Synopsis: The future begins in J.J. Abram’s smash hit Star Trek, “a burst of pure filmmaking exhilaration and an irresistible invitation for fun” Scott Mantz, Access Hollywood. When the Romulan Nero comes from the future to take revenge on the Federation, rivals Kirk and Spock must work together to stop him from destroying everything they know. On a thrilling journey filled with incredible action, the new recruits of the U.S.S. Enterprise will voyage through unimaginable danger in one of the biggest and most critically acclaimed movies of the year.
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Star Trek 8.0

I’m a HUGE Star Trek fan, but mostly of the original series and crew. While I also like the Next Generation crew, they never inspired me as much, and the other three series just never piqued my interest.

So, when I heard that they were doing a revamp, or reboot, of the original crew, I received the news with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I wanted more adventures with Kirk, Spock and McCoy. But, on the other, the purist in me was worried that they would scuttle a good formula – and, truly, who could possibly replace the original cast?

The answer came soon enough and it was a mixed bag: McCoy was awesome, Kirk was decent and Spock was a shadow of his former self. The rest of the cast was also a mix and match, but there was one nice surprise: Bruce Greenwood as Christopher Pike. Wow! What commanding presence! When this guy walked in the room, he simply took control (which is apt, seeing as he starts the movie as the Captain of the Enterprise)!

Cast aside, the story is also a mixed bag. On the one hand, it has so much action and thrills and spills that one can hardly be bored at any given time. On the flip side, the depth that one can usually expect from a Star Trek adventure was sorely lacking. What happened to the questions regarding scientific advancement, about our environmental impact on future generations, about artificial lifeforms and self-awareness/consciousness, …etc.? What about the prime directive and the notions of responsibility and diplomacy? What about…?

No, this film was meant to be a fun ride. And it is – hence why it drew a larger number of people unfamiliar with Trek to the cinema. But its bastardizations of the Star trek timeline and universe, gaping plot holes and emotional shallowness are hard to ignore – and it means that, either the film will have less longevity (i.e. will be worth fewer repeat viewings), or one will need to set his/her brain on stun to continue enjoying it.

In fact, I am kind of tempted to drop the rating to 7.5 – but I’ll give it time and the benefit of the doubt. After all, if this is simply a set-up for more multi-dimensional adventures of Star Trek, then I can only wish that the series lives long and prospers. But, if it’s a sign of things to come, I think that I’m going to hold onto my cherished memories and, as with the new Star Wars films, ignore the new Treks until they go away.

(as a side note… if they started making movies with Captain Pike at the helm, however, I’d definitely pay to see that!)