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“Star Trek” as a concept has voyaged far beyond science fiction and into the safe waters of space opera, but that doesn’t amaze me. The Gene Roddenberry years, when stories might play with questions of science, ideals or philosophy, have been replaced by stories reduced to loud and colorful action. Like so many franchises, it’s more concerned with repeating a successful formula than going boldly where no “Star Trek” has gone before.

The 2009 “Star Trek” film goes back eagerly to where “Star Trek” began, using time travel to explain a cast of mostly the same characters, only at a younger point in their lives, sailing the Starship Enterprise. As a story idea, this is sort of brilliant and saves on invention, because young Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty and the rest channel their later selves. The child is father to the man, or the Vulcan, and all that.

Don’t get me wrong. This is fun. And when Leonard Nimoy himself returns as the aged Spock, encountering another Spock ( Zachary Quinto ) as a young man, I was kind of delighted, although as is customary in many sci-fi films, nobody is as astonished as they should be. Holy moly! Time travel exists, and this may be me! It’s more like a little ambiguous dialogue is exchanged, and they’re off to battle the evil Romulan Capt. Nero ( Eric Bana ).

Time travel as we all know, is impossible in the sense it happens here, but many things are possible in this film. Anyone with the slightest notion of what a black hole is, or how it behaves, will find the black holes in “Star Trek” hilarious. The logic is also a little puzzling when Scotty can beam people into another ship in outer space, but they have to physically parachute to land on a platform in the air from which the Romulans are drilling a hole to the Earth’s core. After they land there, they fight with two Romulan guards, using ... fists and swords? The platform is suspended from Arthur C. Clark’s “space elevator,” but instead of fullerenes, the cable is made of metallic chunks the size of refrigerators.

But stop me before I get started. I mention these details only to demonstrate that the movie raises its yo-yo finger to the science, while embracing the fiction. Apart from details from the youths of the characters and the Spock reunion, it consists mostly of encounters between the Enterprise and the incomparably larger and much better armed Romulan spaceship from the future. It’s encouraging to learn that not even explosions and fires can quickly damage a starship. Also that lifeboats can save the crew, despite the vast distance from home base.

That would be because of warp speed, which for present purposes consists of looking through an unnecessary window at bright lights zapping past. This method of transportation prevents any sense of wonder at the immensity of outer space and is a convenience not only for the starship but also for the screenwriters, who can push a button and zap to the next scene. The concept of using warp speed to escape the clutches of a black hole seems like a recycling of the ancient dilemma of the rock and the hard place.

But there are affecting character moments. Young Spock is deliberately taunted in hopes he will, as a Vulcan, betray emotion. Because Zachary Quinto plays him as a bit of a self-righteous prig, it’s satisfying to see him lose it. Does poor young Spock realize he faces a lifetime of people trying to get a rise out of him? Nimoy, as the elderly Spock, must have benefitted, because he is the most human character in the film.

Chris Pine , as James Tiberius Kirk, appears first as a hot-rodding rebel who has found a Corvette in the 23rd century and drives it into the Grand Canyon. A few years after he’s put on suspension by the Academy and smuggled on board the Enterprise by Bones McCoy ( Karl Urban ), he becomes the ship’s captain. There are times when the command deck looks like Bring Your Child to School Day, with the kid sitting in daddy’s chair.

Uhura ( Zoe Saldana ) seems to have traveled through time to the pre-feminist 1960s, where she found her miniskirt and go-go boots. She seems wise and gentle and unsuited to her costume. Scotty ( Simon Pegg ) seems to have begun life as a character in a Scots sitcom. Eric Bana’s Nero destroys whole planets on the basis of faulty intelligence, but the character is played straight and is effective.

The special effects are slam-bam. Spatial relationships between spaceships are unclear because the Romulan ship and the Enterprise have such widely unmatched scales. Battles consist primarily of jump-suited crew members running down corridors in advance of smoke, sparks and flames. Lots of verbal commands seem implausibly slow. Consider, at light warp speeds, how imprecise it would be to say “At my command ... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...” Between “2” and “1,” you could jump a million galaxies.

I thought about these things during “Star Trek” because I could not help myself. I understand the Star Trek science has never been intended as plausible. I understand this is not science fiction but an Ark movie using a starship. I understand that the character types are as familiar as your favorite slippers. But the franchise has become much of a muchness. The new movie essentially intends to reboot the franchise with younger characters and carry on as before. The movie deals with narrative housekeeping. Perhaps the next one will engage these characters in a more challenging and devious story, one more about testing their personalities than re-establishing them. In the meantime, you want space opera, you got it.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

Star Trek movie poster

Star Trek (2009)

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence, and brief sexual content

127 minutes

Chris Pine as James Tiberius Kirk

Zachary Quinto as Spock

Leonard Nimoy as Spock Prime

Eric Bana as Capt. Nero

Bruce Greenwood as Capt. Christopher Pike

Zoe Saldana as Uhura

John Cho as Sulu

Anton Yelchin as Chekov

Ben Cross as Sarek

Winona Ryder as Amanda Grayson

Chris Hemsworth as George Kirk

Jennifer Morrison as Winona Kirk

Directed by

  • J. J. Abrams

Screenplay by

  • Roberto Orci
  • Alex Kurtzman

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Screen Rant

16 crazy things you didn't know about star trek (2009).

It had been 7 years since a Star Trek film came out, but the reboot gave us something new and no shortage of crazy behind-the-scenes drama.

With two Star Trek movies in a row - Nemesis and Insurrection - receiving poor box office numbers and poorer reviews, Paramount’s decision to put the franchise on hiatus seemed detrimental.  Would fans ever get another film? It seemed very possible that 2002 might be the last year of a Star Trek feature film.

A  Star Trek movie had been released every two to three years, on average, since 1979. There has never been a shortage of ideas for the franchise - in regards to movies or TV - and in 2005, the President of Paramount (Gail Berman) talked the chief executive of CBS into giving her and her team 18 months to get a concept together for a new movie. The deal was if no Star Trek movie went into production by the end of the period, CBS’s TV rights for Star Trek would return back to the network to do with as it wished. Which meant they could do a new series if CBS wanted. Writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, and later J.J. Abrams, developed a prequel treatment that eventually proved to Paramount and CBS that another film should get made.

Just like other Star Trek films, there have been crazy stories behind the scenes. From the development process to auditioning and hiring actors to the reboot’s production, the Star Trek reboot released 2009 went through years of production and criticism before finding itself in good graces with fans and viewers when it finally hit theaters.

Here’s 16 Crazy Things You Didn ’t Know About The Star Trek 2009 Reboot Movie

NSA-Level Security (unless you're Tom Cruise or Ben Stiller)

Star Trek movies are often shrouded in secrecy - and none more so than when the reboot began production. Actors and actresses had a couple of strict rules to follow. First, no one was allowed to walk in public with their costumes on, even from set to set on the same movie lot. Second, actors and actresses were driven around the sets in golf carts that were covered in black canvas.

Simon Pegg, a main cast member subject to most of the rules, read the full script with a security guard nearby.

That was to protect the script from leaking in any way. Supporting actors were only given their scenes, and very few people had access to the film during production besides the director, producer, and writers. Funnily enough, two of those people were Tom Cruise and Ben Stiller.

 CGI mouths for Leonard Nimoy and Eric Bana

For a movie with Star Trek reboot’s scope, a certain level of CGI is expected - for ships and alien planets at the very least. These days, many movies are inserting CGI actors into scenes.

Two actors in Star Trek had to have one body part animated.

Nero is a vengeful Romulan who’ll stop at nothing to destroy Spock and everything he holds dear. At some point in his life, extensive damage to his teeth occurred. Eric Bana had to have sections of his mouth CGI’d in some of the shots because of that damage.

Even Leonard Nimoy had to have his mouth animated - especially during the campfire scene. The fire created hectic and bouncing light on the surroundings, which wreaked havoc on the voice syncing. So Nimoy had to re-record his lines and an animator reshaped his mouth to match in post-production.

 Crazy Cameos

A number of actors made cameos in the Star Trek reboot. Christopher Doonhan - the son of James Doohan, who played Scotty in the original crew - was uncredited, but he played Scotty’s (Simon Pegg) assistant. He’s listed in Star Trek moving listings as a Starfleet Officer.

Zachary Quinto’s brother, Joe was a stuntman for the film, but he also played a Romulan on Nero’s ship. Victor Garber ( Titanic , Legends of Tomorrow ) played a Klingon interrogator.

Greg Grunberg, known for his role in Heroes , did the voice-over for Captain Kirk’s stepfather during post-production. Abrams had offered Grunberg a larger role, but the actor had to decline because he was committed to other projects. In a few of the early drafts of the reboot, Grunberg was being considered for the part of Harry Mudd.

 Why the Romulans are bald

In any type of Star Trek story for TV or film, you’re guaranteed to have alien species at some point.  Most aliens in Star Trek  required detailed make-up sessions lasting a long time.

The actors who played the Romulans had to deal with a make-up process of two to four hours. Nero’s crew needed three prosthetics added for their ears and foreheads. The producers wanted the Romulans in the reboot to have small ridges. As Nero, Eric Bana needed a fourth prosthetic on his forehead, which was a bite wound he had received at a previous time.

Also, all the actors who played a Romulan character had their heads shaved so they could be told apart from the Vulcans.

 It had many, many fake titles with secret meanings

Besides the secrecy protocols the actors had to endure, production details were kept confidential by creating fake titles.

Bad Robot Productions, J.J. Abrams’s company behind the reboot, officially called the movie Corporate Headquarters . For those working at the different locations, various titles were used for the paperwork, signage used, and permits, all of which had personal connections.

Kathy McCury called the film “Untitled Walter Lace Project” after her grandfather. Scott Trimble honored his great-granduncle, who drowned in beer while working at the Anheuser-Busch factory, by calling Star Trek “The Ernest Castelhun Chronicles. Golden Swenson, because he had twin step-daughters, used “Christa & Christan’s Big Adventure.” And Steve Woroniecki decided to call the movie “Untitled Black Allen Project” after his son.

Lightsabers?!

J.J. Abrams is a great storyteller who is known to be a perfectionist when it comes to his TV shows and movies. He’s worn many hats on productions: from writer to director to executive producer. On some movies and television programs, Abrams has even composed music.

You might think it’s somewhat crazy that Abrams looked outside the production crew for an assessment of the reboot. He has hundreds of people around him on the Star Trek crew - from experienced colleagues to movie-fans - but Abrams ultimately went to George Lucas.

When a rough cut of the film was completed, Abrams showed Lucas the movie and asked the Star Wars creator what could make Star Trek better. It was an easy answer for Lucas: “Add lightsabers.”

Uhura Finally Gets a First Name

Lieutenant Uhura is the brilliant communications officer with a talent for alien languages. In all her Star Trek appearances on screen, Uhura never had a first name mentioned.

Gene Roddenberry, during The Original Series , just didn’t give her a first name. Whether that was an oversight or not is unknown. In 1982, William Rotsler gave Uhura her Nyota name for the first time in a licensed book called Star Trek II Biographies . Rotsler got Roddenberry’s approval for the name, and Nichelle Nichols was happy to finally have one. Since that book, Nyota began appearing in other Star Trek books and comics.

Fittingly, Nyota is the Swahili word for “star.”

However, it wasn’t until the Star Trek reboot that Nyota’s name was spoken for the first time on screen.

  Star Trek Alum are hidden throughout the movie

Those involved in making Star Trek TV shows and movies do a good job of including cast members from past Star Trek s. A few alumni from previous Star Trek TV episodes and movies made it into the reboot.

Wil Wheaton - who played Wesley Crusher in The Next Generation series - came on board to voice several Romulans in the movie. Greg Grunberg convinced Wheaton to do that when the producers asked him. W. Morgan Sheppard, who had a Klingon role in The Undiscovered Country and played Data's “allegorical grandfather,” appeared as the Vulcan Science Council’s head.

Majel Barrett, widow of Gene Roddenberry, did the voice of the Enterprise ’ s computer, as she usually did for the movies and TV shows. She completed recording two weeks before she passed away on December 18, 2008.

 Simon Pegg didn't even audition to play Scotty

Although at least one other actor went for the part of Scotty, Simon Pegg ultimately received the role. But he didn’t need to audition at all for it!

Pegg got an e-mail from Abrams asking if the actor would play Montgomery Scott.

A well-known Star Trek fan, Pegg accepted. In an interview, Pegg had said he would have played Scotty for no pay. Or would have paid Abrams to be in the reboot if no role was offered to him.

Ironically, when Pegg was in Spaced , his character mentioned that odd-numbered Star Trek movies being terrible was a “ fact of life. ” When he accepted the part of Scotty, Pegg said, “Fate put me in a movie to show me I was talking out of my a--.”

Abrams didn't love Kirk and Spock when he took the gig

Many fans weren’t happy J.J. Abrams was involved with rebooting Star Trek . Abrams had said he never saw Star Trek: Nemesis because he felt that movie had “disconnected” from the rest of the series. This comment didn’t sit well with fans.

Abrams also admitted that, initially, he only wanted to help Orci, Kurtzman, and Lindelof (three of his frequent collaborators) get the movie going.

Paramount felt that Abrams would provide much-needed “fresh eyes” to the franchise, and worked hard to get the director on board. After Abrams - a casual fan - read the script, he was convinced that the reboot was a great project to fully commit to. He had said, “the script Alex and Bob wrote was so emotional and relatable. I didn’t love Kirk and Spock when I began this journey - but I love them now.”

No Nimoy = No Movie

The Star Trek reboot almost didn’t happen - or could have been completely different - if Leonard Nimoy declined to be in it.

J.J. Abrams and the writers visited Nimoy at his house.

According to Orci, Nimoy presented himself as indifferent to why they were there. They asked him to be in it. Orci and Abrams told Nimoy he was very important to the reboot. If Nimoy didn’t like the script or story, they would delay the movie or rewrite the script to Nimoy’s approval.

Nimoy told the LA Times , “This is the first and only time I ever had a filmmaker say, ‘We cannot make this film without you and we won’t make it without you.’”

But after Nimoy read the script, he immediately jumped on board.

 Shatner's cut cameo

Even today, William Shatner has said he's open to reprising his role as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek. You’ve probably heard the stories about Shatner’s ego and how upset he was that Nimoy was getting equal or more screen time in The Original Series . According to castmates like George Takei, it was all true.

In the very early drafts of the reboot, Shatner was given a scene, pretty much a cameo. Abrams said that Shatner refused to have a cameo-only role in the movie. He wanted a major role, like Leonard Nimoy.

But since Kirk has passed away - in keeping with canon - Shatner suggested using the novels he wrote were Kirk is resurrected. Abrams made the smart decision to say no, since then the movie would be about resurrecting Kirk and not about the reboot as planned.

 The idea for the movie began in 1968

The Star Trek prequel idea had been around since 1968, when Gene Roddenberry hinted at one at the World Science Fiction Convention that year. Nothing came to fruition until the 1980s, when two men were given the go-ahead to write a prequel proposal.

Bennett worked with David Loughrey to write the proposal, called Star Trek : The Academy years. Part of the plan was to get younger and cheaper actors because the current stars’ increasing salaries were concerns for Paramount. The proposal was written, but ultimately the studio wasn’t sure about the whole concept, so the idea never went past the proposal stage.

While there have been books and comics over the years exploring major Star Trek characters when they were younger, nothing transpired on screen until Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman helmed development of a prequel in 2005.

  Star Trek: The Academy Years

During Star Trek IV : The Voyage Home , Ralph Winter and Harve Bennett gave Paramount a proposal for a prequel series movie. The studio kept the idea on ice through the fourth and fifth film. The Final Frontier did dismally at the box office, and Paramount gave Bennett the okay to develop his treatment.

Bennett worked with another writer, David Loughry, and they conceived of Star Trek : The Academy Years . It also had the potential name, Star Trek: Beginnings . Gene Roddenberry hated the idea, and with a deeply critical and disappointed fanbase voicing their opinions on the concept, the idea was shelved.

Years later, after Nemesis and after Enterprise was canceled, Rick Berman and Erik Jendresen began developing a movie about Kirk’s ancestor, Tiberius Chase. That idea too was shelved.

 Lensflares and Shaky Cam

J.J. Abrams wasn’t the first producer or director to do it, but with any movie he’s involved in, there are often lens flares added to scenes for additional cinematic effect. But that’s not the only unique thing he did for the Star Trek reboot.

As director, Abrams had explicit control over camera movement, the start and stop times, and what needed to be reshot. He also had control over how the camera moved.

Abrams often followed the camera crew and shook the camera with his hands for more “realism.” Some of the shots were impossible to do that with, so he had Industrial Light and Magic CGI the same effect.

ILM would use motion capture and set the camera at a fixed spot and bang the desk the camera was sitting on to get the shake Abrams liked.

 Matt Damon as Kirk?

Other actors and actresses were considered for many of the main roles. For Captain Kirk, Chris Pratt, Joshua Jackson, and Mike Vogel ( The Brave , Cloverfield ) were thought of. Another actor in the running for Spock was Adrien Brody.

Paul McGillion ( Stargate: Atlantis, Tomorrowland )  had been considered for Scotty. Uhura had more contention than just Zoe Saldana. Sydney Tamiia Poitier ( Chicago P.D. ) auditioned for the role of Uhura. James Kyson Lee, one of Quinto's  Heroes  co-stars, almost received the role of Sulu.

Matt Damon had heard he was considered for Captain Kirk, so he called J.J. Abrams. Abrams said - as friendly as possible - that he wasn’t. Later, Abrams said that Damon was too old for the role. And there were only rumors that Gary Sinise and James Marsden had made the list for Doctor McCoy.

What crazy things did you find out about the Star Trek 2009 reboot? Let us know in the comments?

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After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction.

Clark Kent, one of the last of an extinguished race disguised as an unremarkable human, is forced to reveal his identity when Earth is invaded by an army of survivors who threaten to bring the planet to the brink of destruction.

In 1962, the United States government enlists the help of Mutants with superhuman abilities to stop a malicious dictator who is determined to start World War III.

An ancient struggle between two Cybertronian races, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, comes to Earth, with a clue to the ultimate power held by a teenager.

An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly finds a kindred spirit in a government agent who is exposed to their biotechnology.

As a war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures wages on, a former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in a desperate effort to save the world from the apocalypse.

After being held captive in an Afghan cave, an industrialist creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.

Two mutants come to a private academy for their kind whose resident superhero team must oppose a terrorist organization with similar powers.

A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.

A substance, designed to help the brain repair itself, gives rise to a super-intelligent chimp who leads an ape uprising.

The powerful but arrogant god Thor is cast out of Asgard to live amongst humans in Midgard (Earth), where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.

With the world now aware of his identity as Iron Man, Tony Stark must contend with both his declining health and a vengeful mad man with ties to his father's legacy.

On the day of James Kirk's birth, his father dies on his ship in a last stand against a mysterious alien time-traveling vessel looking for Ambassador Spock, who, in this time, is also a child on Vulcan disdained by his neighbors for his half-human heritage. Twenty-five years later, Kirk has grown into a young troublemaker. Challenged by Captain Christopher Pike to realize his potential in Starfleet, he comes to annoy instructors like young Commander Spock. Suddenly, there is an emergency at Vulcan and the newly commissioned USS Enterprise is crewed with promising cadets like Nyota Uhura, Hikaru Sulu, Pavel Chekov and even Kirk himself, thanks to Leonard McCoy's medical trickery. Together, this crew will have an adventure in the final frontier where the old legend is altered forever as a new version of it begins. Written by Kenneth Chisholm ([email protected])

Plot Keywords:

Motion picture rating ( mpaa ), parents guide:, official sites:, release date:, also known as:, filming locations:, opening weekend:, production co:, aspect ratio:, frequently asked questions.

As someone with a longstanding fondness for most things Trek (I've seen most of the movies and quite a few of the shows), I have to say that JJ & Co did a fine job with this picture; the character dynamics were broadly satisfying, the action scenes entertaining and the set pieces well put together. Most of all I was impressed with the lightness of touch of the whole venture - it would be very easy to criticise the picture for making what could be considered significant changes to certain parts of Trek lore, but given that the changes were accomplished with such comfort and confidence makes them, in my view, perfectly acceptable. With regards to the acting characterisation, everyone was pretty much solid, with perhaps the exception of Sulu, who I thought didn't have much to do. Kudos, though, to Zoe Saldana's loveliness as Uhura and also, especially, to Chris Pine as Kirk - I had always thought Spock was my favourite character, but it looks like I may have to reassess; Pine lives and breathes that Kirk moxie exquisitely and he'll be great fun to watch in future instalments. With regards to plot, it's pretty good; there is a decent sense of internal logic to it, without it being too overwrought. True, there are a number of points where you might think, "Blimey, that's serendipitous," but as I'd already suspended my disbelief to accept the possibility of time travelling green-blooded alien from the planet Vulcan, these things really didn't bother me at all. Plus there were a number of points in the movie where they were saying, "We were pulling this kind of shtick 20+ years ago, and you loved it then; run with us on this one," and I was happy to. Oh, and most importantly of all, the movie is fun; it has the good sense to not take itself too seriously, despite remaining well aware of that sense of pomp and importance that all great character dramas should have, and that isn't a bad thing at all. How this movie will bear up to repeat viewings, I'm not certain yet, but at the premiere, it was a blast. Addendum: It's a month plus since I originally wrote this and I have seen the film three times in total now - the opening ten minutes remain a manipulative marvel that the remainder of the film struggles to match, the coincidences and conveniences seem even more far fetched than ever and the jokes seem even more silly BUT I still fancy seeing it again, so I guess it must work for me.

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2009, Sci-fi/Adventure, 2h 6m

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Critics Consensus

Star Trek reignites a classic franchise with action, humor, a strong story, and brilliant visuals, and will please traditional Trekkies and new fans alike. Read critic reviews

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Aboard the USS Enterprise, the most-sophisticated starship ever built, a novice crew embarks on its maiden voyage. Their path takes them on a collision course with Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan commander whose mission of vengeance threatens all mankind. If humanity would survive, a rebellious young officer named James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and a coolly logical Vulcan named Spock (Zachary Quinto) must move beyond their rivalry and find a way to defeat Nero before it is too late.

Rating: PG-13 (Sci-Fi Action|Brief Sexual Content|Violence)

Genre: Sci-fi, Adventure, Action, Fantasy

Original Language: English

Director: J.J. Abrams

Producer: J.J. Abrams , Damon Lindelof

Writer: Roberto Orci , Alex Kurtzman

Release Date (Theaters): May 7, 2009  wide

Rerelease Date (Theaters): Sep 8, 2023

Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2013

Box Office (Gross USA): $257.7M

Runtime: 2h 6m

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Production Co: Bad Robot

View the collection: Star Trek

Cast & Crew

James T. Kirk

Zachary Quinto

Leonard Nimoy

Spock Prime

Bruce Greenwood

Capt. Christopher Pike

Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy

Zoe Saldana

Montgomery "Scotty" Scott

Anton Yelchin

Winona Ryder

Amanda Grayson

Chris Hemsworth

George Kirk

Jennifer Morrison

Winona Kirk

Rachel Nichols

Faran Tahir

Capt. Robau

Clifton Collins Jr.

J.J. Abrams

Roberto Orci

Screenwriter

Alex Kurtzman

Damon Lindelof

Executive Producer

Jeffrey Chernov

Michael Giacchino

Original Music

Cinematographer

Maryann Brandon

Film Editing

Mary Jo Markey

Scott Chambliss

Production Design

Michael Kaplan

Costume Design

Keith P. Cunningham

Supervising Art Direction

Art Director

Dennis Bradford

Luke Freeborn

Beat Frutiger

News & Interviews for Star Trek

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Critic Reviews for Star Trek

Audience reviews for star trek.

Thanks to sleek direction and a strong script, Star Trek is the true definition of a blockbuster - managing to both satisfy longtime fans while appealing to all demographics with fun and intense action with some of the best visual effects ever put to screen.

star trek 2009 imdb trivia

It came as a shock to many people when it was announced that Paramount Pictures would make a new "Star Trek" movie that would reboot the franchise. But when the movie came out, pretty much everybody agreed that it was pretty good. This movie is awesome! J.J. Abrams managed to make a movie with some incredible acting and a really good story. The new actors were all pretty good and, of course, Leonard Nimoy who returned to play the older version of Spock proved that he still got it. The weaknesses of this movie are the visual effects when it comes to the creatures and then the villain who is incredibly weak. I didn't think that they had gave him a good reason for him to do what it is that he does. However, I still love this movie and I can't wait to see where this franchise will be going.

Plenty Star Trek super fans stand by the notion that the rebooted/re-imagination that J.J. Abrams brought us in 2009 should not be considered canon or even a part of the franchise. I tend to believe Abrams did right by the franchise's history and pathed the correct way to take the series. That's not to say the film doesn't ask its audience to take some leaps of faith, they certainly do. Beginning with an entirely new cast of actors playing iconic characters. Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Simon Pegg, and the late Anton Yelchin surrounded the film with impressive young talent. Luckily, they all fit right in with the actors who previously played the crew of the Starship Enterprise, while also bringing a fresh new face to the front of the franchise. Much like 2015's The Force Awakens, J.J. Abrams took a relatively simple and safe approach to revamping the series with Star Trek. Take the villain for example, Nero, he's a vengeful leader of a race who demands payback against those who wronged him. In this case those people are one, in Spock. Though Eric Bana is unrecognizable and quite good as Nero, he's sort of an antagonist doing antagonistic things just so that Kirk and Spock can have something to overcome. As it is a reimagining of sorts for the crew, we get to see Spock, Kirk, and even Uhura in places we've never seen them, both physically and emotionally. I particularly enjoyed the much more involved Uhura, though I'm not sure she needed to have a romantic relationship with Spock. But it does also provide us with a more unplugged version of Spock, though obviously still emotionally guarded. In all, the characters still feel like the same old Enterprise characters from the old films and series, just with a fresh spin. And that's okay Trek fans. Of course, there are quite a few gaps in the storytelling. After a highly emotional beginning with a great expanded cameo from Chris Hemsworth (up and comer at the time), I don't think the film ever reaches those gut punching heights, so from that angle, the film doesn't necessarily succeed. At other times, events happen that aren't explained well enough and warrant perhaps too much suspension of disbelief. With that said, once Leonard Nimoy steps into the film, everything begins to make a bit more sense and the entire film takes a leap forward in quality as well. It just takes a little bit to get to that point. This Star Trek reboot is far from perfect, but it's certainly nowhere near the 'dismal' quality some 'Trekkies' deem it. +The Kirk and Spock relationship is the krux of the story +Uhura's role amped up +J.J. reinvigorated the series -Some conveniences -Never hits the emotional heights of the first segment 8.0/10

This was a very very very smart way to reboot the franchise, especially with concern to using the characters from the original series. Very effective job by the actors. Zachary Quinto steals the show as "the new timeline Spock." It's amazing, the script that this team of writers can put together when directed by a quality director (they also wrote the first Transformers).

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Star Trek Trivia

100+ Best Star Trek Trivia Questions & Answers

Mike oberman.

Updated: July 4th, 2023

General Star Trek Trivia

Star trek characters trivia, star trek trivia episodes trivia, star trek movie plot trivia, star trek world cultures trivia, miscellaneous star trek trivia.

Question: Under the Treaty of Armens established between the Federation and the Sheliak Corporate, what planet does the Federation cede?

Answer: Tau Cygna V

Question: What influential member of the Duras family does Mogh suspect has conspired with the Romulans to overthrow the Klingon emperor?

Answer: Ja'rod

Question: Who was the first Starfleet captain to encounter the Borg after the events in "Star Trek: First Contact" slightly altered linear history?

Answer: Jonathan Archer

Question: Which is the only crew member of the Enterprise-D ever to attempt suicide and succeed?

Answer: Dan Kwan

Question: Which of the following is related to Guinan, the El-Aurian Enterprisde-D bartender?

Answer: Terkim

Question: Which "Deep Space Nine" crew member goes MIA during the course of the series?

Answer: Benjamin Sisko

Question: What was the unusual property of the drink known as a Samarian sunset?

Answer: It changed color

Question: In the "Star Trek: Voyager" series, Captain Janeway is well known for drinking coffee. She wasn't the only one though. Who had a two pot limit per day of a type of coffee called Landras blend?

Answer: Lt. Torres

Question: We all know Deanna's mother made several appearances and other mothers appeared from time to time. Whose mother did we never see played by an actress?

Answer: Beverly's

Question: Worf hadn't always worn a gold uniform. What colour did he wear in the first season?

Answer: Red

Question: In what season did Riker first appear with his beard?

Answer: Second

Question: Which crewmember was it implied that Data became intimate with?

Answer: Tasha Yar

Question: Who did Data serve as 'father of the bride' for?

Answer: Keiko

Question: In the episode where Data was having dreams, who did he dream was a cake?

Answer: Troi

Question: Which famous mystery character does Data like to be in the holodeck?

Answer: Sherlock Holmes

Question: What is the military rank of Doctor Julian Bashir?

Answer: Lieutenant

Question: Captain Kirk's full name was James T. Kirk! What did the 'T' stand for or what was his middle name?

Answer: Tiberius

Question: What is the Vulcan marriage ritual called?

Answer: Koon-ut-kal-if-fee

Question: What was Max's nickname for B'Elanna in 'Equinox'?

Answer: BLT

Question: What is the name of the race that the Kazon hate?

Answer: Trabe

Question: What is the name of the ship in the show?

Answer: USS Enterprise

Question: Who is the captain of the ship?

Answer: James T. Kirk

Question: Who is the Vulcan first officer aboard the ship?

Answer: Spock

Question: What is the service number of the ship?

Answer: NCC-1701

Question: What color signifies command?

Answer: Gold

Question: Chief O'Brien's wife, Keiko, is the station's schoolteacher, but what is her trained profession?

Answer: Botanist

Question: What mentor to Benjamin Sisko was the host of the Dax symbiote before Jadzia?

Answer: Curzon

Question: Ziyal is the daughter of which evil mastermind?

Answer: Gul Dukat

Question: Q was responsible for introducing the crew of the Enterprise D to which race?

Answer: The Borg

Question: Where is the Borg's native territory?

Answer: The Delta Quadrant

Question: Naomi Wildman appears aboard which starship?

Answer: Voyager

Question: Who is the engineer aboard the U.S.S Enterprise-E?

Answer: Geordi La Forge

Question: What is the given name of the Bajoran liaison officer of Deep Space Nine?

Answer: Nerys

Question: What was the name of the wheat-like grain in the episode 'The Trouble with Tribbles'?

Answer: Quadrotriticale

Question: In the episode 'Author, Author,' what is the name of the ship the Doc uses in his holonovel?

Answer: Vortex

Question: What were the name for the people that inhabited the water world?

Answer: Monean

Question: What was the name of the device used to circumvent the memories of the Voyager crew in the episode 'The Killing Game'?

Answer: Neural Interface

Question: What gift did Chakotay present to the Captain in 'Year of Hell' as a birthday present?

Answer: Pocket watch

Question: What name does the Q, who is granted asylum aboard 'Voyager', adopt once he becomes human in the episode 'Death Wish'?

Answer: Quinn

Question: Who is the quote on 'Voyager's' registration plaque by?

Answer: Alfred Lord Tennyson

Question: What was the name of Chakotay's father?

Answer: Kolopak

Question: What is the name of the first "Star Trek" movie?

Answer: Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Question: What is the name of the Klingon Commander who ordered the death of Kirk's son David?

Answer: Commander Kruge

Question: What is the name of the vessel that makes first contact with the Vulcans in "Star Trek: First Contact"?

Answer: The Phoenix

Question: In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, who is the main antagonist seeking revenge against Captain Kirk?

Answer: Khan Noonien Singh

Question: Which Star Trek film features a confrontation between the Enterprise crew and a god-like entity known as "V'Ger"?

Question: What is the subtitle of the fourth Star Trek film, where the crew travels back in time to save Earth's whales?

Answer: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Question: In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, what event leads to a fragile peace treaty between the Federation and the Klingon Empire?

Answer: The explosion of the Klingon moon Praxis

Question: Which Star Trek movie sees the crew of the Enterprise encounter a renegade Vulcan named Sybok who believes in the existence of God?

Answer: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Question: In Star Trek: First Contact, the Borg travel back in time to prevent what historical event?

Answer: First contact between humans and Vulcans

Question: Which Star Trek film features the character Shinzon, a clone of Captain Picard seeking revenge against the Federation?

Answer: Star Trek: Nemesis

Question: In Star Trek: Insurrection, the crew discovers a hidden paradise planet that grants its inhabitants immortality. What is the name of this planet?

Answer: Ba'ku

Question: Which Star Trek movie showcases a conflict between the Enterprise crew and a Romulan mining vessel led by Nero?

Answer: Star Trek (2009)

Question: In Star Trek Into Darkness, the villain John Harrison is revealed to be an alter ego of which classic Star Trek character?

Question: What is the subtitle of the third film in the rebooted Star Trek series, where the crew faces a mysterious alien threat?

Answer: Star Trek Beyond

Question: Which Star Trek film features the crew of the Enterprise confronting a rogue Starfleet admiral planning to initiate war with the Klingons?

Answer: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Question: In Star Trek: Generations, which character from the original series joins forces with Captain Picard to prevent a cosmic anomaly from destroying planets?

Answer: Captain James T. Kirk

Question: Which Star Trek movie sees Captain Picard and his crew encountering a group of alien beings known as the Ba'ku?

Answer: Star Trek: Insurrection

Question: In Star Trek: The Search for Spock, what is the name of the Genesis Device, a technology capable of terraforming entire planets?

Answer: Project Genesis

Question: Which alien race in the Star Trek universe follows a philosophy of logic and suppressing emotions?

Answer: Vulcans

Question: What is the home planet of the Klingons?

Answer: Qo'noS

Question: Which alien species in Star Trek is known for their ability to shape-shift and their fascination with espionage?

Answer: Changelings (Founders)

Question: What is the name of the warrior race from the Gamma Quadrant that considers honor and battle prowess as their highest virtues?

Answer: Jem'Hadar

Question: Which Star Trek species is characterized by their large, lobed foreheads and strong sense of family?

Answer: Ferengi

Question: What is the name of the humanoid species that has a complex caste system and strict adherence to rules and rituals?

Answer: Bajorans

Question: Which race in Star Trek is known for their telepathic abilities and strict adherence to cultural customs and traditions?

Answer: Betazoids

Question: What is the name of the insectoid species from the Delta Quadrant that operates under a hive mind and values collective consciousness?

Answer: Borg

Question: Which advanced civilization in Star Trek has a highly evolved sense of aesthetics and values art and creativity?

Answer: El-Aurians

Question: What is the name of the telepathic and telekinetic species that resides in the Alpha Quadrant and has a hierarchical society?

Answer: Ocampa

Question: Which alien species, known for their highly efficient and logical minds, often serves as scientists and researchers in Starfleet?

Answer: Denobulans

Question: What is the name of the mysterious species that resides in the Delta Quadrant and communicates through complex temporal concepts?

Answer: Q Continuum

Question: Which culture in Star Trek is characterized by their reverence for nature and the interconnectedness of all life forms?

Question: What is the name of the species that is inherently violent and aggressive, with a strong militaristic society?

Answer: Cardassians

Question: Which alien race, with blue skin and antennae, is known for their unique language and intricate social structure?

Answer: Andorians

Question: What is the name of the peace-loving humanoid species that values non-violence and diplomacy?

Answer: Medusans

Question: Which civilization, encountered by the crew of the USS Voyager, has a strong emphasis on communal living and sharing resources?

Answer: Kazon

Question: What is the name of the species that exists outside normal space-time and communicates through non-linear temporal narratives?

Answer: Prophets (Bajoran Wormhole aliens)

Question: Which alien culture, based on ancient Japanese traditions, heavily influences the design and philosophy of the USS Enterprise-D?

Answer: Kataan (from "The Inner Light")

Question: What is the name of the aquatic species that lives underwater and forms a symbiotic relationship with a specialized lifeform called a cetacean?

Answer: Xindi-Aquatics

Question: Which Star Trek series was the first to feature a female captain as the main character?

Answer: Star Trek: Voyager

Question: Who is the actor that portrayed the character Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation?

Answer: Patrick Stewart

Question: What is the name of the android crew member on Star Trek: The Next Generation?

Answer: Data

Question: In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which space station serves as the primary setting for the series?

Answer: Deep Space 9

Question: Who is the chief medical officer aboard the USS Enterprise-D in Star Trek: The Next Generation?

Answer: Dr. Beverly Crusher

Question: What is the name of the organization that serves as the primary antagonist in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine?

Answer: The Dominion

Question: Which Star Trek series features a space station rather than a starship as the primary setting?

Answer: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Question: Who is the chief engineer aboard the USS Voyager in Star Trek: Voyager?

Answer: B'Elanna Torres

Question: Which iconic Star Trek character is known for the catchphrase "Live long and prosper"?

Question: What is the name of the Starship Enterprise's computer system in Star Trek: The Next Generation?

Answer: LCARS (Library Computer Access/Retrieval System)

Question: Which Star Trek series takes place before the events of the original series and explores the early days of Starfleet?

Answer: Star Trek: Enterprise

Question: What is the name of the Ferengi bartender on Deep Space 9 in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine?

Answer: Quark

Question: Who is the chief security officer aboard the USS Enterprise-D in Star Trek: The Next Generation?

Answer: Worf

Question: Which Star Trek film features the crossover between the original series and The Next Generation casts?

Answer: Star Trek: Generations

Question: What is the name of the Vulcan science officer aboard the USS Enterprise in the original Star Trek series?

Answer: Mr. Spock

Question: Which Star Trek series follows the adventures of the starship Voyager as it tries to find its way back to Earth?

Question: Who is the captain of the USS Discovery in Star Trek: Discovery?

Answer: Captain Gabriel Lorca (initially)

Question: In Star Trek: The Original Series, what color is the uniform worn by the command division?

Question: What is the name of the holodeck character in Star Trek: The Next Generation who serves as the ship's emergency medical hologram?

Answer: The Doctor (or EMH, Emergency Medical Hologram)

Question: Which Star Trek series features the first openly gay character in a regular role?

Answer: Star Trek: Discovery (with Lieutenant Paul Stamets)

Mike Oberman

Resident trivia question creator with a bachelor in media studies.

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1 .   "Star Trek" Subtitles     Match Quiz   10 Qns Match the "Star Trek" subtitle with the correct "Star Trek" movie number and clue. Easier , 10 Qns, nyirene330, Jun 10 16 Easier nyirene330 998 plays

5 .   Those Who Embarked on a "Star Trek"     Multiple Choice   10 Qns In this quiz, you will be tested on your knowledge of the actors who provided their talents to the characters of the "Star Trek" universe in the first seven movies. Very Easy , 10 Qns, Dejera/Squall, Sep 09 17 Very Easy Dejera/Squall Sep 09 17 4539 plays

7 .   How Well Do You Know "Star Trek"?     Multiple Choice   10 Qns This quiz is about the 10 movies produced so far. Test your knowledge to see if you are a "Star Trek" wiz. Good luck! Easier , 10 Qns, ERommel, Aug 27 19 Easier ERommel Aug 27 19 3810 plays

11 .   "Star Trek Into Darkness" - Part 1     Multiple Choice   10 Qns How much can you remember about the 2013 "Star Trek Into Darkness", the sequel to the 2009 film "Star Trek"? The quiz and interesting information may contain spoilers. Average , 10 Qns, Daddy19, May 23 13 Average Daddy19 464 plays

13 .   The Antagonists of "Star Trek"     Multiple Choice   10 Qns Every "Star Trek" movie had its villain. This quiz will test your knowledge of which villain was featured in all films from "Star Trek II" through "Star Trek VI." There are also secondary questions regarding each answer. Average , 10 Qns, Dejera/Squall, Mar 18 23 Average Dejera/Squall Mar 18 23 3397 plays

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Trivia / Star Trek: Discovery

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  • Several actors portray the Mirror Universe counterparts of their usual characters during the latter half of the first season and in a two-part story in the third.
  • General Kol of House Kor
  • Kol's father Kol-Sha
  • Tenavik, a monk on Boreth
  • Aurelio, a scientist for the Emerald Chain.
  • Captain Phillipa Georgiou, who is revealed to be from Malaysia, just like her actress Michelle Yeoh (although from different places in Malaysia: Georgiou is from the island of Pulau Langkawi, while Yeoh is from the mainland). Averted with Emperor Phillipa Georgiou, who is not from Malaysia, despite having the same accent .
  • In season 2, Captain Christopher Pike displays more familiarity than most Starfleet officers with the practice of religion and mentions attending church as a child (a notable departure from franchise norms , note  Jason Isaacs reportedly was even stopped once from ad-libbing "For God's sake!" during a season 1 scene. Bajorans notwithstanding ). Anson Mount is a practicing Episcopalian in real life.
  • Although the existence of Capt. Robert April, the very first captain of the Enterprise (pre-dating Pike) was first revealed in Star Trek: The Animated Series , and later referenced in many novels and comics, for a long time the owners of the Trek franchise did not recognize April as canon, due to having originated in the animated series, which was not considered canon, either. An on-screen reference to April in an early episode of Discovery marks the first time the live-action franchise has acknowledged his existence. In the second season, another on-screen reference explicitly named him as Pike's predecessor as the captain of the Enterprise . April appears in person, having since been promoted to admiral, in the Spin-Off Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , played by Adrian Holmes .
  • In “Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2”, Pike at one point refers to Number One as Una, a name used in the Star Trek Legacies trilogy to refer to her, given that she was no longer a first officer by the time of the novels. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds gives her full name as Una Chin-Riley.
  • The idea of a Klingon going through extensive painful surgery to appear entirely as human first appeared in the comic miniseries Star Trek: Klingons – Blood Will Tell (With the one undergoing the process being Darvin).
  • The Cast Showoff : With Michelle Yeoh playing Georgiou, the writers couldn't resist giving her spectacular sword-fighting scenes.
  • Cast the Runner-Up : Ian Alexander originally auditioned for the role of Adira. The producers decided he wasn't the right fit for Adira, but still liked his audition, and adjusted another character to become Gray.
  • As a fourth-year cadet (eventually commissioned and holding the rank of ensign in the Season 1 finale) , Sylvia Tilly is supposed to be in her early twenties (most likely 22 or 23 by the end of the first season), whereas the actress who portrays her, Mary Wiseman, was actually 32 (the same age as Burnham's actress Sonequa Martin-Green) when the season was shot.
  • Adira is 16, played by Blu del Barrio, who's 23.
  • Disabled Character, Disabled Actor : With Kenneth Mitchell in a wheelchair courtesy of ALS, his season 3 character Aurelio is confined to a hoverchair.
  • Dueling Shows : The show debuted within weeks of The Orville , an Affectionate Parody of Star Trek and a throwback to the earlier, Lighter and Softer shows. For the second season, Discovery episodes shifted to being released at 8:30 PM on Thursdays, which not-so-coincidentally is the day of the week that The Orville airs on Fox at 9:00 PM.
  • Executive Meddling : Ex-showrunner Bryan Fuller has claimed that he intended for the uniforms to be more reminiscent of the original series and wanted to make each season as some kind of anthology, but CBS pushed for a new uniform design and a serialized storyline. (He did get his way to some extent: The original uniforms can be seen on background extras in the Starfleet ceremony scene in the first season finale; and while the show follows the same characters, each season has its own Story Arc .)
  • Jason Isaacs , an Englishman, plays the American-accented Captain Lorca.
  • Similarly, British actor Shazad Latif plays Seattle-born Ash Tyler, or at least a copy of the real Ash Tyler, into whom the Klingon warrior Voq was surgically modified .
  • God Never Said That : It's frequently claimed that Discovery is a Cosmetically-Advanced Prequel because of a legal requirement that it be " 25% different " from previous installments. In reality, the 25%-different quote was just a personal guideline John Eaves set for himself while designing the updated Constitution -class, not something the show was ever obligated to do.
  • Killer App : Invoked . CBS are hoping to push (American) membership in their premium streaming service, "CBS All Access," by making it the only way to get at this show. In fairness, this has been an effective tactic for Netflix ( House of Cards (US) , Orange Is the New Black ), and HBO has been doing it for years ( Game of Thrones , The Sopranos , etc.).
  • On-Set Injury : Doug Jones suffered a serious shoulder injury while filming the first season, which required surgery and sidelined him from a cameo role in Hellboy (2019) .
  • The Original Darrin : Thanks to some archived footage from Star Trek: The Next Generation , Leonard Nimoy is able to reprise his role as Spock, only five years after his passing, in the episode "Unification III".
  • The first two seasons involve a number of characters from TOS , whose portrayers have all passed away. Thus: James Frain replaces Mark Lenard as Sarek; Mia Kirshner replaces Jane Wyatt as Amanda Grayson; Rainn Wilson replaces Roger C. Carmel as Harry Mudd; Anson Mount replaces Jeffrey Hunter as Capt. Christopher Pike; Ethan Peck replaces Leonard Nimoy as Spock; Rebecca Romijn replaces Majel Barrett as Number One; and Melissa George replaces Susan Oliver as Vina.
  • More traditionally, Hannah Cheesman replaces Sara Mitich as LCDR Airiam for the second season, while Mitich moved to the role of Lt. Nilsson. (For whatever reason, Nilsson also takes Airiam's bridge station after the latter is written out.)
  • Playing Against Type : Jason Isaacs as heroic (if slightly grey and potentially PTSD-ridden) Starfleet Captain Gabriel Lorca. However it's revealed his character is actually the Mirror Universe Lorca, and as evil as they come. That being said, Jason Isaacs voices Prime Universe Lorca in Star Trek Online , who is an exemplary Starfleet captain.
  • The show features the franchise's first gay couple, Paul Stamets and Hugh Culber, played by queer actor Anthony Rapp and gay actor Wilson Cruz , respectively.
  • Season Two introduces Lieutenant Commander Jet Reno, who mentions that her wife died during the war with the Klingons the previous season. Reno is played by Tig Notaro , who is also gay. This later leads to quite an amusing scene where Stamets and Reno flirt while possessed.
  • Adira Tal comes out as non-binary to Paul. Blu del Barrio, who plays them, is non-binary as well.
  • Adira Tal's partner and Tal's former host, Gray, is played by Ian Alexander, a non-binary pansexual actor. An episode early in the fourth season had a throwaway dialogue exchange referring to Gray's "transition", implying that he is a trans man in-universe as well.
  • Reality Subtext : In "Far From Home," Reno advises Stamets on his difficulty accepting his physical difficulties after being seriously injured. Tig Notaro is quite familiar with this after her battle with breast cancer.
  • Schedule Slip : The first episode was supposed to premiere in January 2017, but this was later pushed back to May. January 24 brought news that they had finally started filming the pilot. Les Moonves, the head of CBS, later stated that the series would start airing in the "late summer or fall" of 2017. The delays led to The Good Fight being moved up to take its place as the debut series for CBS All Access. Its official premiere date ended up on September 24, 2017, resulting in an unplanned Dueling Shows scenario with the Trek homage, The Orville .
  • Screwed by the Network : a complicated example in that while the fandom has proven enthusiastic enough to keep the show alive thus far, the game of streaming app-roulette the show has been stuck in since its initial release has locked out many casual fans unwilling to pay for a subscription to watch a single show, when they're even aware which service it's on and that new seasons are still being created.
  • Separated-at-Birth Casting : Many viewers heartily approved that Mia Kirshner , who plays Amanda Grayson, is basically a younger version of Jane Wyatt, Amanda's original actress. She also has a similar appearance to Winona Ryder , who played Kelvin timeline-Amanda in the 2009 film .
  • Serendipity Writes the Plot : It's widely assumed that part of the reason for the drastically redesigned Klingon makeup was the need to make actor Shazid Latif, who plays Ash Tyler, completely unrecognizable when in makeup as Voq , although many fans figured it out anyway .
  • Spoiled by the Cast List : The series unsuccessfully attempted to avert this. Voq infiltrates the Discovery crew as a human named Ash Tyler, with both "characters" played by the same actor, Shazad Latif. In the early episodes of the series, Voq was credited on-screen and in media cast lists as being played by a fictitious actor, "Javid Iqbal". Unfortunately, it didn't take long for Internet sleuths to notice that "Iqbal" had no other film or TV credits and no Internet or social media footprint, leading almost all of them to guess the twist. After the on-screen twist reveal, Latif confirmed that "Javid Iqbal" had been his father's name.
  • Trolling Creator : Jason Isaacs (Gabriel Lorca), from making fun of viewers who don't like the show on Twitter to barging into an interview with Shazad Latif (Ash Tyler) and telling the reporter everything Latif says is a lie.
  • CBS's major idea was to use Discovery to entice viewers to sign up for the CBS All Access app. To do this, they sold the overseas distribution rights to Netflix, in return getting a price so high it practically paid for the entire production cost. However, this meant that in the US, after the first part of the pilot aired on broadcast, anyone wanting to watch the series had to subscribe to CBS All Access, alienating and angering many viewers note  who often learned this the hard way who didn't want to pay $6 a month for the privilege of watching Discovery and, for them, nothing else they weren't getting anywhere else.
  • Original showrunner Bryan Fuller was fired midway through the production of the first season due to a combination of scheduling delays, creative differences and Fuller also trying to work on American Gods at the same time. Co-showrunners Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts were kept on to retool the series without Fuller, but were themselves fired midway through the second season due to ballooning production costs and accusations of hostility toward the writers.
  • What Could Have Been : Enough for its own page
  • Kenneth Mitchell plays four different characters over the first three seasons, three of them Klingons: General Kol in Season 1; Kol's father, Kol-Sha, in episode 2.03, "Point of Light"; and Tenavik, a Timekeeper and L'Rell and Voq's son , in episode 2.12, "Through the Valley of Shadows". In Season 3, he plays the Emerald Chain human scientist Aurelio. The role of Aurelio was created so that Mitchell could still participate in the show even though Mitchell's ALS had progressed to the point that he had to use a wheelchair.
  • A peculiar case happens with Lt. Com. Ariam. She was played by Sara Mitich in the first season, then recasted with Hannah Cheesman in the second season. After Ariam's death in the second season, her position on the bridge was replaced by Lt. Com. Nilsson, played by Ariam's original actor Sara Mitich. This also makes it a VERY odd form of Suspiciously Similar Substitute .
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COMMENTS

  1. Star Trek (2009)

    Cameo. Randy Pausch: A Star Trek-loving Carnegie-Mellon Computer Science professor, who gained widespread fame as the author of a "Last Lecture", in which he discussed living the life of his dreams in the face of terminal pancreatic cancer, appears as the Kelvin officer in the beginning.

  2. Star Trek (2009)

    Star Trek: Directed by J.J. Abrams. With Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana. The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.

  3. Star Trek (2009) / Trivia

    Trivia /. Star Trek (2009) Accidentally-Correct Writing: The red matter black holes actually match certain properties of theoretical black holes, though admittedly not ones that are likely to occur naturally. As outlined in this thread, what makes a black hole a black hole is not mass by itself, but rather the super-compression of that mass, so ...

  4. Star Trek (film)

    Star Trek is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.It is the 11th film in the Star Trek franchise, and is also a reboot that features the main characters of the original Star Trek television series portrayed by a new cast, as the first in the rebooted film series. The film follows James T. Kirk and Spock (Zachary ...

  5. Star Trek (2009 Movie) Trivia Quizzes

    From Quiz "Star Trek" 2009, Part II. Answer: Kirk accuses Spock of never having loved his mother. Spock's mother, Amanda Grayson (Winona Ryder), is one of the billions who perish in the destruction of Vulcan, slipping away from her son's grasp just as the transporters energize. She is human; Spock's father, Sarek, is Vulcan; and the movie ...

  6. Star Trek movie review & film summary (2009)

    The 2009 "Star Trek" film goes back eagerly to where "Star Trek" began, using time travel to explain a cast of mostly the same characters, only at a younger point in their lives, sailing the Starship Enterprise. As a story idea, this is sort of brilliant and saves on invention, because young Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty and the ...

  7. 16 Crazy Things You Didn't Know About Star Trek (2009)

    With two Star Trek movies in a row - Nemesis and Insurrection - receiving poor box office numbers and poorer reviews, Paramount's decision to put the franchise on hiatus seemed detrimental. Would fans ever get another film? It seemed very possible that 2002 might be the last year of a Star Trek feature film.. A Star Trek movie had been released every two to three years, on average, since 1979.

  8. Easy "Star Trek" 2009, Part I Trivia Quiz

    Question 1 of 10. 1. The movie begins, as "Star Trek" movies are wont to do, with a crisis. The U.S.S. Kelvin, isolated from the fleet, has been badly damaged in a surprise attack, and the enemy ship has insisted that the Kelvin's captain come aboard. On his way to the shuttle bay, the captain gives command to a fresh-faced young officer.

  9. Star Trek (2009)

    Directed by J.J. Abrams. With Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Leonard Nimoy. The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful, time-traveling Romulan creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.

  10. "Star Trek" 2009 Part I Trivia Game

    Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts. 1. In the 2009 movie, where is James T. Kirk born? Answer: in a shuttlecraft. Kirk's father and mother are onboard the USS Kelvin while it is under attack, by an enormous Romulan ship. Recently appointed Captain, George Kirk orders the evacuation of the Kelvin, including his wife, who is in labour with their child.

  11. 86 Galactic Star Trek Facts and Trivia

    Randy Pausch—Carnegie Mellon computer science professor, author of the "Last Lecture," and devoted Star Trek fan—appeared in the 2009 movie Star Trek. He died on July 25, 2008, of pancreatic cancer. [14] Star Trek (2009) director J.J. Abrams glued Zachary Quinto's (Spock's) fingers together so he could perfect the Vulcan salute. [14]

  12. Star Trek

    Aboard the USS Enterprise, the most-sophisticated starship ever built, a novice crew embarks on its maiden voyage. Their path takes them on a collision course with Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan ...

  13. Star Trek: The Motion Picture / Trivia

    Trivia /. Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Career Resurrection: With the exception of Leonard Nimoy, the cast of Star Trek suffered from typecasting and limited opportunities after the original series wrapped. This film brought them back into the limelight, provided steady work for the next decade, and opened opportunities to explore non- Trek work.

  14. Star Trek (2009)

    Star Trek (2009) - The roles of Kirk and McCoy were originally played by William Shatner and DeForest Kelley, who had previously made guest appearances on The Fugitive (1963). Chris Pine and Karl Urban have both shared a role with the leads of the film. Pine and Harrison Ford played Jack Ryan in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014) and Patriot Games (1992), while Urban and Tommy Lee Jones have ...

  15. "Star Trek" 2009, Part II Quiz

    Question 2 of 10. 2. Now that he's back on the Enterprise, Kirk's mission is to wrest command of the ship from Spock. Luckily, he's received some inside advice, suggesting that Spock should be relieved from command due to having been "emotionally compromised" by the mission.

  16. Star Trek (2009)

    It's Star Trek, but everyone is all young and sexy and running about everywhere. It's Star Trek, but everyone is all young and sexy and running about everywhere ... Trivia. The film is based on classic sixties sci-fi show - The Thunderbirds ... Full Name: Star Trek. Duration: 127 minutes. Release: 2009. IMDB Link. Starring.

  17. 100+ Best Star Trek Trivia Questions & Answers

    Here are Star Trek trivia questions and answers! There's no questioning the popularity of the sci-fi series "Star Trek." If you think you're the ultimate Trekker, then these trivia quizzes will put your knowledge to the test. ... Answer: Star Trek (2009) Question: In Star Trek Into Darkness, the villain John Harrison is revealed to be an alter ...

  18. 56 Star Trek Trivia Quizzes

    The world's largest collection of Star Trek trivia quizzes in the movies category. Over 784 trivia questions to answer. Play our Star Trek quiz games now! How much do you know? ... the sequel to the 2009 film "Star Trek"? The quiz and interesting information may contain spoilers. Average, 10 Qns, Daddy19, May 23 13. Average Daddy19 463 plays

  19. Star Trek (2009)

    Star Trek (2009) - The original opening for this film was going to feature the Enterprise NCC-1701 under the command of Robert April, with George Kirk second in command. At the climax of the scene, the Enterprise would have been destroyed, and the Enterprise featured through most of the movie would have been its successor, the NCC-1701-A (which did not debut until Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ...

  20. Star Trek: Discovery / Trivia

    Trivia /. Star Trek: Discovery. Several actors portray the Mirror Universe counterparts of their usual characters during the latter half of the first season and in a two-part story in the third. Aurelio, a scientist for the Emerald Chain. Captain Phillipa Georgiou, who is revealed to be from Malaysia, just like her actress Michelle Yeoh ...

  21. Star Trek (2009)

    Star Trek (2009) - The first original series film to be rated PG-13 in the U.S., and 12 in the U.K. All of the other films starring the original series cast were rated PG in the U.S., and 12 in the U.K., respectively, except for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), which was rated G in the U.S., and a U in the U.K., and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), which originally received a 15 ...