Boldly Go....See This Movie

I saw the new Star Trek on it's opening weekend. Despite the apprehension of what this film might render, It turned out to be one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. They just did everything right. The story was clever and handled the balance of drama and humor very well. The directing and acting were superb. The young talent they picked to re-create these iconic characters was perfect, and they all actually had their time to shine on screen.

The story opens with a singularity event (which in Trek Speak means it involves time travel). Don't worry, this is handled much better than in the past (trying to incorporate time travel in Star Trek eventually contributed to it's near demise, in my opinion). Anywho, a Romulan with revenge on his mind comes back from a future where something has gone terribly wrong and he blames The Federation and Spock in particular. Unfortunately, there just happens to be an early Federation starship waiting for them on this side. In the first five minutes of the movie there is a flurry of action and some real dramatic moments so unlike what you've seen in Star Trek before, that you know right away this is going to be a fresh take on the mythology.

Flash forward a few years and we are introduced to a young, rebelious James T. Kirk as well as young Spock back on Vulcan. Flash forward again and we see a slightly older, slightly more rebelious Kirk, and Spock with some life changing decisions before him. Finally, we get up to speed with Starfleet Academy and are introduced to most of the rest of the major players. Hats off to these actors for being able to take the characters that we have known for 40 years and making them their own.

Soon the Romulan resurfaces to cause some major trouble and the Enterprise is off to try to save the day. Keep in mind that the course of events have changed from what we know. Things are unfolding differently due to the Romulan's appearance in this timeline. So.....all bets are off. This was an ingenious way to manipulate the story so that the writers now have the freedom to move around in an established universe without stepping on any toes or creating any inconsistancies. It is almost a blank canvas now. And, judging by the box office reports, is sure to have a sequel on the way at warp speed (sorry, had to do it).

Go see this movie on the big screen!!! It is a big, glorious, sci-fi, adventure, drama with plenty of humor and it deserves a viewing in the theater. In a summer full of blockbusters this year, this one will definitely be one of the best.

So go...go now....Sit Long and Prosper.....