Movie Review of Star Trek (2009): J.J. Abrams brings new life into a waning franchise
Written: May 13 '09
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: Good character development, plenty of action and thrills
Cons: Could have used another 30 minutes
The Bottom Line: Highly Recommended: The new Star Trek is definitely worth the hype. J.J. Abrams savvy captures a perfect balance of character development and action.
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| andaryl's Full Review: Star Trek |
There had been 10 feature film productions of the Star Trek franchise prior to 2009 and I hadn’t seen one of them. I saw plenty of Kirk and Spock on TV as a kid, but Star Trek was never something I ever really got into. When I saw the trailers to this year’s reboot of the franchise, I didn’t plan on seeing this one either. But the exceptional reviews and the insistence of my wife (daughter of a Trekkie dad) convinced me that this was something I had to see.
As far as the new Star Trek goes there are two pieces of great news for those that never got into the series. The first is that, as a prequel, it requires no knowledge of the previous storylines or characters. Everything begins from day one, some 20 years before the Enterprise’s maiden voyage. The second is that Star Trek really is a fantastic piece of action packed sci-fi entertainment that ranks alongside the best of recent times.
J.J. Abrams, who I just got to know after watching Cloverfield (also behind Lost, Alias and Mission Impossible III) takes the reins as producer and director. Having shown a talent for modern audience sci-fi and action already, Abrams is not a Trekkie although his long time writing associates, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, are. Together they have managed to craft a prequel which is both plausible and true to the original series. But let’s not forget that Star Trek was a franchise which had seemingly run its course and Abrams greatest contribution to the new project is in revamping the style, breathing new life into Gene Roddenberry’s concept without compromising its integrity. And I’m guessing that Abrams is a big Star Wars fan, given the action, pacing and themes that the new Star Trek adopts.
[I apologize for any non-Trekkie errors in the plot]
The storyline is a clever one. As convenient as time travel might seem, it’s something which is used to smart effect. This is a prequel as we’re all aware, but chronologically it works as an 11th installment. Everything that has happened to Kirk and Co. has happened already. After Spock (Leonard Nimoy reprising his old role) fails in an attempt to save the planet Romulus from evaporation, Romulan survivor Nero (Eric Bana) travels back through time and decides to exact revenge on a now young Spock (Zachary Quinto). That’s not before he manages to take out Capt James T. Kirk’s father too. The story then moves into the assembly of the future Enterprise crew. Kirk (Chris Pine) is raised as a single parent rebel in 24th Century Iowa, before being reminded of his true purpose and potential. A meeting with Starfleet commander Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) persuades him to enlist and his ingenuity and fortune see him quickly climb the ranks. Spock meanwhile is being raised by his mixed race parents, something that creates a great deal of inner conflict, and proving his own level of genius. Both meet at Starfleet and along with McCoy, Sulu and Uhura join the Enterprise on its maiden voyage.
Abrams’ production manages to capture a perfect balance between character development and entertaining action. When Star Wars set about making the prequel trilogy it felt like everything was taking too long to get to where it wanted to go. The new Star Trek doesn’t make the same mistake, and if anything formative events in the lives of the key characters pass a little too quickly. This was my biggest complaint and when the credits rolled my first comment was that 126 minutes wasn’t enough to cover the range of material required. But upon reflection any more character development could have slowed down the pacing considerably, and not only are Spock and Kirk and their interrelationship adequately covered, so are those of the other key crew members. Sulu shows his daring bravado and botches the controls for good measure, McCoy and Scottie (arriving later) get plenty of laughs and there’s also a character background to Uhura. I said I’m not a Trekkie, but Uhura’s lack of character and first name is something I got from the Galaxy Quest spoof. Abrams now decides to use her as the added eye candy and sexual spice that today’s movies obligatorily require. Many favorite TV show punch lines are also incorporated into the script, something that titillated even this casual observer.
The cast is largely a list of lesser knowns. Some of the bigger names such as Tyler Perry and Winona Ryder appear in minor roles, although Eric Bana makes for a fearsome Nero and Simon Pegg is a sure thing as Scottie. But it’s the performances of Pine and Quinto as Kirk and Spock respectively that the movie is taking its biggest chances on and it’s a move that pays off extremely well. Quinto’s portrayal of Spock is almost a carbon copy of the original, while he also carries a strong visual resemblance. Pine draws on much of the original Kirk, but deliberately avoids imitation opting instead for the maverick style of a Hans Solo. It makes sense since “Captain” Kirk is a role that the young Kirk is going to have to mature into. John Cho, Karl Urban and Anton Yelchin are all impressive versions of their older counterparts too.
Star Trek definitely fulfilled all of its hyped up promise as the blockbuster movie of 2009. It is to 2009 what Iron Man and The Dark Knight were to 2008. It’s already on its way to making a stack of money and I have no doubt that sequels are in the works already. Some of the plots might defy logic and for all its subject matter a few areas were certainly covered a little too quickly but the new Star Trek is definitely a strong effort. It captures the characters well, offers plenty of laughs and homage to the original while keeping us on the edge of our seats with its action-packed entertainment and pace.
Verdict: 4 Stars Highly Recommended
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Action Movie
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andaryl
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