Star Trek is considered to be one of the greatest science fiction franchises ever created, yet fans often differ on what series is the best introduction to said franchise. Some say that newcomers should start at the beginning with Star Trek: The Original Series, while others will point to Star Trek: The Next Generation, or even the newer crop of Trek series, particularly Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. There’s another way that newcomers can enter the world of Star Trek, and it lies in the trilogy of Star Trek films that reinvigorated the franchise, courtesy of director J.J. Abrams.
Prior to Abrams directing the first Star Trek reboot, the franchise was at a low point. Star Trek: Nemesis had ended the Next Generation run of movies on a sour note, and Star Trek: Enterprise was canceled, meaning that there were no new Trek projects in the works. In order to reinvigorate the Trek brand, then-Paramount president Gail Berman tapped Abrams, alongside Mission: Impossible III writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, to produce a new Trek film. Abrams would eventually direct the film after he read Kurtzman and Orci’s script, and would return to direct the sequel Star Trek Into Darkness before shifting into a producer role for Star Trek Beyond. Whether in the director’s chair or as a producer, Abrams was an integral force in shaping the new Star Trek.
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The ‘Star Trek’ Reboot Took A Unique Approach to Its Story & Its Cast
While crafting the story for Star Trek, Abrams, Kurtzman and Orci decided to focus on the crew from Star Trek: The Original Series, but with a major twist. The film is set in an alternate timeline, which takes place when the Romulan Nero (Eric Bana) travels back in time to kill Spock (Leonard Nimoy); Nero’s ship destroys the U.S.S. Kelvin, right as James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is born. This allowed Abrams and crew to tell an entirely new story, without stepping on previous Trek canon. As a result, the reboot trilogy would eventually be referred to as the “Kelvin Timeline“.
Perhaps Abrams’ biggest success was in casting the right people to bring the U.S.S. Enterprise‘s crew to life. Pine has all the swagger and bravado you’d expect from Kirk, yet also portrays his desire to do the right thing. Zachary Quinto perfectly captures Spock’s detached matter, as well as his struggle between being half-human and half-Vulcan. The nature of the Kelvin Timeline also leads to some unique character dynamics: Spock and Uhura (Zoe Saldaña) are in a romantic relationship, while it takes an entire movie for Kirk and Spock to form their iconic friendship. Even Hikaru Sulu (John Cho) gets a bigger focus, delivering an epic speech when he takes the Enterprise‘s helm during Star Trek Into Darkness. Abrams, Kurtzman and Orci might be half of what makes the Star Trek reboot work, but it’s the cast that truly sold audiences on this new vision of Trek.
Shatner received the Lifetime Achievement Award at The Saturn Awards.
One Creative Figure on the ‘Star Trek’ Reboot Crew Guides the Current Franchise
The Star Trek reboot was a critical and commercial success, successfully reinvigorating the Star Trek franchise. It also led to Alex Kurtzman having a larger creative role in the world of Trek, as he helped develop Star Trek: Discovery before stepping into showrunner duties during Season 2. That season would lead to the genesis of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, but Kurtzman would also help bring Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy to the small screen. Like the Star Trek reboot, these series would both build on previous Trek lore while also taking it in a new direction.
The Kelvin Timeline serves as a perfect introduction into the world of Star Trek, as it presents classic characters in a new light without viewers having to catch up on years of television. While Paramount is seeking to launch a new Star Trek film, it’ll be hard-pressed to capture the alchemy of story and casting that made J.J. Abrams’ vision so iconic.
- Release Date
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May 8, 2009
- Runtime
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127 Minutes
- Writers
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Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Gene Roddenberry
