Top 5 Reasons Star Trek is a must see movie
Friday, May 8, 2009 at 7:16PM One of the most anticipated movies in years had its opening night yesterday. Star Trek, a franchise that has been around for more than four decades, has amassed a number of fans through the iterations of Gene Roddenberry's vision.
I have been a big fan of Star Trek since I was a child. I loved all the movies with the classic cast and religiously watched The Next Generation. I followed Star Trek on to Deep Space Nine and less so to Enterprise, and felt that the saga had ended with Nemesis, one of my favorite films of the series.
Along came J.J. Abrams with his big ideas to revamp the sci-fi classic, a risky move by my account. I have always felt that Star Trek had a very unique tone, something that has never been replaced by any new space travel show, and quite possibly one reason I have never gotten into series like Battlestar Galactica. Star Trek is the epitome space travel drama and Abrams did a brilliant job of maintaining that level of class.
There are many reasons why Star Trek went beyond my expectations as I was slightly skeptical going in to the film. Here are the top 5 reasons why you should go see it and rest assured that our beloved franchise is in good hands [In no particular order]:
5. New faces: Sure, who doesn't love Matthew McConaughey's mug? Although seeing well-known, established actors can sometimes be a comfort, it can also become stale. Star Trek has an ensemble with some who are recognizable, but many who are fresh to the big screen and a large audience. One of my main worries about Abram's film were how well the characters I have become attached to would be cast. After seeing the film, I have no doubt that he did an excellent job as did the actors in studying their characters. There is little to no annoying factor with this group of talented players. 
4. Strong plot: Whether you are into space travel or not, a strong story line can go a long way in a film. The Star Trek movies in general have done well with having some solid plot direction [Insurrection excluded], and this is no different. There were little to no holes in the story and the actual premise was very interesting. The way the movie was stacked as far as plot elements was logically and creatively executed.
3. References galore: What would a new Star Trek movie be without the old phraseology? References run rampant in this film and are done in a beautiful and sometimes touching way. Abrams knew his audience had a relationship with the old story lines and cast members, so he brought all those little quirks back in this film. The dialogue in Star Trek was well written and said by each character and the references were just the cherry on top. Each throwback appears naturally and as a viewer, you can only *nerd snort* all along the way!
2. Spectacular special effects: ILM did a masterful job with the special effects in Star Trek. The USS Enterprise has never looked as sexy and I could only imagine how thrilling some of those Intergalactic battles looked on IMAX. The action sequences were a good balance between old styles and new technology and was overall thrilling. Also, the costumes and makeup are all expertly done which transport the viewer into the time and place.
**Warning Spoiler Ahead**
1. A very special cameo: The Wrath of Kahn and The Search for Spock are easily on my short list of favorite Star Trek films. There is a singular reason: Spock. Ironically, the half-Vulcan, half-human character that struggles between emotion and emotionless expels the most feeling from viewers. This all comes down to the last few scenes in Wrath and what happens on Planet Genesis thereafter. While watching Star Trek, I wondered if I would see cameos from any of the original cast. I was excited and touched that it was Spock (Leonard Nimoy) that came on screen. Spock Prime plays an influential role in this film; this pays homage to how much he has done in the Star Trek universe in the story, as a character, and off screen as an executive producer. "Live long and prosper" has never sounded as good as it did in this Star Trek film.
Another brief reason to see the movie is the soundtrack, as Star Trek films always have passionate scores. Michael Giacchino modernizes James Horner's classic Star Trek tunes without losing the gusto of the originals. It is well-paired music for the tone of the film and compliments the viewers experience of the movie.
As far as summer movies go, Star Trek is an enjoyable watch for the hardcore Trekkie and average movie-goer alike. Aside from Spock, the rest of the reasons are what make any film a summer hit. I will be seeing it in IMAX next week and would suggest that everyone check out this film. You would be "out of your Vulcan mind" to miss this!
Reader Comments (5)
Couldn't have said better myself! haha.. Great movie! Great review Neha!
I just saw it... and it was every bit as awesome as you describe. I wouldn't even describe myself as a Trek fan (I was most turned on by the Transformers trailer!), but it pays homage in all the right ways, the casting was perfect, and the story was a stroke of genius. It stays faithful to the original while giving Abrams an "out" from the 30+ "story years" of history created by the TV show and movies. Absolutely brilliant.
Well said! I saw the movie last night and I was totally floored. I can't remember the last time a movie met, nay EXCEEDED, my expectations. Star Trek did. Of course, it helped that I ADORE Karl Urban. He was fantastic as Bones. The rest of the cast was wonderful.
I'm glad you liked it. I wanna see it in IMAX too! LOL!
Great review..I am Trekkie and proud of it...I used to attend all the New York Star Trek conventions back in the 70's,held at the Commodore Hotel.
Got to see a lot of the cast as well as Gene Roddenberry, and I can't wait to see this film.
P.S. you will like this...I was also a member of Nichelle Nichols Fan club :-)
Hey Neha!
Great review! I thought the movie was badass! (I've seen it 4 times already; most of my peeps are spread throughout, and they all wanted to see it with me, so I got pleasantly dragged along! :D)
I would consider myself a mild fan of the series, as I've only really kept a lid on the movies, (seen all of 'em) and some of the shows. (Seen a few episodes of all of the shows, but not really followed any of them. Really disappointed with Enterprise, as I thought that show held a lot of promise).
My favorite Trek movie before this one was First Contact; as I think the themes in that movie are really pertinent to our current time and age.
As for the new movie, I absolutely LOVED Urban's McCoy! I LOL'ed every time he spewed a line! Scotty was hilarious, Kirk was excellent as was Chekov. I didn't particularly like seeing Quinto as Spock, since I can't stand that smirk of his. (I don't recall Nimoy ever smirking in such a condescending way...)
Anyways, catch you around! :D