Trekkie's Rejoice

This was written prior to the film's release, so it's more a sneak preview than a review. Enjoy!!!

The 1960’s television phenomenon is back. For those of you who are not familiar with Star Trek (which honestly is quite hard to believe), it was one of the most popular television shows of the sixties. Premiering in 1966, the science fiction show revolved around the adventures of the USS Enterprise and its crew. The flighty Captain Kirk (William Shatner) was accompanied by his stoic Vulcan friend Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and fellow crew members Scotty, Bones, Uhura, Sulu and Chekov. The show was revolutionary in its time, capturing audiences with its groundbreaking special effects and enticing plot line. Although Star Trek: The Original Series ended in 1969, there were numerous shows which followed. They include: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise. There were also several films created. The show has gathered a huge following over the years (intense fans referred to as “Trekkies”) and is still prosperous in its merchandising today.
So what’s the big deal about Star Wars now in 2009? J. J. Abrams (who some of you may know as the producer of Cloverfield and writer of the hit television show Lost) has taken the enormous task of directing the newest installment to the phenomenon: Star Trek. Expected to be one of the biggest hits of the year, the science fiction film comes out in theatres May 8, 2009. The plot revolves around the characters of Star Trek: The Original Series (i.e. Captain Kirk, Spock). It’s somewhat of a prequel to the series however, as the plot is all about Captain Kirk’s start. So do you have to know every single detail of the series to understand the movie? Nope not really. A little background information may be useful but because the film is a prequel, it sets it all up for you. You may be thinking that Star Trek is nerdy and something a forty year old comic book geek living with is mother would watch, but this action packed movie is bound to attract viewers of all ages. With groundbreaking special effects and a well picked cast, this film seems like it’ll be a pretty big hit.
So what’s this movie about? No one’s quite sure yet, but I’ve got somewhat of an idea from the trailer. The movie is supposed to take place before the events in Star Trek: The Original Series. Set in a futuristic atmosphere, James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is a young man without ambition wondering what he will do with his life. Convinced that he must follow in his father’s footsteps, Kirk attends academy training to become part of the Starfleet. There he meets up with all of the members of his future crew such as Spock (Zachary Quinto). The USS Enterprise runs into some trouble however with the Romulan enemy Nero (Eric Bana) and young naive Kirk takes action.
The cast seems to be well selected. Chris Pine (The Princess Diaries Two: Royal Engagement, Just My Luck) seems well fit to play the emotional and stubborn Captain Kirk. Plus, he’s not the worst looking actor in the world. I think whoever cast Zachary Quinto as Spock is a genius because they look so similar! He’s just PERFECT for the role, and I can’t wait to see the performance he gives. Quinto is also in the hit television series Heroes as Sylar, the show’s antagonist. Some of you may know John Cho, the actor who plays Sulu, because he was in movies such as Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, and Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. It will be interesting to see Eric Bana (Black Hawk Down, The Other Boleyn Girl) play Nero, the fierce enemy of the USS Enterprise. I didn’t really picture him in the role, and I’m interested in seeing how well he acts.
I’m not too much of a Trekkie myself, although I have watched a few of the original Star Trek episodes. Watching it now is a bit corny because of the special effects and somewhat hammy acting (blame can be put on William Shatner for that one), but the show was actually quite good. I’m very excited to see the new Star Trek movie and I hold high expectations for it. If you want to see the trailer or find out any more information, just go to http://www.startrekmovie.com/. If you’re looking to see a fun, action packed, sci-fi thriller, I highly suggest seeing this soon to be classic.