To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before

I'm just gonna go ahead and say first off that JJ Abrams is an entertainment genius. I loved this movie and was totally pumped when we left the theater. Would I go see it again instead of holding out for the DVD? Yes! I've been waiting for this movie ever since I saw the first trailer.

Star Trek had everything a Trekkie could want. Excellent special effects, a gorgeous cast, adventure, throwbacks to the original series, dramatic music score, wit, danger, humor and so much more. I'll admit the emotional opening sequence actually made my eyes well up a bit. Abrams really knows how to tug at the heartstrings.

I think the casting was brilliant. Chris Pine gave an excellent performance as James T. Kirk. He was cocky and rough and imitated Shatner's version just enough without being campy. Zachary Quinto and Karl Urban were perfect at Spock and "Bones" McCoy respectively. Zoe Saldana turned out to be a great Uhura and I really warmed up to Simon Pegg as Scotty and John Cho as Sulu. Also noteworthy was Anton Yelchin and his killer accent as Checkov.

The movie had deep, timeless themes such as abiding friendship, defiance, consequences of the past and the future, honor and destiny, which I believe are a tribute to Gene Roddenberry's original creation and JJ Abrams' vision. This was all set on board a fantastic and beautiful Starship Enterprise with a magnificent score by Michael Giacchino.

I think this movie has totally reengerized a brilliant and imaginative series. The original show got started in the 1960's and has remained and enduring part of TV and sci-fi history. I'm sure a new generation of Trekkies will emerge following this movie and old Trekkies will hopefully feel revitalized by the fresh film.

I believe Roddenberry can rest in peace knowing his original characters will "live long and prosper."