If you would like to take a fantastic voyage, I have a terrific recommendation for you! You don’t have to be a Trekker, a Trekkie, or whatever the correct nomenclature might be, to be mesmerized by the latest and greatest in this Gene Roddenberry series that picked up where Jules Verne left off. Star Trek (that’s right: no embellishment of “1” or “2” or “The Quest for the Divine”) is the prequel that sets the standard for all that will follow!

Part of what made Star Trek, the television series, so engaging was the weight of the subject matter and the implied back story of the characters who would boldly go where no one had gone before. Yes, they warped into the vast void of infinite space, but, more importantly, they delved into a socially and morally ambiguous realm that formed the philosophical vacuum of the day. This latest Star Trek dives right into the deep end of the pool and reveals the dark, mysterious and incredibly intriguing world of some of the most beloved astronauts of our collective culture.

In the opening sequence, we witness the birth of an epic. When James Tiberius Kirk’s father is thrust into the role of captain, we witness his selfless bravery as he saves more than 800 shipmates, including his wife and son, at the cost of his own life. Not knowing who or why, only that the enemy is overwhelmingly powerful, we sit in awe of the incredible implications this force may bring to bear on all it seeks to destroy. In other words, “They had me from the git-go!” Jump ahead in the future captain’s log, and we find a young James T. Kirk as a reckless, daring and charming genius who is beyond taming. Only when challenged to reach higher by Capt. Christopher Pike (yes, from the series pilot) does James consider service to greater than self. It is at this point that all of the dramatic bravado displayed by one Mr. William Shatner comes into perspective. Through the writing of Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and the embodiment of these words by Chris Pine, we see now clearly the motivation of Star Fleet’s most able captain. He has been warped by circumstances, but must now give more to fulfill his destiny.

This story line alone is more than enough for the usual Hollywood blockbuster, but for classic Trek, it is far from sufficient. No, we must contend with Mr. Spock. A logical and yet emotional time bomb, Spock is the antimatter to what matters to Kirk. Of how these two meet and enmesh I will not reveal a syllable except to say that the heartbeat of this movie lives within this relationship ... and it always has!

Keeping pace with this core should be impossible — certainly all of the good lines will go to these two celestial icons?! Nope. The supporting cast — no, excuse me, crew — is fabulous with a capital fab! Uhura, Chekov, Sulu, Scotty and, of course, the crusty “Bones” McCoy all fit as perfectly as handcrafted jewels into this crown that is the new Star Trek! And as a bonus, we are pleased to meet the younger versions of these indelible characters and unconsciously plot the trajectory of their lives that we know so well (if only from endless reruns).

I would pay a grave disrespect to Mr. Eric Bana if I did not acknowledge his perfect portrayal of the villain Nero. If the story revolves around the bad guy (like Khan), you’ve gotta give it all you’ve got, but when the bad guy is a means to an end, then you gotta dial it down a bit. Bana is brilliant. Bringing just enough viciousness to both alarm the senses and validate character, he triumphs by not trying to steal the show!

Director J.J. Abrams takes a fair amount of criticism, but in this effort, he has helmed a wonderful voyage. Being true to the “multilayered morality play” approach that distinguished Roddenberry from all others (Lucas and Spielberg included), Abrams has not only given us much to think about, but has also carved deeper lines of interest into a family of souls that were already ubiquitous. Bravo!

Three words: Go see it! One more: Twice!

— In addition to being a great movie reviewer, Michael O’Brien Sr. owns and operates a DeLand-based catering service, Michael’s Gourmet to Go. E-mail him at movieman@beacononlinenews.com.