Star Trek: A Great New Start!

Well, the BIG NIGHT finally arrived, and after months of torturous speculation on just how good the JJ Abrams era of Star Trek would be, I have to say that it kicked off with a bang. It was, in a word, excellent.

BUT...before I get into a detailed review of the movie itself, I've got one huge, HUGE issue to address:

Where the HELL was everyone????????

We had tickets for the 11pm showing and arrived at the theater around 10:30pm. To my stunned amazement, there was not a single person waiting in line. Not one. In fact, there was not a warm body to be seen anywhere...not in the lobby, not at the concession stands...nowhere! Outside of the two or three people working the theater, it was a complete graveyard. In all my years of attending midnight showings, I have never seen a more empty theater. And, as if that weren't bad enough, when we walked into our screening room and took our seats, there were about two dozen other people with us, maybe. I remember when we saw The Dark Night at this very same theater, it was a complete madhouse of people. Even the midnight showing of Quantum of Solace had a full theater. Last night, on the other hand, was an embarrassment. For me, part of the whole movie-going experience is the excitement of the crowd, especially when you're talking about a major blockbuster movie. The minimalistic crowd that was present for Trek were complete dead heads. No enthusiasm, no excitement, and almost no reaction to what was happening on the screen. NOW, to be fair, this theater had started showing the film around 4pm, and then every hour since that till midnight, so the brunt of the crowd may have gone earlier in the day, but I can't believe that those who crave the "midnight experience" just up and bailed! I have to say that as far as theater experiences go for a big movie, it was one of my worst ever.

OKAY, ON TO THE GOOD STUFF!! Now, I'm going to assume that by the time most of you find this review, you will have already seen the movie, and probably more than once, so I will dispense with rehashing the entire plot of the movie. Suffice to say, the movie was excellent. First off, the actors nailed the essence of the characters perfectly. Zachary Quinto expertly embodied both the stoic Vulcan nature of Spock as well as the struggling emotional human within. The scene of his ultimate breakdown on the bridge and burst of rage that lead to his beating the snot out of Kirk, was priceless. This Spock has a raw, explosive persona just below the skin, and when it's unleashed, all should be afraid. Chris Pine brought all the swagger of Shatner to James T Kirk, but also made him flawed, broken, and in need of direction. Kirk finally became someone I could relate to. Karl Urban's McCoy was funny and spot on, exuding all the conspiratorial craziness of the original character. Zoe Saldana's Uhura had just the right amount of sexy and sassy, and John Cho made Sulu a formidable character, from his serious adeptness at starship piloting to his rugged hand to hand combat. Even Bruce Greenwood's Christopher Pike was a character I'd follow into battle. Unfortunately, Chekov was a bit of a disappointment. I thought Anton Yelchin acted the part well enough, but at times went overboard with the accent, almost to the point of annoyance. The part of Scotty was a bit of a disappointment as well, not because of Simon Pegg, who was awesome, but because the part was so small. We don't meet him till halfway through the movie, but his story moves quickly once we do. Too quickly. One minute he is marooned on some backwater Starfleet outpost, the next, he's the chief engineer on the Enterprise, all in the blink of an eye...literally! Leonard Nimoy reprises his role as the much older Spock, and does so with grace and perfection. Finally, there is Eric Bana as the mysteriously evil Romulan, Nero. Like Scotty, however, he also suffers from lack of screen time. His twisted story of going from a simple miner to the apparent leader of the entire Romulan race is a grand tale that I wanted much more of. Outside of Spock, Nero suffers the most trauma of all the characters, yet we are with him on his journey for the least amount of time. Intriguing villain, but a missed opportunity to make him the ultimate villain. Of course, you can only cram so much into a 2+ hour movie, and based on how well everything else was done, all is forgiven. (For a better understanding of Nero's past, pick up a copy of the "Star Trek: Countdown" graphic novel. It sets up the movie very well.)

Needless to say, the special effects were great as well. This movie benefited from a steep budget, allowing greater attention to detail and bringing a better sense of realism to Trek. I loved the new look of the Enterprise, too, as it captured some elements of all the previous Original Series versions, making it the perfect Enterprise. At times, some of the engineering department shots seemed larger than the ship itself, but again, something I can overlook.

Last but not least, there is the story itself, which I found epic. Many complained that Abrams and gang messed up everything we already know. These people are ignorant. It is very clear that there are now two timelines, thanks to the element of time travel that plays to the center of the story. However, the "original" timeline is, and always will be, intact. Yes, there is a major event within the original timeline, namely the destruction of Romulus, that really shakes up that universe...but ya know, maybe it was time for that. Regardless, this event does not affect any history of what we already know to be true in that original timeline. All of the characters, and their beloved origins, are safe. The "new" timeline, on the other hand, is its own universe now and, if anything, is wide open, with a future unset, and offers infinite possibilities for storytelling. Consider already the destruction of Vulcan, the death of Spock's mother, and the early presence of Romulans in this alternate timeline. As you can see, the "new" universe has some pretty hefty issues to deal with already...and it can only get more interesting from here. Bravo.

So, in conclusion, even though the crowd at my viewing was all but absent, and those who were there, retarded, the movie still gets a 9 out of 10 from me. (I can promise you that when I see it again, it will get a 10 out of 10!) It had all the action of a blockbuster, complete with great characters, an epic story, and wonderful nods to the Original Series (aka Kobayashi Maru, "Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a..., and the classic Spock nerve pinch amongst other things). This was A Great New Start for the most beloved sci-fi opera of all time!!! Hats off to you, JJ. I can't wait to journey with this crew again!!

Star Trek 2009: The Backstory

The new JJ Abrams Star Trek movie is mere weeks away from its US release and, if you're like me, you're counting down the days, more excited than a tribble trapped in a hold full of quadro-triticale! To be reunited with Kirk, Spock, McCoy and other classic heroes from our favorite 60's space romp is quite the thrill. But all may not be as it seems! From the glimpses we've been given into this rollicking new adventure, it's evident that a major shakeup in the historic timeline of our Trek characters is one focus of the new plot.

So, any chance to grab some back story on these upcoming events is always welcome. Fortunately, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the scribes of the new movie, have provided us with just that in a new graphic novel entitled "Star Trek: Countdown". It is a four part series (available now as a one book omnibus) set in the Next Generation universe and centering primarily on the story of Nero, the main Romulan antagonist featured in the movie. The series also provides some insight into the current state of affairs within the Romulan Empire as well as touching upon the present lives of Picard, Data, Worf and La Forge. The team-up of these Next Gen characters with an aging Ambassador Spock, along with a cataclysmic galactic disaster near Romulan territorial space, spark a series of events that lead directly into the new movie.

My reactions to the graphic novel were mixed. (Warning: MAJOR spoilers ahead!!)

The story introduces some grand concepts that present major dilemmas for the characters. Unfortunately, the resolutions to some of these circumstances happen a bit too quickly in relation to the scope of their importance. As an example, an impending exploding star with a projected massive supernova shock way threatens the entire Romulan system. But not just Romulus...possibly Vulcan and Earth as well. That's a might big bang. Fortunately, the Vulcans have concocted "red matter", a chemical mixture that just-so-happens to be the exact antidote for runaway supernova stars. How wonderfully convenient. Eventually, the star explodes and the red matter is used to contain the nova, but not before Romulus is destroyed by the shock wave. Oh, and did I mention that a nasty little side effect of this 'red matter' is that it also happens to create black holes? In this case, a black hole that literally swallows the remnant star, effectively eliminating the threat. As bad luck would have it, the black hole also swallows a few unwanted visitors as well. This act leads us directly into the new movie. Now THAT is some crazy science!! Unfortunately, the far-fetched technology and sketchy physics stole some of the believability away from what should have been a more complex and drawn out story.


Another small sticking point is Nero's modus operandi. He, along with Spock, are the only two who understand the gravity of the impending supernova. When Nero pleads to the Romulan High Council about the situation, they essentially ignore him. He is then forced to team up with Spock and the Federation to find a solution. As stated earlier, the star erupts and Romulus is destroyed. The Federation does, ultimately, eliminate the nova, but because of circumstances beyond their control, cannot do so before the demise of the Romulan home world. Needless to say, this sets Nero off on a crazed frenzy. He just lost his family and his home world and wants someone to blame. So far, a completely understandable reaction. The problem is that he vows vengeance on Vulcan and Earth for their inability to act quickly enough to avert the disaster. Interesting how he blames the Vulcans and Humans, the very people (and, in fact, the ONLY people) charging in to help, but the Romulans, his OWN PEOPLE, who all but dismissed the threat, get a free pass. I'd say that's a bit of misplaced anger. Of course, in that way, he is so very 'human' in that he can't help but bite the hand that feeds him.

On a positive note, the artwork was descent and the action plentiful. Catching up with the Next Gen crew was a delight and a series of surprising plot twists kept me reading. I guess we'll see how it all plays out on May 8th. If anything, I at least have some knowledge now of background events leading into the new movie, which should make for a smoother transition into the JJ Abrams era of Trek.

Pick up a copy of Star Trek: Countdown and decide for yourself.