STAR TREK
US, 2009, 126 minutes, Colour.
Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana, Bruce Greenwood, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Ben Cross, Winona Ryder, Clifton Collins Jr.
Directed by J.J. Abrams.
It should be said that any cinema buff or those interested in the development of the movies, even if they are not Trekkies/Trekkers or have never even seen an episode of the several television series which spun off from the original (1966-1969), should see this film – whether they like it or not! It is, of course, state of the art technical craft and effects. It also brings to new life pop culture characters and space exploration and peacekeeping, especially the image icons, Captain James Kirk of the Enterprise and the Vulcan Spock, as well as the crew of the Enterprise.
In a year of sequels (Transformers 2 -written by the same team who wrote this one, Terminator 4, Harry Potter 6) and prequels (Wolverine), producer director J.J. Abrams, a man with a solid television reputation for Alias, Lost and Fringe, as well as the sequel Mission Impossible 3, has opted for the Star Trek prequel instead of the sequel.
In a spectacular and fast-paced prologue, Star Trek takes us back to Kirk's father, his confrontation with the embittered space villain, Nero, his sacrificing his life for his crew to escape spacecraft destruction ,as well as save his wife who gives birth to James. There follows an incident from a reckless childhood (a stolen car and speeding to the edge of a cliff) and then teenage (a brawling and flirting rebel in need of a cause) and a challenge from Captain Christopher Pike for Kirk to emulate his father. Which, of course, he does.
We are also introduced to the young Spock, a Vulcan who opts for logic and reason instead of feelings which he inherited from his human mother.
By this stage we have a strong cast with Chris Pine persuasive as the young Kirk, Zachary Quinto as the young Spock, Ben Cross and Winona Ryder as his parents, Bruce Greenwood as Captain Pike (all of these from the television series) but also a new character, an impressively evil Nero, Eric Bana.
The crew of the Enterprise are also introduced and are cast for their physical resemblance to the original performers or their ability to remind audiences of the originals while making their characters their own. Zoe Saldana is Uhura, John Cho is Sulu, Karl Urban is 'Bones', Anton Yeltchin is Checkov and Simon Pegg is a comic Scotty.
Were synopses writers trying to explain plot developments, they would have considerable difficulties attempting to elaborate on the time shifts (the swift place shifts with 'beaming up' are easier even if the physics is still suspect). Characters come from the future, including Nero. At the end we find the older Spock confronting his younger self. Scotty hasn't found the formula yet for 'Beam me up' which he is credited with inventing but we see him find it from the future!
The film does not lose its pace, with fights on the surface of a space ship, with Kirk stranded on an icy planet pursued by two rapacious monsters, the black hole destruction of the Vulcan's planet, the final battle with Nero.
So, in its own right, Star Trek stands as an intelligent (though difficult to explain logically) space and futuristic entertainment with skill and craft to admire. It also is a helpful tale of the personalities and psychologies of characters who have been and grown in the popular consciousness for over forty years.
While William Shatner, the original Kirk, does not appear, a great bonus for the film is a substantial presence of Leonard Nimoy as the older Spock, contributing well to the plot as well as to the continuity of television and film.
And he has the final word from long ago, the goal of the Enterprise and, probably, the best known split infinitive in the English language, 'to boldly go...'.
1.The success of the television series, the reputation for over forty years? The various series drawing on it? The ten cinema features over a thirty-year period? The possibility for a prequel and explanations?
2.The scope of the film: the origins of the characters, the federation, the wars, the mathematics, the science, the technology? Travel, warps, beaming up? Warfare? The variety of worlds and planets? The different races, creatures? Time warps and time change? The future coming into the past? By location and by temporal presence? The Vulcans and the use of reason? Humans and emotion?
3.The human emotions: Captain Kirk, the confrontation with Nero, fighting, taking the spacecraft into the enemy and enabling others to escape? Sacrificial death? His pregnant wife, the birth of his son, knowing that it was a son? The name? The young Kirk, reckless with the car, as a teenage, brawling? As an adult, relationships, feelings? The appeal to the good of human nature? Heroism, quick thinking and acting?
4.The Vulcans, their planet, as a race, the importance of logic, science, humanity being a drawback? The relationship between feelings and logic?
5.The prologue setting the mood and content of the film: Captain Kirk, Nero, his grudge, the confrontation, the huge battleship, the captain and his decision, the fight, the evacuation, the birth, the captain’s death? The information later about the captain’s survival in an alternate world? Setting the tone and the pattern for a career of James Kirk?
6.The reckless boy, taking the guardian’s car, the antique car, the police and the helicopter chase, stopping at the edge of the cliff, the car going over? In the bar, his intelligence, flirting, the fight with the starship cadets? Wanting to know Uhura’s name?
7.Spock, as a boy, the fellow students taunting him? His father, ambassador to Earth? Marrying the human wife? The loving wife, the loving mother? Spock and his exams? His appearing before the tribunal, the reference to the drawback of his being human, his resigning the scholarship? Joining the Starfleet? His place on the missions, anti-Kirk?
8.The three years passing, the training, Uhura and the clashes with Kirk? His relationship with the girl? The information about the attack by Nero, the situation, Captain Pike? Kirk and his test, the simulation, his lackadaisical attitude, decisions, winning? Spock accusing him of cheating? Their appearing before the assembly, confronting Spock, saying that Spock cheated by setting up an impossible task? His not being allowed to go on the expedition? The meeting with Bones, Bones and his being airsick, their friendship over the years, Bones giving him the jabs, taking him aboard the spaceship? Kirk and his realisation about Nero’s tactics, his giving information, being persuasive? Kirk and his emotional realism? The appeal to the audience? Spock and his logic? Examining Uhura’s information, language contacts? Pike and the decision to confront Nero? Going to the spaceship, being imprisoned, tied up, wanting information, the scorpion in his mouth?
9.The crew, Sulu and his background from Asia, Chekov and his being seventeen, Asian background? Uhura as the African American? Scotty and the Scottish background? The choice of these performers because of their similarity to the characters in the television series? Their spirit together, collaboration?
10.Spock and the clash with Kirk, stranding him on the planet, the ice and the snow, the fierce creatures and their pursuit, Kirk in the cave, discovering the older Spock? The issue of time travel? Their talk, the plan, the strategy for Kirk taking over the spaceship? Finding Scotty stranded, his formula, not knowing it yet, discovering it, their return – and the difficulty of Scotty’s return through the water system?
11.The fight on the spaceship, Sulu and Kirk, their helping each other, in space, the battle, the rescue?
12.The planet for the Vulcans, Nero and his attack, the explanation of what had happened to him and his wife, the mechanism to create the black hole, wanting Spock to suffer? Spock’s blame, Spock’s explanation, accepting responsibility, it being visualised? Spock and the rescue? The council, his being able to get the members of the council – but his mother’s death? The billions killed? Kirk’s return, the confrontation with Spock, Spock angry, stepping down according to the rules about emotions, Kirk becoming captain?
13.The confrontation with Nero, the visualising of the battles, beaming Kirk back, the discussions with Nero, the final fight? The rescue of Pike? The destruction of Nero’s spaceship?
14.The return to Earth, Kirk and the medal, becoming captain of the Enterprise, the crew members, Pike and his endorsement?
15.The scene with the two Spocks, their discussing their lives, the older deceiving the younger? The beginning of the friendship with Kirk?
16.The final words by Spock, the motto of the Enterprise – to boldly go where others have not?
