Warning: I am not really into Star Trek and everything involved with it, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the film, but it was probably more confusing to me than a trekkie.
The film begins with Nero (an unrecognizable Eric Bana) destroying a starship. This kills George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth) but saves the very pregnant Jennifer Morrison who gives birth just minutes before her husband, George, dies, after naming his son and professing his love to his wife.
Fast forward thirteen years later, James T. Kirk is wild and crazy. Meanwhile, on an entirely different planet, Spock suffers from teasing as he is half vulcan, half human, but brilliant.
The film then flashes forward again, as Spock (now Zachary Quinto) is accepted into a prized Vulcan Academy, despite his severe disadvantage, being half human. He takes this as an insult and refuses his acceptance there, instead opting to attend the Starfleet Academy.
James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) has also grown up, and tries to pick up a lady at the bar, though that doesn't exactly work out, but he does meet Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) who encourages him to come and join the academy. He does, cocky as ever. It won't take him four years to get through the program, only three.
On the ship he meets Dr. Leonard McCoy (Karl Urban) who has some great lines. The lady at the bar, Uhura (Zoe Saldana) is also on board.
Kirk excels and even manages to beat an unbeatable program established by Spock, but he cheated. Before Tyler Perry can kick him out of the school, an evacuation must occur, and McCoy sneaks Kirk onto the Enterprise.
Pike goes to compromise with the Romulans, and is tortured in their attempts to gain information, including being forced to swallow a nasty bug, causing the audience to flinch. Spock is now captain of the ship but has to go through some difficult events including watching his home planet be destroyed by the Romulans nasty red matter, which creates a black hole. His mother (Winona Ryder) dies, causing Spock to become emotionally compromised though he doesn't know it yet.
Spock announces his decision but Kirk doesn't agree with it, so Kirk is banished from the ship which is where the film gets weird and starts to become even more ripped off from Star Wars than it already had. Kirk is on an ice and snow covered planet with some nasty animals coming after him but the elderly Spock (the one and only Leonard Nimoy), from the future comes to rescue him.
Kirk learns some information that future Spock should have never revealed but he reaches his destiny. The romulan planet and nasty ship with the horrendous red matter is destroyed and Kirk is captain of the Enterprise.
The characters are the interesting parts of the film. There is the pilot of the Enterprise (John Cho), who fences and saves Kirk's life. Chekov (Anton Yelchin) is the young but brilliant mathematical prodigy who also has the save the life of both Kirk and Sulu (Cho). Simon Pegg is great as Montgomery Scott, who helps send Kirk back to the Enterprise, coming along for the ride. Also of note is the odd love story between Uhura and Spock. At one point Spock has to leave the ship with Kirk to attack the Romulans and wishes her farewell. Her responce? "I'll be monitoring your frequencies." Never before has that line sounded sexier.
In the end, Spock is more human than he wants to admit as he does have emotions. Kirk also needs others more than he wants to admit.
The special effects, sound and score are great, though some parts of the film do lag a bit, but overall, the film is an enjoyable experience, though the plot, with the time travel and everything is rather confusing. Fortunately some great characters come along for the ride. Grade: A-
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