Star Trek: Full of Praise, Full of Spoilers

I didn't bother to even try to write a new blog post yesterday. It seemed the only thing people were talking about, the one thing people were thinking about, was the new Star Trek movie. I include myself in the collective. Now that I've just seen the film, it's the single thing I want to write about.

I am exhilarated and I can't quite remember the last time I left a movie theater feeling that way. I mean, I went into this with absurdly high expectations, particuarly for a non-Trekkie. While I was in line, I began to worry that this alone would set me up for disappointment. But there was no disappointment. None. J.J. Abrams has made a Star Trek movie that soars on every level.

The first thing that comes to mind is that this is a visual feast of a film. The pallette is brilliant and, at times, almost jewel-like. The spaceships are incredibly detailed and sharply stylized. Everytime one was under attack, along with expected pity for loss of life, I kept thinking, "Wait! Don't destroy it yet... I want them to walk around more so I can see more of the ship!" I couldn't get enough of the ships' interiors --or exteriors. The special effects were amazing, even in this jaded era of nearly miraculous CGI. The action scenes delivered every time. For the most part, it felt like a film too big for any screen.

An annoying issue with action movies is when humor is simply tacked on to keep it from being "too heavy". The problem is the humor used is usually generic and banal. In Star Trek, the levity worked everytime. It made sense to the situation, to the characters, and that's what made it genuinely funny. There was more real laughter at those times than I've heard during a comedy for a very long time. The script got it just right.


I'd been eager to see what fresh interpretations new actors would bring to the familiar roles and was thrilled. Chris Pine surprised me. Based on the trailers, I thought he could be an acceptable James T. Kirk. And, that's kind of how it started out. But, as the movie progressed, he created a Kirk who was actually interesting and more complex than one would expect. The entire supporting cast was magnificent. It was a perfect example of what ensemble acting should look like when it works. McCoy, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, Scotty (!)...all of them were spot-on, none were there to simply fill in the chair of a character. But, as it perhaps should be, the big standout was Zachary Quinto as Spock. Time after time, I was unexpectedly and deeply moved by the character. After relinquishing the position of Captain to Kirk, I was absolutely riveted watching Spock walk down a corridor in silence. I don't know how Quinto did it, but it seemed like I could feel all his conflicts, his shame, his sorrow, his confusion, at once. Leonard Nimoy's presence, instead of feeling like a wink or cheap trick, was also notably moving and felt completely right. Nimoy added just the necessary amount of gravitas to give the movie some grounding to its roots.


I feel absolutely thrilled. Star Trek was a soaring, vigorous, unpredictable and, ultimately, completely satisfying ride that I'd love to go on again and again.