I just attended the Star Trek 11 Movie Premiere at the Sydney Opera House because by a stroke of good luck I was offered a media ticket just a few days before the screening 🙂
Initially Paramount made everyone agree to a non-disclosure agreement for 2 weeks but they lifted the embargo the morning after so I can show you some photos I took in the red carpet area and you can read my review about how the movie was: AWESOME!
Having arrived at the Sydney Opera House at 1730 I caught up with fellow Star Trek fans @warlach, @fulltimecasual and @djsflynn before walking halfway up the red carpet to the area where the actors were graciously signing autographs for fans and being interviewed by the media.
Doing the best I could in the low visibility of twilight coupled with intensely bright spotlights I took 2 dozen or so photos with my cameraphone including Eric Bana who plays the villain “Nero” and watched various people walk past including Rove, KAK (Kerry Anne Kennerley), and George Houvardas (“Carbo” from Ch7’s Packed to the Rafters).
Once inside, director JJ Abrams introduced the cast members and explained that he’d fallen in love with Sydney when filming MI:3 here and insisted that the world premiere take place here and for the first time ever hold a premiere at the Sydney Opera House.
The Concert Hall had been specifically retrofitted for the occasion into a giant movie theatre with the best possible Dolby sound equipment and very expensive projection equipment so in audiovisual terms it was the best movie I’ve seen, far superior to the new Gold Class cinemas that have opened in Sydney recently and it did justice to what fans had dreamed a rebooted Star Trek Universe would look like.
As well as giving a 
rating I’d say JJ Abrams did an admirable job of balancing the expectations of hardcore fans like myself as well as introducing the Star Trek universe to potential new fans in the interest of creating a new money spinner for Paramount Pictures.
Noteworthy Actors
- Kiwi Karl Urban (Dr McCoy) did an admirable job, almost seeming to channel the curmudgeon-like personality of DeForest Kelley the original Dr McCoy
- Zachary Quinto was a worthy Spock dealing with his inner demons trying to find a balance between logic & emotion
- Simon Pegg fitted in smoothly as chief engineer Scotty, in essence being the cheeky character he’s became famous for in Spaced and Shaun of the Dead
- Chris Pine seemed comfortable in his role as Captain Kirk however it may take a 2nd movie with a slower paced plot to flesh out his character
Reasons For Rating
- The musical score goes somewhat overboard at times, especially at the beginning of the movie,
- I was completely enthralled in the plot almost all the time but this was spoilt by a few cheesy moments that broke my concentration
- Zoe Saldana (Lt. Uhura) and John Cho (Sulu) were 2D characters who didn’t really develop a personality, Saldana particularly seemed in the movie just to serve as a love interest between Spock and Kirk
- Eric Bana played his character (the villain Nero) solidly but without much malevolence, having a deepr backstory may have assisted in strengthening his role
Star Trek 11 is released in Australian movie theaters on 7th May 2009
Other People’s Reviews
The story itself is a bit thin, but it was just a lot of fun to see young versions of the original characters again, Bones was great, Scotty (Simon Pegg – Spaced) was brilliant. I was also looking forward to Spock, as I thought he was brilliantly casted, but I found his “Spockness” timing a bit off, while the real Spock (yes, there is time travel involved) was spot on of course. Kirk was actually better than what I expected after watching the trailer. And Aussie Bana (unrecognisable) was badass, as were the ILM special effects.
JJ Abrams did a great job on reviving the Star Trek franchise, not an easy task. It remains to be seen what the legion of Trekkies think, but up till now all reviews seem to be positive (on Twitter for example). Getting a standing ovation at the end must have come as a big relief to him. I’m already looking forward to more adventures of the new crew.
Star Trek – A New Beginning… – JJ Halans
By the time I arrived around 5.45pm, some of the stars had already started working their way along the red carpet which ran the length of the front steps of the Opera House. As for the movie that followed we all know it’s bloody brilliant, so ‘nuff said.
Plenty of laughs and applause as several character’s catchphrases were first uttered or expressions drawn on faces (a Vulcan with a quizzically raised eyebrow, anyone?). And thunderous applause for J.J. and co at the end of the movie.
TrekWeb Reports from World Premiere of New Trek Movie in Australia – David Flynn
“It’s with great surprise – and delight – that I freely admit that I loved “Star Trek”, the new reimagining by J.J. Abrams. It’s a rousing action-packed sci-fi adventure, but with enough grit and determination to bring the franchise back on its feet.”
Star Trek 11 Review- 20/20 Filmsight
I have to admit – I have never been a Star Trek fan. I, (like the lead actors) came from a generation that was raised on a strict diet of Wookies, Jawas and Ewoks, with Lightsabers and a mysterious “Force” controlling the universe. Of course, that doesn’t mean I was completely oblivious to the Star Trek universe – as a geek (of varying aptitudes), I have seen episodes of each Star Trek series, although never enough to get me hooked. But after last night’s world premiere at the Sydney Opera House, I’m a changed man. If JJ Abrams mission was to bring new fans into the Star Trek family, he has succeeded.
Star Trek World Premiere Film Review – Gizmodo
PS while you’re here please answer this question: If You Were a Star Trek Character: Who Would You Be?
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