STAR TREK 3.5***

“Space: The final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Its 5 year mission. To explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before.”
This is what “Star Trek” is all about…then (40 years ago when it all started) and now with this amazing prequel.



A disclaimer: I am not a Trekker. I’m not even a Trekkie. So aside from catching a few minutes of the original TV series and seeing a couple of the films, this “Star Trek” was a new and exciting voyage for me. Thus, I cannot critique the movie with the fervor of a devotee. I can only judge it as a mostly new fan, who didn’t know his Romulans from Klingons . And the verdict is that it’s quite good. From what little I do know of Trek lore, the movie does a remarkable job of blending just enough of the traditions of the old with the sparkling excitement of the new. This blending has the effect of creating a sense of experiencing an alternating panorama of both the old and the new. Also, the good news is that you don’t need to know about the Romulans or the Klingons, or what a “tribble” is,or the secret handshakes of the Federation or be able to repeat the Vulcan blessing: "Live long and prosper" to enjoy this thrill ride….because, regardless of your level of Trek knowledge or devotion, this film is engrossing and, most of all, a lot of FUN.

What a grand idea: To boldly go back in time to when James Tiberius Kirk was a rebel without a cause and a half-human, half Vulcan whiz-kid named Spock was staring down the illogic of bullies. So climb aboard and join the early days of a newly good looking James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) as he not so gracefully takes his place as Captain of the USS Enterprise. Meet the new youthful versions of Spock (Zachary Quinto), Scotty (Simon Pegg) and Sulu (John Cho) as they meet and bond with begrudging respect. Grip your seat as Nero (Eric Bana), a vicious time travelling Romulan, attempts to start a war in space with only young Kirk and his merry band to stop him.


And as you probably know, and even if you didn’t, it doesn’t spoil anything to know that Leonard Nimoy shows up as the old Spock, and he's not just there for a cameo. He serves both a story function and an emotional function. At 78 (and looking not a day older than 79), Nimoy, just standing there, is a remarkable reminder of the passage of time and the glory of it all. He helps give this movie and the new series that will probably follow, a kickoff that it justly deserves
So, people, it's time for warp drive, and you should beam yourself to a wide-screen theatre with surround sound where with other fellow travelers you can share the dazzling ride and the wonder of it all.

Clark