Movie Review of the New Star Trek Film
Director JJ Abrams Brings Star Trek to A Whole New Audience
May 10, 2009
The new Star Trek film, directed by JJ Abrams attempts to breathe new life into the famous series, and makes a fairly good attempt at re-establishing a franchise. Brilliant special effects and a well-developed script that intertwines drama are marred by a poorly conceived villain, but fans and casual viewers alike will still enjoy the ride.
JJ Abram’s Star Trek Should Placate Trekkies without Alienating the General Audience
Star Trek fans, more commonly referred to as ‘Trekkies,’ should be satisfied with the attention to detail the new film pays to the Star Trek universe. The many small references throughout the film should placate these die-hard fans. Unfortunately, this means that many of the Star Trek nuances are lost on the general audience.
While the general audience might be familiar with such famous phrases from the series as ‘Live long and prosper,’ most will not truly understand the underlying relations between the various races of the Star Trek ‘verse, the Humans, the Romulans, the Vulcans and the Klingons to name a few. While these references may confuse some of those unfamiliar with Star Trek, they do not detract from the mind-blowing experience as a whole.
Star Trek Glitters with Stunning Special Effects
Watching an entire planet literally destroying itself from the inside out is a brilliant and disturbing piece of imagery that transfers beautifully to the big screen. Space itself is a mysterious and ominous place, with indescribable beauty hiding in its shadows, but Star Trek manages to capture its beauty without destroying its mysteriousness.
The audio effects throughout the film were similarly impressive, especially the scenes in deep space where no sound but the deep breathing of the astronauts sky diving onto a planet adds a special realism to the entire atmosphere of the scene.
Great Characters and Brilliant Humor
While it was interesting to see the development of two of the most famous Star Trek characters, Captain James T. Kirk and his first officer Spock, it was Scotty and little Keenser that stole the show. Scotty, played by Simon Pegg, was hilarious in the role and his presence brought new life to the ship. From his very appearance on the ice planet of Delta Vega the audience will be in stitches.
Also featured from the original series was Sulu, Uhura, Chekov and a host of other famous Star Trek characters. Leonard Nimoy also had the opportunity to reprise his role as Spock, as he played Spock from the future, much older and wiser than his younger counterpart.
Captain Nero is Poorly Conceived Villain
Captain Nero is an interesting character, his overall motivations seem a little twisted, but what villain isn’t a little twisted? What makes him such a poor villain is his lack of rhyme or reason. His justifications for leaving some alive, while killing others goes beyond irrational and becomes simply ridiculous. This makes him more irritating than menacing. A better villain would have made the film much more enjoyable and realistic.
Conclusion: the New Star Trek is Awesome
Overall JJ Abrams has done a terrific job in bringing Star Trek to a new audience, while still paying homage to its most dedicated fans. While not all will be satisfied with his treatment of the Star Trek Universe, the new Star Trek film is definitely ready to take its place in Star Trek history. It receives an 8.5/10 for being able to make Star Trek available for the masses in a fun and exciting way, with only a few small shortcomings.
