The first crowning moment of awesome in the film belongs to none other than Jim's old man — George Kirk. How can you call being in command of a starship for only twelve minutes, yet still end up saving 800 people including your wife and newborn kid, who you name in your final moments as you deal a crippling blow to the enemy vessel by ramming yours down its throat, anything but awesome?
And that same battle is a Crowning Moment of Evil Awesome for the Narada. No question.
Maybe juuust before that is Captain Robau. He knows he's screwed. He goes in anyway.
The first time you see the Enterprise. Cool Starship indeed.
The scene is just majestically executed. The ship's new crew is being taken to the ship in the transport, and the movie's main theme is playing with increasing crescendo, and then Bones points out the ship to Kirk. We follow the transport, and the camera shifts up with the increasing tempo, and then we see it. And then when the transport hovers over the NCC-1701, it is hard to suppress a squee.
And, by extension, seeing it after jumping back into the solar system. The image of the Enterprise rising out of Saturn's rings note with a blink-and-you'll-miss-it image of the Starfleet chervon for bonus points is such a perfect herald to the fact that the whole team's back that it merits tears of beauty.
Captain Pike: "Punch it!" — maybe the most memorable quote of the movie.
The ship doesn't simply slip or stretch into/out of warp in the reboot movies. The sound is a deep thud that, for those who saw it in theaters the first time, was almost like getting punched in the chest.
The beginning of that other great friendship —
Mc Coy: Don't pander to me, kid. One tiny crack in the hull and our blood boils in thirteen seconds. A solar flare might crop up, cook us in our seats. And wait 'til you're sitting pretty with a case of Andorian shingles. See if you're still so relaxed when your eyeballs bleed! Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence. Kirk: Well, I hate to break this to you, but Starfleet operates in space. McCoy: Yeah. Well, I got nowhere else to go, the ex-wife took the whole damn planet in the divorce. All I got left is my bones.
Kirk: "I got your gun."
Followed up by Pike who uses that same gun to shoot two Romulans sneaking up on Kirk with near-instant reflexes. Then add in the fact his mind should be practically broken following the implantation of a Centauri slug (similar to the bugs from Wrath of Khan). Yeah.
Spock turning down the Vulcan Science Academy after they insult his mother. In fact, any time someone insults his mother he basically gets something akin to one, but this time, he gives what is hands-down the most sarcastic and irony-dripping Vulcan salute in the history of Trek. He could not have made it more bitter even if he added a "Fuck you" for good measure.
From the novelization:
No emotion in those words, not even in the last few. But just a hint, perhaps, of a nonverbal suggestion best exemplified by a distinctly human digital gesture with which those on the Vulcan High Council were not familiar.
It's all about the music cue — Spock drops the mic, and Giacchino brings in this chunky wah-wah guitar, as if to say "Yeah, fuck those guys."
And then there's the look on Sarek's face at that moment. If ever a Vulcan didn't want to be where he was at any particular moment, that was it.
And as Spock turned away, we get the guitar riffs for the BGM to the next scene on Earth, which in the context of this scene only add to the badass nature of Spock's actions at the Vulcan Science Academy.
Spock beating the hell out of Kirk for saying Spock never loved her, too. Did Kirk need to do it? Yes. Did he mean it? No. Did that change the fact that seeing him get owned for being a bastard was so, so sweet? Hell no.
The Kobayashi Maru. You'd expect Kirk to break into giggles any moment. It's a bonus to original fans who know Kirk is going to cheat.
It's also the fact that that scene was the absolute zenith of Chris Pine acting like William Shatner. The entire main cast channelled the TOS actors at various points, too, but this was Pine's finest hour of Ham.
If you pay attention to Uhura, you can tell she's just a little petulant about how Kirk isn't really taking anything seriously.
Also, the way Kirk finally "wins" The Kobayashi Maru scenario pretty much cements his reputation as the biggest Guile Hero in the Star Trek universe.
Spock charging the Narada while piloting the Jellyfish, with no real expectation of rescue. He was going to die taking down the man who killed his mother and Vulcan, and he was okay with that.
"I hereby confiscate this illegally obtained ship and order you to surrender your vessel. No terms."
Put simply, this was the biggest use of arsenal in the history of Star Trek. And then the Enterprise hovers just away from the black hole, helping break apart the Narada with all weapons firing, impulse ports a bright red as she observes the other ship's destruction.
And let's not forget the Enterprise escaping that black hole by riding a REALLY BIG EXPLOSION. Not even the all caps do that scene justice.
Pretty much the initial portion of the Enterprise's maiden voyage answering a distress call from Vulcan. The entire sequence beginning with the space jump and finishing with Kirk and Sulu plunging to their apparent deaths: pure undiluted maximum WIN!!!!
Before the arrival on Vulcan, the scene where Kirk warns Pike and explains everything deserves a mention. In a lesser movie they would have thrown him in the brig for fake drama, warped in and then somehow survived when all the other ships didn't. Instead, they believe Kirk because he has evidence and are the only ships prepared for the trap. This is especially impressive from Spock, who has every reason to dislike Kirk, but uses his mighty powers of Vulcan logic to overcome his emotions and reach the correct conclusion.
Kirk: Listen to me. It's an attack. Spock: Based on what facts? Kirk: (after a silence) That same anomaly, a lightning storm in space that we saw today also occurred on the day of my birth. Before a Romulan ship attacked the USS Kelvin. (to Pike) You know that, sir. I read your dissertation. That ship which had formidable and advanced weaponry was never seen or heard from again. The Kelvin attack took place at the edge of Klingon space, and at 23 hours last night, there was an attack. 47 Klingon warbirds destroyed by Romulans, sir. And it was reported that the Romulans were in one ship. One massive ship. Pike: And you know of this Klingon attack, how? (Kirk turns to Uhura.) Uhura: Sir, I intercepted and translated the message myself. Kirk's report is accurate. Kirk: We're warping into a trap, sir. The Romulans are waiting for us. I promise you that. Spock: (after a Beat) The cadet's logic is sound.
The second the Enterprise arrives at Vulcan, she drops out of warp smack dab in the middle of a massive debris field from all the Federation ships the Narada destroyed. The Jitter Cam moments from within the ship intercut with the intense sound and imagery of the ship barely wading through the field is such a cool scene in itself.
As Kirk, Sulu, and Engineer Olsen perform the orbital skydive toward Vulcan, the soundtrack goes silent and all you hear is Kirk breathing from within his suit as he and the other two fall hundreds of meters per second along with soft digital beeps just to have you take in the scope of the moment.
Kirk and Sulu fighting Romulan miners on the drill platform. As he's fighting, Sulu realizes that one of the vents on the drill shoots a column of fire at regular intervals. So, with a few well-placed punches and kicks, Sulu maneuvers his opponent onto the vent... leaving said opponent with just enough time to realize he's screwed before being roasted alive. Then Sulu runs the one who has Kirk on the ropes with a sword.
Sulu's "fencing".
In addition, the fact that Sulu immediately puts his hand up when Pike asks for volunteers with combat experience, for a highly risky mission that could (and very nearly does) kill everyone involved.
Kirk, without hesitation, jumping off the drill platform and falling through Vulcan's atmosphere to catch Sulu mid-air.
And shortly before that, Kirk and Sulu blasting away at the drill. You just want to put some rock music in that scene. Maybe The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again". Yeah, the same bit the CSI: Miami intro uses.
Chekov most definitely gets his CMOA with his "I can do zat!" part: Using a special technique of his, he manages to safely beam aboard Kirk and Sulu who are plummeting toward Vulcan after Kirk's chute broke off. Made all the more awesome as it's nearly impossible to get a transporter lock on a rapidly moving target.
The Most Wonderful Sound moment of that scene when you hear the classic transporter sound effects from the original series could jerk a small tear from fans.
"Either we're going down... or they are."
"I would rather die in agony, than accept assistance from you." — "You got it. Arm phasers! Fire everything we've got!" Why, hello there, Captain James T. Kirk. Welcome back.
An even more Kirk-like moment immediately before. Nero has completely destroyed Vulcan, tried to do the same to Earth, and murdered countless Federation citizens in his insane quest for revenge. Nevertheless, despite all this, Kirk offers mercy, just another version of him did when Commander Kruge was hanging off a cliff. And, just like that moment, when the offer of mercy is brutally rebuffed, Kirk retracts it with extreme prejudice.
Zachary Quinto's performance as Spock. The whole cast kicked ass, but why him in particular. Because now Non-Trekkies know what true Trekkies have always known; Spock. Is. A. badass!
Also Chris Pine's performance as Kirk, in which he somehow manages to both radiate Kirk-ness from every pore while not copying Shatner's performance. And the chemistry of Pine and Quinto together absolutely makes the movie.
There are points in the movie where it feels like DeForest Kelley has possessed Karl Urban and is acting through his body. He's that good.
It's entirely possible Mr. Kelley did just that, particularly when he convinces the pilot to let Kirk onto the shuttle with him.
Quinto narrates the audiobook version of the novelization of the film. He does the characters' impersonations pretty well, especially McCoy (Spock goes without saying).
Michael Giacchino, the composer of the music of the film, deserves special mention for being able to compose an incredible score, which incorporated the Alexander Courage opening of The Original Series in the End Credits of the Movie, in full orchestral/choral beauty. Icing on an already excellent musical cake from a most excellent composer.
McCoy's Crowning Moment of Awesome: He got Jim aboard the Enterprise by making him sick then invoking regulations about transporting patients! Not to mention by doing so, he enabled Jim to save the planet! He's the reason the movie even happened like it did. And all because he couldn't leave a friend behind.
First it shows little kid Kirk joyriding in his stepdad's antique 20th century convertible to drive it off a quarry as a way to get back at him (since it’s implied he’s abusive). This all occurs as Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" blares in the car stereo. The song would later make a hell of a Call-Back in Star Trek Beyond.
The way he introduces himself to the cop tailing after jumping out of the car before it fell.
Kirk: Is there a problem, officer? Cop: Citizen, what is your name? Kirk: My name is James Tiberius Kirk.
Then we go to little kid Spock on Vulcan where he finally snaps and goes to town on one of three bullies for bad-mouthing his mother. You see the other bullies' faces and they're so terrified they don't even jump in.
After Spock orders security to take Kirk away, Kirk starts taking on security, and doing pretty well for himself. Then Spock drops Kirk in less than a second with the Vulcan Nerve Pinch, throwing in a Continuity Nod at the same time.
Nero hailing the Enterprise in perhaps the best such scene since the second movie:
"This is Captain Christopher Pike. To whom am I speaking?"
"Hi, Christopher. I'm Nero."
Kirk's promotion. Welcome back, Captain Kirk. The airwaves have missed you.
Undoubtedly, Nimoy!Spock gets one just for showing up in the film. This was the first time Nimoy put on the ears in 18 years since his last appearance as Spock in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
His first appearance is a real treat. We see Nimoy!Spock fend off the monster chasing Kirk with a torch. Then we see the reveal that, yes, our eyes are not deceiving us, that really is Leonard Nimoy. Cue the theater going batshit nuts.
Of course there is also the exchange between Nimoy!Spock and Quinto!Spock at the end of the film. Especially since Nimoy!Spock is unrepentant about "implying" certain things to Kirk.
Nimoy!Spock passing the torch at the end with the classic monologue.
Somewhat related to that moment, the teaser trailer: Not sure what was being advertised, just images of welders working on a huge structure, with quotes from and about the space program, then the camera pans up at the start of the iconic line, "Space...the final frontier..." and you see the ENTERPRISE on the structure being built as the familiar fanfare plays...
The last scene: Kirk taking his place in the captain's chair of the USS Enterprise, with Uhura at communications, Chekov at navigation, and Sulu at the helm. Scotty is at engineering, McCoy is at his captain's side, and at last Spock offers himself as second-in-command, and Kirk accepts. And then, the words of Ambassador Spock as an oh-so-familiar fanfare plays:
"Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Her ongoing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life-forms and new civilizations; to boldly go where no one has gone... before."
The scenes at the Shipyard Bar in Iowa
Kirk facing down four hulking Starfleet recruits in a bar. His boast of "Get some more guys and it will be an even fight" was cool, but he lived up to it by beating the shit out of them and still getting to second base with Uhura, all while pissed off his head. And while he does proceed to take a beating, it's still probably best Pike stopped it before Kirk sobered up.
Pike: Your father was captain of a starship for 12 minutes. He saved eight hundred lives, including your mother's... and yours. I dare you to do better.
Pike's first appearance — he whistles, and the cadet pounding on Kirk immediately drops him and stands to attention. So does everyone else in the bar. And the theater, for that matter.
The opening titles. After the (momentary) defeat of the Narada, the shuttles evacuating and the scene fade out, we hear the music slowly build until we see the old Federation logo and in big bold letters we see the title. It needs to be seen to be believed. As one commenter put it:
mrbrockpeters: This was a brilliant intro in the theater. I remember it was so jam-packed. It felt like when you haven't seen an old friend for years and then they reappear in spectacular fashion.
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