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Written by Starring Presented by 126 minutes |
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STAR
TREK (2009) Review
It’s quite a surprise that the biggest and best reviewed film of the year so far by audiences and critics is a relaunch of a franchise that began as a TV show 40 years earlier which was cancelled for low ratings. In 1991, the original cast left audiences with STAR TREK VI and the NEXT GENERATION took over the film franchise, but after the last film’s poor box office performance, Hollywood hero JJ Abrams (LOST, ALIAS) was called in to restart the franchise that introduced us to William Shatner, pointy ears, Klingons, Tribbles, and the final frontier. STAR TREK opens up as Starship USS Kelvin winds itself the target of a huge Romulan ship that appears out of a black hole. Its leader, the maniacal Nero (Eric Bana) is searching for a Vulcan ambassador. Badly damaging the ship and murdering its Captain, the ship’s first officer, George Kirk, is promoted to Captain and evacuates the ship, saving the life of his laboring wife, who gives birth to his son right as he dies. The boy of course is James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), and he grows up on Iowa a rebellious youth, stealing cars and getting in trouble with the law. His attitude also has a genius IQ and he is recruited by his friend and mentor Pike (Bruce Greenwood) to join the Starfleet Academy. Meanwhile, young Spock (Zachary Quinto) is dealing with the ridicule of being only half of his race on his home planet of Vulcan, being that his father married a human (played by Winona Ryder in older makeup). He decides to abandon his Vulcan Order to become a member of Starfleet, where he shines through the ranks. It is when Kirk defeats a computer simulation designed by Spock that the two meet, and their initial encounter is not so kind. While at Starfleet, Kirk befriends Leonard “Bones” McCoy (Karl Urban) and tries to seduce Uhura (Zoe Saldana), but when the same Romulan ship appears to wreck havoc again, Kirk, Spock, and company along with Captain Pike send the USS Enterprise on its maiden mission. After a disagreement by Kirk and Spock, Kirk is banished to a desolate planet, where he meets Nero’s true target, Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy reprising his iconic role), 129 years from the future, and finds that Nero’s actions have altered history. This is the first STAR TREK that is for more than just die hard Trekkies, and while Abrams does take many liberties with the story, he honors the original in many ways by referencing many moments from the original series, movies, and even a NEXT GENERATION episode (it is Spock’s appearance in a STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION episode that sets the events for Nero’s rage). I’m not a die hard Trekkie, but I know enough from the series and movies to get the little touches that were displayed, right down to the dreaded “red shirt” ensign who dies on a perilous mission. It also has a very clever way of saying that these films aren’t replacing the original storyline, in fact it is considered an “alternate reality” and I liked that touch. The cast are all great, and pay homage to the original stars without emulating them. Chris Pine was a great choice as Kirk as he nails the character’s mannerisms down. He makes it his own and commands the screen with his brash charm. Zachary Quinto is astounding as Spock, giving the film’s best performance as the plot of the film does show the young Spock act in ways you’ve never seen before, counteracting with Nimoy’s performance in the TV series. If anyone in the cast looks like they had the previous actor’s soul inhabit them, it’s no doubt Karl Urban as McCoy. Simon Pegg is hilarious as Scotty, although he shows up way too late in the film. Returning to his iconic role, Leonard Nimoy doesn’t have a lot of screen time, but is all over the film. As the only original cast member returning (which is sensible considering that Vulcans age slower than humans), Nimoy is splendid and I hope this isn’t the last time we see him as Spock. Eric Bana immediately gains iconic villain status as Nero, who doesn’t go over the top and shows a violent yet controlled anger which makes his actions that more terrifying. The film is already the highest grossing STAR TREK film and at the eleventh now in the series franchise, is clearly the most entertaining. Is it the best? I think it’s too soon for that answer but it’s up there. Abrams has been hit (ALIAS) or miss (CLOVERFIELD) over his production choices throughout his career, but there’s no doubt that with relaunching STAR TREK, he has knocked it out of the park. This is pure entertainment and worth seeing in a theater. STAR TREK (2009): 9 Out Of 10 Maggots
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