A Visually Stunning and Immensely Entertaining Ride!

Rating: 8/10 (25 May 2009)

Now, am no Trekkie and have no knowledge of the Star Trek franchise besides William Shatner was the Captain Kirk of the original 1960s TV series, Patrick Stewart was the captain of the 90s series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Whoopi Goldberg made some appearances on that show. So when hearing about this film as not interesting as Star Trek has been revered as geek religion and had little appeal to those who weren't familiar with it's history. But when I saw the trailer for the film, I was pretty surprised at how good it looked and the fact that J.J. Abrams ("Alias", "Lost") was directing only got me more interested in the film. After the film was released, I heard good things about the film and decided to check it out. I'm glad to say that "Star Trek" was great film with not only some exciting action and breath taking special effects, but there's enough distinction between keeping the mythology of the franchise intact and introducing it to a new audience who have no knowledge of Star Trek. Of course, you'll be lost when certain alien species are described or terms like "warp seed" are used, but overall, you'll find yourself very engrossed in the film's story as well as it's various characters.
The best aspect of the film is without a doubt the strong acting from a relatively unknown cast. Not only do all the actors play their roles very convincingly, but their individual character moments really add that needed depth to a summer blockbuster that often turns into an action fest with little emotional investment. I can't really say which character was the best, but I know the standouts were Chris Pine as the tough, womanizing and future captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto as the brooding, complex half human/half Vulcan, Spock. In the original series, Kirk and Spock are the best of friends and trusted companion and while I have knowledge of their history, its interesting seeing how both men grew up as troubled youths and became rivals before becoming the iconic duo that Trekkies all. In all their scenes, Chris Pine effectively finds a balance between arrogance and confidence that makes Kirk the lead hero you root for and Zachary Quinto does a stunning job of showing Spock conflict between controlling his human emotions and being a strong willed Vulcan who must always follow the code of a captain. But while the film does focus more on the rivalry between Kirk and Spock, the rest of the cast again have their moments of where they get to define their characters rightfully. There's Karl Urban who does a fine job as the space fearing Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Zoe Saldana is both sexy and strong as Uhura, the alien linguist/communications expert of the Enterprise, John Cho gets to show off his impressive fight skills as Hikaru Sulu, the pilot of the Enterprise and both Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov and Simon Pegg as Montgomery Scott bring more than just comic relief to their colorful characters. You also have great supporting roles with Chris Hemsworth and Jennifer Morrison as Kirk's parents, Bruce Greenwood as Captain Pike, an almost unrecognizable Winona Ryder as Spock's mother, surprisingly Tyler Perry as Admiral Richard Barnett and even the original Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy who is an integral part of the story. My only fault with one casting choice/character and my only gripe with the film is Eric Bana as the villainous Romulan, Nero. I don't really fault's Bana's performance too much as Nero never really comes off as a strong antagonist and is rather one-dimensional most of the time.
Besides that, the story moves very smoothly with little plot holes and J.J. Abrams does some of his finest direction here. Not to mention, "Star Trek" easily beats out Zack Snyder's "Watchmen" as the most visually stunning film in recent years! The cinematography is perfection and successfully compliments the story that's being told. The special effects, once again, are top notch and dazzling. Also, the costumes, set pieces etc. have been masterfully modernized and polished for the new age of the Star Trek. A franchise that has been called dead has been remarkably revived in this sci-fi spectacle that is both character driven and visually compelling. "Star Trek" has enough freshness and entertainment to satisfy both long time Trekkies and new audience who could easily became fans after watching this film. I am already anticipating the sequel and can't wait to see the next adventure of the newest incarnation of the U.S.S. Enterprise.