Review Detail
9.5 29 10
(Updated: September 17, 2022)
Overall rating
9.8
Audio/Video Quality
10.0
Audio Editing
10.0
Visual Editing
10.0
Narrative
9.0
Enjoyment
10.0
Yet another TM2YC Star Trek edit that I've been meaning to watch for a long time (then again, given the source material, can you blame me?) Star Trek Into Darkness has a lot in it I don't like, from being a WoK rehash, injecting false-flag conspiracy politics into a supposedly Utopian-society, the stupid "let me hide all my friends in these super missiles" subplot, relying on fan-knowledge about Star Trek (Tribbles, the Eugenics Wars, etc.) without properly setting that up in the confines of the movie itself, etc. However, as stated in the summary, trying to remove all of this would leave us without a movie, so I won't hold that against TM2YC.
Instead, let me praise the miracle work done to all of these characters. I was worried that trying soften up Kirk while putting more of the blame on Spock would just make me hate the former more, but the edit finds a good balance, crafting a Kirk with a good head on his shoulders but still having a lot to learn. While I somewhat miss the scene where Spock explains why he mind-melded with Captain Pike (to explain why he's distancing himself from those closest to him), I understand cutting it to improve Uhura's character. Plus, I now believe that this Kirk & Spock are indeed friends by the time Spock chases Khan down for his blood to save Kirk's life (have I mentioned how stunning the technical work TM2YC accomplishes is?).
All that said, there's still one thing that bugs me that I felt could've been fixed: Pike saying that the device dropped in the Nibiru volcano was a "cold fusion reactor." I don't care how much times change or how lazy writers get, Star Trek is great when it tries to stick to scientific principles (even if they have to make them up for FTL travel), so saying that a "cold fusion reactor" can "make things cold" is just asinine to the Nth degree.
Still, if you are a fan of the Kelvin Timeline Trilogy & want to give it a watch, I recommend this edit whole-heartedly. Star Trek Vengeance isn't a masterpiece (again, hard to be, given the source material), but it's great, dumb, pulpy fun.
Instead, let me praise the miracle work done to all of these characters. I was worried that trying soften up Kirk while putting more of the blame on Spock would just make me hate the former more, but the edit finds a good balance, crafting a Kirk with a good head on his shoulders but still having a lot to learn. While I somewhat miss the scene where Spock explains why he mind-melded with Captain Pike (to explain why he's distancing himself from those closest to him), I understand cutting it to improve Uhura's character. Plus, I now believe that this Kirk & Spock are indeed friends by the time Spock chases Khan down for his blood to save Kirk's life (have I mentioned how stunning the technical work TM2YC accomplishes is?).
All that said, there's still one thing that bugs me that I felt could've been fixed: Pike saying that the device dropped in the Nibiru volcano was a "cold fusion reactor." I don't care how much times change or how lazy writers get, Star Trek is great when it tries to stick to scientific principles (even if they have to make them up for FTL travel), so saying that a "cold fusion reactor" can "make things cold" is just asinine to the Nth degree.
Still, if you are a fan of the Kelvin Timeline Trilogy & want to give it a watch, I recommend this edit whole-heartedly. Star Trek Vengeance isn't a masterpiece (again, hard to be, given the source material), but it's great, dumb, pulpy fun.
User Review
Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
N