Chris Pine [James T. Kirk]
Zachary Quinto [Spock]
Leonard Nimoy [Spock - Prime]
Karl Urban [Bones]
Zoe Saldana [Uhura]
Simon Pegg [Montgomery Scott]
John Cho [Sulu]
Anton Yelchin [Chekov]
Eric Bana [Nero]

Monitoring the captain's life signs, George Kirk immediately gives the order for the USS Kelvin to open fire on the Narada when Captain Robau flatlines. Knowing that the Kelvin can't win against the Narada, Kirk orders the crew to abandon ship... including his young wife who is in the midst of giving birth to their first child.

With only seconds to go before the USS Kelvin collides with the Narada, Kirk, who had opened a channel with his wife's escape pod, hears the cries of a baby. Overwhelmed by the knowledge that he will never see his newborn child, he asks his wife what name she plans on giving to their child, to which she replies that she had thought of naming the baby after George's father... Tiberius. George laughs and tells her that they should name the baby after her own father... Jim. At this point, the USS Kelvin collides with the Narada and George Kirk dies.

'Star Trek', which, in effect, takes place before the original series with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, has not only been spruced up, but has received a total overhaul. True, the original Spock makes an appearance, but he too has been spruced up. The story remains much the same; however, the crew have been given more depth and a chance at eventual growth.

Chris Pine, who plays James T. Kirk, does so incredibly well... no small task for an actor to take up a role that has for decades belonged to someone else. For obvious reasons, William Shatner was none too pleased with this 'Star Trek' remake, but there's a reason for that - Chris Pine turned out to be a better Captain Kirk than he ever was. Chris Pine IS James T. Kirk, body and soul - his presence is like a breath of fresh air. Unlike the previous Kirk, the revamped version is not only in better shape, but he's energetic and charismatic as well. He's incredibly likeable, not in a charming and highly polished way, but in a down-to-earth way.

Karl Urban who plays Bones, is, at times, a mirror reflection of the original character, the physical quirks, the inflections, the way his eyebrows lift when he's sceptical, or that lopsided grin of his when he's amused - Karl Urban has done his homework well, and although he's captured the essence of the irritable doctor, he's given him an edge and a past that was not there in the original series.

Played by Zoe Saldana, Uhura is a sexy creature who oozes charisma, yet is distant and incredibly smart. She possesses tons of self-confidence, something that the 'old' Uhura lacked... she is also, surprisingly, in love with the new and revamped Spock! It's somewhat shocking to see her kissing Spock, just as it's somewhat disconcerting to see Spock kissing her back or even daring to show emotion, but that's the beauty of this movie, it deals on emotions, and Spock, played by Zachary Quinto, is amazingly approachable and likeable. I have always been a Spock fan, preferring him to any of the other characters, and Zachary Quinto has managed to win me over with his performance, and with his updated version of a much-loved character. No, Spock isn't perfect, his 'human' side is never too far beneath the surface, but his Vulcan side, the one that is calculatingly brilliant and in control, that side is there as well, in equal proportion, and it's fascinating to watch both of these sides in a constant state of conflict.