Product Description

Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Winona Ryder, Zoe SaldanaDirectors: J.J. Abrams

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36 in DVD
• Brand: Blu-ray Science Fiction
• Released on: 2009-11-16
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, German, Danish, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Castillian, Finnish, Dutch
• Number of discs: 3
• Dimensions: .26 pounds
• Running time: 127 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
J.J. Abrams' 2009 feature film was billed as "not your father's Star Trek," but your father will probably love it anyway. And what's not to love? It has enough action, emotional impact, humor, and sheer fun for any moviegoer, and Trekkers will enjoy plenty of insider references and a cast that seems ideally suited to portray the characters we know they'll become later. Both a prequel and a reboot, Star Trek introduces us to James T. Kirk (Chris Pine of The Princess Diaries 2), a sharp but aimless young man who's prodded by a Starfleet captain, Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood), to enlist and make a difference. At the Academy, Kirk runs afoul of a Vulcan commander named Spock (Zachary Quinto of Heroes), but their conflict has to take a back seat when Starfleet, including its new ship, the Enterprise, has to answer an emergency call from Vulcan. What follows is a stirring tale of genocide and revenge launched by a Romulan (Eric Bana) with a particular interest in Spock, and we get to see the familiar crew come together, including McCoy (Karl Urban), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Sulu (John Cho), Chekhov (Anton Yelchin), and Scottie (Simon Pegg).
The action and visuals make for a spectacular big-screen movie, though the plot by Abrams and his writers, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (who worked together on Transformers and with Abrams on Alias and Mission Impossible III), and his producers (fellow Losties Damon Lindeloff and Bryan Burk) can be a bit of a mind-bender (no surprise there for Lost fans). Hardcore fans with a bone to pick may find faults, but resistance is futile when you can watch Kirk take on the Kobayashi Maru scenario or hear McCoy bark, "Damnit, man, I'm a doctor, not a physicist!" An appearance by Leonard Nimoy and hearing the late Majel Barrett Roddenberry as the voice of the computer simply sweeten the pot. Now comes the hard part: waiting for some sequels to this terrific prequel. --David Horiuchi

Special Features
Disc 1:
• Commentary: By director J.J. Abrams, writers Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman, producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Bryan Burk.
• NASA News: This BD-Live feature gives viewers access to the latest NASA news about real space exploration. Learn about new mission developments and check out featured imagery from around the universe.

Disc 2:
• To Boldly Go: Taking on the world’s most beloved science fiction franchise was no small mission. Director J.J. Abrams, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, producer Damon Lindelof, and executive producer Bryan Burk talk about the many challenges they faced and their strategy for success.
- Branching Pods:
a) The Shatner Conundrum
b) Red Shirt Guy
c) The Green Girl
d) Trekker Alert!
• Casting: The producers knew their greatest task was finding the right cast to reprise these epic roles. The cast, for their part, talk about the experience of trying to capture the essence of these mythic characters. The piece concludes with a moving tribute to Leonard Nimoy.
• A New Vision: J.J. Abrams’ vision was not only to create a Star Trek that was a bigger, more action-packed spectacle, but also to make the spectacle feel real. Every aspect of production, from unique locations to the use of classic Hollywood camera tricks was guided by this overall objective.
- Branching Pods:
a) Savage Pressure
• Starships: Abrams and production designer Scott Chambliss were careful to pay tribute to the design of the original Enterprise, but they also wanted to make it futuristic and cool for a modern audience. This chapter focuses on the unique stories behind the creation of the film’s starships.
- Branching Pods:
a) Warp Explained
b) Paint Job
c) Bridge Construction Accelerated
d) The Captain’s Chair
e) Button Acting 101
f) Shuttle Shuffle
g) Narada Construction Accelerated
• Aliens: Designers Neville Page and Joel Harlow talk about the hurdles they faced creating new alien species, recreating the Romulans and Vulcans, and designing the terrifying creatures on Delta Vega for the new Star Trek.
- Branching Pods:
a) The Alien Paradox
b) Big-Eyed Girl
c) Big Bro Quinto
d) Klingons
e) Drakoulias Anatomy 101
• Planets: From the frozen landscape of Delta Vega to the desert plains of Vulcan, Scott Chambliss and the art department had a number of radically different planets to create. Abrams’ desire to shoot on real locations whenever possible led the production team to a number of strange and surprising locations.
- Branching Pods:
a) Extra Business
b) Confidentiality
• Props and Costumes; Property master Russell Bobbitt had the unique challenge of designing props that were both true to the original series and pertinent to today’s technology. Likewise, costume designer Michael Kaplan talks about how he designed costumes that paid homage to what came before yet were relevant and timeless.
- Branching Pods:
a) Klingon Wardrobe
• Ben Burtt and the Sounds of Star Trek: When famed sound designer Ben Burtt was hired to create sounds for the first Star Wars film, he took his inspiration from the original “Star Trek” series. Burtt jumped at the opportunity to pay tribute to the sounds that sparked his career with the sounds he created for the new Star Trek.
• Score: As a fan of the original series, composer Michael Giacchino embraced the challenge of creating new music for Star Trek while preserving the spirit of Alexander Courage’s celebrated theme.
• Gene Roddenberry’s Vision— J.J. Abrams, Leonard Nimoy, previous Star Trek writers and producers, and scientific consultant Carolyn Porco describe and commend the optimistic and enduring vision of Gene Roddenberry.
• Deleted Scenes with optional commentary:
- Spock Birth
- Klingons Take Over Narada
- Young Kirk, Johnny and Uncle Frank
- Amanda and Sarek Argue After Spock Fights
- Prison Interrogation and Breakout
- Sarek Gets Amanda
- Dorm Room and Kobayashi Maru (original version)
- Kirk Apologizes to the Green Girl
- Sarek Sees Spock
• Starfleet Vessel Simulator: Explore extensive data on the U.S.S. Enterprise and the Romulan ship, the Narada. Submerse yourself in breathtaking 360° views and close-ups and review detailed tech information.
• Gag Reel: Bloopers featuring the entire principal cast.

Disc 3:
Digital copy

Language information:
Subtitles - English, English SDH, German, Danish, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Castilian Spanish, Finnish, Dutch.
Commentary - English Commentary, German Commentary, Castilian Spanish Commentary, French Commentary, Italian Commentary

Synopsis
Those prepared to hate the reboot of STAR TREK--whether they're diehard fans or those in the anti-sci-fi camp--may be convinced to lower their shields after seeing this fun, action-filled film. Best known for creating mythology-driven series like LOST, J.J. Abrams has imbued his version with the elements that have made his shows such mind-bending entertainment while still keeping the soul of the saga intact. STAR TREK begins with an attack by an impossibly advanced Romulan ship captained by the tattooed, snarling Nero (Eric Bana). Among the survivors is the infant version of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), who grows up to wreak havoc on the Iowa countryside. When Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) meets an adult Kirk, he encourages him to join Starfleet, giving him the opportunity to meet Spock (Zachary Quinto), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), and the rest of the characters audiences have loved for decades.
Abrams has assembled a fine cast who seem to be aware of their predecessors but never resort to impressions. Both Quinto and Pine do a fine job with their portrayals of Kirk and Spock, and Karl Urban couldn't be better as Leonard McCoy. The supporting players--Simon Pegg (Scotty), John Cho (Sulu), and Anton Yelchin (Chekov)--all capture the essence of what drove their characters, though their screen time is limited. STAR TREK manages the nearly impossible: it pleases hardcore fans with plenty of in-jokes and references (and an appearance by the original Spock, Leonard Nimoy), but it doesn't alienate newcomers with tons of technobabble. The action and effects rank with any other top-tier summer blockbuster, but there's plenty of humour to balance the excitement. For anyone who (wrongly) felt he had to hide his trekker tendencies, this undeniably cool version of STAR TREK offers a chance to wear the 'geek' label with pride.

Customer Reviews

Stunning Blu Ray Transfer.
Amazing blu ray transfer and thanks to the boys in blue (Royal Mail Blue that is) causing much mayhem, many online retailers are shipping early I have just received my copy and I'm 100% happy with it.

Many people are not happy with the new film but I really don't understand why? It is a fantastic way to refresh everything and while it rewrites history it is done in a completely explainable way and I look forward to many more films with hopefully the same actors who play their respective characters to perfection.

CGI has come a long way over the years and this is just about the first time I didn't think "you can tell that's done with a computer".

The Blu ray comes with a second disc jam packed with extras and the extra scenes are fantastic to watch. We all know a directors cut that will include them will be released in the next 12 months though.

All in all this is one of the best modern films I've watched and unlike most modern films I will be watching this on more then one occasion.

Looking forward to Star Trek 12.

5 Star Film and a 5 star Disc

Better than expected
The set arrived yesterday and I managed to convince my wife that we should watch it the same day. I had to agree to let her watch the X Factor first but, as it turned out, that was actually a good thing. The three disc BD set comes with a graphic novel called Star Trek Countdown and this really is essential to read beforehand as it explains so much of what you are about to see. I read this while she watched the X Factor.

Quite what my opinion of the movie would be without having read it, I don't know but suffice to say she was confused until I paused the film and gave a quick 2 minute update. Amongst other things, it explains why the Romulans are bald and have facial tattoos but most importantly it explains much of the motivation behind Nero's attacks on Vulcan and Earth. Although this is briefly explained by one of the original series' returning characters, that scene feels tacked-on.

The Blu-Ray transfer is sharp, colourful and one of the best I've seen so far. As soon as the movie started I began to wish I had my surround sound system back as the obvious dynamics were too much for my TV's built-in system. It's on the shortlist of one of the first discs to dig out once I've got the speakers set up again.

There are a lot of extras on the second disc and for once these are also in HD, should take a while to work through them. The third disc contains a "digital copy" of the film to watch on your portable device though quite why you'd want to watch a movie with this much detail on a tiny screen is beyond me. In fact, the digital copy is not actually on the disc - you need to register a code in iTunes and it then downloads 1.3Gb from the web, not great if you're on a limited download contract.

Finally, the film itself. I'm not going to join in with the true fan debate, suffice to say I've watched the original series multiple times since I saw it originally in the early 70's so I'm extremely familiar with the characters. Watch it as just a movie and it's thoroughly enjoyable: the SFX don't overwhelm the characters or plot, it's fast-moving and the alternate universe/time travel plot point means you can't guarantee old characters aren't going to die this time around. On the negative side, without a backstory the character of Nero is a cardboard bad guy and he doesn't even appear that much. The new actors playing the old roles grate a little at first (except for Simon Pegg's Scotty, who is played for laughs a little too much) but there are enough little touches to remind us of who they are, particularly Karl Urban's McCoy. There are also various subtle nods to the original series, for example the scene where Kirk, Sulu and another character parachute down to Vulcan on a mission. Their parachutes are different colours and the third guy has a red one...

A must for your Blu-ray player
I went to the cinema not overly bothered about seeing this film, I am a fan of Star Wars, not so much Star Trek. It starts off with a flashback to Kirk Senior before James T. Kirk is even born, and then moves on to how Jim Kirk is wasting his life being a nobody and a bit of a handful. I was sceptical about the approach to this film, making Captain Kirk a young scallywag that needs to be taught a lesson, but the humour is pitched just right, and his meeting with Spock and Bones makes the film come full circle.

It is action packed, and although I think Eric Bana is perhaps a little wooden as the Romulan bad guy, by the end of the film you will be wanting more and although you may say "Er, can they get away with that?" like I did, you won't really care anyway because it is such an enjoyable film.

If you are going to get any Blu-ray film this year, make it Star Trek, it will be an absolute dream on your plasma screen.