STAR TREK 2009 They still have hay in Iowa in the future!!

Do you have any idea how AWESOME this movie is?  I mean, it's been getting good reviews all over the place, but I have yet to read anything from the farm kid point of view.  This movie has just warmed my heart and raised my pulse.  Wanna know why?

Look at this- JJ Abrams has imagined a future earth with hay bales!  And dirt roads!  And old Corvettes!

Thank you Star Trek, I feel now like we are not doomed to a future of perpetual pavement.  I can breathe again.  

We went to see this on opening night.  (Yeah I know, that was over a month ago. I neglect this blog terribly.  Sorry.)  My daughter has developed a bit of a Star Trek fascination.  She's not a rabid Trekkie, but she thinks William Shatner is "the best" and has nicknamed herself Tribble.  

After all the initial drama involving Romulans and explosions and Mrs. Kirk, we headed back to earth, where a young punk Kirk is taking out his step-dad's antique Corvette for a little spin. I think this kid is all of ten years old.  My 12 year old son thought this was perfect.  He's a firm believer that as long as you can reach all the pedals and shift at the same time, you should be allowed to drive.  

Also, in the future, we still listen to the Beastie Boys!  See, don't you feel better about the world now?

But let's not discuss what happens to the Corvette, okay?  Thanks.

Apparently we won't need to wear helmets in the future.  Oh what a relief! Whatever invisible technology gets invented to protect our skulls... can we have that now?  

Here's our first glimpse of the Enterprise.  Magnificent.  Honestly, the visuals in this movie are quite beautiful.
I won't be getting into plot analysis here; other blogs do that better than I care to.  I'm really just all about the experience.  And the scenery.  And the handsome.  

I will make note of the excellent casting.  Each of the actors was believable as their character.  This could have been disastrous, since Star Trek is so familiar.  I'm in a generation that never knew life without Star Trek.  Even my Mennonite Grandpa used to watch it now and then (although he was more into Batman, and Wonder Woman!)

The actors weren't just copying a well known performance though-- they were inventing the person who would become that iconic character.  

Watching this movie with my kids gave me a good opportunity to explain to them what a revolutionary show this had been in the 60s.  The original Enterprise was crewed by a multicultural group of men and women - not just a bunch of white dudes.  There was even -gasp- a Russian on board, at a time when Russia was considered "the enemy."  And then there was Uhuru- a black woman who was beautiful, wore a miniskirt (hey, it was the 60s) but totally held her own on the bridge of the ship.

And then there's this guy...

Tribble fell in love.  So did all her friends.  I didn't know if anybody other than Nimoy could do this role.  Impressive.  By the way, Tribble thinks Nimoy is also "the best."  She's very equal opportunity when it comes to the Spock/Kirk thing.

And this guy! Where'd he come from??  I thought this was an excellent suggestion as to how Captain Kirk started out.  He gets beat up by darn near everybody but he's still cocky and mouthy, and nothing stops him from flirting with the girls!  I mean, you can see it, right?

Tribble's in love with him too, now.  Jethro thought it was hilarious that in every shot of Kirk, he's got a scrape or a bruise or a cut on his face.  Scrapper!

Jethro loved the way the movie lovingly references the original series, but never once lets it get as far as parody.  That must be an incredibly fine line to walk.  Never once did we hear "She's breakin' up captain!" or "Beam me up, Scotty."  Close, but not quite.  If those lines had been there, it would wreck it.  It would have gone too far.  Instead it was handled perfectly.

Of course there's a little time-twisting stuff to keep your brain busy.  It's a prequel, but it also goes way back, to young James Tiberius, and cute little Spock.  Awww!  So cute!

Oh but wait- we also get some future Spock!  I don't remember how they explained this.  I didn't care; it was just cool to see NIMOY!  

See what I mean about the excellent casting?!?

So the Iowa farm boy scuffles and postures his way to the Captain's chair, all cocky smirk and flirtatious bluffing... and bloodied...

And the rest is history... or yet to be imagined...