I can understand why. The motivations and message are a bit deeper than WoK. But UC wouldn't have happened (in the same way) without WoK first, since I don't think Kirk had the same hatred towards Klingons before. Distrust sure, but not revenge level hate.
UC also has that connection with one of the best TNG episodes, Yesterday's Enterprise.
It's as much Star Trek as the unofficial Trek movie Galaxy Quest. Doesn't matter if the characters and universe are different, it's got the same vibe to fit in.
I do prefer the beard, but later Riker without a beard works well. I think it's because the character and actor have grown into the part at that point and don't present themselves the same as the early season Riker. I was going to call him "gangly" but I don't think that's right, but first season Riker was less sure of things.
Let's not forget the other badass old Riker with the peppered gray beard who said "I'll get the Klingon's attention".
That was a background character, not the one you're thinking about (see other reply). There's a bunch of side characters in that and other movies that don't get credited. One well known one is Tom Morello of RATM.
Correct. Stephanie is the one everyone always refers to for that look she gives Riker in that scene. RIP.
And for what it's worth, although the inference seems to always be sexual, I don't think it needs to be. It can be just as much admiration and "holy shit, captain". Which is totally justified.
I also like the look Riker gives when Geordi tells him he already ejected the core before being ordered.
The door?
People who tear out of their parking space within a few seconds of getting in, wtf?
Maybe it's not replicated meat, but instead they keep a selection of turkeys and other live animals in transporter stasis until needed.
A safe bet that if it's outside the U.S., it's Celsius. I don't think anyone would be alarmed about 60F even on the heat bulb chart.
It's not AGI that's terrifying, but how people are so willing to let anything take over their control. LLMs are "just" predictive text generation with a lot of extras to make things come out really convincing sometimes, and yet so many individuals and companies basically handed over the keys without even second guessing its answers.
These past few years have shown how if (and it's a big if) AGI/ASI comes along, we are so screwed, because we can't even handle dumber tools well. LLMs in the hands of willing idiots can be a disaster itself, and it's possible we're already there.
I will agree that those two movies have the absolute best soundtracks of all the movies.