Perfect? No. Necessary? Absolutely.

Rating: 9/10 (8 May 2009)

A lot of Trek fans will be quick to dismiss the alternate time line of this film and the more action oriented approach to a franchise typically more cerebral. And I understand those grievances. It would be tough to feel so connected to forty years worth of material only to have someone who isn't a fan come along and shake it all up. I grew up with TNG. The original cast still had movies coming out in the theaters when I was a kid. I've seen all the movies and every episode of TOS and TNG. I still loved this new Star Trek. And I didn't think I would.
It's been ages since a Trek film had this many scenes that left an emotional impact on me. The pre-credits sequence is one of the best moments in the entire history of this mythology. And the film that follows hits so much more often than it misses.
I had such mixed feelings about re-casting these iconic roles but wow... some of these guys blew me away. For me the stand outs were Chris Pine as Kirk (who has that trademark swagger down to a T but NEVER feels like he's doing a Shatner impression) and Karl Urban as McCoy (who was my favorite part of the film, he just completely embodied the character). Zachary Quinto is more that serviceable as Spock and the only detriment to his performance is putting Leonard Nimoy in the same movie as him. There's just no comparison.
Yes the plot is filled with some major contrivances and conveniences (it's a mad dash to get the crew acquainted & Kirk promoted) but the momentum it builds and the energy is exhumes make it hard not to forgive most of them.
For me the biggest let down was the villain, Nero. I read reviews that talked about a layered performance and I just didn't get that. He seemed to be cut from the same mold as most forgettable Trek villains with a pretty rudimentary back story to boot. He's certainly no Khan or Chang. I think Eric Bana is a wonderful actor, the script just never lets the character become anything more than a plot device. I've heard there's a prequel comic that details his origin a bit better but that shouldn't be required reading to get the most out of the movie. It was the only part of an otherwise exciting film that just fell totally flat. At least for me. I found myself bored every time they cut back to him.
Sure I miss the more philosophical and moral questions the best Trek stories touched on. But I think there's still room for that. The foundation has been laid. The set-up's been taken care of. Now there's an infinite number of possibilities for the Enterprise and her crew. I remain optimistic that future installments will have a mix of the best elements from both takes. I love that they widened the scope and amped up the action. I love that it finally felt dangerous and everything had very tangible consequences. I think that was an important first step. If this cast and these filmmakers are afforded the opportunity to continue I truly believe strong thematic elements will rival the visual ones. And hey, they're already off to a much better start than the original cast was with their first movie.
I'll always have a soft spot for Shatner, Nimoy, Kelly, etc. But I love that it's all still canon. No one said to ignore all of that. This isn't a remake. It's a new series that runs parallel to the Trek we all grew up with. And honestly, I'd take this over what Trek became over the last decade.
It needed a good shake. It's not a perfect movie. But a necessary one. I left the theater today with a smile on my face and the knowledge that Star Trek would live on. The same could not be said just a few years ago.