STAR TREK Review [some minor spoilers]

There has always been a major problem with anyone trying to make a Star Trek film: How do you please the fans and still make the movie accessible to a general audience? They’ve tried to do one or the other over the years, with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (TWOK to those in the know) generally coming out at the top of the list for fans, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home almost always the fave of non-Trekkies/Trekkers. But even The Voyage Home required some knowledge of Trek in order to be fully enjoyed.

With the new Star Trek, J.J. Abrams and company have achieved what many have thought impossible: Made a movie that anyone could go see and enjoy as an action-packed summer popcorn flick, and at the same time service even die-hard fans. While most fans (including me) have some qualms about certain aspects of the film, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive everywhere, from mainstream newspapers and fan sites alike.

How did they achieve this? They went back and told the “origin” story of the Enterprise crew, but not exactly the way it happened before the Original Series–thanks to an alternate reality plotline that changes history via a time travelling Romulan (Nero) from the post-Next Generation future. “Prime” Spock (the one we know and love) comes back as well and attempts to do what he can to repair the timeline, and the result is that the seven members of the bridge crew are all together for this adventure.

Writers Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman figured out how to preserve all of the events of the Trek TV series and films, and yet still provide a way to tell stories of the original crew without us ever losing a true sense of suspense or danger armed with the knowledge that they all have the futures we’ve already seen for them.

I’ve been a fan of Star Trek from the first grade, when I used to rush home to watch the original series in syndication. I’ve also been a fan of J.J. Abrams since I came upon the fantastic series Alias, and my new favorite show Lost has cemented my admiration for his work. Combining two of your favorite things doesn’t always mean the combination is going to work (I tend to cite beer and Dr. Pepper as an example), but in this case it works, and works well.

Author Christopher J. Valin