Star Trek: Released in 2009

"Star Trek", released 2009 and directed by J.J. Abrams, definitely was not as good as what Gene Roddenberry and his team had earlier released to the public. This film actually insulted my intelligence and my knowledge (been a fan since childhood of Star Trek) of the history created by Mr. Roddenberry for the main characters from the original Star Trek television series and original cast movies by using the contrived "change the past by having the future go into it" time paradox gimic. Already done by earlier Star Trek episodes and movies! This film definitely did not "go where no one has gone before".

"Star Trek" begins in the year 2233 with the birth of James Tiberius Kirk, and the death of Kirk's father, a newly made Captain, George Samuel Kirk (Chris Hemsworth), who in order to save those aboard (including his pregant wife, Winona Kirk played by Jeniffer Morrison, who is giving birth to their son) the USS Kelvin as they leave the starship in "escape pods" after the Romulans murdered their Captain Richard Robau, rams the USS Kelvin into the Romulan vessel. Then the viewer is given glimpses of Kirk's and Spock's childhood (Jimmy Bennet plays Kirk as a boy, and Jacob Kogan portrays Spock as a child) which shows them both losing their tempers and doing "not fitting in" things. James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) continues to be a renegade as a young adult. The opposite is true for adult Spock (Zachary Quinto), who turns down the Vulcan Academy and accepts the Starfleet Academy on Earth. Then, the plot proceeds with the how James T. Kirk after participating in a bar fight over Ohura (Zoe Saldana), a young academy cadet, is talked into joining Starfleet and attending the Starfleet Academy. Leonard McCoy (Karl Urban) meets James T. Kirk as they both get into the shuttle as "new arrivals" for the academy and this marks the beginning of their friendship that blossoms throughout their academy years. In order to graduate from the Federation's Starfleet Academy, there is a specific test known as the Kobayashi Maru. This test simulates a "no win" scenario. Three years after becoming a cadet of the academy, James T. Kirk, not believing in the "no win" scenario, figures a way to beat the Kobayashi Maru test which was created by Commander Spock, who turns Kirk in as a cheater. During his hearing from Starfleet's Tribunal, the academy receives a distress signal from Spock's home-world Vulcan. Starfleet mobilizes in order to help Vulcan. Starfleet recruits the new graduates. Kirk is told he is under suspension and cannot leave Earth. This precipitates the newly graduated Dr. Leonard McCoy into sneaking Kirk aboard the USS Enterprise as a patient of his. This decision and action of McCoy's initiates Kirk's involvement with what is going on at Vulcan and from this moment on the "alternate reality" becomes even more apparent as James T. Kirk, Spock, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Uhura, Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin), Hikaru Sulu (John Cho), Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (Simon Pegg), Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood), Sarek (Ben Cross), and Amanda Grayson (Winona Ryder), Spock's mother, personal histories are changed even more drastically with the death of Spock's mother and the destruction of the planet Vulcan. This leads the newly made Captain Spock of the USS Enterprise (Captain Pike went to meet with the villainous Romulans just like Captain Robau of the USS Kelvin) to deposit James T. Kirk on planet Delta Vega for being mutinous after attempting to argue with Spock. On Delta Vega, the young Kirk is rescued from a carnivorious beast by Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) who is from the future. Ambassador Spock admits that Romulan Captain Nero is from the same future and apologizes for altering Kirk's childhood; explaining where he came from Kirk was reared by and knew his father. Ambassador Spock further tells Kirk about the great friendship he had with a very special Captain James T. Kirk. Ambassador Spock mind-melds with Kirk to prove he is being truthful which gives the young Kirk a better sense of purpose and destiny. Together they reach the outpost on Delta Vega where Montgomery "Scotty" Scott is posted. Ambassador Spock helps Scotty improve his transporter so Kirk and Scotty can beam aboard the USS Enterprise and coerce Captain Spock to give up his command so Kirk can save the Federation per the instructions given by Ambassador Spock.

The cast and crew (in spite of the weak plot and subplots) were expert and great in their parts. "Star Trek" is rated PG-13 and 2 hours 8 minutes in length. It is available on DVD.

If you are a Star Trek fan, don't watch. You'll be sorry you did. I was. They deliberately changed the original crew's past so they could basically do what they want for future movies in the universe Gene Roddenberry so carefully created. For shame! If you have never seen Star Trek before and like Science Fiction with an adventurous twist, then you will probably like this film. It was worth seeing Leonard Nimoy once again in his most famous role, Spock! Great to see Ben Cross (as Sarek) is still acting and in movies! They both were awesome!

Enjoy!