Star Trek Premiere Gets Standing Ovation, Surprise Showing In Austin 437
MrKaos writes "Proving that science fiction can still be great entertainment, J.J. Abrams appears to have impressed Star Trek fans at the official world premiere of Star Trek, who gave the film a five-minute standing ovation at the Sydney Opera House in Australia today. Meanwhile, mere hours beforehand, flummoxed fans at the Alamo Drafthouse theater in Austin, TX, deceived into thinking they were seeing a special, extended version of Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, were pleasantly surprised when a disguised Leonard Nimoy greeted them and announced they would be seeing the new film in its entirety. ILM's influence on the film is reported as visually stunning, and lucky Australian fans are scheduled to see the movie first, as it opens a day before the American release."
visually stunning (Score:3, Interesting)
Review? (Score:3, Interesting)
All trekkies (Score:5, Interesting)
The audience consisted of trekkies, but I'm wondering; does that make the 5min. standing ovation more, or less impressive?
Re:Idea shortage in LA (Score:3, Interesting)
While I'll never get tired of seeing new Star Trek movies, you do have a point. 90% of what we see today is either a sequel, a retread, or a copycat. The fat cats are mostly interested in safe bets.
It was free (Score:4, Interesting)
Well actually it was a free screening. I got there too late and was turned away because the theater was full. It would've been cool to see Nimoy. I say I would have walked out since I really wanted to see Khan, but honestly I'm sure the atomosphere was totally electric after Nimoy came out. I think all the good reviews coming out from that are more than likely colored by that fact. I'm sure I would have been caught up in it too even though I could give a crap about seeing the new one.
These are fans (Score:3, Interesting)
there opinion needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
I hope it is worth it.
Christopher Pike? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:All trekkies (Score:3, Interesting)
I doubt it's any good (Score:5, Interesting)
Remember, this was a screening attended by trekkies and Harry Knowles-type movie dorks. These aren't people that know what a good movie is.
Hell, the trailers for the new Trek movie seem to indicate that Abrams took inspiration from - God help us - the Star Wars prequels.
It'll suck. Like almost all science-fiction movies from the past 15 or 20 years. And I'm a sci-fi fan.
clever PR move (Score:3, Interesting)
Most stuff like this gets previewed in Austin in order to buy Harry Knowles' endorsement. It's not a high barrier to entry. Studios usually just massage his ego with a visit to their set, an advance screening on his birthday, or bring him up on stage to introduce a screening [youtube.com]. As if he knows two shits about anything (that youtube link is to a video of him introducing the Star Trek premiere mentioned in TFA).
Seth
Re:Idea shortage in LA (Score:3, Interesting)
Oh heck, if you want space opera, it would be great to see something - anything by E.E. Doc Smith turned into a movie. In order to not be downright ludicrous, it would need to be done with tongue heavily in cheek, like "Big Trouble in Little China". (How anyone could say some of those lines, keep it straight, and not crack up on the spot is beyond me.)
On the mildly more serious side of space opera, I seem to remember hearing that someone is taking on "The Foundation Trilogy".
Or for newer space opera, any of Alistair Reynolds or Peter K Hamilton stuff would work well. I don't think general audiences are ready yet for Iaian Banks or The Culture.
Re:Idea shortage in LA (Score:3, Interesting)
I still think they should make a movie of Zelazny's Lord of Light. One of the best damned SF books ever written. Besides, who wouldn't watch a movie with a talking monkey.
I only forsee one problem in the movie (Score:3, Interesting)
When even I look at the new Spock, I see Sylar. I'm all for actors branching out, but Sylar is just too strong a character for me to forget him quickly, no matter how good the acting is.
Re:I hope it's better than Nemesis..... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Review? (Score:5, Interesting)
It was a screening to people who would actually take time out of their lives to go see a remastered version of Wrath of Khan. Which isn't anything against those folk, that was a good movie. But in terms of objective "this was a good movie on it's own merits" reviews, do you honestly expect to see any?
This was a binary choice: either they all loved it because it was the next Star Trek movie. Meaning it didn't stink as bad as Nemesis. Or they burnt down the theater because it was the next Star Trek movie and it stunk as bad as Nemesis.
Re:I'm not impressed (Score:4, Interesting)
The Star Trek fans did exactly the same at the end of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and that is one of the worst movies of the franchise.
Well, they had nothing to compare the movie to other than the series itself....
Superficial? (Score:5, Interesting)
Quote from one of the reviewers:
This 11th film is easily the best looking, most expensive, best produced iteration in the franchise. This film is going to be absolutely massive. It's epic in scale, and it's easy to see where the $150 million went.
Is anyone else actually excited by this kind of thing? Who here can say they enjoyed Reloaded or Revolutions more than The Matrix? I was really hoping for reviews to tell me how compelling the acting and story were, but it really seems to be all about the expense. Am I missing something?
Re:Alamo Drafthouse is awesome (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Review? (Score:3, Interesting)
It got an ovation, great. But are they allowing anyone to release any reviews?
TFA is a review.
Re:Better than a refund, and maybe not planned (Score:4, Interesting)
Why would they have had the entire film print there, just in case? It doesn't make sense...
Because the movie was about to be released for-reals, so they'd need to be given a print?
But you're right, I'm thinking it was planned, except that doesn't explain the film melting which the blog says the owner was surprised and upset over, or having the writers for Khan there who started an impromptu Q&A session between when the film melted and Nimoy showed up. So either this was all theatrics (certainly possible at the Alamo) with some rough execution (also possible ;), or the only intended surprise was Nimoy's visit but the owner managed to work something out.
Either way, it sounds pretty cool to me. :)
How jiggly are the effects shots? (Score:4, Interesting)
There's a big Hollywood trend for shakey-cam shots, be it Michael Bay, the Bourne movies, Battlestar Galactica, whatever. It'd bad enough when the camera is bobbing and weaving in a conversation between two people sitting down in a comfortable room, absolutely nausea-inducing in an action scene, and seems to have made its way into space as well. Given the limitations of model work, the old Star Treks always had a sedate and stately feel. When Babylon 5 really blew the doors off the idea of using CGI for space battles, they still used admirable constraint while pushing boundaries. Some of the battles by season 5 got a bit muddled, though.
Just going from the trailers of this movie, it looks like we might almost have a Blair Witch level of confusion and nausea in the space battle. The frantic clips appeared to be a kaleidoscope of beams, explosions, and whirling pieces of ships. Does it get any better in context?
Re:Superficial? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Wait...what? (Score:3, Interesting)
Exactly! Most of the Science Fiction Entertainment I get is from Sci Fi Books. I grew up reading Clarke (read 2001 when I was 9). I just read through all of Alastair Reynolds 'Revelation Space' series, I thought 'Marrow' Robert Reed was great, I've consumed most of Bear's writings. I've got boxes of Science Fiction books downstairs that I've read but haven't got around to getting rid of. Besides, the pictures are better in the books than the movies.
Even so I can't resist the eye candy of a well made Science Fiction movie.
Re:Idea shortage in LA (Score:3, Interesting)
Lord of Light would be a great movie. Amber could be a really good miniseries if done right - not a sci fi/scyfy/whatever , but a HBO Deadwood or Rome funded project.
The only book I've heard being worked on for a movie that interests me lately is Rama. Although how bad they'll screw that up I'm not sure.
Re:Better than a refund, and maybe not planned (Score:5, Interesting)
It must of been planned. What better way to ensure you have a group of hard core Trek fans there than by say 'it's an extended Wrath of Khan'. The burn up must of been staged and Abrams was testing the film on the hardcore fans to gauge the reaction. Got to give it to him on knowing his market.
Re:Superficial? (Score:4, Interesting)
There was only one Matrix movie. Sequels were rumored, but WERE NEVER FILMED. Accept this fact and you can be a happier person.
Have you seen Star Trek movies before? You were really hoping to hear about compelling acting? I enjoy Trek movies as much as the next guy (well, not to the point that I go to cons with funny ears or prosthetic foreheads, but I was disappointed when they canceled Enterprise), but to say that you enjoy Trek movies for something other than the awesome special effects, thematic elements and the glimpse at a whole other reality seems disingenuous.
Wrath of Khan, factually the best Star Trek movie, was made for $11 million. Nemesis was $60 million. Of newer films, I enjoyed First Contact, which was made for less than $50 million. I think we can safely say that budget is not related to the enjoyment factor of a Star Trek movie.
Fans and FANS. (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't get this sentiment. If the Internet has shown us anything, it is the fans are the most critical audience. If the movie had been bad, there would have been a riot.
Well, I think there are degrees of 'Fan'.
A small subset consists of those who camp out for a week before the opening of "Phantom Menace" and who confuse the experience of camaraderie with "Good Film". I know guys who swear to this day that they loved that movie.
"Serenity" was similar, (another film I considered sub-par compared to the original series), in that the fans formed a powerful collective joy amongst themselves in the 'fight' to see a film made and who lost all critical faculty as a result.
I also couldn't stand Kevin Smith's "Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back". After really enjoying "Dogma" I couldn't believe how stupid his new film was, but the fan base was so tightly wound with a sense of supporting a favored under-dog that it didn't really matter what the film was about.
I love being Fan(atical) about something, (and it doesn't happen often enough these days), but when I recommend the stuff I am that way about, I always take a moment to qualify my reviews with the fact that I'm lacking a degree of sanity on whatever I happen to be promoting with such zeal.
-FL
Re:Wait...what? (Score:5, Interesting)
While I agree with the analysis of Star Trek v. Star Wars, I'd argue BSG touches a lot of 'true sci-fi' topics, particularly the lines between machine and sentience, and the dangers associated with creating more and more intelligent machines.
Also I'd say its more than just a space opera because it explores the practical implications of multi-world society, and seems much more realistic than Star Wars in terms of social commentary and realism... although I realize that doesn't necessarily push it more into sci-fi rather than just being generally more substantial.
Re:I hope it's better than Nemesis..... (Score:3, Interesting)
I am quite partial to his anti-Borg rant in 'First Contact'. Given a decent script, Stewart can really let it rip. "The line must be drawn HERE!", it's chilling to see the otherwise cool Jean-Luc Picard totally lose it.
Mart
Re:I doubt it's any good (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't get this sentiment. If the Internet has shown us anything, it is the fans are the most critical audience. If the movie had been bad, there would have been a riot.
Fans are very critical, but typically not immediately after watching the movie. It takes a few days for the hype to die down before you're able to critically assess a movie (unless it's a steaming pile of crap like Nemesis).
However, even if the new movie is as bad as Nemesis, they had several things to keep the excitement high. They were all trek fans (were there for Wrath of Khan) who were surprised with the opportunity to see the movie before anyone else, with Leonard Nimoy present.
Hell, I saw people clapping at the end of Phantom Menace, and there were no actors from the movie there.* They were doing that just because it had been so long since they saw a new Star Wars movie, and they were so excited, that just seeing people swing lightsabers was enough to get them excited. It took a few days before they actually thought about the movie and came to the realization that, "hold on...it actually sucked. Wtf was up with that Jar Jar fellow?"
*I hate it when people do that in theaters. Who are they applauding? You clap in a play because there are live actors who can appreciate knowing you enjoyed their performance. I've also seen people clap on airplanes when we touch down on the runaway, and also don't understand that. Are they applauding the pilot? Because he needs to do a bit more than to manage a successful landing to actually deserve applause. If he manages to do it with no engines on the Hudson River on the other hand, then I'll join in.