Friday, May 8, 2009

Star Trek


There are many who will say, “Well I’m not a fan of Star Trek, so this movie isn’t for me”. I’m happy to say this movie is definitely for you. I will add that any fan can and will appreciate what has been done to this dying series.

I’m going to dissect my review a little more than usual just so I can get across why I loved this film so much.

The Cast
Zachary Quinto will own Spock’s character for years to come. He has embodied the quiet strength and subtle humor that Leonard Nimoy created. Chris Pine is a fantastic Kirk with his handsome, cocky and clever nature. This is a Kirk/Spock film depicting the growth of their loyal friendship. The rest of the cast is really great. Zoe Saldana plays Uhura with tenderness and intelligence. Karl Urban makes McCoy “Bones” his own.
Anton Yelchin as Chekov, John Cho as Zulu and Simon Pegg as Scotty round out this brilliant casting.

The Director
J.J. Abrams is mostly known for his TV work. He created Alias, LOST, and Fringe. He accepted the challenge of resurrecting Star Trek for a new audience and has succeeded. At 2 hrs and 7 minutes, the movie feels like a half hour. It goes by fast and full of energy. You can’t wait to see what happens next. At the end of the movie, after the applause, people were yelling out to roll it again. You want to see more and thankfully sequels are coming.

The Story and Effects
The story kicks off with something poignant. The audience can and will connect to what’s happening here. We are witness to the birth of our two heroes, Kirk and Spock.
We are dealt with longing, loss, humanity, and compassion. However, this movie isn’t a downer. It has comedy, romance, and heart throughout. All of this resonates beyond the overwhelming spectacle that is the effects. Wow the effects are downright amazing! We’ve never seen space so vibrant and alive as we do here. I have to make the following side note: Wolverine was made for $140mil and it looked Cheesy and cheap. Star Trek was made for $150 million and it looks super expensive. You can see that money used to create something spectacular.

If you love SCI Fi, go see this movie. If you are looking for a good summer action movie with a great story and characters see this movie. If you only have $12 bucks for one movie this weekend, DON’T SPEND IT ON WOLVERINE, see Star Trek, a satisfying movie from start to finish and one that I can’t wait to see again and again. My Grade: A