Comments on: Star Trek Through the Years http://www.thenervousbreakdown.com/sjwoo/2009/05/star-trek-through-the-years/ This is the podcast station for TheNervousBreakdown.com, an online culture magazine featuring authors and artists from around the world. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:38:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Sung J. Woo http://www.thenervousbreakdown.com/sjwoo/2009/05/star-trek-through-the-years/#comment-33559 Sung J. Woo Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:27:02 +0000 http://next.thenervousbreakdown.com/?p=19916#comment-33559 Comment by Irene Zion in L.A. |Edit This 2009-05-27 18:55:57 Sung, I’ve seen every episode of every version of Star Trek. My husband, (who went to Cornell, by the way,) refused to accompany me to the movie because he is above sci fi, or some such nonsense. He went to the stupid Tom Hanks movie at the same time. I loved every minute of it. I hope you were intending to be kind to it in your review! Reply to this comment Comment by Sung J. Woo |Edit This 2009-05-28 17:50:01 That stupid Tom Hanks movie is probably 4.5% as smart as the new Star Trek. And I’m probably still giving it too much credit. Transformer Trek is by no means a bad movie, but I can’t help but compare all ST films to the Wrath of Khan, and it’s no Wrath of Khan. I do think it’ll create more movies, and maybe with the followup they’ll put more thought into it. That’s what I hope, anyway. Reply to this comment Comment by Fabulous Photo Gifts |Edit This 2009-05-27 22:38:51 Hi Sung, I remember a montage of clips preceeding the video of Star Trek 6 - in it the voiceover declares ” they have been our friends, our guides, our guardians with a suitable Trek clip for each phrase. It struck me at the time that they really have been with us, depending on your age, through great episodes in our own lives. Well done for reminding me. Jonathan http://purple13.blogspot.com Reply to this comment Comment by Sung J. Woo |Edit This 2009-05-28 17:56:57 Thanks, Jonathan. Forgot to mention that I listened to Shatner’s new autobiography, Up till Now. Talk about an interesting life. I love his core message, too — keep working. No matter what people say, do everything you can and keep working on your craft. Shatner of course reads the book himself, and it’s just a fantastic performance. Reply to this comment Comment by Sade |Edit This 2009-05-28 13:36:21 I liked the new movie mostly because I didn’t think it would be that good. But I thought JJ Abrams could bring something to the table and all in all, he did. I watched a few episodes of the TV series back in the day and I can see how you were less than jumping for joy at the new one. I just think the old episodes, or at least the ones I have seen are just classic. Reply to this comment Comment by Sung J. Woo |Edit This 2009-05-28 17:59:34 I’m convinced that nothing helps one’s reaction to a film than having low expectations. Not completely zero, because that has a good chance of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, but just low enough. Yeah, the originals are the very definition of classics. The show suffered badly in the third season due to a lack of funds, but still, there were a few good ones in there. Reply to this comment Comment by Michelle |Edit This 2009-05-28 14:26:08 I like the movie, but I didn’t fail to notice that by re-writing the timeline through the magic of time travel, they’ve given themselves the freedom to re-do everything Star Trek from scratch! Now Spock can be emotional and have a torrid love affair with Uhura. How old is Nimoy, anyhow? 200? Reply to this comment Comment by Sung J. Woo |Edit This 2009-05-28 18:11:17 Nimoy certainly looked the part, no question. Yeah, the timeline thing is a cheat, just there to keep the fanatics from burning down the movie theater. Of all the actors, I liked the guy who did Bones the best, probably because he did an impersonation. There was no way they were going to let the new Kirk sound like the old Kirk, since that would’ve been an SNL-like parody. By the way, the film critic James Berardinelli made a very shrewd comment about the movie, that it failed to make the Enterprise a character, something the older films achieved. It does seem as if the action could’ve taken place in any old starship, which is a shame. Reply to this comment Comment by Kimberly M. Wetherell |Edit This 2009-05-29 06:53:07 You know, I really liked most of the new flick. I didn’t like the new Spock/Uhura thing, and I spent lots and LOTS of time wondering exactly how long it must have taken the post-production gurus to paint in each and every one of those beautiful lens flares… But John Cho kicking ass and Bones and Simon Pegg as Scotty and even little Chekhov really did it for me. Yep. I’m a sucker for secondary characters. :) Reply to this comment Comment by Sung J. Woo |Edit This 2009-06-01 08:26:10 Somewhere up there, James Doohan is smiling… Reply to this comment Comment by N.L. Belardes |Edit This 2009-05-29 14:00:57 I have written a lot of terrible essays in my life. Each one has helped me move on a bit. I’ve always been fond of Star Trek. But then, it was a bond between my parents and me in the 1970s when we had little else to bond about. I went through a heavy sci-fi phase. At the top of the list I will forever place the Foundation Trilogy. Asimov is the king. His works moved me even more than John Carter of Mars. And that says a lot. This was my favorite read of yours. I almost hate to admit it. Reply to this comment Comment by Sung J. Woo |Edit This 2009-06-01 08:29:31 You know what else was a surprisingly good book? Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain, also written by Asimov back in the ’90s. It’s generally gotten negative reviews, but it has one hell of an ending. Comment by Irene Zion in L.A. |Edit This
2009-05-27 18:55:57

Sung,

I’ve seen every episode of every version of Star Trek. My husband, (who went to Cornell, by the way,) refused to accompany me to the movie because he is above sci fi, or some such nonsense. He went to the stupid Tom Hanks movie at the same time. I loved every minute of it. I hope you were intending to be kind to it in your review!
Reply to this comment
Comment by Sung J. Woo |Edit This
2009-05-28 17:50:01

That stupid Tom Hanks movie is probably 4.5% as smart as the new Star Trek. And I’m probably still giving it too much credit.

Transformer Trek is by no means a bad movie, but I can’t help but compare all ST films to the Wrath of Khan, and it’s no Wrath of Khan. I do think it’ll create more movies, and maybe with the followup they’ll put more thought into it. That’s what I hope, anyway.
Reply to this comment

Comment by Fabulous Photo Gifts |Edit This
2009-05-27 22:38:51

Hi Sung,

I remember a montage of clips preceeding the video of Star Trek 6 - in it the voiceover declares ” they have been our friends, our guides, our guardians with a suitable Trek clip for each phrase.

It struck me at the time that they really have been with us, depending on your age, through great episodes in our own lives.

Well done for reminding me.

Jonathan
http://purple13.blogspot.com
Reply to this comment
Comment by Sung J. Woo |Edit This
2009-05-28 17:56:57

Thanks, Jonathan. Forgot to mention that I listened to Shatner’s new autobiography, Up till Now. Talk about an interesting life. I love his core message, too — keep working. No matter what people say, do everything you can and keep working on your craft. Shatner of course reads the book himself, and it’s just a fantastic performance.
Reply to this comment

Comment by Sade |Edit This
2009-05-28 13:36:21

I liked the new movie mostly because I didn’t think it would be that good. But I thought JJ Abrams could bring something to the table and all in all, he did. I watched a few episodes of the TV series back in the day and I can see how you were less than jumping for joy at the new one. I just think the old episodes, or at least the ones I have seen are just classic.
Reply to this comment
Comment by Sung J. Woo |Edit This
2009-05-28 17:59:34

I’m convinced that nothing helps one’s reaction to a film than having low expectations. Not completely zero, because that has a good chance of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, but just low enough.

Yeah, the originals are the very definition of classics. The show suffered badly in the third season due to a lack of funds, but still, there were a few good ones in there.
Reply to this comment

Comment by Michelle |Edit This
2009-05-28 14:26:08

I like the movie, but I didn’t fail to notice that by re-writing the timeline through the magic of time travel, they’ve given themselves the freedom to re-do everything Star Trek from scratch!
Now Spock can be emotional and have a torrid love affair with Uhura.

How old is Nimoy, anyhow? 200?
Reply to this comment
Comment by Sung J. Woo |Edit This
2009-05-28 18:11:17

Nimoy certainly looked the part, no question. Yeah, the timeline thing is a cheat, just there to keep the fanatics from burning down the movie theater. Of all the actors, I liked the guy who did Bones the best, probably because he did an impersonation. There was no way they were going to let the new Kirk sound like the old Kirk, since that would’ve been an SNL-like parody.

By the way, the film critic James Berardinelli made a very shrewd comment about the movie, that it failed to make the Enterprise a character, something the older films achieved. It does seem as if the action could’ve taken place in any old starship, which is a shame.
Reply to this comment

Comment by Kimberly M. Wetherell |Edit This
2009-05-29 06:53:07

You know, I really liked most of the new flick. I didn’t like the new Spock/Uhura thing, and I spent lots and LOTS of time wondering exactly how long it must have taken the post-production gurus to paint in each and every one of those beautiful lens flares…

But John Cho kicking ass and Bones and Simon Pegg as Scotty and even little Chekhov really did it for me.

Yep. I’m a sucker for secondary characters. :)
Reply to this comment
Comment by Sung J. Woo |Edit This
2009-06-01 08:26:10

Somewhere up there, James Doohan is smiling…
Reply to this comment

Comment by N.L. Belardes |Edit This
2009-05-29 14:00:57

I have written a lot of terrible essays in my life. Each one has helped me move on a bit.

I’ve always been fond of Star Trek. But then, it was a bond between my parents and me in the 1970s when we had little else to bond about.

I went through a heavy sci-fi phase. At the top of the list I will forever place the Foundation Trilogy. Asimov is the king. His works moved me even more than John Carter of Mars. And that says a lot.

This was my favorite read of yours. I almost hate to admit it.
Reply to this comment
Comment by Sung J. Woo |Edit This
2009-06-01 08:29:31

You know what else was a surprisingly good book? Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain, also written by Asimov back in the ’90s. It’s generally gotten negative reviews, but it has one hell of an ending.

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