Genre: Sci-Fi/Action
Rating: 3.5/5
An Interesting Reboot, but why is it a Reboot?
Let’s start this off by saying I am a TREKKER. I have been into Star Trek as long as I can remember, it was on my TV almost every night, I’ve made my own Star Trek films, and it was definitely a big reason why I became a filmmaker. I remember very clearly leaving school on a Friday and heading straight to the movies to see Star Trek (2009), the new Star Trek film. FINALLY! This film is not bad, but is it good Star Trek?
This film is the beginning of New Star Trek. For years there had been no running show, no movies, and the franchise needed a reset. So they started back at the beginning. Kirk, Spock and the original gang are all back! It’s visually cinematic, it’s new and grandiose. Immediately, this film makes an impact. The lens flares, the action, and the comedy. It’s different, more modern and very striking. I think, especially in the format of a film, Star Trek is allowed to expand and change its visual style. Does this film drift too far from the visual style of Star Trek? Younger me would disagree, but yes. This doesn’t look like the organized utopia of older Trek. Okay, not everything has to be sunshine and daisies, but Star Trek is essentially about a utopian future, it’s positive and progressive. This film, in large part, at least visually, lacks that. As much as I’m okay with this film, I think it hurts older Trek. The action and look of the show is ages ahead of older Trek, therefore maybe new fans looking back at those older shows would not appreciate it because it’s not the same or as modern.
The characters in this film are decent evolutions of their old styles. Chris Pine’s Kirk is pretty good to show the origins of the iconic captain. He’s immature and has a lot to improve on, and for a continued film series, that’s great. Spock and Uhura’s relationship is bizarre, but I appreciate something different in the story. Sulu and Chekov are great and Bones isn’t bad either. I’m a sucker for Simon Pegg so his Scotty is actually one of my favorite parts of the movie. To be truthful though, I don’t see Chris Pine as Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock or Zoe Saldana as Uhura. Not solely anyways. I think these are great actors and fit into the Star Trek universe, but did this film have to be a reboot with Kirk. To me? No. This film appeals to a younger generation of Star Trek fans who probably aren’t married to The Original Series like other fans would be. So cast these talented actors into a new crew, allow their talents to shine through and not have to be tied to a past and beloved set of characters.
Overall, the film is action packed, comical and pretty fun. It’s not bad, but it’s not great. It’s certainly not The Original Series though. I appreciate evolution on the image, but I wanted something completely new, not halfway there. Would I watch this again? Yeah, not often but I’ll check it out every now and then. Should you watch it? If you don’t have expectations that this will be the same as the Star Trek you may have grown up watching.
Tony King
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