Star Trek [4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Blu-ray] [Includes Digital Copy] [2009]

Being a lifelong fan of Kirk an Company (original cast), I couldn't wait to see what JJ Abrams did with the "new ST franchise." I wasn't disappointed...I think the casting is spot-on...McCoy and Scotty, Kirk and Spock, and Uhura, too...the new players are not only faithful to the original characters' uniqueness and endearing qualities, but I think they physically resemble them in many ways...the only exception being Chekov...I still can't figure out that casting move, but one out of a six is OK, I guess. Chris Pine captures Kirk very well, and adds dimensions to an already well-developed persona. I delighted in the McCoy characterization...I could see DeForrest Kelley over and over...RIP. I don't quite get the destruction of Vulcan, though, and wasn't comfortable with how that would play out in everything that followed in the time line, unless the Vulcan in the subsequent series and films in the new Vulcan that Spock mentioned was being established with the survivors... I didn't like nor understood the reason for the death of Amanda, Spock's mother...it seems unnecessary and removes a key character from Spock's later life. I suppose this really is a slightly alternate universe and time line for the characters, and JJ is the boss, so he can do what he thinks best, but the world of Star Trek is one of the most cherished of fictional fabrics and creations in modern entertainment, and care must be taken when starting over as he has done, to not unduly disturb the established order of that universe too much... This is a fine job and was thoroughly entertaining. My last jab is about the conversation between old Spock and young Spock in the final scenes...In the Science Fiction world, my longtime understanding of the concept of time travel is that one cannot travel to the past or future and meet or coexist with oneself...How is it possible for Spock to have a casual conversation with himself as two people, when he is only one? If time travel is possible, this would seem to completely upend the laws of physics that govern such travel. I thought this particular plot device of JJ Abrams was unsubstantiated, and probably unnecessary...it's one of the enigmas of the concept of time travel that many writers struggle with, but I would maintain that a single person cannot become two separate individuals physically by traveling in time...But this does not dampen my enthusiasm for the new STAR TREK...This is a masterful retelling of the beginning of this legend, and it makes me look forward to the next one with great anticipation.

Star Trek (2009) on Blu-Ray is a fantastic film running 126 minutes long.The film is a new take on an existing series, it does suffer from consistency issues with the Star Trek series. Nothing that will hurt the movie if you can look beyond that though. With that said, the movie is paced well, with the entire story being important to the outcome of the film. Throughout the movie, we have an opportunity to explore a number of landscapes, ice worlds, space, and earth. This Star Trek though is beginning of the journey, prior to the original Star Trek series, and as such is a perfect entry into the Star Trek world for both new and old. The story is a tightly nit tale of retribution, coming of age, and desire. The screenplay was well written, the characters were confident and fun, and as a whole it was a great experience. There were some pieces of this which may make it inappropriate for younger audiences depending on family rules. There is some kissing, women in underwear, and some crude humor. There is also some profanity spread throughout as well as characters who are intoxicated. Overall though, I would say for most families and children this movie would be fine for anyone over the age of 10-12. The video itself is fantastically done in 1080P with a light grain. Fleshtones are correct, and correctly reflect the lighting for the different environments, even when some of this is done in CG. The blacks throughout the film were deep and textured, an important piece of a film like this. The darker ships were well textured and differentiated from the depths of space behind them. Overall, the film is an excellent representation of what a video can look like and will be a great way to showcase the power of your home theater display. The audio is presented in Dolby TrueHD (5.1 I believe) and is engulfing in every way. The soundtrack features powerful LFE (low frequency extension -- bass from the subwoofer), such as when the ships jump to warp, but it's important to realize that the entire dynamic range (low to high volume levels) is compressed in comparison to a more common action movie. The movie takes advantage of the full 360º area and creates a soundstage filled with detail and direction that will allow you to stay fully engrossed in the movie. Overall this is a fantastic movie with strong video and audio aspects. Highly recommended.

As far as this product, I just returned to work from the Best Buy near my job where I picked it up on my lunch break, so I haven't viewed it yet. I'm sure, outside of some manufacturer defect, it's going to be fine. "Someone" said that with this movie Hollywood has ruined the Star Trek franchise. I could not disagree more. Hollywood DID NOT ruin the Star Trek franchise. They resurrected it. I agree certain movie makers have messed up some great TV Series; but don't write off all of Hollywood. Unfortunately great things sometimes fall into the hands of the wrong producers, directors, etc. Besides, Star Trek is more than a franchise. It is a way of life. I am a first generation trekker. I'm a 45 year old professional and have been a trekker since the age of 4. I can tell you that the message of Star Trek runs deeper and means more than that of Star Wars or any other TV series or movie series in any genre. It is a message of true diversity and hope for a wonderful future for every living creature. And the hope of many trekkers/trekkies everywhere when we were anticipating the release of this movie was that Star Trek would have its last great moment and go out with not only a bang but with the dignity that it and Gene Roddenberry and Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (God rest their souls) deserve. But now, to the unexpected joy of Trek fans the world over the future is wide open to a multi-dimensional universe of possibilities. It does me so proud to know that Star Trek is in such capable and worthy hands. I could go on a raging tangent drawing so many similarities between incidents that happened in the original series, the many novels and of course the movies where Kirk, Spock and the Enterprise have been brought back from the dead; and now in like manner Star Trek itself is given a new breath of life. My hat is off to Abrams, Orci, Kurtzman, all the actors and everyone else involved in the creation of this feat of movie-making genius. We who really are Star Trek fans and who really do understand its message owe these people a debt of gratitude that can never be paid. They have snatched the greatest film "franchise" in the history of motion photography from the brink of the abyss and proven once and for all that no other TV and/or movie series in any genre can match the brightness and impact that is STAR TREK!!!

I have been a Star Trek fan most of my life. I can honestly say this movie was probably one of the best (If not the best) Treks I've ever seen! I can't wait for the DVD to come out. What's more I can't wait for the sequel! and it looks very likely that their will be a sequel. And with a movie this good, you can't expect anything other than the huge success it's enjoying! The things that made it great where: The story was fantastic, people who weren't already fans of Trek could really get into it, it wasn't hard to understand, but it was still very intelligent. The music was superb! it gave it a very grand and exciting feeling! The effects where top of the line, and just plain brilliant! The humor gave it a more personal quality, so it didn't feel as stiff as it could have been. And the acting was top-notch. They really hit the nail on the head by picking the unknown Chris Pine to play James Kirk. Not only does he look like William Shatner did when he first started playing Kirk, but his acting was exceptional. And there was Zachary Quinto, he did the part of Spock so much justice, it's hard to see anyone else play him. And there was the surprise appearance of Leonard Nimoy (the original Spock) playing Older Spock. He really tied the story together. And not to forget, there was also the wonderful performances of Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Karl Urban, and Eric Bana. Also the children that played Kid Kirk (Jimmy Bennett) and Kid Spock (Jacob Kogan) gave masterful performances for the short background story parts they where tasked with. So that is why I say this movie was a triumph in every way! Not just as a Star Trek film but as any film! I give this movie a 10 out if 10! If they'd let me I'd give it a 20 out of 10!!!

This movie is a must see for the year, but its title lets it down. I know a few people who won’t watch it just because of the title. They consider the shows and old movies to be nerdy. I think they are better than that, just because they have a bit more to the story than that of Star Wars and have stood the test of time whether people like it or not. Back to the new movie though, this one is vastly different than the others, yet still holds that Star Trek touch people have loved in the past. This one has much better visuals than any one of the others (I always thought the world of Star Trek needed a facelift), better action, and a great story. If you have watched the show in the past or are a die-hard fan, you will love this movie. If you have not watched the show, nor have no idea what Star Trek is all about, you will enjoy and like this movie even if you don’t want to admit to it. The real fact most people don’t want to admit to, is the fact that this movie even if it didn’t have the name Star Trek on the cover, or the name of the ship and names of the characters, it would be a good movie nonetheless. This installment to the series of Star Trek reboots the entire universe with a plot that stirs things up. Even Trekies won’t be able to guess the storyline. This frees it from the demanding storyline of the series, and sets it up for possible sequels. It is a fun, enjoyable experience the movie theater released upon unsuspecting crowd. It’s got elements from a classic sci-fi flick, yet pieces of a good western with plenty of action. The characters stay within the original’s personality, making it easy to adjust with the times for the Trekies, yet are easy to grasp on to and love for the new fans. Must see movie, plenty of action, and humor mixed in, what’s not to like?

Star Trek [DVD] [2009] The DVD itself: Comes in a standard jewel case... The film is presented in widescreen format, so it has the black bars at the top and bottom. The special features: "commentary by JJ Abrams" and others is interesting, you get to hear some good stories you wouldn't otherwise hear about the actors and the film. "A new vision" is about production secrets and behind the scenes stuff, its really cool. They could make an entire series just about this stuff and I'd watch it, very fun and interesting. The "Gag reel", they should seriously put this at the end of the film during the credits, like Jackie Chan movies, you will LOL at, and with, the actors and film crew. The movie: As the first of the new Star Trek films based on TOS, I really liked it. The storyline was somewhat convoluted and confusing at times, some scenes seemed like they were "forced" into the film just to pay homage to the original cast and crew. The time spent on character development (while necessary for anyone new to the Star Trek universe and unfamiliar with the original characters), seemed to be a drag on the film since I was already familiar with the characters. Overall, this film did an excellent job of laying the groundwork for all the other Star Trek films that have come out since.

Space, the final frontier... 5 of 5 stars for the Sci-Fi movie Star Trek. One day in 1966, I sat down in front of my B&W TV to watch a new TV program, Star Trek. I've been a fan ever since! We started with the original series (Kirk & Spock), then a series of movies and then various TV series which explored before and after the original series. This movie presents the Kirk & Spock era from kids to the formation of the original series crew of the Enterprise. Well, there is a twist! In the opening sequence, Kirk's dad dies as James T is born. Say what? That's not the original time line! Hummm... There are several "odd things" happening in this timeline (Spock and Uhura kissing?). It is all part of this story line. The movie is extremely interesting with a great plot! A really serious bad guy who has a really big ship he uses to "mine" planets. Oh, did I mention Spock "prime" (Leonard Nimoy) plays a key role? Truly great special effects from ILM. Very faithful to the original series and lots of eye candy for us fans (did you notice the tribble in the cage on Scotty's workbench?). Shout outs to: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Karl Urban (Kirk, Spock, McCoy) with each capturing the character without doing an "impression" of the original actors; respectful but not a carbon copy. I'd like to give this movie a 10 of 5 stars, but, they won't let me do that! So, it has been added to my official favorites list. I really hope some smart people out there will take this timeline and fresh cast and move forward with a new weekly TV series. We could call it the New Original Series!

Fully accept the alternate reality...its origins and subsequent direction definitely freshen things up and engenders new possibilities. Smart plot and good, if somewhat uneven, character development. Some of the acting was either a bit over-the-top or a bit wooden, but it still meshed well overall and conveyed the spirit of the original characters. The director wanted and succeeded in making a Star Trek movie in a Star Wars manner. Some of the new set and ship designs were't as neat and/or symmetrical as in the original franchise (particularly the hideous USS Kelvin and the cavernous engineering parts of it and the Enterprise that seemed very disproportionate to the scale of the ships), but it lent more towards the Star Wars look. The humor was tasteful, funny, and enhanced character interactions. Sound, special effects, make-up, and costumes were outstanding, if hard to assimilate at times. The music was appropriate and enhanced the feel of the movie. As a military retiree, the one thing I found the most unrealistic and implausible was the casual jump of some of the main characters through the Starfleet military rank structure. I know the story had to move the characters to their customary positions within the movie's two or so hours, but this rush still rankled me...not that it really diminished my enjoyment of the movie. All in all, I'd say the movie is worthy of the name and franchise. Kudos to all the cast and crew who created this very fine piece of entertainment.