The only good thing about this collection of caricatures, cardboard cutouts, meaningless SFX, and convenient and mediocre plot devices is young James T. Kirk, convincing both in action and in emotion.
Translated: He’s a decent actor and he was written well.
The attempt to unite the ST:TOS crowd behind this is far less convincing than the attempt to do so in ‘Generations’.
And that’s no insult to the memory of Leonard Nimoy…it’s a compliment, if anything. HIS Spock was, by far, the most interesting character of the TOS crew. It seems beneath him to favor this tripe with an appearance.
And fictional “Timeline” fans, please explain this minor inconsistency from TOS:
“Mr. Spock: Vulcan has not been conquered within its collective memory. The memory goes back so far that no Vulcan can conceive of a conqueror. I knew the ship was lost because I sensed it.
Capt. Kirk: What was it you sensed?
Mr. Spock: Touch of death.
Capt. Kirk: And what do you think they felt?
Mr. Spock: Astonishment.”
Grade: D-
1/19/16: Alternate Timeline: Plot device used by lazy writers who either don’t care about old material or don’t like to do enough research to make an existing timeline actually cohere with new material.
8/3/16: Fine, it’s not terrible. But BESIDES Kirk and all permutations thereof (the car, the bar fight, Uhura catching him with her roommate, the REALLY COOL apple reference…) it’s just generic. Fine-tuned mediocrity, not boding well for the future since NONE of the characters seem real, besides Kirk. He hates to lose… Grade: D+