Trek @ 60: Star Trek


This year Star Trek turns 60. For decades, it has enthralled and entertained audiences. Part of that legacy is 13 feature films. Over the next few weeks, I'll be looking back on each of the feature films in the franchise, including where I place them in my personal rankings!

Spock: Acting Captain's Log, Stardate 2258.42. We have had no word from Captain Pike. I've therefore classified him a hostage of the war criminal known as Nero. Nero, who has destroyed my home planet and most of its six billion inhabitants. While the essence of our culture has been saved in the elders who now reside upon this ship, I estimate no more than 10,000 have survived. I am now a member of an endangered species.

Star Trek (2009)
Franchise Ranking: 2
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Leonard Nimoy, Bruce Greenwood, and Eric Bana
Director: J.J. Abrams
About: Here we get a re-boot of the whole franchise, taking things back to the beginning. But rather than just re-making the original Star Trek, this film cleverly introduces a device that allows them to change the world, thereby re-introducing familiar characters in a new way. This was Abrams at the height of his powers, and he delivers an incredible and iconic film. While his take on Star Wars never totally worked for me, he has delivered one of the best Star Trek films in history. Part of it is the great cast. Part of it is the fun way this film comes together. And part of it is the way they weave in Nimoy, who had become friends with Abrams and appeared in several of his projects on the big and small screen. Pine is great as Kirk and Quinto is great as Spock. I deeply love this film, not just as a Star Trek film but in general. It's a near masterpiece.

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