Marval Movie

After over a thousand episodes, over five different shows and nearly fifty years worth of lore Star Trek is not that easy for new viewers to come into it and not get instantly overwhelmed.  So as it must happen to all long running franchises, in 2009 Star Trek would get rebooted.

This kind of decision will always carry controversy but I was exited to learn that there would be a new movie with the original characters of the Star-ship Enterprise, that's the show and characters I know and those are the ones I want to see.

The movies plot, I think, is brilliantly creative.  We see a Star-ship pick up a strange signal, so naturally they investigate.  Then a portal opens and a gigantic ship comes through.  The ship itself looks like something that came off the pages of 2000AD, then the two ships battle.  The Federation ship is outgunned and the crew must evacuate along with a woman that is giving birth, the autopilot is out so the captain has to stay behind to fight off the strange new ship, but while he speaks with his wife for the last time they decide what to name their just newly born son, he thinks Tiberius is terrible but he likes the name Jim, yeah that's right.

In the directing chair this time is J.J. Abrams who brings shaky but well executed camera movements that have a certain gracefulness of their own, it gives the movie a visceral feel that grounds the movie and makes the viewer really get a feel for the action scenes. Another noteworthy decision he made was to add a lens flare effect, it isn't really necessary but it does give the movie a unique visual appeal and I never found it a big distraction so it works well.

We then learn the mysterious ship is from the future, but even more shocking than this, is that this means that the future has now been altered, which means all the previous adventures are essentially erased and whatever happens now is fair game.

With the altered reality means altered characters and settings.  Here with the loss of his father Kirk played by Chris Pine is more reckless and rebellious but still brilliant, is this right? I think I can imagine Kirk ending up like this with the loss of his father. Spock played by Zachary Quinto looks more at what it was like as a child of two worlds and the inner conflict he tackles inside, he also channels all of the wonderful characteristics that Lenard Nimoy brought to the role like that quick raise of the eyebrow.  Others like Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana and Simon Pegg do very well in talking these classic characters and putting their own unique twist onto them.  One of the notable aspects of this movie is the interior of the Enterprise looking like an apple computer, it works but there's really no reason for it, but it looks pretty so no big complaint.  

The music is supplied by Michael Giacchino who supplies the movie with a glorious operatic theme for this space opera, its not initially what I think of when I hear Star Trek but its good and suits this interpretation of the franchise.  When I think Star Trek music I think of the Jerry Goldman theme  from Star Trek The Motion Picture, Final Frontier and The Next Generation.   

When is comes to reboots I am often the optimistic one.  I was excited for the new Thundercats show and I welcomed the DC relaunch, I understand the reason for them and am eager to see what a new creator can bring to the source material and the characters.

With a rebooted story the slate is wiped clean for a new series of adventures and possible story arcs, I look forward to be taken where no fan has been taken before.

Rating 3 1/2 stars out of 4