“You are fully capable of deciding your own destiny. The question you face is: Which path will you choose. This is something only you can decide.”

Mission: Accomplished.

If J.J. Abrams wanted to revitalize the Star Trek franchise and update its mythos for a new generation, then there’s no question that Star Trek is an unmitigated success. From start to finish there’s a sheen, a bravado, a sensibility that is quite unlike anything Star Trek has seen before. This is nothing short of a high-end, well-produced and crafted, Hollywood blockbuster. It’s fun, it’s funny, and it’s thoroughly entertaining. What the film isn’t, however, is “majestic.” This film goes for flash and flair over subtlety or reflection. It’s an important point because when previous incarnations of Star Trek were at their best, they nearly always incorporated some higher commentary on the human condition. That sensibility is traded for a more visceral character exploration. And action.  And the difference may be a step too far for some Trek fans.

Otherwise, if you like big-budget action-adventure films, with a bit attitude thrown in, Star Trek should fit the bill just about as perfectly as you can get.

For starters, this is an origin story – explaining how it is that Kirk, Spock, McCoy and all the rest of the Enterprise crew come together before their legendary Five Year Mission. It’s also a reboot. And the way the film goes about explaining the reboot is a nice display of narrative legerdemain, even if the science behind it is a tad on the fuzzy side. But questionable science is actually fairly symbolic of the film itself: it’s quite willing to bend the rules, or overlook deeper explorations, in favor of explaining how and why the bonds between these characters will, inevitably, become the strength of the franchise.

In terms of the narrative, events unfold swiftly and boldly with only a few minor points of criticism. Most problematic are the flashback (flashforward?) sequences in which Kirk learns about the future, his swift rise to the Captain’s Chair and Spock’s impulsive decision to maroon Kirk on an ice world. And actually, Kirk’s journey from punk to Captain is the film’s biggest letdown. It seems that Kirk doesn’t so much earn the job as act as pugnacious as possible until he’s the only one left standing to take it. From a character standpoint (that of Kirk’s struggle to find purpose following his troubled childhood), I like outcome. I just wish Kirk had shown just a little more nobility along the way.

And while we’re on the subject of criticisms, there is the relative lack of thematic depth and overall meaning to the film. Ultimately, this shouldn’t prevent viewers from having a great time at the theater, but it does prevent the film from being something truly exceptional – a deep, meaningful story experience. Also, there are a few moments when the film becomes positively campy. For the most part, the humor in Star Trek is very well done. But a few scenes, most notably Kirk running from the ice creatures and Scotty’s trip through some water ducts, are just a bit too silly. I suppose they might be meant as a nod to the oftentimes slapstick humor of the Original Series, but their presence doesn’t work in this revision.

What Star Trek has going for it, though, are its character – especially that of Spock. Spock’s inner emotional conflicts are at the very center of this film. Vulcans, by nature, have strong emotions. But they’ve also learned to suppress those emotions in favor of logic. That Spock is half-human means that he must work that much harder to keep his emotions in check. And this tension between Spock’s logic and his emotions becomes the true heart of the film, both in terms of character and narrative.  So while Kirk is the main character, this is really Spock’s film.  He is the one faced with the more compelling choices in this film and he is, easily, the best character.

As for the rest of the cast, they fare quite well. Despite Kirk’s implausible rise through the ranks, his character is nonetheless endearing. Scotty is a bit of a hellraiser. Uhura gets a nicely prominent role. And McCoy seems to perfectly channel the spirit of DeForest Kelley. Sulu and Chekov are here, too. And their characters, while somewhat underused, are present enough to make a difference.  Even Captain Pike and George Kirk are solid.  The weakest character, overall, is Captain Nero — the mad Romulan villain.  While his emotions are plausible, his ultimate motivations seem too simplistic to be taken completely seriously.  As Star Trek movie villains go, he’s one of the weaker examples.

And for the die-hard Trek fans? There are plenty of references to previous films and franchises. And they are placed in such a way as to enhance the experience for Trek fans, while not interfering with the rest of the film for newcomers. Ultimately, though, die-hard Trek fans will have to accept that Star Trek represents a whole new reality for the franchise. Its events simply preclude it from someday meshing with the Original Series, or The Next Generation, or any of the other TV shows or feature films.

But really, there’s nothing wrong with that. The old shows still exist and are still there to be enjoyed. And this new incarnation? I could easily see this becoming a wonderfully compelling and entertaining TV series, with associated films, in its own right. And I don’t think there’s a better compliment than that.

Star Trek is a lot of fun. Criticisms aside, this film deserves a great deal of praise. It certainly isn’t on par with The Wrath of Khan and, arguably, it doesn’t deliver the same emotional and thematic impact as First Contact. But without question, this is one of the best Star Trek films ever made and, more importantly, it should be able to attract a whole new generation of fans to the franchise who just might go on to explore and rediscover the enjoyment and value of the other incarnations of Trek.

Filed under: Feature Films