Star Trek

Since I think I have to turn in my SFWA card if I don’t express an opinion on this movie, I went this weekend.  And well, IMHO, it rocks.  That is probably old news to everyone, and my opinion is probably no surprise to anyone who knows my history as a J. J. Abrams fanboy.  In fact, everything I’ve heard negative about this movie can boil down to being upset that it became a Hollywood summer blockbuster movie (a genre unto itself).  That, in fact, is probably the major change that was done to the franchise in this reboot.  This Star Trek has completely removed the not-so-subtle utopianism that ran through most of everything else Star Trek related.  While I may be a pariah in Trekdom for saying this, but good riddance.  It was always the weakest element of the show, after the ensemble and the action-adventure elements, the proselytizing and philosophy of the show always induced the most cringe-worthy elements.  The choices made were ones that enhanced the strengths of the original show, which was a wise decision. And I am impressed at the best use of time travel in any Trek story: as a tool to explain why the reboot doesn’t have to slavishly follow the previous 40 years of continuity.