Funny but flawed

Yes, it's pretty funny if you're a Science Fiction fan. The DVD special edition is excellent, and the movie's cinematography and production values look way beyond its indie budget.

I have to mention a few negatives, though. Firstly, it's overlong. Apparently the script was originally miniseries-length, and it was a major effort to cut it down to this movie -- well, it still felt too long in places. (And I speak as a massive fan of the work of Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch, so anyone with a short attention span should probably beware.)

Second, story structure is almost completely lacking; the commentary track explains this, but on first watching I found myself distracted by the seeming randomness of many of the plot developments, and the uneven emphasis of the parallel plot arcs. One particular scene seemed like alternate camera angles were taken from completely different scenes -- and sure enough, when I listened to the commentary I found that that was actually the case, the scene being salvaged from a couple of outtake sequences.

Still, if you believe the commentary, it wasn't the filmmakers' fault that they had to make frantic changes at the last minute. What's less excusable is the distracting nature of the cast. I know LA is full of immaculately turned out actors and actresses -- but I don't think Star Trek fans all look like they just stepped off the catwalk, even in Hollywood. The commentary track includes a comment about nobody wanting to sit and watch average-looking people -- but I'm afraid I found that the airbrushed perfection of the people in this movie completely destroyed my ability to believe their portrayal of Star Trek fans.

There was also something else about the movie that I can't quite pin down, that left a metaphorical bad taste in the mouth afterwards... I wish I could be more specific. Maybe it's just that it's a little too self-indulgent? Still, funny enough to be worth renting.