Star Trek "Movie Review"

This week we take a look at one of the first big movies of the summer season, Star Trek (PG-13). J.J. Abrams directs this retooling of the classic franchise, giving an origin story for the crew of the Enterprise. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto lead an ensemble cast.

Ryan: Cinematic reboots have become the “in” thing to do in Hollywood. When they are done right, audiences are rewarded with a Batman Begins or Casino Royale. Much like those other two films, Star Trek is an immensely successful rebooting of a once dormant franchise. The movie has mainstream appeal without losing too much of the allure of the Star Trek universe. For a summer popcorn flick, it has just the right mixture of action, humor and drama. It touches all the right chords that one would expect from a summer tent pole release.

Andy: There is no question that Star Trek is a success. The movie plays out like a summer action flick should. It has plenty of action, a plot that is interesting enough to keep the mind entertained, and it adequately pays homage to the Star Trek films of the past. This is a difficult task for any movie to pull off, particularly one that has legions of fans with high expectations. J.J. Abrams has come through with a movie that easily could have been a flop.

Ryan: I give J.J. Abrams a lot of credit. He's simultaneously revamped the franchise for a new audience while still paying respect to the rich history of the Star Trek universe. As an origin story the audience sees how Star Trek universe develops and moviegoers see how the iconography unfolds. Complimenting the story is a superb cast that not only reinvents the characters for a new crowd but also an audience that is familiar with the protagonists. It is no easy trick to appeal to a rabid fan base while also attempting to bring in a new (and larger) audience but Abrams and his crew prove successful with the endeavor.

Andy: Abrams has had success in most everything he’s done for the past five years, and his forays into movies have been largely successful as well. Star Trek will be a rather large feather in his director’s cap, as it is likely to please most who see it. It is by no means perfect, but it checks most of the boxes that you need for a successful and entertaining summer movie, and it does so without seeming overly contrived.

Ryan: I'm not a Trekkie (or Trekker) so I'm not going to presume if they will appreciate the movie. But while I'm not a Star Trek geek I was a fan of the original series and of The Next Generation. So I do think that one issue fans might have with the new movie is it's lack of depth. Star Trek is known more as cerebral sci-fi than action-adventure sci-fi. For example, the original TV series—while set in the future—nonetheless had stories that explored themes that were relevant for its time. While the new movie is set to become a pop culture landmark it doesn't transcend its straight forwardness.

Andy: For all the entertaining elements of the film, there are missteps. At the risk of revealing a bit a spoiler here, there is an appearance of an original cast member in the movie. I found these segments to be awkward and a bit forced. It is an understandable device, attempting to bridge the gap between the original and the new, but it just didn’t work. Fortunately, the rest of the movie stands up well enough to overcome these few shortcomings.

Star Trek is able to successfully reintroduce the characters to new audiences while properly paying respects to the series’ history. Final grade: B+.