End of the Roddenberrily-Correct Trek!

Rating: 7/10 (13 May 2009)

I can see how this movie would upset devotees of the vapid Roddenberry/Berman/Piller version of the Star Trek universe. It pretty much puts back all the unforgivable "mistakes" and "flaws" of the original series that these fans thought Next Gen had "corrected." In place of the idealized, mentally-hygienic, practically carved in marble heroes they seem to prefer, it gives us a bunch of weird, violent, sexed-up, imperfect, and very human characters. And it has illogical elements and plot holes - while of course there were none in the "new, improved" Trek shows. Let's face it - compared to Next Gen, this movie is a train wreck.
The thing is, watching a train wreck - a passenger train at that - is more interesting than watching a train full of people who have no problems rolling smoothly along on perfectly level tracks while discussing the physics of train travel. Which is sort of what watching Next Gen is like.
So frankly, despite its flaws, I welcome the new Trek with enthusiasm. It's a mess, but it's a creative, exciting, emotionally-engaging, adventurous mess. If you want to have fun - see this movie now. If not, stay home and watch "Pen Pals" a few times. Maybe you'll change your mind about trains.