ZC Rating 4 of 7: Very Good
J.J. Abrams' Star Trek is not Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek. It is a mix of Star Wars exuberance and Battlestar Galactica grittiness. With rapidly-repeating ship's lasers blazing away in debris-strewn space battles, and revolver-like phasers shooting energy bullets, Roddenberry's wagon train to the stars concept is taken to heart, but do not look for moral or social introspection here: in this reboot of the Star Trek franchise, Abrams puts aside the morality plays, for now, and points both warp nacelles to the action-filled stars, creating an emotionally charged adventure that brings together Roddenberry's memorable captain and crew again for the first time. This Star Trek boldly goes where no movie in the series, odd or even numbered, has gone before, and keeps the heart of Roddenberry's creation beating strongly and, ironically, more sure than much of what followed the original series' next generation: Abrams remembered that the characters are always more important than the mechanics, and the story must be told through them, not about them.
Timewarp: some time in the 1960's I stand in front of a small stage in the bomb shelter of my grade school, St. Mary Mother of Jesus. Star Trek, the television series, is hot, and every boy wants to be Kirk or Spock and put on school plays with them, us, fighting vicious Klingons. For this school play I do not get to play Kirk or Spock. I get to play the Away Party sap of the week; the guy who gets phasered or blown up in the opening minutes of the episode. This time, though, the principal, a nun whose temper is more feared than Klingon grooming, shoots down the play because the boys take the fighting part to heart and she will not have such science fiction tomfoolery in her wholesome school.
Abrams, along with writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, put the overused time-warped- cheat in use again to make it all comfortable enough for long-time fans and fresh enough to entice newbies. By revolving the drama around Spock, both young and old versions of him from this and that universes, this movie's alternate universe and timeline allows the good old days and the new good days to comingle, leaving elbow room for growing the characters we know so well into those characters we know so well, while retooling the franchise with today's sensibility for special effects and space drama.
The opening minutes blast furiously across the screen as the USS Kelvin encounters Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan with mean tattoos and a bad attitude, who reminded me a little of Shinzon from Star Trek: Nemesis. (Is it just me, or does every foe encountered in a Trek movie want to destroy Earth?) Kirk's father is captain of the Kelvin for only a few minutes before he dies, but its what he does in those minutes that saves baby Kirk, mom, and many others; he rams Nero's larger mining spaceship, the Narada, to give time for the lifeboats to get away.
On earth, Kirk (Chris Pine) grows up to become a reckless, directionless, bad boy. On Vulcan, a young Spock is taunted by his classmates for being part human. When he loses his temper and pummels his tormentor to a pulp, he begins to question his place in Vulcan society. Spock (Zachary Quinto) eventually joins Starfleet, turning down an invitation to join the Vulcan Science Academy after he is insulted one last time. Kirk is chided by Captain Pike (Chris Pine), after a barroom brawl with Starfleet cadets, to do better. He does, and on the way to Starfleet Academy, Kirk and Bones (Karl Urban uncannily channeling Deforest Kelley's likable doctor) hook up. To complete the introductions for this classic trio, Kirk and Spock lock egos over Kirk's creative and humorous solution for Spock's serious Kobayashi Maru no-win training scenario, with Kirk exclaiming he doesn't believe in no-win situations.
Timewarp: it is 1973 and I stand in a long line waiting a long time to get into the second Star Trek Convention held in New York City. This time the original crew is on hand to boldly celebrate Trek geekiness. Thousands of Trekkies turn out, seriously upsetting the notions of Star Trek's fanbase with organizers. Yet, it is comforting to find many others who also think the Spock's Brain episode sucks. I feel vindicated. I feel empowered. But I still don't know who I want to be for Halloween; maybe Kirk, maybe Spock; much debate ensues as we reminisce about the first interracial kiss on network television, and who would win in a battle between Romulans and Klingons. Seeing William Shatner get a pie tossed in his face was kind of fun, too. He handles the situation like Kirk would have and we love him for it.
The reason Nero is so hell-bent on destruction is the usual one of revenge, triggering the near pixelated storyline which allows everthing to happen in-between timelines in the story in a way that broadens the action while neatly setting up the Enterprise crew's relationships, and moving the light drama along at warp speed. There is a lot more comedy here than in previous Trek movies, but it helps define the endearing and recognizable qualities of each youthful crewmember; although it is a bit strained for Scotty (Simon Pegg of Shaun of the Dead) and his alien engineer. The Transparent Aluminum paradox from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home gets a nod with Spock and Scotty's timejumping transwarp equations. While the science is far-fetched, the action is not. It is hot and heavy with more Star Wars inspired monsters and aliens and clarity.
Much detail is given to the Enterprise's engine room and interiors, providing a greater sense of the immense technological innards housed in the ship, and the transporter scrambles things up in a different way, but many of the original sound effects can be heard, along with new ones, and the all important viewscreen on the bridge is now a window to space on which images can be projected as needed.
Leonard Nimoy as the imperturbable Spock provides the critical mass that ties this movie to the series while also freeing it to explore new worlds and new adventures. It is bittersweet knowing this ends the original crew's voyages for good, but heartening to know Star Trek will continue. Maybe this Halloween I'll be Kirk; or Spock; or maybe a Klingon. I like Klingons.
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