Movie Review: Star Trek (2009)

I just saw the latest Star Trek, directed by JJ Abrams. Needless to say it brings new life to the old franchise of the same name. First of all, aside from basic common knowledge, I’ve never been a Star Trek fan, never seen any of the previous movies (apparently, there was 10!!!) or even a single full episode of the TV series so forgive me if I don’t see the whole picture.

The movie uses the recently popular fad of going back to the roots of the franchise and telling the story of how it begun (cough* Star Wars cough) but unlike that movie that shall not be named, it actually was superbly done. Mixing well-timed humor with a solid plotline and stunning action scenes, the movie was indeed very entertaining. The entire cast is solid overall but kudos to Simon Pegg (Scotty) and Anton Yeltsin (Ensign Chekov) because they stole the limelights in every scene they were in. Chris Pine was not overwhelming but decent as a young James Kirk which was all that was needed to not let down. Also freaking Eric Bana plays the bad guy, I did not recognize him at all in two hours until I came home to check who it was.

The movie had plenty of good things going for it. From magnificent action scenes to a at least decent acting from everyone on the cast to include a well-structured plot and an epic story. Maybe I had too high expectations but some weaknesses here and there as well as a giant WTF moment:
- James Tiberius Kirk childhood, being the usual cocky Hollywood rebel genius, come on…
- A freaking black hole forming weapon called “Red matter” (wow don’t strain yourself there writers)
- Iowa still being a wasteland a couple hundreds of years from now… (wait actually it makes sense but I had to say it)
- Fight scenes with little pee-wee guns, swords and (gasp) fist. If I know I’m going for a fight, I would take a rifle, a bazooka, something…
- Plenty of other incongruities related to science but anyways it’s a movie…
- In the parachute scene where that third guy dies in an epic fail moment, this had to be the ultimate WTF sequence in movie history, I don’t even know if it was supposed to be funny or tragic or sad? If anything, it should have been that massive ego Kirk doing that, and dying like a retard freak.

I debated whether to give this a B+ or a A-, I liked the movie a great deal but I wasn’t blown away. Weird feeling that something is missing. I will say one last thing, I was entertained and I enjoyed the movie … but I probably won’t be thinking much more about the movie tomorrow morning (except for that dude dying the stupidest death in movie history). I have seen some fairly average movie that stimulated my mind a whole lot more than this movie, that’s why I will give it a B+.

B+: Entertaining, mythical, solid plot, solid casting, brilliant action scenes and eye candy, and a solid foundation for future movies.