Star Trek

I was never a big Star Trek fan.  I had moments where I watched the original and where I watched Next Generation but for the most part I found the series to be well... boring.  Some of it was the science fiction stuff, others was because sometimes it seemed as though Star Trek could never get to the point.  That's not to say I hated Star Trek or couldn't stand it.  There were certain episodes of the original series that I rather enjoyed.  Some parts of The Next Generation I enjoyed a lot.  Put simple, I wasn't a Trekkie, but damn it, I could never hate it.  When it came to those Star Trek movies, however, the only one I ever enjoyed was the Wrath of Khan.  I never got into any other ones.  So when I saw the trailer for this particular flick I was quite amused because I was actually interested in it.  There was a quality about it that seemed as though it could be very enjoyable.  Sure enough it was.

J.J. Abrams is a unique guy.  He's a well known Trekkie and tends to enjoy a lot of the Science Fiction kind of stuff.  When he decided to reboot the series (and made the first film take place before the original series begins) it must've raised a lot of worries.  In the first place, by making it a prequel it had a chance to screw up and change things.  It's no surprise that Abrams took many risks with Star Trek.  In the first place people weren't sure if a prequel was the way to go.  In the second place, how do you replace William Shatner?  The big one, however: J.J. Abrams wanted to make the film appeal to Trekkies AND Non-Trekkies alike.  Abrams said in an interview that in order to do this he looked to the original Star Wars Trilogy for inspiration.  They were movies that, to Abrams kept the fun going while giving movie goers a good coherent story.  What you get as a result is something that cuts back a bit on the science and one that gets heavy on adventure.  Of course, this is J.J. Abrams so you're also going to get quite a bit of character out of it as well.  

The movie begins in the past where we see a starship, the USS Kelvin investigating a lightning storm.  Within the storm is a huge Romulan ship.  Captain Nero of the Kelvin decides to meet with the Captain of the mining ship... and is shortly thereafter killed, leaving a man named George Kirk in charge.  Kirk orders an evacuation of the Kelvin and shortly thereafter dies a hero... but before that happens he hears his wife give birth to a boy.  Future Captain James T. Kirk.

From there we go slightly further into the future to see Kirk as a teenager.  It is here we're introduced to this brazen youth.  It's there to foreshadow that James plays by his own rules.  We then cut to a young Spock on the planet Vulcan who has to deal with the fact that he has a Vulcan father and a human mother.  A conflict because he is to be logical, but is also a huma with emotions as well.  Obviously these two are the centerpiece of the film in and of itself.  And years later we still learn about the two.  Kirk being the brazen guy that he is and Spock steal dealing with his mixed heritage.  The two eventually join starfleet.  Their paths finally cross when it comes to a test called to Kobayashi Maru test.  The test is designed in such a way that you can't pass.  Unfortunately for the man who designed the test--Spock, James T. Kirk doesn't like to lose.  And he doesn't here.  By hacking into the test and altering it so that he can win he manages to beat the test.  This shows that Kirk has some intelligence.  He isn't just brazen and tough, he's got a good head on his shoulders.  Of course, him cheating on this test does not sit well with Spock.  Needless to say they don't get off to a great start as friends.

And yes, you'll meet a ton of the other standard characters.  Uhura, McCoy (one of the best characters ever) and Scottie (just to name a few) but I'd actually rather not give too much away.  As for how Abrams deals with altering the timeline, he relies quite heavily on the theory of time travel and fate thing.  But he does it in a far less annoying way.  The "future" changes, but we assume Abrams is going off on the idea that perhaps the future was unwritten to begin with.  You can debate about it down in the comments section later.  The point is that it fits into the plot and it works out fairly well.  Meaning that Abrams has free reign to do what he wants in the future should he decide to continue it.

However, Star Trek isn't just focused on a lot of action and the like.  It spends a great deal of time focusing on its two central protagonists.  Kirk and Spock.  It doesn't focus too much on the other characters, though... which means that for those who are nostalgic, you'll find yourself more familiar with the characters than those who aren't.  At the very least the movie makes them likeable.  If there's a future for the franchise (and I assure you there is) then perhaps those guys will be fleshed out more. 

While Kirk is an interesting character all on his own and gets into some of the craziest situations, Spock is the one who might peak your interest a little more.  The events in the movie really take a toll on him as he learns to deal with his mixed heritage.  Kirk and Spock begin to learn from each other.  From Spock's ability to look at just about everything logically and Kirk's ability to just not give a rats ass about certain regulations and break the rules when he wants to.  The film plays these two contrasting personalities off by showing that Spock is sometimes annoyed while Kirk is, for the most part, laid back with all this.  You sometimes wonder how these two could possibly become friends, but it does work. 

For the most part the adventure is fun.  Because Abrams manages to mix a good story with a lot of good adventure.  But he does it without wasting too much time.  In most cases you never get the feeling he's taking his sweet little time, but is often sticking in many sequences to keep the plot moving rather than having awkward shifts and transitions.  Don't think this means it just tosses out all the science for those curious.  It doesn't.  It just makes sure that you don't have to be a brainiac to understand it all.  You can watch Star Trek whether you're a nerd or just someone looking for good action.  In terms of appealing to Trekkies and Non-Trekkies, Star Trek does manage to succeed.  It's simple and fun, but not without focusing on some of the techniques that would make a good movie.  It's got some well written dialog, some of it filled with a lot of clever wit and good humor.  The film manages to balance it's action, adventure and drama quite well.  Even though you're not getting a lot of drama, it's still good because you still care about the characters involved.

The cast also manages to do a fairly good job.  Chris Pine plays Kirk.  He said that he was inspired by Tom Cruise's role in Top Gun as well as well as Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones.  This is pretty obvious--especially that Indiana Jones part.  And while he's no William Shatner... he doesn't have to be.  He is, after all, portraying a younger Kirk.  Zachery Quinto as Spock is also does an incredible job, if only because he's able to be so emotionless so well (I never thought I'd use that as a compliment for anyone other than Arnold Swar-- I'm not even going to try and spell that).  Considering Quinto's past roles this is a pretty big accomplishment. 

If you never quite became a Trekkie as was the case for me, you might enjoy it.  If you DID become a Trekkie, you're not guaranteed to hate this.  Nearly every Trekkie I've spoken to has enjoyed this movie.  It's unique.  In terms of reaching fans and non-fans, Abrams succeeded.  In short, regardless of who you are, you're likely to enjoy it.

To be honest, I didn't think it could be done.

I'm one of those old-time fans. I grew up on episodes of Star Trek in syndication. I cheered the return of the original cast to the movies. I followed closely -- at times more with a sense of loyalty than enthusiasm -- the various series set within the Next Generation, and I even stepped back in time to the early days of Enterprise.

But when Hollywood chatter turned to rebooting the saga from the start, placing new actors in the roles of Kirk, Spock and the rest of the crew from the original series, I balked. I shuddered. I'm not sure, but I may have even gnashed my teeth and tore my hair, just a little.

But I will gladly, exuberantly admit that director J.J. Abrams and the cast and crew of this new Star Trek -- the first feature film to go just by that name -- have given me no choice but to change my mind. Even my wife -- who is more a fan of Picard than Kirk, perish the thought -- loved the film. ("It made me cry in under five minutes," she said to me at the beginning. How often do you hear that at a Star Trek movie?)

No wonder. The first few minutes of the film show a pivotal moment in the life of George Kirk, James T.'s father, in a dramatic, timeline-altering event aboard the USS Kelvin, with an entirely new take on the Romulans.

The story flashes forward from there, and viewers are introduced to younger versions of Kirk, Spock, Uhura and McCoy, etc., as we go.

The less said about the plot the better; it's best to go into the movie knowing as little as possible. Suffice it to say that filmmakers have crafted a Trek that will move the young captain and crew of Enterprise forward in a very different direction than we've known before. While playing around with alternate realities and timelines is always a dicey prospect, I can honestly say this one works.

As for the cast, I am pleased to say it's obvious that most of these young actors have obviously studied their predecessors in their roles. Karl Urban, for instance, isn't merely playing Dr. McCoy; he's playing DeForrest Kelley as Dr. McCoy. And when Chris Pine's Kirk smiles in the face of danger, you can see obvious shades of William Shatner's old hell-bent grin.

There is a shipboard romance that makes little sense -- particularly given the characters' teacher-student relationship -- but otherwise, these folks have nailed it.

The film is a joy to watch. It is a joy, believe it or not, to see those old, primary-hued uniforms back in action. And it's a joy to listen as people around me -- some diehard Trek fans, some more generic science-fiction enthusiasts, some folks who just bought a ticket and walked through the door without much awareness of existing Kirk-Spock lore -- excitedly discussed the nuances of the film and made plans for a second, third or fourth viewing on the big screen.

I know I'll be back to see it again. And I'll be watching eagerly for announcements of a sequel. The Star Trek franchise is alive and well ... something I can say with more certainty than I have since Kirk's mishandled death in Generations.

by Tom Knapp, the Rambles.NET guy

I’ll get the obvious out of the way immediately:  Were Star Trek (XI) a standalone piece of space-set science fiction entertainment, it would probably be one of the finest to come out off Hollywood in years.  The visuals are stunning, the acting top notch, the Michael Giacchino sound score flawless, and even JJ Abrams’ direction (which is often criticized for being jumpy and dependent upon effects) is quite appropriate.  So why then a very mediocre review score?  The answer is simply this: Like George Lucas discovered when he went back to tell the first three episodes of his space opera epic, Star Wars, some material is so beloved and firmly established within the psyche of popular culture that it exists upon a pedestal no filmmaker can reach. 

Filmmakers hoping to re-establish, even with the hopes of improving upon, this type of property are simply flirting with disaster.  Enter Star Trek, a film that basically allows the viewer to experience the Star Trek Universe in its recreated infancy with all of the visual grandeur and evolved filmmaking technique of today’s digital age without compromising the source material… too much.

The film, directed by JJ Abrams, was written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the eleventh film based on the Star Trek franchise and features the main characters of the original Star Trek television series, who are portrayed by an almost-entirely-new cast.

The story’s sense of grand scale is apparent right from the opening scene as the film begins something like this: The Federation starship USS Kelvin is sent to investigating a mysterious lightning storm in space, when a Romulan ship, the Narada, emerges from within the storm’s vortex and quickly makes light work of the Federation vessel.

The Romulans demand the captain Robau to transport to their ship to negotiate a ceasefire.  Once the Romulans realize, through their interrogation of Robau, that it’s in fact the year is 2233 (meaning they had gone back in time) and that Robau naturally has no knowledge of the individual they feel is responsible for all their troubles, one ambassador Spock.

Nero murders Robau in frustration and orders the Kelvin's destruction. Acting Captain George Samuel Kirk (James T’s dad) orders the evacuation of the ship onto shuttlecrafts, including his pregnant wife, Wynona. He proceeds to sacrifice his own life to steer the Kelvin on a collision course into the Narada, resulting in only light damage to the massive Romulan mining vessel.

From there the viewer is whisked along on what is basically a glorified succession of character introductions.  Settings span from the surface of the earth (Iowa in fact) to the deep reaches of the galaxy where the yet-unknowing crew of the starship Enterprise are scattered.

For all of it’s wonderfully brisk pacing, charming character introductions, and believable interactions, I can’t seem to overcome the abundant and oft times blatant canon deviation that takes place within.  I will say this in the story’s defense, we are to believe that this is NOT the Star Trek timeline we’ve grown to know and love throughout the years but rather a tangent, or parallel timeline that has been created by the Romulan interference of the space-time continuum.  Unlike say, Back to the Future, where a single time line is said to exist that can be moved around upon at will (affecting future events), Star Trek follows the hipper theory that the moment an alteration is made to the original timeline, two futures (or millions of them, depending on how many alterations are made) exist separately and independent of each other. 

Confused? Don’t be, all it simply means is that while you’re looking at young James T Kirk, Mister Spock, Captain Sulu, Scotty and so on, these aren’t the same guys we grew up with.  They were the same initially but live in an entirely separate Universe, one in which the planet Vulcan is destroyed, where Captain Kirk never gets to meet his father, where Spock and Uhura have a passionate love affair, and where by the end of the film, there are two Spocks (one young, the other not so much) running around.  Will this trouble some longtime fans of the mythos? Absolutely.  Because while the novelty of witnessing the introduction of such legendary characters (however contrived) is present, there is an undeniable “cheapening” of the whole experience in knowing that this isn’t the future we already know and love.

In this line of thinking, anything’s possible.  Let’s say for the sake of argument that the yet confirmed sequel was to open with Kirk’s death or the obliteration of the planet earth.  Not a problem, this isn’t the timeline you grew up with anymore.  Alternate dimensions were never my thing even when comic books periodically decided to justify an important character’s death by using the same technique.  It’s hacky and a bit too convenient for me.

I suppose my own frustration in the whole matter (either instance) is that it truly frees up the writers’ ability to deviate from the series canon at will- and rest assured they use this power liberally in Star Trek.  Interviews and articles suggest that it was done as a means to reintroduce the Star Trek mythos to a whole new generation but the façade is quite transparent with motivation such as visual appeal and the writers’ lack of knowledge on the original material’s intricacies getting my vote.

Again though, on its own, Star Trek is a delightful romp with stellar cinematography, breathtaking action sequences, and some outstanding actor performances (most notably a near-unrecognizable Eric Bana as the villain and New Zealander Karl Urban’s subtle mastery of Bones McCoy’s Kentucky accent).

The dilemma the film was faced with was an understandably difficult one; while there is no denying that this material works best where it didn’t have such big shoes to fill, the studio backing of Paramount, distribution, and box office appeal would have suffered immeasurably if not for the Star Trek branding.  As such, the question then becomes which is the more tolerable- A slight mockery of the established mythos within an action-heavy science fiction environment, or the film being canned before even getting off the ground due to its inability to nab major studio support?  Perhaps a compromise would best suit everyone but as it stands we get the former, take it or leave it.

While unofficially labeled the eleventh major motion picture of the Star Trek franchise, you may notice that for the first time no zippy catch phrase can be found under the title card here.  This lends to the suspicion that the filmmakers are hoping this will be the foundation for a whole new “retooled” series using the names and likeness of the original crew of the Starship Enterprise, so long as the viewer realizes that in parallel universes, nothing’s impossible.

Honestly speaking, Star Trek is something I had never gotten into, though that slightly changed when an online friend of mine kept posting episode commentaries on the original TV series she was rewatching..

Of course, when I saw the trailer for the new movie in the cinemas, and seeing how amazing Zachary Quinto looked as Spock(I personally love Quinto), I knew it was a movie I had to see. The fact that J.J. Abrams was directing was a bonus.

After watching the movie, I now know that I have to watch those original episodes all the more!

Catching the movie today was a wonderful experience. J.J. Abrams definitely knew what he was doing when he remade it, because while I'm pretty much a complete n00b when it comes to this series. I could follow the movie easily and concisely and I knew where most of the thrown in stuff from the TV series was coming from! The humour was well-placed and the action was all exciting and seat-grabbing worthy!

The characters were all well written and acted by the respective actors, especially the roles of Kirk(Chris Pine) and Spock(Zachary Quinto). Those two were easily my favourites in the show, watching the characters journey from being young, cocky and hating each other's guts to the complete opposite was made so believable and convincing that I just fell in love with the relationship between the two!

Apart from that, the special effects were just amazing. My friends and I came out of the movie gaping in awe at the amount of gorgeous effects that went into the making of this movie. Even the smallest things like the alien midwife at the start of the film was making me go 'Wow!' in my head as I was watching it.

Thank you, J.J for converting a new fan! I'll possibly be back with more Star Trek reviews after I get my hands on the original TV series! ;)

It's 2233, and the USS Kelvin is researching a space anomaly. George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth) is left in charge of the ship when Nero (Eric Bana) orders Captain Richard Robau (Faran Tahir) to board his ship. When Robau tells Nero the star date, Nero kills Robau and attacks the USS Kelvin. When Kirk realizes that he cannot save the ship, he orders an evacuation or everyone else. His pregnant wife Winona (Jennifer Morrison) begins to give birth, and asks Kirk what he wants to name his son. Kirk decides to name his son Jim (Chris Pine), just before dies crashing the Kelvin into the other ship.

Star Trek completely reboots the popular franchise with an alternate sequence of events, opening the doorway for new storytelling. It combines all the right elements of comedy, action, and suspense, along with breath taking visual effects to deliver a movie that no one should miss.

Directed by J.J. Abrams, Star Trek has had one win and has had eight nominations, making it one of the Top Ten Futuristic Action Movies.

This was a solid action movie that pumped new life into a great story and made it exciting to a new generation. It also made it a more human story and not the utopian federation feel of yore.

Better than expected. Great cast and impressive stunts.

I loved the way J. J. Abrams and company did the alternate time line take on the Star Trek saga.

A fast paced movie. It is for everyone, not just the trekkies.

 Reinventing Star Trek, a much adored franchise by all of its dedicated fans, was a brave move to make and one that few had ever dared and J.J. Abrams finally took the dream to the next step. Abrams, producer of the much loved Lost TV show seems to be the next big name in the moviemaking business and is truly a man with great talent. His last film, Cloverfield, was a massive blockbuster success and this, regardless of actual story quality, was bound to achieve the same. Luckily, this wasn't just an SFX bonanza with little substance. It had a story you could enjoy and actors that understood and appreciated the characters they were portraying. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto take on the most important roles as both Spock and Captain James T. Kirk, yet they play the roles with ease and affection and will undoubtedly take the roles into new and special areas. 

Established in an alternate reality through the medium of black holes, it must first be explained that this isn't a movie that follows any of the major continuity of the original series. This gives the writers the freedom to mess with the timeline as much as they want without upsetting the die hard Trek fans too much, although I'm sure they'll be upset by something. The story follows a renegade Romulan, Nero on a quest to get his revenge against Spock (not the young Spock, future Spock) for the destruction of his homeworld by a supernova which he blames on Spock. The revenge which he will get is by destroying Vulcan and then moving on to destroy Earth when he's done. This also follows the formation of the Enterprise crew as its pending Captain, James T. Kirk as they progress through Starfleet academy and move into space. 

The overall plot itself is, admittedly, quite basic, but it's the characters and the actors that play them which make the movie worthwhile. Chris Pine as the arrogant James T. Kirk seem the perfect fit as Pine approaches the character with a youthful ambition to succeed but a reckless mind that is easily sidetracked. Zachary Quinto took on the role that would undoubtedly draw the most criticism had it been played wrong, but thankfully portrayed Spock with a confidence befitting of the character itself. He expresses the perfect balance of emotion and logic that you would expect from the half human, half Vulcan character. There was not just pressure on Quinto because he was playing the much loved character, but also he was acting alongside the man who played the original character, Leonard Nimoy. The co-stars of Karl Urban as `Bones' McCoy, Zoey Saldana as Uhura, Simon Pegg as Scotty and John Cho as Sulu do well in their respective roles. Anton Yelchin as Pavel Checkov, however, does considerably well in mimicking the accent of the original character but adds a fresh charm to it as his role progresses through the latter half of the picture. Eric Bana is bland and forgettable as the antagonist of the film which is a disappointment as Bana can really make a role his own when he wants to, but he struggled with this which is a shame. 

The look of the film, as you would expect from an Abrams film is superb. It's a slick looking film, and as you would expect, presents the futuristic atmosphere perfectly. They remain generally loyal to the overall look of the Star Trek universe when it comes to the diversity of the Alien races, the uniforms, ships and weapons. The new film has even managed to recreate some of the subtle humour familiar with the original series, along with the infamous redshirt character dying which was something quite familiar in the old series. Overall Abrams has done well. It's been a welcome reboot to what some may have considered a dying franchise, but there is one downside to this new Star Trek franchise and that is it may have been made too big, too epic to make a return to the small screen for a reboot series. If the movie cast could be drawn in to star in a series, then there's no doubt that it would be a huge success, especially if Abrams were at the helm. However, that is very unlikely and I do think that with this movie, we have seen the last of the great Star Trek series'. An impressive film with some amazing special effects and a young, talented cast which cannot go wrong with any film fan. 

It's only logical that you should witness it first hand.

Fantastic reboot of the once ailing sci fi francshise has JJ Abrams get a new cast to "boldy go" into a great new adventure. Fantastic looking sets and action and the new cast are great updates to the classic 60's characters. The story has it's faults but thats nothing new. Put your bias aside and you'll be surprised.

I thought this movie to be an excellent new breath of fresh air into a franchise that has been hurting since Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home. The characters are full of energy and the use of Back To The Future techniques to alter the past and create a new timeline has left it open for several sequels without impinging on current Star Trek lore.

A Romulan ship from the future arrives at the time when James T. Kirk is being born. Immediately they set in motion a new time continium and it is only through a technique used in one of the early Trek episodes (I think the one with Decker) that Kirk is able to be saved. We then fast forward and see contrasting bad boys Kirk and Spock getting in trouble on their respective planets. Later we see how the two are both persuaded to enter Starfleet.

During this time Kirk meets up with Uhura (and he tries to get her to give up her first name) and later McCoy and we learn how the nickname Bones comes about.

While at the academy Kirk must defeat the Kobyashi Maru (not sure if I spelled it right) leading to his first meeting with Spock. The Romulans then attack Vulcan causing the Starfleet cadets to go into action.

I generally liked this movie from start to finish and like the new actors that are playing Chekov, Scotty and Sulu. I loved the updated Enterprise bridge and the updated transporter effects. I look forward to the sequels!
 

Relaunch of the series and it seems to be set in an alternate universe.

JJ Abrams is the master planner here with a hot new crew, humor, action and excitement. Love this movie!

Reboot film has a whole new everything and follows Kirk and Spock on their first mission together. Better then you've heard.

I remember vividly the first time I watched Star Trek as a young boy. It was the movie "Generations" and it was utterly bewildering. I had watched "Star Wars" some time before that and in comparison Trek seemed artificial, a bit dull and just plain weird. But the series eventually grew on me with its infectious optimism about the future, its vision of human potential and-for a TV series anyway-its outstanding visual effects. My brother and I would get into bitter arguments over which was cooler, Trek or Wars. I sided with Trek even though I liked both series immensely. Its universe was just so much more complex and suggestive. George Lucas is an immensely talented director but as a writer he leaves much to be desired. Star Trek attracted some of the top science fiction writers of the day to articulate its vision, and as a result instead of just innovative FX and wild alien creatures it also got intriguing, multi-dimensional characters with terrific dramatic possibilities. The original Trek may have brought viewers back to see which new world the starship Enterprise would explore that week. But they also came back to see the unfolding and testing of a remarkable friendship, among characters who could not be more different: the swashbuckling, womanizing yet wise Captain James T. Kirk, the logical Commander Spock and cynical, earthy Leonard 'Bones' McKoy. Their leadership triumvirate, with the balancing out of each other's character flaws and amplification of their mutual strengths, made the series as compelling as it was and led the way for four spin-off series and ten motion pictures.

The movies have always suffered in comparison to the series as well as other cinematic science fiction. With a couple of exceptions (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek: First Contact) they didn't have the best stories, the characters were under-utilized and the directors couldn't seem to translate a TV vision of the future onto the big screen. The FX, while competent, were never spectacular. After the flop that was "Star Trek: Nemesis" I pretty much gave up and stopped hoping for a truly cinematic Trek experience.

What a marvel it is then that J.J. Abrams has managed to pull together all the elements that made Star Trek so loved-the character interaction, the exotic, optimistic setting-and put them on screen in the grandest possible fashion, with special FX that can genuinely be called cinematic. I'm so pleased to report that the new Trek has got it all: dazzling space cinematography, heart-stopping action, plausible humor, tear-jerking drama and a fascinating storyline which, while in some respects contrived and implausible, serves its primary purpose admirably well: to get the characters we know and love together again, and show how they became the tight-knit crew that we would see in the series.

Indeed, any other faults it might have had as a movie would be forgiven just on the success of its handling of the characters. All the elements fell into place: superb casting, smart dialog and situations which we are familiar with from other Trek episodes (a seemingly no-win scenario, intense personal loss, bravery in the face of certain death) and which distill the essence of these characters to all its primal purity. All the leads are wonders to behold. They do not try to simply imitate the mannerisms of their predecessors (though Karl Urban comes closest with his evocation of DeForrest Kelley's cynical grumpiness) but give fresh, authentic interpretations of them that nevertheless allow you to instantly identify them as their Original Series counterparts (my Dad just watched the movie last night and said he thought that the ghost of William Shatner must have been hovering over Chris Pine's head, so convincing was his performance). Long-time Trek fans will likely get goosebumps as they see old friends brought to life again with such passion and integrity.

And despite the fact that this movie can perfectly well be enjoyed by a complete novice (and judging from the box office and glowing reviews, it has), it really is long-time Trek fans who will get the most out of it. There are so many delightful blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments that mark the first instance of a distinctive mannerism (like Spock's predilection for raising his eyebrow curiously in the face of a challenge) or phrase (McCoy's famous "I'm a doctor not a..." line, Spock's famous "Fascinating" or Scotty's "Cap'n, I'm giving'er all she's got!") that has come to define the Trek experience. The movie is chock-full of trivia, like McCoy's throwaway reference to Nurse Chapel (played by Majel Barrett Roddenberry in the Original Series) or

Of course there are some things that long-time Trek fans won't necessarily like so much. The writers do pull a pretty major stunt to re-start the timeline and give themselves the freedom to tell whatever stories they want to from now on. Many fans were not pleased with how the Enterprise was redesigned (personally I had no problem with it). I'm sure others on this forum will name other pet peeves.

For this long-time fan, though, this movie had it all. It brought beloved characters back to life in a respectful but innovative way, it was true to the spirit of the original Trek in its futuristic optimism and emphasis on bravery and self-sacrifice, it was funny, touching, thrilling and left me panting for more. Trek is back, folks, and hopefully here to stay for many sequels. May it live long and prosper.

Spock and Kirk's Excellent Adventure!

 

The U.S.S. Kelvin gets its @ss handed to it by a Romulan ship of the future as that Romulan comes out of a black hole singularity.  Baby Kirk is born under phaser fire and photon torpedo mayhem. 

 

And that's only the first 20 minutes of the film!

 

For all those who have been wishing for a Star Trek film that was closer to the original, your wish has certainly been granted!  Of course there are some inconsistencies with the original series (aka TOS), but that's to be expected when (spoiler:) there's a new timeline!

 

Kirk is more than brash and a little bit self-destructive.  In the TOS and the films it was established he grew up with this father and eventually rose to the captaincy of the Enterprise.  In this film, his father dies early on, so without this support, he gets mean. 

 

Kirk gets into a fistfight at a bar, gets the snot knocked out of him and is persuaded by Captain Pike to become a recruit for the Academy. 

 

Incredible storyline.  Abrams is a genius.  Not only did he keep the fun and excitement of the original series but he expanded on it.  What if Uhura met Kirk early?  What if Chekov became a navigator on the Enterprise now rather than wait until Season Two? 

 

The Romulan changed enough history to change everyone's history.  The new crew is pressed into service by an emergency on Vulcan which becomes a turning point in not only the Vulcan mythos but in humanity's as well.

 

Bright points:

 

Delta Vega III, where we find Kirk stranded as a large red insect creature chases him. 

 

Dr. McCoy saying he's a doctor not an engineer.  (yes, I'm a geek).

 

Sulu showing off his sword skills.

 

The original Alexander Courage music (but without the singing) and the strains of The Next Generation.

 

A tip of the hat to Captain Archer of the last Star Trek series on TV, "Enterprise."  Watch for it.

 

The pacing, the comedy and the mythos all combine to create a new tale.  If you're not "into" Star Trek, wonder why your Trekker friends cringe when you say "Star TRACK", and don't understand what a Vulcan is, you'll still have a great time.

 

If you are a lover of Star Trek though, you will catch all the nuances, all the sly gestures and overt comments from TOS.

And yes there are some inconsistencies, but most if not all can be handled with the time line changes.  As for the ship design, the set-up of the Kobyashi Maru scenario, etc., frankly so what?  JJ Abrams did take liberties with "canon" but he was not making a fanboy film.  He was resurrecting a dying franchise.  And for that, I thank him.

 

This is the "Dark Knight" of 2009!  Highly recommended!

  

Also:
Star Trek: The Original Series - Season One (DVD/HD DVD Combo, Remastered Edition)

Shatner says>"





And I love the TRAILER:

I am currently coming off my second viewing of J.J. Abram's "Star Trek", and am still reveling in the excitement I felt during both screenings. I come at Star Trek primarily as a fan of TNG (The Next Generation, in non-geek) and of late, Deep Space Nine. I rarely watched the original series though I have seen all the movies (The Undiscovered Country being my favorite; no hate from the Khan lovers please.) I went into Abram's adaptation feeling a certain amount of trepidation. Like so many other fans I was nervous that the genre would be overrun by a new wave, and homage would not be paid to the vision of the late Gene Rodenberry. Within the first hour my fears had been allayed and I knew that I loved the movie. This is unusual for me since most of the time I cannot gage my reaction to a film until the credits.

The thing that blew me away about this film was the cast. Though my knowledge of the original characters has by no means reached Trekker status, I couldn't have asked for a better selection of actors to play the young crew of the Enterprise. Whether it was a strategic decision to choose relative newcomers to the big screen or just dumb luck, this film struck gold in its lead players. Chris Pine was able to breathe life into young Captain Kirk, making the character his own, whilst still humbly paying tribute to the Kirk created by Shatner and the original series writers. Zachary Quinto portrayed Spock in conflict, struggling with the pull between his human and Vulcan heritage. I was worried going in that I would only see brain-lusting Sylar of Heroes, marauding around space with pointy ears and a botched eyebrow job, but this was not the case. Quinto separated us so fully from his silver screen persona, allowing us glimpses of the Spock we know and love, but whom he has not quite grown into yet. The most paralleled portrayal in my opinion was that of Karl Urban, who portrayed Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy. His mannerisms were nothing if not precise, and the humour surrounding his Bones-isms was perfectly timed and had just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek.

SPOILERS to FOLLOW

I read a review today where it was mentioned that Kirk's character has zero development, and his journey is pretty much nil, in the emotional sense. I couldn't agree more, though at first I couldn't figure out why I still loved the movie. Typically if a character is lacking development I am turned off; in this case, I think I was just so excited to see where Kirk came from that I bypassed my normal must-haves for a character. I know from the original series that Kirk is a fairly stagnant character. Kirk is who he is, no bones about it I expected this. Seeing it brought to life by the vibrant and attractive Chris Pine only solidified my love for Kirk and his ways. I get the feeling that this movie bucks the system in many ways. Abram's took an unpolished script from mid-writer's strike, characters beloved by possibly some of the most intense fan group (ever met a trekker?) and a story arc that had a very specific format to follow, dashed a little bit of cinnamon and paprika on it, and the rest is magic.

The choice to create an alternate timeline was probably the best thing the writers could have chosen to give the film a little bit of breathing room from the expectations that it had to live up to, whilst showcasing characters that are recognizable despite different circumstances. The alternate universe allowed Abrams to showcase a different set of events without feeling like he was stepping on the toes of those who've memorized the dates and times of every important Star Fleet event in Trek history.

Nero as a villain was an interesting choice. This is possibly the only thing that remains up in the air for me (other than the copious sun flares that plagued the movie; seriously once is funny, twice is annoying, three times deserves a spanking). Nero is a villain that facilitated both Kirk and Spock's agendas in the film. Kirk has a personal vendetta against Nero for causing the death of his father. Nero's reactionary choices allow Kirk to showcase his shoot from the hip style. Spock, whose future self incidentally caused Nero to become what he is, struggles with the emotions brought on by Nero's form of revenge and Kirk's method of dealing with Nero. Why am I up in the air? We barely get to know anything about Nero. We see a brief holograph of the pregnant wife he lost when Romulus was destroyed. We know why he is here, but we never find out who he is. Some history on his personality would have been nice. Was he always so reactionary? Has he proven himself ruthless prior to these events? Do those awesome tattoos mean anything? Even a flash-forward (or back depending on how you look at it) to him with his wife may promote more sympathy for Nero, thereby creating more intensity behind his cause. One thing I can say for certain, Eric Bana delivered a great performance, as usual. I could barely find Bana in Nero at all, unless I scrutinized the eyes. He went as far as he could with what he was given.

Abrams breathed new life into the worn backdrops and tired sets, creating an Apple Store bridge, with clean white technology and Kindle-esque tools. Engineering resembles a submarine packed with technology, and well-oiled machines. The Enterprise gives the impression of the Navy, in space. The crew salutes the captain when he walks past, and you can tell that they are there to perform a duty, rather than attend a housewarming party. This was s fantastic directorial choice, as the original Enterprise was essentially a ship, not the home that was portrayed in The Next Generation where the crew lived on the ship for years at a time. In Kirk's early days a mission was undertaken, executed, and the crew was returned to earth or their respective planets. This take gives the viewers a sense of realism, something that we can attach ourselves to based on the knowledge and experience that we possess.

The pacing of the film can be summed up in my phrase of the week "A no holds barred, action packed, non-stop thrill ride". From the opening sequence, my eyes were glued to the screen. A great portrayal of familiar characters with a new cast and the best that updated technology has to offer. Combine that with J.J. Abram's particular brand of magic, and you have a summer blockbuster that few can resist, and will likely last through the winter as well. Kudos to the team of Star Trek for approaching a seemingly insurmountable task, and showing us all that there is no reason you can't buck the formulas and still appeal to the masses.

The Star Trek franchise finally gets the shot in the arm it desperately needed, but that's not entirely a good thing. The moralising, intellectualising and stately grandeur that marked out Roddenberry's Trek has gone, replaced by visceral thrills, eye candy and fast editing. The movie entertains and thrills, but it's ultimately hollow - all muscle and no brains. This is Trek for a new generation; retooled and remodeled for teen appeal. It's very telling that they manage to shoehorn in some blatant Nokia product placement and the Beastie Boys within the first 30 minutes of the film. Even the bridge of the Enterprise now resembles somewhere to dock your iPod. The film moves at a lightning pace and has a highly kinetic style - like it's been made to hold the attention of teenagers with ADHD.
I was also surprised by the fact that, visually and sonically, the film resembles recent Star Wars rather than Star Trek - that's maybe due to the fact that there are some Lucasfilm regulars involved in the production. But, even the music is noticably un-Trek like. Yes, Leonard Nimoy is there to pass the torch and bridge the gap, and there are plenty of in-jokes and references to classic Trek to appease the hardcore fans at least a little. But, I just felt the film needed a few more visual and audible nods to its own heritage.

Despite those shortcomings and gripes, the film manages to be highly enjoyable. The young cast are superb, perfectly echoing the performances of the actors who inhabited the roles before them without descending into parody or impersonation. Karl Urban deserves particular praise - his performance as McCoy is right on the money.

On the whole, this is a successful reboot of Star Trek. It's not the best Trek movie by a long shot - Wrath of Khan is better, so is First Contact - but it's a lot of fun, and, above all, it has ensured the franchise will live longer and prosper.

 It was good. It was exciting. I had a great time. Everyone in the theater had a great time. I'd go again. I went again. I'd have fun a second time. I liked it when stuff blew up. Yay, yay, what a great time. 

Finally, a Star Trek movie that was fun to watch and that had an engaging story. Really missed that in the franchise.

Totally revamped and retouched reboot for Star Trek featuring Kirk and Spock's first mission. Exciting, fun and believe it or not cool.