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Movie Review: Star Trek, 6.75 out of 10
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Star Trek movie poster
The second big movie of the summer has arrived. Star Trek hit theaters today, May 8, 2009. Let’s look at the Good and the Bad.
First thing you have to know is that I am in no way, shape or form a “Trekkie.” I have seen most of the movies (perhaps all, though I’m not sure), and a fair number of episodes that I caught as reruns on TV every now and again. That being said, I do know enough about the characters and a few basic back-story elements to appreciate or be disappointed by this film.
The Good
The movie starts off very strong. It is full of emotion, suspense, above average acting by some, average by others. There is even a very nice “music only” montage to get the real emotions flowing. The scene with James T. Kirk as a child is amusing, albeit somewhat pointless. We are given a large helping of “rebellious Kirk” as a young man just minutes after this scene. I also found the whole young rebel angle very humorous as I tried to picture William Shatner as a rebellious, bar-brawling young man, and that thought just cracked me up. I realize that it’s the character that was a rebellious youth, not Shatner…but come on, think about it…there it is!
The other very good thing about the start of the film was the pace. They gave us enough background of our main character, but got to the meat of the film quickly. As far as acting and characters go, young Spock (played by Zachary Quinto of “Heroes”) was done pretty well. The writers did a good job of showing him being tormented by emotions, not sure if he should embrace them, submitting to his human side of the gene pool, or suppress them, submitting to his Vulcan heritage. Quinto pulls this off well, but Nimoy’s shoes are still too big for him. I am very torn with James T. Kirk (played by Chris Pine). It seemed like half the movie he did a great job giving attitude, emotion and suspense, but then there were times he came off childish or missing the “vibe” of the scene. So, we’ll sum it up as good, but not excellent. Simon Pegg (young “Scotty”) was a fantastic choice, and after seeing him in that role, I cannot picture anyone else! Zoe Saldana was a good choice for young Uhura. Anton Yelchin did a pretty good job with Checkov’s accent.
The Bad
I won’t give away plot points for those that have not seen it yet, but the story plays around with the Space/Time Continuum and uses this as a cheap way to write the story any way they want to because it can all boil down to the ability to alter the future by changing the past. I won’t say anymore than that, but I had to mention it because I truly feel the writers purposefully did this to justify their story to anyone who may be critical of it. As far as acting and characters go, “Bones” McCoy (played by Karl Urban) was a pretty poor attempt at a younger version of this character. Urban tries to gives us that classic half-slurred accent that we’re used to when we first meet his character and it’s borderline comical. The rest of the film he wises up and does not try. His “D*mn it, man…” line was ok, but not nearly as well pulled off as Simon Pegg delivering the “I’m givin’ it all she’s got, Captain!”
Again, I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, but I personally was very disappointed with the ending for the same Space/Time Continuum issues stated before. I can’t explain more than that without giving things away, you’ll have to watch it to know which part at the end I am referring to. Very cheesy!
All in all, the movie is ok. It was enjoyable, and I didn’t walk away mumbling something like, “Man I wish I had that $7 back!” But, I really think the writers missed both demographics with this film. I don’t think hardcore Trekkies will be happy with a special effects driven, Space/Time Continuum copout plot, type of movie. I also don’t think they did anything to lure in new fans who may just be curious about the franchise, but be unfamiliar with it. If you do not know the characters from the older shows and movies, you won’t get to know them in this film. The only connection you make is if you knew them previously and get a kick out of the quirks and mannerisms that you recognize.
So, I gave it a nice round 6.75 out of 10, not horrible, but not mind-blowingly awesome either.
Check out some reviews:X-men Origins: Wolverine, Angels & Demons, Terminator Salvation, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and Land of the Lost.
For another take on Star Trek, check out a review by the Norfolk Film Examiner.
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