Don't be afraid, it's fantastic

Rating: 10/10 (10 May 2009)

It was big and beautiful and true to the spirit of the original. Any in-continuities it might have had were explained away in the plot and the presence of Leonard Nimoy was a brilliant move that let us die hard nut case Trekkers accept this new AU and embrace it. The high points- The Enterprise looked like the enterprise, they didn't murder the whole dream by making technology look more advanced in a prequel than it was in the real movie or show like they did with Star Wars. The character playing Bones was spot on, a fitting tribute to the memory and life of Deforrest Kelley. The sheer beauty of the cinematography, CGI, and special effects was breathtaking. If there were any drawbacks they were more than eclipsed by the quality of the film.
It's very hard for non-Trekkers or non-Trekkies to understand our attachment to the dream and the ideal that this TV series became to us. The Next Generation and all its spin off lost something that the original had, the feeling that one man - not a military organization, not a political movement, but one man, a hero - could make right what is wrong. Star Trek was about a hope that the future could be better and brighter than the world we live in, that people can and will learn from their mistakes and do better without destroying the spark that is the human spirit. It's also about believing that we aren't alone out there or in here. Friends will always have our back, there will always be ways to bridge cultural and racial gaps, and there will be other beings out there that share the same hopes and dreams that we do. That's what Trek lost when the original went off the air, but they found it again in this movie.
If you're a TOS Trekker or a real Trekkie, trust me, it's okay, go see it. It won't hurt you, promise.