Star Trek - Thoughts

The initial trailers of Star Trek in Q4 of 08 showed promise. Whether an ardent fan follower or just a regular action blockbuster buff, it looked to have elements to please all. I’ll have to admit that this was one of my most anticipated movies of 2009. For those unfamiliar with Star Trek, it’s the sci-fi saga of the starship USS Enterprise and its crew members. Over the years they have travelled to strange new worlds, interacted with different life forms, and essentially gone where no one has gone before. Though this is the 11th motion picture to bear the Star Trek name, it tells the story of the early days of the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Think of it as where the future begins.


For starters, those who felt alienated because they weren’t followers of the original Star Trek need not worry. This iteration starts even before the original Gene Roddenberry TV serial from 1966. J.J.Abrams of TV serial Lost fame has done an excellent job of making the new 2009 Star Trek, entertaining, action packed, and true to the original in many ways. It has sufficient comic elements and flirtatious dialog in keeping with modern day cinema. So as a general movie goer, expect a fun summer blockbuster. For all you Star Trek junkies, expect to feel goosebumps when you see new characters in familiar roles, reciting previously epic dialog. The action sequences are impressive, the plot intriguing, and the scale of sci-fi adventure in line with that to be expected from Star Trek. Those who are not too fond of sci-fi be warned, as some concepts like the space time continuum may seem confusing.

Performances overall were pretty decent. Chris Pine was in the lead role as James T Kirk; think of the role as your stereotype ‘break all the rules’ sorta bad boy. It’s interesting to imagine that this very character later went on to become the legendary William Shatner, Captain James T Kirk. Zachary Quinto, of Heroes fame played Spock, and was very convincing as the younger logic driven yet somewhat emotionally confused teenager. The rivalry between Spock and Jim was somewhat unexpected, as there isn’t too much of a reason to believe so, going by the original Star Trek from the 60’s. Nevertheless it played a vital role in the plot and kept things exciting. Moving on to Uhura, I must say that in all the years of Star Trek, Uhura has never looked so good. Kudos to Zoe Saldana for adding some finesse to the role while keeping it real. Karl Urban as Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy, added comic relief while playing chief medical officer aboard the USS Enterprise quite credibly.

As much as I’d intended to catch this one at the theatre, work timings didn’t permit for it. That said, the DVD I was watching was as global release Paramount DVD, distributed in India. Though sold in India, I do believe that all the content was intact, and also that the quality conformed to global specs. Video quality was good, remaining sharp and clear throughout. There were a lot of dark sequences, with light flashes, but visibility was good for most part. Aboard the USS Enterprise lighting was white yet soft and pleasing; post processing filters were probably used a little. Sound was a standard Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, which was sufficient and ensured that all the action sequences were well supported.

My Recommendation: Watch It + (A must for any Sci-fi buff or Star Trek aficionado)