Star Trek (2009)

If the main goal of Star Trek was to win over general audiences then I think they succeeded. With likeable characters, top-notch special effects and a solid story, this nerd’s epic hit the box office with the sonic boom from a roaring thruster. Zachary Quinto’s Spock and Chris Pine’s James T. Kirk are not only convincing but damn near perfect in their matching to the original series. The characters are instantly recognizable by looks and accents and Eric Bana’s emo Nero Romulan will drive fear into you and your planet.

No doubt like all Sci-Fi remakes of our age, the die-hards will find something to piss on in the movie (I think these wastes are called Trekkers). I mean it does miss the mark on delivering the stiff, robotic fighting and the flashing lightbulbs from the original series but for average Joe, this could easily be one of the best Space-Aged movies ever. Though the use of lens flare was a bit on the “a little too much” scale, the feel of the Enterprise’s bridge and the relationships among the crew came off as genuine and well acted. My only regret in seeing it was not experiencing it in full IMAX glory.

The scenes that struck the best chord with me was aboard the Enterprise itself, though the Space and explosions were pretty, the bridge had a feeling of advanced technology and I liked the look of the Romulans. Simon Pegg’s Scotty and Karl Urban’s McCoy will no doubt be fan favorites and Zoe Saldana’s Uhura will have the young men in the audience drooling. The full cast really grips you throughout the entire movie and it was enough to make me forget that Tyler Perry was in the movie.

So J.J. Abrams has pulled it off, he has taken the most nerdiest of obsessive nerd shows and made it absolutely watchable to the regular person. Although the speedy plot will not win any awards, the character interaction, menacing bad guys and the authentic casting makes it a must-see.