question of the day: Do you want to know what people are saying about the new ‘Star Trek’ movie?

I wanted to know until it was clear that there wasn't a 100% body of opinion that the movie was horrid and would bury the franchise for another 10 years. Now, I don't really listen to the buzz.

For myself as a fan since I was 5, I'm still not sure the movie is a good idea. I'm still not convinced that the movie isn't a good movie that happens to be named "Star Trek", vs. a good "Star Trek movie". If that distinction makes sense to anyone else.

Makes perfect sense, Bill.

Personally, I have no interest at all in Star Trek, so I don't care. But I've been in the same situation many times. I like to go into movies unbiased, if possible. I'll read about movies if I'm still trying to decide whether to see them. But once I've made up my mind to see a movie, I try to avoid knowing about it as much as possible.

I read the spoiler-free review on TrekMovie, since I generally like their reviews and decided I could trust it (speaking of which, are you going to be able to write a review before the film opens?); past that I don't want to spoil the whole thing, so I generally stay away from threads about the movie. I'll just keep listening to the score clips until the CD gets here and look forward to the archival screening of Star Trek VI at a local theater and the midnight opening of XI.

I am waiting to see for myself. I've liked everything he's made so far, including MI:III, and the trailers look pretty ambitious. I'll be there on opening day regardless of popular opinion.

Like Bill, I was waiting to see if it was universally panned. Now, I'm keeping my head down as much as possible. I'm not even watching trailers or commercials. I want to keep it as fresh as possible for opening night.

While I'm not a Trekkie and usually do read reviews I'm pretty much staying away from early reviews.

I'm surprised that I'm excited to see this (again, not a Trekkie and Wrath of Khan scarred me for life...worms...*shiver*) and I'm flying to Chicago to see it with my Dad - a "original only" Trekkie.

When I sat down in the theater to see "Fellowship of the Ring" I crossed my fingers and kept thinking, "Don't f++k it up" as a little mantra until the movie began and, behold, Jackson did not.

I am glad to be relieved of that fear, but don't want to know much more about it than that.

Like most movies I will wait and see what MaryAnn has to say, but see it anyway. I also wanted to echo the prospect of it being universally panned, but still see it anyway.

Cant't wait to see this movie, so yes, I've already read a few reviews from the premiere in Texas and in Australia, and they're really enthusiastic about the JJ Abrams movie, and that scares me and thrills me at the same time.

Um, MaryAnn?

You're asking if people are going to read advance reviews on your website where you post advance reviews.

And people are saying, "No, I'm not going to read advance reviews."

I think my irony meter just buried its needle...

Your irony meter is malfunctioning. Do not trust it.

MaryAnn is not asking a generic question about advance reviews of movies in general, nor is it a specific question about her own site. It is the opposite on both counts, and so you have doubly failed to interpret the question properly. (Thus, your choice of "Dr. Rocketscience" as a nickname may be radiating enough irony to overwhelm your own sensor arrays.)

Her question is specific to one highly unusual movie whose fictional universe has been setting standards of rabid fan loyalty for over 40 years now, despite rising controversy over how well or poorly it has been handled in recent years.

As a result, many people trying to discuss this movie on its own merits do so in a weirdly self-conscious way that would never happen with most other movies. Others seem to care far more about where it might fit into their opinions about past Star Trek productions.

And that seems to be at the core of MaryAnn's question. There are plenty of places online, right now, eager to ruin any surprises this movie might have in store. How many potential fans are hopeful that it might be a good movie, good enough to be worth the effort of avoiding spoilers?

And how many care more about the controversy than about the movie?

I always read MJ's reviews after the film unless I'm on the border about a flick. In the latter case she usually saves me 12.50 and a trip to the Sherman Oaks Arclight!

Btw, I heart "wait for the DVD."