A Prequel back to the Original Space Fantasy

Rating: 7/10 (23 August 2013)

7.25 of 10. This is more of a Star Trek for the hardcore fans of the old series. Unfortunately, it holds on to some of the elements too much, not upgrading the science and technology. It's disappointing in that it doesn't boldly go to an entirely new crew, planets, and aliens. Fortunately, it feels like a 1-time step back to explore some of the unanswered mysteries of the story's origins. I'll be disappointed if it tries to become a series.
It does boldly explore the pre-mission lives of the original Star Trek characters, giving them new dimension and a solid foundation. It makes you want to watch the old series from the start, but not a sequel.
There are also some exceptional story and plot developments to make this unique and a good story in itself, villains that are much more complex than the simple alien adversaries of past stories. About the only place for this to go is a prequel of the prequel.