They did the whole alternate universe thing to reintroduce the characters to a brand new audience, while at the same time keeping the new Star Trek in the existing canon. Basically, to appeal to both original and new fans.

And, because of that, they could fit Leonard Nimoy in a role (which is not a cameo), etc etc.

true, but its a bit of a cop out just to make money. I dont really think we need to see more about the characters as they are all outlined in the other movies. Imagine they introduced an alternative universe in Star Wars episode III and just continued to make several new sequels with the same actors

weren't all the star trek movies past like the 3rd one direct to video anyhow? i am genuinely curious because i've heard there's 10 and each one was progressively worse

ahaha what

true, but its a bit of a cop out just to make money. I dont really think we need to see more about the characters as they are all outlined in the other movies. Imagine they introduced an alternative universe in Star Wars episode III and just continued to make several new sequels with the same actors

Exactly.

Money.

Studios, Hollywood, big action movies...

Money.

frY : you know what the worst thing about being a slave is? they make you work really hard, and they don't pay you any money!

leela : that's the only thing about being a slave!

yeah obviously I know its about money. It doesn't stop it being the right thing to do. I like this one becuase it has a purpose, but the rest are pointless cash cows.

im above making money

weren't all the star trek movies past like the 3rd one direct to video anyhow? i am genuinely curious because i've heard there's 10 and each one was progressively worse

No, every Trek movie has had a theatrical release. And as to them being progressively worse, the best Trek was the 8th one, First Contact. There's something I've heard of that people call the Trek "Curse", and it's basically that every odd numbered movie is bad. This pretty much holds up - my favourite movies are 2, 4, and 8, and my least favourite are 3, 5, and 9.

And I just saw this tonight, and liked it for the most part. I think they actually handled the whole alternate dimensions thing really well. It allowed them to alter some stuff while also paying homage to the continuity and backstory of the franchise. The fact that Vulcan got blown up was kind of WHAT???. I'm a little shocked it's being rated and reviewed so highly, it didn't seem THAT far above your typical summer movie fare. But for what it's worth, I think it breathed some new life into something I wrote off as dead awhile ago.

erm.. its not the first of the season

ever heard of X MEN ORIGINS? p00ned bich.

No, every Trek movie has had a theatrical release. And as to them being progressively worse, the best Trek was the 8th one, First Contact. There's something I've heard of that people call the Trek "Curse", and it's basically that every odd numbered movie is bad. This pretty much holds up - my favourite movies are 2, 4, and 8, and my least favourite are 3, 5, and 9.

Yeah, this curse is pretty well known. Ironically, Simon Pegg stated it ten years ago in a TV show called Spaced, and now he's actually in an odd-numbered Star Trek film.

Whoa... big surprise... Rowain AKA EasyPlease liked the first blockbuster of the summer.  Color.  Me.  Fucking.  Shocked.

It's the only blockbuster I'll even go to see!

I knew going into this I'd like it, they would've had to screw up in ways I can't even imagine for me to hate it.

Really though, the previews were for Transformers 2, Terminator Salvation, and G.I Joe (which looked the worst of the three) and I have zero attachment to any of these franchises and won't bother going to see them.

headphonics tell me more about your famous steamers

God damn how could Wolverine's movie make 10kk more than this one in it's opening.

doesn't have sexy hugh jackman

I think you guys are overstating the quality of the Star Trek film.
  The plot, in places, had some serious setbacks. Firstly, I would have done away with the first half of the first act. The blonde kid jumping out of the car was four completely unnecessary minutes. The son being born on the same day his father dies (on the same ship) was a bit much. The same thing goes for the fact that the Captain made cadet Kirk the first officer (for no apparent reason). (SPOILER HERE) Time-travel plotlines usually risk contrivedness and this one came very close. Too many "happy coincidences" had me rolling my eyes more than once.
  In addition to this, the writers did not seem able to manage the characters. Urban's Bones McCoy was interesting at the beginning and actually took part in the plot until the mid-point, but his character was completely abandoned afterwards. Pegg as Scotty was meant to be a comic releif character, and had a couple laughable jokes but all in all they lacked punch and delivery and so he comes off as "wacky ethnic character #2". The dialogue was decent overall, but lacked memorability.
  I've slammed the film a bit more than perhaps it deserves: it is on the side of the better "summer movies" I have seen in a couple years. The special effects were beautiful and spectacular, and never call attention to thier constructedness despite the fact that we are mostly looking at space explosions. I noticed some creative use of sound, attempting to simulate both the racket and ambience of space travel in the future, but it wasn't quite used to its full potential. I wonder if it is because of my familiarity with the franchise, knowing that the characters will probably all make it through in the end, or perhaps a growing jadedness towards the genre, but the action sequences didn't seem to pop out and grab me at all. Evidence of this is that my favourite part of the film was when Kirk's hands had swollen up after taking the injection. It was definetly entertaining and well produced, but I see it as dangerously close to falling into the mass of forgettable action films of the past 5 years (which Transformers 2 and G.I. Joe surely will). The film was decent, but at $25 dollars for theatre admission for me and a friend, I'm not sure if I can say that it was worth the price.
I give it a B/B+.

EDIT: I lol'd when I saw in the background of one of the earth cityscape shot a giant TACO BELL building, it reminded me of Demolition Man.
 

"Four completely unnecessary minutes" haha

I just watched this earlier today and I quite liked it. Overall, the acting was really well done. Eric Bana's role was pretty lousy though. It seemed like his primary focus in the movie was just to have a few "glare at camera angrily" shots.

I loved the part when the red suit guy died when they parachuted down to the drill. I saw that coming a mile away and I had to laugh. The moment I saw him sitting in the shuttle before they jumped, I knew what his fate would be. Haha.