MPAA Rating: PG-13/ Genre: Sci-Fi Action/ Stars: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Eric Bana, Bruce Greenwood, Ben Cross, Winona Ryder, Clifton Collins Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Morrison, Rachel Nichols, Faran Tahir, Deep Roy, Greg Ellis, Tyler Perry, Amanda Foreman, Spencer Daniels, Victor Garber, Jimmy Bennett, Jacob Kogan/Runtime: 127 minutes
I think it is safe to start this review off with a line that might be familiar to quite a few of you out there. That being: Space….the final frontier…. Indeed, in case you don’t know dear reader, it was this line which, in the long-ago year of 1966, proved to be part of the opening for a little TV show that would go on to be one of the most famous sci-fi franchises of all time. This show was called Star Trek and, over the course of numerous shows to say nothing of films across a solid 5+ decade run, the franchise itself has become nothing short of legendary and beloved the world over. Yet in the year 2009 things were a wee bit different. To be sure, the love for the franchise was intact, but the franchise itself had also gone quiet in the aftermath of Star Trek: Nemesis’ release in theaters back in 2002 as well as Enterprise bowing on TV back in 2005 respectively. Suffice it to say then that when word got out of a new Star Trek movie being worked on the fans naturally got excited. Yet that excitement would soon turn to anxiety at best and downright hostility at worst when word got out that this new movie would be an origin saga of sorts with a new cast portraying the iconic characters of the Original Series in their “younger days”. Of course, when the dust cleared and the film was finally released, I think it’s safe to say that the fans were no longer worried and/or hostile. Rather, they were quite ecstatic with the fact that what this film turned out to be was one that brilliantly kept the heart and soul of what the original series was all about whilst also being enough of its own distinct thing so as to attract new fans of all ages. Suffice it to say then that with a fantastic cast of players, incredible work by the various departments behind the camera, and a quite potent story made up equally of pathos and action with a dollop of humor as well as nostalgia for the franchise thrown in for good measure, the 2009 Star Trek is not just a phenomenal movie to say nothing of one of the finer cinematic resurrection stories of the past three decades. Rather, it also assertively and skillfully manages to take this franchise where it always had and where it always must. Not just to endure another 5+ decades, but rather so what it has brought to the echelon of pop culture can remain in our minds and hearts now and always.
The plot is as follows: Taking us to the far-off year of 2233, the 2009 Star Trek gets underway as we see a Federation vessel known as the U.S.S Kelvin is dispatched to investigate a mysterious lightning storm only to be confronted and subsequently decimated by a giant and superior from a tech perspective vessel. Yet while this event is undoubtedly a tragedy, it also is one that will alter history and rewrite it in ways no one could ever foresee. Moving ahead several years, we see the film introduce us to a pair of distinct yet familiar characters. The first is a young human by the name of James T. Kirk who we learn has no problem with bending the rules and following the beat of his own drum. The second is a member of an alien race called the Vulcans named Spock who finds himself being belittled by other Vulcans his age for being part human thus making him unable to keep his emotions entirely in check. Yet as distinct as these two lives seem to be, we see that they are about come together. This is because as a young adult, a still very much the definition of wild child Kirk is approached by one Capt. Christopher Pike who tries to convince him that his skills would be put to better use if he decided to enroll in Starfleet. It is at Starfleet’s academy where we see two things happen for Kirk. The first is that he meets one Leonard McCoy who quickly becomes his best friend as well as a skilled Comms officer by the name of Lt. Uhura. The second is that we see Kirk quickly butt heads with the now-Commander Spock when the latter calls to task Kirk’s qualifications as a possible officer due to Kirk cheating on a simulation that is designed to see how a potential Captain would hold up when dealing with a failure that cannot be fixed. Yet just as tempers seem to be ready to escalate into all-out fisticuffs between the two, we see that this situation has to be put on hold due to an urgent SOS being sent out from Vulcan. We soon that, despite Kirk not getting assigned to a particular ship, McCoy is able to bring his friend on the ship he is working aboard. A ship known as the (get this) U.S.S. Enterprise. However, when Kirk discovers that what is occurring in the skies above Vulcan is eerily similar to what occurred just before the Kelvin was annihilated, we see that Kirk desperately tries to warn Pike and Spock that this might be a bigger problem than they anticipate. Of course, it should come as no surprise to learn that Kirk is right and soon the Enterprise finds itself squaring off against a captain by the name of Nero. A captain who, besides having a particular axe to grind, is also dead set on doing whatever he can to destroy the Federation one planet at a time. Thus it is up to Kirk and Spock, with the aid of a very familiar collection of crew made up of the aforementioned Uhura and McCoy plus two ensigns named Sulu and Chekov plus an engineer named Montgomery “Scotty” Scott among others to take the fight to this foe and best him before all that they know and all that they could know is tragically lost…..
Now right off the bat, it should be said that the biggest hurdle for a reboot of this iconic franchise came in three parts. Those being the re-casting of a group of truly iconic characters, redesigning their ship whilst staying true to what came before, and providing an explanation for why this reboot of the franchise is occurring which is plausible yet still seems appropriate to the franchise overall. Suffice it to say that in terms of the work behind the camera, this film is an outright triumph. Yes, the explanation is one that the franchise has toyed with before, but thankfully this film’s narrative incorporates it quite well. Yet despite the explanation being one that sees significant changes made to what fans know and love about this franchise, this slice of cinema still makes the claim that there are some things to this franchise which are inevitable. With that in mind, the film does a great job of ensuring that both the cast of characters as well as the Enterprise herself remind you of the ones from all the way back in 1966 whilst upgrading them just enough to make them their own distinct entities in this franchise rebirth. As for the rest of the work being done behind the camera, it too works incredibly well. For starters, film helmer J.J. Abrams’ distinct visual touch synchs up beautifully with the mood, narrative, and thematic concepts within this movie. Yes, the overuse of lens flare does tend to get a bit much, but overall Abrams’ handling of this iconic material is majestic and reverent with just the right degree of pathos attached for good measure. Indeed not only does the film leave you on the edge of your seat with its action, but there are moments that will make you laugh and yes there are moments (especially for long-time fans of the franchise) that will see you try to hold back some tears. Along with those elements, it should be said that the work done here by the special effects team is truly phenomenal. To be sure, they might not get the same level of attention as the ones seen in Michael Bay’s Transformers movies, one of which was released the same year this first came out, but in terms of immersing you in what’s going on, merging into the overall framework of the film, and plain detail the effects here are truly second to none. Finally, I think it should be noted here that the musical accompaniment in this film from composer Michael Giacchino is a wonderful blend of potent, exquisite, and captivating. Yes, much like the movie itself, the score is its own thing, but I can also say that those of you who have more than a passing degree of familiarity with this franchise will pick up on low-key similarities that allow it to beautifully operate alongside all the other equally as brilliant scores this franchise has gifted its fans over the years.
Just as crucial to the work done behind the camera however, it should also be said that this slice of cinema possesses a cast of players who might not 110% resemble the OG group from the original series, but just as crucially each and every one of them comprehend their character’s distinct quirks as well as how integral it is to the fans to play them in a way that respects what came before. For example, this slice of cinema’s take on Sulu’s (a winning and well-cast John Cho aka Harold from Harold and Kumar) skill with a blade is fantastically showcased in one of the movie’s riveting action beats whilst the film’s take on Chekov (a wonderfully cast Anton Yelchin) does have a rather difficult time with pronouncing the letter v in a scene that is sure to leave you laughing. Indeed, if there is anyone who comes spookily close to bringing the character to life in a way that their predecessor did it’s Karl Urban who, in the role of Dr. McCoy, is spot-on in the role in a way that I can definitely see original portrayer DeForrest Kelley smile with approval if he were still with us. I also really dig the work done here by Simon Pegg in the role of Montgomery “Scotty” Scott. No he looks nothing like James Doohan, but Pegg definitely nails the personality and heart of the character in a way that is commendable. Out of every character, I think the biggest changes are given to the character of Lt. Uhura, played remarkably by Zoe Saldana. Indeed, not only is she given more material here, but she also gets a twist in the proceedings that deviates from what was previously set up in this franchise yet works quite well here. Zachary Quinto on the other hand not only manages to be the best portrayer of a Vulcan since…well…Leonard Nimoy (whose role in this incidentally I won’t go into here for fear of spoilers, but I will say does bring quite the emotional punch), but he also does a fantastic job at his reinterpretation of the iconic character of Spock as well. Finally, in the role of Kirk, I will say that Pine might be a bit too wild at first blush. As the film goes along however, I can promise you that bits of Shatner’s take on the character start to come forth which all comes to a head with a moment that will very much remind long-time fans of the Kirk of old that they know and love. Suffice it to say that this cast of players, along with wonderful support turns from Bruce Greenwood, Ben Cross, Winona Ryder, Tyler Perry, and Eric Bana (as the film’s main heavy), does a great job with both their individual characters to say nothing of working quite well together and, given that this turned out to only be their first voyage in the Enterprise, I think it’s safe to say that destiny, much like with the old crew, really did have more adventures up her sleeve for them.
All in all I can’t lie to you dear reader: the 2009 Star Trek is one slice of cinema that the majority of people felt was going to go one of either two ways. Those being it would be either absolutely horrible to say nothing of a huge slap in the face to an iconic franchise or it was going to be a movie that was good yet best operated as nothing more than a one and done type of deal. Imagine my shock then to tell you that this slice of cinema is neither of these things and is instead a genuinely great movie. Indeed it might have a few flaws here and there, but otherwise this slice of cinema was both at the time of its initial release and still is going on 14 years later a fantastic entry in this franchise’s iconic pantheon to say nothing of a wonderful introduction for those seeking to get into this franchise for the very first time. Thus when you include into the mix wonderful work behind the camera and respectful yet terrific performances from a game cast who not only put their own distinct spins on these iconic characters whilst also staying true to the elements that made them such icons in the first place I think it can be said that Star Trek “09” definitely is one red button-style restart of one of the most legendary sci-fi franchises of all time that also manages to courageously chart its own course in a franchise universe that has shown itself to be continuously intriguing and riveting, but also limitless in the exciting paths in which an installment can choose to traverse. On a scale of 1-5 I give Star Trek “09” a solid 4 out of 5.
