Star Trek in almost all of its  forms is special to me. Star Trek: The Next Generation and the original series movie franchise played particularly important roles in my childhood; many good times were had with my family watching Kirk, Picard and company save the universe episode after episode and movie installment after movie installment. I have great memories of watching Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn in great suspense, laughing at the silliness that was Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and discussing the ethical quandaries that always seemed to plague the crew of Starfleet’s flagship vessel in each new episode of ST:TNG. So it was with both ancipiation and nervousness that I waited for J.J. Abram’s (the guy behind Lost, Alias, and Cloverfield) re-interpretation of what is probably my absolute favorite entertainment franchise of all time.

I’m pleased to be able to report that this new Star Trek excels in virtually every area, and would undoubtedly make Gene Roddenberry (the original creator of the concept and characters, now no longer with us) very proud.

The story takes us back to the beginning, before even the very first 5 year mission from the Original Series, and in so doing opens up a whole new world of character exploration. In the first television episodes, we met the crew of the starship Enterprise well into their mission…they were a seasoned and mature team that seemed to work together seamlessly. In this film, we get to see all the first meetings, conflicts, and romances that were barely hinted at in previous storylines. We observe the crew members as they are thrown into epic, life threatening circumstances–after having just barely met–and are molded into what we already know they can be. Not only is this story great for fans (we get to witness stuff of legend) but it provides a starting point for anybody to jump in and enjoy the movie…no prior ST knowledge required.

All of the actors do a bang-up job at capturing the essence of their iconic and beloved characters, while lending fresh perspectives. Zachary Quinto (Heroes) is particularly effective as the logical half-Vulcan Spock. While no one will ever completely fill the shoes of the original cast, these new representatives  are certainly worthy bearers of the proverbial torch.

Despite being a self-proclaimed “reboot” of the franchise, I was incredibly glad to see how much of Trek is still present. Everything’s gotten a visual refresh, for sure, and of course in its attempt to be more mainstream-friendly we’re going to have a more action-heavy plot, but the little things that make Trek familiar are still there: swooshing sounds as doors open, the ambient electronic chirp on the bridge of the Enterprise, and of course clever back-and-forth banter between the central trio of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. And even though J.J. Abrams is blatantly changing established “history,” he still ties it in with the rest of the franchise in a very Star Trek way (hint: time travel is involved ;).

One last thing that makes this movie great: in the end, it chooses substance over style. While Abrams could have very well have made a generic space-action flick with the Star Trek moniker slapped on for marketing effect, he and his writing team chose to keep deeper and familiar themes like emotion vs. logic, the makings of real leadership, and the inner workings of friendship at the forefront. And in my opinion, nothing is more Star Trek than that.