Mother's Day Movie Review: Star Trek

We trooped off to see the new "Star Trek" movie this afternoon, fitting as a character's relationship with his mother has a significant impact on the film. Alternate reality / time stream plot lines can be tedious but this one hangs together well. The casting is exceptional; the dialogue brilliant. I say this as a fan of the series from it's original broadcast. In fact, the first television show I remember watching was an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, down to the episode and plot line. Trekkers who wish to place me on the fan continuum can do so by the fact that I own a plastic phaser (original series), an assortment of autographed photos from my high school convention going days, and a Star Fleet Academy Athletic Department t-shirt, but I don't know any Klingon and think their opera sounds like of chorus of sodden and complaining cats.

This new movie takes some liberties with the basic series backstory but not too much. Spock is a little too wide-eyed but otherwise the casting is flawless. Oh, maybe Chekhov's hair is not quite right, nowhere near Koenig's Beatle wig 'do. Scotty, Uhura, and McCoy are especially well-cast. The banter is spot on. Leonard Nimoy puts in an appearance or two. It is hard to see someone other than Mark Leonard playing Sarek but the actress playing Amanda (Mrs. Sarek, Spock's mother) does an excellent job. Bruce Greenwood, who works steadily in films but never in standout roles, picks up the role of Chris Pike with pinache. You may remember him as the father in "Racing Stripes" (the zebra movie a few years ago, not the old Bill Murray film) and as the president in National Treasure II.

The film is rated PG-13 but that is probably for the cartoonish fist fights. Other than a few planetary explosions and photon torpedo battles there is no other violence. There is only one bedroom scene and it quickly turns to comedy; all involved have on underwear (what it is with Kirk and green women?). One instance of smooching in the turbolift and a similar scene in the transporter room. None involving the people you would expect.

Fans will love it. The uninitiated, even those with no prior knowledge of the series, will enjoy it.