 Tagline: As it has since September 8, 1966 with the debut of The Man Trap on NBC that marked the beginning of the greatest and longest-lasting Science Fiction franchise in the history of filmed entertainment, Star Trek once again boldly goes, this time to where it has never gone before in the span of 43 years, six television series, and 10 feature films. The greatest adventure of all time begins with Star Trek, the incredible story of a young crew’s maiden voyage onboard the most advanced starship ever created: the U.S.S. Enterprise. On a journey filled with action, comedy and cosmic peril, the new recruits must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind. The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk (Chris Pine), is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock (Zachary Quinto), was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before. Storyline: On the day of James Kirk's birth, his father dies on his ship in a last stand against a mysterious alien time-traveling vessel looking for Ambassador Spock, who, in this time, is also a child on Vulcan disdained by his neighbors for his half-human heritage. Twenty-five years later, Kirk has grown into a young troublemaker. Challenged by Captain Christopher Pike to realize his potential in Starfleet, he comes to annoy instructors like young Commander Spock. Suddenly, there is an emergency at Vulcan and the newly commissioned USS Enterprise is crewed with promising cadets like Nyota Uhura, Hikaru Sulu, Pavel Chekov and even Kirk himself, thanks to Leonard McCoy's medical trickery. Together, this crew will have an adventure in the final frontier where the old legend is altered forever as a new version of it begins. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com) Editor's Note: J.J. Abrams' 2009 feature film was billed as "not your father's Star Trek," but your father will probably love it anyway. And what's not to love? It has enough action, emotional impact, humor, and sheer fun for any moviegoer, and Trekkers will enjoy plenty of insider references and a cast that seems ideally suited to portray the characters we know they'll become later. Both a prequel and a reboot, Star Trek introduces us to James T. Kirk (Chris Pine of The Princess Diaries 2), a sharp but aimless young man who's prodded by a Starfleet captain, Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood), to enlist and make a difference. At the Academy, Kirk runs afoul of a Vulcan commander named Spock (Zachary Quinto of Heroes), but their conflict has to take a back seat when Starfleet, including its new ship, the Enterprise, has to answer an emergency call from Vulcan. What follows is a stirring tale of genocide and revenge launched by a Romulan (Eric Bana) with a particular interest in Spock, and we get to see the familiar crew come together, including McCoy (Karl Urban), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Sulu (John Cho), Chekhov (Anton Yelchin), and Scottie (Simon Pegg). The action and visuals make for a spectacular Big-Screen Movie, though the plot by Abrams and his writers, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (who worked together on Transformers and with Abrams on Alias and Mission Impossible III), and his producers (fellow Losties Damon Lindeloff and Bryan Burk) can be a bit of a mind-bender (no surprise there for Lost fans). Hardcore fans with a bone to pick may find faults, but resistance is futile when you can watch Kirk take on the Kobayashi Maru scenario or hear McCoy bark, "Damnit, man, I'm a doctor, not a physicist!" An appearance by Leonard Nimoy and hearing the late Majel Barrett Roddenberry as the voice of the computer simply sweeten the pot. Now comes the hard part: waiting for some sequels to this terrific prequel. --David Horiuchi Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, November 7, 2009 -- You are fully capable of deciding your own destiny. As it has since September 8, 1966 with the debut of "The Man Trap" on NBC that marked the beginning of the greatest and one of the longest-lasting Science Fiction franchises in the history of filmed entertainment, "Star Trek" once again boldly goes, this time to where it has never gone before in the span of 43 years, six television series, and 10 feature films. In 2009, a new film with a new cast portraying old favorites returned to the series' roots to explore strange new worlds populated not by new civilizations but more complex and understandably functional sets and wondrous special effects that improve not on the spirit but certainly the look and feel of the old classics while delivering a film that at once both satisfies the demands of longtime fans and welcomes newcomers eager to accept this version of "Star Trek" that doesn't break the mold but instead reshapes it to fabulous effect. Smartly and effortlessly blending the new with the old, maintaining the spirit of series creator Gene Roddenberry's vision but at the same time providing to the material a fresh and modern approach, Director J.J. Abrams' ("Lost") Star Trek is more than a summer blockbuster; it's a rekindling of an important milestone in Science Fiction while at the same time boldly plotting a new course towards a limitless, fascinating, and exciting universe of possibilities. Stardate 2233.04. The U.S.S. Kelvin is destroyed by a large and technologically advanced vessel, the event promising to forever alter the course of the unwritten yet destiny-driven history ahead. Several years later in Iowa, a young James Tiberius Kirk (Jimmy Bennett) is depicted as a renegade, a boy living on the edge, willing to disobey orders and rules should it suit his fancy. Meanwhile, on the planet Vulcan, a young Spock (Jacob Kogan) is ridiculed by his peers for his half-Vulcan, half-human heritage, demonstrating his susceptibility to emotional outbursts. As young adults, Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) soon find their destines forever entwined. Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) convinces the still-restless and uncontrolled civilian, Kirk, to enlist in Starfleet, seeing his potential underneath the rough exterior. While at Starfleet Academy, Kirk meets his future friend, Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Karl Urban) and potential love interest, Communications officer Lt. Uhura (Zoë Saldana). Starfleet graduate and now-Commander Spock challenges Kirk's ability as a potential officer when Kirk cheats a simulated test meant to examine the mettle of Starfleet Captains under the stress of sure failure and death, but the hearing is prematurely canceled when a distress call is received from Spock's home planet of Vulcan. Though Kirk is not assigned to a vessel, Dr. McCoy uses his position as a ranking medical officer aboard the Federation's flagship -- the U.S.S. Enterprise -- to bring his friend on-board. When a groggy but aware Kirk learns that the phenomena appearing above Vulcan is described similarly to that which preceded the destruction of the Kelvin, a ship to which Kirk has ties, he convinces both Captain Pike and Commander Spock that the event may actually be a Romulan ambush. Kirk's instincts are proven correct, and the Romulan vessel, Captained by a man named Nero (Eric Bana) reveals its true intentions, setting in motion a series of events that threatens the existence of the Federation and jeopardizes the destiny of Starfleet's best. The biggest challenge facing a reboot of Star Trek -- particularly on this scale -- was threefold: the necessary re-casting of iconic characters, the re-design of the Enterprise, and the explanation as to the hows and whys of the differences between the 2009 edition of Star Trek and the long-established and cherished history of the people, places, and things of years past. Abrams' vision succeeds at each level. While the film might have gotten away with little-to-no regard for the latter -- the explanation for the altered reality -- the film not only explains it away but also integrates the reason into the film as the primary plot device. The film states -- and the crew acknowledges -- their existence in an altered reality shaped by future events which, as depicted in the film, logically alter the past. Considering "Star Trek" has dabbled in alternate timelines and realities before -- notably in the Original Series second season episode "Mirror, Mirror" and again in both "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: Enterprise" -- the notion seems as legitimate now as it was then. In addition, this is not the first time that "Star Trek" has seen itself drastically altered. With Director Nicholas Meyer's Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, "Trek" took a turn towards the militaristic, with stricter adherence to military custom, dress, rank, and terminology, not to mention delivering more in the way of dangerous and exciting action pieces. If fans can enjoy both Roddenberry's more utopian vision and Meyer's more traditionally militaristic visions equally, why not Abrams', too, considering his masterful job of exploring both sides equally in Star Trek, mentioning Starfleet's purpose of being a "humanitarian and peacekeeping armada" while at the same time including plenty of action and cementing it all in a decidedly militaristic structure. Through it all, however, Star Trek is a film about destiny. Abram's picture posits that, despite the changes made to the "Star Trek" timeline, there is an aura of destiny about the NCC-1701 Enterprise and her famed crew, not to mention other, smaller, but no less important touches that find their way into the film that serve not only to please fans and maintain some continuity but reinforce the idea that some things are inevitable. In that regard, both the characters and the ship require a strong resemblance to those which first appeared in 1966, and while there is no mistaking that for Abrams' Star Trek, the similarities are perfectly maintained while providing a new identity for the 2009 rebirth. The Enterprise retains her basic shape, with an elevated saucer section, warp nacelles protruding from the hull in "V" formation and located behind the saucer, and a deflector array at the front of the hull and a shuttle bay in the rear. It's more streamlined and slick, a design characteristic reflected in the interior bridge, corridor, and transporter room settings as well. The interior of the ship is dramatically clean and bright, with white the primary color. It's almost organic, a design reflected in the technology implemented in the view screens and the data they display. No longer is the bridge made up of a jumble of clunky buttons as seen in the Original Series or the flat and seemingly unintuitive LCARS design of "The Next Generation." Here's it's something more readily identifiable to 2009 audiences (something "Enterprise" did very well) despite its complex structure. The computers require skill and speed to operate; no longer can the crew lock on to a signal for transport or engage the warp drive with the simple press of a button. It takes smarts and precision handiwork to operate the Enterprise, and by extension, that elevates the importance of her crew. In addition, the Enterprise is dotted by small but crucial details that make it a more believable vessel in both function and purpose; the bridge, transporter room, and turbolifts feature warning labels, for instance, and the transporter actually appears with a military designation (M-6110 in this case). Such details bring the ship to life like never before, giving it its own purpose and identity but at the same time merely updating and upgrading the ship for 2009 and beyond. Additionally, viewers will appreciate the finer touches that truly make Star Trek a film that speaks to, rather than alienates, longtime fans. The Kobayashi Maru test plays a crucial role in the film, "Admiral" Archer's beagle is mentioned, and yes, even a "red shirt" bites the dust in Star Trek. Most importantly, Star Trek features a cast that might not absolutely resemble the actors that played in Gene Roddenberry's original "Star Trek," but they each understand not only their character's mannerisms but also the importance to the fan base to portray them with a dignity and compassion for the source material and the unique performances that made the characters so memorable. In fact, the filmmakers have integrated additional character traits into the story for both dramatic and humorous effect, and the script's understanding of the complexities of the characters further allows the actors to effectively portray them as fans demand. For instance, Sulu's (John Cho) prowess with the blade is utilized in one of the film's pivotal action sequences. Chekov (Anton Yelchin) struggles with the pronunciation of the letter "v" in what is the film's funniest scene. Actor Karl Urban delivers the closest approximation of his character through his effort as Dr. McCoy; the speech patterns, the catch phrases, and his attitude towards Spock make for an almost uncanny resemblance to what DeForrest Kelley did with the character. Bruce Greenwood's portrayal of Captain Pike steals the show; he's superb throughout, and his character, too, winds up reinforcing the film's themes of destiny as well as any other with a simple but highly effective nod to the "Star Trek" universe when all is said and done. Zoë Saldana's Uhura undergoes the most noticeable change from 1966 to now. She's scripted as a more important character with an attitude and surprise revelation that breaks the norms of established "Trek" lore but fit in nicely with the entirety of the film. Even Ben Cross as Spock's father Sarek turns in an excellent performance; not only does he somewhat physically resemble Mark Leonard, but he steals every scene he is in, most of which are highly-charged and emotionally-driven, which only proves the actor's ability to fully immerse himself as an emotionless Vulcan. Zachary Quinto both looks and acts the part of Commander Spock. Spock proves the most pivotal character in the film; his half-Vulcan, half-human heritage plays a crucial role in the movie, and his ability to command his half-human side proves vital to the outcome of the story. Quinto makes for the best Vulcan since Leonard Nimoy, fully understanding not only what it means to be Vulcan but also what it means to be Spock. As James T. Kirk, Chris Pine might be just a bit too rambunctious, but as the film develops, shades of William Shatner emerge, culminating with a scene at the end of the film that's unmistakably Kirk that longtime "Star Trek" veterans will immediately note in what is nothing but a simple look on the face and motion of the body. There's not a bad performance to be found, and more importantly, there's not a badly-interpreted character in the film. This crew meshes about as well as the old crew, and given that this is their first go- round together, it seems destiny has more in store for them than simply one great film. Finally, it's important to note just how strong the production is from top to bottom. J.J. Abrams' visual style fits in wonderfully with the tone, story, and themes of the film, not to mention the approach that nicely compliments the set design. The extensive use of lens flare might distract some, but it reinforces the bright interior of the Enterprise, which also plays in stark contrast to the ugliness of the Romulan vessel and the urgency and sadness that play crucial to the crux of the film. Abrams' approach to the material is respectful and graceful, but also aggressive. There may not be a dry eye in the house after the film's opening sequence plays out, and there won't be an unsatisfied viewer insofar as the choreography of the action and its place in the resolution of the film's story. In addition, Star Trek's humor never falls flat or overwhelms the picture in any way. In fact, it generally enhances the tone, pace, and urgency of the film and the development of the story and its characters. Star Trek also delivers impeccable special effects. The ship and the action both are superbly realized in the digital realm, and there is no single effect that appears as anything less than perfect. Star Trek is perhaps the current pinnacle of special effects; they may not be as complex as those found in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, but for sheer immersion, attention to detail, and absolute seamlessness, they don't come any better. Last but not least, Michael Giacchino's score is elegant, strong, and endearing. Like the film, it enjoys its own identity but listeners familiar with the broad range of music found in the "Star Trek" universe will note subtle similarities that allow it to nicely integrate with the works of Alexander Courage, Jerry Goldsmith, Dennis McCarthy, and others. Star Trek is an extraordinary film on every level. Satisfying both longtime fans and tepid newcomers alike to the series, Director J.J. Abrams' vision of Gene Roddenberry's future is a dazzling achievement of filmmaking, special effects, and story, not to mention a perfect rekindling of a sadly dormant franchise. While Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, and Anton Yelchin will never replace William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForrest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan, George Takei, and Walter Koenig, there is no doubt they can co-exist. With an impeccable cast; wonderful special effects; a dramatic, far-reaching, and emotional story that doesn't rely on action but rather integrates it perfectly into the film; infectious humor; and spot-on odes to the original stories and characters that define the "Star Trek" universe, 2009's Star Trek is a passionate rebirth, a resurrection for the ages, and it boldly and confidently goes where "Star Trek" must to endure. Paramount's Blu-ray release of Star Trek is, like the film, mesmerizing. Featuring impeccable picture and sound quality, not to mention a complete, thoroughly informative, and consistently entertaining supplemental package, Star Trek receives my highest recommendation. Live long and prosper.
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