Entertaining Film, Could've Been Better (Coming From a Non-Trekkie)

Rating: 7/10 (11 May 2009)

If you aren't a Trekkie and you're unsure as to whether or not you'd enjoy this film, well, here's the skinny on it, and I'll let you decide. The group I went with consisted of 6 people: One enjoyed it but wanted to see more of the kid versions of Kirk and Spock, another doesn't like Sci-Fi therefore didn't enjoy it, two Trekkies loved it, one was bored by the special effects but liked the dialog, and then there was me, who felt the following.
What I Liked About It....
1. The dialog was quick and witty - the writers did a great job with that for this film.
2. The casting was fantastic. Chris Pine was definitely the highlight with his rebellious, cocky, and flirty take on Kirk. Zachary Quinto followed close behind with his heartfelt interpretation of a young Spock, struggling between feeling and not feeling emotion. All of the other actors did a great job as well.
3. As a film editor, I love looking for stand-out filming techniques in movies and television, and with Abrams, this was a sure thing. Once again, the shots were superb and engaging.
4. The special effects. The team who worked on this aspect of the film is a very talented bunch. Each effect lit up the screen and oozed second by second with outstanding detail.
5. The Kirk & Spock plot lines: Kirk's growth to being Captain and Spock's growth to actually showing some sort of emotion.
6. Young Spock and Old Spock on screen together. It was like seeing double vision! Very cool.
What I Didn't Like About It....
1. The movie had some incredibly corny moments that it could've done without: Kirk in the snow and being chased by that giant creature. It was both unnecessary to the plot and looked incredibly stupid.
2. There were at least a couple drawn out scenes that could've been either removed or cut in half. While I love Abrams in some aspects, this is one that often irritates me. He has trouble getting to the point quickly. Most of his shows, it takes a few episodes for things to actually pick up.
3. The special effects. While I said before, that they looked great, the non-film editor in me feels they were much too overused. I would've preferred more of the character interactions and dialog rather than watching a bunch of fancy effects fill up the space of the movie.
4. The plot line. The battle with the Romulans was vague and lacked depth. There wasn't much reasoning behind what they were doing except that the Romulans were attacking them.
5. Young Spock and Old Spock being seen together. While it was very cool, it was also very unnecessary and did not bring any more to the film.
Overall, I would recommend this film to those of you who don't watch Star Trek. It's very enjoyable and intriguing, even if at some points, you find yourself wondering, "What's going on?" If you're a sucker for quick wit dialog you'll be sure to love the moments when the characters are actually interacting!