Some caveats first: I'm a fan of Star Trek, having watched almost every episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation", "Star Trek: Voyager", "Star Trek: Enterprise" and nine of the previous 10 movies. So I more-or-less know my Star Trek mythology. But I'm not a hardcore Trekkie, so don't debate with me about warp drives and transporter technology.
With that aside, you don't need to know the Star Trek lore to enjoy this movie. By itself, it stands well as an action-drama-comedy-science fiction feature film. It tells the story of how Kirk went from a smart aleck flirt looking for the next fight to a mature and capable leader of the flagship of Starfleet. Along the way, we meet the other members of the legendary crew, particularly Spock, Dr "Bones" McCoy and -- in an interesting character twist -- Uhura. (I never knew Uhura could be so sexy -- or that she lip-locked with a key crew member!)
JJ Abrams, best known for "Alias" and "Lost", has done an admirable job in making "Star Trek" approachable to the general audience. There is enough science to keep the Trekkie sated, yet not overwhelm the average Joe.
In place of the emphasis on science, "Star Trek" treats us with a strong and thought-provoking storyline about consequences and the tapestry of life. Unravel one thread, and history can change forever. Hardcore Trekkies would know what I mean from what was shown in the trailer. For the rest of us, it's explained cleanly, clearly and simply.
To bring that story to life, action and humour are weaved neatly so that there is no let-up in the movie's pace. Whether it's good ol' fist fights or a free-fall space dive or Dr "Bones" McCoy chasing after Kirk to administer injections, there's something to keep you entertained. And humour was put to good use to reduce the tension at key moments while helping the audience build a stronger affinity with the characters.
Like any good movie, it is the characters who make you relate with the story. Almost everyone is likable, which could be sickening to the average moviegoer, but to the Trekkie, you'd know that that's exactly how Star Trek founder, Gene Roddenberry, would've liked it. Sure, Spock delivers some serious whoop-ass on Kirk, but it is their strong camaraderie that defines the movie.
Unfortunately, I thought that the show focused too much on Kirk. I'm sure it was supposed to play out as a buddy movie between Kirk and Spock, but perhaps that aspect was trimmed to keep the movie lean and tight for non-Trekkies. As a result, you are left with the certainty that both Kirk and Spock would become the best of friends, but you also wish that that bond could have been depicted more strongly.
Another bit that left a bitter taste in my mouth was the whole plot. Without revealing too much, I think I can safely say that whatever we Trek fans knew before is not true any more. Just throw it out of the window. The unraveled tapestry has led to a whole mess of threads. Like the movie's tagline says, "The future begins". That is so true, it's scary. But I guess a reboot was necessary to keep the mythology fresh and exciting for a new generation.
Special effects-wise, well, this is "Star Trek", so we are treated to fantastic visuals. I especially enjoyed the creative use of light and sound. In the all-white Enterprise, the bright lights were surprisingly not very blinding. But the little flashes of light that peeked at the corners made the set seem even more futuristic. And that saying about you can't hear a scream in space? That was driven home almost deafeningly in the opening act and some of the later scenes.
But even if you take away the fanciful lights and sounds and the iPod-like sets and the loud explosions, you're still left with a very good, watchable movie. Star Trek has definitely returned to form, and ready to boldly go where it's never gone before!
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4 comments:
Well, I thought that J.J. Abrams did a brilliant job of acknowledging the past while also carving out a possible future for his reboot.
He's basically "told" fans that everything that happened in the past is still canon, he has not discounted that, but this is a new trek.
Interesting way to reboot the franchise.
Packrat: Ah, so you've watched it too! Yeah, it was an interesting way, but I really don't see how the previous shows can be canon unless he's talking about multiple timelines/realities.
this new Star Trek is high quality movie goodness, especially after what a letdown Wolverine ended up being
Hey Nomad, yeah, I watched "Wolverine" and it was quite insipid compared to "Star Trek".
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