A Movie Review: Star Trek

Shh.. don't tell my boss(es) this but... *whisper* I skip work today *endwhisper*

Ehem... you can't really blame a girl for something that is unavoidable though. I was already on a bus on my way to client's after lunch when it started pouring! And really... do you expect me to walk in the rain in 3-inch heels, a shoe bag in one hand and a laptop on my back??! You must be crazy! I would've stayed on the bus and gone back to KL Sentral if I hadn't spied Pavilion on the next bus stop. I would get plenty of shelter from the rain there. =)

And... well, now that a situation have presented itself to me decked out in a glittering red dress, with a hemline so short, it's just screaming to be taken advantage off... *ahem*...

ANYWAY... I headed straight to GSC and lady luck was on my side when the next Star Trek movie was showing in 15minutes! Logic would dictate that I buy the ticket immediately and get myself seated comfortably in the cinema, with plenty of time to munch on popcorns and googling over all the trailers. And I am nothing but a logical person. =)

Ok... before I jump into the review itself, let's take a little History lesson!

Star Trek originated as a television series in 1966 that survived for only 3 season ('66 - '69) and which had brought to life timeless characters such as James T Kirk, Spock, Bones and Scott and memorable quotes such as "Beam me up Scotty!" & "Live well and prosper... V". It later served as a foundation for four additional live-action television series, one animated television series and eleven theatrical films. This latest of the 11 theatrical films is the current showing "Star Trek" feat Chris Pine (Just My Luck) and Zachary Pinto (Heroes).

Now... I have to say that up to this point I have never ever watched a Star Trek episodes/movie before. Ever. Of course I'm roughly aware of the cult status of this sci-fi as well as the corny colour-coordinated uniforms, but that's where my knowledge of Star Trek ends. And I have to admit that I had prematurely concluded that I was going to give this movie a pass.

So what convinced me otherwise? My brother's rave review about it. And if I know my brother as well as I think I do, then his approval is very much note-worthy. And so here I am.

Now, as a warning, if you want to be spoiler-free, please do look away. Go find someone else's blog to read. I shall not be held responsible for the contents that you will read henceforth.

For an opener, we get a glimpse to the USS Enterprise encountering an abnormal "black-storm" before a mammoth sized and savage looking Romulan ship emerged and attack the Federation Starfleet. On board are the newly captained George Kirk, and his 'very-pregnant-and-very-much-in-labour' wife. We're 15 minutes in, and the outlook is bleak. Autopilot is malfunctioning and Captain Kirk stayed behind to go Kamikaze-assed on the Romulans. Here, we are treated to a nicely done cinematography and contrast of the chaos of the onslaught, as Captain Kirk struggles to hold-up defence as his crew evacuates, to the beauty of his wife's childbirth, all played out to a slow string-backed musical. A second of silence before it was broken with the cries of his baby boy, and here you can't help but smile along as both parents decided on a name. Of course, such happy moment are short-lived. As Captain Pike best described this event later on in the film (as he was recruiting James Kirk) , "Your father was captain of the Enterprise for 18 minutes, yet he had saved more than 800 lives of his crew members, including yours' and your mother."

We are briefly treated to the childhood of both James Kirk and Spock, before we warp-speed forward to 25 years later, where we find our very own Mr Spock at a cross road on which to accept either his paternal Vulcan heritage (noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion) or his maternal Human side. On the other side of the spectrum, we are introduced to the adult James Tiberius Kirk, renegade ladies man who is caught in a messy situation at a bar.

Introductions aside, I'm not really planning to bore you on the details of the movie, but let's just say that it was awesome and one of the best sci-fi movie I've watched to date. There's plenty of actions to keep you entertained and on the edge of your seat. And this is effortlessly balanced out with great characters developments and amazing delivery by the casts. The visual effects are awe-inspiring, amd cinematography was brilliant! Much thoughts and considerations have definitely been through in coming up with the screenplay, and this is reflected in the depth of the movie and the carefully crafted essence that personifies a Star Trek franchise. This is definitely a movie that engages the audience to connect with the characters and its surroundings. And you'd find yourself rooting for Kirk or Spock or any of the crew to pull through any messy situation they are thrown into. It's difficult not to be a fan of the movie by the time the credit rolled in. And I really hope that they would revive the Star Trek eras with more movies of this calibre.

Verdict? TWO Thumbs WAY Up!