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Old May 8th, 2009, 06:17 AM   #1
martok2112
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: River Ridge, LA
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Default Martok's NO SPOIL STAR TREK review...

FILM: STAR TREK
DISTRIBUTOR: PARAMOUNT
DIRECTOR: J.J. ABRAMS
PRINCIPAL CAST: CHRIS PINE, ZACHARY QUINTO, ZOE SALDANA, KARL URBAN, BRUCE GREENWOOD, ERIC BANA, JOHN CHO, ANTON YELCHIN, SIMON PEGG, LEONARD NIMOY
MPAA RATING: PG-13 for SCI FI ACTION AND VIOLENCE, AND BRIEF SEXUAL CONTENT (reviewer's note: also brief mild language)
RUNTIME: 2hrs., 6mins.

Story: 4.5/5
Acting: 5/5
Sound: 5/5
Visuals: 5/5
Endorphin Factor: 4/5
Big Screen Experience: 5/5
Scoring system:
Average: 4.75/ 5

MOVIES IT COULD BE COMPARED TO: Any previous Star Trek film

DETAILS: Well, it looks like J.J. Abrams and his boys at Bad Robot have done it. Star Trek is officially, and quite satisfactorily rebooted for a new generation of fans, as well as fans of Trek come before.

This is sort of a how Kirk met everybody else story, and along with it is a great thrill ride.

I will admit, I wish there could've been just a bit more backstory to the main villain, one Romulan Captain Nero (played well by Eric Bana).

The story itself is very fast paced and starts off with an action sequence that actually had me almost in tears, given the nature of its resolution.

We are then treated to a quick backstory of James Tiberius Kirk, and Spock, and their troubled youth which will set the stage for their future exploits.

The movie moves along at a great clip, and never fails to entertain. Even at its slowest moments (of which there are very few) the movie holds your attention...especially with the presence of Leonard Nimoy. I do believe though that movie sometimes moved along just a little too quick. It was over before I knew it, and that's saying something for a movie with a 126 minute run time.

There are a few things that purists might say were wrong, and even my red flag got set off on occasion, but certainly not enough to detract from my enjoyment of the film. This is a complete reboot, yet there is some continuity/minor paradox that is logically handled for the story. While the characters stay true (largely) to their original iconic incarnations, these versions do have enough liberty to keep them fresh and interesting for today's audience. That is NOT saying that the characters are dumbed down. Refreshed does not mean that at all.

The visual effects of this film were stunning, as was the sound mix. My only minor gripe is that I wish they could've given the Enterprise just a wee bit more of a treatment from Star Trek The Motion Picture. As such, the introduction of the Enterprise felt just a tiny bit rushed. Again, such a minor complaint is hardly cause for me to completely dismiss the film. The lovely lady of the stars gets plenty of screentime, and she is worth watching every single second.

The story is tightly written, and is filled with action, humor, sadness, joy, defeat, and triumph, as well as the sense of wonder of a new beginning. There are plenty of nods for old Trek fans like myself, and they are certainly not going to be lost on potential new fans from this generation. Technobabble is kept to a minimum, but when it is used, it is used effectively.

The actors ALL turn in top notch performances. Zachary Quinto does an excellent job of straddling the emotional line inherent to Spock's half-breed nature. Chris Pine plays a fine, cocky, tongue in cheek Kirk that also has Kirk's better nature of command blossom out. Karl Urban as McCoy....I think DeForest Kelley would smile on him proudly. John Cho and Anton Yelchin do great respect to their roles, if also a bit tongue in cheek. Simon Pegg is hilarious as Scotty, but is also the miracle worker that we've come to know and love. A couple of self-surprised moments for the newcoming engineer really endear Scotty to the audience. Eric Bana's character, the Romulan Nero, almost has a feel of Shinzon from Nemesis....a little more fleshing out of the character's backstory would've been welcome, but Bana turns in a good, menacing performance. Zoe Saldana is very beautiful, and very charming as Uhura...and she is a character every bit as dignified and respectable as Nichelle Nichols' original version.

Some surprises in this movie, but none I will spoil. They are best experienced unspoiled, for the viewer to evaluate for themselves. As with all things in this movie, I found them refreshing.

This movie on all levels had a far more epic feel than any previous Star Trek film.

BOTTOM LINE: Go see Star Trek. It's a great reboot, and one that does far more respect for the original series than some of its premature detractors give it credit for.
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