The Final Frontier - Star Trek...Is it worth the hype?

First star to the right...

Or maybe not. This isn't your mother's or grandmother's Star Trek. No, it's the Star Trek for the technological generation. No, I'm not going to talk about the plot because I don't want to spoil it for everyone who plans to see it tonight. But...

Remember those old favorites with the cheesy one-liners? They're still there...younger, more innocent...but every bit as dynamic with the characteristics those of us who watched the original Captain Kirk loved.

The acting is OMG!! The sheer scope of taking original Star Trek characters and bringing them to life while being true to the essence of them is daunting, but they managed it. Oh yes, they did. Of course, I could be biased. I've had Chris Pines as the face of one of my heroes for years and always told my friends he was under-estimated. He certainly pulled out all the stops on this one!!

Anyway, how do you top the original? Simply put, you don't...and the writers here knew that. You can't improve upon an iconic show, but you can remake it for another age. Transformers, Terminator, Witch Mountain...and countless others. It seems to be the thing for Hollywood these days. But this time, I think they really did it right.

Now is the time to impart a little tiny bit of advice. Yes, grab that popcorn and soda - but don't guzzle it down lest you find yourself waiting for that inevitable lull in the middle where you can excuse yourself without missing anything pertinent for a quick potty break. Simply put, it isn't there.

The movie starts out with heroic action and keeps right on rolling.

I will admit to a few misgivings. I bought my ticket in advance on the net and squeezed time out of the day to stop by the theater to pick it up using the WILL CALL option on the theater kiosk. I just knew the show would be sold out and there would be utter chaos trying to get in.

Well, I arrived 30 minutes early to an empty parking lot. Walked straight in, grabbed my popcorn and soda (and no, I didn't guzzle it) and strolled into the theatre to have my choice of seating. There were a few people already there, but not very many. In fact, when the show started, the theater was about 1/3 full.

All I have to say is this...If you're a Star Trek fan, go see this movie. If you're NOT a Star Trek fan, go see it anyway. It's a SciFi film written to an action film template.

You will not be disappointed.

And...if this is what you like, Samhain has posted a new Call for Submissions that might be right up your alley.