Star Trek 2009--Don't Call it a Reboot
Director J. J Abrams Reimagines the Science Fiction Classic
Jul 28, 2009
New set designs, updated special effects, and a fresh-faced cast make J. J. Abrams' Star Trek hipper than the classic series on which it is based. The film's tagline, "This is not your father's Star Trek", is patently aimed at a young male demographic, members of whom might prefer not to be marked with the taboo of Star Trek geekdom. The new approach bodes well for the franchise, which has needed serious reinvigoration after the critical disappointments of Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).
Introducing the New Kirk and Spock
The film opens with sequences that juxtapose the childhoods of Kirk and Spock (played as adults by Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, respectively). Gifted but undisciplined, young Kirk is fit for little more than juvenile delinquency. As a young man, he seems to have no ambition other than chasing skirts, until an encounter with Cpt. Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) guilt-trips him into trying to do something better with his life.
In contrast to Kirk's rough childhood, Spock excels academically, even while enduring ostracism and discrimination for being half-human: "It is truly remarkable that you have achieved so much," says one Vulcan elder, "despite your disadvantage." Quinto's Spock is appropriately austere, yet he adopts a few more human traits than the original Spock. He's also more conflicted: Spock sees his mixed blood as a dichotomy, and doesn't know how to be human or Vulcan without feeling like he's betraying one of his parents. It's curious that Spock doesn't see the logical flaws in such an either/or view, and it will be interesting to see if future installments return to this notion.
Pine and Quinto Lead a Competent Cast
The biggest thing to set this film apart from its predecessors is its performances. Pine's Kirk is full of cocky insouciance, but he's tempered with an unexpected sensitivity. Quinto is utterly believable as a Spock who grew up a little less unyielding to his human heritage. Rounding out the triumvirate is Karl Urban, who, as a slightly less curmudgeonly McCoy, even looks and sounds like DeForest Kelley. In one of my favourite scenes, he rages about space travel, culminating with, "Space is disease and danger, wrapped in darkness and silence." No wonder he's cranky all the time.
John Cho as Sulu and Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov have relatively small roles, with which they do the best they can. Cho gets to be an action hero, if briefly, showing a Sulu who has better fighting skills than those showcased in classic episode "The Naked Time". Finally, there's Montgomery Scott (Simon Pegg), who only appears about two-thirds into the movie. Though Pegg's take on Scotty is too similar to his role as Benji in Mission Impossible: III--another Abrams film--his performance seems to garner the most laughs. The only real disappointment is Uhura (Zoe Saldana). Dolled up with an improbably long ponytail and short miniskirt, she doesn't do a lot more than flounce about after Spock.
Villains and Conflict in Star Trek
The best Star Trek villains are at least as interesting as the good guys, but here the film falls short. Romulan antagonist Nero (Eric Bana) blames Spock, i.e., Ambassador Spock from the established timeline, for failing to save Romulus from destruction. Nero's actions lead to the creation of the current universe--the specifics are convoluted and not really important--and entail the destruction of a few Federation planets. Bana is fine as Nero, whose back-story inevitably invites unfavourable comparisons to Khan Singh. Otherwise, he and the rest of the Romulans are rather generic.
Still, the development of villainous characters is secondary to that of Kirk and Spock. As the central relationship in the original series and movies, the Kirk-Spock dynamic is multi-faceted, and it's interesting to see it unfold in the Abrams universe. Will they be as close friends as their counterparts in the original universe? What about McCoy, ever the foil to Spock's frustrating rationality? Their first meeting seems to indicate that things might be different: "Who was that pointy-eared bastard?" asks Kirk, to which McCoy replies, "I don't know, but I like him."
A Star Trek Movie With Time Travel...Again
Like many other Star Trek movies, the plot feels like it was ripped from a two-part TV episode. Time travel, parallel universes, world-destroying weapons, and a personal vendetta are all integral to the Star Trek canon. But thanks to a huge budget, Star Trek looks and sounds every bit the blockbuster. The high production values are welcome, even if the Enterprise bridge design seems a little iPod-esque. In addition, the choppy editing style that Abrams favours is distracting when it's done too much. Also uneven is the score composed by Michael Giacchino, which is all bombast and bluster during the action sequences. By contrast, the use of the er-hu, or Chinese fiddle, for the Vulcan theme is mildly exotic and appropriate.
In a bold narrative move, the Enterprise does not race back to the past to try to mend the timeline; writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman deserve kudos for going against narrative status quo. There's a lot of talk in the film about destiny, but if the protagonists learn anything, it's that destiny's not immutable. The future, as well as the past, can be rewritten: this is why the film's conceit works. Some fans may feel alienated by the irrevocable (or not?) changes made in this universe, but it's one of the film's finest points. Star Trek is no masterpiece, but despite its overwrought story, it manages to entertain, amuse, and even surprise.
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