On CLIPS In June, 2009
STAR TREK

The origins of Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) are explored in this new sci-fi adventure.

TRIVIA: Zachary Quinto is one of the stars of what popular 2006-2009 sci-fi TV series?

ROG'S VIEWPOINT
    (5 CAMS)      RATED PG-13

When vengeful Romulan Captain Nero (Eric Bana) creates an alternate timeline through a black hole, young James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and the youthful crew of the USS Enterprise are drawn into their first dangerous mission. Pumping new blood into the tired space adventures, "Star Trek" takes off in a mind-blowing and wildly entertaining direction. Simply brilliant, everything about this cinematic journey is fresh and exciting. Director J. J. Abrams is anything but lost, guiding the fascinating script by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman with astounding special effects and an amazing cast. Besides Chris Pine, who adds a new dimension to Kirk, Zachary Quinto is spot-on as the younger Spock. Leonard Nimoy is on board as the aging Spock, who figures prominently into the story. Also outstanding are Karl Urban with several cutting remarks as Bones and Simon Pegg, showing up late as engineer Montgomery Scott. Rounding out the crew are John Cho as Sulu, Anton Yelchin as Chekov and Zoe Saldana as Uhura. With a nod to the television series' origins, Bruce Greenwood portrays a stoic Captain Christopher Pike, who commanded the Enterprise before Kirk. Ben Cross and Winona Ryder are memorable as Spock's parents. With so many good performances, it's easy to overlook Eric Bana. But it is Bana carrying the plot as a frightening revenge-seeker who rivals Ricardo Montalban's Khan for great Trek villains. There are several references from the past to please fans, but none of them are cheap shots. They all are relevant to the story. Destined to become a sci-fi classic, "Star Trek" boldly goes where none of the previous entries have gone before.