So…the new Star Trek movie. What to say…what to say. By now most of the hardcore Trek fans will have seen it and will have their own opinions about it. Myself, I really enjoyed it. What’s worth saying to all the non-hardcore fans is that this movie is unique amongst all the previous Star Trek movies in that it’s not a springboard from a TV show. Yes, the characters are the same, but the actors are not, and as such the movie is quite approachable and stands on its own as a solid action movie. There are many nods to the characters created by Gene Roddenberry, and certainly Trek fans who know the lore inside and out will find much to enjoy here, but unlike basically every other Star Trek movie, you don’t need to have a deep knowledge of Trek to enjoy what’s put in front of you. On one hand, I’m sad to see the old Trek fade away – I thought that Star Trek: Enterprise was killed off too soon, and I was hoping for one more Star Trek: The Next Generation movie. On the other hand, this is an exciting re-imagining of the Star Trek universe that breathes life into the wheezing carcass of a franchise that had all but sputtered out, at least in the minds of the general public. Whether or not this evolves into a series of movies that would make Gene Roddenberry proud has yet to be seen, but at the very least this new crew is bringing Star Trek to a new generation of movie-goers. Live long and prosper!
After “Nemisis”, I pretty much mourned the death of Star Trek as I swore never to see another movie. This one looks like it will be worth breaking that for. I think the original stories and cast had been stretched much farther than they should have been. This new movie should be refreshing.