Thursday, August 29, 2019

A Look Back At Star Trek



2009's Star Trek is now, obviously, 10 years old so I thought it would be a good time to look back and reevaluate it. In general, I am a Star Trek fan. I like most of the t.v. series (although Star Trek: Discovery just doesn't work for me) and I like most of the Trek films. I saw this one in theaters back in 2009 and, for the most part, I enjoyed it. I have seen parts of it since then when flipping through channels but, I hadn't rewatched it in it's entirety until recently and I think it still holds up. 

This J. J. Abrams directed film serves as a reintroduction to many classic Trek characters like Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Sulu, McCoy etc. While cadets at Starfleet Academy, they are thrust into an emergency situation aboard the USS Enterprise when a distress signal is received and the primary fleet is out of range. When the Enterprise crew arrives at the location of the signal, they find the fleet destroyed and eventually find out that time-traveling Romulans are to blame... It's not the most complex plot, and the Romulan leader, Capt. Nero, is just seeking revenge because his planet was destroyed. However, I think solid execution and great performances elevate it from a mediocre science-fiction movie to a very good one. Speaking of the performances, I remember going into this film initially back in '09 and being unsure if I would be on board throughout the film with different actors in these iconic roles. In particular, James T. Kirk and Spock. To my surprise though I really like Chris Pine as Kirk, and I think Zachary Quinto makes a decent Spock. Plus, the movie get a few bonus points in my book for having Simon Pegg in it as Scotty. 

Overall, it's not perfect but, in spite of it being a bit too action heavy and reliant on nostalgia, and featuring an overabundance of lens-flares, I think it's a well made and entertaining flick.

I give this one a 4.5 out of 5.

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