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:
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@Fury
That was Riker to Data in Skin of Evil (I think that was the name of the episode, where Tasha dies).
@Fury
It could also be from the episode where Riker was injected with microbes that attacked his spinal cord. Pulaski and Troi figure out that intense bad memories could kill the microbes. One of the memories was that one.
Fury… is Kahless right?
Kahless is correct. With both examples.
The Klingon has the court.
“You misunderstand captain….We are the slaves” ENT
““You misunderstand, captain….We are the slaves” ENT”
I don’t remember the episode name, but that sounds like the one where Archer and Trip were detained at a prison where there were a number of Suliban men, women and children – and by the end of the show, they had helped the Suliban families escape, because even though they had been the Enterpise‘s foes, their being held in that prison was wrong.
I think that’s right, Kahless, I dunno! Let me know if I win?
~Johnny
“You misunderstand captain….We are the slaves” ENT
Said by a male Orion in the episode Bound? The Enterprise crew think that the males are in charge and the females are just entertainment but the females are actually in charge.
That’s what I think anyway.
~Ingenue
@ Johnny
The episode you mentioned is “Detained”
~Ingenue
@ Ingenue:
Thanx, sweetie, I never remembered the titles.
How have you been? Good to hear from you!
FROA for the day:
“#28: Morality is always defined by those in power.”
Kinda like what is going on now in our Congress with healthcare reform, hahahaha!
Good to see you online, Katherine.
~Johnny
@ Johnny
You’re welcome.
I’m quite well, very busy organising a concert and doing school and music. How are you?
That’s a good FROA. Hmm, my FROA:
“#186. There are two things that will catch up with you for sure: death and taxes”
~Ingenue
@ Ingenue:
Hahahahaha, they stole #186 from us Humans! I guess some things truly are universal!
~Johnny
@ Johnny
Haha, definitely.
~Ingenue
And Ingenue wins the prize for the day! Drum roll please………..A litter of Tarkalian Razor beasts! I would hug them like cats if I were you.
Ingenue is up!
“I wouldn’t hug them like cats” is what I meant.
@ Kahless:
I think I speak for all when I say, We figured you meant that, hahahaha!
On the other hand, Kahless, you ARE a Klingon, hahahahahaha!
~Johnny
And I figure you are a weakling petaQ!! And yes, I am a Klingon!!! If you have any doubts, a demonstration can be arranged!!
@ Klingon:
Kahless, I’m gonna report you to Starfleet Medical for cordresine abuse, hahahaha! Bones, a sedative for this man – uh – thing, er, I mean, Klingon!
Don’t ever change, Kahless…
~Johnny
Next quote:
“They’re going to kill her… Don’t let them.” ENT
~Ingenue
@ Ingenue:
Once again, I’m afraid I’m gonna suck scissors at this, as concerns ENT – I watched most of the shows, but not as many times as TNG, and not near as much as TOS, hahahaha!
Hmmm..’sucks scissors’, sounds like something Klingons might be into, doesn’t it, lol?
I don’t know, Kath, I think that was Archer to someone about T’Pol? Could not tell you the episode…
I have a juicy TNG quote, if anyone is interested, to anyone who might know it – that’s the only way I can keep my hand in the game:
“You’re the best iron weaver in the province…”
Hope someone gets your quote, Kath, it won’t be me!
Later, sweetie,
~Johnny
@ Johnny
Nope, it was actually said to Archer and T’Pol.
Haha, hey Kahless, is that something you partake in? Sucking scissors? Now that’s a true display of manliness… or Klingonliness..
~Ingenue
@ Ingenue:
Okay. I was just spitballing, hell I don’t know; that did get ze leetle grey cells cranking again, I might get eventually, hahahaha!
“Klingonliness” – Kath, you are a true wordsmith!
Hahahaha, I like that, really, Klingonliness, has a nice ring to it, you have a gift!
I should know because I am a wordsmith!
~Johnny
@Ingenue
Sounds like maybe Tripp about baby Elizabeth?
Scissors are for petaQs!! They don’t rip flesh when you take the blades out like a Klingon blade would!! Of course, you sheep…excuse me, wordsmiths, wouldn’t know anything about that!!
Kahless, drink your prune juice.
Cordrazine is contraindicated for use in Klingons. It makes them act calm and sedate, and they purr like a tribble. I’d watch out, Johnny, or he’ll hit you with a dose of unadultered Theragan.
~Doc
I am Kahless the Unforgettable, and I decree that any Klingon that injests the poison called cordrazine must summarily be put to death because it turns them into a weakling human!!
Hey Kahless, I just spiced up your prune juice for you. Go ahead, take a sip.
petaQ!!
@ Kahless:
HAHAHAHAHAHA, THAT’LL learn ya!!!
Don’t ever change, my turtle-headed friend!
~Johnny
@ Kahless:
Y’know, Theragan mixed with a little Jack Daniels in a highball might not be that bad!
I wouldn’t be afraid of anything, that’s for sure!
Hell, I wouldn’t be afraid of a supernova
~Johnny
@ Kahless
Unfortunately you are also wrong. It was someone to Archer and T’Pol.
@ Johnny
Ooh, a wordsmith. I feel honoured to be called a wordsmith.
~Ingenue
p.s. 2,300th comment
@ Ingenue:
That was, I believe, Schrann (the Andorian captain, and reluctant admirer of Capt Archer) about his daughter, to Archer and T.Pol; can’t recall the episode. She had been kinapeped by, as I recall, other Andorian on Andor.
Did I get it, sweetie?
~Johnny
@ ALL:
I reitterate my TNG pol: “You’re the best ironweaver in the province”
Just saying.
~Johnny