Star Trek Review
May 6, 2009 by Vic HoltremanWill you like the new Star Trek movie even if you’re not a geek?
Short version: While hard core Trekkies may have some problems with it, this long time classic Star Trek fan found this reboot fun, fresh & exciting.
Screen Rant reviews Star Trek
Where to start? (This is going to be a long one, folks. If you want to skip the preamble and get right to the review itself click here.)
Some people are Star Wars fanatics, others go nuts over Transformers or X-Men. While I’m a huge Iron Man fan, Star Trek is my true love going back well over 30 years. My favorite of all the shows? The Original Series (aka TOS). You may look at it now and think it looks cheesy (however I highly recommend you check out the digitally remastered version with brand new visual effects on DVD or Blu-ray), but remember the original Star Trek is over 40 years old.
At the time the other big Sci-Fi TV show was the cheese-fest called Lost in Space – so keep that in mind as a comparison. 
I have Star Trek prop replicas on my bookshelves (some pretty damned nice ones) along with a copy of the original Star Fleet Technical Manual by Franz Joseph and a set of blueprints of the original U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 (which shows the location of a bowling alley on the ship!). I’ve memorized every episode of the original series – I can tell you which one each one is within seconds of any of them starting. And I’ve seen every movie.
Yes, I’m into Trek “canon” – tracking all the little details that tie the whole Star Trek universe together, however I’m also aware (though some fans seem to be in denial about this) that over the course of hundreds of episodes across five different series, Star Trek itself has violated its own canon many times.
Why am I telling you all this? So you have some context for my review of J.J. Abrams’, Roberto Orci’s and Alex Kurtzman’s reboot of the Star Trek universe. However this is not a review just for “Trekkies,” and that’s appropriate because neither is this film just for that group of die hard fans (among which I include myself).
Also, I did read the four part prequel comic that tells the story which leads to the events that take place in the film. If you have a chance I recommend you find it and pick it up at your local comic book store as it really fleshes out the “villain” in the film, Nero.
Some fans may disagree, but this franchise was in desperate need of a reboot, re-imagination, fresh “take” or whatever you’d like to call it. Star Trek, as a brand, was whithering on the vine and was in danger of being put on the shelf for who knows how long – until Paramount might decide enough time had gone by to give it another go. This was due to a number of factors, among which included the subsequent series being taken in directions by Rick Berman (and to some exent, Brannon Braga) that the fans did not agree with. Essentially it was a case of “the fans don’t know what’s good for them – we’ll tell them what they want.”
From this we gained the ignoble death of Captain Kirk in a transition movie with a stupidly weak plot device, Star Trek: Voyager, the Lost in Space of Trek, progressively crappier movies and finally Enterprise: At least an attempt at something fresh in Trek, which unfortunately went off in some half-assed direction – and Manny Coto’s efforts to bring the show back to what it should have been in season 4 were too little, too late.
So… when it was announced that the new film would go back to before the original series crew had met I was both excited at the prospect and terrified of how it might turn out. I mean we’re talking about recasting iconic roles. Bill Shatner? Leonard Nimoy? DeForest Kelly and James Doohan?
Sacrilege!
But I tried to be cautiously optimistic over the course of very early news, pre-production and through the production. I listed this film as my most anticipated of the year…
And I was NOT disappointed.
So finally – the review…
Click here to continue reading our Star Trek review…
Our Rating:
4 out of 5
Around the web:
Loading ...
@ All (again):
Dammit, I must have it backwards:
THIS IS BOLD;
This is not…
See if that works?
~Johnny
@ All:
O-KAY! I got it!
Had to see, folks, sorry about that!
And, I misspelled ‘tirade’, sorry…
~Johnny
See it I got it right…
@ Brighteyes:
Good post, dude!
But as usual, I have some observations, Seinfeld-style, if you know what I mean:
“You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do.” – Henry Ford
Why not? Politicians do that all the time, lol!
From everything I’ve ever heard about Henry Ford, he’d have made a good Klingon. Or a Cardassian…a Romulan…or an Angosian (‘The Hunted’ [TNG})...
On the other hand, his company didn't take any bail-out money, so there's that!
"...a rich, Red Sangria. Founding an empire and setting the pattern for your world’s future tyrannies just sounds like thirsty work."
Y'know, maybe it's all this talk about Latin & Italian, but that checks; I can't help but think of the Romans, whenever I think of Klingons, the Romulans seem like knock-offs of our guys by comparison, really. And they suffer from it.
"Maybe I can get the courier from '7even' "...Maybe I shouldn't pick, but wasn't the name of the film 'Se7en'?
Forgive the correction, but it is one of the joys of being on here, lol. Very funny btw, droll as hell, I like that!
"...I’d just end up going from home brewing to making Pruno in a toilet bowl up in Teh Penetentruh."
Yikes! I'm impressed, BE. And a little scared, now, lol!
This made me think, How would you know, right? Oh, well...
"...lets see.. Taliban Fighter?..Somali Pirate?..Gangbanger?..Personal injury lawyer?"
The Personal Injury lawyer, DEFINITELY. As De Niro said in 'Angelheart', no one's likely to mourn one less of those in the world, lol...Just kidding, Vic!
Seriously, I heard today quite a few of them are going to be very busy in the course of the next couple of years, out in LA...a real neverland of litigation, if you know what I mean. And it won't do any good to tell them to beat it. Altho' one of them would never be missed...
"...maybe I should just stick with Cicero."
Hahaha, that's my man! Whatever I can do to help, this was my point, after all - Klingon deals usually involve the shedding of some blood, and I dinna ken aboot YOUUUU, laddie, but even if I'm no WEE GIRL, I ain't into pain, hahahahaha!
Good post, BE!
~,_| [] |-| |\| |\| ‘/’
@Johnny
I think that maybe 3% of all Catholics speak some Latin (and I don’t count reading from a hymnal as speaking Latin) whereas 100% of MDs in the US have to learn basic Latin and Medical terminology. Taking this into account, I cannot help but assume your intellect knew that I would be more proficient in Latin as a doctor than as a Catholic, both of which I am. And yes, writing in Latin has killed people; it’s one of the reason the new Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems prints directions in English. I’m glad Obama has pushed this issue: it can’t happen fast enough.
5 posts in a row there Johnny . . .
@ Fury2701:
So, who’s keeping count, Fury? Sheesh, you didn’t mention it was five posts in a row over TWO DAYS! For God’s sake, POST something, don’t bitch at me!
I don’t mean to be rude, but my only legitimate response is “yeah, SO WHAT?”
Damn it man, SAY SOMETHING!!!
I’m not posting so much that you can’t get a word in edgewise, am I? As far as I know, I’m not breaking any rules, pal.
Get off your damn high horse, Fury. That did NOT feel very friendly, and if you have something to say, I wish you’d just come out and say it. PLEASE!
For God’s sake, you folks have got Katherine so cowed, she won’t even post anymore unless she has somnething to ‘contribute’!
What about the rest of you? Anybody else think I talk too much?
What about YOU, Vic? Do you think I’m on here too much or am out of line with this post to stand up for myself?
Look, Fury (and anyone else who has a burr under their saddle), it’s like someone else said in here, we may drift off topic, once & a while, sure, that’s only human, people get friendly and chat, it’s just natural. But we always bring it back to a Star Trek subject sooner or later.
As for me posting so much, I didn’t think that was egregious, rude, or disrespective of anybody else, including YOU, Fury.
I liked your quote game and still do, and I guess I just believe in being sociable, sorry if that rubs you the wrong way. I didn’t know I was getting under anyone’s skin and I still don’t think I did anything wrong, if yoiu have a complaint why don’t you contact Vic?
Five posts in a row! Sheesh! What’s eatin’ YOU?
~Johnny
@ Steve:
Only 3%, huh? Interesting, I knew Latin was not as prevalent now among Catholics, and yes, lol, I was asking yo as a doctor1
I still wonder if, as I said earlier, there are not more people who use Latin today (I know nobody speaks it, sure) than did in ancient times, just because if thge increase in global population, plus Latin wasn’t the only language spoken throughout the Roman Empire, also Greek and whatever local language of a particular area.
I would hardly call it a dead language, though, my point.
Well, I’d better get off of here before sombody complains I post too much, hahahaha!
Have a good day, Doc,
~Johnny
Slow down turbo (that’s you Johnny).
Thought we were all friends here – why such a defensive response?
I’m not on any “high horse” and nothing’s “eating” me.
Just thought that was an appropriate count-off of your recent posts. Not a big deal. I don’t it’s “egregious, rude, or disrespective of anybody else,” or anything else.
Just an observation . . .
@ Johnny and Fury
And that, my friends, is an example of a misunderstanding due to lack of subtext. Damn, don’t you hate the internet sometimes?
~Ingenue
Agreed.
Well intentioned sarcasm doesn’t always come across well over print.
You see Johnny? Out freind Katherine is not afraid to post at all.
@ Fury2701:
Okay, buddy, I love you too…
Seriously, I’d be the first one to admit I blather on sometimes, and I am sorry if I seemed defensive – I guess I was, a little.
The truth of the matter is, Fury, I want to get along with everyone, and I most certainly don’t mean to irritate anyone – it comes so easy to me, lol! On the other hand, I’m not gonna kiss anyone’s butt, either – not that that was what you were implying, not sayin’ that.
Actually, in all fairness, three or four of those five posrts in a row were about getting the particular keystrokes down to do the whole BOLD thing, and I really don’t know how to do this except by posting, so – yeah, I suppose I took it the wrong way. I’m sorry. Which is not to say you didn’t have a point.
But say something, when you have a ST thought in your head, will you? I’m interested, and I promise I won’t try to take your head off!
Friends again? It’s okay with me.
Very respectully, and with my apologies,
~Johnny
@Johnny
Nope. Guess again, and no cheating.
“You will see just how foolish they truly are”
@ Fury & Ingenue:
Okay, long as I got the attention of both of yas, do either of you two (or anyone else who sees this) know what the procedure is for the proper keystrokes & order of them to make italics?
Seriously, BOLD is nice, but that and using caps is still rather limited for providing emphasis.
Anyone? Anyone? Whatever you all can tell me, as Kath did for the bold (God, I can’t resist, lol!) would be greatly appreciated.
~,_| [] |-| |\| |\| ‘/’
It’s an i for italics instead of a b for bold.
I don’t know Kahless’ quote. The Klingon has stumped me.
And we are taking over the Transformers thread a little bit too.
No humaaan can defeat a Klingon!!
Uh, Kahless, what about Kirk, Riker, the Augments, …
Did anyone ask you t’rZah???!!! Just sit there and watch your Sphere movie, petaQ!!!
@ Kahless:
“You will see just how foolish they truly are” –
Hmmmm, I copied this so I could see it as I wrote this…
Okay, I got one left, and at the risk of sounding unimaginative (or giving the impression of thinking YOU unimaginative), I will assume as before that it was your favorite species, Klingon. Here goes:
Was it Klingon commander Kang (Michael Ansara) speaking to his wife, Mara, in ‘Day of the Dove’? That was TOS, and I believe the first time we saw a Klingon ship full of Klingons (the very first time we saw them was as Romulan vessels based on Klingon design in ‘The Enterprise Incident’, you will no doubt remember).
Tell me if I’m wrong, will you please?
And have a little come-to-Kahless with Fury…
JUST KIDDING, FURY!
Hahaha, see you all later, brothers & sisters,
~Johnny
@Johnny
Tsk, tsk! Johnny, you’re killing man, you’re killing me! Ok, it’s not from a Klingon. Here’s a hint: Absolute power
@ Kahless:
I GOT IT! I GOT IT!!! (Thanx, Fury, you’re a pal)
It was Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood), WNMHGB, TOS, the Pilot.
Did I win, coach???
~Johnny
You see – I’m just here to help.
Kahless – you’re funny on that Transformers thread.
Just replied to your response.
Waiting for someone to attack me – then you can go all Klingon on them if you like.
@ All:
Okay, a little experiment here, folks, I wanna see what happens when I combine bold AND together…
~Johnny
And Johnny gets the prize for today……Drum roll please…..a weeks vacation on fabulous Ceti Alpha 5! I would wear ear muffs if I were you.
Whoops! I meant, bold and italics together…
Btw, should ‘italics’ be capitalized? It is named after the Italians, right?
@ Fury:
Hahahaha, the advantage for John T is, he can always blame it on Kahless with that half-Klingon split-personality of his, lol!
I always thought I’d make a pretty good Cardassian – Gul Dukat may take the prize for the most arrogant SOB I ever saw! Wouldn’t you agree?
‘Course, that doesn’t excuse the Cardis taking the side of the Dominion in that war, against their own Quadrant…
~Johnny
Love Gul Dukat – great Star Trek villian.
And loved Garek even more. Great character.
And let us not forget Gul Darheel, Ina Brintain, and Legat Damar. There were a couple of Glens on the Enterprise too.
@ Kahless:
Great, Ceti Alpha V (now Ceti Alpha IV, hahaha, exploding planet syndrome)…The garden spot of the Alpha Quadrant. Wonderful (sarcastically)!
Oh, I just got the crack about the earmuffs! Hahaha, very funny, how droll! Not for the cold, lol!
I HATE those slimy things!
Okay, I suppose it’s my go, so without further ado, here is my quote:
“He’s not your intellectual equal, any more than I am…”
I don’t wanna make it too easy, but it is TOS and I already used it for a guess – a wrong guess.
Anyone?
~Johnny
Indeed – let us not. Now, where’s our quote?
I’ve already lampooned Transformers so I’m not monitoring that thread. Plus, I don’t want them to think it can possibly complete with Star Trek!
And, Johnny, italics is not classified as it is only a noun, not a proper noun.
~Doc
@ Kahless:
Yeeees, gotta love them DAMN CARDIS!
~,_| [] |-| |\| |\| ‘/’
@ Doc:
Okay, Paisan, thanx, just wanna be thoughtful.
~Johnny
@ Fury:
“And loved Garek even more. Great character.”
I forgot all about Garak! How’d that happen, hahaha?
I loved the character Garak, he was almost respectable, very sympathetic for a Cardi – o’course, he was a regular co-star, and I am fascinated by that actor’s earlier history –
Andrew Robinson – who went by Andy Robinson, back then – played one of the slimiest villians in movie history, the fictional Zodiac Killer (not the real one) from the original ‘Dirty Harry’ movie – a man who was so venal he threatened a whole busload of kids.
Why important? Simple – Andrew Robinson (Garak) was the ‘punk’, who guessed wrong on the number of bullets Harry Callahan had fired from his .45 Magnum (four, out of five)…and paid for it with a great, very ballistic (pardon the pun) shot-off-the-end-of-the-dock final scene.
“Well, punk – DO YOU FEEL LUCKY?”
Plus, he was a pretty damn good tailor – I liked his suits…even if he was really a Cardi spy.
~Johnny