As I gear up for a bumper-to-bumper 2-hour or so ride to my family’s house for Christmas, I’m reminded of how instead of sitting in holiday traffic, I should be at the movies seeing the eleventh Star Trek movie right about now.

See, Christmas Day was the original release date scheduled for Paramount’s Star Trek (then dubbed Star Trek XI) from director JJ Abrams, which was recently moved to May 8, 2009 as the studio now views the highly anticipated film as a summer tentpole.

That’s real great and all, but I had been planning for months to see the movie on Christmas — actually at the Christmas Eve midnight showing to be exact. I had already prepared all familial quadrants for this event. As soon as I said that the new Star Trek movie was to be released on Christmas Day, nearly everyone knew what I was going to say next anyway, since my love of Trek is quite well know. So, Christmas Eve midnight showing (in lieu of church, sorry Grandma), then if the movie was totally awesome, another showing with the nieces and nephews some time on Christmas Day. It wasn’t easy, but I got everyone to except my decision.

Do you know what I had to do to get that happen? This is CHRISTMAS!!!!

The official full-length version of the trailer for JJ Abrams‘ Star Trek is now online in all its crystal clear glory.

This highly anticipated trailer debuted in theaters this weekend in front of screenings of the new James Bond flick, Quantum of Solace. As expected, several bootleg versions appeared online soon after. Now, I usually don’t bother posting those, but there are some movies, well, I just can’t wait for ’em and I’ll take any glimpse I can get. Plus, descriptions of this trailer have been online for weeks now, so anyone who wasn’t afraid to be “spoiled” by all that, has already gotten their full share of this new footage.

But let me tell you, you HAVE TO watch it in high-definition. I would have posted this sooner had I not be watching it in high-def slo-mo for an hour now. I just can’t get enough of it, so go ahead and watch it now while I slo-mo it for another hour and maybe right up some more thoughts on it later.

EW has posted the first look of the USS Enterprise from JJ Abrams‘ upcoming Star Trek.

Back in January, the first photo of the iconic starship was revealed, but it was only a partial shot of the ship, shown under construction.

Abrams and Co were sensible enough not to mess with the memorable saucer design of the original NCC-1701 by combining the TV series’ Enterprise with that of the movie franchise’s to create a “new yet familiar Enterprise.”

Paramount has released two new character posters for Star Trek (STXI) featuring black and white images of Zachary Quinto as Spock and Chris Pine as James Kirk.

Click image here at right for full version of Spock; the Kirk poster is here below.

Paramount’s official Star Trek site also has wallpaper versions of these two new posters available now for download in various sizes.

The JJ Abrams Trek prequel hits theaters May 8, 2009, with the first theatrical trailer running in theaters this coming weekend in front of showings of the new James Bond film Quantum of Solace.

Empire has unveiled the cover image for their upcoming issue, which features Star Trek XI stars Zachary Quinto as Spock and Chris Pine as James Kirk.

The cover photo is an homage to an old promo still of Leonard Nimoy as Spock and William Shatner as James Kirk from the original 1960s Star Trek television series (see Empire’s comparison photos here below).

The issue will feature new images from the film of Pine and Quinto aboard the USS Enterprise, as well as new photos taken of the actors in uniform.

Empire also got to talk to the stars of the film and its director JJ Abrams about the highly anticipated Trek prequel. As a sneak peak, the magazine offered up what Abrams said about updating the characters’ wardrobe …