MOVIE REVIEW: Star Trek

MadProfessah and the other half saw the new J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie on opening day.

Although I am a fan of science fiction and have watched many episodes of the Star Trek television series (The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager) I wouldn't call myself a Trekkie.

The new Star Trek has been quite well-received by both critics and audiences alike. At rottentomatoes.com it has a 95% approval rating, which is similar to last summer's The Dark Knight. It has also made nearly 200 million dollars since its release on May 8.

The latest film was written by the team who brought us the television series Fringe, Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci, who also wrote the execrable Transformers movies. However, this time the duo do an excellent job of pleasing multiple audiences who are interested in seeing the 11th Star Trek film: hard-core Trekkies, J.J. Abrams fans, general sci-fi fans, and fans of the new young castmembers like Chris Pine, John Cho, Anton Yelchin and Zachary Quinto (Sylar on Heroes).

Quinto is very good as Spock, while Pine does well with the even harder task of portraying the larger-than-life James Tiberius Kirk who was immortalized on screen by the inimitable William Shatner. Additionally, Eric Bana makes a lasting impression as the central villain Nero, a rogue Romulan who threatens both Spock's and Kirk's home planets.

The overall theatrical experience is quite enjoyable, and it's fun that Leonard Nimoy has a cameo, as does Tyler Perry. Star Trek is a great summer entertainment.

Running Time; 2 hours, 6 minutes. MPAA Rating: PG-13.

Plot: B+.
Acting: A.
Visuals: A-.
Impact: A-.

Overall Grade: A-.