Composer
Michael Giacchino (Alias, Lost, Mission: Impossible 3), no stranger to the hyper-adrenalized worlds conjured by director
J.J. Abrams, decided to "boldly go where no man has gone before" for the 2009 reboot of one of the most beloved science fiction franchises in history. To be fair,
Giacchino's wildly heroic re-imagining of the Star Trek universe cribs the occasional motif from
Jerry Goldsmith's original score (the end credits majestically weave in the original
Alexander Courage-penned television theme), but it's more of a tip of the hat than an act of submission. Like any sci-fi score worth its weight in collapsing stars, the 11th big-screen voyage of the Starship Enterprise is propelled by bold, brass-led melodies that echo the heydays of the great Hollywood Westerns, and
Giacchino has crafted a memorable, classic (in the silver screen sense) rendering of that pioneering spirit. Stoic, regal, and undeniably fun,
Giacchino's
Star Trek is a worthy successor to one of the great space opera themes of the 20th century. ~ James Christopher Monger