For those who are impatiently waiting my review of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movie I present the following mini review in two simple lines.

Is it good? Yes.

Is it better than the all time franchise standard bearer, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan? No.

Satisfied?

Seriously, that said, J.J. Abrams has managed the near impossible feat of crafting a movie that will please both diehard fans and complete neophytes. Those who have been following this blog for a while will undoubtedly realize what a huge Trekkie I am and though my bias towards the series has had me tooting the horn to promote this movie I must admit that I had a deep inherent fear that the end result would insult my intelligence or just plain pull my chain the wrong way. Please excuse the following jumbled up stream of consciousness review that follows. I usually let a movie percolate in my head for some time sorting through my thoughts before putting them down on a piece of paper, or in this case, Microsoft Word. In the interest of expediency I’m writing this particular review only a few hours after catching the May 7th, 7pm showing of the movie and if I sound as if I’m occasionally rambling or that it contains more typos or grammatical errors than usual I apologize in advance.

Without giving away a single spoiler all I can say is that diehard purist Trekkies who only obsess about Kirk’s safe combination or the angle and size of the Enterprise’s warp nacelles and spend hours debating the relative merits of the Prime Directive might be in for some major seismic shocks to the system. Frankly, Abrams and his creative writing team have concocted a surprisingly effective solution based on real scientific theory that gives them full creative license to basically discard and jettison huge chunks of Trek lore to make way for this new iteration. It is actually so simple it’s a wonder no one bothered to think about it or actually enact it before.

When the commercial spouts, “This is NOT your father’s Star Trek,” it’s not lying. This is in fact an alternate universe which has been forcibly created as a result of some major time travelling that changes the timeline Trekkies have known into this new creation. Yet it also means that the original timeline has not been destroyed at all and that everything we’ve grown up with as Trek history still exists and that all Abram’s is doing is shifting the perspective from the old timeline to the newly created one.

This simple explanation, obviously espoused during the film, should satisfy most fans who don’t really want to see 40 years of previous lore blown to bits by this move. As an aside I have to really recommend all Trekkies read the Countdown comic book prequel that was released before this movie written by Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman who both wrote the screenplay. It works as a bridge between the last film Star Trek Nemesis and ends literally seconds before this new movie begins. The comic provides the Next Generation crew an excellent send off and manages to fill in the gaps that lead straight into the opening shot right after the Paramount logo appears.

For myself all these changes turn out mostly for the better as they add a palpable sense of awe and suspense that would not be present if the filmmakers just decided to follow along with established Trek history. For those fans who demand nothing but pure adherence to canon this movie is going to be grating as just about everything you’ve learned about Kirk and Spock’s past has been altered.

My simple advice to all Trekkies is this – watch the movie and don’t worry about Kirk not being a Lieutenant on the USS Farragut. Chuck away the image of Captain Pike stuck in that silly plywood wheelchair with the blinking lights indicating a yes or a no. Conversely, wipe your brain of that silly notion that Spock had served with Pike for years before Kirk took over. Although we Trekkies that have followed the classic series for years have dreamed about these scenarios before the simple fact is that they are not present in Abrams’ version of things. If you can’t accept that and deem it heresy that this has been allowed to happen then the only piece of advice I can give is to just not watch the film as you’d end up seething about how things have supposedly changed for the worse.



To everyone else who are more open minded, Star Trek circa 2009 is a rip roaring science fiction spectacle full of innovative camera work, top notch visual effects, rousing soundtrack and most important of all, a pitch-perfect cast that recalls the original cast yet carves out their own paths. Set to a blisteringly paced cadence that never pauses for a breath J.J. Abram’s vision of Trek is stunning to behold. The movie itself clocks in at 126 minutes but it feels like a slim 90 precisely because Abram’s never lets up on the gas pedal. I sincerely cannot recall a recent movie that has had such an inherently fast pace as this film yet it never sinks to having an unending chain of action sequences that have unfortunately plagued many films of late (I’m looking at you Quantum of Solace!) that mask their wafer-thin plots with pointless fisticuffs or redundant chases.

The movie begins with a truly emotionally effective pre-title sequence much like those that occur during James Bond films albeit laced with a gripping subtext that brackets the action. A small Federation ship called the USS Kelvin is merrily cruising by a huge and surprisingly violently animated sun when out of nowhere a giant rift in space opens in front of her revealing a menacing monstrosity of a ship inspired by H.R. Geiger with tentacle arms and jagged edges. Before the Kelvin can properly react it comes under heavy fire pummelling the ship in seconds. As the attack ends a Romulan named Nero appears on screen demanding their surrender and orders the Kelvin’s Captain named Robau (Faran Tahir) to come over to his ship. Totally outgunned Robau gets into a shuttle and leaves command of the ship to his first officer, George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth). Needless to say negotiations don’t go well and soon George Kirk finds himself in a no-win scenario so he orders everyone to abandon ship including his pregnant wife who is in the midst of child birth.

This 10-12 minute segment is stunning in simplicity basically showcasing the rather mournful birth of a major character that is buffeted by some truly heart-wrenching melodrama yet it works wonders as it sets the tone for the overall movie. Right from the opening shot of the camera lovingly panning over the Kelvin’s hull it is obvious that you’ve never seen Star Trek done like this before. Everything feels so fresh and dynamic that for this long time Trekkie it was initially disorienting watching the rapid-fire cuts, exorbitant use of lens flares and tight angles of both machinery and characters that never have been seen before in this franchise. Imagine if the cameraman from the Jason Bourne series showed up on the set and started filming and you’d only be beginning to get an idea of how the photography has changed. Previous Trek’s had a high degree of theatricality to them with a large amount of static camera work. Abram’s has ditched all that relying on steady cams with a high degree of wobble that make everything feel as if the audience is part of a news camera crew covering a major war. The only downside to this technique is that Abrams chooses not to include too many grand establishing shots content to use tight angles that are sometimes majorly disorienting.

Then there’s the actual sets themselves that scream new design with high tech being melded with surprisingly low tech – the bridge of the Kelvin and later the Enterprise is teaming with LCD displays and feature viewscreens with multiple HUDs and graphical overlays whereas the engineering rooms are jarringly filled with industrial tubes and pipes as if you were in a brewery. Joking aside, it is a brewery! Abrams and crew actually went to these places and filmed there and if there’s one sour note from the production design it’s that the two sets don’t really mesh well. It’s kind of hard to believe that key locations such as the bridge or sick bay look like futuristic locales but the poor engine room looks like the bowels of the Yamato circa World War 2. Then again this little nitpick in no way ruins the film as the action is incredibly hectic and you rarely get a chance to savour any location you’re in as Abrams keeps his camera constantly moving. On the other hand I really wish I had this on Blu-ray so I could pause and savour the intricately detailed sets and revel in the superlative effects work.

The first third of the film is a rather satisfying look into the early life of both Kirk and Spock and how the two grew up in totally different environments nicely labelled for newcomers as Iowa and Vulcan. Without a father, Kirk (Chris Pine) grows up as a rebellious James Dean whose only goal is girls and cheap thrills until a pivotal encounter with Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood) inspires him to join Starfleet. Spock (Zachary Quinto) has a totally different set of issues being a half-breed of both Vulcan and Human blood his childhood is filled with constant taunting decrying his mixed heritage that not only comes from kids but the supreme council as well. This in turn spurs Spock to join Starfleet instead of the Vulcan science academy.

J.J. Abram’s movie is no doubt an origin yarn and although it manages to deftly showcase all the major characters the focus is firmly on the budding relationship between Kirk and Spock. Some online commentators have funnily labelled their friendship as the first “bromance” but that’s something I’d rather leave in the hands of those who write their own fanfiction. Regardless, the original angle in this movie is that both these characters initially detest one another and that the narrative thrust from that point on is merely about how they come to admire the other. Indeed, this is the heart of the tale and it plainly works. Without revealing too much the screenwriters have concocted situations that at first rend them apart but as events unfold the duo come to the realization that they need each other.

Diehard Trekkies will undoubtedly fawn over many sequences that pop up such as the famed Kobayashi Maru exam simulator which Kirk easily beats while munching leisurely on an apple harkening directly to the famous scene in Trek 2 where Shatner’s Kirk does exactly the same apple munching as he cockily tells those near him that he doesn’t believe in a no-win scenario. Each character is given his or her time to shine and it’s no mean feat that Abrams managed to shoehorn every one of them in giving them just enough screentime to establish their characters.



In fact it seems that Abrams and screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman have gone out of their way to include as many fan oriented moments as possible almost as if they had a massive checklist of items to go through. Many people in the audience during my screening reacted emphatically as each showed up none more so than when the “guy in the red shirt” appeared eliciting reams of laughter and cat calling. Throw in a green Orion babe who thankfully is not a slave this time, the use of original sound effects, ejecting the warp core(s) and a bevy of easily recognizable catch phrases and it is obvious that this new behind the camera crew knows their lore. In fact both Orci and Kurtzman are fans themselves and it shows. When our beloved characters throw out a famous line you can’t help but smile that they’ve managed to incorporate it without bludgeoning it over your head. When Mccoy (Karl Urban) finally blurts, “I’m a doctor, not a physicist” everyone around me started to spontaneously cheer.

That said, whatever issues or reservations I previously had about this new cast are long gone. These young actors are the real deal nailing their characters with ease. The supporting cast all get their moments in the sun but huge kudos goes to Karl Urban who absolutely embodies the cantankerous Leonard McCoy to the T. Of all the new cast, Urban seems to be voodoo channelling the ghost of DeForest Kelley and comes off closest to the original actor. It almost makes you think that Kelley was his father as his mannerisms are bang on. I have no doubt that fans are most probably going to identify and warm to Urban the most. Simon Pegg as Scotty is a hoot although the script has him firmly in the token comic relief column. Still, he and Urban steal nearly all the scenes they are in which is no mean feat especially for Pegg who really doesn’t show up until the final third of the film. It should also come as no surprise that both Urban and Pegg are Trekkies in real life and seem to dial in immediately to what made those two characters tick.

Both Anton Yelchin as Checkov and John Cho as Sulu don’t get much screentime but I can see some audience members being a bit annoyed at Yelchin who really lays into a thick Russian accent that is almost always played for laughs whereas Cho focuses almost completely on Sulu’s physical proficiency with a blade. The easiest way to describe Yelchin would be to compare him to Wil Wheaton playing Wesley Crusher except with a Russian accent. John Cho doesn’t get much to do but his big fight scene with Kirk on a giant space drill is a hoot although JJ.Abram’s Star Wars roots undoubtedly pop up with Sulu’s version of a lightsaber. Still, it looks cool and that’s all that matters especially since it plays upon the image of George Takai’s glistening naked torso while brandishing a rapier in the original series.

The biggest booster in terms of screentime is undoubtedly Zoe Seldana’s Uhura who plays a surprisingly integral role in the emotional well-being of one of the main characters. To say more would spoil it but Seldana brings both her remarkably alluring image and a surprisingly heartfelt presence to the predominantly male cast. Think of her take on Uhura as a politically correct look at the modern woman who can easily take charge and assert herself on anyone regardless of age or gender. This is a professional who knows what she wants and pursues it with a vengeance.

I would be remiss not to mention the exceptional work of Bruce Greenwood as the Enterprise’s first Captain Christopher Pike. Whenever he’s on screen his considerable acting chops and authoritative demeanour cut an impressive figure and for once the filmmakers have to be applauded for actually showcasing other Starfleet Captains who aren’t total morons. It had become a bit of a joke especially with the later TV series and movies to see other fleet officers (remember Captain Harriman from Generations?) display a startling lack of command proficiency but both Pike and to a lesser extent the doomed Captain Robau of the USS Kelvin are exemplary leaders who instinctively know what to do even when confronted with dire straits. Whenever Greenwood is on screen you can almost watch in awe as he inspires the newer cast members to raise their game in order to play off him.

Other guest stars such as Ben Cross as Sarek and a surprisingly effective Winona Ryder as Spock’s mom, Amanda round out the superlative cast. Then there’s Leonard Nimoy as Spock Prime. What can I say that hasn’t been said before? Much like Sir Alec Guiness’ turn as Obi-Wan in the original Star Wars trilogy, Nimoy arrives and easily commands each scene he is involved in. However, this is clearly an aged Spock nearing the end of his days with an even higher maturity level (if that is possible) than previously seen and Nimoy makes this Spock into a wise sage yet you can see the added sparkle in his eye when he comes face to face with young Kirk or the pained expression of mournful sorrow flush over his visage after he witnesses a cataclysmic event. Although his inclusion might seem like nothing more than a throwaway bone to us diehard fans Nimoy was quite correct in stating that this role plays an important part in the narrative. In fact, what transpires in the movie is a direct result of Spock Prime’s actions in the future that lead to both him and Nero being sucked back in time into this new alternate universe.

That brings us undoubtedly and most crucially to both Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock. It should come as no surprise that if these two weren’t convincing than the movie would plainly not work. Happily, they both completely nail it. Quinto absolutely shines as Spock with a skilful portrayal of a more unhinged version of everyone’s most popular Vulcan. His task in some ways is even greater than Pine’s precisely because he’s up against Leonard Nimoy as Spock Prime – the differences are plain to see but Quinto’s take on the character is a wonder to behold filled with more angst and internal turmoil than I’d ever expected to see. This Spock is clearly a conflicted individual who fights almost daily between his cool Vulcan logic and hot-blooded human passions and Quinto conveys this through skilful manipulation of subtle facial ticks and body language that suggest his ongoing struggle. With a piercing stare that straddles the razor’s edge between outward cool and inner frustration Quinto makes the character a joy to watch especially when presented with the film’s biggest shocks of which I will not reveal. It is safe to say that Quinto’s Spock goes through a bevy of emotional, heart-pounding u-turns that Nimoy’s version never had to, at least not all at once. Yet it is precisely this internal confusion that makes this young Spock so incredibly sympathetic and I’m sure audiences will agree.

Conversely, the relatively unknown Chris Pine embodies everything we’ve come to love about James Tiberius Kirk without Shatner’s overblown body language or unique vocal cadence. When Pine won the role he immediately went to watch previous episodes for inspiration but thankfully Abrams had the foresight to realize that to mimic Shatner was folly and would send the movie into a haphazard SNL type mimicry that would torpedo whatever atmosphere they were trying to achieve. William Shatner is William Shatner and there’s no point even trying to ape “the man.” Instead, Pine dials back the ham and focuses instead on making his Kirk a rebellious James Dean with a touch of Han Solo’s roguish charm. This is a Kirk that is rudderless without a coherent goal in life who yearns for something more but doesn’t know exactly yet where to channel his energy. Even after his fateful meeting with Captain Pike and his entry into Starfleet Academy he’s still chasing skirt and being overtly cocky and boisterous.

Thankfully, as the 2nd act begins Pine begins down the path to resembling the best Kirk traits often seen in Shatner’s take. While still resolute with his convictions he begins to realize that he needs to use the crew around him and foster their considerable talents and soon settles into the position of leadership that is his birthright. Surprisingly, Pine’s Kirk is the recipient of a lot of witty abuse by the screenwriters who play up the character’s cockiness level yet proceed to constantly deflate it by involving him in numerous pratfalls the most obvious example being McCoy’s hilarious plan to smuggle Kirk onto the Enterprise that leads to Kirk drooling like a dog, being blind in one eye, slurred speech and enlarged hands that plays up the campiness level to the nines. It’s a good thing though that Abrams has impeccable comic timing and never lets any of the jokes overstay their welcome as it would detract from the coming emotional heft.

On the technical front there’s no doubt that every last cent from the $150 million dollar budget has made it on screen. Not since Star Trek The Motion Picture has a Trek film looked so darned delicious replete with expansive sets and jaw-dropping CG this is a visual tour de force that will leave audiences breathless. I don’t necessarily hate CG but it really distracts when it is not done well. Here it’s absolutely seamless with numerous transitions between the sets and the sprawling space exteriors that are awe inspiring. Many have heard this before but I’ll say it again – this film is epic in all aspects from sweeping vistas showing futuristic San Francisco to the Coruscant inspired Vulcan that goes one better by actually having buildings hanging like stalactites. The art design is simply stunning.

Purists will probably blanch at the new USS Enterprise, she of newly muscular nacelles and a rather flattened secondary hull but I’m sold. Although I love Classic Trek it would have been folly to just ram the old model into today’s high-tech CG as it would have looked wholly out of place. This new Enterprise just screams power and the first time you see it Abrams even has the right idea to hug her lines as a shuttle flies over her hull. I’m not so sure about the size but it seems gigantic when on screen easily dwarfing other Federation ships. Yes, we do see a new space dock and other ships as well which is a nice treat that I was not expecting and the only downside being that I wish we saw more. What we get evokes the scene from Starship Troopers as the fleet set out to attack the bug planet of Klandathu. A high degree of kudos has to go to, of all things, the sound effect department which has used real science whenever possible such as during several highly realistic sequences that specifically feature the lack of sound in a vacuum. Take the well advertised space jump which has Kirk, Sulu and obligatory red shirt cadet jumping out of a moving shuttle into the atmosphere in an attempt to land on a small drilling platform hovering over a planet. When the trio leave the shuttle there’s a loud whoosh of escaping air followed by dead silence as they plummet toward the surface. As they get closer and closer and into the planetary air the sound effects begin to ramp up as air resistance kicks in until it’s howling like a raging tornado. Cool stuff.

Sticking with sound, long time J.J. Abrams collaborator Michael Giacchino takes over the musical reigns and churns out a remarkably Jerry Goldsmith inspired score that ranks up there with the best of all Trek soundtracks. Giacchino sticks to a relatively inspiring tune for Kirk but it’s his take on Spock that is the highlight here as I never thought anyone would use a Chinese erhu instrument (think Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) to denote the air of Vulcan spiritualism. The two themes serve as further justification showcasing the differences in personality between Kirk and Spock with such opposite ends of the musical spectrum.

So what prevents this movie from overtaking or even matching Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan? Technically the new film is without equal but the one major ingredient that it lacks is a large dose of gravitas. This is not the fault of either the screenwriters or Abrams but it’s just not fair to compare what is essentially the new crew’s maiden voyage to that of one taking place after decades of camaraderie. What the new crew achieves in such a short time span is amazing and sets the ground work for the inevitable sequels but in terms of resonance it’s plainly lacking the incredible nuance and maturity found in Nicholas Meyer’s movie that also runs through the best of the original series. Perhaps the next J.J. Abram’s movie can start tackling deeper plots that elicit more emotional response than pure exhilaration during action sequences or loud laughs at the numerous jokes. The film’s pre-title sequence comes closest to evoking deep gut-wrenching emotions but even that can’t hold a candle to the way in which a major character passes on in Trek 2.

Conversely, with such a high emphasis on Kirk, Spock and the other five core characters there’s little time to develop Eric Bana’s Nero who comes across as nothing more than a snarling lout with a giant grudge. He’s no Ricardo Montalban as Khan and thus doesn’t present Kirk with a truly equal adversary leaving Nero as nothing more than a plot device to keep the movie moving forward. It’s not that Bana can’t act as he’s actually very commanding when on screen but he’s just not given enough screentime to establish more than his basic motivation – yet another reason I recommend fans read Countdown as Nero is much better fleshed out and understood if one knew his back-story. Still, requiring the audience to read a comic book before the movie is lazy filmmaking and I have seen that many in attendance at the screening were perplexed as to Nero’s motivation. Those who have read the comic will appreciate more what Eric Bana pulls off but for everyone else they are going to be scratching their heads wondering how he became so full of hate with a singular thirst for revenge.

Indeed, when the movie finally gets around to the major expository sequence told with panache through a Vulcan mind meld it’s actually too dense and compacted than it needs to be as it basically compresses the entire Countdown comic storyline that spans four issues into a scant five minute flashback. My wife did not grasp what was being shown and I have no doubt others in the audience are going to experience brain spasms as it spins a yarn full of technobabble featuring super novas, red matter, old Spock, Nero, Romulus, black holes and time travel. It’s never a good thing to leave the audience adrift at sea without a life preserver but this sequence is just not plotted out well enough for neophytes to follow along.

Abrams and the new Trek team behind the scenes have honed their focus into presenting a summer popcorn movie with a high degree of action and wit and although the way he brings the crew together evokes great “geekgasms” the usual Trek political allegories and grandiose morality tales are shunted to the background. That’s to be expected as this is supposed to be a movie that appeals to a large swath of the population that has no prior knowledge of the show but I sincerely hope Abrams brings in these larger themes in subsequent installments.

However, all that said the one area where this new Trek hits the most potholes is in its plot that relies heavily on sheer coincidence. Some might argue that Abrams is merely highlighting the fact that forces of destiny are at play that clearly dictate that even though the timeline has been altered that these people were meant to meet and become the crew we love the fact remains that large parts of the movie hinge on seemingly random twists of fate that, at times, will make you raise a Vulcan eyebrow in disbelief. Having key characters meet on desolated ice planets that resemble Hoth from the Empire Strikes Back by stumbling into one another is really stretching credibility and there are also a few visual cues that seem out of place such as a character looking at the sky and watching a planet self destruct even though it is light years away. Didn’t the science team bring up this point with the filmmakers that you shouldn’t be able to see this phenomenon? Also, I might sound like I’m nitpicking here but unless someone didn’t send me a memo I never realized that transporters had a HUGE range so that you could conceivably beam someone from Earth to Saturn in one shot. I don’t seem to remember it being THAT far a distance.

Then again, this movie runs on such high-octane energy that it basically steamrolls over whatever little niggling issues it has. While classic Trek movies featuring Shatner and Nimoy centered on the never ending theme of growing old and showcased adult life this movie revels in its youthful exuberance. With movies tending to trend dark and explore the deep recesses of the human condition ala Chris Nolan’s The Dark Knight Abram’s Trek does the polar opposite by accentuating the positives that Trek has been so well known for. This is a stirring rendition of Gene Roddenberry’s utopic future where humanity has conquered the stars not with a sword but with the soul and Abrams does everything in his power to keep this focus. Humanity might be flawed but it is our ability to overcome our inherent prejudice that gives us a leg up on what evil lurks outside the preverbal window.

If I had to make a tonal comparison I’d have to say that Abram’s Trek feels much more in line with Raiders of the Lost Ark which had one of the most balanced and engaging combinations of pure unadulterated fun and humour coupled with barnstorming action sequences. That is not to say that this new Trek is devoid of touching moments as there are indeed many, a few actually shocking to say the least but the overall mood is one of pure boyish charm and optimism that it elevates the entire movie with feel good buoyancy.

In the end J.J. Abrams and his talented crew are to be applauded for basically rebooting Trek and making it relevant again. While I never truly downright hated the Star Trek Voyager or Enterprise TV shows nor even Star Trek Nemesis the writing was on the wall as the franchise slowly sank into an unending pit of mediocrity. It was actually infuriating for this Trek fan to watch the series spiral down and get stuck beholden to its own ponderous lore that stifled whatever creativity had flourished during both the original series and the Next Generation.



Abram’s Trek, with all its gnarly new gadgetry and clean high-tech design is exactly the boost in the arm that is required to re-energize this creaky old franchise. With a new look, capably young cast and a new creative focus from the filmmakers this new Trek is poised to explode the box office. That said, I know I promised the blog readers here my box office analysis and I apologize for not writing it sooner but I’ll be cautiously optimistic and incredibly elated if it somewhat follows Batman Begin’s trajectory but opens a bit higher – so for the record I’ll predict a $65 million opening weekly with a 3.5x multiplier bringing the total to a $227.5 million final gross. Anything more is cake. Of course, anything less than $150 million will probably make Paramount cry.

Box office prognostications aside, this is a masterfully crafted summer popcorn film that should please both diehard fans while bring in legions of new ones. Forget all the small inconsistencies or changes to past Trek lore and instead revel in the sheer delight of this new vision of Gene Roddenberry’s future of mankind. With one fell swoop, J.J. Abrams has plotted a course for the future and for the first time in years the future is bright. It would be sappy to end with Spock’s customary Vulcan salute so I’ll instead just say – the human adventure is just beginning.

***1/2 out of ****

2009, USA, 126 Minutes, PG-13, Paramount Pictures
Directed by J.J. Abrams
Screenplay by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman
Based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry
Produced by Damon Lindelof & J.J. Abrams
Executive Producer: Bryan Burk, Jeffrey Chernov, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci
Original Music by Michael Giacchino
Cinematography by Daniel Mindel
Film Editing by Maryann Brandon & Mary Jo Markey
Casting by April Webster & Alyssa Weisberg
Production Design by Scott Chambliss

James T. Kirk: Chris Pine
Spock: Zachary Quinto
Spock Prime: Leonard Nimoy
Nero: Eric Bana
Capt. Christopher Pike: Bruce Greenwood
Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy: Karl Urban
Nyota Uhura: Zoe Saldana
Scotty: Simon Pegg
Hikaru Sulu: John Cho
Pavel Chekov: Anton Yelchin
Sarek: Ben Cross
Amanda Grayson: Winona Ryder
George Kirk: Chris Hemsworth
Winona Kirk: Jennifer Morrison
Gaila: Rachel Nichols
Captain Robau: Faran Tahir
Ayel: Clifton Collins Jr.
Officer Pitts: Antonio Elias

© 2009 The Galactic Pillow