Movie Review: Star Trek (2009)

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Star Trek (2009)–****

J.J. Abrams, I fear you may have made a Trekkie out of me. And I doubt that’s the last time you’ll here that in the next few weeks.

You see, Mr. Abrams, what you did with Star Trek, a prequel/re-imagining of the classic sci-fi series, is nothing less than a miracle. You reinvigorated a franchise that was a pop culture punchline (sorry, old school Trekkies), turning it into the best popcorn sci-fi film since The Matrix.

Thanks, J.J.

From the opening battle spectacular to closing moments so good they sent an excited chill up my spine, Star Trek proves to be one of the most electrifying, smartly scripted films anyone is likely to see this summer. What J.J. Abrams did for Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible series he does 10 times over for Kirk, Spock, and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

But the Enterprise isn’t the first starship we see in Star Trek. The film opens with the U.S.S. Kelven encountering a lightning storm in space. The storm turns out to be a black hole that has transported a Romulan mining ship through time. The Romulan commander Nero (Eric Bana), who is in search for a man named Spock, requests that the captain of the Kevlen board his ship, leaving George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth) in charge.

Things go bad at warp speed. The captain is murdered, and Kirk orders the evacuation of the Kelven. Kirk, however, can’t join his pregnant wife on an escape vessel. With the autopilot function destroyed, he has no choice but to fly the Kelven into the mining ship as his wife, flying off aboard one of many fleeing ships, gives birth to their son: James T. Kirk.

Fast forward twenty-five years. James Kirk (Chris Pine), a hot shot Iowan with a smart mouth and a brilliant mind, spends his time in bars picking fights as often as he picks up women. When a fight with Star Fleet cadets on leave leads to a meeting with Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood), Kirk is invited to join the Federation Star Fleet. “Your father was captain of a starship for 12 minutes. He saved 800 lives, including yours. I dare you to do better,” Pike tells him. There’s no need for a double-dog dare. Once Kirk is challenged, he’ll fight until he comes out on top.

There are momentary lulls in the seemingly non-stop action, as is the case with the Pike/Kirk encounter above. But Star Trek is cast with actors, especially Pine, who can put on charm offensives that make you care about even the most basic interactions.

That’s the difference between a film like Star Trek and the Star Wars prequels or most recently Wolverine. Where as most films feel like required storytelling, beholden to some narrative arch outside of the feature, Star Trek gives a much needed nod to the original pictures while figuring out a way to create a whole new (alternative!) universe.

Everything I wanted from those Star Wars prequels, I got with Star Trek. The action is tight. The acting is powerful. And I loved the characters, particularly Spock, whom actor Zachary Quinto transforms from the cool, logical yin to Kirk’s hot shot, risk taking yang into a more vulnerable, empathetic character.

The meeting between Quinto’s young Spock and (Spoiler Alert!) Leonard Nimoy’s old Spock blesses this change in tone, not just for the character, but the franchise. Old Spock, stoic as ever, has a chance to set his young self on a path that is slightly different than the one he followed. It’s a life where it’s okay to feel, to embrace his human side (Spock being half Vulcan and half human) just a little more.

Such is the case with anything that J.J. Abrams touches. In the midst of the spectacle or the mystery or the faux science, Abrams remembers that any genre can be palatable to a mass audience when you make poignancy as big a priority as the thrills.

Steven Spielberg knew the formula well enough. And after watching Star Trek, I’d say Abrams has what it takes to challenge Peter Jackson for the Spielberg throne. In fact, Abrams may have already won. Star Trek is such a fresh take on the classical blockbuster genre that Abrams could dictate how a generation of moviegoers watches their movies.

So maybe I’m not a Trekkie after all. I guess you can call me an Abrams apostle.

Star Trek, directed by J.J. Abrams, starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, and Bruce Greenwood with Leonard Nimoy, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, and Zoe Saldana, is now playing.