The Final Frontier

4.5/5

What J.J. Abrams has accomplished in his big screen prequel to the series Gene Roddenberry created is a very rare thing. He has successfully brought to life a film that is both faithful to it's origins and accessible to those not invested in the series steep history.

The entire cast and crews' dedication to bringing this world to life is evident from the opening scenes until the final moments of the film. Every character is portrayed faithfully while at the same time feeling fresh and new.

The focus of this film revolves around two different characters, both of whom are main characters in their own right. James Kirk (Chris Pine) a brilliant yet pompous and rebellious son of a star ship captain and Spock (Zachary Quinto) a half human, half vulcan who feels much internal conflict as he struggles to find a true identity. Just like nearly every character in the film, these two actors bring their own style to these classic characters and still manage to stay very grounded in the roots of who Captain Kirk and Spock were in the original series. All of the supporting cast were wonderfully chosen for each of their specific roles. The prosthetics, makeup and costume design were all executed with precision, which helped minimized some of the strange moments movies can have with alien races (although the annoying 20 somethings sitting behind me thought every non-human was quite amusing).

Not knowing what the story was going to be I must admit I was expecting more cameos. This was only mildly disappointing. Although, having Leonard Nimoy reprise his role as Spock "Prime" was delightful and very well written. Nearly all of the great catch phrases could be found throughout the movie and were wonderful to hear once again. Spoiler (Highlight to view): One of Leonard Nimoy's lines regarding a Star Trekism was particularly wonderful, "I would salute you in our customary manor, but oddly it would seem self serving." Which was said in reference to the Vulcan salutation, "Live long and prosper."

Although so much was done right in this movie, there were a couple of things that frustrated me. Primarily, some of the camera and lighting work. Movies, especially action movies, have moved away from steady cams to free cam filming. This method of filming isn't normally very noticeable and serves as a method to make the movie seem more "natural" (apparently we're all bobble-heads). However, for several of the actions sequences in Star Trek it felt as though the camera was being held by an overly caffeinated teen. This was tolerable, but what was not were the constant len's flares. During quite a large number of scenes there were so many lens flares that it became very, very distracting. Instead of drawing me in and giving a heightened sense of realism (as I assume was intended), I found myself distracted by the lighting and not completely immersed in the moment.

Pros:
Excellent casting. Very well done makeup and prothsetics. Wonderfully told story. Faithful to it's origins and still very relevant.

Cons:
Some of the cinematography was frustrating. Annoying len's flares.

Bottom Line:
J.J. Abrams has done it! Bringing Star Trek to the big screen in a way that will please the faithful and still draw in those not invested in the series. The action fits well into a universe and story that are already very rich in history. The dialogue and characters are delightful in their faithfulness and originality. Chris Pine's James Tiberious Kirk and Zachary Quinto's Spock are wonderfully cast and soundly portrayed.