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Star Trek (2009)
Directed by J.J. Abrams
Based on the television show Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry
Screenplay by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Eric Bana, Bruce Greenwood, Zoe Saldana
James T. Kirk (Pine) has spent his entire life trying to live up to the reputation of the father he never knew. When a time-traveling Romulan (Bana) threatens the security of the Federation, Kirk might have found his chance.
In 2009, film audiences headed back to the world of Star Trek after a seven-year hiatus. (Following the 2002 Star Trek: Nemesis.) Like the other films in the series, this one comes from the classic characters that Gene Roddenberry created for television. The screenplay for this film was written by Roberto Orci (Mission: Impossible III) and Alex Kurtzman (Transformers). J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) directed the film. The stars of this film include Chris Pine (Unstoppable), Zachary Quinto (Margin Call), Simon Pegg (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol), Eric Bana (Munich), Bruce Greenwood (Devil’s Knot), and Zoe Saldana (Guardians of the Galaxy).
The characters created by Gene Roddenberry have become iconic in the 50 years since they first arrived on television. Bringing those characters to a new generation required a lot of finesse since the characters are so well-known. Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman were tasked with making that happen. Their work was largely successful, helping to connect this film to the television show and the films that came before this one. The writing does a great job capturing the personalities of the different familiar faces. Orci and Kurtzman were also able to add in some new faces that feel right for the story. The sense of adventure and action in this movie holds up nicely. The film also has some fun moments that help to lighten up the story a bit. The writing does get predictable at times, leaving some moments feeling a little bit formulaic. Overall, this might not be perfect but it’s a fun romp through space with familiar characters.
The casting for this film did a nice job finding young faces to bring old characters back to life. Chris Pine does a nice job embodying a young James T. Kirk in this one. He brings out a young a reckless Kirk without making him unlikable. Simon Pegg also does great work introducing us to a younger Scotty. Bruce Greenwood was also a great choice to play the seasoned Captain Pike. This was a new face to the series, and Greenwood did a great job making it work within the world of Star Trek. Zoe Saldana also does a great job as Uhura.
Like Pine and Pegg; she was able to bring us a recognizable version of a classic character. Eric Bana also does a great job with a very intense character. He was able to create a new and unique antagonist for this story. Perhaps the best decision made in the casting of this film was the choice to use Zachary Quinto to play the young Spock. More than any of the other stars in this one, he seemed to find the classic character in his performance. Overall, this cast did a good job making this a fun and exciting movie.
This film features some intense action that is brought to life through great visual effect and stunt work. The camera work also helps to create a visual tension that works perfectly in the more intense moments of the movie. The score for the movie also does a good job highlighting some of the classic music associated with the series while still giving audiences something new to accent the film. The production work on this film earned four Oscar nominations. The nominations included Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. The film would eventually win the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
This is a solid science-fiction action film that fans of the Star Trek world should enjoy. If you’ve missed this one, it might be worth going back and checking out. I would also suggest this to fans of the stars, all of whom do good work throughout the movie. This would also be a good one for science-fiction fans. I give this one 3.8 out of 5 stars.
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