When Astronomy Editor Dave Eicher announced that Paramount Pictures had invited the staff to see a preview of the new Star Trek movie, in theaters May 8, 2009, I admit I was more excited about going to Milwaukee’s beloved Oriental Theater than anything else. I’ve never been a loyal Star Trek fan, but I was familiar with the different TV series that have been on air since the 1960s (never seen any movies). Still, the previews intrigued me. I’ve always loved a good action blockbuster and am a fan of director J. J. Abrams, so I figured I’d check out the new version.
I wasn’t disappointed.
In fact, I enjoyed it much more than I had expected — even if a few insider Star Trek references went over my head. I was slightly confused during the first few minutes, but the movie picked up so quickly that it didn’t matter. Overall, Star Trek had great CGI effects and classic Abrams camera angles (lots of close-ups and a shaky camera), thrilling action sequences (both space battles and individual fight scenes), a solid plot with a few surprising twists, plenty of great one-liners from each character, and a cast who seemed almost made for their roles. Abrams even managed to make me jump out of my seat once or twice.
And as an editor for Astronomy, I have to give credit to Carolyn Porco, leader of the Cassini Imaging Science team and science consultant for this year’s Star Trek, because the science included was as seamless as any sci-fi thriller can be, and I loved the incorporation of the Saturn system into the movie. She’s also featured in Astronomy’s June version of “Astro Confidential,” which is on newsstands now.
I really don’t want to give any details away because I liked going into the movie knowing nothing more than whom the cast included and that they were playing young versions of the original characters. Just know that even if you aren’t a Trekkie, you’ll still probably get a thrill out of this installment because it’s simply a good action movie — and potentially one of the best blockbusters of 2009.
So that's an outsider's take on the new Star Trek movie. Astronomy magazine Senior Editor, Michael E. Bakich, provides a long-time Star Trek fan's take on the movie in his blog, "A longtime fan's take on the new Star Trek movie."