Star Trek will go down in history as the film that re-birthed the Star Trek mythos, reintroducing the concept of a future world where all sentient species of the universe work together in a spirit of optimism, hope, ambition, desire, and ability to better their world and the many, many worlds of the cosmos, even in the face of large scale genocide, great sorrow, great obstacle, and great differences. 

The film resurrects the characters of the original series that originally was produced and aired in the 1960’s during a time of great cultural and political change and upheaval.  Star Trek stays true the original spirit of cooperation and enlightenment that made the original series, and its successors which included the masterful and unequaled Next Generation, and its spinoffs, Deep Space Nine and Voyager such great works of sci-fi art.  Enterprise, while a very different take on the Star Trek universe, also deserves mention in the same breath as its predecessors and is part of the continuity that the newest edition to the mythos, Star Trek also acknowledges. 

As for Star Trek, the performances of its cast which includes and focuses on, as any film about the original characters should, Chris Pine as James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock all turn in spectacular performances.  Leonard Nimoy also turns in one of his best ever performances as the character that he at one point tried to escape, and later embraced, the Elder Spock or as imdb.com names him, Spock Prime.  Eric Bana, as the renegade and genocidal Romulan rogue, Nero delivers one of his best performances since Troy.  The dynamic chemistry between the two rivals, and later best of friends, Kirk and Spock is captured with great ability by Pine and Quinto.  The two definitely do not start out as two men who would forge a life long friendship, over the course of which they would save the space-time continuum repeatedly, but events of the film bring them together with a little help from the space-time continuum disrupting but ever well meaning and always wisely heroic Elder Spock. 

I will be, at somepoint, and always will be your friend. Just not quite yet!

Speaking of space-time continuums, yes there is some re-writing of the Star Trek history BUT, without revealing any spoiler information, any and all changes are completely explained, and make complete sense accomplishing the dual goal, quite effectively, of tying all the events of this film to the overarching Star Trek mythos with all of its greatest strengths fully intact.  In other words, without splitting hairs, the ultimate Trekker can pop in his DVD collection of Next Generation and cue up any episode and rest assured that the events of said episode occur in the same space time continuum as Star Trek with maybe a few select changes or, arguably part of the same “altered timeline.”  Some who have seen the movie may cringe at my reference to “few select changes” considering the magnitude of one of the film’s events, but nevertheless the statement holds true.  I must refer the events as “few select changes” as I wouldn’t want to spoil the emotional reaction to said event.  Basically, ya gotta see the film!

Part of what has made Star Trek, as a string of television series and several feature length films, so engaging and long lived, is it’s ever present spirit of universal cooperation, celebration of differences and spirit of tolerance.  The Star Trek universe isn’t comprised of completely utopian characters as human, alien and the like with all their differing civilizations and cultures are not all peaceful and harmonious but the majority of the universe’s beings do work together in a spirit of unity and purpose, which is often comprised of a celebration of life and all its wondrous diversity, in order overcome or, as most often is the case, enlighten those around them to the benefits of their ideals.  This utopian but worthy goal of cooperation is often the basis of the elation and joy that Star Trek brings its many fans both casual and die-hard.  Star Trek, perhaps more than the last few films of the series and definitely more than Nemesis, which was a product of its unfortunate times, brings this joy back with a bang.  It’s a film that, I feel, Gene Roddenberry, the “father” of the Star Trek mythos would look upon and be proud of, not just because the film itself is a really great representative of his vision but also that his vision has endured for so long and is now about to experience a rebirth of great magnitude.