Good for newcomers; great for Trekkies

Rating: 9/10 (9 July 2013)

As with the previous movie in this 21st-Century revision of the 23rd Century, the performances by Zachary Quinto (young Spock) and Karl Urban (Bones) are outstanding representations of the original characters as their younger, more emotional selves. Zoe Saldana (Uhura) and Simon Pegg (Scottie) do a good job with their parts even if they seem to have made the characters their own. Chris Pine (Kirk) plays the part with more sexual magnetism and drive than Shatner did (incredibly) but with far less charm. I expect we will see more smooth operating as Kirk begins to age. Benedict Cumberbatch offers a dramatic rethinking of Khan at every level. Though it was interesting, the dramatic change in Khan's character was noticeable, and the age of the character should have been older as he would have been the same age in this reality as in the previous time line. However, the reversal of roles at the reactor chamber was masterfully done. Watching Quinto and Pine reenact this classic scene from "The Wrath of Khan" will give you chills. It was beautifully done, and faithful down to the facial expressions. So, although the somewhat more emotional, younger characters will appeal to the younger audiences or those new to the Star Trek universe as pure action, the faithful re-imagination and execution of moving scenes from a past/future that no longer exists is sure to draw appreciation from even hardcore Trekkies.