As of today, the highly anticipated reboot of Star Trek has officially surpassed The Dark Knight for having the highest-grossing opening weekend in film history. So, is this movie deserving of the title?

As a critic, I can't say that I enjoyed Star Trek as much as The Dark Knight nor do I believe that it has as much artistic merit. That doesn't mean Star Trek wasn't one of the most enjoyable movie-going experiences I've had in a very long time. In the end, that's what Star Trek is all about. I don't think I'm alone when I say that I went to this movie for the fun of it, not to see an overwrought art-house take on a beloved sci-fi series.

I've decided to make this review a strictly spoiler-free zone, so I won't be talking much about the plot itself. In the most complimentary sense, the plot really isn't the most important part of Star Trek anyway. Even in the original series, the plot lines were always canned and episodic. Star Trek has, in every iteration, been more character-driven and that's exactly where this most recent movie is at its strongest.

Trek '09 is nothing if not a parade of origin stories. All of the central characters from the original series get an introduction proportionate to their part in the story and all of them get to have a moment to shine. The repartee between Kirk and Spock is pitch-perfect, thanks in no small part to the performances of Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, respectively. In the case of the former I was afraid of emergent Shatner-ism that thankfully never occurred. For the latter, I was never sure if Quinto's occasional hamminess on Heroes was the result of limited acting or just bad direction. His take on Spock has all the nuance it requires, so Nimoy fans can rest easy.

While Kirk and Spock are certainly the center of attention, the rest of the cast holds up just as well. Karl Urban's "Bones" McCoy proves him yet again to be one of the most under-used character actors of today and Simon Pegg (and the audience) has a blast as Scotty. Eric Bana doesn't really get much depth to explore as Romulan terrorist Nero, but he performs well enough for a bad guy. The lack of a three-dimensional villain is really the weakest part of an otherwise strong movie.

Star Trek is more than a little pretty. It's certainly an effects extravaganza, but that's not really a surprise. The good pacing keeps the film from being just a theme park ride, though. The stunning and well-choreographed action segments tag-team with character building and plot driving scenes. I'm most happy about Star Trek's unwillingness to waste space. Every minute was entertaining and necessary.

After the mediocre X-Men Origins: Wolverine, it's great to see that the summer blockbuster season still has plenty to offer. Star Trek is a must-see both for fans of the franchise and newcomers alike. With its record-breaking box office performance and its great cast, it doesn't take a time-traveler to see that a sequel is immenant. Bring it on, Paramount. I'll be in the front row.