The Writer's Eye

I’m going to be honest with you. I was never truly a fan of Star Trek. I never saw any of the old movies, and frankly, I never cared to. Therefore, when I first saw an unbelievably vague teaser trailer for this movie, I paid it very little mind and went on about my business.

Fast-forward a few months, and several new trailers have been released. Nerdy fans that spent their time worshipping the old movies immediately went into hissy-fits, bashing the movie by nitpicking at every little thing. Having no knowledge of the original movies, I saw the trailers and immediately vowed to see it, and so I did.

Nobody saw this coming! A remake that captured the audiences of theaters everywhere with it’s dazzling special effects, intriguing plot, and all-star cast. I personally got hooked on this movie less than ten minutes in, and it wasn’t just because it opened with an eye-popping battle. J.J Abrams is well known in the world of science-fiction for the hit series ‘LOST’ (of which I am a fan). His talents show throughout the movie, but the abundance of sci-fi material does not take away from a story that can attract viewers of every age.

We start out with Captain Kirk’s father, who has been temporarily named captain of the U.S.S Kelvin in the wake of an unexpected disaster. In the twelve minutes of his role as a captain, he saves 800 lives, including that of his son. It’s this scene that sets the tone for the rest of the movie. We watch as both Kirk and Spock separately grow into two very different young men, until the day their paths finally cross.

The first impression that most viewers (including myself) got from James Kirk was that he was an arrogant, self-absorbed jackass that didn’t really care about anything. That is, until he gets drunk at a bar and runs into Pike, the current captain of the U.S.S Enterprise. After that everything changes, and we are zoomed forward in time 3 years, stopping just in time to see a still-arrogant Kirk cheat on his test to become a captain.

His ignorant little stunt lands him a suspension, and so he is forced to sneak aboard the Enterprise when duty calls. This small event leads to a big one, and before we know it everything collides. Kirk, Spock, and Pike all find themselves in the same dreadful situation, and if they want to survive they will have to overcome their differences and learn to work together.

Star Trek does a pretty good job of making you like and hate both of the main characters. At one point you will hate Kirk and love Spock, then things flip-flop, and you find yourself feeling the opposite. However, as the store progresses both characters learn to work with each other (with a little help from an unexpected ally), and as a team they confront the malevolent force that threatens the destruction of a certain planet.

The only true issue I had with this movie was the gimped fight-scenes that could have been done in a much more realistic fashion. The editing on one scene in particular was very poorly done, and it just didn’t cut it for me. It ruined what would have otherwise been a perfect moment in the movie.

Overall Star Trek is a movie with very few flaws, and it is left wide open for a sequel, which we will probably hear about sooner or later. How much you like this movie depends on how much you love the characters. Kirk’s irritating and arrogant attitude can really wear on you after a while, but about halfway through the movie he meets someone that causes him to begin changing for the better. The movie is not perfect, by any means, but it is a remake that, unlike so many others, does things right. For those that haven’t seen it, there is a theatrical trailer below the score for your entertainment.

Star Trek (2009): 9.2/10