Star Trek

JJ Abrams reinvention of the Star Trek universe

Review by Cara Michaels, from Florida, on 08-May-2009

My first Star Trek experience was getting dragged to The Voyage Home with my mother and stepfather. I whined a little (hey, I was 11). I knew nothing about these characters, and it clearly said it was the fourth movie. I didn’t want to be totally lost. I was overruled, of course, and I went. Been a Trek fan ever since.

Two words come immediately to mind after my Star Trek IMAX experience last night.

Go.

Now.

It’s official. Star Trek has been reinvented and reinvigorated. This may be what Trek should have always been. Go in with an open mind, and be prepared to have your beloved Trek history tweaked a bit. Not in an arbitrary, “well that’s how we want it” way, but as an integral part of the storyline.

From the word “go”, JJ Abrams does not let you take much of a breather. I can’t remember the last time a Trek movie made me jump in my seat, but there were several times last night (and one time when I buried my head against David’s shoulder, eek!).

Casting: A
Even though I was fully prepared to loathe these new imposters taking over roles I grew up with, instead I found myself thoroughly charmed by Chris Pine’s roguish Kirk and Zachary Quinto’s half-breed Spock. I don’t remember much of what (if any) struggles Spock went through with his half-human heritage in the original series and movies, but in this film, Spock’s emotions seem much closer to the surface. And that’s a welcome change. The rest of the classic crew plays much smaller roles, but they are still fun. In some instances, Karl Urban seemed at times to be trying to channel a bit too much DeForest Kelly into his Bones, but overall the entire cast is great. Eric Bana as main baddie Nero, is unrecognizable and superb in a role that doesn’t quite give him enough screen time. Zoe Saldana (Uhura), Simon Pegg (Scotty), John Cho (Sulu), and Anton Yelchin (Chekov) have minimal screen time in comparison to Pine and Quinto, but they inject plenty of life into their characters.

Action and Visuals: A
Wow. This movie is simply breathtaking. Explosions, mass destruction, sword fights, chases, warps, singularities, phaser battles, good ol’ fashioned brawling. If you’ve seen the previews, you’ve seen Kirk and Sulu sky-diving; I won’t give you all the details, but as one person whispered in our theatre, “Talk about a HALO.” That’s a High-Altitude, Low-Open (of the chute) jump for those not familiar with the lingo. In true Trek fashion, Kirk gets his butt handed to him on a regular basis (those poor Trek captains are always getting beat up), and gets to have a fun (and funny) romp with a lovely, green-skinned cadet. And whatever else is going on, you can’t forget the ships. Warp drive packs a punch, and there are places in the Enterprise that you have never seen before. Visually speaking, the only irritations to me were the continual (and sometimes inexplicable) lens flares that were in nearly every scene. It’s a minor complaint, and one I can live with.

Costuming: B+
This category is dinged mostly because of the cadet uniforms. They are stunningly bulky and ugly. The officers’ uniforms give a nod to the classic series with mini-dresses and boots for the ladies, and pullovers for the men. The classic Trek colors of gold, red, and blue look fantastic.

Storyline: A
If you want to revitalize a classic concept, this is the way to do it. The Kirk and Spock storylines are superb, as are a romantic subplot, and the myriad threads that bring the Enterprise’s crew together. The tech talk is kept to a minimum, which definitely helps to keep the plot moving. Leonard Nimoy’s cameo as an elderly Spock, while welcome, comes across as something of a deus ex machina, including the passing on of a formula that’s commonly known in the elder Spock’s future (not unlike the transparent aluminum formula that’s introduced in The Voyage Home) but has not yet been developed. Without him, the story would quite literally go nowhere without a major rewrite. On the flip side of that, elder Spock’s appearance is necessary to this new and vital Trek universe, and sets events in motion that leave the horizon alight with possibilities.

Overall Review: A
There are plenty of references to classic lines and moments to keep longtime Trek fans smiling. Newbies to the concept will find plenty to draw them in and keep them there. As I understand it, this is the first in a three-picture deal, so we can all look forward to more in the future.

Movie details