Star Trek «««½
PG-13, 127m. 2009
Cast & Credits: Chris Pine (James Tiberius Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Younger Spock), John Cho (Hikaru Sulu), Ben Cross (Sarek), Bruce Greenwood (Captain Christopher Pike), Simon Pegg (Montgomery “Scotty” Scott), Winona Ryder (Amanda Grayson), Zoe Saldana (Nyota Uhura), Karl Urban (Leonard “Bones” McCoy), Anton Yelchin (Pavel Chekov), Eric Bana (Captain Nero), Leonard Nimoy (Ambassador Spock), Tyler Perry (Admiral Richard Barnett). Jennifer Morrison (Winona Kirk), Rachel Nichols (Gaila), Faran Tahir (Captain Robau), Chris Hemsworth (George Kirk), Majel Barrett Roddenberry (Voice of Computer). Screenplay by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Directed by J.J. Abrams.
Star Trek, or to be more precise, “Trek XI” finally goes where no other Star Trek movie has gone before; the world of remakes based on classic television shows. I never saw the first six films that ran from 1979 to 1991 and featured the original cast from the 1966-69 series as remakes of the TV series. I saw them as event movies since they came out every couple years, based of course on either how successful each installment was at the box office, or how strong the fan response was.
By comparison, I felt the films that ran from 1994 to 2002 that featured the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) played like they were extended episodes of the television series.
I knew when William Shatner appeared briefly in Star Trek: Generations (1994) as Captain Kirk that marked the big screen debut of the Next Generation cast, that this was Paramount Pictures’ way of saying the torch was now being passed to another generation.
The same can be said now for this new Star Trek movie as we see Leonard Nimoy reprising his role as Mr. Spock and appearing with a completely new cast who take over the roles once held by the original members.
Kirk is so sure of himself that upon being told he could be a starship captain in four years, he tells Pike he will do it in three.
By comparison, we get a glimpse into the young Mr. Spock’s childhood as he is ridiculed by classmates for being half human thanks to his mother. Spock eventually joins Starfleet, much to the dismay of his Vulcan elders who prefer he enroll at the Vulcan Science Academy.
All the major characters start coming into play as we meet Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban) whose negative attitude about space travel is a prelude to what he will likely say in later installments when he steps into a transporter.
“Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence,” McCoy says.
Then there is Uhura (Zoe Saldana), whose character not only has more depth but is given a lot more to do here compared to the amount of screen time Nichelle Nichols had in the role in both the original series and the first six films.
We later meet Ensign Chekov (Anton Yelchin) whose Russian accent the Enterprise’s computer has trouble understanding and Mr. Sulu (John Cho), the helmsman who in his first time in front of a console has trouble figuring out how to engage the warp drive. Lastly, there is Mr. Scott (Simon Pegg) who is able to do wonders with engineering and the transporter so long as it’s not the admiral’s dog he is transporting.
All of them are called into action aboard the Enterprise when the Romulan Captain Nero (Eric Bana) threatens the entire galaxy’s future with a weapon that can alter the past.
Despite the fact I saw this film twice in theaters, once in IMAX, because I enjoyed it so much, I am not quite ready to say this new reboot of the Trek franchise will “live long and prosper” as the previous Treks.
The film is at least a positive step in the right direction. Then again, Star Trek “XI” wouldn’t be Star Trek without hearing those familiar words in the end of “Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise” as she warps off on another adventure.
©5/8/09
PG-13, 127m. 2009
Cast & Credits: Chris Pine (James Tiberius Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Younger Spock), John Cho (Hikaru Sulu), Ben Cross (Sarek), Bruce Greenwood (Captain Christopher Pike), Simon Pegg (Montgomery “Scotty” Scott), Winona Ryder (Amanda Grayson), Zoe Saldana (Nyota Uhura), Karl Urban (Leonard “Bones” McCoy), Anton Yelchin (Pavel Chekov), Eric Bana (Captain Nero), Leonard Nimoy (Ambassador Spock), Tyler Perry (Admiral Richard Barnett). Jennifer Morrison (Winona Kirk), Rachel Nichols (Gaila), Faran Tahir (Captain Robau), Chris Hemsworth (George Kirk), Majel Barrett Roddenberry (Voice of Computer). Screenplay by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Directed by J.J. Abrams.
By comparison, I felt the films that ran from 1994 to 2002 that featured the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) played like they were extended episodes of the television series.
I knew when William Shatner appeared briefly in Star Trek: Generations (1994) as Captain Kirk that marked the big screen debut of the Next Generation cast, that this was Paramount Pictures’ way of saying the torch was now being passed to another generation.
The same can be said now for this new Star Trek movie as we see Leonard Nimoy reprising his role as Mr. Spock and appearing with a completely new cast who take over the roles once held by the original members.
I have to admit I was a little worried about how this new Trek movie would turn out. I have very little faith that Hollywood will remain true to any beloved TV series when it comes to bringing them to the big screen. Some of the reincarnations the past few years have been so forgettable that I am unable to come up with any examples at this moment. I consider that a good thing.That’s exactly what we get in this update as we’re introduced to a young James Kirk (Chris Pine) on Earth and Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) on Vulcan in their early years growing up. Kirk is a rebellious teenager who takes his stepfather’s classic 20th century automobile out on a joyride sending it off a cliff and gets into fights with Starfleet cadets at a local bar. Following a brawl, Kirk meets up with Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) who tells him how he knew his father who was also in Starfleet and offers him a chance to join the ranks.
I have always believed the best remakes are the ones that remain true to the original. Star Trek “XI” may be a redo than it is a remake or follow-up to a previous installment, but it still retains elements that made the original work. When it comes to the television series and the movies, Star Trek has always been about camaraderie and relationships.
Kirk is so sure of himself that upon being told he could be a starship captain in four years, he tells Pike he will do it in three.
By comparison, we get a glimpse into the young Mr. Spock’s childhood as he is ridiculed by classmates for being half human thanks to his mother. Spock eventually joins Starfleet, much to the dismay of his Vulcan elders who prefer he enroll at the Vulcan Science Academy.
All the major characters start coming into play as we meet Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban) whose negative attitude about space travel is a prelude to what he will likely say in later installments when he steps into a transporter.
“Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence,” McCoy says.
Then there is Uhura (Zoe Saldana), whose character not only has more depth but is given a lot more to do here compared to the amount of screen time Nichelle Nichols had in the role in both the original series and the first six films.
We later meet Ensign Chekov (Anton Yelchin) whose Russian accent the Enterprise’s computer has trouble understanding and Mr. Sulu (John Cho), the helmsman who in his first time in front of a console has trouble figuring out how to engage the warp drive. Lastly, there is Mr. Scott (Simon Pegg) who is able to do wonders with engineering and the transporter so long as it’s not the admiral’s dog he is transporting.
All of them are called into action aboard the Enterprise when the Romulan Captain Nero (Eric Bana) threatens the entire galaxy’s future with a weapon that can alter the past.
As I said what I liked most about the first six films, and to a certain extent the next generation installments, and the original series was the overwhelming sense of camaraderie displayed by the characters. The movies themselves, at least the first six felt like event films. I couldn’t wait to see them again in the next installment.At the same time, I didn’t quite I understand the time travel subplot involving the older Mr. Spock though I will say after taking an online astronomy class over the summer, I did learn that when you are staring at the stars at night, you are looking back in time because that is light coming to Earth decades, if not centuries ago.
I was happy to find that same sense of camaraderie in Trek XI. Everything else came second, in particular the laser battles in space and inside Nero’s starship that clearly look like they are echoing scenes from the Star Wars movies. Seeing the Enterprise itself race through space and then suddenly make a quick stop at its destination just in time to avoid a collision reminded me of how those rebel ships in Return of the Jedi (1983) came out of hyperspace and immediately came face to face with the second Death Star.
Despite the fact I saw this film twice in theaters, once in IMAX, because I enjoyed it so much, I am not quite ready to say this new reboot of the Trek franchise will “live long and prosper” as the previous Treks.
The film is at least a positive step in the right direction. Then again, Star Trek “XI” wouldn’t be Star Trek without hearing those familiar words in the end of “Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise” as she warps off on another adventure.
©5/8/09
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