I had expected something really bad, with cardboard sets and ridiculous dialogue. You know, like the original Star Trek. The production values were very low, with inferior computer graphics, bad montage, actors that looked like they were volunteers, but the dialogue was not that bad, the story was OK and the people working were clearly enjoying themselves.So, in fact, this was exactly what I didn't expect: a good movie! I can easily overlook low budget constraints when the story is nice enough and the actors are making the effort.Bottom line: this is more related to Star Trek the original series than with other Star Trek movies or incarnations and therefore must be seen as a continuation of TOS and not something to rival Next Generation. The plot was not brilliant, but it did the job and was consistent with what one would expect from a Star Trek movie. Overall I was pleasantly surprised and I enjoyed watching it.

Here is what I found fun It was just fun to see Chekhov and Uhura carry the show. They get most of the lines, (but even then it is an ensemble cast). Koenig got to do more dramatic lines and action. Nichelle probably got more plot point lines. I would have preferred to see Miss Nichols do more of the action, but that may have not been physically possible for her...as seen by the fact where she was walking in a scene where everyone else was running.It was good seeing a full grown Cirroc Lofton again , who played Captain Sisko's son in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. In homage to his TV father he sported a bald head and goatee. His acting was just okay...but then he really didn't have any exciting lines to deliver.Herbert Jefferson Jr or Boomer from the original Battlestar Galactica shows up with some mean looking facial hair. He commands some starship and strike force and at some point tells "Blue Squadron" to go on the attack...which of course was his squadron on the old BSG show. Cool seeing him again. A good nod of the head to 'old-school' sci-fi.It was good to see original Star Trek's Yeoman Rand show up...although I don't know if she even said any lines. She does get to practice her tribble puppetry skills though and that is cool.We get to find out what happened to Charlie Evans, from the old series episode Charlie X. Hint: he's bitter.We also get to find out what happened to Gary Mitchell who although left dead in the second Star Trek pilot shot...is alive and kicking due to the machinations of Charlie. Hint: the universe was better with him dead.For me the the special effects were great. If you are geeky enough to be aware of different designs that were planned for the Enterprise then you will see how those would have turned out in action. In fact you get to see lots of Romulan Warbirds, Klingon Cruisers, Klingon Birds of Prey, Klingon Super-Battleships, several designs (and paint schemes) of Starfleet warship and just a bunch of crazy starship designs all duking it out with phaser blasts and photon torpedo firings. Oh...the sound effects were fun too.It was cool seeing Tuvok again, and cool knowing he was directing this film.There are many things that make this enjoyable but, obviously, you have to have more than a passing familiarity with Trek to really appreciate them.For example...as a final note, it was cool seeing Arlene Martel as the vulcan priestess maximizing her facial expressions (something Miss Martel is a master at) as she watches Uhura kiss Stonn. But to really appreciate that you have to recognize her as Spock's fiancée T'Pring and remember that she dumped Spock for Stonn...hence her discomfort at not JUST the blatant show of emotions.All in all...much fun for Trekkers.

What we have here is an extended, unbearable New Voyages episode, complete with James Cawley (AKA Elvis Kirk), who evidently bartered use of his sets for a cameo appearance as Captain Kirk's nephew and a comfy seat at the conn for pal Jeffery Quinn. Too bad he didn't farm out his CG team either, because the outer space visuals in this production would make the "Space Rangers" (1993) effects crew snicker. Fidelity to Trek vessels aside, these shots are the computer age equivalent of a third grader with A.D.D. nearly puncturing the margins of notebook paper with ballpoint blue lasers and whirly explosions to depict spaceship wars.Here's what happens when the typical fanboy script with hackneyed dialogue is actually produced, but somehow attracts an array of Star Trek luminaries: Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig must have realized this could be their last stab at committing their iconic characters to the screen. Tuvok directs and brings on Voyager chums Ethan Phillips and Garrett Wang. Alan Ruck is the one I felt the worst for; he's the canon likeness of the USS Enterprise-B captain with one on-screen appearance to his credit, but a clear grasp of Paramount's non-existent desire to produce new Captain Harriman material. As such it's easy to figure why he would volunteer his time to a fan production; an opportunity to insert himself once more, however unofficial, into Trek lore. Unfortunately instead of a straight Enterprise-B adventure (which this should have been with his participation, period), he's mired in a barely watchable stageplay with no character development whatsoever. By the end of the movie, we have no clearer impression of who Captain Harriman is than we did at the end of his scenes in STAR TREK: GENERATIONS. What a waste. I really thought it was going to be something special to rival the official Star Trek movies as "the one just for the fans" that Paramount never quite pulled off. Not the case. In fact now I understand why this sorta "came and went" with barely a whisper. All the ship drama occurs on the New Voyages Constitution-class Enterprise. One scene even drags out in the transporter room for what seemed like twenty full minutes! The wooden direction casts professional actors like Walter Koenig and Alan Ruck in an amateurish flare, akin to deer in headlights. To its credit, there are some nice location shoots like Vazquez Rocks and a couple of gardens that serve as the planet Vulcan. Initially I was impressed when Charlie X showed up and I thought they'd gotten the original actor, but he isn't. The DVD case is interesting. One quote describes this as the "... most intelligent and thought provoking Star Trek movie ever created." I don't know about intelligent, but it definitely provoked my thoughts, as evidenced by this review. I suppose if the only Star Trek one has ever seen is the TNG eps where Ro and Guinan turn into kids and quell a Ferengi takeover of the ship, and the one where Dr. Crusher's dead grandmother's Scottish boyfriend's ghost shows up, OGaM could seem like the most intelligent Trek ever, but sadly this is one disc that will sit on my shelf for years until I feel the urge to punish myself for being a fan, or whenever I want to make my friends stare at my TV in horror... before getting their MST3K on.

Done lovingly and so wonderful to see a few of the old faces some of us knew so well. I actually liked the CGI used, it was crisp and clean and relied on the person watching it rather than making the person a subjective viewer, kinda put the viewer in league with the movie, it is up to the viewer to decide how much they will enjoy it.Heck, the graphics reminded me when computer games were about the puzzles, tactics and maneuvers inherent rather than the gee whiz blow you away factor with a hollow center in most I run across- simply human nature I guess- "a beautiful person need not be as deep as one plain"- not that I buy that, I don't, it's just, unfortunately it is just that way betimes. SPOILERIf you can get past the first scene, it gets better. "Charlie X" doesn't get his "acting shoes" quite laced till his next scene. To me, overall, I like this addition to the universe of Star Trek, heck, better than Nemesis IMHO anyway. The acting is good. Think BBC (Doctor Who, Blake's 7, "bad" effects and all are easy to ignore, but actually the effects in this are a tad better than the older BBC stuff, which I love BTW).I give it a 7/10, but I am biased!