As something of a Star Trek fan…no, scrap that, as a massive Trekkie (or Trekker?) I have tried watching the JJ Abrams reboot a number of times but never really given them my full attention. Trying once more I’ve got to say, while enjoyable, I can’t help but keep noticing the Star Wars nods that I find quite disconcerting:
- The starbase the cadets travel to to reach the Enterprise looks more like the starbases seen in the Star Wars prequel trilogy than anything seen in canon Star Trek. I appreciate Abrams wasn’t involved in that prequel trilogy, but I’m sure he maybe drew plenty of inspiration from George Lucas’ vision than that of Gene Roddenberry.
- Going to warp speed, the special effects again are more like Star Wars ships engaging their hyperdrive to move at light speed than the types of effects we saw with Trek ships going to warp. This was true of the external views of the ships jumping to warp, but was even more noticeable on the internal shot where stars became streaks of light – another effect which I don’t recall from Trek canon.
- I appreciate the reboot had to be commercially successful, but the level of action and combat is significantly greater. I know there was more combat in some of the series – the Dominion War in Deep Space Nine and the season in Voyager where they’re making their way through hostile space – but in the 2009 film the action is far more common and central to the film.
- Destroying a planet as a key plot point with a planet-killing weapon. Where have I come across that plot device before?
It’s still an enjoyable film but it feels a little too far from the vision and philosophy which I enjoy about Star Trek. I’m glad that the new TV series is in the original timeline and is in the hands of creatives more inclined to uphold Roddenberry’s original vision for the show.
Commonplace 