Star Trek (2009) Review

 

Star Trek (2009)

Star Trek follows James T. Kirk, a rebellious young officer aboard the USS Enterprise on it’s maiden voyage, who is put on a crash course with Romulan Commander, Nero, whose mission of vengeance threatens to wipe out humanity. 

“To boldly go where no man has gone before”, a phrase J.J. Abrams took to heart when bringing Star Trek to the big screen, as even after years of content, this is unlike any story told before. For good reason too, as this film is set in an alternate timeline (which I would normally hate but the science and thought behind it is sound), preserving the original Gene Roddenberry series, as well as everything to follow, to give us a new story, with new avenues, with characters we know and love, acting as somewhat of a year one for these characters. And it’s the focus on the characters that allows this reboot/prequel to succeed for many would normally fail. There is a charisma and energy to them, that without even really interacting (or knowing each other within the context of the movie), it’s all still there and holds true to who these characters are. 

Now, on a purist end, I can wholeheartedly understand why fans may take up arms over this film, what with destroying Vulcan and Romulan, introducing time travel, and making this louder and flashier than ever before (complete with enough lens flares to make you never want to see them again), but I think it was important to start fresh and give this story a direction to go and grow without having to adhere to the rules of old.

That said, we get a killer cast, starring Eric Bana, Bruce Greenwood, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Leonard Nimoy, Karl Urban, Zachary Quinto, and Chris Pine. While the combined efforts of Pine, Quinto, Saldana, Cho, and Yelchin were undeniably fantastic, it’s impossible to forgo just how great Urban and Pegg were here, easily causing you to fall in love with their mouthy and sarcastic interpretations of Bones and Scotty. The inclusion of Nemoy was incredibly heartfelt, and a sincere passing of the torch from the old generation to the new. 

Star Trek, directed by J.J. Abrams, is an action packed reboot that gives a fresh and fun start to the characters of Star Trek, while taking them down a new path, opening the door for plenty of new adventures for the crew of the Enterprise. 

8.4/10