What's that old Vulcan saying? "Live long and see every reincarnation of the Star Trek franchise from here to eternity?"

Okay, not quite, but it sure feels that way sometimes. With five TV series (not including the two-season animated series of the early 70s), no less than eleven feature films, and a bevy of conventions, parties, fanfiction, and websites flooding our pop culture, I was a bit skeptical that the latest film would have anything new or unique to offer to the ST world.

Of course, being a great lover of Hollywood summer blockbuster season, I wanted to see it anyway. For some reason, when the thermometer goes up and the days get long, there's nothing I love better than slipping into a dark, air-conditioned theatre and watching pretty people in improbable situations blow things up. From Jurassic Park to Independence Day to the occasional Harry Potter, I love them all.

But let me preface this review by saying that I am far from being a Trekkie. Or Trekker. Or whatever the "PC" term is these days. My experience with Star Trek is that of a layman, at best. I used to watch re-runs of The Next Generation with my grandma as a kid (due to her then-mystifying and persistent crush on Cpt. Jean Luc Picard). I've caught a couple episodes of The Original Series (I think appropriately capitalized), and am immersed enough in pop culture that I usually "get" Star Trek references.

So now that we have my motivation for seeing the film, and my history with the franchise, onto the review:

Spoiler Alert: my goal is not to include any major spoilers here, but if you haven't seen the movie and don't want to know anything about it, maybe you should stop now. I am not responsible for ruining your enjoyment of the film.

It was, in a word (well, two words), pure entertainment. There was no deep "meaning-of-life" message to be gleaned, no break-through Oscar-worthy performances, and the plot was at times a bit on the incomprehensible side... but it was funny, clever, well-acted enough to suit me, and (in my opinion) a wonderful peek inside of the world of Star Trek for those of us on the outside.

The action begins well before the event of The Original Series, in fact, well before Captain James T. Kirk ever sets foot on the Enterprise. This is a prequel of sorts, though I have heard from other more knowledgeable fans that the film is actually outside the timeline of TOS.

We get to see the birth of the young Kirk, and his beginnings as a rebellious youth in small-town Iowa. I would have actually liked to see a bit more backstory, as this was all completely new to me. Intercut with this are scenes from the life of Spock, revealing nuggets that portray his relationship with both his parents, and his feeling of estrangment and at times derision from full-blooded Vulcans.

The two meet up at Starfleet Academy, as Kirk cheats on a test devised by Spock (I believe this tidbit was mentioned in TOS). These events also bring them in line with the rest of the supporting characters, including Doctor Bones McCoy and Nyota Uhuru -- a love interest for both of the men (well, man and Vulcan).

This is where the plot gets a bit muddy, in my opinion. I enjoyed it, certainly, but found the details of the time travel and red matter (thanks to an ill-timed trip to the restroom) difficult to digest. The basic premise (I think), is that the young Kirk, Spock, and the others are on their maiden voyage on the U.S.S. Enterprise when they meet up with a formidable foe: the Romulan Nero. Nero has apparently travelled back in time to avenge the future destruction of his planet by destroying Vulcan, and forcing future-Spock to watch. Something called "Red Matter" plays an important role in creating the black hole that destroys these worlds, though I have yet to figure out the science behind it.

All that aside, the most enjoyable part of the movie was watching these characters, beloved by millions, brought to life on the big screen again in a new and fresh way that fills in a piece of the puzzle we didn't already know. The film didn't need an air-tight plot to be appealing -- the appeal was in the interaction between the characters, the throw-back jokes and the dazzling possibility for a whole new Star Trek spin-off (The Early Years, anyone?).

As for the acting, I wasn't blown away, but I was reasonably impressed. Chris Pine as Kirk had the swagger and the arrogance of William Shatner's original portrayal, but also had the humor, sympathy and yes, smarts that makes Kirk such an appealing character. Zachary Quinto's Spock was pitch-perfect: stoic yet conflicted, cold but endearing. Having never seen his role in the TV series Heroes, I wasn't sure what to expect, but whatever those expectations were, they were exceeded. Quinto's performance was subtle without being bland, and not at all a mimicry of Leonard Nimoy's origination of the character. And by-the-by, seeing the two of them on-screen together playing the same character was an absolute joy.

The supporting cast also had some strong members. Karl Urban, a New Zealand actor who co-starred in two of the three Lord of the Rings films, was delightful as Dr. McCoy. He had some of the best lines in the film, all of them hearkening back to the early days of TOS, and consequently, some of the most well-known Star Trek one-liners of all time. I was surprised that I (not being a member of the ST fandom) was the only one in the theatre laughing. Perhaps it was too obvious a joke; still, it brought a smile to my face.

Zoe Saldana does a passable job as Nyota Uhuru, but doesn't have much chemistry with Quinto's Spock (if you're asking why it matters, just see the movie already). John Cho as Sulu and Anton Yelchin as Chekov were amusing, if a little over-played at times. But Simon Pegg redeems the whole lot of them as the beloved Scotty, whose origins are discovered in the film. Of course, I kept referring to him as "Shaun of the Dead" for hours after the movie, but I have a feeling he'll be just as well-known for this role as he was the British zombie-killer-with-a-sense-of-humor.

Eric Bana played the villain, Nero, and the performance seemed a bit lackluster to me. Bana has admitted he's not a sci-fi fan, and was never really into any of the ST series or films.

The effects are, no surprise, stunning... though I've heard complaints some fans thought the movie was "too pretty." That might be so, but as a said, when I'm craving a summer blockbuster, I was good-looking actors and things-that-go-boom. Star Trek had both of those in abundance.

The direction of J.J. Abrams, now a Hollywood demi-god, was solid. It seems that everything he touches right now turns to gold, and with a $72 million opening weekend, Star Trek is no exception. Abrams has a knack for taking sci-fi and fantasy and making it accessible to the masses. And yes, that is a good thing. We SF/F fans can be fiercely protective of our genre, but without the financial support of the movie-going, TV-watching, novel-reading public, we'd never get our fix. And, as someone who never considered themselves much of a ST fan, Abrams made the film relevant, understandable, and enjoyable to me. That, I expect, will translate to millions of new fans around the world, which will translate into big bucks, and the perpetuation of the ST realm.

So what's next? There are rumors of film sequels, or of a possible spin-off TV series. I support either one, though I'm not sure if the stars would be willing transition back to the small screen for a series... and it just wouldn't be the same without them. In any case, this probably isn't the last we've heard of the latest Star Trek incarnation... and that, I think, is a good thing. The film's really got it all: comedy, warmth, adventure, and yes, pretty people blowing stuff up.

What more do you need?

Watch The Movie Trailer Below: