Leonard Nimoy

Blu-Ray Review: See ‘Star Trek’ in a New Way With HD Season Two

BrianTT — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:26:07 -0600

CHICAGO – While you count the days until the beloved reboot of “Star Trek” hits Blu-Ray and DVD on November 17th, new and old fans should check back in with the original crew of the Enterprise in Paramount’s excellent 7-disc HD set, bursting with not only dozens of special features but enhanced visual effects and audio. This season of “Star Trek” has never looked like this.

And I’m not sure it ever should have. Before getting into the meat of this excellent set, the main issue surrounding these remastered classic episodes of television is that the effects have been dragged kicking and screaming into the new millenium. Even the opening credits have been enhanced, as the cheap model of the Enterprise has been replaced by, well, kind of cheap CGI of the Enterprise.

Star Trek: The Original Series: Season 2 was released on Blu-Ray on September 22nd, 2009.
Photo credit: Paramount Home Video

I know it’s mostly a personal thing but I don’t believe in messing with already-filmed (and, especially, already-beloved) film or television. Greedo doesn’t shoot first. No film should ever be colorized. Pan-and-scan is the tool of the devil. It’s just the way I see film and TV - don’t mess with the original.

So, naturally, I’m very happy that Paramount has chosen to include both the original and enhanced visual effects for the second season of “Star Trek” on one disc. Viewers even have the ability to alternate just by hitting the “Angle” button and not bouncing back to a menu screen. You choose your favorite. I’m sticking with the old-fashioned way.

However, old-fashioned effects shouldn’t rule out enjoying gorgeously remastered video and audio and “Star Trek” looks stunning in HD. I grew up watching the show on a little black-and-white television and it may be an overused cliche, but I really had never seen the show like this before. I bet a lot of fans haven’t either.

Just as the second film, “The Wrath of Khan,” is the best original series movie, the second season of “Star Trek: The Original Series” is my favorite single season of any incarnation of the show. Most of what people know and love about this short-lived series is right here in season two. Most of the top-voted, beloved episodes are from this season including the great “Mirror, Mirror,” “The Trouble With Tribbles,” “Journey to Babel,” “The Doomsday Machine,” and “Amok Time”.

“Tribbles” is such a part of TV and Trek history that it gets its own disc, complete with other variations on the legend, including when they appeared on “Star Trek: The Animated Series” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”. Tribble-centric special features are also included.

Other special features include preview trailers for every episode, a few featurettes, and the beloved “Billy Blackburn’s Treasure Chest,” rare home movies shot behind the scenes of the show.

The biggest drawback of the second season of “Star Trek: The Original Series” on Blu-Ray is simple - most real fans already own these episodes and special features, first released on HD-DVD and then a standard DVD set in August of last year. Luckily for Paramount, “Star Trek” fans are more likely than the average buyer to pick up the same thing twice. If you’re replacing a standard or HD version or never owned this important chapter in television history in the first place, “Star Trek: The Original Series: Season 2” is definitely a worthwhile pick-up on Blu-Ray.

‘Star Trek: The Original Series: Season 2’ is released by Paramount Home Video. It stars William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, James Doohan, and Walter Koenig. The show was created by Gene Roddenberry. It was released on Blu-Ray on September 22nd, 2009. It is not rated.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 16 ‘Star Trek: D-A-C’ Xbox Games

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:59:42 -0600

CHICAGO – We’re riding the critically acclaimed wave of the just-released “Star Trek” film from J.J. Abrams starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Eric Bana, Anton Yelchin, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Leonard Nimoy, Bruce Greenwood, Ben Cross and Winona Ryder with an extremely exciting edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film!

We’re giving away 15 “Star Trek: D-A-C” Xbox 360 games plus one family four-pack grand prize to see the new film at any Kerasotes theatre as well as the Xbox game, too!

To win your very own copy of “Star Trek: D-A-C” for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live as well as for your chance at the grand prize all courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is convince us you’re the biggest Trekkie in the land using this Web-based submission form.

That’s it! Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

The poster for the “Star Trek: D-A-C” video game for Xbox and Xbox Live.
Image credit: Paramount Digital Entertainment

The new “Star Trek” film opened wide on May 7, 2009 and currently has raked in more than $100 million in box-office receipts. Here is the video game synopsis for “Star Trek: D-A-C”:

Star Trek: D-A-C is a fast-paced, top-down space shooter inspired by the new motion picture. This pick-up-and-play game allows you and your friends to choose starships (from a list that includes the all-new U.S.S. Enterprise) and battle it out online!

Enlist in Starfleet or join the Romulan empire as you battle with up to 11 friends in game play modes including solo play, online versus and online cooperative.

Command the powerful flagship, the nimble fighter or the devastating bomber each with their own unique capabilities. Choose your side, fire your weapons and boldly go where no man has gone before!

To secure your free “Star Trek: D-A-C” Xbox game and for your chance at our “Star Trek” grand-prize pack, you must be logged into your HollywoodChicago.com Web site account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having a free Web site account with a valid e-mail address is required to win this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup.

Next, simply convince us why you’re the biggest Trekkie in the land! You must submit your answer using this confidential, Web-based submission form. Please do not comment in this Hookup. Your entry will be invalid if you only comment here and don’t submit into our Web-based form. Please only submit your answer using this submission form.

You must include your first and last name and e-mail address in your submission. Your personal information, which will be kept strictly confidential and is only for awarding winning entries, will not be sold or shared elsewhere.

Convince us why you’re the biggest Trekkie in the land now!

Like all Hookups here, this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film is simple: The first 15 people who submit valid entries win our “Star Trek: D-A-C” Xbox games and one person has a chance at winning our grand prize of four movie passes for the new film as well as the Xbox game as well!

The one grand prize winner will be judged by us based on your energy and submission quality. All Xbox winners for this title will be e-mailed a unique code to download and receive the game to it can be stored on your Xbox permanently. Good luck!

Read our review of the new “Star Trek” film from J.J. Abrams.
Read our ranking of the various “Star Trek” films.
Read our “Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy” Blu-ray review.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

DVD Review: ‘The Best of Star Trek’ Continues Hit Movie Experience

BrianTT — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:15:46 -0600

CHICAGO – So you saw J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” this weekend and you’re getting a little tired of arguing about it its greatness or joining in on the growing backlash to the rave reviews and just want to bask in the glow of Gene Roddenberry’s universe. Get started with “The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series” and “The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation,” available tomorrow, May 12th, 2009 on DVD.

DVD Rating: 4.0/5.0

Of course, this diehard Trekker would suggest that you check out the “Star Trek: The Original Series” Season One Blu-Ray release that was sadly unavailable for review or the remastered original series DVD sets that are among the best in TV history, but those are for people who already know that they love “Star Trek”.

The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series will be released on DVD on May 12th, 2009.
Photo credit: Paramount

Consider these four-episode releases “sampler sets” for the two most popular “Star Trek” series, the two that spawned ten films and, by extension, the new blockbuster starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Karl Urban, Bruce Greenwood and Eric Bana.

The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series will be released on DVD on May 12th, 2009.
Photo credit: Paramount

As anyone who’s seen it knows, the new film contains a multitude of references to the original series, many of which can be immediately paid off by watching the 201 minutes of “Kirk and Spock’s Greatest Adventures”. In other words, the old show will make your new favorite movie better.

The four episodes included on “The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series” are:

“The City on The Edge of Forever”

Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy enter the “Guardian of Forever” archway and are transported to the 1930s, where Kirk falls in love with a doomed peace activist (Joan Collins). If Kirk saves her, he could alter history, doom the Enterprise and trap himself and his crewmates in the past forever.

“The Trouble With Tribbles”

Fights and furballs! The Enterprise finds itself docked at the same space station as the Klingons and tensions soon escalate into a full-scale barroom brawl. Meanwhile, Lt. Uhura buys a small furry pet called a “Tribble’ and brings it back to the Enterprise, where the creatures rapidly reproduce and threaten to overpopulate the entire Enterprise.

“Balance of Terror”

For the first time, the Enterprise crew battle their enemies the Romulans, who have a cloaking device that renders their ship temporarily invisible. Complicating matters, the Romulans closely resemble Vulcans, causing crew members to distrust Mr. Spock. Kirk must fight two battles - one to save his ship and the other to keep his crew united against the enemy outside the Enterprise.

“Amok Time”

A glimpse into Vulcan culture and the series’ most memorable battle. Mr. Spock must mate or die. To save his friend, Kirk orders the Enterprise to the planet Vulcan. However, in a cruel twist of fate, Spock’s bride chooses Kirk as her champion, pitting the Captain against Spock in a fight to the death.

The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation will be released on DVD on May 12th, 2009.
Photo credit: Paramount

Want more “Trek” but you still don’t have the cash flow to dive into the season sets? You could do a lot worse than the four episodes included on “The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation”:

“The Best of Both Worlds (Part I)”

After a spectacular battle and chase, the Borg cube overtakes the Enterprise and the Borg abduct Captain Picard, taking over his mind and body. A rescue mission to save Picard ensues and the crew of the Enterprise is forced to make a dreadful decision; the opportunity to destroy the Borg and rid the universe of absolute tyranny will also mean annihilating their Captain.

“The Best of Both Worlds (Part II)”

With Riker as Captain, the Enterprise temporarily outwits the Borg, allowing for the rescue of Picard. Back on the Enterprise, the crew is desperately trying to figure out how to stop the Borg from reaching Earth. A still-assimilated Picard utters a single clue: “sleep.” But will it be enough to save the Enterprise…and the planet?

“Yesterday’s Enterprise”

A rift in the space-time continuum brings the Enterprise-C 22 years into the future, where it encounters a transformed Enterprise-D, now at war with the Klingon Empire. As one of only two episodes to feature two versions of the Enterprise, the past and present collide with potentially catastrophic and mind-bending consequences.

“The Measure of a Man”

When the Enterprise docks at a new Starbase, noted robotics specialist Cmdr. Bruce Maddox convinces Starfleet to allow him to disassemble the android Data. Told that Data is merely Starfleet property, Picard calls for a hearing to determine Data’s rights as a sentient being. With Riker as a prosecutor and Picard as Data’s defender, the outcome is literally life or death for Data.

Every episode on both discs is presented in 4:3 full frame and with an English 5.1 audio track.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: See Origins of Kirk, Spock in ‘Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy’

BrianTT — Fri, 08 May 2009 10:36:40 -0600

CHICAGO – It’s a cliched line, but the Blu-Ray release of “Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy” has something for everyone. It’s a release that will satisfy a generation that grew up in the prime theatrical era of this franchise and give young viewers who fall in love wiht J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” more of their new favorite series of films.

Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0

Buyers unfamiliar with the history of the franchise would naturally assume that “Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy” consists of the first three films in the now-eleven film series. Nope. Paramount cuts out the first film, the mediocre “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” and focuses on what is easily the most beloved sub-series in the entire theatrical run of the Enterprise - “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” “Star Trek III: The Search For Spock,” and “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home”.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture Trilogy will be released on Blu-Ray on May 12th, 2009.
Photo credit: Paramount

It will make sense to anyone familiar with the films that these three sci-fi adventures make up the “Trilogy,” especially after seeing how much the new film focuses on the Kirk/Spock dynamic. The canon of that relationship was greatly influenced by these three successful ’80s films, three works that make up some of the best “Star Trek” films to date (to see where they rank in the entire series, check out “Not All Treks Are Created Equal”).

Star Trek: The Motion Picture Trilogy will be released on Blu-Ray on May 12th, 2009.
Photo credit: Paramount

All three films have been remastered with brilliant picture and sound quality. Coming from someone who grew up watching these films, especially “Khan,” on small ’80s TV sets and VHS, the movies look amazingly new. When Paramount remasters, they do it very, very well.

The movies also include over 90 minutes of all-new special features plus over 6 hours of previously released content (the formerly available content is in standard definition). The set also includes new interactive content exclusive to Blu-Ray - “Library Computer: Interactive playback mode displays information on the characters, ships and planets that appear on-screen” and “Star Trek I.Q.(BD-Live): Test your Star Trek I.Q. with custom trivia games.”

With the new picture/sound quality and the great “Library Computer” feature, along with all the old bonus content, there’s only reason that fans of these movies or the new one shouldn’t pick up this set and that’s if they’re going to go all the way and buy the six-film Blu-Ray set that also includes “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier,” and “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country”. Sadly, that version was not available for review.

All three discs include over 2 hours of previously released content along with “Library Computer” and “Star Trek I.Q.”.

The new special features on “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” include a commentary by director Nicholas Meyer and Manny Coto, “James Horner: Composing Genesis,” “Collecting Star Trek’s Movie Relics,” “A Tribute to Ricardo Montalban,” and “Starfleet Academy: The Mystery Behind Ceti Alpha VI”.

The new special features on “Star Trek III: The Search For Spock” include a commentary by Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor, “Industrial Light & Magic: Visual Effectsm,” “Spock: The Early Years,” “Star Trek and the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame,” and “Starfleet Academy: The Vulcan Katra Transfer”.

The new special features on “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” include a commentary by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (writers of the new “Trek” film), “Pavel Chekov’s Screen Moments,” “The Three-Picture Saga,” “Star Trek for a Cause,” and “Starfleet Academy: The Whale Probe”.

‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture Trilogy’ is released by Paramount Home Video and stars William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Paul Winfield, Kirstie Alley, Christopher Lloyd, and Catherine Hicks. “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” was written by Jack B. Sowards and directed by Nicholas Meyer. “Star Trek III: The Search For Spock” was written by Harve Bennett and directed by Nimoy. “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” was written by Steve Meerson & Peter Krikes and Harve Bennett & Nicholas Meyer and directed by Nimoy. “Star Trek: The Motion Picture Trilogy” will be released on May 12th, 2009. All three films are rated PG.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Not All Treks Are Created Equal: Ranking the ‘Star Trek’ Films

BrianTT — Fri, 08 May 2009 09:44:51 -0600

CHICAGO – With the eleventh (and best) “Star Trek” movie landing in theaters today, we thought we’d take a look back at the ten-pack that came before, the films that defined the Trek universe (along with the TV incarnations, of course).

The “Star Trek” filmography is wildly varying in quality, stretching the spectrum from beloved sci-fi classic to total disaster. Which one was the worst? Which was the pre-J.J. Abrams best? Let us guide the way where so many have gone before.

10. “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier”

Easily the worst of the Trek films, original series, or Next Generation cast, it’s honestly surprising that the franchise could survive a film this bad. If “The Next Generation” TV series hadn’t injected life back into the solar system of characters that Gene Roddenberry created and the universe was simply film-based at this point, the series probably would have stopped after five films. After the most successful Trek film, the widely-appealing “The Voyage Home,” Trek producers decided to not only get existential and make a movie about Captain Kirk looking for God in outer space but also to let William Shatner direct. Fifth films in a franchise rarely work but few are as disastrous as “The Final Frontier”.

9. “Star Trek: Nemesis”

While “The Final Frontier” nearly put a nail in the coffin of the “Star Trek” franchise, “Nemesis” actually closed it shut and poured six feet of dirt on it. The most frustrating thing about the final Next Generation film was how much it made true all of the non-Trekker complaints about the mythology. Overly talky, ploddingly paced, and just plain nonsensical, “Nemesis” is, and I’m sorry to use such a hot-button word Trek fans, the “dorkiest” movie that emerged from Roddenberry’s universe. It was remarkable how clearly “Nemesis” slammed the door on what had been a robust franchise for years. There was no doubt that there would never be another TNG film after “Nemesis”. There were a few decent ideas - bringing back the Romulans and playing with Data’s personality like “First Contact” did - but the film made less than any other Trek outing, even the ’80s ones. J.J. Abrams’ version will make more in its opening night than this disaster.

8. “Star Trek: Insurrection”

The Next Generation films showed such promise but we could tell something was wrong by the time the ploddingly-paced “Insurrection” showed up. Whoever thought it was a good idea to follow an action film like “First Contact” with a dull, leaden script like the one for “Insurrection” deserves a lot of the blame for the demise of the TNG incarnation of the franchise. Sure, “Nemesis” may have been the final nail in the coffin but “Insurrection” pounded in more than a few on its way in and out of theaters. Of the three truly bad Trek films, it’s only barely the best. Having said that, there’s at least something to like about all of the top seven.

7. “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”

The director’s cut of “TMP” may be considered superior to the original, but the film is still deeply flawed in whatever incarnation. Originally planned as a TV pilot and rushed into production, the script for the first “Star Trek” film is a cobbled together mess. And it just looks bad. The confidence that the Trek crew would display in films II-IV, the best streak in the Trek franchise, simply isn’t on display in this one. You can feel the nerves and the uncertainty in every element. And it’s just so shockingly predictable and stunningly dated. You may have loved it when you were a kid, but I dare you to sit through it now. It’s almost impossible to do so without getting drowsy. How forgotten is the original “Star Trek”? Paramount is releasing a Blu-Ray box set under the banner “The Motion Picture Trilogy” next week. I naturally assumed it was the first three films. Nope. They skipped one and just included II-IV. You should too.

6. “Star Trek: Generations”

If you think about what “Generations” tried to do - passing the torch from one franchise to the next - a true home run of a film was damn near impossible. It was the kind of project that simply could not make everyone happy. Diehard fans of the original series didn’t give in easily to the idea of handing the reins over to Picard, Data, and the rest of the TNG gang. And the TNG diehards saw the film as more of an obligation, something to get out of the way before their favorite cast could take center stage. With that in mind, “Generations” works better than it should. It’s an entertaining sci-fi film, more memorable for its position as the bridge between the film incarnations than anything else, but not a bad movie on its own merits either.

5. “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country”

How good is “The Undiscovered Country”? It made “The Final Frontier” forgivable. Honestly, I think “The Undiscovered Country” is a vastly underrated sci-fi film. Directed by Nicholas Meyer, who not coincidentally worked on two of the most beloved Trek films - “Wrath of Khan” and “The Voyage Home” - “The Undiscovered Country” was co-written by Leonard Nimoy and stands as the final film that will ever feature the original cast. According to some reports, the sixth Trek film was once conceived not unlike Abrams’ reboot, in that it would kick start the franchise with a young cast. That means we would never have had this fitting final epilogue for the original crew and that would have been a travesty. How good is “Undiscovered Country”? It started the whole concept of even-numbered Treks being better than the odd ones.

4. “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock”

Here’s where things get tricky. Honestly, 2-4 on this list may fluctuate in my mind depending on the day. But I do think the whole even-number concept did a disservice to one of the first Trek movies I fell in love with as a kid and the middle act of the story arc that connects “Khan” and “Voyage Home,” two of the more beloved sci-fi films ever made, Trek or otherwise. Part of the reason I’m more forgiving of “Spock” than other Trekkers is simple - I’m a huge fan of the title character. Yes, Nimoy’s direction is a little too studied, returning the franchise to the more dull pace of the original film, but I think “Spock” is consistent with the ideas of Roddenberry’s original vision, one in which the humanity of the Enterprise crew always took center stage.

3. “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home”

The most financially successful Trek film (until the new one shatters all records) was the family-friendly “The Voyage Home,” a film that I rebelled against as a kid, thinking it wasn’t “cool” enough, but that I recognize is thoroughly enjoyable now. I still think “The Voyage Home” stands out as kind of an unusual sci-fi comedy, more of a fish-out-of-water movie than a Trek film. That’s never what the franchise was for me. But the reason I give in and place “Voyage Home” so high on the list is simple - it made the world of Trek what it is today. Think about it. What if the franchise had gone from “Search for Spock” to something like “The Final Frontier”? Even Abrams wouldn’t have the pull to get a reboot made. “The Voyage Home” is an essential part of the foundation of the entire franchise. Maybe the most essential.

2. “Star Trek: First Contact”

Borg! Easily the best Next Generation Trek film is also quite simply one of the best sci-fi movies of the ’90s. “First Contact” is an expertly paced action movie, a film that works for fans of TNG, fans of the original, and movie goers who hadn’t heard of either. Second only to “Voyage Home” in terms of box office, “First Contact” features a great villainous turn by Alice Krige as the Borg Queen and allows for all of the personalities of the TNG crew to take a turn in the spotlight, but none more than the beloved Data, who gets one of his most memorable story arcs, TV, or film.

1. “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”

What do the top two “Star Trek” films of all time have in common? Memorable villains. The Borg Queen and the legendary Khan proved that while the crew on the bridge of the Enterprise must be a crucial part of any Trek film, they need a worthy adversary. And they got one in Khan, one of the most referenced and beloved sci-fi films ever made. “Wrath of Khan” would go on to influence science fiction for years to come and you can see its fingerprints all over Abrams’ vision. With a dark edge and breakneck pace, “Wrath of Khan” is still converting Trek virgins into diehard fans around the world.

(All posters courtesy of Paramount).

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Video: Clip From ‘Star Trek’ With Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine

BrianTT — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:14:02 -0600

CHICAGO – Before you go see “Star Trek” this weekend, check out this great clip courtesy of Paramount. The film features Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Simon Pegg (Scotty), Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana and Winona Ryder and opens in theaters on Thursday, May 7, 2009.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Slideshow: 22-Image Gallery From ‘Star Trek’ With Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto

BrianTT — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:28:22 -0600

CHICAGO – This 22-image slideshow contains the official press images for “Star Trek” starring John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, with Eric Bana and Leonard Nimoy. The film, written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman and directed by J.J. Abrams, opens on May 8th, 2009.

Synopsis:

“The greatest adventure of all time begins with “Star Trek,” the incredible story of a young crew’s maiden voyage onboard the most advanced starship ever created: the U.S.S. Enterprise. On a journey filled with action, comedy and cosmic peril, the new recruits must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind.

The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock (Zachary Quinto), was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before!”

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos credited to Industrial Light and Magic and Paramount. All Rights Reserved.

Star_Trek_01: James T. Kirk (Chris Pine, left) and Spock (Zachary Quinto, right) quickly form an adversarial relationship.
Star_Trek_02: The drill from the Narada in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_03: Chekov (Anton Yelchin), James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Bones (Karl Urban), Sulu (John Cho), and Uhura (Zoë Saldana) in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_04: Director J.J. Abrams (left) discusses a scene with Zoë Saldana (right, as Uhura) on the set of “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_05: Director J.J. Abrams (center) discusses a scene with actors John Cho (left, as Sulu), Anton Yelchin (center left, as Chekov), Zachary Quinto (center right, as Spock), and Chris Pine (far right, as James T. Kirk) behind-the-scenes of “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_06: Director J.J. Abrams (right) discusses a scene with actor Chris Pine (far left, as James T. Kirk) behind-the-scenes of “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_07: Bruce Greenwood stars as Pike in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_08: Zoë Saldana (center) stars as Uhura in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_09: Uhura (Zoë Saldana, left) gets hit on by James T. Kirk (Chris Pine, right) at a bar in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_10: Spock (Zachary Quinto, left) and James T. Kirk (Chris Pine, right) in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_11: Spock (Zachary Quinto, left) and James T. Kirk (Chris Pine, right) in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_12: Scotty (Simon Pegg) in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_13: Spock (Zachary Quinto) in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_14: Eric Bana stars as Nero in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_15: James T. Kirk (Chris Pine, left) and Sulu (John Cho, right) in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_16: James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_17: The rebellious James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) decides to enroll in Starfleet Academy in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_18: Chris Pine stars as the headstrong and rebellious James T. Kirk in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_19: Chief Engineer Olson (Greg Ellis, left) James T. Kirk (Chris Pine, center) and Sulu (John Cho, right) embark on their first mission in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_20: Anton Yelchin stars as the 17-year-old Chekov in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_21: Anton Yelchin stars as the 17-year-old Chekov in “Star Trek.”
Star_Trek_22: John Cho stars as Sulu in “Star Trek.”

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Video: Trailer of J.J. Abrams’ ‘Star Trek’ With Chris Pine, Eric Bana

BrianTT — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:51:17 -0600

CHICAGO – We’re continuing to fill our video player with Summer 2009 movie previews and today’s entry is the highly-anticipated “Star Trek” from director J.J. Abrams. The film stars John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, with Eric Bana and Leonard Nimoy. “Star Trek” opens on May 8th, 2009.

Synopsis:

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

New ‘Star Trek’ Trailer Debuts on Apple.com From J.J. Abrams With Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:21:03 -0700

CHICAGO – With the May 8, 2009 release date for the highly anticipated new “Star Trek” film quickly approaching, we just received word that another new trailer for the J.J. Abrams-directed film has been released on Apple.com.

“Star Trek” stars Chris Pine as Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Eric Bana as Nero, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Winona Ryder as Amanda Grayson, Zoe Saldana as Nyota Uhura, Karl Urban as Leonard “Bones” McCoy and John Cho as Hikaru Sulu.

“Star Trek” also stars Bruce Greenwood as Christopher Pike, Ben Cross as Sarek, Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov, Leonard Nimoy as the old Spock, Greg Ellis as chief engineer Olsen and Chris Hemsworth as George Kirk. The new trailer can be watched by clicking the image below. In addition to “trailer one,” “trailer two” and a “big game TV spot,” the new trailer is “trailer three”.

A new “Star Trek” trailer debuted at Apple.com on May, 6, 2009.
Image credit: Apple.com

We reported the release of a previous “Star Trek” trailer in Nov. 2008. We also wrote about new sex scenes in the film that month, too.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Sex in J.J. Abrams’ ‘Star Trek’? Chris Pine, Rachel Nichols, Zoe Saldana Engage Full-Speed Ahead

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:36:48 -0700

CHICAGO – While “sex” and “Star Trek” typically aren’t found together in the same sentence, we learned this week from the official trailer for the new J.J. Abrams film that he’s clearly acquainting one with the other. But there’s more.

Chris Pine, who stars as the new (young) Captain Kirk, went so far as to tell Marc Malkin of E! Online that all the buzz about a particular striptease in the new “Star Trek” film from actress Zoe Saldana will live up to the hype.

From left to right: “Star Trek” stars Chris Pine, Rachel Nichols and Zoe Saldana.
Image credits from left to right: Michael Buckner/Getty Images, Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com
and Dimitrios Kambouris, WireImage.com

“It’ll become famous,” Pine told Malkin about the Zoe Saldana scene. “[The film is] trying to be sexed up for a new generation that really isn’t used to seeing ‘Star Trek’. It’s a whole new beast.”

As for who Pine himself is pining for in the film, we briefly saw in the trailer released this week that the woman he climbed in bed with while wearing his best drawers was in fact actress Rachel Nichols, according to Malkin. It’s one of the film’s two love scenes.

While Pine wouldn’t say Nichols is tough to look at, he said (at least to Malkin) that even that kind of work is still very much work nonetheless.

“It was a lot of fun, but I think that day actually was a 20-hour day,” Pine told Malkin. “By the end, the novelty wears off. After many sandwiches and meals through the day, all you want to do is brush your teeth and go home.”

“Star Trek,” which is slated to release on May 9, 2008, stars Chris Pine as Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Eric Bana as Nero, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Winona Ryder as Amanda Grayson, Zoe Saldana as Nyota Uhura, Karl Urban as Leonard “Bones” McCoy and John Cho as Hikaru Sulu.

Read about the multi-staged “Star Trek” trailer launch in Nov. 2008.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com