WAY better than I expected or hoped for

Rating: 9/10 (21 May 2009)

Some hardcore Trekkies are not happy with the new movie, 'Star Trek.' But unless you're one of those who is immersed in the minutiae of the Trek 'canon' (as purists call it), chances are you'll find it exciting and involving. I am myself a long-time fan and I found it very faithful to the original series, admittedly in spirit more than every tiny detail. In any event, the makers of the new 'Star Trek' have given themselves a free pass by utilizing a time travel story which in effect creates an alternate universe and history of sorts, so that things aren't exactly as they once were anyway. But the characters are as we remember them, brought to life in greater detail than the original series allowed. Kirk in particular is fleshed out, made believable and three-dimensional as never before. A two-fisted hellraiser as a youth, he basically joins Star Fleet on a dare and continues to fly by the seat of his pants, fighting authority while at the same time becoming a leader. Spock is his opposite, and here he is portrayed as even more aloof and tortured than Leonard Nimoy's interpretation. He has quite a temper and does not suffer fools gladly... and at first he considers Kirk a major fool. At one point, while briefly Kirk's superior officer, Spock has Kirk thrown off the ship, literally. The two have many great encounters during the movie, arguments, discussions, fights and finally collaboration. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are fine as Kirk and Spock, respectively. Despite early press stories which indicated the actors would not imitate their predecessors in the various roles, that is exactly what appears to be happening. Certainly Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy seems to be channeling DeForest Kelley. And how else to explain Anton Yelchin's insanely absurd Russian accent as Pavel Chekov? All of the regular cast are 'copying,' to one extent or another, their counterparts in the original cast. And the great thing is, it works. Eric Bana as Nero is a serviceable villain, a crazed Romulan out for revenge against the future Spock (Leonard Nimoy in a good featured role thankfully, instead of a throwaway cameo) and then the entire Federation. The somewhat standard-issue plot is helped by a few surprises that might not sink in until after viewing the whole film. And Bruce Greenwood is excellent as Christopher Pike, first captain of the Enterprise. It would have been tempting to make him a cardboard character, someone to cast aside to make room for Kirk, but he's not- he's wise, resourceful, and committed, which makes him the perfect mentor for Kirk. Others worth noting include Simon Pegg, in a too-brief appearance as Scotty. He makes the most of his screen-time and has some of the funniest and most perfectly-timed lines of dialogue. Zoe Saldana makes a sultry Uhura, who apparently has the hots for Spock. Something tells me this will come up again in the inevitable sequel. The opening sequence, where Kirk is born during a vicious attack on his father's starship, has to rank as one of the most exciting scenes in all of Star Trek history, which as we all know, covers a lot of territory. And that's just the beginning. This year's 'Star Trek' is not only a strong candidate for best 'Trek' ever, it's also the best movie of the year, so far.