I don't think JJ Abrams has a problem with strong women characters, so I think he did a good job of deepening her character and giving her some centrality.

But he blew it by having her be Spock's fuckbuddy IMO.

I thought Quinto was great and I enjoyed Urban, too. I really disliked Scotty, Chekov, and Kirk.

Oh thank God,I'd feared I was the only person on the planet with that reaction.

The movie left me wishing we'd get to see Spock's adventures as a member of Captain Pike's Enterprise crew for the next sequel or two.

But he blew it by

I thought that was great. Added real emotional depth to the story and both characters and it was surprising and right.

I loved Scotty, Chekov and Kirk. Pine played Kirk with just the right mix of Shatner with a bit of (I think) Val Kilmer's Doc Holiday. Plus the comedy.

And what's with not liking Simon Pegg?! I vote wrongcakes.

"Do they have sandwiches in the future?"

Plus there was his little cabbage headed Ewok fuckbuddy.

I thought that was great. Added real emotional depth to the story and both characters and it was surprising and right.

Perhaps if there had been any other strong female characters it wouldn't have pinged me so hard. Plus having had her in her bra and panties earlier on in the movie cemented for me just what her role in the film was intended to be.

I really don't think "fuckbuddy" is an accurate description of the Spock/Uhura relationship as it was written. I found it surprisingly mature and respectful on both sides.

played Kirk's character for laughs so much

OMG, his antics with Bones had me in stitches. Real honest-to-dog laughter mingled with advancing the plot.

And what's with not liking Simon Pegg?!

Whereas, while I love SP, Scotty's humour seemed to be apart from the story and characters. Tense scene? Let's button it with a nonsequitur with a one-liner from Scotty! Rinse, repeat! It's not Scotty and therefore SP that I personally didn't like, it was how he was incorporated into the story throughout.

I thought that was great. Added real emotional depth to the story and both characters and it was surprising and right.

Agreed. I don't have a recollection of much interest in Uhura. She always seemed to be the chick repeating the crap she heard, but now there's background and depth and intelligence and mad capability that I could see her being capable of loving someone so reserved as Spock reflecting on why she was so damned good at the linguistics, and vice versa. But the relationship had more bearing on my increased interest in Spock and rounding him out beyond the "logic".

I thought what was interesting about the Uhura in her underwear scene was that the underwear in question was, well, functional. Plain, white, not at all skimpy, no attempt to look sexy. Plus, she didn't even seem phased by the fact that she was seen in her underwear. She came across as annoyed at her roommate and annoyed at Kirk.

I think they could have learned from BSG and perhaps cast a woman in one of the primary, formerly male, roles.

That's really not an option. BSG was completely starting over, Star Trek was an alternate timeline that was still part of the whole Star Trek universe that has been established. If Old!Spock had run into Scotty, for example, and he'd changed gender, Spock would have to suspect there was a whole lot more going on than a pissy miner on a vengeance kick.

Anne, yeah, neither party seemed particularly concerned about being seen in their underwear. Awesome!

Jessica, you're right that fuckbuddy is too strong a word. It just frustrated me that the only main female character was there primarily as a sex object. She was hit on by Kirk, shown in her underwear, and dating Spock. It bugged me.