Comments on: Review: Star Trek http://www.candlerblog.com/2009/05/15/review-star-trek/ Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:20:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Raz http://www.candlerblog.com/2009/05/15/review-star-trek/comment-page-1/#comment-41 Raz Sun, 17 May 2009 21:06:44 +0000 http://www.candlerblog.com/?p=348#comment-41 Some may miss the point of Uhura's character. As for her looks, consider the character she replaced... no one would believe her if she was obese and ugly. Uhura did way more than intercept and interpret a Romulan message a seasoned officer couldn't understand; Uhura is a highly successful communications officer not just because of her linguistic skills but because of her human skills. She repeatedly shows empathic understanding of people around her, especially to Kirk and Spock. Just as Sulu showcases fencing and Chekov showcases a mathematical mind and Scotty showcases engineering, Uruha showcases her ability to communicate, as finely tuned as any topflight psychologist. She knows what Kirk needs and she knows what Spock needs in the moments of their greatest needs. Yes, the 13 year-olds will focus on her hot bod, but the rest of us can relish in her down-to-earth humanization of larger-than-life characters. Some may miss the point of Uhura’s character. As for her looks, consider the character she replaced… no one would believe her if she was obese and ugly.

Uhura did way more than intercept and interpret a Romulan message a seasoned officer couldn’t understand; Uhura is a highly successful communications officer not just because of her linguistic skills but because of her human skills. She repeatedly shows empathic understanding of people around her, especially to Kirk and Spock. Just as Sulu showcases fencing and Chekov showcases a mathematical mind and Scotty showcases engineering, Uruha showcases her ability to communicate, as finely tuned as any topflight psychologist. She knows what Kirk needs and she knows what Spock needs in the moments of their greatest needs.

Yes, the 13 year-olds will focus on her hot bod, but the rest of us can relish in her down-to-earth humanization of larger-than-life characters.

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.candlerblog.com/2009/05/15/review-star-trek/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Jonathan Fri, 15 May 2009 20:32:29 +0000 http://www.candlerblog.com/?p=348#comment-38 Keith, you bring up a great point. What's wrong with a little skin? Well, nothing, but the trouble is with what isn't on-screen. Uhura isn't given the opportunities that the other characters are to bare their souls. There are a lot more men on the bridge and each is given a moment to shine: Sulu with his fencing, Chekov with his transporting skills, Scotty with his engineering, Pike with his wisdom, on and on. All Uhura is offered in terms of empowerment is intercepting a vital message, which is ultimately delivered by Kirk. Otherwise, she's wearing a little skirt and making smoochy smoochy in order to keep a man from emotionally breaking down (no spoilers!). And her hotness is not an added bonus, it's the point. I know it seems nit-picky to go this deep into a film, but this is what we do at the candler blog. And it's freakin' <em>Star Trek</em>! In Gene Roddenberry's future, these kinds of walls have been broken down. Oh well, not yet. Keith, you bring up a great point. What’s wrong with a little skin? Well, nothing, but the trouble is with what isn’t on-screen. Uhura isn’t given the opportunities that the other characters are to bare their souls. There are a lot more men on the bridge and each is given a moment to shine: Sulu with his fencing, Chekov with his transporting skills, Scotty with his engineering, Pike with his wisdom, on and on. All Uhura is offered in terms of empowerment is intercepting a vital message, which is ultimately delivered by Kirk. Otherwise, she’s wearing a little skirt and making smoochy smoochy in order to keep a man from emotionally breaking down (no spoilers!).

And her hotness is not an added bonus, it’s the point. I know it seems nit-picky to go this deep into a film, but this is what we do at the candler blog. And it’s freakin’ Star Trek! In Gene Roddenberry’s future, these kinds of walls have been broken down. Oh well, not yet.

]]> By: Keith http://www.candlerblog.com/2009/05/15/review-star-trek/comment-page-1/#comment-37 Keith Fri, 15 May 2009 18:13:53 +0000 http://www.candlerblog.com/?p=348#comment-37 Needlessly showing bra and panties? Time for the opposition.... Sex sells. I like it, I hope you like it. Scenes like that aren't gratuitous in nature they show more of an everyday side to the story. Guess what? People change clothes. People poop. People eat. People pick their nose. The more reality thrown in the bigger the suspension of disbelief. The fact that she's hot is an added bonus. Maybe I'm just another sheep, But I like being in the mindset of a 13 year old boy. Needlessly showing bra and panties? Time for the opposition…. Sex sells. I like it, I hope you like it. Scenes like that aren’t gratuitous in nature they show more of an everyday side to the story. Guess what? People change clothes. People poop. People eat. People pick their nose. The more reality thrown in the bigger the suspension of disbelief. The fact that she’s hot is an added bonus. Maybe I’m just another sheep, But I like being in the mindset of a 13 year old boy.

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.candlerblog.com/2009/05/15/review-star-trek/comment-page-1/#comment-36 Jonathan Fri, 15 May 2009 17:41:38 +0000 http://www.candlerblog.com/?p=348#comment-36 I totally agree. It's a bummer because Zoë Saldana really shows a lot of promise in this role. Hopefully they'll write her as more than that-chick-people-want-sleep-with. And panties? What's most disappointing about her dorm room flesh shot is that it's gratuitously stupid. If anything, the Uhura we want is allowed to be sexy, but with purpose. Instead we just get some hardbody action to keep the PG-13-year-old boys coming back for more. I totally agree. It’s a bummer because Zoë Saldana really shows a lot of promise in this role. Hopefully they’ll write her as more than that-chick-people-want-sleep-with. And panties? What’s most disappointing about her dorm room flesh shot is that it’s gratuitously stupid. If anything, the Uhura we want is allowed to be sexy, but with purpose. Instead we just get some hardbody action to keep the PG-13-year-old boys coming back for more.

]]> By: Not a Blogger http://www.candlerblog.com/2009/05/15/review-star-trek/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Not a Blogger Fri, 15 May 2009 17:27:06 +0000 http://www.candlerblog.com/?p=348#comment-35 The original Uhura was no better than a glorified telephone operator right down to the design of her headset. I mean will it still be operationally necessary to keep your hand pressed against your ear in the 25th century? I hope not, but the character needed <i>something</i> to do. She was chained to that station on bridge. The promise of a re-imagining left possibilities open for an Uhura that had two hands free to do more than just…ahem, pleasure the male audience. I became skeptical when trailers indicated that while the boys got cooler updated costumes (Kirk stands out from everyone in his very own smoldering black shirt), the ladies have fared no better than previous generations (pun intended). Even once Starfleetrealized it was difficult to explore strange new worlds in a mini, they stuck it to the ladies with the cat suit. Marina Sirtis (STNG’s Counselor Troi) has said in interviews that the pressure to stay thin was unbelievable. Even once we made the jump to the female “Data/Spock” archetype (re: Voyager’s Seven of Nine and Enterprise’s T’Pol) they’re sewn into their outfits and stuck with ridiculously steamy shower scenes. It’s clear the new film sets out to redeem the Urhura character, making her uber accomplished (see how quickly the captain replaces his current comm. officer with a cadet!) and how powerful she is (telling Spock she wants to be stationed on the Enterprise) but the filmmakers miss the mark by needlessly showing us bras and panties. The original Uhura was no better than a glorified telephone operator right down to the design of her headset. I mean will it still be operationally necessary to keep your hand pressed against your ear in the 25th century? I hope not, but the character needed something to do. She was chained to that station on bridge. The promise of a re-imagining left possibilities open for an Uhura that had two hands free to do more than just…ahem, pleasure the male audience. I became skeptical when trailers indicated that while the boys got cooler updated costumes (Kirk stands out from everyone in his very own smoldering black shirt), the ladies have fared no better than
previous generations (pun intended). Even once Starfleetrealized it was difficult to explore strange new worlds in a mini, they stuck it to the ladies with the cat suit. Marina Sirtis (STNG’s Counselor Troi) has said in interviews that the pressure to stay thin was unbelievable. Even once we made the jump to the female “Data/Spock” archetype (re: Voyager’s Seven of Nine and Enterprise’s T’Pol) they’re sewn into their outfits and stuck with ridiculously steamy shower scenes.

It’s clear the new film sets out to redeem the Urhura character,
making her uber accomplished (see how quickly the captain replaces his current comm. officer with a cadet!) and how powerful she is (telling Spock she wants to be stationed on the Enterprise) but the filmmakers miss the mark by needlessly showing us bras and panties.

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