Star Trek (2010)

So, the new sci-fi flick Star Blazers just hit digital streaming services. It actually premiered back in December of last year, and if I can find some downtime tonight, I’m definitely planning on checking it out.

Just to get everyone up to speed, this movie is based on that classic 70s anime series also known as Star Blazers, set way out in the year 2199. The whole story follows the crew of the last remaining Earth starship—the Yamata—as they try to save our country from an overwhelming invasion by an Alien force.

TRAILER 1
TRAILER 2





Wikipedia
IMDb

Is this something along the lines of Alien/Aliens?

cosmiclynx57 said:Is this anything like Alien/Aliens?

Not really.

Check out the trailer and actually click through the links before dropping questions like that. 🙄

Visually speaking, the trailer doesn't look half bad, though I suppose they really ought to avoid that overly melodramatic acting style typical of some American productions.

Frank Moore4 said:Nope.

Seriously, man, just watch the trailer and actually click through the links before dropping "questions" like that. 🙄

Alright, alright.

Fair point—I'll definitely check out the trailer and dig through those links before giving any more "answers" like that one. 🙄

So, I just checked out the trailer after Frank Moore4ed me to watch it, and man, the promises being made in there make me think the movie might actually be decent, but hey, who knows right? We'll just have to wait and see how it plays out.

mistyotter35 said:Visually, the trailer isn't bad. I just hope they avoid that clichéd American acting style.

That’s the main reason I struggle with not just Japanese, but Asian cinema in general. Still, I'll watch this one for the special effects.

I have to say, the overacting is unfortunately the defining trait of this movie 😢
Aside from the sheer amount of nonsense packed into the script—and I'll be careful not to spoil anything here—that specific part was just a bit too much for my taste 😢

And the worst part—which was already obvious from the trailer, so no spoilers there—is that the spaceship looks intentionally identical to a sea vessel. Like, what the hell? It could have at least looked somewhat similar to a USSC Battlecruiser 😁

driftingangler11 said:I can honestly say that overacting is pretty much the defining characteristic of this movie. 😢

The Japanese made this movie specifically for their own audience, and honestly, they've never given a damn about what Westerners think of their films. That "overacting" everyone complains about? It’s just part of the culture. Americans tend to experience concepts like courage, sacrifice, and duty a bit differently than they do over there.

Aside from the absolute nonsense that's scattered all over the place—and I'm trying my best not to spoil anything here—that specific part is just a bit too much for me to handle. 😢

Spoilaj 🙂 It probably isn't as mindless as it looks at first glance.

The spaceship looks exactly like a freaking boat—WTF??? It could have been at least slightly closer to a USSC Battlecruiser. 😁

It’s pretty obvious why they did that. The movie is based on the original anime series and films, so fans would’ve been totally let down if the ship looked any different. Plus, the space-faring USS Iowa is modeled after the actual warship from World War II, which is exactly why it has that "naval" look to it.

Benjamin Ruiz60 said:The Japanese made this film specifically for their own market, and they generally couldn't care less about what Americans think of their cinema. That "overacting" is just part of the culture; there's a certain way they approach concepts like courage, sacrifice, and duty that feels a bit more intense than what we're used to in the States.

Spoilaj 🙂 probably isn't as nonsensical as it looks at first glance.

There's a reason for that. The movie is based on the original anime series and films, and fans would have been crushed if the ship looked any different. Besides, the space version of the Yamato is modeled after the actual warship from World War II, which explains the "naval" aesthetic.

That tells me everything I need to know. I'll pass on this brave, self-sacrificing melodrama.

Man, when I hear the Japanese in movies just going absolutely wild and losing their minds... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 😈

John Peterson3 said:That tells me everything I need to know. It’s going to be a total pass for this brave little martyr of a movie.

Happy filming.🙂

Anthony Walker42 said:whenever I see Japanese characters in movies just constantly fighting and skinning people alive

🤷 They only fight when the plot actually calls for it. Clearly you've only watched samurai flicks or some cheap action movies. Nobody's out there skinning people in comedies, dramas, or kids' movies.

Benjamin Ruiz60 said:- cut -

Spoilaj 🙂 might not be quite as nonsensical as it appears at first glance.

-cut-

The ship rolls onto its side and everyone just flies to the left... almost as if gravity is pulling them downward 🙂
Projectiles are heading toward a cylindrical ship, and it just tilts on its side to dodge them????
Should I keep going... but seriously... really?

And regarding the ship's design—it's actually vital to have a bulbous bow on a spacecraft 😁

I caught the first 45 minutes last night, and I’m planning to power through the rest tonight. Overall, it feels like your classic Japanese flick packed with that signature "samurai brawl" 😁, except this time the Japanese are stepping up to save the Americans and the entire planet. 😁 Then you've got that new squadron leader—it's a classic trope where he goes from being a total bum to a complete top gun. 😁 Honestly though, the old captain is just incredible; he’s got that heavy presence, kind of like a mix of Toshiro Mifune and Cmdr. Toshiro Mifune in Matrix style. 😬

As for the rest of the cast, you have to mention the doctor who carries a cat and a bottle of sake everywhere, and the ship's commander, who honestly feels like a mashup of Boris Dvornik and Chief Tyrol. 😬

I feel like this could actually be pretty cool 😁
Get ready, TPB is calling my name! 😬

This movie is pure trash. The 3D is alright, I guess, but the sets look like they were shot on a shoestring budget for some low-rent local news station. The directing is just as bad—cuts don't even happen until every single actor finishes their entire line from start to finish. It’s unbearable.
Since it's based on an anime series, you should've known what you were getting into—a brainless plot and even stupider characters. This is just generic Japanese mainstream garbage, featuring painfully uninspired design and terrible acting.

Overacting isn't some inherent trait of Japanese films; there are actually movies where people act normally, like 'It's Only Talk' or 'Ain't No Tomorrows,' for example.

driftingangler11 said:The ship banks hard to the side and everyone just flies left... like gravity is suddenly pulling them straight down. 🙂
So, projectiles are flying straight at a cylindrical ship, and its response is just to tilt to the side to dodge them? Is that really how this works?

Not sure if this helps you out, but here—I managed to copy-paste some text from Wikipedia. 🙂

* The Wave motion Engine: This thing is the heart of the ship, built on some crazy alien tech that basically turns the vacuum of space into tachyon energy. It’s not just a standard rocket engine—it provides nearly limitless power and lets the Yamato "ride" a wave of tachyons to achieve faster-than-light speeds. During its initial test, it actually managed to get from the Moon to Mars in a single minute. But there's a catch: you need a human navigator to time the activation perfectly. If the phases between the starting point and the destination aren't exactly right, the ship risks getting lost in the fourth dimension. And in Yamato Rebirth, the Engine Can warp even faster than before.

Auxiliary engine: those twin jets sitting right under the main engine port, built for quick bursts of speed. When The Yamato First launches, Wave motion Engine is not yet Ready and The auxiliary Engine is used instead.

Wings: To generate lift within an atmosphere, two massive wings deploy from the sides of the hull, featuring fully functional ailerons.

Rocket Anchors: You’ve got these rocket-powered anchors mounted on both sides of the bow, attached to heavy-duty chains. The Yamato uses them to latch onto asteroids, which is handy if you need a gravity-assisted slingshot to get moving. If things get messy, they can also be used to knock enemy ships out of the way to prevent a collision.

Dennis Martin6 said:This movie is trash. While the 3D effects are decent, the interior sets look like they were shot on a shoestring budget for a local public access channel. The directing is just as bad; the editing feels incredibly clunky, as if they didn't cut a single frame until every actor finished their entire monologue from start to finish. It’s unbearable.
Since this is based on an anime series, you should probably expect a mindless plot and even more brainless characters. It’s just generic Japanese mainstream fare, featuring painfully uninspired design and terrible acting.

Overacting isn't some inherent trait of Japanese cinema. There are plenty of films where the performances are grounded and completely natural, like in "It's Only Talk" or "Ain't No Tomorrows."

I’m not particularly well-versed in Japanese cinema. I tend to gravitate more toward Korean and Chinese films; there are some absolute gems in those industries that don't feel like they're just recycling old tropes for the sake of it. 🙂

Benjamin Ruiz60 said:I'm not sure if this will be of any use to you, but I figured I'd just copy and paste this text from Wikipedia here. 🙂

Thanks—but what does that have to do with what I actually wrote?
It’s honestly exhausting. Every ten minutes or so, the movie forces this high-stakes dramatic beat on you, complete with swelling orchestral scores designed to manufacture tension out of thin air. It feels totally hollow. You get these over-the-top, hyper-emotional sequences where characters spend their time preaching, offering empty encouragement, or giving pep talks right after someone yells, "Quick, move, everything is about to blow up!" Instead of actually making a run for it or causing some productive chaos to escape, the crew just stands there arguing. Then, the protagonist spends another five minutes—plus three extra scenes—delivering a lecture on exactly how they’re going to save the world.
Whatever... Honestly, when you're going up against an Orc, I’m betting 5k is the better play. 😁

driftingangler11 said:Thanks—but what does that have to do with what I actually wrote?

Just try to wrap your head around the idea that an auxiliary engine is "to blame" for tilting the Yamato Corp vessel onto its side at high speeds just to dodge incoming projectiles. 😁

Star Trek is basically a tribute to a 70s animated series, so calling it anything other than dated sci-fi is a stretch. Plus, the Japanese designers were obsessed with making this spaceship act exactly like a naval destroyer from World War II. They went overboard trying to make a spacecraft behave like a literal ship on the ocean.

And don't even get me started on the budget. The Japanese economy hit a recession back in the early 90s, but they weren't exactly churning out big-budget sci-fi blockbusters before then either. If you want decent Japanese sci-fi, stick to anime, regardless of what some people here claim. Without films like Akira or Ghost in the Shell, we probably wouldn't have even seen The Matrix.

Another solid recommendation if you're into dystopian stuff—Battle Royale.