I grew up in the area and the era, and this movie captures both the time and the place even more accurately than I could have hoped. The movie, like the book, is one of the best fiction experiences that I have had in a long time.
I am not a diehard Trekkie, but found this movie to be really super. It was interesting to watch the characters with whom we are so familiar be introduced as the plot progressed. The special effects are great, and the acting and plot were not bad either.