Star Trek--Upon Further Review (Spoilers)

We went to see Star Trek again Friday night at the drive-in. I really wanted to like this movie so I gave it a second look. I did like it better the second time, but this time I brought my Skywalker Ranch director's pen with me and took notes from my favorite lawn chair. Here are some thoughts:

• The music during the Kirk birth/death scene was very reminiscent of Giacchino's work on LOST. I loved it.
• Still don't get where the deep canyon in Iowa came from. I even made sure to pay attention to make sure that's where the scene was set. It was.
• Sarek's scenes with Spock were great. I like this Sarek much better than the one in the Original Series.
• Nice nod to Star Trek the Motion Picture with the reference to the Kohlinar ritual.
• Vulcan bullies. Not logical.
• Spock seems to be vulnerable to "your mama" jokes. I suggest Dave Chappelle be his nemesis in the next movie.
• Someone get Zachary Quinto a better razor. Spock always seems to need a shave.
• Starfleet cadets are not enlightened in this future. Uhura calls Kirk a hick and suggests that he has sex with farm animals and the guys with her call him a townie and start a fight. I doubt this is what Gene Roddenberry had in mind.
• The broken Kelvin salt shaker Kirk absent-mindedly plays with in the bar is a nice touch.
• "Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence." Good grief.
• Kobayashi Maru test is a nod to Star Trek II, of course.
• Spock: "You, of all people should know that a captain cannot cheat death." Kirk should have responded with, "Your mama."
• Kirk bumping his head in the shuttle was like Scotty's similar move in Star Trek V. Still funny.
• I really liked the effects of going to warp.
• When the Enterprise enters the battle site with shields up, pieces of broken hull bounce off the hull, not the shields. With the shields up, that shouldn't happen.
• "Hi, Christopher. I'm Nero." WTF was that? A meet-cute?
• Spock's eyebrow raise was cool. But it was the wrong eyebrow. I myself can only raise my right eyebrow. Maybe Quinto can only raise his left.
• When Kirk and Sulu are beamed aboard at terminal velocity, they should have made a big splat on the transporter pad.
• Old Spock: "James T. Kirk, how did you find me?" Me: "Bad writing, Spock."
• "Are you out of your Vulcan mind?" Classic Bones.
• Reference to Admiral Archer's prize beagle was a nod to Enterprise.
• Scotty's learning of something he hasn't discovered yet harkens to Star Trek IV's transparent aluminum paradox.
• Kirk to Old Spock: "You're going with us, right?" = Luke to Obi-Wan: "I want to go with you." I get the parallel now. Luke is a farm boy, Kirk is a farm boy.
• Loved the bridge sound effects but not the lighting.
• Kirk slapping Spock on the shoulder was funny.
• Pike's uniform at the promotion ceremony was similar to Admiral Kirk's uni in Star Trek the Motion Picture.
• Kirk, in the final scene: "Bones." Holy Shat!

I'll give them a mulligan on this one. There was enough cool stuff to keep my interest.