Today was my second viewing of the new Star Trek and I am still amazed at how well this film plays out. The actors are well cast and do wear these classic characters not as their persona's but more as their ideals. Sure, McCoy sounds like McCoy and Spock raises his eyebrow like you expect him too.. But it has its own flavor. I think that is what makes it feel so very right. Geekdom has embraced this film becuase it has a honesty and a respect of what people love about the originals.
And on this second viewing I was really struck by how well Chris Pine (Captain Kirk) does. Trying to walk in Shatners shoes is no small feat. People make fun of how odd / cheesy / over acted Shatner has been in the shows and the feature films. But there is a reason for this. Actors have to sell an audience on the lines they say. And you can not deliver a line like "Set phaser to full Scotty and Bones get rid of that Andorian Fever Slug that's making the crew sick if you please.." without over acting it... Shatner brought the perfect amount of swagger and bravado that lines like that need. Not only that but Shatner became an icon in that role just as Nimoy did with spock. Big shoes indeed...
Chris Pine has done something that I only really noticed in my second pass at this film. He has picked up some of the smartest parts of Shatner. The warmth, the smile and the twinkle in the eyes that makes every green skinned babe swoon.
Pine captures that "essence" of Kirk so completely that I can see him growing into the Kirk that we remember and that's what is the real selling point for this film. We have to feel like we have come home. Its almost like you walk into your front door and all the furniture has been replaced with newer furniture that looks ALMOST like what your had before. But this time it has heated messager's and surround sound built right in. You got the same deal... Just different and surprisingly a little better.
Now before you overflow my mailbox with hate mail, bear with me good readers. I have always thought that the last Star Trek movie should have been "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" Kirk should never have died and we should have never seen Data become more human. We should have been made to wait for this film. Then I would not have to had my head hanging in shame over my love of Trek these last 14 years. While I am at it we should not have had to have watched any TV show about Star Trek past Deep Space Nine.
I feel in my heart that what the Trek universe has been waiting for all these many years finally came to pass last weekend. There's a new sheriff in town! And he name is J.J. Abrhams!
Go see this movie if you have not... If you have go see it again you will notice things you missed the first time. I did...
Loved this movie. Though I would probably love the originals, I was never exposed to them, so I really have nothing to compare them too.
This re-imagining of Star Trek was flat out awesome. And I'll say I am not a big J.J. Abrams fan either. I can't stand Lost and Fringe is interesting but seems to be missing something (though the addition of Nimoy as William Bell is going to be interesting). However, J.J. has definitely gotten this film right and I hope this is only the beginning.