Abrams boldly goes where Roddenberry has not gone before…

But first a little background history of a Sci-Fi Geek:

My science fiction obsession emerged at the ripe old age of seven. On that exact birthday while standing in front of the movie theater, my parents gave me the honor of choosing the show. And without any doubt or hesitation, my choice was “Buck Rogers”. I can still remember my mom’s reaction to the selection… “She wants to see a western?” Well, my mom was close – more like a space western of sorts, but that was the start. I was watching Star Trek episodes soon after. The guy in the yellow shirt sure looked a lot like my daddy. The adventures, aliens and technology were so intriguing. Plus I was pretty sure I was part Vulcan. My left ear was and still is slightly pointy.

As I matured, so did the levels upon why I watched the show: The underlying thought provoking morality subject matter… The chemistry between Kirk, Spock and Bones… The actual science behind the show… By the time The Next Generation aired, I had already been a Trekkie for a good ten years. I was reluctant to welcome this new version, yet was hooked by the first season. Where Kirk reminded me of my father, TNG allowed a special bond to exist between us. Not only would we watch the latest episodes each week, but my dad and I would stay up late to watch the earlier season’s reruns of the show, and then discuss the episodes. For the next seven years, my birthday and Christmas gifts would become Star Trek collectables. Scott further fueled my obsession! He took me to a couple of conventions – one to see John de Lancie who played “Q” on TNG and then THE captain himself – William Shatner. Plus he spoiled me with trips to Las Vegas to ride the Star Trek Experience - TWICE.

Once TNG’s last episode aired in 1994, two other Star Trek shows emerged: Voyager and Deep Space 9 – which for me were disappointing. X-Files took over – and Star Trek faded out for the time being. Even when the last Star Trek franchise show, Enterprise, emerged, I had no interest. Other TV shows had caught our attention: Alias, LOST, and now Fringe. We were impressed with this “J J Abrams” guy! So when we heard he was making the Star Trek movie, I was excited but still a bit nervous. This movie wasn’t to be a new set of characters, but the originals. Skepticism was in the back of my mind. I’ve been disappointed by big screen sequels before by George Lucas and Chris Carter. Would Abrams be added to the list? Only one way to find out! And today we did at 10:15 AM on the big IMAX screen!

From the second the film started all of the excitement and intrigue that captivated me as that little seven year old girl sitting nose length from the TV set was back. I think my jaw dropped several times in awe of images too unbelievable to imagine. If you were never a fan before, this is the movie to change your mind. Bravo to the casting directors for hand picking some of THE best actors to restore my beloved Star Trek characters to a whole new generation. Simply brilliant! Chris Pine (Captain Kirk) has the look, the moves, and humor down pat! Even Shatner’s quirky talking mannerisms are lurking in his performance yet are very subtle. Zachary Qunito (Spock) held true to the Vulcan spirit with just a slight dash of surprising emotional tension. I myself am astounded to say that it is nice to see Spock in a relationship. My only issue with Mr. Qunito stems from his role as a TV show villain (Sylar). I kept expecting Spock to throw shipmates clear across the room with just a simple wave of his hand. Or better yet use his finger to open up and see what was inside someone’s head. (If you don’t follow “Heros”, that last part will definitely confuse you.) But I will have to say my favorite portrayal came from Karl Urban (He’s a New Zealander too!) who perfectly and flawlessly represented the embodiment of Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy. He was amazing! In the classic TV series, character detail with Uhura, Scotty, Sulu and Chekov was pushed aside. This has definitely changed. Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, both writers for Alias and Fringe, brilliantly merged the old and new together seamlessly. Abram’s writers even transformed trivial facts like Sulu’s fencing ability from the classic episode “The Naked Time” and turned it into an incredible sword fighting scene. I could go on and on for hours, but the best thing is to say “GO SEE IT!!!” When the movie was finished, all I wanted was more! I don’t want to wait until 2011! Thank you, J J Abrams for warp speeding Star Trek into the next realm. May you and your crew live long and prosper!