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 ...
Kor, in “Errand of Mercy” when Kirk and Spock are presented as merchants.
And Doc wins the prize for the day! A 7-day detail in the mines of Ru A Pente! Bring a heavy coat.
You’re up.
Rura Pente, huh? I think the Alien Graveyard is fitting given this weekend’s holiday.
“What we’ve just seen is not real.”
~Doc
That sounds like Spock in “Specter of the Gun”.
It might, but it’s not
Spock in “Catspaw”?
Vague, but correct! You’re up, Kahless.
“I have been ready for space since I was a child” TNG
@ Kahless:
I don’t remember the name of the episode, but it was the one with Bebe Neuwirth (who played Lilith in Fraiser), who in this episode was an alien girl (with glasses) who always wanted to have sex with an alien – so she did, with Cmdr Riker! As soon as she found out he wasn’t one of them, she made him promise to make love to her to stay quiet about him being different from them, lol!
The quote was by a different, much more highly evolved young lady, who was their chief scientist who, along with her people’s President, was priveledged to be a guest of Captain Picard’s on board the Enterprise. The visit was significant because, despite the fact that these people were about to develop their first warpship (like the Phoenix built by Zefram Cochrane), they had no idea there was any other intelligent life elsewhere, and their people were far from ready.
Riker had been living undercover among them to make the determination as to whether they were ready to handle the knowledge that they were not alone in the universe, when he was injured and discovered to be ‘alien’ in one of their hospitals.
I think the episode may have been called ‘Lanai’, or something like that and I’m pretty sure I got the quote right – “I have been ready for space since I was a child, looking at the stars in a planetarium”.
~Johnny
I think Johnny is right.
The episode name is First Contact.
@ Fury 2701:
Thanks, Fury! I think it was called Lanel, though, now that I think of it, which was the lady scientist’s name – their Zeff Cochrane – and I only say that because I seem to remember that, and also it’s unlikely they would use that same name for an episode thay later would for a movie.
I appreciate the backup my friend, thanks!
Let’s see if I got it right, I never was sure of the episode title but I know that episode is where it came from!
Now if Kahless would just check in and confirm, hahahaha!
~Johnny-O
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Contact_(TNG_episode)
Check it out.
@ Fury:
My God, you’re right! Well, I’m sure you can understand my point, they also used that title for one of the movies, as I’m sure you remember.
Where the hell did I get ‘Lanel’? Hahaha, that must’ve been Bebe Neuwirth, lol!
Thanks, Fury, I appreciate that!
Wanna share the credit? You can come up with a new quote, if you like, as soon as Kahless checks in, it’s okay with me!
~Johnny
Trust Fury.
And I do believe that Lanel was the name of that female alien character that slept with Riker.
@ Fury:
Okay. Thanks for straightening me out, pal. The thing that kills me is that they used the same name later for a movie – but that makes sense, just from another direction.
First Contact it is. George Coe, Carolyn Seymour, and Bebe Neuwirth, as Lanel, although I was unabe to confirm that!
~Johnny
You are correct, Johnny! The chief scientists name was Merasta Yale (played by the same actress who played the female Krytonian in Superman 2) and Lanel was Bebe’s character. The episode was “First Contact”.
You’re up.
@ Kahless:
Thanks, Kahless.
“Do you have any facts to support this?” TNG
I had help, don’t forget Fury2701!
~Johnny
@Johnny
Fury did help but since you got the episode right, I gave it to you. But Fury can take part of the prize…..A wonderful 4 night (no days) cruise on the river of blood in Grethor! Don’t listen to the sirens in the river.
That quote sounds like Picard to the commissioner assigned to bring Riker back to his planet to stand trial for the murder of Dr. Abgar.
@ Kahless:
Oh, you mean the scientist on the space station? Nope, that’s a good guess but that’s not it!
Here’s a nice juicy hint: It was in the first season of TNG, and Geordi was not yet the Chief Engineer – that was some other guy, who had quite a lot to say about what Picard was talking about.
Hmmm, Grethor sounds like a place Humans are familiar with, the River Styx, hahahaha!
As I recall, you Klingons also have a boatman as well!
~Johnny
Calling Kotar a boatman is like calling a lion a kitty cat, petaQ!! Kotar was the first Klingon who destroyed the gods!!
Yeah, right! And I have some swamp land to sell you on Ferenginar, Kahless.
Maybe Picard to Q, about humanity being brutal and savage?
@ Kahless:
Nope, but once again, a really good guess!
Okay, time to take you by the hand: This episode involved Wesley Crusher significantly, and a strange, mysterious alien who was interested in his prodigious abilities…
Big, Juicy hint. Also, this episode actually shared a title with and original TOS episode. Verbatim.
Very interesting to learn about Kotar, Kahless, thanks! Sounds like he really is a lot more than a boatman, hahaha! Charon demanded an Obol for passage, I wonder what Kotar’s price was? Meooow!
(Oh, and John, from what I gathered on TNG, Ferenginar is nothing BUT swampland, hahaha! And, it rains all the time! Or am I thinking of Ko’onos??? About the rain, I mean?
~Johnny
@Johnny
Ok, Picard in “Where No One Has Gone Before”. That wasn’t the title of the TOS episode; it was “Where No Man Has Gone Before”.
Yes, Fereginar does have perenial rains. I’ll let Kahless tell you about this Kotar.
That is because petaQs know nothing of warriors!! Kotar was created by the gods! His heart was true but he had no one to share his glory with! The gods formed for him a mate and both their hearts beat soo strong that the gods feared them! Stronger did their hearts beat until they killed the weakling gods! The gods that followed decided to punish this great warrior by making him ferry the dishonored across the river of blood to Grethor! They should have made him Emperor over all of Stovokor!!!
Zzzzzzz! Oh, you’re finished. Sorry.
petaQ!!!
Well I’ll be damned, of all placed for it to happen… John “Kahless” Taylor, you have had the honor of writing the 100,000th comment on Screen Rant!
What better place for it to happen than here, eh?
Congrats to you (and us!).
Vic
That’s pretty funny, Vic!
And kudos to Kahless – he busts the 1701 AND the 100k!
@ Kahless:
Well, this is a red-letter day, surely! Indeed, kudos for Kahless! Kinda has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Like ‘Cuckoo for Cocoa-Puffs, hahahahaha! No, just kidding, Kahless!
Surely, the best if times! I know, stop calling you Shirley, HAHAHAHAHA!
Kudos for Kahless! YAAAAAY! Justly proud, I am sure!
And pretty cool that Vic caught it, too, doncha think?
Anyway, congratulations, and for getting my quote exactly right! Also, you are correct, I should have said “almost verbatim” in the title – they ‘politically corrected’ it, for TNG, didn’t wanna leave any of the ladies out (rolling eyes), not that I wouldn’t have done the same, going from ‘man’ to ‘one’, absolutely right! Also, I had forgotten that, and I remember now that I did notice that at the time, in the episode about ‘the Kozinski scale’. Also, I liked the dream sequence of Picard’s mom, that was cool, seeing a tea table right there in the middle of the Enterprise corridor!
Excellent, Kahless…now it is your turn again!
(Psst! John T, does he always go on like that? Do you have to listen to operas like ‘Mi’lota’ day in and day out, hehehehe?)
~Johnny
@ Big Dentist:
That’s right! I had forgotten that Kahless busted the 1701 comment barrier, too!
Nice goin’, Kahless!
How’ve you been, my friend? Good to see ya on here tonight!
Have you checked out ‘Men Who Stare At Goats’, yet?
A new George Clooney movie about something like Project Stargate – the REAL Project Stargate, CIA-trained agents who used psychic powers to locate things & people in the USSR & other places, like in Iran – after the hostages were taken.
Have you heard abou this? It looks pretty good!
Men Who Stare At Goats I don’t think it’s out yet…
~Johnny
100,000 posts! We’re 1/50th of that in here. And, the DVD is only a couple of weeks away. Did anyone see the preview of the scene on Spike’s Scream awards? I think you can still check it out at spiketv.com. Anyway, Johnny, I think Kahless is awaiting your confirmation on his guess. And either way, he’s right about the titles of the episodes. They were more PC in TNG.
@ Steve:
Yeah, Doc, I think I made that pretty clear: “Anyway, congratulations, and for getting my quote exactly right!”
So he should know, or he knows now, for sure, lol!
How ya been, Paisan? Still pulling all-nighters?
I will check out that link, thanks!
~Johnny
What the hell is going on here?
