Star Trek (2009)

Star Trek (2009)

by Eric Maus

“You know your father was Captain of a Starship for 12 minutes. He saved 800 lives. Including your mother's and yours. I dare you to do better. "


    Our theaters are choking with remakes. The majority of these are terrific examples of the lack of talent possessed by today's filmmakers, while the rest show absolutely no resemblance to the original, causing die-hard fans to leave the cinema furious. A remake of the Star Trek franchise seemed to me like a kamikaze mission, destined for failure. However, guided by the brilliance of director J.J. Abrams, this film is nothing of the sort. In fact, it is most definitely one of the best remakes of all time.

   The day James T. Kirk is born, his father is killed aboard his own vessel, dying to save those he loved. Growing up without patriarchal guidance, James becomes a thrill-seeking troublemaker. When dared by a Capt. Christopher Pike to join Starfleet, James does so, and quickly becomes an officer, much to the annoyance of other cadets like the half-human Spock and Lt. Uhura. When an emergency on the planet Vulcan demands the assistance of Starfleet, Kirk, Pike, Spock, and many others crew the newly commissioned USS Enterprise, and find themselves in a situation more dangerous than any of them could ever imagine.

   To say this film has an all-star class would be an insult to the vast and magnificent array of actors that star in this film. Every actor is pitch-perfect for his or her role. Chris Pine stars as James T. Kirk, and Zachary Quinto plays Spock, and they not only give us the characters of old that we love, but give them new energy and life. Eric Bana plays the Romulan villain Nero, and does exceptionally well. Karl Urban stars as Leonard "Bones" McCoy, and is even funnier than the space medic of the old Star Trek films. From Zoe Saldana to Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin to Leonard Nimoy, Bruce Greenwood to Chris Hemsworth, this film is basically overflowing with amazing actors, and they all play off of each other so well.

   Obviously, since this is a remake of Star Trek, we were expecting incredible visual effects, to make up for the clunky ones in the old TV series and movies. J.J. Abrams does not let us down. The galaxies and planets presented on our silver screens are crisp and incredible, the space battles and explosions are epic and awe-inspiring, and the monsters and aliens seem alive. The musical score by Michael Giacchino is exceptional; he takes the themes of old, gives them life again, and also creates many new and masterful themes of his own.

    This movie (rated PG-13 for action, violence, and sexual content), while it easily could have been, is definitely not void of moral themes. It is a true redemption story, showing us how James Kirk goes from being a loser kid to becoming the upstanding Starfleet captain we’re familiar with, and this is accomplished excellently, by means of a terrific plot. We are also presented with lessons concerning the proper equilibrium between logic and emotion, played out through the constant arguments between Spock (logic) and Kirk (emotion). In the end, both characters learn to balance these two values within their own minds, and become friends. This film also points out the importance of a father’s role in the life of a child, presenting us with the rebellious Kirk as an example. Many other themes, such as sacrifice, determination, and courage are present throughout, making this movie worth our while.

   So, although most remakes cause us to cringe and hurl bucketfuls of rotten tomatoes at the theater screen, there are a few, such as J.J. Abram’s Star Trek, that keep hope intact. The public is anxiously awaiting the sequel, set for summer of 2012. With a man like Abram’s in control, we will not be disappointed.