I probably shouldn't be posting here.
You see, I've been a nerd all my life. Grew up on Batman comics and Lord of the Rings and Star Wars and eventually William Gibson and Blade Runner and Swamp Thing and Primer and Akira and George R.R. Martin and pretty much every other legendary geek franchise or work, plus many others that weren't even close to being legendary (or, you know, even any good).
But I have never been a Star Trek fan.
Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate it. I've seen a bunch of episodes of the original series (my dad is a huge fan), and thought them reasonably entertaining television. Same for the Next generation, and Wrath of Khan and First Contact, which are the only movies I've seen. I found them all to be solidly enjoyable (I cannot, however, say the same for whatever the most recent show was, the one with Scott Bakula. Caught like 10 minutes of it and then hastily changed the channel).
But I never got what all the fuss was about. I felt reasonably entertained, but never felt thrilled in my gut. I didn't feel like I simply had to see more, to know more. My dad tried valiantly to indoctrinate me, but failed. I never, ever thought in my life that I would say that a Star Trek movie was one of my favorite films.
That all changed when I saw this movie. I was completely and utterly blown away. I felt like a little kid again. When it was over it felt like the 2 hours had gone by in 15 minutes. I choked up at the sad parts, I thrilled at the excitement, I laughed at the humor. Every single major crew member kicked ass. Simply put, for the first time I got what my dad always tried to make me understand, about the sheer wonder of this universe, and of the brilliance of these characters. Was it flawless in some technical, abstract evaluation of plot and technique? No. Too much lens flare, some forced humor here and there, a forgettable (albeit well-acted) villain. But it was absolutely flawless in the sense that it was a perfect moviegoing experience for me.
I went with my dad (a lifelong fan), my girlfriend (the only scifi she likes are Wall-E, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Cormac McCarthy's The Road), and a few good friends (all 3 of them geeks, but only 1 a big star trek fan). Every one of us loved it. My dad is so happy, not only that this movie was made for him, but that I like it too, that he can finally share at least a little of this passion of his with me. My girlfriend just couldn't stop saying, "I can't believe how much I liked it".
I am going to see it again. I will buy the DVD. I will see the sequel, and would watch any series they spin out of this. Not only that, but I've decided to give the original Star Trek another try, to see if it finally clicks for me in a way it didn't in my youth. JJ Abrams did what my dad never did--he made me a convert (though I still can't promise I'll watch that Scott Bakula nonsense).
