A prequel to the original series by Roddenberry, this is the 11th movie based upon the old TV show. Casting is perfection itself as the viewer quickly forgets Shatner, Nimoy and the rest are a bit old to play themselves as cadets in Starfleet Academy. The actors are utterly believable in their roles. Details pulled from references throughout the Star Trek story phenomena make this movie strong enough for even a true trekkie. These details are then built into an exciting fast paced movie that boldly goes. The action, gentle humor, characterizations and storytelling all meet criteria that made the 1st Star Trek a household word.

one of The Best Sci Fi film ever made.
The only thing people complain is that the story is not original.

NO movie is original, every possible story has bean done and was done before that person did it.

Seriously think about it; The fast and the Fuious was a rip off of Point Break. And Point break was a rip off of The lost boys all good films all very very similar plots.

I've never been a Trekker and yet I must confess I was amply entertained by the new Star Trek movie that's opened at the cinemas this week. With a legacy of six television series and 10 feature films behind it, the cult following of Star Trek is virtually unparalleled in the sci-fi genre, with only George Lucas' Star Wars films posing any serious competition to Star Trek in the popularity department.

Rebooting the Star Trek saga in a way that it must appeal to both its loyal fan base of Trek faithfuls and a whole new generation of young, unfamiliar film-goers couldn't have been an easy job – even Lucas more or less failed in achieving that with his less-than-spectacular Star Wars prequels – but director JJ Abrams does a pretty good job of it.

Creating an original story that's simple and unconvoluted and introduces us to our leads – rebellious underachiever Kirk, and nerdy half-human-half-Vulcan Spock – in their childhood years, Abrams rewires us into the original Star Trek's primal appeal by focusing more strongly on characters and their spirit for adventure than on plausible plot.

That's a cue for one of the film's terrific opening scenes in which a classic red Corvette hurtles down an Iowa dirt road, followed by a Robocop in a 23rd century hover-car. The Corvette plunges down a cliff, but not before the blond preteen driver jumps out of it, stands back on his feet, and responding to the cop's demand for his ID, says, "My name is James Tiberius Kirk."

Soon after, we meet our future heroes at the Starfleet Academy as they prepare for their premier voyage on the USS Enterprise, a sleek spacecraft that will invariably sail into intergalactic storms. In the tradition of many great buddy-buddy films, Kirk and Spock take an almost instant dislike to each other, and this in fact provides the story its dramatic arc. In terms of plot, Kirk and Spock must save the galaxy by vanquishing Nero, a wrathful Romulan who's getting revenge for the decimation of his planet by blowing up other planets.

Much of this film's charm lies in its characters, especially the Enterprise's crew who you may or may not be familiar with depending on whether you're a Star Trek fan or not. Grumpy medic Dr "Bones" McCoy, communications specialist Uhura, cheery physicist Sulu, wiz-kid navigator Chekov, and lovable engineer Scotty – they're all on board.

Also quite remarkable is the film's spectacle factor – the exciting shoot-outs between those flea-shaped Romulan spaceships and the USS Enterprise, even that jaw-dropping monster attack scene in a time far away in the future – all of it of course borne out of top-class special effects that thankfully don't take away from the movie's emotional chemistry between its leads.

Chris Pine plays the devilishly handsome Captain Kirk with a bizarre mix of arrogance and likeability that makes him the man we know, while Zachary Quinto steps up to play the pointy-eared Spock with much sharpness. In the role of the heavily-tattoed, bald-headed Nero you have a practically unrecognisable Eric Bana who effortlessly pulls off his part as the twisted villain. As a surprise for die-hard fans, an old favorite Star Trek cast member returns for a cameo in this film.

Despite the occasionally indecipherable mumbo-jumbo about time-hopping between the past and the future, Star Trek is an easy watch, enjoyable even for franchise virgins. I'm going with three out of five and a thumbs-up for JJ Abrams' Star Trek. It may not go boldly where no one has gone before, sticking to a safe and simple initiation, but it's unlikely you'll be bored even for a minute!

Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)

This movie will not disappoint! From the first action packed few minutes your attention is held by the strong storyline and the amazing special effects. The actors chosen to play the young Enterprise crew were perfect. They have the characters down pat, and there are enough references drawn from the past to make them totally believable in their roles. Familiar faces Majel Barrett and Leonard Nimoy were wonderful to see. This is one of those movies you don't want to miss.

The greatest adventure of all time begins with Star Trek, the incredible story of a young crew's maiden voyage onboard the most advanced starship ever created: the U.S.S. Enterprise. On a journey filled with action, comedy and cosmic peril, the new recruits must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind. The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James T. Kirk, is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock, was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before!

EDITED

Mission: Impossible III director and Alias creator J.J. Abrams resurrects the classic science fiction franchise created by Gene Roddenberry with this feature film that embraces the rich history of the influential television and film series while also exploring some uncharted territory. Heroes star Zachary Quinto assumes the role of the Federation Starfleet lieutenant and Vulcan made famous in the original series by Leonard Nimoy (who also appears in an older incarnation of his original role), Spock, with Anton Yelchin stepping into the role of USS Enterprise navigator Pavel Chekov, Zoe Saldana assuming the role of communications officer Uhura, Simon Pegg keeping the ship in top shape as chief engineer Montgomery Scott (aka "Scotty"), and Eric Bana tormenting the benevolent space explorers as the villainous Nero.

Starring, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana, Bruce Greenwood , Karl Urban , Zoe Saldana , Simon Pegg , John Cho , Anton Yelchin , Winona Ryder , Chris Hemsworth , Clifton Collins Jr. , Ben Cross , Tyler Perry , Jennifer Morrison , Jimmy Bennett.

Directed by J.J Abrams who directed MI3 and the recent movie Super 8.

Nominated for 4 Oscars including Best Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects and Make Up, it won for Best Make Up.

yes i will admit it right now, i am not a Trekkie, Star Trek franchise didn't ever interested me. nor the one or two movies of it i saw impressed me. i am even not a die hard Star Wars fan but that one is far better than it. but when i saw this 2009 released prequel a Sci Fi movie that was so good. i thought it was better than Avatar, more impressive than it. and i am not talking about visual effects or story but the overall attempt. this movie is just fantastic, i know it did make many new fans for this franchise because i think it was the best of the franchise.

it is the eleventh movie of the series with four its original characters as James T. Kirk, Spock and Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban) aboard the USS Enterprise as they combat Nero, who is a Romulan from their future who threatens the United Federation of Planets. this movie takes place in a alternate reality due to time travel by both Nero and the original Spock. the movie was different from others while it preserved the whole ideas of the original movies at the same time.

i must say the visual effects were just outstanding, very real and highly creative. loved it. the whole atmosphere of space they created was just jaw dropping. and on top of that, Sound, one of the best sound effects, editing, mixing i have ever seen in a movie. twp thumbs up. i was really stunned by the technical awsomeness of this movie. good editing was done. score was nice and art direction, make up and costumes were good too. cinematography was pitch perfect. it was an outstanding greatly done on technical terms.

Chris Pine as James Kirk is good looking, charming and a ladies man he looked good and did good too. Zachary Quinto was spot on, that arrogance, mystery and seriousness was perfectly done by him. appearance of Leonard Nimoy. Eric Bana was a great Villain. other actors did good too. directed very good, this movie was basically the reason i was anticipating Super 8 and now his any other future project. screenplay and plot were excellently written and executed.

some of the best and greatest scenes were there, love it. this movie is overall such a well done movie, thrilling, slow burning, good humor and fun with good use of action and effects. an impressive sci fi action summer popcorn flick that doesn't disappoint to the slightest point, in fact it is a memorable movie. one of the best movies of 2009 and my personal favorite.

An epic motion picture, going back to the beginning with a a diffrent time line twist that brings star trek back to life with a contemprary trick that captures the audience and lived up to the trekies expectations and more. this movie is perfect in all aspects as regarding soundtrack, special effects, story, plot, ending and above all casting is excellent.