I've never understood the point of that B4 character. Initially I thought it was a kinda hommage/copout in the vein of The Search For Spock. You got a body but no brain, and then Data uploads his mind into Bones, err, B4. But then at the end B4 is as retarded as ever.
Or was B4 singing Data's tune at the end supposed to mean he was slowly absorbing the new programming?
Yes, that's what was happening. We thought that he didn't take Data's programming, then at the end he recalls the song, showing that he's retaining at least something of Data, which will perhaps expand over time, but I guess still become his own character had they continued somehow.
I find that review to be utterly hilarious.
I don't think most people realize just how HUGE "the nostalgia factor" influence can be. We live in an era where things are held under a microscope. NEVER IN CINEMA HISTORY has Sci-Fi been held up to "the burden of proof" as it is in the 21st Century. Then...we look at the classics through rose tinted glasses, not even realizing that *IF* that same movie had been released today, it would be every bit as picked apart, dissected and criticized....possibly to an even greater degree.
I think it would be an interesting eye-opener to a lot of people if someone with good creative writing skills were to do a mock up (or...heck...not so 'mock up') negative review of Wrath of Khan. Because I promise you...with the right outlook, critical eye and negative POV, you could do a write up very similar to this one for any of the classic ST movies. WoK...TVH....
I actually only first saw the Star Trek movies very shortly before ST:2009 came out, and it still left me initially very disappointed. I think this is just trying to explain away negative response to the new movies, especially given that a lot of the criticisms have more to do with not being internally consistent and coherent stories, and not because the Enterprise doesn't have the correct speed stripe, or because Kirk's eyes are the wrong colour. And a lot of older fans did like the new movies anyway, so it's a silly generalization.
Both of the new movies failed miserably with the main antagonists of the movie, and even the basic plot points, which puts them on very bad footing to excuse their other faults.
If the overall movie succeeds and endures, then people are going to be more willing to excuse the minor nitpicks, and even consider them endearing mistakes that add character to the film. That's much harder when those errors affect the movie so adversely.
I've never seen anyone claim that these older movies are fault-free, or hate a new movie over trivial nitpicks. It really comes down to what the problems are, and in what way they affect the movie.