Between work and meetings, I’ll be AFK for most of today, but this is important enough to warrant its own quick entry until I can write something more in-depth later today: I went with Chris Hardwick and his girlfriend to see Star Trek last night.
Speaking both as a member of the Star Trek family, and as a fan of what we do, I can tell you that it is fucking incredible. As I said on Twitter: Star Trek has been reborn, and it is SPECTACULAR.
The story is such a perfect Star Trek story, the cast is pitch-perfect, the visuals are brilliant, and the sound design will blow your mind. I loved it so much, I wanted to watch it again RIGHT AWAY as soon as it ended, and I hope they do eleven movies with this cast and creative team. After seeing it, that satire from the Onion is even funnier than it already was.
Here’s a picture of me and Chris looking, um, excited after the movie. Well, Chris looks pleased, and I look … maybe excited isn’t the right word. Maybe “crazy as shit because OMG I just saw Star Trek and it blew me away” is more accurate. Anyway, it should tell you all you need to know (both about how much I liked it, and how much of a complete dork I am when I’m excited about things like Star Trek.)
I got to see an advance screening of the movie in DC on April 27th. I absolutely loved the movie! I can’t wait to get to see it again. And I hope to see it for a third time in IMAX because that would just be beyond cool. I’m glad you loved the movie too because all I could say about it when it was done was that it was FUN!
~~TARA~~
JJ should have brought you in as Nero’s annoying romulan son. Who mocks his dad and freaks out when he actually tells you he loves you. yeah can’t wait to see the flick.
I haven’t seen the movie yet, but so far every single review seems to be tremendously positive. Just hope this actually translates into big, LASTING box office numbers, since that seems to be the only parameter that Hollywood execs look at.
You know what I’M excited about? I saw it on Monday. Yes – I saw the new STAR TREK before Wil Wheaton. WHOO! I RULE!
But, seriously.
You’re absolutely right – the movie was fantastic. I thought the first 5-7 minutes alone was worth the price of admission.
But I thought it wasn’t a reboot? I thought JJ has been claiming that it supposed to be canon? I thought he was using his cheesy time travel idea (again… time travel in ST. Can we STOP USING THAT?) to circumvent any canon inconsistencies and make this the “real” come together of the crew.
Guess I am just bitter.
This just makes me all the more excited to see it.
I don’t want to tell you how to live your life, but if I were you going to the opening, I would have worn the dress uniform from Nemisis, demanded free pop corn, and acted like WFS. But that’s just me. lol
I’ve got my tickets to an IMAX screening tomorrow night and I CANNOT WAIT!! (Am trying to remain unspoiled… have only been marginally successful so far.)
Haven’t decided yet if I should show up in my TNG uniform…
“Yes, Satan, I will plug the new Star Trek movie on my blog…”
Dude. Possessed much? LOL Funny pic, though, should bring many clichèd laughs in the near future!
I’m of a similar mind as Akbar56. I’m wondering if Wil can perhaps calm our concerns without handing out spoilers.
“… how much of a complete dork I am when I’m excited about things like Star Trek”
To attempt to be “cool” about Star Trek is to totally miss the point. IMO.
Cool as presented by the media is, basically, an attitude of uncaring, even callous individualism (okay I’m generalising hugely) and involves usually self-destructive, or just plain destructive, behaviour – it’s Arnie in shades blowing up a bar to try and get Sarah Connor, it’s heroin-hyped guys napalming villages to a soundtrack by Wagner & The Stones, it’s Sid Vicious dead at 22, or Kurt Cobain, or any evil-but-suave character from fiction, EVER.
Cool people have an untouchable, self-sufficient air that makes the desperate scared child in each of us yearn to be like them, unhurtable and on top of things, and the desire to be cool tells us more about the frightened whimperings inside most people, than anything else.
But wiping your sick granny’s butt, cleaning baby spew, feeding a stray kitten, going out on a limb to tell someone you still love them – trust, compassion, empathy – none of these are, in any reasonably popular protrayal, “cool.” Yet a world without them would be morally bankrupt, and bleak.
ST (and this is with reference to my comments in the previous post too) is primarily about morality and about respecting people, be they black, white, green or Klingon – it’s about having women on the bridge back when women were set dressing in most other TV shows, it’s about respecting (in TNG anyway) the prime directive that says, let people make their own mistakes – we DON’T know better, and storming in with a cigar & kalashnikov will NOT make everything okay.
And the moments when humans find ideals too much to bear, and break the rules via sympathy, a sense of personal responsibility, and basic compassion – also not cool, and so much more valuable because of that.
I love Buffy, but the whole premise of that series (and Angel) was that right is always the strongest force in a fight, and it’s not a big reach to go from that to “might is right” – ST and especially TNG undermined that age-old notion long before it resurrected itself just in time for Dubya’s War of Error, and I love them plenty just for that.
And if I were staffing the box office that day, I’d have been honoured by thy presence! :o)
So Wil… what’s up with the “Zombie Eyes” in that twitter stream photo, LOL?
Actually, that’s for the info about the movie… sounds like this is one I might have to go to the theater to see (and not just wait for it to show up on DVD).
Wow Wil. I think you’ve sealed it for me.
I’ve been really nervous about this film and what it could mean for Star Trek (not to mention, the past series’ canon as well), but if you got sold on it that much, then maybe I’ve been worrying for nothing heh. 🙂
-Tim
I saw an advanced screening of it last Saturday. I grinned like an 8 year old for the rest of the day. Then I went and bought the action figures. Because I’m 8. And so excited. I can’t wait to see it again Friday night!
I was so apprehensive about this movie before seeing it but it is really awesome and, as I tweeted, I want a new movie with this cast every two to three years for infinity. I love this cast. They can never replace the original cast but this cast recreates the characters wonderfully.
I too want to see it again, right now; right now, right now, right now!! I was so so scared that I would hate it, even when you gave it the thumbs up and I saw the photo of you and @nerdist (which I saw just before I left for the cinema!)… I was scared that the complete Star Trek geek in me would be in pain for two hours, but it was awesome. JJ really did make this movie for everyone – geek and nongeek.
Favourite line – “I’ll be monitoring your frequency”.
How funny. I used to work with Chris at Y107 radio a decade or so ago. I doubt he’d remember me, but I find it funny that I “kinda” know him and you guys are obviously buddies. Small world and all that.
That is probably, now, my favorite photo of you.
I can’t wait! That photo is exactly how excited I am. Although it does look like you’re screaming “AAAAARGH I JUST HAD MY FINGERS BITTEN OFFF AAAAAAWGH”
hmm. well. ok, i trust your judgement, damnit, so i’m un-boycotting. i was not going to see it, as to me it gave off heavy “teen-drama” vibes, much like (i believe) Nerdist called it “Star Trek 90210”.
but ok. you win. i’m going to see it. and i’m pumped again. 😀 THANK YOU for getting me excited about this all over again. 😀 😀 😀
Sorry Will, but you look like Ed Grimly in that pic. XD
I can’t wait for the movie…must find babysitter!!!
Can’t WAIT to see the new Star Trek. Really looking forward to it.
I’m nerdy enough to fly halfway across the country to watch this movie on opening night with my Star Trek pals. . . so I’m quite happy it’s going to rock.
Wheaton says rock — you can take that to the bank. ‘Course, the teller will look at you in an odd manner and call security. . .
Simon Pegg as Scotty sold it to me. Still gotta watch it.
To be honest, I think feeding a stray kitten is totally cool.
Argh! You were there last night, too??? Dang, I wish I’d looked around a bit more to see who showed up. I know some VEEPs were in the front row with us, but I sure didn’t see you amongst them.
It was a fun flick, for sure. I am not 100% sold on, um, that bit that breaks canon when those two… well, you know. ANyway, aside from that WTF plot inclusion, I was really impressed overall.
(Just would’ve been more fun had I known you were there, too.)
Can’t wait to drag the family to the theater!
WIL.
I will be seeing that face in my NIGHTMARES!
It’s a reboot in as much as it’s making Star Trek in a language that an entirely new generation of fans can enjoy.
…sort of like this thing that I was part of a little while back.
Did your theater applaud? There were at least a dozen spontaneous applause moments in our theater.
The only time there was applause was at the end of the movie (I love it when movie theater audiences applaud at the end of a film). No one applauded during the movie but at many points there was cheering and then low mummurings as people turned towards their friends and said to each other, “I see what they did there… and it was AWESOME!” I assume my theater cheered at many of the moments that your theater applauded for.
I could tell that the vast, vast majority of people in the theater were really on board with the movie. And it was so cool.
When they reboot TNG, what actor do you want to play Wesley, besides Zac Efron? 😉
Fair enough. I just guess I can forgive any continuity problems except for the Big E being built planet side.
That can not be forgiven. Science does not allow it. 🙂
oh and also… can I buy you a beer at PAX this year? It would be an honor to do so.
I want Wesley to be played by a robot who looks like me, dressed as a robot.
I’m feeling much, much, much better about this film now…thank you. Planning on seeing it Saturday afternoon. Can’t wait!
Lovely photo, Wil. 🙂 I guess you’re feeling better now? Anyway, my b-day is tomorrow, & my friends & I (who get together for Trek every Wednesday – currently watching DS9) are going to see it on Saturday, as a b-day celebration. So thank you for sort of being a part of my b-day, Wil! 🙂
-Alicia (@AliciaWag)
This makes me feel a lot less apprehensive about this movie. I’m really glad to hear you enjoyed it.
Happy Birthday @AliciaWag!
Mr & Mrs @angiek42 and I are seeing it Friday!
(properly at the Alamo Drafthouse, of course!)
I started *really* getting excited when I saw the bit where Kirk and McCoy meet. Karl Urban was spot-on, in full Bones Rant Mode!
(and Simon Pegg as Scotty was IMHO lovely casting!)
Tweet ya later!
Wil…
I am anticipating *major* shenanigans on FARK with this latest pic.
-Merbrat
While I absolutely CANNOT wait to see this in hopefully the next couple of days, Im still disappointed that it wont be shown at OmniMax at Discovery PLace. They showed Dark Knight, why not Star Trek? *sigh*
It wasnt until I was at an IMAX theater in DC that I realized OmniMax and IMAX werent the same thing. Major, major letdown. Oh well, Concord Mills it is.
My best friend absolutely hates me right now because her boyfriend insisted that I go to see it with them. This has absolutely nothing to do with me going, rather that she doesn’t want to go. She’s not a Trek fan, despite all the years of being around me and other Trekkers. I told her she can stay home if she wants, but I’m so gonna be there. It’s on like Donkey Kong, baby.
Did I *really* just say “on like Donkey Kong?” LOL, why yes, I believe I did…
The marketers should use that picture of you as a pull-quote. Most effective campaign ever!
I do believe Frakes called Zac Efron first. He may have dibs on Efron. The real question is, Who would play Picard? Tom Hardy? I mean he did kinda play him before, only a really assholic (yes, I just made that up) version of him.
About that picture…OK, Wil, now you’re scaring me again. Floyd Hansen scared. All that’s missing is a cabin, a bat, a steak knife and a couple you can torture. If I were Hardwick and his girlfriend, I would run as far away from you as possible!
Thanks, Merbrat! 🙂 You know, I totally forgot that Karl Urban was going to be in it. Now I’m even *more* excited than before, ‘cuz I’m a huge LoTR fan!! Tweetcha!
-Alicia (@AliciaWag)
Love the photo Wil! I was at the cast and crew screening on Monday. I had goosebumps when the film started. It’s quite a ride – really solid on lots of things. Even the stuff that most serious trekkers were worried about seems to have been handled quite well. Explanations are given that make sense. The look is good, the effects and acting solid and the music is fantastic too. The audience, being made up mostly of people who worked on the film, laughed and cheered at quite a bit. There weren’t too many self-confessed geeks working on the show, but those of us that were on the crew enjoyed the hell out of this film!
Those of you who were on the crew have a lot to feel proud of, because you guys made a freaking brilliant movie.
Eric, I just love your brand of humor, man! It must be something in the water here in PA or something. “Tonight at 11:00, actor/author Wil Wheaton’s pact with the devil revealed! Not only is he plugging the new Star Trek movie, he is also ruining twitter. Tune into our FOX affiliate for the full story!” LOL.
I’m sold. I will attempt to watch this today or tomorrow.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/arctrooperbum/motivation%20posters/startrek.jpg
Dear Mister Wheaton,
I also found Mr. Abram’s “Star Trek” to be in fine fettle… ah, who am I kidding with this politeness. It was effin’ kick-ass! The visuals were stunning. The sound was tremendous. The cast were perfect. Even the 17 year old Chekov was so much more tolerable than… who was that other child genius in one of those other Trek shows….??? 😉
It’s worth the admission price for the first 10 minutes alone!!!! Any concern anybody has about the supposed 90210-style cast is totally misled. They’re all perfect in their roles and if I have any complaint, it’s that the film could easily have lasted another half hour to develop things a little more and I don’t think the audience would have complained. If this movie equates to “Batman Begins”, then by by this movie’s end you’re waiting – no, demanding for – this series’ “Dark Knight”.
P.S.
Whil Whhheeton, I really enjoy your twitter feeds. It just disappoints me greatly that you haven’t started following me. Boohoo (etc)!
Regards,
twitter.com/karlphotoboy
ROFL! Hisham, that is freaking awesome! Now I’m not as afraid of Wheaton as I was earlier tonight when I first saw that picture. Thank you ever so much for sharing that with us! You rule, man!