Star Trek

Year: 2009 (USA)
Genre: Sci-Fi Action/Space Adventure
Directed: J.J. Abrams
Stars: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Winona Ryder, Leonard Nimoy
Production: Paramount Pictures

Moment of honesty, I was never a Star Trek (1966-1969) fan growing up. In fact, when my brothers watched Next Generation in the living room I often walked out to play with my Matchbox Cars. I found the whole enterprise boring and later, when I wasn’t completely lacking taste, I never sat down to watch any of the various series or movies. Ask me which I would prefer, I was solidly in the Star Wars (1977-2005) camp.

My introduction to Star Trek in all its glory didn’t really start until I saw the teaser trailer for the 2009 movie. The teaser was simple; just a few close shots of the infamous Enterprise being built with heroic music swelling in the background. The whole thing felt like the beginnings of something colossal and I was actually a little excited for a movie whose expanded universe I knew little about. Once I actually saw the likes of Captain Kirk and Commander Spock on the big screen, my mind was absolutely torn asunder by the awesome ride that was Star Trek (2009).

The movie begins with a microcosm of what’s to come; a universal anomaly, a spacecraft being blown to smithereens, high octane action and drama. The first five minutes has more emotional weight than most movie franchises, and it only goes up from there. We are introduced to the ensemble who all have their moments but the main story arcs concern Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto).

We see snippets of both their youths. Kirk grows up an intelligent, suave but angry young man who is coaxed by Admiral Pike (Bruce Greenwood) to join Starfleet. Meanwhile Spock grows up the product of two worlds; having a prominent Vulcan father and a human mother. He’s teased in his youth for this very reason and thus becomes about as rebellious as a Vulcan can be by joining Starfleet. There the two meet and don’t quite get along. They do however have a common enemy, Nero (Eric Bana) quixotically entitled “the last Romulan Emperor”.

By the halfway mark Nero has taken loved ones from both protagonists and committed one horrible act of genocide. Despite this, the film accurately captures the zeitgeist of the original series. It’s a hopeful film about people at the pinnacle of human and alien understanding trying to gain even better insights into the universe. A film about explorers who go where no man has gone before and stop evil from grabbing hold in the cosmos.

See, I know this because after watching Star Trek, I went back to the well to not only see the original cast in the show but the movies as well. In addition I went and watched a few episodes of Next Generation and even became friends with George Takei on Facebook. There is a reason why Star Trek is one of the longest running franchises in history and its not just fan boy love.

It’s because each generation has left its mark on the franchise while staying true to Gene Roddenberry’s spirit. The newest Star Trek crew are clever, energetic, and youthful. The Enterprise ship has the look and feel of an Apple Store with an external dampener, and the movie has slightly more pomp and circumstance than the films before it.

Kill the wabbit! Kill the wabbit!

Or after it; Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) while action-packed, wasn’t nearly as original or interesting. It certainly doesn’t approach the gold standard of Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan (1982). Nor does it reach the stars quite like the 2009 reboot. Here’s to hoping J.J. Abrams has a few more tricks up his sleeve.

Its funny how we can be introduced to new things; or rather old things we previously had no interest in. I was introduced to Wagner through the Bugs Bunny short What’s Opera Doc? (1957). Who knew that Elmer Fudd singing a parody of the opening passage from Act Three of Die Walkure would be so enduring and cultivate an interest in opera. Star Trek is similar in my mind. It may not be the real McCoy, and to many it’s not the best version of Star Trek’s reality. But to me it’s the gatekeeper to a brave new world.

The real McCoy

Final Grade: A