Star Trek

STAR TREK
Review (9/10)
(By Brendan Cullin)

J.J. Abrams' Star Trek is the latest film to cover the history of the crew of the USS Enterprise, this time focusing on their early years before they took over the famed ship. We get a brief history of the childhoods of James T. Kirk and Spock before fate guides them on board the great ship and onto a historic partnership and friendship that will last many years to come. Kirk and Spock are joined by a very attractive crew that includes the younger versions of "Bones" McCoy, Uhura, Scotty, Sulu and Chekov. Their first order of business? To stop a Romulan mining vessel lead by Captain Nero first from blowing up the planet Vulcan and then from heading out to destroy the planet Earth. Star Trek stars the likes of Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Karl Urban (McCoy), John Cho (Sulu), Simon Pegg (Scotty) and even includes a couple of surprises, at least to me.

I have to start by saying that I've never been a huge Star Trek fan. I remember as a young punk, I wasn't able to sit through a full episode of that cheesy television show that starred William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. I think out of all the movies, the only one I ever saw in its entirety was The Wrath of Khan and didn't find it all that memorable. I never got into Star Trek: The Next Generation, even though I think it was the most popular thing in my university dorm after beer and naked women. In fact, even to this day, I am still shocked over a fistfight that started in our residence common room on a night when both a playoff hockey game and Generations were on TV. Unfortunately, Star Trek won, mostly because the guy who wanted to watch it was a black belt in karate. I guess growing up, I was more of a Star Wars guy than a Trekker or Trekkie or whatever they call themselves.

Abrams' Star Trek might change all that for me. I absolutely loved this movie, so much so that when the next one hits theatres, I might even wear Vulcan ears or an Enterprise uniform like a couple of the nerds at the screening I attended did. This is the best movie I've seen so far this year. It's got tremendous action that starts right from the opening scene. It's funny. It has a great pace. The casting is impeccable. Hell, there are even two characters in the movie that I had no idea who they were until the credits starting rolling. I thought the guy who played Nero was outstanding in that role and when I saw who it was playing him, I was very surprised. I'm sure most people know by now who it is but if you don't, watch the movie and tell me you knew that was him. If you say yes, you're probably lying. Besides the Nero guy, Chris Pine was great as Kirk. He was charasmatic and funny and did an excellent job as the focal point of the movie. You would almost think that Quinto was Leonard Nimoy's illegitimate son. Simon Pegg added some good comic relief as Scotty.

There's not much more I can say about Star Trek besides the fact that seeing this movie was a fabulous two hours at the theatre. From what I understand, there are a lot of the die-hard Star Trek fans who are not happy with the movie or at least certain aspects of the movie. Don't listen to them. Listen to me. I'm part of the new generation of Star Trek fans which I'm sure this movie will spawn. And as a one-time Star Wars aficionado, I will admit, this movie is a helluva lot better than anything George Lucas put out in the last ten years. It's really too bad that Lucas couldn't do with his franchise what Abrams has done with Trek. I'm sure Gene Roddenberry is looking down on us with a smile on his face. I, personally, can't wait for the next Abrams Trek movie.