Star Trek (2009) Review

Rebooting a franchise with a rabid fandom is always a dangerous thing, but running afoul of Trekkies, err, Trekkers is suicidal. So when J.J. Abrams of Lost fame was chosen to restart Star Trek from the beginning, a lot of fear and consternation filled the Web. A new take on Kirk, Spock, McCoy, the other original characters hit the big screen in 2009 to boldly go where we’ve gone before. High octane action and modern pacing made for a very different experience along with bigger box office. Updated with rewritten text, Blu-ray review, and HD screen captures.

It was disappointing to hear that Paramount was rebooting the Star Trek film series with a remake of the original series. I’d hoped for something more original like following the first captain of the Enterprise, Christopher Pike, or the murky early war with the Romulans. Instead, there would be a fresh young cast taking the roles of Kirk and company.  Out the window went any interest I had in the project.

Then a funny thing happened, the clips released to the Internet actually looked… good. Snippets of scenes showed decent acting and writing.  Disturbingly, I began to be interested.  Then came the trailers and I was in trouble. The movie looked like it was worth spending money on seeing in a theater, something uncommon for me.

So I ponied up the money, saw it and liked it. A lot.  But would it hold up after a second viewing?  An incredibly cheap preorder deal for the DVD at Target gave me that chance and so the answer is in the form of this review. Since first writing it, I’ve gotten my hands on the Blu-ray and will comment on the differences later.

Star Trek begins with moody music from its rather excellent soundtrack (composed by Michael Giacchino) while a starship comes into view, the U.S.S. Kelvin.  The ship is investigating an anomaly near the Klingon border when a gigantic squid-like ship emerges from it and promptly attacks. Right away the frenetic energy of the fight conveys the seriousness of the situation as the Federation ship is utterly overwhelmed by the mysterious attacker. 

The stakes are made to feel high as one short sequence demonstrates when a female crew member is sucked out of a hull breach and her corpse bounces off of a phaser turret in the silent vacuum of space.  This film is playing for keeps and doesn’t shy away from a high body count.

Things go from bad to worse when the ship is hailed by their Romulan attackers and the captain ordered to surrender himself via shuttlecraft.  As he complies, the captain of the Kelvin puts his First Officer in charge as acting captain – an officer named Kirk. What follows is dire as the crew of the Federation ship abandon ship during a second attack, leaving the newly minted Captain George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth before Thor) at the helm to protect the fleeing shuttlecraft. In one of them, his wife is giving birth to their son.  Just before making the final sacrifice to save everyone, Kirk names his son Jim over the com, preferring his father-in-law’s name to his own father’s, Tiberius.  The opening credits and title roll from there.

The opening sequence is effect and action laden, but also highly emotional.  The rest of Star Trek follows this pattern of mixing high spectacle with emotion.  Underlying the story is the theme of loss and vengeance, affecting the three main characters of the story. This isn’t the history we remember from the 1960’s television series and so far none of the light hearted side of that classic is present.

After the title, we are treated to glimpses of the childhoods of Kirk and Spock.  First up is the stolen car sequence seen so prominently in the trailers.  From it we see that the fatherless Jim Kirk is rebellious and resentful towards his stepfather while having little regard for the rule of law. He’s something of punk with a very bad attitude.

From there we are taken to Vulcan, where an oppressive looking school setting introduces us to Spock and his maligned half-Vulcan half-human heritage.  Years pass and Spock chooses to go to Starfleet Academy instead of the Vulcan Academy after being praised for overcoming his “handicap” of being half human. There is a hint of a rebellious streak in him as well along with what appears to be sarcasm. Not exactly the Spock we are used to seeing though we do see what good parents he has in contrast to Kirk.

Yes, this movie is going to be very different than the TV series.

With no legitimate excuse to work this screen capture into the text, I present it as an example of how lovely the movie visually is. That’s Iowa and check out what’s on the left. Click on it for a 1080p picture, one of the few times I’ll ever put something that large up. That’s a wallpaper worthy image if you ask me.

Back on Earth, James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is a young adult who manages to get himself in a bar fight after hitting on Starfleet cadet Uhura (Zoe Saldana). After getting the snot beaten out of him, Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) appears and suggests Kirk enlist in Starfleet.  Why?  Because he knew Kirk’s father as a man who didn’t believe in no win scenarios. 

The drunken young man refuses of course, but a motorcycle ride takes him past the nearby shipyard where a ship is being built. A ship that looks familiar. Hey, we always knew Kirk’s only true love was the Enterprise, right? Of course he enlists, meeting a newly and bitterly divorced doctor, Leonard McCoy (Karl Urban) on the shuttle.  At last the humor from the series begins to show up.

A jump three years into the future follows finding them at the academy.  Kirk is a womanizer unable to stop his head from tracking every pretty female cadet that walks by and McCoy is his beleaguered best friend. This of course leads us to seeing a skimpily clad green Orion girl seduced by a boorish Jim. It’s an excuse to show a gal in her underwear more than anything else – as shown. There were scenes that made the character of Gaila (Rachel Nichols) much more important that ended up on the cutting room floor.

We finally get to see the famous Kobiyashi Maru test that made Kirk a legend for being the only one to pass.  Well, his “victory” leads to his being brought up on academic charges by a certain pointy eared individual (Zachary Quinto). For a first meeting between future best friends, this is about as contentious as it can get.

Before the cheating cadet can be drummed out of the academy an emergency message from Vulcan arrives. The planet is under attack and the bulk of the fleet is at another engagement.  This means all the cadets have to report for emergency duty aboard starships much like in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

It’s also a good excuse to present a beauty shot of the new Enterprise ala Star Trek: The Motion Picture. My first impression wasn’t positive for the redesign but it has grown quite a bit on me and looks good when moving. Kirk is utterly smitten of course.

At last I get my Captain Pike helming the Enterprise. While Pike might not be the star of the movie, he is the epitome of what a captain should be: smart, disciplined, and good at handling those who serve under him. A big part of the fun of the martialing of the fleet is seeing all the new starship designs. Some of these have no basis in the old continuity, so they are very interesting to glimpse. I can’t help it, once a model builder always a model builder.

Not so familiar faces greet us on the bridge of the Enterprise, but we know their names well: Sulu and Chekov. Their personalities are instantly defined in their few lines of dialogue and accompanying actions. All of this drives home just how much younger the characters are then when we first met them in the television show.

The fleet assembles and jumps to Vulcan with the Enterprise last.  What greets them is horrific and absolutely spectacular looking. It’s an amazing sequence best described as a rollercoaster ride through deadly debris and presented in such a way that you’d swear it was 3D thought it isn’t.

Events swiftly go from bad to worse leading to very desperate measures in an attempt to save Vulcan. A moment of black humor involving a red clad gung ho security officer reaffirms being a red shirt is not a good thing, however what humor is there is lost when things become very bleak.

Lives are lost, contention cripples the Enterprise crew, and now even Earth is threatened by the mysterious Romulan named Nero. Lots of action, high emotion, and old friends are key to the very satisfying conclusion to the movie.

Thoughts

What a joyride this movie is. It manages to be a loving tribute to the original while being its own animal. Much of the fun comes from the details, not the story. The way lines are delivered, the nods to the past, and most of all the interaction between the characters makes this film highly entertaining.

I thought the casting was excellent and all the actors in the major parts get a chance to shine:

Chris Pine turned out to be a lot of fun as James T. Kirk, who goes by Jim almost exclusively in this incarnation. Instead of doing a William Shatner impression, he plays Kirk as a loose cannon who invariably gets himself in trouble.  He isn’t quite the womanizer of the original series, being younger and far too obvious to land every gal he sets his eyes on.  There is a running sight gag about that tendency that never fails to amuse – especially in his pursuit of Uhura.

Zachary Quinto’s Spock is very much like Leonard Nimoy’s but with a restrained anger always brewing just under the surface.  His is a more emotional Spock searching for his place in the universe. The hostility between him and Kirk makes for a different dynamic than we are used to.

Stealing every scene he’s in, Karl Urban makes McCoy his by somehow being everything DeForest Kelley was and more.  There is a irascible energy to his Bones that is a complete blast.

Zoe Saldana gives Uhura a dimension she never had in the show.  Strong, competent, and wonderfully empathetic with one of the other characters, she is delightful to watch.

Scotty is very different from what we are used to. Simon Pegg was given the part without reading for it and allowed to pretty much do what he wanted with it. His Montgomery Scott is gleeful and lunatic genius who loves excitement. In a way, he is the embodiment of a Trek fan loose on the set.

John Cho as Lt. Sulu got fewer lines but more action. Watching him go from being mortally embarrassed by a gaff at the helm to swashbuckling hero in short order was a treat for fans of the character.  Cho handles both scenes with aplomb.

Anton Yelchin as 17 year old Ensign Chekov was endearing as the eager to please prodigy with the fearsome math skills. Watch his two transporter room scenes for some nice acting.

Being a fan of the original failed TV pilot, I always liked Captain Christopher Pike as a character.  Bruce Greenwood does an excellent job playing an officer anyone would want to serve under. I still want my Captain Pike series!

I liked Eric Bana as Nero, despite recalling some negative reviews of his performance.  There are some subtleties to Nero’s madness that I enjoyed, one being that he was a blue collar man, not an officer or a noble in the Romulan Empire. His personal tragedy drives the story and Nero is very much a Romulan Ahab obsessed with his white whale in the form of Spock. Yes, this is a remake of The Wrath of Khan with nearly the same plot, so the analogy fits.

Star Trek is a big film, best viewed on the big screen and barring that, a big HDTV. The effects by Industrial Lights and Magic are beautiful, both in the artistic and technical senses. Equally excellent are the sound effects which manage to be unique yet familiar at the same time. It is a fast paced film that fills its two hour running time with plenty of character development and action, not an easy thing to pull off.

The movie is PG-13 rated for good reason. It can’t be recommended for all ages due to considerable violence, cadets running around in their underwear in one scene, and at least one case of mild profanity. This is not a family film and kids under double digits aren’t the target audience.

I really enjoyed Star Trek the second time around and think it is a great movie that does considerable honor to the franchise.  Well worth seeing, it is a genuinely well made movie. Recommended to Trekkers, science fiction fans, action film buffs, and even Star Wars fans.

Technical

The DVD transfer is flawless, only hampered by not being HD.  However, the Blu-ray version is absolutely spectacular on a large television set.  Looking at the file structure on the disc, the BD uses more room for the movie than I’ve ever seen. That theoretically means exceptional audio/visual quality and this was born out upon viewing.

Surround sound is used to good effect and is clear. Both the DVD and BD have French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks, while English is 5.1 DD on the DVD and 5.1 Dolby TrueHD on the BD. Given how much sound plays into the atmosphere of the movie, the uncompressed version is a must for those who have a good home theater setup.

There is one area the single disc edition Blu-ray is beaten by the DVD and that is in the extras included. To get the extras on BD, expect to pony up more than $50.00 for the three disc edition. In that set, you get more documentaries and all the cut out scenes. The only thing included on the single disc is the commentary track and NASA News via BD-Live which I did not test.

The DVD fares better:

A New Vision – This documentary goes into the inspirations for the reboot plus how a lot of the filming and effects were done. The desire was to bring a Star Wars pacing sensibility to the slow moving Star Trek universe. A philosophy of using as many real sets and location shoots over CGI is gone into with a highlight being the reveal of the Enterprise engine room. It’s a brewery! No wonder I had a Strange Brew flashback during one of the scenes.

J.J. Abrams love affair with lens flares and using anamorphic lenses is gone into as well. The bridge set was lit up more than a Christmas tree so that there would be flares everywhere and even that wasn’t enough so a low tech solution was found. Then it was up to the CGI animators to add lens flares and smears to what they rendered so it all matched up.

That wasn’t the only quirk of Abrams. If you hate shaky camera work, you will despise his films. The director is obsessed with the look created and can be seen shaking and thumping cameras throughout the shoot. Again this created a problem for the special effects guys working at ILM and they eventually had to come up with a sensor they could shake too.

Brief glimpses of cut scenes are seen along with an old gimmick of using child doubles for scale effect. There were a lot more conventional effects in the film than I thought and some very clever solutions for problems were improvised on set. All in all the documentary is almost as much fun as the movie.

Gag Reel – Your standard bleeped out line flubbing and face making makes up most of this, but there is dancing.

BEWARE! HERE BE SPOILERS!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Well, Vulcan – it was nice knowing ya. Possibly the best planet destruction on film so far. Yeah, the hero’s blow it and blow it big.

What a twist having Uhura and Spock being a couple! This is a much more humanized version of the ever popular character and I found it interesting that he ended up leaning on her after his mother’s death.

A parasite that causes suggestibility in its host? Nah, not Wrath of Khan like in the least. Despite being derivative that way, the scene does a good job of giving a look into the tormented Nero’s reasons for genocide. He’s an oddly compelling wounded soul rather than cackling madman.

The ice planet/moon near Vulcan provided a lot of running around action and the ugliest monster I’ve seen in awhile. Here the movie felt a lot more like Star Wars than Star Trek. Fortunately an old friend shows up to add more emotional depth and plot explanation.When the elderly Spock from the original timeline says, “I have and always shall be your friend” to the confused young Kirk it is a sweet moment for fans of the franchise.

Least recognizable from the original characters is the new Montgomery Scott. Pegg plays him as far more energetic than the late James Doohan did. Scotty’s enjoyment of the conflict on the Enterprise doesn’t ring true to the original.

 

There are a lot of pretty shots of the grand lady of space. The depiction of being in warp was interesting and the the scene emerging in front of Saturn was fascinating in its beauty. Sorry, had to go full Vulcan there.

Kirk’s ego manages to be even bigger in the new timeline and he looks shocked to see Spock getting the girl. Great moment between the two follows as they are still getting to know each other.

For a giant mechanical squid looking kind of thing, the Narada is an impressive ship. Nothing beautiful about the converted mining vessel though. A sense of its size is presented several times throughout the film, but it is the interior shot that made the biggest impression on me. The thing is space station sized!

Finally the Enterprise gets to do some heroic shooting in a surprise attack. Something I notices was that phasers went from being the continuous beams seen in the beginning of the movie to being  more like phaser cannons seen on the Defiant from Deep Space Nine. It hints at an arms race triggered by the Kelvin’s being destroyed by the Narada. It is also much more pew-pew like Star Wars.

It was a clever bit having Kirk and Spock acting more like the other at the end. Finally the friendship begins.

The black hole scene is dramatic and rather impressive looking at the end. I didn’t feel the tension since it was obvious the heroes would survive, but the escape was very pretty in a dark movie theater.

Mistaken identity was never more fun than in this scene.  It was a genuine surprise that they went there.

Kirk and Pike being promoted is a good scene made better by some small touches for longtime Trek fans. Pike is wearing a uniform that looks a lot like the maligned ones from Star Trek: The Motion Picture while sitting in a wheelchair that recalls the quadriplegic version of him in The Menagerie episode from the ‘60’s.

The classic crew finally together with Captain Kirk donning the gold tunic of command promises further adventures in the new timeline.