Star Trek 11 (2009)

"...exciting, stellar-yet-earthy blast that successfully blends the hip and the classic.  Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News
"Paced at warp speed with spectacular action sequences rendered brilliantly...  Ray Bennett, The Hollywood Reporter
"...the new and improved Star Trek will transport fans to sci-fi nirvana.  Todd McCarthy, Variety
"...this is the greatest prequel ever made.  Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Editor's Note Those prepared to hate the reboot of STAR TREK--whether they?re diehard fans or those in the anti-sci-fi camp--may be convinced to lower their shields after seeing this fun, action-filled film. Best known for creating mythology-driven series like LOST, J.J. Abrams has imbued his version with the elements that have made his shows such mind-bending entertainment while still keeping the soul of the saga intact. STAR TREK begins with an attack by an impossibly advanced Romulan ship captained by the tattooed, snarling Nero (Eric Bana). Among the survivors is the infant version of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), who grows up to wreak havoc on the Iowa countryside. When Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) meets an adult Kirk, he encourages him to join Starfleet, giving him the opportunity to meet Spock (Zachary Quinto), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), and the rest of the characters audiences have loved for decades. Abrams has assembled a fine cast who seem to be aware of their predecessors but never resort to impressions. Both Quinto and Pine do a fine job with their portrayals of Kirk and Spock, and Karl Urban couldn?t be better as Leonard McCoy. The supporting players--Simon Pegg (Scotty), John Cho (Sulu), and Anton Yelchin (Chekov)--all capture the essence of what drove their characters, though their screen time is limited. STAR TREK manages the nearly impossible: it pleases hardcore fans with plenty of in-jokes and references (and an appearance by the original Spock, Leonard Nimoy), but it doesn?t alienate newcomers with tons of technobabble. The action and effects rank with any other top-tier summer blockbuster, but there?s plenty of humor to balance the excitement. For anyone who (wrongly) felt he had to hide his trekker tendencies, this undeniably cool version of STAR TREK offers a chance to wear the "geek" label with pride.

	Ben Cross
	Simon Pegg
	Leonard Nimoy
	Anton Yelchin
	Karl Urban
	Bruce Greenwood
	Eric Bana
	John Cho
	Chris Pine
	Zoe Saldana
	Zachary Quinto
	Winona Ryder
	Roberto Orci - Screenwriter
	Alex Kurtzman - Screenwriter
	Damon Lindelof - Producer
	Bryan Burk - Executive Producer
	Jeffrey Chernov - Executive Producer
	Roberto Orci - Executive Producer
	Alex Kurtzman - Executive Producer
	Daniel Mindel - Director of Photography
	Michael Giacchino - Composer
	Scott Chambliss - Production Designer
	Jeffrey Abrams - Producer
	Jeffrey Abrams - Director

Hollywood Reporter
"Paced at warp speed with spectacular action sequences rendered brilliantly and with a cast so expert that all the familiar characters are instantly identifiable..." 04/20/2009

Variety
"[T]he new and improved STAR TREK will transport fans to sci-fi nirvana....STAR TREK rockets along like a beautifully engineered vehicle you can't help but admire for its design and performance....This reincarnation is dynamic..." 04/22/2009

Box Office
4 stars out of 5 -- "Abrams goes back to the series' '60s roots...and laces this origin story with a youthful zest and some enjoyable self-parody. The intergalactic vistas and pop art interiors are constantly stunning." 04/24/2009

Chicago Sun-Times
"The 2009 STAR TREK film goes back eagerly to where STAR TREK began....The special effects are slam-bam." 05/06/2009

USA Today
3 stars out of 4 -- "It's an energetic sci-fi extravaganza, with spectacular action sequences and nifty visuals....When it comes to sheer spectacle, STAR TREK as re-imagined by J.J. Abrams, delivers." 05/09/2009

Los Angeles Times
"[T]his STAR TREK has in general bridged the gap between the old and the new with alacrity and purpose." 05/07/2009

Entertainment Weekly
"[A] clever and infectious reboot of the amazingly enduring sci-fi classic....With a crew like this, you can welcome the future." -- Grade: A- 05/15/2009

New York Times
"A bright, shiny blast from a newly imagined past....The spirit of adventure and embrace of rationality that define the show are in full swing..." 05/08/2009

A.V. Club
"[I]t is, undeniably, a reconsideration of what constitutes STAR TREK, one that deemphasizes heady concepts and plainly stated humanist virtues in favor of breathless action punctuated by bursts of emotion." -- Grade: B 05/07/2009

Washington Post
"It's a movie that is correct enough to appease the most hard-core buffs, while opening up the final frontier to a new generation of fans....Pure pop pleasure." 05/08/2009

Premiere
4 stars out of 5 -- "This is exciting, funny, and smart with a great young cast that fills each role very well." 11/16/2009

ReelViews 9 of 10
In a culture where seemingly everything is remade or re-booted, even Star Trek, the venerable science fiction TV show and movie series, could not avoid this trend. Despite having existed for 28 years (1966-1994) with a single group of actors in the major roles, there comes a time when concessions must be made to age. This is one of the motivating factors behind Star Trek's rejuvenation. Another no less practical reason is economic. Paramount Pictures, which has for decades viewed the Star Trek property as a "cash cow," wants this to continue. For that to happen, a new generation of Trek fans must be born and the series must reach out to a wider audience. 2009's Star Trek has been designed with the lofty goal of keeping current fans, repatriating lapsed ones and, by re-branding the name, opening the Trek universe to millions of new viewers. J.J. Abrams' attempt has mostly succeeded...Ultimately, when the end credits roll, we're left with the sense that Star Trek represents a good beginning. As a film tasked with getting all the characters together, re-booting a timeline, and finding a way to return a veteran actor to his beloved role, Star Trek works. There is some awkwardness here - it feels like the "hybrid" it is (or, as it has been called, "Not Your Father's Star Trek") but, considering how ponderous and stilted the Star Trek movie series had become, perhaps that's not a bad thing. Still, as with any prequel/re-start, the real test will arrive with the next movie (purportedly in two years - assuming this one does not flop at the box office). The setup is complete; now it's time to see whether the implied potential of this first entry into a new series can be realized in its sequel. Let's hope the human adventure is once again only beginning. - James Berardinelli

Rolling Stone 8 of 10
Summer officially hits warp speed with Star Trek, a burst of pure filmmaking exhilaration that manages to pay homage to the classic 1960s TV series and still boldly go where no man, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy included, has gone before. I couldn't be more surprised. After six TV series and 10 movies (1982's The Wrath of Khan being the only standout), the franchise has been milked so hard, it's a wonder the udders haven't dried up and disintegrated. So how does this newbie break the jinx? By plugging in livewire J.J. Abrams, a director of style and substance (M:i:III, Lost), who fuels this origin story with killer action, bracing wit and a sense of true discovery...All the actors come up aces. Chris Pine radiates star quality as Kirk, the bad boy who morphs into captain material without curbing his swagger or his yen for zaftig green babes from Orion (take that, 007!). And major props to Zachary Quinto as Spock for never letting the pointy ears act for him. His sharp, intuitive performance as the logic-led Vulcan fighting the emotions instilled by his human mother (Winona Ryder, OMFG!) gives the film a soul. Just watch the way he delivers Spock's signature line, "Live long and prosper," like a massive screw-you salute to the Vulcan Establishment! In Quinto's hands, Mr. Spock is Mr. Cool...Abrams has banished irony and easy cynicism from his Star Trek universe. And I will banish spoilers from this review. The script is by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (they did Transformers, which this jury will disregard), and damned if I know what they're talking about. It might as well be Duplicity in Space when they drag in time travel. Know what? Don't care. Star Trek creates an alternate universe you want to get lost in. It's an irresistible invitation for fun. What more can you ask of a summer movie? - Peter Travers

Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
Star Trek as a concept has voyaged far beyond science fiction and into the safe waters of space opera, but that doesn't amaze me. The Gene Roddenberry years, when stories might play with questions of science, ideals or philosophy, have been replaced by stories reduced to loud and colorful action. Like so many franchises, it's more concerned with repeating a successful formula than going boldly where no Star Trek has gone before...The 2009 Star Trek film goes back eagerly to where Star Trek began, using time travel to explain a cast of mostly the same characters, only at a younger point in their lives, sailing the Starship Enterprise. As a story idea, this is sort of brilliant and saves on invention, because young Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty and the rest channel their later selves. The child is father to the man, or the Vulcan, and all that...The special effects are slam-bam. Spatial relationships between spaceships are unclear because the Romulan ship and the Enterprise have such widely unmatched scales. Battles consist primarily of jump-suited crew members running down corridors in advance of smoke, sparks and flames. Lots of verbal commands seem implausibly slow. Consider, at light warp speeds, how imprecise it would be to say "At my command ... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ..." Between "2" and "1," you could jump a million galaxies...I thought about these things during Star Trek because I could not help myself. I understand the Star Trek science has never been intended as plausible. I understand this is not science fiction but an Ark movie using a starship. I understand that the character types are as familiar as your favorite slippers. But the franchise has become much of a muchness. The new movie essentially intends to reboot the franchise with younger characters and carry on as before. The movie deals with narrative housekeeping. Perhaps the next one will engage these characters in a more challenging and devious story, one more about testing their personalities than re-establishing them. In the meantime, you want space opera, you got it. - Roger Ebert

Rolling Stone Magazine 8 of 10
Summer officially hits warp speed with Star Trek, a burst of pure filmmaking exhilaration that manages to pay homage to the classic 1960s TV series and still boldly go where no man, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy included, has gone before. I couldn't be more surprised. After six TV series and 10 movies (1982's The Wrath of Khan being the only standout), the franchise has been milked so hard, it's a wonder the udders haven't dried up and disintegrated. So how does this newbie break the jinx? By plugging in livewire J.J. Abrams, a director of style and substance (M.I.:III, Lost), who fuels this origin story with killer action, bracing wit and a sense of true discovery...All the actors come up aces. Chris Pine radiates star quality as Kirk, the bad boy who morphs into captain material without curbing his swagger or his yen for zaftig green babes from Orion (take that, 007!). And major props to Zachary Quinto as Spock for never letting the pointy ears act for him. His sharp, intuitive performance as the logic-led Vulcan fighting the emotions instilled by his human mother (Winona Ryder, OMFG!) gives the film a soul. Just watch the way he delivers Spock's signature line, "Live long and prosper," like a massive screw-you salute to the Vulcan Establishment! In Quinto's hands, Mr. Spock is Mr. Cool...Abrams has banished irony and easy cynicism from his Star Trek universe. And I will banish spoilers from this review. The script is by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (they did Transformers, which this jury will disregard), and damned if I know what they're talking about. It might as well be Duplicity in Space when they drag in time travel. Know what? Don't care. Star Trek creates an alternate universe you want to get lost in. It's an irresistible invitation for fun. What more can you ask of a summer movie? - Peter Travers