Because Star Trek is so beloved by it’s die hard fans, I feel a certain obligation to give full disclosure on my opinion of Star Trek in general prior to my review.
When I was young, my older Brother watched the original series from time to time and quite frankly I was bored to death and really wanted to watch something else entirely. As I grew older, The Next Generation came into existence and I absolutely loved it and the films from The Next Generation in my opinion were really good, with the exception of the final film ‘Nemesis’ which managed to rake in a whopping $70 Million at the box office (and for good reason).
I liked Voyager but the rest I could have lived without. The movies from the original series were good for their time and far better than the television show, but aside from a few iconic scenes (i.e. ‘Kaaaahn’), having not re-watched them in quite some time they have all but vanished from my memory… so do I consider myself a Trekkie (or Trekker)? No, but I do consider myself a Trek Fan and I obviously love Sci-Fi.
That being said, if this latest re-boot/prequel (whatever you want to call it) is any indication of where the Star Trek Universe will be heading for years to come, I may have to pick up a Starfleet Uniform and grab some Vulcan ears to get ready for the next convention.
People can call this incarnation of Trek whatever they wish, I will go with Re-Birth and I truly belive that J.J. Abrams, along with writers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman & a stellar cast, they have truly created The Next Generation of Star Trek and it is (for me) a re-birth.
This film has the character arcs and character development that we would expect from anything Trek. The dialogue is intelligent, witty and pays great respect to the Trek of the past, without turning it into a caricature of itself.
I have to admit that I feared that most of the actors would pale in comparison to their counterparts and may come off as a bad impersonation, luckily that was not the case. They are all excellent, tasteful homage’s that are both impressive and in some cases, surprising.
Zachary Quinto was astounding as Spock, I had really thought that I would have trouble separating him from his character on Heroes (Sylar) during the course of this film and shockingly, I never once thought of him as anyone other than Spock.
Leonard Nimoy reprising his role as (the older) Spock was both fantastic and regal. He and Quinto’s take on the same character at different stages complimented each other very well.
Anton Yelchin plays Pavel Chekov and is impeccable. Karl Urban channels DeForest Kelley’s ‘Bones’ so well, you’d think he was his long lost son. Chris Pine whom I’ve marginally liked (at best) in other films and had very low expectations for his portrayal of Kirk was a pleasant surprise. Pine’s Kirk was cocky, rebellious, and funny and is quintessentially what I think Shatner’s Kirk would have been as a young man setting foot on the bridge of the Enterprise for the first time.
Review Continues After the Jump
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Some people have complained about the pacing of this movie, saying it’s too frenetic and hyper from one scene to the next and I could not disagree more. J.J. Abrams is a master at pacing in his films and I assure you, this one is no different. Michael Giacchino’s score is a phenomenal partner to J.J.’s pacing and helps evoke the very emotion that is intended in every scene.
The other complaint that I’ve come across is the ‘Lens Flare’ issue and from what I had read prior to seeing the film I had expected to be blinded by them throughout most of the movie. I don’t think it was over used at all and I also think it helped further the illusion that they were really out in space, it lent a certain atmosphere I hadn’t experienced in any space related Sci-Fi film prior to this.
While we’re on the topic of appearance, the wardrobe was fantastic and pays tribute to both the classic and newer generations of Trek, while still being original. The Enterprise is a gorgeous, monster of a star ship and I was blown away by the size and scope of the engineering department and the cargo bay, they were much more the scale I would expect on a vessel as large as that and were much more believable than past incarnations.
The CGI (by ILM) was great throughout and in a few places it was just off the charts. [This is not a spoiler] There is one scene in which the Enterprise is heading toward Titan (Saturn’s largest moon) and as the ship comes into view through some gaseous clouds, you will see what I mean.
Could real Trekkie’s nitpick this film? Probably, but they shouldn’t. Will the Sci-Fi fan, the casual Trek fan or your every day moviegoer have complaints? I seriously doubt they will and if they’re anything like me or even if they have never had a fondness for Trek at all, they will have a new found appreciation for it and will be scheduling their repeat visit to the theater to see it a second time.
I have a feeling that most people who see this film will be looking forward to the future and after all, isn’t that what Trek is all about?
I give Star Trek an enthusiastic 5 Stars
Did you see it?.. what did you think? Let us know in the comments section.
