Sound & Vision Preview

In theaters: May 8
Studio: Paramount
Director: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin

J.J. Abrams's reboot of Gene Roddenberry's beloved Star Trek franchise is an origin story, seeking to satisfy longtime fans and newcomers alike with an explanation of how Kirk, Spock, Scotty, Uhura, McCoy, Sulu, and Chekhov found themselves boldly going. . . well, you know. Ever since it was announced, the film has drawn comparisons to 2005's Batman Begins, and it's given Trek-heads agita about what will be left out and what canonical tenets will be violated. "J.J.'s version blends two opposing approaches," says John Cho, who steps into George Takei's shoes to play the Enterprise's helmsman, Mr. Sulu. "One part is action, and one part is very serious science fiction meditation. It's hard to do both successfully, and I think he does. I'm very optimistic that fans will be thrilled."

Cho notes that the primary cast members spent the whole shoot isolated in a bubble of secrecy, and became very close as a result. "We had to wear black plastic ponchos every time we left our trailers so people couldn't see our costumes, and the golf carts that took us to set were blacked out. It was very difficult to leave for any reason once we got to the stage, so the bridge crew ended up sticking around all the time in between setups. It was like summer camp." Which bodes well for the already green-lit sequel that Paramount announced in March. Looks like this reboot may live long and prosper quite nicely indeed. . . .