Return to the Final Frontier

Movie: "Star Trek"

When: Opening Friday at local theaters

Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Pinto, Karl Urban, Eric Bana, Zoe Saldana, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg

Director: J.J. Abrams

The story: Hothead James T. Kirk joins Starfleet Academy and meets future crewmates, from Spock to Leonard "Bones" McCoy, who will serve alongside him aboard the Starship Enterprise.

The buzz: Three decades after the original Enterprise crew hit the big screen (in 1979's lumbering "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"), the venerable franchise is reborn -- albeit with some old hands aboard. Although William Shatner, the original Capt. Kirk, isn't on hand, Leonard Nimoy (in his first live-action movie role since 1991's "Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country") returns as -- who else? -- Old Spock. And the voice of the Enterprise's computer has been on duty since "Star Trek: The Next Generation" made its TV debut in 1987: It's the late Majel Barrett, "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry's widow, who played Nurse Christine Chapel on the original "Star Trek" TV series from 1966-69.