10 Best Scenes From Star Trek's Kelvin Timeline
Star Trek's Kelvin movies remain an anomaly in the franchise, a fun if somewhat unnecessary modern big-screen reboot of Gene Roddenberry's original vision for Star Trek. Still, the movies produced some stunning, memorable, and emotional scenes and featured a great and ultimately underutilized cast. For the first time, Star Trek's theatrical adventures were being produced with blockbuster-level budgets, allowing the franchise to explore more explosive battles, stunning planets, and gorgeous space shots.
The trilogy's best moments ultimately capture the essence and beauty of Star Trek, examining its characters' motivations and relationships, Starfleet's hope for the future, the crew's bravery, and the wide, unexplored expanse of the "final frontier." From George Kirk's noble sacrifice to the Enterprise's devastating destruction, here are the best scenes from Star Trek's Kelvin timeline.
One Captain Kirk Dies, Another Is Born
Star Trek (2009)
In just a few, all-too-brief minutes, Chris Hemsworth's George Kirk made an undeniable impact on Star Trek's Kelvin timeline. Following his promotion to acting Captain of the USS Kelvin in the wake of the Romulans' time-traveling arrival, George sacrifices himself, staying on the Kelvin to take the brunt of the Romulans' fire, giving his crew, and even more importantly, his wife and unborn son, a chance to escape.
It's a moving sequence, switching between George's final moments and Jim's birth as the young parents choose a name for their son. While George never got to hold his baby boy, he did at least get to hear his first cry before the Kelvin succumbed to fiery destruction. The scene not only sets up the Kelvin universe's divergence from the Prime Star Trek timeline, but it also gives viewers a glimpse of where the future James T. Kirk's sense of duty, honor, and bravery comes from.
Spock & Kirk's First Meeting At Starfleet Academy
Star Trek (2009)
One of the clever choices Star Trek (2009) made was to introduce its versions of Star Trek: The Original Series' characters in the early days of their Starfleet careers. In the scene where Spock (Zachary Quinto) and Kirk (Chris Pine) meet for the first time, Spock accuses Kirk of cheating on the Kobayashi Maru test (a fun nod to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan), a simulation designed to test command-track cadets' response in a so-called "no-win" scenario.
Both Spock and Kirk are called during a Starfleet tribunal, with the latter hoping to defend himself by telling those in attendance that he doesn't believe in no-win scenarios. Spock, rather callously, brings up Kirk's father's heroic demise. It's a tense scene, one that gives Kirk and Spock a difficult emotional barrier to overcome on their way to the respectful, deep friendship audiences know they're destined to develop.
James T. Kirk Sees The USS Enterprise For The First Time
Star Trek (2009)
James T. Kirk's one true love has always been, and will always be, the USS Enterprise. As such, any scene in which he sees his beloved ship for the first time needs to be a great one, and Star Trek (2009) delivers. Technically, Kirk sees the ship for the first time twice. Once, when the Enterprise is being built in Iowa just before he joins Starfleet and Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood); the second time, he essentially sneaks aboard with Dr. "Bones" (as played by Karl Urban) McCoy's help, and their shuttle flies over the Enterprise's saucer.
The latter is a great scene, one that highlights the timeless beauty of the Enterprise's design — though this version was slightly altered from the original ship — accompanied by Michael Giacchino's wonderfully cinematic score. It's a celebration of Star Trek and its most famous ship, bigger and better than ever before. Kirk's awed "wow" really says it all.
Prime Timeline Spock Meets Kelvin Timeline Kirk
Star Trek (2009)
Watching Leonard Nimoy as Spock is always a treat. Seeing him share the screen with the Kelvin timeline version of Kirk was just as much of a treat, a great way to pass the torch from the old generation to the new. It's an emotional moment when Kirk asks how Prime Spock, otherwise known as Ambassador Spock, knows his name, and Spock replies with his iconic Wrath of Khan line, "I have been, and always shall be, your friend."
It's also a turning point for the relationship between Pine's Kirk and Quinto's Spock in Star Trek, as Prime Spock's mind meld, during which he shows Kirk exactly what happened to Romulus, Nero (Eric Bana), Vulcan, and the black hole, proves to Kirk just how deeply Spock is capable of feeling.
The USS Enterprise Drops Out Of Warp To Fire At The Narada
Star Trek (2009)
The final battle against Nero and his vengeful band of Romulans in 2009's Star Trek is perhaps the best example of what a bigger budget can do, visually, for a franchise like this. A daring rescue mission for Captain Pike and Earth involves attacking the Romulans' terrifyingly large ship, the Narada, head-on, with Mr. Spock piloting Ambassador Spock's futuristic ship and the Enterprise dropping out of warp just in time to save him from a suicide mission.
The entire sequence is fast-paced and action-packed, but the moment the Enterprise appears is a cheer-worthy moment, perfectly timed and beautifully choreographed. Giacchino's Star Trek theme elevates the scene, offering Trekkies a Star Trek space battle like never seen on-screen before, big or small.
Star Trek Into Darkness' Cold Open
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
There are plenty of issues with the second Kelvin timeline Star Trek movie, Star Trek Into Darkness. It was a wholly unnecessary remake of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; despite being a great actor, Benedict Cumberbatch was poorly cast as iconic villain Khan Noonien Singh; the plot was a mess, and it felt like a regression for a reboot series that should have been all about looking towards the future. Still, viewers didn't know what awaited them in those first few minutes, and those minutes are genuine fun.
Is it an absurd scene? Yes. It's basically Indiana Jones meets Star Trek, as Kirk and Bones run for their lives, Spock drops into an active volcano to save the planet with a high-tech ice cube, and the Enterprise waits at the bottom of the ocean, trying to remain out of sight of the native inhabitants. In the end, Kirk violates every rule of the Prime Directive to save Spock's life, but seeing the Enterprise rise from the waves? Stunning.
The Starship Enterprise Is Torn Apart
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
Star Trek's new blockbuster budget strikes again, this time with a haunting, tragic, and action-packed scene in which the Enterprise is torn apart by Krall (Idris Elba) and his horrifically effective swarm ships in Star Trek Beyond. All Kirk and his crew want to do is rescue a stranded ship, and what do they get in return? The Enterprise is ripped to pieces, until all that remains is the saucer, crash-landing on an unknown planet as Kirk watches from his aptly named Kelvin pod.
Star Trek has included space battles before, of course, but few are as cinematic and effective as this. Between the swarming ships, the invaders' entrance into the Enterprise, the tilted shots, the pieces of the Enterprise being torn off, Kirk's attempt to dislodge the saucer, and the final, devastating crash, this sequence has it all, helping to cement Star Trek Beyond as arguably the best of the three Kelvin movies.
Spock & Dr. McCoy's Reluctant Bonding Journey
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
After the Enterprise's destruction in Star Trek Beyond, the remaining crew is scattered across the planet. Sulu (John Cho) and Uhura (Zoe Saldaña) are with the other prisoners; Kirk teams up with Chekov (Anton Yelchin); Scotty (Simon Pegg) meets survivor Jaylah (Sofia Boutella), and Dr. McCoy gets stuck with Spock, who is grievously injured. Pairing Spock with Bones was a genius move, as their bickering adds a real natural levity to the movie's chaos, playing on the characters' iconic dynamic from Star Trek: The Original Series.
After a while, Spock and Bones begin to understand one another better, as Spock even admits to Bones that he's considering leaving Starfleet to continue Ambassador Spock's work with New Vulcan. Their shared scenes are a highlight of the movie and perfectly balance vulnerability with humor. McCoy's "My God, you're getting delirious," and "at least I won't die alone" just before Spock is transported away are incredibly well-timed jokes, and Quinto and Urban play their roles to perfection.
The Beastie Boys Save The Day
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
The mission? Save Yorktown. The method? Blast the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" to disrupt Krall's swarming bee ships. The result? Cinematic excellence. This scene in Star Trek Beyond would never have worked on the small screen, but in theaters, with the full power of the well-known classical song "Sabotage" blasting through the speakers as the newly, sort of refurbished USS Franklin swoops through space and destruction? Iconic.
The timing between the music and the visuals is excellent, especially when Yorktown starts broadcasting on the same frequency and the entire swarm bursts into flames against its shield. It's a little ridiculous, a little camp, and that's why it's perfect for Star Trek. It's also a nice nod back to Kirk's childhood in the first Kelvin Star Trek movie.
Reconstruction Of The USS Enterprise
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
Of course, in the end, all's well that ends well, and the primary crew of Kirk's Enterprise (plus Jaylah) enjoy a moment of levity and fun before resuming their exploratory mission amongst the stars. It's a lovely scene, one that promises a lot more Star Trek movies to come, as the crew watches the USS Enterprise being rebuilt. This includes a gorgeous time-lapse sequence that leads straight into the new Enterprise's maiden voyage.
The scene also ends with Star Trek's iconic mission statement, as Kirk says "Space, the final frontier," followed by Spock, Scotty, Bones, Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura finishing the rest. Sadly, Star Trek 4 wasn't meant to be, as multiple directors and writers came and went, leaving the project due to creative differences. It's a shame; the Kelvin Star Trek team certainly deserved one last shot.