Review: Star Trek (2009)

Oh, if only we could boldly go where no one has gone before.

For now, we’ll just have to settle for the cinemas. And what better way to boldly go, with the 2009 film, Star Trek.

Now before you start groaning, and think, no another Star Trek film, think again.

Directed and Produced by J.J. Abrams (Creator of TV’s Lost and Fringe), Star Trek serves as an entirely new jumping point for the franchise. Starting right at the beginning. The day of James T. Kirk’s birth.

The film starts off on the USS Kelvin. Sent to investigate a lightning storm in space, the Kelvin is attacked by a ship of unknown origin, and having advanced technology. This ship disables the Kelvin, and Captain Robau, leader of the Kelvin goes aboard to negotiate surrender, leaving George Kirk in charge of the Kelvin.

After Robau discovers that the Captain of this unknown ship, a man only known as Nero (Played by Eric Bana: Hulk, The Time Traveller’s Wife) is not from the present, and is looking for a Vulcan Ambassador, named Spock [yes, that Spock]. Robau has no idea who Spock is, and realizes that Nero is not from the right timeline. Robau is then murdered, after Nero realizes that he’s now in the past, and then orders the destruction of the Kelvin.

Kirk, Sr. is then forced to abandon ship, and sends out general order 13 [yes, that general order 13] for the crew and passengers to escape the Kelvin. Kirk’s wife, who is going into labor [with you-know-who] gets some bad news, as Kirk, Sr. is left to pilot the ship, as the systems are too damaged for auto pilot, and knowing this is the only way to save the crew, he sacrifices his own life to save everyone else.

And thus creates an alternate timeline, unlike any before seen in the Star Trek universe.

After seeing a brief glimpse into the life of our two main protagonists, Kirk, played by Chris Pine (Smokin’ Aces, Princess Diaries 2) and Spock, played by Zachary Quinto (TV’s Heroes,) we’re brought forward to Kirk in the Starfleet Academy, with his main man, Leonard McCoy, played by Karl Urban (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Bourne Supremacy)

Kirk and Spock’s relationship starts off bumpy [something never really explored in the Original Series] as Kirk is caught cheating on the Kobayashi Maru exam [something mentioned in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan], and Spock, the programmer of the exam knows that Kirk has cheated by changing the rules of the computer simulated test, because it is not winnable.

Shortly after Kirk is about to get suspended for cheating on the exam, the planet Vulcan is under attack, and the action from there begins.

The film itself is shot brilliantly, and the actors themselves have done a great job, recreating the spirit of the Original Series, without becoming parodies of the original characters. Karl Urban specifically played McCoy, almost channeling the spirit of the late Deforest Kelley. Pine and Quinto are great as Kirk and Spock, and the rest of the crew are great.

The villain, Nero, is something rarely seen in the Star Trek films. He is a worthwhile and enjoyable bad guy. Nero is a Khan-like nemesis, and that’s the key of a great film, a bad guy who is completely justified in his actions, in his own mind. He doesn’t see himself as a bad guy. But, of course, he is misguided in his actions. Eric Bana plays Nero so well, I would have to say it’s one of his better performances.

Another plus is Zoe Saldana (Avatar, The Losers) who played Uhura. Not only is she incredibly gorgeous, but also she plays the character so well, and with a bit of fire. Her scenes with Spock [Quinto] are filled with just the right level of emotion.

A negative for the film [in my opinion] is the limited use of Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) who plays the plucky comic relief, Montgomery Scott, aka: Scotty. He’s introduced a little over halfway into the film, and assists in a crucial part of the film, however, it would have been a lot better to have him in a much larger role.

Abrams did a great job reviving the spirit of the Original Series, with a good introductory script. The key will be when the sequel comes around [and with the money it made, there’s no question of a sequel], can Abrams capture lightning in a bottle again?

I recommend the movie to anyone and everyone. It is perhaps my favorite film of 2009, or at least in my top five.

I give Star Trek 9 out of 10.

DVD Review: "Star Trek"

In my opinion, the most anticipated movie of 2009 would be "Star Trek". When I read that they were going to reboot the world of Star Trek, I, like many of my fellow geeks probably felt very ambivalent about it. I was worried, and excited about the idea about it, and even with J.J. Abrams at the helm, I still had my concerns. Afterall, he did make "Mission: Impossible III".

So May 2009 came, and so did Star Trek, and I was relieved and elated at what I saw on the screen. The performances were respectful and not "over the top" caricatures of the performances of the original cast. And there was the "Salute" to those who came before them, including Leonard Nimoy (Spock) into the storyline, which when everything ends, you're left with an entirely new "Trek" with the same characters. So ground that may have been touched on before, can be done so again, but in a completely different way, because of the way their futures have now been altered.

So when I saw the movie, I gave it 9.75 out of a possible 10 Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. I'd have given it perfect, but I couldn't do it. There was something missing, and what that missing thing was? Shatner. William Shatner would have been the one thing to make that movie perfect. He is Star Trek. More so than Gene Roddenberry. (Let the flame-war begin!)

So today, the DVD was released, and I was left with a predicament. Do I get the 1-disc or the 2-disc? Of course the Special Features and the Digital Copy won me over, so I opted to pay the extra $10 and get the 2-disc.

And am I ever glad that I did.

Within that second disc, there is so much to be had in way of those special features. I know a lot of people don't watch them, but I feel that they give us a different perspective on the movie itself, which adds to the finished product. And Star Trek is no exception.

I'm not going to go on and on about it, all I am going to say is that if you're a fan of Star Trek, then you need to get this DVD, 1-disc or 2-disc, it is an essential film for any Trek fan.


"Star Trek" (XI, I guess you can call it #11) the DVD gets an 8 1/2 Grilled Cheese out of 10. The Movie is great. The Disc could have been packed with a bit more extras, but it's definitely a worthwhile buy.








By: Forch F. Fortier (who still laughs at the fact that Simon Pegg is in an "Odd-numbered" Star Trek film, when his first big character, Tim Bisley (A Character he created) said on "Spaced" that every odd Star Trek movie is shit! Simon Pegg ate those words, didn't he?)

Geek Fashion: These Shoes Will Boldly Take You Where Some Men Have Gone Before

When I surf the web, to try to find some of the coolest stuff in "Geekery", I often come across something that is so awesome, it's almost laughable. This is one such story. For those of you who know me well, know that in addition to the fact that I am a giant geek, I also have an obsession with Sports Jerseys, Goofy Shirts, and High-Top Sneakers. Well this allows me to put some of this all together into an "Amalgam of Awesome!"

Airwalk, known for their "Skater" styled shoes has created the geekiest shoes ever! The All-New "Star Trek STPL-x". It is a line of Star Trek inspired High Tops, available through Payless Shoe Source. The shoes themselves were designed by jeffstaple and carry a modest price of $49.99/pair (I am unsure if that's U.S. or Canadian prices)

They come in 3 colors: "Command" Yellow (Gold, whatever), "Science" Blue and "Operations" Red. The shoes are adorned with the Star Trek Insignia, and as they're made by Airwalk, the quality of the show will no doubt be very good.

I, myself need the "Command" Yellow to go with the T-Shirt in my collection. Needless to say, I'll be rockin' my next 'Con in style!


By: Forch F. Fortier (Who reminds you that the needs of the many, may outweigh the needs of the few (or one), but this "one" NEEDS these shoes!)