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Re: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
"An original and interesting story that seamlessly segues into a new hope."
This is not true. Go watch A New Hope seconds after Rogue One ends, and the ending of Rogue One makes no sense.
"An original and interesting story that seamlessly segues into a new hope."
This is not true. Go watch A New Hope seconds after Rogue One ends, and the ending of Rogue One makes no sense.
Re: Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Elise summed up my thoughts pretty good. This was a fine movie, but it was missing.....something. Whether that be the charm of Hans Solo, or good pacing, or the overall length being too long (this movie was way too fucking long). I found getting fairly annoying halfway through by the 11th scene of the Rebels lazily fleeing to the left.
Captain Phasma will go down as one of the most disappointing and useless characters in the history of the franchise. Seriously, what was her role other than to sell toys? General Hux was a one-dimensional, yelly, frowning, growly character who has 1/100000th the charisma of Peter Cushing which is disappointing because Domhnall Glesson is an excellent character actor who I think would have done very well with some better material. So you cast Laura Dern as this supposed bad ass Vice Admiral but someone has to stay behind to pilot the Cruiser to its doom (for whatever reason someone has to stay behind?) Admiral Akbar just....dies?!?! Leia can survive a bridge explosion and exposure to space.....why? Rose, ugh. The Casino planet, ugh. The Bait And Switches, ugh. Snoke dying, ugh (so much for the thousands of hours people spent into his identity, he really was extremely pointless even though it appeared he was the most powerful Sith lord we have ever seen in the franchise. What a waste of time. And how exactly did Snoke turn Kylo Ren?
What this movie did well? Kylo Ren was excellent. This was the stuff he should have had in TFA. I thoroughly enjoyed his character this time around. Rey was very good and the scenes with Luke stole the show. Mark Hamill played the role to perfection. The final battle on the salt planet was a visual masterpiece.
I dont know what to expect from Episode 9. Carrie Fisher dying changes things immensely I imagine.
Elise summed up my thoughts pretty good. This was a fine movie, but it was missing.....something. Whether that be the charm of Hans Solo, or good pacing, or the overall length being too long (this movie was way too fucking long). I found getting fairly annoying halfway through by the 11th scene of the Rebels lazily fleeing to the left.
Captain Phasma will go down as one of the most disappointing and useless characters in the history of the franchise. Seriously, what was her role other than to sell toys? General Hux was a one-dimensional, yelly, frowning, growly character who has 1/100000th the charisma of Peter Cushing which is disappointing because Domhnall Glesson is an excellent character actor who I think would have done very well with some better material. So you cast Laura Dern as this supposed bad ass Vice Admiral but someone has to stay behind to pilot the Cruiser to its doom (for whatever reason someone has to stay behind?) Admiral Akbar just....dies?!?! Leia can survive a bridge explosion and exposure to space.....why? Rose, ugh. The Casino planet, ugh. The Bait And Switches, ugh. Snoke dying, ugh (so much for the thousands of hours people spent into his identity, he really was extremely pointless even though it appeared he was the most powerful Sith lord we have ever seen in the franchise. What a waste of time. And how exactly did Snoke turn Kylo Ren?
What this movie did well? Kylo Ren was excellent. This was the stuff he should have had in TFA. I thoroughly enjoyed his character this time around. Rey was very good and the scenes with Luke stole the show. Mark Hamill played the role to perfection. The final battle on the salt planet was a visual masterpiece.
I dont know what to expect from Episode 9. Carrie Fisher dying changes things immensely I imagine.
Re: ORV S1: If the Stars Should Appear
"Dexter, at least explain WHY you think it is "horrendous garabage".
Just saying "it sucks" doesn't contribute anything to the discussion."
Fair. I just didnt want to drone on being TOO negative.
My thoughts: Its poorly cast, poorly acted, poorly scripted, poorly rehashed carbon copy trash. It has no ingenuity, it has no pace, and it has no idea what type of show it wants to be. And that is my opinion just from watching the first 20 minutes. Now I get the response would be, "give it a few episodes" in which case ill say, "No". In today's TV landscape you dont have the luxury of a few episodes or a whole season to get your shit straight. You have to hit the ground running with all cylinders firing. The quality of TV out there is amazing and this show simply isnt good enough to warrant my time.
"Dexter, at least explain WHY you think it is "horrendous garabage".
Just saying "it sucks" doesn't contribute anything to the discussion."
Fair. I just didnt want to drone on being TOO negative.
My thoughts: Its poorly cast, poorly acted, poorly scripted, poorly rehashed carbon copy trash. It has no ingenuity, it has no pace, and it has no idea what type of show it wants to be. And that is my opinion just from watching the first 20 minutes. Now I get the response would be, "give it a few episodes" in which case ill say, "No". In today's TV landscape you dont have the luxury of a few episodes or a whole season to get your shit straight. You have to hit the ground running with all cylinders firing. The quality of TV out there is amazing and this show simply isnt good enough to warrant my time.
Re: ORV S1: If the Stars Should Appear
I dont know how any of you watch this garbage. Its horrendous.
I dont know how any of you watch this garbage. Its horrendous.
Re: Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
I think Vaders "Nooooooo!" moment suffers more from poor execution than from being a bad idea (I think that is true of the prequel trilogy as a whole). If you were to read that whole scene to me from the script, I'd probably love it. But something about how it was done on screen is... off. I'm not even sure what it is, it's nothing I can put my finger on. It just isn't quite right.
I think Vaders "Nooooooo!" moment suffers more from poor execution than from being a bad idea (I think that is true of the prequel trilogy as a whole). If you were to read that whole scene to me from the script, I'd probably love it. But something about how it was done on screen is... off. I'm not even sure what it is, it's nothing I can put my finger on. It just isn't quite right.
Re: DS9 S6: Time's Orphan
"There will be no one to grow up to become this Molly"
Muahahaha. What a load of bullshit. "This Molly" has lived alone for ten years in a cave. Literally! You have to say "literally" because it's grotesque.
Let's not deprive her of that experience! Don't erase that part and replace it with ten years of happy childhood.
Isn't this the dream of a lot of people? To do things over again. Don't most of think sometimes: "Ah, if I could go back to this moment 10 years ago and do things differently."
And that is people who just think they didn't study hard enough in college or shouldn't have broken up with their s/o.
This girl had 10 years of solitary confinement - that *really* is something you'd want to forget.
Imagine Bashir using this logic in the episode where O'Brien gets the fake memories of being imprisoned for 20 years. "Well Miles, we *could* erase those memories, but we'd be killing of this new you." -- "F*** You, Bashir."
"There will be no one to grow up to become this Molly"
Muahahaha. What a load of bullshit. "This Molly" has lived alone for ten years in a cave. Literally! You have to say "literally" because it's grotesque.
Let's not deprive her of that experience! Don't erase that part and replace it with ten years of happy childhood.
Isn't this the dream of a lot of people? To do things over again. Don't most of think sometimes: "Ah, if I could go back to this moment 10 years ago and do things differently."
And that is people who just think they didn't study hard enough in college or shouldn't have broken up with their s/o.
This girl had 10 years of solitary confinement - that *really* is something you'd want to forget.
Imagine Bashir using this logic in the episode where O'Brien gets the fake memories of being imprisoned for 20 years. "Well Miles, we *could* erase those memories, but we'd be killing of this new you." -- "F*** You, Bashir."
Re: Star Trek Into Darkness
I enjoyed Star Trek (2009) because it had great pacing, and was a fun action/adventure film. I never go into a Star Trek film expecting anything like any of the television series. It's just a different format.
But Into Darkness never quite stuck with me. I was bored. The action scenes dragged on and on. There was zero tension. There was zero drama. I had no investment in any of the characters. The pacing was awful, as was the dialogue (or what little existed of it). It reminded me of the Star Wars prequels at their worst.
My two cents, at least.
I enjoyed Star Trek (2009) because it had great pacing, and was a fun action/adventure film. I never go into a Star Trek film expecting anything like any of the television series. It's just a different format.
But Into Darkness never quite stuck with me. I was bored. The action scenes dragged on and on. There was zero tension. There was zero drama. I had no investment in any of the characters. The pacing was awful, as was the dialogue (or what little existed of it). It reminded me of the Star Wars prequels at their worst.
My two cents, at least.
Re: VOY S3: Real Life
Not a VOY hater at all, but Paris goes from complaining about Neelix's cooking to complaining about having eaten too much French toast for breakfast to complaining about Neelix's cooking all in one day. Sometimes, I feel like the writers didn't even give their scripts a second glance. (It's possible that Paris used his last ration on the French toast that morning, but it's still sloppy writing because it makes the viewer scratch his or her head.)
Not a VOY hater at all, but Paris goes from complaining about Neelix's cooking to complaining about having eaten too much French toast for breakfast to complaining about Neelix's cooking all in one day. Sometimes, I feel like the writers didn't even give their scripts a second glance. (It's possible that Paris used his last ration on the French toast that morning, but it's still sloppy writing because it makes the viewer scratch his or her head.)
Re: DS9 S3: Through the Looking Glass
So much overanalysis in this thread! I have always found the MU eps as Star Trek's excuse to indulge in a little space cowboy pulp fiction, as an homage to the roots of the genre. They are supposed to be y, ridiculous and over the top.
So much overanalysis in this thread! I have always found the MU eps as Star Trek's excuse to indulge in a little space cowboy pulp fiction, as an homage to the roots of the genre. They are supposed to be y, ridiculous and over the top.
Re: TNG S2: The Royale
I've always enjoyed and had a soft spot for this episode.
I think that the allegory is being missed in this review. The allegory is that man makes his own prison. Art is a means of escaping that prison. When art is schlock, there is no real escape. (This episode was schlock, you might counter; fair enough.) But when art somehow transcends that (as in the case of the 'Star Trek' universe, for the most part), and dares to dream bigger, there can be release.
The Enterprise crew is rescued as soon as it recognizes all the clichés of pop art and low-brow culture for what they are, and then is deftly able to navigate them, working them to their own ends. And that's Star Trek in a nutshell: always transcending schlock, while making good use of it at the same time.
I've always enjoyed and had a soft spot for this episode.
I think that the allegory is being missed in this review. The allegory is that man makes his own prison. Art is a means of escaping that prison. When art is schlock, there is no real escape. (This episode was schlock, you might counter; fair enough.) But when art somehow transcends that (as in the case of the 'Star Trek' universe, for the most part), and dares to dream bigger, there can be release.
The Enterprise crew is rescued as soon as it recognizes all the clichés of pop art and low-brow culture for what they are, and then is deftly able to navigate them, working them to their own ends. And that's Star Trek in a nutshell: always transcending schlock, while making good use of it at the same time.
Re: VOY S4: Scientific Method
This episode was classic pulp sci-fi and highly enjoyable. I would have given it a higher rating. It reminded me of "They Live" (the 1988 film with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper). It was by no means original or thought-provoking--but so what?
This episode was classic pulp sci-fi and highly enjoyable. I would have given it a higher rating. It reminded me of "They Live" (the 1988 film with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper). It was by no means original or thought-provoking--but so what?
Re: TNG S7: Gambit
This episode has Ronald D. Moore written all over it. I tend to enjoy the episodes that Moore writes, especially for DS9, but also for TNG. I quite liked both parts of this episode. Nothing wrong with a little space spaghetti western. I think that some people forget that Star Trek's roots are actually more within this genre.
This episode has Ronald D. Moore written all over it. I tend to enjoy the episodes that Moore writes, especially for DS9, but also for TNG. I quite liked both parts of this episode. Nothing wrong with a little space spaghetti western. I think that some people forget that Star Trek's roots are actually more within this genre.
Re: VOY S5: Relativity
*Seven -- I must be experiencing temporal psychosis.
To add to my last comment, there really must be an unwritten rule in sci-fi TV where "The Hot One" isn't allowed to wear uniforms or clothes like anybody else. Bugs me to bits.
*Seven -- I must be experiencing temporal psychosis.
To add to my last comment, there really must be an unwritten rule in sci-fi TV where "The Hot One" isn't allowed to wear uniforms or clothes like anybody else. Bugs me to bits.
Re: VOY S5: Relativity
I also really enjoyed this episode. It was silly, but self-consciously silly, but not too self-conscious to take away from the plot. There probably is something of a time-travel parody going on -- and if so, it's done well. I actually laughed out loud at Janeway's "headache" line, especially because the quick cut to Voyager being fired upon was perfect comedic timing.
I also agree that I prefer Sevon-of-Nine in actual Starfleet uniform. I hate all how the good-looking Star Trek women are forced to wear tight-fitting catsuits and bounce T&A around as fanservice.
I also really enjoyed this episode. It was silly, but self-consciously silly, but not too self-conscious to take away from the plot. There probably is something of a time-travel parody going on -- and if so, it's done well. I actually laughed out loud at Janeway's "headache" line, especially because the quick cut to Voyager being fired upon was perfect comedic timing.
I also agree that I prefer Sevon-of-Nine in actual Starfleet uniform. I hate all how the good-looking Star Trek women are forced to wear tight-fitting catsuits and bounce T&A around as fanservice.
Re: VOY S4: Day of Honor
@Sam, it's from a spotlight in a studio. The actors are not actually floating in space. Likewise, we can hear their dialogue because it is being recorded by microphones for the audio track of a television show. There is no aural implant in your ear. Trust me.
As a sci-fi fan myself, I am disappointed that the entire scene wasn't twenty minutes of silence and darkness. Alas, we are constantly asked to suspend disbelief for the sake of "narrative." Psh.
@Sam, it's from a spotlight in a studio. The actors are not actually floating in space. Likewise, we can hear their dialogue because it is being recorded by microphones for the audio track of a television show. There is no aural implant in your ear. Trust me.
As a sci-fi fan myself, I am disappointed that the entire scene wasn't twenty minutes of silence and darkness. Alas, we are constantly asked to suspend disbelief for the sake of "narrative." Psh.
Re: VOY S3: Before and After
I know that this is a Trekkie fan site, so not everybody is familiar with reproduction or female genitalia. :P
But -- a whole review, tons of comments, and no mention of the BACK VAGINA? That's right -- in the birthing scenes, the Ocampa newborns appear to come out of their mothers' backs.
I don't even want to begin to imagine what Tom had to put where for that to happen.
I know that this is a Trekkie fan site, so not everybody is familiar with reproduction or female genitalia. :P
But -- a whole review, tons of comments, and no mention of the BACK VAGINA? That's right -- in the birthing scenes, the Ocampa newborns appear to come out of their mothers' backs.
I don't even want to begin to imagine what Tom had to put where for that to happen.
Re: VOY S2: Tuvix
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. I found it to be very disturbing, but it's good to be disturbed by a moral dilemma now and then. The point of drama, and especially tragedy -- and in many ways, this episode fits the form -- is not clean, quick, and easy resolution. It's to demonstrate that, sometimes, there is no good solution. Sometimes, there is no correct choice.
Star Trek is at its best when it is dealing with these kinds of moral dilemmas. It's at its worst when it's merely Federation versus chaos, Good versus Evil, etc.
The fact that this has instigated so much discussion tells me that the writers succeeded in what they set out to do.
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. I found it to be very disturbing, but it's good to be disturbed by a moral dilemma now and then. The point of drama, and especially tragedy -- and in many ways, this episode fits the form -- is not clean, quick, and easy resolution. It's to demonstrate that, sometimes, there is no good solution. Sometimes, there is no correct choice.
Star Trek is at its best when it is dealing with these kinds of moral dilemmas. It's at its worst when it's merely Federation versus chaos, Good versus Evil, etc.
The fact that this has instigated so much discussion tells me that the writers succeeded in what they set out to do.
Re: VOY S2: The Thaw
I thought that this episode was excellent, and my only critique is that the set design does look like it's from the late 1980s. Although I suppose that it is difficult to portray something that is both "surreal" and "abstract" (read: computer-generated) with much verisimilitude.
Other than that quibble, strong performances all around and a compelling theme to boot.
I thought that this episode was excellent, and my only critique is that the set design does look like it's from the late 1980s. Although I suppose that it is difficult to portray something that is both "surreal" and "abstract" (read: computer-generated) with much verisimilitude.
Other than that quibble, strong performances all around and a compelling theme to boot.
Re: VOY S2: Non Sequitur
There is no point debating anything with an Objectivist. There is no thicker-headed idealogue in existence.
There is no point debating anything with an Objectivist. There is no thicker-headed idealogue in existence.
Re: VOY S1: Heroes and Demons
Along with the above commentators, I expect a high standard of realism out of my 24th-century space-exploration sci-fi television shows.
Along with the above commentators, I expect a high standard of realism out of my 24th-century space-exploration sci-fi television shows.
Re: DS9 S7: What You Leave Behind
Great show, great season, great finale. I have one nitpick about the more than disappointing conclusion, though.
It just didn't feel right. I was expecting all along that the entire series had simply been Commander Riker watching a holosuite program calculating the possible outcome of his decision not to play a practical joke on Captain Picard in "Captain's Holiday," where he mischievously gives the captain a Horga'hn, which on Risa is an invitation to orgiastic pleasures. Obviously Riker's decision to go through with the prank avoided the Dominion War altogether...
...alas, the series was not tied together so nicely.
Great show, great season, great finale. I have one nitpick about the more than disappointing conclusion, though.
It just didn't feel right. I was expecting all along that the entire series had simply been Commander Riker watching a holosuite program calculating the possible outcome of his decision not to play a practical joke on Captain Picard in "Captain's Holiday," where he mischievously gives the captain a Horga'hn, which on Risa is an invitation to orgiastic pleasures. Obviously Riker's decision to go through with the prank avoided the Dominion War altogether...
...alas, the series was not tied together so nicely.
Re: DS9 S7: Take Me Out to the Holosuite
Regarding the all-Vulcan crew: this has always bugged me about the Federation. It seems like every colony is named after a place on Earth (New Sydney, etc.) and every starship named after a historical Earth place, figure, or naval vessel.
Then there's the whole scene in the last episode where Sisko or the admiral (can't be bothered to remember) says something along the lines that the triple alliance proves that "Klingons, Romulans, and Humans" can work together. Surely he meant to say the Federation?
It's always seemed to me that the writers have had difficulty showing that the Federation and Starfleet isn't completely anthropocentric. I can understand the impracticality of having to put enough extras in full makeup in order to make it seem more "diverse"; but at least the names could have been! I was surprised that the starship in this episode even had a Vulcan name.
Vulcans are obnoxious, so I wouldn't be surprised if they selectively segregated themselves. They're after all only a few nightly meditations away from being psychopathic Romulans.
As for the holodeck physics speculation -- oh, come on! It's science fiction. You're supposed to suspend disbelief.
Regarding the all-Vulcan crew: this has always bugged me about the Federation. It seems like every colony is named after a place on Earth (New Sydney, etc.) and every starship named after a historical Earth place, figure, or naval vessel.
Then there's the whole scene in the last episode where Sisko or the admiral (can't be bothered to remember) says something along the lines that the triple alliance proves that "Klingons, Romulans, and Humans" can work together. Surely he meant to say the Federation?
It's always seemed to me that the writers have had difficulty showing that the Federation and Starfleet isn't completely anthropocentric. I can understand the impracticality of having to put enough extras in full makeup in order to make it seem more "diverse"; but at least the names could have been! I was surprised that the starship in this episode even had a Vulcan name.
Vulcans are obnoxious, so I wouldn't be surprised if they selectively segregated themselves. They're after all only a few nightly meditations away from being psychopathic Romulans.
As for the holodeck physics speculation -- oh, come on! It's science fiction. You're supposed to suspend disbelief.
Re: DS9 S7: Image in the Sand
Not a bad episode.
Anybody notice Sisko taking out the trash -- literally -- around timestamp 36:00?
You'd think that they would have figured out how to move beyond Hefty(R) bags...
Not a bad episode.
Anybody notice Sisko taking out the trash -- literally -- around timestamp 36:00?
You'd think that they would have figured out how to move beyond Hefty(R) bags...
Re: DS9 S5: Rapture
I'm an atheist but the comments above are proof positive of the fact that being an atheist does not come with a free Ph.D. and complementary membership in Mensa.
The Federation wants Bajor. Bajor is deeply culturally religious. The Bajorans think of Captain Sisko as the emissary of their prophets.
Therefore, on the day of Bajor's acceptance into the Federation, the last thing the Federation wants to do is insult their culture. Therefore, they can't relieve Captain Sisko of duty. They can't do anything with Captain Sisko if they don't want to upset the Bajorans. QED.
This is also why Sisko gets to keep his job at the end.
Even the most generic understanding of politics should make this obvious. No need to be soapboxing about atheism.
I'm an atheist but the comments above are proof positive of the fact that being an atheist does not come with a free Ph.D. and complementary membership in Mensa.
The Federation wants Bajor. Bajor is deeply culturally religious. The Bajorans think of Captain Sisko as the emissary of their prophets.
Therefore, on the day of Bajor's acceptance into the Federation, the last thing the Federation wants to do is insult their culture. Therefore, they can't relieve Captain Sisko of duty. They can't do anything with Captain Sisko if they don't want to upset the Bajorans. QED.
This is also why Sisko gets to keep his job at the end.
Even the most generic understanding of politics should make this obvious. No need to be soapboxing about atheism.
Re: DS9 S4: For the Cause
It seems pretty clear from other episodes that it's not true that every settlement in Federation territory benefits from an endless supply of resources. Perhaps the core planets and the homeworlds are scarcity-free, but out on the "frontier," people have to fend for themselves in many ways.
I think that DS9, this episode included, has brought much-needed depth to the idea of the Federation as a Utopian force at least if not more powerful than any other league in the quadrant, and that it is only truly threatened by all-powerful enemies (Q, Borg, Dominion).
Keep in mind that Ronald Moore (of BSG) wrote this episode; it has the mark of his grittiness in terms of realpolitik and realism.
We should be able to root for the Federation without being so naive as to think that it is the only force for good in the Universe. The criticisms expressed by the Maquis are the same that are often expressed by alien races not part of the Federation (and by the earlier Vulcans): that it's dominated by humans; that it's arrogant and closed-minded; that its goal is endless (albeit peaceful and diplomatic) expansion. These are all fair criticisms.
It seems pretty clear from other episodes that it's not true that every settlement in Federation territory benefits from an endless supply of resources. Perhaps the core planets and the homeworlds are scarcity-free, but out on the "frontier," people have to fend for themselves in many ways.
I think that DS9, this episode included, has brought much-needed depth to the idea of the Federation as a Utopian force at least if not more powerful than any other league in the quadrant, and that it is only truly threatened by all-powerful enemies (Q, Borg, Dominion).
Keep in mind that Ronald Moore (of BSG) wrote this episode; it has the mark of his grittiness in terms of realpolitik and realism.
We should be able to root for the Federation without being so naive as to think that it is the only force for good in the Universe. The criticisms expressed by the Maquis are the same that are often expressed by alien races not part of the Federation (and by the earlier Vulcans): that it's dominated by humans; that it's arrogant and closed-minded; that its goal is endless (albeit peaceful and diplomatic) expansion. These are all fair criticisms.
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