Prequel to TOS, 21st Century Style

Rating: 9/10 (8 May 2009)

Any movie fan knows that the key elements to a good movie are (not in order) story line, direction, cinematography, acting, and soundtrack. There are many good films that may be weak in one or two of these areas. However, a great movie excels in all of these areas. Star Trek 2009 is one such film. You most certainly do not need to be a "Trekkie" to enjoy the movie, for it stands on its own as terrific sci-fi. However, fans of Star Trek TOS (the original series) will be even more enamored of this near-perfect production, because the young characters (Kirk, Spock and cast) are true to their adult persona, as developed for television. At least, it's what we suspect these memorable characters would have been like in their youth. The inter-play, dialogue, and even the comic relief, is pure entertainment, and you will not find yourself looking at your watch at any point in the film. Casting is spot-on, as is the script. I have no doubt that this movie could not have been done any better, even if Gene Roddenberry had overseen production himself. I suggest, if you have the opportunity, that you see it in IMAX, because the computer generated graphics and sets are truly spectacular, such that the imagery nearly jumps off the screen and you actually find yourself on "the final frontier." FYI: Roddenberry developed his idea for Star Trek in 1964 when he thought of combining Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. The show was eventually canceled because of low ratings. However, the show's impact on pop culture cannot be denied.