Star Trek, the newest movie in the franchise, is a big-budget and action-packed film that balances the canon of Star Trek lore with a fresh, new story accessible to all viewers. Set in an alternate reality, we see the original crew of the Enterprise slowly assemble – and the relationship of Kirk and Spock evolve. For Star Trek fans, it is commonly understood that a movie is only as good as its bad guy. In this case, I have to disagree. While Eric Bana (Nero) provides a sympathetic yet driven villain, this movie is definitely about the protagonists. Actors Chris Pine (Kirk) and Zachary Quintas (Spock) provide layered, dynamic performances with humor-filled support from Keith Urban (McCoy), Zoe Saldana (Uhura), John Cho (Sulu), Anton Yelchin (Chekov), and Leonard Nimoy (Spock Prime).
The special effects are spectacular, combining current CGI with classic model work. In particular, external shots of the Enterprise and other starships are well-executed. These effects translate well to the Blu-Ray with crisp and clear images. The movie’s score also translates well – transmitting the soft clicks and whirrs of the ship’s computer as easily as the wall-shaking sounds of battle.
The special features are extensive and very interesting, although somewhat difficult to navigate. Organized in a long menu with sub-features branching off, several of the sub-features are less than a minute in length. Without an option to “Play All”, this section loses any natural flow as you fight with the remote every few minutes. That said, the content of the special features contains in-depth insight into the approach to this movie. From interviews with Leonard Nimoy about his reprise of the Spock role after 18 years to enraptured Trekkies playing extras, viewers are offered a glimpse behind the scenes. Other special features look at spaceships, aliens, special effects, deleted scenes, and a gag reel. While the behind-the-scenes features and gag reel are enjoyable, the deleted scenes offer unexpected background for Kirk’s and Nero’s stories.
The Target-exclusive packaging for the Blu-Ray and digital copy of the film, a freestanding model of the Enterprise, is one of the more innovative designs offered recently. All-in-all, I definitely recommend adding this movie to your library.
Studio: Paramount Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1 Audio Format: English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Length: 127 mins Director: J.J. Abrams Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Eric Bana
Rating (Best out of 5 stars) Picture: 5 stars Sound: 5 stars Extras: 4 stars Interactivity: 4 stars
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