Movie Review: Star Trek

Starring:

Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Eric Bana, Leonard Nimoy

The Plot:

A look at the origin of the famous crew of the USS Enterprise in a new take on the classic series.

My Two Cents:

If Star Trek, Beverly Hills 90210, and Michael Bay had a drunken night of debauchery, and JJ Abrams were to take their mutant offspring and craft it into a upstanding and well-spoken piece of work, then that's pretty much what this latest iteration of the Trek is.

Abrams' Star Trek isn't just a sequel, prequel or even a remake. He stripped this junker of its old rusty dull parts and fitted it with shiny new parts that make men drool and ladies swoon. He took this once plodding series loved by some and made it available to all.

This is the breath of fresh air Star Trek needed to keep its legacy relevant. Abrams was brave enough to broaden the demographic allowing the most brutish and manly of men to openly come out of the Trekkie closet, and what's even better is that he didn't have to spit in the faces of fanboys to do it.

What's different with this installment is obviously the action and visuals. Gone are the aspirations of peace and exploration and in their stead are phasers, lasers and explosion...asers. The special effects are eye-popping and on par with the likes of Star Wars. (Yes I just went there!) But amidst this fresh coat of ass-kicking paint, Abrams still hands out so much for fanboys to salivate over and most of this comes in the casting.

The Enterprise crew is brilliantly casted, giving fans of the original series peace of mind that the heart of their beloved series still exists. Chris Pine (honestly the best thing in Smokin' Aces) makes for a great Kirk mixing bravado and slapstick seamlessly. Zoe Saldana brings a new level of hotness to Uhura and also a personality. Zachary Quinto is pretty much born to play a modern-day Spock and the rest of the supporting crew fits perfectly dropping their respective quotes when their time comes to make fans wet themselves with glee.

In addition, the inclusion of Leonard Nimoy as an integral part of the story also exists as great fan treatment and I admire Abrams commitment to story by not overdoing it with cheesy cameos from every other former cast member. It's good to see that a filmmaker cares about the story and not senseless pandering.

Though the plot itself breaks one of my rules of sci-fi, which is involving time travel, it's exciting and most importantly accessible.(Say it with me Trekkies...accessible) You don't have to be a nerd to love this film and fanboys don't have to feel that the series has sold out. So come together nerds and normals, and bask in the greatness of Abrams energized version of a classic.

Grade: B+