Customer Reviews

Star Trek (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2009)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

As entertainment this reimagining of Star Trek delivers great action, and great surprises. It's quite exciting to see the familiar characters being reintroduced and played by new actors.

One hopes that Abrams who brought us Lost and Alias, and wrote space epic Armageddon would take the treasure that is Star trek, and boldly go where no one has gone before. By that I do mean not going where he has gone with Lost, which had me totally confused, with myriad time travel plot lines, who the good and bad guys areguy, but going somewhere fresh, new and exciting.

JJ Abrams has done a great job first time at bat with this franchise. The actors playing the lead roles Pine as Kirk, Quinto as Spock, and Urban as McCoy all do incredible jobs. The Spock character is by far the best developed, and when you see the movie you will understand why.

Part of what I loved about this movie was the paradox. For instance, Time Travel. It was fun picking apart the logic afterwards.

Romulan villain Nero travels back in time, to avenge the destruction of his planet Romulus, destroyed by a supernova (exploding star).

The very fact that Nero can travel back in time, means that he can save his planet, which at the time of this Star Trek still exists, yet he does not.

Nero waits 25 years for Spock to emerge from the time space continuum, which in Spock time is only 5 minutes. How long would you wait for someone to turn up? If you're like me, not that long.

Nero attacks Star fleet before Kirk is born. If he can travel through time, then why does he wait until Kirk is all grown up before launching his next attack?

I was surprised by the Romulan ship, all these walkways high in the air with no safety handrails. Someone could fall off. They have time travel, can destroy planets, have red matter, but no safety rails.

Kobayashi Maru Simulation

In order to pass this test and become a star fleet captain, you must fail the test. Nobody has ever passed the test. Yet there are star fleet captains. Kirk has failed the test twice, before becoming the first person to beat the test. How many times must one be allowed to take the test and fail, before one is deemed to pass the test?

When he beats the test designed by Spock, he is put on trial for cheating. Spock designed the simulation to test the fear response, so how can someone who has no emotions be the arbiter of someone else's emotions.

Using that standard Spock is unqualified to be a starship commander, yet Spock is a commander. Wouldn't Spock have to pass his own test, and therefore with his advance knowledge would he not achieve the same result as Kirk who he accuses of cheating by cheating? I enjoyed how screwed up this whole thing was.

The movie felt a little off in two places, one was the Uhura storyline, so vaguely told as to be semi apologetic. The other I felt was capturing Kirk, portrayed here as a hedonistic thrill seeker. It's unlikely that anyone in a captain role would take the risks he takes. That's what crew members are for.

It has to be said that I have seen the movie more than once, as there was so much action, it was difficult to take it all in in one go.

I think it is superb entertainment. I think if you love the previous series and movies, you will also love this refreshing take. I hope this was helpful.

I have been a die hard fan of Star Trek since I watched the first epsiode of ST:TNG. After that I started scouring the channels to find the original series. After that I was glued to DS9 and Voyager (say what you will about them). Most of that devotion was due to the constantly evolving universe that is Star Trek. Any Trekkie will tell you that you get very involved in the history. You know the key events in the histories of the different races. You know who did what and when and what the outcome was. All of that and more has created the Star Trek universe that for the past 44 years has mesmorized countless fans.

Then along comes J.J. Abrams. He takes all of that 44 years of history and basically erases it in one fell swoop. He uses a time travel story to restart the universe. TIME TRAVEL!!! A story device that has been used in ST too many times to count. The only difference is that in every other use of it, the "timeline" is preserved. Not in this movie. The timeline is drastically altered and their is no mention of a fix or a way to get it back to the status quo. As a fan, to watch all of the episodes and previous movies basically go up in smoke drove me mad. How could he do this? How could Paramount allow this? Is there a petition somewhere that I can sign to fix this? The worst part of all...?

This was a really good movie! It had an engaging story that was reminiscent of ST:TOS with more action and less technical talk. It had a good cast that was true to the spirt of the original cast. Obviously the special effects were top notch. It even had a dose of Spock for us that needed it.

Am I upset that this movie has radically changed the Star Trek universe in ways that we cannot yet determine? Yes. Do I recognise that the ST franchise was in danger of becoming stale and needed a change to be relevant to futures audiences. Yes.

I'm saddened that "my" Star Trek may be gone but happy to see it continue in ways that will be equally exciting, and hopefully, lasting.

No matter how good this movie is. It couldn't explain why Amazon US is selling this same item manufactured by the same sole source supplier for $15.99 USD. It doesn't take a genius to notice the price discrepancy even accounting for the exchange rate. Guess Paramount doesn't really want Canadians to buy this DVD. Don't blame Amazon Canada for the inflated retail price set by Paramount Home Entertainment.

Watching the dvd does not do this film justice. Blu-ray with surround sound is the way to go for this film.

J.J. Abrams asked the questions of his creative staff when he began this Star Trek movie odyssey, Can we make it cool? and How can we make it for everyone? He certainly answered the first question in the decidedly affirmative and accomplished the second query when he created this marvelous film. The acting is incredible with actors that have the same magical chemistry working together that the cast of the original Star Trek series had. Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine are perfect mirror images in both demeanor and appearance of Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner playing the starring roles of Spock and Captain James T. Kirk respectively. I was particularly impressed with the versatility of Zachary Quinto's acting skills, because Spock in this film is a vastly different character than the one I have enjoyed seeing him play in the television series Heroes where he is the unpredictable villain-turned-hero Sylar. The rest of the talented cast members do not disappoint either.

The second disk in this set is fascinating. It includes deleted scenes which I would love to see eventually incorporated into the film. While they were not absolutely necessary, those scenes added meaning to the storyline of the movie. There are also wonderful interviews and some behind-the-scenes peeks into the creative process of producing this film. There is a casting feature that gives us an insightful look into the complicated process of finding the talented actors willing to make the attempt to fill some big shoes and emulate the iconic actors that started the Star Trek phenomenon.

What I loved most was the direction that J.J. Abrams took in developing this new Star Trek adventure. I have been a Star Trek fan since the original series first aired in 1966 when I was 10 years old. My mother, father, brother and I all watched it together as a family every week when each new episode aired. I have seen every episode of all five of the series created for television as well as all eleven now of the movies produced for the silver screen. I was only sad that they did not produce a movie to conclude Star Trek: Voyager with Chakotay marrying Seven-of-Nine. Oh, well! I was devastated, however, when the television producers called it quits after Star Trek: Enterprise. It was my great joy, however, to see J.J. Abrams bypass the problems associated with prequel productions by inventing an alternate time-line for the original Star Trek storyline in this movie. That brilliant maneuver made it possible to create an entirely new and different story while still maintaining the spirit of the original show along with the development of the characters and their relationships with one another. It also leaves the creators with limitless freedom to come up with more new stories. I truly hope that they will not stop with this movie and will go on to give us more Star Trek in series form on television. I and my children have grown up with Star Trek, and I would love to see my grandchildren do so as well. If not, this movie is still a very worthwhile experience, and it was great fun to wander the decks of the Enterprise again.

After posting the comments above, I decided to read the other reviews that have been posted here. I was shocked by the many vehement criticisms of the visual effects in this movie. So, I have decided to add this postscript. Personally, I thought the special effects were stunning, but then I am also an avid book reader and a published author, so perhaps visual effects are not as important to me as they are to others who prefer visual forms of entertainment. Even so, however, the original Star Trek series was never about visual effects. It was about the well developed stories which included complex larger-than-life characters. In fact, when the network television moguls tried their best to kill off Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry's budget for visual effects was cut leaving him with little more than cardboard and paper mache to create his sets with. Cheesy primitive sets still did not stop the fans from watching the stories created in the ensuing episodes. Since those tactics did not work the network canceled the series outright, but did that stop the adoring fans? It certainly did not, and the network offices were inundated with literally millions of letters demanding more Star Trek.

When the entertainment industry decided that the fans could not be ignored, they appropriated proper funding for better visual effects for the movies and new series that followed. No one will deny that better visual effects make watching Star Trek a lot more fun, but unless you have a great story to tell no amount of money and time spent on visual effects is going to make it worth watching. This movie is a truly great story. Even Leonard Nimoy, who had decided that he would never play the part of Spock again after the few episodes he guest starred in during Star Trek: The Next Generation, was moved nearly to tears when he was presented with this story line and realized that J.J. Abrams and his creative team really understood what the original Star Trek was all about. Then he enthusiastically put his ears back on and took on the role of his endearing character, Spock, once more.

Karen Dearing (Laurel Cain Haws)

It seems like many fans in this review column are very separated: they either love the movie or hate it.

To my special knowledge, I would say I just enjoyed myself like a Star Trek movie didn't do to me since Undiscovered Country (that's Star Trek 6). The Next Generation movies were a failed attempt (to my taste), at best, to try and breathe life in an almost lifeless franchise and Nemesis (that's Star Trek 10) killed it with underwhelming adventures and over-predictable plot twists.

This Star Trek tried to remake the excitement of the franchise while adding that spicy adventurous flavour, adding more action than dialogue-only-oriented scenes (don't get me wrong, I love dialogue), but there was an overabundance of it in the more recent films that threatened its frail balance.

Not only did it try and do that, it also did the impossible (still to my taste): to be a remake AND a sequel. the special effects are nothing like we've ever seen (I can't wait for the Blu-Ray) in a Star Trek movie; the action is relentless AND doesn't interfere with the story; major plot-points are rewritten in my face as I watch, helpless, yet amazed at how the script boldly goes where no Star Trek has gone before (cue the undying music).

Although I can't see how they can better themselves with the next movie, I also have to remind myself that there was also a dead franchise that was revived with the efforts of a great director: Batman.

I do not write reviews until i see the product i am talking about but in this case i am reveiwing the movie not the Blu Ray. I like Star Trek but i do not LOVE Star Trek. I feel there is just about as many crappy Star Trek episodes and movies as there good ones. In the case of the newest Star Trek movie i went to see it with an open mind and i was blown away! First of all Stop reading here if you have not seen the movie. I do not want to wreak it for you. All i could think about going into the movie was that this new movie has to suck because we all know what happen's to the crew of the Enterpise and we know what happen's befor and after thanks to other show's in the Star Trek Universe. So how can we posibly be surprised by the outcome of the film. Easy! change a point in history so all future events unfold dif.. And how they changed it!! I will not give away any more of the films secrets but i was shocked by the event's of this film. If you watch the show's or past movies this film will shock you as well. When i say that i don't mean offended shocked but WOW shocked. That being said the casting in this film was amazing (The guy that plays "Bones" is amazing. They also tell you how he got the nic name). The visual effects are as good as they get and the film open's up in an action sceen and never really let's up.
I can not say enough about this film and like i said I am not a huge fan of the series past films and TV show's. Basiclly what i am trying to say is I am not a Star Trek fan that thinks everything they do is gold. If you like action film's or Sci Fi I do not see how you could not love this film. I guess this will be the first Star Trek movies i will own.

The Blu-Ray three disk package does not disappoint. I watched on 50" widescreen 1080p and the visuals were flawless. I kept looking for seams in Spock's ears etc. and all the effects were spectacularly done. Of course this reboot of the series had to be perfect for the movie to work...Star Trek has been done to death and only one reboot has arguably been decent - Star Trek: The Next Generation (and that was because he was involved in its creation).

There are many awesome features to be had throughout the disks including deleted scenes, bloopers and documentaries galore. Disk three has a digital copy of the movie for iTunes and iPod which works perfectly (already loaded onto my iPod).

All in all shining example of what Blu-Ray can do to a fantastic sci-fi film with an amazing story and cast of characters. No doubt there will be more of the crew of the starship Enterprise to come.

Star Trek is back from the brink of death! My favourite franchise of all time, which I grew up with my whole life (original series, baby)! I was so happy with this movie, and I will also be happy to explain why.

Now, obviously, there are quite a few fans who weren't happy with this reboot. Perhaps they would have preferred that awful script that David Loughery wrote back in '89. This movie, based on the same premise of going back in time to Starfleet Academy, is vastly superior to any previous attempts to reboot the franchise. The stubborn won't like the fact that visually, the Star Trek universe has changed, that this movie has more action than previous ones, and that certain liberties that I will not spoil were taken with certain beloved characters. However, nothing can survive 40 years without changing. James Bond has successfully changed. Hell, the Beatles changed like night in day in just a decade! I'm not comparing Star Trek 2009 to Sgt Pepper, but let's be fair here: This is by far the best Trek we've seen since First Contact in 1996, and possibly better.

The genius of Star Trek is the way in which it was rebooted. Beginning before Captain Kirk was even born, a Romulan starship from the future has accidentally fallen through a black hole, and attacked the USS Kelvin (brilliant design on the Kelvin, by the way, seemingly inspired by the old Trek tech manuals). This brutal, unprovoked attack has altered the course of history. Everything from starship design to James T. Kirk's childhood have been changed. Some events will unfold as they always have, some will never unfold at all. Yet, despite the chaos, despite the changes, despite the odds, some things fall into place like serendipity. One by one, each crew member will take his or her place on the Enterprise, as if by some unseen hand of fate: Kirk, Spock, Bones, Sulu, Uhura, Scotty, and Chekov. Some take their places sooner than they normally would have, or in ways that it did not unfold on the original series. However, here they are.

Another wrinkle in the space-time continuum is that the Romulans have not come back in time alone. A certain Vulcan has also made the trip. And that certain Vulcan will do what he has to do to stop the Romulans, control the damage to the timeline, and make sure that Kirk and Spock do not end up at each other's throats....

The casting on this film was, quite frankly, brilliant. Chris Pine as Kirk as done the impossible. He evokes just enough Shatner without immitating him. I can't imagine a better Spock than Zachary Quinto. While he is softer than Leonard Nimoy, and his voice is not as deep, he is otherwise as perfect as we could have hoped. Certainly, his face is as perfect a match as we could have asked for. The real winner here was a surprise and that the great underrated Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard McCoy. He plays McCoy gruffly, with just enough of that Georgia accent.

The supporting cast was stellar. John Cho as Sulu got the job done, proving he's so much more than just Harold. Simon Pegg, who I have been a fan of for years, played Scotty with perhaps a bit too much humour, but it worked. And let's face it, as much as I love Jimmy Doohan, Simon Pegg's accent was better. Likewise with Anton Yelchin as Chekov. Since he actually is Russian, he was able to play up the actual accent mixed with the "Walter Keonig" accent. The result is a near-perfect Chekov. In fact, Chekov is one of my favourite characters in this film. Zoe Saldana came out of nowhere to play Uhuru damn near perfectly. She captures Nichele Nichols' empathy, intelligence, and beauty.

Bruce Greenwood as Captain Pike was fantastic. He physically resembles Jeff Hunter just enough, and captures the commanding voice that Pike needs. The fact that Pike had such a large role was a treat. Ben Cross played Sarek perfectly as well. It is not easy to play a Vulcan correctly. Many actors have failed in the attempt. Ben Cross made it look easy. Winona Ryder had a small role as Amanda, barely more than a cameo, but I thought she did justice to a beloved character. Eric Bana as the evil Romulan Nero played completely against type; normally Bana is known for comedy. However he did it. And for the record, I loved the concept of Nero. Whereas the writers could have gone down the easy route and given Kirk a Khan-esque nemesis, they chose to give Spock the nemesis instead. Bana acts as a Khan to Spock, and that was refreshing. Lastly, Leonard Nimoy bridges this movie to the past, and nothing can be said about Nimoy that hasn't been said already. The man is a legend, and his role made this movie legitimate.

I do have a few nitpicks. Nothing major.
1. The light flares used by director J.J. Abrams were cool in the beginning, but were way overused and became tiresome.
2. There was one romance that I just can't wrap my head around.
3. I did not like the "Centaurian slugs". Why not just call them Ceti eels? It was just a Wrath of Khan ripoff.

I also have a few nits that other fans had, that I'd like to un-pick.
1. The timeline changes. Fear not. If you've read the Countdown graphic novel, then you know that the previous Next Generation timeline still exists. The writers wisely left it open. Old Trek is not dead. Now we have two timelines, the old and the new, and yes they can co-exist.
2. The action. A lot of the older Trek movies were to have more action scenes, but budget wouldn't allow it. I like to think of this film not as a slap in the face to old Trek, but maybe more fully realizing what those films might have been if the directors had the funds and technology that J.J. had.
3. Red matter. Come on, what's the problem? Star Trek had giant amoebas in space and you're complaining about red matter? Maybe "red matter" is just a colloquial name for a big ball of Higgs bosons. It really doesn't matter. Someone will write a tech manual explaining it just as well as a giant amoeba can be explained.
4. Death and destruction. The whole point of this alternate timeline was to show fans that nothing is the same. People can die, even sacred characters. It raises the tension level for future films. No one is safe. Just like back in the old days, you never knew if Bones or Spock would survive to the next season.

I felt that the classic characters of Star Trek were intact, and portrayed lovingly. I felt that the movie was a loving homage to the old series. Indeed, so many classic nods and winks are present, you know these guys just love Star Trek as much as we do.

And let's face it, the movie business is a business. It is there to make money. Roddenberry knew it too. 2009 is not 1969, and to make money, you need to do different things. If the writers had come up with a more cerebral story like, say, the excellent film Moon, Star Trek would not have been a hit and the franchise would be dead again. Don't forget: Even Roddenberry himself knew he had to add more action to Star Trek. That's why he had to make a second pilot.

Blu-ray looks and sounds incredible! I was absolutely blown away! I originally bought this on DVD, but I am more than happy to upgrade after borrowing a blu-ray. Bonus feature are ample! I haven't even finished going through them, but I very much enjoyed hearing the thoughts of Abrams, Urci, et. al.

5 stars. Any true, open minded Trek fans knows this movie was the best possible outcome of a new Trek movie. Looking forward to Star Trek XII! The sky now truly is the limit!

I have been a fan of Trek for years, and this is one of the best, most original ideas to come out of the Trek universe in years. I loved seeing the source of the characters and can only hope that the inevitable sequels will be of the same quality. A home run by J.J. Abrams. A mix of the new and old that will please all but the most die hard purist of fans.