Star Trek is the most successful franchise reboot of its era and one of the most purely entertaining science fiction pictures of the decade. J.J. Abrams's 2009 reinvention of Gene Roddenberry's universe takes the characters and the mythology of the original series and rebuilds them from the ground up with a confidence and a craft that makes the transition feel entirely natural rather than merely commercial. It is a picture of extraordinary energy and extraordinary casting, a work that uses the alternate timeline device with enough intelligence to honour the original while giving itself the freedom to develop in new directions, and that delivers its action sequences and its character moments with a fluency and a momentum that makes its 127-minute runtime feel considerably shorter. Star Trek 2009 is not a picture of great philosophical ambition. It is a picture of great entertainment, and it achieves that ambition with a completeness and a craft the franchise had not demonstrated since The Voyage Home.
At a Glance
Director: J.J. Abrams
Runtime: 127 minutes
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Eric Bana, Leonard Nimoy
Release: 2009
Critics Rating: ★★★★ (4/5 stars, a triumphant reinvention)
Audience Rating: ★★★★ (4/5 stars, enormously enjoyable)
Review Breakdown
Plot
A Romulan mining vessel from the future travels back in time and destroys the USS Kelvin, killing Kirk's father and creating an alternate timeline. In this new timeline, a young James Kirk and a young Spock must overcome their differences to save Earth from Nero's plan to destroy the Federation's founding planets. The plot is the franchise's most efficiently constructed since The Wrath of Khan. The use of the original Spock as a bridge between the two timelines is handled with a grace and a conviction that gives the reboot an emotional connection to its predecessors that more cynical franchise reinventions have not always managed.
Characters
The casting is the greatest achievement. Chris Pine's Kirk is a star-making performance, a portrayal of confidence and recklessness that makes the character feel entirely fresh while honouring the essential qualities Shatner established. Zachary Quinto's Spock is the picture's finest performance, a portrayal of the character's internal conflict between his Vulcan and human heritages that gives the reboot its most psychologically interesting element. Karl Urban's McCoy is the most purely enjoyable creation, a performance of such complete identification with the original character that it feels simultaneously like a tribute and a reinvention. Pine, Quinto, and Urban are the three indispensable elements, and each is perfectly suited to their role. Zoe Saldana's Uhura is given considerably more agency and function than the character received in the original series, and Saldana plays her with a strength and an intelligence that makes her the most compelling supporting presence.
Tone
Abrams pitches the picture at a register of kinetic excitement and character investment, and the approach is entirely successful. Star Trek 2009 has the energy and the momentum of the finest action blockbusters, with set-pieces staged with a visual invention and a physical clarity that makes them the franchise's most purely exciting since First Contact.
Meaning / Themes
The central concern is the relationship between destiny and choice, between the question of whether Kirk and Spock are defined by who they are or by the circumstances that shaped them. The alternate timeline device gives this concern a dimension that the original series' more fixed mythology could not accommodate. The treatment of Spock's dual heritage is the franchise's most direct engagement with this theme since The Motion Picture.
Direction
Abrams's direction is the franchise's most kinetically exciting, with a command of pace and visual energy that makes Star Trek 2009 the most purely exciting entry in the series since First Contact. Michael Giacchino's score is the franchise's strongest since Goldsmith's work on First Contact, a propulsive and emotionally precise work that gives the picture a sonic identity as distinctive as its visual one.
Cultural Reception
Star Trek 2009 received outstanding reviews on its release and was a major commercial success, grossing over $385 million worldwide. Critics praised the casting, the direction, and the picture's accessibility to non-fans, and it is now regarded as the franchise's most successful reinvention and one of the finest reboot pictures of its era. The casting of Pine, Quinto, and Urban is consistently cited as one of the most accomplished ensemble replacements in franchise history.
Who Should Watch
Everyone, without reservation. Star Trek 2009 works as a standalone film and as a franchise entry. Those who grew up with the original series will find a reinvention that honours the characters and the values of the original while giving them a new and exciting cinematic life. Those who have never seen a Star Trek film will find the most accessible and most purely entertaining entry point the franchise has ever provided.
Final Verdict: A triumphant franchise reinvention and one of the most purely entertaining science fiction pictures of its decade. The casting is extraordinary, J.J. Abrams's direction is the franchise's most kinetically exciting, and the emotional connection to its predecessors is handled with a grace and a conviction that makes the alternate timeline feel like a creative choice rather than a commercial convenience. Star Trek 2009 is not a picture of great philosophical ambition. It is a picture of great entertainment, and it achieves that ambition completely.
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