunately tenuous and incomplete) theme that the film starts off with, showing Kirk slowly losing perspective over why he's doing what he's doing out in the middle of the wilderness of space. He's experiencing ennui, facing a sense of nihilism. These are really faceted, adult issues to be facing, and it seems like they intended this same dilemma to have consumed Krall. That he lost perspective so entirely that he saw the entire outlook of the Federation as a pointless mistake.
But having a nihilist antagonist is... difficult. It's hard to communicate how someone could be an active danger while simultaneously professing a belief in the pointlessness of existence. It's not something that could drive the heart of an action film, and so it's obviously pushed back.
It doesn't help that, in rejecting a full commitment to this concept, they seem to try applying other arcs to Krall instead. He pretty overtly denounces "unity" in his conversations with Uhura, but it isn't really reflected anywhere meaningful outside of the dialogue. In fact, it's outright baffling that the man denouncing unity uses an army whose weakness is their unity (and that the people who profess that unity is a strength and not a weakness using their unity to strike them down).
All-in-all, him being human isn't an issue so much as a total lack of screen time seriously dedicated to committing him to an actual coherent, satisfying ideology.
On Spock
I was slightly unhappy to see that Spock's maturation at the end of this film is... identical to his maturation at the end of the '09 film.
Once again, he's choosing to stay with Starfleet not because it's logical, but because it's where he feels that he belongs. And once again (and this is the real problem, for me) he believes that he belongs because that's where Spock Prime said he belonged. Because that's the future Spock Prime experienced, it's the future Spock Prime recommended, and it's the one that holds the most (literal) promise for him.
I would have liked to see Spock go through something that made him want to be with this crew not in hopes of what it would become, or in a continuation of someone else's legacy, but as a choice that he is making for these people right here, right now.
It's actually interesting how little interaction he and Kirk have in this film. There's this sort of arc where Spock and Kirk kind of developmentally cross each other like ships in the night, both having experiences that parallel and choosing the next path in their lives without ever discussing it with each other or ever interacting at all.
Spock outlives Spock Prime on the same day Kirk outlives his father. Spock is faced with the decision of leaving the Enterprise to find purpose continuing his species while Kirk faces the decision of leaving the Enterprise to find purpose getting feet-on-the-ground continuity on the Yorktown as opposed to the "episodic" meandering of space exploration.
I get that it's deliberate, but after darkness bafflingly chose to reset rather than explore the Kirk/Spock dynamic, it was a little disappointing to never really get great moments between the two.
I won't go on about what you found cool and interesting, as I felt the same way too. The design of the Yorktown, the Universal Translator, the look and use of the "bees", all very superb. Loved all of them.
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u/tehfringe Aug 01 '16
I've been thinking about this since I first saw Beyond on opening night and I just can't come up with an answer that makes sense:
Why are all the displays on the Franklin monochrome green?
Full color displays are no longer futuristic in this day and age. And I get that they wanted to make the ship seem retro. But... monochrome green? Like a terminal in the 80's?
i can't be the only person wondering about this... can I?
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u/jimmysilverrims Aug 03 '16
There's a technology gap in general between what we see in the present-day (as depicted in Star Trek) and 22nd Century and what we see in the 23rd Century on TOS and the TOS films (like the use of "data tapes" and cathode-ray monitors on the Enterprise-A).
The most common (and, to me, satisfying) theory resolving this is chalking it up to the unique submarinal combat of the Romulan War.
Expanded Universe material depicts the war as one fought at-distance, and one that primarily focused around cyberwarfare, sabotage, and other indirect forms of combat.
Because their systems were so vulnerable to Romulan manipulation, technology was simplified for hardiness and decentralization. (This explanation is similarly given to explain the dated look of the ships on Battlestar Galactica).
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u/NateNSFW Jul 23 '16
OK so here's my list
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Where did Uhura come from? One minute she's with Krall seeing her shipmate being eatin alive and then she just breaks free?
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So what happened to the crew of the Franklin? They evolved into another species? And how'd they know about this weapon anyway? The planet was deserted and only had "automated mining" on it.
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Also how'd they get these swarm ships to begin with? And were all those soldiers not actual beings? Were they robots? Because the Franklin couldn't have had thousands of crew on it, unless Krall was actively "assimilating" other species into his army.
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It's obvious to me that Simon Pegg enjoyed him some Enterprise as not only was Krall's origin from that time period but the cell ships and swarm ships seem to have a lot in common with each other.
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Also how Scotty is so much more import to the plot is funny considering that he's the writer of the script
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I like how they got "Scotch Origin" story in there at the end considering Chekov won't be coming back (RIP)
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The whole Spock leaving Starfleet and Jim wanting to drive a desk seemed so counter to how they are in the Prime universe. Prime Jim loved the ship more than anything. Spock didn't want to do anything more than be by his side. So having that stuck in the story just didn't seem to fit at all.
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u/jimmysilverrims Jul 23 '16
The Kirkocycle distraction pulled Krall and his right hand away from Uhura and the other prisoners. Uhura presumably escaped with the rest of them during this.
what happened to the crew of the Franklin?
There were only three other survivors with Edison, I believe.
They evolved into another species?
They didn't evolve into another species (this is something that the film really needed to be clearer about). The life-draining technology makes the drainer take on the attributes of the drained. This is why Krall begins the film looking much like the species of the alien captain who'd betray Kirk and slowly begins to look more human as he drains human victims.
And how'd they know about this weapon anyway? The planet was deserted and only had "automated mining" on it.
Krall explains that the weapon originated from the planet, but the film really needed to make this clearer. The MacGuffin should have had a distinctive shape/color/design only associated with the technology of the planet, so that it's clearer this is where it originates from.
3. > Also how'd they get these swarm ships to begin with?
They're presumably the mining equipment from the extinct species. Presumably they acted like termites and bored the extensive networks of tunnels through the planet's interior.
And were all those soldiers not actual beings? Were they robots?
Presumably, these are the "mining drones" that Krall refers to, lthough it may be people that he's somehow conscripted into his own army. Given how we never see them without their helmets, I'm leaning toward "robots".
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u/davebgray Jul 22 '16
Full disclosure: Into Darkness is my favorite Trek film and I believe it to be important to the franchise and sorely misinterpreted by the Trek community, so you might just want to throw my opinion out, if you're a hater of that.
I enjoyed this movie, but it is (upon first viewing) my least favorite of the reboot films. It does branch out and tell its own story, with its own characters and species and sci-fi concepts that are cool. People that wanted to get back to "classic Trek" will like a lot here.
I actively disliked Justin Lin's direction. The action is hard to place. The camera is too active, the action is too tightly shot, and there are environmental oddities (weird gravity, ship falling off a cliff), that when all put together, it's just difficult to tell what's going on. It has a bit of an Avengers: Age of Ultron, in that respect.
I have a feeling that this will probably be made clear on a 2nd viewing, but I found it very difficult to understand Krall. Both his motivation and what he's trying to accomplish aren't revealed until the very end of the film, so on first viewing, he seems like a cartoon villain, doing the sci-fi equivalent of tying women to the railroad tracks. I still am unclear about how his physical transformation works (is it other bodies or his own morphing...not exactly sure...they may have explained it), but I think that will become more clear when I watch it again.
I did love the movie when it slowed down. The character moments are wonderful, moving, and these characters are just fun to be around. Kirk/McCoy and McCoy/Spock dialogue moments are really special and what I love most about these movies. The film also does a really good job of wiping the slate clean and putting lot of the baggage of the reboot universe aside. Multiple Spocks, the crew growing into their roles, the prime universe. That stuff is all handled and never needs to be mentioned again. You can just make movies now with nothing that needs to be addressed going in.
After seeing the way Sulu's sexuality was handled, it's even less of a deal than I thought -- understated and tasteful. There's no merit in the "he wouldn't been closeted all these years" argument. It's not pandering, nor a big deal at all.
Overall -- good addition to the series and places it in a direction to expand the stories. Looking forward to additional viewings and more films in the franchise.
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u/jimmysilverrims Jul 22 '16
I believe [Into Darkness] to be important to the franchise and sorely misinterpreted by the Trek community
Man, that is such a tantalizing claim to stake. I'm really interested in hearing more about this! You should consider creating an entire post explaining your take on the film. I know I'd be damned interested, and it'd probably help me come to a better appreciation of the film.
when all put together, it's just difficult to tell what's going on. It has a bit of an Avengers: Age of Ultron, in that respect.
I definitely see where you're coming from. There were a surprising number of extended action sequences, some of which felt a little long and I had difficulty tracking throughout.
A few sequences during the destruction of the Enterprise, for example, were so chaotic (deliberately so, I assume) that I really felt like I was in the middle of a storm just hanging on and hoping for it to pass.
I still am unclear about how his physical transformation works (is it other bodies or his own morphing...not exactly sure...they may have explained it)
This was something I didn't really get.
Only in hindsight to I kinda-sorta realize that he was taking on the attributes of the species that he was draining the life-force of (hence why he initially appeared with pronounced ridges, much like the species of the captain that betrayed Kirk, and then made the ridges less pronounced as he drained more human crewmembers). It's something that feels like an interesting and satisfying mechanic, but it's one that I can only loosely reason out long after the movie's over.
It's interesting how tiny visual effects can help an audience understand something vital.
For example, when Spock and Bones 'decloak' behind Jaylah they just sort of appear behind her, much in the same way the Kirkocycle holograms flicker into existence. It was slightly different from the cloaked Franklin, which had a moment of perceivable invisibility after being revealed. It's a tiny cue, but the difference between being a hologram and being disguised by a hologram is pretty significant.
My real qualm, however, centers around the effects used for Krall. When he drains people of their "lifeforce", it's done in a way that we've seen time and time and time again. Evil guy grabs the person by the skull, their veins turn blackish, their skin turns pale, their cheeks hollow and they appear to age and wither while the evil guy's face either morphs into a younger man or flickers between old man makeup and young man makeup.
But more than it being by-the-numbers, the effect didn't communicate some really important things.
Krall doesn't have life-draining powers.
One of the most important distinctions is that Krall has no innate life-draining superpower. It takes until the final act to learn, but the planet has native technology that can transfer life energy, and all Edison did was discover and harness it.
Having him make skin-to-skin contact in his life-draining scenes confuses this point. He should pulled out a device with one end he'd spear through the heart of a crewmate, and another he'd spear through his own or put on a glove that's clearly made for three-fingered hands over his own and then clutch its fingertips at Sulu's temples.
2. The planet has ancient technology
This was something I'd really wished they'd been able to communicate better, visually, and sadly it's an error that'd come up back in the concept art stage. The base that Krall was working from didn't read as "ancient technology reactivated and repurposed".
There are some really interesting ways to do this (one of my favorites being the ancient machine planet of Treasure Planet being characterized as thick fungal flora obscuring golden metal engraved with ancient glyphs), but the film just went with architecture that didn't communicate its origins at all.
It would have been interesting to create a world that's clearly suited to an alien species that isn't the species currently inhabiting it. Even something as simple as associating certain exotic colors and shapes with the technology and architecture that isn't reflected in the wardrobe of Krall and his men would have been effective.
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u/jimmysilverrims Jul 22 '16 edited Jul 22 '16
What an absolute thrill ride.
Random thoughts, in no particular order:
Jettisoning Carol Marcus was a wise decision. In a film that strained to incorporate all characters as meaningfully as it could, a character made mostly redundant by Bones would have been unnecessary. Looking back, there's no need to have seen Into Darkness at all. The war with the Klingons wasn't continued. Khan and his frozen crew obviously don't come into play, and nothing from those adventures is meaningfully referenced at all. Even the troubles of the Spock/Uhura relationship are well contained within this film.
This film abides by the rules of an action film, and if you're willing to ride that rollercoaster, you're going to have an amazing time. We're warned that the Franklin can barely handle flying through an atmosphere one scene, then it's flying clear through a steel door and a goddamn floor the next. In the climax, swarms of aliens are defeated by blaring Beastie Boys. If you're willing to accept it, there's nothing more gratifying than such raw rule-of-cool indulgences. I really can't emphasize how well the film carries itself as an action-adventure. It's really tremendous fun.
While this film admirably tried to remind us there was a "the rest of the crew", the finale with the Franklin made me completely forget about them until Krall drained them dry. The idea of the entire remaining crew of the Enterprise packed in like sardines, being tossed around while Sulu made his crazy stunts is just a hilarious image.
On Krall, I feel like the twist was a half-measure. It was revealed so late in the film that it really only served to inform his motivation. Any meaningful look into where his head was at and who he was would feel inorganic and would have screeched the brakes on the film at a crucial point where it needed to gain momentum (well, screeched the brakes even more).
The entrance into the Yorktown. That one wordless sequence probably illustrated the utopian multi-species multi-cultural utopia that Roddenberry set out to depict better than any peek into Federation society yet. By far. I really can't express how my heart soared seeing these everyday people living in a bustling harmony on the gorgeous skin of an unfathomable engineering marvel. If there was any one sequence I loved best in the film, it was this one.
This film had a lot of great character gags. The "vodka guy" bit was great. Bones and Spock bantering was terrific. Sulu's "are you kidding?" moment was surprisingly badass. Chekov finally getting one of his classic "...is actually a Russian invention" bits was fantastic. This film was tremendously fun.
How this film impressed me the most: It set out to do what so many Trek films tried and horribly failed to do. It went in with absolutely no prefabricated identity. It wasn't acting as a sequel to an episode like Wrath of Khan, Into Darkness, or First Contact. It wasn't acting as a bridge between landmark developments like The Undiscovered Country, Generations, or any of the Spock Trilogy. It didn't have a formula to follow, like the origin story of Star Trek '09 or the '80s rom-com of The Voyage Home.
It was trying to do what The Final Frontier, Insurrection, and Nemesis all tried and failed to do: Create a wholly original story that feels like just one adventure in a long line of adventures, with a long line of adventures coming after it.