STAR TREK reader reviews flood in - raves from around the globe!

Hey folks, Harry here... This week a film that is handled exactly as it should have been handled is released. Tomorrow night, I'm seeing the film in IMAX - and will be back with my thoughts on my second viewing, but before I do that, I wanted to gather up all the reviews I've received since STAR TREK began screening back a couple of weeks ago - and just show you what I've been seeing. People of many different backgrounds... hardcore original Trekkies, the reinvented Trekkers and folks that have never cared... All seem to be loving this film. Rotten Tomatoes currently has 18 reviews - all of which are positive. This isn't a half-assed or sold short film. It is STAR TREK as we've always hoped to see it. The sort of film that we see repeatedly because it demands it. Like I said, I already have my opening weekend tickets secured - and I'm seeing it a second time tomorrow. From Canada, the UK, Australia and across the U.S. - here's the reviews we've gotten. Watch out for spoilers, and if you're one of the IMAX attendees tomorrow night, I'll see you there!

Toronto Canada here , Grupar reporting in from CANADA and if ya if use this please call me GRUPAR!!!I'm a long time reader of the site, and just walked out of the packed 10am media screening for Star Trek. Four words come to mind when thinking of JJ's revamp of the franchise "THIS WILL LIVE LONG AND $#$%$ PROSPER." The characters are fresh but are distinguishable as the original TREK characters. I've never been a serious fan of the original series but grew up with the characters because my father used to watch star trek all the time, and to this day my sister and I find that our father resembles Capt Kirk by personality and attitude. As I grew older I was exposed the films, Star Trek The Motion Picture, which my father took me too, and the Wrath of Khan which I still remember to this day waiting in line for at the old Imperial Cinema in downtown Montreal. Khan , to this day is my personal favourite because it created an arc with the Genesis project that would continue on through to Star Trek 3 The Search for Spock, and I loved the ending of Khan because it had that "to be continued feel" similar to how you felt after seeing the Empire Strikes Back. I really think JJ should create these cliff-hanger in the next films. I wanted to love the new TREK today and I did, even though Chris Pine looks and can hold his own as Kirk he needs to work on the mannerisms of Kirk a little more.. but he's off to a great start great job. The best performances by far had to have been that of McCoy and Spock and I can't wait to see more of their quarrelling as is really was a focal point in the franchise and made the series so admirable and always brought comic relief to the characters. Scotty is also back and even though the screen time was limited this time around I look forward to more and his new little buddy is quite funny. Scotty's greatest scene still being in Star Trek 4, when giving the formula for aluminum glass 1 inch thick and trying to talk to a computer of our generation... COMPUTER? COMMMPUTER???? JJ has creating something exciting ! and I have NEVER SEEN SPACE BATTLES THAT LOOK THIS VIBRANT! I hope Lucas was sitting in the audience taking notes, its LOOKS real, and shall I mention lighting and lens flare effects!, they work beautifully in this too, this is the best use of lighting and lens flaring I've seen since McTienerman directing DIE HARD, which truly had some brilliant lens flare effects, you'll all understand when you see it next week. I can't even imagine how incredible this will look on BLU RAY!! There are 2 goose bump inducing scenes, and one involves a birth... The other involves a meeting on a very cold planet...No spoilers from me, simply enjoy the film because clocked at 2 hours it feels like it went by at Warp speed, did I mention the PHASER designs?????? The new phasers look AMAZING. I know I'm al over on this one, but there is sooo much to say... GRUPAR OUT !!!

and

To all those that are Geeks - I posted awhile ago about a different movie that I was able to view before the general public, and was lucky enough to get "published" on AICN. Now I am at it again. I am NOT a professional writer and have never claimed to be anything of the like. I am however, a die hard comic and sci-fi fan. Here is what I think of Star Trek... Simply put, the movie is amazing. I know that harry has been following this from the get go, and has been in talks with J.J. since the news was broke about him directing it. Forgive me if Harry has already posted his thoughts, if so I must have missed them. The Good: I honestly have to say that characters staying true to the originals are spot on. I was worried a little about Chris Pine when watching the previews, but dammit, he is good. Zachary Quinto, John Cho and Bruce Greenwood are good as well, but I really have to give major props to Karl Urban, Simon Pegg and Anton Yelchin who more than nail the characters of Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Scotty and Pavel Chekov. The main reason I put this at the top of my "good" list is because this was my main concern and fear. When they do these flash back movies or, bring in completely different people to portray characters that other actors created, there is something missing. That is Not the case with Star Trek. That is what I remember most from growing up and watching the series, is the charaters. The stories were cool, but the characters are what brought me back time after time. Visual effects were outstanding. Harry talked about this several times over the past serveral months, and we got to see some nice set shots, but none of those prepared me for seeing the USS Enterprise being built on the big screen, or watching several starships in space. I really honestly felt like a kid seeing this stuff for the first time. I just watched Wolverine on Friday and I have to say that there were so many visual effect screw ups throughout the movie that it started to get on my nerves. Not the case with Star Trek. Everything from comeplete CGI starships, to the light misc. alien crew members, to seamless intergration of EVERYTHING made this such an incredible event for me. If you are familiar with Star Trek, the original series, you will really enjoy the story. The murge of comedy, drama and action is flawless. This has been the frist movie in a long time that I came out smiling and excited! They did a really great job building this story line from the ground up, but also from the past forward. If you have noticed I really haven't talked too much about the actual story of the film. The reason, is simply because I think that reviews (mine for example) should be what the reviewer experienced and thought... not explain what the movie is about. If you want that, check it out online. An explination of the movie plot line is everywhere online. The Bad: The ONLY issue I had with the movie was how much time they spent talking about Spock and his parents and Vulcan. I understand why they spent that time, and in the grand scheme of things, it didn't hurt my thoughts or feelings about Star Trek as a whole. My personal thoughts are that they had to let the watchers that don't know too much about Vulcan or Spock somewhat grasp the importance of what Vulcan meant to him and how it effects him emtionally... yes... emotionally. Overview: As it stands right now, I can not encourage you enough to watch this movie. I am not a Trekkie or a Trekker, and I am not pushing this movie for the sake of pushing a movie. I am encouraging you to see it because it does an amazing job of representing the Star Trek universe and Trekker/Trekkie/Someone-That-Has-Never -Seen-A-Star-Trek-Movie people alike enjoyed it. I know. My wife is a medium fan, and her friend knows nothing about Star Trek, but they loved it. Surprising enough... they enjoyed the characters the most as well!! I am going to be seeing this again on Friday with a groups of my friends and I have no dount that I am going to enjoy just as much. With the economy the way it is, I can feel very secure in saying that if you go and pay $10 a ticket, which is about the normal here in Indiana, you will get your monies worth. If your debating between Wolverine and Star Trek... I think you know which way to go. If you all feel kind enough to post on your mighty site... the name is "The Jared"

and

Star Trek 2009 directed by JJ Abrams What is old is new again in television and film. Battlestar Galactica, the Bionic Woman, even James Bond have all been re-imagined for modern audiences. Now it is the crew of the Enterprise’s turn to be updated. With a fan base as rabid as Star Trek’s this is no easy task, as JJ Abrams attempts to balance new elements to characters loved by several generations of fans while remaining true to the character traits that drew so many fans initially. I think he has succeeded admirably in this effort. From the first scene of the film, the audience gets a sense that something has gone wrong. A ship emerges from what appears to be a hole in the universe and destroys a Federation vessel, captained by James Kirk’s father, with impossible ease. The design of this ship is quite striking. You look at its sharp edges with tentacle-like spikes sticking out all over (somewhat reminiscent of the Shadow vessels from the television series Babylon 5) and just know that this is a ship with one evil purpose. The scene shifts after this and the characters of Kirk and Spock are shown at various stages of their adolescence and early adulthood. Kirk is more or less the same as we know him later in life as Captain, but Spock is subtly different. We see him struggling with his emotions and still finding his way as does feels alien to both the Vulcan world and to humanity. One thing Abrams does well is he introduces the supporting cast of the film slowly. Characters like Uhura, Sulu, Checkhov and Bones are all given separate introductions and each plays a key role in the film. Abrams also does exceptional camera work. One of my favorite scenes in the film is when Bones and Kirk are first approaching the Enterprise from a shuttlecraft and the camera hugs the contours of the ship like a lover. Hard-core fans will enjoy that there are nods to the original series throughout the film in such ways as a green skinned woman that Kirk seduces to Sulu’s skill with a sword. The classic lines are also uttered but in a way that seemed natural during the course of the film and not forced. Once the audience heard “Fascinating” or “The engines cannot take much more, sir” they roared with approval. The overall plot itself was a bit of a letdown, as it is a time travel revenge theme and the main villain was not particularly scary when compared with Khan or the Borg, but he served his purpose in providing a threat that united the crew together and allowed Kirk the opportunity to take command of his shape. The most interesting aspect of the villain is that his actions changed the timestream. What we knew happened in the Star Trek universe might not hold true any longer, so there is an opportunity to wipe the slate clean with characters that we have known for over 40 years. As an opening act to a reboot of the Star Trek franchise I really liked this film, more than I even expected to. I am very curious now as to what the next step will be for Star Trek. Highly recommended MarkAbaddon

and

Star Trek Advanced screening Chicago, IL, April 30, 2009 Review by Bartone A few weeks ago I overheard a few co-workers talking about the new Star Trek film. I was particularly struck by one statement that the movie was—unfortunately, he said—not as “cerebral” as the original series and, in lieu of this, was overly “action-oriented.” Just an action film? I admit to being disappointed. What I love most about the Star Trek series is that it makes some demands on the audience to think, theorize, and imagine. This week, a good friend thankfully chose me as his guest to Chicago’s advanced screening of Star Trek and I got to find out for myself what reined in this reboot of an American institution: story or action? I am pleased to convey that it is both. This incarnation of Star Trek strikes an agile balance of energy, character, and wit from its opening frames. This is an origins film so, obviously, we learn of how these individuals we think we know became the individuals we think we know better. In the process, J.J. Abrams and his team offer sometimes predictable but, more often, penetrating examinations of the conflicts and insecurities of this extraordinarily gifted group of geographically disparate characters. This is especially true when it comes to Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto), a character whose famously staid inner turmoil is presented as never before. This Spock is not only struggling to balance logic and emotion. Instead, we see a figure so put upon by the weight of bi-racial identity that his drive to piece together the two halves of his DNA is matched only by his determination to preserve both of them. The question is whether his penchant for pragmatism will allow him to do so in a universe bent on frustrating logic. This Mr. Spock is not void of emotion by any means—in fact, what lies beneath is pure rage and Quinto reveals it with a quiet and, at times, explosive dexterity. This Spock reminds us that Mr. Spock is one of our great American characters. Perhaps less notable in information but nonetheless impressive, is Chris Pine’s Capt. James T. Kirk. Don’t be fooled by Pine’s relatively average Hollywoodland looks. He executes a distillation of Kirk without the Shatner. Most notable, however, is Pine’s superb—and consistent—comic timing, which Abrams showcases, early on in a particularly hilarious medical sequence between Kirk and a Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban in one of the film’s more impersonation-esque performances). And whether Simon Pegg gets the best lines of the film or the best lines of any film just seem to gravitate toward Simon Pegg is probably a fun debate. Either way, he’s a treasure here just when treasure is needed. Abrams greatest strength with Star Trek, however, is the manner in which he unveils these rich characters in a well-paced tapestry of action sequences choreographed and edited with such regard for the audience’s perspective that they were as harrowing as they were suspenseful. And if Star Trek is as good a predictor of thrill seeking, as it is technology then skydiving is going to become very extreme. Add to this an aural homage to the original stories in the most flattering ways: That familiar sound of the transporter is updated but listen to the unmistakably familiar layers beneath that remind us where this all began. Similarly with the digitized rendering of that submarine whir that Abrams presents to us as if heard through water, or through time. And despite the sometimes-arbitrary (over) use of digital flaring, the film, visually, is stunning in its fluid perspective and pale translucence. So, thank you to Capone for the role you played in presenting this film to an incredibly mind-meldable audience (truly great crowd and kudos to the one fella who dressed up), thank you to my friend for asking me to be your guest, and thank you to those guys at work who did such an unintentionally effective job lowering my expectations for this wonderful film. I’m not sorry I can’t do the same for you folks.

and

Hi Harry, GreekGeek here. Here is my review on one of the most fun films of the last decade! Here we go: First off – I grew up with the “classic crew”. It was one of the most important things, for me personally, the German TV had to offer in the late 70’s. I think I was in the 3rd grade when they showed re-runs of “that Science Fiction Show”. Every Sunday evening the Kirk Crew took me boldly where no kid has gone before! Every Sunday, after the episode ended, I imagined further adventures with the crew of the NCC 1701 – bigger adventures, bigger than television had to offer! And exactly that did the new J.J. Abrams directed movie with my head! It played exactly like STAR TREK would do in my imagination. A Space-Action-Adventure!!! I had the chance to see the movie, yesterday at a press screening here in Hamburg, Germany. After the quit interesting “Next Generation”, I grew completely tired and left the franchise behind. As soon as the trades reported that J.J. Abrams took over the controls of the “Ship” I was more than expecting good stuff. I got more – much much more. But part: there are many many scenes they didn’t show in any of the Trailers. Last November I had attended the screening with J.J. Abrams and the 4 scenes he brought with him. I thought that those scenes where kind off highlights, but man do I love the showdown inside Nero`s BIG Ship. Only thing that came too short is Nero – if I didn’t had read the COUNTDOWN Comic earlier I wouldn’t know why he’s so pissed at Spock. (By the way: very good scene between Kirk and “old” Spock!) And I liked the Uhura and “one guy of the crew” relationship. It perfectly reflected the emotional path of “that” character. This could end up being my favourite Film of this summer (maybe year – as a big Robert Zemeckis fan, I am eagerly awaiting A CHRISTMAS CAROL) and maybe my favourite STAR TREK Film. I love THE WRATH OF KHAN and it’s still my favourite of the 10 “other” movies, but it’s because I do so for the last couple of 25 years… This one I love since yesterday and have the feeling that my fondness for STAR TREK (the new one) will grow even stronger! So – please Mr. Abrams take us again boldly where no man has gone before – ASAP!!! Call me GreekGeek – GreekGeek.De

and

Hi Harry, Don't know if this is old hat or not now, with you guys having the most awesome screening of all time in Austin! However last night a select quick off the mark group of us managed to scoop tickets to screenings of Star Trek across the UK last night. I went with my girlfriend to see it in Southampton, nicely set up, four bouncers making sure my phone was off. I'm a big Trek fan, seen every episode and movie except for anything after the pilot of Enterprise. I just didn't get on with it. My girlfriend knows very little, doesn't really like the series and most of her character references go from the Star Trekkin tune by the Firm. Just thought I'd drop a line to let you know what I thought. I'm not going to repeat what everyone else is saying and of course I don't want to spoil anything to anyone that reads this. We both thought it was incredible! As the opening scene closed we were both getting teary, more for us because we've recently had a child of our own! From then on we were both caught up in the characters and the story, and blown away by the action. We loved the introductions of the characters, slightly disappointed by Simon Pegg's screen time. Liked Pine as Kirk, he really fills that role well and you can really see Kirk growing somewhere in there. I was really shocked at some moments in the film, (the fate of a certain planet) the writers have been very brave and I hope to see more from them soon. Moments like this demonstrate why they've chosen to go down the route of creating a new timeline, nothing is safe and I like that. What I loved the most? Karl Urban! That man is a genius, he had me giggling all along the way, he IS bones! I'd also recommend for any Trek fans out there, to read the Countdown comics before going to see it. It's not a massive back story, but it's a nice treat all the same. If you publish this please call me TheBaron Loving your work Harry, been reading for years now and will continue to do so for as long as I live (long and prosper)

and

Hi Harry – saw a media preview of JJ’s Star Trek reboot here in Melbourne, Australia earlier in the week and thought you might like this (mostly) spoiler-free review. There was no embargo on the preview, so if you use this, feel free to use my real name. I'm just home from the Melbourne preview of J.J. Abram's reboot of the Star Trek franchise, and am still buzzing from seeing such a fun, fantastic and vibrant film - and I'm not even a Star Trek fan! Unlike the Star Wars prequels, which took my childhood memories and warped them into a bloated, boring, badly-scripted and tedious trilogy, Abram's vividly realised Star Trek prequel has wit, warmth, sex appeal and humour aplenty - as well as lashings of action, drama and derring-do. It's instantly familiar, but incredibly fresh, with superb performances all round (save perhaps for Eric Bana, who is somewhat hampered by the limitations of his character: the Romulan villain, Nero; and a rather miscast Winona Ryder as Spock's human mother) matched by an equally strong script and cinematography. Without going into spoilers, the film's time-twisting plot both establishes and excuses some subtle and not-so-subtle tweaks to Star Trek canon, and sets the stage for some wonderful set pieces, such a truly emotional sequence early in the film showing Kirk's birth; a breathtaking free-fall from space towards a mining platform situated high above an alien planet; and Kirk's struggle to escape a CGI alien in a pulse-racing sequence that would have had Gene Roddenberry drooling with envy. The plot is - on one level at least - a relatively simple one. This new Star Trek is the origin story, telling how the Enterprise crew we know (and maybe love) first meet at Starfleet. Chris Pine makes a handsome, arrogant and strong-headed James T. Kirk; Karl Urban is excellent as medical officer Leonard 'Bones' McCoy; and Simon Pegg brings just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek humour to his role as the man who's destined to be engineer of the Enterprise, Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott. In perhaps the film's most difficult role, Zachary Quinto plays the perfect Mr Spock - tricky, when the originator of the role, Leonard Nimoy, is also in the film. Did I mention the time travel aspect to proceedings? Supporting characters - Zoe Saldana as the slightly underwritten Uhura, Anton Yelchin as Chekov (who plays a scene which both satirises and celebrates his thick Russian accent just beautifully), and John Cho as Sulu - are also excellent, though by necessity they share less screen time than the main players. In short, this is a film that rarely puts a foot wrong. Its exuberant take on the well-established world of Roddenberry's Star Trek universe is sure to delight old fans and newcomers alike. I really, really liked it - as did the seven or eight friends and colleagues of mine who also saw it tonight. Star Trek opens nationally across Australia on May 7. Cheers, Richard Watts