Abrams' vision: According to the EWarticle, Abrams was not a Trek fan. He was a Star Wars guy. At a time when darker heroes like Batman are box-office gold, Abrams says he wants to make optimism cool. He wanted to "evangelize" the idealism of the Trek story universe. He says he didn't make the movie for fans of the franchise, but for fans of movies. [Good, because there is no pleasing Star Trek fans, so you might as well not try. - Zach]

Characters: All the main characters from the original are back, although they're played by new actors. You may have seen some pictures of them already, and there are even more of them out now. Most of the pics aren't especially revelatory, unless there's a plot point in the movie about James T. Kirk paying his way through Star Fleet Academy as a chin model. [Isn't that what Alias was about? - Z]

Design: Eric Bana is supposed to be playing a Romulan, but I think he looks a little like the offspring of Nosferatu and one of those Japanese crabs with a human face on their shells. Miniskirts and boots are still the fashionable uniform choice of the future, and the phasers are sleeker than the boxy originals. The design of the Enterprise keeps some of the original's characteristics, but now has handrails for the crew to latch onto when things inevitably get bumpy. What, no-side curtain airbags?

Controversy: The climax of the opening sequence reportedly will have the "zealots" crying "Heresy!" Spock shows up for work in a Hawaiian shirt? Kirk takes a vow of celibacy? Scotty reveals he's actually from Scottsboro, Alabama? You'll have to dig deeper for more spoilers if you want to find out for sure.