Good Followup On The Original Premise

Rating: 7/10 (25 May 2009)

Having never been a Trekkie, I approached the latest in the long line of films and television shows with no real love for the genre. I was hoping that at least the special effects might be good; they generally are nowadays. With a story of some interest and intriguing cinematography there's little wonder that is a box office hit.
What we have for a plot is an almost bewildering blending of the past, the present and the future, all stitched together in a satisfying manner. But unlike the concurrently running "Angels and Demons", this plot is actually believable, even though this is science fiction. The difference is the pacing and "Stat Trek" has no trace of conspiracy; the enemy is well defined right from the beginning.
What is definitely fun is that we meet the main characters of the film early on in their formative years; James Kirk, Spock, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu and even Dr. McCoy all reveal something of themselves. We now know a little more of how they came to be the crew of the Enterprise.
The effects are quite remarkable, and any fan of space adventures will be satisfied with them. There is a plot point involving time travel that is the only blemish on the narrative; this seems to be like the use of magic in movies. Contrive a difficult situation and have characters saved by supernatural imposition. The artful dodge of movie making.
This is probably the smartest of the summer blockbusters.
Three stars.