Overall I give this movie 10 out of 10 stars. The plotline, though a tiny bit confusing at points, was truly excellent and well thought-out. The cast and crew were close to original representations, but not exactly the same, probably for the best, as the movie is not your "original" Star Trek. The camera angles, though a bit frustrating at times, were overall pretty decent and clean. The animation was top-notch and vastly blows away all expectations anyone might have when the movie starts. The animation was beautiful and seamless and looked realistic and vibrant. The acting was magnificent and is deserving of the highest commendations.

I recommend this movie to even non-trekkies because though there are a few in-jokes and references, the action compensates for those moments and keeps the movie rolling along nicely. There is a bit of violence, but it is in no way overwhelming, and it is brief enough that the squeamish can look away and not miss anything. I think that it is a true representation of Star Trek and is an excellent continuation in the series.

The following section contains spoilers.

I thought that the beginning of the movie was quite moving. The fact that George Kirk sacrificed himself for his wife and son was moving, and the music and animation of the Kelvin crashing into Nero's ship was an added accent to an already powerful moment.

I found the reference to "red matter" confusing and, quite frankly, stupid. Red matter was never once referenced in any other series, and makes no sense scientifically. It is, fortunately, not often referenced and only plays a minor role, though the effects it had were pretty much the whole movie. I think that red matter was easily the biggest mistake of the movie, but at least they minimized it.

I thought the ship models and overall animation deserve more than 10 stars. They were outstandingly well done and were totally and completely flawless and perfect. The redesign of the ship was well-done and perfect, though not completely accurate. I believe, however, that that hardly mattered, and personally I like the new version better than the old.

The soundtrack was top-notch as well. It was fully orchestrated and beautifully written. It accented the action perfectly and enhanced it greatly. I would buy the soundtrack if and when it comes out.

The casting was fairly well-done, and the acting was excellent. I thought Uhura, though very well portrayed, lacked some spunk. Spock was well done, as was Chekov. Sulu was fairly bland, but did not play a major role. Nero was well-done, but possibly seemed not vicious or sadistic enough. The rest of the cast was excellent and believable.

The destruction of Vulcan was a major plot twist, and one that I think nobody expected to happen. Everyone wondered whether or not the same fate would befall Earth, though I think most knew it was unlikely to happen, but all still wondered how exactly it would be avoided.

I was at first worried that the statement from the director about the movie [not being canon and taking place in an alternate universe], but as it turned out, this was not at all a problem, and is well integrated into the storyline. The fact that the movie started out in the original timeline then deviated into an alternate universe minimized any canonical problems.

The sets were pretty decent, but very cluttered. The bridge of the Enterprise was the worst, being both dysfunctional and completely unrealistic. Some areas were cluttered for the best, though, such as the water plant aboard the Enterprise.

The storyline was pretty decent overall, yet a tiny bit confusing. The bit where older Spock was explaining how he came to be on the ice planet adjacent to Vulcan was confusing and really has to be thought about to be understood. The rest of the movie is fine, however, and easy to understand.

The movie was not at all nerdy and does not limit itself to physicists and Trek nerds. It opens itself to a wider audience by somewhat minimizing the technical details (though they are not too limited) and replacing them with action and storyline.

End Spoilers.

In conclusion, I recommend this movie to any movie fan, and even non movie fans. It does not tire the watcher out, and even goes to the opposite end, energizing and invigorating the viewer. It was a magnificent movie and continuation of the series. Final score: 10 out of 10 stars.

~Rapsheba555