Radical Reviews!!!

Star Trek. One of the most beloved Science Fiction franchises and the bane of countless nerds the world over. And I mean that in the best way possible. Gene Roddenberry's vision of a future has been taken to a new high. The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise, as well as the numerous movies, have passed the torch. With the release of JJ Abrams radically different vision for Star Trek there is most definitely a change in the guard. And I for one like it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a true blue Trekkie, although not nearly as hardcore as some, but I thoroughly enjoyed the new movie.

WARNING: HERE BE SPOILERS!!!
Although I'll try not to reveal anything to terrible, I figured I'd put that up just in case.

The plot had a number of problems, but they were small and easily ignored. But it wasn't so much the plot, as the acting that really made the movie shine. Chris Pine managed to channel all the swagger and arrogance that made Kirk. While he didn't quite have that same appeal that Shatner brought to the role, he is more than qualified to continue the legacy of Kirk. Acting opposite of Chris Pine, was Zachary Quinto as Spock. I haven't been a big fan of Heroes, in fact I have not seen a single episode, so I'm not going to try to compare his character on that show to his portrayal as Spock, but by my reckoning he did an excellent job. Once again, not quite the Spock that Leonard Nimoy made famous, but I would not complain if he took the job again.

Now comes one of the odd divergences from Roddenberry's original vision. Zoe Saldana plays Uhura, but unlike the Original Series, this Uhura seems to have a pretty steamy relationship with Spock. Although it seemed a bit odd at first, especially since the commercials hinted at a Kirk/Uhura relationship, I think it brought a little something extra to the film. It allowed Abrams to play with Spock's emotions just a little bit more, and show that his human side does have effect him. My favorite performance in the entire film was that of Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy. Urban does an amazing job of channeling the spirit of Deforest Kelley. Without a doubt his performance is the most spot on of all the new characters. If only he had gotten a little bit more screen time.

Simon Pegg as Scotty was a hoot. While the original Montgomery Scott, played by the venerable James Doohan, did not have quite the attitude that Pegg brought to the character, I feel that his performance was second only to Urban's as McCoy. Sadly his character seems to be regulated to the background a little too much, but he's in there enough to establish the character. Sulu and Chekov are the two characters that are given the least amount of screen time. Don't misunderstand me, they are both featured significantly, but compared to Spock and Kirk (obviously the stars) and even McCoy, they are little more than homages to the original characters.

Two of the coolest cameos, if you can call it that, was Jennifer Morrison as Kirk's mother and Winona Ryder as Amanda Grayson, Spock's mother. I giggled like a little school girl when I saw those two in there as I could not picture either of them doing something quite like this.

The most radical change that JJ Abrams made toward the franchise was the design of the ships and cities. While the basic design for the NCC-1701 USS Enterprise has not changed, the look and feel of the ship has. Abrams has taken all of the old designs and updated them to the new 21st century. While it does not detract from the film, for those old school Trekkies it takes a bit of getting used too.

The biggest thing about the movie is the time traveling aspect. While not an unusual concept for a Star Trek movie, the way it's executed is quite good. Without giving away the entire plot, Abrams uses the time traveling concept to set this movie up as a alternate reality from that established by Roddenberry. To me this was an ingenious move because now it allows Abrams, and anyone following him, to muck around in this newly created universe without destroying the canon as established by the previous movies and series.

Overall this was an excellent movie, and despite what hardcore Trekkies may say about the film, it is well worth the price of a movie ticket. Abrams has taken Roddenberry's vision and moved in a completely different direction without stepping on any toes. He has crafted a movie that will, and should, be considered a new chapter in the ongoing Star Trek saga. I hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy this movie while it's still in theatres.


As a little aside, here's a quick little clip of SNL featuring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Leonard Nimoy. Enjoy.



-Peter