An explosive reimagining of the future.
This simplistically - and perhaps confusingly - titled science-fiction action film from
acclaimed director J.J.
Abrams was released in May of 2009 - and would be the first canonical entry for the franchise
since the TV series "Enterprise" went off the air four years prior.
Its $385 million dollar box office cume (against a $150 million dollar budget) would be instrumental
in reinvigorating the dormant sci-fi series.
The ambitious two-hour and seven minute narrative was one of the first films to pioneer the
concept of what I like to call a 'requel' - movies which reboot their story and actors
by way of an in-universe explanation.
So while there is some continuing continuity from the so-called "prime" timeline, this
PG-13 rated movie essentially gave the "Trek" franchise a bold new start.
A group of young and undisciplined Starfleet officers must overcome their interpersonal
conflicts, and take command of the Enterprise to defeat a time-traveling Romulan seeking
to destroy entire planets.
This impeccably cast collection of attractive and resourceful officers are dead-ringers
for their "Original Series" counter-parts.
Each actor doing a phenomenal job maintaining the developed characteristics of their namesakes,
while still infusing some of their own unique personality into the roles.
This talented ensemble are led by Chris Pine as Kirk, and Zachary Quinto as Spock - who
share amazing - albeit often adversarial chemistry.
This is not the hunky dory utopia that Gene Roddenberry cooked up in the late '60s, but
a contentious relationship born from tragic circumstances.
But they're so fantastic arguing with, and later respecting each other, that they're
- dare I say, more compelling than William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy ever were.
Attempting to rationalize the temporal mystery before them, Quinto logically posits, "If
you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
A famous Sherlock Holmes line that immediately invokes Star Trek's ambitious story-telling
roots.
Earlier, Kirk's uniquely inventive solution to the famed Kobayashi Maru test - which challenges
Starfleet cadets in a no win scenario - allows Pine to flex his arrogance in a truly amusing
and great character-building scene.
Karl Urban is perfectly sarcastic and grumpy as Doctor McCoy, Zoe Saldana is sexy and authoritative
as Uhura, Anton Yelchin is charming with his fake Russian accent as Chekov, John Cho has
a steadfast calm to his portrayal of Sulu, while Simon Pegg provides excellent comic
relief as the plucky engineer, Scotty.
Elsewhere, we have the distinguished Bruce Greenwood, Ben Cross and Winona Ryder as Spock's
parents - Eric Bana as the Romulan foe - who portrays the violent antagonist like an
impatient petulant child, while Chris Hemsworth (in his feature debut) provides emotional
resonance to a thrilling prologue.
And last, but not least, 78-year-old Nimoy appears in a small, but extremely crucial
role - giving the film much needed continuity and authenticity, while doling out plenty
of complicated exposition.
His screen time may be brief - but the veteran actor brings so much weight and presence to
the character, it instantly elevates the rest of the story to a better level.
Unlike the static and conventional style of its predecessors, the cinematography here
is extremely kinetic - everything, and everyone is constantly in motion.
Speaking of which, the visual style used for 'jumping to warp' seems to differ in every
movie, but the bullet-like iteration here is definitely my favorite, and certainly the
most satisfying sound-effect.
Much has been said about the lens flares, and deservedly so.
In moderation, the stylistic choice is a sleek looking way to create dynamic movement within
the anamorphic frame; but in larger, almost overbearing doses, like J.J.
applies here - the result is a distracting overkill.
It's honestly quite obnoxious - but fortunately, Abrams heeded the feedback, and drastically
reduced its usage in the sequel.
Otherwise, the visuals and aesthetics here are stupendous.
From the modernized interiors of the famous starship, to updated uniforms - everything
looks futuristic and flashy, but still familiar enough for old fans.
After iconic work from Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner - the yet unproven Michael Giacchino
had his work cut out for him, but his score here is a remarkable blend of classic 'Trek'
themes with inspiring crescendos of quick strings and heavy drums.
This 44-minute album is one of my favorite scores of the 21st century.
It's an audacious effort that invokes memories of the sweeping, string-heavy scores of the
70s and 80s.
The film also won an Academy Award for "Best Makeup" - making it the only movie in the
13-picture series that took home an Oscar.
The subtly and intellect —commonplace with the movie's namesake — is stripped away,
in favor of appealing to a mainstream audience.
So while more stringent fans might be at-odds with the action-heavy approach, or some of
the creatively liberties taken with the characters' relationships - "Star Trek" succeeds thanks
to its outstanding action and fascinating story.
A fast-paced and enjoyable adventure with familiar characters, this is one odd-numbered
Trek film worth watching again and again.
Now let's see what you had to say.
This movie really has everything you'd want in a big-budget summer blockbuster - and we
both agreed, it's an AWESOME movie.
That does it for this quick excerpt - but if you'd like to watch full episodes of "Movie
Night", and submit your own reviews to be included on the show, please visit the Jogwheel
YouTube channel.
My name is Jonathan Paula, thanks for watching and have a good Movie Night!