This is not existing Star Trek canon, but...

Rating: 9/10 (9 May 2009)

...This is Star Trek nonetheless, and it's freaking good! Any talk about the failure to adhere to established conventions in the Star Trek universe are form closed-minded fans who want something to gripe about. There are only a small number of these type of nit- pickers fortunately. The overall collective "yawn" the arrival of "Nemesis" was greeted with, proved there had to be serious discussions about moving Trek forward if any type of movies were going to be made, anyway.
All of the previous series and movies aren't being locked up; they will continue onward and actually prosper. This movie will be the impetus for a whole lot of new folk checking out Trek, some of whom, but not all, will become new converts of any number of Trek incarnations.
This is a good thing.
I too miss the thought-provoking philosophical musings of older Trek. And who knows, I imagine some of that will gain a presence in future installments. If it doesn't, oh well. Besides, it's not like the movie doesn't resonate; it has a very definite beating heart in the relationship that is at the core. It also has a strong message about being true to oneself. Also, none of the cast was bordering on parody, anything but. Some people are so set in their ways they don't know homage when they see it. And the timeline plot device works just fine.
I like the music and I'm glad it didn't scream "Star Trek score", and beyond some contrivances (hint: some were most definitely a call out to Trek cheese), I appreciated the writing. I could care less about the admittedly stunning effects, and was surprised how much I laughed, which was a good deal! This is also the most thrilling space adventure in quite some time. The whiny nay-sayers need to adjust to necessary change, lest they suffer the same fate as Lieutenant Valeris and General Chang.