Star TrekMovie Reviews

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Avg. Critic Score: 83 out of 100 Universal acclaim Metascore^® based on all critic reviews

Information for Parents:

OK for kids 12+

Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

100

Boston Globe | Ty Burr
In the pop high it delivers, this is the greatest prequel ever made. Read full review
100

New York Daily News | Joe Neumaier
The new Star Trek is more than a coat of paint on a space-age wagon train. It's an exciting, stellar-yet-earthy blast that successfully blends the hip and the classic. Read full review
100

The Hollywood Reporter | Ray Bennett
Paced at warp speed with spectacular action sequences rendered brilliantly and with a cast so expert that all the familiar characters are instantly identifiable. Read full review
91

Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman
The clever and infectious reboot of the amazingly enduring sci-fi classic, director J.J. Abrams crafts an origin myth that avoids any hint of the origin doldrums. That's because he rewires us back into the original Star Trek's primal appeal. Read full review
90

NPR | Bob Mondello
It's hard to imagine anyone caring much why we're plunging ahead at warp speed, when the ride is so insanely satisfying. Read full review
90

Wall Street Journal | Joe Morgenstern
Star Trek goes back to the legend's roots with a boldness that brings a fatigued franchise back to life. Read full review
88

Philadelphia Inquirer | Carrie Rickey
The result is more exciting than the last four ST pictures put together, more fun than a barrel of Tribbles, and the most satisfying action-adventure since last year's "Iron Man." Read full review
88

Rolling Stone | Peter Travers
A burst of pure filmmaking exhilaration that manages to pay homage to the classic 1960s TV series and still boldly go where no man, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy included, has gone before. Read full review
75

San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle
At its best, the effect is like seeing life panoramically, past and future, simultaneous and magnificent. Read full review
75

USA Today | Claudia Puig
When it comes to sheer spectacle, Star Trek, as re-imagined by J.J. Abrams, delivers. Read full review

Metacritic link View more reviews for Star Trek on Metacritic

Information for Parents

Common Sense Media says OK for kids 12+ Classic franchise gets new life; OK for older kids.

What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that although this slick, upbeat sci-fi adventure isn't much more violent than the earlier Star Trek movies, there's a heightened feel that gives it a little bit more edge. While the action is (mostly) bloodless, it's also intense; expect lots of fights, battles, and hand-to-hand combat. At one point, the villains destroy an entire planet of humanoid aliens. Some of the comic relief scenes have a flirty, playful sense of sexuality (Kirk has always been a ladies' man), but that's balanced by the mature depiction of a relationship. There's also a bit of language ("bulls--t," etc.) and some drinking.

Families can talk about the enduring appeal of Star Trek -- what makes people become such faithful fans? Why do you think the studio decided to make a new version? How does it compare to the older movies and TV shows?
Talk about revenge, which is a major theme in the film. Ask kids whether it's ever justified to hurt others in the name of revenge. How much of the movie's violence can be traced back to that motivation? How much impact does it have compared to the violence in other action movies? Why?

The good stuff

Positive messages: Even with its sci-fi action and occasional flirty sexuality, the movie has positive, welcome messages about individual responsibility, collective accomplishment, institutional tradition, and working for the greater good.
Positive role models: Almost every character in the film puts aside something -- regret, pain, selfishness -- for the ultimate mission, with good work as its own reward. Zoe Saldana's Uhura is a strong female role model. Good cast diversity.

What to watch for

Violence: The sci-fi military-style action violence is plentiful but not especially bloody. At one point, an entire planet (with a population in the billions) is destroyed. The crews of various starships are pummeled by explosions, struck with torpedoes, sucked out of hull breaches into space, and generally assaulted. A character is impaled with a sharp-ended staff; another falls to her death; another receives several harsh pummelings. Some fistfights. Humanoid aliens are shot close-up; a monstrous beast threatens a character.
Sexy stuff: Some suggestive talk and kissing; two female characters are seen in their underwear. An underwear-clad couple makes out on a bed, though it initially seems like they're having sex. There's a joke about "farm boys having sex with animals."
Language: Some language throughout including "arse" (in the context of kicking), "damn," "ass," "hell," "oh my God," "bulls--t," "goddamn," and "whore." One clear (though not particularly noticeable) use of "f--king" in the lyrics of a Beastie Boys song played during a scene.
Consumerism: The movie is set in the 24th century, but somehow Nokia and Budweiser manage to make appearances.
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Characters drink beer, wine, and hard liquor, sometimes to excess.

Common Sense Media An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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