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“Star Trek” as a concept has voyaged far beyond science fiction and into the safe waters of space opera, but that doesn’t amaze me. The Gene Roddenberry years, when stories might play with questions of science, ideals or philosophy, have been replaced by stories reduced to loud and colorful action. Like so many franchises, it’s more concerned with repeating a successful formula than going boldly where no “Star Trek” has gone before.

The 2009 “Star Trek” film goes back eagerly to where “Star Trek” began, using time travel to explain a cast of mostly the same characters, only at a younger point in their lives, sailing the Starship Enterprise. As a story idea, this is sort of brilliant and saves on invention, because young Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty and the rest channel their later selves. The child is father to the man, or the Vulcan, and all that.

Don’t get me wrong. This is fun. And when Leonard Nimoy himself returns as the aged Spock, encountering another Spock ( Zachary Quinto ) as a young man, I was kind of delighted, although as is customary in many sci-fi films, nobody is as astonished as they should be. Holy moly! Time travel exists, and this may be me! It’s more like a little ambiguous dialogue is exchanged, and they’re off to battle the evil Romulan Capt. Nero ( Eric Bana ).

Time travel as we all know, is impossible in the sense it happens here, but many things are possible in this film. Anyone with the slightest notion of what a black hole is, or how it behaves, will find the black holes in “Star Trek” hilarious. The logic is also a little puzzling when Scotty can beam people into another ship in outer space, but they have to physically parachute to land on a platform in the air from which the Romulans are drilling a hole to the Earth’s core. After they land there, they fight with two Romulan guards, using ... fists and swords? The platform is suspended from Arthur C. Clark’s “space elevator,” but instead of fullerenes, the cable is made of metallic chunks the size of refrigerators.

But stop me before I get started. I mention these details only to demonstrate that the movie raises its yo-yo finger to the science, while embracing the fiction. Apart from details from the youths of the characters and the Spock reunion, it consists mostly of encounters between the Enterprise and the incomparably larger and much better armed Romulan spaceship from the future. It’s encouraging to learn that not even explosions and fires can quickly damage a starship. Also that lifeboats can save the crew, despite the vast distance from home base.

That would be because of warp speed, which for present purposes consists of looking through an unnecessary window at bright lights zapping past. This method of transportation prevents any sense of wonder at the immensity of outer space and is a convenience not only for the starship but also for the screenwriters, who can push a button and zap to the next scene. The concept of using warp speed to escape the clutches of a black hole seems like a recycling of the ancient dilemma of the rock and the hard place.

But there are affecting character moments. Young Spock is deliberately taunted in hopes he will, as a Vulcan, betray emotion. Because Zachary Quinto plays him as a bit of a self-righteous prig, it’s satisfying to see him lose it. Does poor young Spock realize he faces a lifetime of people trying to get a rise out of him? Nimoy, as the elderly Spock, must have benefitted, because he is the most human character in the film.

Chris Pine , as James Tiberius Kirk, appears first as a hot-rodding rebel who has found a Corvette in the 23rd century and drives it into the Grand Canyon. A few years after he’s put on suspension by the Academy and smuggled on board the Enterprise by Bones McCoy ( Karl Urban ), he becomes the ship’s captain. There are times when the command deck looks like Bring Your Child to School Day, with the kid sitting in daddy’s chair.

Uhura ( Zoe Saldana ) seems to have traveled through time to the pre-feminist 1960s, where she found her miniskirt and go-go boots. She seems wise and gentle and unsuited to her costume. Scotty ( Simon Pegg ) seems to have begun life as a character in a Scots sitcom. Eric Bana’s Nero destroys whole planets on the basis of faulty intelligence, but the character is played straight and is effective.

The special effects are slam-bam. Spatial relationships between spaceships are unclear because the Romulan ship and the Enterprise have such widely unmatched scales. Battles consist primarily of jump-suited crew members running down corridors in advance of smoke, sparks and flames. Lots of verbal commands seem implausibly slow. Consider, at light warp speeds, how imprecise it would be to say “At my command ... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...” Between “2” and “1,” you could jump a million galaxies.

I thought about these things during “Star Trek” because I could not help myself. I understand the Star Trek science has never been intended as plausible. I understand this is not science fiction but an Ark movie using a starship. I understand that the character types are as familiar as your favorite slippers. But the franchise has become much of a muchness. The new movie essentially intends to reboot the franchise with younger characters and carry on as before. The movie deals with narrative housekeeping. Perhaps the next one will engage these characters in a more challenging and devious story, one more about testing their personalities than re-establishing them. In the meantime, you want space opera, you got it.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Star Trek (2009)

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence, and brief sexual content

127 minutes

Anton Yelchin as Chekov

Chris Hemsworth as George Kirk

Eric Bana as Capt. Nero

John Cho as Sulu

Ben Cross as Sarek

Chris Pine as James Tiberius Kirk

Leonard Nimoy as Spock Prime

Jennifer Morrison as Winona Kirk

Bruce Greenwood as Capt. Christopher Pike

Winona Ryder as Amanda Grayson

Zachary Quinto as Spock

Zoe Saldana as Uhura

Directed by

• J. J. Abrams

Screenplay by

• Roberto Orci
• Alex Kurtzman

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• Cast & crew
• User reviews

The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one pl... Read all The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time. The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.

• J.J. Abrams
• Roberto Orci
• Alex Kurtzman
• Gene Roddenberry
• Zachary Quinto
• 1.6K User reviews
• 532 Critic reviews
• 82 Metascore
• 27 wins & 95 nominations total

• Spock Prime

• (as Zoë Saldana)

• Amanda Grayson

• George Kirk

• Winona Kirk

• Captain Robau

• Officer Pitts
• (as Antonio Elias)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Simon Pegg did not audition for the role - he simply received an email from J.J. Abrams asking if he would like to play Scotty. Pegg said he would have done this for free, or even paid Abrams to be in this film, if he had not been offered a role.
• Goofs After Spock boards the Vulcan ship on board the mining vessel, Kirk is seen walking through some pipes. His Starfleet phaser has switched to a Romulan gun (longer barrel and no lights), before switching back to the Starfleet one again in the next scene. He actually acquires the Romulan gun a few scenes later.

Spock Prime : James T. Kirk!

James T. Kirk : Excuse me?

Spock Prime : How did you find me?

James T. Kirk : Whoa... how do you know my name?

Spock Prime : I have been and always shall be your friend.

James T. Kirk : Wha...

[shakes head]

James T. Kirk : Uh... look... I-I don't know you.

Spock Prime : I am Spock.

James T. Kirk : Bullshit.

• Crazy credits The first part of the closing credits is styled after the opening credits of Star Trek (1966) , where the starship Enterprise blasts off into space as a monologue describes its mission, and then the cast names appear as the famous "Star Trek" theme music plays.
• Connections Edited into De wereld draait door: Episode #4.157 (2009)
• Soundtracks Theme from 'Star Trek' TV Series Written by Alexander Courage & Gene Roddenberry

User reviews 1.6K

• Apr 17, 2009

Reboots & Remakes

• If this premise is that an alternate timeline created when Nero traveled back in time, then what happened to James Kirk's older brother, Sam, aka George Samuel Kirk Jr.?
• How can Spock's mother still be alive years later (original series) when she dies earlier on in this movie ?
• What is Star Trek about?
• May 8, 2009 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Star Trek: The Future Begins
• Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park - 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Rd., Agua Dulce, California, USA (Vulcan)
• Paramount Pictures
• Spyglass Entertainment
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $150,000,000 (estimated)
• $257,730,019
• $75,204,289
• May 10, 2009
• $385,681,768

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 7 minutes
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Atmos
• 2.35 : 1 (original ratio)
• 2.39 : 1 (original ratio)

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Watch Star Trek with a subscription on Paramount+, Apple TV+, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

Star Trek reignites a classic franchise with action, humor, a strong story, and brilliant visuals, and will please traditional Trekkies and new fans alike.

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J.J. Abrams

James T. Kirk

Zachary Quinto

Leonard Nimoy

Spock Prime

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Professor Nerdster

Star Trek (2009) Thoughts & Analysis

The Surprise Approach: J.J. Abrams knows how to surprise people. When the island on ‘Lost’ started dancing, we were all surprised…The point is that J.J. Abrams’ approach is nothing like dramatic irony, or other narrative devices that intrigue, it is built on the foundations of Steven Spielberg’s career: withhold over 75% of the valid information from audiences. Q: How close is Sulu from being impaled in this scene? A: It seems really really close from this angle….but wait!….not actually: you’ve just been Spielberg(ed). Limiting valuable contextual information leaves the audience guessing, it constructs mental puzzles in the viewers mind. What will Nero do to Captain Robau onboard the Romulan mining vessel? We do not know but it is suspenseful simply watching an elevator travel to the battered USS Kelvin’s docking bay…most importantly what’s inside this Mystery Box ? (above)

Vulcans As Analogous to Actual Victims of Mass-Murder: Just one demonstration of Star Trek being social commentary; the destruction of Vulcan creates a new historical narrative for Vulcans & Spock. Spock has always been treated as a unique outsider then he becomes more isolated when 6 Billion Vulcans are murdered by a violent imbecile who has the power to exact revenge against an entire group of people: this sounds familiar. J.J. Abrams et al have created a similar subtle social commentary in Star Trek. The use of an analogous narrative to remind audiences of the very real human tragedy of the Holocaust or any Genocides may not seem obvious because the destruction of Vulcan is too abstract. It does, however, produce emotional depth serving as a new Spock character dynamic since his Vulcan rationality could not retrieve the people, history and family he has lost: a common crisis of identity after horrendous crimes against humanity: see (for example)

None Of The ABOVE Matters: that’s because this film was too GOOD. Star Trek (2009) is easily among the top five greatest science fiction films ever released. When you leave the cinema having been thrilled, having possibly laughed and even cried, you realize that this is what going to the movies should be about…. & After having grown-up with Star Trek Next Generation, After having made countless cardboard, duct-taped, plastic models of the USS Enterprises as a kid, After seeing Star Trek VI and subconsciously falling in love with Shakespeare before I knew who the Bard was, After being ridiculed for wearing a Star Trek costume on Halloween, for riding my bike into warp-speed, After being teased by everyone I knew as a kid…. AFTER ALL THAT, a film that non-Trekkies are talking about enthusiastically makes me (professor nerdster) feel like part of the diplomatic armada that “ has always been & always shall be your friend “; Star Trek. I’m a nerdster, after all….

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Screen Rant

The 10 most profound star trek quotes, according to reddit.

Star Trek has produced thought-provoking material challenging its fans to reflect on the most important real-world issues through a sci-fi lens.

After a half-century's worth of adventures aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise , its multi-generational crews, other starships and outposts across the galaxy, Star Trek has produced much thought-provoking material challenging its fans to reflect on the most important real-world issues through a science fiction lens. With season 4 of  Star Trek Discovery   recently ending, now seems a good time look back at the most poignant quotes across the franchise.

RELATED:  10 Reddit Fan Theories & Predictions About Season 2 of Picard

Enthusiasts of the franchise on Reddit have pinpointed several prophetic instances on a feed authored by u/dgl6y7 that are worthy of study. The respondents agree that some of the best examples were spoken in Star Trek: The Next Generation . However, a few others stand out from the original 1960s series, its movies, and spin-offs.

Scotty's Unexpected Insight

"like you always say, if something's important, you make the time." - scotty.

James T. Kirk's trusted former chief engineer Montgomery Scott responded to his captain's inquiry of how their friend Hikaru Sulu managed to raise a family while serving in Starfleet and how his daughter Demora had risen to helm the Enterprise-B in Star Trek Generations .

An observer on Reddit,  hobulargobularizer , appreciated the big picture sentiment in Scotty's response to Kirk's bewilderment stating, "I think about that quote as a way to remind me not to lose sight of the important things."

The Benefits of Aging

"there are many parts of my youth i'm not proud of." - picard.

Reflecting on events he relived through one of Q's interventions , Captain Picard relates to Commander Riker details of his academy days where he was a womanizer, gambler, and fighter. And on one occasion was nearly stabbed to death, saved only by an artificial heart.

Picard realized at the conclusion of "Tapestry" that events based on his choices may not have been optimal. However, they shaped his character in ways he had yet to realize leading Redditor VermiciousKnnid to identify "as someone who struggled with a lot of repressed pain and acting out in my youth, this moment was (and remains) huge for me."

Understanding Love

"every time you feel love, it'll be different." - guinan.

Wesley Crusher's heart had been broken by a young princess being escorted to her wedding as part of an arranged marriage in the TNG episode "The Dauphin." Guinan, the ship's bartender, offered these words of comfort, stemming from her own experiences with heartache.

Redditor Gerbil23 found comfort from a "surprise and heartbreaking separation" when they encountered this exchange between the young teen and the ship's oracle "that helped a lot," to ease their personal angst.

 Spock and Kirk's Lifelong Friendship

"i have been, and always shall be, your friend." - spock.

The bond shared between James T. Kirk and Spock of Vulcan, as friends versus officers of the Starship Enterprise, is summed up beautifully by this note uttered by a resurrected Spock following the mission to save his life in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock .

RELATED:  The 10 Best Star Trek Movies, According to Reddit

For Past_Effect_8256 , this declaration perfectly defines the premise of Star Trek , a relationship between a human and alien, "the beauty that is the friendship and brotherly bond between them, forged over the course of countless adventures and heartbreaks."

Data Understanding What It Means To Be Human

"the act injured you and saved me. i will not forget it." - data.

Dr. Bruce Maddox of Starfleet's science division wanted Data to voluntarily submit to his research on furthering the advancement of his breed of android. Following his refusal, Riker is appointed a reluctant prosecutor and Picard defends his rights at a hearing.

RELATED:  Data's 10 Smartest Decisions in Star Trek: TNG

Redditor Carthonn found the climax of "The Measure of a Man," quite profound because Riker felt unworthy of Data's victory celebration until his artificial friend praises him "for enduring the torture of prosecuting one of his crew mates which in effect saved him."

Picard's Inner Strength

"there are four lights" - picard.

After days of enduring sleep deprivation, truth serum, and verbal interrogation, Captain Picard's Cardassian captor in TNG' s "Chain of Command," insisted he agree there were five lights shinning in his office when in fact there were only four. Picard did not comply.

When the captain does not surrender and is released gave Redditor Cultural-Ocelot-3692 reason to cheer. "I love how he owns and takes back his dignity throughout his ordeal," they write, commenting on Picard's ability to forgive not forget.

Thinking About Time

"it's not linear." - benjamin sisko.

Through a Bajoran prophet bearing the likeness of his deceased wife, Deep Space Nine Commander Benjamin Sisko realizes during flashbacks in the series pilot "Emissary", one of Deep Space Nine' s best episodes , that his love for her was so powerful that it did not allow his unconscious mind to accept her death at the Battle of Wolf 359.

Redditor khaoticneutralzone felt vindicated after years of battling PTSD when they viewed Sisko becoming "frustrated with himself because he keeps going back to that awful memory and he can't stop it," allowing them the freedom to classify their "experiences real and valid."

Keeping The Crew On Track

"the first duty of every starfleet officer is to the truth." - picard.

When Wesley Crusher fails to admit his culpability in the tragic death of an academy classmate during a standard flight exercise gone awry, Picard hits him with an unforgettable lecture about the standards expected of a career Starfleet officer.

Redditor addctd2badideas agrees wholeheartedly with Picard's convictions adopting them to further their practice of "dedication to intellectual and emotional honesty, even if I don't necessarily nail it every time."

The Excitement Of Exploration

"there's no such thing as the unknown - only things temporarily hidden, temporarily not understood." - kirk.

While a maverick in many situations as Captain of the Enterprise, Kirk knew when to project strength and confidence to his crew of 430 during  The Original Series episode "The Corbomite Maneuver" as the ship lay at the mercy of Balok, a faceless alien voice from a giant yellow circular vessel.

The wisdom of Kirk's observation struck Redditor TheHudgepudge as curious and heightened their enthusiasm for the unknown paraphrasing that "questions help make the unknown known. And there is always more to learn, so there are always more questions to ask."

Understanding You Can't Always Win

"it is possible to commit no errors and still lose." - picard.

During a wargames exercise in the TNG episode "Peak Performance," Data is flabbergasted when he is bested by a humanoid opponent in a strategy game. His loss causes him to doubt his ability to serve as first officer for the exercise until Picard reminds him that he is not perfect.

The most profound quote from all of Trek to date is an unexpected analysis given by a human to an artificial lifeform about his infallibility is relatable, according to Redditor sunrae3584 believing "it's something I have to remember when I start berating myself."

NEXT:  One Quote From Each 'Picard' Main Character That Sums Up Their Personality

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Common sense media reviewers.

Classic franchise gets new life; OK for older kids.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Even with its sci-fi action and occasional flirty

Almost every character in the film puts aside some

The sci-fi military-style action violence is plent

Some suggestive talk and kissing; two female chara

Some language throughout including "arse" (in the

The movie is set in the 24th century, but somehow

Characters drink beer, wine, and hard liquor, some

Parents need to know that although this slick, upbeat sci-fi adventure isn't much more violent than the earlier Star Trek movies, there's a heightened feel that gives Star Trek a little bit more edge. While the action is (mostly) bloodless, it's also intense; expect lots of fights, battles, and hand-to-hand…

Positive Messages

Even with its sci-fi action and occasional flirty sexuality, the movie has positive, welcome messages about individual responsibility, collective accomplishment, institutional tradition, and working for the greater good.

Positive Role Models

Almost every character in the film puts aside something -- regret, pain, selfishness -- for the ultimate mission, with teamwork as its own reward. Zoe Saldana's Uhura is a strong female role model. Good cast diversity.

Violence & Scariness

The sci-fi military-style action violence is plentiful but not especially bloody. At one point, an entire planet (with a population in the billions) is destroyed. The crews of various starships are pummeled by explosions, struck with torpedoes, sucked out of hull breaches into space, and generally assaulted. A character is impaled with a sharp-ended staff; another falls to her death; another receives several harsh pummelings. Some fistfights. Humanoid aliens are shot close-up; a monstrous beast threatens a character.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Some suggestive talk and kissing; two female characters are seen in their underwear. An underwear-clad couple makes out on a bed, though it initially seems like they're having sex. There's a joke about "farm boys having sex with animals."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Some language throughout including "arse" (in the context of kicking), "damn," "ass," "hell," "oh my God," "bulls--t," "goddamn," and "whore." One clear (though not particularly noticeable) use of "f--king" in the lyrics of a Beastie Boys song played during a scene.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

The movie is set in the 24th century, but somehow Nokia and Budweiser manage to make appearances.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Characters drink beer, wine, and hard liquor, sometimes to excess.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that although this slick, upbeat sci-fi adventure isn't much more violent than the earlier Star Trek movies , there's a heightened feel that gives Star Trek a little bit more edge. While the action is (mostly) bloodless, it's also intense; expect lots of fights, battles, and hand-to-hand combat. At one point, the villains destroy an entire planet of humanoid aliens. Some of the comic relief scenes have a flirty, playful sense of sexuality (Kirk has always been a ladies' man), but that's balanced by the mature depiction of a relationship. There's also a bit of language ("bulls--t," etc.) and some drinking. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

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Based on 82 parent reviews

Star Trek 2009

Good film for adults, what's the story.

Re-starting the Star Trek franchise from its very foundations, STAR TREK begins as a time-travelling bad guy comes from a far-flung future to the early days of the Trek universe. Seeking to avenge a future tragedy, unstuck-in-time villain Nero ( Eric Bana ) attacks the very foundations of the Federation, including Vulcan and Earth. The only ship that can stop him, the Enterprise , is in the hands of untested Starfleet officers Spock ( Zachary Quinto ), McCoy ( Karl Urban ), and a rebel who just barely made it on board, James T. Kirk ( Chris Pine ).

Is It Any Good?

Rocketing at warp speed without ever slowing down, J.J. Abrams directs this reboot as a smart, speedy thrill ride that doesn't indulge in nostalgia for its own sake. Star Trek welcomes newcomers while still delivering every moment fans might want from of the crew of the Enterprise . Quinto and Pine are both excellent in their own right and also have a real chemistry between them, while Zoe Saldana turns the thankless role of communications expert Uhura into a vital part of the story.

The film isn't perfect -- there are a few minor missteps -- but at the same time, it's also lovingly made, speedily paced, and completely aware of its job: to entertain audiences without leaning too heavily on speeches or sadness, opting instead to deliver action, adventure, and (perhaps a little too much) comedy. Still, in an era when too many summer blockbusters think they can get away with being dumb by claiming to be "fun," it's a pleasure to see a movie as well-made, clever, and charming as this actually seem to want to earn our money by putting on a real show.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the enduring appeal of Star Trek -- what makes people become such faithful fans? Why do you think the studio decided to make a new version? How does it compare to the older movies and TV shows?

Talk about revenge, which is a major theme in the film. Ask kids whether it's ever justified to hurt others in the name of revenge. How much of the movie's violence can be traced back to that motivation? How much impact does it have compared to the violence in other action movies? Why?

There is a good amount of diversity in the cast, both mirroring and improving on the original series . Why does having diverse media role models matter?

How do the characters in Star Trek demonstrate teamwork ? Why is this an important character strength?

Movie Details

• In theaters : May 8, 2009
• On DVD or streaming : November 17, 2009
• Cast : Chris Pine , Eric Bana , Zachary Quinto
• Director : J.J. Abrams
• Inclusion Information : Gay actors
• Studio : Paramount Pictures
• Genre : Science Fiction
• Topics : Adventures , Space and Aliens
• Character Strengths : Teamwork
• Run time : 126 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : sci-fi action and violence, and brief sexual content
• Last updated : March 3, 2024

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