by Jeff McKinney
For the first time all week the sun was shining, the temperature was warm and it was a lovely day to be outdoors. So I decided to boldly go where many people will go this weekend and see the new JJ Abrams’ Star Trek movie, which I can sum up in one word – amazing!
I’m not a Trekkie, Trekker or whatever the kids are calling themselves these days so I won’t try to compare this new movie to the original TV series and films. However, I do love science-fiction flicks, state-of-the-art effects and loud explosions on big screens, which Star Trek more than delivered. This isn’t a Star Trek sequel but a reboot of the original series with Kirk, Spock and Bones (played by Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Karl Urban respectively) and the rest of the original Starship Enterprise crew. The movie opens with the origins of the two main characters (Kirk and Spock) and provides us with a great deal of insight into what made them the people they are and how they and the rest of the gang came to be on this space-ship together.
This movie is a roller-coaster of a film with plenty of action peaks and just enough plot valleys to keep you interested and entertained throughout its just over two-hour run time. The script is surprisingly well written (for a Hollywood, science-fiction film) and contains an interesting story line with the perfect amount of jokes and funny moments. All the actors give great performances but one who really stands out is Simon Pegg playing the part of Scotty and really making the character his own through an energetic and slightly off-beat performance.
Star Trek, in theaters now, is rated PG-13, however, I think kids as young as eight will enjoy it. There is no nudity (aside from Kirk briefly in his skivies), little violence other than a few fist fights and space battles and little if any questionable language. The story line may be too complicated for kids, younger than eight to follow but the well-thought out story is also what makes this movie so enjoyable for adults, with Star Trek toys that will keep you in the right mood to re-watch again and again!