The future begins again

Wow.

They brought the awesome.

Star Trek (2009) may not be a ‘great’ movie. ‘Great’ tends to get used for Serious Films in black and white, or with subtitles. American action-adventure films seen by gazillions of people need not apply.

So maybe it isn’t a great movie. But it’s sure one hell of a ride.

A joyous, funny, thrilling re-visit to the lives of people we already know very, very well. And now we get to grow up with them all over again.

Zachary Quinto has gotten a fair amount of press for being the new Spock—deservedly—but this Star Trek rides on the back of its captain, and actor Chris Pine takes it all on, and more.

I do kendo (Japanese sword fighting) and in kendo there is the idea that when you attack someone your attack is totally committed, with full spirit. In your mind you do not consider the possibility of defeat.

That’s our James T. Kirk. I’ve lost track of the number of times Kirk gets in a hand-to-hand fight in this movie – OK, there was the bar, and the fight on the drill platform, and Spock attacking him on the bridge, and we should probably count those two seriously vicious animals on Delta Vega, and a then a couple more fights inside the bad guy’s ship – and he gets his ass handed to him every single time. He is saved by (pick one) – Captain Pike. Sulu. Spock. Spock’s father. Only at the last does he manage to save himself (in the middle of another butt-kicking) by getting a hold of bad guy minion’s gun.

But he does it all, every time, with full spirit. In his mind, he’s already won.

This Star Trek is angst-free. Nobody wears a bat/spider suit and whines about how unhappy they are. Even Spock is angst-free, or at least he seems like it when he’s kissing Uhura. Repeatedly.

And I haven’t even mentioned Karl Urban's Dr. McCoy - nice job - or the happy wonder that is Simon Pegg’s Scotty.

If you liked any of the previous Star Trek incarnations at all, if you like sci-fi, if you just like feeling like life can be good and worthwhile and your friends can fight at your side and you can all be something special – well, then, see this movie.