Star Trek (2009) directed by J.J. Abrams, written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman, starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto.

Plot: Reboot of the Star Trek franchise with hip actors, modern special effects, and lens flares.

Review: I’m a huge fan of Star Trek from the original TV series to the films to Next Generation to Deep Space Nine (I watched some of the Voyager series, but it didn’t leave the same impression on me as the other series did), so I was looking forward to this film when it first came out. What I liked most about this film is that it made the Star Trek universe accessible to new comers while still pandering to the fans. There’s plenty of references that only fans would get, but it doesn’t make the previous ten films required to understand it. It just serves to make the trekkies feel special because they “got it.” And I’m fine with that.

As far as the acting’s concerned, I thought everyone played their part well, but Karl Urban as Bones was the standout for me. While the other actors played the characters their own way, Urban kept the same nuances that DeForest Kelley did while making the character his own amidst various lens flares. I thought the film did well to establish that this is an alternate reality and sets about setting up future films. Here’s where I get hesitant. The next installment is due in 2011 and I can’t help but think they’ll find a way to fuck it up. At any rate, what starts off as a new hip-a-fied version of Star Trek actually turns into a film that fits perfectly in the Star Trek franchise. And it has lens flares.

Rating: B for hanging on platforms.

(Seriously, what’s with all the fucking lens flares? Even the title graphic in the trailer has it.)