Boldly goes where no prequel has gone before. Pays homage to the original and maybe does it one better. On one hand it;s like a screening of "Rocky Horror Picture Show" because of the familiar accents, and voices, and expressions. Except here they say it FOR THE FIRST TIME. But the characters were so charismatic, it was easy to become invested in them.
Just as the point of Start Trek 1 - 3 is to get Padme pregnant and Darth Vader into his "robot suit", the point of this film is to get Capt Pike into his wheelchair in time for Episode 1. But they pull it off in inventive and unusual ways. And leave open the possibility of a dare I say it -- sequel, to right the wrongs committed in this film. Two very big and enthusiastic thumbs up!