If director J. J. Abrams accomplished nothing else in his attempt to reboot the Star Trek franchise, he at least achieved his main goal, which was to drag a stalled and stagnant, yet iconic franchise, out of the depths of mediocrity and give it a chance at new life. Is Star Trek (2009) a great film? Not really. Will it win any awards for acting, directing, or script? Probably not. (But perhaps it will get a special effects nod, depending on what the rest of the summer blockbusters deliver). Does it satisfy the hardcore fans, yet successfully enlighten the uninitiated? Nope. Star Trek is just a solid delivery with some fresh faces, an element of time travel to explain the changes from the original series, and some special effects upgrades to appeal to the “next generation” of fans. And you know what? That’s exactly what this franchise needed.
Too many times have we seen a re-boot or a re-imagining of famous films or franchises where the writers and directors come out firing on all cylinders with the hopes of producing the next Star Wars (ironically, the Star Wars franchise itself fell subject to this), only to fall well short of expectations and to deliver forgettable films at best (or outright flops in the worst of cases).
J.J. Abrams and crew played it close to the vest, developing familiar characters like Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock and retaining their well-known personality quirks (Kirk’s underlying sexuality, Spock’s stubborn yet endearing sense of logic), yet gave the characters a few twists of there own to allow for future development that a cast of copycat characters could never achieve (mainly because their character's development has long since run its course). Examples: Mr. Spock now has a girlfriend, which conflicts with his emotional detachment. Kirk’s father is killed when Kirk is an infant, leaving the future Enterprise captain with a sense of guilt rather than entitlement. In fact all of the characters stray from their original origins, as it were, yet retain the traits that make them familiar to the hardcore fan. Unlike the previous feature films, you don’t have to be a hardcore fan to enjoy or appreciate this film. It stands alone by telling a new story with newly developed characters and a new hope for the future. The references to the original cast are merely homage rather than crutches that hold back the film, as was the case with so many of the previous sequels and television spin-offs.
But this movie is not perfect. It is fast…and is over before you know it. Gone are the long-winded (yet always intriguing) discussions of ethical dilemmas or seemingly impossible-odds scenarios that are so prevalent in the original series. This is an action movie. This is a marriage of Battle Star Galactica and Star Wars, starring the crew of the Star Trek Enterprise. The special effects are great, but they are, without a doubt, a rip-off of Battle Star Galactica. The plot begs many questions, like, why, in a crew of 300 of more people, are there not "combat trained" personnel on board. Or why does Mr. Spock have to be the one to blow up the giant laser attacking Earth? Is there not some sort of Air Force in the Star Trek future? Maybe not. But the movie does not bother to explain. This is strictly a showcase for a new cast of characters - a springboard to launch a new series of the franchise - and plot does not really matter that much in the big picture. (I can’t believe I just said that!) I am willing to forgive…this time…but I will expect much, much more in the future installments. And there will be future installments…trust me.
He Said: If I had my wish, instead of a feature film this would have been the first episode of a new Star Trek television series for me to drool over every week…because that’s what it feels like it should have been. Even though it sometimes felt like I was watching “Star Trek-Babies,” it is still the best installment of the franchise I have seen in a decade. Definitely worth a watch for any Sci-fi fan or arm chair Trekkie.
