Glitzy, fancy, unoriginal, pompous

Rating: 6/10 (22 May 2013)

ST:ID is NOT a SCI-FI movie. Its a popcorn action movie. This is incredibly difficult to understand because Abbrams took a franchise known for being allegory to our society (racism, communism, democracy), full of lessons on morals and self discovery, and turned it into "die hard in space". It is exactly what Star Wars EP1 was for the old series.
This is a completely different movie than what you probably expect or saw in trailers. I honestly don't know why I'm giving a 6 and not lower:
* Hundreds of scenes have distracting over bright effect - very distracting when trying to pay attention to dialogue.
* Nothing special about dialogue or characters... unlike the old movies, you do not get a sense the crew are all comrades who have been through a lot.
* ADD sufferers you're in luck - most of the scenes are so jam packed with dozens of extras and shiny machinery, its difficult to tell what's going on.
* Cowboys. Not the future. Movie is full of tech contradictions. You got phasers and teleporters but can't use them - instead lots of running and punching. Its all strange and out of place.
* Star Fleet is the Navy? Forgetting for a moment how absurd it is that the WHOLE crew is 20 yr olds. Even today's armed forces don't sent out warships with 70 cruise missiles to kill a terrorist.. not even for Bid Laden.
* The movie is completely unoriginal. Its famous scenes from movies 1-5 in a blender. I would not have been surprised if whales showed up. If you like a movie that repeats dialogue from older movies than all the power to you.
In conclusion, ST:ID is out of place today or any day. Should have made a completely new franchise - something along lines of DS9. This special effects extravaganza completely lacks any sci-fi, philosophy and crew comradery the franchise is known for. In some ways its so absurd I thought I was watching a "Scary Movie".