Let me start off by saying I don’t know much about Star Trek. In fact, I pretty much don’t know anything about Star Trek. I haven’t watched one complete episode or movie since its Technicolor birth in 1966. The few facts I retain in the trivial section of my long-term memory is that William Shatner was Captain Kirk, Spock is a Vulcan, there is a guy named Scottie that beams people up, sometimes they set their phasers to stun, and dammit somebody is a doctor, not a physicist!
Unfortunately, I probably have a greater depth of knowledge about High School Musical than I do about the U.S.S. Enterprise. But therein lies the beauty of J.J. Abrams’ film. The new Star Trek is not a fanboy club meeting. This movie is a funny, exciting, fast paced and rewarding piece of cinema. Every reference or quote from the classic show is completely identifiable and accessible, and the film succeeds as not only an extension of Star Trek, but as a great blockbuster movie. The film wraps you up immediately with an action packed opening scene, and tightens its grip with every slapstick comedy bit, fiery explosion, and anonymous crew member that gets vacuumed into space and sent rag-dolling through dead silence.
The only issue the movie has is the story. The movie is about renegade aliens called Romulans that unknowingly travel back in time through an inadvertent black hole, and try to avenge their destroyed planet that actually hasn’t been destroyed yet. It is confusing at times and curiously very similar to an episode of Lost. However the lacking narrative takes nothing away from the experience. The plot is simply the flavorless gelatin used to suspend the bright and colorful chunks of fruit flavored characters inside a summer blockbuster mold.
The acting is perfect. Zachary Quinto does a terrific reprisal of Spock, and Chris Pine puts forth a great leading man effort as Captain James T. Kirk. The film turns into a slight buddy movie between Quinto and Pine as they grow into the characters, and stretch their adaptations to fit a newer younger audience. Abrams also continues to focus on the overarching theme of faith versus science. He uses the juxtaposition of Spock’s cold logic and Kirk’s impulsiveness and bravery as a story telling device and a great source of endearing situational comedy.
In fact, Star Trek is consistently hilarious. When a suggestion is made to name the newly born James T. Kirk after his grandfather, Kirk’s father exclaims “Tiberius? No, that’s the worst.” Another example of this humor is when we meet the new Sulu, played by John Cho. We see him on the bridge of the Enterprise unsuccessfully trying to lift off. After the crew facetiously asks if he left the parking brake on, Spock (with his endless logic and reasoning) calmly points out the exact reason and solution for the technical difficulty as if reading it verbatim from the spaceship owner’s manual. “Oh…right” says Sulu with a tight lipped face and look of annoyance by Spock’s know-it-all attitude. Even rocket scientists and space ship pilots deal with having to look stupid sometimes.
However, this comic relief does more than just cut the tension. To a casual science fiction fan like me, it seems Star Trek will always have geeky connotations. Even though the film’s heritage is approached with the upmost respect, Abrams realizes that and pokes fun at the inclination that Star Trek has become a parody of itself over the years. All the classic lines and moments from television series have become bigger than the actual franchise, and now define an entire genre. For better or for worse, the saying “live long and prosper” is not solely Vulcan vernacular for goodbye, but the motto of a culture.
Regardless, Star Trek has been, and will always be a perennial piece of pop culture. A Stonehenge of televised media that has pervaded every parody and satire made in the last twenty-five years. It is as timeless as a Jell-O fruit mold and just as deliciously dated. However, Abrams hits the mark on this one. The new Star Trek movie has energized the franchise with a new identity that will carry those characters out of the basement Dungeons and Dragons caves, and into the final frontier: cool people.
Grade:
If this movie was Gordie Lacahance it would have ripped:
8.5 out of 10 leeches of his junk
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