At the Movies with Fatwayne

All is well in Fatwayne’s universe – Star Trek is back! And boy, it’s back in a big way! I saw it today in the IMAX format and was totally blown away! I did, however, leave the theater with a slight headache – man was it loud!

I have been a fan of Star Trek since its days on TV and have seen every movie. One of my favorite memories of the television days was when Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) was taken over by a female entity. It was a joy to watch the macho Kirk sashay around like his fingernails had just been polished! Can anyone help me with the name of that episode?

This prequel introduces us to the the early days before Kirk joined Starfleet. We are allowed to peek into his young life and experience his first meetings with the likes of Spock, “Bones” McCoy, Uhura, Scotty and Chekov. We even learn the details of how Kirk managed to defeat the Kobayashi Maru which was a test that was impossible to defeat and had been designed by Spock himself. I tell you it was like a visit with old friends and one heck of a good time!

The plot concerns itself with a deranged Romulan, Nero (played by Eric Bana) who is out for revenge after his planet is destroyed. He blames Spock for this tragedy. Though, through no fault of his own, Spock was not successful in saving Romulas but Nero is blinded by his hatred for Spock and the Federation. He takes his ship, Narada, back through time in an attempt to exact his revenge on Spock, Starfleet and the Federation. He has a huge drilling apparatus that drills to a planet’s core and then he inserts “red matter” which reduces it to a black hole. I know, but it sounded feasible during the movie! He travels back through time after Spock’s attempt to neutralize the supernova that destroyed Romulas is successful but untimely. A black hole is created and this is how Nero and Spock both travel back into time.

During all of this action, we see Kirk rise to command the Enterprise and eventually have a final showdown with Nero. We also see Spock become the first officer, and we witness how Sulu, Uhura, Scotty and Chekov all earn their respective positions. Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy stands out with familiar quotes such as “dammit man, I’m a doctor not a physicist”!

So you may be asking yourself, are these youngsters believable in their attempt to portray sci fi legends? My answer is a resounding YES! Chris Pine is a likable heir to portray James Tiberious Kirk. Zachary Quinto is a dead ringer for a young Leonard Nimoy and almost as enjoyable to watch. Simon Pegg as Scotty is a hoot and is full of kinetic energy. All of the other feature characters do a creditable job in their roles.

I am certain that the success of this movie will spur sequels and it will be a pleasure to watch these youngsters as they mature in their roles. If the films to come are anywhere near as enjoyable as this on was, we will be watching Star Trek for many years to come!

As usual, quotes are at http://www.tvmoviequotes.com/startrek2009.htm

Rated – PG13 -

Fatwayne’s rating –