I was raised on the bread and butter of Star Trek. My parents have always been huge fans of the original series, and I, myself, was a mite addicted to The Next Generation for a good portion of my middle school years. That being said, I never really got into any of the Trek movies–something about that universe just seems to be better suited to the long-format, serial narrative of television.
However, when the rebooted Star Trek film came out in 2009, I absolutely loved it. Apparently some have criticized it for being a dumbed-down version of the greatness that it came from, but I, personally, loved the shit out of it. It had all of the action and suspense you would expect of a sci-fi film, but it also was extremely clever in how it dealt with the inevitable fan criticism if it contradicted the Trek canon in any way. How did they manage to avoid the ire of the passionate and snarky Trekkie (or apparently some prefer “Trekker”) community? Take the reboot outside of the canon. It’s literally a different timeline, which, in the first place, totally works for sci-fi, and second, opens up limitless possibilities for where they can go with these beloved characters. In a sense, it seems like it could be the beginning of another series, as it could be particularly well-suited to long-format narrative.
Also, Zachary Quinto.
This article reviews some of the most anticipated sci-fi films of 2013, but personally, Star Trek Into Darkness is definitely at the top of my list. Now that J.J. Abrams has the entire Star Trek universe to play with, I can’t wait to see where he takes us. One point of contention, however: with so much at his fingertips, why is he bringing us back to Khan? Don’t get me wrong, I love Wrath of Khan (1982) and it’s probably my favorite of the Trek films before the reboot, but really, Abrams? Really? You could have done practically anything, and instead you decide to go back to a staple of the Star Trek film franchise and do what, remake it too?
So despite all the hope I have that it will be a great film, I am just really really hoping that Into Darkness isn’t a let down.
What films are you most looking forward to this year?
The Seven Most Anticipated Sci-fi Films of 2013
Jacob S. Hall @ movies.com
A few weeks ago, I wrote a column dissecting a random grab bag of upcoming science fiction films, with a few of the titles mentioned not set to open until 2014. But now that we’re at the start of a brand new year, it’s time to narrow this column’s focus to the next 365 (well, 361 days). It’s time to start getting excited about movies that actually have solid “we can’t go back now” release dates.
In other words: here are the most intriguing, exciting and potentially great science fiction films opening within the next 12 months. Spoiler alert: Oblivion and After Earth aren’t included.”
mewling quim 