Takes the History, Gadgets & Characters of the OId But Leaves out the Theme

Rating: 4/10 (12 December 2011)

While this "reboot" is certainly a lot better than the last 3 odd "The Next Generation" themed features, it is more of a muscular amped up sci fi action adventure movie than a true Trek storyline. In that the plot is simple: Surviving Romulans get all bent out of shape because their star went supernova, while Spock the Vulcan was on the way to help them, that they go back into time to get revenge on the Federation and Spock for failing to get their in time. Of course, it is rather sour grapes since the Romulans were antagonistic to the Federation long after the Klingons made peace. Time travel is a weak plot device most of the time, so that is one strike. Two, the whole plot is built around revenge and destruction, which is hardly an inspiring, open, looking into the unknown type of theme that made Star Trek so popular.
Also, it made Kirk and all the TOS regulars of the same age and class, sans Spock. So it was more like a Dawsons Creek teen adventure motif. Kirk is some bad ass tearaway, since his dad died fighting our time traveling revenge seeking Romulan, that he steals his uncle's 1967 Corvette Stingray and drives it off a cliff, jumping to safety at the last moment, to the sounds of the Beastie Boy's "Sabotage" on the car's radio. While even I laughed at such a crowd pleasing scene, it was definitely simple minded juvenile defiance and larceny, hardly auguring future greatness. From then on, it is one hijink after another, with some interesting action scenes, some downright silly like being chased by some ice monster after being stranded by Spock for defying Spock's commands. Why they couldn't just lock Kirk in the brig was never explained. But the ice monster did lead him to the future old Leonard Nimoy Spock, also stranded on the same ice planet by the bad Romulan Nero. Than that silly set of coincidences leads them to find Scotty, who is by himself with a robot helper on the same remote ice world working on a fancy transporter system. I mean is this supposed to be taken seriously? They aren't obligated to follow Star Trek "history" to the letter, but please be a little real, not one silly coincidence after another.
There is no sense of finding and dealing with the unknown and man or the future, just the obligatory showdown where blah blah all is put right in the end, bad guys poof! So if you are looking for a decent action adventure movie and know nothing about Star Trek, you'll like it. But if you are looking for a newer and better Trek, no way!