Saw it. Loved it. It goes to eleven.
Literally, if not figuratively.
Disclaimer : I've watched every single episode of TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY (that hurt), ENT (that also hurt) and The Animated Series. I've seen all the movies. I've owned action figures. I've read piles of books. I sleep on Star Wars sheets, but that's another story - the point is, I could have just as easily spent my youth (and adolescence and adulthood and 30s and so forth) sleeping on Uhura instead of Leia.
I haven't learned Klingon. Gotta draw the line somewhere.
I've steeped myself in Trek long enough to have a deep sense of loathing or disappointment (depending on the movie/episode/series) for the Berman/Braga tyranny. As much as I dislike Abrams and his progeny - Lost, Cloverfield, etc... Star Trek is good. Like, actually good.
Steeped as I am, I'll admit to a certain amount of confusion on my part:
It's either actually a good movie, OR I've been so thoroughly disgusted and sickened by the B&B assrape of Treknuity that I'd give anything done by anyone else the highest score possible. Their involvement in the TNG movies and the fact the TNG movies are all seriously weak sauce can not be a coincidence. The B&B era is Not Star Trek. It's sci-fi for the kind of people who Tivo Lifetime. The kind of people for whom Mind of Mencia is dangerous, cutting edge television. The Scary Movie crew could do better.
Clear the Neutron Blasters for firing!
Without giving anything away, I can say this - I welcome the 11th Trek. It's the best Trek film since The Undiscovered Country... which was the best since Wrath of Khan. To compare 11 directly to 6 or 2 would be unfair for a litany of reasons - but it damned sure blows 1, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 straight out of the water. It's deliciously, deliriously FREE! of the B&B POISON. It could be two hours of Spock singing karaoke in a shuttlecraft and it would still be better than the B&B era. The bar has been set low. So low that a drunken slug could fall over it and still be the Best Trek Since Six.
And yet, despite the standards having been torpedoed down to the level of American Politics, Star Trek 11 is good. Not good as in "better than the fifteen years of anal leakage that precedes it." No. The good kind of good.
Maybe not excellent. Maybe not awesome. But damned sure entertaining - entertaining, and (for the most part), respectful to the Right And Proper Trek that it draws from.
B&B tried for over a decade to destroy all that was Good And Holy about Star Trek. Star Trek 11 is all that is Good and Holy about Trek, giving B&B the finger.
Verily, I approve.
I liked it. Go see it. Decide for yourself.
It's not only farm animals.
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