Star Trek Movie Review by Libbi Hartwig
*SPOILER ALERT*
Star Trek was originally a TV series, but in 2009, Paramount Pictures decided to make it into a movie. Critics gave it 8.1 out of 10 stars, even though it rated PG-13. Entering theaters on May 8, 2009, this movie earned grossly $257,704,099, since it gained nearly half the opening weekend. Why did it earn the money? Why was it given 8.1 stars? Read on!
Traveling at warp speed throughout the measureless macrocosm, Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto star in this sci-fi flick. They star as James Kirk, the ships sarcastic captain, and Spock, a part-human part-Vulcan genius. The saga takes place on Earth, the planet of Vulcan, and the USS Enterprise. Starry clusters and flocculent, colorful nebulas whizz by rapidly, dazzling the eye. Throughout the ship, the technology is astounding; control boards line the inside of the main room, and the crisp white paint everywhere brightens the seemingly dark atmosphere.
The story begins on an anomalous night, where a vivid lightning storm appears in space. Nero, the leader of the Romulans, summons the ship’s Captain, who is mercilessly murdered. George Kirk {Chris Hemsworth}, the captain’s replacement, forces all of the ships inhabitants into shuttles, to escape the Romulans fire. He sacrifices his safety to keep the battling Romulans from destroying the hastily escaping shuttles. At that exact moment, Lieut. George Kirk’s wife has a child, James {Jim} Kirk {Chris Pine}. Throughout his childhood and into his adulthood, Jim mischievously makes trouble, despite his keen mind. Captain Christopher Pike {Bruce Greenwood} encourages young Jim to join the star fleet, which Jim graduates in nearly 3 years. Called to Vulcan for a natural disaster, Jim tags along with the star fleet, and discovers yet another mysterious lightning storm. Found out to be another of the notorious Nero’s schemes, Jim and the team violently fight against him; to ensure the Vulcan’s, and furthermore Earth’s continued peace. Along the way, he meets the future Spock, and realizes that because of a series of fateful events, he lives in an alternate reality, which he must fight ferociously to normalize.
Terrifying Romulans attacked. Black hole opened. Red matter used. The movie climaxes when the Romulans set off to destroy earth. Spock and Captain Kirk rush to combat the Romulans, battling to save Captain Pine from the brain-sucking leeches, and to destroy the vicious, demonic Romulans. Dangerously, Spock raced to his (future) ship, and zooms out of the Romulan’s reach. All of the people aboard use every effort to destroy the Romulans. Fortunately, a black hole sucks the Romulans in. Unfortunately, it also begins to swallow the USS ENTERPRISE. In a final effort to survive, the star fleet shoots Red matter into the black hole, exploding them out of harm’s way. The movie concludes with the ship blasting off to explore unknown worlds and fight villainous tyrants. Oh yeah, Captain Pike now spends his days in a wheelchair, what a “great” ending.
One can love this movie. One can hate this movie. One can be completely unsure whether this was the best or the worst movie they ever saw. With stunning graphics, an incredible setting, and a fantastic set of actors, how could you go wrong? Unfortunately, this movie also had a brain-twisting plot, an awful resolution, and too many deaths to count. Was it worth watching Spock’s mother die? Was it worth seeing the spinal-sucking leeches eat Captain Pine’s brain? One cannot be sure. It comes down to the balance between good and evil. Did good win? Sort of, except that most of the good people were killed off. Overall, a view of this movie depends on how willing one is to settle for less; to receive the poor conclusion when a better one is within reach. Fortunately, the producers began filming a sequel this year, so perhaps it will bring a more delightful ending then the one just described. Until then, “Live long, and prosper.”
[1] Just a note, I am rarely allowed to watch movies without Clearplay, so I will be commenting mostly on the plot etc. I will not be reviewing the morals, simply because with my Clearplay DVD player it takes out all the yucky stuff, so just because I did not see anything bad, does not mean that there was not anything bad.
