Star Trek (film): Difference between revisions

A sequel has been announced, to bewas released in 2013.

* [[Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene]]: Quite a few, mostly involving Spock.

** [[Big Bad|Captain Nero's]] ship, the ''Narada'', is... surreal, to say the least. [http://img.trekmovie.com/images/st09/st09aprilviral/narada.jpg Here's a side view], [http://www.coronacomingattractions.com/sites/default/files/star_trek_2009_narada.jpg and another]. According to the [[Comic Book Adaptation]], the villains upgraded their ship with [[Imported Alien Phlebotinum|reverse-engineered Borg technology]] somehow. [[Word of God|At least one creator]] has stated the ship actually [[Mechanical Monster|grew those giant metal tentacles and spikes and things]] as a result of its [[Hyperspace Is a Scary Place|trip through the black hole]]. This is directly contradicted by the [[Film]] itself and neither explanation is mentioned in the [[Film]]. Keep it simple and imagine that's just what twenty-fourth-century Romulan technology looks like if you prefer. Also keep in mind that this is apparently just a mining ship. Exemplified when [[The Engineer|Scotty]] says that "if the ship's design makes any sense," they should be transported into the cargo bay. {{spoiler|Kirk & Spock end up on the bridge, surrounded by Romulans.}}

** [[Badass in Distress]]: [[Badass|Captain Pike]].

* [[Bald of Awesome]]: [[Badass|Captain Robau]].

* [[Bash Brothers]]: When Kirk and Spock beam onto the ''Narada'' and start shooting up everything in sight.

** Agreeing with the above, the total firepower of the new ship seems to be no more than the original can dish out, see the Original Series episode: "The Balance Of Terror".

* [[Belligerent Sexual Tension]]: Kirk and Uhura appear to have this in the beginingbeginning of the movie; however, it is interrupted when he provokes a [[Bar Brawl]]. Uhura wasn't being a [[Tsundere]] for Kirk; while she may or may not have been interested, the [[Trope]] is later seen to be subverted, as three years later she is in a relationship with {{spoiler|[[Hot for Teacher|Spock]].}}

* [[Berserk Button]]: You do ''not'' want to speak ill of {{spoiler|[[The Spock|Spock's]] mother}}.

* [[Broad Strokes]]: Time travel does not ''quite'' explain all the stylistic differences in this movie, as it is technically in an [[Alternate Continuity]] and is not a complete [[Continuity Reboot]]. (Warpwarp drive leaving a ship blind for example).

** Also the [[Big Damn Gunship]] moment. {{spoiler|The ''Enterprise'' destroys the ''Narada'' 's missiles just in time to save Spock's ship, just as Captain George Kirk's ''Kelvin'' had done for the escaping shuttles 25 years earlier.}}

** A small one with the soundtrack: {{spoiler|When Spock rams the Jellyfish into the ''Narada'', the background music is a modified version of the track that plays when George Kirk did the same with the Kelvin.}}

'''Leonard "Bones" McCoy:''' It's McCoy. Dr. Puri was on Deck 6. [[He's Dead, Jim|He's dead.]]<br />

'''Spock:''' Then you have just inherited his responsibilities as Chief Medical Officer.<br />

''(McCoy looks at a burning medical room full of casualties from the attack)''<br />

'''Leonard "Bones" McCoy:''' Yeah, tell me something I don't know! }}

** Nero upon realizing that {{spoiler|Spock's gonna crash his ship into the ''Narada''}}.

** Sulu also knows fencing, which it turned out he was enthusiastic about in the episode "[[Star Trek/Recap/S1 E4/E04 The Naked Time|The Naked Time]]". Here he finds a more practical outlet.

** Captain Pike, the captain of the ''Enterprise'' in the pilot episode, who also appeared in a later episode involving Spock. Near the end of the film, he is seen {{spoiler|in a wheelchair}}, another continuity nod (or perhaps [[Mythology Gag]]?) to that later episode "The Menagerie"/"The Cage" (he's obviously in better condition).

** The planet Kirk is stranded on "Delta Vega", appeared in the first (chronologically speaking) episode of ''TOS'', as the planet where Kirk and Spock planned to maroon their god-like friend Gary Mitchell.

* There is a nod that nearly mirrors the same sequence early on in the film to the animated series' episode '"Yesteryear'". In the episode, young Spock experiences an outburst of emotion and proceeds to pummel another Vulcan child mercilessly after said child insults Sarek and Amanda.

** One ''particularly troubled'' Romulan from {{spoiler|Spock Prime}}'s timeline [[Butterfly of Doom|wreaks utter havoc with the timeline]] {{spoiler|to avenge the destruction of his homeworld, and take revenge on Spock}}.)

** Every single officer of higher rank than the main characters is killed or, in {{spoiler|Captain Pike's}} case, incapacitated, resulting in the crew that we know from the original series. [[Justified Trope|Justified]] in that it's the crew's origin story, but it can stretch [[Willing Suspension of Disbelief]].

** It would seem that Spock and Chekov are the only members of the main cast who are in their ''TOS'' crew positions right from the ''Enterprise'''s launch. The latter is surprising, really.

** Maybe the biggest one. Spock gets annoyed with Kirk and drops him on the nearest planet after {{spoiler|Vulcan is destroyed}}, which is also where {{spoiler|Old Spock}} is hanging out, because Nero wanted him to bear witness. So far so good. Then Kirk just happens to land within running distance of {{spoiler|Spock's cave}}, when he could have landed anywhere on the planet. That's... incredibly unlikely. And then {{spoiler|Scotty just happens to be stationed in an outpost only a couple of miles away. And that's just ridiculous.}}

*** Proximity to {{spoiler|the outpost isn't all that ridiculous. Spock just said to get Kirk off the ship. It's pretty likely that they aimed Kirk's pod relatively close to a Federation outpost so he could get home when needed. Spock may not have known anything about placing him close to an outpost, but whoever launched him probably did.}}

*** {{spoiler|Or Starfleet programs their escape pods to automatically land near friendly outposts or towns if the occupant is unconscious or otherwise unable to pilot the pod themselves.}}

* [[Cool Old Guy]]: {{spoiler|Spock Prime}}.

** The Starship ''Enterprise'', followed, in no particular order, by the ''Narada'', {{spoiler|Spock's ''Jellyfish'',}}, and the ''Kelvin''.

* [[Crusading Widower]]: Nero.

* [[Cute Shotaro Boy]]: '''Chekov'''.

*** By that logic the film already can't occur as {{spoiler|Vulcan, the source of the red matter is gone and presumably much of the technology uses to build the ''Jellyfish'' was of Vulcan origin as well. That's why its an alternate reality instead of the Prime universe's time line being messed up by Nero. Also, why Spock Prime doesn't have any issues with messing with the timeline more.}}

** Even still, the [[Mildly Military]] trope is still very much in force; Star Fleet really doesn't appear much more militaristic than it did in the period between ''Star Trek II'' and ''Star Trek VI''.

* [[Disposable Woman]]: Straight example: {{spoiler|Amanda, Spock's mother, died just to twist the knife of angst deeper for Spock}}.

** Backed up by the substantial changes to Kirk's background. It was explicitly stated that Kirk was born and raised in Iowa but also lived on Tarsus IV in his youth. The ''Enterprise'' was built between 2243 and 2245, not 2258 as appears in this film. It's implied that this is the ship's ''maiden voyage'', whereas in the Trek 'Prime' universe the ship had already been in service for 19 years before Kirk even got near it.

'''McCoy:''' I don't know, but I like him! }}

* [[Earthshattering Kaboom]]: {{spoiler|Nero plans this for the entire Federation. He "only" manages Vulcan.}}

** Speaking of ''Cloverfield'', the {{spoiler|giant red monster that attacked Kirk when he landed on the snow planet}} is reminiscent of the ''Cloverfield'' monster due to the shared bent-arm walking style and six limbed form. It appears ''Cloverfield'' has now unofficially become the earliest point in the ''Star Trek'' film timeline. Interesting....

** Might be averted, at least according to the novelization, in the case of ChekovChekhov, who is speculated (though not confirmed) to have come to the ''Enterprise'' straight from Russia's Star City.

** To say nothing of the deliciously curvaceous [[Green-Skinned Space Babe|Orion chick]] wearing just lingerelingerie in the same scene

'''Nero:''' Hi, Christopher, I'm Nero. }}

** [[The Hero]]: Kirk.

** [[The Smart Guy]]: Spock and McCoy. Not to mention Scotty and ChekovChekhov.

** [[The Big Guy]]: Sulu.

** [[The Chick]]: Uhura.

** [[Tagalong Kid]]: ChekovChekhov.

** [[The Sixth Ranger]]: Scotty.

** Spock. Kirk says something along the lines of "we should be unpredictable, if Nero knows what will happen" while Spock counters "Nero's existence has changed time, creating a new reality." Of course {{spoiler|Spock Prime is pretty [[Genre Savvy]] too, but only because he already knows what's happened.}}

* [[Good -Looking Privates]]: Good ''Lord'', the ''Enterprise'' command crew is ''pretty.''.

* [[The Hero's Journey]]: Near-perfect example, in double for both Spock and Kirk, including the Miraculous Birth: James Tiberius Kirk, born on the day of the destruction of the ''Kelvin'', son of the hero George Kirk of the same battle; Spock, born the [[Half-Human Hybrid|Half Human]] son of the Vulcan Ambassador Sarek. In fact, in the novelisationnovelization we learn that during Spock's birth, a star was going supernova elsewhere in the galaxy. The novelisationnovelization actually states that the birth of Spock and the death of an entire inhabited solar system are equal in magnitude according to ''the universe itself!''

<!-- %% The "Hey, It's That Guy!" trope belongs inon the Trivia/StarTrek subpage -->

** "Nailin' the Kelvin".

** "Enterprising Young Men".

* [[Hyperspeed Ambush]]: The Starfleet relief force on its way to {{spoiler|Vulcan}} gets beaten into scrap metal immediately upon exiting warp. The Enterprise only narrowly escapes the same fate because they were [[Late to the Party]].

** {{spoiler|The Enterprise}} pulls one off during the film's climax, {{spoiler|saving Spock by tearing up Nero's [[Macross Missile Massacre]] via [[Beam Spam]].}}

'''Kirk''': Well, get some extra guys and then it'll be a fair fight. }}

** The IDW comics are running through various ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek the Original Series]]'' storylines. There are differences, because the characters are different, but Gary Mitchell still [[A God Am I|becomes a god]] when they cross the Galactic Barrier, and the "''Galileo'' Seven" still end up trapped on Taurus II while studying a quasar.

* [[Intelligible Unintelligible]]: The other characters have no trouble understanding a word ChekovChekhov says, despite him having a [[Lzherusskie|"Russian" accent]] thicker than ''borscht''. This is inverted, however, when the computer has no idea what a "nuclear wessel" is. And when the computer can't understand his passcode, because of his mangling of "Vwictor Vwictor". (Incidentally, [[Anton Yelchin]] really is Russian-born. The accent is still very, very fake.)

* [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]]: Kirk, Captain James T. At first, it's almost as if he wakes up in the morning and thinks of new ways to piss off any and every body he encounters. Wrecks his stepdadstep-dad's car and stands up to the cop who tried to pull him over. Participates in a bar fight that some cadets start (they punched him first) because he kept hitting on Uhura (who's completely uninterested in him). Reprograms an unwinnable test, which is cheating, to prove that he can win it (by thinking outside the box). Shows no remorse when caught because he doesn't feel he's in the wrong. Indeed, Kirk demonstrates the same wheeling, dealing, and conniving traits of a [[Magnificent Bastard]]. The differences are -- first, Kirk was never out to hurt anyone just for his own ends. Second, it is made clear he's only acting up because he lacks a challenge worthy of his smarts. Most importantly, he uses his cunning to save the universe. This movie states overtly what the series were more subtle about: Kirk's Jerk tendencies are also the qualities that make him [[The Captain]] we all know and love.

'''"Fire everything!"''' }}

*** We also get the ''Enterprise'' rising out of {{spoiler|Saturn's Rings to attack Nero.}} Which is a echo of the ''Enterprise'' rising out of the nebula in ''Star Trek II'' to attack Khan.

* [[Military Maverick]]: Kirk and Spock (the latter because {{spoiler|after learning that the Vulcan elders of the Vulcan Science Academy thought his parentage a disability, he joined Starfleet}}, and the former because... hey, he's Kirk (and he always was a bit of a [[Cowboy Cop|cowboy]]))!

* [[Mood Whiplash]]: After a particularly intense scene in the bridge {{spoiler|wherein Kirk manages to [[Berserk Button|enrage Spock by mentioning that he never loved his mother]] and [[Curb Stomp Battle|gets his ass whooped]], [[The Engineer|Scotty]] breaks the tension by saying "I like this ship. It's exciting!"}}

* [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast]]: [[Big Bad|Captain Nero]].

* [[Necessary Fail]]: Interesting case. As pointed out in [[In Spite of a Nail]], it seems that not only did history continue in spite of [[Big Bad|Nero's]] actions, it seems certain things happened only ''because'' of it. {{spoiler|The destruction of Vulcan}} actually serves to bring Spock and Kirk together in common cause.

***** There's also the fact that numerous sources (mostly non-canon, but including one episode of ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek the Next Generation]]'') state that a force field is automatically erected around each transporter pad before it starts operating, as well as at the remote end of the operation.

* [[Normal Fish in a Tiny Pond]]: - ''Narada'' is a mining vessel in year 2387 that is able to destroy a Federation Starship in year 2233

** However, it quickly becomes clear that he's not nearly as stupid as he leads people to believe, effectively beating the supposedly unbeatable [[Unwinnable Training Simulation|Kobayashi Maru]] through rather ingenious means and then {{spoiler|stopping Nero's [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge|rampage of revenge against the Federation]]}}.

** The filmmakers are honoring a fine old ''[[Star Trek|Trek]]'' tradition: In ''TOS'', Dr. McCoy's surgical lasers were actually "Swedish modern" salt-and-pepper shakers that the show's prop guy found on sale at May Company in LA.

'''[[Fan of the Past|Sulu]]:''' Fencing. }}

* [[Ominous Latin Chanting]] / [[One-Woman Wail]] / [[Ethereal Chorus]]: During the final battle and destruction of {{spoiler|Nero's ship}}, of course.

* [[Out-of-Character Moment]]: Spock {{spoiler|has a steamy makeout session with Uhura. In the Transporter Room. In front of several other members of the crew!}}

** Which is just as well, as their sheildsshields prove to be entirely worthless against the ''Narada's'' advanced weaponry. You can hear one bridge crewmember demanding to know if their shields are even ''up'' in the first battle sequence.

** Looking at the movie again, it would appear Nero is one of these as well. Even when his plans get foiled, or his mooks get punked, he never hauls off and declares [[You Have Failed Me...]]. When Kirk and Sulu damage the drill the first time, all he did was just retract it and order the red matter deployed.

'''Scotty:''' {{spoiler|I'll let you know when it reappears.}} }}

** {{spoiler|In the book the dog appears and is perfectly fine. Although this is the same dog from "A Night In Sickbay". But you can't fault the dog's acting.}}

* [[Red Shirt]]: Knowingly used and subverted by J.J. Abrams, but [[Continuity Nod|it wouldn't be]] ''[[Continuity Nod|Star Trek]]'' [[Continuity Nod|without it]]. A poor fashion choice gets someone killed. Poor fashion choice and [[Too Dumb to Live|reckless stupidity]] ''from the Chief Engineer''. This is the only "red shirt" who dies in the film, Unless you count {{spoiler|all the Academy cadets who were wearing red uniforms.}}

* [[Reimagining the Artifact]]: On ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek the Original Series]]'', Dr. McCoy's nickname "Bones" comes from the term "Sawbones", which was an old nickname for doctors. Since the term has fallen from the parlance, this film has Kirk call McCoy "Bones" because, in his introduction, he explains he's joining Starfleet because "The ex-wife took the whole damn planet in the divorce. All I've got left is my bones.".

* [[SchrodingersSchrödinger's Cat]]:

* [[Shoot the Shaggy Dog]]: The Federation's war with the Romulan Empire has been going on since [[Star Trek: The Original Series|the original series]], and it dominated much of the plot of the [[Star Trek: The Next Generation|latter series]] and [[Star Trek: Nemesis|the last movie]]. Here, we see how it finally ends: {{spoiler|the planet Romulus' sun blows up and they all die. The end}}.

''[[Star Wars]]'', uhh ''[[Star Trek]]'' }}

*** J.J. Abrams and the producers and writers in the commentary openly admit that ''[[Star Wars]]'' was their generation's mythology and that they deliberately invoke it several times, even referring to Kirk viewing the ship under construction as their "Tatooine twin-suns moment.".

* [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism]]: Slides a bit on down toward Cynicism from the bright and optimistic place ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek the Original Series]]'' occupied near Idealism. But the scenery is a lot prettier.

* [[Sour Supporter]]: McCoy.

* [[Stealth Sequel]]: It was billed as a prequel, but turned out to be both a prequel ''and'' a sequel. In addition to seeing Kirk and co. as rookies, we get {{spoiler|an aging Spock meeting his younger self, and we see how the Federation's conflict with the Romulans finally ends}}.

'''Scotty:''' I'll tell you when it reappears. Ahem. I don't know, I do feel guilty about that. }}

** Also the sequence when Kirk's shuttlecraft arrives at the Enterprise; instead of ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture|Star Trek the Motion Picture]]'''s interminable fly around the ship in drydock, this film has a quick and efficient scene where the shuttlecraft flies over the length of the ship before immediately landing in the shuttlebay which shows its scale and majesty without boring the audience to death.

** When Kirk first boards the shuttle, he hits his head on a pipe in the same way Scotty did in ''[[Star Trek V]]''.

* [[Tell Me About My Father]]: - subvertedSubverted as Kirk couldn't have cared less but Pike told him anyways.

** And played straight when Kirk met up with {{spoiler|Spock Prime}} and asked him about his father.

* [[Unrealistic Black HoleHoles Suck]]: Besides the obvious [[Our Wormholes Are Different|use-as-tunnels-through-spacetime-thing]], here's another logical thought: {{spoiler|if one small drop of Red Matter creates a black hole the size of the Narada with at least Earth-mass, wouldn't setting off ''a huge lump three feet across'' create a supermassive black hole?}}

** {{spoiler|Although any large mass can be used to slingshot though time in ''Star Trek''}}.

** {{spoiler|Red matter apparently has to be injected into a planet's core to destroy a planet. An exploding ship probably has a lot less heat which could explain why a larger amount ended up producing a smaller black hole.}}

*** {{spoiler|Which is a complete and utter failure to understand the physics of black holes, along with the fact that a planet was ''instantly'' destroyed (and, if I remember correctly, actually ''exploded''), and without creating enough radiation to kill everything in the system at the very least, if not further away.}}

*** {{spoiler|No, the planet visibly collapses into nothing, and planets when compared to entire star systems are very very tiny specks.}}

* [[Watching Troy Burn]]: {{spoiler|Vulcan}}.

** In the comics, when Nero saw {{spoiler|Romulus be destroyed}}.

{{spoiler|'''Spock:''' No, not really. Not this time.}} }}

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