Star Trek with JJ

The latest installment into the Trek-verse is wonderful, fun, funny, and plays near perfect homage to all bright spots of Star Trek past! I laughed, I goose-bumped, and I lurched forward in my seat as director J.J. Abrams brought me a new interpretation of a cast of characters that I've always held very dear. Abrams, the writers, and then ultimately the cast were able to accomplish something that I thought was impossible: make a Star Trek movie that fan and newcomer could like equally. With expectations so high I was impressed at how there was not an over-indulgence in total re-invention (there is some), or nostalgic shamelessness. It may not be as intellectually in depth as the older movies, but I really think it makes up for that in a variety of other ways. A victory to be sure!

One of the brightest spots for me, surprisingly despite so many wonderful things, was the sound of the movie--crisp, impactful, and intensifying. The acting is also top notch, and you won't be grimacing at any line due to cheese or poor delivery. The exchanges between Kirk and McCoy are my absolute favorite scenes, and the perfectly timed appearances of the great Leonard Nimoy brought a smile to my face multiple times. The only character complaint is that I had to find myself getting used to the newer incarnation of Spock, and his somewhat more emotional persona, but the actor playing him, Zachary Quinto, does well none-the-less. One other hiccup with Spock occurs in a weird, and almost wrong, kissing scene with Uhura...but i'll forgive it this time because a couple of old episodes had Spock in a similar state (i hope there isn't anymore in future movies, although there very well could be). And of course no movie can be truly great without a great villain. Eric Bana portrays a hate-mongering, very vengeful, and never too talky Romulan adversary to really top off a good cast. One major complaint is that it couldn't have been at least ten minutes longer to let us, the audience, soak in more of the excitement and nostalgic emotion that the film brought so fully to the viewers.
Rating: A-